Hey there folks here is the update for Son of the Dragon. It's been a little bit but not too long I hope. Felt like we left on a little bit of a cliffhanger from the last chapter but at least we know Naruto pulled out the win.
Right anyway a couple of real quick responses to reviews I received then we can dive on in.
Review: This was an amazing chapter. You have done a great job at explaining the gruesome nature of war and the struggles Naruto and his friends had to go through. Clearly, this will have a great effect on Naruto's future and would be interesting to see the aftermaThe and his return to the Fire Nation.
Response: Thank you, love to hear that you like it. Also thank you, I really want to try and capture how horrible a century long war, especially one with the abilities in the Avatar world would be. We will definitely see the aftermath some even during this chapter.
Review: There was a large review left by ShinigamiNoKitsune209. I am not putting the whole thing here as it would make this less of an Author Note and more Author Chapter.
Response: All jokes aside I appreciate reviews like this one a lot. I have to say you are completely right and I hope to take your criticism to heart and write better thanks to it. I really appreciate not only the review itself but the way you worded your response so that it doesn't feel like an attack at me as a writer but a helping hand. I hope to keep you coming back for more as well.
Anyway, one final thing before we jump into the fic, I want to invite any and everyone to come down and try out AizenTheGoat's discord server. It really is an excellent community and you guys would easily find a place among everyone there. A link for it can be found right here → /auReMTbAn9
On to the story.
In the weeks following the Battle of the Crossroads word about the Jaguars, and more specifically Naruto singlehandedly turning back the vanguard of the Earth Kingdom army and saving not only thousands of lives but also the campaign in the region. In fact word spread so quickly that before Naruto had even awoken from his brief comatose state it had made it as far as the homeland.
Stories of the Son of the Dragon spread throughout the country and each rumor and tale grew more outlandish and unrealistic than the last. As if the actual deed itself hadn't been enough to win Naruto immediate stardom with the people of the fire nation, colonial or otherwise. There was even talk of naming colonies and towns after him. Two babies had even been named Naruto in his honor.
Unfortunately for Naruto this also meant that his family, or more specifically Ozai and Azula heard of them all before he had awoken. As time drug on and she still received no letter from him regarding the event or his own safety she became furious and then terrified by what that could mean. His previous letters all went into detail about how the war was nothing like what they had been taught and how it was actually a brutal meat grinder without saying exactly what horrors he was facing. The sick feeling of him being hurt or Agni forbid being killed filled her entire being with an agonizing ache.
Ozai on the other hand was pleasantly surprised by his brother's bastard spawn. The boy had managed to bolster morale across the nation and the movement to emulate him in battle had made his troops all that much more bold leading to gradual advances across the continent his family had striven to conquer for three generations now.
Naruto was going to provide a perfect poster boy for his military. The Fire Lord never expected he would be wishing for the boy's safe return to the homeland. However he had commanded his nephew's unit be transferred to the Fire Nation to officially recuperate their losses and enjoy a period of relief from the front. He had so many more plans for the unit than that though. Such great plans.
And oddly enough the stain that had become known as the Son of the Dragon would be at the center of it all.
While to most people that moniker was as if some kind of connection between Naruto and his Father in his youth as the Dragon of the West, the truth was a bit different. The name itself had unsurprisingly started among the Thirteenth Jaguars. Those that survived the battle had lived to see a sight that altered their view of what exactly was possible for a bender.
Naruto wasn't the Son of the Dragon because of his ties to Iroh. He was the Son of the Dragon because in those moments he appeared like a dragon straight from legends bound in human flush. The cataclysmic scale of flame he bent to his will and summoned to rain down on his enemies was inhuman.
It was with unanimous support among the survivors that Naruto took the place of their fallen captain. Even while he remained unconscious his troops pushed for him to receive his well earned rewards. Medals, promotions, pay raises, and not to forget titles and accolades that were heard all across the Fire Nation.
To his troops, Naruto, even though he was younger than every single one of them, had become something more. He was like their father now, and as with any family, when their father had been made unconscious and bedridden they had stuck by his side. A second field hospital had to be constructed because his troops refused to leave his side.
Finally after two and a half weeks, the young Captain opened his eyes again. Somehow sti exhausted and sore despite all the time he had spent essentially sleeping.
Mulan, now a Lieutenant, and his other at hand soldiers rushed to get nurses and water for their commander. Mulan practically shoved the other troops out of the way to remain always at hand for her captain. Even going so far as to hold the glass for him as he drank.
He had to be informed of the last moments of the battle as he had little recollection beyond a certain point. He most assuredly didn't recall roasting an army by his lonesome.
She wasn't the only one there. Colonel Raiko had made time in his schedule, despite still being drowned with work at the moment. Especially with all the attention from higher ups now pointed at those under his command.
"How do you feel?" The man asked warmly as he sat beside the bed.
"Not excellent to be honest." Naruto responded with a groan.
"Heh, I imagine not. Then again that is to be expected after the stunt you pulled. You really are something, I guess. I'm saying this, not as your commander kid but more as a fellow soldier. Well done. You saved a lot of lives doing what you did." Raiko said as he gently patted Naruto's shoulder.
"Thank you sir, I lost a lot of lives too though, so I would rather not dwell on it." Naruto remarked.
Raiko and Mulan both grimaced. Naruto might not recall the very end of the fight but he most definitely remembered the lead up to that. The loss of friends and comrades, people he had fought and bled with on countless occasions hurt. It was a special kind of bond. One of such trust to know they would support him in a fight to the death and in the end their own trust in him had played a part in them dying.
"Naruto, I taught you better than that. We keep the ones we lose with us always, but-" Raiko scolded.
"But we don't dwell on their loss we-" Naruto interrupted only to be interrupted himself.
"Recall them fondly." Mulan said with her own scolding look toward Naruto causing the younger soldier to sigh.
Raiko smirked as he looked between the two. Mulan was good for him. A perfect right hand for his own right hand. They'd go far together.
"I am very pleased to see I will be leaving you in good hands." Raiko said with a grin.
"Sir? The army is advancing already?" Naruto asked, frustrated that he was not with them.
"Of course, it's been two weeks, Captain. The war won't stop over some little fight at a crossroads. We have them on the Blackfoot so it's time to take advantage." Raiko explained.
"I see…" Naruto said with a frown.
"Ah, don't pout boy. Your unit has a special assignment. One from the tip top." Raiko said with his smirk sti in place.
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.
"Well first thing is first…" The Colonel began.
"Two months of leave? What the hell are we supposed to do with two full months off?" Naruto wondered aloud as the ironclad warship slid into port in the capital.
"Well, perhaps you could go and visit your cousin, sir? I know you've missed her terribly, plus from the sounds of it we will be swamped when you return from this little vacation." Mulan said from beside him.
"Oh and you say that like you won't be coming with me. I know your family lives in the colonies which can only mean you intend to follow me every step of the way on this hiatus." Naruto smiled over at the woman who simply smiled. She wasn't bothered in the bit that he knew her intentions. She had been trying to make them clear for a while but she just struggled actually labeling them out loud.
"You aren't fully recovered. It's only right I remain right beside you." She replied, getting a chuckle and an eye roll from him.
"We'll see how that goes whe-" Naruto began before trailing off as he saw what, or rather who was sitting at the end of the dock with a furious expression and tapping foot.
"I forgot to write to Azula when I woke up." He realized. Dread bit down into his very being. This was going to be an unpleasant reunion to some extent.
"It's too late to turn the ship around, Captain. Face your fate like a man." Mulan teased.
"And here I was thinking you liked me. Now you seem to want to kill me." Naruto grumbled as the gangplank dropped down. He didn't even get a chance to make his way down it before Azula, followed closely by The Lee and Mai stormed up the incline.
Crewmen and soldiers raced to get out of the steaming little princess's way. She seemed to already have flames crackling in her eyes as she locked onto the image of her beloved cousin and stomped over to him stopping just in front of him with a mix of a pout and glare on her face. Behind her Ty Lee did her best to manage her smile and keep from giggling at her best friend's behaviors while Mai looked entirely too bothered by the antics of the princess.
"Ahem, erm, Surprise?" Naruto tried getting the girl's glare to sharpen before her eyes watered and she leapt into the boy's arms and tightly hugged him.
The pair stayed like that, shocking several of the observers both among their friends and among the various crew members. Suddenly Azula leapt back away from Naruto and hurriedly straightened her clothes out and cleared her face of any traces of the tears she had felt running down it a second ago.
"Any one of you say a word to anyone about what you just saw and you will be a charred pile of ash by the end of the day!" Azula shouted at the people unintentionally gawking.
That snapped them free of their daze. They scrambled to get back to what they were doing and avoid the glare from the eyes of their princess.
"And you!" She said reaching over and slapping Naruto across the face. "Weeks of nothing. I had to find out you were coming here from my father and exactly what was happening by writing to your second in command. Thank you by the way."
Naruto turned to look at Mulan with a betrayed expression, getting a shrug in response.
"She was worried about you. I kept trying to remind you to write to her but you always said you would later. Too late now." Mulan said.
'What is happening right now?' Naruto wondered as he saw Mulan and Azula begin hanging up on him while Ty Lee and Mai giggled nearby.
"Wait, how are you two friends?" Naruto blurted out.
"Tch, we aren't but you need a full time minder to keep you from setting yourself on fire." Azula said with narrowed eyes.
"Dammit I am a war hero. Parade me around proudly, don't try and pick on me!" He griped getting her expression to crack slightly with a grin.
Much more gently she leaned in for a hug, pressing her head tightly against his chest as she did. He was a bit caught off guard but was fast to recover and returned the embrace tightly pressing his face into her hair.
"I really missed you, Naruto." Azula whispered so only they could hear.
"I missed you too. Every moment." Naruto replied.
Eventually the pair broke their hug and proper introductions between the two groups could be held, mostly for Mulan's benefit as the others all knew one another. After that they headed off to return to the palace, though Naruto had already begun planning a surprise for Azula. It would just take a couple of days before it really came to fruition.
"Really?" Azula asked in shock.
"I promised you didn't I?" Naruto asked back.
"Yes, I just hadn't thought it would happen yet. I thought it wouldn't be for a couple years or something." She said.
"Well, it won't be like when I was sent but a month on the island learning and taking in everything you can. Plus I want to introduce you to the person that helped me reach my potential there. I think you two will get along. Especially since I plan on her doing the same for you that she did for me." Naruto said as he climbed aboard a smaller ship with the girls in tow.
"Excellent! Wait…she?" Azula asked aloud.
"The Captain was partnered with the chief's niece from the tribe you are going to learn from. From what I understand they stay in pretty good contact. Not as good as you and he do, but still pretty good." Mulan explained.
Azula eyed the woman, before nodding slightly to show she had heard her. Mulan gave the princess a smile before heading off the rejoin the others. The princess watched as she went feeling conflicted about the fact she was honestly getting along with Mulan.
Under other circumstances she could even easily have seen her become good friends with the older girl. The fact that she was close with Naruto and his second in command, not to mention all the undoubtedly near death experiences that they had survived together…Mulan might be a problem.
Then again, it could also be the fact that she was feeding too much into gossip around the palace lately. She really was developing a bad habit in that regard. It was just too fun to make up a false rumor and watch it make it's way around the staff of the palace though. Especially when it led to a couple of her maids getting into a fight when they thought no one was watching.
She doubted Naruto would approve of that new hobby. She just hoped he would buy the excuse that it was a way to train her political skills.
Training.
That reminded her she was about to be getting awfully close and personal with another girl that was far too close to her cousin's mind for her comfort. She had already seen how girls and women were beginning to look at him now.
A young handsome accomplished captain in the army. No worse than that, he was a living legend. The type that would draw all the whores across her land to try and sway Naruto's eye.
That was intolerable. Azula had her two friends and Naruto. That was it. Even if she got along with them like Mulan or they were some skilled fire bender like this girl on the island evidently was, Azula would need to make sure they knew their place.
More that they knew her and Naruto's place.
Too bad that she wasn't even certain of their places. Unlike practically everything else in her life she couldn't say for sure what she wanted from the blond boy. He had filled so many important roles in her life she often felt like she wouldn't even be the same person if it wasn't for his involvement.
"Azula!" Naruto called.
The girl but at her lip as the thoughts continued to spin in her head. She still wasn't sure but right now she intended to focus on growing her own skills, especially that of fire bending. That meant she needed to simply keep those…lesser girls at a good length from him until she knew what she was after with him.
The princess restored her regal posture and predatory expression that was considered the trademark of the royal family before climbing onto the ship alongside the rest of their group.
Like everything else she planned to take on his challenge aggressively and tactically. It hadn't failed her in her other challenges faced so far in her life.
The journey to the island of Totec was short. A couple of days. Still Azula and Naruto had made the most of that time. Mulan, Mai, and even to a smaller extent Ty Lee had all felt like extra wheels as the two royals practically revolved around one another.
Azula had even been sleeping beside the young war hero. She seemed so much happier than she had for the last year as long as she could remain by his side. Naruto too seemed to be relieved, actually at peace. At least more than Mulan had ever seen.
"They are something else aren't they?" Ty Lee asked Mulan as Naruto and Azula sparred on the deck of the ship.
"I always knew Naruto was an amazing warrior and bender, but seeing the two of them together…I wouldn't be surprised if she one day earned a dragon moniker just like him." Mulan commented.
"Yeah, their auras are just beautiful. Every time I'm around them I just want to hold onto them and go along for the ride. When they are together though. It's indescribable. I just want to be a part of it." Ty Lee said softly as she stared down at the two benders.
Mulan eyed the younger girl from the side. She was odd but it was clear she was committed to both Naruto and Azula. That made her alright in her book. Plus her bubbly personality was sweet and cute honestly. It was impossible to dislike her.
"Do you know what to expect when we dock?" Ty Lee asked.
"From what I have been told by Naruto, the island is almost completely overrun by jungle. The Sun Warriors have a large ruined city near the center of the island they have booby trapped to act as a test for fire benders seeking them out. It seems like a big waste of time to me, when they could just test the benders in person but benders have always seemed a bit too caught up with traditions and style." Mulan said.
Ty Lee giggled at the older girl's words. She nodded though. "You should see Azula in the morning, she is so particular about her clothes and hair and everything else. She looks incredible though when she is done."
"Naruto isn't that bad but even while on campaign he went out of his way to make himself look good. The perfect balance of gritty and refined." Mulan said.
"Sounds like him." Ty Lee said with a smile.
"Too bad neither would function right without us there to hold them together." Mulan suddenly said, causing The Lee to look at her.
"Don't believe me?" Mulan asked.
"It's not that, just I mean what do I do for Azula that is really all that important?" She wondered, a bit sadly.
*That's just it. You are there. You think Naruto and Azula can hold it together like they do alone. They are so tightly wound that if one thing is out of balance and they fall apart. That's why they need us. We're like their right hands. If they could always be around one another they would be fine. I have figured that much out. But they can't be so they need us to act like stop gaps." Mulan explained.
Ty Lee seemed to be taking in what the other girl said only for both to jump in surprise by the sudden appearance of a smiling Naruto and grinning Azula.
"Not quite. You two are a lot more important than you give yourself a credit for. Azula and I are like partners but you two are just as important. Even if we were together all the time we would need you." Naruto said as he pulled himself the rest of the way onto the observation platform.
"Naruto is right." Azula said as she wrapped her arms around Ty Lee from behind. "You two are our closest friends. You know me better than anyone else in the world, Ty Lee."
Naruto led Mulan away while Ty Lee pressed herself into the brief embrace from the Princess. Her heart sang to be told such things by them. It was amazing.
She wanted to stay with the Royal pair forever. Even if just to watch what they would do with the world.
After docking the ship the group of teens ordered the crew to remain behind as they began their trek into the jungle. The island was humid but not as bad as they had expected. It was slightly more damp than the home island of the fire nation but not any hotter. The girls could easily see themselves taking a vacation here.
"So the Sun Warriors will know to come get us when we reach the ruins?" Azula asked.
"Hmm, not exactly. They're watching us from the jungle already." Naruto explained.
"What?" Ty Lee asked in surprise.
"I can't pick their exact positions out, but they are there just like he said." Mulan confirmed as her narrowed eyes scanned the trees.
"Relax, all of you. It's just protocol. When we reach our destination Chel will meet us." Naruto explained.
That didn't truly relax the girls, now that they knew strangers were watching them. Still Naruto seemed confident and certain of their situation so they followed his lead.
It didn't take all that long to reach the ruins just as they had planned. Unlike most groups who took this path and sought out the native Sun Warrior tribes of the island, there was a welcoming party waiting for them.
The chief was a large rotund man. He reminded Azula of her Uncle Iroh, perhaps younger and less aloof in nature. Beside him a thin scowling older man and an attractive young woman stood on either side.
It wasn't hard for Azula to figure out this was the mysterious Chel she had been hearing about from Naruto. For the first time she felt honestly jealous of another's appearance. This Chel was around Mulan's age but unlike Mulan who was attractive but hardened like a soldier should be, this Chel was something else entirely.
Dark tanned skin that looked smooth and soft to the touch with the most curvaceous body she had seen. Chel most definitely was not chubby in any measure of the word. Her physique was easy to pick out, likely earned through arduous bending training. It didn't help that her attire consisted of some jewelry and a pair of strategically placed strips of fabric that concealed her breasts and crotch…just barely.
Judging by the smirk and way she rolled her hips as she approached Naruto to welcome him with a very tight hug, she knew just how attractive she was too.
Azula decided right then that unlike with Mulan, she was not about to get along with this woman. Chel seemed of the same mind as she smirked at her and approached her.
"So you are the little princess Naruto told me about. I can imagine you will be something when you are all grown up." The woman said sweetly. Sickeningly so.
"And you're Chel, he was just telling me about for the first time on the trip here." Azula said with a snake like smile causing Chel's smirk to twitch.
"Well, he does like to play important things close to his chest." Chel commented.
"Oh, sure of course." Azula replied, her grin spreading.
That grin fell when she noticed Chel's own smile spread broad once again.
"I am going to enjoy teaching you one on one for the next month or so." She laughed.
"I am sure you will." Azula scowled as the woman introduced herself to the other girls present.
As Naruto and the chief caught up, Mulan close at hand should her Captain need her, Chel decided they shouldn't waste any time since they didn't have long together. Rounding up all three of the other girls despite Mai protesting that she was not a bender, Chel set them on the training course that her tribe used to train it's warriors. One she had been using since childhood.
The Ruins, once the ancient home to all the Sun Warrior tribes on the island, had at some point become considered a sacred site that none would permanently live in. Over time it became a trap for foolish interlopers looking to abuse the knowledge of the tribes. It had another use though.
A training ground, one for conditioning and advancing Sun Warrior hopefuls into not only the physical body but also the mental state that was required of such fighters.
In short it was hellish training especially for the three girls who had just hiked in from the coast of the island. They weren't exactly ready for such rough treatment so early but Azula wasn't about to back down, and if she wasn't neither were Mai and Ty Lee.
Naruto watched from the top of the pyramid alongside Chief Kanto, Priest Tzekel, and Mulan, as the girls took on the gauntlet that was the ancient ruins. This was a sort of midterm exam. A test to see how far they had come from their first time taking on the course.
As with their first time, Chel ran along a secondary path activating traps and targets for the girls to overcome and eliminate and even occasionally throwing in a blast of fire to keep them off balance.
Their first time through all three had managed to impress Chel and the other Sun Warriors. Naruto had rubbed it in with an endless stream of I told you so's. He was proud of them, especially Azula. Getting the approval of the Sun Warriors was hard and they were already quickly becoming welcomed. Perhaps his vouching for them helped to an extent but when it came to the tribes of Totec action always spoke louder than words. It was part of their identity and the core belief for their bending.
Thankfully, his own involvement with Azula in the past had allowed Naruto to keep Azula from using her anger and hatred as fuel for her bending like so many that he knew. She wasn't to the point he knew she could reach though. Hopefully her time under the tutelage of Chel would lead her to breaking through that final obstacle like it had for him.
Then again he supposed it wasn't truly Chel but the other teachers on the island that had bridged that gap for him. He had confidence that in the end that wouldn't matter too much and she, no they, would all come out the end of the month different than they had been at the start.
He continued to watch with pride as Azula ran along near vertical surfaces and hopped across narrow platforms with agility few in the world possessed. Ty Lee was close behind making the agility and acrobatic sections of the test look like a game.
Mai struggled the most out of the three which was saying something as she moved easily, her ever present stoic relaxed expression clear on her face.
As they raced up the stairs to the top of the pyramid where Naruto and the others stood, Azula grinned broadly. She still was not overly fond of the Sun Warrior woman, but Chel most definitely had gained her respect.
Over the several weeks of training and sparring Chel had proven to be someone that could go toe to toe with Azula which the Princess had found to be increasingly rare. The only ones that really gave her a challenge were her father, Naruto and a small portion of her father's commandos that he personally trained with.
Most of her training was essentially limited to forms and target practice and if she sparred she rarely kept the opponent long after she defeated them, which was annoying.
The Sun Warriors we're truly pushing her though, really making her work for her advancement in the art of fire bending. That didn't even include the new forms and other additional knowledge she was learning. It was almost like learning fire bending for a second time.
That all in less than a month of training. No wonder her cousin was so impressive after living here among the tribes of Totec for two years.
That was something she wasn't sure she could do. There was another element to the fire bending here. A spiritual one. One that Naruto and Chel seemed to have mastered. One that Naruto occasionally mentioned had mastered his own father rather than the other way around.
It remained just beyond her comprehension. As if she was on the cusp of an epiphany but it remained just beyond her grasp.
The thought ate at her, she knew it was there, could see she was close by the actions of Naruto and Chel, but still it eluded her.
That knowledge bittered her new personal record of completing the course as she caught her breath while her cousin congratulated her and her friends.
"Well done girls." Chel said as she approached. "I have to say I am impressed, but also admit I may have missed you. You see this isn't a mid term test. I didn't need to see your growth, you all did. Still this test is the shifting point of your time here. Mai, Ty Lee, you both will continue your martial training. Azula, you will be coming with me."
Azula shared a brief glance with her friends but noticed the look of even greater pride in Naruto's eyes. That alone drove her to quickly move after Chel. Whatever this was she would be sure to master it quickly so that she could show him she wasn't far behind his level.
Chel led Azula into the heart of the ruins. It wasn't a comfortable journey, as much of it was spent avoiding traps and obstacles as had been present in the training course Azula and the other girls had run just a while ago.
The destination they were bound for deserved as much protection though. While there were many sacred sites across the island for the various tribes, few truly compared to the one that they were headed for now.
"You should consider yourself very lucky. Not even Naruto was brought here before spending six months with my tribe." Chel called back to Azula as she led the way.
"So I am just that good then?" Azula asked with a cocky smirk.
"Hardly, in truth I argued that you are not ready. It was only because of Naruto and the fact you will only be here a short time that you are being pushed into this training." Chel seemed offended by the idea of simply calling what they were doing training.
Azula scowled at the woman's words. She was so used to being the best, even as a princess always earning her place at the top. Whether through honest means and hard work or conniving manipulation. Either way she always earned that top marked spot.
Here Chel was demeaning her, telling her that she didn't deserve it this time. It had only been by the insistence of Naruto that it was happening at all. It infuriated the princess, but she kept her sharp tongue under control. Something that was only possible after several years of practice doing so in the capital.
The Totec woman smirked at the fiery look in Azula's eyes. That was good. Let the princess believe she disparaged her and the girl would work even harder to accomplish what was placed before her. She normally would have taken a healthier approach to this portion of the training as she herself had been taught. With the time constraints though, Chel doubted the traditional methods wouldnt produce results fast enough.
Honestly she doubted they would have been very effective with Azula in the first place. Naruto had struggled despite his prodigious nature for the single reason that the method ran counter to what his personality dictated was natural for him. In the end he found a work around. It had taken time but he created a hybridized variant of the Sun Warrior styles that fit him to a tee.
Azula was a prodigy in her own right but she simply didn't have two years to formulate her own style of combat. So they would be slapping one together for her that she would have to perfect on her own. At least that was the hope. There were two major hurdles to overcome before that.
"We're here." Chel stated as they came to a cavernous chamber within the ruins. At its center a low circular wall sat with an intimate mural painted across its inner side.
"Alright…now do you wish to tell me what we are doing or am I just supposed to feel something?" Azula asked with arms crossed over her chest and a clearly aggravated expression on her face.
"What?" Chel asked.
"Am I just supposed to feel what to do? That seems like it would fit with all the tribal mysticism you people use." The Princess answered.
"Have we had any sort of tribal mysticism or whatever since you began your training?" Chel asked.
"Well no, which kind of surprised me at first, but I figure this is where it begins." Axula said.
Chel placed a hand on her hip and rose an eyebrow at the younger girl. It was very clear she was judging the princess for her words. She would have very much liked to rough her up right about then but she just wanted to get started and get it over with.
"Just follow the directions painted onto the wall royal brat." Chel said in anger.
"Whatever." Azula huffed as she got into position.
Slowly she began working through the forms directed on the wall. She got the stances down easily enough and soon she was speeding through the order of them like a practiced user.
"What is this a dance?" She asked aloud, realizing that it seemed less like a bending form and more like a traditional dance. Still she could feel her chi flowing more cleanly and powerfully than she had ever felt before. Like a limb that had fallen asleep and was suddenly being used again.
"It is one of the first fire bending forms. But it is called Dance of the Sun Dragon." Chel replied as she took the opposite position and both of them ran through the forms together.
Eventually they came together at the end connecting fists.
"Again." Chel commanded. Azula nodded. It wasn't perfect yet.
"You are in mourning, Naruto it is only natural that you feel so bitter. The war no doubt feels senseless after being fought for so long. Allow yourself time to heal, it is the only way the loss of your subordinates and friends will not hamper you in the long run." The Totec Chieftain advised.
"I wish I could. My leave will be over rather soon though. Besides, it. Isn't the first time I've lost soldiers in battle." Naruto replied as he sat across from the chief.
"Never those so close to you or in such numbers though. Your uncle wishes to break or kill you. You must not let that happen." The Priest said with a deep scowl.
"He is right. You must care for yourself as well. You cannot protect your subordinates or the princess if you are too weakened by previous conflicts." The Chief reminded.
"I know, but one does not disobey orders in the Fire Nation. Especially those given by the Fire Lord himself." Naruto replied.
The older men sighed. It was true. Even they were subject to the whims of the Fire Lord despite how little presence he truly held with the Sun Warriors.
"Your time here draws to a close soon. Your princess has made astounding progress, just as you said she would but still…" The chief stated.
"It's incomplete. I know, and she is still unbalanced. Her fire bending is powerful but only fueled by her rage and ambition. With my time taken up entirely by the military I can't train her." Naruto commented.
"Plateaued progress I'm bending, the machinations of her father, apathy of her mother and brother, and disgust from her uncle…you and her friends are all she has to stop herself from spinning out. The fact she has not already is a testament not only to her own fortitude but also your patience and the respect you draw from her." The priest commented.
"It's not enough though. That's why I wish to ask for a favor. I beg you to give Chel over to Azula's service. An older more mature influence especially from a talented bender like her will help. I know it will." Naruto pleaded with the chief.
"You need not even ask. I was going to suggest something similar. I have no doubt after a few years with Chel, we will see a different Azula. A stronger one as well." The Chief replied.
"Thank you. We only have a week before we are to leave again so I will tell them all tonight." Naruto bowed his head slightly.
"Of course. Any idea what they expect from you next?" The priest asked.
"We will be rebuilding my company. Beyond that however I have to be honest I have no idea." Naruto explained.
"Well, good luck with whatever comes. Hopefully the rebuilding takes some time. You need a long break from the battlefield." The Chief commented.
"We'll see." Naruto said as he stood and made his way out. He had best get the discussion over with. He knew he would be distracted the next few days with thoughts surrounding his troops and taking official command of them.
And that is a wrap. I hope you enjoyed. Clearly an Azula focused chapter here. Naruto appears to be avoiding the grieving process to the best of his abilities and Chel had been introduced.
More where that all came from coming asap.
Till Next Time.
