A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! Still I return again! Things have been absolutely crazy for me as of the last few months what with the surgeries and all, but now at long last, I feel I can devote my attentions to this fic anew as I've intended to do! Of course, now that they're not cutting me OPEN anymore to work on my heart I've also come up with a quite a few new ideas! I can promise ya'll that the next few chappys are going to be nothing short of absolutely brilliant! So sorry for the wait! There's a bit of a long author's note this time, because there are a few matters I want to address.
But I also want to bring something to your attention. I've been putting this off for a while, but this needed to be done. I have PURGED many of my older works. That's right, I've delted or adopted off many of the stories that I will no longer be continuing. Fear not, my most popular fics will remain, but most of my old stuff from back in 2008 and 2009, when I had no idea what I was doing is being all but removed from the site. Out with the old, in with the new, as they say! Still, if anyone is interested in any of my old stuff, say the word and its yours to continue. But I've held ya'll up long enough!
Now that we've addressed all those issues, I just wanted to say: Thank you. To all of you who reviewed and have yet to review, and especially those who noticed my improved writing style. You all know who you are, and I thank you for telling me what you think of my other works.
I look forward to hearing more from you as we begin down the strange, convulted path that is this story. But first, some information!
This story is an offshoot of a sort, taking place roughly a few months or so before season four of Korra. Fair warning now! I've taken a few liberties with Kuvira's character here but not many; just exacerbating the fact that she does NOT like to lose, or be defied. So when a tiny little village and its charming protector refuses her offer of "protection", welll, she doesn't take too kindly to that, which sets off a fascinating chain reaction! If you haven't seen season four of Korra, I highly reccommend it, else you'll be hopelessly confused!
But I've held ya'll up long enough! Now...
...ENJOY MY LATEST WORK! Its nice and LOOOOOONG!
"Who are you?"
"Me? I'm just a simple farmer...
"With one arm?"
"Aye. Lost this thing almost four years ago, now. Don't be gettin' any ideas now missy; I can still knock you flat on your pretty little ass if you try to take me on."
(Kuvira's first conversation with a very strange young man...)
Dissent
Information meant power. Power meant order, and Kuvira loved both.
Order was the one thing she cherished above all else; it was what made her depart Zaofu and trek out to the Earth Kingdom to right the chaos caused by the Earth Queen's death. Her parents had thrown her away like she was nothing; how could she do the same to her country?
She was not the most subtle woman in her line of work, nor even the kindest. But she was the strongest. She was direct. Firm. Stern. She made hard decisons, ones others hestiated to make. Sacrificed where they could not. Would not. These choices pained her sometimes, but, she couldn't let others see that pain. Not her men. Nor her advisors. Not even Batar. Not even her own fiance. She cared for him of course, but even that care paled in comparison to the devotion she bore toward her nation. Would she sacrifice him, if it meant unity for her people?
Yes. It pained her to admit it, but, yes she would. She would weep over it, true, but she would do it all the same.
She did what had to be done. What Suyin could not-would not-be bothered to do. She did not hesitate. She did not show mercy. All who stood before here were either crushed or assimilated into her empire. Sometimes it pained her to be so relentless-so brutal-but what other choice did she have? The Earth Kingdom was much like a stubborn, petulant child; yet Kuvira was in no mood to entertain its tantrums. If it could not be coerced into obedience, then it would just as easily be forced into submission.
Some called her the "Great Uniter" whispered her name in hushed and reverent tones. Others branded her a tyrant when they thought she wasn't looking or listening. She didn't care. Let them think her a tryant, a cruel and ruthless dictator. So long as she brought order to the chaos, it no longer mattered in any case. She brought nearly the entire kingdom under her wing. Only three holdouts remained. The province of Yi, Zaofu, and a strange little village so far out of the way that when her scouts discovered it, it was purely by accident.
Which brought her and a small contingent of soldiers to this misbegotten place at the edge of the forest.
Meanwhile, her men had been forced to march-or in her case, walk-the distance by foot, mech, or mount. Not like Zaofu, where you could reach your destination in a mere minute by train. The thought of it sent a small, tiny scowl twitching at her lips, causing her jaden eyes to narrow in anger.
No, not like Zaofu at all.
Uck.
The thought of that city left a sour taste in her mouth. She didn't want to think of that place, or why she left.
Instead she focused on her feet, the cool sensation of the earth drumming up beneath her boots as she walked, arms at her side. Behind her marched a squad of her finest soldiers, the elite who'd once served Suyin not so long ago in Zaofu. Master earthbenders and metalbenders all, she was confident in their ability to countermand any threat. If they were at all strained from the day's long march, their faceless helms did precious little to show it, blank visors reflecting only the dust trodden beneath their feet.
Finally, they arrived.
The path turned steep, but soon, looking up, they could see the end of it: a slender gate manned by a long guard.
"Only one of them," she muttered aloud, the beginnings of a frown drawing at her visage. "That's...odd." her gaze swept the road, finding nothing but dirt and grass, overshadowed by a smattering of trees. "You'd think they would guard the front better. And he's not dressed like those others." Indeed he was not-by comparison to the sheperd boy, this man was a lion. He wore heavy plate armor forged from platinum, his bearded face set in a garrish scowl upon them, but not so grisly as the massiv axe strapped to his back. When he saw Kuvira, his face darkened still further.
"He doesn't look very friendly," she said softly.
He was not at all friendly. He did not appear fearful, and did not immediately go for his weapon, but he glared at them with a mixture of suspicious and dislike.
"Is this the village of Konoha?" Kuvira called out.
"We do not welcome intruders!" the guard shouted back, his voice deep and booming. "Go back the way you came!"
Batar moved carefully to the side, keeping his eyes open for an ambush. He smirked.
"That was a 'yes,' I believe!" he snarked.
The guardsman shot him a dark look, taking in the strange haircut eyes, tall stature, and odd attire. Then his stern gaze slid to Kuvira, and betrayed equal curiosity there in the metal she wore. It was blatantly clear that the man had never before in his life seen metalbenders or at least, those who once hailed from Zaofu. Kuvira flashed her most winning smile, and the man's leer lessened slightly...only to snap back toward Batar Junior when the latter stepped up beside her.
The man noticed his stare, and scowled a little more tightly.
Kuvira took a quick look about her, considering.
The so-callled village of Konoha couldn't quite be called that; it was something of a step above the term. Not quite a city, hemmed in by mountains and trees, but not a town, either. A garrison, maybe? Not quite, she decided, shifting in her stance, a few watchtowers and a dingey-looking barracks/guardhouse didn't quantify as any real sort of garrison in her mind. Of course, precious little did nowadays, when you compared it to Zaofu. This particular place was so far out of the way -so off the beaten path-that there weren't even tracks to lead to it. They'd had to lay them as they went. But there was metal here, as well...
"Well, hello...
Gazing at it, Kuvira decided, the term wasn't far off. The watchtower she'd thought was made of shiney stone was not stone at all, rather, a thick pillar metal rising up to stab at the heavens. She didn't need to extend her senses far to recognize what sh was staring at. Platinum. Fascinating. A metal that was almost completely unbendable, famed for its resilience. Another reason they wanted this town; the rich ore deposits would be a boon for her burgeoning army. Once-when!-they had it in hand...
"You must leave." the guard repeated, drawing her out of her plans, away from her trance. "Konoha has remained neutral since the time of its founding; we welcome no standing army here."
Kuvira blinked, surprised she'd been sussed out so swiftly. "What makes you think we're with the army?"
The watchman scoffed and shook his head, sending the dark tresses of hiss hair swinging in indignation. "You walk with discipline and purpose; it is plain to all. Our chief is in the fields and will not speak with you."
"He will speak with us!" Batar Jr. snapped, made irate by the guardsman's bluster. "We've marched for three days just to-
A raised arm cut across his chest, silencing him.
Kuvira kept her tone mild, much to the man's-and Batar's-displeasure as she lowered her outstretched hand. "My apologies. We've come a long way to find this place, and my men are tired from the long journey." She gestured to the stoic soldiers at her back-only six in number-in unspoken entreaty. "Surely you can understand...?"
"Irrelevant," the guard said instantly. "We keep to ourselves, here in the Leaf. Leave."
A watchful atmosphere clung to the village. The dark little windows of the cottages gazed on them like unfriendly eyes. Though it did not show upon her face, inside, she frowned. This was not the welcome she had been expecting.
Everything about this place seemed to stand against her in silent defiance, daring her to attack.
"Ah," Kuvira said, still pleasant, disarming. "So this is Konoha. Good. Could you direct us to an inn?"
"I...you...no! I will do no such thing!" The guardsman swiftly recovered from his folly to sneer at her and her guards, "There is no inn here for you and your ilk. There is no place for you here. Leave, outlander," his hand strayed toward the shaft of his axe with intent, "Or you will be made to leave." Kuvira was almost tempted to let him try; the blade was iron and easily bent. But no, as much as she might wish to dent this cretin's skulll for this impudence, she knew in her heart that violence was a last resort.
"We're not here to cause trouble," she said, with disarming candor. "Quite the opposite. We want to help." Ah. The man's face twitched, ever so slightly. "Please, if I could just talk to your leader."
"He will not have you!" the man shot back, but it wavered. "As I said, the Lord of the Leaf is tending the fields with his children! He will not return until evening, certainly not to speak with you!"
"Lord Naruto?" Batar said, frowning in surprise. "I wasn't aware you had nobility out here in the boonies." It was the wrong thing to say, and Kuvira knew it.
Batar did not and nearly got himself cuffed for it.
"It has always been thus since he came to us three years hence," the guard replied stolidly, his tone odd, reverent, almost. "He took us in when everything was falling apart. Cared for us. Tended the sick, the wounded, the infirm. Built this place, too. We named it in his honor." Those cobalt-colored eyes turned storm grey again, leaving Kuvira to wonder at them once more. "We do not question the man who saved us. Nor should you think to challenge him."
Batar gave him a hard look. "It would seem not." his voice dripped with sarcasm.
The man's face darkened with the thunderclouds of anger, his weapon arcing free in the air with a sharp hiss.
"You will not insult the man who saved my-!"
Before either man could come to blows, a sharp whistle sounded. Soon it was taken up by another, echoing on sharply and with such vehemence, that both men stopped, all thougths of conflict draining from their faces, leaving only a pale and dazed confusion. That was when the ground shook, a distant, subtle rumble reverberating through everyone's boots up the soles of their feet, and into their spines.
Kuvira thought she heard it then, a whisper, carried on the breeze.
Let them pass, Kolgrim, it said. Was that the man's name?
Regardless, the implacable guardsman stiffened as though he'd been physically struck. Then he looked at Kuvira with the grimmest expression she'd ever seen on the stern man's face. Was the whistle a signal of some sort? A means by which to communicate? She wondered about that, watching as his mouth opened and closed, gawping like a fish out of water.
"He...will see you." when the burly, bearded watcher finally found his voice, the words sounded like a death sentence, rather than an offer of admittance. When they tried to move forward, he thrust out an arm, barring their path. "No! Only the two of you may pass. The rest must remain."
"And if we refuse-HEY!"
Faster than the naked eye could see, the guardsman swung his axe. Batar yelped and scrambled backwards as the mighty weapon thudded into the earth with a ponderous crrrrrraaaack of sound. There was a terrifying silence. Kuvira risked a glance downard, her eyes narrowing slightly at the sight that awaited her there. Kolgrim's axed remained wedged in the earth, lodged where Batar's toe would've been had he not moved his foot at the last instant. A blow like that would've taken junior's foot clean off.
With a deceptive tug, he drew the weapon from its earthen sheathe and shouldered it. "Then you will not pass; because I will kill you where ye stand." he said, eyes dark with menace.
Prided grieveously wounded, Batar opened his mouth to protest once more, but this time, Kuvira silenced him with a harsh look.
"Just the two of us it is, then." she aqcueisced politely, returning her jaden gaze to Kolgrim. "We'll see what he wants." She waltzed past the man without further pleasantries, ignoring the seething stare boring into her back. Batar followed a moment later, meeting the man's irate leer with one of his own. Behind, the rest of their troops lingered, uneasily eyeing the burly axeman. Kuvira didn't blame them. He'd moved with a startling speed for someone of such bulk, and the contemptuous ease with which he'd hefted his weapon made Kuvira reavaluate her opinion of the man.
The village, as well.
She realized she'd misjudged Konoha. It was larger than she'd expected, with more houses in the back, though some of them looked to be in great need of repair. The path to the town's center, led up another steep hill curling towards the mountain. Men and women eyed her and Batar intently, still leery at the prescence of Earth Kingdom soldiers. Some of the men were armed and a few even armored, though-thankfullly-no one wore the gleaming platinum plate of Kolgrim. Still, this would explain the sorry state of her scouting party-if they'd encountered hostiles like these, no wonder they'd limped back to camp half dead.
Kuvira pressed her lips together, wondering if she ought to have brought a larger force, rather than a few hand-picked guards. She had the feeling she'd be needing them...
"Well, its a pretty village, in its way," Batara said, tactfully choosing to ignore the heated stares sent his way. "The cottages are neat enough, the gardens well tended. Shame they don't have enough food, though. Dirty enough, too. What else can you expect from a bunch of savages...?"
One of the men growled and summoned up a fireball in warning.
Kuvira cleared her throat and caught her man's eye. Batar only scoffed. Nursing a grudge, indeed!
They reached the top of the hill and once again found themselves on a flat clearing, surrounded by cottages. Nearby, a small and sallow little girl was playing in the dirt with what looked like a knucklebone, murmuring a rhyme to herself. Kuvira glanced at her, taking in her dirty rags and mussed hair, and felt a pang of guilt. She couldn't have been more than eight years old. Kuvira shuddered, seeing her face in the child's dirty features and for a moment-just a single, traitorous moment-her body locked up. That had been her, once. Before Su took her in. Before.
Before...
She was just thinking of coming over to her when a shape detached itself from one of the nearby huts. A shadow that hadn't been there a moment ago. Her senses gave a shrill shriek of warning and her blood turned to ice in its veins. Danger! Danger! DANGER! One moment the man hadn't been there, the next, he was. He was...
...normal.
Yet every single fiber of her being wanted nothing more than to get the bloody hell away from him. Initially, there seemed nothing about this man to suggest he was a leader at all-or even anyone of any significant rank for that matter-but the way in which the villagers brightened at his prescence told Kuvira all she needed to know. This was the leader of their little village, the so-called "Lord of the Leaf" as it t'were.
She wasn't impressed.
Bright blue eyes and blond hair, the latter streaked with dirt and dust from working in the fields. Whiskers trippled his cheeks, though she couldn't tell whether they were there by accident, or intent. His body bore no sign of heraldry or anything that could possibly link him to Earth Kingdom nobility; although his clothes were an eeire, verdant amber-orange, perhaps?-and green color, their wrinkled state suggested this was a man who wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty when the need called for it.
Around his head draped an old piece of metal tried to a black cloth; the plate was pitted and scarred by the rigours of time, but the symbol itself, though faded, was still visible. It looked like...a leaf? Kuvira gave it a moment's consideration, nothing more. Odd that this was the only piece of metal she'd seen thus far. Everything else appeared to be made of platinum-an unbendable material for her or her soldiers-yet this memento was kept close at hand.
Beyond that his attire consisted of little more than simple onyx-colored vest draped over an equally simple tunic and dark trousers with the sleeves shorn off on either side, a pair of bands wrapping his wrist and elbow, likely a fashion statement of sort.
An arm descended, patting the humming girl once upon the head. "Go wait with the others, Tara." A murmurred word sent her scurrying off to the protection of one of the woman's skirts. It was then that Kuvira noticed something else. An arm. Or rather, a lack thereoff.
He was missing an arm.
One of his limbs had been severed just below the elbow at some point. An old injury? It had healed well in any case, and it didn't seem to slow the blond anymore than a gnat would bother a horse. Batar said something to her right, some insipid comment about cripples, but she ignored him. How curious, she thought, that a cripple would be in charge of all these people, rather than someone like Kolgrim. With that thought in mind, she renewed her scrutiny on the man.
The remaining limb had no distinctive features about it beyond that of a strange, circular mark upon its palm; made visible now as the man raised a hand up in greeting. "Hello, there!" For all his oddity his gait was swift and true-he waltzed right up to them and extended his good hand towards them in gentle greeting. His smile was chipper and disarming and Kuvira felt the strange knot of dread in her stomach loosen somewhat. There was something about that smile that disarmed you, made you want to trust him.
Without thinking, she accepted his proffered arm and shook. His grip was strong and firm; not the grasp of someone with palsy, as she'd expected.
"Uzumaki Naruto, at your service." his voice was rough and rumbling when he spoke, like a slow moving avalanche. "Been awhile since we had visitors." Idly, Kuvira noticed a thin, savage scar on his throat, crossing his adam's apple dangerously close to the vein. Someone had tried to cut his throat, once. Evidently, they'd failed. Hmm. She could respect that. What didn't kill you only made you stronger, and despite his loss of limb, he seemed very strong indeed.
"So, what brings you my village?" he asked pleasantly. "I can't imagine that the "Great Uniter" would come all this way without a good reason." She saw the understanding in those bright blue eyes and recognized it for what it truly was. Oh, the bastard. Kuvira felt the ghost of a smile pluck at her lips. He knew what she wanted, why she was here, and he was playing coy. Fine, then. If he wanted to play a game of words, then far be it from her to refuse him. Ordinarily she'd have run him over right and proper; bulldozed, making her demands that he submit to her. She'd humor him, then he'd yield, like everyone else.
"I was in the area." she replied with a tight smile. "You look like you could use some supplies." Pointedly, she allowed her gaze to roam across the village. "After all, the bandits here must be hitting your people pretty hard-
Kuvira isn't prepared for the laugh. It barks out of him abruptly, loud and deep from his belly, momentarily catching her off guard.
"Hitting us hard?" he chuckled, softly this time. "I've recruited twenty of them in the last day! Poor sods just want some food in their bellies and a place to lay there heads, is all. And the ones who don't, well," he gave a small shrug, eyes narrowing foxily. "Those lot tend to meet our headsman's axe." Kuvira suppressed a small shiver, recalling the grim Kolgrim at the gate.
"Still, you don't deny that you need aid." she said.
"No, I don't." he answered, stroking at his chin. "Not sure I wan't the kind of "aid" you're offering, though. We make decent money with our ore and fields here, and aside from the food and water problem-we just keep getting refugees, y'see-we're really doing quite well. Why? Do you want to add to your empire that badly?"
He was just a little taller than her-damnit-so Kuvira couldn't look freeze him with her legendary glare; the kind that left her soldiers gibbering. But she was clever, and she had her own ways of winning an arguement.
"But we've come all this way just to see you," Kuvira caught the verbal jab and deflected it with one of her own, countering with a disarming smile. "At the very least, hear me out." she wasn't above using her feminine wiles to get what she wanted in lieu of force. It seldom worked on the more stubborn ones, but if she could sway this man without a fight..
"Then by all means, let us talk." Naruto answered. "Just a moment." he stretched mightily, his back producing a loud pop. "My back's killing me. Now, where, oh where...did I put that staff of mine? Keeran!" One of the villagers scrambled up to him at his shout and pressed just such an implement into his hand. Naruto thanked them with a word and a nod and they darted away. Kuvira processed all this silently, considering the reason for the sudden request. Naruto looked to be around her age; why would he need such a thing? It was his arm that was maimed, not his leg! Strange...was it a weapon of some sort? It didn't look like one...
"Now then, if you'd follow me?"
Batar moved to follow, but the man wasn't having any of it.
"Not you, kiddo." Naruto dismissed him with a polite wave. "I'm not interested in lackeys. Stay here." The man purpled at this accusation.
"I am no lackey you filthy farmer-
Whap!
Whatever else he might've said died as Naruto whacked him on the head with the staff, effectively silencing him. For a moment. Then-
"YEOW!"
A searing blast of orange fire at his feet scorched the soles of his boots before he could continue; warping his offensive diatribe into an anguished yelp of pain. He dropped to the street with a startled cry of surprise and swatted at his boots furiously-ripping them off with his socks, pausing only to cringing at his slightly singed feet. His face twisted into a rictus of rage.
"Who did that?!" His eyes bulged behind his glasses when he beheld the culrpit. "YOU! You little wretch!"
"Hmm...?" Kuvira blinked, baffled by the display, her gaze searching the town square. Who had done that? As if sensing that very thought Naruto chuckled, and turned his attention northward; towards the shop he'd just vacated, his blue eyes locking on the little girl who was supposed to be with her mother. She was glaring defiantly at Batar, her small fists stilll-extended from where she'd cooked his feet. Ahhhh. Not so helpless after alll, then. Feisty, too.
"You don't talk to papa like that!" she snapped, dirty features tight with anger.
"Tara." Naruto cut in quietly, his voice mild with restraint and reproach. "We do not burn our guests. Well," he paused, considering. "Not without good reason." His lazy blue gaze slid back to Batar. "I suppose he might have deserved that, this time. Don't do it again, kay?"
The little one colored and jerked her arm behind her back. "Sorry, papa." she scurried back into the house before Batar could spout further impreciations. Monkey feathers, what had gotten into him today? He certainly wasn't making this any easier for her...and did Naruto have a daughter? Something to use against him perha-no. Her mind considered it, only for her heart to take that idea and smash it into a thousand pieces. Kuvira could be many things for the sake of her kingdom, but she would not abuse a child to get her way. She couldn't. Spirits, it was simply beyond her.
"Oh, its quite alright." Completely unaware of her inner turmoil, Naruto didn't see the "Great Uniter" start as he finished speaking to Tara. With a final, scoffing glance in Batar's direction, he waved her on. "Follow me, would you kindly?"
Kuvira considered it for a moment longer, then gave in.
"It'll be alright, Batar." she reassurred, following.
Discouraged from anything further, he hung back with the rest of the townsfolk. The moment they were out of earshot, the talk began.
"So that's Kuvira?" Someone muttered.
"She isn't going to take over is she?"
"Of course not! Boss would never let here...
"Did you ever see such green eyes?" Another murmurred. "Scary! But why—"
His words were muffled, as his friends dragged him out of earshot. Batar followed them, sighing. Kuvira had one last long look around her before resigning herself to following the enigmatic blond to the designated place of his choice. They took council under a massive old oak tree near the square of the village, its leaves beginning to brown, while a chilly wind whistled through the forest, whispering of snows to come. Beneath that, was a small hut, doubtlessly where he dwelt, but he didn't lead her inside as she expected.
Instead, she watched patiently as Naruto relinquished his staff and fusssed with a table on the lawn for a moment, strugggling only slightly before succeeding. He retrieved his walking stick and offered her the lone seat, content to stand. The position wasn't lost on Kuvira; that he'd refused to sit stood in silent defiance of her. His smug smile said as much as well. Here-away from the eyes of his people-there was no need for gestures or a facade. Kuvira could clearly see the flames of determination raging in his eyes. She sighed to herself. This wasn't going to be easy. Then again, it seldom was.
"That was your daughter?" she asked, hoping to break the ice before it could thicken.
"Oh, no." Naruto chuffed quietly. "Not by blood at any rate. She just likes to call me that. I took her in three years ago-what with her parents being gone and whatnot. Nobody wanted anything to do with a firebender, I suppose. Load of bollocks, in my opinion." Kuvira didn't know what to make of that admission. Anyone who would take in an extra mouth to feed had her respect, let alone a child...but she wasn't sure she could respect Naruto. If he stood up against her, well...she wouldn't have much of a choice. She laid out her terms and, as expected, they were rejected almost immediately.
"You'll have to do better than that sweetheart; 'cuz I sure as hell ain't swearing loyalty to ya." Naruto said, flat out dismissing her. "You're here for the ore and tactical advantage my village posseses. You couldn't care less about my people." Lies! His words rankled her deeply, eliciting a soft hiss from her lips. How dare he. How dare he!
"Who are you, really?" she challenged, shifting gears. "You command too much respect to be a simple refugee. I've seen the way you move; you're not like the rest."
"Me?" he feigned shock, touching at his chest. "I'm just a simple farmer."
An elegant eye arched. "With one arm?"
"Aye." he gave a hoarse chuckle, waving the short limb about for emphasis. "Lost this thing almost four years ago, now. That was before I got here, of course. Nearly killed me, ya know. My best friend blew it off during our last fight, and unlike him, I, was lucky enough to find a healer. Bastard was too proud to accept!" Snickering he slapped his stick on the table, producing a hollow thump of a noise. "Ha! Poor Sasuke." Then his eyes narrowed, perhaps in resignation. It was not the kind she wanted. "Eh, what the hell. I'll be honest with you; I'm no bender, but yes, I've seen my share of action."
Her expression must've been less than ambiguous, because that smile deepened into a scowl.
"Oi, don't be gettin' any ideas now missy." Naruto's voice cracked like a whip, shifting from pleasant to proud in a heartbeat. "I can still knock you flat on your pretty little ass if you try anything." His eyes drifted to her lips briefly, before snaring to her again. Spirits, was he flirting with her? The gall!
"I very much doubt that." She drew herself up under his gaze, suddenly aware of the distance-or lack thereof-between the two of them. "Better men than you have tried. And failed."
"Perhaps, but I never go back on my word." He stepped around the table, and she inhaled reflexively, drinking in his scent. The aroma of charcoal smoke and wheat filled her nose. He scowled down at her, dirty and defiant, unspeaking. Here was one who had worked to attain what he had; every inch of him a man. The first one to stand up to her, really stand up to her, since she'd begun her unification. He's more of a man than Batar will ever be. You want him on your side. The traitorous and sudden thought sprang from nowhere, rattling her. Where did that come from?
Unbidden, she felt a bead of warmth build in her chest.
A moment of silence passed between them. Finally Naruto exhaled. Turning, he laid his staff against the nearby tree. "Alright," he said. "This is getting us nowhere.
"Where I come from, my people have a tradition; if you want something, you fight for it. Take it." His hand rose and clenched into a determined fist before his face. "Nothing like this land and all its talk. I've been here for these last three years, but I've stayed neutral in this crazy business. And now, you want to waltz in here with your army, offer me your protection," the jolly facade seemed to melt from his facade as she looked on, revealing a determined young man who would do whatever it took to keep his people safe. "Tell me, how am I to respond to that? I have no intention of bowing to you, and I think we both know that. So unless you've got some better terms for me, you can pack it in and leave."
"What do you want?"
He shrugged. "That's a good question. In my opinion, this Earth Empire of yours is going to fail, "and here he held up a hand before she could argue," but I find it interesting all the same. So I'll make you an offer. If ya agree to let me take over and fix this mucky-muck-up you call an empire, I'll let you have this village.
"No." she deadpanned.
"Eh, worth a shot." he sighed. "How about this, then? You beat me in combat, I'm your ally. Not a conscript. Ally. Your equal in all things. Hell, I might even agree to help you with your little morale problem. If you lose, you leave this place. And never come back.
"Or I could just beat you now and take what I want." she challenged, standing on her tiptoes. Naruto did not retreat. Surprisingly he leaned forward, his face a mere breath from her own. Kuvira stiffened, not expecting this, but refused to back down, even as she felt his lips brush hers. Her eyes-treacherous things!-flitted down to his mouth. Then, suddenly, he took three steps back, standing at arms length once more.
"Well, then?" Naruto raised his brows, face serene. "Just what are you prepared to do about it?"
Just like that, the tension returned.
In the same instant that she struck, he moved.
She felt a fist smash her temple, followed by a swift kick to her groin. As she staggered to one knee, she couldn't help but smile knowing that he'd assumed this would be enough to drop her. Another punch struck her nose, but she caught his wrist before he could pull his fist back. With the other, she turned the earth to mud at his feet and yanked, intending to suck him down into the muck and end the fight swiftly. Naruto laughed. She was not prepared for the sudden maneuver he made.
In an impossible movement he levered himself off the ground with his hips alone, wrapped his legs around her waist, and spun.
His fingers wrapped around her own wrist, his body twisted, and then she was down on both knees, wincing as the bones of her arm protested in pain. Any delusions she had of him being a normal man vanished with her shriek of pain. Her fingernails clawed his skin, but, he didn't seem to care. Face-to-face they stared, and if she'd expected to find anger or desperation, she was badly mistaken. His blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the afternoon and as he released go of her wrist to kick her in the chest, she realized he was enjoying himself. She twisted to avoid the debilitating blow and strike at the offending limb, but he simply blocked with an elbow, balanced on that same leg, and lashed out with the other, the powerful limb a streak of violent saffron before her vision, before impact—
Ooomph!
Naruto spun around quickly, slamming his heel into Kuvira's body. With a surprised grunt, the pale-skinned bender went flying down the street, a trail of dark blood following her body through the falling debris. She felt her body lock up, her breath caught in her throat as he found that her legs refused to move. As if from outside herself, she watched her limp body slam against the dirt once, twice, three times once gravity took hold of her, her skin skidding across the street as the momentum continued to drag her over the road, her dark hair tearing free from its braid, its ebon curtain flying into her face as it rolled.
And then, she could move again, her feet suddenly free from the ground as her boots carried him over the dust-drenched soil. Digging in, she slowed her retreat to a crawl, her boots grinding a halt against the earth. A sharp whistle drew her attention. When she raised her gaze, Naruto was beckoning to her; the fingers of his lone hand raised mockingly, crooked in a claw.
"C'mon now," he called out to her, doing a little jig in the dirt. "Is that the best you can do? I'm not even trying here-whoa!"
The earth suddenly crashed down in front of him, the giant explosion creating a spider-web of fissures in the street below, causing him to skip backwards in retreat. Kuvira pressed the attack, shards of jagged rocks and stone shooting up at him in a tidal wave of freshly hewn earth. There! She struck at him again and again, bending the earth wherever he landed, forcing him on the defensive. If she could just keep pressing him, then a mistake would be made; he would slip up, do something wrong...
...or not.
Abruptly Naruto ceased dodging, skidding a halt in the distance. Without hesitation, Kuvira struck again, overturning the earth and hurling it at him. He didn't move. Not an inch. Instead, He looked over at her, scoffing slightly as he stepped forward. He extended a hand, pulled it backwards and clenched his fingers. A smile curled at his lips.
"My turn."
For a moment-just a moment-she thought she saw him flash. His entire body, lit from within. And then the avalanche was upon him, blocking him from view. Then he punched, striking the avalanche head on with such force that it shattered. The stone physically disintegrated turning to dust before his outstretched arm and crumbling away. Naruto lowered his arm, shaking the pins and needles out of his limb.
"Is that it?"
"...no." Kuvira narrowed her eyes and forced her hands into fists, hoping that her disheveled face didn't look as panicked as she felt. Naruto stood stone-still as he returned the glare; Kuvira had very little desire to fight someone like this head on, but she wasn't about to yield, trapped between her pride and the watchful eyes of the Konoha citizens as she was They were watching her now she realized, drawn by the sounds of conflict he had no doubt orchestrated. Close enough to see, but far enough to safely observe.
Fierce eyes glared back at her, but not a one of them did a thing to intervene. If they'd mobbed her, she might have been hard pressed to fight them off.
"Kuvira-chan~!" Naruto called. "We don't have all day!"
'I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him, I am so going to kill him!'
Slowly, painstakingly, she pushed her hair out of her face and straightened. But her body betrayed her, arms and legs moving jerkily, like a puppet severed from its strings. By comparison Naruto looked fresh as a daisy in spring. Even now she could see him bounding on the balls of his feet...charging...CHARGING!
When he moved, she barely saw him.
She ducked under the next kick, spun around him, and bent. Shards of metal flew from the pauldrons on her wrists, arcing forward at his exposed body. He ducked-as expected-and she jabbed his throat with her elbow as he rose. When he collapsed, he rolled his body, avoiding an errant boulder and an avalanche of earth from her foot. He caught the next missile-another sheet of metal on the third fling, neatly netting it between both his thumb and forefinger.
Then he flung it back at her.
Speed blurred the metal to nothingness before Kuvira's vision, causing it to vanish before and then it was past, and she was bleeding. She barely noticed the tiny rent in her cheek; because now it was Naruto who was attacking. She somersaulted with the push, snapping his chin with her other foot. As he staggered back she landed lightly on her feet drew two more sheets of metal, and hurled them at him. They stabbed into the soil barely an inch to either side of his feet. A miss! He was already gone-just another afterimage in her eyes.
"Is that it?" a voice whispered in her ear. His voice. "I could've killed you just now, ya know."
Kuvira started and spun, slamming a boulder into her unprotected flank, but he was already gone. Grimacing she bent the stone against her body, wrapping it in earthen armor. It didn't last. No sooner had she done so than he was on her again. With a savage swing of something that looked an awful lot like airbending, so was her armor, and the boulder raised to defend against him.
"Whoo," she heard him laugh. "You're actually making me work up a bit of a sweat! Didn't think I was this rusty without the cloak...
Kuvira grimaced.
The stone-shield was barely intact, three of its four points having already disintegrated against the power of Naruto's assault. With a wave of her hand, Kuvira sent the remainder of her hastily-erected barrier shattering into oblivion. She steeled his eyes on the blond in front of her, her pulse pounding in her ears, adrenaline staining her vision a faint crimson in her eyes. Every fiber of her being wanted nothing more than to-desired!-to attack the man in front of her, but she now knew better than to rush in and attack Naruto head-on. To do that would be akin to a death-wish.
It didn't stop her from shouting, though.
"I'm still standing, Naruto!" she smirked. "What's the matter? Afraid to hit a girl?"
Apparently, he wasn't.
When he reappeared again she drew blood for the first time. It was a foolish slip; he got a little too close, and she'd already bent her metal into a segemented blade. It bit deeply into his side, drawing blood. And in that very instant, he hit her so hard she felt two of her ribs break, and smashed her into the ground.
She was finally able to right herself in time to avoid slamming head-first into a building–instead, her heels dug into the ground and she was forced down onto her back. She slid backwards, her body carving a trench into the street, but Kuvira could force herself to her feet. Pain ripped through her, but she ignored it.
Kuvira gasped roughly, her body doubling over as she gripped her knees. Her lungs were on fire. She was having trouble holding her balance. She struggled to stand up straight, to prevail.
She almost wished she hadn't when she saw her opponent's expression.
Naruto snarled, his pupils dilating as increased adrenaline began to pump through his system, his visible eye blue. And bright with bloodlust. His teeth gleamed wolfishly in the shadow of his ragged locks, giving him an almost demonic air. When he finally found his voice, it sent a cold hand of dread down Kuvira's spine. As did the thing swirling in his hand.
'What...is that?'
She glimpsed nothing more than a ripple in the air itself, the faintest whisp of steam or mist wadded into a ball like so much discarded parchment. Had she not been looking right at it, indeed, expecting something very much like it, she'd never have known it was there.
"I was trying to go easy on you," His voice rose over the din. "Perhaps its time you learn...
"Ha?"
...some respect!"
The keening of the wind erupted into a furious roar; a veritable tornado swirling in his palm, compressed into a sinister sphere. Kuvira balked at it, the villagers balked at it, hell, everyone did! Naruto thrust his hand toward the sky, his laugh lost over the howling storm.
"That's some screech," Kuvira winced, crincing as the wind whipped itself higher and higher. She'd seen all manner of different benind abilities, but this...this was something else. Even with the distance between the two of them she found she had to cover her ears just to drown out the incessant shriek of the rising maelstrom. The bitter keening of the wind rose in pitch, scouring the road clean. And still it spiraled higher, sparking and spitting in the blonde's upturned palm. His eyes flashed a foul crimson color, his pupils snapping slitted as he brought his arm back to launch the massive technique. And then, incredibly, he smiled.
"You lose!"
Kuvira didn't even have time to blink; one moment Naruto was holding it, the next, he flung it, just like its namesake.
"Rasenshuriken!"
The massive sphere roared forward with a howl. Behind the trail of white light, Naruto could see Kuvira's face drop as the missile approached her. Her mouth twisted down in shock and fear as she realized that she had gravely underestimated the power that the attack contained.
And then everything was white.
The rasenshuriken roared forward and tore against Kuvira's body. The attack had been too close for her to block, much less avoid; she had no choice but to take the strike directly to her front. She flew back in agony as the dark wave ripped at her face and chest, her clothes and armored paulrons burning away from her flesh. The blast seemed to last for aeons before blowing past her as gravity-sweet merciful gravity-finally took over, her body spiraling towards the ground limply.
Kuvira flew backwards, tumbling, flipping head over heels as reality vanished into a blinding glare, dimly aware of the muted shouts of both Batar and her troops. She gripped onto their voices like a lifeline, but even then, her body had apparently decided enough was enough.
She hit the street with a thud, her limbs trembling slightly. She immediately struggled to rise, jabbing the tip of her fingers into the ground and forcing herself up from her back. She made it all of an inch before she flopped back down.
Gasping for breath, the woman tried, and failed to drag herself to upright. Her body didn't want to respond; it was beyond battered, riddled with cuts and bruises, more than a few fractured ribs, earthen shield she had wielded having disintegrated utterly to leave her ebon tresses sprawled out behind her battered back. And her clothes...unless one counted a few tattered scraps of cloth preserving only the bases of her modesties, they were virtually nonexistent after that last blast.
Frankly it was a miracle she hadn't perished outright.
There were a number of cuts on her skin, as well as numerous bruises. She was almost certain her left arm was broken and her collarbone fractured. Not to mention her clothes were pretty much gone-nearly obliterated by the thunderclap. She felt no pain, as of yet, but perhaps that was the shock.
Tap.
A sound in the haze alerted her to the arrival of her conqueror. How had he crossed such a distance, so swiftly? It didn't matter she supposed, but she was still curious. When she looked up he was standing there, in all his golden glory. Cross-shaped irises regarded her quietly, his mouth pressed into a thin line. The madness was almost completely gone from his eyes, she realized, whatever black beast he'd unleashed upon her, it had been satisfied, or at least satiated enough to retreat for the moment.
"You survived." he actually sounded impressed.
Kuvira tried to offer a witty reply; all that emerged was a rasping cough as the cold steel of his boot touched her throat. Naruto considered her for a moment. Then he sighed. "Well, you look like shit." She couldn't think of a better answer to that, so she simply glared. She'd lost. No. No no no no, she wasn't supposed to lose, how could she have possibly lost...to him, of all people!
"Shit, you're not gonna cry, are you?" Naruto's voice slashed through her own dismay like a knife. Kuvira couldn't find the strength to curse him. She had none left.
"Tell you what," he remarked, rolling his shoulders. "Why don't we call it quits for today?"
There was a silence.
...ha?" Kuvira blinked, disbelieving.
He was letting her go? Letting her live? It didn't make sense?
"Oi," he called to his followers. "Someone get the healer over here. Looks like the "Great Uniter" is going to be our guest for a little bit." Shouts of disbelief rose to those words, but Kuvira never heard the reply, because at that instant, because everything started spinning. Swimming. "Oh, crap, I think she's going to-..." Too late. Blackness finally took her. Her body slumped, exhaustion taking hold.
That was the day they met. Uzumaki Naruto. The man who knocked her down and made a fool out of her.
The man she'd never forget.
A/N: Aaaaaaand enter Naruto! Yes, this is the one from near the end of the series-he got his arm blown off by Sasuke and the ensuing aftershock flung him across dimensions. As to whether he'll ever get his arm back, eh, who knows? The mark has moved to his opposite hand for obvious reasons; even with only one arm, he's still a force to be reckoned with. Pairing is NarutoxKuvira! Why, you ask? Because I can't stand Batar Jr. He was...is...not the best guy. He struck me as a whiney brat in the season, with no real explanation for his actions. I've watched all of Season Four, and nothing I've seen clarifies it.
So, sorry if it seems like I bashed him in this chapter, but that's that. He'll have much less of a role in later chapters anyway, so don't worry. ALSO! Apparently, according to Michael Dante Dimartion the final pairing for Korra was...Asami? I know they held hands at the end...but DANG! Wasn't expecting them to go and make it official by post! Now, back to this story. How did it come to be, you ask?
Simple. Naruto and Kuvira are quite alike, personality-wise. They are fierce, determined, and most of all...DRIVEN.
So I thought to myself, someone who openly defied Kuvira, preventing her from uniting the Earth Kingdom. Wouldn't that get under her skin? Ohhhhh, yes it would! Naturally Naruto came to mind, a little older, a little wiser, but still very much himself, always willing to stick up for those who need it, and kicking the asses of those who deserve it! It'll be quite amusing to see him interact with Kuvira over the course of this story...
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
(Preview)
"Take the town by force?"
Naruto cocked his head aside, like a dog listening to a new sound. "Huh." he remarked. "Did I ever mention you're beautiful when you're flustered?"
Kuvira colored. "W-What?"
"Nah, its nothing." he shrugged, rolling his shoulders with a decisive pop. "So, round two. Gonna kick your ass now, kay?" Before she could think to defend herself, the young man flashed gold, blindingly bright. Burning red eyes locked on her, fastening to her soul. "So," he hummed pleasantly, "Lets do this again, shall we?"
Then all hell broke loose.