Resetting Our Lives

Summary: Untimely deaths and mourning spirits. A second chance was deemed appropriate. Now in a new world and in younger bodies, how will they adjust? How will they change things with their presence in this new world?

Disclaimer: I don't own avatar: the last airbender or naruto.

Chapter 4 - How To Be Normal Kids

"Yes! We have defeated you! You will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation!"

I sighed.

'Seriously Azula, it's just a game of ninja. You don't have to be that harsh or serious. Apologize.' I said mentally.

I can't believe she just ruined our first chance of making actual friends since we got here. I admit, I was scaring people away with my glares the first few weeks. I just wasn't in the mood. Now that I am, this happens. Figures. We are going to be loners forever.

'You want me, the victor, to apologize for simply playing to my full capacity?'

"Now Azula." I said.

...

And so begins the stare down. Too can play at that game.

...

...

...

"FINE! I APOLOGIZE! There. Happy now?" she yelled and crossed her arms.

Her deep glare and pout just made her cute and pinchable rather than prissy. If only the people here knew we're not actually kids. They won't believe crap like that though so we better stick to what we have. It's nice being a kid again anyway. Everything's practically handed to you on a silver platter so long as you behave and not slit anyone's throat. It's the life.

"I don't know. I'm not sensing any sincerity from that." I smirked. Azula's glower grew stronger. Everyone's edging away though. They're looking at us like we're crazy. Well, crazier than they normally think we are.

I mentally sigh at that. I don't think there's any return from this. I'm not sure if it's even too late or not but...

I glanced at Azula, looking so determined. I guess it doesn't hurt to keep trying.

Academy work was boring. It was easy. It wasn't even a challenge. But, not all of it was completely within my immediate grasp. There were things that ninjas learn, things so basic to them, that it utterly boggled me. It was...frustrating.

It was easy to understand that this chakra of theirs was simply chi. At first, it seemed so obvious. But then, it wasn't. It was a lot more complicated than I expected. Molding chakra was more than just the usual chi manipulation I was familiar with. As mentioned, it involves molding. It's a mixture. A mixture with what!? That's where it gets confusing.

Chi is the metaphysical energy that flows throughout the human body. Bending is merely the ability to manipulate one's chi to the point where the energy can extend beyond the body and interact with the environment.

Going by that logic, the four bending arts are more or less one and the same. In fact, chi manipulation is so basic, so primeval, that it's used by not only benders but by anything that lives. It's a skill mastered even by non-benders and by animals. That's why Ty Lee's chi blocking can deal with anyone, not just benders. Chi is more or less life energy. It's spirit. Technically, it's everywhere. It's more or less energy in its rawest state. This is why the spirits are such powerful beings, it's almost envying.

But chakra uses an extra component. This component allows them better control over the energy. It allows for more complex applications, albeit with more effort and power needed to make it up to par. It allows them to nurture it and, rather than act as it's conduit, act as its factory instead. This component is physical energy.

I have no idea what the difference is supposed to be.

"Great~ You burned yet another leaf. Let's give it a couple more hours give or take and all the poor trees will be officially balding." drawled Sokka.

"Shut up! If you're just going to keep mocking me, at least offer me some advice!"

His dry sarcasm annoyed me. A lot more than it probably should. I've been working very hard to get this stupid leaf sticking exercise right without causing the leaves to blow up at my face and all he's done since the beginning is mock my lack of progress with his sarcasm.

He had it easy. He wasn't originally a bender. Having housed the moon spirit a couple of times, even if for just a few seconds, forced the dormant talent within him to activate and turned him into a bender without his permission. He doesn't actually practice it save for the occasional and completely involuntary healing. Thus, he's not bound by the bending principles I was forged all my life with that's currently getting in the way of my progress.

"I already did."

Hmph. If Chill out was an advice, then he might've. But, I don't accept cookie trash.

Sokka managed to figure out the dumb exercise within his first three tries. Three! The first one caused the leaf to grow soggy, much like how all my attempts lead to the leaf burning out. His second caused it to glow and sharpen the leaf enough to have him cut himself. Then, on his third try, it stuck on his forehead perfectly without it falling off. He managed to keep it on for nearly an hour without much effort until the teacher told us it was over for the day. I didn't even get close to that.

The barbaric peasant with zero bending motivation and skill actually out-talented me! It was humiliating!

"I have to perfect this before class demonstration tomorrow. I will not be delegated to some mere average student."I gritted my teeth in annoyance.

"I doubt having the leaf explode is anything average. The others don't even make any effect on the stuff." said Sokka as he flicked a burnt leaf away from him along with the rest of my ashen piles.

Oh, he is so ignorant.

"That fatty Akimichi managed to do it for a few seconds." I reminded him. It was so humiliating being outdone but a fatty. The fact keeps on mocking me in my head!

He couldn't have been better than me. I keep kicking his butt in our spars. He's slower than pregnant snail sloths! But he beat me at that stupid basics exercise. BASICS! The worst part was how that was the exercise that mattered. How am I supposed to learn any of the ninja tricks I'm supposed to use as a ninja if I can't even make a stupid leaf submit!

"Azula never performs just good enough. It has to be perfect!" I pressed.

"Just listening to you makes me feel tired." He moved to get his dark sword and I felt a swell of panic.

"Wait! Don't leave me! You have to help me get this right!" I told him, my eyes humiliatingly watery.

"No, I don't. Sensei isn't expecting any of us to get it to stick for even a few seconds at least until we're in our third year or something. You should just put it to rest." he grumbled.

I glared at him with unrestrained fury. "That's easy for you to say. You have it down so perfectly, you're even using it on your sword." I pointed out scathingly.

"Heh. It was cool to learn that I can make space sword get even more sharp." he said smugly, glee oozing off of him in waves. While I was trying my best to get through the basics, he was already practicing on slicing up rocks and making awful looking statues to complement his nonexistent artistic talent.

"See? You're getting it so easily. I have to do so too. You can't leave now!"

I have to be perfect. Otherwise, I'd lose my usefulness. I'm supposed to be a prodigy. Even here, I'm still labeled as one. I can only be the prodigy. Otherwise, I'd be set aside again. I'll be trash. I can't let that happen.

"We're not going to bed until you figure it out, are we?" he asked.

"I will burn your futon if I have to." I threatened him with narrowed eyes. His eyes widened as he gasped for a second.

"You wouldn't dare." He glared back at me. All I did was give him a malicious smirk, telling him just how I can't wait to do it.

"Fine! I'm helping~" Sokka grumbled and bounded over to me. "Do it again for me. Remember to cool your head this time."

I rolled my eyes and slapped a leaf on my head. It immediately burned to a crisp and crumbled into ash.

"You're never going to get it if you keep forcing it like that."

"I'M NOT FORCING IT!" I screeched. He just sighed again.

"Look, you need to calm down. Let the chi flow in your body like a calm river and let it do the rest. The leaf will have to be part of you. It's not your slave."

I blinked.

"That makes no sense."

Since when was Sokka so fuddy duddy? For a second there, I thought I was talking to Uncle. The thought makes me shudder.

"Look, just...Try and think like a swordsman on the defensive. Or, like a...a waterbender. It's not about force. You don't go against the flow. You guide it. You compromise with it. Be flexible about it. You have to flow with whatever comes your way."

Sokka grabbed a leaf and had it hovering over his open palm. Then, he started playing with it, letting it travel along his wiggling fingers with slow but precise gliding, the leaf not once touching him while making the awkward turns.

"What you're doing is like this."

The leaf returned to his palm, sitting on it peacefully. Then, all of a sudden, the leaf broke apart and cracked away as all the water in it was pulled out and converted into steam.

"You're trying to shock it to submission. But you can't. This isn't fire bending. You can't just make fire if it's already there waiting for you. It's not going to move any differently if you leave it be. You have to be adaptable. You have to influence the energy's course, not browbeat it, just control the moment of change."

I gave him a confused look. He managed to make even less sense than before and that's using familiar terms.

"You mean, I should focus more internally than externally?" I asked. Maybe he's talking about lightning generation. Or at least, the principles behind it. The guiding feature certainly hits there. But, how?

He paused for a second, then, he nodded...unsure.

I grabbed a leaf and placed it on my forehead once more. I tried what he said and manipulated my chi internally and tried not to let it go out. Using one hand, I guided the energy along the paths and, with hesitation, let it move up towards the chi nexus on the forehead and focused her power.

All of a sudden, Sokka scrambled to get away as I accidentally shot a concentrated beam of heat through the leaf and caused a tree that was impacted to explode.

"Hoooly...Did you just shoot a laser at me? From your brain!?" he yelled in shock.

"O-Ow~" I crumbled to the ground, holding my head as it was hit with the migraine. Of course I knew of that high-level firebending technique. I've heard of it. It wasn't exactly my kind of bending due to the many downsides to committing to it but it was a true master's form of firebending nonetheless. And training in it often lead to...accidents. I'm lucky I just got away with a migraine and not an imploded head.

"You give horrible advice!" I yelled at him, tears freely falling from my eyes due to intense pain.

"You didn't get what I said at all!" I yelled back.

He groaned. "And this is what I get for trying the Piandao approach." he murmured scathingly. He rubbed his temples with his knuckles.

"Ugh, screw this. This isn't my style but I was never great at public speaking to begin with."

He went over to a garden faucet and opened it. He awkwardly let the water steadily follow him as he wet his hands, wrapping the growing blob of water around them. As expected, the water started glowing eerily, as it always does when Sokka comes into direct contact with them. He came back and placed his hands on my head.

"What are you doing?" I asked in a panic. I could feel the healing effects. It was slightly panicking because the invasive feeling makes me feel like I'm losing control over myself.

"I'm making you chill you stiff firecracker."

Healing through water bending isn't the same as the odd healing techniques here with the green chakra. It's slight chi redirection and revitalization which causes natural healing to speed up exponentially. He's literally reaching in to control my chi with his with the help of water. It was chilling.

I felt the light dryness from the close calls of the previous attempts get cooled and moisturized until the uncomfortable itch faded away. He grabbed a leaf and, without warning, stuck it to that same spot.

"Clear your mind and think only about this one spot I'm touching."

Of course I thought about that spot. It was the only thing on my blanking out mind since he was healing it. I could feel it get healed. It was weird. He let go and then I held my breath when I realized what just happened. The leaf actually stuck. I was hit with euphoria.

"I DID IT!"

Then, reality came crashing back in as the effects of the water healing wore off and the leaf fell. The joy fizzled out like quenched flames.

"No~" He gave me an obnoxious grin. "I did it for you."

I glared at him. How dare he mess with my emotions and mock me so!?

"So, do you get it now or are you still completely hopeless at this Little Miss Perfect?" he asked out of the blue.

I stopped seething as that registered and I realized what he just did. He let me feel it myself. He had me generating my chakra at that point to stick that leaf so that I could get a better feel for it compared to simply watching a demonstrator or breaking down the mechanics behind it on paper. I realized one thing at the very least. I must keep calm, as though meditating. I couldn't think too much about the pressures, about the theories, about the outcome. I just...do it.

Seriously? Is that was physical energy is supposed to be? Focus? That's more like the mental part rather than the physical! It makes no sense! But, nonsense or no, it worked before.

I grabbed a leaf and stuck it to my forehead. It stuck. I felt the joy return, my juvenile body was very close to making me cry for it. The chakra components still make no sense to me but at least I know it works. Then, after three full seconds, the leaf fell off. I groaned.

"There. You can finally do it. Let's Go. To. Bed. Now." he pressed. Begged.

"Are you kidding? That was pathetic! I have to be able to keep it on for hours or I won't be satisfied."

He groaned loudly and put his hands on his head.

"GAH! Of all the prissy prim and fucking proper princesses...YOU ARE SUCH A PERFECTIONIST!" he yelled to the sky. "Burning bed or no, I am going to sleep! Taka, come!"

His bird went over to land on his armguard and squawked at me. I huffed.

"Fine! Be that way! I'll be better than you in no time, peasant!" I stuck my tongue out to jeer at him. Then, when I realized how childish I was acting, I gasped and cursed this juvenile form once again. Why does my body chemistry have to torment me like this? Why?

"And she kept me up all night. When I woke up, she was still practicing!" whined Sokka to his best contemptuous effect. Sokka was complaining about his baby cousin's apparent inclinations of perfectionism. I will admit that Azula-chan tends to be thorough for a lot of things but...

"Surely you're exaggerating." I said with a chuckle.

"Do these ugly black bags look like exaggerations? NO! They're not! They make me look like I'm coming down with a bad case of pentapox, without the POX! "

Well, he does look really tired and sleep-deprived...Wait, what in the world is pentapox?

"She's driving me nuts. It's severe I tell you. She's obsessed! You have to talk to her! With me and everyone else, it's in one ear and out the other. She talks to you though. Please~ I need my beauty sleep!" begged the boy.

Ehe...Hehehe. I sweat dropped. Personally, I find that he's the one getting obsessed over her behavior. He doesn't admit it much but he's always looking out for his cousin and is constantly concerned about her well-being...in his own way. To the point that it was ridiculous sometimes.

It was funny at first but now that I'm getting to hear more about their antics over the last few weeks Kushina and I left them alone for, due to a mission, it was starting to sound worrying. If I look back now, the signs were all there. I just didn't notice until now.

"Why don't you go have a nice nap while I figure this out then?" I asked Sokka.

"Nap...That sounds like a...good...Zzzzzz..."

Well, that was fast.

I brought Sokka home and tucked him in bed and discretely applied a sound-proofing tag to his room. I'll take it down later once I figure out if it's really necessary or not. For now, I have something important to do.

I headed out into the village asked Inoichi about it, Azula's problem. He gave me a rather upsetting appraisal. Azula-chan may possibly have obsessive compulsive personality disorder. A rather severe case too, if we're going to be honest.

She is a real-life OCD...at three. That's just disturbing and so terribly wrong. This is the kind of thing that has to be dealt with before it gets worse she grows. She'll need therapy. But, knowing that girl, she'll probably view that as an act of betrayal and make this worse than it has to. She'll likely push away all our attempts to help. It would be counter-productive. I never knew my experience with Kakashi would be so handy for this. Those kids are too similar. It's...saddening.

I trekked to the wood just annexing our backyard where Azula opted to practice. Just as I thought, she was still there. She was sticking leaves all over herself now, not just her forehead. They seemed awkward on her in a sense that some of them were...smoking. But, she ignored them.

"Azula-chan?"

She made a sharp gasp and, to my surprise, the leaves all suddenly fizzled out as they were ignited by spontaneous flames. That's interesting. Not unexpected but still interesting. It was always obvious that she had nature manipulation down to a tee, given her blood limit. I just didn't think it would impede her attempts at something so simple like chakra sticking. It seems so backwards.

She groaned and made a sharp turn of her head towards me to deliver a rather nasty glare. Then, when she realized it was me, her features changed from anger to surprise.

"Minato-san? You're back! Has it been ten days already?" she said with joy. I tried very hard not to point out the fact that Kushina and I were actually four days late due to complications on the mission. She already has enough on her plate. She doesn't need to feel inadequate.

"I came back just now. Sokka-kun greeted us at the gate with dango." I said with a smile.

"Oh. That." she said, looking slightly jarred all of a sudden. "We were both supposed to do that. I guess I forgot."

She had a deep rosy tint to her cheeks as she soundlessly cursed and reprimanded herself. Rather than embarrassed, she looked angry at herself for forgetting. That backfired on me really fast.

"You don't have to be angry at yourself. It was just one time. There's plenty more missions for us and plenty of dango for all of us." I offered her my last stick and she accepted half-heartedly.

"It's not that. My memory is usually really sharp. How could I forget?" she said with a tone of disappointment and a still lingering trace of anger.

"You were busy. It's fine." I eased.

"No! It's not! What if that was a battle plan? What if that was a mission time? I can't afford to just forget stuff!" she pressed, her insecurities peering through.

I sighed. OCD. Right.

"Those are very different things Azula-chan. You needn't worry about the smaller things." I told her.

"The oni is in the details." she said dryly. I mentally sigh. She is going to be more difficult than I thought.

I sat down next to her and carefully pulled her to my lap. Her hair was all messy now with strands sticking out from all over and her crown, which is a rather expensive seeming hair ornament of gold alloy, threatening to fall off. Clearly, she was the one who did her hair this morning. Otherwise, Sokka would've fixed it neatly like he always does for her.

I undid her tie and started to comb out the mess. I could see the red on the tip of her ears, indicating that she was embarrassed. Oh, this silly little girl.

"You're only three years old Azula-chan. You're allowed to be given allowances. A growing girl like you should be resting now."

"Oh, so this is going to be one of those talks." she said dryly. "Sokka put you up to this?"

I chuckled. "Even if he didn't say anything, I would still end up having this conversation with you. We're just worried."

"Don't. It's unneeded. I'm just being as normal as ever." she pressed with resolute tones.

I sighed. And that is exactly why I'm worried. "Azula-chan, nobody's perfect. You don't have to try so hard. In fact, you're only three. You have a long life ahead of you to prepare you. You don't have to get everything right now."

You're not out there anymore. You're safe. You don't have to try so hard.

"But, I'm a prodigy." she mumbled weakly. So weak that it probably wasn't mean to be heard, but I did. I felt a bit intrusive at that realization but I'm glad I caught it. It held so much meaning. So much...attachment.

I frowned at that term. I really hate it when people keep throwing that word around like it's something fascinating. If all it does is make lonely kids like Azula-chan and Kakashi, like me, then that word is better off not existing.

"People called me a prodigy too but I have my fair share of mistakes." I told her carefully. "I was barely even able to ask for Kushina's hand in marriage."

I was stuttering so hard then. It was so embarrassing.

"You?" she snorted, not believing a word I said. "You can take out whole battalions in a flash and still somehow know how to cook exotic dishes fit for a whole royal court to devour. Don't tell me otherwise. I was there at both instances."

I chuckled.

"Yes, you were. But, I believe you were also there when Kushina first moved in and started redecorating the whole house."

She froze, likely revisiting the memory, and held back a laugh.

"I couldn't find the spine to stop her and the end result was one really disorganized and seal-ridden house. You and Sokka had to help me put everything back to normal." I told her.

"That's not imperfection. That's a healthy dose of fear for your wife. That's only proper given your dynamics. Kushina-san is a terrifying woman."

"I guess she is. But, she's still my one and only." I winked.

"Ugh. That is so cheesy. Never do that again."

"Sorry. I couldn't help it. She took my heart in a flash." I chuckled at the inside joke.

"I can't tell if you're a romantic or just trying to be one. You're terrible at it, if you must know. Kushina-san is a much better poet, speech quirks aside." she drawled.

"I know. But, I guess it's just one of my faults."

We laughed for a while until she stopped all of a sudden and gave me a deadpan. I caught her there, didn't I?

"That's not fair. Useless things like that don't count."

"I assure you, once you fall in love with the right one and you find yourself stuck, not knowing what to do, and it's suddenly very important." I drawled playfully. A lot of things are like that. Like my inability to save my team from falling apart at the seams before it was too late, I mean. Yet another ugly stain of red on my long list of failings. One that I don't intent to repeat.

She huffed and turned away. But, she didn't make a retort. I'll take it she at least managed to get that.

"You don't get it. You're a soldier but you never started from the top. It was never a requirement for you." she retorted bitingly. I don't know if she noticed but she was starting to unconsciously edge away from me.

"True. But the finish line is all the same for everyone. Just because our backgrounds differ doesn't mean we don't end up in the same position." I tried to clear up vaguely. I was talking in a general sense here and I was hoping she could understand. She's still a child but, sometimes, I feel like she is much older.

"IT'S NOT THE SAME!" she roared with rage, her breath including a short burst of blue flame.

She stood and turned her back on me, her arms crossed and her shoulders tense, as if everything was conspiring to attack her and she had to be ready at all times. It was the cagey disposition of a ninja trapped alone within enemy lines.

"I was the prodigy. I was the preferred child. The remaining successor. I was raised to be perfect." She started to shake, her insecurities starting to pour out along with the watering of her eyes. But she didn't cry. Not yet. She had too much pride. for that. Like how she won't admit she needs help.

"Can't you see that it's who I am? It's all I know to be. It's all I'm ever good at. It's all I'm worth for. Stop trying to tell me otherwise. Just let me be!" she hissed.

It's just like Inoichi said. Hit enough points home and she'll talk herself. She is just a child after all. She would want to justify her ideals, especially to people she holds in high regard. She would want others to accept it, just like she did with her cousin. Sokka has his moments but nothing like Azula. That makes them different still even if she subconsciously is viewing him as a sort of mirror, or maybe a ruler. They were each other's measuring sticks for a lot of things. On their improvement in skill, in adapting to this new life, in moving on.

"You're only three. You still have a life ahead of you. This isn't who you are. You can't possibly say that this single-minded desire to be perfect at everything is what makes you happy. Aren't you tired?" I noted seriously.

"I...My father wouldn't tolerate any less." she retorted weakly. But, it didn't carry much weight here. It probably used to, back where she's from, but not here. And she realizes this.

"Your father doesn't deserve to be called that then. A real father should only want for his child to be the best she could be, nothing more, nothing less." I said stiffly. With every word escaping from her, with the ever clearing picture of the mindset drilled into her unnecessarily, I felt my blood boil.

"Exactly. That's why I have to be the best of all!" she pressed. "H-He burned a third of Zuzu's face because he wasn't. He made us all watch. He just...spoke out of turn. That day... I can't ever...I can't. I didn't want to be disowned too."

The hysteria hit her. She was panicking, possibly even reliving a flashback.

Oh Kami. The root was rather extreme, just as I expected, but one I hoped was untrue. But, for it to be that? For it to be such trauma, her own father disfiguring her elder brother right before her eyes? I clenched my fists.

"That's not a father. That's a monster. I would never do that to you. I would just let you be yourself." I told her while I pulled her close to a hug, rubbing comforting circles on her back. I had to if I didn't want her getting trapped in a panic attack. Those things are never pretty.

This is so sad. So...tragic. Never have I been so glad that we found the kids when we did. They cannot go back to the hell they came from. They can't. Konoha is a ninja village at war so it might not be the best alternative. But at least, it's better than before. I swear, if I get the chance to meet her father, I will kill him.

"You're not my father." she said with a tone of bitterness, resigned and wistful. Clearly, it weighed on her. Now I see why Sokka is always so worried about her, even if he doesn't want to admit it. She's so...fragile.

"I could be...If you want it." I offered. She turned to me with a look of surprise. The emotions swimming in her eyes were so stormy, it was hard to figure out if she was against it or not. It made me stiffen in sudden fear. What if she starts to reject me for this?

That offer...It was an impulse, a spur of the moment decision. I literally just blurted it out. Sure, Kushina's thrown in the idea once or twice but we never actually went with it. Now, seeing this little girl trying to doll herself up for a ghost of the past...

My resolve burned with the will of fire. There was no doubt about it. I was adopting her. I was adopting both of them. They deserve so much more.

Azula didn't speak anymore. She just stared at me in shock for so long until she assaulted me with a bone crushing hug and didn't let go. I could feel it roll off her, the desperation. The relief. To be honest, I felt relieved too.

No more words needed to be said. To begin with, they weren't needed. We both understood right from the start. All this was just...release.

Sokka. I'm getting sick of his moodiness. I'm having a second chance at life here. I will not have it ruined by his majesty's anti-social aura. It's unsightly. How is he so full of angst anyhow? It's not like he's Zuzu. He was even supposed to be the joke in the Avatar's circle. The dead weight whose only use had been comic relief, at least at first glance.

This should be a day for celebration. Yet, he's wasting it away being a complete buffoon. Minato and Kushina formally adopted us as their children. I was more than ecstatic for this and didn't even bother to wait for great grandfather's blessing before saying yes. I just grabbed the chance when it came.

I wouldn't lie and say I didn't dream about it once or twice, that this was my real life and that the two jonin were my real parents. The real ones never really cared about me. Not the way those two did. They felt more like parents to me than my own parents were even before all this.

Sokka though. He took a while. He was less ecstatic about it. He just didn't fight it much because...I think, he didn't want to ruin it for me. But I could tell he hadn't been happy. Not angry, not really, but not glad either. And now, it's finally sealed on paper and made legal. I couldn't be any happier but he was being such a killjoy about it.

Grrr!

I walked around the forest to look for my annoying sort-of cousin - as a species - with major mopey issues. It was getting dark out but that's not really a problem. It's still far from curfew. I went from tree to tree looking for any sign of him with very little success.

Sokka's an expert at hiding and evading capture. He's evaded my stupid brother many times before. He's evaded me. Water tribe warriors are experts of guerilla warfare, naval combat, and camouflaging. The southern tribe were especially practiced in the art of warfare due to the constant attacks grandfather directed towards them until all their water benders were wiped out.

Well, most of their water benders. They missed his sister and, him too, apparently. Now that Sokka's properly learning the art of stealth from experts that focus their fighting philosophies in it, he's gotten much better.

'Sokka. Come on, we need to be back before seven. Kaa-sama doesn't like us being late.' I called out mentally with a groan. The only replies I got were the croaks of a frog for some reason.

A frog? Why is he thinking of croaking frogs? Wait, frogs. That means water and lily pads. Then Sokka must be...

"Tch. Of all the wasted effort..." I grumbled.

I made my way to the small pond I knew was in this part of the village. A decrepit mansion here had a grand garden that reminded Sokka of the north pole's spirit oasis. It was his secret base. His personal retreat. A small piece of home. He might be there.

Unfortunately, I've only heard of the place and its general location. I've never seen it personally. I only have vague ideas of where it is from his stories so I was left to wander blind as soon as I got there. I wasn't sure if I'm even going the right way or if I just missed it. But, I can at least sense that I am on the right track from our link. It's weakness and his lack of replies worried me. I'm hoping that just meant he was asleep.

A faint crunch sound made me stop. That wasn't me. I looked around warily. I had this feeling that I was surrounded. Feral eyes gleamed in the shadows. My body tensed and my blood boiled. I could sense it. There was killer instinct in the air. I was approaching their territory and they want me out - whatever they are.

I heard distinct growls from something fairly large. Are they dogs? This forest is near Inuzuka land after all. I've heard they could be quite territorial. Kaa-sama warned us to keep out of this area's forest and clearings at night but it's not that dark out yet. Right?

A large grey dog came forward and looked at me. Rather than a mutt, it reminded me more of the polar wolves that frequented the North. We looked at each other eye to eye. I stood up to it fearlessly. It softened when it recognized who I was and signaled the others to leave. The growling stopped and the killing intent dissipated.

"Azula-chan, what are you doing here at this hour?"

...

"You talk." I blurted out. I've heard and read about ninkens and summons that talk but seeing it is a completely different matter. I don't know how it, he, knows my name but we must've met before. He seems familiar.

"The sun is almost set. You should be at home by now. Are you lost?" At least he's polite and mindful.

I swallowed the facts quickly and remembered my original purpose. No need to be sidetracked about the weird sense of common of this world.

"I'm looking for my cous..., um, brother." I'm still trying to get used to saying that. It makes me feel weird, but not bad. I actually rather like it. Sokka is my brother. I found myself wrapping my mind around that idea with relative ease.

"I think he might be nearby." I said. "I tried tracing his steps but I lost his trail when I entered the woods. He's not an easy person to track."

I don't know if the gesture he made was a smile, a laugh, or a bow, but I think I get the picture. He plans on helping me.

"Do you have anything of his? " he asked. He's a hound so naturally, if he has Sokka's scent, he may be able to find him.

I took out Sokka's club. I borrowed it earlier for practice. He wouldn't let me touch his boomerang though. I wanted to practice with an unfamiliar weapon that returns to me but he was such a royal dumdum.

We found ourselves in front of a mansion with wild vines and foliage attempting to take it over. Kuromaru's nose was very helpful indeed. The place was more grand than I expected. It appeared to be some sort of abandoned clan manor similar to that of the prolific clan compounds scattered all over Konoha. It wasn't as large as some others, like the Hyuuga, but signs pointed towards the detail that it had been...ornate.

Sokka was asleep on the grass like I suspected he'd be. From the looks of it, he was crying by himself and fell asleep from exhaustion. There were cut foliage around looking like a deadly battle took place showing that he had been training. His sword lay unsheathed by his side, where it belonged. He finally managed to get it back when we started going to the Academy.

Unlike the usual tossing and turning, he was much too tired and fatigued to move. Every time he stirred, he'd moan in pain. Those red-rimmed eyes... I knew it. He was hiding what he really felt. So stupid. He still remembers Katara.

Tch. He really should just let go. Doesn't he have me already? I'm his little sister now! NOT. HER! I shook in anger.

The spirits floated about and a couple of needy ones flew about me, as if trying to calm me down. They don't usually hang around me since they liked Sokka more so I wasn't really familiar with most of them. What, so he has an entourage now?

"Looks like he won't be having dinner." I commented dryly.

I poked his arm with my foot. It's near impossible to wake him up when he's like this. I could throw him off a cliff or something but I'm not allowed to do that anymore. That sort of thing is exactly what will drop me into house arrest again. Besides, if he reacts extremely, I might just end up with a broken something...again.

I has happened before.

"This is the old Uzumaki manor." said Kuromaru. I got curious. Uzumaki? That's our last name!

"What? Why didn't Kushina Kaa-sama tell us about it?"

For some reason, the ruling for clans here is that the more prestigious families are the ones married into even if the surname kept is from the female. Personally, I found this arrangement more agreeable. I don't really know much about why Kaa-sama's family, all of whom seem to be dead, was more illustrious than the hokage's family. But apparently, that little side-fact automatically made her like some important lost village's princess or something, being main branch and all. Minato's orphaned on top of being civilian born while she belonged to a proper clan of ninjas as its sole head. I suppose that distinction made sense.

Also, Kaa-sama wasn't going to stand for us taking the Namikaze name because she claimed that she had first dibs. Something about suggesting the adoption first even if Minato...Even if Tou-sama told us about it first. He didn't really fight her for it, really.

Hehehe. I'll never get tired of saying that - Tou-sama~

He still kept his last name though. It's almost as if they're not really married even if they were. It's complicated, they said. Something about keeping enemies from wising up to the Yellow Flash's family relations. They like keeping secrets a lot. I suppose that's due to culture. This ninja race remind me strongly of the Dai Li, only with more individuality and personal brands of craftiness.

"This is where Mito-sama, the first Hokage's wife, resided. Kushina-sama moved in as well even well after she passed away. However, as it was fairly secluded, it became easy for enemies to attempt kidnapping her from here. After a certain incident, when Kushina-sama was younger, she was ordered to move out of this place and it was left abandoned." explained the ninken.

'Oh. That's interesting. I'll be asking Kaa-sama and her secret pet later.' thought Azula.

"How do you know so much about this?" she asked.

"My master and I were well-informed at the time." he said proudly. "We may have been young but even then, we were already excellent information gatherers."

Now I get it. He said his master was Inuzuka Tsume, the head of the wild dog clan. She's near Kaa-sama's age. Probably just a year or two older. I heard she's just as ferocious as the fearsome Red Hot Habanero, which is Kaa-sama's moniker, with a kill count rivaling Tou-sama's. She's currently pregnant so I really hope Kuromaru doesn't get scolded for coming home so late. I've heard that pregnant women can be unreasonable.

"I could carry him. Could you help me get him on my back?" said Kuromaru.

"Thank you~ You're so courteous."

Tsk. I wish all animals were this well-mannered. Sokka better drill some discipline in his poop tossing bird. If not, I'll force him to take notes from the best ninken trainer of the Inuzuka clan. There has to be an art to raising ninken. After all, this one talks.

"When are they going to teach us nature transformation?"

Azula glowered at the rubrics in her notebook. She had been praised before for her ability to use nature transformation at such a young age. Naturally, she got curious and read up on it.

"Probably never." snorted Sokka. "Isn't that supposed to be for chuunin level and above?" he remarked as he twisted around the ropes of the swing he was on.

He was a lot less stiff now, more like his original self, probably, but he still held a lot of angst in there. If anything, Azula was one who lightened up more due to the many positive changes in her life. Sokka just lost too much.

Then, there was the fact that he actually had a family that he loved and loved him back. Azula had less problems of letting go of such sentimentalities given that she had a grand total of none.

"Are we not chuunin level and above?" she retorted.

"Hmm, good point." he said and then released the twist.

"Maybe I can help." A quiet voice came from behind Azula. She was a bit surprised that she didn't sense the presence. Then again, they were in a hidden village for shinobi.

The two looked at the raven haired boy who looked their age that came to greet them. They recognized him as an Uchiha. As the clan head's famously precocious heir, in fact. Then again, they didn't care much about gossip so they weren't sure if it was really him.

"Excuse me?" asked Azula.

"I know you use fire and our clan specializes in them. I only know two techniques but I can teach you at least how to nurture your nature affinity. And um...I'm Itachi by the way." he said uneasily. It was as if he was unsure about doing this at all, approaching the reputedly aloof duo.

"I'm Azula. This is Sokka. Thank you for the offer. Tou-sama wouldn't teach us a thing about it." Azula smirked in joy. Her eyes held a frightening gleam that make normal people run away. From the looks of it, Itachi is a little south of normal.

"Oh boy." Sokka could only wait for the impending doom.

A/N: Just for clarification, Azula is about the same age as Itachi while Sokka is a year older than them. Also, they entered the Academy much earlier than him, technically speaking, so Itachi's not yet an Academy student here. When they entered, they were four and five year olds respectively.