The New Avatar:
Book 1: Water:
Chapter 4: The New Avatar:
x-x-x-x-x-x- TNA -x-x-x-x-x-x
The golden haze of dusk would normally have been a relaxing and beautiful sight. To Naruto it felt eerie and alien. The white snow reflected the skies like a blank canvas.
Suno crested the last hill, bursting over the icy tundra and revealing Wolf Cove. Naruto's stomach dropped as he saw flames consuming the tents.
He'd been too late.
His gaze shot out across the water, spotting a small ship cutting through the water like a dull gray dagger. The same one that had chased him, a rather outdated model. They'd already been and gone from the village. He tried to fight off the pit in his stomach as he thought of his new friends.
Helplessness hung around his neck like a noose. This was because of him, and he hadn't been able to stop it.
"Stay low Suno, blend in with the snow!" He ordered his bison.
The bison let out a groan, following the order. They landed silently inside the boundary wall. Over the whistling wind, he could hear the muffled sobs of children, and smelt the acrid smoke of the leather tents being consumed.
Naruto seized his staff and threw himself over the edge and raced towards the dwellings. He saw children crying as their homes burnt, and their mother desperately tried to extinguish the flames.
Eager to relieve that helpless feeling in his gut, Naruto raced to the center of the village and spun his staff. A fierce vortex of air seized the flames, drawing them into a spiral that he directed into the air to dissipate harmlessly.
The air fought him, rebelling against his will. Precise control like this required all of his concentration.
A few of the children gasped in awe, but he paid them no mind. Naruto looked around frantically for a particular pair of faces. Where was Katara? Even having known her a day, he'd gleaned enough to know she would be helping the others fight the fires. Yet she was nowhere to be found.
Finally, he spotted Kanna, her hair disarrayed and soot staining her face.
"Where's Katara?" He asked.
That was the most important question. There was no need to ask what had happened. He'd already surmised the firebenders were after him.
His question hung in the air. The old woman opened her mouth to answer, but she never got the chance. Naruto heard an angry shout, before suddenly finding himself faced with an angry man with his face painted that poked him in the chest sharply.
"She was taken, and it's your fault, he was looking for you!"
Only at the sound of his voice did his mind register that it was Sokka under that half-ruined face paint. The boy looked a little roughed up, but otherwise fine. Tall for his age, the water tribe man was still half a head shorter than Naruto's six and a quarter foot frame. Sokka looked like he'd want to get in Naruto's face if it weren't for the need to crane his neck.
"She was taken?" Naruto seized Sokka by the shoulders, trying to calm him down. "Who took her?"
The water tribe boy slapped Naruto's hands away. "None of your business. You're an outsider. And a liar! You said you were a waterbender, but you're an airbender. That's why he was looking for you, isn't it?"
"It's … a bit more complicated." Naruto said.
"Yeah right." Sokka scoffed, poking Naruto in the chest again. "I should have known not to trust you. That's what I get for listening to Katara when she said you were fine. Girls are too nice to deal with security, I should have made you leave last night."
Naruto remained silent. He didn't know how to respond, and the horrible pit in his stomach didn't help. In the end Sokka had a point, slightly sexist and simple as it was. If he'd never come here Katara would be safe at home.
"Sokka, that's quite enough!"
Kanna had watched her grandson berate him, and apparently she'd felt the need to intervene. She gave Sokka a stern look that made him wilt into a teenager.
"But Gran Gran–"
She cut off his whiny reply. "But Gran Gran nothing. Yes, Naruto is the reason they came here. But you're missing the bigger picture. He's no mere Airbender." Kanna turned her gaze to him. Under those wrinkled brows lay a pair of dark eyes that pierced through him, seeing him for what he was.
His stomach sank. That's right, she'd already seen him waterbend.
"What're you talking about?" Sokka asked, puzzled.
"I witnessed this boy Waterbend last night. And just now, he used air to put out the fires. There is only one explanation. Isn't that right, Avatar Naruto?"
A collective gasp rippled through the village. In any other situation, the look of disbelief and sheer discombobulation from Sokka would be amusing. As it was, Naruto was too nervous to be exposed. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"… It's true."
Kanna nodded. "I thought so. Though it's most curious for you to be my grandchildren's age. The world thought the Airbenders had died, and the Avatar cycle had ended. It has been a long time for the Avatar to finally reincarnate."
He winced. Kanna didn't frame it that way, but he heard the traces of a question he'd heard others ask over the years. Was the Avatar a coward, someone who fled from his duty? Ever since he'd discovered he was the Avatar he trained to master his Airbending. He thought he had more time, until recently.
"All that is a bit … complicated. To make a long story short, I'm the first Airbender that was born after the genocide." He said hesitantly. Naruto looked sadly at the destruction around him. "Saying sorry won't help, but I'll try to make up for bringing this fight to your doorstep. I'm going to save Katara."
Quiet murmurs rippled through the villagers, like a whispering breeze. Sokka scuffed his foot in the snow.
"I'm sorry too. It's just … I hate how helpless I felt. That firebender took my sister, and she put up a better fight than me. I'm a warrior, it's supposed to be me that protects the village."
Naruto placed a hesitant hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll save Katara."
Something shifted in Sokka. Determination danced like flames in his eyes.
"I want to go with you, she's my sister, I need to help save her!"
He was hesitant to take Sokka along. This would be a challenging endeavor, and though he liked the boy, Sokka wasn't exactly the most capable. Yet he couldn't help but remember something his master had told him.
"As the Avatar, you must know when to help people. Sometimes keeping them safe is not enough. At times saving them might mean allowing them to put themselves in danger."
Naruto nodded, silently accepting Sokka's demands.
"Come Sokka, we need to pack your things, as well as Katara's." Kanna said.
"What d'ya mean Gran Gran?"
The elderly woman gave her grandson a stern look. "Whether you are successful or not, Katara and you should not return here. You must go with Naruto on his journey."
"Gran Gran, no! I belong here, protecting the village." Sokka shook his head in denial, he didn't want to believe his grandmother's words. Naruto could sympathize with him. He'd felt the same when he had to leave home for the first time.
"Sokka!" Kanna was unyielding, like the ice they made their homes on. "Naruto is the Avatar. The best thing you can do to protect our village is ensure he completes his journey to master the elements safely." Her voice softened, cupping her grandson's cheek with a fuzzy mitten made of arctic seal fur. "Besides, they know your sister is a waterbender now. She can't return here, for her safety and the villages."
The water tribe boy looked crestfallen, but he nodded in acceptance, finally allowing himself to be led away by his grandmother.
As the pair left, Naruto felt a pit of guilt in his stomach. He didn't like it. Normally he liked to go with the flow, he wasn't one to take himself overly serious. He looked around at the villagers, staring forlornly at their ruined homes. His gaze drifted to the few igloos that still stood. Back in the day a waterbender could have raised an entire neighborhood of ice buildings with ease. He wanted to make it right. If only he knew Waterbending. But then, wasn't that the power of being the Avatar? He was never quite alone.
An idea began to form in his head. Crazy and hair-brained, sure, but he was fairly sure he could pull it off. He might not have the control or experience to wield his vast power so precisely, but his past lives might.
"Hey, everybody, listen up! Let's collect all your valuables, and set the ruined tents to the side. Let's make a game of it, the first to finish wins!"
The children were easily swept up by his excitement. Their adult counterparts, on the other hand, weren't so easily swayed.
One mother shot him a particularly skeptical look. "Why should we toss aside those tents, they can easily be repaired. You don't throw anything useful away out here boy."
He took the critique on the chin. "I never said they'd be thrown away. Just need them cleared out. Besides, don't want anything broken when I do my thing."
The skeptical mother raised an eyebrow.
"And just what is 'your thing'?"
Naruto crossed his arms and shot her a smirk. "You'll find out, just give me some peace and quiet to concentrate, ya know!"
He sat down in the snow cross-legged, letting the sounds of the villagers fade away. Naruto took a deep breath in through his nose, letting the chill air fill his lungs and heart, before traveling down to his stomach, and back out of his mouth. With each breath he looked further within, letting the energy of the world flow through him just as his master taught him.
Please, someone, anyone, answer my call. I know I don't have the most impressive record of communication … but I need help. Naruto repeated his inner call to his past lives. Roku was the only one he'd ever contacted, and that was always in a dream when he was not in the driver's seat, merely listening to the man. As an Airbender, he often felt self-conscious about his rather woeful spiritual connection. Airbending avatars were supposed to be the most spiritually aware. That was not Naruto. Still, just this once he hoped his call would be answered.
"Um, Mr. Avatar, we're finished."
Naruto blinked, squinting his eyes against the glare of the snow. He found himself surrounded by the villagers. The one who had spoken was a cute little girl with chubby cheeks and a gap-toothed smile from baby teeth she'd lost. Just as she'd said, the tents had all been cleared away, and every family stood with a large pile of pots and pans, furs, and whalebone tools next to them.
"Okay, just give me a moment to try and connect with the Avatar Spirit. I'm sure one of them will–"
He froze. It felt like someone was peering over his shoulder. Naruto felt a gentle hand on his back. "Stand, I shall help you young Naruto."
There was something about the voice that was both familiar and alien. He found himself obeying. It was the oddest sensation. Like he was both passenger and driver in his own body. The thought of turning around to see who was at his back never crossed his mind.
Naruto set his feet in a stance he'd never performed. It was a bit firmer than Airbending. Rotating on his soles, he swept his arms about gracefully.
Ice pillars shot from the ground. They flattened and lengthened, stretching and bulging at the top as they became cylindrical and domed, forming seamless elliptical walls and high-domed ceilings where every tent had once stood. Around the perimeter, a thick protective wall rose, with stairs to reach a set of battlements and machinations, complete with two watchtowers.
It was a much smaller version of what a grand Southern Water Tribe village would have looked like over three hundred years before.
Gasps of delight and relief flowed from one person to the next. The genuine happiness as families stared at their new homes made a pleasant warmth bloom in his stomach.
It was especially good to see the kid so upbeat.
"Thank you, whoever you are." He muttered quietly. Whichever of his past lives it was, they remained silent. Nothing new; he had never succeeded in communicating with them directly.
"That was quite the thing you just did, I thank you. We haven't had such a fortified village in years."
Naruto spun on his heel to see that Kanna and Sokka had returned. The latter regarded his walls with appraising eyes. He could tell the boy wanted to find something to critique about it, but it was simply too good.
There was an absurdly large wood-framed pack on Sokka's back, wrapped in a large fur to keep everything safe and dry. A similar pack lay at his feet.
"Does this mean you're ready?"
Sokka nodded. "Got all my clothes, and tons of blubbered seal jerky!"
Blubbered seal jerky? He had to wonder whether it was meat with blubber, or blubber with some meat. Either way he was both intrigued and apprehensive about the prospect of such a dish.
Bending down, Naruto picked up the second pack and slung it onto his back with over Sokka as he did, such a feat was child's play.
"Come on, let's get loaded up."
They used a door laid into the wall that he'd created to leave the village. Even though he'd created it, Naruto had never seen anything like it. It was essentially a fully functional door made of ice, from the hinges to the locking mechanism.
Suno gave him a greeting as they approached. The giant bison butted his head against Naruto. He patted his friend's head. A quick Airbending trick saw the packs loaded into the saddle. Afterwards, Naruto gave Sokka a moment with his grandmother.
"Be safe my little warrior, and take care of your sister. "
"I will Gran Gran, don't worry."
Kanna hugged Sokka tightly around the neck. She kissed his cheek. The grandmother stepped back, offering Sokka a rolled up scroll.
"This is for your sister, since I can't bid her goodbye myself."
"I'll make sure she gets it." Sokka said, his voice was slightly choked.
The boy was trying to remain strong, to put on the air of a warrior. He'd never been far from hoke and a journey of incomprehensible length lay before him. In a place where so much had been taken from them, Sokka was being asked to give up all that he had left in his village. A person couldn't help but be emotional.
When the goodbye's were finally given, Sokka scrambled up Suno's tail. The sturdy limb was all rock hard muscle under the layers of shaggy fur and six inch hide, serving as an excellent ramp.
Naruto grabbed the reins tightly as Suno shifted, sensing they were about to depart.
"My grandchildren will be worthy companions, take care of them, Avatar Naruto."
Kanna had him pinned with a deceptively warm stare. Underneath the kindly face of a grandmother lay the judging eyes of a mother Polarbear-Dog. She was not asking.
"Of course. We'll return. Stay safe, Gran Gran." He replied.
"Don't worry about us, we'll endure as always. Now go, save my little water bender."
The snap of the reins broke the air like a thunderclap. At his urging, Suno galloped into the sky, his beaver-like tail pushing the air and letting them gain height at a startling pace. Naruto withheld a smirk as he heard Sokka let out a yelp of fright, soon followed by a shout of elation.
Verty soon they were lost in the drifting mists. The initial excitement settled down and their minds turned to the task at hand.
Sokka peered over his shoulder, squinting into the veil.
"How are we supposed to find them?" Sokka asked. "They took off North, but there's no way of knowing where they'd go."
"You're a hunter I assume. How would you try to track a prey with no track?"
The water tribe boy scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I guess it depends what I'm hunting, and how it reacts to being hunted. A caribou is more likely to run and hide. Polar leopards would stand and fight wherever they can get the jump on you."
"Exactly." Naruto agreed. "We're hunting a polar leopard. They want to draw me in and either defeat me, or make me surrender. And since they will want to limit any advantage I might have, they'll probably avoid icebergs. That would be giving me an advantage with waterbending."
"Still don't narrow it down too much." Sokka sounded a bit pessimistic.
"True, but we've got a secret weapon." Naruto grinned, and let out a sharp whistle. "Kurama, get your fuzzy butt over here!"
An indignant yip was his response, though he heard the tell tale scrabble of the foxes claws on the padded saddle. The small red lupine jumped up on the edge of the saddle next to him. He had an air of annoyance about him.
"I need you to sniff for sulfur in the air. We'll use it to track the fire nation ship."
Kurama whined in discontent.
"Please, just do it, if you do I'll rehydrate a particularly juicy piece of steak for you tonight."
The fox narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. He didn't take overly long to decide, ultimately jumping onto Suno's head and scenting the air with a few big whiffs. It took him a bit, but the fox finally jutted his head to the north-east.
Under Kurama's guidance they glided through the patchy mists. It took them the better part of an hour to get the ship within their sights. Small and swift as it was, the outdated model was no match for a flying bison at full speed. Though it probably helped that the Fire Nation ship wasn't actually trying to flee.
To pass the time, Naruto enquired more about the encounter with the ship's crew. The way Sokka described their commander was particularly intriguing.
"He was pretty tall, probably taller than you, And really uptight, he had a short fuse. I'd say the thing that stood out the most was a scar on his left eye."
Likely an old training injury, Naruto had thought. He assumed it was a veteran commander who'd been given the cushy gig of patrolling this fairly quiet region. The fire nation preferred that for commanders who were getting long in the tooth if they didn/t have any particularly fantastic command skills., Though that was the most shocking part,
According to Sokka he'd been around their age. Normally a commander that young would be a hot shot. Having him out here patrolling made no sense.
Much as he'd expected, they came upon the light cruiser on a wide open stretch of sea between two towering glaciers. There weren't any floating ice platforms in sight, just white-capped waves with swirling mists at the surface. The ship's own heat was the source, and it provided the perfect cover for Suno.
Naruto ordered his bison to dive down, until his toes were skimming the surface of the water and they disappeared amidst the steam.
That's how they found themselves hovering alongside the rails of the main deck and preparing to board. Sokka shot Naruto a sceptical look.
"Why are we up here? Shouldn't we try to infiltrate from lower down? It makes the most sense for a brig to be down there." Sokka asked
"Not on this particular model of ship," Naruto reassured him. "On cruisers like this the brig is accessed from a hatch on deck. They didn't want the benders they captured anywhere near the engines. Bigger ships have enough space that it isn't a problem."
He gripped the top of the rails with a single hand, peering over carefully. A few sentries patrolled the deck, their gazes sweeping out over the waters. Naruto's eyes locked on the hatch he knew led to the brig. It matched the old blueprints he'd seen in his fathers study when he was younger.
Once he was sure they could make it without being caught, Naruto nudged Sokka in the side. He mimed creeping across the deck, before holding a finger to his lips.
"Duh. I can be sneaky." Sokka whispered back.
"Your sister shouldn't be far. We'll only have a few minutes to get her out, otherwise we'll be cornered. That's the second reason the brig is placed like that. It's a trap."
One last check just to be safe. The guards weren't looking their way. Naruto grabbed his staff with his off hand, and hauled himself over the rail with the other. Muscles honed from years of martial training completed the task easily. Landed softly and crouched, before swiftly making his way across the deck, still crouching.
Sokka followed behind clumsily, but his fur boots made up for it, muffling the boy's steps.
Exposed for anyone to see, Naruto was rather relieved to reach the hatch. His heart pounded as he gripped the handle of the hatch. He sent a silent prayer to the spirits that it wouldn't squeak.
His body tightened, like a bowstring pulled taunt. Naruto opened the hatch.
Well oiled hinges swung open with nary a peep. Thank the spirits the captain was a stickler for keeping things orderly. For once the uptight nature of the Fire Nation did some good.
They descended down a steep set of stairs, into a dark hallway
A dull red glow suffused the hallway from the gas lamps with red shading that lined the narrow corridor.
Naruto froze as he spotted a pair of soldiers in red armor flanking a heavy steel door.
They didn't see him, so he quickly ducked back into the shadows. He had to throw a hand over Sokka's mouth to muffle his shout of surprise. The boy's eyes darted around wildly as Naruto carefully peaked towards the end of the hall.
The guards didn't move an inch. They were too engrossed in a conversation.
"You think we'll see any action when the Airbenderr comes?"
"Doubtful. We're stuck down here guarding that girl. Not that there's much point."
The second guard nodded. "Not a drop of water around."
It wasn't the most riveting conversation to listen in on. Though at least it confirmed that they were in the right place. Sokka's eyes widened in shock. He began to mime what they should do. Naruto wasn't particularly sure what a trumpet had to do with anything, but whatever idea Sokka was cooking up, he had a better gripped his staff. He spun it swiftly, channeling air into the end to make the tail fin snap open.
With a sharp swing, he sent a concentrated blast of air tearing through the hall.
The guards were seized by the wind, carried like leaves on a breeze and slammed into the far wall with the power of a charging arctic yak. They hit the steel wall with a loud clang, their heads bouncing off the ground as they fell unconscious.
"What happened to being quiet?" Sokka looked as if he wanted to pull his hair out.
"That was before we found Katara. we weren't getting the drop on them either way. Now let's move!"
They tore through the haill and stopped at the reinforced door the men had been guarding.
"What's going on out there, what was that sound?"
Katara's voice was muffled, though he could still hear the uncertainty disguised as anger that cracked her voice, Naruto peaked through the tiny grid that served as a window. Through a squinted eye, he could see Katara huddled against the wall. Her hands were bound in cuffs, and sweat beaded her brow. Those furs were probably a bit too hot for the toasty halls of a fire nation ship.
"Katara, it's Naruto, we're here to get you out."
She rushed forward, standing on tiptoes to try and see through.
"Naruto? I knew you'd come!"
"Hey, I'm here too!" Sokka said indignantly, peaking over his shoulder.
Katara blinked. "Oh, hey Sokka."
"We can chat later, right now we need to bust you out of here!" Naruto snapped.
He reached into his shirt and pulled out a hunting knife. The mirror surface had long become scratched and cloudy, but the blade was still sharp enough to skin an animal like a vegetable peeler. With a bit of concentration, a haze of wind circulated the knife like a buzz saw.
Under his companion's astonished gaze, Naruto stabbed his blade into the gap between the frame and the door. Jerking it sharply, his blade slowly cut through the steel. The process was snail-like, but eventually he felt something give as the thick metal bolts came loose.
He stood back, allowing the door to swing open silently.
"Wha-" Katara stood gaping in astonishment. "How did you do that?"
Instead of answering, Naruto stuffed his knife back into his shirt and stepped forward, grabbing her hands. In the red glow of the cell, he couldn't see the way her cheeks flushed, and the sound of his heart in his ears was too loud to hear her excited breathing.
"A little trick to increase the cutting edge of a blade." He explained, using a concentrated burst of air to break the cuffs around her wrists. It was much easier than trying it on the door lock.
Katara rubbed her tender wrists as the blood began to circulate freely.
"Neat."
He offered her a grin, though he had to refocus quickly. It was faint, but he heard shouting through the walls.
"Come on, let's get out of here!"
Naruto led the way as they ran towards the small patch of light that marked the exit onto the deck of the cruiser. As they ran, Katara tried to draw his attention.
"Naruto, we have to be careful! It's a trap. Prince Zuko expected you to come rescue me!" She hissed.
He nodded vacantly as they cleared the steel steps and burst into the frigid polar air, a sharp contrast to the stuffy heat inside. He was only half paying attention to what she said, the other part was concerned with reaching the edge of the ship. They might have to jump for it, but they should be able to escape relatively unscathed-
"Hold on, did you say Zuko?" As her words finally registered, Naruto came up short. Naruto turned to Katara, who looked a bit perplexed–reasonably so. "Prince Zuko, son of the Fire Lord?"
That was a name he hadn't heard in a while. The last time was three years ago, when he'd heard the prince had been banished. To think he was the one that Sokka had been talking about.
"Yes, that's what he called himself." She said shortly. "That doesn't matter though, we have to get going!"
Naruto nodded. That was right, now wasn't the time to get distracted with his thoughts. They had to get to the edge and get onto Suno to escape.
The hair on the back of his neck stood up. Along with it came a steadily increasing temperature.
"AVATAR, FACE ME!"
He turned, spinning his staff like a fan to deflect the carriage-sized orb of flames. Tongues of fire scattered like so many drops of rain, deflected by a semi-sphere umbrella of wind that protected them.
Before, Naruto hadn't paid overly much mind to the physical description Sokka had given of the commander of the firebenders. It was interesting, but not overly relevant. Then Katara had mentioned that familiar name. His mind had failed to connect the description Sokka gave with that name.
Facing the one that name belonged to now, the pieces still failed to fall into place.
The name Zuko came with the image of a nine year old boy with dark hair pulled into a top knot, yellow eyes shining as he laughed and chased a fire ferret. He saw little of it in the man before him
Naruto tried to look past the shaved head and ugly red scar that marred his face. Some of the features were there. The eyes were the right color, and underneath the twisted, brooding scowl the man looked somewhat familiar. He found it hard to grasp why a prince of the Fire Nation would wear such a jarring haircut. Hair was sacred to the denizens of the Fire Nation. Only those who had lost honor would sheer it off.
All of this passed through Naruto's mind in an instant. He quickly spun his staff, bringing it to rest in the crook of his arm with the bulbous end facing the ground.
Fifteen soldiers fanned out alongside the prince, they stood in the horse stance, rooted to the metal deck with a fist cocked back and ready to unleash their element.
As the last flicker of flames died, the tense aura was intruded on by an exclamation of shock and joy.
"Well, if it isn't little Naruto, fancy meeting you here! What a lovely surprise on such a frigid and weary day." Naruto blinked as a short and portly man elbowed past the soldiers. He'd recognize that balding round, jolly face anywhere. Old man Iroh grinned at him. "Say, would you care for a relaxing cup of ginseng tea?"
His eyes darted between Zuko and Iroh. Any lingering doubt he might have had died. Naruto relaxed a bit. He could practically feel the surprise radiating off his water tribe friends.
"Fraid not old man, a little busy at the moment." He answered politely. Well, his version of polite.
Iroh snapped his fingers. "Shoot, another time perhaps?"
Naruto nodded bemusedly. His eyes hadn't left Zuko. The haze of anger had gone away, replaced by an expression of stupefaction.
"Naruto? You're no airbender! What's the meaning of this?" He noted the fire that flickered around Zuko's fingers. Despite the fact he seemed more confused than anything, the prince was barely restraining his anger.
Maintaining a casual air, Naruto swept his staff onto his shoulder.
"See that's where you're wrong Zuko." He said. Naruto placed a finger to his chin in feigned thoughtfulness. "Though I suppose you're kind of right, I'm not just an airbender. I can waterbend now too, sorta kinda."
The prince's eyes narrowed to amber slits. "You, you're the Avatar, impossible!"
He let out a chuckle. Reaching for the feeling from the night before, Naruto drew a small orb of water from the sweat on his brow. He let it dance around for a moment, before making the orb shoot at one of the firebenders. The man's lip curled in disgust; he had to be held back from attacking.
"Believe what you want, won't change the fact, Zuzu. Now if you're done I-"
"Don't call me that!"
Fire erupted from Zuko's hands, and the prince was quick to rein it in.
Naruto raised an amused eyebrow. "Still don't like that nickname Zula gave you?" He tutted, subtly shifting his stance to one that would be better for bending his preferred element. "You should really learn to control that temper. Though I guess if I had to look in the mirror and see that stupid haircut, I'd always be mad too, who told you that was a good idea?"
"Enough of your mischief!" Zuko shouted. Taking a deep breath, he showed a remarkable restraint to control his temper. Though it seemed like more of a facade than anything. Schooling his features, Zuko stared at him coldly. "If you really are the Avatar, I will capture you. Though I have to say, you never struck me as the monk type."
He nodded in agreement. "My sifu tells me the same all the time. I gotta admit, I'm not like the nomads from the good ol' days."
There was an edge to his voice, one that warned the prince of what was to come.
Zuko's eyes widened. "Don't even think about it Naruto, just surrender!"
"Come on, you know me better than that, I ain't one to go quietly." He offered up a wicked grin.
With a casual flick of his wrist, a thin, wickedly sharp blade slid out of the tip of his staff. Naruto spun the spear tip. A miniature vortex swirled around it. Swinging the weapon like a bat, he unleashed a horizontal tornado on the firebenders.
They were caught completely unaware. Nobody had seen an airbender for a century, so the soldiers could be forgiven for not knowing how to react. Especially against one who seemed entirely un-pacifistic.
The panicked flames of the soldiers were carried by the vortex, making it even deadlier as it blasted over them and scorched the deck.
Retracting the spear, Naruto spun around and seized his friends around the middle. The sudden action jarred them of the confused haze that they'd been under since Zuko had appeared. Seeing Naruto speak so casually with a prince of the fire nation must have been quite the shock.
"Hey, what's going on?" Katara yelped.
"Talk later, run now!" He replied. Pressing his index finger and thumb to his lips, he gave a sharp whistle.
He kicked the ground, sending them flying with a burst of air. The trio hovered in the air for several moments, as the momentum carried them over the rails of the ship. Several feet out that momentum died.
Katara's scream of fright was lost to the wind as they took a stomach-turning drop. The wind whipped their hair backwards as they plummeted.
He let out a whoop of glee. The feeling of free fall was exhilarating, and his friends' panicked reactions were highly amusing.
Sokka and Katara had already closed their eyes. They had no way of seeing what lay below. Instead of a plunge into freezing waters, they let out exclamations of shock and relief as the padded center of Suno's saddle caught their fall.
The breath was driven from his lungs, but Naruto pushed through. He sucked in air–literally–refilling his lungs in an instant.
Bounding into the driver's seat, Naruto snapped the reins.
"Yip-Yip Suno!"
The Sky bison soared away. Hearing a howl of rage, Naruto glanced back. Zuko stood on the starboard side of his ship, fist extended as he launched a Suno-sized flame after them.
Eyes narrowed in focus, he leapt to the back of the saddle, With a single swing of his spear staff he let loose a blade of wind that sliced straight through the flame. The blade continued on to sheer through a cliff, causing it to collapse across the bow of the Fire Nation cruiser.
Naruto whistled, impressed at his own feat of bending. "Whew, that'll take em' a while to melt away.
He blinked, as he realized he hadn't gotten any response from his companions. The siblings were huddled together. Not unusual. What was odd is they'd intentionally scooted as far away from him as they could without falling out of the saddle. Sokka's gaze was as suspicious and angry as it had been in the village, and even Katara wasn't regarding him with the warmth he had grown used to. Her eyes were like frozen blue pools, piercing his soul.
"Uh, is something the matter guys?" He asked, idly spinning his staff and putting the spear tip away.
Sokka pointed a shaky finger at him.
"What the heck was that back there? That prince knew you! Are you some sort of Fire Nation spy?"
Naruto let out a nervous laugh. "Come on, relax, you're being a bit dramatic."
"No he's not." Katara said sharply. "For once, he's right to be paranoid. Why do you know people from the Fire Nation? Royalty no less."
He faltered, the smile fading from his lips. As he realized the siblings weren't about to let the matter drop, Naruto felt a bit like kicking himself. Looking at it from their perspective, it was obvious why they might be worried. A new hope finally appeared only for it to look like he might be on the side of their enemies."
The airbender sat down with a sight, crossing his legs. "That's a bit … complicated."
"Then uncomplicate it!" Katara snapped.
"Alright, fine." He sighed. "I haven't been completely honest about who I am. Aside from the whole Avatar thing, that is."
"Aha, I knew it!" Sokka exclaimed triumphantly.
His sister was crestfallen, but she hid it with anger. "Was your mother even from the Water Tribe?"
He nodded. "Actually, that's true. Though she was technically a one-quarter Airbender. My great grandmother was one of twenty odd children that survived the genocide. As for how Zuko and old man Iroh knew me, I'll need some water. Give me a sec."
"Yes." She said.
He turned, digging into his pile of supplies. Kurama yipped in annoyance, but simply shifted as Naruto pulled a bulging water skin from the furs. Naruto twisted off the cap, poured some of the icy water into his palm and quickly raised it to his eyes.
As he scrubbed his eyes, going back for another dip, he spoke.
"A proper introduction is in order, I guess. Especially if you two are gonna join me. It's only right you know everything."
"Who said we were going with you?" Katara replied indignantly.
He found it hard to resist laughing. Naruto could practically imagine her with her hands on her hips as she stared at him.
"Your grandmother, as a matter of fact. She basically ordered you two to come with me. Ain't that right Sokka."
"Yeah," Sokka admitted reluctantly. "Though she'd have thought differently if she knew about the fact you're friends with people from the Fire Nation."
Naruto hummed. "I wonder about that." He wasn't entirely convinced Kanna would have cared. Another dip of the water, and Naruto was finally satisfied. "Though I should correct you on one thing, Sokka." He wiped his eyes dry, blinking the lingering water away.
"I'm not just friends with people in the Fire Nation. No, I'm from the Fire Nation."
When he opened his eyes, they weren't the deep blue they had been before. Instead, a pair of bronze eyes looked at the siblings, like two coins swimming in a sea of white.
"Naruto Namikaze, of the Fire Nation Colony named Huo Ying. And I am in fact the Avatar."
x-x-x-x-x-x- TNA -x-x-x-x-x-x
What did you think of the little surprise at the end? Naruto's history will be expanded upon later on, specifically his parents' stories. Those of you who have read The Rise of Kyoshi will no doubt recognize the method Naruto uses to change his eye color.
As always, a big shout out to my patrons for their support. Chapter 7 is up on pat re on now.
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