Disclaimer: I don't own anything out of this.

From the minds of Myevltwin and TheHumanWiki.

Chapter 28

"Awesome landing," Zentrai sent out.

Naruto grimaced at Zentrai's idea of a landing. It was the furthest thing from a landing in his eyes. A landing didn't consist of people flailing about in an attempt to fly. It didn't consist of people screaming in that whisper tone. And it certainly didn't consist of pain so intense that you wanted to die. A landing didn't consist of any of these things. The only thing that could remotely consist of these was a crash. And that was basically what had happened.

The blond sat up, spat out some of the dirt he ate when they hit, and stared up through the steam. He couldn't see that far up. He hated not being able to see.

"What are you doing?"

Naruto was torn from his thoughts and forced back into reality as Sokka kicked the War Balloon into the boiling hot water. It was clear that they had the same ideas on this matter even before the original plan had been set in motion.

Naruto had been afraid of getting off the place. He knew that would be tricky. Their window to get off the island was so small that he was certain the only way to do it was to cause one massive riot so large that no one would see them sneak by. But that was next to impossible as the Warden was a very cruel man. Lockdowns were almost constant and sometimes happening without warning.

Zentrai had been worried about getting on the island. The steam would cover their approach. That much he had expected, but the rest of it was where he worried the most. They wouldn't be able to control the War Balloon. It would have no lift. And that meant that it would fall like a stone. Of course his other concern in getting in was the getting in part itself. Too many guards, not enough blind spots, and too many unknowns. Would they make a lot of noise when coming down? Probably. Would they get spotted? Chances were high. Would they actually be able to get in and find some cover and wait out the arrival of Hakoda? Maybe.

As the War Balloon sank, Naruto became aware of just how committed Sokka was to the cause now. For Sokka this was about regaining his honor. It was his choice to stay behind and fight when things were looking grim. It had been his choice to avoid all the warnings and continue on. It was his burden. But they wouldn't have that. Naruto wouldn't let him shoulder this alone. How could he not? Had he been more forceful, they might have been able to avoid this. They might have had a better place to hide Aang. And they would have had an easier time protecting him.

Ty Lee popped her fingers as the group moved together into a small outcropping of rock. Once they were settled, Zentrai began scanning the area. After a brief moment he gave them all a big smile. "We got here before they arrived. It'll be a few days before he arrives though," the mute informed them. "But we have some small problems. The Warden has this place in a lockdown right now. Someone tried to escape recently. He's planning to lift it in a matter of hours though because the prisoners have been extra good for the last couple of days."

"So what are we going to do until then," Sokka inquired. "We can't stay down here on the beach just waiting for him to show up. We didn't bring any food with us."

"We'll solve that problem." Sokka glanced in the direction of the blond before sighing. "Just stay put for the moment. We'll go sneak in and get you some clothes, and get you inside so that when he arrives we'll all be there. Just wait for my signal."

Sokka rolled his eyes while Ty Lee turned around to face them. "What's the signal going…" She stopped and stared off through the thick blanket of steam. They were gone.

"I it when they do that." Sokka grumbled.

"When they do what?" Zuko asked. He glanced around and gasped. "Hey? Where'd they go?"

Sokka and Ty Lee both sighed. "First time dealing with them, I take it?" The female asked quietly. Zuko growled. "Thought so."

(-)

Naruto and Zentrai both peered over the balcony onto the beach. It was a far jump. And it was an even farther fall in the eyes of the blond. A fall like this would kill him. And that was if he was lucky and hit the ground rather than water. If he had a way of going out, he'd want it to be quick and painless. Not slow, horrible, and degrading as his body was boiled inside out. He did wish that if he did go out that way, he at least exploded fast enough to not feel the pain of being burned alive.

The two moved through the shadows, waited for a pair of guards to move, and then moved into the locker where the clothes were located. A single guard was inside. When he finished getting his clothes he turned into Naruto's hand and was strangled until he died.

Naruto dropped the body and began rummaging through the clothes. Zentrai kept his mind opened as they grabbed two pairs of clothes that they believed would fit Zuko and Sokka. Ty Lee would simply hide with the Assassins while Zuko and Sokka ran around on the ground in plain sight.

Grabbing the clothes and backtracking, they found the beach and the others. Naruto threw the dead body into the boiling water and thought about how lucky he was to not be suffering from the intense heat.

"We'll take you back the same way we came. Once you guys are inside, continually work as a guard until the plan can be set into motion. Don't bother looking for us. We can find you easily. Ty Lee, stay with Naruto."

The blond stuffed down his annoyance to the order and moved beside the acrobat. She smiled at him before noticing his hard expression. When the team was ready to move out, Zentrai lead the way and soon dropped the two boys off at the locker so they could change into clothes that fit them better. Before either boy could turn to ask more questions on their task, the two Assassins were gone with Ty Lee in tow.

Realizing that they were on their own, they departed from the locker and began trying to keep out of sight. They failed and were soon pulled down into the field where a fight was in the process of being started. The ring of prisoners was proof to such a thing.

(-)

Naruto grimaced as he watched the fight from afar. It was one-sided and wrong. The man had done nothing wrong and was going to be sentenced to the cooler for a few days because of his attempt at escape. When everyone was broken up and the prisoners returned to their cells, Naruto nudged Ty Lee and motioned for her to follow him.

Ty Lee paused to watch the prisoners for a brief moment before following as ordered. Naruto lead her through various chambers until they reached a large room with a desk.

A clone appeared and exited the room to stand outside. Naruto tore through the desk while Ty Lee stood in front of him with bleak eyes. Something was wrong. She could sense it but didn't know if she should tell him or not. As the blond tore through the desk, the acrobat turned and started looking for the source of her problem that she was sensing. She found nothing.

Naruto stood up after putting things back to the way he found it and moved towards a vent. He popped the cover and motioned for Ty Lee to move into it. Once she was in he followed. Once he was inside and the cover in place, Naruto watched for the person that his clone had spotted and alerted him to. The door opened and an old man entered.

The man sat behind the desk and began looking for something inside the desk. When he finished looking through the paperwork he rose and left. Naruto watched the door shut before turning around staring at Ty Lee. He gave her a nod and made her turn around. She blushed as they began crawling for the next vent that they could escape through.

The blond moved over her when they reached the next one and looked through it before opening it up so they could get through. Ty Lee dropped down in front of him and the blond sat the hatch back in place before moving into the shadows with her. As soon as they were in the shadows the door opened and a guard moved in. Naruto felt Ty Lee's hand grasp his and he gave her one quick glance. She was frightened by something.

The guard turned and looked right in the shadows they were hiding in. Naruto's first instinct was to move out and kill him. He staved off the idea as the guard moved closer to them and then to the shelf next to them. He ran a finger over the rolled up scrolls before moving towards the bookcase. He pulled out one book, sat it back, and turned towards the door as it was opened.

"The Warden want's to have a meeting before the new prisoners get here," the man at the door announced.

"They're here already?"

"No. They won't be here for a few more days. Now hurry up. I don't want to have the Warden on my ass for supposedly slacking."

The man growled as he grabbed one of the books and followed after his comrade. Once the two were gone, Naruto stepped out and looked at the bookcase. Ty Lee was still holding his hand. He wasn't fully aware of it, but she soon took her hand away from his when he reached up and grabbed the book that the man had been aiming for. He skimmed over it and snapped it shut.

"Zentrai, can you hear me?"

"Yeah," he replied quickly. "What did you find?"

"Nothing. Just wanted to make sure you were in range."

Zentrai sighed and cut the connection while Naruto motioned for Ty Lee to head up in the vent again. She was half-way up it when he motioned it to her and he sighed in understanding to why Zentrai sent her with him. The mute would have killed her for being this jittery around him. It was nerve wrecking for him to be around her when she was like this, but with the time that he had spent with her, it was clear that she was now seeing another part of him that she hadn't seen before.

He climbed up into the vent and continued on his way after sealing it back up. Ty Lee waited for him and stared intently into his eyes as he motioned for her to move ahead. She nodded and began to crawl while the blind followed slowly. He stared at her as she moved and realized that she was trembling. Something was up and it was starting to get to him.

Naruto shoved it from his mind as best he could as they continued from the vent into the next room. Naruto was certain that whatever was bugging her would soon bug him as well. Until then he had a chance to focus on the other problem at hand he focused on his current problem. He needed to know where everyone was and who was here. Naruto knew he would eventually have a chance to figure things out, but he had to find the people to talk to before he could figure things out completely.

At the start of the war, agents had been sent out to place them in areas just like this. Of course the information was generally kept from most agents inside the Assassins, say for the Rank One Assassin. Naruto was a Rank One Assassin, but not the official one. That title was still in the hands of Zentrai even though Naruto was allowed to carry it around. Still, finding the people to talk to was harder than what he thought it would be. He had no idea on what their names were and he had even less of an idea on what they looked like. The only person who knew what they looked like would be Zentrai.

He sighed and decided to not find the people. It would be too troublesome for him to try and talk with his friend again considering what he just did to him.

(-)

"Shibaru seems depressed," Katara noted.

Lyra nodded slowly. She wasn't listening. She was focusing on her own problems. Yes she cared about Shibaru and Rai, but that only went so far. So long as neither of them were aiming to eat her, she didn't have a problem with them. And as for their mental health, she could care less since as soon as Zentrai came back into the picture she'd bounce around, be happy, and probably make an attempt at using someone, namely Appa, as a chew toy to throw around.

But the sight was rather pitiful. The ferret that Zentrai owned was resting on top of Shibaru as the large beast whined for her master's return. Under normal circumstances, Shibaru would already be trying to kill the little fuzz ball. But since she was depressed, she didn't have the energy to do so.

Lyra tried to figure out just what to do about the other problem she was facing, but soon gave up on it. She was trying to make sure that Aang continued his Firebending training as instructed by Zuko. Aang had already complained about doing it nonstop like they had wanted them too. Lyra couldn't help him with his training, but she could make sure he continued it by constantly threatening to kick his ass.

The female Assassin stared out over the cliff edge and thought she saw her two friends. She knew she couldn't see them, but she believed that she saw them out there.

"You're worried about them, aren't you?" Lyra gave a small sigh of frustration as the blind Earthbender sat down next to her. "I can't see you, you know that right?" Lyra nodded mutely. She was still focused on other things at the moment. "Even though I can't see you, I understand that you miss them. But what I don't understand is how you put up with them? Have you always been there with them or have you always just staid by their side for the sake of the mission?"

Lyra gave a depressing sigh as she finally turned her gaze onto the blind girl. "I stay with them because of the mission. They are my comrades. And above all else; I stay with them because they need parental supervision."

Toph chuckled at the joke. She didn't know how true it was. On more than one occasion she had been forced to get involved in their wild and crazy acts before she had to intervene. It was a strange thing to know that she was basically on the verge of wanting to destroy the two of them and switch teams with someone that could actually deal with them in a more humane way.

"I've been with Zentrai as long as I can remember. For a long time I thought he was my brother, but I know he's not. He has no relation to my grandfather. But the two of them are the closes thing I have to a family now. So I've stayed with them not just because they need parental supervision from time to time, but also because they are all I have left of what had been my old life."

"And what was your old life like?"

"It wasn't any better than this life. The only thing I really remember, or rather, choose to remember, is the time when I first started training to fight. I don't know why I wanted to learn how to fight. But I did. And now, even though I have no idea on why I choose to fight, I still fight. This is the only life I know how to live, but I sometimes wonder what my life would have been like if the war wasn't around."

Toph shrugged. "Probably the same as it is now. Well without the war of course."

"I don't believe so. So many people were born and lost through this war alone. Soldiers that rapped innocent women for pleasure and allowed them to birth a Firebender exist now. Think of all the people that wouldn't be here because of that." Lyra got quiet for a moment before adding: "I also wouldn't have to lie to my friends. I've done things… terrible things to my friends in order to keep them fighting. I've wronged Zentrai and I don't' think I'll ever be able to make it up to him."

Toph looked away as if to show she could see before saying, "And what about the people that are dead? They'd still be here. I don't think that the pros outweigh the cons. That's just my personal opinion."

"I will agree with you on that. However, in light of that, I really believe that this war has done more than simply kill people. It had unified people for a common goal. Before the war we were all separated and didn't want to deal with others. The Air Nomads were probably the only ones seeking unification. And now, because of the war, we're all standing united to face a common enemy."

"But the nature of man itself will not allow this to last forever." Toph rose to her feet. "I don't believe Aang can save the world. This world, in my eyes, can't be saved because no matter what, Avatar or no Avatar, wars will continue to exist. The only reason I came along was for the adventure, to escape the clutches of my family, and to train Aang. They said I had to do my part to end the war. But I don't buy that. They could have gone to someone else for training. I think they chose me not just because of some vision he had, but also because they wanted another girl on the team. Katara even said it herself."

Lyra chuckled. "I won't argue that point. However, I do believe that this war will somehow be the last one we have to fight for our generation. Or at least, I hope it is." She stared out at the setting sun and smiled. "Toph, so much of your life has been missed by your blindness. How I wish you could see the setting sun right now. It's almost magical to watch it set right now."

Toph smiled. "Even though I can't see it, I'm sure you could always describe it to me."

"Something's are just beyond description, Toph. This is something you have to see for yourself, unfortunately." Toph accepted her words and sat back down to watch the sunset with the only Earthbender that was traveling with them.

(-)

"You are what you dare to be."

Those were the last words that he had heard before coming to this place. Lu De Sun had come here with the intentions of staying out the war. He didn't like fighting. He sucked at it. It was a wonder he even got the position to be a guard. But he didn't care. So long as he, and his friend Dei Twan, weren't on the frontlines fighting and dying, he didn't care.

As the world moved in on him, he checked the candles that lit his room with a lazy eye. He was a lazy man, but a good man nonetheless. And even though he was able to check over the reports in the dim light offered by the candle, he knew something was wrong.

He smiled and began writing. "I know you're watching me, Lord Zentrai."

In the back of his mind he felt laughter and frowned. When the laughter died down and Zentrai's voice came in, his frown deepened.

"Your sensing ability still surprises me, Lu. Did you truly feel my presence before I even started speaking this time around?"

Lu gave a depressing sigh. Since as long as he could remember, he had always had this strange sensation when someone was watching him, even from afar. It was sickening to know just how right he had always been about this crazy thing. Even now he knew where Zentrai was. As sickening as it was, he had always used it to avoid combat when possible. He was a coward to some. And to others he was the greatest scout that the Assassins had.

"I've come to ask what you've learned from this place."

"Liar," he snapped hastily. "I'm not stupid. I know that Hakoda is being brought here. You want him to join the Assassins just like how the previous leader, Lord Gen Fu, wanted him to join us. Sadly, that never got around to happening."

"He rejected the offer then. Perhaps now he'll join if we promise to get him out."

"Wishful thinking. But still, very stupid."

He could feel Zentrai's irritation to his words. Something about his words, no matter what, always sparked something in people. He never gave anything he said much thought because he was straight forward person. But this was different. He didn't like Hakoda. Everyone knew that. But he really didn't like him.

"You might wanna go have a chat with Dei Twan or the other two you stationed out here. I'm sure Ming Dea Fuu would be happy to see you again."

"Who's that?"

Lu sighed inwardly and blew out his candle "I'm going to bed. Go find your own answers. I have nothing to tell you of any great importance." He turned and moved into his bed. He felt Zentrai's presence leave him and his eyes avert. That sensation scared him, but he beat his fears down into a dark part of his mind and fell asleep.

(-)

Naruto stared up at the starlit sky with faint smile. The sight, through the haze of the steam, was always breathtaking to him. The night sky, it always reminded him of his time when he still lived in Konoha. The sky was the same as best he could tell, and that just gave him courage to believe the lie that he was just somewhere else in the world where the elements were controlled through fighting styles rather than jutsus. He didn't believe the lie he created, but it gave him the illusion that he wasn't far from home.

Blindside had said it best. "You are home no matter where you lay your head."

Naruto sat back against the hard earth and rolled over onto his side. He knew that Ty Lee was staring at him intently and he had no intention of dealing with her just yet. He wanted to ask about her trembling but knew that would be stupid. He knew why she was trembling, but just chose to ignore it.

He tried to put her fear out of his mind and soon was forced to think only about it. She had a reason to be scared if he wanted to think about it. He had once gone through the same thing too. So he could sort of understand her fear. What she feared wasn't the fighting, but rather, the fear that she might die. That was enough to scare anyone, even a battle hardened veteran like himself.

Gravel shifted beneath feet and Naruto rose up to watch as Zentrai arrived. The mute took one look at the two and sighed as he got to the darkest part of the cave. As he sat down, Ty Lee glanced up and stared at him. "Is it always like this for you guys?"

Naruto sat up with a degrading growl of annoyance. "You can't let it get to you. Right now we have a mission that we have to complete. You can't let things like this get to you. I know that you're afraid right now, but if you continue to let your fears hold you down, then you will end up dead. And while I don't want you fighting, there is a strong chance that you will get stuck fighting. So please, for your sake, don't try to let your thoughts become clouded. I'd hate for you to die."

Zentrai chuckled and capitalized on the moment. "So you do care for her."

"Shut up, Zentrai. Go scan the others and make sure they're not doing something stupid."

The mute laughed and left to check on the others. Zuko and Sokka didn't know about their meetings since they were posing as guards to work undercover and get a chance to find an opening for when they could leave with Hakoda.

Naruto groaned as he got up and walked towards the entrance with slow movements. When he reached the exit and stared up at the night sky again, he began to think about what Sokka and Zuko were doing. Of course he knew they were probably being idiots. They weren't that great at sneaking around. But still, they did have some qualities in sneaking around. If Zuko's time as the Blue Spirit was proof to the claim he did have some capabilities in the stealth then neither of the two knew what else could be.

Zentrai walked up beside him and watched a star shoot across the night sky.

"We have a long night ahead of us. So don't let your thoughts run astray now, Naruto." The Elite Assassin grumbled a curse and departed with Ty Lee following only a moment later.

(-)

Sokka was amazed by their luck and bad luck. For the first time in a long time he had actually gotten what he considered a break. And today was his lucky day. He had found Suki and made contact with her. She was happy to see him, but she also warned him that it was impossible to get off the island. And while that had been a bit of bad luck for him, the worst part came from when he was in the middle of leaving.

But shortly after getting in contact with Suki they ran into various problems. They were almost caught but avoided it when one of the guards appeared and drew him away. Sokka believed it to be Naruto, but had no real proof. Zuko didn't believe him because he had never seen Naruto's abilities.

The two teens marched through the various hallways in search of their room and found it a moment later. When they reached their rooms and entered them, they were shocked by the presence of a dark skinned male with a scar over his left eye that was closed because of it. His black hair hung just enough to cover his good onyx colored eye.

"It's good to see you, Sokka, Prince Zuko." The man gave them both a sly smile before reaching down towards his sword that was on the small bed.

Zuko jumped before Sokka could react. The man sidestepped Zuko's punch, turned, grabbed his arm, and twisted it behind his back. Zuko was about to scream when the man placed a hand over his mouth, turned, and stepped on Sokka as he charged in.

"Now that was a bit reckless, don't you think?" He released them and stepped back towards the door. When the two boys were on their feet the man laughed. "My name is Dei Twan. I could say I'm surprised that you got along this far without their personal help. But I know I'm just barking right now since I've helped you out twice already. I'm only here right now to tell you that you guys have to keep your heads down until your father gets here."

"And who the hell are you?" Zuko growled.

"Didn't you hear me a moment ago? My name is Dei Twan. I can't talk about who I am or what I'm doing here, but I'm sure you get the message." He flashed the two a smile. "Stay out of sight. Not for your sake. But for mine as well. And tell our favorite metal user that Dei has something to talk about with him." He left with a smile as he put on his helmet and departed.

Zuko messaged his arm and growled in annoyance before saying, "What the hell did he mean by that?"

Sokka closed his eyes with an annoyed sigh. "I think he's an Assassin. But I wouldn't hold my breath on that."

Zuko groaned.

(-)

Naruto was up for checking over the entire prison again. He had no real desire to do any fighting, but with the way things were progressing, he had no idea if they were even waiting for the right moment anymore. Would Hakoda even come around? Or would the forces have executed him while they were flying towards the prison? Or, perhaps they had simply done the impossible and taken over the Air Ship? That did seem highly likely considering his abilities to do the impossible.

The shift of gravel beneath boot got his attention. Ty Lee rose up and moved to the side of Naruto as the blond looked down at the prison. He couldn't believe that the place was back into a lockdown because of what had transpired not a few minutes ago.

After a few hours of watching the guards scurry below him to get things set up for the next time they were allowed out onto the yard so they could relax and stretch their legs. It would be a few days before they were let out onto the field again. And after deciding that nothing was going on that was of great importance, the blond decided to leave and ventured straight for the cave where the others were to meet up.

The two were the first to arrive with Zentrai arriving only a few hours later with blood on his clothes. Naruto dismissed his blood stained clothes and got down to business.

"Another lockdown was brought into effect. It would seem that it was put into effect this time because of another strange attempt by some prisoners to get off the island. They failed, but I have no idea on what caused it or who did it."

"It was the idiots." The mute tossed some bread to the two and continued. "Zuko was captured a few hours before the incident and staged a way for him and the others to escape. It was their backup plan for us as well, but that sort of fell through. And even though they failed they did do something interesting for us. Because Zuko got captured out of his stupid actions we have another man on the inside. I couldn't find the other guy, but I know Ming is there. That evil bitch is beyond my reach, but Naruto, you might be able to reach her. She won't believe you if you just approach her without conformation that you're one of us, so tell her that I owe her a one-night stand."

The young Assassin grumbled a curse as he thought about what was going on at the moment. With Sokka getting other people involved in trying to come up with escape plans, it was clear that they had to nip things in the bud right now before it became a real problem.

"I'll go find her. Do you know which cell she's in?"

"Sorry. I haven't got an idea on where she's located. Good luck."

Naruto grumbled a curse before leaving. Ty Lee followed not a moment later.

(-)

Ty Lee stared down at the prisoners that scoured about trying to figure out what was going at the moment. When she stared at their auras she was greeted by wavy auras that showed confusion, fear, and hatred. She didn't know a single one of them, but most of the Fire Nation prisoners she knew where innocent just by their auras alone and from what she had seen it.

She had seen it before. Those that had spoken out against the war were seen as evil people and ostracized by the masses as criminals. Speaking out against the war marked you as a traitor. Of course they could also do the obvious thing and make you disappear by killing you and saying that you were simply taking a vacation one some remote island that had just recently come under attack by troops.

She wondered just how many of them were the product of that twisted logic.

The more she thought about it, the more she hated this war. What sort of future was there for those that did all these horrible things? Though their auras showed no sign of sympathy for what they had done, they had to have known that the future they were reaching for was one with bloodstained hands. She wondered if they even carried for the fallen. There was no future for the dead. And what about those who did the killing?

She turned away from the yard and began walking towards the blond. He stared down at a few of the guards with blinking eyes. His aura showed confusion, but Ty Lee couldn't understand why. When it came to the teen, it was pretty clear that she didn't fully understand him.

"We need to get into the prison holds and find MingDea Fuu. She's a friend of ours."

"That's an interesting name."

"And your name isn't interesting?"

Ty Lee laughed stupidly as she took his comment with stride. Her name wasn't strange, it was unique. She just wanted to lighten him up a little. Naruto knew her intentions however and simply smiled.

(-)

Ming Dea Fuu was considered to be the hardest female prisoner there was in the prison on Boiling Rock. It was said that she had committed acts of genocide, failed, and then turned on her own people during war time. She didn't care about which side she was fighting so long as she was killing.

That was a lie though. She had committed crimes, but not that sort. Yes she killed people. She had grown used to doing such a thing. As sick as it was, she too had wanted a way out of it. So she came here. She wasn't selected for this operation. She took it up on her accord. She even requested because she wanted to get away from it all. And when she was told she got the job she was happy for the first time.

In the prison she had quickly gained a reputation as a hardened criminal like no other. Her fighting skills were beyond what normal prisoners could stand against. And even if she took a nonviolent approach to things she always managed to get into trouble. She had lost count on all the times she had gotten in trouble for something she had said or did by accident. It was like she enjoyed fighting, but it was rather annoying that when she got stuck in a situation like that she was the one getting blamed even if she did nothing wrong.

But if there was one thing she prided herself on it was that she had the ability to make anything from even the smallest of things. She had once made a knife from a brick with no tools. No easy feat since she wasn't an Earthbender. And she had been able to pull information from thin air, even going so far as to make near accurate predictions in what might come in the face of a battle. Some even said that since she had the ability that she was either a Farseer or simply had the ability to see the future in the heat of battle. Whether any of that was true or not was left undecided for the time being.

Her sapphire blue eyes danced from her food to the ceiling as her hand moved with magical grace as a brick kunai flew through the air and shattered on impact with the wall. As the debris rained down to the ground, her eyes landed on the blond haired youth.

"You're not a normal guard. So who are you really?" Ming asked.

"Naruto of the Assassins," he announced in a whisper.

"How can I be certain of that?"

"Zentrai owes you a one-night stand." Ming smiled and sat down in the darkness of her chamber. "I came for information."

"You've come to the wrong place. I'm just a prisoner. How would I know anything that goes on outside of this prison? You're asking the wrong person. Sorry."

Naruto smiled. "Zentrai is here, you know? I could talk to him and have it be so that you can spend time with him if you'd like. I can even make it so that you can leave if you don't like it here."

"I'd rather not leave this place. But what do you want to know?"

"This place is getting Hakoda of the Water Tribe. I'm sure you know who that is. So to that end, I'd like to get some help in how to get out of here when he arrives. Surely someone such as you would know how to get out of here."

Ming offered a sickening grin as she turned the other way. "There are numerous spots where you can leave some presents this place. However, they are checked regularly. The wash rooms are also a fun place to hang out if you can get in at the right times. The gondola is the only way off this island, but it can be stopped by some of the stronger men they have stationed here for just an occasion. Archers that are stationed here never miss over a distance of one thousand meters. However, they've never been used to cross the gap between the prison and the rim of the volcano. So don't expect the information to be that accurate concerning that distance. They could have better range given that the steam will increase their range a great deal. But their accuracy may drop, even if only for a moment. They are rather good shots."

Naruto chuckled. Archers were the one thing he hated the most. He could handle himself around them most of the time, but that was only if they weren't the Yu Yun Archers. They were the most skilled archers in all of the Fire Nation and had shot him more than a dozen times over. They were really annoying.

"And don't expect that getting across the water to the rim of the volcano will be easy. It'll be hard. Real hard just so you know. And even if you do, they don't keep a boat or anything over there for you to use to get off this rock. Just a heads up."

"Thanks for the heads up. I'll send Zentrai to you when I can." Naruto waved a hand and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Ming groaned. Rookie…

(-)

When Hakoda first arrived on the prison he was quick to make a fool of the Warden. Of course not soon after he was placed into his cell his son arrived. He was amazed to see him. Scared for him actually was more like it.

Now, after two days since his arrival, he was getting pulled into a plan to escape. Of course he had no problems with this. His main concern was his child, Sokka, screwing things up since he was already informed of the failed breakout from a few days ago. He had no problems letting his son leading their forces during the invasion. But this was different. They were in over their heads and behind enemy lines in the biggest way possible. Any further down in the prison and they just might be farther behind enemy lines than what he had ever been in his entire life.

Hakoda ran a hand through his hair as he waited for his food to come to him. He had no idea on what the Assassins were planning to get out of this place, and he had no intentions of just killing everyone here to get away.

Sokka stepped into his cell with a tray of food and grimaced as he watched his father begin to eat the food slowly. Prison food wasn't that good. In fact it actually sucked.

"We're about to start the plan. But we seem to have a problem. Zentrai intends to have us wait a few more days because someone should be on their way if not already here. He wants to make sure that our exit has arrived and wants us to make sure we don't do anything stupid. Whatever that actually means."

Hakoda munched on some of the rice and closed his eyes. "They had a plan set for their escape. My arrival and the Airship they used to bring me here isn't the same ship that they want to escape on. But the question remains on what they're waiting for and who are they waiting for."

Sokka had no answers and merely smiled in the hopes that it would put his fathers' fears to rest.

(-)

Mai stared at the crumpled up letter on the floor of her room in the Airship she was given.

How could this have happened?

She wanted to know how this had come around. It was almost too impossible to believe. It was almost like some sort of a fictional story made up and told to children as they slept. It was beyond her understanding and she truly wanted to know how it came around right now as opposed to later.

A knock at the door jarred her from her thoughts. She checked her reflection before opening the door. The captain of the Airship stood in the way and gave a curt nod before speaking.

"We've arrived at Boiling Rock. We understand that you have only a few hours before we are forced to depart with or without you. Please understand. It is out of my hands on this matter."

"It's okay. Just give me a few hours and I'll be back. This won't take long anyways."

The Captain gave a quick nod before leaving. Mai gave a weary sigh as she got her things ready for her departure. She wondered if she needed her weapons or not. She figured it was stupid to take them but took them anyways. But still, something was rather strange concerning the entire fiasco.

She moved out the door and walked through the Airship for the lower interior where the ramp was located. She waited for the men to work the controls and allow her to leave the ship. She gave them one glance as they lowered the ramp and dropped her on the ground. Once she was on the ground she made her way for the gondola at the top of the volcano. It wasn't a far trip and she was accompanied by two soldiers. Once she was secured in the gondola she was allowed to make her way across.

She glanced down once at the boiling water below through the thick cloud of steam and wondered what it would feel like to fall down into it before going back to her current situation.

The gondola docked on the tower and groaned as her uncle greeted her with open arms. She wasn't very happy to greet him like this, but she could stand it.

She walked into his hug and smiled her usually smile. He was the one to let go and quickly led her into his office. She was given some tea and then asked about her visit.

"I came here to speak with Zuko. He broke my heart you know?" The Warden nodded and sipped his tea. "I was hoping to speak with him concerning something he gave me before his betrayal. I'm sure you understand."

The Warden took another sip of his tea and looked over at his paperwork. "I'd rather not have you speak with that traitor. But since you're my niece and I'm not too keen on saying no to you, I'll let you. But please understand that you'll have only a few minutes with him."

"I understand. I don't have that long anyways. From what I understand I only have a few hours before the Airship leaves." She took one sip of her tea before continuing. "I'd also like to see a list of prisoners that recently came in for this week if I can. And failing that, can I see all the guards and have the recently added prisoners line up so I can check them over."

The Warden nodded gave the order to have Zuko moved to the holding cell so he could be interrogated. The two guards that received the orders gave him a nod. Once they were gone the Warden gave her a quick and said, "I'm curious on how you knew he was here when I only got him a few days ago. So how did you know he was even here?" He rose and began walking towards the door.

Mai smiled and followed. "I know Zuko pretty well."

The two walked for the roof as the guards were all rounded up. When the guards were all lined up and ordered to remove their helmets, she spotted her answer to the primary question that was plaguing her. Half-way down the line she spotted Sokka of the Water Tribe.

She smiled and walked past him as Sokka began to sweat from here appearance. The Warden watched his guards for a moment before watching his niece. There was a sudden shift in her eyes as she walked past the sweating guard. He wanted to pull the man to the side and speak with him but he didn't have any real reason just because of a shift in her eyes.

"Is there something wrong with my guards, Mai?"

"No. Not at all," she lied. "Can you take me to Zuko now?" The Warden gave her a sharp nod and took her towards the cell when Zuko was ready for her. When she was brought to the door, she glanced around before saying, "Give us a moment, Uncle. This will only be a minute or two."

"Of course." He bowed and departed. She walked in and he shut the door behind her, stepped back, and then listened in on her conversation.

Zuko, dressed in the prison garb, couldn't even look at her as she entered. "How'd you know I was here?"

"Because I know you so well."

"Yeah… but how did…"

"The Warden's my uncle you idiot." Zuko slapped his face and groaned. Mai glanced around the room before shutting the door and smiling. "The truth is, I guess I don't know you?" She unrolled a letter and shoved it into his chest. "All I get is a letter. You could have at least looked me in the eye as you tore out my heart."

"I didn't mean to."

"You didn't mean to?" She didn't believe that and began reading the letter. "Dear Mai. I'm sorry you have to find out this way. But I'm leaving…"

"Stop! This isn't about you. This is about the Fire Nation."

"Thanks Zuko. That makes me feel all better." She tossed the letter onto his head and watched it fall down onto the floor.

"Mai… I never wanted to hurt you. But I have to do this to save my country."

"Save it? You're betraying your country."

"That's not how I see it."

She looked him in the eye and stepped towards the corner of the room. "Why did you come here?"

"What?"

"Why did you come here? You know how dangerous this place. So why come? I can't figure that out. I know you pretty well. There's nothing here for you. And I know you weren't captured by our troops in a town two days from here. I'm not stupid. I may not have great ties with the military like you did, but I know enough to know we have no troops this far west of the Fire Nation. There's nothing out here for them. We go where the resources are. That's how we've always been. So why would you get captured by a team that's just two days way from here and brought here of all places? I think the answer is obvious. You didn't get captured. You came here with a purpose. And I can think of only one reason."

Zuko closed his eyes.

"I don't know what you came here for. But I know a lot about my family. It's hard not to keep in contact with them. Even when I traveled with Azula, I was able to keep in contact with my family all over the Fire Nation and in New Ozai. So tell me what's wrong with this letter that I received five days ago from my uncle."

She reached into her robes and withdrew another letter. Unlike the letter that Zuko had written, this one was written on a different style of paper. When he read it over and checked the date, he had to stop and think about what was going on. Five days ago he would have just arrived on Boiling Rock. Something was seriously wrong here.

He gave it back and shook his head. "I don't understand what's wrong with it."

She smiled. "You came here with someone. This is beyond you. I know that much." When she walked behind him, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you came here with Sokka of the Water Tribe, a member of the Avatar's team." There was a grunt and she glanced out the cell door. She shoved it open and stepped outside. Looking left and right she found nothing and shrugged before returning to the cell. She turned back to Zuko. "I want some answers, Zuko. Start talking."

(-)

Naruto watched Zuko with dark eyes as he watched him get moved by the guards. Other guards ran about and grabbed up for some sort of a meeting. Naruto didn't pay them any mind as he watched the guards drop him off in a cell. They waited around for a moment before turning and bowing towards two figures. Naruto recognized them in an instant and groaned.

What are the fucking chances?

He wished he was in range for Zentrai to reach him so he could let him know what's going on.

When Mai entered the cell, the Warden shut the door and turned to leave only to stop and lean against the wall close by it. Naruto grumbled a curse and moved on the top level before lowering himself down so that he was above him. Naruto didn't catch what was being said on the inside, but it was clear that something was said that sparked his interest. He couldn't have that.

Before the Warden could rush in to stop their conversation. Naruto was on him before he could open the door. He wrapped one arm around his neck, yanked him up, and broke his neck with subtle ease. The Warden only had enough time to gasp and groan before his neck was broken and his throat was crushed.

Naruto pulled the man up and over the railing for the next floor and waited for Mai to return to Zuko. She had heard them. That much was pretty clear. Once she was gone, he jumped over the railing, fell two levels, and made his way to the freezer chambers. When he reached the first opened one he stuffed the Warden inside and made it so he wouldn't fall over and alert anyone that he was in here just yet.

After making sure the body was secured inside the cooler he ran back to the cell where Zuko was. When he was within range of the cell he got the call that the plan was in motion. And with the plan already in motion, Naruto was forced to play his hand.

He took the form of a guard and jumped into the cell with rapid hand gestures. "Ma'am, there's a riot in the yard. I'm here to protect you!"

Zuko laughed. "Trust me, she doesn't need it."

"I'm under direct orders from the Warden!"

Zuko used his antics to force him into protecting Mai until he could trap her in the cell. Naruto grabbed her up before she could follow after Zuko, but she managed to get loose and grabbed the bars of the cell. As Zuko slammed it shut and stared at her through the open bars, the former couple gave each other a hard stare before Zuko departed. Mai hissed angrily as she looked back at the guard. He was gone.

Mai had a moment of confusion before growling inwardly. Assassins…

(-)

Sokka, Suki, and Hakoda waited in the center of the yard in anticipation of the second phase of the plan. It was simple. They simply needed to start a riot to distract the guards. No doubt more than half would be brought to stop them, but they had already worked a way around that. They would capture the Warden and then use him as a hostage to ensure that they got across the boiling water.

As the prisoners were released into the yard and scurried about trying to find friends and others to speak with or fight with, Zentrai showed up with Naruto, Ty Lee, and Zuko trailing behind him. Once they were assembled Sokka took over.

"Okay, now we just need to start a riot and we should be good."

"You thought that far out with this, huh?" The mute glanced up at the balcony. Guards were already on the balcony to watch them. Some even looked a little worried at the moment. "So all we need to do is start a riot and we're good?"

"Don't forget the Warden. We'll have to capture him before leaving. With him we don't have to worry about having the line cut as we use the gondola."

"That's out of the question," Naruto groaned. "I killed him because he was about to find out about you Sokka from Mai when she spoke with Zuko. But I should be able to take care of any problems we deal with."

Zuko gave a hysterical gasp as he shouted, "You killed the Warden? What's wrong with you?"

"I couldn't let him figure out what was going on. We would have been screwed if he found out. So I had no other choice."

"You couldn't have just knocked him out? Mai's his niece."

"So you wanted him to find out about what we're about to do and make things twice as hard. He was eavesdropping on you when you spoke with Mai. If you wanted to jeopardize us you could have simply told the Warden about why you were here in the first place. Which, mind you, I'm amazed he never asked you about."

Zuko groaned and turned away.

"All we need is a riot, right?" Hakoda questioned. Sokka nodded. "Alright. I'll show you how it's done."

Naruto grabbed Hakoda before he could move. "I'll show you how it's done, old man. Just stay out of my way."

Hakoda was about to protest when Naruto got up into the face of a dozen men, punched them in, and then began beating a horde of men senseless. With brutish strength he tossed them around like ragdolls. The prisoners, male and female alike, began attacking with hatred in their eyes. It wasn't until Naruto had beaten over three dozen men did a full scale riot take place. And even then it didn't fully happen until Zentrai gotten them going with a scream to attack ringing in the minds of everyone.

As the fighting increased into a full scale riot, Naruto was able to slip away via clone that took his place during the middle of the fighting while he turned into a regular prisoner to sneak away. When he reached the others, Hakoda slapped a hand on his shoulder and flashed him a smile.

"Never call me an old man."

Naruto grabbed his hand, twisted it slightly, and replied. "Don't ever touch me in a friendly manner. I'm not your friend." The blond was about to state that it was time to leave when Chit Sang appeared. Naruto, already seemingly pissed about something, grabbed the man by his face and shoved it into the support pillar for the bridge to the gondola. "You're lucky I've got more important things to do right now. So stay out of my way and you won't die." As if to make his point, he drug his face down the stone pillar and slammed it into the ground. "We're leaving," he declared with annoyance. "And stay out of my way."

Zentrai whistled and then hissed mentally. Naruto's mind was clouded to him. That scared him.

The team moved through the fighting prisoners and rushed to the top where the bridge was. Naruto was the first to arrive and quickly began clearing the guards with brutal force. He destroyed anyone that got in his way and tried to get near the gondola to send it on its way before they could get to it. By the time the others got to him he had already killed eight people, left a half a dozen wounded, and had thrown a dozen more off the edge to let destiny handle their fate. Whether they died or not was lost to the blond.

"Get on the gondola. I'll cover you."

No one dared to argue with the Assassin. They quickly jumped into the gondola before he could turn his sights on them. Once they were on, Naruto pushed the lever forward, starting it and sending it across. He destroyed the controls knowing full well that even if they were destroyed they could still be stopped. That was the reason he was staying behind.

As the gondola started, Ty Lee ran to the edge and screamed at the blond. "Naruto! Come on! What are you doing?"

"Insuring that they don't stop the damn thing. I can run across the cables to get the other side."

Guards showed up and the conversation came to a halt.

Naruto grimaced as the guards came in rushing with weapons ranging from daggers to spears. Some of them used their Firebending to begin a preemptive strike against him. As soon as the first fireball was within five meters of him, he sidestepped the attack, moved with lightning speed and began tearing them apart. Blood splattered against the ground in pools.

The guards attacked in mass. Spears were thrown. Swords were broken and left lying on the ground with bloodstains covering them. The blond moved like a thing possessed and tore them apart before some could react. With a captured sword he cleaved one mans' arm and head off with one mighty swing, spun around and slashed another in half diagonally from his left shoulder down to his third right rib, his eyes narrowing as if to make sure that he managed to slice his heart in two before turning to fight the others.

Eyes glowing crimson, he turned and tore into the other men with savage brutality. The men screamed as he tore into them, threw them around like ragdolls, and destroyed anyone that he could grab.

The blond stopped senselessly killing, glanced to his right and ran straight for an approaching squad armed with large pieces of metal to stop the gears of the cable holding the gondola up. They were smart and brought more than one. Naruto, not carrying, grabbed the first man, broke his neck, captured the piece of metal, and swung it with amazing strength. He heard the satisfactory sound of ribs and armor breaking as it connected with the poor guard closes to him. He swung a second time, broke the guards' chest piece and nearly broke him half as his body bent awkwardly. The man slumped to the ground dead from the impact of the makeshift weapon.

With the piece of metal still in hand, he swung for the face of the next guard. They were ready for him. He ducked under the swing, charged for a shoulder tackle, and was lucky to hit the teen. Naruto howled with rage, twisted the piece of metal and skewered the man from behind. He pinned the weapon into the stone, grabbed it, and swung it again, throwing the man off the bridge and into the water below. As the weapon was swung, leaving a bloody trail in the air, it connected with the face of a guard, breaking his jaw off and part of a his face in the process. It continued on its vector, smashing into another head, this time cracking the entire thing and dropping him before he could die.

The other guards move up behind him, grappled onto his back in an attempt to weigh him down. Naruto roared in a near mindless rage as he grabbed one with one arm, threw him off the bridge and into the water, grabbed another and threw him into the gears for the cables and heard him scream as he was crushed beneath the unforgiving metal, and spun to remove the rest. The men scattered and allowed the Firebenders to step up and attack.

An ominous red aura began wrapping around the blond as they attack. The heat of their combined fire left smoldering trails of smoke and crackling stone in their path for the Assassin. His aura warped and exploded outwardly as he shouted before vanishing before their eyes. Blood filled the air as the furthest of the guards watched their comrades become split apart by his overwhelming strength. By the time their bodies hit the ground he had moved for the guards in the back and began tearing them apart.

The former Jinchuuriki howled as he shoved one arm through the guards' gut and gripped the face of the man behind him. With a twist he snapped his neck and watched with a sickening joy as the first man he killed gasped for air and tried to scream. He died not moments later after his body registered the internal damage done to his internal organs. He ripped his arm to the right, tossed the two men, but not before using them as a shield to block the incoming arrows from the archers that were further back.

Naruto turned his gaze on them and charged with lightning speed. The archers fired with increasing speeds as he got closer and closer to them. The closer he got the quicker he became in dodging their shots. To anyone that watched it was a scary sight to know that the Yu Yun Archers, famous for their accuracy and ability to pin a fly from over one hundred yards without killing it, were missing the attacking Assassin.

The blond got in the first ones' face, grabbed his throat and crushed it before moving on. The others jumped apart. Two moved too slow and were instantly targeted by him. Naruto reached out, grabbed one arm, yanked it free, and proceeded to beat his companion with it until his face was crushed in and his body broken under the intense strength of a single kick.

The others opened fire for their lives. They tried to ensure that friendly-fire was avoided, but failed. Two were killed by incoming arrows on one side while one went down on the other side. Naruto leaned backwards, avoiding their shots, flickered out of existence, appeared behind the furthest team, grabbed one, threw him into another, grabbed another, broke his back over his knee, and punched another with so much force that his eyes exploded from their sockets.

The others opened fire on him. Naruto grabbed one that was still living and forced him up front to act as a shield. He screamed as he was punctured by the arrows. A mercy killing was granted by one archer that hit him directly in the left eye and skewered his brain with two arrows, instantly confirming the kill with two shots to the heart and another to the Liver and Kidneys. Naruto, still in a bloodlust rage, grabbed an explosive from his pouch, lit it, shoved it into the dead mans' back and hurled him into his companions. The explosion knocked them on their ass, bloodied their ears, and left some blinded by the blood in their eyes.

Naruto charged forward, one arm pulled back for a quick blow.

Twin plumes of fire spewed out and splashed against the ground striking the blond in the process. He hissed a curse, turned, and attacked the new force with murderous eyes. He drove a fist into the first guards' chest, tore out a lung, and kicked the body into another guard. A female guard ran at him. He sidestepped, grabbed her by her hair, and kicked her in the back while pulling on her hair. Her mouth opened but no words escaped as her neck was broken and stretched beyond human limits. He continued to pull and threw her at another guard. The man shouted in fear as he looked down at her wide eyed expression and matched it when Naruto got over him with one leg raised above his head and brought it down on the crown of his skull. He died under the force of the impact.

The remaining guards moved on him. They threw their weapons at him. Others attacked with Firebending. A small dagger imbedded itself in his left shoulder. He hissed, jumped above them, removed the weapon, and threw it down onto one of the guards. It tore into his eyes and was buried halfway into his skull. He dropped while screaming and made an attempt to yank it out before he suddenly stopped moving.

Naruto hit the ground, tucked, rolled, and sprang up like a cat pouncing on its prey. He grabbed two guards by their throats, shoved them into the ground while crushing their esophagus, stood up and threw away as they clutched their crushed throats. Without waiting, he jumped to the left, rolled, sprang up, and ran back to the bridge just in time to see the gears come to a stop. The guards, still hot on his trail, screamed a warning. Two had started working on the cable with a large saw blade. Naruto was on them before they could understand the warning.

He grabbed one, threw him into his companion, grabbed the metal that was holding the gears in place, and began beating the mean to death with it. Some managed to scream in pain before dying. Others died with horrified expressions on their faces as Naruto beat them into the ground until the metal was warped. Once the other guards had caught up the gears were already moving and gondola had begun its journey anew. However, before either of the guards could attack, Naruto, with a war cry, tossed the bent piece of metal like a giant boomerang and watched it spear one man, drag him along, and send him colliding with another man. They tumbled off the bridge to the yard below where the riot was now officially stopped.

What guards remained began to get smart. They circled the blond and attacked in pairs. They were mindful of friendly fire to an extreme and were able to avoid being hit by their own attacks. Naruto, seemingly angry beyond all reason, closed his eyes and yelled like a man forced to watch his most horrifying memories. It sent shivers down their spines as he blurred out of existence, appeared behind one guard, reached into his back and yanked out his spinal cord. The man dropped like a puppet cut from its strings.

A guard screamed in a blood gurgling rage as he was punctured by an arrowed when he got behind the blond. Naruto, having forgotten about the Yu Yun Archers, growled in annoyance to his forgetfulness and threw the last of his explosives he had at them. The bombs exploded in their faces, some getting away before it happened while others were unfortunate and not fast enough to avoid the explosion that killed them or wounded them mortally.

Some of the archers were back on their feet faster than what Naruto thought possible and attacked. Naruto dodged one arrow, got hit by another in the right thigh, and then grabbed another guard to use him as a shield. His "shield" screamed as it was punctured by arrow after arrow and then silenced as one hit his jugular and another struck the inside of his mouth.

He discarded the body, pushed forward, and began attacking anew.

(-)

Ty Lee reached out for the Elite Assassin as the gondola began to move, but came up short. Naruto had dashed off into the fray of the fighting and began tearing the guards apart with bloody vengeance. His aura showed neither anger nor vengeance, which was strange with the way he was acting. It was almost blank, but it contained a small tint of something primal. Like an animal forced into a corner and acting out of self-preservation. She didn't know if it was possible for him to go through it, but something sparked in him to make him act like a wild beast.

Zentrai narrowed his eyes as he stepped up beside her, forced her back, and sat down to avoid being attacked by the Yu Yun Archers that were about to start taking crack-shots at them. The others followed suit without a word and began starring at Zentrai with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"I can't believe he returned to that again."

Zuko peeked over the edge and ducked as a stray arrowed flew over his head. "What are you talking about? What's wrong with him?"

"Naruto's been like this before. I don't fully understand what causes it, but it's happened about a year ago for some reason. He lost total control and just went berserk during the middle of a mission. I have a theory that he goes through this once a year, but I have no way of testing it because his first few years with us he didn't get this violent. Something triggers that I have no idea about. The only warning for this is that his mind becomes clouded. I think he loses all sense of reasoning. I could be wrong."

"Yeah… well… I'd say he lost plenty of reasoning," Hakoda cut in. He grimaced and leaned against the metal hull of the gondola. "He's killing them with a piece of metal. It's already warped from how hard he's swinging the damn thing."

"Not surprising," the mute grumbled irritably. He gave a weary sigh and looked to Ty Lee. She was peeking over the edge with frightful eyes. He checked her mind and looked away. "Is this the first time you've seen a mindless soldier… or for that matter, a mindless killer in action?" She checked him over once, nodded, and then went back to watching the one-side match between guards and an Assassin. "Don't fret too much over this. Naruto's not himself right now. Something triggered this. Not sure what did it, but he's not himself. He should snap out of it sooner or later."

There was a strange pause as the blond blinked and then rose up.

"Well that about fucking sucks!"

The gondola came to a sudden, albeit, slow, stop, and sent them crashing into the other end of the gondola. Ty Lee screamed as it swung one way and then let gravity take over to yank it the other way like it was a swing. She was thrown outside the gondola.

Zentrai, who had landed on top of Sokka, rose up before she could fully fall out and grabbed her arm. She dangled over the edge, fear in her eyes as the Assassin leaned over from her weight and constant rocking. He started to tip over the edge. He groaned as he slipped over the edge, grabbed the edge of the gondola and held on for dear life while Ty Lee screamed for hers.

"This is probably the moment you want me to tell you I love you, right?" She grumbled with a worried smile. "But the truth is I don't. I really, really, do hate you. You're the second person in my life that I've ever hated with all of my body and soul."

"Don't feel too bad. I hate everything about you too. Well, with the exception of your mouth that is."

Ty Lee stared at him for a moment before saying, "You can drop me now if you want." Zentrai flashed her a smile and began to haul her up to him when she gasped. He blinked and lowered her. "Mai! What are you doing on the bottom of the gondola?"

Zuko ran to the side where they were at after finally being able to rise without falling over as the gondola shook, and beckoned for Ty Lee to take his hand. "Ty Lee, we have to get you up here right now."

"Mai is down here!" Zuko gawked before yanking Ty Lee into the gondola. When she was yanked back inside he looked over the edge to see Zentrai pulling Mai up handing her to him. Zuko took her hand when she offered it and pulled her inside the protection of the gondola as it started up. When Zentrai got inside, Zuko said, "What the hell were you thinking, Mai?"

"I came here with you because you're not smart enough to know how to pilot the Airship. Though I'm a bit surprised to know you guys are with him." Her eyes turned to Ty Lee. "So you were really an Assassin. Who did you kill in the Fire Nation? I remember seeing you at Ty Lee's gravesite."

The young acrobat grimaced. That had been the last time she had seen her. "I'm not an Assassin, Mai." Zentrai grabbed Mai before Ty Lee could say anything else and was restrained. The look on her face was more than enough to make it clear. "I'm sorry for deceiving you like that, Mai. But I had no other choice in getting away from the Fire Nation. I'm sorry."

"As interesting as this is," the mute cut in. "We have a job to do. You can have your reunion later onboard the Airship if we can capture it before it takes off."

"And if it takes off? What do we do?" Hakoda questioned.

"We can wait for my third backup plan to kick into effect. With Lyra waiting with the Avatar, she can send a message to the others are our nearest outpost and send a ship to get us if we're not back within another four days. I told her to wait for about two or three weeks. Can't really remember right now."

"And why is that?" Sokka joked.

"Because I'm trying to make sure that Ayane isn't going to get out of these restraints, kill us, and make sure that Ty Lee and Zuko aren't about to attack us either. You three may know each other and two of you may have sworn to help us out, but let's face it, we can't fully trust you."

No one dared to speak up when that claim was made.

Ty Lee rushed back to the edge of the gondola where she thought she would be closer to the blond and watched with wide eyes as his aura began to expand. A blast of wind rocked the gondola and she saw it again. The monster that plagued her thoughts. What started as a red living flame turned into a head, one tail, then four, and then finally nine as the massive creature rose its head up and roared with all the power it could muster. She had neither words to describe what she saw nor air to scream with when it turned its sights on her.

Ty Lee finally regained her senses, stared at the thing, and then waited. It, too, seemed to wait for something. As if some higher power were forcing it to still its unfathomable power and keep it from doing anything. And as she looked it over, she saw something within all the hatred and rage that it displayed for her to see, and saw a tingling of guilt and fear. The speck in the aura was small, but just enough so that she knew it was still scared by something. Something primal in all of life was marked within the burning aura of hatred.

"It's afraid of… dying." Zentrai gave her a funny glance. She was speaking with herself. She shook her head and realized her mistake. "It's just an after aura. An imprint left behind, marking it for something he feared in its final moments. It was afraid of dying right up until the end."

She was certain of that. The creature of an aura roared into life and she was certain than that her words had been accurate. The aura, Dark Spirit or whatever it had been, was an imprint that had left a long time ago. The aura inside the aura showed proof that it was gone by the light tint it still bore. It was dead. Had been dead for years. She didn't know how long, but it was no longer there with Naruto. Its power was all that remained.

The gondola came to a stop and Zuko tore open the door. He stood in the way to hold it open as the others rushed out. Ty Lee was the last one to leave, but stayed behind to scream for the blond Assassin as he continued his bloody rampage of destruction.

She watched his aura shift from blank to understanding. He was back in control of his body. Whatever had taken over left in a hurry and was replaced by an aura of reasoning.

Naruto turned, tossed something at a guard, and ran onto the cable. Two clones had appeared from the shadows to take his place so he could away. They fought hard but the Yu Yun Archers proved too great for two simple clones that were in the same shape Naruto was in. She saw them limp into the fight just as Naruto limped across the cable.

Naruto was halfway across the cable when the archers began firing at him. She screamed for him to hurry. His aura showed joy that they're aim was horribly off. They weren't accustomed to firing into steam that helped in keeping the arrows they fired higher for a longer amount of time. But that issue was quickly resolved. With great speed they fixed their error and began getting closer to him. The distance was greater than what they were used to, but it made little difference. Corrections were made. Arrows were fired.

Ty Lee ran back to the side of the cabin where the gondola sat waiting for another trip across to the prison and waited for him. He was fifteen meters out when the first arrow struck him. She screamed in fear as his eyes widened. Pain lashed through her as it did him. Her pain was a phantom pain in sympathy for him. His aura darkened as if the possession was about to hold him fast again. It faded.

Another arrow struck. She saw that the first one had struck his lower left Calf. The second one struck his upper forearm. He spun and fell off the cable just as a third arrow raced forward, striking him in the right arm near the shoulder.

Naruto was within catching distance though. The young acrobat reached up, grabbed him, fell backwards, and was thankful that their fall down the steep volcano was on her rather than him. Her back was sore when they hit the bottom. She could feel her shirt missing on her back, but paid it no mind as Naruto's aura began to dim. He was in pain, on the verge of losing consciousness it seemed.

The former member of Team Azula rose up, one arm wrapped around Naruto's back and his arm draped over her shoulders for support. She had him on his feet and slowly began to move towards the Airship. She had little time to look it over, but she knew where it was. It was a smaller one that the others she had seen or heard about during her time in the Fire Nation before her betrayal.

Bodies were being dumped off by Hakoda and Sokka while Suki tended to the tethers that kept it grounded.

"Naruto's been hurt," Ty Lee screamed.

Hakoda was the first to her side and carefully grabbed the Assassin. He groaned and tried to say something. Hakoda told him to keep quiet as they got him to the lift. Suki took out the last tether and the thing lifted into the sky. Naruto was placed on the ground while Zuko and Zentrai got them into the air. Zuko, along with Mai, knew how to work some of the controls. Not enough to get them into a combat situation, but enough to get them flying and away from danger.

"We need to get him to a room where he can be comfortable!" Ty Lee argued. Suki nodded without hesitation and helped Hakoda in lifting him up. Naruto was still conscience and clearly annoyed with the situation as it was. "Hang on, Naruto! We're going to get those out of you! Just hold on!"

"You don't have to yell," he grumbled. He hissed as if karma had kicked him for his words when Hakoda shifted his grip on the teen and touched the spot where a dagger had been thrown into his back. The Water Tribe leader offered an apology as Ty Lee threw open one of the doors where a master bedroom was located. "Nice place," he managed with a sarcastic smile.

Hakoda placed him on the bed and forced him to sit up. "Go get Zentrai! He's going to want to know what happened and what we have to do!"

Suki shot him a hard look and then closed her eyes. When she opened them, she said, "He already knows and is on his way with Zuko and Mai."

"How did you…"

"I can speak into your mind," Zentrai cut him off as he pushed opened the half-closed door. Zuko trailed behind him with Mai in his arms. He seemed just like Zentrai was. "Naruto, you don't get along with archers, do you?" Naruto managed the middle finger and then groaned at the aspect of moving around. "We have to remove those. You know that right?"

"No. I had no idea."

The mute laughed. Naruto was in a lot of pain if he was making that sort of a comment this fast.

Zentrai gave Zuko a broad knife with a leather handle and ordered him to keep it hot. Zuko was quick to do as he was told and began heating the knife. With another knife in hand, Zentrai cut off Naruto's clothes around the arrows. He considered removing Naruto's pants for Ty Lee's sake, but realized that was beyond the limits of humor for the time.

"Hold him still for the first one. We have to make it so that he can lie down for the others." Hakoda, Ty Lee, and Suki all grabbed hold of the blond to keep him steady. Sokka was off to the side getting bandages ready. Zentrai licked his lips and declared, "On the count of three I'm pulling it out." Naruto gave an annoyingly slow nod as his right eye twitched.

Zentrai gave no warning as he yanked out the arrow. Naruto screamed as the arrows in his right upper arm was yanked out. His screaming got higher when Zuko was ordered to place the cherry red knife on Naruto's flesh and burned the hole together with Hakoda pressing the flesh together as best he could. When the flesh was completely mended together by the heat, the blood being trapped inside his body, Zuko pulled back and began heating it up again.

With the first one out of the way, Zentrai moved to the one in his right shoulder. Naruto groaned in agony as the mute began working on the second one. When it was removed and sealed they shoved him down onto his stomach so they could get the last one out. He ordered Sokka to help and requested Mai to stand near him with bandages for this one.

Naruto got no warning like before and screamed for two seconds before passing out. Ty Lee nearly freaked when she saw this but was calmed when his aura showed blank dreams and a peaceful mind. Zuko sealed it up with the hot knife and then allowed Zentrai to apply the bandages.

Once they were finished they stepped back and looked at each other. "Hakoda, take Sonia to the brig and lock her up. Zuko, take command of the ship and get us to our friends. Sokka, go with him. It's a two man job and you could use the experience. Ty Lee, stay here and watch over him. If he dies, you die. Understand?"

They nodded and began their assigned tasks. Suki remained behind and looked at the blond before her eyes drifted to Ty Lee. Zentrai left to find some clothes for the teen.

Ty Lee was about to pull the blankets over him when Suki moved to his side and began removing his clothes.

"What are you doing?" Ty Lee was horrified.

Suki shot her a harsh glare. "No point in ruining the sheets with his blood. It'll just soak into them and keep him cold."

Ty Lee laughed and scratched the back of her head. She hadn't thought about that. But the idea of Naruto being naked brought back her fantasy and her eyes danced over him hungrily as Suki got his shirt off, then his pants. He wore nothing else under his pants, much to the surprise of the young acrobat. Suki shoved any thoughts aside on the issue as she rolled him over and began removing the blood stained sheets beneath. The bed was already soaked in his blood, but they could move him easily.

Zentrai returned with a robe and looked at the scene. "Why the hell do blonds have more fun?" Naruto's pants were thrown at the mute. He grumbled a curse in their minds and helped in moving him to a room with no blood covered bed to sleep on. Once Naruto was in a new room with Suki and Ty Lee to watch over him, Zentrai breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the sky. "Now we just have to worry about Mai doing something stupid."

He walked off to find something to eat.

(-)

It took two days to reach the others and get them onboard the Airship. Katara was mortified to know that they had brought Mai along, but her father calmed her nerves and got her busy working on Naruto. His wounds weren't fully healed and he was still sleeping. She was hesitant to even work on him in the presence of Ty Lee, but her father got her working on him after a few harsh words.

Before they left they stocked up on supplies, sent a message to Rehka stating that they had rescued Hakoda, and were now heading towards Ember Island where Den would pick up the smaller Airship and take it back to study.

During this time Sokka had grown accustom to the Airship and learned how to fly it with relative ease from Zentrai. Zentrai, once asked on how he learned to fly something without ever being around one before, told Sokka that had learned how to fly it by asking the original pilots on how it worked and what certain levers did. They had answered his questions without realizing it when they thought about what each lever or button did. After learning how to fly it, they were on their way. It would take them four days to reach Ember Island, but no one seemed to care.

Ty Lee never left Naruto's side, along with Suki with the exception of the one time she had to chase after Zentrai with the threat of death lingering in her words when it was learned that Zentrai had once slept with her. Of course it was soon learned that Zentrai had even supposedly slept with Mai which sparked a fight between the Magnetism-Bender and Firebender which ended with the Firebender being thrown into the brig.

After two days of traveling, Zentrai finally decided that it was time get the dirty part of his job done and deal with Mai. He wasn't going to kill her. So long as she was around, Zuko was unquestionably loyal and did everything in his power to help teach Aang Firebending. If he killed her, he'd clearly turn on them. To keep her in line, that left only one option.

Zentrai stared at the Brooding Weapon Mistress as she glared right back at him.

"You here to kill me," she asked finally.

"No."

"Shocking."

"Not really." He raised one hand and bound her to the back wall. She hissed angrily as she tried to break free. "The last time we saw each other I was in this sort of position if I remember correctly." He opened her cell and produced a small vile of liquid. Mai's thoughts ran rapid for a moment until she saw his smile. "Yes. This will kill you if you don't receive the proper antidote. Luck for you, I have the medicine to hold you from death so long as you remain loyal to us. Now drink it or die. Those are your only options."

Mai was hesitant and then drank it regardless. It was bitter going down and she felt what little pride she had vanish with it. Zentrai, now in full control of Mai, released her and allowed her out of the brig to walk around. If she sabotaged them, she'd still die. If she ran, she'd die. She knew that in ordered to live she had to stay by his side from now on.