Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Avatar…
Sorry guys but the beginning of this chapter is going to be fairly close to cannon so bear with me. I start this chapter in Episode 3 book 1 of Avatar: The last Airbender. I make some cosmetic changes for the sake of brevity, sorry if I skip some things but I like you want the two teams to meet. So I took artistic license… :P
Chapter 7 – Meet the Avatar…
Aang, Katara and Sokka were riding Appa on their way to the Southern Air Temple. Sokka did not believe that they were actually heading into and through the clouds. Aang was going on about how it would be impossible for the Fire Nation to attack the Air Temple and they were beginning to see why he thought this. They flew up a thousand foot sheer cliff. Appa made a soft landing and they then got off of him. Sokka started to look around, "So what was it like here?"
Aang pointed to an area that had lot of posts sticking out of the ground and two large boards at either end, "So that is where my friends and I would play air ball." Pointing to a structure that appeared to be a hill with a lot of holes in it, "That was the air bison would sleep and." Aang sighs.
"What's wrong?" Katara asked.
"This place used to be full of monk, lemur and bison. Now there is just a bunch of weeds." Aang looks down in sorrow, "I can't believe how much things have changed."
Sokka looks at his friend wanting to help, "So this air ball game. How do you play?"
Sokka was standing on one of the post as Aang was spinning a ball in his hands using airbending. Aang tosses the ball into the air then shrugs as Sokka looks at him funny. Aang then spins and sends the ball flying down the field off the posts. Finally hitting Sokka and sending him through the goal.
He lands in a heap on the ground. "Why does keeping Aang happy have to hurt so much?" Sokka asked no one in particular. He notices something on the ground it was a Fire Nation soldier's helmet. He crawls over to it then looks at his sister, "Katara look at this."
Katara looking down seeing the helmet said quietly, "Fire Nation."
"We should tell him." Sokka responds.
Katara turns and yells, "Aang there is something you need to see."
Aang ran towards Katara and Sokka. Throwing the ball into the air and catching it, "Okay!"
Katara looks at Aang sadly, then back to the helmet. She turns to Aang and makes a decision. She uses water bending to pull the snow off the bank onto the helmet and Sokka. Aang excitedly asks, "What is it?"
"Ah, just a new waterbending move I learned." Katara said smiling.
"Nice, but we have a whole temple to see." Aang replied as he walked towards the temple.
"You can't protect him forever. He needs to know." Sokka said sadly as he brushed the snow off himself.
As they approach the entrance Aang is looking at a statue of a man sitting in lotus position. "Hey guys, I want to meet someone."
"Who is that?" Sokka questioned looking at the statue Aang was looking at.
"This is Monk Giatzo, the greatest airbender ever. He taught me everything I know." Aang said as his mind wanders to the past. A fun event with Giatzo came to mind, where they sent cakes flying and thus hitting the elders on the heads. He heads to the sanctuary.
Katara put a hand on Aang, "I am sorry Aang. I am sure he was a very good friend."
Aang suddenly looked excited, "I need to go meet someone. Want to come along?"
Katara not wanting to upset Aang went along with him to a door with unusual tubes on it. "How do you open it? I don't see any keys." Sokka asked.
"The key Sokka is airbending." Aang replies as he opens the doors using airbending. Inside the room there are hundreds of statues circling the room up into the heights of the chamber hundreds of feet up. Aang seems to be fixated on the last in the line.
"Aang? Who is that?" Katara asked.
"Avatar Roku."
"How do you know that?" Katara asked. "There are no plaques or inscriptions."
"I don't know." Aang shrugged. "I just do."
"Look there is a pattern to the statues. Fire, earth, water, and air." Katara says in realization.
"That is the avatar cycle. These are my past lives. Roku is the last in the succession of the incarnations of Avatars." Aang responded.
A shadow appears in the hallway leading to the chamber. "Hide, fire nation." Sokka whispers as everyone hides quickly. The shadow appears to be that of a fire nation helmet. The kids are nervous as the shadow keeps getting larger. Finally a winged lemur appears in the doorway. "Meat!" Sokka yells as he runs towards the lemur.
"No I want him to be my friend." Aang says as he chases after the lemur also.
Katara just smiles and shakes her head as the boys chase after the lemur. Aang creates a ball of air and rides it past Sokka. The chase finally ends in a tarp covered one story building with several long dead fire nation soldiers.
"Fire nation? When did they get here?" Aang says as he looks around the room. His eyes fixate on a skeleton on the far wall. "No…" The skeleton is wearing a monk's robes and the medallion that Giatzo wore when Aang knew him. "NO!" Aang's eyes and tattoos glow white as he rises from the ground. "No! No! No!"
"Oh no…" Sokka sadly says as he finds that Aang has discovered Giatzo.
The statue's eyes light up in a progression from Roku back through the other avatars. "Aang…" Katara whispers as she runs from the room. All over the world in the temples dedicated to the avatar ceremonial altars light up and the keeps know that the avatar has returned.
In the fire temple there is a slightly different reaction. "Notify the Fire Lord that the Avatar is back."
Back at the southern air temple Aang is now surrounded by a swirling ball of air as his eyes and tattoos glow even brighter. "No!" Aang continues to scream.
"What happened?" Katara questioned Sokka as she fights against the winds that are whipping the area from Aang's anguish.
"He found monk Giatzo's body. And he has lost control." Sokka yelling his reply.
"Aang! I know you hurt, I know think you have lost everything. But you still have family. Yes the monks maybe gone. But you still have Sokka and me. We are your family now." Katara yells trying to comfort Aang.
"Ahh!" Aang yells with a final burst of energy. Something comes rocketing out of the energy burst into the wall on the far side of the building. Aang then falls from the air as Katara runs and catches him.
"Aang are you ok?" Katara asks caringly.
"I just miss them, and it hurts so much. You won't leave will you?' Aang asks as Katara cradles Aang's head.
"No Aang. Not as long as we can help it." Katara hugs Aang.
"Hey buddy, we won't abandon you. We are just getting to know you." Sokka said as he hugged the two of them. "I love family."
Some rocks move causing the three to jump. Aang was still being cradled by Katara. Sokka got out his boomerang. As they rounded a boulder a large stone was moved by a petite young girl with short black hair. Her moving the stone revealed a young blond boy and his body had made an impression on the stone wall leaving an indentation and spider web marks in the wall. He appeared to be bleeding out of his ears and mouth. He appeared to be barely breathing.
The girl turned on Sokka, "What do you want?" She shifted into a defensive stance.
Sokka noticed that she was cute but also a little beat up. She was wearing unusual clothing, nothing local or anything that was from the fire nation. She also had the deepest blue eyes he had ever seen. He lowered his boomerang and stared at her mumbling. "Uh…"
She looked confused and stood protectively over the blond. "What are you doing and what do you want?"
"Sokka, what is it? Aang need help over here." Katara yells from behind Sokka.
Sokka starts to get freaked out when the veins next to her eyes bulged. "Who are the others with you? I will protect him with all that I am. Do you understand me?" She said with a deadly tone.
"Ah, Katara, we have guests." Sokka turned his head but not taking his eyes off the newcomers.
"I will be there in a second when I am sure Aang is ok." Katara responded.
Holding his boomerang and pointing at the girl he starts to talk. "You should be more polite when you enter a temple. And…"
She moved with lighting speed and hit him on the shoulder causing his arm to drop limply to the side. She then held a weapon to his throat. "I told you I would protect my Naruto-kun. Do you wish to take this further? Or do you wish to drop your weapon?"
Sokka smiled and dropped the boomerang. "Does that work?"
"You will now help me carry Naruto-kun to your companions." The girl ordered Sokka.
"Sure as long as you don't kill us. You are not from the fire nation are you?" Sokka asked sheepishly.
"The fire nation? What do you mean fire nation?" The girl asked with a confused expression.
"Whew. That is good. I was afraid you were fire nation assassins after us." Sokka said as he picked up Naruto. "What is in the pack? It weighs a ton."
"Be careful with Naruto-kun." The girl said with a concerned look on her face. "Now let's go. He should wake in a few minutes."
Sokka carrying Naruto with the girl holding both weapons rounded the corner to the meet the surprised looks of Aang and Katara. "Ok who are they? Is he hurt?" Katara immediately got up and ran to Naruto. "Get him over by Aang. He is really hurt."
"Let's get that pack off before we set him down." Katara grabbed Naruto as Sokka took his pack off. "Ok easy, we can use the pack as a pillow for now. We should check him before we move him further."
"Who are these new people?" Aang asked with a weak smile.
The girl bowed. "I am Hyuuga Uzumaki Hinata, and this is my husband Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto. You may call me Hinata, and my husband Naruto."
All three of the others were awe struck, married and so young. Aang smiled. "I am Aang, this is Katara, and the goofy one is Sokka."
"You wouldn't happen to have any food would you?" Sokka asked while drooling.
Hinata giggled. "First I must check and see how injured he is so that we know how long it will be until we can travel."
"What do you mean? I am sure he has internal bleeding and broken ribs." Katara said with a concerned look on her face.
"My Naru-kun, heals quickly." Hianta said smiling as she moved her hand over Naruto. Her hand started to glow green. "Hm… slight concussion, a couple broken ribs and slight internal bleeding he will be fine in a few hours to be moved to a safer location."
The others again were awe struck. "How can you say we will be able to move him in a couple hours?" Katara asked. "No one heals that fast. Especially from internal bleeding. "
"You don't know my Naru-kun" Hinata smiled warmly as she caressed his face.
Hinata moved towards Aang. "May I check you also as you appear to be hurt?"
Aang nodded with his head cradled in Katara's lap. Hinata's hand again glowed green and she passed it over Aang.
"You are suffering from chakra exhaustion, and a little fatigue." Hinata smiled at Aang.
Aang looked at Naruto then at Hinata who was brushing some of his hairs out his eyes. "May I ask you a question Hinata?"
Hinata blushed, "Yes you may Aang-san."
"How is it that you are so young and married? Also you do not seem to be from the area. Where are you from?" Aang asked.
Hinata looked up for a minute then back down to at Naruto. "Well we are exiles from Konohagakure no sato, in the land of Fire. As for us being married…" She blushed. "Naruto-kun agreed to it so that we would not be parted when he was exiled." She continued to run her fingers through his hair and smile longingly.
"Land of fire? Don't you mean the Fire Nation?" Sokka asked worriedly.
Hinata shook her head. "No. The Land of Fire is not a nation, just one of the many countries, like Tea, Wind, Lightning or any of the many others." Hinata answered with a confused look on her face.
The three others now looked confused. "So you are saying you don't know about the Fire Nation? How about the Earth Kingdom? The Water Tribes?"
Hinata still looking at Naruto, "No, I have heard of the Land of Earth, and Water, but not the way you describe them. Sorry. I am not even sure what brought us here but we are here now."
"Aang what happened to you a little bit ago?" Katara asked.
"I think I went into the Avatar state. A state in which I receive all the powers of the previous Avatars that came before me." Aang answered. "Could that have brought them here?"
"I don't know Aang. Also I have never seen anyone with hair that color. Browns and black never a golden yellow. Also he has what looks like whisker marks on his face. Either they are tattoos or scars." Katara said as she took a closer look at Naruto.
"And she is faster than anyone I have ever met. Faster than that Zuko guy. She was able to take my arm out and be behind me before I knew it. And my arm is still numb." Sokka said with a pout on his face.
"I am sorry Sokka-san, but I was protecting Naruto-kun. And I will do anything to protect him." Hinata said as she continued to brush Naruto's hair lightly with her hands. His breathing started to strengthen and a slight smile crossed his face.
"What is it with you saying san and kun after everyone's name?" Sokka asked.
"You mean you do not use these forms of honorifics when addressing others?" Hinata asked with a shocked look on her face.
"I don't even know what they mean." Sokka replied.
"Hm… Well when you address someone of similar or lower social status you can use the san after a name. Kun is used for young boys or male acquaintance of the same age. It can also be used for those that you are in love with, as I am with Naruto-kun. Chan is used for young girls or the same thing as in kun for a male. No suffix denotes either familiarity or intimate relations. Sama is for either your elders, as in parents or others that are older in your family you respect. Also it is used for those in positions of authority. I hope this helps you some." Hinata responded.
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A/N: For those of you who ask why Hinata is so trusting. She feels no threat from Aang and the group and is more worried about Naruto than a group of non-ninja kids who are not a threat. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as it was harder than you think. The next chapter was easier and more fun to write and should be up soon.