Sacred Flame Ch. 3: Winds of Destiny

Naruto grinned to himself as he jumped from roof top to roof top, enjoying the feeling of the breeze in his hair as nostalgia got the better of him, various memories of multiple people and scenes playing before his eyes. Some good, some bad… Naruto shook his head to dispel his memories as he focused his energies on the present moment, scouting the area as he began to pick up speed, conserving as much chakra as he could but he still subconsciously gathered enough chakra in the soles of his feet to increase his rate of speed and movement in tiny consecutive bursts of chakra.

I guess old habits die hard…

Naruto thought to himself, grinning for a moment before he spotted something of interest. In a small clearing surrounded by a tiny circle of forest a tiny bit away from the more populated sections of the village was a circular stone arena with two ninja locked in combat. Upon closer inspection Naruto recognized the combatants as an older Neji Hyuuga and Rock Lee.

Neji had the same calculating eyes as before but the fierceness he once displayed in his battle during the Chunin exams appeared to lack the cold-heartedness Naruto couldn't stand in the guy. As for his appearance he wore a black Jonin Vest with an artistically crafted sword strapped across his side horizontally, using a special belt with multiple layers of black leather and black steel. Neji's sword however was what got Naruto's full attention. The Blade was more narrow and thin compared to Naruto's sword and the dark crimson sheath appeared to be wrapped in a seal as to prevent it's use. Why? What was the point in having and carrying a weapon you couldn't remove from its sheath? Naruto was sure he was missing something.

Rock Lee appeared mostly the same as he did in his younger years yet now his facial features were more defined and the insane training he put his body through all his years beginning to affect his natural physique, giving him a more muscular tone to his body compared to the last Naruto saw him. Rock Lee had a pair of steel Tonfa strapped across his back diagonally from both sides.

Both had yet to draw their weapon and were locked in a series of martial art blows, both appearing as blurs as they kept clashing faster than the untrained eye could see. After about ten straight minutes of a stalemate Neji and Rock Lee landed on opposite sides of the ring, both sweating and looking fatigued.

"Damn guys, you sure know how to warm up."

Naruto said, wearing a foxy grin as he approached. Stepping in tiny bursts of speed he was within their distance in less than three seconds.

"Naruto… It's been a while... Hey Lee that's enough for now. Let's finish this later."

Neji said, wrapping bandages around his arm, biting and tearing a piece off before tying and bounding the bandages.

"But Neji the score is 2 to 2! We need to have the tie breaker!"

Rock Lee said rather passionately, holding his fist as a flame burned in his eyes.

"We'll finish and have the tie breaker later Lee! Come on Naruto how about we go for a drink?"

Neji said, gathering his bag and Ninja tools.

"You're speaking my language Neji. I've been drinking Sake since I ran into Tsunade again this morning."

Naruto replied, grinning as he casually held his hands behind his head.

Ino was getting a bit annoyed, she knew she had pushed this date on Naruto but she thought he would show up maybe? Naruto did get summoned by the Hokage and it seemed a bit urgent so he could very well be on a mission and halfway to another country by now… Ino sighed and knew that it was her own impulsiveness that put her in this situation and so she decided to order some food whether that boy showed up or not. After ten minutes or so Ino was satisfied with her meal and took her leftovers to go in a brown grocery bag. As Ino was walking home she heard Naruto's voice and she found herself peeking inside a local Sake Bar.

"And that was when she walked in, and I was like, what are you doing here? And she said she couldn't stand to not have me and needed me. I told her as a Ninja it was not my place but she insisted… And when a beautiful woman says something like that how could I resist right?"

Naruto said, laughing with his friends as they sat around a table, an empty tray of sandwiches and empty bottle of Sake sitting in the center of the table.

"You stood me up to get drinks with your friends!"

Ino shouted, fuming as she strolled in the bar, grabbed Naruto by the collar and dragged him outside.

"One… Last… Drink!"

Naruto said, grasping out at a nearby sake container upon his unwilling exit.

"Bye Naruto! Good luck with that one!"

Neji shouted after them, both him and Rock Lee lost in a fit of drunken laughter.

"So the First Artifact has been seized by an unknown enemy and Naruto's already starting having the visions?"

Tsunade asked Jiraiya, sitting on the patio she has built as an extension of her office as she shared some of her special home brewed Sake.

"Yes, and the organization is already gathering resources for another attack on one of the 'Sage's Sacred Temples' in another country. But that's just the state of things as a whole, Naruto personally is another matter if he's began having the visions at this young an age."

Jiraiya said, choosing every word carefully as he finished his cup of Sake and poured himself another.

"Does that mean Naruto's going to awaken it soon?"

Tsunade asked, not wanting to think of the consequences of Naruto inheriting the abilities of his clan.

"It would take at least one year of training to even use the 'Senju's Ability' let alone Mastery. And I am not a clan member so as knowledgeable as I am in the Ninjutsu Arts he would have to learn how to use his Bloodline Technique on his own."

Jiraiya finished saying, finishing his last drink and setting his empty glass on the ceramic table set between himself and Tsunade.

A man sat in almost complete darkness, seemingly deep in meditation as he sat in a chamber composed of black stone. The only source of illumination in the room the 'Sacred Flame' the man had recently liberated from the Fire Country. A few minutes later a door opened from behind the man as artificial light flooded the chamber as a single figure steps inside.

The figure of a woman about 5'8" strolled in the chamber, swaying her hips in a hypnotic pattern as she closed the door behind herself.

"Sir, that matter you asked me to look into turned up results; we've located the next target."

The woman said, reading over the information on a clipboard as she spoke. The man made no verbal reply for a few moments and then turned to look his secretary in the eye, grinning viciously.

"Excellent… Assemble Those Five for the oncoming assault."

The man replied to his secretary's words, using a match to light the cigar in his mouth and illuminating his scarred face.