Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!
AN1: Wow… The poll is a damn landslide victory for Naruto ending Zhao… 72 votes for him, 6 votes for Aang, and 2 votes for Zuko… Yea, maybe the poll was just a waste of time…
AN2: To the guest reviewer who signed as "Jmw", I'm sorry to say that I won't do your story idea. Don't get me wrong; it is a great idea. However, I have too much on my plate at the present time, and I haven't even read/watched Fairy Tale. So, thanks but no.
Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Higher Being Speech"
'Higher Being Thoughts'
"Jutsu"
(Technique Translations)
Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name
Chapter 8: Jade Peak Island
Over the ocean Appa flew as the Gaang made their way to the mysterious Jade Peak Island. Aang was anxious about what he would find while Katara tried to have him calm down. Sokka was busy looking over the map for the quickest route to the North Pole. There were multiple ways they could travel, but he had to choose the most efficient one.
Naruto had finally fallen asleep after his talk with Mai the previous night while his student sat next to him. She was reading her family scrolls at first, but the conversation she had with her sensei the previous night was still running through her mind.
Naruto had explained the dreams he had been having to her and asked for her opinion on them. It was quite a surprise to her when she was told of the details of his dreams and she had an idea of what they may be about. She had told him that the two women in the dream could possibly be his future family; the woman being a wife and the young girl being a child.
Naruto grew silent after that and merely watched the moon for the rest of the night while Mai went back to sleep. She knew that he needed time to go over it all, so she gave him some space. It turns out that the last Uzumaki had gone over it for the entire night before he finally succumbed to sleep, leaving Mai to keep the others quiet so he could do so peacefully.
Mai was thinking of the possibility of Naruto dreaming about his family as well, and it worried her. Naruto had told her that he felt happier than he had ever been, for obvious reasons, but he also felt incredible sadness and regret. Various outcomes for those feelings flew through her thoughts before two stuck to her: either the woman and child would die…or Naruto would. The thought of her teacher and friend dying frightened her and she made a silent promise to herself that she wouldn't let him die.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Katara moving towards them. "How is he?" asked the WaterBender.
"He's still resting… He had a…long night."
Katara nodded before she asked the one thing that she, her brother, and Aang had all been wondering. "How did you two meet?"
Mai gave them a suspicious look and asked back, "Why do you want to know?"
Katara put up her hands in a placating manner and answered, "I didn't mean to intrude or offend; I was just curious. You two seem real close."
Mai was silent at that and turned her hardened gaze to her teacher and friend. The others saw her eyes soften and a barely noticeable smile form on her lips. "Yea… I guess you could say that Naruto-sensei and I are close."
"You seem to hold him in high regard," Sokka commented.
"And for good reason," Mai retorted. "He is the only person who really took the time to get to k now the real me. He also chose me as a student when he could've chosen any other person… He's also the only person I could ever call 'friend'."
Unknown to them, Naruto was silently listening as Mai spoke to the trio. He gave a small smile at her words and thought, 'Any fool could see that the real you is much better than that mask you put over yourself, Mai. I wouldn't have chosen you as my apprentice if I did not see it.'
"He sounds like a good person," Katara said with a small smile.
"Yea, he is… I wouldn't be who I am today if I never met him," Mai stated while putting away her scroll.
"So, how did you two meet?" asked the AirBender.
"…To tell you the truth, it was completely by surprise that I found him."
"You 'found him'? What does that mean?" asked Sokka.
"Just that; I found him and that's how we met. He was wrapped around a white cocoon-like thing in this cave on Ember Island. The cocoon had a sealing tag on it that kept him in a similar state that you were in," she explained while pointing at Aang. "He did not age and he was stuck there until someone 'worthy' came and removed the seal."
"So, you were the 'worthy' one?" asked Sokka while Mai nodded in response. "How did he know that when he was out of it?"
"I had Kyuubi remain awake throughout the years of my sealing," answered Naruto, surprising the others. "The fox was able to sense the worthiness in Mai and had her remove the seal, freeing me in the process. After that, I went with Mai to the Fire Nation Capital, spoke to that fool Ozai, demonstrated my skills in front of an audience, and took Mai as my student. Later on, she became my apprentice, and my successor as Sage of the Toads."
"Toads?" asked Aang in confusion.
"Yes, let her show you." He then turned to Mai and said, "Summon Yuki here, Mai. I have some questions to ask her anyway."
Mai nodded and bit her thumb before going through the necessary handseals for the jutsu before she summoned Gamayuki in a small plume of smoke. The cat-sized toad looked around in confusion before she noticed her two summoners.
"Ah, Naruto and Mai! I was wondering when you'd summon me again," she said making the trio freeze in shock while Mai and Naruto smirked.
"How are you, Yuki?" asked the blonde.
"I'm doing well, Naruto. I've been keeping an eye on the Fire Nation like you asked."
"Anything new happen lately?" asked the Uzumaki's apprentice.
"Quite a bit, actually… Ozai is slowly building up his militia, Zhao has been promoted to Commander and has begun chasing the Avatar, some of the war meetings are speaking of conquering smaller Earth Kingdom Nations so that they could set up supply camps for some major invasion force… They also have a map of the Northern Air Temple and a part of the Northern Water Tribe."
Naruto nodded at the information while Mai processed it through her mind and the trio looked shocked at the little toad's words. "Any news on Ty Lee ever since she left for the circus?" asked Mai.
"She's doing very well for herself and the shows are almost always sold out. She's happier now, Mai."
Mai gave a small smile at that while Naruto asked, "What of Azula?"
Yuki gave a scowl and replied, "She still worships her father and acts like the 'perfect' daughter while increasing her training regimen. She has begun studying how to create lightning with FireBending…"
"I see… Thank you for all of your hard work, Yuki. Go home and be with your family. You haven't seen them for a while, right?"
"No, I haven't… I'm sure they'll be pleased to see me. Summon me if you need me again," she said as she disappeared in another plume of smoke.
"That toad was just talking!" Sokka finally blurted out.
"Thank you for yelling out the obvious," Mai deadpanned before she turned to Naruto. "What should we do sensei?"
"For now, we focus on getting to Jade Peak Island. We'll deal with Ozai and Zhao when-" he said before stopping short. "On second thought, I'll deal with Zhao's little ship right now," he finished before he launched himself off of Appa and stood in midair with his Kazepo.
Down below the flying bison, a single Fire Navy ship was seen heading after them. With his Sharingan, Naruto was able to see far enough to tell that Zhao was standing on the deck issuing out commands. An opening appeared on the deck before a large catapult was raised up. Zhao ordered the rock that was about to be launched to be set aflame before he yelled out, "Fire!"
The flaming rock flew through the sky towards the last Uzumaki who stared at it impassively. He held his hands in the 'tiger' seal and said, "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Grand Fireball)!" From his lips, a large sphere of flame appeared and raced towards the fireball that Zhao's ship had launched before both met in a burst of fire and broken rock. Naruto then held his hands in the 'bird' seal and called out, "Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu (Water Dragon)!"
To the awe of the Gaang, especially Katara, water swirled in the ocean before it rose skyward and took the form of a serpentine dragon that charged at Zhao's ship. The dragon struck the catapult and ripped into the side of the ship before it fell back into the ocean. The ship slowed to a halt from the damage and Naruto launched himself from his wind platform back onto Appa's saddle.
"There, that should hold them off for a while."
"H-How did you do that? That was the most amazing water technique I've ever seen!" Katara asked in amazement.
"Not to mention that fireball you shot and the fact that you stood in midair!" Sokka added.
Naruto merely smirked and stated, "Such acts, with the right training, are child's play for a shinobi."
"Can you use all four elements?" asked Aang.
"I can utilize all five elements, Aang. Benders use Air, Water, Earth, and Fire while shinobi add Lightning to the list. Not to mention all of the many sub-elements that can be formed from mixing two elements together."
"Can you do that, sensei?" asked the Nara.
"I can, but it is extremely difficult; especially since most are not created by my main affinities. Now, we're wasting time. We need to hurry to the island."
The rest nodded before Aang began guiding Appa to the island once more.
Island Shore (Three Hrs Later)
Appa rested on the grassy shore of the island with Momo resting on the saddle. Aang was looking toward the island mountain peaks and was amazed that they shone with a green light.
"Wow… I can't believe that the island really has jade peaks," he commented.
"I wonder how they get that color," Katara mused out loud.
"Maybe the island is rich in jade gems?" Sokka suggested with a grin.
"Doubtful… If anything, those trees on the mountains most likely have leaves that shine like jade in the right light," Mai stated calmly.
"You're both right," Naruto said as his dojutsu observed the island. "The leaves of the trees do have a unique jade color, but I also see a few scarce gems of jade around the island."
"Do you see the temple?" asked the Avatar.
"Yes… It's on the southern most peak…and we've landed on the western shore."
"So, we have a long walk ahead of us, don't we?" Sokka asked glumly.
"Sorry guys, but Appa's tired from all of that flying. It shouldn't take us too long to reach the temple," Aang said enthusiastically.
"Why is it that we get stuck with the optimist?"
"Well, while you three search that temple, Mai and I will keep an eye on Appa," Naruto said as he created a clone and sent it to fetch some food and firewood.
"Why aren't you two coming?" asked the WaterBender.
"Zhao and his men won't stay delayed for long. With Mai and I here to meet them, you three should have plenty of time to search that temple."
Aang gave a grateful nod. "Thanks. Now then, let's go search that temple!" he said with determination before he started walking with Sokka immediately following.
Katara hesitated and turned to the two shinobi. "You two will be okay, right?"
"Don't worry about us. Go help Aang," Naruto assured her.
"We'll be fine. After all, two shinobi are worth an army of FireBenders, right sensei?" asked Mai.
Naruto gave a small smirk and answered, "Without a doubt."
Katara nodded before she followed after her brother and friend.
With Zhao
"Sir, we have patched up the holes in the ship and are ready to meet up with the others at Jade Peak Island," said a soldier to his Commander.
"Excellent. I was wondering when you would finally finish the repairs. To the island, at full speed!" ordered Zhao to his men.
"Yes sir!" they chorused as the ship resumed its trek to the island.
With the Trio
While the island may have had plenty of forestation and life, it didn't mean that it lacked humidity; something that Sokka made no hesitation to complain about.
"Sokka, for the last time, we get it! It's hot, we're sweaty, and we still have a ways to go. Get over it!" yelled Katara to her brother.
"How can I get over this heat?! We're gonna get lost without any food, water, or shelter while Naruto and Mai are having the time of their lives with Appa and Momo at the shore!"
Aang merely sighed at his friend's complaints and pushed through some more vegetation before he saw a stone stairway leading into a mountainside. "Hey guys, I think I found the entrance to the temple!"
"Oh thank the Spirits!" Sokka said overdramatically. "Now, we just have to go through the temple, have Aang figure out what needs to be done, and then get the hell out of here!"
Katara was about to admonish her brother before a faint explosion was heard back towards the west. "It looks like the Fire Nation is here."
"Naruto and Mai can hold them off," Aang reassured her. "Right now, we need to get through this temple."
With the Shinobi
"Well, this seems like a really annoying situation," Naruto commented dryly as four Fire Navy ships docked on the sandy shore. "What do you think, Mai?"
"I would say that it's 'troublesome', but I've been so bored lately that I'm actually excited," she replied with a small smirk.
Naruto shook his head with a smile and popped his neck. "I guess you have a point. Time for a little excitement."
The troops stepped out of the ships, totaling in over fifty of them, before one of them stepped forward. "Naruto Uzumaki, by order of Fire Lord Ozai, you are to be killed for the crimes of treason, kidnapping, and unlawful possession of Fire Nation secrets."
"One: I was never a citizen of the Fire Nation. Two: Mai chose to come with me. And three: those 'secrets' are what I taught my student. They belong to me and whoever I choose to teach them to."
"Regardless of your petty arguments, we are ordered to dispose of you and take the girl back to the Capital."
Naruto scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Is that so? You really believe that your Benders have a chance against me?" He chuckled at the idea of it, unnerving some of the soldiers, before he narrowed his eyes at them. The soldiers froze in fear at the slitted, blood red eyes as Naruto spoke, "Your centuries too early to even scratch me."
"Ninpo: Kagemane no Jutsu!" yelled Mai as she held her hands in the 'rat' seal and launched her shadow towards the soldiers. It latched on to about ten of them and the Nara had them follow her to another section of the beach. "Sensei, I'll handle these soldiers."
"Understood, and be careful," he replied before he cut the youki flowing through him, snapping the men out of their primal fear. "Now then," he started before he unsealed his Sennin Staff, "let's have a little fun."
With Mai
"Hold still, brat!" yelled a FireBender as he launched another fireball at the girl who deftly dodged it with a well-timed back-flip.
"I don't feel like holding still, thank you," she retorted as she flew through handseal. "Raiton: Den'atsu Muchi!" she yelled before she swung her lightning whip at her opponents. Each hit cracked with volts of electricity, making the men keep a fair distance.
"Damn it! That whip of hers is too dangerous!" cursed one of the soldiers.
"Don't worry… As long as we keep our distance and wait for her to tire out, we'll be fine," stated another.
'You would think that, wouldn't you?' thought Mai with a smirk before she flew through more seals ending on the 'dragon' seal. "Raiton: Jibashi (Electromagnetic Murder)!" she called as a wave of electricity flew from her hands and struck half of the soldiers. The soldiers hit by the jutsu were shocked into unconsciousness with small volts of electricity dancing across their bodies every few seconds.
"Damn, she's too strong!" said a FireBender as he released a wave of fire at her. The flames struck her, making her scream in pain and the Bender smirk. "That ought to teach that little brat."
"Oh really?" called out Mai's voice from behind the Bender. He turned to see her perfectly unscathed. "What was it you were trying to teach me?" she asked in boredom.
'H-How did she-?' he thought before a chain made of shadows wrapped around his neck and threw him into another soldier.
Soon, more shadow chains sprung from the sand and wrapped around the remaining three soldiers before they were all lifted into the air and slammed into one another, rendering them unconscious. Mai nodded to herself and was about to return to her teacher before she heard a small groan and saw the FireBender who called her 'brat' slowly get up. "Well, you're made of some tougher stuff than I originally thought," she commented dryly.
"You little brat… You'll pay for this humiliation!" he yelled before he went through the motions for bending lightning.
He was nearly finished before Mai pointed her middle and pointer fingers at his chest. "Not today," she said as she released her Gian (False Darkness) at him. The shot of blue lightning pierced through his chest, making him freeze in shock before his eyes glazed over and he fell dead. Mai stared at the body with regret and whispered, "I'm sorry," before she left to back up her teacher.
With Naruto
The blonde ducked under another fireball before he lashed out with his staff and struck one of the soldiers. The blow had small amounts of Senjutsu in it, making the soldier's wound slowly be encased in stone and scaring the other soldiers.
"Y'know, if you keep getting close, you'll turn to stone eventually," commented the Jinchuriki as he readied his weapon.
The soldiers looked to one another and nodded before they all let loose a stream of flame at the Uzumaki. The blonde smirked and activated his Kamui, letting the flames harmlessly fly through him and strike unintended targets.
He released the technique before he shook his head in disappointment. "Really now, is this all you guys are capable of? And you actually thought you'd have a chance at killing me?"
The eighteen soldiers, once numbering forty, all took small steps back in fear. "What do we do now?" asked one of them in slight panic.
"You fight on and kill that man in the name of Lord Ozai!" called out Zhao as his ship landed on the shore and he stepped off with twenty extra men.
"Ah, Commander Zhao," Naruto greeted before giving a mock bow. "You grace me with your presence at last."
"Save your jokes for the afterlife, Uzumaki! You're set to die her today, and your little student will be returned to the Fire Nation where she will help raise up a new breed of Fire Nation soldier."
"Technically, shinobi aren't a new breed. They were around over four millennia ago, Zhao," Naruto said with a smirk.
"That may be, but the kind the Fire Nation will raise will far supersede the ones from your time, you relic of the past."
Naruto shrugged and sealed away his staff before a gust of wind flew around the soldiers and they were launched into the water by an unseen force. Zhao was left untouched and he saw Naruto's form flicker slightly when the wind picked up.
"An interesting trick, Uzumaki," he said stoically. "What do you do for an encore?"
Naruto stared impassively at him before his body dissolved into a flock of ravens that flew around Zhao; each with blue and red eyes. A few formed together into Naruto's upper body floating in midair with the rest kept circling the Fire Nation Commander. "What makes you think that the Fire Nation will succeed in killing me and taking Mai? After all, you alone could die in a mere second by my hands; Ozai in a few seconds. Where does your confidence in your nation hail from?"
"I serve my nation proudly; something you never did, Uzumaki. I've read your history, and you left your people to die twice in one lifetime. What do you know about loyalty to one's country?"
Naruto closed his eyes at that and replied, "You're right… I don't know about loyalty to my country. However, I have a loyalty to something much more important."
"And what is that?"
The Uzumaki's eyes snapped open, revealing his youki-enhanced pupils, and the ravens all transformed into shuriken before they flew at Zhao. As the sliced into the Commander, making him growl in pain, he answered, "I serve my precious people."
Zhao fell to a knee in pain and glared at the Jinchuriki before the sight of the blonde shattered like glass and revealed nothing. He looked to his body and saw that he was unscathed and turned to his men, only to see that they were still knocked into the water.
As he turned his attention back to where the blonde was, he saw Naruto standing next to Mai with both shinobi holding a kunai. "You should leave while you can, Zhao. I'm feeling merciful today, so I'll let you and your men go," said the Uzumaki.
Zhao glared hatefully at the blonde before he reluctantly made his way back to his ship and ordered his men to return as well.
As the ships left, Mai commented, "This won't be the last we see of him; not by a long shot."
"I know, but he isn't a problem for me and he won't be for you with time." Mai nodded before she gained a depressed look, making her teacher turn to her. "You regret killing that soldier from before, don't you?"
Mai turned away from him at his question. "I wish you'd stop reading my emotions like that, Naruto."
"I can't help it when I feel them rolling off of you in waves." He then placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, making her turn and see his small smile. "It's okay, Mai… So long as you feel regret and sadness for each life you take, you're still human. It's only when you feel nothing, or even enjoy it, that you become a monster."
Mai's eyes began to water up before she was embraced by the blonde. "I didn't want to… I never wanted to kill anyone," she whispered as she cried.
Naruto just held her close and reassured her that it would be alright while Mai embraced the comfort. 'Mai, it will only get harder from here on,' he thought to himself sadly.
With the Trio
Aang led the group through the tunnel-like halls of the temple with a torch in hand. It was dark due to being underground and the only light in the temple was the few torches that glowed within its halls.
"We're lost, aren't we?" asked Sokka as he followed Aang with his own torch.
"I don't know, Sokka," admitted Katara as she walked between them. "I hope not, though…"
"There has only been a single path so far in this temple," Aang reminded them. "If we feel like we've gone far enough, we could always turn back and just follow the path back out." The path before them soon opened up into a large room with a stairway leading up to an altar. The AirBender had his friends stay at the bottom of the stairs as he made his way to the altar.
The stone table had runes from a period long ago, though not as far as the Shinobi Era, that Aang couldn't make out. He held the torch above them for a better look and blew off the dust before he saw another set of runes light up from the glow of the torch.
"A strong will leads to true peace. One must have the will to do whatever it takes to protect the world; even if the action needed is seen as an act of evil in the eyes of others. To all Avatars who come across this, if you lack the will and the drive to do what must be done, peace is but a dream and nothing more," Aang read aloud before his AirBender tattoos glowed brightly along with his eyes.
The glow of the Avatar State caused the walls to light up with multiple jade gems and cover the room in a greenish glow. Katara and Sokka looked around as pieces of rubble around the room rose up and formed an orb of earth around Aang and the altar.
"Aang!" they called out in surprise, but the Avatar was in his own world at the moment.
Vision
Aang saw that he was in an area surrounded by various lights and fog and looked around in confusion before he sensed presences behind him. He turned to see an incredibly tall woman in armor reminiscent to that of the Kyoshi Warriors, white and red face paint, and a golden headdress.
"Avatar Kyoshi…" he whispered in surprise.
"Avatar Aang… I've been expecting your arrival," she responded. "Although, I honestly was expecting you much sooner, when you had learned EarthBending. Why are you here now when you know nothing but your birth element?"
"I was told of this place by my friend, King Bumi. He said that many of the EarthBending Avatars came here to seek enlightenment."
"Yes, that is true, but the key word was EarthBender, young Avatar. It is still too early for you to truly seek enlightenment here."
Aang looked down at that. "So, I came here for nothing then?"
"Not necessarily… I can still point you in the right direction."
"Please do," requested Aang.
"Seeing as you have not begun studying the other elements yet, I would suggest heading for the Eastern Air Temple, where the AirBending Avatars begin their spiritual journeys. Then, you head to the Northern Water Temple after you master WaterBending, come back here when you master EarthBending, and then head to the Southern Fire Temple when you've master FireBending."
The AirBender slowly nodded and thought it over. "So, I would be going in a reverse clockwise pattern?"
Precisely… It is important to visit each temple and gather wisdom from each one. However, the path you choose is ultimately up to you, Aang. The path you choose must be of your own violation."
"I understand. Thank you for telling me this, Avatar Kyoshi."
"Of course. Also, the man who precedes us has an important role in your time as the Avatar as well; probably more important than your role. Be sure that he does not fully give up on peace, Aang, or else not even you can stop the threats of the future," warned the EarthBender Avatar as the vision ended.
Real World
The sphere of earth crumbled from around Aang before he and the other two were engulfed in spheres of light and disappeared. The lights took the trio to the outside of the temple, leaving them disoriented and confused.
"How did we get out here?" asked Sokka.
"I think the temple transported us out of there after it felt that we got what we came for," Aang offered.
"The temple can't 'feel' when we're done or not!" Sokka argued.
"Sokka, you saw what happened when Aang entered the Avatar State. I wouldn't be surprised if the temple actually did transport us out of there, especially since it lit up after Aang read that tablet."
Sokka raised a finger and opened his mouth to protest before he just sighed and muttered about 'strange spiritual crap'.
"Anyway, we better get back to the others," Aang suggested before the trio made their way back to the beach.
That Night
Naruto sat next to his student as she finally fell asleep. She hadn't taken her first kill well at all and he knew that she needed time to sort it all out. The Gaang except for him and Aang had already fallen asleep. The blonde still wanted to know what happened back in the temple.
"So, what exactly happened in there?" he asked Aang.
"I met Avatar Kyoshi in a vision and she told me where to go when I learn the other elements. She also said that your role is important in this time, Naruto. She even thinks that it's more important than mine now."
Naruto looked slightly surprised at that and commented, "I guess the world still needs me after all."
"The world needs all of us. No single person can bring peace to the world."
"Well, according to the people of the world, the one person needed is the Avatar," Naruto reminded him.
"Even I know that I can't bring peace on my own. I'm going to need your help on this, Naruto; yours and Mai's."
Naruto looked to his student and gave a small smile before he replied, "I don't see a reason why we can't help you out. I still expect you to focus on what needs to be done though, Aang."
"I know," he agreed as he went back to sleep.
Naruto looked to the starry sky and thought to himself, 'I guess helping the world one last time wouldn't be too bad.' He then turned to Mai and continued, 'I hope Mai knows that I most likely won't survive this though.'
"I'm sure that when the time comes, she'll understand what you'll have to do."
'You really believe that the Juubi is going to make a second appearance, don't you?'
"I have no doubt in my mind. You're going to have to be ready when it does appear, Naruto. We can't afford you being unprepared for this."
'I know Kurama… I know…' he replied.
(End)
And that was chapter eight! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!
Now please: Review! Review! Review!
Current ages:
Naruto: (physical) 26; (actual) 5116
Mai: 17
Aang: (physical) 12; (actual) 112
Ozai: 45
Ursa: 42
Iroh: 64
Zuko: 18
Azula: 17
Ty Lee: 17
Lo and Li: 81
Katara: 16
Sokka: 17
Suki: 17
Bumi: 112
Next Time: Aang begins his studies with WaterBending and Naruto increases Mai's training! Stay Tuned!
-pain17ification