Yo, shoutouts to Adventreader221 for helping me get this chapter done - believe me I've blown steam into this.
As you can see, 10K chapter.
Enjoy it.
Yu Dao
In the grand City Hall of Yu Dao, a palpable sense of unease hung in the air, punctuated only by the delicate pouring of tea into ornate cups for the Mayor's family and their unexpected guest. As the steaming liquid filled Princess Azula's cup, the Morishitas, particularly Mrs. and Mr. Morishita, struggled to mask their anxiety. Their daughter, Kori, however, remained outwardly composed, her gaze fixed on Princess Azula with an inscrutable expression.
"Thank you," Azula nodded to the servant before gesturing for him to depart.
As the servant bowed and left, a moment of privacy settled over the room, allowing the Yu Dao Mayor's family and the Princess of the Fire Nation to converse. With regal composure, Azula raised the cup to her lips and took a sip of the fragrant brew, the warmth of the tea contrasting with the tension in the room.
In response, Kori likewise brought her cup to her lips, taking a measured sip of the tea, her expression betraying nothing as she observed the enigmatic Princess Azula.
Azula laid her cup down and went straight to the topic, "As you all may know, Naruto Uzumaki is still on the run, and I am assembling a team to go after him-"
"I'm in."
That was Kori's only response that stopped everything there, with the parents looking at her in surprise at this fast response, causing Mrs. Morishita to respond.
"Kori please, think over this-"
"I have thought about this, Mother, and my decision is final." Kori said turning to her mother, "If this is for the Fire Nation, I am willing to do my duty for it."
Mr. Morishita winced his eyes at the decision his daughter made, facing the Princess who was none other but satisfied with hearing this.
"Too bad, I haven't been able to enjoy the tea," Azula said but smiled, "But I like your forwardness on this, we'll leave soon."
"When?"
"Now."
The Earth Kingdom
With the little group arriving at the top of a hill following Aang, he stopped with the rest following him, he spotted the destination that got him to say with excitement.
"The Earth Kingdom city of Omashu!"
Facing the large city structured like a pyramid, the second largest city of the Earth Kingdom was a sight to be seen by the Water Tribe siblings who were in awe at seeing the city for the first time.
"I used to always come here to visit my friend Bumi," Aang said to his still-awestruck friends.
"Wow. We don't have buildings like this in the South Pole." An impressed Katara said.
Sokka was just overwhelmed, "They have buildings here that don't melt…"
"Omashu, been a while," Kurama said, landing on his pawns on the ground, "I see from here they've improved in their security."
"Wait, you guys went here before us?" Sokka asked, narrowing his eyebrow, "When was that?"
"I'd say a couple of weeks before we came to the South Pole, we had to restock our supplies." Kurama replied while scratching his ear, "They're good people, just very strict when it comes to rules, and their king is a crazy guy."
Sokka rolled his eyes, "Great, a nutcase."
Katara heard this and turned to where Naruto stood, seeing he was looking down something down the hill so she walked over to his side and began to ask.
"What's wrong Naruto…"
She then spotted what Naruto was staring at, from a good distance away they watched as a column of Earth Kingdom troops walked down a pass leading to the mountains they were marching to.
Katara glanced at the blond and saw the disappointed look on his face, causing her to ask him a question.
"What's wrong?"
Hearing that drove Naruto to turn to Katara and put up a smile, "Nothing, just thinking, that's all."
"Well let's go, slow pokes. The real fun's inside the city!" Aang's excitement got the better of him as he leaped off the hill with air bending and was going to make his way to the city-
"Wait, Aang!" Katara shouted to him, warning, "It could be dangerous if people find out you're the Avatar."
"She's right, kid. Can't just stroll in like that." Kurama agreed, "You're not going to get the same open-arms attitude as in Kyoshi."
"It wasn't much of an open-arms welcome until Aang showed some airbending." Sokka corrected the Fox before turning to Aang, "But he's right Aang. You need a disguise."
"So what am I supposed to do?" Aang asked while turning to them with a sarcastic tone, "Grow a mustache?"
…
A few moments later Aang was seen wearing a mustache made out of Appa's fur hanging under his nose and a big wig, it pretty much was a sight to be laughed at from the small fox's point of view.
"Hahahaha!" Kurama did not hold back.
"Ugh. This is so itchy." Aang ignored it and was instead with his hands busy scratching his head from the fur that was itching, asking the big bison, "How do you live in this stuff?"
Appa just stood there next to Aang after having just offered his fur to the airbender and snorted at him as if he was scoffing at him.
"Great! Now you look just like my grandfather." Sokka said, looking at Naruto, "Any thoughts?"
"I mean, he suggested it," Naruto said in response.
Katara said, glancing at the boys. "Technically, Aang is 112 years old."
With a deft kick, Aang raises his staff and quickly rotates it around, setting it upright on the ground to use as a walking stick. Like an old man, he hunches over and rests heavily on his staff.
"Now let's get to skippin', young whipper-snappers. The big city awaits!" Aang says in his attempted old man's voice he just picked up as he walks off.
This caused both Katara and Sokka to look at each other with doubts about this plan before they followed him, with Naruto having Kurama jump into his coat as they were right behind them.
As the gang was walking down the same path towards the entrance of Omashu, Aang was leading the pack and began talking about the city.
"You guys are going to love Omashu." Aang spoke while looking over his shoulder to them, "The people here are the friendliest in the world."
"Well, I don't know about that, Aang." Naruto tried to break it to him, "They've been very strict lately."
"As?"
"Rotten cabbages?!"
The group turned to the gate where an Earth Kingdom guard was seen berating a merchant with a cart full of cabbages he tried to bring in, only to be stopped and have some of his produce squished by the Earthbender.
"What kind of slum do you think this is?! " the guard harshly asked the merchant before bending the ground underneath the cart, sending it into the air, and causing it to fall into the deep chasm.
"No! My cabbages!" The merchant yelled in dismay as he watched his produce falling down the rift.
From the distance the gang looked on with shock, even watching the cart produce a loud crash as it hit the deep end. This prompted Kurama to comment.
"They're not exactly open to strangers like they used to be in your time, kid."
"Just keep smiling…" Aang said as he went to the gate first, with the others following the disguised young Avatar.
While still acting like an old man, Aang slowly approached the Earth Kingdom guards, only to be approached by the same guard who had just moments before thrown the vegetables out. Instead, the earthbender stepped to the front and raised a boulder out of the ground with his bending, holding it over Aang's head.
The guard aggressively demanded, "State your business!"
Leaving small dust of wind behind, Aang ran from underneath the boulder and toward the guard, surprising the guard as he pointed his finger out.
"My business is my business, young man! And none of yours! " Aang, with a mischievous glint in his eye, began his impromptu act by loudly berating the guard. "I've got half a mind to bend you over my knee and paddle your backside!"
The soldiers and the Water Tribe siblings were taken completely by surprise, not anticipating such a bold move. The guard, visibly shocked by Aang's unexpected outburst, was so thrown off that he fumbled and dropped the heavy boulder he was holding, causing it to crash to the ground with a thud.
Kurama peeked out from Naruto's coat and commented, "If that works, the kid's got the talent for acting."
"I doubt it-"
"Settle down, old timer." The guard spoke calmly after that outburst, "Just tell me who you are."
"Name's Bonzu Pippinpaddleopsicopolis, the Third," Aang gave the fake name while pointing behind, "and these are my grandkids."
Katara walked up front and politely introduced herself, "Hi. June Pippinpaddleopsicopolis. Nice to meet you."
The Earth Kingdom guard glances at the young travelers, scratching his chin. He then takes a direct look at the blond who stands out from the rest. Seeing that he stands out from the rest, the guard nods along.
"You seem like a responsible young lady." The guard told Katara, falling for the facade, but being stern, "See that your grandfather stays out of trouble. Enjoy Omashu!"
"We will!" Enthusiastically Aang went first with the others, but the moment Sokka was passing by them, the guard glanced at him with narrowed eyes, but let him go follow the others.
Naruto on the other hand-
"You wait here, young man." One of the other guards put his hand up front to halt the blond, "You won't be in a hurry, we need to speak with you."
Aang and the others looked back nervously, with Katara and Sokka trying to intervene but saw Naruto wave his hand off to them.
"Do not worry, just a random check," Naruto told them with a smile. "I'll catch up with you guys later."
The trio reluctantly went along with it and decided to walk to the gate, seeing it was being split in two as it allowed an opening; they walked inside once the entrance to Omashu was fully open. They walk through as the walls that began already close right after them, Aang as he walks through the opened gates, Momo's ears pop out of his wig and it is seen by the head guard and the others next to Naruto.
"….Okay kid, tell me just why we've seen the Avatar walk with a disguise into Omashu?" The head guard asked sternly while pointing out, "And Naruto, do not tell me you made up that ridiculous name."
"He didn't." Kurama popped out of Naruto's clothing and laid on the blond's head, "Believe me, the kid in the fur wig was the one who came up with it."
"I do not want to know what kind of fur that was on his head, or if that animal hid in it, but one thing is for sure." The stern guard loosened his stern look and smiled while offering his hand,"Good to see you Naruto."
"Good to see you too, Captain Yung," Naruto replied with a smirk as he shook the earthbender's hand. "Congratulations on the promotion by the way."
The other guards were left confused about how their commander knew this blond kid, but Yung briefed them on how he got saved once in a fight against a Fire Nation assault by Naruto and both fought off the enemy while outnumbered before they escaped to safety. Bringing the then-wounded Earthbender and his men to Omashu.
"I still have a debt to be paid to you, Naruto, you know that." Yung said to the blond and turned to the little fox, "As far as you Kurama, you too."
"I'm usually not as open-hearted as this blond idiot here, but you've got stones, I give you that." Kurama replied in his unique way of conversing, "I just hope our stay here will not be overshadowed by our monk friend."
"Speaking about the monk, is it really him? The Avatar?" One of the other guards asked a younger Earthbender, "If so, why is he in disguise?"
"To not get too much attention, we've been trying to do that ever since Kyoshi Island," Naruto replied and told them, "I assume you all heard about what happened there, haven't you captain?"
"Right, Prince Zuko's assault on the island was heard," Yung answered as he shook his head, "You want to believe that the Avatar's return would turn the tide, but it instead got everything even more intensified with this war. We even see it outside of Omashu."
"Was the column I just saw leaving coming from here?"
"Yes, reinforcements from Ba Sing Se surprisingly, long overdue reinforcements." Captain Yung responded with some grudge in his voice, "We've been asking them for months lately, but the Generals finally sent us a whole division to try to push back the renewed offensive of the Fire Nation."
"Whatever's going through the Earth King's head, he's actively sabotaging our efforts to fight for our Kingdom then to support it." The young earthbender spat some distaste for the situation, "Just because they're behind those walls doesn't mean Ozai won't forget about them."
"Ease up, kid." Yung told his subordinate, "I understand…"
What Naruto witnessed, he couldn't help but notice the somber expressions and tense atmosphere among the soldiers. From young volunteers to seasoned professionals, they all shared a common frustration with their government's lack of support for those fighting on the front lines. Many were angry and disillusioned, feeling as though their sacrifices were being ignored and their lives expendable. It was a low morale that seemed to have spread across every corner of the kingdom, adding to the weight of an already difficult war.
How he couldn't blame them, having once gone to Ba Sing Se, it was like being in a different world.
"Either way, keep the Avatar out of trouble, kid." Captain Yung told Naruto as he gestured to the men up the wall to open the walls.
Soon again the walls split into two as it was just for the blond to walk through, but before Naruto could walk past them, he got grabbed by the arm, Captain Yung wasn't finished.
"Also, someone is waiting for you at the tea shop, or rather that is to say; she's waiting for you."
Naruto's smile widened as he nodded in response to the information. "Thanks for the warning," he said before confidently entering the city gates with Kurama perched on his head. The guards watched as he made his way into Omashu.
"So who do you think is waiting for you in Omashu? It is not that crazy King, that's for sure."
"King Bumi? No, remember that person I met in the central province?"
"...Oh yeah, her, forgot about her." Kurama suggested, "Should I go find the others and leave you some alone time with her?"
"I wouldn't mind that. See where you can find them."
Once the two entered, the walls behind them fully closed. At this point, Kurama jumped off Naruto's head, stretched his paws, and cracked his head before both parted ways.
Walking through the market, Naruto was sticking out his blond hair, he passed by a few fruit sellers who he had to bypass to avoid-
"CABBAGES!" One of the vendors yelled out to anyone, an elderly man in traditional Earth Kingdom attire standing next to his stand and holding one of his products to any of the customers, it happened to be the same vendor earlier whose other cart got destroyed at the gates. "Cabbages for a few coins! The best of Omashu!"
Unable to contain a smirk Naruto bypassed the vendor and spotted what looked to be the spot, the tea shop.
"Hopefully they got something to eat."
Walking inside, Naruto saw the place was halfway empty. Many patrons were sitting close to the bar, and the staff was mostly busy with them. Most were just elderly folks who were passing their time.
"Over here…"
Turning to the voice, sitting in the corner of the bustling tea shop, her fingers wrapped around a steaming cup. The aroma of jasmine wafts through the air as she takes a small sip, savoring the warmth. Her green Earth Kingdom dress rustles softly as she shifts, the light catching on the intricate embroidery. Her brown hair, neatly braided by two, falls over one shoulder. The light-skinned girl smiled at him.
"Nice to see you, Naruto."
Smiling back, Naruto walked over to the girl and did a slight bow, and he responded.
"You too, Jin. Good to see you."
Jin inclined her head in acknowledgment, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she offered.
"Please sit, I'll pour you a cup."
…
As Jasmine tea was being poured, Naruto had already settled into his seat as he had ordered himself a small meal as he and the Earth Kingdom girl started their little chat.
"I was wondering when I would see you again. It has been too long." Jin said, handing Naruto the freshly warm cup of tea. How long ago was it since you visited Ba Sing Se?"
Naruto accepted the teacup and took a sip from it, delighted by the taste, he responded with some contempt. "I don't know, I didn't count."
"I'd say it was over a year. A year and a half to be precise." Jin said as she took a sip from her cup herself, "I see you don't hold good memories of the capital city."
"No, not really." Naruto remarked on it, a slight frown he then turned into a sigh and leaned back on his seat, "The Dai Li and the Joo Dees made sure of it. As if I was in the Fire Nation Colonies."
Agreeing in spirit, Jin responded, "Yeah, they're still doing that." She advised him, "They are still wary of you, Naruto. Long Feng's been…paranoid ever since your little stunt."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, "Define paranoid?"
"I'd say more cautious for better words," Jin reiterated, "ever since you met the King by accident…"
"What a little hour of conversation can do to a man…" Naruto scoffed at himself, "The only thing I told him was to talk to his generals…"
"And ever since then, the King's been sending troops to the frontlines, only Long Feng decided to send only mere divisions instead of entire armies," Jin explained to her on what had happened, "While support has been getting sent out, it isn't enough to help relieve those on the front, and this is really bothering the Council of Five," Jin then paused for a moment to then say, "…and there are rumors."
Naruto could see this was bothering Jin and questioned, "Rumors?"
"I don't know how to put this to you lightly - but I believe the Council of Five is planning something against Long Feng," Jin looked at Naruto, "Do you remember General Fong?"
Having some memories come back, Naruto nodded, "Yes, I remember him. He and I met in Ba Sing Se temporarily on the outside walls."
"He's been mentioned…multiple times…and he's been meeting with some of the Council's staff on the frontlines…" Jin mentioned as she was careful with her words, "He's been adamant on the King being shadowed from the reality of the war, and he has mentioned needing to dispose of… uncooperative elements within the Kingdom through military force."
Just then one of the waiters walked over to the table, ending the conversation for now as he served the food Naruto had ordered, only for Naruto to be in deep thought as he waited for the waiter to leave, he had already paid off up front, and as the man left…
"If you're saying what I think you're saying, that can only mean one thing."
"Yeah, an-"
"Let's not say anything else." Naruto interrupted her with his hand held out, "If you got any more information, you should hand it over to me now."
"Right," Jin said as she shuffled through her bag, pulling out a scroll she then handed over. All the information I have is written here."
"Alright, thank-"
*CRASH!*
The crash was loud enough to cause people inside the tea shop to turn their heads to the window, with Naruto to stand up-
"DAMN IT, STUPID BRATS!"
The sound echoed in the air, instantly igniting a spark of recognition within Naruto, he dashed outside, propelled by the unmistakable presence of Kurama.
…
The moment he ran out of the tea shop, what he found was a scene he didn't prepare for. With Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Kurama, the latter with his claws dug inside Sokka's head, they just crashed with a post cart into the stand of the cabbages' vendor who had jumped out of the way, and he looked furious.
"My cabbages!" The merchant shouted angrily, "You're gonna pay for this!"
Then in mere moments, guards arrived at the scene who had witnessed the carnage, and they surrounded the group, Naruto included, who looked down at Aang, with his disguise gone by the impact, he was giving a youthful face and sheepishly asked.
"Two cabbages, please."
Naruto grabbed the base of his nose and pinched it, shaking his head.
"What have you just done…" He muttered, just as Momo landed on his head.
Arrested for the problems Aang had started, the whole bunch was now escorted by the Omashu guards and brought to the palace as they were ordered to be on their knees, or for Kurama's case just sitting down right next to Naruto, which was for the best given the small fox had been glaring at the bald Avatar the whole time.
Now in the throne room, the small fox still was glaring daggers at the monk, causing Aang to be very uncomfortable.
"Look, I'm sorr-"
"Shut your mouth, kid. I've never experienced something like that before in my long life." Kurama spoke with a distinctive tone to the boy and he wasn't done. "We're not even an hour in Omashu and you already got us into trouble, and here I thought Naruto was a troublesome brat."
"Easy, Kurama, no need to work yourself over it." Naruto said, patting Kurama on the head, trying to calm him, "I think he learned his lesson."
"No, he has not! He's immature! Despite his-"
"SILENCE!" The captain of the guard ordered loudly as he bypassed them and told them, "Look forward, and face our king."
They all looked to the throne where an elderly man sat, in his traditional Earth Kingdom regalia, he looked like he was extremely old and had a lazy eye with bags, but he was looking at them with a look he was giving them as he listened.
"Your majesty," The Omashu captain began, "these juveniles were arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious destruction of cabbages." The captain even pointed briefly at Naruto, "And for the yellow-haired individual-"
"Off with their heads!" The cabbage guy merchant was also there, agitated and moving crazily, demanding justice, "One for each head of cabbage!"
"Silence!" The captain gestured to the merchant with his hand, "Only the king can pass down judgment." He turned to the King himself, "What is your judgment, sire?"
The king squints his eyes and grunts pensively, observing the four - well, five sitting in front of him, with each of them giving a different reaction while meeting eye-to-eye with the king.
Sokka whimpered a bit and looked away.
Katara gave an innocent-looking smile while holding her hands, giving a facade that was promptly ignored.
And Aang is the only one who keeps staring at the side, one eyebrow arched and pouting, even whistling a bit to buy some time.
But when the King turned to Naruto, he saw the young blond was staring at him directly, with a stoic look on his face, the two exchanged looks before the king then was done.
"Throw them ... a feast!"
Not long after the Gaang were seen sitting at a large table where a large amount of food and drinks were left to enjoy, with Momo having himself a few snacks, with Kurama seen lying next to him, taking a nap of all times. The same calm could not be said for the four teenagers, with the King seen standing by their seats and talking directly to Aang.
"The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts," The old king said while leaning his head close to his guests, grabbing the chicken leg from a plate, holding it in front of him as an offering, "so I hope you like your chicken with no skin."
Aang looked at the chicken and declined, "Thanks, but I don't eat meat."
The king then turned to Sokka with the chicken, "How about you? I bet you like meat." He asked without giving the water tribe young man the chance to respond as he stuffed the meat into his mouth before he walked away from them.
Sokka, instead of removing the food, appreciated it and took a bite from it.
Katara turned to Aang and Naruto as she asked them quietly, "Is it me or is this guy's crown a little crooked?" Using her index finger beside her temple to motion circles, thinking the king was crazy.
"Don't let him hear that." Naruto told her swiftly, as he took some noodles into his mouth that were also served, "Omashu's king might be a bit off, but there's a reason this place hasn't been overrun by the Fire Nation yet."
"I would listen to him, dear girl. Because your funny-haired friend is right, but let us not talk about war," The king said as he settled down to his seat, "So tell me, young bald one, where are you from?"
"I'm from…" Aang thought out and replied, "Kangaroo Island!"
"Oh, Kangaroo Island, eh?" The king asks, leaning a bit forward, "I hear that place is really hopping!"
…
First met with just silence and a cough, the four teenagers were left with blank reactions, with it Sokka being the first one to laugh at the pun with Aang and Katara looking at him with blank expressions still on their faces.
Stopping with his laughter, Sokka looked unsure to their reactions, "What? It was pretty funny."
Snorting, Naruto couldn't help but agree, "Damn it, it is kinda funny…"
"Such a dead joke," Kurama said while lying on the table, earning raised ears from Momo, who continued to eat.
Then the king stretched his arms and yawned, "Well, all these good jokes are making me tired." He made a suspicious move with his arm as he leaned to the left on his chair. "Guess it's time to hit the hay."
Suddenly, he hurls a chicken leg at them, with it going straight for Aang, it was Naruto who tried.
"Wait, Aang, don't!"
It was too late however as Aang, leaning heavily back in his chair caught the chicken leg with an airball he bent it just a few inches away from his face, making the leg levitate…
The guards gasped in surprise, and Naruto could only hold his hand over his face.
"Damn it…"
"There's an airbender in our presence, and not just any airbender." The king spoke as he stood up and proclaimed. "The Avatar!"
Quickly realizing what he had done, Aang reacted by stopping his bending and turning his hands behind his back, while the others looked nervous.
The king sat back down, "Now, what do you have to say for yourself," He gave a satisfied smile, "Mr. Pippinpaddleopsicopolis?"
Kurama lazily raises his eyes up to then say, "Should've gone with a simple name, kid."
…
Now that his cover was blown, Aang stood up and decided not to hide who he was.
"Okay, you caught me. I'm the Avatar. Doing my Avatar thing, keeping the world safe. Everything checks out." Aang looks underneath the table. "No firebenders here. So, good work, everybody!" He pulled Katara and Sokka closer to him and began slowly walking backward, "Love each other, respect all life, and don't run with your spears. We'll see you next time!"
*CLINK!*
Despite his best efforts of being friendly and acting a bit, the two guards at the only entrance blocked the exit with their spears, causing Aang, Katara, and Sokka to stop while Naruto still sat there with Momo still eating and Kurama just getting up from his nap.
"Hmm, your friends lack some common proper manners, leaving in the middle of a feast without even taking a bite." The king said while asking the blond, "Don't you agree, young man?"
Naruto looked down at his bowl of noodles, then grabbed it and downed it in one go. After finishing his food, he wiped his mouth clean with a napkin.
"Good noddles, but I prefer ramen, no offense."
"None taken," The king laughed a bit, with a snort, "At least you appreciate Omashu cooking."
"Naruto! What are you doing?" Katara spoke out in protest to the king, "You can't keep us here! Let us leave!"
Looking back at the others, the king then picks up a lettuce leaf from his plate and waves it in the air.
"Lettuce leaf? He asked, getting no response from them, he then turned to Naruto, "How about you?"
"No, but thank you."
The king then took a bite from the lettuce leaf and chewed it slowly and quite weirdly, causing an undramatic scene that earned a silent remark from Sokka.
"We're in serious trouble. This guy is nuts."
"Tomorrow, the Avatar will face three deadly challenges." The King said to the four, "But for now, the guards will show you to your chamber."
The bearded guard beside him asked, "My liege, do you mean the good chamber or the bad chamber?"
"The newly refurbished chamber." The king told him.
"Wait, which one are we talking about?" The same guard asked while raising his finger for clarification.
"The one that used to be the bad chamber, until the recent refurbishing, that is." The king thought it through and mentioned to himself, "Of course, we've been calling it the new chamber, but we really should number them."
"How about-"
"Take them to the refurbished chamber that was once in disarray!" the king ordered as Aang, Katara, and Sokka were escorted out, with Momo trailing behind. Naruto and Kurama were soon to join them until a guard placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"Except for you, funny-haired kid."
Hearing that, the trio looked back and saw Naruto standing there alone before the door closed down behind them by earth bending, and by this moment it was just Naruto and Kurama there with the king, who did the following.
"Guards, leave us be."
Without further question, the guards complied and walked out of the dining room, thus leaving the king of Omashu alone with the blond and the little nine-tailed fox who was sitting on the dining table.
…
Are we the only ones here now?"
The king turned to the fox and smiled, "It's good to see you again, Kurama."
"You too, Bumi. You old crazy bat."
Bumi chuckled at that and let out a hearty laugh with his trademark snorts in between. He gestured for Naruto to sit down.
"Please, Naruto, have a seat. We're among friends now."
"Thank you, master Bumi." Naruto bowed his head to him briefly, "It's good seeing you."
"Oh no, please don't call me that. Just call me Bumi," The old king waved it off, "I'm tired of being addressed as sire or king. Even when I was your tutor for a brief period."
Naruto proceeded to sit back down to his former seat as he then spoke, "My apologies for Aang's actions with the postal service, and the cabbage merchant's property."
"Please, do not apologize, I actually enjoyed hearing about it," Bumi stated with some laughter before he cut it short, "It reminds me of the days I and Aang did it when I was a young brat like him."
"Oh yeah, I forgot you're a centenarian," Naruto remembered, as Bumi was 112 years old and was old enough at the time before the war, "Kinda feels weird, don't you think?"
"Not exactly, I'm just a rarity, remember, Avatar Kyoshi was around 230 years old before she passed away," Bumi reminded him, then turning to Kurama, "And as far I can remember, Kurama here isn't one of the youngest either."
"Hey, I might be over a thousand years old, but I am far off from being bones and all." Kurama said while stretching his paws and tails, "So what is going to happen next?"
"Three challenges, deadly - but not too deadly," King Bumi said as he leaned back in his chair, "It is time for Aang to learn some valuable and hard lessons, so he can prepare himself for the future." Bumi turned to Naruto, "I heard you all are planning to leave for the North Pole, aren't you?"
"We are, but I was picking up intel from Jin, one of my informants." Naruto said before looking a bit embarrassed, "Right until the whole debacle with the cabbages happened."
"Oh, you mean this?" Bumi pulls out a scroll before he throws it, "Catch."
Naruto did so and put it away into his cloak, "Thank you, I will make sure to keep this safe."
"Your spy network is impressive, Naruto, I compliment you on that." Bumi said smirking, "It's only a few years ago I took you under my wing and now you are even deceiving my men with how many are working for you. Truly a worthy member of our Order."
Naruto smirked, "Where do you think I learned it from?" he questioned as Bumi snickered with a snort.
"Very well, I shall allow you to sleep, but in a different room." Bumi added he grew a wicked smile, "It was at the request of a friend of yours."
Naruto raised his eyebrow and turned to Kurama.
"Don't look at me, kid. I'm going to the others." Kurama said as he jumped off the table and walked off, "Good luck."
Naruto then proceeded to walk off down the same hallway but got approached by one of Bumi's guards as he escorted him to his private bedroom.
The scene changes to inside a room.
A wall cracks and moves down, revealing Aang with Momo perched on his shoulders, Katara, and Sokka. They are roughly pushed inside, and the wall is immediately bent up again after them. Switch to a scene of the room, panning to the left, revealing the content of the room, and the fact that there is no door anywhere. The room has three green beds in the center with three green drapes hanging from the ceiling above them.
The scene stops with the children.
"I wonder where Naruto is." Katara asked turning back to where the entrance was, "I think he's in trouble."
"He'll be fine," Sokka said as he had some confidence, "That king might be crazy, but Naruto's not someone who breaks easily."
"Got some confidence, don't you all?"
The three and Momo turned to the sound and spotted it opening up, to where Kurama surprisingly appeared, walking inside before it closed behind him.
"Kurama, where's Naruto?"
"He's alright, but he is in a different room." Kurama said to them, coming clean, "For now, let's sleep, no use wasting time."
Although the 'bad' renovated room was surprisingly decent, the 'good' room felt like a luxurious suite fit for a nobleman. It boasted an elegant couch that was surprisingly made in rich fabric, a spacious bed adorned with fine linens, plush carpets covering the floor, and several intricately designed cabinets that added a touch of sophistication.
As Naruto stepped into the room, he immediately felt the inviting atmosphere. He calmly took the time and removed his robe, the soft fabric sliding off his shoulders, and began preparing himself for a restful night's sleep. The comforting environment promised a peaceful end to his day.
After all, who else, the King of Omashu could provide such comfort.
"Jin, you ready to sleep?"
His voice reached across the room towards the small enclave.
Walking out of the small changing room, the Earth Kingdom girl Jin was seen walking on her bare feet, her slender legs were the only thing visible as she wore a green robe that covered her body, as she had just finished, she walked into the blond still in his clothing and smiled at him.
"I'm ready, Naruto…"
"Good, I am just removing my boots," Naruto said doing so, he removed both of them as he then got rid of his socks, "Going to sleep in the second bed while-"
Getting interrupted by then the touch on his shoulders, Naruto found himself forced to stand up as he turned around and saw Jin had her hands on him, she made him pay attention to her…and what she did next.
She let the robe fall off her, showing she had nothing to wear underneath, she was totally nude and her breasts were well-developed. The young adult girl was blushing as she had a warm smile on her face as her hand then slid up to his cheeks.
"Let me…"
"Jin…I…"
"Shhhh." She shushed him and laid a finger on his lip.
Not resisting or saying a word, Naruto was for once silent and unable to speak as she glided her hands to his and brought him to the bed the both would spend the night together, and while doing so she got rid of some of his clothing, slowly and so before both sat on the edge of the bed.
"Allow me."
Her finger went up to the only candlelight in the room - and with a small wave, she made the room dark.
And what happened in the dark, stayed in the dark.
Aang was rudely awakened when he felt a presence in his room.
Springing up - the Airbender found himself alone with a guard standing in the doorway.
"Hey, who are you?" he questioned them before looking towards the beds, "Where are Sokka, Katara, and Naruto; my friends!?" he demanded.
"Calm yourself, the King wishes to speak with you." the guard stated, "Come with us."
And with that said, the guard turned around and walked away. Without any choice but to follow, Aang complied.
…
Walking into the throne room, Aang was mildly surprised to see both Sokka and Katara standing between a couple of the guards. Naruto was nowhere to be seen though, and that worried him.
Walking out from the back of the throne, the King presented himself with a grin, "Tell me Avatar, what do you think of my new look, go on be honest." grinned the old man. He wore a purple cloak with golden beads. His head held his crown of long feathers while his hands wore his ornate rings.
"Uh…it looks good?" Aang was confused.
"Excellent! You passed the first test." the King grinned with a snort.
Aang could only blink in confusion, "Really?" he questioned the old man, that was strange.
Bumi spoke in an upbeat tone, "Well, not one of the deadly tests." he corrected himself, before waving his finger from side to side, emphasizing his words, "The real challenges are much more, uh, challenging."
Aang growls in frustration before he suddenly dashes forward to the surprise of his two guards as he uses his airbending to quickly cross the distance between him and King Bumi. Gripping his staff in hand, Aang halts in front of him, the wind passing over them.
Aang growls at the elder, "I don't have time for your crazy games!" he told the King vehemently, "Give me my friends back! We're leaving!" he ordered him.
Bumi smirked, "Oh, I thought you might refuse," he responded all to calmly, and with a wave of his arm, a wall opened, revealing Katara and Sokka struggling in the grasp of a guard as Aang turned to them in surprise, "so I will give your friends some special souvenirs." he told Aang.
Aang looks at Bumi in confusion. With a snap, Aang watches as a frightened Katara while her guard slides a green ring over her finger while the other does the same to Sokka, with Sokka's being blue. The moment the guard retracts his hand, the ring glows and tightens around her finger and is now frantically trying to remove it from her finger. Sokka tries to pull it off as well, but both are unsuccessful.
Bumi calmly speaks up, "Those delightful rings are made of pure jennamite, also known as creeping crystal. It's a crystal that grows remarkably fast. And it is one of the most dangerous forms of rock known in the world. By nightfall, your friends will be completely covered in it." before faking a concerned tone, "Terrible thing, really. I can stop it, but only if you cooperate." he told Aang honestly.
Bumi glances toward the siblings. With Sokka's finger now donning a blue jennamite ring he watches it in horror as the ring glows and expands to his hand.
Sokka yelps in a panicked tone, "Ah! It's already creeping!" he exclaims in worry.
Aang grips his staff tightly, "Alright fine, I'll do what you want. Just let them go!" he orders the old man.
"Good to hear." the king grins.
...
Deep in the underground of Omashu, where stalagmite rocks were everywhere and a waterfall was there, Aang stood on flat ground as his first challenge. In the waterfall, with the strong water coming down endlessly, there was a ladder, and above the ladder hung a rope, with at the end of that rope laid a key.
From the stand where King Bumi and both Sokka and Katara were, both with the crystal growing on their arms, they watched as Bumi laughed.
"It seems I've lost my lunch box key and I'm hungry. Ooh, there it is!" The king points to the inside of the waterfall. "Would you mind fetching it for me?"
The key hanging from a chain and a vertical iron ladder are dimly visible behind the waterfall. Visible for the Airbender to see, Aang started immediately.
He bends the air underneath him and starts jumping from pointy rock to rock right toward the waterfall, before he stops and dives right into the water, going against the current he then reaches the rock underneath the ladder, using the air around him for some time, he climbed up and reach the ladder - a daring strategy.
"Ooh, climbing the ladder." The King sarcastically stated with a smile, "No one's thought of that before."
The current was too strong, and Aang was shot out of the waterfall, crashing down between two stalagmites. He managed to grab hold of them just in time to avoid being hit by one below him, letting out a sigh of relief that anyone could relate to.
Aang then jumped up to the stalactites, grasping onto two of them as he focused on the key. With a new strategy forming in his mind, he dove into the waterfall above the key, trying to grasp it as he fell with the rushing water.
However, the rush of the water carries him past, and in a moment he shoots out again, keyless.
"Ahhh-"
*BANG!*
Crashing against one of the stalagmites with his whole body, he had failed once more.
"That's right. Keep diving head in. I'm sure it'll work eventually." The king commented.
Aang held onto the stalagmite and then looked at the key - a new idea was in his mind.
Aang rips off the top of the stalagmite and throws it with all his strength, before he uses air bending to thrust the head as a spear at the key, accelerating it with an air blast. The stone spear snags the chain suspending the key, and carries it out of the waterfall.
The spear pierces the stone wall above the King's balcony, the key now dangling right in front of the king, who only had to turn his eyes upwards in somewhat surprise as it dangled above him.
"There! Enjoy your lunch!" Aang shouted, and demanded, "I want my friends back now!"
"Ah, not yet. I need help with another matter." The king reminded him and made a mocking sad gesture with his hands as if he was sad, "It seems I've lost my pet, Flopsie."
...
In an area that was like an animal room, lay a lop-eared bunny-looking small animal that Aang landed right behind it, thinking it was Flopsie, Aang called out.
"Okay! Found him!" Aang shouted to the stand, where the king and his friends were.
"Bring him to me." The king asked, "Daddy wants a kiss from Flopsie!"
"Come here Flopsie." Aang said when suddenly from behind, a gorilla goat animal dropped out of nowhere behind him.
Causing Aang to turn around and give a nervous smile before jumping away, narrowly avoiding getting crushed by the beast. Once landing, Aang spotted the rabbit jumping away to safety.
"Flopsie wait!" Aang said, chasing after the rabbit while being chased by the beast. All while the king laughed too hard.
The small rabbit quickly went right to left to try not to get captured, all while Aang tried not to get caught by the large beast, they went on before the rabbit managed to find himself a hole to hide into, with Aang jumping right after him with his hand in the hole, he somehow then made the realization.
"Wait a minute…"
Turning around, the beast was with his tongue out running for Aang who stood up and then tried.
"Flopsie?"
Then the beast jumped and caused dust before it settled and there - he stood there with his tail wagging as it was responding to the name, it then reached out to Aang and hugged it much to the Airbender's surprise.
"Flopsie." Aang smiled as Flopsie licked him with his tongue, Aang ruffled its head with his hand.
*Whistle!*
Responding to the whistle, Flopsie then jumped over to where the king was and laid flat on its back for the old man to pet him.
"Oh, that's a good boy. Yes, who has a soft belly?" The King asks, rubbing Flopsie's belly.
After that, Aang jumped up to where Katara and Sokka, both encased in crystal to their shoulders, looked very uncomfortable, it was Sokka's crystal that was growing faster.
"Are you guys okay?" Aang asks, looking at Katara who now almost turned into a chandelier.
"Other than the crystals slowly encasing my entire body, doing great," Katara said when a big chunk grew on Sokka making him fall over to the side, with him barely having the ability to get up properly.
"Do you guys know where Naruto is?" Aang asked, "I haven't seen him."
"No, neither do we," Katara shook her head despite being surrounded by the growing crystal, "But the sooner you finish this, the faster we can find him."
Agreeing with that, Aang walked to the king who was still putting on the large Flopsie, and briefly interrupted their time.
"Come on! We're ready for the last challenge!"
...
The king gives an evil laugh and then has the guards lead them to an earth-bending arena. Upon arrival; Aang and the king stand on a balcony overlooking the arena, while Sokka and Katara stand next to one another with a guard on an adjacent balcony. By now, the crystals are past their heads, leaving only their faces exposed.
The king smirks at the young airbender, "Your final test is a duel. And as a special treat, you may choose your opponent." he states as he snaps his fingers where upon doing so; two tough-looking men come out and take their spot, standing next to the king.
Both of them are armored heavily and carry very large weapons-one of which was an axe-while Aang looks at them with uncertainty.
The king smirks inside as he looks at Aang without fear, "Point and choose." he orders the boy.
Aang blinks, "So ... you're saying whoever I point to, that's the person I get to fight?" he asked to make sure he wasn't hearing things.
Bumi nods calmly at the question, "Choose wisely!" he tells the nomad.
Aang smirks, "I ... choose ... you." and then Aang points to the king.
The king lets out a maniacal laugh, "Wrong choice!" he states with eagerness.
Loud cracks and pops sound through the air as joints and bones pop rapidly throughout the old King's body as the king straightens up and removes his outer robe, proving himself to be a powerfully built old man.
Something that Aang, Katara, and Sokka had not seen coming.
With a grin on his face, the King proceeds to lift a foot where he then uses a single stomp on the ground to earth bend Aang off of the balcony, making him fly into the arena before the king jumps off soon after where he lands hard enough right in front of Aang to crack the ground beneath his feet, and laughs.
"You thought I was a frail old man, but I'm the most powerful earthbender you'll ever see," he comments to the young Avatar as he keeps his face neutral.
Aang swallows roughly and points instead, "Can I fight the guy with the axe instead?" he requested.
"There are no take-backsies in my kingdom, although you might need this," he states as he makes a motion with his head, and then he points to the guard standing near Katara and Sokka.
The guard tosses Aang his staff just as the earthbending king waves an arm that pulls up a massive chunk of rock and proceeds to throw it at him. Seconds after Aang dodges the first rock, but he barely manages to jump over the second one with his legs spread apart causing the old king to snort.
"Typical airbender tactic: avoid and evade." The king spoke in disappointment, "I had hoped the Avatar would be less predictable." He states as he smashed his foot once more down onto the ground for another rock to be popped out, and sent it his way with a thirst of his arms. With a grunt, Aang simply jumped up in the air as the rock smashed into the ground, rotating his staff, with the king then looking up at the Airbender.
"Don't you have any surprises for me? Sooner or later you'll have to strike back!" He called out before smashing another boulder out of the ground and using both his feet to smash it up against Aang. However, this particular rock was not intended for Aang, as the rock sailed past the boy before it quickly hit the ceiling above and the crumbling parts rained down on the boy as he was forced back to the ground, with his staff falling a good distance away.
Aang decided that he couldn't continue to fight defensively and took the chance to go on the offensive, charging at the king on foot, the elder was more than prepared before he performed a series of heavy stomps on the floor, shaking the ground as massive rocks began jumping up from the ground, blocking Aang's path as he avoided the rocks, before one hit Aang straight into the stomach.
"Ugh!"
The king grinned as he held his fist out, "You'll have to be a little more creative than that!" he told the Avatar.
Not done yet, Aang bends an air scooter underneath him and continues with his charge forward to the king, who throws another attack against him for Aang to deflect, but misses as Aang briefly surfs through a nearby wall.
Throwing a huge air blast at the king as he races towards him, the king simply throws up a stone barrier and it takes the direct impact of the air blast. Popping his head from behind the wall, the king commented, "Did someone leave the windows open? It feels a little drafty in here." The king's attempt at humor turned into a slightly disappointed comment, "Are you hoping I'll catch a cold?"
That was when the king went on the offensive once again, where he then pushed over the barrier and formed a pile of rubble under the slab and sent it towards Aang, who tried to deflect it, by jumping up high to deflect, only for the earth to instead reach up a bit higher and slapped the boy down to the ground floor, hard. But the king wasn't finished and smashed a fist into the floor with immense force; causing a wave of rocks to rise up and rush towards the young Airbender who jumped up onto the wall and leaped off and landed with a roll.
Watching in shock, Katara and Sokka were amazed that their friend could keep up with the seemingly powerful bender who landed right next to his staff which he grabbed just in time. Standing across the ruined arena, the distance between the earth-bending king and the lone Airbender was considerable, something the king had noticed.
"How are you going to get to me from way over there?" the old king questioned curiously.
Aang decided to charge once again. He moved forward on foot, using air bending to accelerate his speed with his staff at the ready. However, the king had other plans. With a jump, he landed on the ground and proceeded to slide a foot forward that quickly turned the arena floor into soft sand, causing Aang to sink to his waist in the blink of an eye, trapping him in place.
With a stomp, the aged king then bent two boulders that were already there up off the ground and threw them at Aang, from both left and right, where if he stayed there in the sand he would be crushed - so he made a quick bending technique-
*SMASH!*
Both boulders smashed against one another, leaving nothing in between - but then Aang jumped out from behind with his staff.
"Haaaah!"
Aang sends a surge of air to the king - sending him back across the arena and into the wall. Where he still stood.
"Huh!"
Aang reacted quickly and jumped up as a boulder was flying from behind, he did so in time as it would've smashed him in the back, causing the boulder to continue forward the king grunted in mild surprise as he was forced to act before he was crushed where he punched his hand out and turned it into dust.
Suddenly, the king made a bold and unexpected move. He slid a foot out, the ground shaking as he exerted his power as cracks began to spread around him to show the young avatar that despite being so old he indeed had earned his spot as one of the strongest benders alive.
Clenching his left hand into a fist, he slowly began to draw it back while his right hand was changed. His pointer finger was aimed straight up as his remaining four fingers were slightly curled inwards and the arm slowly began to push forward as his chi began to respond to his will in procuring a massive object.
The cracks along the ground spread to the point that they ripped off the balcony from behind him, where he and Aang had been standing. With his impressive strength, he hoisted it over his head, ready to hurl it at the frightened boy with one swift blow.
In response, Aang spun rapidly in a circle, creating a small but powerful tornado within the arena. The strong winds were enough to counter the king's attack, but when he flung the enormous structure at Aang, it was caught in the tornado and hurled back towards the king.
Seeing that it was about to strike him, the king quickly acted as he then forced the rock to split it in half before it could do any harm. However, before he could make his next move, Aang leaped forward and landed directly in front of the king with his staff poised to strike. The tip of his staff was mere inches from the king's face.
With the king's hands raised up victory.
…or so it was thought, the king smiled.
"Heh."
And it confused Aang before something fell on his head - and then he realized it when he looked up - the large boulder that was levitating on top of both of them, ready to crush them both.
The king however laughed at this outcome, "Well done, Avatar. You fight with much fire in your heart." he complimented the boy.
Throwing the boulder aside, it landed next to them before the king then fell flat on his back, sinking into the ground with his body print left as a hole, surprising Aang.
"Huh?"
That was when the old king emerged from the ground next to Katara and Sokka, nearly fully encased in crystal, and landed on his feet just as Aang landed right across from him.
"You've passed all my tests." The king then pointed his finger out, "Now, you must answer one question."
"That's not fair!" Aang protested, "You said you would release my friends if I finished your tests."
"Oh, but what's the point of tests if you don't learn anything?" The king argued.
"Oh, come on!" Sokka complained within the crystal hell he was in.
"Answer this one question, and I will set your friends free," the king declared, gesturing toward them with a raised eyebrow directed at the Avatar.
"What… is my name?" he asked.
Aang was left confused; as he realized he had never known the king's name, which now put him in a difficult position.
Turning to the two children encased in stone the king softly remarked, "From the looks of your friends, I'd say you only have a few minutes," the king said as he walked away from the scene.
Aang walks over in a mild panic where he confers with Katara and Sokka, "How am I supposed to know his name?" he questions with uncertainty.
Katara hums before she looks at the bald Airbender, "Think about the challenges. Maybe it's some kind of riddle." she tells him.
Sokka perks up in excitement, "I got it!" he proudly declares to them.
Aang looks at the older boy, "Yeah?" he asked in excitement, hoping for the answer.
"He's an earthbender, right? Rocky." Sokka attempted, getting no response, "You know, because of all the rocks." he told Aang who nearly fell and wept.
Katara looks at her brother in shock-mostly for his idiocy-but nods her head, "We're going to keep trying, but that is a good backup." she tells him.
Placing a thumb on his chin, Aang begins to think over what had transpired so far, "Okay. So back to the challenges. I got a key from the waterfall, I saved his pet, and I had a duel." he thought out loud as he thought back to the challenges in question.
"And what did you learn?" Katara questions him.
Aang hums, "Well, everything was different than I expected." he tells her.
"And?" she questions with anxiety as the jennamite grows as she talks.
"Well, they weren't straightforward. To solve each test, I had to think differently than I usually would." Aang answers before he grins when the answer comes to him, "I know his name." he states happily.
…
Ready to give his answer, the guard leads Aang back to the king where the two of them stand slightly apart from one another.
"I solved the question the same way I solved the challenges. As you said a long time ago, I had to open my brain to the possibilities."
The old king laughs with the same odd snort his old friend Bumi did a hundred years ago.
"Bumi, you're a mad genius." where the two proceed to hug one another for the first time in a century.
Bumi lets out a wistful sigh, "Oh Aang, it's great to see you again. You haven't changed a bit. Literally." he jokes with the young Airbender. Just as both Katara and Sokka arrive, they are almost completely encased in crystal.
Katara then speaks up, "Uh, over here!" she calls out in panic.
"Little help?" Sokka asks pleadingly, only his mouth visible.
Bumi smirks as he breaks the crystals using earth bending, freeing the two teenagers, making pieces fly everywhere, and catches one of them,
"Jennamite is made of rock candy," he says happily as he takes a bite of the crystal, enjoying its taste. "Delicious!"
"So this crazy king is your old friend Bumi?" Katara questions in awe while Momo proceeds to grab a piece of Jennamite and lick at it.
The king scowled, "Who are you calling old?" he demanded before he paused and then admitted, "Okay, I'm old."
Sokka looked at the old king in confusion, "Why did you do all of this instead of just telling Aang who you were?"
Bumi grins in response, "First of all, it's pretty fun messing with people." he tells Sokka with a snort, "But I do have a reason." he states honestly before gazing down at the young Avatar.
"Aang, you have a difficult task ahead. The world has changed in the hundred years that you've been gone and it's the duty of the Avatar to restore balance to the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai." he tells his friend softly, "You have much to learn. You must master the four elements and confront the Fire Lord. And when you do, I hope you will think like a mad genius."
Aang grinned and then did a respectful bow to his friend…his old friend.
"And it looks like you're in good hands. You'll need your friends to help you defeat the Fire Nation." he tells him as Momo climbs up on Aang, "And you'll need Momo, too." he says looking at the lemur.
Aang smiles softly at his friend, "Thank you for your wisdom, but before we leave, I have a challenge for you." he grins at his old friend who grins just as mischievously.
…
Minutes later, laughter fills the air as Bumi and Aang ride down the mail system.
Seconds later, a cloud of dust is raised as a crash is heard.
Followed swiftly by an exclamation of, "MY CABBAGES!"
Just down the road where the carnage was taking place, Naruto, Jin, and Kurama were being petted by the Earth Kingdom girl watching as they happened to be joined by Sokka and Katara, who were being introduced to the Earth Kingdom girl.
"Jin, I'd like to introduce you to Sokka and Katara," Naruto did so and extended his hand to the two, "They're from the South Pole, I lived with them for a year."
Jin bowed her head to them, "Nice to meet you, a friend of Naruto is a friend of mine."
Katara gave a raised eyebrow as she inspected the girl who was a little bit older than her, but she gave a smile and extended her hand, "Nice to meet you."
"Thank you." Jin shook her hand and spotted Sokka paying attention to something else.
"YEEHAAAA!"
Watching as the postal cart continued with King Bumi and Aang, the water tribe boy was joined by Kurama and Momo, who sat on his shoulders.
"We'll need to drag him out of here, don't we?"
"Oh indeed."
As they stood side by side, Katara's gaze shifted toward Naruto and Jin, who were uncomfortably close, their bodies almost brushing against one another. A whirlwind of thoughts flooded her mind, intertwining her curiosity with a tinge of concern as she tried to decipher their unspoken connection.
'What were you doing with her, Naruto? And where were you?'