Ozai walked confidently along the catwalk of the lead imperial Fire Nation ship as Earth Kingdom land became visible in the distance. The sky was reddened as the comet passed over head above, the clouds taking on an ashen color.

Ozai couldn't help but smirk,"Fitting, that on a day one hundred years removed from the start of this war, that I would seize victory where Sozin and Azulan could not." Closing his eyes, he allowed a new sensation of power, unlike any he had ever felt in life, to wash over him.

Opening them, he raised a palm, turning it outward to face the land before him. Channeling his new found strength, he bent a stream of fire, more powerful than any he had bent before, down onto the land below him. On adjacent catwalks, he was mirrored by masked soldiers, raining down a hellish torrent that began to scorch the land.

As the fire rained down, Ozai found his ears bombarded by an unfamiliar whistling sound- right before multiple massive slabs of stone careened directly into the side of his airship. Looking out, he attempted to find the source, only for it to make itself known by launching a massive follow up fireball which followed suit into the main motor for the airship.

Scowling, Ozai turned his attention to his adversary: a stone-faced child bearing arrow tattoos. Shedding his robe, leaving himself shirtless and bearing only his pants and arm bands, Ozai launched himself from the slowly tanking blimp. Using fire bending to propel himself, he stood across from the Avatar.

Taking in his surroundings, Ozai saw a vast mass of rock structures which reached towards the sky."The Wulong Forest,"Ozai locked eyes with the child in front of him,"So this is the place the Avatar chooses to die."

"Please," Aang raised his hands,"we don't have to fight. You have the power to stop this madness, to end this war, right here and now."

Ozai looked down at his hands,"For lifetimes the Fire Nation has hunted you, failing at every attempt, and here on the day on my greatest victory the universe sees fit to deliver you to me. I do have the power, Avatar. I have all the power in the world!"

With that, the man launched himself forward, and Aang, expression grim, went forward to meet him in battle.

Spirits, he hoped they could stop the fleet in time.

LB

Naruto could only marvel at the feeling that was threatening to overwhelm him. Experiencing the comet was otherworldly, the rush of power, the exhilaration. 'I could do anything with this.'

"Do not allow yourself to be consumed, ningen."

Naruto shook his head to clear his thoughts after hearing the wise words from the voice in his head. He hadn't even gotten a chance to use his bending and he was already finding himself intoxicated,'I'm fine. I can focus on the task at hand.'

The task at hand was simple:protect Azula as she went through the coronation ceremony.

The princess in question was currently kneeling before a Fire Sage, who was proclaiming her sacred rights and preparing to place the royal ceremonial adornment upon her hair.

Waking up in someone else's bed was awkward for Naruto, especially considering that someone was his boss.

FB

Naruto sat straight up in the unfamiliar room. Blinking twice, he realized he recognized the room to be Azula's. 'But why am I-'

"So you finally decided to wake up," Looking around he found Azula, already clad in her attire for the day, her hair restyled in (what he assumed) was her/the royal groomer's best attempt to cover up the travesty that was her hair post traumatic episode.

Naruto couldn't read the girl's expression, so he just responded as best he could,"Didn't mean to sleep in, guess you could say I was comfortable."

"I'm sure you were."The reply was a tad choppy. Clearing her throat, the princess turned away,"Prepare yourself. The comet shall arrive upon the hour and I wish to be crowned on its arrival, not its departure."

"Of course princess."Naruto replied, extracting himself from the bed. He was still in his normal civilian clothing, and he doubted he had time to go all the way back to his apartment, so perhaps he could just raid the royal armory? "Are Mai and Ty Lee going to be coming to the coronation, princess?"

"No. It will just be you and those necessary to notarize my coronation. They have been informed." Another short reply.

Naruto found himself slightly confused,'Maybe she just doesn't want an audience.'

The alternative was that she had lost faith in Mai and Ty Lee. Why? He was unsure.

FB

And so Naruto stood by as Azula underwent the process of promoting from princess to Fire Lord.

"...and so by, decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now declare you…" The man suddenly trailed off, staring into the distance.

"What? Why did you stop?"Azula questioned, frustrated at being so close to her goal and having it delayed.

Naruto followed the sage's line of sight, and was only mildly surprised to see a sky bison approaching. 'Figures.'

Naruto stepped forward, walking down the stairs as the bison landed. Hopping off the bison were Zuko and the water tribe girl-Katana? Katarina? Katara? Katara!- both with stern expressions.

"Zuko, came to forfeit your life? Maybe congratulate Azula on becoming Fire Lord? You're a little early, the ceremony isn't over yet. Mind waiting a few minutes?" Naruto asked, a devilish smile on his face,

"Azula isn't becoming Fire Lord today,"Zuko asserted."I am."

"And you're both going down," Katara followed up.

"Azula, you go ahead and finish the ceremony," Naruto let loose his control over his bending, causing the very armor on his back to smolder. Looks like this wouldn't be a set of armor he could return.

"Azula, I invoke my blood right to an Agni Kai for the title of Fire Lord!" Zuko challenged, ignoring Naruto. It was, frankly, the safer option. He was relatively confident that he could at least go even with Azula, if not win with the new techniques he'd learned from the Sun Warriors.

But fighting Naruto, who had always appeared so much stronger than him, with him also being exponentially buffed by Sozin's comet with home field advantage? Not a gamble he was willing to take.

Naruto looked over his shoulder, to Azula, who seemed to be contemplating for a moment."Princess?" After all, it was up to her. Technically the blood right to an Agni Kai could not be denied, but Naruto both didn't care for tradition and was too hopped up on comet energy to care unless he was ordered to.

Azula pondered for a moment longer, before smiling. It was the cunning, planning smile that always sent shivers down Naruto's spine: he couldn't tell if he loved it or hated it."So be it, Agni Kai!"

Naruto had to resist the urge to suck his teeth.

Azula and Zuko positioned themselves on opposite halves of the court yard, two great basins of water that made up reflective pools framing the stage of their battle. Standing from a kneeling position, they turned and faced each other.

Removing her robe, leaving herself in just her armor, Azula took up her stance,"I am sorry that it has to end this was Zuzu."

Zuko took up his,"No, you're not."

"Guilty as charged," and with that, Azula bent two fast, precise fire balls directly towards her brother, who blocked both, before returning a stream of flame that ballooned out as it approached Azula, who used bending through her feet to skate away.

As Naruto watched Azula and Zuko fight, he noticed small changes in the way they were fighting. Zuko had gained some composure, being less aggressive and more controlled with his movements, while Azula seemed a tad disheveled. It wasn't as though she had dropped to Zuko's level, but some of her movements weren't as… precise as she probably would have liked them.

'Still,'as Naruto watched on, Azula sent a sweeping wave at Zuko's feet, which he hopped over while sending a single fire ball at Azula. Sliding under the fire ball, Azula returned fire, catching Zuko as he was landing and causing him to stumble back.'She'll win this.'

Now on the back foot, Zuko found himself forced to defend an onslaught of attacks all directed towards a weak point. If he defended his head, a fire ball would come for his legs. If he defended his torso, he'd be forced to dodge a head shot.

Azula walked forward, smirking as she watched her brother slowly crumbing under the pressure of the approaching fire balls. Firing off three in quick succession, she pulled out her ace.

Generating lightning, she lined up her target,"Goodbye, Zuzu!" She fired off her lightning, expecting it to pierce her brother and end the contest as well as his life.

What she didn't expect was for him to seemingly catch the lightning using two extended fingers on his left hand, and then fire back a beam of electricity with his right.

Rolling out of the way, Azula snarled, frustrated,"You learned that stupid trick from uncle?"

"That stupid trick,"Zuko got into his stance again,"is going to win this Agni Kai."

For a split second, all Zuko could see in Azula's face was a combination of frustration and uncertainty. Those emotions were quickly covered in a mask of rage as Azula threw herself back into the fight, attacking with wild abandon. Zuko almost smiled, despite the circumstances,'We always did have father's temper, didn't we?'

"You don't win like this,"Naruto whispered to himself, frowning. Azula's wheel house was precise actions, counter attacks, setting up the opponent before taking advantage of an opening. If she sacrificed strategy for raw damage output, it was highly likely Zuko could beat her.

The tables quickly started to turn, with Azula now favoring head on clashes Zuko was able to regain his footing and get back into the fight. As they fought the surrounding area started to show signs of what appeared to be a war. Roofs caught on fire, pillars were destroyed, heck if Naruto wasn't a bender himself he would've been char broiled by a stray fireball or seven.

On the other side of the courtyard Katara found herself having to use the water from the basins to defend herself and keep the area around her from going up in flames.

'Damnit Azula,'Naruto grit his teeth. The girl was clearly getting winded from the long exchange, yet she didn't show any signs of switching strategies. The sibling combatants both bent a massive stream of fire at one another, the wave eventually becoming blue on one side and orange on the other (consequently forcing Naruto to abandon his post at the base of the stairs).

As Azula huffed and puffed, trying to gain her breath as her hair flowed wildly around her, Naruto couldn't take it anymore,"Damnit Azula, fight smart! You don't win like this! You can't beat him like this!"

Azula seemed to be about to retort, or perhaps think about what Naruto said, but Zuko called out,"What's the matter, no more lightning today? Afraid of it getting redirected?" 'I need to keep her off balance. If she gets her composition back I lose.'

"Oh, I'll show you lightning!" Azula's two extended fingers cut through the air as she became wreathed in electricity, as Zuko got into stance to redirect it. As she prepared to fire, Naruto's words to her rang through her head.

Eyes flickering to behind Zuko, Azula found her soft target and fired.

Tracing both Azula's eyes and the trajectory of the blast, Zuko quickly realized it wasn't aimed for him. Looking to his right, he threw himself in the path of the beam of electricity, intercepting it just in time to save Katara from being electrocuted.

Crumpling to the ground, Zuko groaned. Katara gasped as Azula started laughing maniacally,"Poor Zuzu doesn't look so good!"

Naruto started clapping as he approached the princess, a smile on his face,"Glad to see you pulled it out princess, had me worried for a second."

Rounding upon Naruto, Azula tried to fix him with a stern look, but ended up just looking extremely unhinged,"Don't ever talk to me like that again in your miserable peasant life, understood Naruto? I own you, not the other way around."

"Ma ma, calm down princess. It won't happen again I promise,"Naruto waved her off. "So, permission to execute them?"

Naruto gestured to Katara, who seemed to be circulating water on Zuko's abdomen ('Is that the famous water tribe healing technique?') while Zuko groaned in agony.

Naruto realized that if he killed Katara he probably wouldn't have to kill Zuko, the boy looked terrible.'Shouldn't have turned traitor, Zuko.'

Azula seemed to think about it for a moment, before turning back to the stairs at the head of the court yard. The Fire Sage, who had originally retreated (being a little old to get caught up in an active Agni Kai) had returned, and was composing himself,"Let them go."

"It will be my ple- wait what?"

"I said let them go. I have defeated Zuko in this Agni Kai, and now he has to live with the eternal shame of being banished and removed from his birth right."Turning to Naruto, Azula smiled maniacally,"This is total victory, Naruto, let them live on in shame as the Fire Nation takes over the world!"

'Definitely your father's daughter,'Naruto thought to himself as he watched her make her way back up the stairs.

'A massive ego must run in the family,' the Kyuubi grumbled from within his head.

'Watch it furball, that's my boss you're talking about.'

'Don't act like you're only defending her because she's your boss ningen.'

'What are you getting at furball?' The Kyuubi had to deadpan. Despite his somewhat flirtatious activities with his boss, and the different thoughts (positive and negative) regarding her, Naruto held one flaw that he shared with his original incarnation: he was emotionally as dense as a brick..

'...you know what, forget I said anything. I forgot you and your predecessor share the intelligence of a brick.'

'Shut it the ceremony is wrapping up again,' Naruto responded.

'Stupid ningen,'the Kyuubi snickered, before receding to the back ground of Naruto's consciousness.

"...and so by, decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now declare you Fire Lord Azula!" As the sage finished up his speech, this time uninterrupted, he lowered the ceremonial golden headpiece into Azula's top knot, cementing her as the new ruler of the terrestrial Fire Nation.

Turning behind him, Naruto wasn't surprised to see Zuko and Katara gone, having slinked off with their tails between their legs as Azula was being crowned.

Even though he couldn't say he got to be involved tih any of the action, which was irritating, Naruto could say confidently that the day was a major victory.

That is, until a single soldier came stumbling into the court yard, panting,"Princess Azula -"

"That's Fire Lord Azula, soldier,"Azula cut him off, narrowing her eyes. She had the giant golden head piece on and everything, it should be obvious.

Composing himself, the soldier bowed deeply,"Fire Lord Azula, your father has been defeated and captured by the Avatar."

Now if Naruto had been as loyal to Ozai as he was to Azula, his blood would have ran cold and his jaw would have dropped. But given where his loyalties lied, all he could do was think,'Huh, so he actually beat Ozai without killing him.'

"What?!" Azula was obviously far less nonchalant about the whole situation,"And the fleet?"

"Destroyed, your highness. They were all on track, but due to sabotage apparently all… collided with each other. Violently." The soldier grimaced,"None of the imperial fleet remains."

Azula began to clutch at her hair, trembling. Naruto, feeling as though she was in deep emotional distress, turned to the soldier as well as the priest,"Your services are no longer required. Leave us."

The two quickly scurried out of the courtyard, keen not to draw the ire of the blonde or the newly crowned Fire Lord.

Naruto turned to Azula, who was still trembling,"Lord Azula?"

Azula let out a noise that Naruto momentarily mistook for a whimper, before a small giggle was released. This giggle turned out to be the spark which preceded and uproarious, almost insane cackle.

Naruto found himself put on guard. Azula wasn't prone to large emotional outbursts overall, and given her shown instability over the last couple days as well as the news she had just received regarding her father, things were not looking good.

As Azula's cackle died down, she turned to Naruto, an unhinged smile on her face,"This is a blessing in disguise Naruto, don't you see? A chance for me to cement my reign as Fire Lord as the greatest of all time! I will succeed where my father, grandfather, and great grandfather failed! "

Naruto took a moment to process everything,"But your father-"

"My father has failed, defeated and imprisoned by the Avatar and his allies. And where he has failed, I will succeed." Azula replied, conviction apparent."And besides, you are not beholden to my father. You belong to me and me alone, Naruto." Azula's eyes narrowed,"Or are you forgetting where your loyalty belongs."

"No, Lord Azula,"Naruto dropped to a knee,"I understand who I am loyal to. I am loyal to you and you alone."

Azula reached out, grabbing Naruto's hair. Jerking his head back, she looked him the eyes, looking for even the slightest hint of insincerity. Finding none, she nodded, releasing vice grip on Naruto's golden locks,"Good. Now come, we have work to do and a world to conquer."

Naruto smiled at the prospect,"Yes ma'am.".

This chapter has been done for literally years atp IDK why i didn't post it. But everything from this point on will no longer be cannon, but instead something of my own design. Azula not killing Zuko might be a stretch but I feel like it was done in an on character manner. Azula is also going to slowly recover from her mental breakdown as we move forward.

I appreciate all of you who stick with me. My writing style has gotten better so you should see some story building improvements in the next few chapters.

To the end and beyond.

Love,

Kishi