Chapter 100 :  The Will of Fire (3)

Wooow chapter 100...

That's why it's going to be 4,000 word chapter.

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Naruto slowly opened his eyes, molten gold greeting the world after hours of them being closed. He had learned a lot within those hours, and he couldn't help but smile.

He now knew the origins of his power, and he felt a sensation of being whole, oddly enough. The question of what he was and where his abilities came from always haunted him. He thought his abilities came from something sinister, but the truth couldn't have been farther from.

His empathy, his ability to absorb, shape and mold Natural Energy, Unity, all of it, it was all forms of ninshu. It almost scared him when he thought about it. If he was this powerful, if he could bring the Elemental Nations to their knees with almost thirteen years of using ninshu, what had its creator been capable of? Not much was known about the Sage of Six Paths.

He was more like a fantasy, a mythical character from a fable of incredible impossibility. He was the giver of chakra, and the man who created the moon. Such things were beyond human capability, and he wondered, with slight reverence, if the Rikudo Sennin was human.

He had spoken to his Bijuu family about the all-powerful man, and what they had said had shocked him. He was by far one of the most powerful shinobi to ever walk the earth; there was no doubt about that.

He was in the same league as Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Madara, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and his father, Namikaze Minato. His enemies whispered his name in fear, and all the nations – at least now – knew to tread carefully around him. He had done incredible, if slightly monstrous things – it depended on the viewer – and he knew he was a force to be reckoned with. Even still, Kurama had looked him in the eyes, not a sliver of deceit in his red, slit orbs, and said that his father could crush him with the power in his pinky finger.

That had been… an unpleasant thought.

Power was everything to Naruto, and the fact that he was so inferior to anyone – be them alive or dead – irked him like nothing else. This Rikudo Sennin was, to put it bluntly, a cheater. The power of his eyes was beyond human grasp, and he was sure that made him an unfair cheater.

However, Kurama had gone on to say, with the same amount of seriousness, that Naruto was the only person who could ever reach even a fraction of the power his father possessed. The Bijuu had expressed how scary that thought was, because even a fraction of the Sage of Six Paths power was beyond even their own.

That thought had been very, very pleasing.

His potential was unrivaled, and even they were frightened at what he could become. Mortals were not supposed to reach the level he was quickly approaching. A mortal body couldn't house that much power and that was a key factor in why the Bijuu held him above simple mortals.

He was, as they put it, a transcended human, not immortal, but not mortal at the same time. It was just a fancy way of saying – which had been slightly surprising – that with the rate he was going, his life energy would never die out. Essentially, if one could increase one's life force to a certain point, one could live forever. Oh, they could very well be killed, but once one reached that point, they were usually very capable.

This information surprised and, if he were honest, scared him. Everlasting life was not a big deal to the Bijuu, for obvious reasons, but for humans, it was uncharted territory. But after some time of thinking, Naruto had made his decision.

He would not live without Anko or Mei, and if he couldn't find a way to give them everlasting life, he would die alongside them. He'd rather be with them in the afterlife than live without them for eternity.

He had asked why the Sage of Sixth Paths hadn't lived forever, and the Bijuu looked… disappointed. Apparently, the first sage wished to leave humanity to the peace he had brought, letting them live on their own instead of under him rule. This had even made Naruto disappointed. Humanity had failed him.

He shook that disappointment away, knowing he couldn't do anything to change it. This was the world they lived in, and he wasn't going to change who he was to fit someone else's teachings. He was a monster, and he relished in the fact.

Like he had always said…

Sometimes, the world didn't need another hero.

Sometimes, what it needs is a monster.

And he would give the world what it needed.

...

Naruto's eyes snapped to the door before the knock even came. Along with his gaze, Sasuke, Gaara, and Jiraiya turned as well, Unity obviously activated. Letting go of the three shinobi, Naruto gestured for Gaara to open the door.

He smiled before Gaara even held the doorknob. It was beginning.

A frantic Shizune rushed past Gaara, a look of sadness and slight betrayal marring her face. She was in front of Naruto and Jiraiya within seconds, and they could tell from her harsh breathing and sweat-covered brow that she had been running.

"Jiraiya-sama, Naruto-san," she began in an urgent tone, "Tsunade-sama has accepted the Akatsuki's request!" She shouted in a terrified voice. "She's gone to meet them now!"

The room went silent for what seemed like an eternity.

And then it happened.

Shizune saw it for the first time.

Naruto's true, monstrous smile was finally shown to her.

And it scared her.

...

Orochimaru chuckled darkly as Tsunade slowly walked with the congregated Akatsuki members, her head hung low. She obviously didn't like what she was going through with, but he knew the deal was too sweet to pass up.

With Tsunade on their side, they actually had a chance at defeating the Uzumaki. He wasn't completely useless, either. He could still fight, despite his lack of useful arms. He wasn't a member of the Sannin for nothing, after all.

Sasori could overwhelm even him if he put his mind to it, and Orochimaru knew he was no push over. Naruto would have a hard time facing someone with the skill his previous, and now present, partner wielded.

Kisame had been conditioning his body to withstand Naruto's sheer chakra size, increasing his own reserves in the process. He was deadly before, but now he was monstrous. The man held a lot of chakra, and Orochimaru knew he would not fail with the blond like he did when they first met.

Itachi was said to be on par with the Bringer of Hope when they worked together, and even though Uzumaki increased his strength, so had Itachi. His eyes were, in the simplest of terms, outstanding.

He hadn't been able to even touch the young shinobi when he first joined the Akatsuki, but now… Uchiha Itachi was someone Orochimaru respected a great deal. He had raw power, finesse, and a tactical mind that rivaled the greatest of Nara's.

Tsunade may not be as she once was, but she was still by far the greatest kunoichi, period. Her medical ninjutsu was rivaled by none, and she would allow them to fight even after they were fatally wounded.

They would certainly be victorious.

And that's when they felt it.

They had been walking the grassy fields just outside Tanzaku-gai. The sun was bright and there were only a few clouds littering the baby blue sky above. It wasn't too cold or too hot, just, perfect.

Mother Nature was completely blind to what was happening.

Suddenly, a powerful surge of chakra roared in the green fields, causing the Akatsuki members to pause mid-step. The sheer size of the chakra that was brought down on them was enough to send shivers down their spine.

Tsunade actually had to remember to breathe, it was that large. It felt like the anger of kami was forced upon them, and she felt she was the cause of that anger. She tried to stop shaking, finding it incredibly difficult when her entire world was that overwhelming feeling.

She was scared.

"Tsunade!" a voice that sounded like Naruto and multiple other, deeper voices screamed from across the plain of green grass. It sounded inhuman. Without preamble, five people appeared barely even fifteen feet away.

"You disappoint me!" that inhuman voice was the young blond shinobi she had faced, but he looked… different. His eyes were the same, gold with slit pupils, but the look he was giving her was… terrifying.

"Ah, Naruto-kun…" Orochimaru intoned. His very voice disgusted him. "So nice of you to make our task easier," he said.

"I'm going to rip you to shreds with Samahada, kid!" Kisame said with pleasure, his shark-like features twisted into sick rage. His emotions were that of a man who craved for revenge. He had been humiliated, and he would taste the blond's blood, he promised himself this.

"So this is who everyone can't stop talking about, then." Next to the disgusting serpent was someone Naruto didn't quite recognize. He wore the same black cloak with red clouds, so he must have been a member of the Akatsuki.

The mystery man was severely hunched over, and the majority of his face was covered in cloth. He felt… odd, like he was only partly alive. This must be Sasori, the missing-nin from Suna.

Naruto was silent, staring at the woman in front of him with contempt. This was no woman. This was a girl who lost her will. She was a little girl who lost her Will of Fire.

To the right of Tsunade, Itachi stood; a neutral look on his face as his crimson eyes took in the monstrous amounts of chakra Naruto and Jiraiya were flaring. The amount alone was enough to make Itachi firmly believe they were on a scale not many even knew of.

Sage Mode was truly a terrifying thing.

"Naruto," Itachi began, his voice holding all the power the Uchiha held. "Today, the Akatsuki will have the Bijuu you hold." He said, playing along. He had to act the role he was given after all. When Nezumi gave an order, you were a foolish idiot who was suicidal if you denied it.

Again, Naruto just ignored everyone and everything, his empathy entirely directed at Tsunade. Her Will of Fire was dim.

It was time to light it up!

"You have forsaken your Will of Fire, Tsunade." He spoke in a deadly whisper, his chakra boiling, screaming to be released, to let loose his restraint.

To kill.

"The Will of Fire has forsaken me!" She shouted, her fear vanishing, replaced with white-hot rage. "Do not pretend to know me, boy!" She continued with her rant. "I have sacrificed more than you could ever know for that godforsaken village! All my family is gone! I am alone because of that place.

It took everything from me! I won't let it have my life too!" She was shaking with rage and sorrow, memories of her beloved grandfather, little brother, lover… everything was gone.

Naruto sighed, shaking his head, closing eyes slowly. He would have to show her, then. "How could you say those words in front of Shizune?" He whispered, his voice wavering as if he was hurt just as much as the woman in question. Tsunade's eyes widened – her entire body freezing. She slowly looked at the girl she had trained, who she traveled the world with.

"Shi…" she started, but stopped when she saw the hurt expression on the woman's face.

"How could you claim to be all alone when she has been by your side all these years?!" He screamed – his chakra increasing. He shook with rage. He could feel Shizune as if they were the same person, and he felt her pain like a knife to the heart.

"How can you claim to be alone when the entire village loves and adores you?!" He shouted again, their eyes meeting. "You don't know true loneliness. You don't know what it means to truly be alone!" His chakra exploded – the might of his energy almost palpable. The members of the Akatsuki actually took a step back, readying themselves for an inevitable attack.

"Naruto…" Jiraiya whispered. He hadn't planned for his godson to get this upset.

"You have lost your way, Tsunade. Nawaki and Dan would be disgusted." Tsunade opened her mouth to scream at him for assuming he knew her family at all, but she was stopped when his chakra seemed to fold on itself. The sheer density of it should have been impossible.

He was refining a torrent of pure, almost living energy like it was child's play. "So let me show you." He said in a quiet, tame voice "Let me remind you what the Will of Fire feels like." The clearing became deathly silent, and in a blink of an eye, Naruto was upon them.

"I'll take you all on!" he shouted, his fist already lashing out at his closest enemy.

Itachi fell, his life ended in seconds as the Ying-Yang Natural Energy covered fist tore into his abdomen.

Orochimaru and Kisame's eyes widened, and Tsunade froze, her hemophobia taking over her.

With incredible reflex's, Kisame's blade was poised in the air, descending on Naruto with great speed. Naruto, however, didn't even bother looking the shark man's way; bringing his gaze to the man he knew to be Sasori of the Red Sand. Just before the chakra devouring sword could take off his head, a wall of dense sand rose from the earth, blocking the strike and pushing Kisame away.

Kisame's shark-like eyes narrowed as he turned to face the red-headed kid with the gourd on his back. Before he could yell at him for interfering, sand continuously rushed at him, giving him no time to monologue.

A large sound was heard, and a huge cloud of smoke appeared in the clearing. When the smoke cleared, a giant, intimidating snake appeared. "Manda!" Orochimaru could be heard from atop the Chief Snake's head. "One hundred sacrifices is nothing!" His smirk was pure sinister.

"Kill them all, and you shall be provided thousands!" The giant snake hissed in pleasure, rather liking the sound of Orochimaru's offer.

With incredible speed, Manda rushed at the enemies of its summoner, ready to kill. That's when the sand stopped chasing Kisame, and tackled the giant snake. Naruto just stared at Tsunade, who was shaking, already on her knees, the blood of Itachi still shocking her.

"Gaara!" Naruto shouted, never taking his eyes off of the blonde woman before him. "I think it's time for Shukaku to come out and play." He told his newest student. Gaara had a faint smirk on his face, still amazed at how easy it was when the Ichibi cooperated.

Together, they could truly become the ultimate defense, a worthy shield. The very thought caused his chakra to race through his tenketsu. This was it.

It was time to wake up.

Sand exploded in every direction, racing in the sky, creating something larger than even Manda. The Ichibi's curse mark ran up and down the sand, forming its body. Within seconds, Shukaku greeted the world.

Looking up at the towering Tanuki, Manda hissed.

"Oh, it feels good to be outside!" Shukaku shouted. His grin was borderline mad, and his eyes held nothing but bloodlust. "Let's party!" He shouted, raising his sand arm into the air, ready to swat Manda away with a single thrust.

Naruto took a deep breath, his chakra once again folding on itself. He could see Jiraiya taking on both Kisame and Sasori with Sasuke, the latter still with his bandages wrapped around his eyes. They were all connected, even Jiraiya, with Unity, and Naruto could feel the Natural Energy that coursed through his godfather's body, fueling his Sage Mode.

With them connected, they all but shared the Natural Energy, so since Naruto could continuously absorb the powerful energy, so could Jiraiya.

Neither of them would ever run out, if that's what they wished.

His eyes then met Orochimaru's, and his rage increased.

"Orochimaru…" Naruto's smile was a mixture of pure hate and overwhelming joy. "Didn't I tell you before?"

"I'm going to kill you." Naruto whispered. "I'm going to enjoy it, too." This time when he spoke, it was the voice of two entities. Naruto was now syncing with Kurama, and the two were going to rip everything to shreds.

"You draw your last breath today, traitor. I promise you that." His words were absolute, and with another blink, Orochimaru was face to face, mere inches, with his death.

Using inhuman flexibility, Orochimaru snaked around Naruto's punch, his mouth already open, ready to rip his opponent's throat out, when he was stuck with a force that staggered him. He immediately understood what had happened.

"Your skill in Senjutsu is extraordinary." Orochimaru mused as he slowly tried stand, his head a foggy mess.

"I'm going to send you to hell with the snap of my fingers." He promised. He slowly stalked towards the fazed Sannin, his chakra soaring to the point that all fighting ceased, those present snapping their eyes to his direction.

The earth shook, small cracks webbing through the green ground. Tsunade, who had actually been snapped out of her fear of blood induced frozen state, met the eyes of someone who was more like her grandfather than she ever thought possible for another human being to be. They felt similar. Their very presence was overwhelming.

When bronze met furious gold, a silent message was sent to her with the force of a sledge hammer.

Naruto stood over Orochimaru who was still dazed, kneeling in front of him in a haze. He raised his right arm, and all the chakra he was bringing down upon them suddenly rushed to his hand.

With the sheer amount of power that was forced in the tenketsu of his hand should have exploded, but against all logic, it hummed, like liquid gold, in a powerful harmony that spoke of complete mastery of chakra control. His middle finger met his thumb, and he raised it to the traitor's ear, speaking to the man who would know death soon.

They would be the last words he would ever hear.

"For your trespasses against Konohagakure no Sato, Orochimaru of the Sannin, I sentence you to death at my hand." He met Tsunade's eyes again. "Death to all enemies of heaven."

And with a sickening snap of his fingers, the most powerful wave of Yin-Yang Natural Energy rippled across the grassy plains. The sound was so loud that the village in the distance went up with screams, the shockwave reaching them within seconds.

Everything was silent, or maybe so loud that they couldn't hear, as Orochimaru exploded in blood and gore, the entire upper half of his body erased from existence.

Ah, he really owed Uma for teaching this little trick to him all those years ago.

The message was clear: If she was against Konoha, she would die.

Turning his body to face the others, which was covered in crimson, he smiled. "You want my Bijuu? You want my family?" With another surge of powerful chakra, his body was covered in golden flame. "I dare you to try."

Staring at the boy – no… he was no boy… he was…

He was a monster.

Tsunade blinked, a feeling deep in her stomach boiling to the surface, a feeling she hadn't felt in years. It was…

Naruto smirked. "Ah, so you can feel it?" he asked. He had forced a connection between them with Unity. She could now intimately feel his emotions, his desire to protect his home.

She could feel his Will of Fire, and it burned with a ferocity that made her entire body warm.

"This… this is…" she started to whisper. She stood, walking past Jiraiya and Sasuke to stand at the side of Sasori, everyone completely ignoring the monster showdown between the chief of snakes and the Ichibi.

"Show me your Will of Fire, Tsunade of Konoha!" he roared.

To her left, wood exploded in all directions, as Tsunade's fist met Sasori's husk. From the husk, a smaller figure jumped into the air, his body cloaked in Akatsuki robes.

Jumping back to meet his associate, Kisame stood next to the red-headed true form of Sasori. "What is this treachery, Tsunade?" The puppet master seethed.

Tsunade wiped the blood of Itachi from her face, greatly surprising Shizune. "The gaki over there showed me something I thought died out a long time ago." She took in a deep breath, her chakra humming in her body.

"I can feel it again." She smiled. "It's been so cold without it…" She whispered. She straightened her posture, her sizable bust perking slightly, as she gave a determined look. "Naruto!" she shouted.

Immediately, Naruto was at her side, kneeling to the woman. "Hai, Hokage-sama." He said the words with pure delight, his voice his own again, the gold flames still flickering around his form.

"Send the Akatsuki a message." She ordered. The feeling the blond had sparked within her was glorious. She hadn't felt such strong emotions in her entire life. "Konoha is not a village to be trifled with." She stated, watching as the shinobi smiled.

"Your wish, Hokage-sama," he rose, "is my command." He stated, vanishing in a gilded flash. The words came from behind them.

"Time to die."

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I'll say it , ITACHI IS NOT DEAD! Okay? Good.

I always had the idea that Naruto's core abilities would come from something else, but I didn't know what exactly that would be. But while writing Bringer of Peace, I figured it out.

Ninshu, as the Sage of Six Paths describes it, is complete understanding and harmony between people. Apparently, it would let people understand others with chakra, to the point where words were not needed.

With that in mind, it almost fits Naruto too perfectly, like I planned it from the beginning. I assure you, it just seemed to happen. Look at some of my Naruto's abilities and then read up on ninshu, it's almost identical.

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if you want to read ahead of the public release

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