Chapter 20

The Will of Fire.

A simple phrase, really. But in the village of Konoha, these were more than just petty words. The Will of Fire is the very soul of the ninja within the Village Hidden in the Leaves. A Will passed down from sensei to student for generations. And sometimes, every few decades or so, a person would appear who was the very embodiment of this Will. A fire needs fuel to keep on burning, and these people, through their actions kept the flame burning strongly.

Naruto Uzumaki was one of those people.

Sasuke glanced over at the blond through his dark eyelashes, not wanting to look up and meet his eyes. So he studied the folds and shadows of Naruto's fiery red cloak, trying to commit his Guardian's form to memory as if Sasuke himself was the fabric draped over his skin. Even as he stood in perfect stillness, merely a copy of the true Naruto, the clone seemed perpetually bound in motion. Sasuke's senses tingled under the heated roll of Naruto's chakra, his power pulsating like a shockwave in the still air. Sasuke couldn't help but be glad that he wasn't a sensory-type ninja.

Finally, with a deeply weighted sigh, Sasuke tucked his bangs behind his ear and turned back to the scrolls that were spread out around him like a fan. He tilted the thick paper towards the lamplight, scowling at the damp, murky atmosphere pressing heavily against the house.

The light coming in through the window was grey.

Grey, like the old men who huddled together in tea houses and talked about the old days – recounting memories and tales which seemed far away, even to them. The light coming through the window was grey, and it bathed Sasuke in cold light, washing away the little colour that clung to his cheeks and lips.

After the silence had stretched on for a long while, Naruto's clone cleared his throat.

"Still mad at me?"

Sasuke looked up from the scroll he had been scanning, eying the nervously smiling blond coldly. He raised his eyebrows as he reached for his cup, the condensation on the glass gathering together and running like teardrops under his fingertips.

"Of course I am, dobe." Sasuke responded, his voice monotone and detached. "It's only been an hour or so since you left. Not all of us are simple minded enough to just forget things immediately."

Naruto's smile faded slowly, his eyes shadowed by his furrowed brow. "Sasuke, this mission is something I have to do."

"Yeah, it's always something you 'have' to do." The pale ninja growled. "You know, this whole scenario reeks of council involvement. There's no way in hell that not a single Jounin, besides Shikamaru, was available to assist in this mission."

The clone shifted his weight from one foot to the other, squeezing his eyes shut as he stretched grandly. The thick fan of his eyelashes parted slightly, twin pools of depthless blue falling upon Sasuke. The haughty Uchiha looked away quickly, uncomfortable under that gaze. It made him long for the real thing.

Finally, Naruto inhaled deeply, working a small smile onto his face. "Unfortunately, the council refuses to recognize one rogue prison guard as a priority situation." He crossed his arms, glancing over his shoulder at the window. "But don't worry about it Sasuke, I'm sure it will be fine – you know?"

Sasuke sighed loudly. "At least Shikamaru went with you. There may be hope for this mission, after all."

"See, that's more like it!" Naruto enthusiastically replied. "Way to be optimistic, Sasuke!"

Obsidian eyes studied the clone carefully. "Why are you trying so hard to get on my good side?" He muttered suspiciously. "Usually when I'm upset with you, you conveniently vanish until I've decided to forgive you."

"Oh, busted." The blond said guiltily. "You know how I sent a clone to the hospital to talk to that team that was attacked? Well, when I was there I ran into Sakura-chan, and when she heard that the original me was heading out on assignment she insisted on coming to see you."

"What?" Sasuke hissed, his eyes narrowing to slits. "Please tell me you said no."

Naruto scowled. "So what, you'd rather sit here pouting and worrying yourself bald than talk to an old teammate? Jeez Sasuke, you're such a jerk sometimes."

"Yes, and you are kind enough to remind me. Often." Sasuke retorted.

Naruto sighed, holding back in order to avoid another argument. He settled for looking at Sasuke quietly for a moment. The hard-headed Uchiha was sitting on their black couch, in the space which Naruto usually occupied. Several scrolls and books were spread out around him, a stack on notes settled on his knee. Sasuke had stuck his pencil behind his ear some time ago, the small writing utensil holding his long bangs away from one side of his face. In his frustration, Sasuke had loosened the buttons on his white shirt roughly, his pale chest visible beneath the wrinkled fabric.

The clone absorbed the moment greedily, knowing that these images would flood into the original Naruto eventually. "If the mission does go as terribly as Sasuke is predicting," The blond thought, "Then at least these memories will keep the original me going. I finally have a place to return to, so I'm going to fight to keep it safe."

Smiling sadly, Naruto turned away from his partner. "Sorry, Sasuke. You're not a jerk." He said softly. "I'll go outside and meditate. But I should warn you, Sakura-chan just passed through the barrier."

"Naruto, you -"

"Don't be such a pussy, Sasuke." Naruto cut in with a frown. "You knew you'd have to face her eventually. And besides, at least you've got your chakra back, so you won't die when she hits you."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Before Naruto could respond, there was a soft and nervous knock on the door. Sasuke jumped to his feet, his notes scattering across the floor. He glanced down at the mess of papers, sudden anxiety rooting him to the spot.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head in confusion. "Alright, so while you sort your shit out, I'll go answer that."

When he got no response, the blond shrugged, making off for the door on silent feet. With every step he took, Naruto could sense Sakura's turmoil more clearly. Swallowing nervously, he stepped into the tiled entryway and opened the door.

Sakura blinked at him in confusion. "I thought you were out of the village on a mission?"

"I am." Naruto replied, slinking past Sakura onto the porch. "I'm going to meditate. Sasuke's in the back room." He lowered his voice, leaning closer to the kunoichi. "And believe me, Sakura-chan, he's just as nervous as you are."

He shrugged nonchalantly with a grin as he jumped off the porch, heading towards the thawing fishpond. "Don't try anything funny, Sakura-chan. He's mine, you know."

"N-Naruto." Sakura stuttered, her face going red.

When Naruto giggled, Sakura huffed in annoyance, stomping into the house and closing the door loudly. She took her time pulling off her boots, brushing the melting snow off them before neatly placing them beside Sasuke and Naruto's shoes. Taking a steadying breath, Sakura glanced up at the silent hall – and the figure which had appeared as suddenly and silently as a ghost.

"Sasuke-kun." She breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Sakura." He replied coldly, his face an emotionless mask. "What do you want?"

After a moment of shocked silence, Sakura managed to force a sharp laugh. "It's nice to see you too, Sasuke." She said as she stepped into the hallway, her voice coming out stronger than she had anticipated. "Not going to try and kill me this time, are you?"

"I could."

"You couldn't, actually." The medical kunoichi replied hotly. "Or more like, you wouldn't. Right, Sasuke-kun?"

Their conversation faded into a tense silence, disturbed only by the sound of Sakura's footsteps as she made her way down the hallway slowly. With every step, her chest became tighter, as Sasuke's cold and proud features came into focus. His eyes were as black as a moonless night, his skin smooth and fair; everything about him beautiful and ethereal and completely, utterly, untouchable.

She stopped, maintaining careful distance from the man who still frightened her. "Sasuke-kun, I, um -"

"Sakura." Sasuke cut in. "Naruto advised me not to be a pussy, so, it has to be me who speaks first."

He nodded at the kunoichi slowly, waiting until she had nodded back. Sasuke inhaled deeply then, steadying himself before he began.

"Look, I know you're probably still mad at me, and you have the right to be." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. "But there are some things which I refuse to apologize for. I'm not sorry that I left Konoha, for apprenticing under Orochimaru, or anything else that I did in order to achieve my goals. It's true, that neither my brother nor my Clan were what I thought they were, but that is something I would never have known if I had stayed here."

He paused, stiffening when he noticed the tears welling up in Sakura's eyes. "But I do apologize for what I put you through. You guys stuck with me, even after everything I did." He allowed his arms to fall, averting his eyes. "You can hit me if you want. I probably deserve it."

Sasuke flinched as Sakura suddenly stepped forward, storming through the remaining space between them. But instead of punching him, she grabbed him roughly and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Blinking in surprise, Sasuke glanced down at the top of her pink head.

Sakura sniffed loudly as a few tears escaped her eyes. "Accepting responsibility? That's so not like you." She laughed shakily as she buried her face in his chest. "Let me make one thing clear, Sasuke. I am so, so, pissed at you. Like hell I'm going to forgive you right away."

She stepped back, wiping her eyes as she looked up at him. "But, as long as you're getting better, and you're good to Naruto, then I'll be able to accept you apology someday."

"Um," Sasuke muttered awkwardly, not letting on how relieved he really was. "Thanks I guess."

"Now, speaking of Naruto." Sakura said, her hands on her hips. "Stop worrying! Tsunade-sama wouldn't send him out on a suicide mission. In case you haven't noticed, he's kind of important."

"Oh, I see you're still annoying." Sasuke muttered, turning back into the living room.

"I see you're still an ass."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. "Look, I know he's important to the village. Is that really going to stop me from worrying?"

Sakura blushed, grinning devilishly. "No, if anything, he's more important to you than he is to the village, so it's no wonder you're so worried."

"So you know about us?" Sasuke replied in a bored tone as he returned to his spot on the sofa. "Sorry, Sakura, but I don't really care what you think about us."

Sakura sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "That's not why I'm here." She said gently. "When Naruto told me about this mission, all I could think about was how anxious you must have been feeling. And so, even though I was terrified, I knew I had to come and keep you company. Since, you know, I have experience when it comes to being in love with someone scary and reckless."

"You want me to talk about my feelings?" Sasuke asked in disbelief, his pride dented slightly.

Laughing softly, Sakura sat down among the mess of papers and scrolls. "If it helps." She replied.

"As if talking could help." The pale ninja muttered, frowning deeply. Sensing Sakura's concerned gaze, Sasuke closed his eyes. "How could you hope to understand what it's like to care for a man as wild and willful as the beast which lives within him?"

"I understand perfectly." Sakura said curtly. "I'm on a team with a couple of beasts, aren't I?"

A soft exhale of laughter escaped Sasuke's lips. As he returned Sakura's warm, familiar gaze, a sense of peace washed over him. And in that haze of comfort, Sasuke did something which even shocked himself.

He opened his mouth, and began to speak.

The fog which plagued Konoha was also rampant within the sleepy forests which surrounded the village, causing a heavy and watchful silence to fall under the trees. As the day wore on, the white mists became so thick that the team was forced to take to the treetops, seeking sightlines above the fog. Shikamaru guided the inexperienced Chunin, following Naruto as closely as they could while maintaining some degree of caution.

Naruto, lost in a trance as he followed the trails of earthy natural chakra, wove through the fog like a phantom. Only the occasional flashes of his cloak or hair gave away his position, as his own chakra was completely masked by the natural energy flowing through him. Shikamaru allowed him to proceed in this seemingly careless and bold manner undisturbed. Sneakiness and caution were for lesser ninja, and Shikamaru doubted that thoughts involving discreetness even crossed Naruto's mind.

As if following a trail marked with brightly coloured signs, Naruto guided them steadily closer to Milo. They proceeded in this way for a few hours, when Naruto suddenly stopped and beckoned to the strategist.

Feeling his heart rate increasing, Shikamaru signaled to the Chunin to stand guard. Once he had received three nods in response, he jumped down into the snow, walking over to the blond quickly.

"What's the matter?" He whispered as he reached Naruto's side. "Did something happen?"

Naruto shook his head slowly. "I just thought I should let you know that Milo's chakra suddenly changed."

Shikamaru blinked slowly, raising one sharp eyebrow. "Changed? So, you mean the Kou abandoned his body?"

"I don't know." Naruto replied, his gleaming yellow eyes darting between the trees. "Since I didn't know Milo before he was possessed, I don't know what his true chakra is like. So, I can't tell whether the chakra I'm sensing belongs to him, or to the Kou who's possessing him."

Sighing loudly, Shikamaru rubbed at the nape of his neck. "Troublesome."

He cast a sideways glance towards the Sage, noting his smooth and untroubled expression. "At least he's calmed down." The strategist thought wearily.

Naruto shrugged. "Basically, yeah. So, did you find anything out about our teammates?"

Shikamaru glanced up at the trees. "Of course." He said in a bored voice. "Thankfully, the three of them have been a team since they were in the academy, so we don't have to worry about their compatibility. The kunoichi's name is Yua, and she's a taijutsu specialist. I knew I remembered her from somewhere: she trained with Lee for a while after the war. The overly serious guy introduced himself as Ichinose. I found out from Yua that his first name is Takumi. He's a sensory-type with earth-natured chakra, but by the sounds of it he mostly relies on taijutsu."

The blond nodded slowly as he absorbed this. "And the last guy?"

The strategist sighed. "Ren. No last name because he's an orphan. He doesn't really say anything, but I suspect that he's the strongest of the three of them. Also, for some reason Yua calls him 'Neko'. Neko as in kitty. I don't even want to know what that's about."

Naruto laughed, golden eyes shining as he looked up into the branches of the trees. Shikamaru shook his head slowly, amazed as always by how simple examples of friendship made the blond so happy.

"What a drag." Shikamaru muttered, smirking.

"Oh," Naruto said, blinking owlishly as he focused on a chakra which was many kilometers away. "It just got draggier. Milo started running."

"Draggier – wait, what?" Shikamaru exclaimed. "Did he notice that we're following him?"

The Sage pursed his lips as he considered that possibility. "Either that, or the Kou really did leave his body, and now the poor kid has no idea where he is or what the hell is going on."

"Shit." Shikamaru muttered. "So I guess you want to go after him yourself?"

"Yup," Naruto agreed, his eyes suddenly darting towards the branches above them. "But I guess I should just send a clone, since I've got some cleaning up to do."

Before Shikamaru could respond, Naruto had vanished. Yua, who was keeping watch in the trees jumped in surprise when he appeared behind her, a kunai flying from his hand before he had even fully materialized. In the same moment, he reached back with his other hand, catching the weapon-toting fist that the kunoichi had swung towards him out of reflex.

A second later, with a screaming sound which sounded eerily human, a bird fell through the fog. It landed in the snow near Shikamaru in a rain of feathers and blood.

Not letting go of Yua's hand, Naruto pulled her along with him as he leapt back down to the dumbfounded strategist. Ren and Takumi quickly joined them, looking between Naruto and the bird with looks of confusion.

"Fun fact," Naruto said, grinning despite the tense situation. "The Kou can also control animals, you know?"

"No, we don't know!" Shikamaru exclaimed exasperatedly. "So how do you know?"

"It was kind of obvious," Naruto retorted. "I mean, how many birds around here have a lightning chakra nature?"

Takumi swallowed loudly, his dark eyes shifting as he said in a nervous voice, "I'm a sensory-type, and I didn't even notice."

"Well, you better start noticing." Naruto said, his voice deepening seriously. "We've got company."

Naruto quickly created a clone, nodding once to the mirror image of himself before it turned and disappeared into the trees. He then slipped his eyes shut, seeking the reserves of chakra deep inside himself as Takumi suddenly exclaimed, "He's right! There are two – three – unidentified chakra's coming towards us!"

"Naruto," Shikamaru said, turning with urgency. "We're at a disadvantage if we fight here! We need to move to a more open area! I can't come up with a strategy when I can't even see the terrain."

Slowly, Naruto slipped his eyes open. Shikamaru found himself taking a step back, staring into twin orbs of burning, intense fire. The rest of the team froze as the Jinchuuriki's gaze fell upon them, feeling the enormity of his power.

Naruto grinned. "Like I said, Shikamaru," He began, "I've got some cleaning up to do. Mind if I brighten it up in here?"

With that said, burning golden chakra poured through Naruto's skin like water through thin fabric. It encased him wildly for a moment before contracting to his form, making the Sage gleam like a miniature sun. The whisker markings on his cheeks darkened and grew thicker as his pupils became animal-like slits.

"Could you guys stand back a bit?" He asked his team, his grin now punctuated by sharpened fangs.

Following Shikamaru's lead, the Chunin huddled down into the snow, fully understanding what Naruto had tried to explain to them back in the village. Even though they knew that Naruto was on their side, every instinct in their body was telling them to run from this incredible monster.

Naruto held out his hands, his fingers bent towards each other as if he was holding an invisible ball. But soon, bubbles of blue and black chakra appeared, merging together and spinning with growing speed, until a tiny black ball of energy shaped like a shuriken floated above Naruto's palm.

"Rasen-shuriken!" The blond exclaimed as he flung the chakra weapon in a wide arch, crouching down and shielding his team before adding, "Jinchuuriki version."

Encased in Naruto's glowing chakra, the shinobi watched as that tiny black ball tore through the forest around them, completely decimating a large area. The sudden rush of wind cleared the fog, the light of day streaming down into the newly formed clearing. As the ringing faded from their ears, the sound of steadily approaching footsteps reached them. Without waiting for the debris to finish falling, their ambushers were charging in.

"Seriously?" Shikamaru exclaimed, forming a hand sign. "You think they would have called off the operation once they realized we were expecting them."

"Don't let them get a hold of you." Naruto said, directing his voice towards the Chunin. "If they do, they might try and possess you."

"Understood." The shinobi chorused before adopting their battle stances.

"It's so predictable, I'm almost disappointed." Shikamaru said to Naruto in a low voice as they watched their opponents weaving towards them. "To lure us out here using a comrade as bait, then ambush us in the densely forested area. Too bad it won't go the way they planned."

Naruto frowned.

The team of Kou slid into view, the family resemblance between the three of them so strong, they could have been triplets. The shinobi wore the wolf masks which were symbolic of their clan, their green eyes flashing icily as they examined their targets. They had hooded black cloaks made of thick and shiny fur, wisps of a fine light green fabric poking out underneath.

As Shikamaru examined them, something about the Kou in the middle caught his attention. Although they also had a mask and eyes of glittering green, there was a softness about them which seemed at odds with the tense and aggressive posture of their teammates. Even with the thick cloak, it was obviously the form of a female.

Shikamaru stiffened as her gaze fell upon him, seeming to analyze his strength. She stepped forward suddenly, pulling off her hood and mask in the same swift motion. A collective gasp rose from the team, as they all froze in surprise and hesitation. The Kou woman was alarmingly, unprecedentedly beautiful.

She possessed the kind of beauty that was difficult to look at, a grace which was usually only found in ancient tales or poetry. It was the kind of silent exquisiteness which drove artists to madness and obsession. She was beyond desire; she was the whisper of a different world, as elusive and untouchable as the shadows of drifting clouds.

Beside Naruto, Yua scoffed loudly.

Only Naruto seemed unfazed. "Shikamaru!" He exclaimed harshly. "Move."

The team scattered in different directions as several small birds, no larger than sparrows, slammed into the earth where they had been seconds before. As soon as the birds made impact, the paper bombs which covered them exploded, sending the ground skyward.

"She must be the one who can control animals!" Shikamaru yelled over the noise, his head darting from side to side as he marked the locations of his teammates. "If she can do that, she might not need to touch you to possess you, so be careful!"

"Very intuitive!" The woman praised, flitting between the trees as debris continued to fall. "Although, it's a bit less possession and a bit more illusion. A specialty of mine, you might say."

Shikamaru ignored her, calling to his team. "Regroup! Don't lose sight of one another!"

As the Chunin rushed back to his side, Shikamaru caught sight of Naruto through the trees. He flashed in and out of vision, taking out the birds and other small animals under the female Kou's control. Shikamaru pulled out a kunai as he felt the backs of his team members pressing against his own.

"Naruto is taking care of the critter-bombs, so just focus on the Kou!" Shikamaru ordered, his eyes narrowing as the enemy shinobi began circling them like wolves. He lowered his voice as he continued. "And try not to look that woman in the eyes. We don't know the extent of her abilities, and that could turn out to be troublesome."

The woman laughed; a high musical sound like the chirping of birds. "How unkind, Shikamaru Nara, to not look a woman in the eyes." She whined, pouting exaggeratedly. "They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. And besides," Her gaze then suddenly switched from Shikamaru to Ren. "Only lesser beings can be so easily bewitched by me."

Without warning, Ren turned his back to the Kou, swinging his weapon towards his teammates. Shikamaru and Yua reacted quickly, but Takumi, frozen in disbelief, could only stare as the kunai came towards his throat.

Naruto appeared behind Ren in a gust of wind, grabbing the hand which wielded the weapon and twisting it behind his back. As the Chunin cried out in surprise and pain, Naruto flipped him to the ground, his eyes blazing fiercely.

"Look at me, Ren!" He screamed. "You are a shinobi of the Leaf, one who has inherited the Will of Fire! Don't let yourself get taken over so easily!"

As soon as realization and awareness had trickled back into the younger man's eyes, Naruto nodded curtly and pulled him to his feet. "The four of you take care of the wolf boys." He ordered in a growling voice. "Leave the woman to me."

"Should we kill them?" Shikamaru asked darkly as he caught one of the circling shinobi with his Shadow Possession. "Even though there's a chance that they're just possessed people?"

"Do what you want." Naruto grumbled, striding towards the Kou woman with such primal ferocity that she retreated several steps. "It's a no win situation, either way."

"It's true," Shikamaru mused as he cast a quick glance towards Naruto's glowing back. "If we kill them, then even though we might kill the Kou possessing them, then the innocent person trapped inside dies as well. But, if we allow the Kou to escape, then the original owner of the body will either die immediately or slowly go insane. When I think about it that way, the answer is obvious."

"Kill them." Shikamaru said, feeling the pinch of his chakra as he directed the thin, creeping ribbons of his shadow towards his captive's throat. The Kou's eyes bulged in fear, flicking over to his Clan mate in a silent plea for help. But the other Kou was battling all three Chunin at once, cursing loudly as he scrambled to avoid their combination attacks.

Shadowy hands latched around the Kou man's neck then, and within minutes, his eyes went completely blank. Shikamaru grit his teeth in disgust as he watched green eyes change to a light, clear blue.

"So it was a possessed body after all," He practically hissed, his thin eyebrows sinking into a deep frown. "Rotten bastards."

Naruto continued walking forward, forcing the Kou back with the ferocity of his stride. Her long, wavy black hair swung with the rhythm of her retreating steps.

"Are you the Kou woman who attacked a recon team from Konoha?" Naruto demanded sharply.

The woman smirked exquisitely. "Perhaps."

"How many more people have to die for this Kou vanity project?" Naruto asked, his voice a deep growl.

The Kou shrugged. "Just one or two, ideally. We're thinking that it will probably be a few dozen, though."

Naruto's shoulders stiffened, but he inhaled deeply to control his anger. "Well, your little plan won't work." He said. "I'm going to find a way to save all those people that your Clan possessed."

The woman raised one delicate eyebrow. "Even Milo?" She asked lightly.

Before Naruto could respond, she raised her hand, smiling as she slowly and deliberately snapped her fingers.

Instantly, Milo's chakra vanished.

Shikamaru's head jerked around, fear settling in his gut as a sudden and animalistic scream echoed through the trees. He swallowed nervously as Naruto's golden chakra exploded, roaring high into the air like a raging flame.

It would not be easy to calm the storm of Naruto's wrath, this time.

A/N: Hey guys, it's been a while since chapter 19! University gets in the way sometimes. Hopefully you'll be seeing the next chapter soon.

Thanks for reading and reviewing, I appreciate it!