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Spirit of Konoha	By : phoenixsdark Category: Naruto AU/AR > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2621 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. No money is made. I am doing this only for fun and happen to be incredibly poor.

Chapter List
- 1-Spirit of Konoha
- 2-The Guardian
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- 2
THE OC is pretty much just for this part.

Iruka was fighting a losing battle. It took everything he had just to keep the enemies from getting past him and he was sacrificing more and more to keep them from his students.   They were going to get past him, definitely over his dead body, but hopefully he bought the others enough time to reach safety. He prayed they had.
Then pain took over everything. Gods it hurt. Still, the litany in his mind was a hope for the children; they must have reached Konoha. Surely. Pain began wiping away all thought. Who had invented something this sick anyway? The pain vanished without warning.
The forest melted away into a white room. It was filled with people and they were all crying around a bed. A bed with his body in it. So he had died. Yet that wasn’t what caught the teacher’s attention. He knew he was going to die when he stood in way of those nins. No, what drew his eyes was the skull over almost everyone’s heads.
Kakashi-sensei. Asuma-san. All the children! So many of the gathered nin. What did it mean?
“It means they are going to die soon, Umino Iruka-san.” A voice spoke to him and the room vanished.
Now he stood in his empty classroom. Iruka found himself growing dizzy from all the changes.
“Sorry,” the voice said from behind him.
The teacher spun to find…well he had no idea what it was. Near the door of his room was what appeared to be a person, but one made of glowing green energy. There were no features at all. Yet he felt no threat; in fact, the being gave off a very calming presence. What was going on?!
“You gave your life for the children of Konoha, Umino-san.” There was no mouth, but the words resonated in his ears.
This time the creature laughed, the sound making Iruka feel like a child who had just pleased a parent. Of course, this pissed off the young man. No one was going to manipulate him. Whatever this thing was, it was no friend. However, when he tried to assume a defensive postion, he discovered he couldn’t move.
“I am very sorry, Umino-san. I was not mocking you. It has been a long while since I have spoken with one of my children.”
“You are not one of my parents!” Iruka growled at it. His parents were dead long ago.
“Yes, and I mourned them and the others deeply. It is never easy to watch those you love die. There are rules, though, which prevented me from helping.”
“Who are you?” Iruka hissed. He was trapped, confused, and angry at the thing playing with him. “What do you want?”
“Oh dear, I am truly making a mess of this, am I not?”
Suddenly Iruka was seated at a table, teapot in front of him, two glasses ready, and possibly the most motherly looking woman he’d ever seen seated across from him. All his instincts told him he knew this woman. She was familiar in a way he couldn’t put his finger on, but he was overwhelmed with the feeling that he’d finally come home after a long hard journey. Finally, his mind stuttered to a halt as he put it all together. He tried to drop to his knees in order to apologize; she lifted a single finger and he was frozen again.
“Please, let us simply enjoy the tea. You are not the first to misunderstand. As I said, it has been a very long time since I spoke directly to one of my children, I have lost the knack for putting them at ease.”
“Not at all, Lady,” he sputtered. “I am rude. I have a quick temper. I jump without looking.”
“Iruka, may I call you Iruka?” She cut him off.
“Of course, Lady.”
“Iruka, you are a wonderful person. Strong. Determined to protect those you love no matter what. You defied the most powerful man in my village because you feared for your students. I have not seen that before. Not ever, Iruka.”
She paused to serve him tea and again Iruka felt he had failed. He should have done that. Someone like her should not be serving someone like him. He was just a school teacher! She…she was…She laughed.
“You may say it, Iruka, if it will help you understand this is real.”
“My father told me tales of you. The Spirit of Konoha. The Will of Fire.”
She smiled at him, every doubt, every fear vanished.
“Every land is alive, Iruka. It is changed by those who settle there. Whether they care for the land or kill it. Those who chose to live here have cared for me with all their hearts; I have tried to return that caring. I have failed so very badly.”
“NO, LADY!” Now he was out of his seat. He couldn’t bear her thinking that way. “I felt you at Sarutobi’s funeral. We all did. You eased our grief. You gave us the courage to continue.”
“Please sit down, young man.” She was stern in her command. “Now drink some of the tea and calm down. While I appreciate your defense of me, it was not I who comforted my children. I tired but my own grief was too much. At least, until I heard your words.
You never give up, Iruka. Of all my children, you stand so very tall. Never backing down. Never giving up. Even if your abilities will not allow you to succeed, you will not abandon comrades, friends, or your charges.”
“All of your children are that way, Lady.” He was blushing furiously and took another drink of the tea. It was excellent tea. And why was he thinking of tea? Embarrassment was preventing him from thinking clearly.
He needed to take a deep breath. “We all carry the Will of Fire. Nin die fighting for what they believe in all the time.”
“This is true. But when they come home to me, they are angry, hurt. So few come to me with a smile, content, knowing they gave their all and could do no better.”
“Is that how I died?”
“Yes. Right now the whole village is mourning your loss. The scene of you on the bed? It was real. Right now your body is being prepared.”
“And the skulls?”
She smiled again; it made Iruka’s heart feel lighter.
“I knew you would notice those awful things. They are signs that the person will die before their allotted time.”
The spirit paused to let the statement sink in. The young teacher turned pale as he remembered how many had skulls. Such a large number were going to die? His friends? The children? No, it couldn’t be.
“So many?”
“Very soon Konoha will become a graveyard, Umino Iruka.”
No. NO. There had to be something he could do. Except, he was dead.
“Lady, please, there has to be something, anything, that can be done to prevent it.”
The woman rose from her seat and walked a short distance away. The calm and contentment from before vanished under a wave of uncertainity and incredible misery. Iruka found himself knocked out of his seat to gasp for breath on the floor. He’d never felt so terrible in all his life. Guilt, sorrow, helplessness pinned him down.
“Lady,” he managed to get the word out. She did not turn or acknowledge him.
“There is a way,” she said softly. “It has not been done for more generations than you can count. An ancient way to protect the land and its people.”
Iruka felt the heavy emotions lift. There was a way to save his loved ones! However, if so, why was she so upset?
“Because, Iruka, it is a very cruel thing to do to someone.” She answered. “And yes, I know your thoughts. No one can hide from me here.”
He sat back down, worrying about what else was in his head and what she must have thought of it. Well, couldn’t be helped now. The most important thing was the way to save the village. No matter what it was, surely it was worth the cost. All the people against what could weigh more?
“First you must know something, Iurka.” She told him while still turned away. “It takes a very special person to assume the role which will protect Konoha. Someone who is not needlessly cruel or vicious. A person who can bear agony beyond your concept of the word. The person must be strong, Iruka, so very strong.
Granting someone the power of a Guardian changes a person. Sometimes for the better. Most often for the worse. It will isolate you from those you love and, at the same time, ensure you can keep them safe.”
“Then I volunteer,” he told her. “If it will keep everyone safe, I am willing to try.”
She turned to him, tears slowly sliding down her cheeks. “I knew you would, dear Iruka. That is why I am crying.”
“Lady,” She stopped him with a raised hand.
“Iruka, a people are coming, from a land far beyond the sea. They killed their land and have been travelling, slowly, across the world. They are patient. So very patient.
They send spies into the lands they intend to devour. Over generations they come to understand how that land works and how best to destroy it. From our lands they learned of ninja and Bloodlines. Now they want the children of families with Bloodline talents or special abilities. The intention is to grow an army.”
Iruka didn’t know what to say. The horror he felt at what almost happened to his children was too strong to vocalize. How could anyone be so monstrous? To use children?
“They will do anything, my child. Anything. They have done this for generations. Which is why we have decided to once again create Guardian Spirits. “
“We?”
“All the lands are alive. We do talk to each other.” She wiped away her tears. “We cannot interfere directly. However, should a worthy individual die and come to us, we are allowed to make the offer.”
“I don’t see how I am worthy, Lady.” He shook his head. Kakashi should be the one. He was strong.
“Yes, Kakashi is strong. You are the one who had touched almost every life in Konoha. You save Naruto from becoming another Gaara. You inspire both nin and students to grow and believe in themselves.   You never give up if you believe you are right. Was it not you, who stood against the most powerful man in the village? For no more reason than you were worried for your students. You, Iruka. That is the spirit I need. Love enough to sacrifice simply for the sake of love.”
He still didn’t feel worthy. Though he had challenged Kakashi’s decision, it hadn’t been for glory or out of spite. It turned out he was wrong. Surely there was someone else?
“You did it because you cared. Who else has ever done what you did?”
“Lady, I don’t feel worthy, but if you need me, do as you see fit.”
“It will hurt, Iruka. More than you think and not just physically.” She had tears in her eyes again. “You will become a target. You will know everything about the people of Konoha. When they die, you will know when, where, and how because you will feel it as they do. People will try to control you, use you, manipulate you. It may very well break your heart.”
“But it will save everyone?”
“There is no guarantee. You may suffer and still lose.”
He didn’t really need to think this over. An ANBU was dead, he’d been killed by an extremely powerful jutsu, and an enemy was targeting his home. After surviving Pein, the War, and rebuilding, no one was going to take peace away from his people without a damn hard fight.
“Whatever you need to do, Lady, please begin.”
“Please do not hate me for this.” She whispered and was suddenly hugging him.
The world shifted, turned upside down and inside out. A sound similar to popping a balloon filled his ears as everything whited out. A feeling of heaviness was the first thing he noticed as consciousness returned.   He remembered every detail. The village was in danger! Iruka sat up ready to warn the Hokage. That was when the screaming started.

See…not a deathfic.
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Spirit of Konoha