Disclaimer: I don't own anything

A/N: I just want to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter and everyone that added this story to their favourites and follows.

"You just had to damage my ship and let him get away!"

Naruto offered a sheepish smile to Zuko as they walked down from ship bowsprit. It had been a few days since Aang, Katara and Sokka disappeared, leaving her alone with a furious prince and his amused uncle, and only now they were able to get to the nearest Fire Nation Port for some well-deserved repairs.

The three of them stopped walking as the other ships whistled and hooted. Naruto wrinkled her nose, tensing up as smoke climbed up into her nostrils. This had to be bad for the environment. All that dust, smoke and burning smell was just too much for her nose to handle. How could these people live with this terrible scent?

Maybe they had something to disguise that disgusting scent.

"I had to get them to listen," the blonde shrugged and offered him a smile. "And that seemed to be the only way to get them to pay any attention to me. How was I supposed to know that this big chunk of metal can't handle my punch?"

Zuko scowled. "You did it on purpose! You knew the whole time that he was there."

"Got any proof?" She retorted. "I didn't lie to you."

He growled. "The proof was in the way they came to rescue you."

"Did anyone ever tell you if you keep growling and scowling that you are going to get more wrinkles than Iroh?" Naruto smiled even wider and let out a chuckle when the boy froze. She hummed a small tune, looking at the position of the sun before looking back at Zuko. The prince walked over to the water, kneeling down and touching his face.

I guess all nobilities care about their appearances.

Iroh coughed and shook his head as Zuko swirled his head at her, eyebrow twitching at her obvious lie. She held her hands up, quirking her lips into a smile before looking at the dock before her. No plants surrounded them. The only thing surrounding them was nothing but metal. It's so cold. Even though the soldiers wore shades of red and gold, it was not enough to make the place warm.

"This place is vile." Naruto blinked and her lips twitched into a tiny smile. With those words, she could imagine the Kyuubi wrinkling his nose and holding his head high up like he was the king of the world. Or the spirits. She paused, chewing on her bottom lip as her blue eyes flickered to Zuko and Iroh.

"Kyuubi, how do you know about the Avatar?"

She held her breath, hunching her shoulders. Was it possible her home was nearby? But why wouldn't the Kyuubi tell her? Because he was a selfish ass. That was a possibility but maybe there was another reason. Naruto couldn't deny the fact she could walk with her head high here. No one looked at her with those cold eyes.

The people were kinder to her here and life here was so much more interesting than her own life in Konoha.

"I wasn't always sealed up," The Kyuubi answered. "When I was free to roam the world, I travelled the world in the hopes of learning more about the world."

Naruto frowned. "So you aren't a spirit?"

"Tch! You wish!" The Kyuubi growled. "If I was a spirit, I would be able to take over your body and destroy you filthy humans for caging me like some kind of animal! I'm the great Kyuubi!"

Someone has a big head. Naruto sighed and ran her hands through her hair before looking down at her orange parka. It was so thick, perfect in the South Pole, but the weather here was different. The sun shone with an intensity that made her want to cover her eyes. There were no cold winds to make her have a desire to wear the orange parka.

"It will be a good idea if we get Naruto a change of clothes," Iroh commented, stroking his beard. Zuko stilted while Naruto jerked her head at the old man. Those amber eyes fixated on the orange parka before rising up to her headband. "You will look wonderful in red."

Zuko scowled. "We didn't come here for her to shop!"

"But if we are here then we must take the opportunity to dress her appropriately." Iroh coughed and eyed the uniformed men before flickering his eyes at Naruto. "We can't let her wear the uniform of the soldiers, not when she is a beautiful girl."

Naruto scowled. "I'm more than happy to wear the uniform of the soldiers! You aren't going to make me wear a dress."

I will even wear the clothes of the Earth Kingdom's men. She eyed the outfits of the various women coming out of the ships with their pink robes and ribbons. A scowl played on her lips. Nothing in the world would make her consider wearing those awful outfits. Those were the kind of outfits Sakura-chan and Ino would dream to wear, not her.

She was much more comfortable with pants.

Who the hell is this asshole? Naruto pressed her lips into a thin line as a tall, important-looking man stopped right in front of them. If you were to ask her of what he looked like, she would describe him as looking like a monkey. Honestly who would grow such outrageous sideburns? His dark brown hair touched the corners of his mouth.

The man eyed Zuko than Iroh before landing his eyes on her.

Iroh bowed. "Commander Zhao, what a pleasant surprise."

The commander did not answer, only nodding his head. His beady amber eyes fixated on Naruto, more specifically on her golden hair before moving up to the Hitai-ate around her forehead. Naruto straightened her back, fixing her Hitai-ate, and forced herself to give the man a smile.

"The pleasure is all mine, Iroh." The man said with a voice filled with so much fake politeness alongside an icy tone. Naruto clenched her hands into a fist. With that coldness in his eyes, Naruto could almost see the faceless villagers staring back at her. He is a meanie. She pressed her lips into a thin line. "I heard your ship was arriving, and felt like it was necessary to meet you myself."

Naruto straightened her back before darting her eyes at Zuko. The prince glared at the commander and the blonde relaxed her shoulders. It was good for her to know she was not the only one who didn't like the man. She plastered on a wider smile when Zhao returned his gaze on her.

"And may I ask…who is this?" Zhao smiled and Naruto could feel her stomach rolling side to side at those amber eyes. "She wasn't with you the last time you came for repairs. I certainly would never forget such an exotic addition to your crew."

And why don't I punch you? The words were on the tip of her tongue as those beady eyes moved from her long blond-hair to her whiskered cheeks before landing on her chest. Iroh coughed, narrowing his eyes slightly at the commander before flickering his eyes to her side and then back to her again.

"Her name is Naruto, Commander."

"An unusual name for an exotic beauty," Zhao commented. "But I suppose it is fitting for such a striking girl. Where exactly did—"

"She isn't important." Zuko interjected, narrowing his eyes at the commander. "We came here for repairs and once that is done, we will be on our way."

"Repairs?" Zhao raised a single eyebrow before glancing at the ship behind them. He blinked and gawked at the huge dent that decorated the vessel. While the man inspected the damage, Zuko threw a glare at her as if blaming her for this situation. The blonde stuck her tongue out, earning a sigh from Iroh.

"What happened?"

"It's my fault," Naruto answered, rubbing the back of her neck and letting out a nervous laugh. Zuko and Iroh glanced at each other, eyebrows knitted together into one thin line. "Angry Pants and I were sparring against each other and well I forgot the strength of my own punch."

The man snorted and looked at both Zuko and Iroh. "Tell me what really happened, you can expect me to believe—"

Smash.

The three males swirled their heads around, mouths parting open as Naruto blew off the dust from her fist. The ship, just right beside them, crumbled and split right in half as a dent formed on the metal ship. The blonde clapped her hands together, placing it behind her back before looking back at the paled man.

"Don't believe me now?"

The commander cleared his throat. "Well it seems like you have a wonderful new addition with you. In this case, I must insist that the three of you have a drink with me. I wish to hear about your search for the Avatar, not to mention how you came upon Naruto."

Zuko's face turned a furious shade of red and he opened his mouth to say something, only to wince when Iroh stomped on the boy's foot.

"We would be honored, Commander."

That made only one of them.

These people really like red.

Naruto darted her eyes at the various red decorations surrounding her as she shifted around in the cushion, trying and failing to find a position that made her feel comfortable. She flexed her fingers as Zhao knelt down, pouring her a cup of tea before making one to Zuko. Isn't this a sign of disrespect? Naruto chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes darted to Zuko.

The boy sat still, almost resembling a stone with the lack of movement, and the only sign of his feelings was the occasional flare of his nostrils. His golden eyes fixated on the fire as if debating whether or not to burn the whole tent or not. If I knew any fire release jutsu then I would do it. She pressed her lips into a thin line as Zuko turned to look at her.

After a minute, she looked away and picked up the tea. Ginseng. Her lips almost quirked into a smile as the laughter of her childhood echoed in her ear. Ginseng had been Hinata-chan's favorite tea. Until now, her tongue hadn't touched a single drop of tea. She never liked tea. It just tasted like hot water with some flavor thrown in it.

A kunoichi must learn the art of tea-making even if you dislike it.

"So how is your search for the Avatar going?"

There was a mocking tone in Zhao's voice as those amber eyes glinted with mischief. Naruto paused, placing the cup of tea closer to her mouth, and inspected the commander. That sardonic glint in those eyes brought a chilling sensation in her spine like Katara threw a bucket of cold water on her.

"We haven't found the Avatar." Zuko picked up the tea, fixating his eyes on Zhao. Naruto found her frown deepening as Zhao snorted, not looking one bit surprised by the response. Why is he keeping his findings a secret? She would have been overjoyed to mention the Avatar was found.

Zhao snorted. "Did you expect to find him? The Avatar died a hundred years ago."

"The Avatar could have been reincarnated." The commander turned his attention away from Zuko and fixated his eyes on her. Naruto took a sip of her tea, smiling at the older man in front of her. "Just because the Fire Nation killed all of the Air Nomads, doesn't mean the spirits would stop the Avatar coming out. The spirits would like to correct the mess your people made."

Zhao's eyebrows twitched. "Did your parents ever teach you not to interrupt when two men talk?"

"My parents are dead." Naruto answered, dropping her cup on the table. "So you can blame the streets for my amazing manners."

She kept her voice light and easy, offering them a bright smile as her heart ached for the parents that she never knew. If spirits really existed then would it be possible for her to travel to the spirit world? Naruto flickered her eyes at Iroh. He was old. He probably knew if there was a way for her to go there.

"And where did your parents come from?" Zhao asked, tilting his head.

The blonde shrugged. "Not from any of the Four Nations if that is your question."

Iroh cleared his throat and darted his eyes from the weapons surrounding them before flickering his eyes at her. It was not long before he focused his eyes on Zhao. "I believe where Naruto comes from shouldn't be of any importance to you, Commander Zhao."

"Perhaps the Avatar is hiding in her country." Zhao suggested, eyeing the Hitai-ate around her forehead. Naruto juggled her Hitai-ate, adjusting it till it rested comfortably on her forehead. "Neither of you mentioned where this exotic beauty comes from."

"And this exotic beauty is going to pull out her kunai and stilt his throat if he doesn't call me by my name! What am I? All looks and no strength! I punched that ship so that name goes away." Naruto muttered under her breath, puffing a piece of her blond hair away from her face. Zuko coughed, covering his mouth, and the blonde swirled her head at him.

Did he nearly laugh?

At least someone found some amusement in her misery.

"I hope the three of you realize that the Avatar is the only one that can stop the Fire Nation." Zhao commented, standing up from his seat. Naruto blinked and knitted her eyebrows. When did he change the subject? Not that she wasn't glad. He loomed over them, hands clasped behind his back and amber eyes narrowing at them. "Prince Zuko, if you have an ounce of loyalty left, you will tell me what you have found."

"I haven't found anything." Zuko grinded his teeth, looking away slightly before looking back at the man. He narrowed his eyes at the man. "Like you said, the Avatar died a long time ago."

He is a terrible liar. Naruto pressed her lips into a thin line as Zuko pushed himself off of the cushioned-chair. The teen turned his head around, eyebrow raised at her and the blonde guessed that was her cue to walk away. Not that she was disappointed. Anything would be better than this cold tent.

"Uncle, we are going!" Zuko barked and Iroh sighed, pulling his hands away from the impressive spears on display. I shoulda touch it when I had the chance. The blonde slumped her shoulders, trailing behind Zuko. She stopped as the flap of the tent rustled. Blue eyes darted everywhere as her hand reached out to the sleeve of Zuko, pulling him to a stop.

Was that the wind? Naruto pressed her lips together and placed her fingers together, focusing on directing her chakra into her ears. Heavy footsteps thundered behind those tents alongside the clear clatter that were weapons. Why would they try to ambush them? The blonde clicked her heels together and swirled her head at Zhao.

The man sat back with a smug look that made Naruto want to punch him. The tent rustled again and three soldiers parted the flap of the tent, standing right in front of the entrance. They placed their spears against each other, forming a cross sign as Zhao strolled right towards them.

The third soldier walked past them, not looking them in the eye as he focused on the smug commander in front of them. "We interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed that the Avatar came, trying to rescue the girl, and then ran away before Prince Zuko could capture them."

Zhao curled his lips into a larger smirk. "Now tell me again, how did the girl damage your ship."

Well there goes any thought of going to the shops to get some lighter-fabric clothes.

Naruto wasn't certain how long they were left alone in the tents. With the lack of clocks and windows in Commander Zhao's tents, it was impossible for her to guess how long they had been here. It might have been only twenty minutes or it could have been hours, but it was long enough for her to wiggle in her spot as she tried to figure out where the nearest bathroom was.

With the way those guys kept peacocking, Naruto knew they had to have a decent toilet somewhere.

In that moment the entrance flap of the tent flipped opened, forcing the blonde to stop squirming around in her seat. Her shoulders tingled as Zhao stepped through the entrance flaked by two other soldiers. For an ass, he really does like parading his subordinates around. She could just imagine how annoying it might be to work with an arrogant man like Zhao.

"My ship is preparing to leave," Zhao informed them as his amber eyes narrowed at them. "Once I'm out to sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship and you will be free to go."

I can't believe I'm thinking this but I rather Angry Pants to capture Aang than this asshole. Naruto clenched her jaws together as her blue eyes narrowed at the man in front of her. With Zuko, she could count on him in having some heart when it came to treating Aang like a person. But this guy was different. He was a real soldiers and soldiers never showed mercy.

"You can never show mercy in wars, Naruto. The Fourth Hokage did what he had to do to protect Konoha."

"Y'know it sounds like you are terrified of the idea of letting us go," Naruto commented lightly, shaking her head at the words of the Hokage that echoed in her ears. She flashed him a grin. "Is Monkey Butt worried that Zuko is going to capture the Avatar before you can?"

The man bristled but did not raise to her insult. He only narrowed his eyes at her, lips curled into a scowl as his amber eyes fixated on her bright blond hair. It was not long before his lips curled into a smile, earning a frown from Naruto. He strolled closer to her and knelt down till they were at eye level.

"Prince Zuko will never compare to me," he declared, giving a side-glance at Zuko. "It is impossible for him to capture the Avatar before me."

Zuko jumped from his seat and snarled. "Don't underestimate me, Zhao. "

"I'm not underestimating you, Zuko. I'm going to paint you the reality that is your situation," Zhao drawled with a smirk playing on his face. Zuko froze while Naruto tilted her head with her eyebrows scrunched together. "You have no ship, no soldiers and no honor. How can you possibly hope to accomplish your task? If your father really loved you, he would let you come back without the Avatar."

Time froze as Naruto processed what the man had just said. He can't go back home…he's exiled. Her heart ached for a moment but then it faded as her eyes went to Iroh. Unlike her, Zuko wasn't completely alone. He had a loving uncle by his side, which made his journey a lot less lonely if you asked her. She chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes darted to Zuko.

Shame coloured his eyes and Naruto could only tilt her head. What did he do to be exiled by his own father? Did he commit a heinous crime? She chewed on her bottom lip. That was the only explanation she could think of for why a leader would exile his heir. But what could he have done? From her limited interactions with Zuko, she couldn't picture him killing an innocent person.

He did not have that kind of heart if you asked her.

"In the eyes of the Fire Lord, you are a failure." Zhao declared, dropping his smirk. "And a disgrace to the Fire Nation."

Face it Naruto, you are never going to pass the Genin Exams! You are an idiot.

Naruto clenched her hands into a fist and rose to her feet. "And who are you to call him a failure? What is wrong with being a fucking failure? You learn from your mistakes and grow! Even a failure can outshine a genius!"

"I have every right to call him a failure," Zhao drawled as the guards tried to push her down. The blonde smacked the spears away from her as Zuko stared at her with wide eyes. She inhaled and exhaled, blue eyes darkening as every mocking word thrown at her in the Academy echoed in her ear. "That scar on his face is the proof of that failure."

Naruto narrowed her eyes at him. "What if he can prove you wrong? I bet your ass that he can wipe the floor with you!"

"And what makes you so confident that he can beat me?" The man scoffed. "I have more experience than Zuko and unlike Zuko, I'm a Fire bending master! He will be a fool to challenge me!"

The blonde stilted her eyes. "Maybe you are a fool to underestimate him and not him!"

She will never beat the genius of the Hyuga Clan!

She proved them wrong, didn't she?

"Why don't we put it to the test?" Zuko snarled, raising up to his seat. He darted his eyes at her and Naruto blinked, taken back by the lack of rage or emotions in his eyes. She looked away as those amber eyes fixated on her, looking at her with an intensity that made her want to squirm. "If you are so sure that you can beat me, then prove to me that you are stronger than me! I challenge you to Agni Kai, tonight at sunset."

Iroh groaned, barely loud enough for her to hear, and Naruto darted her eyes at him. The smile on his face faded, replaced with a look of concern as it darted from her to Zuko. I think I might have run my mouth again. If that smirk on Zhao's face was of any indication alongside that frown from Iroh, an Agni Kai was not a good thing.

Maybe I should listen to Sakura-chan and keep my mouth shut.

She had a feeling that Iroh was going to give her a scolding of a lifetime for her impulsive comments.

A/N: I hope all of you like this chapter.

What do you think of this chapter? What do you think of the story so far? Here is another question for you: how do you think Naruto will react when she finds out how Zuko got his scar? And of the interactions between Zuko and Naruto?

Please review and tell me of your thoughts on this chapter.

STLHero