A/N: HAPPY BELATED 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 deleted 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! Also plenty of funny and feelsome moments XD Aye, this chapter is a bit bittersweet. For obvious reasons...aye, and a bit of language toward the end! Ye have been warned!
...and aye, ye might recognize some characgters here. TIS INTENTIONAL!
"You've been drinking, haven't you?"
"Ehhh? Shaddap...leave m' alone...
"Not happening, Kuvira-chan!"
(Kuvira's third conversation with a very strange young man...)
Heart-Shaped-Box
Kuvira knew she was playing with fire.
And what happens when you play with fire? Yes, that's right...
...you get burned.
In hindsight, it was like poking a sleeping platypus-bear with a very sharp stick; those first few pricks might not wake it from its slumber, but keep at it long enough, and eventually, you were going to get mauled. She supposed Naruto was the same. He might act all warm and fuzzy to his people, but beneath that unassuming demeanor, he had the spirit -mettle!- of a hardened warrior. For all the kind words and gentle gestures, he never truly lowered his guard, even in sleep.
For someone who claimed to be "a humble farmer" he certainly didn't fight like one. Those placid blue eyes hid a keen mind.
And by the spirits, he was a tricky little bastard!
No matter what methods she tried, regardless of her strategy or timing they inevitably ended in defeat. Attacking while he slept? Blown through a wall and made to repair that very same wall the next day. Poisoning his meals? Naruto'd somehow switched the food. So it was only her soldiers that fell ill, sickened, and died. She even tried paralyzing him with shirshu venom, for crying out loud! That stuff wasn't easy to get! Kuvira found herself paying the price for that mistake, too; Naruto chi-blocked her and left her as powerless as a newborn lamb for an entire evening.
A shame, really. She could've used someone like him in her army. But that shame was nothing compared to the constant defeats she suffered, day in, day out.
Nothing!
Worked!
It was as if she was trapped -locked more like!- in a heart-shaped box. It may have looked nice on the outside but a box was still a box, and Kuvira was powerless to escape this one. Now she was trapped by pride and duty both; she couldn't admit defeat without losing face, but neither could afford to she simply cut her losses and leave. No, she'd invested herself too heavily in this to turn back now, and she knew it. So did he. It was galling!
And the entire time he took her attempts on his life with a smile!
What kind of idiot grinned when you tried to kill him, oi?!
Three more challenges passed.
Three more miserable days.
Three more failures.
THREE!
"You know," Naruto said to her one day as she lay sprawled on the ground after her latest attempt, gasping for air, "You're not getting anywhere with this." he straightened slowly against the waning light of the setting sun, popping the joints in his back. "Hell, if anything, its getting even easier for me to beat you. You feelin' sick or something?" Kuvira wanted to scream! Shriek! She wanted to rip up the earth and hurl it at him! Why couldn't she defeat him?! She was stronger, faster, had all the drive and determination she needed.
Yet here she was, in the dirt again.
"Why can't I beat you?!" she cried!
"Because I have something you don't, idiot." Naruto tapped his forehead, chuckling as he strutted aways to the west. "You have the ambition, sure." he said, staring at the sunset. "Definitely the drive. I know you want to prove yourself to the world, to unite the Earth Kingdom and bring on a new era of "unity" and somesuch. But try as you might, ya don't have this." a sigh, a shake of the head. "You don't really care about anyone as people, they're all just pawns to you, chess pieces in the grand game. Even Batar. And because of that, you'll never beat me."
"What could possibly-
"Something to protect."
Almost casually he spun and drove his staff into her stomach, knocking the air out of her before she could rise. Damnit! How did he sense her?! Gasping aloud, she lashed out with a flowing hail of stones. Impossibly he flowed around her and before she knew it, she was on the defensive again. A defense that was short-lived. Naruto's staff coiled around in a single, liquid movement; crashed down against her hip with bone-jarring force, flinging her down and cratering the earth beneath her.
"Something to protect...?" Kuvira made a squelching sound as she sank back to the ground, struggling to wrap her mind around the notion. "What does that mean?"
"It means you're weaker than me." the maimed blond poked her in the cheek with his staff, frowning at her petulant expression. "And getting weaker, if today's contest was any indication. C'mon now, Kuvira-chan, its like you're not even trying anymore. What, did ya lose your will to fight, or something?"
"...!"
Kuvira glowered up at him furiously, unable to find the words to reply. His last attack had punched through most of her armor and ripped her braid to pieces, leaving her hair a messy tangle around her face. Shaded by a dark curtain, her eyes narrowed murderously, squinting into the sun. Gloved fingers clenched against the battered soil, dirt curling within her fingers. Damnitall. Damn him. DAMN! HIM! Why couldn't she win?! WHY?! He was just one man! She was the Great Uniter! She'd beaten countless others like him, trod upon all enemies before her.
Yet why, why, why why why whywhywhywhywhy WHY couldn't she crush this one-armed cripple?!
"Huh." the blond remarked quietly, suddenly, bringing her up short in her rant.
Kuvira blinked.
"What?"
"You look pretty nice with your hair down." pearly whites flashed in the evening, beaming bright. He must've seen her perturbed expression, because he hastened to explain. "I mean, you've always got all that armor on and all, not to mention the braid. Sorry," he thumbed his chin, smiling impishly. "Its just, I forget sometimes, ya know? But take the metal away, let out the braid a bit, and then its like "wow" there's a woman under all that, ya know?"
Kuvira had felt her visage begin to warm the moment she'd heard the word pretty; by now she was almost certain her face was stained crimson. Worse, she didn't know if her flush stemmed entirely from anger or mere embbarassment. Why? She told herself she couldn't care; in matters of the fairer sex the whiskered warrior was as dense as they came-a brick wall had less substance than him. If there was one thing she'd pegged him for, it was that much at least. Still, something about those words got under her skin.
Now, she went deathly still. It wasn't fair.
How dare he.
"Sh-Shut up...
How dare he.
"Hey, I'm paying you a compliment, here." Naruto replied. "Here." he reached down a hand, doubtlessly expecting her to take it. "I think that's enough for today, don't ya-
How dare he toy with her like this!
Something broke.
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
Her hand snapped up violently, flinging the dirt into his face.
"Whoa, whoa, hey!" the blond recoiled and retreated with a startled yelp, falling on his right foot, then scrubbing at his eyes. "Oi! Not cool!, Kuvira-chan!" he cried! "That's cheating, ya know! I wasn't ready! Time out, time out!"
"You're mine!"
On the contrary, the Great Uniter didn't waste an instant. Once she realized she'd genuinely surprised the normally unshakable warrior, her body was already in motion. Frustration overrode common sense, sending her hurtling over the edge. Shrieking,she stomped down hard, carving a boulder out of the terrain and thrust out her right hand, preparing to fling a pillar of rolling earth at her helpless opponent. This would end it. Finally! Finally, after all this time, all his mockery, she would have the victory she so sought. She could already see it in her minds eye, her attack thundering forward-
It never made it.
Instead of finding her mark, Kuvira's entire body jerked wide to the right, sending her aim skewing eastward. The moment gone, Naruto's head snapped up, sensing the attack. In a single, practiced movement, the once blinded blond gathered himself up leaped away, leaving the avalanche of earth to pass harmlessly by underfoot.
Kuvira had only a moment to taste the bitter tang of failure once more.
Then every muscle in her body clamped down as one, united in their failures, her world spasming wildly, control of her self betraying her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the reason for her sudden weakness, a hot, blue-white spark arcing away into the waning light, howling with the roar of thunder. Lightning. But where had it come from? The sky was clear and though night was indeed fast approaching, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, let alone a storm. So why...how...who...
...aargh!
The pain hit, then, the point of her shoulder shrieking in agony, sweeping the shock away in a wave of blistering pain. She tried to move her arm. Failed. Someone had blasted a hole clear through the muscle and joints, knocking off more than just her aim. Damn. Her legs buckled all at once, destroying her balance and slamming her forward into the dirt. Hurried footsteps hastened towards her prone form and she beheld the culprit in full, the one responsible for laying her low.
Her mouth opened in a small, round O of surprise.
Choppy dark hair swayed wildly in the breeze.
"Don't you dare!" Tara thrust a pair of clenched fingers before the eathbender's baffled visage, her bright, golden eyes burning intensely, glistening with tears. "Don't hurt papa!" A spark danced at the tip of those small fingers, a dire warning of what would happen if she tried again. Kuvira gawped, rooted where she lay, unable to move. She knew any sign of aggression on her part would result in a bolt straight to the brain, no matter how young Naruto's "daughter" might be, she'd no chance of missing. Not at this angle.
There's a fire in those eyes, one she knows all too well.
Not bad.
Incredulity vied with pride, neither gaining the upper hand. And so, there was a stalemate.
And in that stalemate, Kuvira struggled to understand just what the hell was going on.
She had heard stories of a firebender's ability to create lighting of course; but how could someone so young create such a precise attack? That attack...it...it hurt! She could already feel the pain radiating throughout her ruined and burned shoulder, the only reason she wasn't bleeding out. Infuriated, she swung herself towards the young firebender, trying, failing, to rise up on her good arm. Tara cries out and suddenly those fingers are a great deal closer, pointed tips pressed against Kuvira's own forehead.
"I said don't move!"
Pride yields to anger
"Why you-
"Oi."
A shadow fell over her.
"That was a nice trick, ya know." Naruto's voice rumbled in her ear. "You almost had me. Oh." Blue eyes slid to her mangled arm. "That's a bad wound. I better do something about that. But first-lights out!" Impossibly he flowed around her and before she could react, his hand was on the back of her head. "Sleep." A single word, and the weight of the world crashed down around her.
Blackness.
...finally.
(The Next Evening...)
"So, this is where you ran off to."
"Go away. Kill you." Kuvira hisses softly, stubbornly nursing her drink as he approaches. She dares not speak anymore, for fear of him catching wind of the slur in her voice. Prays he won't catch wind of the liquor. She's lost track of the time again; the hours have blended and flowed together like the wind and she can't remember when she sat down. Or how much she's had to drink. She's been avoiding him all day, refusing to speak to him after another, blistering defeat.
Somehow, he'd still managed to find her.
"Will you please go...
She casts a glance at him, prepared to snap, but something stops her. It strikes her that his face is actually clean for once, devoid of the normal stains and grime that comes with his day to day work. By contrasts, it as if she's looking at a completely different person, and her mind can't seem to wrap around it.
He's discarded his orange-green clothes for once, replacing them with red and blue robes that both flatter and distract all at once. His normally dirty hair is now clean and bright. Huh. For a man who wasn't afraid to get his hands-hand!-dirty, Naruto cleaned up rather nice. Not that the Great Uniter had any room to complain; she'd all but been forced into her own, insipid outfit this morning-it was that, or walk around the village in her birthday suit. Galling as that might have been, she honestly would've preferred it to this.
This.
A mint-green dress clung to curve she'd rather have kept hidden beneath her dress uniform. Her arms were cold, uncomfortable against the night air, and she was certain she was showing entirely too much of her back and shoulders. Her hair had once more been freed from its braid, but this time it'd been combed and coiffed by the women of the village. She'd outright refused any sort of make-up. All in all, she barely recognized that stranger staring up at her from within the glass.
"Spacing out again?"
When next she looked, Naruto was at her elbow.
"Stop doing that?!"
"I'm a ninja, babe! Its what we do!"
She never understood his ability to simply appear and disappear like that, but she does know this:
Naruto's ability to mend wounds is nothing short of miraculous; her arm, though stiff, has already regained some semblance of motion. She expects it to be healed then...then what? Gah. She can't think. Too much to drink. Clouding her mind. In a rare lapse of character, she'd opted to drown her sorrows rather than face them. Instead they were drowning her. The village is bright and lively all around her; she can hear laughter and the sound of music in the distance. A festival of some sort? She doesn't recall. Whatever the case, she isn't in the mood for Naruto's antics. Not today.
"Look," he tried, "I'm trying to help you, here. Have you considered our bargain?"
Her hand clenches around the glass.
"Help?" a note of bitterness slips into her voice. "You certainly didn't seem too concerned about your little bender's help when I had you on the ropes."
"Aw, don't be like that."
"Go. Away."
"Nope."
The ceramic threatens to splinter entirely in her hands as Naruto sidles up to her, claiming the seat beside her at the bar. It can't quite be called a tavern after their last brawl; its little more than an outdoor stand with seats and a roof over their heads. Drinks haven't changed though. Neither has the barkeep. Sten is a great big, bear of a man, easily dwarfing them both. He works hard and says little, quietly mixing up her next order, then sweeping it across. Whatever he's serving, its strong stuff, and she'd already knocked back at least three glasses.
"Give me one on the rocks, big guy." Naruto calls out, waving jovially at the giant. Sten grunts and a few motions later the 'farmer' has a glass in his hands. "Ah! Good stuff! Never gets old." He drains it in a single gulp, and another is in his hands almost before its cousin hits the counter. Four more drinks followed in this succession before he finally paused on the fifth. Blue eyes sought hers.
"So?"
"So, what?" Kuvira watches him like a hawk; albeit a slightly tipsy one, refusing to flinch. Don't trust him, her mind rails at the sly smile wreathing his lips. Very kissable lips-gah! No, no no, no! Bad Kuvira, bad! Down! Do! Not! Trust! A fierce flush rose to her cheeks. Bad enough that she was out of her armor and in this ridiculous dress, but this...ohhhhh, this couldn't bode well.
"What do you think of the party?" Naruto's abrupt question nearly floored her.
"What?"
"The party." Naruto said slowly, enunciating each word. "P-A-R-T-Y."
"Are we...celebrating something?"
"A' course we are!" he boomed! "The village is officially four years old now!"
"Ha?"
"Yeah. I founded this place four years ago to the date, back when things were a little crazier with her royal bitchiness. Good on Zaheer for offing her. Cheers! Bahahaha!" the blond beamed happily at the mention of the now deceased Earth Queen, staring wistfully into his new glass. "Wait, what was I saying? Right, right. We always celebrate around this time. Sometimes it goes on for weeks. Now that things are calming down, some of them have gone back to their homes and families, but most return just for this."
"Tell that to that kid of yours." she growled. "If she has a home somewhere out there, why doesn't she go back to it?"
"Well," Naruto let go of her shoulder with a laugh, patting her back and slamming down a shot all in one motion, "You didn't actually attack her, so I'll let you off with a warning this time. Tara's always been skilled, but she's a little too hotheaded for her own good. Even if she hadn't blasted ya yesterday, I'd have gotten you in the next blow, anyway."
Not one to be outdone, Kuvira snapped back a drink of her own. "And if I had attacked her?"
Something stirred in those cheery blue orbs.
...you'd be dead." he stated simply, clapping her on the back once more. "Another drink!"
"What is this, a contest?" It took a physical effort to say those words in the proper order. "You're matching me."
"It is if you want it to be."
The silence held for two more beats.
Then, almost simultaneously, each snatched up another of Sten's glasses and downed the contents within.
Kuvira downed a second for good measure.
"Ha!" she rasped around the burning liquid coursing down her throat. Wow. The room was definitely beginning to spin now, but she would never admit that to her adversary. No way, no how. This was war, and she must be victorious! "Who is she, anyway?" she tried, frowning. "The kid, I mean She's got a...got sum...skills. I mean, did you see her, back there? One blast and "KA-BOOM!" she flung out her arms for emphasis, parodying an explosion, "I was down! Knocked me right on my ass! Haha, ass." Too late, her increasingly addled mind caught wind of what she'd just said.
Shit.
She was losing control of her tongue. Among other things.
"Uh, you alright there?" her drinking partner leaned forwards.
"Whaaaa? Yeah, yeah," she waved him off. "I'm fine."
"Oookay. From what I'm told, her parents weren't anything special." Naruto arched an eyebrow at the continuing slip, but downed two more glasses and maintained the lead regardlessly, much to her ire. "They died when she was young if you recall, so she barely remembers them. But her grandmother-well, I'm told she was something of a prodigy." he shrugged, returning to his attention to the glass in his hands. "I suppose it runs in the blood. Meh, not my concern." a finger idly traced circles in the wooden counter. "She's my kid now, so I'm going to look after her, no matter who she is."
Kuvira found herself on the verge of saying something most foolish, so she and snatched up his glass as well as her own and downed them both at once.
Naruto paused.
"Hey-
Sniffed.
-you've been drinking the hard stuff, haven't you?"
Kuvira squinted at him.
"...have not." the words came out in an utter jumble.
"Aha! You have!"
"Ehhh? Shaddap...leave m' alone...
"Not happening, Kuvira-chan!" Naruto's face told her all she needed to know, he was enjoying this. Bastard. Well, she couldn't have that, could she?
"If you don' I'm gonna...gonna hit the town..show 'em...show 'm all whoz boss!"
"Is that so?"
"All will before the Great Uniter!"
"You do realize that when you hit the town there's a fair chance the towns gonna, you know, hit back?" Naruto humored her with a small smile. "Especially Sten. He doesn't take kindly to armed intruders. Even the girls, ya know." As it to second him, the massive man behind the counter turned, revealing the massive broad-sword on his back. Despite herself and the amount of alcohol she'd consumed, Kuvira felt herself go just a teeny bit pale at the sight of the blade.
"That is correct, Kadan."
Even intoxicated, the earth-bender knew better than to press him on that point.
"Ah...well...its getting late." Naruto stood suddenly, looking flushed. "Sorry, but as much as I'm enjoying your company, I gotta tap out. Need to be able to see straight tomorrow, and all." For a moment, Kuvira couldn't believe what she was hearing-was he actually giving up? No, that wasn't possible, Naruto never did that...unless...
"You're just looking for an excuse to avoid losing." she accused, scowling.
"Guilty as charged." he laughed and offered a tipsy bow. "I concede defeat!"
"Ehhhh?" it might have been the booze talking, but she was suddenly loathe to lose his company. "You're seriously going?"
"Yup."
"Then...then I win." she called out at his back. Her mind made the connection moments later. "I win! I finally beat you!"
"Yeah, yeah, I guess you do."
"Ha!" she crowed, reveling in her victory. "You gave up! I knew you couldn't handle it!"
"Right, right, now I'll just be go-
"Pussy!"
Now, Kuvira must have been truly hammered; because the word-taunt-leaped out before she could think to stop it. Naruto paused in mid-step. Spun. Whirled to face her. His expression was utterly unreadable; that should have been Kuvira's first clue that she'd just ventured into unknown territory. Dangerous territory. Slow, measured steps carried him back to her, but instead of sitting down, he brought his face to hers. Warm breath ghosted over her face as their foreheads met, blue eyes boring intent into her own.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" the words were a hiss, dry and crackling, like a flame. "Coulda sworn you just called me something."
"Pussy." she repeated innocently.
Naruto twitched.
"Could you not call me that?"
A bleary grin stole across her face.
"P-U-S-S-Y."
Blue eyes narrowed to angry red slits.
"Call me that shit one more time."
Kuvira beamed.
"Pu-
CRASH!
Before she could so much as utter the second syllable, Naruto took her by the shouldes and slammed her through the bar. Kuvira only distantly registered the impact before she realized they'd stopped moving. He'd all but wedged her into a wall on the eastern side of the pavilion. Dazed, she blinked, quietly alarmed-and strangely pleased-to find his body pressing against hers and his knee...well, it certainly shouldn't be there! A quiet moan trickled past her lips as Naruto pushed closer.
"Careful, Kuvira-chan." the word itself was a warning, his lips brushing hers. "I know you're smashed off your ass right now, but you're pushing the limits of being feisty."
"I'll show you feisty." she growled.
He dropped her, leaving the Great Uniter to topple to the floor in a heap.
"Hey!"
"That settles it. You're drunk. Take a nap there and let me know when you're sober."
"I'm not done with you!"
Kuvira wasn't quite sure what made her do what she did next; it could have been the alcohol, what he'd said, or even her own self-loathing. Regardless, she moved. Before the blond could react she picked herself up off the floor, and moved her hands to his neck, circling her limbs like a noose. Thankfully she didn't trip and make herself look like a complete fool. That would have been too embarassing to bear. In any case, she managed to stand up and reach him without major incident. And she only lost one of her shoes.
Yay!
"Okay, what the hell. Let go." Naruto's deadpan was almost comical, she thought; he clearly hadn't expected her to run up and hug him. It was clearly one of the few times she'd managed to genuinely surprise him. He offered a token resistance, but didn't escape.
"I should warn you," he murmured as her mouth neared his, "I'm a cuddler."
Kuvira growled.
"Less talk. More touching."
Then she kissed him so hard their teeth clicked together.
(Meanwhile, Outside The Village...)
Batar wasn't happy.
No, perhaps that wasn't the right word.
Having long since moved on from the boiling, volcanic rage he'd experienced in the beginning, this was a new emotion. He was past that, now. His anger-wrath-was a cold one, frigid and glacial. Almost contemplative, in retrospect. But make no mistake, he was angry. Furious. That blasted village was like a wall he simply couldn't surmount, no matter how hard he tried. He saw it everyday when he rose from bed and dreamed of tearing it apart when he slept.
A tad bit obsessed, no?
The one time he tried to sneak in himself, the ONE time he dared to actually run past the guard at the gate, he'd been thrown out! For too long, this anger and humiliation had been left to harden inside of him, forming a cold crystal of wrath in his heart.
The target for this spite was twofold:
Naruto.
Kuvira.
Kuvira and Naruto both.
Not only had the former refused to return to camp, but, she'd all but barred their soldiers from entering! Even him! INCLUDING HIM! He'd been forced to watch from afar as the one called 'Naruto' made a complete and utter fool of her at nearly every turn, turned her best tactics upside down. Worse, she seemed to have taken the bait; devoting herself to taking him down, and nothing else. Not once had she come back to him, to their bed, since this farce had begun. And with time, had come doubt.
He hadn't wanted to doubt Kuvira, he really hadn't. But what he'd just seen had stripped all that away. He'd seen it all through the binoculars. The scuffle, the fight. The...
Her lips on his. Hands, pushing, pulling...
"DAMNIT!" With a howl he flung the binoculars away, hurling them into the trees. "I'll kill him! I'LL FUCKING KILL HIM!"
No, no, no. It wasn't Kuvira's fault. Couldn't be. Naruto was to blame. He'd...he'd manipulated her, somehow. Yes, that was it! It had to be!
Now his suspicions had solidified.
Right now he was impotent; powerless, unable to do anything to change the situation at hand.
All that was about to change.
Tomorrow, they would be rid of him. Tomorrow, he would make this right and finally, FINALLY they would be gone from this place and at long last...
...they would be together again.
(Morning...)
"Morning, sleepyhead."
Crap.
Kuvira woke slowly to the light of morning, distantly aware of the pounding in the back of her brain, but aware nonetheless. White sheets mingled with the scent of sex, silk tickling her bare skin. And something else. All at once, she abruptly became aware of a weight settled against her. Of something poking her back.
Hello!
Oh.
Wait.
Just a hand.
Sooo. Was her first, pragmatic thought, Not a dream, after all. Her first clue was the subtle brush of someone's hand against her hip, calloused fingers curling gently against her curves. Unbidden, a gentle humming purr rumbled up from her throat. Turning her head, she shifted her body to catch the culprit in the act. Kuvira knew at once, even without looking, that Naruto was there; that he was the one she'd slept with last night. Oddly enough, the Great Uniter couldn't bring herself to regret the act, either.
"Hey." sure enough, blue eyes met hers.
...erm, hey yourself." she managed lamely, feeling like an utter fool for saying thus. Ancestors preserve her, what the hell was wrong with her? All the tension was gone when she looked at him; instead of the white-hot anger and urge to overcome him, she felt utterly at ease. Relaxed, even. Was it because she'd finally bested him at something? Or had she simply been seeking a good tumble this entire time? No no no, it couldn't have been that...
...could it?
"Awkward?" Naruto offered?
"Awkward." she agreed.
"Madam, you wound me!" he clutched his hand over his heart. "I wasn't aware I was such an inadequate lover!"
"No! No, that was good its just...
...you don't know what to do now?"
"You could stare unabashedly at me. It only seems fair; considering I've been doing the same to you for the last thirty seconds."
"Hey!"
Her own gaze flicked down, noting the scars. There...well, more than she'd expected. A veritably tapestry of old gouges, sundered skin and white lines greeted her vision. Unable to stop herself, she reached out to touch one, just above where his lungs should have been. Naruto didn't seem to mind. Thoughts of Batar -of guilt for what she had done and was continuing to do- flickered through her mind like a candle, and like a breeze, his presence snuffed them out.
"Okay, so are going to keep doing the staring thing? Because its getting kinda weird...
"Naruto."
"Eh?"
"Stop talking."
Before he could speak further she grabbed him by the face and dragged his mouth to hers.
The kiss was warm and sweet and slow and it warmed Kuvira to her very bones. Like liquid fire, it seemed to stretch on for hours on end-his arm wrapping around her waist and drawing her close. Heating her veins and searing her soul as his tongue rolled against hers. It was bliss, pure and simple...until her headache reasserted itself with a fiery vengeance, reminding her of last night.
"Owowowowow...did anyone get the number of that sky bison?" she groaned, pulling away.
Naruto cackled quietly. "'Fraid not. You went pretty heavy on the shots last night. You're going to be hungover for a bit."
His words did her little comfort.
"So, did we...
She knew but she had to hear it. NEEDED to hear it. A moment of awkward silence passed between them.
"Yup."
Kuvira shifted restlessly.
"Na-
"Lord Naruto!"
Whatever she might've said died as a villager burst through the door. Without so much as a backward glance at the naked woman in his bed, he hastened to the blond's side.
"Intruders! They're...
Naruto's staff appeared and instantly exploded violently in his left hand, showering him and Kuvira with shards of broken wood. Lifting his head slowly, he craned his neck loosely and somewhat erratically to look at the direction of Kuvira, angry and twitching, a spasmodic movement to his motions. Hauling himself out of bed, he flung clothes at her. By the time she'd caught them, the "farmer" had somehow already dressed himself-a look like hellfire raging in his eyes.
"Seems a brat doesn't know his place."
(...)
Kuvira was only a few steps behind Naruto when she saw what was happening.
She saw Tara-gah-and Batar, took in the scene at a glance. Heard the shouting. Naruto was only a few steps ahead, yet even he wasn't fast enough. Neither realized what was happening until they saw the knife in the man's hand, saw the girl struggling in his arms, left leg hanging loosely, broken by...Batar?! Kuvira recognized her subordinate instantly. Whatever plans he'd hand, they'd doubtlessly gone awry. Judging by the singed state of his uniform and several smoldering, broken bodies of her metalbender's strewn across the street, it had gone most wrong indeed.
"I said bring me Uzumaki Naruto!" he was raving, wild-eyed at the crowd. "RIGHT NOW! Or I'll kill her! I swear I'll kill her!"
Kuvira twitched, unable to believe what she was looking at. "That idiot...! I told him not to do anything rash...
Her words trailed off as
"Ohhhh, someone is going to die. A lot of someones!"
A furious hiss from Naruto informed her that she had only seconds to act. Mere moments to prevent the absolute massacre of note only Batar, but her entire force as well. It wasn't a guess; she knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't be satisfied with her fiance's demise. It was either Naruto or Batar. Should have been an easy choice. But it wasn't. Naruto had tormented her for days now, besting her left and right at every turn imaginable.
With a terrible pang, she realized she did care for the blond. More than she did Batar.
Much more.
Then, incredibly, Tara reared back and sank her teeth into Batar's arm.
Hard.
"Aargh!" he cried out, dropping her like a screaming howler-monkey. "You WRETCHED little-urk!
His words warped into a surprised gurgled as the blade pierced his throat.
Protruding from his jugular, it silenced him in a way that words could never hope to.
It was a very clean cut, he thought distantly as he slumped to the ground, through and through. A solid piercing, almost instantly fatal. By the time his killer ripped their weapon free, he was already well on his way to death's door; all that remained was a good hard shove to cast him through. Choking on his own blood, he struggled to look up at his murder, at the one who'd thrust a metal blade from his jugular. What he saw there took his heart and dashed it into a thousand pieces.
"Kuvira...I don't...understand...?"
The Great Uniter stared down at him, and he saw only ice in those cool black eyes of his fiance. Where had he gone wrong, he wondered? When did the love in her eyes wither away, replaced by anger? Try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to understand what had brought about this change in his fiance.
"No," she said simply, raising her arm, "You don't."
Then there was only blackness.
Cleaning her arm, she glanced back to her men.
"Get this trash out of my sight."
"Yes ma'am!"
With that task accomplished, she returned her attention to her charge.
"Are you alright?"
Tara rubbed awkwardly at her broken leg, whimpering.
"Kinda...
"You don't have to be a big girl about it." she said, kneeling before her. "I know it hurts."
Tara sniffled softly as the earthbender took her into her arms, trying her best not to cry. "But...But...
"Hey, hey, its okay." Kuvira soothed quietly, stroking small circles on the little firebender's back. "Shh. Shh. Shh." she cooed, holding tight. "Hey, do you want to see something? Look up. Look at that. Its incredible, isn't it?" she gestured to the flags and streamers they'd spent the better half of the day hanging about the village in preparation for the upcoming festival. "All those pretty colors we set up. Aren't they beautiful? Don't worry about anything else. Naruto will be back soon. I'll be right here with you until he gets here. Its okay. Its okay...
Tears welled up in the bender's eyes, spilling over despite her best efforts.
For a precious moment, the dam held.
And then, with a tearing sob, it broke and the floodwaters came pouring free.
But Kuvira, Kuvira held tight.
Never letting go.
A/N: Aaaaaaaaand there we be! Needless to say, whatever Batar was planning, it backfired. Horribly. And now we can't help but wonder...where will things go from here?
Find out next time!
Yes, this Naruto 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? TIS A SHOCKER! WHAT LED TO THIS POINT?! THAR BE TWO THIS TIME!
(Preview)
Su yin scowled.
"Who are you? Where's Batar?"
Kuvira stiffened.
"Erm...
Naruto yawned and scratched the back of his head.
"Well...ah, y'see, its kinda complicated...
R&R~! =D
