Inoichi slowly entered his own mind, after his encounter with the dragons in Azula's mind. He looked over at the now waking girl, and gave her a sad smile. From what he had seen so far, he wanted to go find her parents, as well as anyone else who had hurt her, and destroy each of their minds, slowly, very slowly.

Inoichi stood up and walked over toward Azula. She watched him closely, still a bit wary of him. He sat down next to her, a concerned smile still evident on his face. Without saying a word, he pulled her close to him and held her. This confused Azula at first. He wasn't saying anything but she could feel something from him. It felt warm, as well as protective. She wanted to understand what his intentions were and why she suddenly felt so safe.

Inoichi slowly broke the embrace and looked down at Azula. "Feel better?" he asked her, warmly.

Azula just nodded, she did feel better, better then she had ever felt in a long time.

Inoichi knelt down in front of Azula. "Now, Azula, I want you to do some things for me, ok?" he stated, in a fatherly voice. Azula nodded.

"I want you to practice your fire-bending katas."

Azula stared at him with confusion. "I can't fire bend," she mumbled, sadly. "The kata are useless without fire bending."

Inoichi just chuckled a bit. "Trust me," he replied with a wink. "They will still come in handy."

Azula looked at Inoichi, unsure about the usefulness of the katas, but agreed anyway. Inoichi helped Azula to her feet and they headed out of the office. They found Naruto, passed out on Inoichi's couch. Azula looked over Naruto's sleeping form. He seemed so serene when he was sleeping, not a care in the world. She hoped, one day, she would again sleep like that.

Inoichi looked down at Naruto and sighed. He tapped Naruto, waking him up. Naruto slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "So..Ahhh, you're done," he noted with a yawn.

Naruto got up and smiled at Azula. Inoichi gave Naruto a stern look. "Now, Naruto, there is something I want you to do to help Azula recover." He stated.

Naruto looked directly into Inoichi's eyes; His full attention directed toward the older blonde. "What is it, Inoichi" he asked.

"Take Azula to one of the training grounds and work out with her," he said with a smile.

Naruto nodded and gave a quick salute. "Yes sir," he said with a huge grin. Naruto turned toward Azula and offered her his hand. "Shall we head out?" Azula nodded, and the pair soon left Inoichi's home.

Inoichi left soon after, toward the Hokage tower. He passed by some of his fellow shinobi and smiled. He entered the tower headed to the Hokage office. He found Tsunade at her desk, working on paperwork, a frown on her face.

Tsunade soon noticed Inoichi. "Inoichi, how have you been?" she asked warmly, setting down her pen.

"I am doing well, Hokage-sama," he replied, "just working mostly."

Tsunade nodded. "I thank you for that." She opened one of the desk drawers, pulled out two small glasses, and a bottle of sake. "Would you like a drink?"

Inoichi looked at Tsunade with surprise on his face. "I would love one, actually," he replied and Tsunade poured his drink.

Tsunade lifted her glass. "To Konoha," she toasted and drank it down quickly.

"To Konoha" Inoichi agreed and emptied his glass. He set the cup down and took a seat next to the desk.

"So, how's the family?" Tsunade asked as she poured herself a refill.

"They are doing well," Inoichi replied, taking the some sake for himself. "Ino has been doing a lot of missions lately and Mina is doing well. Business at the shop has been good."

Tsunade smiled. "That's good," she replied, after downing her second glass.

"It is," he stated, finishing his sake. "I would like to talk with you about Azula."

Tsunade set down her cup. "What is it?" she asked, pushing her cup away.

Inoichi was silent for a moment. "She's doing better since she's been with Naruto. He has been taking care of her," he said, hesitating, "but there is a lot of work left to do."

"There is more than that, isn't there?" Tsunade questioned as she looked over Inoichi. He sat there, the sadness and anger in his body language.

"Her own family treated her like a monster," Inoichi cried, his temper beginning to show. "Her own friends betrayed her. She was always alone. As a parent, I can't believe someone would treat their child like that. If I ever treated Ino like that, I would rather kill myself. Just watching her breakdown, seeing her own parents try to destroy her in her own mind, I just want to hurt them."

Tsunade watched the man as his rage filled him. She had to admit, a father's anger was truly one of a kind. She bet if Inoichi ever met the people who hurt Azula, they would wish that they had never been born. She handed him another full glass. "Drink," she ordered, as he stared at her,bewildered. "It will help you calm down." Inoichi nodded and took a drink. "The best thing you can do, is to be there for Azula, like a father should."

Inoichi nodded and filled his cup again, a small smile on his face. "I'll drink to that." Tsunade nodded and the pair continued to drain the bottle in silence.

-SB-

Azula slowly opened her eyes as the sun came in. It had been several days since her last session with Inoichi. She had been thinking over what Inoichi had told her about Ty Lee's and Mai's betrayal a lot. As she looked over their entire relationship, she saw that she wasn't the best friend to the girls. She had been very controlling and vindictive towards the pair.

Azula frowned as she pondered over all of her memories of the time they had spent together. What had she done wrong? Why had this happened? This line of mental questioning frustrated her to no end.

She slowly sat up and looked to see Naruto still asleep beside her. He always slept with her ever since they had moved into this place. At first he would just come in and hold her whenever she had a nightmare. Due to the frequency of her nightmares, they had decided that Azula would sleep in Naruto's room until she felt comfortable enough to sleep by herself. She watched Naruto sleep, a calm look on his face. Azula looked at her caretaker and couldn't help but smile.

Azula slowly lifted her hand and brushed it across Naruto's cheek, against the whisker-like marks. She noted that Naruto would purr as she moved her fingers gently across them. Azula continued to rub Naruto's cheek and his purring got louder the more she rubbed.

Suddenly, Naruto rolled over onto Azula, pinning her to the bed. Azula tried to move but Naruto was too heavy, and she had yet to regain her strength. She stopped struggling and felt Naruto's breath against her neck. A blush slowly grew on Azula's face as she felt Naruto's hot breath against her skin. She couldn't understand why her body was suddenly heating up. This heat was different than anything she had felt before.

When she was fire bending, her body would heat up, but it was an angry heat, a heat of destruction. Now, the heat she was feeling was so different. It wasn't like the burning heat of anger and hatred she was used too. It was a very light heat. It made her feel warm inside, but in a good way. It felt so comforting and light, not heavy and angry. Azula desperately racked her mind as to the meaning and origin of this pleasant, new, sensation. .

As she ran various ideas through her head, she felt Naruto slowly waking up. He slowly stretched his arms and rose above Azula with a loud yawn. He blinked his eyes a few times and saw Azula below him.

Naruto stared at Azula for a few moments wondering if he was dreaming. Naruto looked and saw that Azula had a large blush on her face. Her shirt had bunched up showing her stomach and a hint of her bra. Naruto eyes grew wide and he quickly jumped off the bed.

"I'M SORRY!" Naruto cried as he waited for Azula to hit him and accuse him of being a pervert. After a few moments had passed and he hadn't received a punch of Divine Justice, Naruto hesitantly glanced at Azula and saw a confused look on her face.

Naruto looked at Azula, unsure of what to do. Why wasn't she attacking him? He would expect that if this had happened with any other girl they would have beat the living daylights out of him.

"Why are you on the floor?" Azula asked him, curious.

"Well," Naruto stammered, "I was on top of you, and I saw something I shouldn't have."

Azula stared at him. "That doesn't explain why you are on the floor," she replied, awaiting his response.

Naruto chuckled nervously and slowly got up. "I was surprised, that's all." He replied as he walked toward the door.

"Why were you surprised," Azula asked, tilting her head slightly.

Naruto looked at the girl before her; the way her pajamas hugged her form and the way her hair fell around her face. "I was just surprised," Naruto stated as he quickly got up, the redness spreading across his cheeks. "I'll see you in the kitchen."

Azula watched as Naruto dashed out of the room, still confused about what had just happened. She felt him look over her entire form before he left, and his face had turned red the longer her looked at her.

"What was that all about?" Azula thought to herself as she got out of bed and prepared for the day. Azula soon exited the room and joined Naruto in the kitchen. She watched as he moved around the kitchen with practiced ease. She also noted that there were two other Naruto clones working with the real Naruto. When she first witnessed this this talent of his, it freaked her out. It took her a bit, but she was finally getting used to it. She sat down at the table and continued to watch as the Naruto's cooked.

One of the Narutos turned and looked over at Azula. "Almost done," he promised, sweetly.

Azula just nodded as she stretched. Soon the sound of her name filled her mind. She ignored it and focused on Naruto. The voice grew louder and louder. Azula slowly lead her mind to the safety of the Halls of the Fire Lords. The voice faded away and Azula let out a quick sigh of relief. She had been getting better at blocking out the voices the more time she spent with Naruto.

Azula was pulled out of her mind at the sound of a plate being put in front of her. She looked up and saw Naruto standing beside her, similing.

"Someone seems to be in a good mood," he stated, as he set his down his own food and sat down next to Azula.

Azula nodded. "Just quieting the problems," she stated as she started to eat. The pair ate quickly and Naruto conjured up a few clones to clean up the mess.

Naruto stood up and stretched. "Now, let's get going," he said with excitement.

"Where are we going?" Azula asked a bit surprised. She thought that the day was going to be spent at home.

"Training," Naruto said with glee, and headed out the back door. "You need to get back into shape. We can't have the Princess in anything but her top form."

Azula let a small smirk grace her face. "That's obvious," she stated, a hint of excitement and fear in her voice. "As a Princess of the Fire Nation, I must be prepared for battle at tall times."

Naruto smiled. "That's the spirit," he cheered. "Now, more training and less sitting."

Azula just shook her head at Naruto's antics and soon joined him in the backyard. It was a spacious area, perfect for training.

"We're going to start off with some light exercise," Naruto said with a smile as he motion for Azula to join him. "Let's start with some pushups, 30, exact."

-In Avatar World-

The Royal Airship had stopped at Kyoshi Island for a much need resupply. Everyone had exited the ship and was mingling with the local townspeople. One person stood away from the rest. Mai watched from the sidelines as everyone talked and laughed without her. She sighed and walked away.

She walked around Kyoshi village, looking for a familiar bubbly girl. It had been such a long time since she last saw Ty Lee. Mai walked around the village with her usual, unreadable expression on her face.

When she had first heard that Azula had escaped, she didn't know what to think. Because of the fact that she didn't know in what state of mind Azula was in, she was a bit scared. The last time she saw Azula was when she visited her in her cell. Azula didn't even notice Mai when she had visited. She was too far gone in her mind to notice anyone else. Now Azula was missing, and a great many things could go wrong.

Mai sighed as she walked toward the middle of the village. She wanted to find Ty Lee and get her opinion on Azula's disappearance. It was always good to get the bubbly girl's differing point of view, on any situation. Mai soon found herself standing in front of the Statue of Avatar Kyoshi. It had been restored to its full glory. Mai just looked over the statue trying to glean information as to what the Avatar would do in this situation.

"MAI!" a voice shouted and tackled Mai to the ground.

Mai noted her friend, Ty Lee, hugging her tightly. "Get off, Ty Lee," Mai huffed. Ty Lee giggled. "Sorry," she replied, a large smile on her face. "It's just that it's been such a long time since I've seen you. I missed you so much."

Mai sighed and patted Ty Lee on the head. "I missed you as well," she said. "Now, gets off."

Ty Lee quickly released her grip, her signature smile on her face. Mai just stood up and sighed. "Ty Lee, I need to tell you something. Do you have somewhere private where we can talk."

Ty Lee nodded and walked toward the Kyoshi Warrior training center. Mai followed quickly and made sure that they were alone in the training area.

"So, what would you like to talk about?" Ty Lee asked as she walked on her hands.

Mai sat down and looked soberly at Ty Lee." Azula has vanished," she whispered. Ty Lee fell over in shock.

"Azula? Missing?" Ty Lee asked as she set down. "What happened?"

Mai explained the full story, as Ty Lee listened eagerly. Mai watched as her friend processed the information, trying to figure out what she was thinking. Actually this was the longest she had seen Ty Lee sit still in a long time.

Ty Lee suddenly jumped up, a determined look on her face. "Alright!" she shouted. "Let's go get Azula."

Mai looked at Ty Lee, tilting her head to one side. "Are you sure," she asked. "It might not end well."

Ty Lee just smiled. "She's our friend," she replied, biting her lip. "I want her to be safe and happy. She was so broken after what happened. Even though she was mean alot of the time, Azula was my friend and I will protect her, even from herself."

Mai looked at Ty Lee. "I agree," she replied. "Azula was a witch at times, but she was always there for us. Now it is time for us to be there for her."

Ty Lee smiled and pulled Mai into a hug. "YEAH!" Ty Lee shouted. Mai just tried to breathe, a nearly unnoticeable smile on her face.

-With Azula-

Azula lay on the ground, exhausted. It had been several days since she began to exercise with Naruto and she had to admit it was tiring. She learned quickly that Naruto loved to train and would spend hours doing it, if he could. His work outs were insane, in her opinion. He would do three sets of 300 pushups, 200 sit ups, 500 crunches, 500 punches on each arm, and 500 kicks with each leg.

He had made a similar type of workout for Azula but at a fraction of the number of each exercise. She had to do two sets of 30 pushups, 20 sit ups, 40 crunches, 100 punches per arm, and 100 kicks per leg. Azula was always physically drained after this exercise but somehow, she always felt better at the end. When she trained alongside Naruto it didn't feel like work to her, it was just enjoyment. Did she dare to admit, it was fun?

Azula slowly sat up when suddenly she felt something cold against her cheek. "Here," Naruto offered, holding a cold bottle of water to her face.

Azula took the bottle and slowly drank the cold liquid. The feeling of the cool water entering her body was refreshing. She looked up and saw Naruto standing next to her, his own water bottle in hand. He smiled at her and took a quick drink.

"Have fun?" Naruto asked, grinning.

Azula just nodded. "Yeah," she replied, slowly rising. "It's nice to do this; It helps to clear my mind."

Naruto agreed. "Training always makes me feel better."

Naruto looked up and smiled. It was still early in the day and he had no plans. He looked toward Azula and saw that she was still resting from training. He could tell she wanted to continue but he wanted to build her muscles up a bit more before moving onto taijutsu training. He was about to head inside, when an ANBU appeared in the field.

"Uzumaki, the Hokage wants to see you in her office right away," the ANBU announced.

Naruto nodded then looked toward Azula. "But, what about the princess," he asked, worried about leaving her alone.

"The Hokage has already taken care of that," the ANBU said. "Nara-sama should be here shortly."

Naruto looked at the ANBU, wondering why they were sending Shikumaru's dad to look after Azula. He would rather just send a clone to Tsunade and stay with Azula himself.

"Hello, anyone home?" a female voice called from the front of the house. Naruto created a clone and had it go to the front of the house to greet the newcomer. Soon they were joined by a woman with long brown hair, kept in a ponytail with two tails that framed her face. She wore a pink blouse with a brown skirt. This was Yoshino Nara, mother of Shikimaru. From what Naruto had heard from Shikimaru, she was a "troublesome woman," very strict and overbearing. Based on Naruto's interactions with her, she seemed like a pleasant enough woman.

"Hello, Nara-san," Naruto said, bowing slightly. "Thank you for looking after Azula for me."

Yoshino smiled. "Such a nice young man," she thought. "Please, call me Yoshino."

"Ok, Yoshino," Naruto replied, smiling. He waved Azula over, with a hand. "I would like you to meet, Princess, Azula."

Azula looked at the woman before her, with suspicion. She didn't want Naruto to leave. "Hello," she said quickly and hide behind Naruto.

Yoshino smiled at Azula. "It's nice to meet you," she replied. "I hope we can get along."

The interaction between Azula and Yoshino made Naruto worry. Azula didn't seem to like Yoshino; she seemed to be very suspicious of her. Naruto lead Azula aside, a concerned look on his face.

"What is wrong?" he asked her.

"Do you have to go?" Azula asked, nervous. "Can't you just stay?"

Naruto looked at Azula. "I wish I could but Baa-chan sent an ANBU to come get me. It must be something important," he replied. Fear was still quite apparent on her face. "You will be ok. Yoshino will be here. She's a great person." Azula nodded, yet unconvinced. Naruto noticed this and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, it will be ok. I will be back soon."

Azula didn't move as Naruto held her. She didn't know what to believe. This would be the first time that Naruto would be away from her. This scared her deeply. What if he didn't come back? How would she be able to stop the voices? Suddenly she felt Naruto kissed her forehead. Azula was startled at first, but soon relaxed. "I will be back," Naruto whispered.

Naruto led Azula over to Yoshino. "Keep her safe," Naruto said to Yoshino, a worried undertone in his voice.

Yoshino nodded. "You can count on me," she replied. "Now go. Don't keep the Hokage waiting. "Naruto looked at Azula once more and gave her a smile before leaving the house and a nervous Azula behind.

Azula watched as Naruto disappeared from the house and quickly headed inside wanting nothing more than to find something to distract her mind. She was afraid that the voices would come back and now she didn't have Naruto to help her.

Azula was about to disappear into her and Naruto's room when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to Yoshino.

"Azula, where are you headed?" Yoshino asked, concerned.

"I am just tired," Azula replied. "I was going to take a nap."

Yoshino nodded and Azula disappeared into her room. She quickly lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, hoping the voices would leave her be. She slept peacefully for a few hours, when suddenly she was pulled into her mind.

She found herself standing in her old room in the Fire Nation Palace. The room looked pitiful and unfit to live in. Azula turned and walked toward the door, wanting to leave. She pulled at the handle, but the door wouldn't bug.

She began to panic as she tried, unsuccessfully to leave the room. "Let me out!" she cried as she pulled at the door.

Suddenly she heard a voice from the other side. "I'm sorry, Azula, but I cannot let you out," said Ursa. "This is your home. It's perfect for you."

Azula pulled at the door. "Let me out!" she screamed again.

Ursa just tapped the door once. "Sorry, I cannot, a monster needs to be locked away," she said. "And this is perfect for you. So, enjoy your new life."

Azula heard her mother walk away, leaving her locked in the room. Azula banged at the door with all her might, even attempting to break down the door, but nothing worked. She was trapped with no way out. She sat down with her back to the door.

"Someone help me," Azula cried, as tears started to fall down her face. "Help me."

Suddenly Azula opened her eyes and found herself being held by someone. She was back in her room and Yoshino was holding her close. Azula was surprised by this but was so relieved at being out of the locked room, and away from her mother, that her tears began to flow incontrollable as she lay in Yoshino's arms.

That is chapter seven of ASC. I hope you all enjoy it. I really am happy with all the reviews I have gotten with this story and I want to thank everyone who has reviews. Especially Grievous Hollow, Mrz90, and many others, it people like you who give me the feedback I need to continue to make my stories the best. I love reading all our reviews and the encouragement it gives me to continue to write. Thank you all. Please read and review.