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!

11. Chapter 11: Murky Visions

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

Personal Request: If someone is artistic enough, I'd like to ask if they'd be willing to make a cover page for this story. Either that or draw the Naruto and Mai of this story for me. Please PM me if you want to do this for me. If no one is willing, then I don't really mind. It was just a hopeful request.

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Higher Being Speech"

'Higher Being Thoughts'

"Jutsu"

(Technique Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 11: Murky Visions

It was three days after the Northern Siege that we find the Gaang heading to an Earth Kingdom base by air. The Trio was situated on Appa while the shinobi were riding on Koyuki. Katara couldn't help but look back at the student/teacher duo with a smile. It was obvious to her that they were incredibly more open with one another after Naruto's episode at the North Pole.

Thinking about the blonde's moment after Zhao killed the first moon made her shudder. The pure anguish and struggle on the Uzumaki's face was that of a man seeing their worst nightmare and making futile attempts to end it. When she asked Mai, the Nara told her that Naruto had deep connections with people's emotions and feelings. When the moon vanished, the Juubi tried to break free from its drastically weakened prison by using the nearest power source. That source was Naruto and Kurama due to them having the closest connection to Juubi.

While the Juubi tried to break free using Naruto, the blonde was able to feel all of the terror, pain, and despair from the victims killed by the beast in the past. It was like being an observer witnessing a bloody massacre and being unable to do a thing about it.

Still, while Naruto went through all of that, he looked as if nothing was wrong. However, the rest of the Gaang knew that he was holding back what had happened to him. Why he was, they didn't know. That didn't stop Mai from trying to help him.

The WaterBender was broken out of her thoughts by the approaching base. An uneasy feeling came over her as they approached and when she saw Koyuki completely ignore the island and fly past it, the feeling only increased.

Four Days Later

Naruto was seen resting on the branch of a nearby tree while Mai practiced the first step of the Rasengan in the clearing below. Like Katara, Naruto felt a disturbing feeling coming from the Earth Kingdom base and he had Koyuki fly past it and land about half a mile away from it. The shinobi decided to just wait for the Trio to find them after dealing with whatever the base dealt them.

It was a bit irritating to Naruto when he found out that he had no balloons or rubber balls to help his student in the three steps of his father's prized ninjutsu. So, he had to start her off with the bare minimum: pure chakra and nothing else.

The first step was Rotation. Naruto had Mai begin by having Mai build her chakra into her palm, like she does with the Chidori, and have it spin. It was much easier said than done for her since it took a great deal of focus just to gather chakra to her palm without the assistance of handseals.

Naruto had helped her get a decent start on the first day by slowly demonstrating the step to her. The chakra slowly gathered to his palm and covered it in a bluish glow before Mai saw it slowly start to spin and naturally roll up into a rough sphere. He kept on demonstrating for her until she felt as if she got it and began here training.

That had been four days ago and now she looked as if she was beginning to make progress. On her palm, her chakra was barely beginning to move and rotate, but that was as far as she was able to get. She released her chakra and sighed in frustration before she felt two strong arms wrap around her warmly and hold her close. Her frustration left and she smiled at the feeling.

"Just relax, Mai," Naruto said calmly into her ear. "You'll get it down. You just have to keep calm and focus." He lifted up her right arm, palm facing up, and used medical chakra to soothe her aching nerves. "Try again," he told her softly.

Still smiling, Mai focused her chakra into her palm and willed it to spin. It came easier to her this time and the energy span into a rough sphere that warbled around the edges. Her smile grew slightly before she cut the chakra flow, turned in Naruto's arms, and mashed her lips with his. She quickly deepened it by wrapping her arms around his neck and he reciprocated by wrapping his own around her waist.

Just when Mai was hoping to go even further with their kiss, the duo heard someone clear their throat and separated. They turned to see the Trio standing behind them. Katara had a smile on her face while Aang looked away with a blush and Sokka just rolled his eyes. "Are we interrupting?" asked the WaterBender with her smile still in place.

Mai muttered something about 'troublesome people with terrible timing' while Naruto just gave a small chuckle and let go of the Nara. "We were just waiting for you three. What took so long anyway?"

"That general wanted to force Aang into the Avatar State in order to end the war quicker," Sokka explained.

"At first Aang agreed," continued Katara while giving Aang a pointed look. The AirBender looked away in shame as she finished, "But he soon saw reason and we left."

Naruto nodded in understanding while Mai stayed silent. "So, what's the plan now?"

"We're going to head back to Omashu and see if Bumi will teach Aang EarthBending. Bumi should have plenty of experience to teach him."

Naruto and Mai nodded before the blonde summoned Koyuki and the Gaang made their way to the city. For some reason, Mai had a sense of foreboding about the city and was confused as to why.

Two Days Later

It was a shock to the Trio when they saw Omashu taken over by the Fire Nation. Mai and Naruto were less shocked since they had expected the Fire Nation to begin their invasion of the Earth Kingdom.

The Gaang made their way to a sewer pipe opening that released the waste of the city into the chasm beneath the city. Aang and Katara used Bending to keep themselves clean of the waste, leaving Sokka to get hit full blast behind them. Naruto had used Kamui to 'remove' Mai from their plane before he moved right through the wall and into the city.

While it separated them from the Trio, the tactic still allowed Naruto and Mai to get in the city unseen. Once inside, Naruto released Mai and the duo made their way across the rooftops in search of Bumi.

It wasn't even ten minutes later that they found a man, woman, and baby boy being escorted through the streets by some soldiers. Naruto cursed quietly, making Mai turn to him in confusion. "What is it?"

"Your family is down there. If I had to guess, your father is most likely in charge here."

Mai turned to the family and swore when she saw that it really was her parents and baby brother. "What do we do?"

Naruto hummed in thought before he suggested, "I think you'll be relatively safe if you talk to them. They're your family, so they shouldn't be willing to arrest you. Me on the other hand…" he let the sentence hang and Mai understood.

"So, you want us to split up?"

"Yes. You stay with your family and see what's been going on since we left and I'll see if I can find the others. We'll meet up when we can."

Mai nodded and kissed him on the cheek while whispering, "Good luck."

"You too, and stay safe," he urged before he disappeared in a flock of ravens that began to search the city.

Mai sighed and muttered, "Time for a reunion, I guess…"

With Naruto

The ravens flew all over the skies above the city in search of its ruler before one of them spotted Aang freeing Flopsy and riding him through the city streets. Another raven saw Katara, Sokka, and many citizens of the city making their way through the gates under the guise of having a 'deadly' and 'highly contagious' illness called Pentapox. It was actually quite funny seeing the guards freak out and keep a good distance out of fear of infection.

One last raven, this one being the real Naruto, flew close to Mai and kept an eye on her. He saw that he was correct in his assumption and that she was welcomed by her parents warmly. They asked her about what she had been up to and where he was, and Mai was able to keep them at bay with vague answers and questions of her own.

The shinobi duo found out from Mai's parents that Ozai had increased his forces and military strength and that Iroh and Zuko were made fugitives of the Fire Nation.

The reunion was interrupted when they heard the commotion caused by the 'sickly' citizens of the city and Mai's father ordered the guards to let them go to keep the city 'clean'. Mai had to commend the Water Tribe siblings on their successful plan. 'Pentapox' sounded like a highly contagious illness and she could understand why her father fell for it.

The following day, Mai and the raven form of Naruto walked through the streets 'seeing the sights' when in reality they were still searching for Bumi. Naruto's other ravens were still searching and one of them finally found him held in a metal container that left only his face visible. The container was held by a large crane high above the ground, keeping the King away from any earth to bend.

By the time the raven dispelled and Naruto received the information, the guards announced the arrival of Princess Azula, making them curse her timing.

It turns out that Azula wasn't alone and that she brought Ty Lee with her. Mai, playing her part of a 'returned daughter' made her way to greet them while Naruto made his way to Bumi.

When he made it to the King, he transformed back into his regular form and readied a kunai to cut the chain. "I can't let you do that, my friend," Bumi stated.

Naruto raised a brow and questioned, "Why not? You're a prisoner of the Fire Nation and Aang needs you to-"

"I can't be the one to teach Aang. I need to stay here."

Naruto still looked confused before he felt Bumi's emotions for his city and his people. "You're staying for their sakes. You don't care what the Fire Nation does to you, but you care about what happens to your people." Bumi nodded with a smile and Naruto asked, "What about Aang? Who should he look for to tech him EarthBending?"

"Aang needs to find someone who waits and listens to the earth itself before acting; someone who has mastered what is known as 'Neutral Jin'. I can't be his teacher since I haven't mastered it myself."

Naruto nodded at his statement. "You know that he'll still try to save you, right?"

"I know, and I'll tell him what I told you when he does."

Naruto nodded again and said, "I wish you good luck then, King Bumi."

"And you as well, Founder of the Shiro Renge," he replied with a smile before Naruto disappeared in a distorted swirl.

Two Days Later

Naruto sighed as Koyuki flew after Appa over a dense forest with a tree larger than all of Konoha in the center. He heard voices speaking to him in his mind telling him to land and find them. He looked to Mai and she didn't seem to be hearing anything similar since she looked as relaxed as ever.

He looked ahead and saw Appa slowly descending towards the treetops. His brows furrowed in confusion before he saw Appa resume his previous altitude and head away from the forest. His senses suddenly went into overdrive and he saw a tornado heading for them all.

Thinking fast, Naruto jumped off of Koyuki and flew through handseals before crying out, "Fuuton: Jōshō Fushichō (Rising Phoenix)!" The wind picked up around him and took the form of a large bird with glowing yellow eyes. The wind bird wrapped its wings protectively around himself, Mai, and Koyuki just as the tornado reached them. Aang tried something similar for his friends by surrounding them in a sphere of air. Unfortunately, the tornado's force was too much for both of their techniques and the result was the two wind techniques backfiring and flinging everyone in separate directions to the forest below.

The last thing Naruto saw before he hit the treetops was the tornado suddenly dispersing, leaving a calm sky.

With Katara

The WaterBender found herself trapped in some vines after her rough landing. Luckily for her, her wrists and hands were free, allowing her to bend the water and have it slice through the vines like a new katana through a piece of paper.

After she was free, Katara made her way through the dense forestation of what she now realized was a swamp. The treetops were so thick that barely any light came through. With no way to see the sky above her, she resigned to just keep moving.

With Aang

The AirBender was able to soften his landing with the use of his birth element, saving him from any major injury. He still had a few scratches from when he crashed through the tree branches, but he was alright.

He gazed around his landing area and sighed at the lack of major light. He was about to move on before he heard a girlish giggle behind him. He turned to see a girl dressed in noble attire with a winged boar next to her. The boar flew off and she followed it, giggling the entire way. The Avatar narrowed his eyes in confusion before he took off after them in hopes of finding answers.

With Sokka

The Water Tribe Warrior wasted no time taking out his machete and slicing through the vines of the swamp in search of his friends and comrades. "Guys, where are you?!" he called out in hopes of hearing a reply. When he received none, he sighed before he resumed his trek.

After cutting through a particularly thick patch of vines, he entered a small sunlit clearing of the forest…where a girl dressed in beautiful white robes floated before him. He took a couple of hesitant steps forward before his eyes widened in recognition.

"Yue?" he whispered before he shook his head in denial. "This is just a trick of the light. Swamp gas. I hit my head during my fall. I'm going crazy," he said, listing off reasons as to why he was seeing the form of the dead Northern Tribe Princess. He didn't want it to be real; he couldn't let himself believe so. She gave up her life for the world right after kissing him goodbye. She was supposed to be gone.

His rant to prove he was seeing things didn't stop him from looking back to the girl. "You didn't protect me…" her voice echoed throughout the clearing.

Sokka quickly wiped his eyes and saw that she was gone. He sighed and turned before jumping back in shock when he saw Yue standing right next to him. After falling back to the ground, he looked around the clearing and saw that he was alone. He sighed again before pulling out his machete and continuing.

With Katara

The WaterBender made her way through another brush of vegetation before she saw someone standing ahead of her with their back to her.

"Hello? Can you tell me where I am?" she called out as she made her way to the new person. She then caught sight of the person's hairstyle and saw that it was exactly like hers; the same style her mother taught her to make. "Mom?" she whispered hopefully before she ran to the figure. Her face had a smile and happy tears as she reached the person and grabbed their shoulder. As she turned the figure to face her, she said, "I can't believe-" only to stop short as the person she thought she saw proved to be nothing more than an old hollowed out tree trunk.

Katara fell to her knees in anguish at the feeling of losing her mother for the second time. It was too much for her to bear.

With Mai

The student of the last Uzumaki jumped through the trees in search of her teacher or their companions. The forests of the swamp were so thick and the air was far too humid for her tastes. She soon saw that she was approaching a black-haired figure and she landed a few feet away from them.

"Excuse me, have you seen a bald kid, two people from the Water Tribes, or a yellow-haired man around here?" she asked.

The person before her didn't respond and turned to face her. She saw that the person was a man that was dressed in a black shirt over a mesh one, black pants, a forest green flak jacket, and black sandals. His hair was styled in a pineapple-like fashion, his eyes were coal black, and he had a metal plate with a spiral leaf symbol attached to his left sleeve.

She stared at him in confusion before he sighed and took out a white stick followed by a small metal container. He flipped the lid of the container and she saw a flame appear where it opened. He then used the flame to light the white stick before he put the end that wasn't burning in his mouth and took a deep inhale. He then pulled out the stick and blew out some smoke before he looked to her lazily.

"So, who are you supposed to be?" he asked in a bored tone as he kept using the burning stick.

Mai wrinkled her nose in disgust at the smell in the air before she retorted, "Why should I answer you when you never answered my question?"

The man sighed at her rebuttal and rubbed the back of his neck before Mai heard him mutter, "Troublesome girl…"

Her eyes widened in recognition and she quickly asked, "Are you a member of the Nara Clan?"

He raised a brow to her and replied, "What brought on that question?"

"My name is Mai Nara, student of Naruto Uzumaki," she answered seriously. "Now I'll ask again; are you a member of the Nara Clan?"

"Naruto huh?" he asked with a small smile while looking skyward. "So, he's still alive after all. Can't say that I'm surprised at that since he always looked younger than the rest of us." He then turned his attention back to her and said, "I'm Shikamaru Nara, the 16th Head of the Nara Clan and Strategic Commander of Konohagakure before its end at the hands of Sasuke Uchiha."

Mai sighed in slight irritation and replied, "I just asked for your name; not for all of your troublesome titles and positions." She saw him smirk at her and she asked, "Why are you here? You were supposed to have died long before the Bending Era."

"Why indeed?" he asked with his smirk still in place. "Care to figure it out yourself?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and thought of the possible reasons until two came to mind. "You're either a spiritual projection meant to help me, or I'm seeing things due to the heat and I somehow envisioned you. The first seems far more likely."

Shikamaru nodded at her findings. "I'd say that you're correct on your first guess as well. So, the question that remains is, what do you need me to help you with?"

"I guess I'm lost on my 'path of life' or something equally as troublesome to try and figure out."

The Elder Nara chuckled at her statement. "Yea, you're definitely a Nara." He kept chuckling at her, making the younger Nara's eye twitch in irritation. After he stopped, he looked back to her and asked, "So, what is it you think that you're having problems with?"

"I don't think I have any issues to deal with. I'm happy learning from Naruto and being with him."

"Uh-huh," he said in an unconvinced tone. "And the fact that either he or you will die is not an issue at all, right?"

"Of course not!" she replied heatedly.

"Then why are you so emotional in your response?"

"Because it's none of your business!"

"Hey, I came here to help you, remember? I can't do that unless you let me know what I need to."

"Yea right… You came to me, so you should already know enough about me to come up with some advice."

"Heh, true; I already know what I need to. That's why I know that the visions Naruto keeps having are bothering you. You can't bear to lose the one person who easily saw past the barriers you put up."

"Stop it…" she whispered.

He continued as if ignoring her, "You don't want to lose the man who took the time to get to know the real you and help you more than anyone else ever did; even your family."

"Shut up!" she said in a louder voice.

"The thought of you or him dying before you could live a happy life as a family tears you apart inside. You'd rather see the world fall than lose him."

"SHUT UP!" she cried before she quickly prepared a Chidori and stretched it towards her ancestor, unknowingly performing a perfect Chidori Eisō (Chidori Sharp Spear).

The extended lighting jutsu flew right through Shikamaru, who looked disinterested with what was going on around him. There was no puncture wound, no blood, and no exertion of pain.

"Admit it… You're scared of the future and what is to come."

Mai fell to her hands and knees and had tears spill from her eyes. "Just shut up…" she begged in a defeated tone. "I admit it; I don't want to lose him. He means everything to me and losing would… It would…"

"…Leave you as nothing more than an empty shell," finished the Elder Nara. He sighed at the situation as he made his way to his descendant and placed a consoling hand on her shoulder. "Listen, we all lose someone important to us eventually. I lost my mentor and guide when I was around your age. It was tough and I almost lost myself. But, I realized that these things happen and that the important thing to do is make sure that when they do happen, it won't be in vain. The vision also showed a girl, right?" She nodded in affirmation. "Then make sure that the girl in your future knows just what Naruto died for. Let her know that he died for a brighter future for both the world and his family."

Mai slowly wiped the tears from her eyes and gained a small smile at her ancestor's words. "Thank you," she whispered before he faded away, leaving Mai alone in the clearing.

With Naruto

The Uzumaki sighed in frustration as he made his way through the dense swamp. The vibe he felt from the surrounding vegetation was unsettling and he constantly felt as if he was being watched as if he were prey.

'Damn swamp… This place is so strange and annoying.'

"There's something off about this place as well. Keep your wits about you, Naruto. Something isn't right here…"

'Yea… I know Kurama,' he replied before he made his way into a random clearing of the swamp. The Jinchuriki narrowed his eyes as he saw three cloaked figures standing ahead of him with their backs turned. He disappeared in a burst of speed and made to grab one of them before he felt himself slip right through them.

"Those people aren't real. They're just illusions," stated the Kyuubi.

'Then why isn't the Sharingan dispelling them?'

"I don't know…"

Before Naruto could question his tenant any further, he noticed the three figures move towards him and stand just five feet from him. He stood to face them and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Alright, just who the hell are you three?"

One of them sighed and spoke in a voice so familiar to Naruto that it made him freeze. "Honestly Naruto-kun, can't you even tell who your family is?"

The cloaks surrounding the figures all faded away into specks of light revealing a blonde man, redheaded woman, and a girl with black hair that had red streaks in it.

The man wore standard Konoha Jonin gear and a white cloak with red flames licking the bottom of it. His blonde hair was spiked in all directions with two bangs framing his face and his eyes were an electric blue.

The woman wore a high collared blue blouse underneath a loose tan dress. Her vibrant red hair reached her lower back and she wore a necklace with a red spiral pendant.

The girl had a blood red shirt with a sleeve only on her left arm, black cargo shorts, an Uzu headband around her neck, and a fuinjutsu array wrapped around her exposed right arm. She had a deep blue left eye while her right was a piercing yellow and she had two whisker marks on each cheek. Her hair was slightly shorter than the woman's, only reaching the tops of her shoulders, but it had a slight spikiness to it (1).

Naruto couldn't speak since the people before him were Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, and the young girl from his visions/dreams. He just stood before them, frozen like a statue, as they kept smiling to him. When his mind finally caught up to the real world, he closed his eyes and turned his back to them.

"You aren't here; none of you are. Two of you are dead and the other isn't even alive to begin with." His voice began to break slightly as his eyes began to water. "This isn't real."

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder, making him tense before he turned to see his mother's warm smile. "Not all things are as they appear to be, Naruto-kun."

"We're here to help you find your way again," explained Minato with a warm smile on his face as well.

"What do you mean? I'm fighting for peace again. I'm helping the Avatar and the world," said the whiskered blonde in confusion.

"While that may be true, there's still something holding you back, tou-san," said the youngest looking one of the group.

Naruto turned to her in slight surprise before he gave a small chuckle. "So, the visions were true… You really are my future child."

She smiled to him and nodded. "Yea… And it's also the thoughts you have of me that hold you back; well, me and kaa-chan."

"Mai…"

"Yes… You're afraid of losing us or of us losing you. It keeps you from truly choosing to fight for peace."

"Of course it does! I don't want to lose anyone else!" he cried before he dropped his gaze to the ground. "I've lost enough people already…"

Kushina hugged her child and held him close before Minato and the girl did the same. "We know, Sochi. We know how much you've lost. You left your friends Konoha to let them live their lives, you rebuilt Uzushiogakure and made it a great nation again, and you lost it all in one fell swoop. You've lost more than any person should ever have to."

"But you know better than anyone that peace is not without a price," continued Minato. "You've lost many things for peace, but it wasn't enough."

"I know it wasn't enough!" Naruto cried separating himself from them and punching a nearby tree trunk in anger. The whole tree shook as many leaves fell from the branches. "I know better than anyone that it wasn't enough, and I know that I'll keep losing what's precious to me so long as I continue being the Child of Prophecy." He turned his gaze back to them and the three saw his eyes full of defeat. "I'm so tired of losing the ones I cherish. I just want it to end."

The next thing he knew, a black and red blur flew at him and wrapped around his chest. He looked down and saw his future daughter crying into his chest and he instinctively held her close. "We know how much you've suffered, tou-san. But no one else can take down the threats to come."

"Juubi…" whispered the whiskered blonde.

"Yes… Aang will never have the strength or skill needed to do it. That leaves you to fight it or let the world fall." She looked up into her father's eyes with a sad smile. "It seems so unfair to ask you to do this, tou-san, and I wish it didn't have to be you… But who else can do it if not you?"

Naruto looked to his parents and saw them nod to him with sad smiles of their own before he sighed. He brushed his hand through the girl's hair and smiled softly. "I guess I have one last job to do. I mean," he gave a small foxy grin, "what kind of father am I if I don't fight for my family?"

The other three had their smiles change from sad to proud and they nodded to him before they began to fade away. Minato and Kushina were the first to go, leaving the fading girl and her future father.

"So, any chance I get to learn my daughter's name before I have to wait for her to be born?" he asked with a grin.

She giggled at his question and shook her head. "Good things to those who wait tou-san!" she said in a teasing voice before she completely faded away.

Naruto kept his smile as he watched the specks of light drift away. "I guess I need to be patient then…"

After talking to Huu

The Gaang was happily making their way out of the swamp with new thoughts and feelings lingering in their hearts.

Aang, having learned what his vision meant from Huu, had a determined fire in his eyes. He knew who to look for to be his EarthBending teacher and he was excited. Katara and Sokka felt the need to see the war through to the end for the sakes of the loved ones they had lost. Mai felt as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders after her talk with her ancestor. As for Naruto…

He felt at peace when he had his vision once again. The figures were the clearest they had ever been and he smiled at the sight of his future family waving to him with loving smile. 'I won't give up…for their sakes.'

(End)

1~ Think of her hair styled in the same fashion as Ichigo's after his training in the Dangai Precipice World (I don't own Bleach by the way)

And that was chapter eleven! 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 liked the moments Mai and Naruto had with their family members (both past and future)!

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 meets Toph, the Blind Bandit! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification