An: yeah hi, I'm back! It's new years over here in my country so I've been busy visiting family. which kinda cuts into the time for writing this.
Also I actually want to cry because of this but because I'm typing on my phone I accidentally deleted the chapter and lost about 50% of it which is super depressing I only managed to salvage half of it because I had saved it before hand but the other half is just gone..
Moreover, while I have an idea for where I want this to go I have no idea how to put it into words, which is just sad, so the progress loss is actually just urgh. I had considered just posting the chapter as it was but I persevered staying up another four hours just to round it up.
And with that I finally managed to finish this one so yeah on to the chapter :')
Also (...) are like Naruto's or any character really subconscious thoughts. It's like when you see something and make a general observation but you won't outright say it or feel someway about it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
'Thoughts'
"Speaking"
Flashbacks
Bijuu and Spirits
Even after experiencing the owl's point of view, seeing how events had transpired to make him how he was, it was hard for Naruto to understand and accept it.
He knew that Wan Shi Tong had never truly forsaken the mortals, even when he had hidden his library. (Oh yes it was in a corner of the continent far from hidden eyes, and a whole lot of pain to travel to) Anyone could still technically visit, those with the endurance could still technically come and learn and share their knowledge forever preserving it in the library.
The trial was more to act as a deterrent, to prevent those who were more morally ambiguous from attempting to go out of their way for a chance of information. (Naruto believed it to be folly. The owl did not full understand the power of information on how it was so useful, how generals would slave and slaughter just to obtain any form of weakness.) After all, should one try to enter the library with foul intentions, they would never have been able to step foot, the desert swallowing them whole, the sand benders never even seeing the structure, even as that earth girl tried to hold it up.
Not even when that flame dude, (it was some guy called Zhao right? What kind of weird name was that) burned down a whole section of the library and triggered the owl's wrath, had the avian lashed out. No, he had stewed in his own silence, had held in his anger and firmly told him to leave, banning all fire users from perusing his library henceforth. It was because he knew of the enchantments, the hidden secrets set up by Wan Shi Tong himself to prevent malicious individuals from entering the library. The fire user had truly believed that he was defending his country, had truly believed that he was not engaging in violence but just a necessary amount of force to fight back for it.
And so the owl let him go.
But the enchantments held. And though many had tried to find his library (honestly from the outside it looked nothing like one why would it need to be fortified like that?) in the coming years, Wan Shi Tong had upgraded his defense, had made it so that even those that wanted to use his knowledge for the betterment of their country through whatever means were unable to locate it, whether by land or air. Had made it so that the only ones able to enter the library were so similar to him, in that they had to be seeking knowledge for knowledge's sake and no other.
So that if he was forced to leave he could take them with him.
But as the years passed and none arrived the owl had become cynical, had believed that the whole of humanity had forsaken peaceful ways. He had decided to believe that humanity was full of reckless fools, violent fools, power hungry, ruthless, manipulative.
And this Naruto feels was mostly driven by a sense of loneliness, but even so he doesn't understand how it could be twisted to such an extent. Wan Shi Tong knew of the war after all, even if he proclaimed not to care about it. Was it so hard to believe he had trapped himself in? Had boxed himself inside his tower and prevented others from entering in a time period where no one had the time and effort to try to arrive? Naruto understood how the owl could have arrived at this point, but believed it was a little self-absorbed of him to assume that all humans did not desire to learn or that all humans were violent.
And than one came, after many years of waiting. The Avatar and his little group of unique benders. (such control over the elements, they wielded it with such ease but their control made them resort to such inefficiency it was painful to watch, like Kaguya all over again to a smaller scale.)
And Naruto believes that Wan Shi Tong had felt hope, had felt joy that there was still hope for the humans, as the 'link' (and why was he so special to be one?) between both worlds had managed to arrive
He found out later that they had only made it because they were in the presence of professor Zei, who Naruto believed he treated as a real friend. (The professor received food and lodging after all and converses with Wan in that weird foreign language when they meet) a loophole in his defenses where a whole group can enter if one is able to see the library (which Naruto also could not believed he missed. If shinobi had this kind of ability, no spies would be able to enter their village paranoia goes a long way after all.)
But still despite all that Naruto was still understandably confused. Confused as to how Wan Shi Tong could have such a cynical point of view, to cower and loath all mortals just because one had made mistakes.
Just who is this avatar, how could one man's actions justify the spirit's judgement, all because he could use all elements? (It was like saying all Uchiha's were bad because one went crazy and decided to kill his clan, like how one man with a bloodline limit would condemn all the others with the same bloodline limit. Wan Shi Tong should know better than that as the spirit of knowledge.)
And so he set out to find out about this man, and just why he was so important, in one of the most subtle ways possible, with all the tact he had.
"So Wan! Who is this avatar?" Which amounted to about zero in both counts, thus failing within the first few minutes.
Don't get him wrong. Naruto is a master of stealth. Ask him to infiltrate the enemy line, no problem easily done. Outrun enemies superior to him, well running is all about technique you see.
Ask him to gather information? Well he would, by befriending the enemy and asking around for it.
Yeah, Naruto is good at keeping quiet when he has to be, but a master of tact and subtlety he is not.
"Do not call me that foolish boy my name is Wan Shi Tong, he who knows ten thousand things. I will not be compared to that absolute man child Wan." The owl's tone conveyed his annoyance, even if his facial features remained passive.
"Calling me by such an informal title, most humans would not even dare." The owl's feathers puffed up as he showed off his chest, a sign of aggression.
"Hey, I mean I let you call me Naruto don't ya find it to be annoying to get called that all the time, I mean imagine calling me Naruto Uzumaki all the time what a mouthful ya know?" A bit hypocritical cause his name was also three syllables but the name was foreign on his tongue and the less words he had to remember the better.
"Fine. Call me Shi Tong if you must, but I will not be compared to that buffoon." He saw the owl relent, Naruto was just glad he had won the 'argument'.
"So who is this Wan, a past lover? That's so cute you even have matching names-"
"Silence!" Wan Shi Tong actually looked murderous, as though the very notion was appalling. Naruto recoiled slightly, what kind of landmine did he step on this time.
The owl turned away as though to ignore the question, Naruto resigned himself to not getting an answer. But of course as the giver of knowledge Wan Shi Tong eventually replied.
"No. It relates back to your question you see, the avatar is not so much a person as much as a 'reincarnation', or in my opinion, a parasite." The owl took a deep breath as though getting ready for a long speech.
"The light spirit Raava and the first impudent human to start this cycle," the owl's face twisted as though it physically hurt to say the name, "Wan decided that he was the only one worthy enough to act as the balance between all of human and spirit kind. As though no one else was worthy enough to step up to the challenge. In the end even he succumbed to the flames of war. However, for some reason beyond me the spirit Raava chose to stay with him."
And so begins the cycle, the avatars acting as a parasite, linking their past lives, imprinting them onto a new soul, a newly formed soul, just one more, in a long line of sacrifices, all for the chance, the honor of being able to bend all four elements." The owl scoffed as though disgusted.
"What a fool truly, giving the mediator more firepower to wage war on the weak whilst he is the only channel able to reach us easily. Energy bending itself would have been enough. And so that is what the avatar is. A sacrifice, one with a job to complete that has not been done even after nearly ten thousand years. Nowadays, they do not even know what their job is they only use their power to wage war, the arrogant upstarts."
Naruto blinked trying to sum up all he had heard in as little words as possible.
"So basically, the avatar is the gateway to your world, the world of spirits? And his job is ta keep the peace and maintain harmony between everything? But they've mostly failed and have never even been able to succeed much after the first."
"While I would not be so crass about it, yes, it is exactly so." The owl paused before continuing, "but enough of that, it is time for your lessons to continue. Now, translate what I've said. Wo shi ge wei da de jing shen. Ni shi ge wei bu zu dao de ren."
"Urgh, do we really need to do this? You speak my language right?"
"Do you plan to stay here forever and discard your mortal shell?"
"Fine, fine I'll translate it." 'Wo shi ge wei da de jing shen. Ni shi ge wei bu zu dao de ren... I am a great spirit, you are an insignificant human.' Naruto's eyes burst open in realization, watching the owl silently laugh as Wan Shi Tong realized he had received the insult.
"Bird-brained nerd!"
"Oh so we are doing this now you intellectually challenged?"
"You hooter tooter!"
"Your empty headedness is shining through if you truly cannot come up with anything else."
"Argh! I give up stuff it you oversized piece of meat!" That was when the avian could take it no longer, bending over halfway and starting to chuckle. A truly unique sight. Naruto could only stare impassively wondering what had caused him to degenerate to this state.
So he asked, with all the skill of a freight train.
"Hey whats so funny!"
"Did you truly not notice the words you have been speaking in? Was the transformation into this new language so easy for you that you unconsciously applied it so? Just because the knowledge was directly implanted it does not mean it is easily accessed."
That was when he noticed, he was not speaking his native tongue.
Oh.
"ARGH! Go suck it bird brain!" He left the study fuming, leaving behind the laughing avian now bent over on the floor behind him.
He did not know how long he had been in this realm. The days and nights just seemed to blend together, time consequently a non-factor. Unlike the other resident, Zei, he never got hungry, never needed to rest, to sleep and had early on noticed that he lacked the critical sensation to feel.
Huh it was kinda like being dead huh?
Wan Shi Tong had assured him that Naruto was not actually dead, merely in some sort of spiritual form which he could exit any time he wanted to back into his own body, the method of transport here being similar to the avatars. Kind of like returning to his physical body when leaving his mindscape.
He had considered leaving much earlier, but curse Kurama and his empath skills. They made leaving so much harder. He sensed within the owl, a familiar sensation. One he was too intimate with back in his childhood that he could not just dismiss.
Loneliness.
And so he stayed, stayed with the owl way longer, past what he had planned to. Stayed, confined himself to this tower, this place filled with books and a lack of excitement way past what he would have tolerated in the past.
Until one day, he could stand it no longer.
He walked solemnly towards Wan Shi Tong's study, only to see the owl sitting down already, expecting his arrival.
"I had been expecting this day to come sooner, even though I had hoped it would not come at all." The owl looked melancholic, as though he had already predicted what was to come and had accepted it. "I always knew you were a free spirit, too free and wild to be kept in here for all time. And yet, I had hoped. Had hoped that you would have stayed."
"I know I have been stubborn and you have been staying back for me, but being... friends is all about give and take." The owl spread out his wings, to puff them up before keeping them and turning around his back facing Naruto. "I guess it is time to say goodbye. We will never see each other again Naruto. It is too rare for any human to enter the spirit realm." he took a deep breath, as though accepting what was to come. "Live a good life, Naruto."
Naruto stood there in shock as though he could not believe what he had just heard, could not believe that the great owl was just admitting defeat.
"Hey you're the great keeper of knowledge right? You should know what to do, what can go down can also go up after all." Naruto smirked all teeth, he saw Shi Tong turn around in surprise to his declaration, as though he did not understand. He would figure it out eventually.
"I'll see you in a few months Shi Tong. The bitterest goodbyes always yield the sweetest reunions." he turned around giving a one hand backwave to the owl, no longer even sure if he was paying attention.
"So I guess for now, it's Ja'ne. We'll see each other again, believe it." He walks forward, out of the room, out of the library, back into his own body.
He inhales consciously, the deep breath the first time he feels air enter his lungs in a long time. Next, he tries to open his eyes, but the light is blinding, disorientating him slightly. He glances upwards into his savior's eyes, taking in her appearance. She has black hair, streaked by grey, they were let down and frayed at the ends, showing either a lack of care about her own appearance, or a lack of time, possibly both. She was also dressed in sleep garments, which signified that she had been about to go to bed.
'She's got to be at least twenty five.'
He swallows, trying to wet his throat, tries to speak but no words come out. He sees her moving over, grabbing the glass of water and carefully placing it into his left hand.
'Woah, and now I feel like an ass for waking her up. Welp better introduce myself.'
"Err hi my name's Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto smiles, looking at her with a full grin all teeth. He watches her face color, feels the emotion of satisfaction and happiness flow through her as her head lowers to face the floor.
"And you, err who are you?" Wait a minute she looks just like that one girl from the book, a fire bending prodigy never seen in the entire history of the bending nations. Although isn't she suppose to look younger? That girls only sixteen after all. "Wait, wait... I know. you're Azula. Princess Azula crown princess of the fire nation or now an ex i guess?" Oh god, he can't exactly face her, he's face to face with a literal legend of this world he glances out, at the scenery outside, the moon sure is nice tonight. Then, the feeling of satisfaction, of accomplishment he feels from her disappears only to be replaced by something more primal, more raw.
Mind numbing terror, slowly but surely transforming into burning rage.
'Holy, me and my big mouth what did I say this time. What the heck did I do.'
Naruto reacts instinctively, his hand landing roughly on her shoulder, he sees her face stiffen, the emotions within her dying down into numbness, as though she has not a care for the world.
"Thank you, you saved my life." He reads her face and her heart, feels her despair transform back into that sweet feeling of happiness, Naruto always did like to make people feel happier. Although he had no idea how it had worked in this case.
"I'll try my best to help you with one thing that you want. I may not look it but I'm quite a warrior ya know." 'Least I can do after pissing her off like that,' "I got a few rules though, I don't kill and-"
"Never betray me." Let it never be said that as the number one unpredictable shinobi Naruto had easily managed to surprise many, but the reverse not so much. The request was too simple, too straight forward, he tried to find for hidden traps but simply did not see any. 'That's simple enough I wasn't planning to any way not after she rescued me.' Then she continued.
"Never leave me, never betray me, never hurt me, forever." Naruto is perfectly fine with the last two, would have done it anyway without her asking, but he has just left a consensual prison and is not willing to enter another one so soon, not when there was a whole world to explore. He turns away, he can't agree to a condition like that.
"As long as it's within your limits of course." Naruto blinks rapidly as though in disbelief, Azula had just rescued him, and her conditions were literally what he would have done anyway. He's fine with that it's something he agree to.
"Ah I was willing to agree to the first one ya know?" 'The one that does not make me need to stay around you forever.' "It's just forever's a long time ya know?" He feels her through his link, a deep satisfaction coiling within her although he has no idea why. 'Girls... I swear I will never understand.'
"As long as it's within your limits of course." She asks him one more time as though to confirm. Yeah, he's sure of it no harm no foul.
"Ah sure, easily done. Uzumaki Naruto never breaks a promise after all!" He flashes his grin all teeth. He feels her through the passive link, feels her relief, her determination, the contradiction, as though she was going to take a leap of faith.
'Huh, what sort of risk can she take in a house this small anyway.'
She gets down on her knees and bows her head before him. Naruto's heart stills wait he recognizes this pose. Shi Tong, the fluffy bird was a closet romantic and had forced him to read all those stories of his. His eyes widen as the implications dawn on him.
'Oh god no what the heck I'm not ready!'
"Then your wishes shall be mine, as shall mine be yours. As witnessed by the light granted to us all by the great Agni, I swear to follow you for the rest of our days together." The words flow willingly, he feels her conviction, her need to say this. He is too stunned to interfere anyway.
"I promise to only love you and only you." 'Why is she doing this, I've known her for all of five minutes.' "Naruto Uzumaki, would you accept me as your wife?" 'Oh no no no no no.'
"Huh? That's a little sudden don't ya think I just woke up ya know dumping this on me." He felt her inner emotions stir, the turmoil building up again, a vision flashes by his eyes where he sees her fling herself over a cliff, or tying a knot on the ceiling.
"I... I understand." And Naruto can truly tell she does, even if she does not like it.
Her reaction to his rejection was abit extreme though he doesn't remeber acting like this after Sakura did it.
'Why always me.' He looked back at her, her face still frozen in that still expression, filled with what he now recognized as longing, twisted as it was.
"But I guess, if we'll just be together I don't mind? Let's just try out a working relationship first okay?" 'At least I can slip out of that pretty easily enough. And she won't end up killing herself too.' She tackles him burying herself in his bare chest, and he haphazardly swings his arm around her to prevent her from falling. 'That was way too sudden. I nearly dropped her!'
She looks up looking straight into his eyes full of warmth, "Than we'll be together forever Naruto, my fiancee." She buried her face into his chest once again and Naruto can only release a long sigh, full of regret.
'What did I get myself into this time... oh well'
"One day at a time."
"Yes one day at a time, future husband." Naruto released a second sigh.
'Oh god she's worse off then I thought she was.'
It was at this moment that he remebered one last tiny piece of insignificant information.
Fire nation royals could date many times, but they would only marry once.
They married once, and married for life.
And with Azula the way she was now she wasn't gonna let go no matter what he did to her. He had just agreed to marry her eventually, his decision the only factor on when.
'Seriously, I jinxed myself, why did this slip my mind until now!'
An: haha and thats a wrap. So even though I'm trying to go for a happy Naruto that we all know that's still kind of an idiot, mine is how to say, more like a shinobi, in that even though he is still impulsive, he has the capacity to think things through and analyze the situation. Also Wan Shi Tong is probably a bit bias and I am really bad at insults :p
Also there are a few bits of irony inside some of the statements in here.
Also one of my pet peeves, no offense to anyone, about crossovers is how if, the character just falls into a new dimension they are able to instantly understand the language the inhabitants are using.
Excuse me people, it's like if your plane crashed (touch wood please I don't mean for this to happen to anyone) in the middle of Russia and you stumble upon the little village in the middle of nowhere and everyone there just so happens to speak English.
I like to add a but of realism and challenge so yeah it was a pain in the ass to overcome, (but much needed.)
I can see why people just skip it.
So, I decided to go for one of a few routes to solve it,
1) where Azula teaches him and him her their own respective languages which brings them closer together.
2) where Naruto meets a spirit and no it was no Wan Shi Tong.
3) where he meets Wan Shi Tong and the rest is history, because I get to introduce a new spirit, 1) I had no idea how to write and no Idea how to go on with it
So viola enjoy and please support my story :)
P.s a longer chapter to make up for the short one before :)
P.p.s Also I tend to write more when inspirations strikes, which happens when I have free time. (Or when I look at my reviews love you all!) Training is going to spike in the next few weeks so releases are going to slow down a lot. I'm sorry folks D: