Naruto had been through a lot of stressful events in his life more so then any other seventeen year old on his planet or this one. The list of events could fill a phone book just addressing the big ones, learning that he was a jinchuriki, passing his Genin test, his first real mission, but none of that could even compare to what he was experiencing right now.
"Hurry up you idiot, I don't have all day!" Naruto yelled out from the window of a truck addressing the driver ahead of him.
Korra and Naruto had finally made it to Republic City, or more accurately they had half way made it across the suspension bridge that would allow them in Republic City.
As the ninja reeled his head back he let out a frustrated breath drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he moved his truck only about an inch before traffic stopped again.
He looked over his shoulder to see how Naga was doing. The polar bear dog was just laying spread out on the bed of the truck adorably scratching her back against the floor she was under. The lemur that Naruto had befriended from the Southern Air temple too was napping right on Naga's stomach. Naruto smiled his stress lessening as he watched the two animals sleep happy that they had gotten along so well even though their relations ship started off with Korra constantly telling Naga that the lemur was their friend not a snack. Naruto had wanted to name the little guy Kakashi after his teacher and friend do to the lemur's fur reminding him of the Jonin's hair. But Korra insisted on giving him a different name due to Kakashi being a weird one. Since then Naruto had called the lemur Little Guy until Korra would stop putting down his name suggestions.
Speaking of Korra, Naruto turned his head to the right were Korra was sitting in the passenger side of the truck. She had her cool gal glasses on, her fist resting on the side of her head, facing the window no doubt immersed in deep thought. Naruto peered down to Korra's lap in her other hand she held the golden pocket watch that had belonged to the late Dao-ming. Apparently the watch had belonged to her elder brother who left their small fishing village to move to Republic City to learn to be a jeweler. When Dao-ming's brother received his first paycheck he used the funds to repair an old pocket watch belonging to their late father, after which he'd send it to his sister as a testament of how much he'd learned in a short time. That's who the Ninja and the Avatar where going to see first before getting to Air Temple Island, Korra had felt the tragedy of Dao-ming's village along with her death were on the Avatar's shoulders so making the side trip to the young Jeweler and breaking the bad news was up to her.
Naruto was staring to worry about Korra ever since they had defeated the Viper Hogs the Water Tribe girl had trouble sleeping. She would trash around in her sleep, wake up in cold sweat or would bend in her sleep Naruto couldn't help but think of this morning for instance where he had woken up to the sight of a giant rock floating right one top of his head.
Naruto looked back to the road, still as slow as watching a slug racing a turtle. Naruto couldn't help but picture Saiken and Isobu both running against each other in a hundred yard dash. Even with their giant sizes the Hokage monument probably had a better chance of winning then those to slow pokes.
"Hey Korry I just had a funny thought" Naruto addressed his traveling companion who only replied in silence.
No doubt Korra was keeping her mind focused, but it was staring to get boring having no one to talk to outside the nine chakra monsters living in his head.
"Korry how long do you think it is until we get there?"
Still nothing.
"Ok Korra.." he said seriously, calling the Avatar by her real name "I know what happened a few days ago is still fresh in your head. The events that had happened to everyone in that village as well as to the other victims of those assholes was really tragic, but you can't keep mopping like that. I know this wasn't what you were expecting you thought the bad guys would be evil tyrants, evils spirits, or even natural disasters. And that the worst any of those things could do was killing someone, but there are worse things than death. What those villagers went through it'll be with them for a long time even if I heal their real wounds the scars in their hearts and minds will last longer only time can make those scars heal…..wait scars don't really heal that's scabs what do scar….they fade?"
Naruto turned to face Korra who hadn't respond she just sat there staring out the window perfectly still for the last two hours.
Wait a minute.
Naruto reached his arm over having the other still on the wheel and lifted Korra's yellow tinted sunglasses to see her eyes closed.
"You're a sleep?, how are you a sleep you were talking about racing against a sky bison, a dragon, and a flying pirate ship like forty five minutes ago!"
Korra still didn't respond while it was good that she wasn't having any nightmares it was properly be best if she was awake do to the fact that driving wasn't as fun as Naruto thought due to not only being stuck in traffic but also being the only one not allowed to nap!
Naruto placed his hand on Korra's shoulders shaking her lightly.
"Korra!" he said as he shook her, nothing.
"Korra!" he said again increasing in no only volume but shaking magnitude.
Naruto was starting to get more agitated then before as he shook her a little harder and started to move and rub his hand on her shoulder in a curricular motion.
Naruto continued doing this about to shout again only to stop when he noticed that traffic started to unbind allowing him to shift gears and start moving. Unfortunately the orange ninja didn't notice a small pot hole on the bridge. The truck bumped as Naruto ran over the pot hole not really moving anything except for his hand that had fallen off Korra's shoulder and landed on her breast. Naruto was so focused on driving that he didn't even notice this even as he stroked, rubbed and pinched Korra's ample bosom.
Korra started to stir awake the feeling of the car rocking had woken her. She started to open her eyes and was about to stretch when she felt something, something wrong. As she looked down she saw Naruto had his hand on her chest and was squeezing it. She kept quite her face starting to turn red from embarrassment as well was another feeling that came now and again every time Naruto pinched her nipple just right. Shaking her head the Avatar lifted her sun glasses up on her head so that Naruto could see the look in her eyes as she was about to make him sing soprano for the rest of his life.
"Naruto!" Korra said alerting her friend.
Naruto shifted from watching to road to look at Korra then back to the road "oh hey Korry your awake you sleep ok"
"I was until you started to get busy on me!"
"What are you talking….oh great spirit!" Naruto saw that his hand had moved down south panicking his hand twitched causing him to give Korra's mammary another squeeze making her moan in the process. Korra gasped as she let the noise out seeing a red blush make its way to Naruto who had still not let go of her.
"Naruto what the fuck!, why are you Mr. Handy all of a sudden!"
"it…it's not my fault!, I had my hand on your shoulder and was trying to shake you wake I guess when I hit a pot hole my hand must of slipped I swear!"
"Then why's your hand still on my boob!"
Naruto reeled his hand back as if he had just touched something hot, which at this point was.
"I'm sorry I was paying attention to the road I didn't notice!" he pleaded
"How could you not notice the difference between a tit and a shoulder!" she yelled ready to punch him at whatever he was going to say.
"Well your breast was really firm, like your biceps" yeah that did it. Korra ran her arm over her chest as she slapped Naruto right across the face.
Line Break
Naruto now supporting a red hand print mark on his face had the hood of his truck opened trying to diagnose the problem the engine was having.
After Korra had smacked Naruto he had just exited off the bridge only to crash right into a light pole. While he did stop in the nick of time to prevent damage to the piece of public property he had somehow hit the tuck in just the right way that caused it to stall and stop working. Korra had gotten out of the passenger side and walked right beside Naruto the two not talking for a bit.
"Still mad?" Naruto asked
"Yes, but not as much as before" Korra replied her eyes not leaving the sight under the trucks hood
"Still friends?" Naruto asked
"Yeah, I guess it was just an accident so I'll only give you fort y percent"
"Forty percent, forty percent of what?" Naruto was answered when Korra soaked Naruto right in the arm.
"Fuck!, what was that for?"
"That's what you get for touching me like that, and not asking." Korra said as she taped her glasses causing them to fall on the bridge of her nose.
"Then what was the slap for?"
"Instinct" was Korra's only reply.
"…..wait a minute are you saying if I ask I can grope you whenever" he asked in a sly way.
Korra's face turned red "What? NO!"
Korra reeled back a fist ready to knock some teeth out only to stop when Naruto held his hands out in defiance and screamed "Just kidding!, just kidding!"
Korra put her arm down "huff, so what now, can you fix it."
Naruto looked at the engine not having the slightest idea on what to do "ah maybe, I think I need some tools"
Korra walked alongside the truck and made her way to the bed. She unlatched the back waking Naga and the lemur up in the process. Naga walked over the edge of the bed and jumped off shifting the trucks weight as she did. The Polar dog greeted her friend with a lick to the face, Korra respond by scratching her behind the ears. Korra then reached over to find the object she was originally looking for a tool box. Making her way back to Naruto she handed the box to Naruto.
"There should be something in here that can help, right?" Korra asked leaning in about ready to micromanage. Naruto set the tool box down and opened it picking up a hammer as his first choice. "Yup I think because we hit something it made the engine stop working so if I it with this hammer in the opposite direction the truck might get fixed by it" he smiled as he explained his plan.
"That just might work" Korra agreed she too having no knowledge on Satomobile repair. She then looked to her four legged friend who was drooling a bit Korra turned and saw a street vendor nearby no doubt selling something that Naga's badass animal nose was detecting. "Listen you work on the truck I'm going to go feed Naga and get something for use too, can I have your wallet."
Naruto reached into his back pocket and pulled out one of the few things he owed that originated form his planet his precious green frog wallet which he called Foggy. Naruto handed Korra the fat looking man purse. "Ok here but don't spend all of it we need that money for our food later" he said not looking away from his current task.
Korra clicked her tongue to her teeth in annoyance "I won't I'll have you know I've gotten a lot better at handling money"
Naruto turned and gave her a dead pan look "really"
Five Days Ago Ember Island
Naruto and Korra sat in a theater in the front row watching what could only be described as a total train wreck. The Boy in the Iceberg without a doubt was the worst play of all time.
"I'm the Avatar, silly, here to spread joy and fun!" The young actress playing Avatar Aang said just before getting hocked to a wire cable and started dancing around in the sky.
"I thought Aang was a boy" Naruto asked his face was at its frowning limit on how much this play was upsetting him, and he wasn't even in it!
"He was" Korra said her face just as frowning and upset as Naruto's due to watching the Ember Island Player making a mockery of one of her past lives.
"Then why does he have bigger boobs then you." Korra's response was bending hot water from her water cup to his crotch.
Back to Now
"It took an hour for the feeling in my balls to comeback" Naruto shaking his head to scratch that experience out.
Korra just folded her arms "ok that just proves that I'm bad at picking plays, not at financial situations."
"Oh how about this"
Four days Ago
Naruto's face was in shock as Korra's face was in awe at what she had just bought. A giant metal Fire Nation catapult from the final decade of The Hundred Year War.
"Can you believe it" she said as she stroked the mighty machine "they only had enough space for two of these things in the weapons exhibit in the Fire Nation History Museum so they practically gave it away."
"Yeah how much exactly is the giving it away price?"
"well the guy at the museum asked me how much money do you have, and I said 10,000 yuans so guess how much he said it was" Korra asked obvious of her lack of business savvy.
"I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and guess 9,500 yuans" Naruto answered
Korra blinked "wow your right"
Naruto was slightly relieved "really then we still have 500 yuans left that's not so bad I might be able gamble some more money then"
"Actually I paid the 9,500 for the catapult the firing boulders ate up the other 500 yuans"
Naruto slapped his hand over his face and let out a big grown
Now Again
"Ok, ok I might have blundered before but I'm totally up to code on that art of wheeling and dealing." She had the look of confidence that could not look any more prideful
"Korra you spent 500 yuans on giant rocks, your part Earthbender you could have made those rocks" Naruto yelled still angry at her purchases.
"No I couldn't! Those where special aerodynamically built boulders only found in an extinct mountain."
Naruto just stared at her not saying anything as he just kept looking without even blinking.
"Oh come on it was my first time buying something, I bet the first time you had money you bought something stupid.
"The first time I ever bought something was when I paid for my heating bill for the month right before I dropped off my first rent check…I was six"
Korra had no retort except for this "oh yeah well heats over rated"
"You live in the South Pole, even if you can Firebend I'd think to you it be more of a necessity."
Korra said nothing as she adjust her glasses and pulled on Naga's reins just before walking over to the nearby food stand. With no more distractions Naruto went back to hitting the engine with his hammer. The ninja was so into his poor ass repairs that he didn't hear the sound of a scooter drive past him and park a few feet away.
Line Break
Asami Sato was having an uneventful day, ever since she'd graduated from the University of Republic City receiving two masters degrees in Industrial and Mechanical Engineering she'd been rather bored. Her father Hiroshi Sato the genius behind the Satomobile as well as other innovative inventions had offered her a place in Future Industries but she declined. She did have aspirations of taking over the company the day her father retired which from the looks of his health and gusto wasn't looking like any time soon. She just couldn't picture herself stuck in some corner office doing something as repetitive as administration work or even something like marketing or human resources. She was a mechanic at heart just like her father was an inverter; she wanted to be right in the stomach of the company making new vehicles or even new forms of transportation. But her father never really felt comfortable about her doing any work that required her to get her hands dirty or even near dangerous machinery. So it came quite a shock to him when he discovered her major in school, it was more awkward when found out about it at the graduation ceremony when the dean of the university gave Asami her diploma right before listing off her major and her honors.
So she spent most of her days at home in her garage making modifications to her Satomobile and scooter. Or driving through town, chatting up with college friends, visiting her favorite shops clothing and hardware store, and just enjoying the scenery around the city parks.
But today was going to be different than most of a sign of that being true was the fact that as she was heading down the street that connected to the Koyashi Bridge she saw what looked like a yellow haired boy hitting a hammer against a truck's engine.
Asami pulled her scooter over and tuned off the engine. As she popped out the kick stand as she started to walk up to the boy taking her helmet of and lowering her goggles shaking her silky ebony hair agains her lovely ivory skin as she did.
"Excuse me what are you doing" she asked curious to know if he was joking around or really using a hammer fix an engine.
The boy turned around facing her giving Asami a closer look of his face. His hair didn't seem dyed do to his eyebrows being the same color or at least he wasn't one of those weirdoes that dyes their brows. Sky blue eyes and a kind face that on closer inspection Asami could see birth marks on the sides of his cheeks that gave of the impression of whiskers. As she walked a little closer she also noticed the boy was a few inches shorter then she was, he could be around her age or not it was hard to tell.
"Oh hi how's it going" the boy said smiling a bit. And raising his hand half way as a greeting "I'm just trying to figure out what's wrong with my truck" he said shifting his body to point to the defective vehicle.
"Would you mind if I take a look" she asked half expecting him to turn down her assistance due to male pride. "I'm a top-notch mechanic, if I do say so myself" ok the last part was a little braggy.
The boys eyes widened as well as sparkled in happiness "Really!, sure go ahead you'd be helping me an awful lot" he flipped the hammer over the handle pointing towards her.
Asami walked over to the boy taking the hammer off his hands and handed him her helmet to hold. She then placed the hammer on a toolbox that sat on top of the engine. "Just to let you know for future reference a hammer's not an ideal chose for Satomobile repair" she said as she began inspecting the trucks problem.
The boy scratched his head in embarrassment "oh I don't really know anything about Satomobiles,I just know how to drive them barely and how to refuel them."
"I take it you're not form around here" she asked making conversation as she worked
"Yeah me and my friend Korry came here from the South Pole"
"The South Pole?" Asami did a double take on the boy trying not to giggle due to the boy wearing her helmet instead of just holding it "I don't want to seem rude but you don't look like a member of the Water Tribe" Asami bit her bottom lip was she stepping boundaries she literally just met this guy she didn't even know his name!
"Oh I'm an honorary member of the Water Tribe I'm actually from Village Hidden within the Leaves" the boy said.
"That sound like a village from the Earth Kingdom"
"Does it? Well it's not there" the boy smiled slyly. Asami couldn't help smiling back so he wanted to play the guessing came did he.
"Alright" Asami said while reaching over for a wrench "is this hidden village of yours in the Fire Nation?"
"Nope" the boy said hands behind his head cheeky as ever
"mmm not in the Fire Nation, or Earth Kingdom, alright it's one of the United Nation Villages" ha so much for that.
"Not even close" ok know this was starting to get less fun but more intriguing.
"I got it!" Asami lifted her head up and used the wrench she was holding as a pointer aimed straight at him. "Your actually a spirit in human form, ah that also explains your yellow hair and adorable cheeck marks"
The boy only shock his head "why does everybody think I'm a spirit no I'm not from the….wait you think my birthmarks are adorable" he lightly touched his right cheek as he blushed slightly.
"Yeah" Asami set the wrench down and stroked the boy's face lightly brushing her thumbs up and down his whisker marks.
The boy blushed more as he started to close his eye the sensation of a girls hand touching him there was almost intoxicating. If someone where to look down they could swear they saw his foot moving up and down like a thumping rabbit's.
Asami quickly stopped realizing she might have taken things to far only to gasp slightly in embarrassment. When she had been rummaging around the engine grease had coated her fingers as it know did the boy's face.
The boy looked at Asami's fingesr and then touched his cheeck, just before walking over to the truck's door frame most likely to look at his face through a mirror. A second later he was back Asami expecting him to be made had to place her hand to her mouth to stop herself from laughing as the boy had used the grease to draw a pair of glasses on his face and highlight his cheek marks.
As Asami stoped the last of her giggles she removed her hand only to notice that it was still covered in grease and she most likely got some on her mouth. She ran over to the other side of the truck and came back a second latter sporting a stylish goatee.
The boy laughed harder than she did as she started making faces going along with her new facial hair.
Line Break
Korra knew this was going to be the last time Naruto ever entrusted her with money ever again. Korra had her head down as she walked alongside her so called best friend Naga. Apparently the polar bear dog was more hungry then she thought, the second they got to the food stand the lovable pup started attacking all of food the vendors wears. From the fried fish to the smoked boar-q-pine to everything in between, Korra learned a very important lesson today never travel to a store with a really hunger polar bear dog and two never try to win an I told you so argument/sort of contest with a guy who had a long streak of winning I told you so. Korra held out the now empty frog wallet switching between sighing and looking angry at Naga who just panted and lightly licked the side of her face every time the Avatar looked angry at her.
Oh Korra couldn't stay made at that face she pocketed the frog wallet as she nuzzled her face to Naga's accepting the animals apology hopefully her ninja friend would be just as forgiving to her as well.
Korra turned back around to see Naruto his back towards her leaning over the engine of the truck as well as another person wearing a combination of black and red pants and jacket and by the looks of that frame a girl person!
Korra held Naga's reins tighter as she approached the unsuspecting two. Both of them so leaned over Korra could see their behinds, her eyes drifting towards the girl's firm bottom caused Korra to stop. She turned her head down and examined her own backside than the girls than went back to examine her's again comparing them.
"Hey Korry!" the Water Tribe girl spun around and nearly fell as her dumb nickname got called out looking around embarrassingly she saw that Naruto and the girl had turned and faced her…with Naruto wearing a helmet and grease all over both of their faces in a comedic manner.
"Sami these are the friends I was talking about" Naruto gusted over to Korra and Naga.
Sami as Naruto called her walked over to Korra and pulled out her hand "oh so you must be Korry, Naruto's been telling me so much about you, like how you created Steambending" she said while smiled politely.
Not wanting to be rude Korra shook the girl's hand "ah yeah well Naruto's actually the one who helped me invent it" as Korra pulled her hand back she noticed it was covered in grease. Sami took a step back and looked as if she was about to apologize when Korra rubbed her fingers together and drew on her face as well using her index finger and thumb she drew herself a curly mustache.
First Naruto started laughing, then Sami, then Korra joined in all three teen slowly holding their sides as pass byer and lookie loos just stared at them thinking grease face paints not that funny, but a hand full of people chuckled at the three.
Korra stopped laughing first as she adjusted herself "actually my names Korra, I can guess that your real name's something other than Sami."
"So I'm not the only one who Naruto gives little nicknames to am I" Sami asked looking over to the orange ninja
"Well I only give nicknames to people I like" Naruto rebuttaled Sami giggled again slightly before addressing Korra.
"Actually my names Asami, Asami Sato"
"Did you say Sato as in Satomobile?" Korra asked
"That's right!" Naruto said excitingly as he walked over to Asami "she invented the Satomobile and is in charge of Future Industries!"
Asami sighed lightly "I told you Naruto Satomobiles are named after my dad he's the head of the company I'm just a tech savvy young woman"
"Yeah but you're a really smart tech savvy young woman, I bet someday you're going to invent an even better Satomobile then your old man could ever dream of."
Asami smiled tentatively at Naruto her ruby libs smirking a bit "you know I can't tell if your flirting with me or being sincere"
"Trust me he's being sincere when it comes to flirting he's as subtle as snow storm in the Fire Nation."
Korra and Asami giggled at Naruto's expense, he just rolled his eyes and went back to facing the engine.
"So tell me straight Sami do you think this truck will start again?" Asami stopped giggling and went back to what she was telling Naruto before Korra arrived "well you see the original problem was just that your spark plug unhooked itself when you bumped into that light post" Naruto nodded his head as she continued "I managed to set that back in correctly but I noticed that your carburetor is on its last leg"
Naruto folded his arms "I guess that's to be expected when those villagers wanted to thank us this was the only truck they could part with as a reward, and I didn't want to seem ungrateful for their thanks" Naruto rubbed his hand on the vehicles side. "Oh well it got us this far I guess we can ride Naga to Air Temple Island, or charted a rental Satomobile"
"Uh that might be a problem, we might not be able to afford that" Korra said sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head. Naruto just frowned and shook his head "I knew it you spent all the money I gave you didn't ya"
"Yeah well it's not my fault! Naga was the one who ate everything the vendor lady had!" Korra yelled pointing an accusing finger to her spiritual companion.
Naga looked down sadly as she raised a paw and covered her face, only making Naruto and Asami awe at her adorableness. Naruto turned his head to face Korra who tried to do the same thing with her hand failing as Naruto still looked disappointed right before both his and Korra's stomachs started to growl.
"Damn it Korry I was going to use that money to buy food for use too remember, now where going to have to wait until we get to Ari Temple Island only this time it's going to take longer than an hour and I don't have a pear we can eat in the meantime."
"Well if you two would like I could treat you guys to lunch" Asami suggested
"You don't have to do that" Korra said sincerely
"Yeah you already helped me with the truck you don't have to trouble yourself with us" Naruto added.
"It's no trouble" Asami assured them "how about this while we're eating the two of you could talk about all your adventures together, I mean it's not every day you get to have lunch with the Avatar and a real live alien from a different planet"
Korra's head whipped at Naruto "you told her I was the Avatar, and that you're not from this planet!"
Naruto shrugged "she guessed, I told you she's really smart"
AN sorry for grammar and spelling/ read and review thank you
