Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto Or Legend of Korra

"The Era of Raava, it was the time before the Avatar Cycle when the barrier between the Spirit World and the Mortal world was non-existent.
With no boundary keeping the two worlds apart, spirits freely passed from their world through the Spirit Portals located at the poles and began residing in the physical world. In the years following they slowly spread across the world transforming its lands into the Spirit Wilds.

Spirits and man did not warmly welcome each other. With the exception of the predecessors of the Air Nomads. Humans, who once lived together, split apart to seek shelter and protection on the backs of Lion turtles, whom the Spirits were wary or even respectful of.

Over time, most accounts of this era were lost to history and many humans forgot that there were other settlements somewhere in the Spirit Wilds. They only ventured away from the safety of their home to hunt for food.
For protection, they were granted control over the element their Lion Turtle was affiliated with, with the power being theirs to keep until they returned to the cities.

On these hunts, Spirits and Humans would battle whenever they encountered each other. The humans used the powers of the elements to drive the Spirits away and the Spirits would possess and disfigure humans, sometimes killing them if they inhabited their bodies for too long. It was a time of continuous war that lasted for thousands of years.

Until Wan."

"What a magnificent tale!"

Sipping on his tea, Iroh exhaled loudly at the wonderful taste. It may have been his best brew yet. Made from the rare-

"You think so?"

"Oh, yes." Iroh nodded to his young guest. "Many things have been lost to history, to meet someone and hear about a time before the Avatar cycle. . .it is truly a gift."

Staring at his reflection in his tea, Naruto frowned. He didn't see it as a gift.

When Iroh had found him, still half stuck in the tree that Vaatu had trapped him in he had thought it was a gift too. He was finally free of his prison and it had only been a few hours. He had expected to rot in the dark for far longer. And he had also expected Wan to be the one to release him.
Instead, he had found himself being freed by a stranger who was friends with Spirits. This was quite a shock to him. Humans and Spirits didn't get along. It was like he had told Iroh, the war between them had been raging long before he was born.

Even worse, it had only taken a few minutes of conversation with his rescuer to realize that he had been in his prison for far longer than a few hours.

Ten thousand years. That was how long he had been away. Trapped and unable to escape as the world moved on without him. Civilization had risen and fallen. Wars had been won and lost.

I've missed so much.

"So, Naruto, you mentioned that the Lion Turtles were the ones who originally gave benders their gifts?" Iroh asked, leaning over the table to refill Naruto's cup. "I'd be quite interested in hearing that tale if you don't mind telling it?"

"I don't mind," Naruto said, holding his cup out so Iroh didn't have to stretch as far.

As he did, he noticed the teapot for the first time. He had seen that pot before.

"Is that Wan's?"

"It is," Iroh confirmed with a smile. "Avatar Wan used the pot to carry Raava, the spirit of-"

"-Of light and peace." Naruto finished smiling before it faded just as quick as it came.
"Avatar?"

He had only known Wan for around a year but he had never heard anyone call him by that title.

"The Avatar came into being when Wan, permanently fused with Raava during the Harmonic Convergence of 9,829 BG, becoming the first Avatar," Iroh explained setting the teapot down.
"As the only physical being with the ability to bend all four elements, it is considered the Avatar's duty to master the four bending arts and use that power to keep balance among the four nations of the world, as well as between mankind and spirits."

"Is Wan still alive?" Naruto asked, hope blooming in his chest.

If Wan had permanently merged with Raava, who had said she had lived ten thousand lifetimes before even the first humans were born, then maybe he had become immortal thanks to the spirit. Maybe he didn't have to be alone in this new world.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." Iroh apologized sadly. He had not meant to give the young man false hope.
"Wan lived a long life, but he could not complete his mission to bring peace to the world. When he died his spirit reincarnated into the next Avatar."

Naruto gripped his cup tighter. "I see."

He shouldn't have known. Even with the help of a spirit what kind of human could live for ten thousand years? It was stupid of him to think otherwise.
Feeling his fingers getting wet he looked down. There were cracks in his cup letting the tea inside leak out.

"Sorry," Flexing his fingers, Naruto molded the clay as if it was still on the wheel, repairing the damage he had done in his anger.

"You are an Earthbender?" Iroh asked noticing the movement.

Naruto grinned letting go of his cup with one hand, he cradled a flame in his palm loving that surprise that crossed Iroh's face. It was always a fun time when someone saw him use more than one element.

"You have the power of two elements? Only that Avatar has ever been capable of such a feat. How?" Iroh questioned, as Naruto let the flame die.

"I started with Earth. That was the element the Lion Turtle I was born on was affiliated with." Naruto clenched his fist, and a small pebble at his feet rose into the air.
"Some things happened when I was a kid and I found myself in the Spirit Wilds where I met a Badgermole. I learned Earthbending from them. The first masters. After that, I learned from the Spirits that there were other human settlements in the world and I set out to find them. That was when I discovered that each Lion Turtle was affiliated with a different element. When I asked the Lion Turtle affiliated with Water for that power he refused me."

Naruto chuckled a little remembering the tantrum he had thrown when that happened.

"I was quite mad when he refused, but the Ancient one explained to me that holding two elements I did not have mastery over at once would kill me. So. . .I returned home, to the city I was born in and relinquished my ability to bend the Earth."

"How ingenious!" Iroh praised. "You mastered each element separately."

Naruto nodded. "After mastering each power the Lion Turtles to gift me, I traveled the world to ask for the elements once more. That was when I met Wan who was on a mission to save the world from Vaatu. If what you say is true and he spent the rest of his life trying to bring peace to the world then that means he won. But in a way so did Vaatu because there is still darkness in the world."

And didn't that make everything they went through pointless? If even after defeating Vaatu they still couldn't save the world?

A world that doesn't even exist anymore. Ten thousand years was a long time. Just thinking about how much had changed was daunting.

"Naruto, are you alright?" Iroh asked as his guest went quiet.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, I. . ." Naruto paused before exhaling a deep breath. "It's just really hitting me. When I return to the physical world, all my friends will be dead. And everything will have changed."

"Adapting to a world so different from the one you were born in will be quite challenging." Iroh agreed solemnly before smiling. "You are a master of all four elements, Naruto. But more importantly, you are a master of yourself. You know who you are and what you want. So tell me, what do you want to do?"

Naruto stared at the portal just beyond the vines. Once he crossed through it he would be in a strange new world. Different from anything he had ever known.
What did he want to do?

"I don't know." He hadn't thought about it much. He had been so caught up in telling his story to Iroh the future just kind of slipped his mind. But it was here now and right in front of him.

"You know some people believe holding on, having the strength to never let go makes us strong," Iroh said rising from the boulder he was using as a chair.
"But sometimes it is letting go that show's how strong we truly are. Your past will never fade as long as you remember, Naruto. But the future is the only thing that is unavoidable. It will come for you now or later."

Naruto sighed. That was good advice but it didn't help him with thinking of how he wanted to live the rest of his life.

"You mentioned meeting, Avatar Wan during his journey to bring balance to the world. Did you help him during his travels?" Iroh questioned casually as if talking about the weather.

"I did." Naruto nodded. "I was a few years younger than him, but I had been training with the elements for years. He was a quick study and when he merged with Raava I didn't stand a chance in our spars."

Those days were the pinnacle of his life. Traveling the world with a friend, battling Spirit's corrupted by Vaatu and helping Wan master the four elements. Naruto had never wanted it to end.

"Then I have something that might help you. A terrorist group known as the Red Lotus is currently hunting Korra, the newest Avatar. The Red Lotus has many strong benders who believe in its cause of restoring freedom to the world by assassinating the world leaders and ending the Avatar Cycle. Korra has many friends that will help her stop them, but someone who can bend all four elements would be a great help."

"Help the current Avatar." It didn't sound like a bad idea. And if Wan and Raava were reincarnated into future Avatar's then this Red Lotus group was trying to kill his friend. Or a part of his friend.
Either way, Naruto wasn't going to let that happen.

"Wan died trying to bring peace to the world, and his spirit never gave up. Even after ten thousand years." Naruto stood up, setting his tea on the ground. "I wasn't around to help him back then, but I can help now."

Watching as Naruto marched towards the portal with a purpose in his steps, Iroh smiled.

"SQUAWK!"

"Hmm." Iroh held his arm out letting the small Dragon bird spirit perch itself. "My nephew must be waiting for you."

"Wait, what?" Naruto stopped at the edge of the portal. "Your nephew."

Iroh nodded pointing a hand at Naruto's robes. "After entering the physical world you will be in the North Pole. You would freeze in what you're wearing now."

Scratching the back of his head, Naruto grinned sheepishly. He hadn't thought about that.

"My nephew Zuko will be waiting for you with a change of warmer clothes."

"He's a good guy." Naruto thought with a pinch of sadness Iroh smiled at him. You didn't meet too many genuinely nice people in a single lifetime but he was sure Iroh was one of them.

Placing a fist against his palm, he bowed to Iroh. "Thank you for the tea. . .and getting me out of that tree."

"It was my pleasure. Sharing tea with someone is always a joy." Iroh laughed. "Good luck, Naruto, and when we see each other next, you must tell me about how you ended up stuck in a tree in the first place!"

"I will," Naruto promised as he stood up straight taking a step back into the portal vanishing from view.

"Squawk?"

Patting the Dragon bird spirit on his arm, Iroh turned away from the Spirit Portal, heading back into the forest.
"Yes, I hope that conversation is not for many years too, my friend. One hundred years at least. That should give him time to live a good life."

o0o

Wrapping his arms around his body as the golden light around him faded, Naruto shivered horribly, shaking from head to toe.
Iroh hadn't been lying when he said it would be cold. It was freezing, and the snow and wind blowing didn't help at all.

Taking a breath, he cupped his hands around his mouth breathing a small puff to heat them before rubbing them across his chest. His arms would take care of themselves as he moved.

"Where's this nephew he was talking about?"

Squinting his eyes he tried to see through the wall of white falling from the sky but all he could make out was a small light in the distance.

Looking towards the sky as loud beats sounded in the air Naruto used a hand to block some of the wind and snow from his eyes to get a better look. From out of the blizzard a large, horned reptile with a long and a scaly body emerged. Its large wings beat powerfully as it descended landing on its four short legs.

Golden cat-like eyes narrowed at Naruto as the rider on the dragons back dismounted.

Fire Lord Zuko, Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai and currently the strongest Firebender in the world locked eyes with someone who for all the Avatars spirit mumbo jumbo shouldn't even be alive.
"So you're the kid who's got uncle all giddy."

"You must be Iroh's nephew," Naruto said in greeting, glancing back to the dragon.

Iroh's nephew had a bad scar on his face, but after seeing the aftermath of a spirit possession, a scar didn't look too bad.

"Here, Uncle told me you would need clothes." Zuko pulled a bundle of clothes from Druks back and held them out to Naruto. "White Lotus uniforms were all I had on hand when Uncle contacted me. We can get you some real clothes later."

"These are fine, thank you." Naruto took the clothes, stomping the ground once creating a waist-high pillar of earth at his side.

Setting the clothes down, he pulled off his thousand-year-old clothes dropping them onto the ground as he switched them for the uniform. The white long sleeve shirt went on first, followed by pants were indigo in color. After they were on he jumped up to sit on the pillar so he could pull on the boots that matched the pants except for the white detail around the edges. Above them, he strapped on the shin guards that had fallen out of the bundle.
Sliding off the pillar he crouched and turned stretching to make sure his new clothes would hamper his bending.

"Good fit?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah, warm too. Thanks." Naruto said again as his shivers died down.

Zuko nodded walking back to Druk who bent his head. "Good. Now, I'm sure you have more than a few questions but right now we need to get moving."

"To stop the Red Lotus?"

Mounting Druk, Zuko held out his hand. "Uncle told you about them?"

Naruto shrugged taking the offered hand bending the air beneath his feet to make himself lighter as Zuko pulled him up. "Only that they were a terrorist group who wanted to kill the Avatar and whoever is leading the world."

"That's. . .not the whole story." Zuko shook his head. If what Uncle said was true and this blonde kid was from ten thousand years in the past he wouldn't have any idea about the Four Nations and their leaders.
"I'll explain on our way to the prison."

"Prison?"

"Yes. Zaheer and his cohorts are the most dangerous criminals in the world. Alone they could take down any bender. Together? They could take down an entire Nation."

Naruto felt his blood begin to pump faster at the declaration. He had always enjoyed a good fight.

Adopted from the previous author with their permission because I liked the premise of the story.
Let me know what you think so far!