Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Legend of Korra.

A/N: I'm going to take a break as a friend of the family died but before I had some more time on the PC and wrote out up 15 Ch's for my SW story, finished S3 for this, and am up to the last ep of S4 of the Hero Rising story

Remember to vote if you haven't!

Beta: Chaos-PSD.

Book Three

Change

Chapter VIII

The Stakeout.

Zaheer infiltrated Zaofu and attempted to kidnap the Avatar. After a harrowing battle, Korra was saved, but she soon discovered a shocking truth. Aiwei, Su's trusted advisor, has been working with Zaheer. This truth-seer-turned-traitor managed to escape, but Su tasked Team Avatar with tracking him down. Now the hunted becomes the hunter as Korra searches for answers.

Team Avatar.

"Aiwei's definitely been through here."

Korra said as she rode Naga in a town as the others were in a Jeep. "Nice tracking, girl."

"Let's ask around. Maybe someone's seen him." Mako said before they went to a bar.

"Ooh, look, they have a mover poster of me," Bolin said, seeing a wanted poster of himself at the door. "Must be big Nuktuk fans. Yeah. I should go over and say hello."

"No, those are wanted posters, and there's one for each of us," Naruto said, seeing posters for each of them. "'Wanted by her majesty, the Earth queen, for crimes against the kingdom.'" Naruto read her poster's writing. "I'm guessing this is because we took her airbenders."

"They weren't hers to keep." Korra bit, throwing her arms up. "I swear, if I ever see her pinchy little queen face again, I am gonna..."

"Uh, guys."

They turned to see Asami looking at the patrons. "We should get out of here."

Zaofu.

"Where is everyone? I've been waiting to leave for half an hour."

Lin said as she and her sister were outside. "And good morning to you too, Lin. Now, don't get mad. Korra's fine. I'm just waiting to hear if she has tracked down Aiwei yet."

"What? You let Korra go? I thought we were on the same page about this, and then you go stab me in the back?"

"Oh, don't be so overdramatic." Su waved her sister off at that. "You can't control the Avatar's every move."

"I can try."

Team Korra.

"Naga found something."

The Team was outside of another town when Naga stopped at a boulder. Korra got off and moved the boulder revealing another Jeep. Naga then nudged Korra at that. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to bring treats. But good girl." She said as Naga looked down.

Only to perk up as Naruto threw her jerky. "This must be Aiwei's jeep. He can't be far. Bolin and I will investigate the Misty Palms Oasis and see if he's holed up there."

"Yes, I love it when you talk like a cop," Bolin said as Korra looked over.

"I'm coming too."

"No. You, Naruto, and Asami wait here in case he comes back. Besides, we don't want to call too much attention to ourselves." Mako said as Naruto shrugged.

"I mean people know what the Avatar and the second one looks like, even without the wanted posters."

"Alright."

"Ooh. Mako, Mako, Mako, we should wear disguises and pretend we're going undercover. That way, no one will recognize us." Bolin spoke up with a laugh. "Police work is so exciting." He then picked up two yellow ponchos and green goggles. "Alright, now we need our undercover identities. I'm an ex-United Forces operative named "Ting-Ting". War was the only woman I ever loved until Ivy came along and showed me what real love is. Tragically, she was taken from me by my archenemy Dr. Razor, and he-"

"Enough. Let's just find Aiwei." Mako walked off as Bolin looked at him.

"But I haven't even told you your backstory."

"I'm a cop. I don't have a backstory."

"Ooh, you're good at this."

As they got into town, Asami looked at Korra who was sitting on another boulder. "Are you OK?"

"I'm just frustrated. What does Zaheer want with me? What's his plan?"

"I don't know, but I think I found a clue," Asami said, looking through Aiwei's Jeep and picking up a paper.

Korra got down and took the paper. "Xai Bau's grove, sundown. This must be where and when Aiwei's going to meet Zaheer." She said as Naruto looked down

"Alright, Xai Bau's Grove, where are you?" Asami said, pulling a map to lay on the hood. And had a small blue spirit land.

With the brothers, they stop at a tavern called Misty Palms Oasis and approach a tavern owner and inquire about Aiwei. Although the tavern owner recalls encountering Aiwei the night before, he denies knowing where the man headed afterward, prompting the two brothers to search elsewhere.

Later, outside another tavern, Bolin notices two individuals, a man and a woman eyeing him from a distance and tells Mako that they seem to be bounty hunters. Assuming that they have been discovered, Bolin and Mako flee and hide in an alley; while hiding, Bolin sees Aiwei, and they follow him to the Misty Palms Inn.

Up with Naruto, Korra, and Asami, Mako walked up holding his poncho. "We found Aiwei hiding in an inn."

"That's great."

"We found something too. It looks like he's going to meet Zaheer at sundown at a place called Xai Bau's Grove, but I can't find it anywhere on the map." Asami said, looking at the man before Naruto snapped his finger.

"I remember the other Bijūs talking about that place." The others looked at Naruto strangely at that. "It's what we called Kurama and his siblings. That place is in the Spirit Realm." Naruto then pulled Kurama from the Jeep, at that. "Isn't that right?"

"What?"

"Xai Bau's Grove. That's a place in the Spirit Realm right?"

"I think." The fox replied scratching his ear when he was dropped on the hood. "The name sounds familiar."

"Then let's go-" Naruto stopped Korra at that.

"Let's wait until sundown in case Zaheer's partners come for Aiwei to move or protect him.

They went to the inn and went inside to the innkeeper as Pabu played with spirits. "Good afternoon. We'd like a room on the ground floor across from 102, please."

"Forget it." The middle-aged woman said to them. "Last time a bunch of teenagers came in here, they trashed the whole room."

"We found you."

They turned to see the two Bolin saw earlier as Mako and Korra created blades of fire. "Hey, no bending in here. Take it outside."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. We're not here to fight you. We're here to meet Nuktuk." The man said, waving his arms.

"We're your biggest fans." The woman said, pulling a poster of Bolin's mover. "Could you make it out to Lily and Macao?"

"Uh, I'd be happy to. Always love meeting my fans." Bolin nervously smiled as he autographed it before a homemade Nuktuk doll was held up.

"I made this Nuktuk doll for you."

"Aw, it's… Cute."

"Why didn't you tell me your friend was a mover star?" The innkeeper smiled at that. "I'd be happy to rent you any room in the inn."

"We'll just take the one across from 102," Mako said to her.

"But that room is too small for the four of you."

"We need that one and the one beside it." Naruto said before taking two keys."

"Why'd you get two?" Mako asked Naruto as they walked out.

"For Naga, I've seen inns and the rooms are usually only big enough for two people."

Later, the five are in the small room with a door leading to the one beside it open as Naga lays on her back on the bed. And Kurama snoring on a pillow. "Hey there pretty vixen wanna-"

Naruto closed the door at that before walking to sit on the floor at the wall. "There he is," Korra said as Aiwei looked out the window across them before closing the blinds.

"Now to wait until sunset then Korra could go into the Spirit Realm," Naruto said as they waited.

Later, Bolin sighed as he looked up at the ceiling. "I thought stakeouts were supposed to be exciting. This isn't at all." He then looked at the dresser before walking over. "Ooh, I wonder if there are any snacks in here…" He opened one and saw a folded board game. "Hey, look! A Pai Sho board. Mako, you want to play?"

"Kind of busy here, bro."

"I'll play," Asami said from her spot between Naruto's legs as they both sat on the floor against the wall.

"Oh, well… No offense, but I learned street Pai Sho from Shady Shin, and I am pretty good, so it wouldn't be a fair game."

"So? I learned to play from my dad, the diabolical genius. I'll destroy you."

"Well, it looks like we have ourselves a Pai Sho-Down," Bolin said, unfolding the board.

And revealing it's a large, circular board split into twelve sections, and divided into a grid of colored squares.

"Ladies first."

Asami moved a piece as Bolin quickly followed. She then looked down and thought out her move. "Hmm."

"I don't want to rush you, but let's speed things up a bit."

"Why?" She asked looking up. "This game is all about slow, methodical strategy."

"No, it's not; this is a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat game of chance. Don't think. Just go."

"I don't know what Shady Shin taught you, but it wasn't the real Pai Sho."

"Oh, really? I think our friend Mr. Rule book might disagree with you." Bolin said, picking up said book and opening it. "'The origins of Pai Sho date back over 10,000 years. It is a game of both strategy and chance.' Wait, how could it be both?"

"Let me see that." Asami took the book and continued reading. "'There have been countless variations of Pai Sho through the centuries, and each culture has its own rules and variations on the game."

"That's no help at all. Korra, as the Avatar, you need to standardize these Pai Sho rules."

"Okay. I'll put that on my 'to-do' list right after bringing back the air nation and taking down the group that tried to kidnap me." She said over her shoulder at that.

"That's cool. Whenever you get to it."

"What are you gonna do about Zaheer?" Naruto asked, looking over at his fiancée. "I mean he is in the Spirit Realm now to meet, and he was locked away for 13 years, and never broke."

"You have a better idea?"

"Nope."

"I win."

Naruto looked to see Asami winning the game. "What?" Bolin grabbed his hair at that. "Alright, alright. You know what? That was just a fluke. Best two out of three."

Later, Naruto was asleep against the wall as Asami won for the sixteenth time. "It's almost sundown."

Naruto woke up at that, before standing. "He… Could be meditating in his room already."

They ran over and found Aiwei meditating on his bed before Korra followed suit in front of him. "We'll watch him in case he wakes up," Naruto said, kissing her cheek.

Spirit World.

Korra appeared by a tree and saw Aiwei before hiding as Zaheer appeared in front of him. "What happened back in Zaofu? You told me we wouldn't have any problems getting the Avatar. Because of you, we've all been compromised."

"No, any evidence was destroyed when my library burned," Aiwei said to him.

"Where is your physical body now?"

"At the Misty Palms Inn. But there is no need to worry. I was not followed." Aiwei said, walking over.

"You left a loose end."

"I assure you no one knows anything about us."

"No, you are the loose end." Zaheer grabbed Aiwei just as Korra ran out.

"Zaheer!"

The two disappeared before Zaheer reappeared by himself a moment later. "It seems Aiwei was mistaken. He was followed."

"That's right. We knew he'd lead us straight to you. So what did you do with him?" Korra asked Zaheer smiled.

"He'll be spending eternity in the fog of lost souls, which just leaves the two of us." He replied before moving to sit in a meditative pose.

"Don't move, Zaheer. You're gonna give me some answers."

"There's no need for aggression. Neither of us has our bending, and I'm not going anywhere. I'll answer whatever questions you have. You deserve that much. What would you like to know?"

"First off, who are you people, and why do you keep trying to take me?" Korra asked, walking up.

"We are part of a secret society dedicated to restoring freedom to the world. We are the Red Lotus."

"Red Lotus? Are you related to the White Lotus?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"We are what the White Lotus was meant to be, but after the hundred-year war, the White Lotus lost its true purpose. Its members came out of hiding and openly served the Avatar. They became nothing but glorified bodyguards who served corrupt nations, so a great man named Xai Bau broke from the White Lotus and began his own society." He explained putting his hands on his knees.

"That's a great story, but it doesn't explain why you tried to take me when I was a kid."

"That was Unalaq's idea."

"What? My Uncle was part of the Red Lotus?" She asked, shocked at that.

"I met your Uncle when I was a teenager after we had both joined the Red Lotus. We learned about Raava and Vaatu and how Avatar Wan foolishly severed them, disrupting the balance of the world forever."

"Avatar Wan wasn't foolish. He was trying to restore balance." She bit back at him.

"He closed the portals, severing humans from spirits. Even you realize the error in his ways."

"So all along, you and my Uncle planned to use me to open the portals and release Vaatu? That's why you tried to take me when I was a kid?" She asked as he nodded.

"Yes, and with members of the Red Lotus as your elemental masters, we could've taught you so much."

"Sounds like you wanted to brainwash me so I'd do whatever you wanted."

"No, Korra." He shook his head at that. "All I wanted was to show the Avatar a better path for the world."

Misty Palm Inn, Later.

As night came on, Mako looked out to see Ghazan and Ming-Hua outside. "Uh, I don't know how, but the water arm lady and lava guy found us."

"How?"

"I just said I don't know how."

"Korra, come on, wake up," Bolin said before Naruto looked at Asami.

"Get out of here on Naga, we'll hold them off."

Spirit World.

"If my Uncle came up with a plan to abduct me when I was a kid, why wasn't he caught?" Korra asked, sitting down in front of Zaheer.

"He wasn't with us that night, and he covered up his involvement afterward."

"So he betrayed you just like he betrayed me.

"Yes, he allowed me and my friends to remain imprisoned while he pursued his own selfish goals. Unalaq becoming a dark Avatar was never part of our mission."

"And what is your mission exactly?"

"I want what you want, to restore balance to this world." He explained as she narrowed her eyes.

"I don't think our ideas of balance are the same."

"Are you sure about that? You kept the spirit portals open, but why stop there? Bringing the spirits back should only be the beginning." He said as She blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"The idea of having nations and governments is as foolish as keeping the human and spirit realms separate. You've had to deal with a moronic president and a tyrannical queen. Don't you think the world would be better off if leaders like them were eliminated?"

"No. I mean, I don't agree with what they've done, but taking out world leaders isn't the answer." She said as he closed his eyes.

"It wasn't too long ago that the airbenders were nearly wiped out thanks to the Fire Lord's desire for world dominance. True freedom can only be achieved when oppressive governments are torn down."

"But that won't bring balance. It will throw the world into chaos."

"Exactly." Zaheer nodded and opened his eyes at that. "The natural order is disorder. Do you know who once said, 'New growth cannot exist without first the destruction of the old'?"

"No."

"The wise guru Laghima, an airbender."

Misty Palm Inn.

Naruto dropped down and chucked two disks of earth at Ghazan before jumping back from lava. Naruto then raised his hands and had lava seep out of the ground before a pillar came out to hit him into a building's doorway, having his head hit the top and flip inside. Mako runs near a wall and jumps to avoid another one of Ming-Hua's waterbending attacks.

He tries to fight back, but Ming-Hua pins him against a door with ice, grinning evilly. She picks him off the door and throws him against another door, stunning him. Meanwhile, Bolin jumps into the pool to avoid Ghazan's attacks and swims toward the bottom, but Ming-Hua traps him in a sphere of water and brings him up to the surface. "Go get the Avatar. I have these two under control."

Ghazan runs off as Ming-Hua picks up a limp Mako; Bolin surfaces, gasping, from the water sphere. Meanwhile, Naga has made progress and is running up a hill outside of the town, but she is quickly trapped in an earth tent.

Spirit Realm

"You know, being locked away for so many years, I was beginning to lose hope, but when I awoke with airbending, I knew I would be the one to destroy the old world and plant seeds for a new world to flourish," Zaheer said to Korra calmly.

"Zaheer, please, as an airbender, you could help make a positive difference in the world instead of destroying it."

"You're a very smart young woman, Korra, but you must realize that once change begins, it cannot be stopped, even by the Avatar."

"Enough with your philosophical mumbo jumbo. I want to know one thing: If you capture me, what are you gonna do with me?" She asked as Zaheer stared at her.

"You'll have that answer soon enough. The Red Lotus should have you by now. See you in the physical world." He finished before disappearing.

"Zaheer!"

Asami.

Korra woke up in a straitjacket and a muzzle on. "Zaheer, you tricked me. Let me go!" She yelled before she saw she was on a vertical gurney and Asami cuffed in a room. "Asami, are you okay? Where's the rest of the Red Lotus?"

"What's the Red Lotus? And Zaheer didn't capture us. The Earth queen's forces did." Asami replied, looking down.

"Where are we?"

"I'm not sure. Some camp by the desert. They're taking us back to Ba Sing Se." Asami replied leaning back into the wall.

Red Lotus Cave.

"The Earth queen's army snatched up the Avatar before I could. But we figured you could find a use for these three."

Ghazan said as he looked at the tied-up Naruto, Mako, and Bolin, Naruto gagged as he was still knocked out.

"Load them in the truck. We're taking a trip to Ba Sing Se." Zaheer said looking down at them

To Be Continued.

A/N: Thanks for reading and let me know of any mistakes

Beta: Chaos-PSD.

I'm going to take a break as a friend of the family died but before I had some more time on the PC and wrote out up 15 Ch's for my SW story, finished S3 for this, and am up to the last ep of S4 of the Hero Rising story

Remember to vote if you haven't!

I'LL BE FOCUSING ON THIS STORY AFTER A ROTATION FOR THE OTHERS mainly because I finished S3 and at least 4 eps of S4 will be put together as a Ch for 2 Ep's each and skipping Remembrances so there are only really a few episodes/chapters left.

Next to be updated will be Malesrom Huntsman.

Nothing else to say.

Talk To You Later,

Lone Wolf Out.🐺