CHAPTER 4: WIND OF THE PAST AND THE PRESENT
(Disclaimer: Avatar The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon and Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my OC's)
(PLEASE READ: THIS IS NOT A SEQUEL TO "SHUJINKO: THE FOURTH MEMBER", BUT A DIFFERENT STORY WITH SHUJINKO AS THE MAIN CHARACTER. THIS STORY WILL NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT WHATSOEVER IN "SHUJINKO SHIPPUDEN". I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A SEQUEL TO SHUJINKO'S ORIGINAL STORY)
Summary: One night, a stranger breaks into Shujinko's house and tries to steal one of the most mystical objects in the history of the Ozuma clan: The Eye of Kazemaru. When Shujinko tries to stop him, the two of them activate an ancient and forgotten power of the gem by accident, which sends them to another dimension where a certain bald-headed monk has to master the four elements in order to defeat the evil Fire Lord. What kind of impact will Shujinko's presence have in the Avatar universe? Who is this stranger and what does he want? Get ready for one wild space-time adventure
"… Remarkable. Truly remarkable. To think that the blood of the Ozuma clan flows through your veins…"
…
"Tell me, child. Who are your parents? Where do they hail from?"
…
Shujinko groaned as his body shivered. The coldness of the morning had woken him up. With gritted teeth and groggy eyes, he removed the blankets that covered his body and stood up on Appa's saddle.
It turns out that Team Avatar had only brought two tents for their journey. Aang and Sokka slept in one while Katara slept in the other one alone, allowing her to enjoy the privacy that a girl needed. Shujinko couldn't sleep in the boys' tent since there wasn't enough space for the three of them and he wasn't about to ask Katara to share her tent with him. It would've been possible for Shujinko to sleep in the same tent as Aang and have the Water Tribe siblings share space together, but the brown-haired boy didn't want to cause them any inconveniences, so he accepted some spare blankets and slept on Appa's back out in the open.
'Looks like I'm the only one awake,' Shujinko thought. He didn't have much of a restful sleep last night. Never mind the fact that he was sleeping on the back of a giant, horned, six-legged creature capable of flight, he had also experienced this weird dream… Was it even a dream?
It didn't quite felt like one. It was more of a strange flashback of something he couldn't recall for certain. In his dream, he heard someone saying how surprised he was to see a member of the Ozuma clan before asking him about his parents, followed by a blinding flare of light. It didn't make much sense, but Shujinko supposed dreams weren't meant to make sense. Even so, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he had heard that voice somewhere before.
After stretching his limbs, Shujinko jumped down and decided to start his morning properly by cleaning himself up a bit. His body and his clothes were both relatively clean, but he wanted to feel fresh for the rest of the day, or at least for as long as possible, in case he and his new group of traveling companions found themselves in an unpleasant situation.
Using the insight given to him by one of the shadow clones he created yesterday, the Chunin made his way to the river where Sokka caught their dinner from last night, leaving his vest and his headband at the camp. Once he got there, he touched the water with his fingertips and was pleased to find out how cold it was. Taking a deep breath, Shujinko submerged his head into the water after removing his shirt and his wristbands/warmers. The freezing temperature of the water felt like a slap to the face and Shujinko quickly lifted his head, gasping.
His skin quickly went numb. Using cold water to wake yourself up was a rough way to start the morning, but it sure was effective. He no longer felt drowsy or lightheaded. After rubbing his face and hair, Shujinko proceeded to wash his neck, chest, shoulders, and armpits, getting rid of the dried sweat and the unpleasant sensation that came with sleeping with your day clothes on. Since he didn't have a towel at hand, the Ozuma decided not to take a full bath and instead waited for the water on his body to naturally dry off using what little sunlight was present.
Unfortunately, now that his mind was clear, it was unavoidable for Shujinko to think about where he was and what was going on. By agreeing to travel with Aang, Sokka, and Katara, he got himself involved in a war that was not his to fight. Aang was the main target of the Fire Nation, and from what he had gathered so far, the so-called Fire Lord Ozai would stop at nothing until the Avatar was destroyed and the rest of the world was conquered.
Shujinko wanted no part in any of this. His agreement with Aang was very clear: He would help the Avatar and the Water Tribe siblings fight against the Fire Nation in the meantime and leave this strange part of the world to its own affairs as soon as he had the chance to return back home. Aang, Sokka, and Katara all looked like decent and well-intended people, and Shujinko hoped they would someday receive the happy ending they deserved, but he was a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, and his village, his family, and his friends were more important to him than whatever military conflict this foreign land was experiencing.
That was why he couldn't, or rather shouldn't, befriend them. He didn't belong here, and regardless of the events that led him to where he currently was, staying on this part of the world simply wasn't an option. Shujinko was willing to protect Aang, Sokka, and Katara, but his partnership with them would come to an end as soon as he had the means to return to the Hidden Leaf Village. Each of them had their own path to follow, but not every path lead to the same place, and the golden-eyed boy knew very well which path was his to take.
That did not mean, however, that Shujinko was going to portray himself as someone he wasn't. He couldn't bring himself to be cold or uncaring towards them as it simply wasn't in his nature to behave like that. The bald monk, the waterbender, and the guy with the funny ponytail were all willing to help him, and so he was going to help them out in return. They were in this together, and until the proper opportunity to sail back home came knocking on the door, Shujinko would stick with them and help them reach their goal.
After putting his shirt and wristbands back on, Shujinko returned to the camp, where the rest of the group was still sleeping. The bonfire from yesterday was now a pile of ashes on the ground. Sleeping next to the fire would've provided Shujinko a much warmer night, but it was never a good idea to allow a bonfire to go unwatched in the middle of the night, which was why Shujinko had decided to put it out before going to sleep.
"Wind Style: Breakthrough," Shujinko whispered after weaving the Dog, Horse, and Bird hand signs, pushing a strong breeze that blew the ashes away. Once the spot was clean, the Ozuma grabbed some dried moss and a couple of sticks that had been left untouched from the other night. He patiently rubbed two stones together until a bunch of sparks landed on the moss, and after going at it for a while, he managed to produce a small fire that warmed his cold hands. "Alright, time for some breakfast,"
"What's that smell?" Sokka asked, poking his head out of the tent. He was surprised to find Shujinko sitting in front of a fire, using a wooden spoon to stir the content inside a cooking pot. "What are you doing?"
"Morning, Sokka. Since I woke up earlier than you guys, I thought I might as well prepare our breakfast. It should be ready in a couple of minutes,"
"… Oh. Thanks, I guess," Sokka replied as he stepped out of the tent, looking slightly uncertain. He wasn't expecting the new guy to go through the trouble of cooking breakfast without having to be asked. It looked like Shujinko had a lot more initiative than what Sokka first thought.
Once the cooking process was over, Sokka woke Aang and Katara up and announced that the first meal of the day was ready. They all brought bowls and spoons and sat around the fire, eager to fill their bellies. "I can't believe you actually got up first to cook us breakfast, Sokka," Katara commented. Since she had just woken up, she was wearing her hair loose instead of sporting her usual braids. "Are you feeling alright? This isn't like you at all,"
"Yeah, you can tell us if there's something wrong," Aang seconded, a hint of concern in his voice.
"What? No, there's nothing wrong with me. I didn't make breakfast, it was Shujinko. I just woke you up so you could have some, that's all,"
Both teens stared at Shujinko, who merely shrugged his shoulders before filling their bowls with some of the stew. "It's no big deal. Since I was the first one to wake up, I thought I might as well make myself useful,"
Aang's face brightened considerably. "Whew, that's good to hear. I was starting to think that Sokka was feeling sick or something. Thanks for making breakfast, Shujinko. You didn't have to bother,"
Katara was also pleased to find out that Shujinko had gone out of his way to help them get the day starting, especially since it usually fell on her to prepare the meals. She took it as a sign of Shujinko's willingness to fit into the group despite being an outsider from faraway lands. Maybe letting him join the gang wasn't such a bad idea after all.
"Like I just said, it's no big deal. And besides, I didn't want yesterday's leftovers to go to waste, so making a stew was the best idea I could come up with. I hope you enjoy it,"
While on missions, Shujinko usually brought supplies that could be eaten without having to cook them, such as ration bars and beef jerky. However, after spending time with his sensei, he realized that he couldn't always rely on that kind of food and that he needed to learn how to feed himself from the land in case he needed to. This included knowing how to catch a fish, how to set up hunting traps, and most importantly, how to cook.
The Ozuma once had the pleasure of sharing a mission with Kosuke, an old shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village who was a Jounin in everything but in rank, as he chose to stay a Genin for the rest of his career despite having the experience and the skills to accept the promotion. His cooking skills were part of his arsenal, which despite not sounding very impressive on the battlefield, they sure were convenient when you had an empty stomach. With only a few ingredients, Kosuke could prepare delicious meals that kept his team well fed. Shujinko decided to imitate the old Genin and started to learn the basics of the culinary arts.
His results were… not entirely satisfactory.
"It… sure is easy to swallow," Aang commented after giving Shujinko's stew a try. It's not that it had a bad taste; it was that it barely had any. The ingredients had been left in boiling water for too long, so now the stew had lost nearly all of its flavor, becoming little more than hot baby food. The same thought crossed the minds of Sokka and Katara, who still ate the stew nonetheless to avoid being rude to Shujinko's efforts.
During the middle of some idle chit chat, Appa suddenly walked up to them and let out a short grunt, having sensed the smell of food all the way from his sleeping spot. Since nobody looked like they were up for a second serving, Katara used her bending abilities to turn the rest of the stew into a levitating blob of liquid with the remaining ingredients inside before offering it to Appa, who slurped all of it on one go.
Shujinko saw all of this and was amazed by how easily Katara was able to control water. It was hard to describe, but waterbenders such as Katara seemed to have a different, more natural control over said element than Water Release users did. Sure, a ninja could use Elemental Ninjutsu such as Water Release for offensive or defensive purposes, but there was an important difference between being able to attack or defend yourself with water and being able to control water to the point where you could do basically anything with it.
"So, what's our next move?" Shujinko asked. "Sokka, you mentioned something about a city we needed to go to. What was its name again?"
The boy with the boomerang, who was casually removing the wax out of his ear with his pinky finger, stood up and stretched his arms. "Gaoling. It's gonna take us about a week to get there, maybe one or two days less if we don't waste our time,"
Shujinko nodded. The city of Gaoling was a far more developed place than the Gi Yuin Village, at least according to what little he knew. It was going to be easier to find more information about this place of the world there, and with a bit of luck, maybe he could find a ship that sailed to the Elemental Nations if Gaoling happened to be located next to the coast. "Then we should hit the road right away. If the Fire Nation is chasing after us, it's not safe to remain in one place for too long. Come on, let's pack up,"
"Do we really have to leave this early?" Aang asked with a slight pout. "I don't think the Fire Nation is gonna find us here. It's a really dense forest, and we're miles away from Gi Yuin Village,"
"Besides, Aang and I practice our Waterbending during the morning. That way, we can spend the rest of the day traveling," Katara was quick to point out.
Generally speaking, Shujinko didn't appreciate being questioned. In his opinion, staying where they were was an unnecessary risk, and unnecessary risks often led to failure. Maybe this was coming from a place of arrogance, but Shujinko reckoned he knew better than them due to the simple fact that he was a ninja while the rest of them were not. Even though he was not the appointed leader of the group, the Ozuma had a hard time following a bunch of teens who, as far as he could tell, had less experience than him in these sort of matters.
Against his better judgment, the golden-eyed boy decided to grant their request. "Fine, I guess we can stay for a couple more hours. Do you mind if I come with you? I'm curious to learn about this bending stuff and how it works,"
Katara shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see why not. Maybe a little audience will help us perform better. What do you say, Aang?"
"Sure, I wouldn't mind at all," the bald monk replied with an amiable smile. "Get ready to have your socks knocked off. You can´t make clones using Waterbending, but it's still pretty cool to watch. Hey Sokka, do you want to tag along?"
"Nah, not really. I have more important things to do, like making sure there are no flees left inside my sleeping bag. Those little scumbags just don't know when to quit. You kiddos have fun in your water-splashing session; I'll keep an eye on the camp while you're gone,"
Waterbending was certainly an interesting sight to behold.
As he rested his back against a tree, Shujinko observed how Aang and Katara performed circular motions with their arms as they controlled the tides of the river. Their movements seemed to be as fluid as the water they were bending, which made sense to Shujinko from a metaphorical point of view, like how you had to become water if you wanted to control water. However, he would be lying to himself if he said those moves didn't look a bit silly, or at least out of place during a fast-paced battle. They had this dance-ish vibe going on that did not resemble the aggressive, confrontational nature of Ninjutsu.
Aang and Katara were currently passing a blob of water to each other back and forth. Instead of stopping the blob dead on its track, they redirected it before it got too close to them. Shujinko supposed it was an exercise meant to improve one's reactions as well as their control over the element itself. Such an exercise could never take place in the shinobi world. When performing Elemental Ninjutsu, ninjas gathered chakra inside of them before releasing it in the form of whatever element they had an affinity for. They didn't control the element per se, certainly not in the way benders did. They simply accumulated the energy inside of them, added a nature transformation, shaped it, and then allowed that energy to manifest itself to the exterior.
"Good work, Aang. You're really getting the hang of this," Katara praised her student once the exercise came to an end. The levitating blob of water became formless again and returned to the river.
"What can I say? I have the help of a great teacher," the Avatar replied. The two of them performed a hand gesture and bowed to each other, signaling the end of the lesson. It was like their version of the reconciliation seal, in which two fellow ninjas interlocked their index and middle fingers with one another after a sparring session, acknowledging that they were still comrades.
Feeling like he had done enough observation, the brown-haired boy stood up and removed the dust off his pants before approaching the two benders next to the shore. "I have to admit that was entertaining. Where I come from, you don't get to see water being manipulated like that. It was almost artistic in a way,"
"See, Katara? Even Shujinko thinks you're an artist when it comes to Waterbending," Aang said, to which Katara looked slightly embarrassed.
"Well, I don't know about that. It's not like I learned all of this on my own. Master Pakkun taught me so much, I would've never gotten this far without him,"
"Have you tried to learn Airbending from Aang, Katara?" the Chunin asked. "I mean, if you're teaching him Waterbending, it only seems fair to me that he teaches you Airbending in return. You never know when you might need it,"
"What? No, it doesn't work that way. I could never learn Airbending or any kind of bending besides Waterbending for that matter,"
That statement raised one of Shujinko's eyebrows. "And why not? You guys told me Aang was born an airbender, yet he seems to be picking up Waterbending just fine,"
"Well, do you remember how I said I was the Avatar?" Aang asked, earning a nod from the Ozuma. "The thing is, I'm an exception to the rule. No one but the Avatar can master more than one element, let alone all four of them. I have to use them wisely if I want to restore balance to the world, which is the reason why the Avatar was created in the first place, at least according to the legends,"
The golden-eyed boy was visibly surprised by this. He wasn't expecting the concept of bending to be so restrictive, to the point where only one person alive was capable of obtaining mastery over all four elements. He recalled Aang saying something similar during his explanation of what the Avatar was, but Shujinko had forgotten about it due to the overwhelming amount of information he received. It wasn't easy for someone in his position to remember everything about a legend he had known about for less than a day or so.
Each and every single ninja was born with an affinity towards an element, and while it was extremely difficult, it was possible for everyone to learn Fire Release, Water Release, Wind Release, Earth Release, and Lightning Release. Hell, it had been done before by the likes of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kakashi Hatake, although the latter possessed a Sharingan, and so it could be argued that he had cheated in order to achieve such a feat.
He could see now why Aang posed that much of a threat to the Fire Nation. An individual with such unique power could eventually become far too dangerous for anyone to deal with, and so they were forced to chase after Aang and take him down before he could reach his full potential. It was rather ironic how the biggest danger the Fire Nation had to face was a goofy, happy-go-lucky twelve-year-old.
At the same time, he rejected the idea that Aang was this unbeatable, almighty individual simply because he was the one person who could master all four elements. Maybe he was seen as such by the people of this part of the world, but Shujinko knew better. In the shinobi world, it was foolish to equate the power of a ninja with the number of elemental affinities he had. Attributes such as intelligence, experience, physical strength, chakra control, and prowess played a huge role when assessing how dangerous an opponent was. And so Aang could be the only bender alive who could master all four elements, but how much good would that sort of power do to him if he was too slow to react to a shuriken coming at him? Shujinko truly hoped Aang was aware of this, because if he wasn't, then he was leaving himself more vulnerable than what he could imagine.
"Shujinko, are you alright? You look like you zoned out," the monk said, crashing Shujinko's train of thought. He blinked before shaking his head.
"It's nothing; I just got a little distracted. By the way, do you think you could show me some of your Airbending? There's something I'd like to check,"
An enthusiastic smile took over Aang's face. Despite not being arrogant or cocky, he couldn't help but enjoy showing off his Airbending abilities, which always seemed to earn him looks of awe and amazement from whatever crowd had gathered. Ever since what happened in Kyoshi Island, he promised Katara and himself that he would no longer perform flashy, yet unnecessary demonstrations just to receive cheers and praises from others, but given how Shujinko was the one who was asking and it was just the three of them, Aang supposed there was no harm in amusing the new member of the group.
"No problem! Take a look at this!" After doing a somewhat exaggerated set of hand motions, Aang brought his palms together. When he separated them, there was a small ring of air spinning around itself. "Airbending at its finest. What'cha think? Pretty cool, right?"
A thick drop of sweat rolled down Shujinko's temple. He was expecting something a little bit more impressive than what he got. It's not like he wanted Aang to create a tornado, but anything would've been better than a puny ring of air that had no use or purpose whatsoever. "That's… okay, I guess. Can you do anything else, like a gust of wind or something?"
The smile on Aang's face faded away, giving room to a somewhat surprised expression. "… Oh, well, sure. I can do that,"
It was true that the air ring was a basic technique taught to young monks who were just starting to learn Airbending, but it was usually more than enough to impress someone. Judging by the look on his face, Aang could tell Shujinko was not impressed in the slightest, as if he had seen far more astounding displays of Airbending before. Taking a deep breath, the Avatar jumped forward and extended his hands, releasing a strong gust of wind that caused the surface of the river to shift, pushing back the water.
"Was that any better?" Aang asked innocently, like a student asking a teacher if he had given the correct answer to a math problem. To his satisfaction, Shujinko nodded approvingly.
"A lot better. It seems like Airbending and Wind Release have at least some things in common. I wonder what other applications Airbending has,"
Katara's eyebrows rose slightly. "Wind Release? What's that?" she asked with no short amount of interest.
In response, the Ozuma cracked his knuckles before weaving several hand signs at great speed. Before either Aang or Katara had enough time to ask what he was doing, Shujinko clasped his palms together. "Wind Style: Gale Palm," he said out loud, releasing a gust of wind similar to Aang's. His jutsu didn't have the same reach as the wind the airbender had pushed, but since it was compressed, it was noticeably stronger as well. Once the technique had ended, Shujinko turned around and met the gazes of two flabbergasted benders, one more so than the other. "That was Wind Release. Just like you, I can also perform techniques based on the elements of nature. We call it Elemental Ninjutsu from where I come from,"
For a brief moment, Aang forgot how to speak. He had no words to describe what he just witnessed. A powerful rush of memories and emotions flooded his mind, almost to the point of collapse. He simply stood there with his jaw slightly hanging and his eyes wide open.
It was only after he registered Katara's voice that Aang managed to return to the real world, albeit still astonished and at a loss for words. "I don't believe this…" Katara began to say, struggling to keep her thoughts and emotions in check. "Shujinko, you… You can airbend!"
Shujinko shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't. Elemental Ninjutsu isn't the same as bending. You have to remember that I'm not from around here, and my abilities are as foreign to these lands as I am,"
"But… But we just saw you bending air! Only airbenders can do that. How can you say you're not an airbender when-"
"Katara, Shujinko is telling the truth. That wasn't Airbending," Aang said. His usually happy and carefree attitude had suddenly been replaced by a hollow, dejected mood that most definitely did not belong to him. "I think we can continue or Waterbending lessons tomorrow. I'm gonna head back and see if Sokka needs any help,"
The Avatar turned around with his head hanging low. Shujinko and Katara stared at him in silence, neither of them daring to utter a single word. It was clear to Shujinko that something about his Ninjutsu demonstration had affected Aang in a negative way as if the bald monk had just received some bad news. His change of attitude was far too noticeably for Shujinko to ignore, although he couldn't quite understand in what way his own ability to perform Wind Release was related to the Avatar's sudden dismay, especially considering how upbeat he was just a minute ago.
"What's wrong with Aang? Why is he feeling so sad all of a sudden?" the Ozuma asked Katara. The look on her face was telling him that she knew what was going on, or that at least she had some idea that might explain Aang's personality spin.
"I'm not entirely sure, but I think I know what happened. I don't blame you for this. It's just that… With Aang's past…"
"Aang's past? I'm not following here. Did I accidentally insult him or something?"
The waterbender shook her head. "No, I don't feel like you insulted Aang. But when you showed him that Wind Release thing that you can do, he must've thought about… Never mind, it's not my place to say. I'm going to check up on Aang and see if he wants to talk,"
Katara's answers, while not extremely insightful, still gave Shujinko a clue. The blue-eyed girl mentioned something about Aang's past, but she wasn't willing to explain any further out of respect. If he had to bet, his display of Wind Release made the young monk remember something about his past, that something probably being an event or an incident which Aang wasn't very fond of.
As he saw Katara leaving, the brown-haired boy began to wonder whether he should investigate this unexpected turn of events or leave things as they were. He didn't like the idea of snooping around and he generally tried to respect other peoples' privacy, the same way he wanted others to respect his. However, since he was the new member of the group by Aang's own suggestion and admission, it was his job to integrate and build up their teamwork, and in order to do that, he needed to know some personal information about those around him. He didn't need to hear all about Aang's life from birth to current day, just enough to understand what caused the boy to react in such an uncharacteristic way, if only to prevent future complications from happening.
His desire to know more about Aang and the Water Tribe siblings didn't necessarily belong to a feeling of wanting friendship, as he knew that developing strong emotional ties with them would only make it harder for him to leave. What he wanted was to have their trust. If they trusted him, they would be more willing to listen to what he had to say and their teamwork would gradually become stronger, all for the sake of group efficiency. Shujinko came to the conclusion that if teamwork was to be achieved, he would first have to get to know everyone better and he would also have to open himself up more.
In short, Shujinko was going to have to show empathy if he wanted to keep things professional, and he had no idea how he felt about that. Well, there was only one way to find out.
Upon reaching the camp, Shujinko took a quick glance at the place to see if either Aang or Katara wee around. There didn't seem to be any signs of them, to which Shujinko supposed those two were most likely discussing in private somewhere near the camp. Appa was lazily trying to touch his nose with the tip of his tongue as he laid on the ground while Momo was chasing after grasshoppers to have them as snacks.
Shujinko found Sokka sitting comfortably on Appa's saddle, smiling with his eyes closed. The Ozuma resisted the urge to frown in disapproval. Sokka had yet to take notice of his presence, and with that level of unawareness, a group of Fire Nation soldiers could've easily approached the guy and turn him into a hostage, even if they had to deal with Appa as well. The golden-eyed boy supposed he was also to blame for not leaving a shadow clone to stand guard.
Still, berating Sokka right off the bat wasn't going to help Shujinko receive many answers from him, so he made a mental note about discussing safety measures with the group once the time was right and walked up to the boy from the Water Tribe. "Hey Sokka, are you busy right now?"
"Mhmn?" Sokka opened his eyes and turned his head slightly to the right, facing Shujinko all the way from his resting spot. "Oh, it's you. I was just daydreaming about having a big, tasty, roasted Turtle Seal for dinner. It's the first thing I'm gonna eat if I ever visit the Northern Water Tribe again. How was the water-splashing session? I'm not seeing Aang or Katara anywhere,"
"That's actually why I'm here. I need to ask you a couple of questions," Shujinko replied before jumping onto Appa's saddle, landing on the opposite side of Sokka. "How well do you know Aang?"
Sokka blinked in confusion. "Well, Katara and I have been traveling with Aang for a long while, so I think I know quite a bit about the friendliest, happiest, baldest monk in the world,"
"Is there anything you can tell me about his past?"
"His past? Why would you want to know about his past?"
"While Katara and Aang were practicing their Waterbending, something weird happened. Aang suddenly got depressed and Katara said it might have something to do about his past, but neither of them explained to me what was going on,"
The boomerang boy furrowed his brow and placed his fingers on his chin, making a thoughtful pose. The Chunin waited in silence, hoping that Sokka would come up with an answer using the little information he received. Shujinko deliberately omitted the part where he performed Wind Release in front of them, as he didn't feel like explaining Elemental Ninjutsu to Sokka in full detail. With some luck, perhaps he would realize what happened to his friend without asking for the whole story.
Unfortunately, Sokka shook his head in denial. "Nope, it doesn't add up. Aang's not the kind of guy who gets sulky over nothing. Something else must've happened,"
'I thought as much,' Shujinko said to himself, feeling slightly disappointed. It would've been ideal to get to the bottom of this without having to reveal everything that took place, but that was no longer an option now. 'Well, this was bound to happen sooner or later. Might as well do it now,' "Actually, something else did happen. Do you remember what I said about my Ninjutsu abilities?"
"Ninjutsu? Do you mean that freaky power that allows you to create shadow copies or something? Yeah, it's kinda' hard to forget about that. What does that have to do with anything, though?"
"You see, shadow clones aren't the only thing I can do with Ninjutsu…"
Shujinko then proceeded to explain the basics of Elemental Ninjutsu to Sokka. It was a lengthy process that included the different chakra affinities, how chakra was molded, the purpose behind hand signs, and how Elemental Ninjutsu was used in battle compared to bending. Sokka's eyes grew wider and wider as he heard the words coming out of Shujinko's mouth. Days ago, he would've scoffed at the idea of a human wielding that kind of power, but now that he had seen what Shujinko was capable of doing, Sokka was far more receptive than before, even if he still had trouble assimilating such things.
To conclude his explanation and to erase all doubts, Shujinko performed the same jutsu that he showed Aang and Katara. The gale of wind that erupted from his hands was strong enough to briefly shake the tents. Momo, who had just caught a grasshopper and happened to be nearby, let out a shriek as the wind struck the lemur from behind, causing him to drop the insect he was holding. The Flying Bison grunted in discomfort, not expecting the sudden gust of wind that had been released from the top of his back.
"Woooooah… You really weren't kidding. You can actually do Windbending, or Air Release, or whatever that thing was," Sokka said in awe. "Man, why couldn't we have met you sooner? We really could've used your help in several occasions, like when the Fire Nation invaded the Northern Air Temple, or when we were forced to deal with those three crazy chicks in Omashu, or when-"
"Sokka, I didn't do all of this just to show off," Shujinko interrupted him. "Once Aang and Katara were done practicing, I asked Aang for an Airbending demonstration. He gladly accepted, but after he showed me what he could do, I showed him my Wind Release. They were both surprised just like you were, but then, I'm not sure what happened to Aang. He looked like he was sad or disappointed for some reason, and when I consulted Katara, she said something about his past. That's why I wanted to talk to you, so I can understand what happened to Aang and why he reacted that way,"
"Well, now that you've told me the entire story, I can see why Aang got distressed. I'm pretty sure he must've thought of his old life back in the Southern Air Temple, what with him being the last airbender alive and what not,"
"What did you just say?" Shujinko asked. "Aang is the last airbender alive? Why? What happened to the others?"
"They were attacked and murdered by the Fire Nation about a hundred years ago when Fire Lord Sozin began the invasion," the son of Hakoda said as he adopted a more serious attitude. He couldn't speak about the attacks committed by the Fire Nation without remembering the one that claimed his mother's life all those years ago, a memory that still haunted him. "Aang used to live among the Air Nomads, monks who dedicate their life to Airbending. They were probably the most peaceful group of people you could imagine, which is why Aang hates violence and only acts on self-defense. Anyhow, when the monks revealed to Aang that he was the Avatar, Aang couldn't handle the pressure and ran away. The Fire Nation attacked the Air Nomads and the rest of the world shortly afterward, knowing that whoever the Avatar was, he or she had to be an airbender, so they targeted all of them first as a way to start their invasion. Since he ran away before that happened, Aang was the only survivor. The rest of the Air Nomads were killed,"
It was Shujinko's turn to be at a loss for words. It wasn't like he had never heard of people getting killed before. After all, he was a shinobi, and a large portion of the history of the ninja world was written in blood. What he wasn't expecting, however, was the way that Aang dealt with his past. The young monk had lost all of his people in one fell swoop, yet he still managed to carry on with a smile on his face. Aang seemed to share a similar past with Sasuke, even though they were insultingly different from one another. He could be wrong, but Shujinko had the impression that, unlike Sasuke, Aang wasn't looking for revenge against those who had taken everything away from him. He seemed to be far more concerned with his duty towards the world rather than anything else.
On the other hand, Aang's reaction towards Shujinko's display of Wind Release made a whole lot of sense now. Shujinko was no airbender, and Aang knew that, but seeing him perform Wind Release was undoubtedly the closest thing to a fellow Air Nomad the Avatar had seen since the eradication of his people. It was more than enough to shock anyone, and it served as a painful reminder for Aang that he was the last of his kind. Shujinko started to feel a bit guilty, as he wouldn't have shown Aang his Wind Release had he been aware of this issue.
"Do you think Aang is going to be angry at me? I didn't mean to disrespect Airbending or something like that. I can imagine Aang being touchy about it," Shujinko asked. He didn't like the idea of being on someone's bad side just for a mistake, especially if he was going to travel with that someone for what could possibly be a considerable amount of time.
Surprisingly for him, Sokka shook his head. "Nah, I don't think so. From what I've seen so far, Aang doesn't really hold any grudges against anyone, not even the Fire Nation. You'd have to do something really messed up to get him to hate you," he said. Both teens overheard footsteps coming from the forest and they turned their heads around to see Aang and Katara. "There you are. What were you two doing?"
"Sorry for being late. Katara and I were just talking and we lost track of time," Aang answered. He seemed to have regained a little bit of his personality back, but for the most part, he still looked sad.
"Really? Looks like you had quite the long conversation. What were you two talking about?" Sokka asked, only to receive a slight frown from Shujinko. Realizing the stupidity of his question, Sokka waved his hand in a dismissing manner and used his free hand to grab the map that was sitting on his lap. "Actually, never mind. It's probably none of my business. Anyways, I was looking at the map and I saw a town that might be worth checking out. I overheard a random guy talking about it back in Gi Yuin Village. It's a small settlement that's often visited by traveling caravans during this time of the year. It's about twenty minutes away from here if we fly, so it wouldn't be much of a deviation. What do you guys say?"
Shujinko was about to argue that they shouldn't waste their time with unnecessary deviations, but then he realized that a short trip to a nearby town might help Aang get his mind off of things, and the Ozuma was technically guilty for making the young airbender feel bad in the first place. "That might not be such a bad idea. Besides, it's not like we have an awful lot of things to do around here,"
"I say we should go. It sounds like a lot of fun," Katara said, her voice sounding more cheerful than usual. "How about it, Aang? Do you want to visit this place Sokka is talking about?"
The young Avatar managed to give Katara a weak smile. "Thanks, but I don't really feel like going out right now. You guys should go, I'll stay here in the meantime,"
A little disheartened by the Avatar's lack of enthusiasm, Katara nodded and made her way to Appa. Aang was still feeling melancholic and sad after seeing Shujinko perform his so-called Wind Release, which made him remember the Air Nomads he grew up with and how they had been eradicated from the face of the earth. Most of the time, Aang had a cheerful and optimistic attitude towards life, and he didn't seem to have a problem with openly talking about the lessons he had learned from the monks. However, watching someone else do the closest thing there was to Airbending and being reminded that he was the last of his kind wasn't something easy to swallow, especially for someone as sensitive as Aang.
Suddenly, Shujinko decided to jump off of the Sky Bison, landing close to the tents. "What's the problem? Aren't you coming with us?" Sokka asked as he grabbed a hold of Appa's reins.
"On second thought, I think I'll pass. Aang and I will wait here and keep an eye on the camp while you're gone. It's safer that way," Shujinko replied.
The Water Tribe siblings looked a bit conflicted. While they were starting to warm up to Shujinko, neither of them felt completely comfortable leaving him alone with Aang, and least not yet. Despite knowing him for less than two days, the golden-eyed boy had already managed to turn their world upside down by showing them magical powers that defied logic, common sense, and basic science. You simply couldn't witness a person doing the impossible and not grow at least a little bit suspicious about said person.
On the other hand, Shujinko seemed like an honest guy. How he ended up in a foreign land was a mystery to him, and the only thing he wanted was to return to his village, wherever that was. None of his motivations were related to Aang or the ongoing war, and he had made it very clear that he would choose to go back to his home immediately and leave them to their affairs given the chance. Nothing indicated that Shujinko wanted to hurt or betray them, as doing so wouldn't bring him any closer to the Hidden Leaf Village.
In the end, Katara and Sokka decided to show some trust and left the camp riding on Appa, telling the other two boys that they wouldn't be out for long. "I still don't understand how that giant creature can do that," Shujinko muttered as the figure of Appa became smaller and smaller the longer it soared through the skies. He wondered how the people of the Hidden Leaf Village would react if they ever saw Appa casually landing on the local park in broad daylight.
When he turned around, he saw Aang sitting next to the fire, petting Momo as a way to distract himself. The corner of Shujinko's mouth twitched down. The gloomy look on the monk's face reminded him of Lee when he was forced to either abandon his career as a ninja or undergo a medical procedure that could cost him his life. Aang wasn't his friend, but that didn't stop him from feeling empathy towards the boy who had lost his home and his people. Being the Avatar didn't make Aang any less human. The Chunin let out a sigh and decided that, in this instance, he should put the shinobi side of him on hold and treat Aang like a fellow habitant of the Hidden Leaf.
"Aang, follow me," he said once he had gotten close enough to the monk. Aang raised his head and stared at him in surprise.
"Why? Are we going somewhere?"
"That's correct. I found a place you might like. It's not far from here, so don't worry,"
"Erh, Shujinko, didn't you say we were supposed to keep an eye on the camp while Sokka and Katara were gone?" Aang asked as he followed the brown-haired boy through the woods. For someone who was keen on keeping everything organized and under control, it didn't seem like him to just leave the camp unattended.
"Yeah, but I doubt anything bad will happen to us if we leave the camp for a couple of minutes," Shujinko replied before finding the spot he was looking for. He stood in front of a large tree that was different from the others around. Its trunk had grown curved enough for people to comfortably sit on it, which was exactly what Shujinko did. With a single jump, he closed the distance between him and the tree, taking a seat on the arched trunk. "Come here, Aang. Sit next to me,"
The Avatar raised an eyebrow but obliged nonetheless. Making use of his Airbending, Aang jumped, twirled his body while in midair, and landed close to where Shujinko was sitting. "I still don't understand why we're here. Did we come all this way just to sit on a tree?"
"Not just to sit on a tree, Aang. I wanted to talk to you about what happened this morning,"
"… Oh, that," Aang said as he looked crestfallen again. "I suppose I should explain myself,"
"That won't be necessary. Sokka told me what happened to the Air Nomads and why you're the last airbender alive," the Ozuma replied as he got straight to the point. He didn't like beating around the bush when addressing important topics such as the one at hand. "I'm sorry for what happened to you and your people. Had I known about them beforehand, I wouldn't have shown you my Wind Release out of the blue,"
Aang took a deep breath, his gaze fixated on the ground beneath them. "Don't worry, it wasn't your fault. Since you're not from around here, you had no way to know what has happened in the last hundred years. It's just that… that thing you did at the river, it looked like Airbending, but it didn't felt anything like it. For a moment, I thought that I was watching another airbender, but then I remembered what the Fire Nation did to the rest of us, and how I am the last of the Air Nomads,"
An awkward silence took place. Shujinko couldn't think of anything else to say to Aang. He already said he felt sorry for him, so now what? Were they supposed to remain quiet until Katara and Sokka arrived? On their way here, Shujinko wasn't sure whether he would be able to come up with an encouraging speech or not, but he hoped he would find the correct words once they sat down and started talking. He had clearly overestimated his own eloquence.
But then, Shujinko realized something.
"You know, maybe we're not so different you and I,"
The Avatar turned to face him. "What do you mean?"
"As you've already noticed, I carry the last name Ozuma with me," Shujinko began to say, to which Aang nodded. "A long time ago, the Ozuma used to be a mighty and powerful shinobi clan that lived in a country known as the Land of the Sky. Much like the Air Nomads, they were born with a natural affinity towards the element of air, or in this case, wind. They were even born with a Kekkei Genkai, a unique ability genetically transmitted from one member of the clan to another. All in all, they were one of the most famous clans throughout the land… and one of the most feared as well,"
Talking about the Ozuma clan's past seemed to be working. Aang was listening to his words with wide eyes, like a child listening to an intriguing storyteller. "What happened to them?"
"There were many shinobi clans fighting against each other in the Land of the Sky. Some of them just wanted a piece of territory in which they could grow and prosper while others fought for more power. The Ozuma clan… I guess you could say they wanted both things more than the others did. Some prominent families offered the Ozuma clan to forge an alliance, but they refused every time, arguing that they had no need for allies whom they deemed to be inferior to them. Eventually, the Ozuma clan became too dangerous, to the point where they were threatening to take over the country. The other clans refused to let that happen, and so they joined forces in secret. Then, before the Ozuma clan had the chance to execute their plans, the day of reckoning came for them, and they were attacked by the combined strength of several other clans,"
"… So did they… you know…"
"Die?" Shujinko guessed. Aang swallowed hard but nodded nevertheless. "Yeah, pretty much. As far as we know, every Ozuma who was there at the time perished. This was before I was born, so I don't really know how things went down. My father managed to escape before they could get to him. He was… different from the rest of the clan. He wasn't allowed to become a warrior like the rest of his family members, and he was shamed for it. After he escaped, he traveled far and wide, and at some point, he met my mother. They got married and gave birth to me and my younger sister Nanami. When I was a baby, the Hidden Leaf Village took us in, and once I was old enough, I joined the Academy and became a Genin at the age of twelve. My parents kept our lineage a secret until I activated the Ozuma clan's Kekkei Genkai, which forced them to reveal the history of our origins,"
The bald monk was truly surprised. Up until this point, he had never wondered what kind of background Shujinko's family had. It was clear that the circumstances surrounding the end of the Air Nomads and the end of the Ozuma clan were completely different, but the two of them still shared the same fate: Slaughter and destruction. One could argue that, unlike the Air Nomads, the Ozuma had merited their own demise after waging war for so long, but Aang still felt pity for them. As an airbender, Aang was raised to believe that life was sacred and that no one, let alone an entire group of people, deserved to be killed despite their sins and foul actions.
"What I'm trying to say is that neither of us would be here today had our paths been different. It's true that the Air Nomads are no longer around, but because you escaped, you're still alive and you still have a chance to rebuild the way of your people. As for me, if my father hadn't escaped, he would've died along with the rest of the Ozuma and I would've never been born, but because he did, the Ozuma clan still exists and we can start over again, and I'll make sure my clan never repeats the mistakes of our past. I'm not saying we should be glad for what happened to our people, I'm saying that as long as we live, we can still bring them back instead of letting them disappear from history. At least that's what I believe,"
Once he finished talking, Shujinko remained silent, feeling a little surprised and embarrassed over his improvised philosophical speech. Turns out he was eloquent, after all. He wasn't expecting himself to reveal to Aang the history of the Ozuma clan, but he supposed it helped him relate to the Avatar as fellow survivors of a massacre. Perhaps ignoring his shinobi side of him and allowing his "human" side of him to take control had induced him into talking more than what he should of.
To the Chunin's surprise and satisfaction, Aang began to smile. It wasn't a huge grin that went from ear to ear, but rather a soft rise of the corners of his mouth, which was still enough to bring back the positive and enthusiastic airbender inside of him. "I like that. The monks used to say that life was like a tree. You can't stop a tree from eventually falling, but you can choose to grow a new one from its seeds,"
Shujinko returned the smile, but decided to stop exposing so much of his emotions. He wanted to make Aang feel better, not to develop an everlasting friendship with him. Now that this task had been achieved, he had to go back to being his shinobi-self, someone focused on his primary goal of returning to his village. "I'm glad that you see things that way. In any case, I suppose we should head back to our camp. Sokka and Katara might return any minute now, and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be happy if they didn't find us there. Also, I'd appreciate it if you kept the story of my clan a secret. It may not be the most important thing in the world, but it's not something I enjoy talking about it with people I just met. I made an exception with you, but Katara and Sokka don't need to know of this,"
"Don't worry, I promise I won't tell them anything without your permission… And Shujinko?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for talking to me. Maybe you won't stick around with us forever, but I'm happy we got to meet each other,"
"Don't mention it, Aang. To tell you the truth, I'm not the kind of guy who does this kind of things to people I barely even know, and don't expect this to happen often, but I guess there was no harm in helping you out this time," Shujinko replied dismissingly. He then recalled something about Aang's past that Sokka told him about and began to frown. "Actually, can you explain something to me before we go?"
The Avatar nodded firmly. "Sure, what is it?"
"When Sokka told me what happened to the Air Nomads, he said that the Fire Nation attacked them a hundred years ago and that you were the only survivor,"
"And it's true. The Fire Nation began the war a long time ago and the airbenders were their first victims. I ran away before I knew the war had started,"
Shujinko gave Aang a questioning stare, trying to make the monk realize where he was getting at. "So…"
"So… what?"
"So how come you're still alive when all of this happened a hundred years ago? I mean, you don't even look like you're older than me, and I'm only fourteen years old. Does the Avatar stops aging at a certain point or what?"
Aang tilted his head in confusion. "Didn't Sokka tell you how he and Katara found me?"
"No, he didn't. You and Katara showed up before we had the time to get to that part, and I obviously wasn't going to ask him such a question in your presence,"
"Well, I know this is going to sound crazy to you, but I guess I'm technically a hundred and twelve years old. When I escaped from the Southern Air Temple, there was a massive storm going on and Appa and I got caught in the middle of it. We lost control and ended up plunging into the ocean. I'm not exactly sure how I did it, but before we could drown, I involuntarily tapped into the Avatar State and froze myself along with Appa by creating a sphere of ice around us. We remained frozen for a hundred years while the war went on, and at some point, we reached the South Pole in the form of an iceberg. That was when Sokka and Katara stumbled upon us. They shattered the ice and got us out of there. I woke up surrounded by snow and felt like I had just taken the nap of a lifetime, which was kind of what happened when you think about it. Then I found out about the war and how the Fire Nation was after me, and I've been traveling around the world with Sokka and Katara ever since,"
…
The brown-haired teen blinked once… twice… thrice… "You're pulling my leg here, right? There's no way that can be true,"
"But it is true," Aang insisted as he held back a laugh. The look on Shujinko's face was downright comical. "I swear I'm not making this up. You can ask Katara and Sokka when they get here, they'll tell you the same thing,"
Shujinko could understand that he was in a foreign part of the world where things worked differently, with bending being a perfect example. The concepts of hybrid animals and other bizarre creatures such as Appa were a real stretch, but with enough open-mindedness and consideration, he could fathom encountering somewhat similar living organisms somewhere in the shinobi continent. The Tailed Beasts were a thing, after all.
But a kid managing to survive after a hundred years of being frozen? That was where Shujinko drew the line. "Come on, that's ridiculous. The idea that you share the same soul as other people from the past is farfetched enough as it is, but this is just impossible. You seriously expect me to believe that you're still alive after your body was frozen for a hundred years?" he asked.
"Well, yeah. I did warn you this was going to sound crazy, remember?" the Avatar asked back. "Besides, you didn't know this part of the world existed before, and yet here you are. I didn't know what ninjas were or that they even existed, and yet here you are. At this point, I don't think neither of us can make any judgments about what's possible and what's impossible,"
That was… actually a pretty solid argument. If someone had ever told him about a place outside of the shinobi continent where people could bend the elements of nature to their will despite having no knowledge or aptitude for Ninjutsu, where giant bison could fly like birds and where an immortal spirit was constantly reincarnating in the form of different individuals, Shujinko would've thought that place belonged to a fiction novel written by a very creative (or insane) author.
However, such a place was indeed real, and the Ozuma was indeed there. Sure, there had to be a considerably long distance between this region of the world and the shinobi continent, but that didn't change the fact that the two of them existed together. After all, there were no such things as alternative realities or parallel dimensions, and even if they theoretically existed, there was absolutely nothing Shujinko could've ever done to come across them, for doing such a thing was far, far beyond his human limitations.
Anyways, he was getting distracted. The point was that… well, Aang had a point. After all, he had witnessed and experienced ever since he woke up yesterday, Shujinko was in no position to judge what was possible and what wasn't. He still refused the idea that Aang had survived being frozen for a hundred years, but an irritating voice inside his head was telling him that the boy in front of him was no liar, further increasing his annoyance. There were only a few things Shujinko hated more than not being able to agree with himself.
"You know what? I think I've heard enough. This whole conversation is giving me a headache," the Chunin declared as he hopped off the tree and landed on the ground, with Aang doing the same. "Let's just return to the camp before Sokka and Katara arrive. Oh, and no more talking about being inside an iceberg or other nonsense,"
As they began to walk, Shujinko quietly observed his surroundings. The trees of this forest, although decently tall in their own right, were almost tiny when compared to the trees that were found in the Hidden Leaf Village. As a society that started inside a forest and was still surrounded by them, villagers were taught from a young age that they had to respect nature if they wanted to benefit from it.
Shujinko was in agreement with that principle, but he never really gave it much thought until he unlocked the Karura Tensei and started learning more about Sage Mode. Jiraiya once told him that a Sage drew his strength from nature, and that nature could be a powerful ally if one properly learned how to get in tune with it. Since he had the Karura Tensei, Shujinko never had to go through the process of learning how to get in tune with nature, but he understood what the white-haired pervert was saying and admired him for being able to become a Sage without having a Kekkei Genkai like the one the Ozuma clan had.
"How in the world did I end up in this place…" Shujinko said to no one in particular. He couldn't even watch the trees without thinking about Hidden Leaf Village and its people.
Aang couldn't help himself and let out a cheeky grin. "That's funny, I remember saying the exact same thing… when I realized I was in the South Pole after being inside an iceberg,"
"Aang…"
"Just kidding, just kidding,"
Aaaaand there you have chapter 4. Hope you all liked it.
This chapter got delayed because my laptop got effed up, so I had to use a notepad to write down the first half, re-write the first half once I replaced my laptop, and then finish the other half. It was a long process that took quite a bit of time and effort, but I'm happy to say that I'm back on track.
Yes, I know, this chapter was basically all talk and no action, but I feel like this had to be done. I really don't like it when characters don't react properly to things that clearly should have an impact on them. Aang is the last airbender, so for him to see another person who can manipulate air/wind despite not being an airbender must've been a shocker. Do you really think it would've been realistic if Shujinko performed Wind Release and be like "yeah this Elemental Ninjutsu, it's not bending", and then have Aang be like "Oh, okay, sure that makes sense"?
Besides, now Shujinko and Aang know each other's background, which is an important element of the story. Character interactions are a lot more believable and meaningful between them when they have an understanding of what kind of life they had before they met.
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Peace!