Ch 1

They had only been at sea for about two days after the fall of Ba Sing Se, and Naruto was already getting sick of being stuck on the Fire Nation ship. It wouldn't have been so bad for him if he wasn't being forced to read scroll after scroll and the proper etiquette and history of the Fire Nation, and if that wasn't enough Azula wanted him to know all the members of the war council. All of which he was quizzed on at random time throughout the day by the Fire Nation princess herself.

"Man, how much longer till we reach the Fire Nation already." Naruto asked himself out loud as he pushed back from the desk in his room that he was using for his studies. Getting up from his chair Naruto moved away from his desk and headed towards his room door. opening it wide he moved on through the inside of the ship and started to make his way up towards the deck.

Finally reaching the hatch door Naruto found that it was open and taking a step outside he saw Zuko and Mai talking to each other. Stepping on to the deck Naruto could hear Mai telling the young prince stop worrying as they shared a small kiss.

"Sorry I didn't mean to interrupt anything." Naruto said giving both teens a sly look as Zuko and Mai turned to face him.

"Don't you have some homework to do." said Mai coolly as she walked past the now disgruntled looking blond and headed back for her room.

"What do you want Naruto." Zuko asked as he turned back to look out the at passing sea.

"Nothing I just came out here to take a break from reading scrolls, I wasn't expecting for anybody else to be up this late." Naruto said as he let out a loud yawn and stretched his arms over his head. both boys stayed silent for a long time, till Zuko just had to ask the question that had been bugging him from the moment he saw the blond with his sister.

"Why are you helping Azula." Zuko asked still not taking his eyes off the sea, this sudden question caught Naruto by surprise he thought it was obvious.

"After I showed up on her ship she took me in and helped me." Naruto said not sure he liked the way Zuko was talking about his sister.

"So, your repaying a debt then." this explained it, why else would he be helping his demented sister in the first place.

"No, she's my friend and I want to help her." Naruto said simply as he started to walk back to a hatch door, so he could return to his room.

"Azula don't have any friends, all she is capable of doing is using the people around her to get what she wants, don't trust her. you only ended up regretting it." Zuko warned finding it impossible anyone would willingly call themselves his sisters' friend. this caused Naruto to stop mid-step

"your wrong about her." Naruto simply said was before he entered the ship and headed for him room. unbeknownst to Naruto and Zuko their small encounter had been closely watched by the sharp golden eyes of the Fire Nation princes who was looking out from one of the upper levels of the ships tower.

"Naruto." she said his name quietly to herself, her bothers words of warning were no shock to her in the slightest, but what the blond had said about her did catch her by surprise.

Back in his room Naruto was having trouble trying to focus on his reading and after a few more minutes of trying he decided that it was time for him to go to bed and call it a night. lying in bed after he had put on his sleeping clothes hoped that tomorrow would bring them to the Fire Nation, so that way he wouldn't need to read anymore and with that happy thought in his head he drifted off to sleep.

in no time at all the night had passed and Naruto was being shaken awake by someone.

"Naruto, hey Naruto come on sleepy head it's time to get up already." said a light cheery voice and opening his eyes Naruto saw that it was Ty Lee who was sitting on the edge of his bed

"Ty Lee? what time is it?" asked Naruto as he started to sit up on his bed and rub the sleep from his eyes.

"It's just pass dawn, Azula sent me to come and get you. the ship is about to dock." Ty Lee said as she hopped off the bed and started to cartwheel out of the room. it took a moment for the girls' words to sink in.

"Wait, we finally reached the Fire Nation." asked Naruto excited as he hopped out of bed and started to throw on his clothes. Finally dressed he moved through the ship till he reached Azula's room giving her door a quick pounding before stepping inside.

"Hey, Azula, is it true that we finally reached the Fire Nation?" Naruto asked excitedly as he stepped inside the princess's room, but whatever he was going to say next was cut short by what he saw. it was his turn to look away in embarrassment as he had just walked in on Azula as she was in the middle of being dressed and groomed by her servants with only her undergarments on. he may have already gotten a good look at her legs before, but this time Naruto had witnessed her very well-kept body. realizing he was staring for too long he quickly turning around and covering his eyes the blond teen started to apologize as he felt the heat start to rise around his face

"Oh, my god I'm sorry I didn't mean." but whatever Naruto didn't mean to do was cut off short as he was sent flying out of the room by a fireball to the back.

"Azula said to wait for her to answer you next time." Mai said in a bored voice as she closed the room door on the blond. Naruto slowly getting up just waited outside and a few minutes later the room door opened again as several women exited the room all giggling to themselves as the passed the blond.

"Naruto get in here." Azula called from within the room and stepping inside he found Mai, Ty Lee and Azula dressed in their normal attire.

"Look Azula I'm sorry about what just happened, and." Naruto stopped when Azula raised her hand to silence him.

"We have more pressing matters to deal with at the moment Naruto, have you finished the scrolls I gave you." the princess asked a

"Yeah, why?" Naruto asked not following her.

"Good now after we dock the ship there will be a welcoming ceremony for me and Zuzu, in the meantime I want you to say by Mai and Ty Lee till it's all done. am I clear." Azula told the blond and once he gave a quick nod of understanding they all left her room and headed for the ships deck.

"Hey dose Azula seem, more, you know." Naruto tried to find the words as he walked behind Mai and Ty Lee.

"Edgy." Ty Lee offered with a smile.

"Yeah, that's it." Naruto said, at this Mai lets out a little laugh at how clueless the two of them were.

"It's because she wants you to make a good impression when you meet her father Fire Lord Ozai." Naruto hand not given meeting Azula's dad any real thought, he wished now that he could remember all the things he had read in the scrolls. his worries were quickly swept aside as he reached the deck and got a look at the Fire Nation Capital.

It was a large, lush green, island with a volcano at its center. their ship had just passed through a large stone gate that was care a massive sea call that enclosed the large bay with several docks all around filled with Fire Nation war ships. that the opposed end to the sea gate Naruto could see a long path way that lead in to the island and the city itself.

"Wow this place looks amazing." Naruto said out loud as he looked all around.

"Welcome to the Fire Nation Capital, Naruto." Azula with a small smirk. the ship continued moving along the bay till Naruto could feel it starting to slow down and begin to dock. once they had reached the Royal Plaza.

The Royal Plaza was a long forum located in the harbor just below the Fire Nation Capital. This plaza is an impressive structure where Fire Nation royalty holds inspiring rallies for the people of the Fire Nation. It is a powerful setting that represents the dominance of the Fire Nation and serves as the main line of defense for the capital. Lined with numerous battlements and varied weapons.

"Princess Azula, Prince Zuko we trust your journey was well. this way." Said the aged twin's Li and Lo who were waiting for them and as the brother and sister were led away Naruto followed Mai and Ty Lee.

"Come on Naruto this way, we can meet them at the top wall." said Ty Lee as she pointed to the tallest tower at the end of the royal plaza.

"Yeah let's go." Naruto said excitedly as Mai was left to follow the two balls of energy in stock silence. in the time it took them to reach the wall Naruto saw several hundred Fire Nation soldiers and civilians stated to line up in formation, all of them facing the tallest tower. at the top of the tower Naruto found Li and Lo standing on a balcony overlooking the plaza as they start to address the crowd below.

"Your Princess Azula, clever and beautiful, disguised herself as the enemy and entered the Earth Kingdom's Capital. In Ba Sing Se, she found her brother Zuko, and together they faced the Avatar ..." said Lie

"And the Avatar fell! And the Earth Kingdom fell! Azula's agents quickly overtook the entire city. They went to Ba Sing Se's great walls and brought them down! said Lo

"The armies of the Fire Nation surged through the walls and swarmed over Ba Sing Se, securing our victory. Now the heroes have returned home! Your princess, Azula" said Li as the crowd below began to cheer

"And after three long years, your prince has returned ...Zuko!" the twins finished together, Zuko approaches with a worried expression the crowd below cheers. after that they the prince and princess move away from the balcony

"So now what?" asked Naruto as the crowed below stated to thin out, but before anyone could answer him a Fire Nation soldier and tum running up to them a sealed scroll in hand.

"A message from the Fire Lord your highnesses." he said as he gave a low bow and handed the scroll to Azula, who snatched it out of his hand opened it and started to read it.

"Naruto you will follow this soldier at once. Father wishes to meet you at once." Azula said as she rolled the scroll back up and handed it to the soldier.

"Nice knowing you." teased Mai her face emotionless as ever.

"Don't listen to her you'll be fine Naruto." Ty Lee said trying to be encouraging but not doing a great job at it. Zuko remain silent a fresh look of mood anger on his face at the new that his father wanted to see Naruto before him. Walking over to him Azula looks Naruto dead in the eyes gold staring in to blue.

"Just do exactly what you read." she told him with the utmost confidence. whatever hope he had died at her words.

"Alright let's go." Naruto told the soldier as they started to head for the royal palace at the top of the volcanoes crater. but inside he was a nervous wreck. following the soldier to the bottom the tower Naruto was lead pass the Harbor city which was located between the central volcano and the harbor, this district supplies refined metal to build tanks, warships, and weapons that help maintain the city's defenses. pass the city and up a winding path also heavily fortified the road with watchtowers and battlements every hundred yards, Naruto reached Royal Caldera City.

Located in a crater within a dormant volcano, Royal Caldera City was home to many of the Fire Nation's wealthiest and most important nobles, between this city and the Harbor City Naruto could easily see the rich called this place home. continuing his was along the main road Naruto soon reached the center of the volcano city.

At the very center of Royal Caldera City lies the Fire Nation Royal Palace, in which the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation Royal Family reside. The palace stands, situated on a vast hill of rocky, barren scorched earth walled off from the remainder of the city and defended by the elite Royal Procession. Outside of the palace walls are several gardens and villas for use by the Fire Nation Royal Family. at the sight Naruto gave a low whistle in amazement.

"Man, I can't believe Azula lives here." he told himself as he was lead pass several guards and in to the royal palace. The inside of the palace was just one big statement of just how powerful and rich the royal family was. With large rooms, high ceilings all decorated in fine art and gold.

"The Fire Lord is waiting for you inside the throne room." The soldier said as he stopped in front of two massive wooden doors, engraved in gold with ornate designs and the Fire Nation emblem.

"Alright, this is it." Naruto told himself as he pushed the doors open.