(And here I am again. I hope you're all eager to see Avatar Naruto finally ready to go for the next step of being the Avatar.)
Naruto stood on opposite ends of Avatar Korra looking completely dumbfounded. Korra stood there expecting a reaction, but got nothing.
"Are you so surprised, you can't even think of a single word to say?" Korra teased.
"No. It's just... I've waited so many years to finally make contact with you. I thought I would have so many questions to ask you. And now that you're here right in front of me, I can't seem to think of a single thing to ask."
"I see." Korra replied.
"But I will say this. You're beautiful, Korra." Naruto blushed.
Korra was taken aback by his words, and blushed, "Well, aren't you sweet," she shook off the blush and spoke, "Now then, if you were able to make contact with me it must mean you're in a jam."
"You don't know the half of it," Naruto began, "I'm finding against the tailed beast, Shukaku. He's completely out of control and has me in his sand crushing move. I don't know how I can fight something like that even with Kurama's chakra."
Korra smiled, "Let me tell you a little story, Naruto. During my Avatar training I discovered the existence of spirits. Some were good and some were dark. The reason why spirits were dark is because they were corrupted by negative feelings of those around them or when their territory is threatened. But I learned the ability to purify the dark spirits turning them back to normal."
"And how can that help me?"
"Shukaku may be a tailed beast just like Kurama and the others, but they are also spirit too. And just like any spirit they can be purified."
"Can I do that?" Naruto asked.
Korra nodded, "Yes. You can."
"But will it be enough? I mean despite my years of training, I feel like there's more I'm supposed to know." Naruto panicked.
Korra approached Naruto and put her hands on his shoulders to calm him. Naruto looked at her as the former Avatar spoke, "I know you can do it, Naruto. Because I believe in you."
"You do?"
"I do. And now you must also believe in yourself. Look deep inside and you will find the strength to overcome any obstacle."
"I-I'll try, Korra. I'll fight hard and if I go down, I'll go down trying." Naruto promised.
Korra smiled, "I can see the future of the world is in good hands," she leaned down and kissed Naruto's forehead, making him gasp, "Until next time we meet, Avatar Naruto." she dispersed into little balls of light that entered Naruto. He closed his eyes and opened them to reveal they were glowing white.
Back on the outer plane, Shukaku was ready to finish Naruto, "Now die!" before he could crush him, the ball of sand dispersed revealing Naruto with his eyes and whisker marks glowing, "What?!"
Kankuro and Temari were in shock, as Sasuke who woke up saw what was happening, "He broke through Gaara's sand coffin." Temari gasped.
"But how?" Kankuro asked.
Naruto used airbending to propel himself up into the air before nipping some blood and forming hand signs, and thought, 'Time to break in my second jutsu training with Ero-sennin, "Summoning Jutsu!" he held his palm down in mid air.
In a large poof of smoke stood a giant red toad wearing a blue robe, a dagger on his side, and a pipe in his mouth.
Naruto still in the Avatar State landed on top of the toads head before speaking, "Chief Gamabunta!"
The toad identified as Gamabunta spoke up, "Naruto? What's going on here?"
"I have summoned you because there is an opponent that I cannot face without your assistance." Naruto answered.
Bunta looked ahead and saw his opponent, "Shukaku the sand spirit?"
"Yes. I know you said to seal our deal is to share a drink, but I promise you this. When I come of age we'll drink as much sake until we can't drink no more."
Bunta pondered, before answering, "You got yourself a deal, kid. Just tell me whatcha need."
"I'll need you to hold Shukaku as still as possible. I know of a method to stop him."
"If you say so, kid." Bunta drew his dagger, and started hopping at Shukaku while striking with his weapon.
"Nice try, warty, but I'm not going down that easily!" Shukaku called, as he started firing blasts of air.
Bunta dodged and blasted shots of water at the sand demon. Naruto was concentrating on the water from the nearby lake and started waterbending it. It started encircling Shukaku, as the Avatar was adding energy to the water.
"What's he doing?" Kankuro asked.
"I don't know." Temari answered.
"Naruto." Sasuke gasped.
Shukaku managed to throw Bunta off his focus, thus breaking Naruto's concentration, "Bunta, can't you keep him still?"
"Sorry, kid, but being an amphibian I'm not exactly as flexible as most creatures. There's only so much I can do."
"Then let us help you!" came a voice as Matatabi and Gyuki appeared, taking the others by surprise.
"Matatabi! Gyuki!" Naruto called.
"You two?!" Shukaku gasped in confusion.
"Forgive us, Shukaku." Gyuki called, as he used his tentacles to wrap around Shukaku to hold him still, while Matatabi bit into his right arm to further immobilize him.
"Let go of me!" Shukaku ordered.
"Naruto, now!" Gyuki called.
Naruto nodded, as he waterbended the water circling Shukaku, and spoke in a mix of his and Raava's voices, "Shukaku, you have been corrupted by so much hate and suffering over the years!"
Shukaku hearing that spoke, "What? Is that you, Raava?"
Naruto didn't answer, but continued, "Now be purified of your darkness!" he continued to perform spiritbending upon Shukaku who was struggling less and less.
"It's working!" Bunta gasped.
Suddenly Shukaku started lying down and curled up as if he was sleeping, before he dissolved into sand and fell apart.
Naruto smiled, and spoke, "Thanks, Bunta. And thank you, Matatabi and Gyuki."
"No problem." Matatabi answered, as the two became Bee and Yugito again.
"Well, time for me to go, Naruto. Looking forward to that sake." Bunta disappeared, as Naruto airbended downward and landed on the ground.
He approached and saw Gaara lying on the ground unconscious, before waking up, "What? What happened?"
"You and Shukaku have been purified." Naruto answered, as he approached.
Gaara seeing him approach began to get scared, "What-what're you going to do?! Please, stay away!"
Naruto stopped before him, "I understand what you went through, Gaara."
"What?"
"Beaten, abused, scorned upon. So much that you wish you could just die? Yeah I have been there."
"So have we." came Yugito, as she and Bee approached.
Naruto continued, "But I found friends who pulled me out of that darkness. They showed me that I had potential to be so much more than a Jinchuriki. And here I am, the Avatar. The newest hope for the world. I promised my masters I would find a way to bring peace to the world, and I plan to uphold it. Gaara, we know you had a bad life, but it's never too late to change it for the better."
"It isn't?" Gaara asked.
"Never." Bee assured him.
Naruto offered his hand, "You can be a better person for yourself and those around you. To start off I would like to be your friend?"
Gaara was curious before taking Naruto's hand and was pulled up to his feet, "A friend?"
Naruto nodded, as Bee spoke,"Why stop and one friend, when you could have three till the very end?"
Yugito spoke, "What Bee is saying is we would also love to be your friends, Gaara."
"You do?"
The two Kumo shinobi nodded, as Bee spoke, "Jinchuriki have to stick together, fool."
For the first time, Gaara smiled seeing he found happiness in the form of three shinobi who was just like him.
Naruto knew what had to come next, as did Yugito and Bee. The three stood before him with their clenched fists out, "Meet our fists." Naruto said.
Gaara followed their lead and fist bumped them. Suddenly the four were on the other plane with their tailed beasts behind them.
Shukaku looked around seeing his brethren, "Kurama, you too?"
"That's right, Shukaku. How do you feel now?"
"I feel great. Better than I've felt in years, but how is this possible?"
"It was a team effort between all of us." came Raava, as she descended down.
"Raava, it is you." Shukaku gasped.
"Hello again, Shukaku. Nice to see you have a clear mind again."
"Who is that?" Gaara asked.
"This is Raava, the spirit of Light." Naruto introduced.
"Greetings, Gaara, I'm glad to see both you and Shukaku have cleared minds now."
"I owe it all to my new friends." Gaara smiled.
Raava looked at Shukaku, "Shukaku, remember what Hagormo said that one day someone will reunite you all and bring peace to the world. Well, that someone is Naruto, and you can play a part in it like the others here by offering him a bit of your chakra."
"You really believe Naruto is the one?"
"We all do." Matatbi answered.
"We've already shared with him a bit of your own chakra," Gyuki added, "With yours added he will be a step closer to fulfilling the old man's prophecy."
Shukaku looked down at Naruto who looked up at him with detemrination and seriousness, "Very well. I shall share my chakra with you, boy."
"Thank you, Shukaku."
Shukaku held out his claw, as Naruto fist bumped with it, and felt some of the sand spirit's chakra merge with him.
Suddenly the group was back on the physical plane, and smiled at each other seeing their forged bond has added another to it.
Kankuro and Temari arrived along with Sasuke, "Garaa?" Temari gasped.
Gaara spoke, "Temari, Kankuro. I'm glad to see you both are ok."
His two sibs looked confused, as Kankuro spoke, "You what?"
"Thank to Naruto and the others I finally see I was wrong about everything. There is more to life than loving oneself and killing just for the sake of it. I am sorry for how I treated you both."
The two siblings were once again in shock, until Temari spoke, "You really mean it?" Gaara nodded.
"What happened?" Kankuro asked.
Sasuke spoke, "Naruto happened."
Naruto felt something wrong and spoke, "We better get back to the stadium." He whipped out his glider and flew off, while the others trailed behind on ground.
Naruto saw from above how the stadium was still under attack, and a purple rectangular dome covering a roof of the stadium. He noticed four shinobi on each corner who seemed to be projecting the barrier "Could be trouble." he summoned four clones who landed by each of them.
"Surprise!" the clones called, as they airbended the four shinobi throwing them off focus.
Because of this the barrier disappeared, and Naruto landed on the roof seeing Hiruzen in his battle garb.
"Jiji!"
"Naruto!"
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, but we got a problem here." Hiruzen said, as he motioned ahead.
Naruto saw Orochimaru and two other shinobi standing before him as if protecting him. Naruto squinted at the two and recognized them form the Hokage mountain.
"Jiji, aren;t those two?"
"Yes. Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage and Senju Tobirama, the second Hokage. The two shinobi who founded our village."
"Whoa." Naruto gasped, as he stared at them, "How did this happen?"
"Orochimaru used the forbidden reanimation jutsu to bring them back to life." The third explained. Naruto frowned at Orochimaru using such a jutsu.
Hashirama spoke, "Now who is this?"
"He's so young." Tobirama said.
"My name's Naruto Uzumaki."
Hashirama raised a brow, "An Uzumaki, huh?"
"That's right, but Naruto is also the newly reincarnated Avatar." Hiruzen explained.
"The Avatar?" Tobirama gasped.
Hashirama gasped, "Finally! A chance to see the Avatar!" he cheered like an excited fanboy.
Naruto raised a brow at the First Hokage's behavior, 'Is this really the God of shinobi?'
Tobirama turned to his brother, "Brother, this is no time for you to get all excited."
"Forgive me, but a chance to see the Avatar in person. I never thought I'd ever have the opportunity."
Tobirama spoke, "If the Avatar continues to exist today, that means there is still need for it."
"Whenever you live there will always be war," Hashirama began, "And where there is war there is corruption. And where there's corruption there will always be a need for the Avatar."
Naruto was slightly impressed by Hashirama's words of wisdom, before Orochimaru spoke, "Enough of this sentimentality. I order you two to destroy the Avatar!"
Hiruzen spoke, "Naruto, let's attack together."
"No," Naruto answered, much to the old man's confusion, "I'll handle this myself."
"Naruto?"
Naruto powered up in the Avatar state and spoke, "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."
Hiruzen gasped seeing the famed Avatar state, 'Naruto, you mastered it.'
Appearing on scene were the other three Kage, "Hokage-dono, what happened to the barrier?" Ei asked, until they saw Naruto before them.
"What's he doing here?" Oonoki asked.
"The Avatar has come to the rescue." Hiruzen answered with a smile.
"Then if we attack together we can end this." Ei suggested.
"No," Naruto spoke, "I will handle this myself."
"What?" Ei asked in outrage.
"Boy, have you gone senile at a young age? You don't stand a chance against the first two Hokage." Oonoki chided him.
Naruto looked back showing him his glowing eyes, "I'm not gonna fight them. I'm gonna save him."
The other Kage were amazed, as Mei asked, "The Avatar State?" Hiruzen nodded.
Naruto spoke, "Mizukage-sama, I assume you can use water jutsu?"
"Of course, why?"
"Because I'm gonna need a lot of water. Can you help me?" he inquired.
Mei smiled, "I'd be delighted." she formed hand signs and unleashed a blast of water from her mouth.
Naruto bended the water and moved it around the two resurrected Hokage, before energybending it.
Orochimaru was confused, "What're you doing?"
"Releasing their spirits form their restraints." Naruto answered, as he continued to energybend.
The two Hokage started to glow, as Tobirama spoke, "Arigato, Naruto Uzumaki."
"May you prove to be just a successful shionbi of Konoha and successful Avatar to the world." Hashirama concluded, as two spirits were pulled from the bodies that crumbled to dust.
Everyone watched the two spirits fly away, as Naruto spoke, "Go at peace, spirits."
Orochimaru growled, "You impudent brat! You stood in my way again!" he used his striking shadow snakes at Naruto use used airbending to cut them. He continued to use airbending to knock Orochimaru off the roof and to the ground, which Naruto and the four Kage followed.
Orochimaru who got up suddenly found his arms and legs restrained by the earth that was bended by Naruto. He watched as the boy approached him, "When I get out of here you're going to die!"
"I am not moved by idle threats." he raised his hand to him.
"What're you doing?"
"I'm taking away your jutsu, so you'll never achieve your ambition." he put his hand to the rogue shinobi's forehead. The Kage watched as Orochimaru's body glowed as something was being assimilated out of him and into Naruto.
When the procedure was done, Orochimaru roared, "You fool! Give me back my jutsu!"
Naruto spoke, "That was part one of your punishment, now you will be brought to an end." Suddenly he was cut off as the four shinobi his clones were left to fight arrived and caused him and the Kage to back away.
"Lord Orochimaru." one shinobi with multiple arms said.
"We need to fall back now!" Orochimaru cried.
A big guy broke the earth restraints and they made a break for it, "No ya don't!" Naruto tried to go after them, only for the one with all the arms to unleash a giant web to catch him, so they could escape.
The Raikage used his lightning chakra and bare strength to rip the webbing apart freeing him.
"Thanks, Raikage-dono."
"Don't mention it, kid." Ei answered.
Hiruzen approached, "Are you ok, Naruto?"
"I'm fine. What about all of you?"
"Never better," Oonoki said, before his back cracked, "Ooh, my back!"
"Will you be all right?" Naruto asked in concern.
"Don't worry, just need to shake it off." Oonoki groaned.
Soon enough all the Suna shinobi and Oto shinobi fled, allowing everyone a chance to rest. Arriving by Naruto and the Kage was the bending team, Mitsuki, Naomi, and Ming.
"Naruto!" Jinora called.
"You're all right." Bolin said.
"I sure am, and to top it off I went into the Avatar State."
"The Avatar State?" Mako asked in surprise.
"Uh-huh. And I saw her too."
"Her?" Asami gasped.
"You saw Korra?" Kai asked.
Naruto nodded, "She's one special person."
"Naruto!" Ming called, as the three surrounded him, "Thank the spirits you're all right."
"Are you hurt?" Mitsuki asked.
"Not at all." Naruto answered, until a roar was heard. Soreth came down and landed on top of him, "But that hurt." he groaned, before Soreth began licking his face happily, "Soreth, stop it!" he begged while laughing. The others laughed seeing such a sight.
The moment of peace however didn't last forever. After the Oto and Suna shinobi fled, all the bodies of the shinobi who lost their lives were recovered from the fight and were promised a memorial ceremony.
The next day all of the village was gathered on the administration building roof to honor the shinobi who lost their lives in the brutal invasion. Joining the village was Team Avatar who who just as saddened by the loss knowing full well what it's like to lose people close to you be they family or friends.
Everyone placed a single white rose on the memorial table, as Naruto thought, 'I'll bet the Avatars had to witness stuff like this throughout their lives too,' he looked up, 'I promise on all of the past Avatars I will see to it the world is reminded of peace just as you've all kept it.' suddenly the sun shined down and cleared up the cloudy sky.
Afterward, Naruto was standing on top of a roof, until he saw his team, Hinata, Neji, Ino, Ming, Mitsuki, Naomi, and Team Avatar appear.
"Hey, guys."
"Naruto, Neji has something to say." Hinata said.
"Neji?" Naruto asked, as the Hyuga prodigy spoke.
"I've come to apologize to you, Naruto. What I said to you was wrong and hateful. I had no place to judge anyone. Not Hinata not you."
"I see." Naruto replied.
"From this day forward I will not live by the hands of fate or destiny. I will forge my own path. The path my father truly intended for me to follow." Neji smiled.
Naruto smiled back, "Good to hear it." the two shook on it.
Everyone smiled knowing with more friendships formed and teamwork forged would lead into a new era of peace. As long as they all did their own part to make it happen.
(And there's the chapter. Naruto had helped end the invasion, but more awaits the young Avatar. Orochimaru may have lost his jutsu but it won't be lost forever. Don's miss next time, guys.)