In a tent, in the middle of a base somewhere, Guan could be seen in front of a table where there were several syringes filled with a bright green liquid.
"Commander Guan." said Dr. Sheng entering the tent.
"Any news?" asked Guan.
"We lost contact with Avatar Korra, it is likely she has been defeated, captured or eliminated." said Dr. Sheng.
"The latter is impossible, since among those with Kuvira was her girlfriend, but that doesn't matter now. Has there been movement in that area?" asked Guan.
"Negative, they don't seem to have moved since we left." said Dr. Sheng.
"Excellent." said Guan.
"I don't understand sir. Why didn't we attack their base directly?" asked Dr. Sheng doubtfully about the former commander's decisions.
"Easy, my dear." began Guan before turning to look at the doctor. "Our attack on Gaoling will begin at dawn and when it does, our force will be unstoppable. Not even the Avatar will be able to stop us." said Guan.
After Naruto woke up, he, the Team Avatar, Kuvira, and the ninjas went to the airship where Naruto was explaining to them about this world.
Needless to say, the ninjas were surprised that in that world there were people capable of mastering the elements similar to ninjas and even more so when they learned about the existence of the Avatar who, like Naruto, considered her to be a jinchuriki for having a powerful spirit inside her.
He was then explaining to them about there being a former commander named Guan who is trying to form the Earth Empire again even though it was destroyed long ago and that he possesses a serum that will turn his soldiers into mindless beasts with the intention of attacking Gaoling to prevent the election.
"I see. You seem to have been busy lately, Naruto." said Tsunade.
"Well, what can I say? That's just me." said Naruto rubbing the back of his neck.
"Anyway, thanks for taking care of him so far, Avatar Korra." said Tsunade.
"Oh, no, it's nothing. In fact, it's an honor to meet you, Lady Hokage." said Korra bowing in respect.
"We're sorry for any trouble Naruto may have caused you." said Kakashi.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" asked Naruto feeling offended.
"Quite the opposite. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him." said Korra.
"Yeah, we owe him a lot." said Asami.
"Stop it, girls. You're embarrassing me." said Naruto with a nervous smile and a slight blush of embarrassment.
"I-I'm glad you're okay, Naruto. I was worried." said Hinata with a slight blush.
"Thank you for your concern, Hinata." said Naruto with a smile, causing the white-eyed girl to smile back.
That didn't go unnoticed by the two women.
"You noticed, didn't you?" asked Asami quietly with an amused smile.
"I think we already know who Naruto's girl is." whispered Korra quietly with an amused smile.
"Well, anyway, we found Naruto, we can go back now" said Kiba.
"Go back?" asked Naruto.
"Our mission was to find you and now that we have, it's time to go home." said Shikamaru.
"Wait, I can't leave yet! Guan is still out there on the loose!" said Naruto.
"He's right. Guan has a powered-up army that he will destroy Gaoling with unless we do something." said Kuvira.
"I'm sorry to ask this of you, since this isn't your world, but we could use your help." said Korra.
"Even if we would like to help, the decision is up to Lady Tsunade." said Sakura.
"So what do you say, Hokage?" asked Shikamaru.
Tsunade folded her arms and closed her eyes as she started to think. Team Avatar and Naruto were a little worried about what her response would be.
"*Sigh* Well, since Naruto is so involved in the issue, there's no choice but to help." said Tsunade with a smile, much to Team Avatar's delight, as they now had more allies.
"What a drag, but okay, I'll help." said Shikamaru. "Do you have a map of the area and Gaoling?" asked Shikamaru.
"Yes." said Mako before placing a map showing the area they were in and Gaoling on the table. "We think Guan will throw his army through this area to raze the city." said Mako pointing to a part of the city.
"I don't think so. From what you have told us, he is a strategist. If he wanted to raze the whole city, he wouldn't just attack through one area, he'd attack through all of them." said Shikamaru.
"So he'll probably split his forces to attack everywhere." said Kuvira.
"But even if they are few, they are heavily powered, plus they are earth and metalbenders. It won't be easy at all." said Bolin.
"That's why you'll be counting on us. Like him, we will split up to cover a certain area and make sure no enemy enters the city." said Tsunade.
"I ask only one thing." said Korra getting the attention of the ninjas. "Don't kill them. I know ninjas are in the habit of killing the enemy, but here we prefer to use it as a last resort."
"Well, since we're in another world, we'll follow the rules." said Kakashi agreeing to the terms.
"But it's not our fault if they end up too hurt." said Kiba followed by a bark from Akamaru.
"I think we should rest now, as tomorrow will be a hard day." said Naruto stretching a little.
They all nodded in agreement, and each went their separate ways to hang out for a bit before going to sleep.
Korra was on her way to her room when, as she passed the kitchen, she heard a noise. Feeling curious, she entered the kitchen, only to find Tsunade rummaging through the cabinets.
"Hokage? What are you doing?" asked Korra catching the Hokage's attention.
"Oh, hello Korra. Sorry to interrupt, but I was looking for some alcoholic beverage. This whole thing has made me a little tired and I need to relax." said Tsunade.
"I think Asami keeps a bottle in that cabinet." said Korra pointing to said cabinet.
The Hokage opened it and saw something that made her smile.
"Ah-Ja. Just what I was looking for." said Tsunade taking out the bottle, opening it and starting to drink it. "Oh, yes. There's nothing like a little alcohol." said Tsunade sitting down in a chair.
"Can I ask you a question, Hokage?" asked Korra.
"Go ahead. And you don't have to be so formal. You can call me Tsunade if you want." said Tsunade.
"Sure. Tell me, did you know about Naruto's parents?" asked Korra seriously.
Tsunade shot the Avatar a serious expression.
"So he told you about it." said Tsunade.
"More like, they told me about it." said Korra emphasizing that she knew about it fully.
"*Sigh* If I'm being honest, I wasn't there when it happened. At the time I was trying to overcome a past trauma and had to leave the village. My teacher, the third Hokage, was the one who was in charge before me for most of his childhood." said Tsunade.
"But doing that to a child is horrible. Why didn't you ever tell him the truth?" asked Korra.
"His father was a ninja known throughout the Hidden Villages. He had made many enemies and if people knew he had a son, they would have gone after him. Being the Avatar, surely something similar happened to you, right?" asked Tsunade.
Korra had to admit she was right. For years, she had been at the White Lotus training center at the South Pole believing it was for training, but it was actually to protect her from the Red Lotus who tried to kidnap her as a child, but they never told her, not even her father.
"Yes, I admit it. They kept things from me too, to protect me." said Korra with her head down.
"When you're Hokage, you have to do things that you'll surely regret, but the important thing is to not let yourself fall into despair and move on, for the sake of all the people in the village." said Tsunade before taking a drink.
"You know? I'm surprised Naruto wants to carry that responsibility." said Korra.
Tsunade chuckled.
"What can I say? It was his dream since he was a kid. In the beginning, he wanted to be Hokage so that everyone would stop fearing and hating him, and even though no one does anymore, he's still going forward with his dream." said Tsunade.
"You trust him a lot, don't you?" said Korra with a smile.
"Not just me. Practically everyone trusts him. He single-handedly made those who were enemies become friends. He also made those who hated him trust him. He's even willing to give his life for all of us. I know he will become a great Hokage." said Tsunade.
"Naruto is lucky to have someone like you." said Korra with a smile.
"It won't be for long. In a few months, I plan to retire." said Tsunade.
"Really? And you'll pass the baton to Naruto?" asked Korra.
"Oh, no. He's still too young and naive to be the Hokage. Besides, it's already been decided who will be the next Hokage." said Tsunade.
"Who?" asked Korra.
"It's a secret." said Tsunade waving her finger in denial with one eye closed.
Korra wanted to know who will be the next to hold the position, but decided to leave it for another time and left the kitchen, leaving the current Hokage to enjoy her drink.
Sakura was walking to the bathroom and when she opened the door, she found Kuvira using the sink.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was occupied." said Sakura.
"No, don't worry. You can come in." said Kuvira, letting the pink-haired girl come in and use the sink next door.
"You know? I think I understand you." said Sakura, surprising the metalbender.
"How? You don't know anything about me." said Kuvira.
"I know, but Naruto told us about you and what you did." said Sakura.
"Then I guess you'll hate me like most." said Kuvira.
"I don't, because someone I know went through something similar." said Sakura, surprising the metalbender, who wanted to know more about that person. "He suffered a lot in his childhood, he was a very important friend to us, but still, he decided to take a dark path full of pain. After that, he hurt many people, including myself, but even though I was losing faith in him, even willing to kill him, Naruto didn't give up. He kept insisting on getting him out of that dark path and swore he wouldn't stop until he brought him back home." said Sakura remembering all the moments she had with Sasuke Uchiha.
Kuvira was surprised. She knew she had done bad things, but she hadn't expected to hear that someone went through a similar experience as she did or even that Naruto was willing to defend him despite everything he did.
"What happened in the end with that person?" asked Kuvira, making the pink-haired girl smile.
"Naruto, in the end, kept his promise and brought him back to the village, though he had to do it by beating him. Because of his crimes, many voted for eternal imprisonment or execution, but thanks to our support, we managed to set him free and now, although he walks a dark path, he does so with good intentions." said Sakura.
Kuvira was surprised to know that, despite all the bad things he did, the jinchuriki and his friends got him released. It was then that she remembered Korra's words when they were in the spirit world. Despite the bad things she did, she was trying to make her see the error of her ways, which she did.
Not only that, but she learned that she was the one who convinced people to lock her in that mountain instead of a ship in the middle of the ocean. It was then that she understood that, if Korra was willing to do all that for her, she should reciprocate by helping her in this situation with Guan.
That might not go a long way to pay for all her crimes or make people or Asami forgive her, but she was willing to do all that to prove that she was no longer the same person as before.
"Thank you." said Kuvira before leaving the bathroom.
"You're welcome." said Sakura despite the fact that the metalbender was gone.
Mako wanted to check the surroundings before going to sleep, so he went to the windows of the main room and when he arrived, he found Shikamaru sitting on the floor and leaning on the couch while looking at the night sky through the window.
"Hey, what are you doing here, huh...?" asked Mako not knowing the ninja's name.
"Shikamaru, Shikamaru Nara." said Shikamaru without looking away from the sky.
"Wait, are you from that clan that can use hidden jutsus to manipulate shadows?" asked Mako.
"Ugh. Damn Naruto. He doesn't know how to keep information confidential." said Shikamaru.
"So, is it true?" asked Mako.
"Yes, my clan is specialized in using shadows, but not only to paralyze or capture the enemy, but also to attack using shadows as blades." said Shikamaru.
"He also said you were very smart." said Mako.
"That's right, I'm at best the smartest of my generation. Some even recommend me as Hokage." said Shikamaru.
"Really? And are you interested in being one?" asked Mako.
"Not at all. Besides, there's a much better person for that position." said Shikamaru.
"You mean Naruto?" asked Mako.
"That's right, I know he will become a great Hokage, and I will be by his side to make sure of it." said Shikamaru.
"You know? In a way you remind me of me. I may not be very smart or have mind-blowing powers, but I'll always be rooting for Korra." said Mako.
"I guess you're right. By the way, you don't need to keep watch, I don't think they're coming to attack us." said Shikamaru.
"How are you so sure about that?" asked Mako before the shadow ninja stood up.
"Because if Guan wanted to kill us, he would have already sent his forces to attack this place." said Shikamaru as he left, surprising the firebender by the shadow ninja's strategic intelligence.
He even went so far as to think about what would happen if Lin and he met and worked together.
Bolin was walking down the halls, letting out a yawn of exhaustion, but then, he heard something gasp and run after him and when he turned around, the next instant something pounced on him and knocked him to the ground, making him yelp in surprise which then turned into laughter as the one who had knocked him to the ground was Akamaru who started licking his face.
"Hahaha. Stop, you're tickling me. Hahaha." said Bolin.
"That's enough, Akamaru." said Kiba coming to the area and making his dog stop before standing next to him. "You have to forgive him, he seems to like you."
"It's okay. I have that effect on people." said Bolin getting up on the ground. "So, is he your partner?"
"That's right, Akamaru and I are a team. We never go on a mission without each other." said Kiba.
Akamaru let out a bark in response.
"Wow. We are the same. Even though we have varied jobs, we are a team, and we work better together." said Bolin.
"Varied jobs?" asked Kiba.
"Yes. Korra is the Avatar, Asami is the director of a famous company, Mako is a policeman and I'm the assistant to the president of Republic City." said Bolin.
"Wow, so you're working alongside the head of the city, huh? That must be a very important job." said Kiba.
"Well sure, it's my calling, but my brother says I'm averse to commitment." said Bolin.
"Why does he say that?" asked Kiba.
"Well, let's just say I've had other jobs before I was where I am now." said Bolin feeling a little embarrassed about that.
"And what's wrong with that? Let's see, why did you get into that job?" asked Kiba.
"Well, to help others. Everyone has their role. I have to find mine and I think that's where I'll find it." said Bolin.
"That's the way to talk. It doesn't matter what others say. If you're where you want to be, then that's fine." said Kiba followed by a bark from Akamaru.
"Thanks, buddy. Eh, hey, out of curiosity, what kind of skills do you have?" asked Bolin curious about the doggy ninja's abilities.
In response, Kiba gave the earthbender a feral grin that made him a little nervous as he could see sharp dog-like fangs.
"You wait until tomorrow and you'll see." said Kiba.
Asami was on her way to her room when then, she saw in a corner Hinata, who was peeping down the hallway. Asami was confused with her until she remembered that over there was Naruto's room, something that made her smile as she realized what she was doing.
"Hinata, right?" asked Asami startling the white eyed girl who let out a small scream as she turned to her. "What are you doing?" asked Asami still knowing the answer.
"I-I? N-nothing. I-I was just..." began Hinata very nervously.
"Spying on Naruto?" asked Asami with a smile, causing the white-eyed girl to blush quite a bit.
"W-What? I-It's not that. I-I assure you that I..." began Hinata before a giggle from the engineer stopped her.
"Oh, relax. I'm not upset. I know why you're doing this." said Asami.
"Y-you do?" asked Hinata.
"You like Naruto, don't you?" asked Asami.
Hinata's face turned tomato red, and she averted her gaze downward.
"W-well, I..." began Hinata.
"Relax. I'm not going to judge you. You can tell me what's wrong with you." said Asami with a confident smile hoping to help the white-eyed girl.
Hinata could sense that the engineer was a good person and decided to tell her, even though she was still nervous.
"Well, you see..." started Hinata before touching her index fingers. "A while ago, I confessed to Naruto how I felt about him."
"Really? And what did he tell you?" asked Asami surprised that someone would confess to Naruto.
"Well, actually, nothing." said Hinata, to the engineer's surprise.
"Nothing?" asked Asami.
"I-It's just that after that a lot of things happened and Naruto had to concentrate on them." said Hinata remembering that, after Pain's attack, the beginnings of the World War happened.
"I see. And you're nervous because, now that it's all over, you don't know what he might say to you, do you?" asked Asami understanding the situation.
"Yeah. What if he doesn't like me? What if he rejects me? What if he thinks I'm stupid for saying that?" asked Hinata about to have a panic attack.
"Hey, hey, take it easy." said Asami putting her hands on her shoulders to calm her down. "If it's any consolation, I was in your situation too."
"Really?" asked Hinata.
"Yes. When Korra came back after being away for a long time, I was nervous about how she would react if I confessed how I felt about her. I was afraid she would reject me or even take me for crazy." said Asami.
"So what happened in the end?" asked Hinata surprised that the engineer and the Avatar were a couple.
"Well, let's just say she was the one who plucked up the courage to confess and I responded. And in the end, we've both been very happy ever since. What I mean is that you won't know what might happen unless you do something. You have to get up the courage and talk to him. Only then will you feel better, believe me." said Asami before leaving.
Hinata stayed behind, taking in what the engineer told her. For years, she had been watching Naruto and was so shy that she didn't dare to tell him how she felt, even when he had to leave for a couple of years to train with Jiraiya. She thought that by the time she came back she would have enough courage, but that wasn't the case.
That's when Pain attacked the Village and she finally got up the courage to protect Naruto and confess her feelings to him, but after that, her fears and nerves returned and she didn't dare to talk to him to find out his answer, which tormented her a little.
Asami was right. She couldn't always focus on the 'what if' forever and live in fear. So at that moment, she vowed to herself that after she returned to the villa, she would confront Naruto and ask him for his answer.
"Thank you, Asami." thought Hinata with a smile.
Korra was in the airship's box, watching the night sky. It would be a lie if I said I wasn't nervous about the big battle that would happen the next day. They might have new allies, but that didn't take away the nerves.
It was then that she noticed, sitting on the railing, Kakashi reading a book. Korra remembered when Naruto told her about his teacher and how he helped her with most of the important things in her life.
Feeling curious, she approached him, catching his attention.
"Can I help you with something?" asked Kakashi.
"Well, I just wanted to tell you that it's nice to meet you. Naruto has told me a lot about you" said Korra.
"Oh yes? What exactly did he tell you about me?" asked Kakashi stepping down from the railing.
"He told me that, despite your flaws, you taught him a lot and he wouldn't be where he is now if it wasn't for you." said Korra.
"Well, I admit that I helped him a lot in his childhood, but the credit isn't mine alone. Many people helped him in ways that I could never have helped him." said Kakashi remembering people who marked Naruto's life like Zabuza, Haku, Sasuke, Jiraiya, Nagato, Iruka, etc. "You have a teacher too, don't you?"
"Yes, I owe him a lot of things. And not only to him, but also to my friends and more people I've met." Korra said.
"In that I can tell that you and Naruto are quite alike." said Kakashi, making the Avatar smile.
"By the way, what were you reading?" asked Korra curiously.
"Oh, it's a very popular book in my world. It was written by Jiraiya, Naruto's teacher, as well as his father, who was my teacher." said Kakashi.
"Really?" asked Korra surprised that the teacher of the teacher of the teacher of Naruto would write a book. "Can I read a little?"
"Sure." said Kakashi handing the book to the Avatar.
Korra opened the book to a random page and started to read a bit, but then, her face turned extremely red, and she quickly closed the book before setting it on fire to ashes, much to the horror of the copycat ninja.
"AAHH! Why did you do that?!" asked Kakashi in horror as he saw his favorite book turned to dust.
"I don't know what's worse! That a Naruto's teacher wrote it or that it's someone else reading it!" exclaimed Korra with a frown before turning around and walking away. "How glad he isn't like you perverts!" commented Korra as she walked off, leaving the copycat ninja behind.
"Well, to each his own." said Kakashi with a shrug. "Luckily, I always carry a spare one for such cases." said Kakashi pulling out another book from his pocket.