Fire engulfed the streets, and blood-curdling screams bounced off the narrow alleyway. No one saw this coming, whoever was stable was leading the villagers to a safe location, but even that would not be enough to stop the demon from wreaking havoc. The beast was made from the essence of evil; if someone luckily got close, the pressure alone would burn through atoms. Everyone was making an effort; even the fourth Hokage was trying his hardest to stop the destruction of Konoha.
Following the charted path down, brown eyes counted the toppled buildings and limbs sticking out from the debris. The older man recalled the family that greeted him daily, the child that yearned to retire their mother and father. The somber memory dragged onwards as he walked, his back growing heavier and heavier. Protecting the village was still his duty; the longer he stayed back, the more his people would fall. Even with old age, he knew holding or damaging this tailed beast was a dream, but all he could do was try.
Racing from the ground, the hat he kept on his waste fell floating. Tears swelled in his eyes, lips parting his uvula dangled. This was his home, and he would never give it up; coming into earshot of the monster, his ears rang, blood popping out from the sheer roar. "Third Hokage, you should evacuate! Our forces are trying to contain the general area!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi glared at the demon laying waste to his home, "You take any injured shinobi out of the battlefield, and I'll assist the fourth!" Jumping upwards, he exhaled, sweat beads lingering down his forehead. Out of all the battles he led, this one had a distinctive scent of death following. Every fiber in his body was screaming at him to assist from afar, if not run, but he couldn't call himself a leader if he did so. Once someone passed the boundary of death, they would awaken into something new. Chakra covered his feet; every second counted, and hesitating would result in utter failure. "HERE I COME!" Saliva flew from his mouth, his body flying into the air.
Winter Saturday, 8:37 pm
x11 ANT (Eleven years after Nine Tails)
The subjugation of the tailed beast was almost a decade ago, and through those years, Hiruzen could not find ground to lift the village to the honor it once was. If anything, he worsened the impact on the hidden leaf. He tried everything to balance out the aftermath. After a while, his words meant nothing, baseless promises he tried to keep.
To keep everyone who stayed loyal afloat, he ventured into the treasury down the line and ended up selling some valuable scrolls, history, and origins. Standing, the wheels on the chair squeaked, the sunrise blinding his excellent eye for a moment. Konoha was currently at its all-time low; the third Hokage was afraid to get rid of any more valuables; even though most of the merchants stopped passing through, the village was fading on specific maps. In terms of strength, they were at the bottom of the barrel, paying neighboring villages for protection.
Swallowing, the old man leaned against the window clutching his side. Despite the dire situation, his lips were sealed shut. Worrying the villagers would cause irreversible damage; they relied on him. His name and legacy were on the verge of destruction, the once famed 'God of Shinobi' now struggling to put Konoha back on its feet. He heard the rumors; ever since the attack, they produced duds. Even tourist was scared to come near this land; apparently, those who stepped inside were destined to fail. It was depressing.
"Father," The man appeared in the cloud of smoke, an expression of worry written on his face, "We did the math; unless something changes, this will be our last batch of young shinobi!" Asuma Sarutobi couldn't look his father in the face; besides this, they talked less and less. It was daunting, but only he could be blamed. During the battle with the Nine-Tails, his father went blind in one eye and lost an arm in the process.
"What are you trying to say," A moment of silence passed through them, "Asuma?" Head twisting, Hiruzen blinked, waiting for the obvious.
The dark circles underneath his father's eyes made the male waver; with how things progressed, they would be lucky enough to stand after three more years. The seconds he stayed around his father, he knew the risk and mountain they would need to climb over. "We should gamble everything we have on this generation! I know most of the renowned clans ended up leaving, but with what we are working with, we hope to start participating in each exam this time."
Hiruzen shook his head, contemplating the answer. A few years back, he stopped sending children to take exams; the year before that decision was made, the shinobi he sent was targeted and suffered more than one should. "I'll need to see progress before concluding." It was the harsh truth; in hindsight, the village could use more hands.
"Trust me and everyone else who stayed loyal; we won't let everything be in vain." Asuma knew about the situation, reading it from his father's journal. The weight the Hokage had strapped around would kill him, and the legacy surrounding the Hidden Leaf would disappear right with him. Leaving the room, he tapped the pack of cigarettes, placing one in his mouth before burning the tip. Although his father kept pushing, everyone placed hope in these children. If they discovered the burden they would carry, would they continue or break under pressure? Releasing the build-up of smoke, he waved his hand around. Well, anyone loyal to this village would be fighting this impossible battle to start, but if he learned anything from his father, some people had the power to change the world.
Winter Monday, 10:20 am
x11 ANT (Eleven years after Nine Tails)
Coughing, he waved his hand, dispersing the dust clouds around; handling chalk was easier said than done. Opening his journal, he jotted down today's lesson plan. After he calmed down from his episode last night, he had time to figure out his plan for the upcoming years. Not being sold on the future here, he was willing to gamble with Asuma. The drinking buddy informed him about this 'plan' to reclaim the honor Konohagakure once had, and his answer was the same even after a couple more drinks. "Putting our faith in a bunch of children is…disgusting." Iruka twirled the chalk around, aimlessly pondering the situation.
Placing every asset they had alone was dangerous, and after that incident a few years back, the instructor was afraid. That lasting guilt drove him to think about his life choice, someone needed to show the next generation what the Will of Fire indeed was, but this seemed like the last generation Konoha would acquire. Giving children this much package would break them, but on the slim chance they stood back up, they would carry Konoha's future. "Ugh, maybe a drink would help my thoughts flow better?" Chatting to himself, the male opened his door. His heart was in it, but his mind was elsewhere. Iruka knew he would never be able to handle another one of those situations; if he saw someone so young he poured his heart into coming back in pieces, he would finally collapse.
These kids needed someone sturdy to teach them, someone, that could navigate them through the world. "They have what a year? Maybe two?" Not remembering when they would take the graduation exam, he fought the urge to rummage through his drawer for his emergency liquor. "I lost the spark years ago," Slamming the back of his head into the wall, he sighed.
"Hard work or talent?" The question flew in and out, a faint chuckle escaping.
"You have talent! I had to work my ass off to get where I'm at," Iruka pointed awkwardly at his drinking buddy, "you were born with this overwhelming amount of talent, the golden spoon; I had to eat with my bare hands!" Understanding the problem of those not gifted was something only ordinary people could understand; it was similar to building a small shop, and down the line, it starts making enough profit a couple of years too late.
"I worked hard; sometimes, I even considered giving up." Watching Asuma down his third drink, he couldn't help but shake his head.
"You have the tools to climb that hill; someone supplied you with sufficient equipment; I use my whole body. My hands would get cut, my body thrashed on the rigid edges, and while some people have a checkpoint, the second I stop, the mountain grows, and I fall back. Don't even get me started on the people who started at the same time as me." Peeling the skin off the bamboo cup, Iruka found himself lost in his own metaphor. "People have limits; not everyone is born into some clan, blessed with some sturdy foundation and secret weapon." Lifting the green cup, he winced, the burning sensation buzzing him.
"Iruka, I believe those with hard work can prevail just as much as those with undeniable talent." Asuma's logic was spotty; he had overwhelming talent, so he would never know the struggle some faced.
"Lily, Jaren, Toku," Placing the cup on the edge of the table, he used his hands to prop himself. "Those were the names of my students that can't learn ninjutsu ever again, they were faced with someone with overwhelming talent, and they were swallowed whole." Letting a shaky breath go, the alcohol warmed his chest.
"I understand," Iruka could tell by Asuma's facial expression that there was more to this topic than the simple 'hard work versus talent.' "Listen, if we cannot produce any satisfactory ninja soon, everything my," Pausing, he caught his breath, "we worked for will be taken from us, all I'm asking is for this last batch of Genin to prevail, don't let the past hold you down!"
Asuma was right; they were a laughingstock. It's been years since anyone from Konoha appeared in the Chunin exams, let alone made a name for themselves. "In our current position, what we have left in the tank are either talent or duds. You want to gamble on the Jinchūriki and everyone else." Part of him wanted to agree, but the fear and guilt of seeing those push themselves through hell only to fall came to mind.
"It's all we have left, the armory is damn near empty, and the Third Hokage will never dip into those forbidden scrolls again; this class, we will have to throw in everything we have. I already asked some friends to take a cell, and they agreed only after scouting; if we fall now, what will be left?" Asuma took out a cigarette only to pat around for his lighter.
Iruka watched groggily as Asuma struggled and mumbled a few curse words searching around, "I haven't been paying much attention to this class; whenever I see them playing around, I remember the desperate look my previous students gave me when they returned. One couldn't even walk properly, and the other returned home in the ground." Licking his lips, his eyes scanned for another bottle, "Everyone knows the risk, but with our reputation, they have a target on their back."
"Iruka, I know. You should hear the questions outsiders ask me; the Hidden Leaf is still kicking? Are you proud to be a part of a dying village? How could such a village prosper when their Hokage is a eunuch?" Puffing the toxins to the side, Asuma placed his lighter on the table, "It's too late for us to change anything, but if we play our cards right, maybe…these kids can drag Konoha with them."
"We have a window of a year or two," Iruka knew it was too late to do right by these students, but even if he had to force himself, he would give it his all. "I will document talent and hardworking; certain kids belong in talent and others in the latter." Standing up, Iruka locked eyes with Asuma. "A burden this big will label us bastards if they ever find out."
"Luckily, I'm already a bastard." Watching Asuma smile, Iruka sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
The drunken memory flashed by, fingertips scratching the end of his desk to catch himself. "Whoa, are you okay, Iruka-sensei?" A hyper-energetic voice boomed from his side; paint smudged on his cheek.
"Thanks, Naruto." Fixing himself, he picked up the broken chalk on the ground. "Hey, Naruto. What's your dream?" Listening to the boy, Iruka swallowed. He found his throat dry, and as Naruto grinned, heading to his seat, his vocal cords buzzed softly, traveling with the wind deaf to the ear.
"Will you drag our dreams with you?"
Rework of a rewrite, wholly revamped. From Closure to Descendants of Fire. The idea of the Nine-tails doing internal and external damage to Konohagakure and the longevity of the damage it would cause. Undoubtedly Konohagakure was one of the more substantial villages, but now it's the opposite. Certain known clans defected to other villages, and Konoha hasn't been producing results. The whole village has an uphill battle to reclaim its legacy and glory.
It will keep some of the same ideas from closure, expanding the world with ideas from myself and others. Just has more of a direction. With that said, it will keep the general syoc outline and expand into canon characters but mainly focus on the OCs and Konoha's rise.
The form and the deadline will be in my profile; if you'd like me to send you the form, pm me, and for those who wish to transfer over characters from closure, pm me so we can talk about it. Any questions about it, message me.
Asuma and Iruka will act slightly differently; considering the difference in the story if Konoha is at the bottom, would that mean the Stone and Cloud are battling for the top spot?