Hey hey guys I'm back and here's the third chapter of "Red Lotus and the Shinobi"! Sorry it took so long, been trying so hard to write a decent plot for this chapter with small brain of mine. LMAO. Lots of 'writer's block' setbacks here hehe. Don't you worry guys, this is where the fun begins for the Red Lotus trio in the Shinobi World. ;)
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Legend of Korra and Naruto including all of their characters. Both series belong to their respective owners Bryke Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, and Masashi Kishimoto.
Anyways enjoy and don't forget to review. :)
At the inn's dining hall in the Land of Iron
In the Land of Iron, inside the inn where the three Red Lotus members: P'Li, Ghazan, and Ming-Hua who ended up in the Shinobi World sent unknowingly by the Sage of the Six Paths himself after their "deaths" in the Avatar World, were invited to a meal by a teenage blond boy named Naruto Uzumaki who saved them from the snow and befriended them. In the dining room, the Red Lotus trio were at the table where a set of dishes and drinks are placed with Naruto with a smile on his face waiting for them as the latter said.
"Come on you guys! Meal's served! My treat!"
P'Li, Ghazan and Ming-Hua noticed no chairs to sit down to dine on the table but noticed Naruto sitting on the floor already chowing down a dish of delicious looking noodles with lettuces, meat and spices and decided to follow his sitting position as they sat on their places and began their meal. The Red Lotus trio came to enjoy the meal as they tasted dishes unknown to them back in their world and eventually liked it.
"Hmm...this food taste delicious, I'd admit.", Ghazan commented.
"This is unlike anything we ate back at home.", P'Li remarked.
Ming-Hua, on the hand, get to relish the moment of having hands once more to hold chopsticks and a bowl unlike before when the waterbender had no arms at the time in the Avatar World probably one of the reasons why she looked a bit malnourished. "Food is food as long we get to eat! *chomps on food*!"
Naruto, already finished with his bowl of noodles, enthusiastically said, "Oh yeah, I knew you guys would love ramen! It's the best food there is! Believe it!" while grabbing another bowl of ramen and ate hungrily and repeated the same process. The Red Lotus trio couldn't agree more on the blond Shinobi's statement although were surprised to see Naruto's huge appetite in a deadpanned expression as Naruto ate a whole lot ramen as fast as he can.
This kid got a huge appetite....
Naruto noticed their deadpanned looks and said, "What? Did I do something wrong?"
The three Red Lotus benders nodded their heads sideways as a form of 'no', not wanting to offend the blond teenager shinobi and resumed eating. Then two men entered the dining room. Two tall men wearing a similar jacket uniform both dark green colored and a leaf-symbol headband. One is white-spiky haired with a mask covering his mouth and half his left eye and the other is brown haired with big eyes wearing a weird headpiece.
"It looks like our new friends have regained consciousness and Naruto invited them to a ramen meal, right Kakashi?", the brown-haired man said.
"I noticed Yamato and you'll be paying for that.", the white-haired masked man playfully spoke much to Yamato's dismay.
"Oh Kakashi-sensei! Captain Yamato! Nice of you to join us!", the blond shinobi greeted his comrades.
Ghazan, P'Li and Ming-Hua noticed the two men named Kakashi and Yamato if they heard their names right before resuming eating their meals. Kakashi and Yamato greeted back to Naruto before taking their seats and joined in the dining table.
Hmm... I can clearly sense chakra in those three but it somewhat feels different. Very different. I wonder what it is, Kakashi thought upon analyzing the three benders carefully as they enjoy a conversation with Naruto and Yamato who joined in too, adding the lively atmosphere in the dining room before the white-haired shinobi spoke in question.
"I'm Kakashi Hatake and this is my fellow associate is Yamato. And who are you three?"
Ghazan replied, "Name's Ghazan. My friends here are Ming-Hua and P'Li. Nice to meet you. We would have died if Naruto and you two as well hadn't saved us from the snow earlier and we're grateful for it." as he gave his bow of thanks. The combustionbender and the waterbender simply politely bowed as well at the Copy Ninja and continued eating.
"Likewise, we're happy to help Ghazan...but I'm curious, where did you three come from?", Kakashi asked in a tone of suspicion wondering if the three mysterious individuals were either from the Five Shinobi Nations, the other countries, lands, or even from another continent just like Temujin's Continent judging from their different attires they wore and appearances they sported.
The lavabender tried to speak but Naruto had beaten him to it quite too quickly. "Hey Kakashi-sensei, Ghazan said that he and his friends came from some faraway land! Believe it!"
"Well that might help the explanation, thanks Naruto. So what's the name of this land you hail from?", Kakashi asked again.
"Uhhh...to tell you the truth Mr. Kakashi, we kinda forgot the name of the land where we came from. Me and my companions here had been on a long journey from our homeland and we don't even recall how we got here in the first place.", P'Li spoke in a embarrassed tone, although made a little lie just like Ghazan did to Naruto, they would find a way to apologize to him later if he figured it out, unsure if the man would believe them or not if they told them that they came from coming from a world where people bend the elements or they were members of an organization dedicated to bring true freedom to the Avatar World with anarchy and the permanent death of the Avatar.
Kakashi seemed to absorb what little information from the combustionbender. Three unknown people from a mysterious land on a journey somehow ended up unconscious in the always-snowing samurai nation seemed suspicious enough but they appear to be good and friendly people but appearances can be deceiving commonly known to all shinobi who uses them to fool enemies if they lower their guard however judging from their body movements and reactions, they seem to be telling half of the truth assuming that they didn't know what's going on around them. He then asked more questions.
"Hmmm..I see. But given from the chakra I sensed in the three of you, it appears you can use ninjustsu am I right?"
"Ninjutsu?", Ming-Hua wondered while sipping on the ramen soup clearly enjoying the food.
"Techniques that shinobi uses in combat that comes with a wide variety requiring chakra and hand seals to perform them. And also from what I also sensed from you three is that you use elemental ninjutsu, miss Ming-Hua.", Yamato elaborated.
Does he refer to our bending?, the Red Lotus benders deadpanned thought together as they couldn't believe the idea that their unique bending abilities' element affinities can be felt by these men called shinobi and were mistakenly called them 'ninjutsu' if they heard or pronounced the name right . We really are in a very different world after all, they thought right.
"Would you guys like to show your ninjutsu to us? Might be awesome!", Naruto excitedly said in anticipation to see his three new friends' 'ninjutsu' abilities and techniques are up close and personal.
"Uh, no thanks kid. We still haven't recovered from the serious case of frostbite but don't worry you might get the chance soon enough.", Ghazan said in defense in their current state, not wanting to cause more attention.
Naruto was slightly disappointed by the lavabender's remarks but quickly returned to his enthusiastic mood as well as eating another round of ramen much to the Red Lotus trio's surprise on the blond shinobi's ridiculously huge appetite.
"What's with the uniform? You guys from the military?", P'Li asked the white-haired masked shinobi curiously.
Deciding to change the subject and wait and see what these three people can do later if they get a chance to that is, Kakashi answered, "Why, yes miss P'Li right? Me and captain Yamato are the shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire."
"So why Naruto ain't in that uniform like yours?", Ming-Hua said skeptically.
"Because either Naruto hasn't yet been officially conscripted into the Hidden Leaf shinobi forces or he just prefer to wear his favorite color as long as he likes.", Yamato replied, half-jokingly. The blond shinobi took that as an offense.
"I see...", the waterbender muttered before continuing their meals.
"Believe it! I'm gonna be Hokage! Right, Kakashi-sensei, captain Yamato?", Naruto loudly declared before digging into more ramen much to the benders' surprise again.
"Kid's ambitious on becoming Hokage, I'd give him that.", P'Li commented. The lavabender and the waterbender nodded in agreement, having the same idea with the combustionbender.
"That's what he's been dreaming of ever since his childhood. He's the kind of person who won't give up no matter how hard and dangerous in every situation and trials he has faced throughout his life.", Kakashi explained of Naruto's lifetime goals to the benders.
Hearing this made the three Red Lotus member feel a slight punch in the gut, to know that the boy who saved them in new world they were in now would dream of becoming a leader of a country something that their organization's ideologies of true freedom of no leaders, no nations, and no borders at all as shown with their leader and airbender Zaheer assassinating the late Earth-Queen Hou-Ting, that sparked a nation-wide anarchy in the Earth Kingdom with its capital city of Ba Sing Se suffered the most back including the other plan to kill the rest of the world leaders from respective nations as well which it didn't carried out back in the Avatar World.
But they are in a new different world now where they might find redemption for their past crimes and mistakes and probably a change of their beliefs and ideals to see whether the Red Lotus' ideology has been right or wrong all along. The three Red Lotus benders are more than grateful for that and may thank whatever who sent them here as they continued their meal together with Naruto, Kakashi and Yamato.
After a hearty meal, both groups had their fill satisfied and full on their bellies. For some reason, Ming-Hua had somehow looked healthier probably thanks to the food that cured her malnourished state to which she was grateful.
"It looks like you guys are satisfied and good to go! Now where will you go now Ghazan?", Naruto said.
"I don't know, Naruto. Like we said, we don't know how we ended up here or know our way around this place. Do you think it's okay for you to let me and the girls tag along for now?", Ghazan said, having already decided that if someone who knows wherever they are, their best bet is on Naruto Uzumaki and his two companions, Kakashi Hatake and Yamato.
"I don't know...", the white-haired shinobi trying to think whether he would allow them to come along or not in his mental debate.
"As if watching over Naruto was tiring enough...", Yamato muttered under his breath.
"Please, Kakashi-sensei, captain Yamato. I bet I can show them the Hidden Leaf Village when we get back!", the blond shinobi pleaded with his puppy-dog eyes at the masked shinobi.
"Alright you three can come along but I'm keeping an eye on you.", Kakashi gave a slight warning in his tone. Ming-Hua, on the other hand, couldn't hold her laughter when the masked shinobi said he'd keep an "eye" on her and her comrades referring to his headband covering his left eye but P'Li weakly elbowed her in the waist to stop that. The waterbender could only stick her tongue out and her hand pulling down her left eyelid in response.
Yamato could only sigh, hoping they won't regret this bringing three more people in such a long journey.
As the Red Lotus trio and the Hidden Leaf shinobi readied themselves to leave the inn with Yamato ended up paying for the food thanks to Kakashi's "persuasion" truly to the former's dismay.
"So...where are we going exactly?", P'Li asked as she helped herself with the winter cloak as everyone ready themselves for the cold outside while Ghazan and Ming-Hua helped each other out albeit quite nervously to which the combustionbender suspected.
"I'm gonna find and meet the Raikage before he reaches the Five Kage Summit where I'm gonna ask for Sasuke's pardon! Believe it!", the blond shinobi loudly declared with spirit and determination. This somewhat intrigues the three benders to follow Naruto wherever he goes and witness it themselves personally. This includes learning a lot more in the new world they are in and survive.
Their presence in the Shinobi World might change forever.
And so the three Red Lotus members: Ghazan, Ming-Hua, and P'Li ended up joining in Naruto Uzumaki's adventures...just as the Sage of the Six Paths intended them this to happen right from the start...
Author's Note: Well well there you have it folks! Next chapter f "Red Lotus and the Shinobi" will come around soon if I had enough time around assuming if I don't have a writer's block that is hehehe. I might have the Red Lotus trio somehow got involved in Sasuke and his team's attempt to assassinate the Five Kage in their infiltration of the Kage Summit and show their awesome bending skills in front of the shinobi!
And also my respects and tribute to Masashi Kishimoto, the awesome author and Naruto, one of the best of all time! It's so heart-breaking to see such an awesome series end with Chapter 700 as the epilogue of Naruto manga and its ongoing anime episodes until its completion, including Naruto The Last Movie! :'( The Naruto fandom never forgets.
Enjoy! :)