Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Last Airbender.

Bodyguard of Azula

Chapter 41: Arguing and Finding

"Talking"

"Thinking"

"Bijū/spirit talking"

"Bijū/spirit thinking"

(Location: Ember Island)

It had been a full day since they came back. They had gotten lucky as they still had a few days before the Comet. That was something to worry about later. Now, they sat down to something a little more important: breakfast. "Everyone sleep well?" Katara asked as she started serving everyone.

"I slept well enough," Suki answered from where she sat.

"Same here," Toph said.

"I know our stay in Konoha wasn't by any means harsh, but it's nice to be back," Aang told the Waterbender.

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed before looking around. "Hey, where are Sokka and the other guys?"

As if to answer her question, the sound of a body hitting the wall was heard right outside. They ran outside to see what was going on. What they saw was a three-on-one fight between Sokka, Naruto, and Zuko against Jiraiya. The younger three were working as a team, fighting in tandem to take down their opponent. One would be aiming high, another targeted his midsection, and the third would go low.

But despite what they did, Jiraiya looked like he wasn't even trying. He blocked their attacks with ease and only moved when he had to. His facial expression was one of mild amusement. The fight went on until all their feet were on the ground. He crouched down and swept their legs out from underneath them. They fell to the ground, and he stood over them with an amused smile.

"How's the view?" he asked.

"We're looking at your ugly mug," Naruto replied as they stood back up. "So, it's not a great one."

"What are you talking about? The ladies love this mug."

"You keep telling yourself that, F.S.-sensei."

"What does that mean?" Katara asked once she heard that last bit.

"Fucking Sadist–sensei," Sokka answered in way of explanation.

She scowled at her brother. "That's a horrible name."

"It's a well-deserved one. If you trained under him for a month, you'd call him that too."

"I still do not appreciate being attacked that early in the morning," Jiraiya berated them.

"You did it to us, so it's only natural we return the favor," Zuko told him. There had been days during that month when they would get an early morning wakeup call in the form of the Toad Sage attacking them.

"How long were you guys fighting?" Suki asked them all.

They all looked at each other for a moment. "Um…what time is it?" Naruto asked.

"About eight in the morning," Aang told him quietly. Ever since the Air Nomad watched him kill Orochimaru, he didn't really want to be around him. He didn't say it outright, but everyone knew that was what he was doing.

"Then we've been fighting since about sunrise."

"That long?!" asked Suki.

"That's nothing. Some of our fights have gone on for much longer," Sokka told her. The current record was about eight in the morning to about five or six in the afternoon.

"What in the sake of the Spirits for?"

"That entire month we were training, not one of us was able to beat him," Zuko answered. "Whether it was on our own or when we worked as a team, it didn't matter."

"You kids still have a ways to go if you want to beat me," Jiraiya stated cheerfully.

"Thankfully, I happen to know what his one weakness is," Naruto said to all of them.

That got the old shinobi's attention. "And what is that exactly?" he challenged.

The blonde looked up at the sun, measuring the time. "I do believe that the morning swimmers are coming down to the beach right about now and most of them are women…"

Jiraiya was gone quicker than they could blink. "What the…where'd he go?" asked Katara. She looked around but he wasn't in sight.

"He's a Super Pervert, remember?"

"How long were you waiting to use that one?" Zuko asked him with a grin on his face.

"The entire month," he answered with the same grin.

"…After what we've been through, he deserves it," Sokka declared, an even bigger on his face.

"That's the idea. I said they were women. I didn't say how old they were." That got a laugh out of almost everyone there.

Everyone except for Azula, that is. She had just stood there in silence, watching them. Naruto took notice and stopped laughing. Soon, everyone stopped laughing as the two just looked at each other. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could, she turned around and walked away out of the beach house.

"What exactly happened between the two of you?" Toph asked him.

"It's a private matter," he told her curtly before going after Azula.

They watched as he ran out of the beach house. "Anyone want to tell me what that was all about?" Suki asked.

"Hey, we're as much in the dark as you guys are," Sokka told her. "All we know is that the two had a fight."

Azula walked through the forest with angry steps. She felt conflicted about Naruto. She knew that she shouldn't trust him because of his secrets and should feel hurt because of them, but she still couldn't help loving him.

"For Agni's sake, what is wrong with me?!" she asked herself. "He's been keeping secret after secret from me! I shouldn't be able to trust him after all the things he's kept from me. But every time I look at him, I can't help but be love with him." She gave a mental scream. "Why is this happening with me!?"

"Azula," Naruto said from behind, making her spin around. "We need to talk."

"We need to talk?" she repeated. "You should've done that a long time ago!"

"I had my reasons for keeping my secrets, you know that."

"And you couldn't tell me because you were afraid that I'd looked at you differently, is that it?" Her sarcasm dripped from her words.

"You're doing it already."

"This is not me knowing about your little furry problem. This is me being angry at the number of secrets you have!"

"Little furry problem!?" repeated the Kyūbi, sounding very outraged. "Excuse me, I am a BIG furry problem!"

"Would you keep quiet?" his Jinchūriki asked him. "You've never had a problem with my secrets before," he told her.

"No, I had a problem, but I never pushed you about it," she replied.

"So why now?"

"You damn well know why!"

"And you know why I didn't tell you."

"Stop using that excuse!"

"It's not an excuse, it's a reason!"

She gave a yell of frustration and threw a fireball at him. He ducked down, letting it hit a tree. "You are completely frustrating!" she screamed at him.

"Calm down, Azula!" he ordered her.

"No, I will not calm down! I don't what to think of you and that's annoying me!"

"So bending a fireball at me is a better alternative?!"

"Shut up and hold still so I can hit you!" She bent a stream of fire at him, which he dodged by stepping to the side. She kept throwing fireball after fireball at him, but he kept dodging. He stayed low and kept moving forward to her.

When he finally reached her, he tried to grab her hands. However, she remembered how he stopped her the last time that happened. She drew her hands back, crouched down and knocked his legs out from under him. He fell to the ground and rolled out of the way from a fireball. He leapt up and then lunged for her midsection. They crashed to the ground together as he grabbed her. They rolled around the ground a couple of times before getting untangled.

They rolled away from each other and leapt back onto their feet. "How can you do this kind of stuff to me!?" Azula demanded as they faced one another.

"What kind of stuff?" he demanded back.

"I should be mad at you, but I can't! I can't help but love you and it's driving me nuts!" She bent an arc of fire at him. He rolled under it. But she was there as he came back up, punching his face. He blocked it, grabbed the arm, and threw her over his shoulder, in one motion. It was a move she was familiar with, allowing her to land on her feet.

She turned around and drove her fist into his midsection, making him grunt slightly in pain. She tried to hit him again, but he yanked his hand out of hers and blocked it. She threw another punch, but he blocked it as well. They stood there, hands in deadlock, staring at each other.

They weren't quite sure who moved first. But the next thing they knew, they grabbed each other's face and pulled it in for a kiss, a kiss that was hot, passionate, and involved a good game of tongue wrestling. Their hands fumbled around, trying to open the other's shirt so they could feel more skin. He pushed her up against a tree, his hands going to her hips. She grabbed fistfuls of his hair in response, making him wince. He pulled her closer, pressing their hips together. They stayed like that until their bodies demanded air.

They broke the kiss and stood there, gasping for breath. "Well," Naruto said as he rested his forehead against hers. "That's one way to stop a fight."

"Do you want me to attack you again?" she threatened him half-heartedly.

"If it leads to this again, yes please."

"I'm still angry at you."

The grin he had on his face disappeared when he heard those words. "I know," he said as he stepped back from her, letting her step away from the tree. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "You had your reasons. I was being selfish. You had the right to keep that secret. I should've realized that."

"Then why didn't you?"

"I was angry, angry at the fact that you didn't tell me. But I was also ashamed."

"Why would you be ashamed? I kept things from you."

"I was ashamed of that fact I found your secret, but not from you. But I guess I focused more on my anger then my shame. It was easier." She gave a laugh laced with irony. "All of this, is over one little secret."

Naruto grimaced and kept his gaze at Azula. "Some secrets that I have would be so dangerous that if it was leaked to the wrong people, I'd end up dead. Suppose if Yao Jing, or even the Royal Flaming Asshole learned about my 'furry problem?' They'd find ways to turn me into a weapon, just like the shinobi back home, or have me killed off. Heck, that secret alone would have barred me from serving in the military, let alone work as your bodyguard."

Azula winced at the implications of what Naruto said. Knowing the court politics that she was used to, someone finding out Naruto's secrets that were best left hidden would have led to a whole new set of problems. Still, Naruto noticed the worried look on Azula's face. "Will you be alright?" he asked, concern filling his voice.

"I'll be fine, I think."

"You think?"

"I wish…I wish I could talk to my mother right now." She was embarrassed to say that. Never had she wanted to speak to her mother then right now.

He was a little surprised. "Why's that?"

"Even though I was cold to her when I was little, she still loved me and wanted to help me." She wore a small smile. "I remember one night, there was a vicious thunderstorm. I was so scared of the noises and the lights flashing outside my windows. I tried to go to sleep, but I couldn't. I started to cry and somehow, she heard me. She came into my room, walked to my bed and asked if I was alright."

"Did you tell her to go away?"

She shook her head. "No. I leapt for her and hung on to her, asking to make the noises and the lights go away. She held me close and rocked me to sleep." She looked up to the sky, just taking the blue color of it into detail. "If she hadn't left, what do you think I would've turned out like?"

"…I think you're asking the wrong person," he told her truthfully. "The right person would probably be her."

"That may be. But we don't know if she's dead or not and if she is alive, where she is hiding." Silence fell between the two of them. Finally, she stepped away from the tree. "I'm going to head back."

"You go ahead. I need to think something over." He stood in silence as she walked past him. "…Azula, you might want to consider fixing your shirt. I don't know about you, but I really don't feel like fending off an enraged Zuko."

She looked down and saw that her shirt and her vest were still open, exposing her bust for anyone to see. She blushed and began to fix it. "Pervert," she accused.

"If I remember correctly, you did the same thing to me," he replied with a grin. She just huffed in annoyance as she walked away. But if he had tried to look at her again, he would've noticed the smile she wore.

Instead, he stood in silence as she disappeared from his sight. "Hey, Kyūbi, you got a minute?"

The fox was more concerned about something else entirely. "Little furry problem indeed," he muttered to himself. "I am not little in any way shape or form."

"OI, FURBALL!" he mentally bellowed.

"WHAT?"

"I'm trying to talk to you here."

"Then what do you want, kit?"

"I want to run a question by you."

Jiraiya had returned in a depressed mood. The "women" who were at the beach turned out to be prepubescent girls with their younger siblings. When he came back to the house, he chased Sokka and Zuko around for a good twenty minutes. Azula came back at the tail-end of it, so she saw the Toad Sage holding the two by their leg and shaking them. The whole thing looked funny to her, so she laughed. By the time lunch had come around, Naruto had rejoined them.

"There you are!" Jiraiya said as he looked him straight in the eye. "Gaki, you are in a lot of trouble."

"What? Just because you were misinformed, doesn't mean I need to be punished," he replied with a grin.

"Oh yes it does. Now come here!" The Toad Sage made a grab for him.

"No thank you." He stepped away from the old shinobi's grasp and quickly walked into the house.

He found the others sitting around in a nearby room. "Hey, Naruto," Toph greeted him without turning around.

Naruto checked outside the door before closing it. They all heard angry footsteps outside a second later. Sokka knew who it was instantly. "You know he's going to come after you, right?" he asked Naruto.

"Yeah, I know. But I'll just avoid him for now."

"He is going to get you, even if we'd have to hold you down," Zuko stated.

He wore an expression of mock hurt. "Why would you betray me like that?"

"We got caught. It's only fair you do too."

The door burst open and Jiraiya stepped in, eyes locking onto the blonde. "Naruto, I'm going to make you regret you did that."

"Before you do that, there's something I need to do," the blonde replied, becoming completely serious. It showed in his stance and his voice.

He saw that. it was the only reason he stopped. "And what is that?"

He looked over at Azula and Zuko. "You two, come with me," he ordered.

"Why?" Zuko asked, curious as to what he wanted.

"There's something you guys need to see." He looked over at Jiraiya. "This might take some time, so you'll have to wait on punishing me."

"Is it important?" the Toad Sage asked.

"Yes."

He looked the blonde right in the eyes. He matched the look, daring him to trying and stop him. It didn't last long. "Fine," he sighed, "but when you get back, you are going to be in a whole lot of trouble."

The blonde shrugged. "If you want to think that, go ahead."

"Just get going."

"Going, going," he said, looking over at the siblings. "Come on, you two."

"What's going on, Naruto?" Zuko asked him as they quickly made their way through the courtyard. "What are you doing?"

"Something the two of you need." They walked over to Fǎn Yìng, who looked ready for flight. "Before we go," he said, turning to face them, "you guys need to put these on." He pulled out two blindfolds.

"What? Why?" the Scarred Dragon demanded.

"You have to. It's a must."

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Azula asked.

He looked her straight in the eye. "I'm going to show you one of my secrets. But to do that successfully, I need you two to put the blindfolds on. Just trust me on this, okay?" The two siblings looked at each other and then took the blindfolds. They climbed aboard Fǎn Yìng and put the blindfolds over their eyes.

"Thank you." He climbed aboard and took the front. "Let's fly, Fǎn Yìng." The dragon unfurled its wings and took off.

"So how will we have to keep these blindfolds on?" Zuko asked as he and Azula held on.

"Until I say otherwise."

"This had better be a real good secret." The former prince of the Fire Nation was already feeling nervous about this entire thing.

"You'll thank me for it later."

They flew on in silence. For Zuko and Azula, the words "flying blind" took on a whole new meaning. "This is what Toph must feel like when she was on Appa." Zuko thought to himself. It was a strange sensation to fly blind. If this was how Toph felt, he admired her courage even more now.

"This is very, very weird," Azula thought. It felt like she was holding on for dear life and she didn't even know what she was holding on to. "If I fall, I'm going to kill Naruto." The two soon lost track of time as they flew on. All they could feel was the wind flying past their faces and the sound of wings flapping in the air. And yet, despite not being able to see, there was an odd serenity about the whole experience.

Finally, they felt Fǎn Yìng began to descend. Relief flooded the siblings. "Are we there?" Zuko asked as they landed.

"No, we have to walk for a bit," Naruto told him as they climbed off the dragon, the blonde helping the siblings.

"How much is a bit?"

"About ten, fifteen minutes." He grabbed both of their hands.

"What are you doing?!" Zuko demanded.

"You don't want to get lost, do you? Trust me, this feels just as weird for me too."

"If you two are done, can we get moving now?" Azula asked pointedly.

"We're going, Azula, we're going." He turned to the dragon. "Try to stay out of sight." Fǎn Yìng looked at him like he just said the most obvious thing in the world. "Hey, just be thorough." He walked forward, bringing the two along with him.

"Can you tell us where we're going now?" Zuko asked. All he knew was that he was walking down a path. That was it.

"No, you cannot see anything until I tell you otherwise."

"What's with all the secrecy, Naruto?"

"Let me put it to you this way: I'm very close to breaking an oath by doing this."

They walked on in silence. Both Azula and Zuko tried to figure out where they were by using the other senses they had. But they had been too reliant on their sight before now. The other sights were still adjusting, leaving them in the dark. But that just made them try all the harder.

Finally, they came to a stop. "We're here," Naruto told them. They heard him walk up and knock on a door. "It's me," he said aloud.

"Are you alone?" they heard a muffled voice asked from the other side of the door.

"No, I brought two others with me."

"Then leave."

"They have no idea where they are, okay? You're still safe."

"Why are they here?" the voice demanded.

"They need to talk to you. Just look outside and you'll understand." They didn't hear a response from the other voice. After a few moments of silence, they heard the door open. He grabbed their hands again and walked through the door. Once they were in the room, he stopped and let go of their hands. "If you need me, I'll be outside." They heard him walked out of the room and close the door.

For a moment, all they heard was silence. "You don't have to wear those blindfolds now. Take them off."

They went completely still. Now that the voice wasn't muffled anymore, they knew who it belonged to. Slowly, they reached up and untied the blindfolds, taking them off. They opened their eyes and looked at the person sitting at the table in front of them.

Ursa, the wife of Fire Lord Ozai.

And their mother.

"Mo-Mother?" asked Zuko, hope filling his voice. "That's really you?"

She smiled and stood up from her chair. "Yes, Zuko, it's really me," she told him warmly.

He walked over to her and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so glad that you're alive," he said with relief. Tears threatened to fall down his face as he held her.

"And I am glad to see the two of you again." She looked over at her other child. "Will you hug me, Azula?"

"Your hands seem pretty full at the moment," she remarked drily. "This looks like a drink is needed for all of us before we continue."

"There's a pot of tea in the kitchen." Her mother told her as she and Zuko broke the hug.

"I'll go get it." She walked into the kitchen, looking at the house as she did. Despite being well-furnished, the place was sparsely decorated. She decided to keep her opinion to herself as she put the tea pot and three cups onto a tray. She walked back to the table and placed the tray on the table, sitting down as well. Tea was poured and cups were taken.

Zuko drank first. "This is very good," he said as he examined his tea. "Did you make this yourself?"

Ursa's smile was quite amused. "Yes, I did. But when did you become a critic of tea?"

"I spent three years with Uncle on a ship. You tend to learn the different kinds of tea out there quickly."

The smile disappeared when she heard those words. "Yes…you would have, after what happened to you. I am so sorry you had to go through that, Zuko."

"Who told you?"

"Naruto did. He always tried to keep me informed of what the two of you were doing. The last time I heard from him was a couple of months ago, at the end of winter."

"So, he hasn't told you what occurred recently?" he asked her.

"No. Why don't you tell me what has happened?"

And so, he did. He told what happened to him and Iroh during their exile and the return home. He told her about Akawan, Ba Sing Se, and the failed invasion of the Fire Nation capital. He told her about them joining the Avatar's group and busting Naruto out of jail. He decided to omit the part about being kidnapped, being sent to the other side of the world, and getting involved in a plan to kill someone (mainly because he figured Naruto didn't want anyone in the Bending Countries to know about it).

Ursa's expression grew more and more astounded as the story was told. When he was done, she looked at her children like they had grown before her eyes. "The two of you did all of those things in a few months?" she asked.

"Pretty much," Azula answered shortly.

She smiled and chuckled. "It's nice to see that you two have gotten my spunk. It brings back memories."

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked her.

"I was a little troublemaker when I was a child. Granted, I never did anything on the scale of what you two have done, but I like to think I left impressions."

"I can see how you and Naruto would get along," Azula remarked. "How did he find out about you anyway?"

"I'm not quite sure myself how he did it, but he managed to track me down and find my location. After he found me, I made him swear never to tell anyone where I was."

"Another secret he's kept," she muttered to herself.

Ursa heard that. She also saw the look on her daughter's face. "What's wrong, Azula?"

She looked at her. "Can I talk to you…alone?"

She nodded once. "Zuko, can you please go outside with Naruto? Azula and I need to have a private conversation."

"Alright, I'll leave you two alone." He stood up and walked towards the door. "Naruto, I'm coming out," he called out.

"Put the blindfold on before you do," Naruto told him from outside.

"Oh,come on, you've gotta be kidding."

"Do it, Zuko," the blonde ordered. He gave an annoyed sigh and put the blindfold on. He opened the door and walked outside.

Once the door was closed, mother and daughter alone. "What's bothering you, Azula?" Ursa asked her daughter.

She didn't answer. She just looked around the house until her eyes settled on a painting on a nearby wall. "That's you, isn't it? When you were younger?" she asked. She could easily tell that the girl in the picture, standing to a young man, was Ursa.

She followed her gaze until she saw the painting as well. "Yes. That was painted when I was just a few years older than you are now."

"That man standing beside you…that's not Ozai."

"No, it's not."

"Who is it?" she asked.

"A boy from my childhood. His name was Ikem. We were going to get married, but then your grandfather found where I was and had me engaged to your father."

"Ozai is not my father," she replied. "Not anymore." She continued to stare at the painting. "In another life, would he have been my father?"

"Possibly, but that's not what bothering you, is it?"

"No."

"Then what is?" She didn't get an answer. She stood up and walked over to her daughter. "Azula," she said, kneeling down in front of her. "I'm right here. You don't have to hide anymore."

"Do…do you think I was a monster?" she asked quietly. This was the moment of truth for her. To find out what her mother really thought of her after all these years.

Ursa smiled and shook her head. "Not once. You were my daughter and I loved you. I still do."

That was the one thing she needed to hear. She began to tear up and pulled her mother into a tight hug. Ursa didn't resist, she just returned the hug. They stayed there until Azula stopped crying. "Thank you," she said as her tears subsided.

"Are you better now?" her mother asked as she broke the hug.

"A little bit."

"But there is still something bothering you."

"Yes." She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "It's about Naruto."

"Oh? You have boy problems?" Ursa asked a playful smile. "I'm glad to see you have normal troubles."

"I'm being serious here," her daughter protested, not seeing how this was at all funny.

She laughed when she saw the look on Azula's face. "Oh, I know you are."

"Why does he have to keep secrets from me?"

"Well, why do you think he keeps them?"

"To protect others from his past, I guess." It made sense. If she knew those secrets, people would've probably tried to use her to get to him (they would've failed, but it was the thought that counted).

"And do you hate him for it?"

"No," she protested instantly. "I just feel frustrated that I've been with him for three years and yet, it seems like I hardly know him."

"Azula, every person you will ever know will have at least one secret they don't tell others," Ursa told her.

"But how can I trust them if they have a secret."

"It's not a matter of trusting them if they're keeping a secret from you. It is how much you trust them despite the secrets they're keeping from you."

"What? I don't understand."

"Oh?" She smirked. "Would you tell Naruto that until you were eight, you used to wet the bed?"

"No!" That was something not even her dum-dum of a brother knew. And if he knew, he would never let her live down.

"And yet, he still trusts you despite the fact you haven't told him that."

"Well, why would I tell him something like that?" That was not exactly something you tell for the whole world to hear.

"And why would he tell you every single secret he has?" Ursa asked her. "Even if it means that you don't really know him?"

"…It's because he thinks it's for the best. And I would still trust him with my life."

"There you go then."

They heard a knock on the door. "I'm sorry, my lady, but we have to go back now," Naruto said

"I understand." She stood up from where she had knelt.

Azula stood up too. "Are you going to come with us?" she asked, daring to hope.

But her mother shook her head. "I can't, not yet."

"But we'll see you again, right?"

"Do you want to see me again?"

"Of course, I do!" she answered immediately. "Both me and Zuko, we want back you home."

Her mother smiled at those words. "I'm glad to know that. But I can't come back. I have to stay hidden for now."

"You'll be able to come home soon, Mother, I promise you that."

"Thank you, Azula. I'll hold you to that promise." She gave her another hug. "Go on. You and Naruto go mend your relationship. You're still in love with each other, so it won't be too hard."

"What? How did you know?"

She laughed. "Why else would you have boy problems because of him?"

Azula turned around and headed for the door. She put the blindfold back on and opened the door, walking outside. Naruto took the door handle and closed it. "Let's go," he said as he took their hands and started walking.

They made their way back to Fǎn Yìng and climbed aboard. The dragon took off and flew back the way they came. Like the last time, both Zuko and Azula lost track of time. However, they felt a little more used to it.

"Hey, Naruto," Azula said as she held onto him. "Were you aware of the fact that my mother knew about us?"

"I think she knew before either of us did," he replied as he kept his eyes on where they were flying.

"What makes you say that?"

"She once threatened to kill me if I ever let anything harm you and I believed her."

"How is that new?" she asked him. "You get death threats all the time."

"Azula, your mother is one of the few people on this planet that I am utterly terrified of," he told her in complete seriousness. "If she is mad and I'm the reason for it, I will be on my knees, bowing low, begging for mercy and/or forgiveness."

She laughed. "That's funny considering it's coming from you." Sometimes, she would forget how her bodyguard would feel the number of men he had lost and think of him as a person who didn't let anything faze him.

"You might laugh, but I'm still afraid of her." That comment made the other two passengers laugh. The rest of the flight was quiet.

When they finally landed, both brother and sister gave a sigh of relief. "I can understand why Toph was freaked out at first with flying," Azula stated as she took off the blindfold.

"It is definitely terrifying," Zuko agreed as he removed his own blindfold. He looked around. "Where is everyone?" The courtyard was completely empty.

"I don't know. Look, why don't you go look for them? his sister suggested. "Naruto and I need to talk alone."

He looked at both and then nodded. "Alright then, you guys do that." He walked away, leaving the two of them alone.

"…Maybe we should go somewhere a little more private?" Naruto suggested as they stood in silence.

"You want to talk in your room or mine?" she asked back.

"Mine. Come on." They walked in silence through the house until they reached his room. "Alright, what do you want to talk about?" he asked her as he walked into the room.

She closed the door and faced him. "I wanted to apologize."

That wasn't something he expected from her. "What?"

"I'm sorry for being angry at you. It's your decision to tell your secrets, not mine. If you wish to tell me any other secrets, that's up to you. If not, then I will respect your decision."

"…Thank you, Azula," he replied, relief showing in his voice. "So, you're okay with the fact I have a demon with nine tails living inside of me?"

"Well, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact," she admitted.

"Would it help if you were able to talk with him?"

That took her by surprise. "What?"

He sat down against the wall, crossing his legs in a meditative position. "Do you want to meet the Kyūbi?" he asked her.

"Will it do anything to me?"

He chuckled. "No, he won't. You'll be safe, I promise."

"Then I'll meet him."

"Okay then. Sit down in front of me," She did so. He removed his shirt, leaving him topless and Azula struggling not to blush. He placed his hands into a handseal and focused. A strange design, one she hadn't seen before, appeared on his stomach. It consisted of a black swirl and markings around it.

"What exactly is that?" she asked, looking at the seal.

"It's the seal that keeps him inside," he told her. "I need to place your hand on it."

She suddenly felt very, very nervous. "Are…are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I am. It's the only way for you to get to him."

"Okay." She hesitantly placed her hand on it.

"Now close your eyes and breathe in and out. I'll take care of the rest." She did as she was told. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. After a few moments, she suddenly found herself standing in water. "Alright, you can open your eyes now." She heard him tell her.

She opened them and almost took a step back in surprise and shock. She was standing in front of a large gate in a room where the floor was flooded. On the gate was a piece of paper that had the kanji for seal. But it was the thing behind the gate that made her almost stepped back.

What she saw was a very big fox sitting behind the gate. Its fur was an orangish-red, except for around the eyes and the insides of its ears, which was black. Its eyes were red and looked very intimidating. The strange thing was that the upper body did not look like it belonged to a fox or even a canine. It looked like it belonged to a human. It even had opposable thumbs on its front hands.

"Azula, meet Kyūbi," Naruto said as a way of introduction. "Kyūbi, meet Azula."

"You!" roared the Kyūbi when he noticed Azula. "I've got a bone to pick with you, woman! Do I look at all small?! No, I do not! I am quite big, and I am proud of that!"

"You're still harping on about that?" the blonde asked, surprised by the fact. "Kami, give it a rest already, would ya? It's not that big of a deal."

"That's easy for you to say," the fox retorted. "You weren't the one who got picked on because you took the longest to get bigger."

"Why would you be picked on for that?"

"Hey, you try living with eight siblings who are the same as you. You tend to fight over various things."

"No, thank you. Living with one of you is enough for me."

During the entire conversation the two had, Azula just watched them in stunned fascination. Finally, she couldn't help it anymore and began to laugh. Her laughter echoed throughout the entire room and got the attention of both Naruto and the Kyūbi. "The two of you are too much!" she declared as she kept on laughing.

"Uh…what?" asked Naruto.

"Real intelligent, kit," the Kyūbi told him. "Could you sound any dumber?"

"I don't hear you saying anything back."

"That's because I'm smart enough not to, you idiot."

"Please stop, you're going to kill me," Azula told them, still laughing. It was taking all of her willpower to fall to the ground.

"What is so funny, woman?"

"The two of you are what's so funny. I don't know what I was going to think of you together, but it sure wasn't this!"

"Oh wonderful, we're a comedy act now," he remarked with a lot of sarcasm.

"Would you stop talking?" Naruto asked before turning his attention to Azula. "If you weren't expecting this, what were you expecting?"

"I really don't know," She answered as she finally managed to stop laughing. "I guess it would've been something along the lines of him threatening to kill you or take control of your body."

"How stereotypical of you," the fox remarked. "For the record, I don't want to take over his body. I have my own, thank you very much."

"Yes, we know. It's right here in its entire furry splendor," Naruto said with a little sarcasm.

"Nice to know you've notice."

"It's kinda hard not to. You're right there." He looked at Azula. "So, what do you think of him?"

"I like him. I kinda wish I had him in my head."

"Trust me, you don't want that," he quickly assured her.

"Why not?"

"He gets a tad…perverted once in a while."

"…What do you mean?" she asked in a calm and dangerous voice.

"Remember all those times you either fought or trained near me?" She nodded at his question. "Every once in a while, he would try to look at your ass."

"Hey, it's a nice ass," the Kyūbi protested. "It's got great curves and it's both firm and soft all in the right places. Besides, don't try to be on the moral high ground here, Naruto. We both know that you've taken looks at it as well."

"Oh, you did?" Azula asked him with the dangerous tone, pinning him with her gaze. "And did you look at my bust too?"

"Well, we didn't see it a lot, considering you kept wearing clothes over them. But the few times you have shown them, I've managed to get a good look. They're a decent size right now, but there's always room for improvement. Also—"

"Stop talking already!" Naruto interrupted the fox. "You're putting us in a deeper hole."

"No, please, let him continue," Azula said, still using that same tone.

"Look, I'm sorry about that," he tried apologizing. "Like I said, he sometimes gets a tad perverted."

"Hey, being stuck in here while I have to watch you refusing every single female who throws herself at you gets boring after a while. I have to do something to alleviate the boredom."

"Okay, that's it. We're done here." He reached over and touched Azula on the forehead. It sent a jolt through, forcing her to close her eyes.

When she opened them again, she found herself back in Naruto's room, sitting across from him. "Well?" he asked as he opened his eyes. "Do you find it easier to accept him now?"

"Yes, I do. But I'm also interested in the fact that you were looking at my rear," she asked, looking him straight in the eye.

"Well…sometimes, it was kinda hard not to," he admitted sheepishly.

"Is that an excuse?"

"No, it's a simple fact. I really can't help myself."

"Oh?"

"I'm a teenage guy," he told her. "I'm going to notice these kinds of things."

"So that's why, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty much." He fell silent as she stared at him, her eyes roaming up and down his body. "Uh…what are you doing?"

"I'm a teenage girl. I'm going to notice these kinds of things," she repented his words. She leaned forward and placed her hands on either side of his body, effectively trapping him. Their faces were just inches away from each other. "But unlike you, I tend to do something about it."

"Oh? Like what?" he asked with a smirk.

She just leaned in closer. They were about to kiss when someone started banging on the door. "Hey! The two of you have been in there long enough," Jiraiya's voice said from outside "Get out here and join the rest of us for dinner."

"What a way to kill the mood, huh?" the Kyūbi asked his Jinchūriki. He ignored him.

"I want to castrate that old man," Azula growled, glaring at the door.

"I think you may have to get in line, Azula," he told her. "We better get going, if we stay any longer in here, he'll bust the door down."

"You're right, but I still want to castrate him."

He laughed at that. "…So, are we good?" he asked after he was done laughing.

She looked him straight in the eye. "I meant what I said back in Konoha. You're not my bodyguard anymore."

His face fell. "Oh…I see."

"But," she said, getting his attention, "I would like you to be my boyfriend."

"I would too," he told her. She kissed him on the lips, and he returned. It was a brief kiss, but it was enough for now. "Come on. We need to get going."

"You're right." She backed away from him and stood up. She walked to the door but stopped as she reached for the handle. "Hey, Naruto?"

He stopped with his shirt over his head. "Yes? What is it?" The shirt felt down without any problem.

"This is just my opinion, but I think you should tell the others about him. If you don't want to, I won't complain. But I still think you should do it."

He fell silent at those words. "…Why should I?"

"Would you rather have them find out the same way I did? It's just something to think about," she told him as she walked out of the room.

He stood there in silence, contemplating her words. "What do you think, Kyūbi?" He finally spoke, asking the fox.

"It's your choice, kit. I really don't have a say in the matter, do I?"

"It is about you."

"Still doesn't change the fact I don't have a say."

"I guess you're right. It's my choice alone." He walked out of the room and through the house. He found the others sitting in the courtyard, eating dinner out in the open.

He was about to join them when Jiraiya came up to him. "Alright gaki," the Toad Sage said. "You've gotten out of your punishment for most of the day, but now you're mine."

"How long will this take?" he asked.

"Long enough, I will make you pay for fooling me."

"Well, that's a shame. If you take your time with me, you might miss it." The blonde made it sound like what he was vaguely referring to was nothing.

But it got the old shinobi's attention. "Might miss what?"

"Well, now's about the time the young women on the island go skinny dipping."

He snorted in derision. "Ha! You really think I'll buy that?"

"It's true, I swear. That is is something you wouldn't lie about."

"Sorry, not buying it," he said, holding his ground, but Naruto could tell he was weakening.

"That is such a shame," the Fire Paragon said. "You're going to miss all those young, beautiful women swimming naked in the sea. I think there have been a couple of times when things have gotten a little hot and steamy down there…"

It didn't take long for the Super Pervert to crack. "Damn you, gaki!" Jiraiya cried, giving in. "If they're not there, I'm gonna kill you!" He ran out of the house with a big, perverted grin.

"Well, that was easy," he said as he walked over to the others.

"You do realize you're dead when he comes back, right?" Katara asked him.

"No, I'm not."

"How can you make that guy fall for the same old lie?" Toph asked.

"Who said I was lying this time?" he asked back with a smirk.

They all stared at him. "You mean…you mean there are women out swimming…na-naked?" Aang asked, a huge blush on his cheeks.

"Yep, pretty much."

"How do you know this?" Suki demanded.

"An evening walk alone can lead to extraordinary things," he replied cryptically. But they all got his meaning.

"Why would you tell him something like that?" Zuko asked. "I thought we're going to torment him with this kind of thing."

He shrugged with nonchalance. "Sometimes, it doesn't hurt to throw the guy a bone. Besides, it gets him off our backs, doesn't it?"

"He's got a point there," Sokka said. "Besides, if we're lucky, the women will find him and kill him."

Zuko scoffed at that notion. "I doubt it'll go that far, he'll probably come back with a beating."

"Hey, we can dream, right?" His question made everyone laugh.

As Naruto laughed, he looked around at the others. He finally stopped at Azula. "She's right," he thought. "I should tell them."

"Like I said before, kit," the Kyūbi told him. "It's your decision."

"Hey, guys," he said aloud, getting everyone's attention. "I've got something to tell you."

End

Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you have sent me.

Yes, we have finally meet Ursa. If you're wondering about how I did it, let me explain. Ursa's location is pretty much up for grabs at this point but considering the fact that we have two more parts of a comic that deal with her, I decided to play it safe. That is why I had Azula and Zuko wear blindfolds, so that they don't even know where she is.

Also, Ikem is a character from the comic. Since I don't know what happens to him, I kept it short.

If you're going to say that my girl talk didn't really sound girl talk, sue me. I'm the middle of three brothers, so I don't a single clue as to what girl talk even is, no man does. I do know this though: the man who is able to figure and understand girls completely, even deciphering their complex, ever-changing language, will be revered as a god amongst men. However, he will also be wanted dead by women everywhere, because they cannot let a man like that live.

Yes, I've made the Kyūbi slightly perverted. But that is completely different from being very perverted. Being very perverted is having the fox tell his host that he should mate every single beautiful woman out there. Being slightly perverted is having him commenting on how on good an ass looks and other whatnot. I think that Naruto would rather have to deal a slightly perverted fox then a really perverted one. He's already got a super pervert to deal with.

Yes, I'm well aware of the fact I'm skipping the explanation of the Kyūbi being in his stomach. You all know by heart anyway if you've read other Naruto stories. It's the same thing every time. So I just decided to skip it.

I'll see you all next chapter!