I'd like to start this off by giving a big thanks to everyone who took the time to read the opening chapter for my new story. An even bigger thanks goes out to all those who took a few minutes to write up a review for the story as well.
Seeing as though all of the reviews I received were positive in nature I tried to get this chapter out as quickly as possible. I'll say this now that there are probably grammatical or spelling errors in this chapter somewhere but I really wanted to post this up quickly. If anyone would like to put their name forward who is willing to act as a Beta for this story it would be much appreciated.
PLEASE READ THIS LITTLE BIT: For those of you who have watched A:TLA you will definitely notice notice the large similarities between the show and a very important section of this chapter. Please know that I'm not trying to copy the show or anything of the sort, I just feel that the scene from the show is far too epic for me to change it much. :END
So, with all of that out of the way please enjoy this chapter of A Guiding Flame. As always, if there is anything you find wrong or of about this, feel free to let me know in a review or PM.
The sensation of falling was not one Naruto was fond of. He didn't know what to expect from his transportation from the Spirit World to the Material World but falling from well over three hundred metres in the air towards the ocean was not something he wanted at all.
Six months ago, Naruto knew for a fact that he would be screaming his head off in his current situation, but it wasn't six months ago and Naruto was not the same person he was back then.
He quickly adjusted his body weight to stop himself tumbling out of control and thrust both fists downwards at his side. Two bright jets of flame burst into existence illuminating the night sky. His rapid descent was slowed almost immediately.
To slow himself to a more manageable speed, Naruto willed matching flames to ignite from his feet which gave him much more control of his movement.
On the edge of the horizon Naruto could make out the vague outline of a landmass though it was much too far away from his to glide there even with his Fire-Rockets. Though he was no fond of the idea, Naruto knew he would have to swim most of the way.
He only hoped he would be spared from any encounters with one of the outlandish animals Iroh had described to him in his studies.
Naruto quickly decided that when he found a teacher for Airbending he would dedicate his time to finding out how he had managed to fly in his sleep, if only to save himself from annoying situations like the one he now found himself in.
The sea came up to meet him far sooner than he would have liked, catching Naruto in its icy embrace. Naruto was well aware of the chance of hypothermia but during his training Iroh had stressed the necessity of proper breathing exercises.
He had said it was often the one thing that would keep a Firebender from death in extreme circumstances. Naruto was confident in his ability to keep his body warm even under such chilly conditions.
The swim itself only took Naruto a little over ten minutes, his athletic body allowing him to make good time in the water despite the weight of his clothe, form fitting though they were.
He was glad to make the shallows safely and began the trek up the pristine beach towards the tree line. He decided he would wait until daybreak to explore the island and set about making a small fire pit on the edge of the tropical forest ahead of him.
He sat cross-legged in the sand and began to exude as much heat from his body as was safe. The water soaking his clothes soon turned to steam and drifted away lazily in the cool night breeze.
Naruto stripped down to the waist, his body sweat soaked from his muggy clothes, and was about try and get some measure of sleep when he felt it.
It was like a whisper on the air, the feeling tugging at the edges of his senses teasingly like it had a mind of its own. If Naruto had to guess he would say it was almost as if it was calling to him, pleading him to find its source.
Naruto wasn't sure exactly what possessed him to listen, but he did. He left his clothes and bag by his fire to dry, confident that they would be safe from thieves, and made his way into the forest in search of whatever was calling to him.
The jungle was thick and Naruto found it hard-going but he persevered and he was soon rewarded. Suddenly and without warning the jungle around him simply vanished, ending so suddenly and with such precision that it startled him somewhat.
Dirt gave way to aged yellow stone and looking ahead of him, Naruto was awestruck with what he saw. Stretching out for as far as he could see was what appeared to be an ancient city, now fallen to ruin but still strangely intact for the most part.
Naruto stood at what he guessed was the beginning of a main thoroughfare which lead towards the centre of the ruined city, to a massive stone structure, it's topped capped with gold that shone brightly under the full moon high above.
Naruto could practically feel the spiritual energy the soaked the air around him and he instantly knew that he was on the right track.
Following the thoroughfare Naruto was lead deeper and deeper into the city, all the while admiring the strange architecture that surrounded him. His carefree attitude almost proved fatal.
Naruto was staring at the summit of the large structure ahead of him, he felt certain he could make out a faint light from its peak. He almost didn't hear the soft 'click' from underneath his foot.
His instincts kicked in not a second too late, launching him into the air mere moments before a large circular blade erupted from the wall beside him at waist height.
Another appeared in the space Naruto occupied in the air and he was forced to employ a rapid burst of fire from his palms, sending him towards the ground rapidly.
Naruto quickly laid himself down flat as the first blade made a second pass overhead before disappearing into the wall that it first emerged from, its higher sibling following suit.
Naruto cursed himself for his lack of awareness as he climbed back to his feet though the Shinobi in him had nothing but praise for whoever designed the trap itself. It must have been centuries, maybe even millennia old and still it was working in perfect condition.
Naruto vowed to pay less attention to the buildings around him and more to making sure he reached the central structure alive.
It was another ten minutes before Naruto was faced with a daunting flight of incredibly steep steps. A small groan escaped his tired lips before he began his ascent. The central structure was much taller than he had first anticipated; the ground was beginning to disappear below him.
After what seemed like an eternity of climbing, the stairs soon brought Naruto to a large flat area a third of the way up the structure with separate stair cases on either end of an enormous Mural that looped upwards, leading towards what Naruto assumed was the peak of the structure.
The mural itself gave Naruto pause for a long moment. It depicted a strangely dressed man wreathed in a ring of fire that was being spewed forth from the mouths of two Dragons, mirroring the others position so as to be looking up towards the man himself.
There was also a multitude of other symbols dotted over the mural but most were far to faded from Naruto to make any sense of them. The only words he could make out were "Sun Warriors" and the sudden realisation almost took Naruto's breath away.
Iroh had taught him much about the Sun Warriors. How they were the first humans to master the art of Firebending by learning it directly from the first True Firebending masters, the Dragons themselves.
Through some unbelievable stroke of luck Naruto had been deposited onto the very island Iroh had wanted him to seek out, he just knew it.
Naruto quickly deduced that the mural depicted some form of ceremony in which the sacred knowledge of fire was passed from Dragon to Man. As fascinating as the mural was, Naruto knew that he would have to go higher.
When he was finally able to tear his gaze away from the mural he began his climb anew, aiming for whatever lay at the structures peak. The climb upwards from the mural was a much quicker one, and when Naruto reached the top of the stairs he was confronted with a rather intimidating sight.
Directly in front of him stood a strange column of marked stone, at its top a marvellous red jewel was embedded in what appeared to be some form of ceremonial stone figurehead.
Ahead was one of the largest doors Naruto had ever seen, what more it seemed to be made entirely of gold. It too sported a matching jewel above its circular form.
Behind the box shaped structure ahead of him Naruto could now plainly see a steep, narrow staircase that lead up to a small temple which formed the peak of the massive stone structure.
Whilst it's golden capped peak was still clearly visible it was the bright orange glow of what could only be a large fire that drew Naruto's attention.
Carved into the ground between the column and the golden door was what Naruto could only assume to be a celestial calendar, the distinct markings giving it away.
Using knowledge Iroh had imparted to him, Naruto surmised that the two jewels were supposed to work in conjunction with each other and the calendar he now stood on.
Naruto could remember mentioning that a similar device was employed in the temple of a past Avatar, only allowing entrance to the inner chamber during a Solstice.
Whilst Naruto truly had no idea when the next Solstice was scheduled to occur, he knew without a doubt that he wasn't going to sit around and wait for it.
He deftly picked his way up the stone column, easily finding the hand-holds necessary to help him reach what would be the sun facing side of the jewel.
Hoping his plan would work, Naruto placed his open palm inches away from the surface of the jewel and attempted to produce the brightest flame he could muster.
It seemed to work as Naruto noticed a pale red circle of light dancing across the far wall though it was metres away from the opposite jewel and far too dim. Naruto carefully adjusted the angle of the light until it was resting upon the jewel above the golden door.
In a brilliant flash of red light Naruto forced the flame in his palm to burn brighter and brighter, sweat beading on his furrowed brow from the exertion.
Seconds later he was rewarded for his efforts. The jewel above the golden door glowed brightly and the ground itself began to tremble as the massive door divided into two halves and parted to allow Naruto entrance into whatever chamber the Sun Warriors had gone through so much effort to protect.
He dropped from the column, bracing himself for the long drop, dusted himself off and made towards the open doorway, eager to see what lay inside.
The chamber itself was not on the grand scale as the rest of the architecture surrounding it but it was not less impressive. It was a relatively small circular chamber, moonlight filtered down from a metal grate in the ceiling illuminating a matching set of imposing statues that formed a ring around room.
The statues themselves caught Naruto's attention. They seemed to be demonstrating the positions of some form of ancient Sun Warrior Firebending form though it was not one that appeared even remotely familiar to him.
Upon closer inspection Naruto noticed a series of indented plates in the floor in front of each statue and a small plaque that simply said "The Dancing Dragon".
Taking a gamble, Naruto stood before the first of the statues and imitated the position, balancing on one foot with his arms outstretched at shoulder height, his palms facing upwards.
He could feel himself sink slightly into the floor and looked down to notice he was right, the small plates in the floor that followed the statues were meant to be activated by following the positions of the statues.
Naruto smiled and continued to move himself into the various positions of the Dancing Dragon style, arcing towards the back end of the room.
When he finished the movements Naruto could honestly say that he expected something mildly excited to happen. He was disappointed to learn that whatever mechanism the floor plates activated seemingly needed a second person moving in tandem with the first to work properly.
More than a little let down, Naruto gave the statues one last glance before making his way out of the chamber. Remembering the staircase that led up to the small temple which seemingly housed a lit flame, Naruto made his was around the statue chamber and began to ascend the final staircase to the structures peak.
When Naruto reached the top of the stairs and set foot into the ancient Sun Warrior temple he was almost left breathless.
The temple itself was open to the elements with only a single wall towards the far end of the sudden plateau. Large stone columns supported the immense weight of the roof high above his head. The far wall was also decorated by various artworks, mostly depicting dragons and what Naruto now assumed to be Sun Warriors.
All of the Sun Warriors shown on the wall seemed to be bowing to what stole Naruto's attention. An alcove, twice as tall as Naruto, was the centrepiece for the far wall. A huge, magnificent flame burned brightly from within casting a warm light across the floor of the temple.
Naruto felt at once that the fire before him was not one made by man, it was ancient, incredibly so. The flame itself seemed to exude Spiritual Energy and Naruto guessed it was the fire that was saturating the air in the ruined city with a strange sense of warmth.
Despite himself, Naruto yawned loudly, his recent exertions finally taking their toll on his consciousness. He couldn't think of a better place to sleep than directly before the fire. Naruto sat cross-legged in a meditative position, his palms pressing against each other in front of his chest.
Iroh had taught him many meditative techniques, one of which was the ability to enter a trance like state, allowing his body to rest and recuperate but still allow his spiritual self to remain active. Naruto had found that he was quite proficient in projecting his spiritual body which would allow him to explore the rest of the city whilst his body 'slept'.
He felt his body go numb before the strange sense of weightlessness hit him and he was suddenly looking down on his own body. No matter how many times he performed the act it still freaked him out a little.
'Naruto' descended the stairs he had only moments ago finished climbing, he was eager to explore at least a small portion of the city by daybreak though he knew he only had a few hours at best.
The sun was high in the sky when Naruto felt the tug rising from the pit of his stomach. It was close to mid-day and he felt certain that something was wrong. While he was no more than a hundred metres or less from the top of the stone structure Naruto was forced to cancel his spirit walk prematurely, blasting his spiritual self back into his physical body.
Forcing an end to the technique always made him feel queasy but he was glad he had done it. His eyes shot awake in an instant, his stiff body cracking upwards to attention in the blink of an eye. A strangled gasp escaped his lips before Naruto was on the defensive.
While his spirit was away his body had been surrounded by a large group of strangely dressed men and women, some who brandished rather intimidating spears whilst others casually held a small flame in their palm.
It took Naruto's mind a moment to recognise his would-be captors.
"Y-you're the Sun Warriors." he exclaimed breathlessly, a grin creeping onto his face. "This is awesome."
The group surrounding him parted to allow a slim elderly man pass, heading towards Naruto. He was dressed differently than the other Sun Warriors. Where their outfits were minimalist consisting of only pants and a top for the women, he wore a ceremonial robe of deep orange.
A strange head-dress sat atop his head that appeared to be made of some kind of feathers. He also wore a large gold plate necklace that covered his neck completely.
He hobbled along rather slowly with the assistance of a staff topped with a golden flame cut-out. As he drew closer he studied Naruto with a critical eye, looking him up and down and gave a small tutt of annoyance.
"I am Ham Ghao, chief of the Sun Warrior tribe. You will tell me what you are doing here in our city or you will be punished, severely." came the wispy voice of the elderly chief. Naruto didn't want to have to resort to violence, even to protect himself, but he knew that his best chance was to be respectful.
Naruto face the man head on and bowed low to show his respect.
"My apologies, I had not thought to meet anyone. I wasn't aware that I was intruding, I am sorry." he said and it seemed to lessen the glare he was receiving from the Chief, somewhat.
"I was told to seek out this island, to learn from its inhabitants, but I never expected to find the remnants of the Sun Warrior civilisation still alive. I have come only to learn and nothing more." he explained. The Chief's brow shot upwards at his statement.
"You were sent here? By whom?" he asked warily.
"Iroh, the Dragon of the West, he sent Me." announced Naruto earning more than a few whispers from the group around him.
"Do not take me for a fool boy; Iroh has been dead for decades." spat Ham Ghao and Naruto shook his head.
"His body is dead yes, but he lives on in the Spirit World. He trained me in the modern art of Firebending and I think he sent me here in hopes that you would teach me the True way of fire." he explained.
"Please, teach me." pleaded Naruto and the old chief's face softened somewhat before he let out a long sigh.
"So be it." he said. "It is not my place to decide whether you are worthy." The chief moved passed Naruto, the group of Sun Warriors shifting so as to be behind Naruto and closer to the stairs. Ham Ghao stopped in front of the large fire and turned to face Naruto.
"If you wish to learn the ways of the sun, you must learn them from the Masters Ran and Shaw." began the Chief as if reading from some ancient script.
"When you present yourself to them they will examine you, they will read your heart, your soul and your ancestry. If they deem you worthy then you will gain the knowledge you seek, but if they don't, you'll be destroyed on the spot." he said and Naruto was starting to have second thoughts but quickly pushed them down. He had come too far to back out now; besides, Iroh wouldn't have sent him to the Sun Warriors if he didn't believe Naruto would be able to pass whatever test they gave him, at least that was what he told himself.
Ham Ghao gestured behind him to the beautiful flame that burned brightly behind him.
"If you are still set on the Masters killing you, then you must bring them a piece of the Eternal Flame." he began. "This fire is the first one to burn in all of history. It was gifted to man by the Dragons thousands of years ago; we have maintained our vigil and kept it burning since it was first breathed into existence." Naruto was awestruck by the significance of what he was being told.
The first fire ever! He thought, That's so cool.
"You will have to take a piece of it to the Masters to show your commitment to the sacred art of Firebending." said Ham Ghao before he turned to face the fire, his frail hands extending out gracefully and pulled at the air close to the flame.
A thin stream of the Eternal Flame broke off from the whole into his hands, forming a small ring of fire. Despite his age Ham Ghoa moved his body with such fluidity that it surprised Naruto, his movements reshaping the fire into a ball of flame no bigger than his closed fist.
The Sun Warrior chief extended his hand out towards Naruto, offering him the flame, who bowed before taking the proffered fire in his palm. Instantly Naruto felt the difference. The flame he held in his hand was calm, it almost felt alive.
His usual Firebending was what Iroh had taught him, power given form, but this was so different that it almost felt like Bending another element all together. Why hadn't Iroh taught him this?
"This is not just some useless show," said Ham Ghao, "This ritual demonstrates the key ideals of Sun Warrior philosophy. You must maintain a constant heat; the flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big, and you might lose control." he explained.
Ham Ghao raised his arm, directing Naruto's gaze out to the edges of the city and towards a massive mountain, its peak split into two distinct shapes.
"You must take the flame up there. The Masters reside in that mountain. It is there that you will present them with your fire." he said and Naruto was barely able to stop a groan from escaping his lips. He had had enough with climbing for a while.
Despite his reservations, Naruto bowed once again, careful to keep tight control over the fragile flame resting in his palm and began the long trek to The Masters.
The sun was close to set when Naruto found himself in a narrow chasm, the walls of the mountain beginning to close in around him. Throughout his climb up the mountain Naruto had been deep in thought.
His mind had wandered back to Iroh's teachings, that Fire was power, the energy of his own body harnessed as a tool of attack or defence.
Naruto knew Iroh was a peaceful soul and he also knew that Iroh had never abused the power of Firebending when he was alive, but that was always how he had explained it to him, power.
Iroh had been reluctant about going into any further detail about the nature and inner workings of the art, always changing the subject.
Naruto could very well understand the man's teachings. When he used his Firebending he always felt a great rush of energy, a scorching power blasting its way through his body. The fire he now held in his hands threw all of what he knew of Firebending into disarray.
The flame flickering above his palms did not feel like pure power, Naruto couldn't feel its destructive potential. It felt like life, like creation itself. It radiated peace and not hints of violence.
There wasn't a doubt in Naruto's mind that Iroh had withheld some intimate knowledge from him, though from all he had encountered in the past twenty-four hours, he had a fairly good idea as to why.
Naruto was broken from his thoughts when the mountain suddenly opened up, the setting sun blazing bright on the horizon. Taking a few steps forward Naruto now found himself in an immense circular area, a huge mural of a stylised sun emblazoned onto the cut stone floor.
The twin peaks of the mountain stood before him, the distance between them bridged by a long stone walkway, its halfway point marked by a steep set of stairs that ascended to a square platform. Naruto noticed two large cave mouths in the mountainside where the walkways met natural stone.
The Sun Warrior tribe had formed a wide ring around the edges of the circular area; some were kneeling before ancient looking leather drums whilst most were standing at evenly placed intervals.
Naruto saw Ham Ghao, flanked by two Sun Warrior one of which was bearing a huge hollowed horn over his shoulder, at the base of the stairs and moved to meet him. The Chief moved forward as well, stopping in the exact centre of the circular area and waited for Naruto to approach him.
"This place is amazing." muttered Naruto as he drew nearer to Ham Ghao. It seemed his words were heard because the Chief's features developed a small smirk.
"This place is one of the most sacred areas on this island, second only to the shrine of the Eternal Flame." he said as he gestured up the stairs. "This is where you will face the judgement of the Masters Ran and Shaw." he explained before turning back to face Naruto, his face incredibly serious.
"You have come this far without complaint outsider, I feel obligated to warn you that facing the Masters could be incredibly dangerous for you, we will not look down on you if you decide to back out now." he said muttering "Probably." as an almost silent afterword.
"I can't back out now. I've never given up once in my life, I'm not about to start now. There is so much I want to learn from Ran and Shaw. This fire is unlike anything I've ever felt before," said Naruto as he gestured to the fire he held in front of himself. "I want to know its secrets."
Ham Ghao nodded slightly at his words and motioned for Naruto to hold out his hands. When he did as instructed the Chief deftly thrust both hands into the flame Naruto held and quickly pulled from it two individual balls of flame before handing each off two a Sun Warrior who in turn gifted it to another that formed the circle around the area.
When the first Sun Warrior of the outer circle received the flame it was quickly converted into a spinning ring sustained by two outstretched arms. The rings of fire gradually spread around the circle as the Sun Warriors divided the fire up between themselves and it was not long until the entirety of the area was ringed in fire.
Naruto drew in a single sustained breath before looking straight into Ham Ghao's eyes.
"I'm ready, please bring out the masters." he said and the Chief gave a small nod.
"Chanters!" his tired lungs screamed out. All around him the Sun Warriors that were sitting by their drums suddenly exploded into motion, beating their fists against them to create a rapid tribal tattoo.
Naruto soon found himself beginning his climb up the daunting steps, from the corners of his eyes he could see many women of the group bowing profusely as if in reverence to some god and it struck Naruto as odd. He was only about to meet two Firebending Masters, he was beginning to wonder why there was so much pomp and ceremony.
Halfway up the stairs Naruto nearly stopped dead in his tracks. He could feel….something deep below him, some presence that he could not attain the identity of. Whatever it was, it felt ancient, incredibly so. Through sheer force of will he made himself continue climbing. His confidence in his abilities soon returning, whatever it was he was about to face, it would be facing him head on.
When Naruto finally reached the top of the stairs and stepped onto the platform the chanting and drum beats below suddenly dying out completely. A heavily amplified voice exploded into the air and when Naruto looked down he noticed that it was the man who had been carrying the massive horn.
"He who seeks to meet the Masters Ran and Shaw will now present his fire."
Naruto's head darted from side to side quickly, staring into each cave mouth but he faced only darkness from within. An idea quickly became known in his mind and Naruto made his best effort to mimic Ham Ghao's actions from only moments ago. Turning gracefully on the spot Naruto separated his single flame into two, holding one above each palm.
He extended his arms outwards, one hand facing each cave, and bowed his head slightly, ready for whatever he was about to face.
"Sound the Call!" shouted Ham Ghao, his voice reaching Naruto as clear as day. There was a slight pause before Naruto head what he could only guess was the sound of an immense signalling horn, the low drawn out note piercing the strange calm that had settled upon him.
For a moment nothing happened, and then the earth came to life around him. The two mountain peaks shook fiercely, large pieces of rock dislodging and tumbling down the sheer cliff face to the ocean below.
The momentary feeling of fear almost caused Naruto's fire to extinguish itself but he held firm. The shaking of the mountain intensified for a brief moment and Naruto was awestruck when an enormous blue dragon burst from the cave to his right, soon followed by yet another dragon from the left, this one a rusty-red colour.
The awesome creatures began circling the platform diagonally in perfect tandem. Naruto could have sworn that he saw the dragons look directly at him. Though he could not see it, down below the entirety of the Sun Warrior tribe was now prone on the floor in a sign of respect to the beautiful creatures now soaring overhead.
Naruto could only stare at the dragons circling him for the first few moments, part of his mind too awestruck after realising that these Dragon must be the first to teach man the art of Firebending, before he noticed something odd, they weren't just flying along a designated route.
There was a strange familiarity in their movements. Naruto smiled when he finally noticed that the dragons themselves were performing the Dragon Dance.
Naruto hadn't even noticed that his two flames had completely disappeared when he began to follow the movements of the Dragon Dance. As he moved through the stances he immediately noticed that the Dragon's actions now mirrored his in their own way. Naruto was filled with a feeling of immense joy and peace, the graceful steps of the dance calming him.
Time seemed to slow, dragging on for what felt like an eternity. Despite the complexity of the aerial manoeuvres the dragon were performing Naruto noticed that their eyes never left him, studying him with their ageless wisdom. It was an entirely humbling and at the same time terrifying thought.
Naruto almost didn't notice that he had actually completed the Dragon Dance; his mind had seemed to wander towards the end, thoughts of the Dragons and strangely the feeling of the Eternal Flame mixed together with little coherence.
Now the Dragon were hovering mere metres above the walkway connecting their two caves, one either side of Naruto, they were both staring intently at Naruto.
Both sported terrifying looks of rage on their scaly visages. The seconds continued to drag one, vicious snarls escaping from the fanged maws of Ran and Shaw.
Without warning their dropped from the air and fell tail first before they latched onto the side of the large staircase so that they were looking upon Naruto from below, the perfect synchronicity of their actions impossible to miss.
Their heads reared back for a brief moment and a terrible feeling formed in Naruto's gut, they were going to burn him alive!
His assumptions were somewhat correct.
Ran and Shaw thrust their heads upwards, their mouths opening wide and revealing a dull orange glow quickly making its way up their throats before fire began to spew forth.
On reflex Naruto closed his eyes and brought his arms up to protect his face. When he felt no searing pain he opened his eyes inquisitively and was struck motionless at what he bore witness to.
A vortex of rainbow coloured flame swirled around him and up into the sky, the flame accented with bright yellows, deep purples and vibrant greens.
There was a message hidden in the beauty of the flame, something that spoke to Naruto in such a way that he felt he had been blind all of his life and only now could he truly see.
'Fire isn't just power and destruction; it's also life and creation, harmony.' he thought. The pure spiritual energy that the flames exuded was almost suffocating to Naruto's senses. Without truly understanding the significance of his actions, Naruto reached out with his own Spiritual Energy, his own life force, and connected himself with that of the Rainbow Fire.
Some subconscious and more than likely irrational part of his mind fell into an old, but practiced routine, and began to draw the energy into himself.
It was too late when Naruto realised what he was doing.
From his bowing position Ham Ghao stared up with a small smirk on his lips at the outsider. The Masters had in fact deemed him worthy, much to his own surprise. He had not witnessed the sight of the Master's Rainbow Flames for many decades, not since Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko had come seeking the truths of Firebending.
Though he had only witnessed one true ceremony he knew something was wrong. Ran and Shaw had ceased producing their brilliant flame and yet still the vortex of multi-coloured flame remained in the air, wreathing the outsider in its warmth. The Masters themselves remained on their perch, staring intently where the Outsider would have been standing.
Many moments of awed silence passed before the top of the vortex began to unravel, seemingly drawn into its centre. The process continued rapidly and soon Ham Ghao could see the source of the strange events and gasped out loud despite himself.
Where the Outsider had once stood, ready to be judged, there was now a being of golden radiance. The Rainbow Flames were being absorbed through the beings arms and what Ham Ghao could only assume would be its mouth and eyes. The vortex was reduced to wispy funnels of flame that quickly disappeared into the golden figure.
When the last of the flames were gone the Outsider, for the figure could be no one else, staggered for a brief moment before dropping to his knees, the golden light that suffused his body disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Ran and Shaw remained in place for a moment longer before taking to the sky and once again disappearing into their mountain home. With the ritual done the Sun Warriors stood up as one, all of them confused and awed in equal measure. Murmurings soon broke out amongst the group and Ham Ghao was forced to call for silence.
The Outsider was coming down the stairs.
When Naruto regained any true sense of self, he found himself on his knees with one hell of a headache. On some level he partially understood what had happened.
The familiar feeling of the Spiritual Energy given off by the Rainbow Flames felt so much like Nature Chakra that some part of him acted on impulse and began absorbing the present energy.
Groggily Naruto regained his footing and looked down below, noticing that Ran and Shaw were both absent, most likely already having returned into the mountain. He also noticed that the Sun Warriors had all gathered below at the base of the stairs.
Deciding that he had accomplished his goal, Naruto began his shaky journey down the stairs, silently praying his tired legs didn't give out under him and send him tumbling downwards looking like a fool.
Ham Ghao seemed to have dispersed the majority of the Sun Warriors by the time Naruto reached the bottom.
"That was amazing! The flames, it was like they spoke to me, my Firebending feels so much more…..complete now." said Naruto as he sported a massive grin. His carefree manner seemed to put Ham Ghao somewhat at ease.
"I would hope so. The Masters deemed you worthy and through their fire, showed you visions of what Firebending truly is." said the Chief and Naruto nodded in response.
"Yes, it isn't just power, it's life and energy. I now know why Iroh didn't teach me this himself; he knew it was something I had to be taught first hand, by Ran and Shaw." he said before he stepped to the side of Ham Ghao and performed a movement of the Dragon Dance.
Naruto nearly fell over in shock. From his outstretched hand shot a constant stream of rainbow fire, identical to that of Ran and Shaw. Ham Ghao seemed similarly taken aback, his staff clattering to the stone floor loudly.
"H-how did you do that? No human has ever produced the fire of The Masters." he said, his shock evident in his tone.
Naruto could only stare at his hands when he spoke.
"I-I don't really know, it just feels natural, I'm not even trying to replicate their fire, I'm just producing it naturally." he said, still trying to process things himself.
"It must have something to do with what happened to you up there." said Ham Ghao and Naruto suddenly had a vague idea as to what had happened.
"Did I start glowing?" he asked simply. He only received a confused nod from the Sun Warrior chief.
"Kurama must have triggered Spirit Mode when I accidentally started absorbing Ran and Shaw's Spiritual Energy. I'm guessing that he found a way to mix mine with theirs, turning my fire Rainbow as a result." he explained though he himself was a confused with the specifics.
"Who is Kurama?" asked Ham Ghao, a look of confusion plastered across his face.
"Oh, Kurama is the Spirit that merged with me back in the Spirit World. When I gather or expel enough Spiritual Energy I can enter what I call Spirit Mode. That's what you saw me do; my body is coated in golden fire for as long as my Spirit Mode is active." said Naruto, only causing Ham Ghao even more confusion.
"You know what?" he said as he covered his face with a hand, "I'm not even going to ask."
Naruto scratched the back of his head a smiled in embarrassment.
A moment of silence passed between them before Ham Ghao called out to a Sun Warrior behind him. Naruto saw that the man that came forward was carrying everything that Naruto had left at the beach the night before. The Sun Warrior stopped before Naruto, bowed, and handed Naruto his possessions.
"Ah, thanks I guess. Saves me the trouble of going back to get them I suppose." he said as he dressed himself.
"It is time for you to leave." said Ham Ghao. "My people have prepared a small boat as well as supplies for you to take with you. I noticed your map you carried had both our island and the Southern Water Tribe circled; I assume you were going to be making your way there after you finished here?" he asked.
"Yes, Iroh asked me to come here first before I headed South. Thank you for the boat, I kind of got here by falling so I didn't want to have to swim all of the way there." said Naruto as he laughed. Ham Ghao only gave him a blank stare, not even bothering to ask him what he meant.
"Before you leave here you must make me one simple promise." he said.
"Anything!" was Naruto's immediate response.
"You must never tell anyone about us or the Masters. Make up some stupid lie about the colour of your Firebending." said Ham Ghao. Naruto could both understand and respect the chief's desire for privacy; their culture was one that survived only on their anonymity. Naruto pressed a fist to his palm and bowed.
"You have my word Ham Ghao, I won't tell anyone, that's a promise of a lifetime!" he said whilst grinning.
Naruto spent more than a few days sailing down the coast of the Fire Nation before he found a large port town. He was glad for the supplies provided by the Sun Warriors, the various dried meats sating his considerable appetite. Considering he hadn't eaten any 'real' food for six months it tasted amazing.
Naruto pulled into port early in the morning, tying his boat up at a small dock before making his way into the town proper. Out in the harbour were more than a few large ships, a few of which looking a lot like merchant vessels and Naruto hoped that at least one of them was heading to the Southern Water Tribe.
He passed by many food stalls, the majority of which were selling all kinds of exotic looking seafood, before he found what he hoped was the Harbour Master's office. When he entered, Naruto was confronted by a small elderly man sitting behind a large desk littered with various articles of paperwork.
The man looked up at Naruto's entrance and eyed him quizzically, obviously not expecting visitors it seemed.
"What can I do for you son? I'm a little busy." he said.
"I'm sorry to bother you sir but I'm hoping you could tell me if there are any ships headed for the Southern Water Tribe any time soon." asked Naruto in a pleading tone.
The man stared at Naruto for a short moment before studying a small notebook on his desk.
"You're in luck, there's one heading out in a few hours, a Varrick Industries ship." he said. Naruto sighed in happiness; he Really didn't want to be stuck here for a week or two just waiting on a ship.
"Ok, thanks old man. How do I know which ship it is?" he asked, causing the old man to huff.
"It's the fancy looking white and blue ship at the end of the harbour, you can't miss It." he said.
Naruto found the ship easy enough. Just as the Harbour Master had said it was fairly easy to find. Seeing as he didn't have any money to his name he was forced to sneak aboard where he found a rather secluded spot in the cargo hold inside some sort of wheeled machine.
It was a few hours before the ship rumbled to life and began to move and make for open sea. Naruto didn't know how long it would take to reach the Southern Water Tribe but he hoped it was only a few days at most; he didn't have much dried meat left.
As it turned out, the trip South only took three days, most of which Naruto spent in meditation to consume as little energy as possible. Naruto waited by the loading ramp until the door itself was only a half metre open before he slipped out into possibly the coldest weather he had ever experienced.
All around him was ice; even the buildings that he could see were all formed from the stuff. He quickly decided that it would be best for him to get as much distance from the ship he had sowed away on as soon as possible.
Naruto made his way through the city, searching for any sign of the White Lotus, when something caught his eye. Through an open door, Naruto could see into what he assumed was what amounted to a bar in the Southern Water Tribe. His attention though was drawn more to a single patron that he caught a glimpse of.
In a far corner of the building Naruto could see an elderly man wearing blue and white robes sitting at a Pai Sho table and calmly sipping from a cup of tea. Naruto quickly made his way inside and his suspicions were confirmed. The old man wore a thick white collar, its edges marked with a white lotus flower.
Naruto sat at the table across from the old man, causing his brow to raise a little.
"Now what can I do for you young man?" he asked curiously. Naruto didn't answer, his hands dug through his small bag until he found what he was looking for.
Casually, he placed the White Lotus tile that Iroh had gifted him in the centre of the table causing the old man to choke a little on his tea, though he quickly regained his composure.
"I see you favour the White Lotus gambit my boy, there aren't many who still follow the ancient ways." he said before he cupped his hands together, palms raised, and bowed to Naruto who repeated the gesture.
"Those who do can always find a friend." he said, mirroring the words Iroh had taught him months ago, secretly hoping he wasn't screwing something up in the process. The old man nodded softly.
"Then let us play." he said before placing another tile down on the table. Naruto began matching pace with him, each of them placing another tile down after the other. In moments the board was complete, the placed tiles resembling a large lotus flower with the White Lotus tile in the centre. He Old man looked up and smiled.
"Welcome brother," he began. "The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."
Naruto laughed nervously.
"Well I'm not really a member so to speak, but I want to be. The person who taught me this little game asked me to speak directly to the Grand Lotus; he was the one who told me that I would be able to find him here in the South Pole." he explained.
"I see, that is most…..unusual." said the Old Man, seemingly deep in thought. "I suppose there would be no harm in you meeting him; after all, you do know one of our orders ancient customs. I have one condition though." he said. Naruto could barely contain his excitement; he had hoped that his forwardness wouldn't dissuade the man.
"Name it." he said eagerly and the Old Man smiled in response.
"You'll have to have your head covered, so you can't see where we are going, the location itself is considered somewhat secretive." he explained.
"Fine by me," said Naruto. "When can we leave?" he asked. The Old Man smirked.
"Right now." was his answer. Naruto made to stand before a black bag was thrown over his head from behind.
Thanks for reading everyone! Remember to leave a review; they are really what motivates me to get the next chapter done faster. The more substance in the review the more motivation I get out of it.