Author note: Hello to everyone who is reading this. I forgot to put this in the earlier chapter so I put it now.
Since there is possible to control elements in Narutoverse, I made some modifications in using the elements.
First of all elements work only when using chi, or the material energy. However bending is now more evolved. More accurately so that those that were elemental ninjutsu are now bending, thus not requiring hand seals. Bending works like a kekkei kenkai, thus it cant be copied.
That what remains from removing the elemental jutsus belong to mystism. Unlike bending that uses chi, mystism uses chakra, or life energy. Thus mystism has something to do with life, like summoning, cloning and transforming. It can also be used to walk on unwalkable places and bring life. Also bending and mystism can be combined.
About story I can say that both characters and happenings do have small twists, but basics are the same.
if there are any other questions you can ask me anytime.
Ps. Thanks for dlight for the first comment. I hope you like this one too.
Zuko stood on his ships bow, looking closely the icebergs. Though he had been here before, place didn't seem the same. Icebergs changed shape and places, that is why Zuko liked them. Many would have seen him a weirdo for liking icebergs, but it was mostly because he had been forced to be with the same people for two years. Zuko wished that his uncle Iroh and cousin Naruto would change their personalities or simply float away, but no. Iroh didn't really take the fact that he was also exiled like Zuko. Sometimes it seemed as he saw his exile as a vacation, concentrating more on relaxing with a cup of tea and playing Pai Sho. Naruto however was even worse. If Iroh was lax, Naruto was hyperactive, constantly playing pranks and eating at least five cups of ramen a day, even a thought of that gormandizing made Zuko's stomach twist. Otherwise those two had pretty much same personalities. On the other hand that was the only thing in common with them. Iroh had a grey straight hair in a topknot with brown eyes and a heavy build, while Naruto's hair was spiky and blonde, eyes were blue and his body was small and thin, despite his appetite. Even their bending techniques didn't match. Iroh was a normal firebender, but Naruto was able to bend air, something that should have disappeared almost a century ago. Yet Naruto had been on Iroh's side since he was a baby. Zuko couldn't undrstand it at all.
Luckily there were also those, who changed. After a year of exile. Fire Lord had allowed Zuko to take a ninja unit to back him up. First unit given to him was specialized in martial arts, necessary in defeating avatar. The unit was led by Maito Gai, self-proclaimed green beast of Fire Nation. He was pretty annoying even to his students, excluding Rock Lee, continuously talking about youth and challenging everybody to competitions. On the other hand he was a genius firebender and martial artist, capable of defeating dozens of benders alone if he wanted to. He was also a great researcher of bending and knew excactly what was needed to activate a certain bending skill, which even though he himself could bend only fire gave him the advantage. He was actually the one who taught Naruto airbending. So Zuko was capable of withstanding Maito Gai pretty easily, since Zuko's bending skills had improved greatly after his arrival. Gai's students, Rock Lee, Neji and Tenten, were also powerful but each had a nasty part in personality. Rock Lee, Maito Gai's top student was like a clone of him both in body and personality, except Lee wasn't capable of either bending or molding chakra, though he could use the latter in some degree. Neji, a member of the Hyuuga clan was a great mystic capable of damaging organs and widely known as a genius himself. Zuko practically hated him since he always saw everyone being bound to fates, saying once that Zuko would never return to Fire Nation. Tenten, the sole female and a weapon specialist could be said to be the single voice of reason in the group. Zuko could get pretty well along with her, but nothing else was between them..
Later Gai's team had to leave in order to perform missions in their homeland. Zuko could however choose another team, which he did. His current team was led by Kurenai Yuhi, illusion specialist and an expert tracker. Actually all members of the team specialized in tracking. Hinata, Neji's cousin, was in theory capable of seeing almost everything because of his byakugan, mystic eye of the Hyuuga line. But since she lacked confidence her vision was limited. Kiba could smell and hear sharply like a dog and also had a real dog aiding him. On the other hand Kiba also acted like a dog. Shino, the final member, had his body being fused with small beetles which could both track and fight. He was a somewhat mysterious character keeping his emotions out of the way. But in general Zuko got better along with them than with the first group.
The actual reason Zuko looked at the icebergs was that he was looking for the avatar, mysterious being capable of bending all four elements. Trackers were also on the bow wearing armors like zuko. Too bad nobody wasn't on its top today.
Hinata was desperately trying to see better. "It's no use. I'll never find anything" She gave up sadly.
Kiba's dog barked. "You're right, Akamaru" Kiba answered. "There is too much water to smell. Also we don't know Avatar's odor"
"Why aren't you doing anything, Shino?" Zuko asked from the boy with somewhat annoyed voice.
"It is too cold" He answered. "If I released my kikaichus, they would freeze to death"
Meanwhile Kurenai and Iroh played Pai Sho on the other side of the bow.
"It is good to see you again, Kurenai" Iroh started a conversation.
"Same with you, master Iroh" Kurenai continued. "But I'm still sad because Fire Nation is in crisis"
"Crisis? What kind of crisis"
"There are rebellions everywhere. People are getting sick of constant warfare. Fire Lord doesn't seem to realize that while more and more money is spent on the military, civilians live in poverty. If this continues, our homeland will be in a civil war."
"It is true. However peasants are no match against the Fire Nation army."
"Perhaps not the peasants, but Itachi is"
Suddenly Iroh dropped a tile. Itachi Uchiha was one of the greatest ninjas in the Fire Nation. Uchiha clan was a firebending ninja clan possessing a Sharingan, an eye capable of copying jutsus in the genes of its members. Itachi was exceptionally strong since his early life. Iroh had known him. He was a nice kid taking the needs of others before his own, even though the others did the opposite. Later he possibly grew mad or something, slaying all the members of the Uchiha clan in Fire Nation, leaving only his younger brother Sasuke alive. After that nobody knew what happened to him, but according to rumours he left to the Earth Kingdom, where he was welcomed as a hero.
"Do you meant that Itachi has returned?" Iroh asked nervously.
"I'm not sure." Kurenai answered. "There has been some rumors about a group of warriors dressed in black robes with red clouds, who are not loyal to any nation. Some say they simply help people for money. Other say they are trying to awaken rest of the sacred beasts. Itachi was seen wearing a costume like that.
"Well, if he is planning something, I am ready"
"By the way, where is prince Naruto. Isn't he normally pulling panks at this time of the day?"
"As his father I would say he is in the galley. Cooks are often working extra because of his obsession of ramen"
Kurenai chukled. "Just like your obsession with your tea. About being his father, when are you going to tell him?"
"Tell me about what!?" Came a loud question. Naruto had arrived on the table. He was also wearing an armor, except his armor was orange.
Iroh started to wonder, what to say. Should he lie or tell the thruth. He knew that this day would come anyway. But before he could answer a large pillar of light flew to the sky. Evebody looked at the pillar knowing what it was.
"Finally I found you." Zuko said triumphantly. "Take the course to that pillar!"
"ZUKOZUKOZUKOZUKOWHATISTHAT?!" Naruto shouted almost jumping off the ship.
"That is our ticket out of here" Zuko said calmly. Not even his cousin's loud voice could anger him now.
But when they arrived to the place where the light had come from, there was nobody there.
"CURSE YOU AVATAR, I WILL FIND YOU!!" Zuko shouted like Naruto, except with anger.
Meanwhile Kiba and Akamaru walked on their fours sniffing the surface, while Hinata and shino looked closer to the ice.
"No need to worry! We found something useful!" Kiba jumped up holding a tuft of fur. "Sky Bison's fur!"
Naruto watched closely to the fur. "I get it! Avatar is a Sky Bison!"
There was a long silence. Then Iroh, Kiba and Akabaru bursted to laugh. Kurenai and Hinata just chuckled and Shino an Zuko were still quiet.
"Are we the only sane people of this expedition?" Zuko asked.
"It appears so." Shino answered. "Anyway we know now that he came from the Air Nomads, so he is the same who disappeared a hundred years ago. But since there is fur but no corpse I would say the avatar was trapped into the ice for years, maybe decades, since even though a human can live over a century, a sky bison rarely reaches the age of eighty. He woke up from a long dream and left as soon as possible. What we need to do now is to concentrate on finding the bison. It is currently swimming to get cover from the icebergs, because if it flew we would have seen it already. Hinata must concentrate on finding heat, which should be easier in these cold waters."
"O-okay Shino. I-I-I will try my best" Hinata tattered.
Hinata concentrated harder than ever, finding a large source of heat in the water. "O-o-over there!"
Everybody boarded the ship following Hinata's vision. During the journey Naruto retuned to the galley and Iroh and Kurenai to their game. Kiba started to fight with Shino about who is the leader. But Hinata and Zuko stayed in the bow, Both looking into the Avatar's direction. A thriumphant smile returned to Zuko's face.