Naruto stood shirtless on his patio, as he often did early in the morning, arms crossed as he basked in the glory of the morning sun. Usually such a moment would bring a small serene smile to Naruto's face, but today he could only offer the world a small contemplative frown.

'So that was me huh?' His prior existence, as expressed to him by the fox demon who was apparently permanently bound to his soul, had started relatively similar to his own: orphaned and then homeless. Apparently, whenever he was to be reincarnated the universe decided to give him a wrench to the ankle. Also similarly to his past life, he had become a combat machine.

But what separated him mostly from his last life was his motivation. He had, in the past, been entirely motivated by the concept of protecting his friends (even from the consequences of their own decisions Naruto bitterly acknowledged). In this life, he fought because it felt right. He found a strange peace on the battlefield that he couldn't seem to find anywhere else.

'Do I even have any friends?' Naruto had to consider it for the first time in his life. Up until now, he hadn't really had the time or resources to consider such a question. When he was on the streets anonymity had been his friend, Ko was more of a mentor than a friend, and when he was in SSIP making a friend was pretty much asking to be stabbed in the back.

Since leaving SSIP he had spent all of his time with Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai. He couldn't really say he cared too deeply for Ty Lee or Mai. He could say that they were good company, but at the end of the day he was bound to them almost purely by their shared cause.

He'd say he had a sort of … understanding with Zuko. He wouldn't say they were close or anything, but the time he had spent with the boy under Iroh in the walls of Ba Sing Se had lead to him accepting, and respecting, Zuko as a comrade. And while had apparently been the Blue Spirit all along, the fact that he stood with Azula against his uncle evened the transgression out in Naruto's eyes.

'Agni damnit Iroh, why'd you have to be a fucking traitor,' Naruto grit his teeth as he thought of the man. Living with Iroh had been an experience not to unlike living with Ko. While Ko honed Naruto into a weapon, time with Iroh, listening to the mans anecdotes and proverbial wisdom, had made Naruto more human in a way. 'I guess it was good while it lasted.'

Azula… Naruto couldn't figure out what exactly was going on there.

She was his employer above all he would suppose, the princess of the kingdom to which he was to offer his life at any moment. 'Is there anything else there?'

It was rare that Naruto thought with an emotion besides anger, or even considered how he felt about anything or anyone. He was, seemingly by design, mission oriented. But Azula triggered a strange, almost foreign, phenomenon.

It didn't help much that she was extremely hot.

As an image of the crowned princess of the fire nation took center stage in Naruto's mind eye, Naruto felt serene, a sense of peace. That peace was burnt away slowly, painfully almost, as the image was replaced with the imagery of Azula kissing Chan.

Steeling himself and hardening his heart, Naruto's normally warm eyes lost all their depth, filled instead with a cold indifference. 'She's my boss. That's it.'

And with that Naruto turned his back on the still rising sun, and prepared to go about his day.

After all, there were preparations to be made.

Flash back

"They planned an attack… on the capital?" Naruto blinked ,"Princess, speaking frankly, that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of the Avatar doing, even after the 'pentapox' scandal that almost got Mai's father court martialed."

Across the table from him sat Azula, garbed in a robe provided for her by the Earth Kingdom palace. They were enjoying a respite, well deserved after single handedly conquering the largest threat to the fire nations conquest of the known world.

"Under normal circumstances I would say the same, however they plan to do it on the day of a forthcoming solar eclipse," Azula took a sip of her tea ."With our fire bending neutralized by the elimination of the sun, the capital will be an easy target for attack."

"Ah, so that's their play. Do you think this plan goes through even with the Avatar dead?"

"If he's dead, perhaps not."

Naruto let out a 'hm',"Permission to speak freely, princess?"

"Permission granted."

"I kind of hope the Avatar is alive. I want to kill him myself."

Azula rolled her eyes ,"Of course you would."

Narutp shrugged ,"It's not every day you get to fight the Avatar, and very few throughout history can say they killed him."

Flash back end

Preparing a country who hadn't seen foreign siege for well over a century was surprisingly easy. Over a century of war, the Fire Nation had prepared for everything from the possibility of a full blown counter attack by an enemy force to a volcanic eruption in the Fire Lord's main bath chamber.

The problem was keeping it quiet. The plan was to use the fact that the Avatar and his allies wouldn't know that the Fire Nation was privy to their plan in order to capture the Avatar and his forces, eliminating the only remaining threat to the Fire Nation (assuming the Avatar was alive). That plan would go out the window if traveling merchants or soldiers mouthed off to the wrong people.

Supposedly that decision had been made during the council meetings that had occurred while Naruto accompanied Azula and Zuko on their forced vacation, but considering there was still mediation going on at that very moment in the war council room in the palace… Naruto doubted the brass had come to a decision. From what Naruto had heard (mainly from Ty Lee essentially breaking into his apartment to talk his ear off) Azula and Zuko had not only been present in the meetings, but were taking an active role.

'I'd rather fight 3 platoons of earth benders with blind fold and a hand tied behind my back than spend six hours wasting time with politics and all of that other crap,' Naruto mused. Turning to step back into his apartment, he paused for a moment ,'Actually, that sounds like a good time.'

Laying on his couch, Naruto sighed. Thinking once again about his former life, and the demon that apparently reside somewhere in conjunction with his soul, he found himself with less answers and more questions than he started with.

'If you have questions you could always just ask."

Naruto would swear for years afterward that he did not shriek and jump off the couch, before tripping and ending up face down on the floor. Unfortunately for him, the Kyuubi did not forget.

"Can you not? I'm not used to this whole voice in my head thing," Naruto grumbled as he dragged his body back onto the couch, his forehead read from its impact with the wood beneath his feet.

"If we're gonna communicate without you coming all the way into your mindscape, you should probably get used to just thinking what you want to say to me."

'My mind-who? And what do you mean thinking at you?'

"Ningen, always so stupid,"Kyuubi grumbled as though he were an old man ."But your mindscape is the mental manifestation of your mental state. Yours is a sewer, just like your last incarnation. And by thinking at me, I mean you can direct your thoughts at me. Notice how I only started talking to you when you started thinking about me and what I told you?"

'Yeah, that did feel a little too convenient.'

"Because of the way we are bonded, while I can choose to hear all your thoughts, I have elected to only hear thoughts that relate directly to me. So if you want to talk to me, just think about me."

'Huh, nifty little system,' Naruto thought .'I was thinking about all you told me, about the first Naruto and all the shit that he did, and I had some questions that came to mind.'

"Shoot."

'Well first of all, why didn't Naruto kill Sasuke? I mean he could have done it right? You said he pulled back when he and Sasuke ran at each other with the shiny ball thingy and the chirping bird thingy.'

"First of all, it was a rasengan and a chidori you dumbass. Second of all, it'd be like if that girl Azula or that boy Zuko decided to be traitors. Would you be able to kill them?"

Naruto thought about it. He was pretty sure that if it came down to it and Zuko was standing across from him he could strike him down, but Azula…'I'm not sure.'

"Similarly, your predecessor couldn't bring himself to do it either, even in spite of my energy making him more malicious."

'About your energy, any chance I could use it?' From the memories the Kyuubi had shown him, it seemed like it would be a boon in combat. He was already good, but with a secret weapon like that he could be unstoppable.

The Kyuubi paused to ponder for a second ,"I'm not entirely sure. You certainly wouldn't be able to use it in the way Naruto used it, at least not the way you are now."

'Damn, why not?' Naruto asked, deflated.

"Well first of all, you don't have a chakra system and I don't have chakra. I do have some sort of energy, but I don't know if your body, with its limited tenketsu, can channel it, or even access it."

'Limited tenkethus?'

"Ten-ket-su. They're the nodes on a chakra system that allow for chakra to be released into the body and outward as jutsu."

'Oh okay. I got it,' Naruto tried to sound sure.

"I'm in your mind you hairless ape, and you are thinking of me. I know you don't understand," Kyuubi deadpanned.

'Yeah yeah whatever. So you're saying it's theoretically possible for me to access your energy, I would just need to figure out how to do it.'

"Yes, that is correct. You would likely need spiritual guidance of some nature to find it."

'Where do I get that?'

"Figure it out dumbass. Now let me nap, you can ask me more stupid questions later."

'Yeah yeah fuck off you stupid fuzz ball,' was Naruto's flippant reply as the Kyuubi receded into his conscience. Naruto was left to think about where he could find spiritual guidance that would help him unlock the Kyuubi's energy.

'Hmm maybe the Sun warriors? I can pay them a visit after the eclipse business is wrapped up… yeah that's probably the best option I have.'

And so Naruto reclined back on his couch, closing his eyes with a sigh.

Moments later they snapped back open ,'Time to go get some training in.'

With the eclipse about a week away, Naruto figured he could get a couple heavy days of training in, take a day or two to relax, and still be prepared to fight against the invasion. 'Guess it's time to brush up on my hand to hand, can't really rely on fire bending this time can I?'

And so Naruto began to implement his plan. For four days, he would enter the soldiers training grounds in the morning, spar and go through the forms all day, then return home in the evening. He couldn't fight with the normal intensity (no soldiers were to be injured before the eclipse), but it was still worth going through the motions.

On the fifth day, a mere two days out from the eclipse, Naruto was summoned to the imperial palace. Naruto followed the soldier sent to receive him to the door, where he was received by a servant. The servant then led Naruto through the corridors and into the residential wing of the palace.

He was shown to a door, and asked to knock, and so he did.

"Enter." 'That's her, of course.' Entering the room, Naruto was greeted to the sight of Azula, garbed in her night robe, having her hair attended to by a female servant while she sat staring into her mirror.

"So glad you could join me Naruto. Have you made your preparations for the eclipse?"

Deciding to play into her game, Naruto walked around and stood a few paces behind the servant so that he would be visible in the mirror,"Yeah, I'm well prepared for whatever happens. I haven't gotten my orders yet so I'm just waiting for them to be delivered."

"Of course you haven't gotten your orders yet."

Naruto raised an eyebrow ,"Care to explain?"

"Leave us," Azula ordered. For a second Naruto thought she was talking to him, but the servant who was doing her hair bowed, handing Azula the pair of scissors she had been using, and stepping out of the room.

"The reason you haven't gotten your orders yet is simple ,"Azula stood from her chair and turned to face Naruto. As she stepped forward, Naruto stepped back, his back pressed to the wall as the much shorter girl invaded his personal space ,"You haven't gotten your orders yet because I didn't give them."

"I had assumed that General K-"

"You don't answer generals anymore."

Naruto was further confused, as the girl stood up and walked up to him. It was at this moment that Naruto became aware of how good she looked with her hair down, as well as of how her robe shifted. The girl raised her scissors, sticking the point to Naruto's jugular. As the boy backed up, she stepped closer, until Naruto's back was against the wall.

"When we returned from Ba Sing Se, I had father make you my permanent vassal. That means you, and everything you are," Azula leaned forward, turning the scissors sideways against Naruto's throat as she whispered ,"are mine."

Stepping away, the girl pressed the scissors into Naruto's hand, and turned to sit back down in her chair. Naruto knew she could probably see him watching her hips in the mirror, but he honestly didn't care. 'Did I… did I just get bitched? I went from slightly pissed at her to entranced that quick? What is this woman?'

"Now, about your orders…"

As he exited the submarine, ready for battle, Sokka couldn't help but wonder if a direct attack on the Fire Nation with less than a hundred people was a great idea. With a force of this size, they stood a good chance of taking back Ba Sing Se. But standing on the port, on the front doorstep of the Fire Nation, in a man made valley between with bastions lining either side and a force of soldiers there to greet them, some armed to the teeth, some mounted on rhinos, and the largest number of them prepared to torch them alive… the odds looked to be against them.

But when he heard the battle cry of his father, and the segmented tanks began to advance on their foes, Sokka realized that this was it. They could win this.

The tanks created by the Mechanist and his son made short work of the few grounded bastions, and even shorter work of the tanks that were deployed by the Fire Nation to match them. As the troops pushed onto the beach, more soldiers and Fire Nation tanks attempted to flank them, only to be rendered immobile by the Swamp benders.

"We're a man down, where in tarnation is Huu?" Questioned the chubbiest of the swamp benders Tho.

As if on que, a humanoid creature that seemed to be made entirely of seaweed surged forth from the ocean, destroying two tanks and flinging one all the way into a raised bastion.

Tho and Due waved to the creature, with Due calling out,"Huu! Where you been kin?"

The seaweed split open, revealing the face of an older man with greying hair frayed around his head ,"Sorry, takes a while to gather this much seaweed."

Elsewhere, the man to man skirmishing had already broken out. Sokka and his father, Hakoda, met the charge of a group of rhino mounted spearmen. Sokka, using the rhino's front horn as a foot hold, quickly jumped up and dispatched its rider. Turning, he called to his father ,"Watch out!"

Hakoda used his shield to block an incoming fire ball, losing it. Seeing a spearman coming at his side, Hakoda used his own spear to disarm and disable the man, taking his spear and throwing it, hitting two more fire nation soldiers. Seeing Sokka coming, he jumped upwards, landing gracefully behind his son in the saddle of the rhino as he rode by.

"Sokka, if those battlemets don't go down we don't stand a chance down here."

"Hang on, I have an idea."

The idea was to mount Appa with Katara. Flying by, Sokka cut the front end of the battlements turret clean off with his sword, before Hakoda tossed in two bombs, which gave the two soldiers inside just enough time to escape rather than be turned into paste.

As they flew past another battlement, Katara bent water from the barrels on Appa's sides onto the structure before freezing it, leaving it unoperational. The two teens and their father hopped off of appa between two of the last functioning battlements.

"You two take that one, I have this one. Watch each other's backs!" Hakoda ordered. Sokka and Katara nodded. The duo made quick work of the soldiers inside as well as their turret. Exiting the battlement, they watched as their father scaled to the roof of his assigned task, before jumping in through the turret window. There was the sound of a brief scuffle, before an explosion.

"Dad!?" The teens ran over, fearing the worst, as their father limped out of the battlement, his job complete, but clearly hurt as he collapsed to the ground.

Thinking quickly, they dragged Hakoda onto Appa, relocating closer to the submarines, where they had relatively more cover.

As they laid their father onto the ground, he groaned, trying to regain his composure. Pushing his arm to the side, Katara noticed a giant gash along his rib cage.

"Dad, you're badly hurt, you can't go on," she informed him.

Hakoda would have none of it ,"The troops are counting on me to lead this mission. I can't let them down." He tried to sit up, only for his body to give but from the pain it caused him, leaving him to fall back to the ground.

"Can't you do the water healing thingy?" Sokka asked his sister.

"No I cannot do the water healing thingy, at least not well enough that he can lead this invasion." Katara replied, indignation rank on her face.

"Katara, do your best. Someone has to lead this mission,"Hakoda replied, moving his arm to the side in preparation for his daughter to start healing him.

Katara shook her head ,"Dad, it will kill you. I can heal you but I can't let you go back out there."

"I'll do it."

Katara looked at her brother, confused ,"No offense Sokka, but I don't think you have the healing tou-"

"No," Sokka steeled his gaze ,"I'll lead the troops and finish the invasion."

"Are you sure you're ready for that? Maybe one of the other warriors can-"

"He's ready,"Hakoda cut off his daughter. With a grunt, he sat up, addressing his son ,"You can do this. I'm proud of you son."

"I think you're crazy,"Katara smiled at her brother ,"but I'm proud of you too."

Sokka nodded to his family, before mounting Appa and flying back into the thick of battle.

Surveying the battlefield, he found the troops in disarray as they attempted to hold off the remaining Fire Nation soldiers. Landing in front of a Fire Nation tank poised in opposition to one of the segmented ones they had brought with them, Appa lowered his head before knocking the tank to the side.

"Everyone, get into wedge formation! Benders and warriors in the middle! We need to take this tower and head for the royal palace!" Finally receiving orders, the rag tag army complied. With the tanks operating as both a shield and a spear head, and the benders and warriors offering support from the inside, the damage to allied forces would be limited.

Seeing everyone in formation, Sokka drew his sword ."Charge!"

The charge was effective. Gaining ground, they forced the Fire Nation soldiers to fall back closer and closer towards the base of the tower they had deemed as their objective. It took a huge push, but they finally found themselves past the tower and into hostile territory. Sokka had the troops set the tanks into a semicircle, which allowed them safety from fire from the incoming catapults, as well as the tanks.

The plan was to wait until the eclipse began, and while Aang was fighting the Fire Lord (or handing his ass to him on a silver platter considering he would be bending free), they would be able to make the final push and occupy the capital city.

A wrench was thrown into that plan when Aang touched down next to Sokka, Katara, Hakoda, and Toph, who were all overseeing the planning for the next phase.

"Did you beat him twinkle toes?" Toph asked, surprised that Aang was back so quickly.

"The whole city is empty. The palace, everywhere!"Aang relayed.

"They must've known we were coming,"Sokka realized."That explains how much resistance we got on the beach."

"The fire lord is probably long gone, far away on some island where he'll be safe during the eclipse."

"No, my instincts tell me that he's still nearby. After all, he needs to be close enough to lead his troops,"Sokka rubbed his chin."He's probably got a bunker somewhere close. That way he's not only safe, but can make immediate decisions for the military." Reaching into his pocket, Sokka pulled out a stylized watch like device,"The mechanist gave me this watch. It looks like we have about 10 minutes until a full eclipse."

"If they knew we were coming, this could all be a trap. Maybe we should use the time we have left to make sure everyone gets out of here safely."

"Everybody here came prepared to risk everything for this mission,"Hadoka spoke. "They know what's at stake. If there's still a chance, and there's still hope... They'd probably want Aang to go for it."

Sokka pondered for a moment, before turning to the last of the airbenders,"You're the one who had to fight the Fire Lord, it's your call."

Aang thought about it for a moment, weighing the pros and cons, before a hard look came to his face,"I have to try."

"Alright, let's go kick the Fire Lord's butt!" Toph pumped her fists.

It was quickly decided that Sokka and Toph would go with Aang, while Katara stayed and tended to Hakoda, who could relay orders to the troops easily now that they were entrenched.

Flying to the volcanic ridge that surrounded the imperial city, Sokka, Aang, and Toph hopped off, with the resident metal bender expanding her senses downward.

"Do you feel anything?" Aang asked.

"There's a bunch of criss crossing natural tunnels going through the volcano."

"Anything else?"Sokka questioned, hoping their search wasn't for nothing.

Jabbing her fingers into the earth to expand her sensory range, Toph replied,"There's something big, dense, and made of metal deep in the heart of the volcano."

"Sounds like a bunker to me!"

Bending a hole into the volcano, Toph jumped down into a tunnel,"Follow me."

After nearly meeting their end to piping hot magma multiple times, The trio found themselves standing at the massive door to the bunker.

"That's some door,"Sokka whistled.

Walking up to the door, Toph knocked twice before calling,"No problem."

After assaulting the door with a combination that wouldn't look out of place in a fighting tournament, she tore a hole through.

"I'm so glad we added you to the team,"Sokka smiled as he stepped through the hole.

They raced down the corridor within the bunker, incapacitating a few members of the royal guard along the way, they reached another large door. While nowhere near as large as the original door, it was adorned with more motifs of fire.

"This must be it,"Sokka turned to Aang,"Are you ready?"

Aang inhaled, before breathing out,"I'm ready. It's time to face the Fire Lord."

Blasting the door off its hinges, she jumped through with a gust of wind, leveling his staff at the person sitting on the throne in front of him as Toph and Sokka, both ready to fight, stepped through the doorway behind him.

"So, you are alive."Azula greeted him from on the throne in front of him. "I had a hunch. It doesn't really matter. After all, we've known about the invasion for months"

Shaking off his shock, Aang aimed his staff at the duo before him threateningly ,"Where is he? Where is the Fire Lord?"

"Aww, we aren't good enough for you?" Azula questioned.

"Stop wasting our time! You're powerless right now so you're in no position to refuse," Sokka pointed his sword at Azula, noticing Naruto shift to be directly between him and the princess.

"Yeah, and stick to the truth, I'll be able to tell if you're lying."

"Are you really sure?"Azula questioned."I am a four hundred foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns, and silver wings."

Toph paused for a moment, before conceding,"Alright you're pretty good." Stomping the ground, Toph encased both Naruto and Azula in stone,"You really should consider telling the truth anyway."

Before their eyes, to the shock of Team Avatar, the stone surrounding the duo crumbled and fell away.

Dusting off her shoulders, Azula smirked,"When I left Ba Sing Se, I took some souvenirs: Dai Li Agents."

On que, two Dai Li agents fell from their position posted behind steel beams. Aang attempted to catch them off guard by swinging his staff, a gust of wind following it, but the Dai Li bent a wall of stone in between the Avatar and Azula and Naruto.

The wall was quickly reduced to rubble as Team Avatar advanced. The Dai Li attempted to ward Aang off, but using his natural agility he dodged an attempt to blind side him by jumping high onto the wall. The Dai Li were forced to turn their attention to the advancing Toph, each bending a pillar of stone toward her, which she blocked with slanted stone walls. She tried to take a quick pot shot at Azula, but the girl literally jumped off of her attack, back onto the throne.

The game of cat and mouse continued like this for a while, with Azula running while Aang, Toph, and Sokka chased her. That was until she finally slipped up. Using Sokka's love for Suki as bait, she baited the boy in, only for him to be saved from death by neck stab by the team's resident Earth Bender.

Pinning the girl to the wall, Sokka held his sword to her neck,"Where. Is. Suki?"

Azula just smirked at him.

Aang tried to stay with the plan,"Come on Sokka she's just baiting you-"

"Answer me!" Sokka demanded.

It was at this point they heard a loud explosion. Azula smirked,"Sounds like the fire bending is back on."

Kicking upwards with azure flames surrounding her foot, she forced Sokka away. Kicking outwards with the same leg, she shot a fire ball at Toph that knocked the girl back. Swinging her body upward, rotating her wrists in their earthen binds, she planted both feet on the wall, and with a flurry of fire, broke free.

"Father is down the hall, down a secret hallway on the left,"she smiled smugly,"I'm sure he will be delighted to see you now."

And with that she ran off, leaving behind a dejected team Avatar.

"She baited me into wasting all of our time, and I fell for it,"Sokka lamented, disappointed in himself.

"It's okay, now we need to focus on getting everyone out of here,"Aang tried to console him.

Aang was right. All over the capital city, Fire Nation soldiers, empowered by the moon moving out of the way of the sun, began to mount counter attacks against the occupying force, who's strength and morale were dwindling by the minute.

As Zuko walked towards his airship, he couldn't help but feel vindicated. After years of chasing his fathers approval, he could finally breathe as his own man.

Redirecting his father's lightning also helped to boost his spirits.

As he walked to where he had his air ship stationed and ready to go, he also felt a sense of nervousness. Would the Avatar accept him? After all he had chased him around the world, betrayed Katara in Ba Sing Se, leading to the Avatar being shot full of lightning by Azula.

Approaching his airship, Zuko was more than a little surprised to see someone leaned against the side of it. Ruby red eyes stared at him, set in a face of stone.

"So you're a traitor again." Naruto leaned forward, and walked forward so he was standing directly in front of Zuko.

Zuko refused to lose his nerve, even in the face of what could be the fight of (or for) his life. "I'm going to free Uncle. Then, I'm going to find the Avatar and help him end this war."

Naruto stepped forward again, purposely getting into Zuko's face as he stared him in the eyes,"And what if I was ordered to kill you should you try to betray the Fire Nation?"

Zuko narrowed his eyes,"Then I'll go through you."

Naruto looked deep into Zuko's eyes, before closing his own. Crossing his arms, he snorted, letting smoke flow out through his nostrils,"The only reason I'm not going to fight you is out of respect to Iroh and out of respect to the time we spent in Ba Sing Se. But understand this,"Naruto stepped around Zuko and began to walk away,"If I ever see you again, it'll be my responsibility to end you."

And with that the blond haired bender walked away, leaving Zuko to let out a breathe he didn't know he was holding in. He wouldn't say that he was afraid of Naruto, but it wasn't a fight he'd often consider taking.

Zuko tossed his swords and his bag in the air ship, ready to go fight through a prison's worth of guards to liberate his uncle.

He would later find out his uncle had liberated himself.

OKAY. Done. This was supposed to go up tuesday, but I got a long assignment due wednesday on monday and… well yeah its thursday. But story wise, I wanted to have Aang fight Naruto in this chapter, but I figure I should save that for later. I think next chapter I'll have them get into a little bit of a tussle.

Anyway, hope you liked. Leave productive feedback in the comments. Join the discord (link in bio).

Yall be shmooooooth.

Kishi.

Btw if one of you wants to be a spell checker I'd love that.

PPS Is this the first time a story I've written that hits 10 chapters? POG