Mai's Teacher

by pain17ification

The world could not maintain the peace that Naruto fought for in Jiraiya's memory. With a heavy heart, he forsakes his time & seals himself away in hopes of a peaceful future. What happens when a girl who wishes to express herself finds the sealed body of the Hero of the Flame, unleashes him, & learns from him? What will the future hold for the world? COMPLETED! THERE IS NO SEQUEL!

10. Chapter 10: The Northern Siege

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender! You happy now?!

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Higher Being Speech"

'Higher Being Thoughts'

"Jutsu"

(Technique Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 10: The Northern Siege

Appa groaned as he hovered less than twenty feet above the northern ocean. The Trio had been riding on Appa for two days straight in hopes of getting to the North Pole faster, but the constant travelling was taking its toll on everyone. Sokka was complaining every five minutes, making the normally chipper Aang argue with him while Katara finally stopped playing mediator between the two.

They were brought out of their tense flight by a wall of spiky ice rising from the ocean in hopes of stopping Appa. Aang desperately steers Appa out of harm's way but the bison is eventually caught by the ice. When the Trio realized it was actually WaterBenders who stopped them, they let them know of Aang's status as the Avatar, allowing them passage into the city.

As the rode through the waterways of the Northern Tribe, Sokka spotted a young woman with snow white hair, bright blue eyes, and dressed in noble attire. Stunned by her beauty, he immediately resolved to meet her and talk to her.

During the Feast

Arnook, Chief of the Tribe, was proud to tell his people of Aang's arrival, much to the boy's embarrassment. There was also another thing he had to say.

"We also celebrate my daughter, Yue's sixteenth birthday! My beloved daughter is now of marrying age!" he said while presenting the girl Sokka saw earlier to the audience. Sokka smiled at his chance to prove himself to her and the Chief, but he wasn't the only one to do so. "Now, Master Paku and his WaterBending students will perform!"

An elderly man stood before the people of the tribe along with two students before the three of them began to bend the water in various shapes, forms, and styles. The water twisted against one another, spiraled like a typhoon, and finally met in one large clash, making the large room get covered in a thin mist.

Aang and Katara were astounded by the display and couldn't wait to learn from Paku.

With Zuko

The Fire Prince was laying in his room on his ship in anger. Zhao had just taken his entire crew for an expedition to the North Pole, leaving him and Iroh alone on the ship. Iroh had just left for a calming walk away from the ship, leaving the prince unaware of the danger he was now in.

The pirates that the Gaang ran into were hired by Zhao to kill Zuko by blowing up his entire ship. They sneakily climbed aboard with barrels full of blasting jelly, a highly explosive substance much like cannon powder.

By the time Zuko heard a noise of someone else on the ship with him, the jelly exploded and lit the ship with a fiery inferno.

Iroh heard the explosion and turned to see the wrecked ship, eyes widening in horror. "Zuko!" he cried as he ran to see if his nephew survived.

Northern Tribe (Two Days Later)

Much had happened in the last couple days since the trio arrived. Paku told of the rule forbidding women to learn WaterBending aside from healing, Katara learned that her Gran-Gran was born in the Northern Tribe before she left for the Southern Tribe, Paku and Katara had a Bending Battle to see if he would teach her, and finally Katara learned that her Gran-Gran was to marry Paku many years ago.

After learning of Katara's relationship with the woman he had loved, Paku left to think over a few things. Yue on the other hand was lost in a whirlwind of thought and emotion since she learned that Sokka's Gran-Gran actually went against the customs of the tribe for the sake of her own happiness. During the two days, Sokka attempted to woo the princess, but she kept him at arm's length as well as accepted his company. The mixed messages confused the Southern Tribe Warrior and he tried to talk to Yue after Katara's fight with Paku.

It turns out that Yue was given a betrothal necklace before Sokka even had the chance to get to know her. Driven by custom and tradition, Yue accepted at the price of her own happiness. Sokka was devastated at this but he still wished her a happy future before Yue surprised him with a passionate kiss beneath the moonlight. After the kiss, Yue told him that she still liked him, a lot, but she was confused on what to follow; years of tradition or her own heart. Sokka reluctantly told her that he would wait patiently for her to choose, and the two decided to stay friends until she finally decided.

After having time to think it over, Paku finally put aside the traditions and took Katara as his student, much to her and Aang's joy. They spent another few days in study and Katara showed that, with the right guidance, she was a true prodigy of WaterBending. She absorbed everything Paku taught her like a sponge and he couldn't have been more proud.

Aang on the other hand was not as focused as Katara and fooled around more than practiced.

It wasn't until the Trio had been staying at the Northern Tribe for five days that Sokka and other warriors noticed soot mixed with the falling snow. It only meant one thing; the Fire Nation was nearly there, and their numbers were extremely high.

With the Shinobi

Donned in gear ready for a full-blown battle, Naruto and Mai flew through the skies on a large snowy owl named Koyuki. Naruto had felt the many sources of energy making their way north and knew without a doubt that the Fire Nation had finally decided to attack the Northern Tribe.

The four days before he and Mai left Wan's Library were incredibly fruitful for the duo. Naruto spent hours each day manipulating the sand from both Gaara's gourd and the desert itself. At first, he barely moved the sand at all with his chakra and he was going nowhere. However, when he thought of Gaara, his will for the people of Suna, and the bonds the two Jinchuriki had in life, his control grew and the sand became much easier to manipulate. After discovering the secret, he had over 500 Kage Bunshin stay in the desert and practice while he helped his student with her attempts at making Chidori Senbon.

Mai had a single clone helping her decrease the time needed to learn, but even that wasn't enough for the first two days. Naruto discovered her problem during the third day; she wasn't using enough Shape Manipulation and the shots of lighting were unable to stay stable long enough to fly from her hand. The two spent the third day having Mai get a feel for manipulating the chakra enough to do so and the fourth day seeing the results.

It was much better than Naruto had hoped for since Mai had finally gained enough control to launch over twenty senbon from her hand. The Uzumaki was pleased with her progress and congratulated her, making her blush at his praise.

The Nara had slowly started opening her heart more to her friend and teacher, and she realized that she had slowly begun falling for him. It scared her at first since she was afraid of losing what she already had with him, but it also gave her butterflies in her stomach thinking of them as a couple. He was kind and caring, helpful and wise, and always looked to her for who she is and not what she was. However, she reluctantly put aside her feelings in favor of helping Naruto defend the Northern Tribe.

Naruto's empathic senses felt apprehension and desire from his student and he grew slightly worried. While he may have been dense as a child, he knew what her desire was. The Uzumaki wasn't sure about her feelings for him, especially since the visions he kept on having were become clearer each time. The woman in them slowly started taking the form of an older looking Mai, making Naruto fear for the vision's chances of coming true. He didn't want to lose his potential family, and he didn't want them to lose him, but the inevitable coming of Juubi made him realize that he would either live during their death or he would die for them.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and focused on getting to the North Pole as fast as possible. Something big was going to happen, and he knew it would be world-scale big.

With Zhao and Iroh

"We're in the process of finally writing history, General Iroh. The North Pole may have survived many years before, but their city will finally fall today."

Iroh, who had finally agreed to join Zhao's war effort after finding 'no trace' of Zuko, gave the Admiral a skeptical look. "I doubt that, Zhao. There's a reason why they have survived for so long. The Moon and Ocean Spirits give constant vigilance and protection to the Northern Tribes, after all."

"Yes yes, I know you fear the Spirits Iroh. I've even heard rumors of your supposed trip to the Spirit World. However, the Moon and Ocean made a terrible mistake many years ago."

"And that is…?"

"They chose to live a life with those of the mortal plane; leaving them vulnerable to capture…or death," Zhao explained with a sinister grin.

"Zhao, the Spirits are not to be trifled with! They don't just affect certain nations or people; they affect the whole world!"

"Yes well… The world will surely be affected when I take my place in history…as Zhao the Moon Slayer!"

With Aang

The Siege of the North had begun and Aang took to the front lines in hopes of taking out as many Fire Navy ships as possible. He and Appa flew down to meet the armada in battle and Aang used his wits, speed, and quick thinking to sabotage many ships before they even got close to the wall defending the city.

However, many ships were still able to break through the icy wall and storm the city with their large numbers. The Avatar saw that his initial plan had failed, and he retreated back to the city. When Appa landed, both the bison and the AirBender collapsed in exhaustion, making Katara and Yue grow worried. Sokka had volunteered to join the other warriors on an infiltration mission, so he wasn't with them.

"I can't do it… I can't do it," Aang said solemnly.

"What do you mean?" asked Yue.

"I must have taken out at least a dozen of those ships, but there's just too many of them. I can't beat them all."

"But…you have to. You're the Avatar!"

"I'm just one kid…" Aang said solemnly.

They were all interrupted by the sounds of flapping wings and they turned to see the shinobi duo land a large snowy owl next to Appa. Once they got off, Naruto said, "Thanks for the ride, Koyuki-san."

"Any time, Uzumaki-san," she replied before she disappeared in a plume of smoke.

"Naruto! Mai!" Katara called out happily before she ran up to him and hugged the two shinobi, much to Mai's slight annoyance.

"You finally made it!" Aang said just as happily. "We thought you wouldn't make it in time."

"Yea well, we're here now and ready to help," said the Uzumaki with a smirk before he turned serious. "Aang, you need to go to the Moon and Ocean Spirits now. They're in danger; much more than any of us."

"What do you mean?" asked Yue. "How are they in more danger than we are?"

"The Spirits are vulnerable," Mai explained. "They gave up their spiritual forms in favor of forms that would let them live alongside humans and mortal beings."

"How do you know?" asked Katara.

"We learned it in a library. Now hurry up and find them! Mai and I will help hold off the soldiers. Go!" Naruto ordered before he and Mai leaped away to join the battle.

Aang turned to the two girls and said, "We better hurry. Yue, do you know where the Spirits might be?"

The princess took a thoughtful pose for a few seconds before her eyes widened in realization. "The Spirit Oasis! There are two koi fish there that have lived in the tribe for many years. They must be the Moon and Ocean!"

"Alright, let's hurry and get to them before anyone else does," Katara said as the three made their way to the Spirit Oasis, unaware that Zhao and a group of four soldiers were on their way as well.

With the Shinobi

The duo kept roof-jumping their way to the battle at high speeds in hopes of turning the tide. Naruto gave a feral smirk before he pumped chakra into his next leap, making him rise way above the warring nations. He flew through handseals before he bit his thumb and cried, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A large plume of smoke appeared above the battlefield before Shun dropped down and crashed into the ground below, throwing back the two sides with the force of the landing. The Fire Nation looked on in fear since they were told of Naruto's ability to summon a toad of incredible size. The Water Tribesmen looked on in amazement at the sight of the toad while some pointed at the golden-haired man standing on its head.

Naruto turned to the Fire Nation troops and called out, "People of the Fire Nation, this is your one and only warning! Return to your ships now, or risk your lives in battle against Naruto Uzumaki, the Child of Prophecy and Hero of the Flame!"

Paku, who was leading the Northern Tribe members, looked on in shock at the declaration. While there wasn't as much info on the 'Hero of the Flame' in the Water Tribes as there was in other parts of the world, the natives were still able to learn enough to know that he was like a force of nature in his time. 'But this man can't be him. He disappeared from the world millennia ago…'

The Fire Navy grew nervous at Naruto's declaration. Their nervousness increased when Mai appeared next to him. It was now common knowledge within the Fire nation that Mai was his student and that the girl was worth a small army of FireBenders. While their numbers were that of an armada, they still had the Uzumaki to deal with.

"You have two minutes to comply before my student and I begin our assault. Make your choice now!"

Less than half of the soldiers immediately ran back to the ships in fear while the rest stood their ground. One brave, or foolish, group of FireBenders all launched a stream of fire at Shun, but the Gama Chief felt nothing from the flames against his wet face. The soldiers began to sweat in panic while Naruto released the cork on his gourd and said in a deathly calm voice, "Time's up."

Sand flew out of the gourd and raced towards the soldiers while Naruto stood as still as a statue. The only parts of his body that moved were his fingers that were slightly hidden under his crossed arms. The sand latched on to many of the soldiers legs and lifted them high into the air while Mai silenced them with her senbon. "Sensei, do you want me to proceed?"

"Do as you wish…"

Mai smirked at that before she pumped her chakra, releasing the weight seals that were on her, and vanished in a burst of speed. To both sides, she was nothing but a dark red blur that struck without warning and without mercy. Each soldier she hit had a senbon in their neck or a kunai in their lower back, immobilizing them. And if it wasn't Mai that reached them, it was the sand controlled by the last Uzumaki.

Paku and the other soldiers of the Water Tribe watched on in amazement as the enemy was easily picked apart by the two shinobi. The WaterBending Master shook out of his shock before he turned to the others and cried out, "For the Water Tribes!"

His cry rallied the others and they rushed in to help their new allies.

Spirit Oasis

Aang sat in a meditative position in front of the koi fish and attempted to create a spiritual connection with them. Katara, Yue, and Sokka who had been tasked with guarding Yue stood behind him while Zuko was frozen against the wall courtesy of Katara. The prince attempted to take him again while he meditated, but Katara and the full moon of the evening battle proved to be too much for his ambition.

Suddenly, the three Water Tribe Natives saw the gates to the oasis get blasted open by Zhao and his FireBenders. Katara once again tried to fight them off, but their numbers were too much for even her. Sokka was about to help her, but one of the soldiers held a flaming fist to Yue's head, making him back off.

Zhao smirked at the sight of the out of it AirBender and his prize. He strode up to the pond and captured the white koi fish, otherwise known as the Moon Spirit's mortal form, into a tattered bag. Due to the cut connection, Aang woke up from his meditation and looked on in shock as the moon lost its silvery glow in favor of a reddish one.

Back at the battlefield, Naruto and Mai saw the moon glow red and the Uzumaki clutched his head in agony. Mai grew worried and rushed to his side, supporting him as he fell to a knee. "Naruto, are you okay?"

"N-No… Take me to Aang and the others. The moon is in trouble," he answered as he held his head in pain. He was hearing wails of fear and agony within his mind as well as a slow leakage of youki from the once peaceful moon. "H-Hurry!"

Mai nodded and the two disappeared in a swirl of leaves while Shun disappeared in a plume of smoke. When the duo reappeared, they saw Zhao finishing his rant on how he'd be remembered as the Slayer of the Moon.

"Zhao, don't do it! You have no idea of the consequences that will come if we lose the moon!" Aang pleaded to the Admiral.

"He is right, Zhao," said Iroh as he walked into the oasis. His eyes noticed Zuko escape his prison as well as Mai supporting Naruto before they narrowed in on Zhao.

"General Iroh… Why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?"

"I'm no traitor Zhao. The Fire Nation needs the moon just as much as the world does. It creates a balance." He noticed Zhao clutch the bag tighter and he growled out, "Whatever you do to that Spirit, I'll unleash on you tenfold! Let it go, NOW!"

"Get in line, Iroh," Naruto said as he slowly stood on his own. Mai stood close to him just in case while he finished, "If he does anything to that fish, I won't hesitate to kill him in the most painful way imaginable."

Zhao growled in anger before he slowly let the fish out of the bag and back into the water. His rage was boiling though, and he sliced at the koi with FireBending as soon as the fish was fully out.

To the others, it was like time slowed down as the moon disappeared from the sky and the land was colored in a gray hue. Naruto stiffened in place before he clutched his head, closed his eyes, and cried out in horror, making everyone turn to him in shock. Chakra and youki were leaking from him as he fell to a knee and his head was pounding with cries of fear, despair, panic, rage, and utter hopelessness. His empathic senses were screaming in his mind, nearly driving the Uzumaki mad by the sheer feeling of fear and darkness.

Mai grabbed his head and made him face her. "Naruto, calm down! Please, you have to control it! Don't give in, Naruto!" she cried in panic as tears began to spill from her eyes.

However, Naruto couldn't hear her since her voice was drowned out by the cries of terror he was hearing in his mind. His skin began to slowly peel off, showing a bloody surge of energy flowing beneath his skin. His whisker marks began to darken and grow jagged while his hair grew wilder and his canines and nails elongated into fangs and claws. His eyes snapped open, revealing nothing but blood red within, and scared Mai stiff.

"M-Mai…" he groaned out. "R-Run! I can't c-control it!" He then noticed Zhao try to run, and his animalistic instincts took over before he disappeared in a blur of speed and reappeared with a clawed hand stabbed straight through Zhao's chest, with his heart in hand on the other side. Zhao stood in shock as he saw his still beating, bloody heart clutched in a clawed hand in front of him. "I warned you," Naruto growled out. "I told you that it would be the most painful way imaginable." He then opened his mouth, where a glowing sphere of youki and chakra was forming, before he released a beam of power that immediately disintegrated the top half of the Admiral's body.

The lower half fell lifeless to the floor while Naruto jerked his head back and roared, sending a shockwave out with its force. He then launched himself out of the oasis and into the city and Mai immediately stood up from her position. "Naruto, wait!" she called out as she followed him.

It was like the end had come for the warring nations as Naruto killed anyone in his way, friend or foe. Mai was able to keep up with him since he was slowly walking through the streets on all fours like a fox. His skin was still slowly peeling off and bursting with energy, but Mai didn't care as she ran up to him and hugged him from behind. He turned his head in anger and glared at her before her teary amber eyes met his bloodlust filled crimson ones.

"Please Naruto," she begged," please stop this. This isn't who you are! You're Naruto Uzumaki; the Child of Prophecy, the Hero of the Flame, my teacher, my friend, the one I cherish the most!" Her words were slowly breaking through as his anger-filled orbs were slowly turning into confused and concerned ones. Through her tears, she smiled at this and continued, "You aren't a monster, Naruto. You need to stop this, please." She then clutched him tighter while his energy slowly burned her skin. She refused to let go as she finished, "Please come back to me…"

The blonde Jinchuriki groaned in pain as his head was pounding with the negativity from the leaking youki once held back by the moon. He was slowly losing himself again before the land was once again covered in a silvery glow. The Uzumaki turned his head skyward and saw the moon residing within the sky once again, making the negativity slowly calm down. He slowly regained control of himself and began releasing the youki he had called upon before he turned and embraced his student. "Mai… I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I never meant for this to happen…"

Mai slowly let him go and placed a warm hand on his whiskered cheek. She saw pain and sadness in his eyes and gave him a small reassuring smile before she leaned in and kissed him. His eyes widened in shock as Mai pulled back and calmly replied, "I forgive you, Naruto…"

She then hugged him again with a smile while Naruto unconsciously held her with his face still looking shocked. Slowly the shock turned into a small smile of his own before he held Mai tighter, making her smile grow.

Within the mindscape, Kurama sighed in relief. "That was a close one. I actually thought that he'd lose himself completely after that idiot killed that fish. Thank Kami-sama that Mai calmed him down, but I hope that she can keep him that way… Now that the Juubi has gotten a small taste of freedom, it'll try even harder to break free or form again."

Timeskip: The Next Day

While Naruto and Aang, who had entered the Avatar State and attacked the Fire Nation, rested in the infirmary, the others stood on a balcony watching the sun rise in the sky. Yue had given up her life that the Moon Spirit gave her and returned it to the dead fish. Sokka and Arnook were devastated at this, but Arnook still couldn't help but feel proud of his daughter's sacrifice. She restored the balance and became the new Moon Spirit who would watch over the world. So yes, he was sad, but he was also happy to know that she was still with him.

Katara had spent her time healing the injured while also checking up on Aang and Naruto every now and then. She noticed that Mai hadn't once left Naruto's side and held his hand in her own as he rested. She had even slept in the chair she sat in, while her head rested on his bed and her hand still clutched his, the night before. Katara smiled to herself at the extreme care Mai had for him and knew that the Fire Nation girl had fallen hard for the whiskered blonde. 'It makes me wonder what will happen next between them,' she mused to herself.

It was two hours later before Naruto slowly stirred awake. Aang had woken up an hour before and left the infirmary to help his friends while Mai still stayed in the room. He saw that she had her head on his bed and was sleeping with a near death grip on his hand, making him smile. With his free hand, he slowly brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek, making her stir slightly before she noticed he was awake. She immediately embraced him and said, "I was so worried… You just passed out after you came out of your rage."

Naruto hugged her back and replied, "Yea that happens when I'm not in control… Mai, I'm so sorry you had to see me in that kind of state. It's not something I like people seeing…"

She gave him a reassuring smile and said, "It's okay, I told you the night before that I already forgive you."

Naruto smiled back before he noticed her slightly burnt skin. "Mai, why didn't you have someone heal you?" he asked worriedly before he began using medical jutsu to restore her skin.

Mai turned her head away in embarrassment and answered, "I never left your side. You really had me worried for you…"

"You should've at least gotten someone to take a look at you. The burns could've increased in degree and you could've-"

He was interrupted when Mai leaned up and kissed him on the lips, making his eyes widen in surprise. When she separated, she looked him dead in the eye with a growing blush and stated, "I wasn't going to leave you, Naruto. I care too much about you to leave you alone while you were passed out."

Naruto sighed in defeat before he looked her in the eye and replied, "What brought that on; that kiss?"

She didn't answer right away and just buried her head in his chest. "I like you, Naruto… I-I never felt anything like this before… I like the feeling of actually giving my heart to someone, and it makes me happier to know that I could give it to you."

"But Mai, what about the vis-"

"I don't care!" she interrupted. "I don't care if those visions you keep having say that either you or who you keep seeing will die! As long as I can be with you now, I'll be able to die happy…" She looked him in the eyes, her own burning in determination, and she said, "I want you to take my heart and let me have yours. I want to be by your side, not just as your student, but as someone precious to you. That's all I want…"

Her gaze slowly averted from his and Naruto sat on his bed in silent shock. She just threw the concerns he had out the window and wanted to risk her life just so that she could be with him. It amazed him that she felt so strongly about the whole thing, but he couldn't deny that it felt nice to have someone tell him that he mattered to them in a romantic way.

He slowly grabbed her chin and made her look at his warm smile before he leaned in and captured her lips with his. Her eyes widened in surprise before she got into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck in hopes of deepening it. They kept at it for a little over two minutes before the need for air was too much and they separated. Her eyes met his hopefully and he smiled to her again.

"If it means that much to you, then I accept your feelings, Mai. Having you with me has made me happier than I ever was after the loss of Uzu. I honestly thought that I'd never really find true happiness again, but each day I spend with you makes those thoughts slowly fade from my mind. Nothing would make me happier than having you with me."

Mai smiled to him as a tear leaked from her eye before the two embraced once again, hearts and souls full of a growing hope and happiness.

However, darkness was still slowly spreading with the temporary loss of the Moon Spirit and the Gaang still had many trials ahead of them.

(End)

And that was chapter ten! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

I hope you all like the Naru/Mai moment I had in this chapter! Happy Easter!

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: The Gaang leaves the North Pole in search of an EarthBending Teacher for Aang! And a certain swamp makes them see some very interesting people! Who will they see? Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification