Will of Fire

Things had changed for Naruto in the last few years. For an unknown reason, the villagers had stopped making his life difficult. Of course, the hate hadn't vanished; Naruto could still feel it lurking beneath the surface. However, they no longer dared to express it.

Nowadays, he could enter all the stores, and the prices were normal and affordable. The old man had bought him clothes as he promised, but Naruto didn't like the style. They were really too old-fashioned. Naruto wanted to mimic Sasuke's style. After overhearing Sasuke's conversation with the girls, Naruto felt jealous. He didn't harbor any ill feelings toward Sasuke, but he also craved the girls' attention. So, picking out fashionable clothes became one of his new hobbies.

Naruto had purchased several new outfits, and aside from Kiba and Shikamaru commenting on them, he hadn't received the expected reactions from the girls. He felt frustrated and contemplated giving up his new hobby until a girl from his class approached him.

It turned out to be the strangest and most confusing encounter in his life. The girl didn't even look him in the eyes. It took her about 30 seconds to say his name and then almost 2 minutes to complete the sentence.

"Na...ru...to...kun... I... like... your... new... clothes," she finally managed to say.

Naruto smiled brightly and replied, "Thank you, Hinata-chan."

Hearing his response, the girl panicked and started running away.

'What the hell did I do wrong this time?' Naruto wondered.

---

Almost all of Naruto's time outside of the academy was spent with Ebisu-sensei. Naruto had initially disliked him, thinking the feelings were mutual. However, Sasuke's words lingered in his mind: "With a jonin sensei, you can close the gap between us faster," he had said. So, Naruto pushed himself to follow Ebisu's instructions and suppress his instincts for fancy jutsu and pranks.

What followed were chakra control exercises, day in and day out. Ebisu-sensei demanded perfection and didn't allow Naruto to learn anything else until he met his standards. As Naruto followed his instructions and the days passed, Naruto felt Ebisu's negative feelings towards him disappear.

When the villagers stopped their hateful actions towards him, Naruto was sure that his sensei had something to do with it. After all, he had taught him things outside of combat training, like how to take care of his house, how to eat properly, how to speak politely, and how to respect his elders, as well as how to use critical thinking to judge situations. Naruto was sure that Ebisu really cared about him, and he started to respect him more and more.

Ebisu-sensei himself had an extremely weak body with low stamina and chakra. However, despite his weaknesses, he had managed to reach the rank of tokubetsu jonin with his excellent intelligence, knowledge, and combat theory.

His usual lessons consisted of Ebisu explaining theory with a lot of practical demonstrations and examples, especially tailored to Naruto's abnormal way of thinking. After that, they had a little spar until Ebisu was exhausted, and then Naruto continued training himself. Ebisu also allowed Naruto to bring his friends as sparring partners, and Naruto had many fights with Kiba and, surprisingly, Shikamaru. In the last year, Naruto especially enjoyed the sparring sessions with his best friend, Rock Lee.

As his training progressed, Naruto was able to perfectly cast the transformation jutsu and the body replacement jutsu. However, it was impossible for him to perfectly cast the clone jutsu. Ebisu-sensei told him that this was expected. Apparently, his chakra reserves were enormous, and he would never have the essential control for this jutsu. Ebisu told him not to worry because he had a present for him that would help him pass the exams. Naruto trusted and respected his sensei.

Ebisu introduced him to elemental training. Once again, his sensei demanded perfection at every step. He refused to teach him any wind jutsu until Naruto managed to easily cut a leaf with his palms using raw wind.

After succeeding, Naruto finally received the technique 'Wind Release: Gale Palm.' It was a simple technique with multiple uses. His sensei demanded for Naruto to perfect it and study all its uses. Naruto, familiar with his sensei's style, was eager to please him and didn't want to disappoint him. However, this time, Ebisu also informed him about the next required step to improve the technique: to cut a waterfall. Naruto couldn't even imagine how long this would take; after all, right now, he could only cut a leaf.

Two weeks before graduation, Ebisu-sensei revealed his gift: the shadow clone technique. Ebisu-sensei spent hours explaining its uses and especially the dangers. However, according to his sensei, his body was special, and the dangers were smaller for him compared to the rest of the ninja. When Ebisu explained that this technique would help him accelerate his training, Naruto was ecstatic and gave his sensei a hug.

His sensei was extremely shocked and didn't react at first. However, after a few seconds, he returned the hug, and Naruto was sure that he saw a few tears under his glasses.

"Naruto, we have only two weeks together until you graduate and find yourself a new and more capable sensei. As you know, my body is weak and not suitable for combat, and I am not really a true jonin. My life's goal was always to be the best teacher and help my students reach their maximum potential. Naruto, you are my greatest student, and with the available time in our hands, we have barely touched your true potential. I tell you all that because I want to apologize."

"Sensei, don't be an idiot, you have nothing to apologize for... ever since we started, our training... you have not only taught me how to fight but also how to think, how to take care of myself, and how to make friends. You are one of the most important people in my life " Naruto said sincerely.

"But I truly have, Naruto... In the beginning of our training, I really believed the rumors about you, and I was skeptical... Eventually, by watching you grow and by seeing your true self, I came to understand how stupid my behavior was and how short-sighted I was... Naruto, I want to say that I have come to truly admire your will of fire, and I believe that you can achieve your dream of becoming the greatest Hokage."

"Sensei..." Naruto said with tears in his eyes and didn't speak for a few more seconds.

"Thank you, sensei... That means a lot to me," Naruto said with tears, giving Ebisu another hug.

---

One week before graduation, Naruto visited his usual training ground and waited for Ebisu-sensei. However, the minutes passed, and his sensei didn't appear.

'What happened? Ebisu-sensei is never late...' Naruto was ready to leave and search for his sensei when a man appeared.

"Mizuki-sensei? What are you doing here? Are you here to train too?" Naruto asked with curiosity. This training ground was carefully selected by his sensei because almost nobody visited, and they could avoid the hateful gazes towards Naruto.

"Hello, Naruto. Ebisu sent me here to deliver a secret mission to you," Mizuki said with a big smile.

'Something is wrong here. I know that Mizuki hates me, and according to Ebisu-sensei, his taijutsu lessons towards me were altered to stop my progress. I still remember how furious sensei was with him. There is no way that Ebisu-sensei trusted him,' Naruto thought.

Naruto suddenly clasped his hands together and then brought them to the ground. Immediately, a strong gale propelled his whole body towards Mizuki.

"'Wind Release: Gale Palm,'" Naruto used his favorite jutsu.

Mizuki didn't expect any of that, and before he could react, Naruto was in front of him, delivering a punch to his nose. A loud crack followed, and blood splattered all around. Naruto didn't stop. He immediately put his knee on Mizuki's chest and placed a kunai at his throat.

"WHERE IS MY SENSEI? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?" Naruto demanded.

Mizuki was completely shocked by the whole exchange. He never expected this reaction from this seemingly naive kid.

"Naruto, what are you doing? Your sensei sent me here for a mission. How can you attack me like that?"

Naruto was taken aback, but he didn't remove the kunai from Mizuki's throat.

'I can still sense his hate. I cannot trust him. He must be lying,' Naruto thought and said, "DON'T DARE TO LIE TO ME. I CAN SMELL MY SENSEI'S BLOOD ON YOU."

Of course, Naruto was bluffing, but Mizuki's expression suddenly changed and revealed a twisted, hateful expression.

"OF COURSE, YOU CAN SMELL IT. YOU ARE THE FUCKING NINE-TAILS FOX, AFTER ALL."

Naruto's expression twisted. He ignored the nonsense about the fox and said, "YOU REALLY HARMED MY SENSEI! WHERE IS HE? TELL ME NOW."

Naruto's anger boiled over, and he threw a punch at Mizuki's right eye.

Mizuki cried out in pain, but then he started laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHAH. Listen carefully, fox. If you want your sensei to survive, get away from me right now."

Naruto moved his kunai away from Mizuki's throat. However, as Mizuki's expression changed to a smile, Naruto stabbed him in the shoulder, followed by a punch, and Mizuki lost consciousness.

'Ebisu-sensei said that I can never trust the enemy.'

---

"HOKAGE-SAMA, HOKAGE-SAMA," the bird ANBU said with anxiety.

"What is wrong, bird? Why are you shouting?" Hiruzen asked.

"Naruto is here to see you... and he is dragging a body with him... The whole village has freaked out and thinks that the fox has awakened."

"WHAT? BRING HIM HERE NOW."

Naruto came into the office without leaving the body.

As soon as Naruto came into view, Hiruzen was alarmed. The boy had a shocked expression, and there were tears next to his eyes.

"Is this Mizuki? Naruto, what happened?"

"Old man, you have to search for Ebisu-sensei fast. Mizuki admitted that he did something to him."

"TURTLE AND BIRD, TAKE TWO SQUADS WITH YOU AND SEARCH FOR EBISU," he commanded.

"Naruto, tell me everything that happened."

"OLD MAN, I REALLY NEED TO SEARCH FOR MY SENSEI. CAN I EXPLAIN LATER?" Naruto said in panic.

"Naruto, please calm down. I need information to assess the situation. The ANBU are already searching for him."

Naruto was breathing heavily in panic. Hiruzen got up from his seat and went next to Naruto. He gave him a hug and said, "Naruto, it's alright now. Please tell me what happened so I can help you."

After a few seconds, Naruto finally managed to explain the situation.

"Ebisu, you really did a good job. Naruto made all the correct decisions… I hope for you to be alive… Also, Mizuki told him about the fox. I need to have this talk with Naruto sooner than expected… but first, I really need to find everything about Mizuki."

"Naruto, you did everything perfectly… Please stay here with me until the ANBU return. We don't know if Mizuki has others working with him."

"Bear, please call Ibiki, Anko, and Inoichi here. It's an emergency."

Hiruzen went next to Mizuki's body and lifted it to a chair. He then used several seals on him. Finally, he started using the mystical palm jutsu on his shoulder.

Naruto, who was watching him with a lost and unfocused expression, finally asked, "Old man, what are you going to do to him?"

"Naruto, we need to learn more information about him. He wanted to give you a mission. We need to learn what that mission was, and we also need to learn if Mizuki has others working with him."

Naruto nodded.

After a few minutes, Ibiki, Anko, and Inoichi entered the office.

Hiruzen looked at them and described what had happened.

"You know what to do," Hiruzen said.

Anko looked at Naruto and reluctantly said, "Hokage-sama, what about the kid?"

Hiruzen immediately replied, "Me and Naruto are going to go for a walk."

"Old man! I also need to know! This is about my sensei. You can't keep hiding things from me," Naruto said with anger.

"Naruto, I am going to tell you everything, but believe me when I say that you are not ready to watch what they are going to do to him," Hiruzen said with a dead serious expression.

---

Hiruzen and Naruto were walking towards Ebisu's house. When they reached outside of his house, they finally saw Turtle.

The ANBU looked at them, and Naruto instantly felt the sadness in him.

"WHERE IS MY SENSEI?" Naruto asked and immediately ran towards the house.

The ANBU looked at Hiruzen and moved his head left and right.

'Oh no…' Hiruzen thought.

Naruto would never forget what he saw next. It was his sensei's dead body with a kunai behind his neck. There was no fight, no sign of resistance. His black glasses, which he never removed, were on the floor, broken, and his eyes were still open with an expression of shock.

In front of his sensei was a notebook with the title "NARUTO UZUMAKI – TRAINING LOG." His sensei was taking notes when he was assassinated. The whole book was covered in blood.

Naruto could only hear his heartbeat. His expression froze. He couldn't move, and he couldn't think. He let out an unconscious inhuman cry, "ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG."

He couldn't breathe… He tried and tried, but he still couldn't… The old man was in front of him speaking, but Naruto could not hear him… The old man's expression was extremely troubled… He finally did something to him… Was it a seal? Naruto lost consciousness.

---

Naruto woke up hours later, and Hiruzen was still next to him, with a face full of worry. Naruto had damaged his throat with his cry, and he still couldn't talk.

Hiruzen put his hand on his head and started caressing his hair. He didn't speak for several minutes.

"Naruto, the life of a shinobi is full of hardships. I also lost my teacher when I was younger. Our enemies used me and my teammates to trap him. My sensei knew about the trap, but he still chose death to save us. This is the will of fire, Naruto, and I chose to preach and follow it because of men like my teacher Tobirama and your teacher Ebisu. It's the job of the old generation to take care of the new ones, to protect the village, our family. This is what a Hokage does. A Hokage is a parent to every citizen of the village, and his job is to carry out the will of fire to the next generations. I have cleaned this notebook. This notebook is his last gift to you. Your sensei has written his thoughts and dreams about you... Please read it carefully."

Naruto was devastated. He wanted to talk but couldn't. He could only cry, and he cried for a long time. He finally took the notebook and started reading.

Page 10 – "I am starting to doubt my original opinion about this kid. I never believed that this kid is the fox because I know how the seals work unlike the civilians. However, I used to believe that this kid is untalented, lazy, a thief, and a troublemaker. However, what I have seen so far is unmatched talent, patience, and willpower. No kid has kept my chakra control training without complaining before."

Page 14 – "Something is seriously wrong here. The rumors about this kid are completely wrong. I have to talk with Hokage-sama."

Page 18 – "Naruto has a heart of gold. I can't understand how he managed to keep his goodness while receiving so much hate. I definitely know that this is something that I would never be able to do."

Page 20 – "Nobody has taught this poor boy how to behave in society and what is normal behavior. It's my obligation as a teacher to teach him the basics!"

Page 22 – "Naruto has everything that I wanted in a student. As a teacher, I can't wish for anyone better. The will of fire burns the strongest inside him."

Page 30 – "Naruto has an unmatched talent for wind jutsu. His affinity is insane. I need to persuade the Hokage to let me teach him jutsu."

Page 34 – "I have managed to obtain the shadow clone jutsu and the multi-shadow clone jutsu for Naruto. I managed to persuade Hokage-sama that these jutsu are tailor-made for Naruto. When he masters the simple shadow clone, I will also gift him with the multi-shadow clone jutsu."

Page 40 – "I finally managed to apologize to Naruto about my behavior. I wanted to apologize for a long time, but I was extremely ashamed. However, when the boy hanged me today, I couldn't hold it anymore. Naruto's soul is so bright and innocent that it attracts people. I have truly understood now why fathers are proud of their children. I am really proud of Naruto, and I am sure that he will make the best Hokage. When he makes it, I would be able to walk around the village with pride and say to everyone, 'Even though I am trash and a fake Jonin, I have trained our Hokage.'"

The notebook was now covered in tears. Naruto couldn't stop crying. His sensei believed in him so much, his sensei was proud of him, his sensei truly loved him. But now his sensei was no longer alive.

Hiruzen, who was watching his reaction, pushed himself too hard to keep his own tears and his face was red.

Naruto was in his own thoughts for almost an hour.

He still couldn't talk but finally he opened the notebook to the entry on page 10 and pointed to the word 'fox' at Hiruzen.

He also created the characters for Mizuki with his hands and looked at Hiruzen.

Hiruzen nodded and said, "The story starts with the 4th Hokage…"

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Hello dear readers.

This is the extra chapter that I have promised. Thanks for voting! The length of this chapter is also double than normal! 

Next weeks goal will be 100 soul stones.