Over the last few months the name Nature's Spite had spread like the plague and they had become the new beacon of home. Suddenly seeing the symbol of a mad fox gave the people fighting for their home hope and the one's fighting to conquer despair. Everywhere people traveled the name Nature's Spite followed. So far the only known members of Nature's Spite were Fox, the leader; Phoenix, a male deserter of the fire nation army that used his signature blood red fire; Leviathan, a female master water bender; Hyrax, a male master earth bender; Eruption; a female earthbender that only used lava bending; Raiju another male deserter of the fire nation that used lighting to attack; Eir, a female healer; Ayuna, a female blood bender; Onyx, a female metal bender; Crippler, a male non-bender; and Eagle; an unidentified air bender.
Eruption, Raiju, Ayuna, Onyx, and Eagle had all been accidently added to the group when Naruto had used bending on autopilot and one quick genjutsu later all the people who had witnessed the fight thought that an entirely new person had saved them. He made sure that all of their body types fit their style of fighting and all of them had different voices, looks, and even personalities. To keep it simple Naruto used the corresponding element to make all of the clones that went out into a fight.
Because of the diversity of bending ability and people the group had quickly caught people's attention and that had only grown since the unique benders had joined the group. Everyone wanted to meet what people assumed was the last air bender or the non-bender that could take out a man in a single punch. All of the people in this group had weapons that they used masterfully and with little problems. Fox had a wakizashi, Phoenix had metal claws and a whip that he would set on fire, Leviathan had a glaive that she would sharpen with water, Hyrax used a mace hardened with earth, Eruption used a pair of twin battle axes that she would heat with lava, Raiju used a katana that he would charge with electricity, Ayuna used a scythe that she would use to get her enemy's blood, Onyx had a solid metal bo staff that she could transform if needed, Crippler used all kinds of weapons masterfully, Eagle used a bow and arrow along with fans to increase their air flow, and Eir had a few daggers, kuni, and shuriken hidden all over her person just in case an enemy got to close.
Their weapons had never broken in battle and the fighter's themselves never seemed to tire or lose. Many people suspected that they were nature spirits enraged by the fire nation's deeds and more said that they were gods and goddesses. Every conversation and rumer Naruto heard about this "group" filled him with pride.
It had been one year since he had arrived in this crazy world and he had explained his bag of tricks exponentially. He had learned hundreds of weapons, mastered all of his elements and sub-elements along with all of the special abilities that his friends and family had given him. There was no seal he couldn't create and no person that could hide from his eyes, but it had been a while since he had a good fight. Naruto himself hadn't really been able to go out and fight on the battlefield like his clones had because he needed to train and keep an ear out for information regarding the fire nation. He hadn't heard anything about them in a while and that made him worry. The only reason an entire army would go quiet was if something big was happening. He had his clones search high and low, but they couldn't find a trace of what was about to go down or its impact on the world. It frustrated him and he took it all out on training, but he needed to fight someone.
Ava had caught him using earth bending and had encouraged him to continue practicing. She was a non-bender so she drilled him in physical endurance and he pretended to be tired after every training day before dragging himself to Jeff's shop to help him with the consumers. The shop had become even more popular in the months that had passed since its opening and it was one of the main stops in the tores of Ba Sing Se. The king had put his fist down and really listened to his citizens after realizing he had been controlled for the better part of his life. He walked through the city and talked to the citizens while personally shopping in their stores. He was one of the reasons that Jeff's store had become so popular because the king loved the clothes he'd seen there and ordered some personal clothing for a fine dinner he was going to. He also crouched down and talked to Naruto as he showed him around the store and told him that he was going to be a great businessman one day. When Naruto had responded that he also wanted to join the guard like Ava the king had simply smiled and told him to train and get strong so he could once he became of age. For a week after that Naruto was the most popular kid in the city and everyone talked about how the kid had ruffled his hair and spoke to him one on one. Naruto reveled in the attention and praise. He hadn't gotten any during his real childhood, so he let himself have that childish moment.
All good things had to come to and end at some point and that happened the day the fire nation attacked Ba Sing Se. It was a quiet day and the sun had just started to set when Naruto heard it. A huge boom that came from the outer wall. Runners sprinting to guards ordering them to the outer wall. Ba Sing Se was under attack and that sent the people into a panic. Naruto had been shoved to the ground and almost trampled before a familiar feeling hand grabbed him and pulled him up.
"Ava!" Naruto yelled as she pulled him into an alley.
"Naruto, go home and stay in the house. I'll be back soon." She quickly ordered and Naruto watched her run off in full armor before running deeper into the alley ways until he was completely alone. He quickly transferred into Fox and disappeared from the alleyway and onto the top of the wall.
"What's the situation?" Fox asked the person yelling orders and commands to the troops.
"The Fire lords oldest son, Iroh, is here and his army is charging the wall. Our troops are engaged in battle, but we are heavily outnumbered and are losing ground fast."
Without another words Fox jumped off the wall and into the fray below. He ran through fire nation troop after troop cutting them down with his blade and breaking bones with every hit, but they just kept coming. By the time the sun had completely set, the fire nation was retreating for the night and the earth army had more losses than gains.
Fox made his way over to the commander's tent and listened to the man talk.
"We need to rest tonight and be prepared for the next attack. If we want to have even a hope in winning this battle we need to rest."
"No, we need to push." Fox spoke up, interrupting the commander.
"Who are you and why are you contradicting my orders? My men are injured and exhausted; we won't last the night if we push on." The commander argued as the other men in the tent looked between the two.
"But this battle could be over in a week instead of months. We would lose ten where we could lose hundreds. I thought you wanted to protect your city, not your battlefield. I am Fox, I rescued most of your men from the Dai Li and I won't let that go to waste." Fox stopped leaning against the side of the tent and walked forward through the men surrounding the commander. "This is merely a battle in the war, but it is the battle that will end the war. If Ba Sing Se falls, then so does the earth kingdom, then the north pole, after that there is nothing left to fall. The Fire Nation will have everything and we will be left with nothing. So whether or not we win today decrees if we all die or some, because if this city falls we will all be dead by the time the king is." He turned to face the rest of the men and women scattered about, "Who here is ready to take their future into their own hands, who is ready to face the Fire Nation, who will fight alongside me in the moonlight and end this battle?"
A cheer arose from the gathered warrior and Fox turned to face the commander. "If you command your troops like they have something to lose, you will lose and when you do the only thing you will have left is your broken will." With that Fox walked out of the tent and summoned all the earth benders he could find to start his trap and end this battle on their side.
Days, weeks, and months of fighting passed as more and more people fell to the Fire Nation, but for every loss they took the Fire Nation took three. Fox joined the battles when needed, but for the most part ordered the troops around and made sure they were all working together as they needed to. Finally the day came where the trap had been set. The earth benders had dug tunnels all over the battlefield. Once the Fire Nation set foot on the battlefield a few brave volunteers would go out to meet them and collapse the entire field on top of all of them.
"This is our plan and our one shot at victory. I know the price is steep and the risk is high, but if this city and its people are to live. It needs to be done." Fox spoke as he looked around the room and at all of the troops that were left. Slowly but surely they had let people return home to give the impression of a weakening army so the small number of troops on the battlefield wouldn't be suspicious. "I can get about half of you out before the ground swallows you up, but the other half will have to parish with the Fire Nation troops."
"I'll go and I'll be in the half that doesn't make it." A young man no older than Jeff stated.
One by one people started to volunteer their lives and the plan would only need one more person to engage the Fire Nation while the benders took out the supports in the tunnels.
"I'll go. I don't care if I'm saved or not." A feminine voice spoke up from the back as the woman stood up. Fox looked over to her, but Naruto recognized her. "Ava, don't you have a kid that needs you?"
"He doesn't need me. He's going to be so strong one day and lead us all to peace, I know it. How could I go home and face him when I was too scared to die in the name of peace and his protection. If I don't go in there and fight so he can have a life after all of this is done, what kind of person would I be?" Everyone was silent after that and Naruto stared straight into her eyes. He could see the love and determination in her soul and knew he couldn't sway her if he tried.
"Very well. You will be in the last sector, which means there is no way for me to get to you. You will die."
"If that is what it takes for him to have his life that will save so many, then so be it. In fact if he was here right now I would tell him that I am so proud of how he has grown in the short year that he has lived with me. I am proud of how strong he is and how bright his heart shines." She paused and looked Fox right in the eyes, "It's going to be okay and I just know you will save the world I have sacrificed everything to protect."
Fox smiled to himself as he read between the lines. She knew who he was and this was her saying goodbye. "I feel that he would be proud and tell you thank you." He gave her one of Kakashi's famous eye smiles and she gave him a smile in return. "Now then we have thirty minutes to be in formation before the Fire Nation army arrives and we need to get out there and into position." With that everyone ran out of the tent to get into place on the battlefield or head back towards the city. As Fox walked out he saw many people saying goodbye to the ones on the far end of the battle and the ones that would parish on this day. Fox stopped and looked to the sunrise as it came over the hill that led to the city. The sky was already red with blood.
All too soon the army came charging over the hill and seeing so few earth troops charged in without a second thought. Troops upon troops of the Fire Nation screamed down the hill yelling out a battle cry. The earth army returned the yell with just as much determination in their voice. Closer and closer the armies got. Seconds become minutes and minutes hours as the two armies came closer to meeting.
"Now!" screamed Fox as he released his camouflage and seemed to teleport onto the battlefield. He grabbed the closest people in the earth army and dumped them a safe distance away as the earth started to cave into itself taking every person on the battlefield with it. In the last moments before gravity hit the people you almost couldn't tell who was on which side. Both sides had fear and determination in their eyes as they realized what was about to happen before gravity took over once again and they started to fall. Fox sprinted off once again and was able to catch three more people before having to leave the rest to fall. He looked up just in time to see Ava give him one last smile before the ground was sealed up once more by the earth benders he had saved and both armies were lost to the earth forever.
"Quickly back to camp, we need to be prepared for any counter attack they might try and pull." With that the last of the army ran off to recuperate and the legend of the ten foxes was solidified in Earth Kingdom history. The next couple of hours passed slowly as the army waited for another attack before they sent a scout off to tell them what was happening. Only for the scout to return with the news that the Fire Nation army was no more. Fox and the other commanders and generals took off over the hill only to see that the camp had been abandoned and the battle had been won.
A celebration and a week of mourning took place after the troops returned home or loved ones were informed of their child or lovers passing. Friends told stories of ones lost late into the night and the four that were caught in the final stand were the most celebrated of all. Fox made it his duty to deliver the news of those people's passing to the families himself. He told them that they had gone into battle knowing they would die and to be so proud of them, because if even one of them hadn't committed the plan would have fallen apart. Finally there was only one metall to give out and that was Ava's. Fox took an alleyway to get to Jeff's shop and many people followed him. Some shore they saw his form flicker for a second in the shadows, but dismissed it as imagination. Fox walked up to the store door and polity left himself in only to see blond hair coming around the counter.
"One second and I'll be right there!" The real Naruto yelled as he came around the corner of the back wall only to pause at who was standing in the doorway. A group of people had formed outside the windows of the shop and all of the people in the store had stopped what they were doing to see what was happening. Naruto slowly walked forward as he stared at the metal in Fox's hands. "She's not coming back is she?" He questioned sadly.
Fox took a deep breath before speaking, "Naruto Uzumaki, as the last of kin to Ava Bing you are the bearer of her metal. She wished to tell you to get strong and always fight for what you believed in. I could tell she loved you very much and I am sorry for your loss." With that fox gave Naruto the metal as Jeff also came out from the back to witness the exchange.
Naruto stared at the metal in his hand before allowing himself to be a six year old boy and sob. He cried and screamed and fell to his knees while holding the mental close. Ava had been one of the kindest people he had ever met and being around her felt like being around Tsunade. He already missed her warmth and the silly song she would sing while cooking. Naruto cried for what seemed to be hours before a soft hand pulled him to his feet.
"If you stayed on the ground much longer your pants would have been ruined." An old lady spoke softly as she pulled him in for a hug. He tensed before relaxing and letting her hug him. "You are such a brave and strong boy. I know you will do great things." She let him go and walked out of the store while pushing everyone who wasn't shopping out of the store to give him some room. Jeff's store closed for the rest of the day after the last lingering customers bought what they had in hand and left. Naruto looked around the closed store and locked it up before heading back to the house he shared with Ava only to see the king standing outside the door.
"Hello again Naruto, may I come inside?" He asked as Naruto walked up to him.
"Of course your majesty." Naruto croaked as his voice was forced to work after all the screaming it had gone through, but he couldn't find it in himself to regret the crying fit he had put himself through. It allied him to grieve Ava, but it had also allied him to grieve all of the friends he had lost by being brought to the new world and the life he was forced to leave behind.
"I want to say sorry for your loss and check up on what you are doing." The king started as he sat down on the chair by the window and Naruto sat across from him.
"Thank you and I'm doing as well as can be expected, but why are you truly here your majesty?" Naruto asked tiredly as he looked at the king.
"Nothing gets past you does it?: The king paused before continuing. "I'll cut to the chase. I believe you are Fox, don't try to deny it." The king added as Naruto opened his mouth to argue. "I also know that Nature's Spite happens to be only one person pretending to be many different people."
Naruto sighed, "So you got me, what do you want?"
The king smiled, "One was for you to admit it. I didn't know completely until just now." Naruto slammed his head into the table. Of course he let the secret out by accident. "Are you the Avatar?"
"I am not the Avatar." Naruto told him truthfully and explained his story to the king as he listened intently to the young boy that was sitting in front of him.
"Then I only have one thing to ask of you. Would you go and spy in the Fire Nation army? With the skills you have and your ability to fire bend, you would easily be able to rise up the ranks far higher than any other spy ever could. That and you are still a kid, you could go to the fire academy in a year and no one would even question where you came from." The king got onto the ground and pleaded with Naruto. "Please, I'm begging you for the life of my people and those that will come after us."
"There's no need to beg. I'll do it, but I would like to take the year I would need to wait in the fire nation to travel and see more of the earth kingdom. I hear that there are some pretty good fighting rinks scattered about and I would like to challenge a real person for once." Naruto gave the king a small smile as he got up off the ground and dusted off his clothes.
"That is fine. All I ask is that you be careful and let me know when you are starting your mission." Naruto nodded and agreed and the king left after thanking Naruto once again. Once the king was gone Naruto looked around the house. The house felt cold, empty. It was as if Ava's ghost still lived in the house and it was going to drive Naruto crazy. If this was how Sasuke and Tsunade had felt Naruto couldn't blame them for leaving Kohana and vowing never to come back. It was as if death had made its way into the house and it wasn't planning on leaving any time soon. Naruto grabbed everything he needed from his room and was about to head out the door before seeing the painting that Ava and him had gotten done a few months after he had moved in with her. He stared at it a long time, memorizing her face before grabbing it and sealing it in the seal that was above his heart.
"Are you sure, Kit?" The voice of Kurama rang in his head.
"Yeah, I have to do this. I need to help this world, then I can finally stop fighting."
"Just let us know if you need anything." Matatabi purred and comforted Naruto as the mother figure she was.
By the next day it had spread that Naruto had left the city and while it saddened the people they understood and wished him well and their minds and prayed for him at night. The king looked over his city sadly as the sun set on the day after Naruto left. His wife walked into the room and hugged him from behind her belly big with the child. He turned and smiled to his wife and hugged her close before setting his hand on their child. He closed his eyes and sent out a silent prayer to any god that would listen for their child to have the heart and will of the child that he had just doomed to be hated.