When Chi Meets Chakra: A Space-Time Adventure

by jido96

After confronting a mysterious man who had broken into his house, Shujinko Ozuma, a fourteen year-old Chunin, gets thrown into the Avatar universe by accident. There, he will meet Avatar Aang and join his group as they fight against the Fire Nation. But who is this mysterious man? And why does he knows about the Ozuma clan's past? Will Shujinko ever return to his home?

20. Chapter 20 (part 1)

CHAPTER 20: THE IMPENETRABLE CITY (PART 1)

(Disclaimer: Avatar The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon and Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my OC's)

(PLEASE READ: THIS IS NOT A SEQUEL TO "SHUJINKO: THE FOURTH MEMBER", BUT A DIFFERENT STORY WITH SHUJINKO AS THE MAIN CHARACTER. THIS STORY WILL NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT WHATSOEVER IN "SHUJINKO SHIPPUDEN". I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A SEQUEL TO SHUJINKO'S ORIGINAL STORY)

Summary: One night, a stranger breaks into Shujinko's house and tries to steal one of the most mystical objects in the history of the Ozuma clan: The Eye of Kazemaru. When Shujinko tries to stop him, the two of them activate an ancient and forgotten power of the gem by accident, which sends them to another dimension where a certain bald-headed monk has to master the four elements in order to defeat the evil Fire Lord. What kind of impact will Shujinko's presence have in the Avatar universe? Who is this stranger and what does he want? Get ready for one wild space-time adventure

---

After wishing them good luck and saying their goodbyes, Team Avatar left Than and Ying behind so that they could have their moment with their daughter. Ying was left utterly exhausted after giving birth to Nozomi, so it was going to take her a while before she could stand up and walk on her own. Besides, she had to breastfeed her little girl shortly after she was born, and as happy as they were for them, most members of Team Avatar didn't really feel the need to witness such a private and intimate instance. Aang did promise them, however, that he'd ask the people over at Ba Sing Se to send help their way as soon as he got there.

Shujinko was currently cleaning the kunai Katara had borrowed him, making sure to leave the steel of the weapon spotless. When he asked the waterbender what she needed the kunai for, she told him that she used it to cut the umbilical cord once the baby had been delivered. Admittedly, Shujinko was slightly creeped out after learning this, but he told himself that using a kunai to sever the flesh bond between mother and newborn was no different, and certainly not nastier than what kunais were regularly used for. In any case, the arsenal of weaponry stored inside his sealing scrolls was limited, so he couldn't waste a perfectly good kunai when there was no reason for it.

As he did this, the Ozuma was also paying attention to what Sokka and Suki were talking about. At one point, Suki mentioned that she hoped everything turned out okay for them once they reached Ba Sing Se. A little confused, Sokka asked her what she meant by that. Suki explained that the reason she had joined them out here was to make sure Team Avatar made it to the capital of the Earth Kingdom in one piece, and once that was taken care of, she'd be going back to Full Moon Bay. After all, she was still the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors and had her own duties and responsibilities towards them. Sokka was disappointed to hear this, hurt even, but regardless of how he felt about it, the son of Hakoda assured her he understood.

"Shujinko, do you have a minute?"

The brown-haired boy, who was just done removing the stains from his kunai, glanced to the side and saw Aang standing near him. He was staring keenly at the Chunin, not with contempt or animosity, but with a look on his face that made it clear he was serious nonetheless. Shujinko adopted the same expression as the airbender and locked gazes with him, wondering what Aang was up to. "I suppose so. What is it?"

Aang took a deep breath and let out a sigh, preparing himself for what he was about to say. "I just want to tell you… that I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you these days,"

The combination of Aang's statement and the sincerity with which it was spoken made Shujinko's eyes widen a bit. The other members of Team Avatar, who all happened to be nearby, shared his reaction. Before the Ozuma could respond to that, Aang started talking again.

"When those sandbenders captured Appa, I couldn't deal with it and took most of it out on you. You didn't deserve it, none of us did, but I was afraid that if I didn't blame someone else, then it would mean I was the one at fault. Truth is, I was so caught up in my pain that I didn't stop to think about yours, and I also told you some stuff that was out of line. If I could, I'd take it all back, but the only thing I can do now is to apologize,"

It took Aang a while to finally understand this himself, and it probably would've taken him even longer if Shujinko hadn't approached him this very morning. Katara had done so as well during one of the nights they spent at the Serpent's Pass, in which she confessed how worried she was about him and asked him to please not keep his emotions bottled up anymore, to never abandon hope no matter how much it could hurt at times. The Avatar genuinely appreciated her concern, but at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to follow her advice on this occasion. As well-intended as Katara's intentions were, her telling him what to feel or what to believe in just wasn't as helpful as the waterbender might've thought.

What Shujinko did was almost the complete opposite of that. He didn't tell Aang whether his emotions or how he was handling them were right or wrong. The Ozuma simply pointed out that, in a way, he understood what he was going through and let him know the reason why. He revealed to him some experiences of his past and how they had made him feel, not hoping to change his mind or attitude, but rather to explain where he was coming from. The fact that Shujinko, the guy with whom Aang had an issue, had gone out of his way to confide all of this to him only added more worth to his deed.

Besides, Aang had never been very good at holding grudges for too long anyway.

"I understand if you still resent me, but if not, I'd really like us to bury the hatchet and move on from this. I'd be nice if we could go back to being… well, you know, friends," That last word came out a bit lose, most likely because Aang didn't want Shujinko to feel pressured or obligated to patch things up with him right this instant. "So, what do you say?"

With everyone's eyes on him, the Chunin remained silent and continued to stare at Aang, which caused him to grow nervous. His anxiety increased after Shujinko started walking towards him without uttering a single word or shifting the stoic expression on his face. Once the two of them were at arm's length, Shujinko surprised the airbender by offering him a small smile, followed by the Ozuma extending his hand with his index and middle fingers raised, to which the Avatar blinked in confusion.

"… Huuumnh, is that a yes or a no?"

"This is called the Unison Sign," Shujinko explained. "Ninjas perform this sign every time after sparring. We do it to acknowledge to each other that we're still comrades and that no hard feelings remain. You might not be a ninja and we haven't done any sparring, but I'd say the rest fits just fine," Tentatively, Aang imitated the gesture and brought his hand close to Shujinko's, assuming this was how it was done. The two of them locked fingers together, and after a while, Aang's classic smile returned to his face, his friendship with Shujinko now fully healed and restored.

While this was happening, Toph placed her hands on the back of her head, smirking mischievously. "You know, they could've easily shaken hands like normal people instead of doing that weird finger thing,"

"Oh, let them have their moment, will you?" Katara asked the earthbender as she stood next to her, though her tone of voice was merry and joyful rather than berating.

"Relax, I'm just teasing. It's good to see Twinkletoes and Shujinkid finally making peace with each other. We have enough drama in our lives as it is,"

"Shujinkid?" Sokka repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What kind of nickname is that?"

"One to remind Shujinko that despite being a ninja, he's still a kid just like us. With the way he acts sometimes, I think he forgets his own age. Besides, I already had nicknames for the rest of you and I didn't want Shujinko to feel left out,"

Upon hearing that unfamiliar term, Suki, who had been watching the exchange between Aang and Shujinko with great attention, turned her face to where Toph was. "Sorry, I'm not following here. What does being a kid has to do with being a ninja? In fact, what even is a ninja? If it's slang for something, I definitely haven't heard that one before, and I've spent quite a bit of time listening to refugees from all over the Earth Kingdom,"

The Water Tribe siblings stared at each other for a moment before setting their eyes on Toph, whose smug expression had just vanished from her face. The three of them had just come to realize that Suki still remained clueless about Shujinko, as no one had told her the truth in the past few days. After traveling with the Chunin for so long, they had almost forgotten how baffling and enigmatic his existence could be to anybody who had just met him, and if they were to explain to Suki who the Ozuma was and the things he could do, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors would undoubtedly question their sanity.

Since Suki was still waiting for an answer, Sokka took it upon himself to avoid the topic in a masterful display of improvisation, a performance the likes of which could only be done by geniuses such as him. "Let's leave the questions for later. What's important is that Aang and Shujinko are friends again, isn't it? Come on, Team Avatar! Group hug time!"

000

With every step they took, the majestic walls of Ba Sing Se became a less distant sight.

Despite the physical strain that the Serpent's Path had put on his body, Shujinko felt lighter than usual. He was even in a good mood. After all these days of ignoring each other, he and Aang were finally back to being friends. The Chunin had always assumed the day would come when the two of them would bury the hatchet and let bygones be bygones, but he was glad that said day had finally arrived. Staying annoyed at Aang any longer would've been pointless, especially now that with Appa still missing, teamwork was more important than ever.

What surprised him was the fact that Aang was the one who had apologized to him, in front of the group no less. Although Shujinko had reached out to him first, the conversation they shared was more of a way to start an indirect and tacit reconciliation process. Meanwhile, the airbender publicly admitted he was in the wrong and asked to be forgiven. Doing that sort of thing required maturity and humility, for which the Ozuma had no choice but to respect Aang. The Avatar didn't even attempt to get Shujinko to acknowledge his own mistakes in return, because, after all, the Chunin wasn't completely blameless in the affair.

"So why did you lie to me the other day?"

Suki's question shook Shujinko out of his train of thought. "Lie? What are you talking about?"

"Come on, isn't it obvious? When I asked you if you were in charge of teaching something to Aang, you said you weren't a bender. However, when the Serpent ambushed us, both you and Katara went after it. I saw you running across the lake with my own eyes, so you must be a waterbender. Either that or I hallucinated the whole thing, which I highly doubt,"

Shujinko gulped uneasily. Between the Serpent's attack and Ying giving birth, it hadn't even occurred to him that he had blown his cover right in front of Suki. His first instinct was to come up with a lie or an excuse to explain what she saw him do in a way that made sense. However, if explaining the impossible was already hard enough, doing it on the spot was even harder. It didn't help that Suki was staring at him while he remained silent, which only made him look more suspicious.

"I'm not trying to invade your privacy. It's just that I can't think of a reason as to why you'd lie about something not being a bender. I mean, you sure don't look like you're from the Northern or Southern Water Tribe, but leaving that aside, whether you're a waterbender or not makes no difference to me. There's no need to hide it as if we were in the Fire Nation,"

"… It's not that simple," Shujinko replied. "Look, I'm probably the most unusual guy you'll ever meet. There's a lot about me that isn't worth knowing, and if I explained it to you, you either wouldn't believe me or wouldn't understand any of it,"

Suki furrowed her brow. During their brief journey through the Serpent's Pass, she had indeed noticed a few peculiarities about the golden-eyed boy in regards to some of the things he said, how he carried himself, and the overall manner in which he acted. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, yet Suki was convinced (now more than ever after what he had just told her) that Shujinko wasn't like the rest of Team Avatar.

In the beginning, she thought it was all in her head and that she was drawing hasty conclusions. After all, she barely even knew the guy and it wouldn't be fair to base her judgment on mere assumptions. However, after observing how other members of the group interacted with Shujinko, Suki realized all of them were aware of how different Shujinko was. More importantly, they knew what was so different about him while she remained guessing, sort of like an inside joke that she wasn't in on.

Normally, Suki wasn't someone who got hung up on stuff that didn't concern her, but on this occasion, her curiosity got the better of her. After carefully considering her options, she went looking for answers from the one person whom she knew wouldn't let her down.

|Flashback, Two days ago|

"Sokka, can I ask you something?" Suki said, to which the son of Hakoda raised his head.

He was in the middle of honing his jawbone dagger using a whetstone. The sharpening process of any weapon demanded focus in order to prevent the accidental loss of fingers, so Sokka put the dagger back in its sheath before meeting Suki's gaze. "If this is about what happened earlier, I already explained myself. Your sleeping bag was way too close to the border and the ledge didn't look stable at all. Besides, what if you accidentally roll over in your sleep and end up falling down? It was an unnecessary risk and I felt obligated to point it out for your… for the safety of the group,"

"My sleeping bag was twenty feet away from the border at the very least, but I don't want to discuss that right now," Suki replied before shooting a quick glance at her surroundings. Since it was their turn to stand guard, she and Sokka were the only ones awake this late into the night. So far, their watch had been as uneventful as a painting, but given that Suki was about to talk about someone behind his back, she figured the least she could do was to make sure he wasn't around to hear it. "I was hoping you could tell me what the deal with Shujinko is,"

Despite the obscurity of the night, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors managed to see Sokka's shoulders growing tense all of a sudden. He narrowed his eyes and looked to the side, and then he suddenly started waving his arm around as if he was trying to make a fly go away, though Suki saw none near him. "I'm not sure I get you. What do you mean by what Shujinko's deal is? Has he been, I don't know, hitting on you or something like that?"

Suki had to press her lips together before they could form a smile. She was no expert on the field of romance, but she wasn't blind either. His body language coupled with the forced dismissiveness in his voice was a telltale sign of poorly concealed jealousy. Back home, Suki had witnessed displays similar to Sokka's whenever her fellow warriors gossiped about some of the local boys, especially when another Kyoshi Warrior was involved in such rumors. Eager to see his reaction, Suki decided to tease him just a tiny bit before they went back to the main topic.

"I didn't say that, but why do you ask that? Would you have a problem with it?"

"M-Me? No, of course not. Why would I? I just assumed that was the case due to how much of a flirt Shujinko is. Don't tell him I said this, but he's always trying his luck with every girl he bumps into. In fact, I think I saw him winking at Gaita the other day, not that it's any of my business,"

Now THAT was something Suki seriously doubted. It didn't even matter that she knew very little about Shujinko because actions spoke louder than words when it came to this subject. When a boy around their age was flirty, it was so evident that you had to be completely oblivious (or another boy) to not see it. Suki had been keeping an eye on the Ozuma whenever he talked to Katara and Toph, and she paid extra attention to Shujinko during the few instances in which she interacted with him. She didn't do this for a particular motive, it was just something she did almost unconsciously as a way to determine the social dynamics of a group without needing someone else to spell it out for her.

So far, none of Shujinko's mannerisms, gestures, or responses suggested the level of interest towards the opposite gender that Sokka described him with. If anything, Suki had detected more signs on behalf of Katara. Naturally, they were only minor ones as the Serpent's Path wasn't really an adequate place to make a move, less so when dealing with the pressure of having to keep a pregnant woman and her family safe, but the signs were still there. For example, whenever the group was taking a break, Katara usually sat the closest to the Ozuma out of everyone else. There were also these furtive glances that the waterbender sent his way, even when he wasn't talking or doing anything interesting.

"You know him better than I do," was the most neutral answer Suki could give at the moment. She would've loved to argue with Sokka about this, but this wasn't the time or the place to go forth with that juicy debate. "Anyways, that's not the point. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Shujinko. He seems like a smart and capable guy. However, if I'm being honest, I can't help but notice that… I'm not sure how to put it. It's as if he's different from the rest of you. Honestly, I get the feeling he's a warrior more than anything else,"

"A warrior?" Sokka repeated. "Well, I guess you could say that. In a way, we all are. We've been fighting against the Fire Nation for a while now and we've risked our lives in battle more than once. Isn't that the sort of things warriors do?"

"That's not all there is to it. Listen Sokka, I haven't done nearly as much traveling as you have, but I've spent almost my entire life studying the ways of war. Back home, we were taught that true warriors are determined by their actions. You can wear fancy armor, wield any weapon of your choosing and be the best fighter in the world, yet unless you live your life as a warrior both inside and outside of the battlefield, you don't get to call yourself one. For whatever reason, I can sense some of that in Shujinko even though I barely know him,"

After a moment of silence, Sokka took a deep breath and exhaled quietly while the frown on his face faltered. He would never admit it, but hearing Suki praising Shujinko was making him feel uncomfortable. At the same time, however, he knew what she was talking about.

The Ozuma wasn't someone he would describe as a warrior, or at least he didn't match Sokka's understanding of the concept. 'Soldier' was a more fitting term in his opinion. Regardless, Shujinko was neither of those things at the end of the day. It didn't matter whether he was fighting an unhinged, spear-wielding psychopath, figuring out the identity of Earth Rumble's champion, or acting as Team Avatar's spokesperson when dealing with sandbenders, for he was one thing and one thing only.

Inside and outside the battlefield, Shujinko was a ninja.

"So, could you tell me more about Shujinko? I don't need to hear his whole life story nor do I want to, just enough to have a general idea of who he is,"

"I could, but…" Sokka looked conflicted with himself for a moment before he shook his head. "No, it wouldn't be right of me to do that. Shujinko has been with us for approximately three months now and I've gotten to know him little by little. Believe me, Suki, you're better off not asking about him,"

"How so?"

"If I tell you, do you promise to stop with the questions?"

What other option did she have? Sokka was being quite defensive about the topic and pestering him wouldn't go anywhere. She doubted his next answer would satisfy her, but it was better to be fed scraps than to starve, so she replied by giving him a nod.

"When it comes to Shujinko, he's… Well, he's unique. It's as if the more you understand him, the less sense he makes. It's complicated, I know, but everything about him is complicated. He's the kind of person that proves to you that you haven't seen it all, and he does it over and over again, like a big box of surprises that never end. If I told you some of the stuff I've seen him do, you'd think I'm nuts and I wouldn't hold it against you," Sokka said. Then, to Suki's confusion, a timid smile tugged at his lips. "The craziest thing of all is that, somehow, Shujinko has managed to fit in. At first, I didn't think I'd ever see him as one of us, but now, it's hard to see him as anything else. I guess that, in the end, I don't mind him being so different from what we're used to, and although it can be a headache to figure him out, I'm glad to have him around all the same…Just to clarify, he hasn't been hitting on you, right?"

|End of flashback|

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you told Sokka that you won't be staying with us much longer. Is that so?"

It was now Suki's turn to snap out of her train of thought. Shujinko was staring at her with those bright golden eyes of his as the two of them kept walking. Suki shook her head slightly before giving him an affirmative nod. "Yeah, it is. Once we get to the city, I'll hop on the first ferry that's ready to depart and sail back to Full Moon Bay. It's been a memorable experience, but I can't just drop everything and join your adventures for good, not when my fellow Kyoshi Warriors are waiting for me to return,"

"… I know what that's like. Some people have been waiting for me to return for quite a while now," Shujinko said, his voice suddenly acquiring a somewhat melancholic tone. Suki swore that, for an instant, a glimmer of sadness dimmed his eyes, but Shujinko turned his face away before she could look deeper into them. A bit concerned, Suki was about to ask him if there was something wrong, but the Chunin raised his voice before she could raise hers. "Anyways, even though it's a bummer that you'll be parting ways soon, it's probably for the best as well,"

"For the best?" the young warrior repeated, frowning ever so slightly. "What do you exactly mean by that, if I may ask?"

'It means that I won't have to tell you who I really am, where I'm really from, and what I can really do, which also means you won't think I'm some crazy lunatic in return,' was what Shujinko wanted to say. Before he could come up with an alternative answer, however, the Chunin stopped walking as he noticed a figure gliding in the sky. It was Aang, who was making his way towards them after checking the walls of the city, followed closely by Momo. With a swift wave of his staff, the Avatar landed on his feet right in front of them, his forehead covered in sweat. "Aang, what are you doing here? Didn't you say you were gonna-"

"We got a problem on our hands, a serious one," Aang cut him off. The expression on his face was one of sheer alarm and the words that came after justified his consternation. "The Fire Nation is here. They are trying to tunnel through the walls of Ba Sing Se by using a giant drill they've built. It's the biggest machine I've ever seen. It hasn't reached the city yet, but it's getting closer every minute. If we don't stop it, all of Ba Sing Se will be in grave danger,"

…

Shujinko inhaled deeply and let out a sigh as he lowered his chin. "… We just encountered a giant snake this morning, and now we have to take care of a giant drill too? Can somebody please explain to me what the hell is happening? This is too much nonsense to deal with even by our standards,"

"Maybe, but we have to do something about it. People's lives are at stake here, Shujinko,"

"I know, I know, but the Earth King better reward our services after we solve this mess. Aang, in which direction is that drill coming from?" Shujinko asked, to which the Avatar responded by pointing his finger to the northwest. "We need to work together on this, but there's still some distance left before we reach the city and not everyone is as fast as us… It's no use. Aang, you're coming with me. We'll get to the top of the wall, inform the guards about the situation and figure out the rest afterward. That's all I can come up with at the moment,"

Like an obedient troop who had just received orders, Aang nodded before turning around, sprinting at full speed and throwing his staff into the air like a javelin. Moments later, the staff performed a loop while opening its extensions, which allowed the young monk to reach it with a single jump. In only a few seconds, Aang had gone from standing still to soaring through the sky like a bird.

"It still amazes me whenever he does that. I wonder if Avatar Kyoshi used to glide often once she mastered Airbending," Suki commented as the Chunin took off his backpack. "Come to think of it, how do you plan on keeping up with Aang's pace? You might claim to be the most unusual guy I'll ever meet, but I doubt you're unusual enough to grow a pair of wings and fly away,"

Her statement was completely brushed off by Shujinko, who had no desire to engage in a witty back-and-forth. "Suki, you wait here for the others and tell them what's going on. It'll be exhausting for sure, but you, Toph, Katara, and Sokka are gonna have to make it to the walls of Ba Sing Se as soon as you can. Also, please hold on to this for the time being," Without waiting for her to extend her arms, Shujinko handed his backpack to the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, who was a bit at a loss by the request. "I'll be able to move quicker and more comfortably without it. Oh, and most importantly, don't lose any of my things. This backpack must return to me exactly as it is now, you understand?"

The Ozuma certainly hoped she did, for the befuddled look on Suki's face was the only answer he got from her. He then turned to face the direction Aang had previously pointed his finger at got into a running stance, but right when he was about to leave, he was interrupted by Suki. "W-Wait a second, Shujinko! Stop playing games already. Just what are you going to do?"

"… One last thing, Suki. Whatever you see me do next, no matter how crazy or illogical it might be, wait until it's over before you start making any questions. I swear I'll explain everything,"

SWOOSH

If Suki had anything else to say to him, she didn't get the chance to do so, as the brown-haired boy was no longer there. Stunned and gaping, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors blinked furiously before gazing at the distance, spotting Shujinko by mere luck. The boy was jumping and running at speeds no person, bender or non-bender, should be capable of reaching, and soon enough, Shujinko was nothing but a shifting dot in the field, almost indistinguishable from the rest of the landscape. Such was her awe that Suki hadn't noticed the backpack had slipped from her grasp and now lay at her feet.

'Shujinko…What in the name of the Spirits are you?'

000

|Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se|

'So these are the infamous walls I've heard so much about,' Shujinko thought as he approached the city, sprinting with his arms pulled back in typical shinobi fashion. 'Damn, they sure are enormous,'

Indeed, the walls that encircled the capital of the Earth Kingdom were a breathtaking sight to behold, standing a little over a hundred yards tall. Built from solid rocks and with several outlook towers placed at the top, it was enough to make the Hidden Leaf Village's entrance and its surrounding structures look like an elaborated mockup in comparison. Even though it had most likely been constructed through the use of Earthbending, a line of defense as huge as this one must've taken longer than a decade to erect, probably a lot more since the Ozuma didn't know the first thing about architecture or anything related to it.

However, the Chunin didn't need to be an expert on the subject to realize that walls of this size couldn't be brought down or penetrated by employing brute force, not without an equally strong and resistant instrument. Perhaps bombs could get the job done, but a whole lot of them would be needed to make it work and there was the issue of getting sufficiently close to set them up without being caught. Shujinko recalled Aang saying there was a drill advancing towards the city, which seemed like a hypothetically feasible way to achieve the deed, but it left the golden-eyed boy with an unsettling doubt.

How massive was this drilling machine that Aang spoke of? It had to be ridiculously big and potent, and resilient enough to endure attacks from guys who could sling boulders around with little effort. It was hard to imagine a machine that met such requirements could be designed, let alone created, but Shujinko had seen some rather impressive inventions on behalf of the Fire Nation thus far, so it would be stupid to underestimate the might of their technological prowess.

'Guess we'll just have to wait and see,' the Ozuma told himself as he jumped high into the air with a summersault. Pumping a moderate amount of chakra before landing, his feet got stuck to the surface and Shujinko began to climb the wall by running upwards. He hated the uncomfortable feeling that came with defying the laws of physics this way, so he dashed across the wall before he could get dizzy and lose his balance. A hundred yards were nothing to a ninja, but running said distance at a ninety-degree angle made it cumbersome.

Eventually, Shujinko reached the top and vaulted over the battlement without checking if there were any guards in the nearby perimeter. Admittedly, he wasn't taking many precautions nor was he acting with the stealth and finesse ninjas were known for, but it didn't matter all that much given how he wasn't trying to infiltrate the place. Still, his presence at the wall was sure to be met with distrust and maybe even hostility on behalf of the soldiers there, so the brown-haired boy would have to raise awareness about what was going on outside without making a ruckus or starting a fight.

Luckily for him, the coast was clear. The Ozuma even found a tower viewer just a little bit further from where he was. He made his way over there and pointed the lenses to the drill's tentative position. 'Now where is this thing? A big chunk of moving metal shouldn't be hard to find. There's no way they could've camouflaged something so… Wait, what is… Sweet grandmother of Kami, what is that?'

For a couple of seconds, Shujinko forgot how to breathe as he laid eyes on an authentic man-made monster of steel.

It was huge alright, a freaking titan of a machine. Rolling on massive tank treads, the drill was not only tall and corpulent, but its length had to be somewhere around a mile and a half long, maybe even two full miles, surpassing the height of Ba Sing Se's Outer Wall. Its pace was steady and not too slow for its size. It was the most absurd and terrifying tool of destruction Shujinko had ever seen in his entire life, and if left undisturbed, it could easily level a village such as the Hidden Leaf to the ground within hours.

The Fire Nation had really gone all out on this one. If that thing perforated the walls of Ba Sing Se, or even worse, managed to get through them and enter the capital, the Chunin didn't want to imagine the kind of disaster that would come out of it. One way or another, that drill had to be stopped, but how?

"Hey, you there! What do you think you're doing?" In his bafflement, Shujinko was unable to detect the presence of a guard, who was now jogging towards him. He was clad in dark green armor while his helmet had a plume attached on top of it, and his face carried an expression that was less than friendly. "Civilians aren't allowed on the wall, especially kids! How did you get here?"

"Trust me when I say I'm the least of your problems right now," the Ozuma replied, a bit out of breath. "Please, I need to have a word with your leader. No time to explain,"

The guard simply stared at Shujinko as if he had just spoken in a foreign tongue. "Kid, are you daft, or is the altitude messing with your head? I'm warning you, stop acting dumb and step away from the tower viewer unless you want to get yourself into further trouble,"

"Sir, this is urgent! The Fire Nation is attacking you! There's a giant drill out there that's… Look, I'm with the Avatar, okay?"

"Fine, you asked for it. I'm taking you to the penitentiary. Let's see if you still enjoy telling lies once I put cuffs around yo-"

That was when Aang made an entrance worthy of an Avatar, falling down from the sky and manipulating the surrounding air to provide a soft landing for himself right next to Shujinko, glider in hand. "I'm the Avatar. Take us to whoever's in charge," he said with an authoritarian tone that the Chunin didn't know Aang could adopt. Dumbfounded, the guard seemed to have lost his voice, and when he found it again, only three words came out of his mouth.

"… R-Right this way,"

000

|Outer Wall's command post|

Throughout the long history of the Earth Kingdom army, there were many notable figures that had rightfully earned their fame thanks to their unwavering bravery, their tactical brilliance, or their skills on the battlefield. Children and adults alike revered some of these high-profile soldiers, comparing them to other such heroes and debating which one had the most noteworthy military career out of all of them. This particular topic was centered on facts, rumors, and no small amount of conjecture. Be that as it may, no one could ignore the legacy of these men, nor deny them the respect they were owed after everything they had done to protect their kingdom and its people.

That being said, none of that could be used to describe general Sung, the man tasked with overseeing the defense of the Outer Wall.

General Sung, a man in his late fifties, was a controversial individual in his own right. Even to this day, the vast majority of the soldiers in the army couldn't explain his polemic rise through the ranks, which they mostly attributed to sheer dumb luck. His track record was barely above mediocre, not what one would expect from a man of his standing, and his biggest achievements were those whom he shared with others, always making sure to receive his slice of the credit. He was cartoonish compared to his fellow officers and was unarguably less qualified than them, yet for some reason, the Earth King himself had appointed him general under the personal recommendation of his advisor.

In spite of all that, it wasn't like Sung was completely devoid of qualities. He wasn't a bumbling nincompoop who had no idea of what he was doing. He genuinely had the Earth Kingdom's best interests at heart, and after spending so many years serving in the army, Sung had acquired some level of experience on the matter. Furthermore, he was quite eloquent and was able to exude confidence whenever he wasn't under pressure. Sung's limited traits wouldn't be much of an issue if he was a common soldier or a low-ranking official. However, because he was a general, his lack of aptitude really stood out, as Team Avatar would soon find out.

"It is an honor to have you here in Ba Sing Se, young Avatar. Your arrival, although unexpected, is most welcomed," Sung said, smiling amicably at the group of youngsters that were standing in front of his desk. "I am general Sung, and I was told there were pressing matters you wished to discuss. Well then, feel free to speak,"

Aang didn't waste any time on formalities and went straight to the point. "General Sung, you must stop the Fire Nation before it's too late. That drill they have will tear through the walls if we don't intervene. You could send a couple of your men to help us down there,"

"The drill? Is that what this is about?" the general didn't seem the least bit worried. If anything, his serene smile grew wider as he made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "While I do appreciate your proactiveness, your concern is unfounded. Yes, I am aware of the drill, and I assure you the situation is under control. There is nothing to fear,"

"Nothing to fear?" Shujinko repeated, raising one of his eyebrows. "General Sung, with all due respect, I don't understand how you can say something like that. Have you worked out a plan already? Do these walls have any defense mechanisms built into them?"

"Of course… Well, not quite, but measures have been taken, that much I can guarantee. You see, there's a reason as to why Ba Sing Se has never been conquered by the enemy. These walls and the men who guard them have kept this city safe for decades, and they shall continue to do so uninterruptedly. Whether we are approached by soldiers or machines, none may enter against our will. After all, this place was given the name of Ba Sing Se, the Impenetrable City. Can you imagine if it was called 'Na' Sing Se?"

Apparently, Sung had made a humorous remark, for he started chuckling to himself. Shujinko blinked three consecutive times while staring blankly at the general, not only because the joke completely flew over his head, but also because he couldn't believe how this guy was behaving. What sort of general acted so carefree and tried to be funny when his city was about to be invaded?

Once he was done laughing, Sung let out a mirthful sigh and got up from his chair, pointing his left arm at the exit. "Now, as I've said, measures have been taken. But since you are already here, how about you join me outside and see it for yourselves? Maybe a demonstration shall help put your doubts to rest,"

Team Avatar followed the old-timer outside the command post. The Ozuma was wary of Sung's laidback attitude, a sentiment he shared with the rest of the group, but he still wanted to give him a chance. For all they knew, those measures the general had taken, whatever they were, could be enough to neutralize the threat of the drill. If the general was so confident, then surely he had a good reason for it, right? As they were walking, Shujinko suddenly got the weird vibe that somebody was watching him from behind, and he instinctively glanced over his shoulder.

Despite only lasting for an instant, he still managed to catch Suki's eyes lingering on him. The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors immediately looked away and acted as if nothing happened while Shujinko imitated her reaction. In another place and under different circumstances, the Chunin would've felt a little flattered if he noticed a cute girl was checking him out, even if the interest wasn't mutual. However, the brown-haired boy knew damn well Suki hadn't been staring at him out of attraction this last minute or so.

It was out of fear.

In all likelihood, Suki was frightened of him right now. At the very least, she had to be scared, confused, and apprehensive of his presence. Shujinko had done his best to ignore Suki from the moment he saw her walking into the command post, but honestly, he felt somewhat guilty for the position he had placed her in. It was bad enough when Suki questioned him about not being a bender. Now, she'd been shown undeniable proof that he wasn't normal and she couldn't even ask for a minute to process it.

It would've been a lot less problematic if Suki had decided to become a full-time member of Team Avatar, as the Ozuma would've been forced to reveal his shinobi status to her sooner or later and Suki would've eventually gotten over it, just as Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph had done. Those four had grown fairly accustomed to having a guy with unnatural abilities around. Suki, on the other hand, hadn't spent more than a week traveling with the Chunin, who had deliberately tweaked or omitted the truth about who he was.

The worst of all was that once they took care of the drill situation, Suki was going to leave them. Since Shujinko had promised to explain himself to her, the poor girl would have to spend the rest of her life aware of the fact that somewhere in this world, there was an entire civilization of people who could do a whole slew of things that folks here believed were impossible. She'd never get to learn more about it or see it for herself, so in the end, it was knowledge not worth having. Shujinko had tried to keep Suki in the dark for her own good and he had almost succeeded, but it seemed as though higher powers had conspired against him… again.

Before he could dwell on it any further, the golden-eyed boy gave himself a mental slap. 'Stop it, Shujinko. This isn't the time to feel guilty over something that couldn't be helped. What's done is done. Get your head in the game and focus on the here and now,'

After a brief walk, Team Avatar arrived at the segment of the Outer Wall that the drill was headed towards. The Ozuma also espied three incoming tanks on each side of the drill, moving forward in an arrowhead formation. All six of them were imposing on their own, but Shujinko had only noticed them now due to how tiny they seemed compared to the colossal machine they were led by. General Sung had his fists held above his waist in anticipation, which made him look like a kid watching the climax of an exciting puppet show.

"Those arrogant Fire Nation fools think they have a chance. Ha! In their dreams. The walls of Ba Sing Se have never been breached before, and that won't change today,"

"What about the Dragon of the West? He got in twice, didn't he?"

Everyone turned around to face the person who said that, which happened to be Toph of all people. "How do you know that?" Katara asked, to which the earthbender shrugged her shoulders.

"When I was growing up, my parents hired a bunch of personal tutors for me. The one who taught me History was the least boring of them all,"

"… W-Well, huh, that is technically true, but he was quickly expunged in both occasions. It was as if he was never there," Sung stated in an attempt to save a little face. "Besides, ever since then, our efforts to revamp our defenses have doubled. These last years, I've been in charge of my own platoon of elite earthbenders, the Terra Team. Aside from the Royal Guard, these are the finest, most capable soldiers the army has to offer, and I don't say that just because they are under my command, mind you. They are the ones I've sent to deal with this pesky intrusion. Ah, there they are!"

A squad comprised of twenty earthbenders barged into the battlefield using their bending to slice across the rocky terrain, which Shujinko had to admit was pretty cool. The earthbenders then split into groups of ten and proceeded to go after the tanks. With refined coordination, they made quick work out of the tanks by raising pillars big enough to flip them over one by one, tossing them around like food cans. Watching this with his own binoculars, Sung's smirk grew as smug as it could possibly get, and even Shujinko felt their odds were looking better.

Once they were done, the time came for the Terra Team to take on the drill. Just like they did with the tanks, the earthbenders shot columns of earth at the machine from the sides in hopes of stopping it, or at least slowing it down. Unfortunately, neither of those outcomes came to fruition. The columns snapped like breadsticks and the drill continued to move forward, relentless and unbothered. The leader of the Terra Team told his men to try again, but as soon as he gave the order, his helmet suddenly came off after being struck by a small knife, startling both him and the rest of the platoon.

"What in the…" General Sung lowered his binoculars with an awestruck expression on his face, forgetting all about his previous cockiness. "W-Who are those two? What are they doing to my- Hey!" Without asking for permission, Shujinko took the binoculars off the general's hands and stood behind the wall's battlements. After adjusting the lenses to suit him, the Chunin spotted a pair of girls picking the Terra Team apart with ease.

One of them was a close-range fighter who displayed excellent acrobatic skills, moving around and dodging every attack with nimbleness as well as elegance. Her long hair was brown and done in a single braid, and although she couldn't quite see her face, something about the way she moved made Shujinko think she was enjoying herself. Not in a vicious or battle-hungry kind of way, but more like genuinely having fun. Her partner was the complete opposite of her, maintaining her distance and keeping her enemies at bay using weapons, relying mostly on short daggers. Her accuracy was almost top-notch and she acted with the coldness and precision of an experienced markswoman.

Kakashi had taught Shujinko the importance of being able to identify combat patterns, and from what the Chunin could gather, those two girls weren't just fighting together, but they were also working as a team. Their modus operandi was rather simple, yet quite effective. The girl with the braided hair was the one taking down most of the soldiers, evading them first, and then dropping them like flies by throwing quick finger jabs at them. Meanwhile, her friend kept the other earthbenders off the martial artist's back using her arsenal of pungent objects. By the time a soldier shielded himself from her weapons, the acrobat was already on her way to incapacitate him.

Soon enough, the bodies of all twenty soldiers of the Terra Team were sprawled on the ground while the female duo stood victorious, not a single scratch on them. By the looks of it, they hadn't even broken a sweat.

"My… My troops. They were… They were…" General Sung muttered, his lips quivering. Then, in an undignified act of humiliation, he fell to his knees and smacked both his palms against the floor. "How can this be? I trained those soldiers myself! We must get them to safety, b-but if they couldn't stop that drill, then who? Oh, this is an unprecedented tragedy, a calamity without equal! If that drill goes through the Outer Wall, Ba Sing Se shall… shall…"

Sokka put an end to the embarrassing scene by slapping Sung over the head. "Get ahold of yourself! You're a general, aren't you? Start acting like one!"

Meanwhile, Katara asked the Ozuma for the binoculars. Once she got them, she focused her gaze on the individuals who had single-handedly defeated the entire Terra Team. Since they were returning to the drill, the waterbender only got to see their backs, but that was enough for Katara to recognize them. "I knew it. Those are Mai and Ty Lee, the girls who work for Azula. No wonder those soldiers were defeated so easily. If they're here, then that probably means…"

"That so is Azula," Aang finished, frowning as he grabbed his staff with both hands. "I guess it's up to us, then. I don't like saying this, but right now, stopping the Fire Nation takes priority over everything else, even Appa. This drill puts this city and every person who lives here in danger,"

"Not to mention, we'll definitely earn the Earth King's favor if we save the day. He could lend us his support in the war and also help us find Appa at the same time. It's perfect!" Sokka exclaimed with a smile and an opportunistic gleam in his eyes, though they only lasted for a couple of seconds before he was reminded of the main issue. "That being said, first we have to come up with a plan to protect these walls from that giant, evil, terrifying, and seemingly indestructible machine. So… any suggestions?"

"How about we go for the classic boulder-chucking approach?" Toph inquired. "There's plenty of ammunition available. If we hurry up, we could bury that thing by throwing rocks from above,"

For the first time, Suki piped up. "I'm not so sure, Toph. That machine looks durable enough to resist anything we send its way, and we have to consider its huge size. Maybe we should try something more subtle and gentler instead,"

"… Wait, hold up a second. What was that last thing you said?"

The eyes of every member of Team Avatar were now placed on Shujinko, who was staring at Suki with a look of surprise, which just made her feel on edge. "I-I just said maybe we should try something more subtle and gentler instead. Why do you ask?"

"Gentler… Gentle…" the Ozuma whispered.

Seeing him act so weird out of nowhere, Suki began to feel uncomfortable and looked at the other members of Team Avatar for an explanation. To her surprise, none of them seemed the least bit wary of the Ozuma's strange behavior. If anything, they even looked hopeful watching Shujinko musing to himself. What the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors ignored was that not only this was a common thing for the brown-haired boy to do, but also whenever he did it, it was because an idea was starting to take shape inside his head, which was why the rest of Team Avatar was looking at him with such anticipation.

Finally, after a minute of waiting in silence, Shujinko raised his gaze. "General Sung,"

"Y-Yes?"

"Send some of your men down there to retrieve the Terra Team. Make sure that they rescue every last one of those soldiers and have people ready to tend to their injuries. As for the rest of you, follow me. We'll stop that drill ourselves,"

"Does that mean you have a strategy?" Katara asked.

"More or less," Shujinko replied as he turned around, focusing on the drill up ahead. "Suki's right. This is a problem that can only be solved with a gentle approach. Come on, I'll explain it on our way down,"

---

Aaaaaaand that was chapter 20. Hope you all liked it.

Right off the bat let me address a question that some of you may be asking: 'Why is Suki still here? Wasn't she supposed to leave right after the birth of Nozomi / Hope?'

And yes, that is what happened in the show… However, Suki leaving there and then literally makes no sense whatsoever. Team Avatar had just crossed the Serpent's Path, and the show makes it look as though Suki used that same route to return to Full Moon Bay. Why the hell would she do that? Wouldn't it be a lot more logical for Suki to hop on one of those ferries that transport refugees back and forth? She works as a security guard at Full Moon Bay, the place where those ferries depart from, so it shouldn't be a problem for her to get a ticket. Instead, she apparently thought 'Nah, I'll just go through the Serpent's Path again on my own, even if I might run into that giant serpent that nearly killed my friends'.

The writers clearly didn't want Suki to be around Team Avatar by the time they had to face the drill. While I don't blame them for that, the way Suki left in that episode was idiotic at best and irrational at worst, and simply not what a normal person would do. Therefore, I was forced to change this.

Speaking of which, we got some Suki POV in this chapter. I thought this was relevant to include since, unlike the rest of Team Avatar, Suki still has no idea that Shujinko is a ninja. At the same time, she's been suspicious of him ever since they met, and now… well, now she doesn't know what to make of him anymore. In any case, I'd like to know your thoughts on how I portrayed Suki's POV, as I don't get to write from the perspective of female characters very often, at least not extensively.

Also, Shujinko and Aang are officially friends again. It took some time, but in the end, we all knew they weren't going to stay angry at each other forever. I also thought it would be nice to include the Unison Sign from the Naruto series. I know it wasn't necessary, but it wasn't all that horseshoed in if you ask me, and if it was… then, what the heck, I like it anyways.

One more thing: I'm not a big fan of how it was never explained why Sung was an appointed general of the army when he was obviously a comic relief character thoroughly unsuited for his position. Don't get me wrong, my issue is not that Sung became a general even though he clearly wasn't cut out for the job. If we look at history, we can find plenty of real-life examples of incompetent people being put in positions of power. However, there's always a reason behind these scenarios, whether it be manipulation, political/economic influence, traditions, etc. In the show, Sung is basically an idiot that somehow became a general, which doesn't sit well with me. Before the end of Book 2, I will attempt to explain general Sung's rise through the ranks, if only just to make it a little more believable.

My final exams are knocking on my door, so it might take me a while to get the next chapter ready.

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Peace!