CHAPTER 11: COMRADES

(Disclaimer: Avatar The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon and Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my OC's)

(PLEASE READ: THIS IS NOT A SEQUEL TO "SHUJINKO: THE FOURTH MEMBER", BUT A DIFFERENT STORY WITH SHUJINKO AS THE MAIN CHARACTER. THIS STORY WILL NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT WHATSOEVER IN "SHUJINKO SHIPPUDEN". I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A SEQUEL TO SHUJINKO'S ORIGINAL STORY)

Summary: One night, a stranger breaks into Shujinko's house and tries to steal one of the most mystical objects in the history of the Ozuma clan: The Eye of Kazemaru. When Shujinko tries to stop him, the two of them activate an ancient and forgotten power of the gem by accident, which sends them to another dimension where a certain bald-headed monk has to master the four elements in order to defeat the evil Fire Lord. What kind of impact will Shujinko's presence have in the Avatar universe? Who is this stranger and what does he want? Get ready for one wild space-time adventure

Several hours past midnight, Zuko found himself sitting in front of a small fire, eating what little food he had managed to get his hands on. His Ostrich Horse was drinking water from a pond nearby, almost dehydrated after carrying him for so many hours of travel. Zuko knew very well that if his Ostrich Horse died from exhaustion, he would be left stranded in the middle of enemy territory with no food, no water, and no sense of direction, meaning that he would suffer the same fate as the feathered creature. Dying wasn't an option, not until he achieved his goal of capturing the Avatar, so Zuko had no other choice but to wait and rest for a while.

Ironically enough, resting always made him feel restless. Whenever he was forced to sit back with nothing else to do, Zuko inevitably ended up thinking about his life and the events that had led him to where he was. The crown prince, the next Fire Lord, the successor of his father… He had been denied everything, and he had no one to blame except himself. The only reason he kept pushing forward was because he still had a chance for redemption, a chance to return to his homeland with his head held high. That was all that mattered.

However, as determined as Zuko was, even he could tell his situation had worsened considerably. The Fire Nation had decided to brand both him and his uncle as traitors after the siege of the North, and now they had Azula to worry about. If she managed to capture either him or the Avatar, everything would be over and he would have to spend the rest of his life as a failure and a disgrace, just like he had always felt about himself.

"We can't sacrifice an entire division like that! Those soldiers love and defend our nation! How can you betray them?"

Those were his words at the war council that fateful day. Those were the words that had earned him an Agni Kai against his father, a permanent scar on his face, and the humiliation of his banishment. Those were the words that had changed his life forever.

Had he known beforehand what those words would cost him, Zuko would've never attended that war council. His foolish, impetuous younger-self would've been better off keeping his mouth shut instead of meddling in the affairs of grownups. Now, capturing the Avatar was the only way he could restore his honor, the only way for the sword to return to its scabbard. Zuko knew what his destiny was better than anyone, and he would fulfill his destiny no matter what price he had to pay, because in the end, it would all be worth it. He would take back what was rightfully his.

He was Zuko, the prince of the Fire Nation.

|Several hours later|

Shujinko woke up with the wind hitting his face. Nothing felt unusual at first, but after blinking several times, a shiver shook his body. When he looked up, he saw white spongy clouds floating on a bright blue sky, and he realized it was already morning.

'It's no wonder I'm feeling cold. I just slept through the night on Appa's back while he flew around for hours,' Shujinko thought. He then glanced at his shadow clone, who had been riding the Sky Bison since Team Avatar agreed to rest while traveling. The rest of the gang was sleeping soundly, seemingly unbothered by the high altitude and the chilly weather. Shujinko decided that everything was under control so far and that he would use whatever time he had left to sleep some more, so he closed his eyes and adjusted his backpack, which he was a pillow.

But then, something strange happened. A faint sound from inside the backpack reached Shujinko's ears. The Chunin opened it and went through his belongings, only to find the Eye of Kazemaru shining intensely, emitting the weird noise that had caught his attention. With his eyes wide in surprise, Shujinko carefully took the jewel out of the backpack and began to examine it, trying to figure out the meaning behind the mysterious glow. 'What's going on? Why is this thing acting up all of a sudden?'

"Everything okay back there, boss?" Clone Shujinko asked, looking over his shoulder at the original Shujinko.

"I think so," the Ozuma replied uneasily. "Did anything happen while we were sleeping?"

"Nope, the coast was clear all night. But Appa has been grumbling a lot recently. He must be exhausted, and I doubt he'll be able to keep flying for-"

All of a sudden, Appa stopped flying and began to descend towards the ground, loosely extending his giant limbs. Shujinko immediately grabbed the Eye of Kazemaru as hard as he could and used his other hand to hold on to the saddle, yelling at the others to wake up. The other members of Team Avatar, who felt the radical change of velocity in their sleep, immediately reacted by hanging on to Appa's saddle as if their lives depended on it… which it did.

"What the heck is going on!?" Toph shouted.

"Appa fell asleep!" Clone Shujinko said as he pulled the reins back, yelling at Appa to wake up. The Sky Bison didn't seem to hear him and kept diving down like a stone dropped from the top of a precipice.

Amongst all the hysterical shouting ("I'm too young to die!" Sokka screamed at the top of his lungs), Shujinko closed his eyes and prayed for a miracle. It couldn't end this way, it just couldn't. Images of his home, family, friends, and comrades flashed through his head, and Shujinko refused to believe he would die in a foreign land so far away from them. 'Please, not today! Not like this!' he kept pleading, hoping that Kami or whoever the hell was up there would hear him and take pity on his plight. The ground grew nearer and nearer…

…

… But then, just as his grip on the saddle was loosening, Appa snapped out of his sleep and roared, steering himself back into control. Shujinko fell face first onto the saddle like the rest of Team Avatar, still holding the Eye of Kazemaru firmly in his hand. Once they no longer were in mortal peril of plummeting into the ground and becoming a feast for vultures, Appa glided over a small forest, casually crashing into the top of the trees as if they were nothing.

Upon reaching the other side, the Flying Bison gave in to his fatigue and landed next to a small river where he fell into a deep sleep, snoring loudly. Shujinko let out a sigh, his heart beating like a drum against his chest. Falling from the sky like that had nearly caused him to wet his underwear, but he could count himself lucky after surviving what would've been a terrifying death. Since everyone was too dizzy and disoriented to notice, Shujinko took the opportunity to place the Eye of Kazemaru inside his backpack and keep it a secret from the rest of Team Avatar, although he had the feeling its existence would be revealed sooner than later.

"Well, I guess nap time is over for us. It was beautiful while it lasted," Sokka said as he dismounted Appa. While the rest of the group did the same, Sokka walked over and stood in front of Appa, frowning at the shadow clone that was still sitting on the Flying Bison's head. "Hey, Clone Shujinko, you were supposed to give us a heads-up if Appa was feeling tired. Why didn't you…"

Sokka stopped talking once he got a look at Shujinko's shadow clone. The poor thing had swirly eyes and his hair was a frizzled mess. "… I'm… sorry…" the shadow clone mumbled, wobbling left and right. "… Too fast… Couldn't warn…"

"Uhhh… Never mind," Sokka said as he took a step back. The shadow clone then tumbled off his seat and fell to the ground, bursting into a cloud of smoke.

Meanwhile, Shujinko was washing his face with the water from the river when, all of a sudden, he felt a wave of memories entering his head. His shadow clone had spent the night riding Appa, and now that he was gone, Shujinko's mind was receiving hours and hours of cognitive information in a span of seconds. Overwhelmed by this, the Chunin lost his balance and fell to his hands and knees in front of the river, feeling disoriented and uncomfortable.

"Shujinko, are you okay?" Katara asked as she crouched next to him, placing his arm over her shoulders. The rest of Team Avatar quickly surrounded them. "What's wrong?"

"It's… It's nothing," the Ozuma grunted out, experiencing a sharp migraine. He tried to soothe some of the pain by washing his head with more water, but the vibrant ache refused to go away. "It's a secondary effect of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, nothing I haven't dealt before. I should be fine in a couple of minutes,"

"What kind of secondary effect?" Toph asked.

Shujinko hesitated at first. He didn't want his friends to be concerned about him, especially not now of all times. The Fire Nation was probably still chasing after them and they had to focus on giving them the slip instead of worrying over his insignificant headache. On the other hand, Shujinko knew that if something similar were to happen to any of them, he would be the first to ask what was going on. In the end, he decided to be honest with them.

"The Shadow Clone Jutsu is more than just the creation of a shadow clone. Once dispelled, all of the information, experiences, and memories gained by my clones go to me. It's a very useful feature that comes with the jutsu, but it has its risks. My shadow clone was awake for hours as we flew on Appa, so now that the jutsu has finished…"

"… All of the clone's memories rushed back to you," Aang finished in a worried tone of voice, to which Shujinko nodded slowly. "Why didn't you tell us about this? And why did you kept your shadow clone for so long when you knew it was dangerous?"

"Because it was the only way we had of getting some rest while traveling at the same time, Aang. It's no big deal, and besides, there was no other choice,"

"Yes, there was," Sokka interjected. "You could've told us about it and we would've figured something out. A little trust wouldn't hurt, you know,"

The golden-eyed teen got on his feet and huffed. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid. He knew they meant well and he didn't blame them for being worried, but they were missing the point and it was costing them precious time. "This isn't about trust. Look, what I did might've been a bit risky, but it worked. All we have to do now is…"

Suddenly, Shujinko stopped talking as his mind processed the last of the memories he had just acquired. From the first-person perspective of his shadow clone, Shujinko found himself holding Appa's reins and pulling them back as the Flying Bison descended towards the ground. Everything around him was out of control, from the shouts of panic to the speed at which they were plunging. Then, in a last-ditch effort to save their lives, Shujinko saw himself opening his holster and drawing a kunai before…

A gasp escaped from his lips. Ignoring the weird looks he was getting from everyone, the Ozuma turned around and ran towards Appa, who was still sleeping soundly.

After climbing on top of the bison, Shujinko soon found what had shocked him. There was a fresh wound close to where the shadow clone had been sitting on. More precisely, a stab wound from a kunai, with blood leaking out of it. The injury was neither deep nor life-threatening for a creature the size of Appa, but the Chunin gulped nonetheless, as he knew very well Aang wasn't going to be happy about this. The look of discomfort on his face became more apparent when the airbender approached him, asking the Ozuma what was he doing up there.

"Did something happen to Appa?" a worried Aang asked, climbing next to Shujinko. The shinobi slowly took back his hand, exposing the wound in its entirety. "Appa… He's hurt!" Aang exclaimed, eyes wide in shock. "Who did this? How did this happen?"

"… It was my shadow clone," Shujinko admitted after a moment of hesitation. He flinched when Aang turned to him, but he didn't break eye contact as he proceeded to explain what had happened. "As we were falling, my shadow clone grabbed a kunai and stabbed Appa. He must've done it in order to wake him up and get him to react. I'm sorry Aang, but there was no other way to-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Shujinko was interrupted by Aang, whose face was twisting with anger. "Your shadow clone did this!? Why did he do that!? Why didn't you tell him to stop!?"

"Hey, don't put the blame on me, I had nothing to do with this!" Shujinko replied in an attempt to defend himself. "My clone was acting on his own. I can't control them like puppets. We were going to crash into the ground unless Appa woke up, so my shadow clone did the only thing that could save us. Look Aang, I know you're angry and I don't blame you, but… but there was just no other way. Besides, it's not a serious injury at all. We can heal Appa in no time,"

Shujinko's words were meant to appease the airbender, but unfortunately, they had the completely opposite effect. Aang became so angry that his face went slightly red, and he made no effort to convey his emotions. "I don't care if we were falling or not, there's no excuse for harming Appa! Your shadow clone did this, so it's your fault that this happened!"

Having heard the loud outburst, the other members of Team Avatar quickly approached the two boys, keeping a safe distance just in case. "Aang, please try to calm down," Katara began to say. "You're right, Appa didn't deserve to get hurt, but you shouldn't take it out on Shujinko. He didn't do anything,"

"How can you take his side, Katara?" Aang asked hotly as he jumped down and walked a few steps away from the Flying Bison. "Appa is no different than either me or you! And thanks to Shujinko, he now has a bleeding wound on his back! He's caused nothing but problems since the beginning!"

Upon hearing that last statement, Shujinko got down from Appa and began making his way towards the airbender, glaring at him while he did so. "Excuse me? What was that just now?"

"You heard what I said," Aang replied as he turned around, meeting the Ozuma's glare with a glare of his own. "Ever since we met you, all you've ever done is boss us around and get us into trouble. You think you know better than us just because you're a ninja, but you don't. You don't care about anyone but yourself,"

"Really? If that's how you feel about me, then why did you never spoke a word, huh?" Shujinko retorted. He could forgive Aang for being mad at him, but he wasn't going to stand there and swallow insults and lies, regardless of whom they came from. "I shouldn't have to remind you I didn't choose to be here. If I had the option, I'd be back in my village instead of having to deal with this nonsense. Maybe you don't like me and that's fine, but don't even dare suggest I'm only looking out for myself because it's not true and you know it,"

"Come on guys, do you really have to do this now? We just survived a crash landing," Sokka said as he stepped between them. "Look, I know being relentlessly chased by a war machine can make anyone grumpy, but we really don't have time to fight over hurt feelings. Let's all count to ten, take a deep breath and… There, feeling better now?"

Aang shook his head. "No, I'm not. Appa got hurt because of Shujinko's shadow clone and he doesn't even regret it. How am I supposed to feel better when he can't admit he made a mistake?"

"As far as I can see, my only mistake was to think you were more mature than what you really are. But you know what? I don't care anymore," Shujinko said before walking forward. Sokka's body tensed, worried that the golden-eyed teen might do something to Aang, but to his relief, Shujinko simply walked past the airbender as if he wasn't there. "If you want to blame me for everything that goes wrong, then be my guest. I'm more worried about being chased by the Fire Nation than I am about your opinion of me,"

As the Chunin continued to walk, Aang's fists were trembling. He couldn't believe the arrogance Shujinko was displaying. Maybe he hadn't stabbed Appa himself, but his shadow clone had, which meant he was at least partly to blame. The fact that Appa was hurt was bad enough on its own, but what irritated Aang the most was how the Chunin brushed it off like it was no big deal, even going as far as calling his maturity into question. After all they had done for him, this was how he treated them in return?

"… I wish we'd never met you,"

Those words made Shujinko stop dead in his tracks, his eyes slightly widened.

This was the first time someone had ever said that to him, and even though he didn't want to admit it, he was affected by it. He had spent enough time with Aang to know that the airbender was a genuinely kind and good person, so for him to say that spoke volumes about the way he thought of him.

It hadn't been an insult or an offense, and perhaps that was the worst part of it. Shujinko could put up with those things as he had dealt with far worse before. He knew he wasn't perfect. He knew he had flaws and that he was capable of making mistakes just like everyone else, but to be told by someone whom he considered to be a partner and maybe even a friend that he wished he had never met him was something else, something that Shujinko had never expected to hear… and it hurt him.

Shujinko could've said something back and retort with something equally as wounding, but he didn't do it. Instead, he simply turned around and started walking towards Appa without uttering a single word. He didn't even bother to look at Aang, whose gaze was still fixated on him as he walked past the young monk. Shujinko grabbed his backpack from the Flying Bison's saddle, and once he made sure all of his belongings were inside, he climbed down from Appa and began to walk away from the rest of Team Avatar.

"Shujinko, what are you doing?" Katara asked, getting increasingly worried.

"I'm leaving," Shujinko responded curtly as he continued to walk. "If Aang believes I cause nothing but problems, then I'll just have to find a way to return to my village on my own. Good luck to all of you,"

"Come on, Shujinko. This is no time for jokes. You're not serious about leaving, are you?" Sokka asked, to which Shujinko replied by lowering his knees and jumping across the river, casually landing on the other side. Soon enough, the Chunin disappeared into the woods while the rest of Team Avatar stared in disbelief. "… I guess he is being serious about it, after all,"

As he aimlessly wandered around the forest, Shujinko couldn't help but replay Aang's words inside his head over and over again, feeling a mixture of frustration, injustice, but most of all, disappointment. He had no idea what he was going to do now or how he was supposed to find his way home without the help of Team Avatar. All he knew was that he wanted some time alone to figure things out, away from distractions and problems that didn't concern him. Besides, after what the Avatar had told him, the Ozuma didn't see why he should go back and rejoin the group. Aang didn't want him around, so that ungrateful baldy could find a way to deal with the Fire Nation himself for all Shujinko cared.

But even so, a part of him still wanted to turn around and help them. Not for Aang's sake, but for the sake of Katara, Sokka, and Toph. Just like him, they had gotten themselves involved in a mess the moment they agreed to follow the Avatar, even if they had done so willingly. Shujinko didn't know whether if joining Aang had been a mistake or not, but he couldn't deny that he had gotten the opportunity to explore the world and meet new people, something that the shinobi life had somewhat deprived him of.

He was glad for everything he had learned and experienced… He just wished the circumstances were different.

As he pondered over his situation, Shujinko suddenly felt a presence approaching him from the side. He immediately opened one of his holsters and grabbed a kunai, ready to attack at the slightest sign of danger. "Whoever is there, come out now. I won't show any mercy if you try to attack me,"

Upon his warning, a couple of tall and thick bushes began to shake. Shujinko tightened his grip on the kunai and got ready to throw his weapon. He was expecting to confront a bandit or a highwayman… but what he found instead was an old man slowly raising his head above the bushes, staring at him with a look of slight surprise on his round face.

"I'm very sorry, young man. I didn't mean to startle you," the old man said, smiling awkwardly at Shujinko. "I was just looking for some herbs that grow around here,"

Shujinko frowned. "Looking for herbs here, right in the middle of nowhere?"

"Indeed. They can produce an exquisite tea, or at least that is what I've heard," the old man proceeded to step out of the bushes and revealed himself to Shujinko. He was short and stout, with long gray hair and a full beard. Judging by his wrinkles and the bald spot on his head, the Ozuma deduced the stranger in front of him had to be somewhere around his sixties, although he seemed to enjoy good health for someone his age. "Now, may I ask what are you doing here? You look a little too young to be traveling on your own,"

"I know how to take care of myself," was Shujinko's response. His eyes carefully studied the old man, and although he appeared to be harmless, the Chunin wasn't going to lower his guard just like that. As a ninja, he was well aware of how deceiving looks could be. "What about you? Aren't you a little too old to be traveling on your own?"

Instead of getting offended, the man let out a hearty laugh. "Perhaps I am. I was exploring these beautiful lands with my nephew, but we got separated not too long ago. I hope we become reunited soon. He is… Well, he is hard to guide, but I must look after him regardless,"

"That sounds very thoughtful," the golden-eyed said as he carefully placed his kunai back inside its holster. He was still suspicious about the old traveler, but nothing indicated that he posed a threat to him, so Shujinko decided to leave things at that and resume his journey. "In any case, I must get going now. I hope you find the herbs you're looking for,"

"Actually, would you like to join me for a cup of tea? You look like you could use one. Besides, I have plenty of fresh leaves that will go to waste unless I prepare something with them,"

This time, Shujinko raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit disconcerted by the offer. "You want to share a cup of tea with a complete stranger?"

"There's no need for us to be complete strangers. My name is Mushi. What is your name, young man?"

"… Shujinko. Shujinko Ozuma,"

"Pleased to meet you, Shujinko. See? Now we are no longer complete strangers to each other," Mushi said. He then took a seat and grabbed a teapot and a pair of small cups from his bag, gesturing the ninja to come closer. "This might take a while, but I assure you the wait will be worth it. In the meantime, feel free to take a seat and tell me more about yourself, but only if you want to,"

|Meanwhile|

He was gone.

As he flew around with his glider, grabbing bits of Appa's fur and letting them fall to the ground, Aang still had trouble accepting the reality of the matter. Shujinko, the ninja of the group, the guy who came from so far away and who had joined them not too long ago, had left them.

Ever since the day Shujinko had decided to tag along with them, the airbender knew the brown-haired teen would eventually leave one day. Shujinko himself had made that abundantly clear. However, Aang never thought things would pan out this way. For Shujinko to leave them like that… It felt wrong, but Aang supposed he couldn't be blamed, not after what he had told him.

"… I wish we'd never met you,"

Aang gulped, feeling a pang of guilt growing inside his stomach. He was still angry at Shujinko for what his shadow clone had done, but now that his emotions had cooled down, Aang had begun to realize the depth of his mistake. While crude in some of his ways, Shujinko had always done what he believed was right for them. He was lost, yet he tried to help them. He barely knew anything, yet he offered advice. In the end, Shujinko had turned out to be a kind person. Strange, yes, but kind nevertheless.

Maybe the worst thing of it all was that, not too long ago, Aang had done something similar when he accidentally hurt Katara during his Firebending lessons with Jeong Jeong. Although under different circumstances, Aang did what he had just berated Shujinko for doing, which was to hurt a friend. Both Katara and Sokka had ended up forgiving him, but he couldn't do the same to Shujinko, who hadn't even been completely responsible for harming Appa. Maybe the brown-haired teen was right: He had acted immaturely and caused Shujinko to leave thanks to his hurtful words.

But not all hope was lost. They had sent Toph to find Shujinko and talk some sense into him, even though he wasn't the one at fault. Appa's wound had been healed by Katara and Sokka had collected as much of Appa's shed fur as he could. Meanwhile, Aang was using the gathered fur to leave a trail on purpose, hoping that the Fire Nation would pick up on it and follow him to a deserted location. There, he would put an end to things once and for all.

He just wished it wasn't too late, neither for him nor Shujinko.

"So, you are a long way from your home and you don't know how to return," Mushi said as he poured tea into two cups. He then offered one to Shujinko, who silently accepted it and held the cup between his palms. "That is quite a story you've just told me,"

"I know, and I won't expect you to believe me. Hardly anyone does," Shujinko replied. He didn't know how or why, but he had ended up telling the old man about his predicament and even some details about himself. Something about him made Shujinko feel relaxed and at ease, almost as if he was speaking to the late Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. He purposefully omitted a couple of things, such as the fact that he was a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village, as getting into details wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway. Shujinko took a sip of his drink and let out a sigh of relief. "I don't know who you are, but this is the best tea I've ever had in my life. How can you prepare it so well?"

"The main ingredients are patience and tenderness. Perhaps one day I'll get to run my very own tea shop. It is a long-standing dream of mine, but there are a couple of matters that require my attention first, like finding my nephew Lee,"

Shujinko nodded in understanding and took another sip of the delicious beverage. "It sounds like you care about your nephew a lot. Where is he now? Is he lost or something?"

As soon as he asked that question, Shujinko noticed how the expression in Mushi's face changed. A flash of sadness appeared in his eyes, followed by a hint of optimism. "You could say that, but maybe not in the same way in which you are lost. He has a troubled past and he is fixated on his goal, but I don't think achieving his goal will get him what he truly wants. That is why I must guide him the best I can, and hopefully, be there when he needs me,"

"A troubled past and an obsession with his goal, huh?" Shujinko murmured in a dejected tone of voice. "He reminds me of someone I once knew,"

"Is that so?" Mushi asked with great interest. "And who is he?"

"He is… was, a friend of mine. We knew each other since we were kids. To be honest, we were never too close to one other, but he was still someone who mattered to me. I don't really talk about him nowadays, but I guess I do think about him from time to time, even though I shouldn't," Shujinko said as the image of his former teammate Sasuke Uchiha appeared in his mind, with the same cold gaze as always.

Ever since the day Sasuke left the Hidden Leaf Village, Shujinko had always tried to avoid talking about him, as doing so always left a bitter taste in his mouth. Unlike Naruto and Sakura, Shujinko couldn't bring himself to forgive him for abandoning the village and joining Orochimaru, one of the most wretched and twisted individuals to have ever lived, just for the sake of obtaining more power. Sasuke had done so willingly and knowingly, which to Shujinko meant that power was more important to Sasuke than anything else, including his comrades.

The reason why Shujinko avoided the topic of Sasuke was because, deep inside his heart, it was still painful for him to accept reality. At one point, Sasuke had been his teammate, his brother in arms, and a genuine friend of his despite his arrogance and aloof personality. Shujinko even understood his thirst for revenge. After all, his family had been assassinated by none other than his older brother Itachi. What had happened to him was truly awful and no one deserved to go through what he had, but Shujinko quite simply couldn't consider Sasuke his friend anymore. Friends were supposed to care for each other in equal measure, and Sasuke clearly didn't care for anyone except himself and his goal. It was as simple as that.

"In the end, I'm better off without him. He's a lost cause who made his own choices. I don't want to see him ever again,"

"But if you still think about him from time to time, that means you haven't completely forgotten about that person," Mushi stated, to which Shujinko didn't answer. He was trying to look unbothered as he remembered his days with Team 7 back when Sasuke was around, putting on a mask of indifference. However, something was telling him that Mushi could see right through him. "It is not my place to say to you what is right and what is wrong here. That would be far too pretentious for someone who has recently just met you. However, let me ask you this: Have you thought about forgiving that person?"

Shujinko blinked in confusion. "Forgive him? Why would I do that? I mean, what would I even gain by it?"

"Forgiving is not about gaining something in return. It is about leaving your bitterness and anger behind. Keeping those negative emotions around won't do you any good, so why don't you try to get rid of them and move on? Wouldn't your life be happier that way?"

"You don't understand. This isn't about my happiness. I simply can't forgive him, and even if I could, my… my people wouldn't do the same. I'm not the only one he betrayed,"

"That might be true, but you are not your people, Shujinko. You are your own person, and the decision to forgive those who have wronged you is entirely up to you. Listening to your heart is no less important than listening to what others have to say. It is never too late to ask yourself what your honest beliefs are,"

As Mushi grabbed the teapot to refill his cup, the Chunin stared at his own cup in silence, ruminating on the old man's wisdom.

The life of a ninja was a simple one: You lived for your village, you died for your village. In a place as dangerous and grim as the shinobi world, the love for one's village was the only kind of love a shinobi was expected to have, and in some cases, allowed to have. That was why people like Kakashi stood out from the rest of his peers, as he had taught Shujinko that those who placed their mission above their comrades were worse than scum, defying what thousands of other ninjas considered a sacred commandment.

However, aside from that, Shujinko had never spent much time thinking about his own beliefs. The majority of his actions derived from what he thought was the right thing to do, and the right thing to do was to abide by the shinobi code of conduct. That was why rogue ninjas were seen as the rotten trash of the earth, for they had abandoned the villages they had sworn to serve, and in doing so, they had abandoned every shred of honor and dignity within themselves.

Sasuke was, by all accounts, a traitor to the village. Former teammate or not, there was no forgiveness for those who betrayed the Hidden Leaf. Shujinko knew it wasn't possible, but if there was a way for Sasuke to correct his mistakes and return to the village as a changed shinobi… Then perhaps Shujinko would be willing to forgive him for what he had done. He would like that to be the case, even if the chances of that ever happening were pretty much nonexistent.

It would be… nice, he supposed.

"I guess… I'd like him to be able to redeem himself, even if that can't be possible," Shujinko admitted after a while. "As I said, he made a decision knowing there was no going back. That's just how things are, and I don't want to waste my time thinking about the past when there's no way to change any of it. Trust me, I'd do it if I could,"

"You are correct. There is no way we can change our past. However, what we can do is learn from it. Recognize others' mistakes as well as yours and allow them to help you grow. Accidents and bad decisions are inevitable, but they can become great teachers if we are willing to acknowledge them,"

"Is that what made you so wise? Accidents and bad decisions?" Shujinko asked with a great deal of curiosity. Whatever answer Mushi had for him, it never left his mouth. Shujinko dropped his teacup and instantly got up after hearing loud footsteps coming from behind. His narrowed eyes widened when he saw Toph running towards them as fast as she could, gasping for breath. 'What the… What is she doing here?'

"There you are! I've been looking for you all over the place. Who do you think you are, bailing out on us like that?" Toph asked, although she seemed more impatient than angry.

"Do you really need to ask? You were there, Toph, you heard what Aang said to me," Shujinko replied. "Besides, I can't keep wasting time anymore. I have to-"

"Find a way to return to your village, yeah, I already know that. Look, none of what happened matters. We need your help and we need it now. The drama between you and Twinkle Toes will have to wait until later,"

Mushi raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the exchange between Shujinko and the blind girl. "I must say, this is day is turning out to be quite eventful. I take it you two know each other?"

"Sure, we're best buddies and all that," Toph said with her usual sarcasm. "Listen Shujinko, we found out how they were chasing us so easily. Appa's fur was leaving a trail this entire time. We already took care of that, but now Aang is luring the Fire Nation to a secluded place by himself. It's not too far away from here, but if we don't show up fast, he might get captured and this whole thing will be for nothing, so quit your whining and let's hit the road,"

Shujinko blinked three consecutive times as his brain processed this new information. So Appa's fur was leaving a trail, after all. It should've been obvious from the start and the Ozuma remembered pointing out that possibility before all of the commotions began, but he hadn't expected the trail to be picked up by people operating from inside a giant machine. He would have to be more cautious with the Fire Nation's technology from here on out, although he couldn't help but wonder how the hell the people of this place were capable of building huge vehicles of metal when they had yet to invent the freaking showers.

Then there was the part of Aang luring the Fire Nation, which made Shujinko want to slap his forehead in frustration. What in the world was Aang thinking? If the Fire Nation took the bait and followed him, there was no way of knowing how many enemies he would have to fight on his own. Even if he was found by average soldiers, there could be dozens of them, or at least more soldiers than what he could handle alone. It was as if Aang was asking to get captured. Shujinko didn't expect the Avatar to think like a strategic genius such as Shikamaru, but come on!

"I can't leave you guys alone for more than an hour, can I?" Shujinko asked before taking a deep breath.

He was supposed to resume his search for a way to return to the Hidden Leaf Village, but then, he remembered Mushi's words about listening to his heart. The thought of Aang possibly being in danger just didn't sit well with him, and he realized that by abandoning Team Avatar, he would be no different than Sasuke, who abandoned Team 7. His heart, his conscience, and even his instincts were all telling him the same thing: His home could wait, his friends could not.

"Fine, I'm coming with you," Shujinko said before facing Mushi, his eyes full of conviction. "Thanks for the talk, mister Mushi. You've given me a lot to think about. Good luck out there,"

"Actually, I was going to ask if I could accompany you," Mushi replied as he quickly gathered his tea set and stood up, a serious expression on his face.

This caught Shujinko off guard. "Accompany us? I don't think that would be a good idea. Besides, aren't you supposed to find your nephew Lee?"

"Yes, and that is why I want to come with you. It would seem your friends are in trouble, and my nephew has a talent for finding trouble wherever there might be,"

|Tu Zin|

The sun was setting over Tu Zin, a decrepit ghost town long abandoned after years of economic decadence and pillaging, where an all-out skirmish was currently taking place.

Aang was swinging his staff around in order to keep Azula's blue flames away from him, parrying the deadly attacks as he went in and out of buildings like a Hog Monkey on the loose. Meanwhile, the princess of the Fire Nation had her attention split between chasing the Avatar and countering Zuko, who was wildly throwing flames at his targets in an attempt to land a hit on either of them.

Things got even more intense with the arrival of Sokka and Katara, who joined the party after successfully dealing with Mai and Ty Lee. Azula's companions, although undoubtedly skilled in their particular field of combat, were no match for Appa, who threw both of them into a river with a single swing of his tail. Once the Water Tribe siblings got to Tu Zin and saw their friend in peril, they immediately went to his aid and began to fight Zuko and Azula alternately, throwing the battle into a deeper state of disarray.

Aang was running across the scaffolds of a building when Azula released an arc of fire at him, destroying the scaffolds and nearly burning the Avatar. Aang fell off the building along with several pieces of burnt wood, but as the airbender descended towards the ground, he managed to soften his landing by exhaling a gust of wind through his mouth. However, it wasn't enough to stop the fall completely, and Aang ended up landing on his left side, nearly breaking his arm.

"Oooff!" Aang gritted his teeth in pain. He half-opened his right eye and saw Azula standing on the rooftop of the building from where she had released the fire arc, smiling viciously at him. He instinctively tried to crawl away, but his back met a tall wall made from rocks, one of the few structures in Tu Zin that had remained solid and sturdy. Both Katara and Sokka saw this happen, but couldn't do anything to help as Zuko and his Firebending were keeping them on their toes.

Feeling the panic, Aang began to search for his staff, frantically removing the rubble that had fallen with him. However, his staff was lying on the ground several feet away from him, and when he caught sight of it, Aang knew he wouldn't be able to retrieve it in time as Azula was getting ready to deliver the final blow. "Now you're mine, Avatar. I will send you to the same place the Fire Nation sent the rest of your people,"

Having said those words, Azula jumped off the rooftop with a summersault, her heels covered in blue flames. Time seemed to slow down for Aang as he watched a ring of fire grow in size. With nowhere to go and not knowing what else to do, the Avatar brought his palms together, intending to release an air current as a last-ditch effort to stop the unforgiving flames of the princess of the Fire Nation…

SWOOSH

But their bending never clashed. Seconds before Azula could aim and release her attack, she was struck in midair by a blurry figure that came almost out of nowhere. The firebender was kicked aside and Azula's body rolled across the coarse battleground, dragged by the force of the impact. The individual responsible for this landed close to Aang, who was shocked by the unexpected intervention.

His shock quickly turned into amazement, however, as soon as he recognized the brown hair, the golden eyes, and the headband worn by the boy next to him.

Aaaaaand that was chapter 11. Hope you all liked it.

First of all, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't want this chapter to end like this, neither was it supposed to. However, due to unforeseen circumstances (mainly online classes and an annoying writer's block that refuses to go away), I have no choice but to stop here. I hate myself for doing this, but these last few months have been tough and full of challenges. I swear I'll do my very best to write the fight you've been waiting for as fast as possible.

That being said, let's move on to other stuff. I believe Aang's initial anger towards Shujinko in this chapter, although unjustified, was not out of character. We all know how much he cares about Appa, and the gang's overall mood at that point wasn't exactly great. He did say some mean things to Shujinko, but if he snapped at Toph simply for pointing out how Appa was leaving a trail behind, it stands to reason that his reaction would be worse after finding out that Shujinko's shadow clone had inflicted a wound on Appa.

On the bright side, we got to see Shujinko interacting with Iroh, which is something that I wanted to do for a long time. Tell me your thoughts on the scene, please.

Okay, so the next chapter has been delayed for way too long. I didn't mean for this to happen. However, writing fight scenes with little visual help from the show tends to be complicated, and this next chapter has a lot of tricky parts that require a lot of attention in order for me to get them right. I understand if you're frustrated and impatient, but trust me, you're not as frustrated as I am right now. The next chapter is already under development.

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Peace!