The Avatar and The Revolutionary

by Agurra of the Darkness

Behind the mask wasn't a fraud trying to incite war, but a visionary hoping to inspire change. Someone truly chosen by the spirits, but besieged by those who would misuse their power. Could he make the world truly equal for all? Or would his vision become another crusade snuffed about before it was finished? Let this Amon try to make a better world.

8. Chapter 7 - Dreams Before The Dark

Hey everyone, back with another chapter of The Avatar and The Revolutionary. Happy to see everyone is enjoying the story so far, hope that good will continue to grow over the next few chapters.

Hope to see this story surpass all the other Korra Naruto Crossovers…even if that is a big ask, but I will not be deterred.

First however, a couple of quick responses to reviews

Lichi Sechino - I probably won't continue Ninth Fist. Beyond the fact Kenichi hasn't been relevant in years, I also feel like I'd need to rewrite the story as there are plenty of issues I'd have to correct and the story feels pretty amateur in some places. Sorry.

Kabei - I agree Kushina dying is something I hated seeing in Canon knowing what a good person she was and what she was condemning Naruto to. Narratively however it needed to happen here as well it serves as good motivation for Naruto's whole crusade. But I added the noodle recipes to show some positive connections Naruto still has to her.

Guests - This is a little tricky but two guest reviewers asked me some interesting questions so I'll answer them here. No Minato and Kushina weren't thrust into the Avatar World, this Naruto and his family are natives to this world, figured that would keep things simple.

As to the second more recent Guest question, the reason I paired Naruto and Korra up is thematic to an extent, but I won't go too much into it without spoilers, also I just feel like they click really naturally and if Naruto did exist in the Korra universe the two of them probably would hook up.

Hope that's a satisfying answer.

Okay, enough questions for right now, but if you have more, please leave them in reviews and I will respond to them in PMs. Feel free to engage with me when you can.

Anyway, let's get things started

Chapter 7: Dreams Before The Dark

"Okay, just mix everything nice and slow. Don't need another ball of exploding dough." Korra muttered to herself as she slowly mixed up the flower, water, eggs and other ingredients into noodle dough as Naruto had showed her, this time making sure to avoid speed running through the process.

"Doing good there Korra. Though remember, trial and error. Even if you mess up again, that's totally fine." Naruto spoke with his usual smile as he continued on his own batch, though Korra could tell it was already finished. "No need to stress yourself out."

"So what, you just expect me to mess up again?" Korra spoke, though her tone was more playful, knowing she'd given him more than enough reason to make such an assumption. "For a guy who makes a living selling food, you sure seem okay with me wasting it."

Naruto chuckled as took his hands off his dough and cleaned the flour dust with a nearby towel. "Hey, I don't get it right all the time either. I've thrown out a couple batches from time to time too."

Korra merely rolled her eyes, as she remained focused on her dough. "Yeah, and how many times did you do that? Once a month?"

"Twice actually. My current record is five."

"And how many of those exploded in your face?"

Naruto sheepishly tried to avoid eye contact, Korra cheekily smirking a little at getting a win…even if that was based on her lack of culinary skill.

"Hey, you're still learning. The whole point of this is to help you accept when you make a mistake." Naruto's smile returned, more gentle and understanding as he got a little closer to her, eyes shifting from the dough in her hands to her eyes. "And I don't really consider it a waste. After all, it gives me a chance to spend more time with you. So I'd call that a win."

Immediately Korra's grip on her dough caused it to practically explode out of the gaps between her fingers, her face turning a healthy shade of red as she looked at Naruto, not sure how to respond.

"Huhuh….Uh, heh yeah, sure. I mean who wouldn't want to see the Avatar mess up over and over again." Korra tried her best to play things off somewhat, mind struggling to stay focused, her grip on the dough continuing to tighten.

"Or, maybe I just like hanging out with you Korra. Because the truth is, I do."

Korra felt her heart beat like an angry drum, her palms starting to sweat so quickly that she was worried the dough would melt on contact and her face now red enough that the Fire Nation would've been jealous.

Feeling Naruto's presence just a few feet from her Korra, hesitantly looked up and felt like her heart was gonna stop completely at the warm and genuine smile on his face.

"Was…was Naruto always this handsome before?" The thought entered Korra's head so abruptly it took her several seconds to realize it, but that proved of little consequence as Naruto's hand slowly reached out and touched the top of Korra's own, causing the Avatar to jolt.

"Na…Naruto…what are you doing?"

Slowly Naruto closed the distance between them, his fingers encircling and clasping around Korra's own hand.

"I've been thinking about this for a bit Korra and I was hoping, maybe, we could see where this goes. Because, well, I really like you Korra."

The young Avatar's mind shorted out, entire body paralyzed as Naruto's blue eyes, as deep and vast as the ocean, peered into hers, and a sensation Korra had never experienced started to well up inside of her.

And she liked it…alot.

"Oh, well I mean…I might like that."

Korra stumbled over her words as Naruto's eyes gained a spark that seemed to make his face light up that caused Korra's own body to shiver out of desire and on autopilot, she slowly leaned forward, Naruto following suit.

Their eyes started to close as their lips drifted closer and closer, Korra's face getting goosebumps as she felt his breath against her face, as they drew closer.

And then…

-Avatar and the Revolutionary-

Korra's eyes shot open, her upper body practically snapping up, hand immediately latching onto her chest, trying to get her racing heart to slow down while feeling sweat on her face.

As her pulse started to return to normal levels and she could think straight, the images of her dreams flashed through her mind, face growing redder and redder until she reached the end and could only think of two words to summarize her collective thoughts.

"Uh oh."

-Avatar and the Revolutionary-

"Is Korra acting weirder than usual?"

"Meelo, keep your voice down, they'll hear you."

"But how are you supposed to hear me?"

"Huh…that's a good question, I'll ask Jinora."

The sound of a book snapping shut immediately merited looks of surprise from the two talking siblings, their elder looking straight ahead at the table more than a little annoyed. "If you want my advice, maybe practice whispering…preferably not during breakfast."

At the left side of the table a visibly embarrassed and angry Korra was currently holding her chopsticks, though her hand was visibly shaking from the likely torrent of emotions she was feeling. Tenzin and Penma, seated across from her, merely looked at the girl with pity and exasperation at the scene their children were creating.

"Well, since everyone's listening anyway, why're you acting so weird Korra?" Ikki asked with her usual chipper tone, practically staring at the teenager Avatar awaiting an answer.

"Yeah, why are acting freaky all of a sudden?" Meelo asked loudly, nodding along with his sister, making Korra's grip on her chopsticks tighten.

"Just had a lot on my mind lately is all." Korra let off a breath, trying to avoid focusing too much on the…dream she'd had that morning which had left her more than a little out of sorts and she'd been trying to use her meditation training to focus on anything else she could…with limited success.

Sadly, both Ikki and Meelo were proving to be noisier than usual, honestly making Korra wonder how these two mini human hurricanes were related to stuffy old Tenzin.

"Why's your face all red? Are you hot, are you feeling okay?" Ikki again asked with a bizarre amount of curiosity. "You came home real late last night, did you get sick?"

At the mention of being out late, Korra's knee smacked the table on reflex, jostling everything, meriting a light hiss of pain from Korra, and a look of confusion from Tenzin.

"That is actually a good question. Korra I don't recall you mentioning your team having practice yesterday. Where exactly were you?"

Korra felt her pulse quicken a little, less because of the question and more because it made her mind drift further back to her dream. "I wasn't doing anything weird, I was just hanging out with Naruto for a little while."

"The noodle cart vendor?" Tenzin's tone and his eyebrows rose. "And just what pray tell were the two of you up to exactly?"

Korra's expression started to redden a little, making the situation only harder for her to explain without setting off Mt. Tenzin…which as always, Ikki was there to strike the proverbial match.

"Oh, was he the guy who called the other day….is he your boyfriend?"

A moment of silence hung in the air, Korra's mouth gradually dropping open as a high pitched squeak of some kind leaked out, her face turning positively red, before the chopsticks in her hand snapped and she all but jumped up from the table.

"NO, OF COURSE NOT!" The outburst shook the room, Korra now standing and her voice starting to stumble and trip over her words. "I barely know him, sure he's really nice, friendly and attractive, but we're just friends. Yup, totally just friends, no romance there whatsoever…."

Her words didn't seem to convince Tenzin who's eyebrow was twitching, while Meelo, Ikki and even Jinora were looking at the tongue tied Avatar with excitement and anticipation.

"So you stayed out until late into the night with a young man." Tenzin's voice grew low, as a bit of air started to shake around him. "Perhaps I should pay his cart another visit and instruct him on acceptable behavior for people his age."

"Tenzin, don't you think you're overreacting?" Penma asked, maintaining a cool head, even though there was a slight twinkle of intrigue in her eyes. "I very much doubt Korra would ever do anything above board."

Korra quickly regained her voice and nodded rapidly. "Yeah, we didn't do anything at all. Naruto just brought me over to his place to…"

That was the wrong thing to say.

"YOU WENT TO HIS HOME AND STAYED THERE UNTIL NIGHTFALL!" Tenzin's voice boomed like thunder, shaking all the plates and bowls, Korra again turning red at the implications likely running through Tenzin's head. "Allowing you to Pro-Bend was one thing, but gallivanting around with some boy, is quite another matter entirely."

"We didn't do anything, Tenzin." Korra spoke more firmly this time. "Look, I've been stuck in my head a lot these past couple of days, after everything with the Equalists, The Tournament and my Airbending Training, things have just been… I don't know, out of balance and Naruto offered to help me out."

Tenzin's temper seemed to simmer a bit as the others in the room listened with interest. "And what exactly did you do with him?"

Everyone else leaned in, eager to find out the answer.

"He's…giving me cooking lessons." Korra spoke rather bluntly, with a hint of embarrassment.

"Cooking Lessons?" Tenzin asked, sounding both surprised and a little confused, as if expecting anything else, with Korra nodding.

"He figured it'd give me something less stressful to focus on and help teach me to take things slower…and it actually helped a bit." Korra spoke with a genuine sincerity, even a hint of enjoyment at the idea. "Believe me, nothing is going on between me and Naruto. Trust me."

Yet in the back of her mind she couldn't help but go back to her dream. "But…do I want it to?"

Tenzin eyed her up again, looking for any hint of deception, before sitting back down. "Very well. I can certainly understand your responsibilities can be daunting at times. Apologies for overreacting."

With a sigh, Korra sat back down as well. "Pretty sure if my dad was here he'd have the same reaction, and you're just worried cause you care. I really appreciate that Tenzin."

This proved to turn the tables as Tenzin was now the one blushing at the compliment, quickly coughing to try and maintain face. "Yes, well…as your master it's important I ensure you're cared for."

Korra chuckled. "Believe me Tenzin, if I do start dating someone, I'll make sure you're the first to know."

A momentary peace returned to the table as everyone continued to eat quietly, though Ikki was still looking between her father and Korra.

"Soooo, you're absolutely sure Naruto isn't your boyfriend?"

"IKKI!" Tenzin's and Korra's yell sounded across the Air Temple as a pair of White Lotus members standing guard outside just shook their heads.

"Never a dull moment here."

"Nope."

-Avatar And The Revolutionary-

"I have to say, that last match was quite a nailbiter. Was a little worried you wouldn't be able to pull it off in the end, glad to see my proverbial gamble paid off in the end."

"Believe me Hiroshi, you're not the only one."

A pair of good natured chuckles sounded through the massive factory floor that was Future Industries, numerous Satomobiles being constructed all around by all manner of workers, some of whom were a bit distracted by the presence of a familiar Pro-Bending team.

Amongst the team, Korra was currently offering a polite bow to the man Mako was laughing with. "It's a real pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Sato."

Bolin quickly joined in, politely taking the man's hand and shaking it up and down with gratitude all over his face. "And I can't stop thanking you for sponsoring us. I mean, you have NO idea how much we needed the money."

The middle aged industrialist chuckled, not the least bit off put by the overly indulgent greeting. "Oh I have a pretty good idea. And I was happy to help, watching someone miss out on a potentially life changing opportunity because they're short a few yuans, well, it'd go against everything I stand for."

Hiroshi's eyes drifted to the many workers on the floor, some waving at him with a smile which he returned. "Ever since I started my company, I've done what I can to use my resources to help those in need. Though I can say, being able to help the Avatar is certainly an honor I never dreamed of."

"Well, I'm kind of hoping it wasn't just me being on the team that you decided to help us." Korra spoke somewhat bashfully. "I mean Mako and Bolin were the ones who helped us get this far, I've only been in like three matches."

Her compliment left the pair of brothers preening a little, Asami chuckling at the sight of her boyfriend's slightly smug and childish smile.

"I do appreciate the modesty, Korra. But don't worry, as I'm sure Asami already mentioned, I've wanted to throw my hat into the Pro-Bending game for a while, and had my eye on the Fire Ferrets for some time." Hiroshi's smile grew. "Call it the gambler in me, but I have something of preference towards underdogs, reminds me of my own rise above my station."

"And we plan to make that gamble payoff." Mako boasted with quite a bit of fire in his eyes. "Don't worry Hiroshi. We're gonna make sure Future Industries first Pro-Bending team are a team of champions, count on it."

His passionate speech made the vehicle magnet give a jolly laugh. "That's the exact kind of passion I love. And I'd expect nothing less from the young man who managed to catch my young Asami's eye."

Hiroshi happily patted Mako on the back like a proud father, making the firebender tense up a little, chuckling at the gesture. "Just make sure you keep my daughter safe when you aren't squaring off in the arena. I don't think I need to tell you how dangerous things can be out there?"

"Absolutely sir. I promise no matter what, I won't let anything happen to her." Mako's voice and expression turned stone serious, reminding Korra of how he'd looked when Bolin had been kidnapped and it seemed to satisfy Hiroshi.

"Glad to hear it." He offered Mako another, lighter pat on the shoulder and a warm smile. "I hope you'll forgive the dramatics, but what father doesn't worry about his only daughter?"

Mako wasn't able to answer as Asami snuck up behind the pair and gave her father a gentle side hug. "I figured after about 8 years of self defense lessons, you'd be able to stop worrying Dad. I practically had to beg you not to hire a security detail."

"Lucky thing he didn't." Korra commented with a smirk directed at Mako. "I imagine Mako would've probably gotten a few more bruises when you guys first met."

"As opposed to the love tap Asami gave him." Bolin giggled a little. "He actually calls the moment you guys first met that. I thought it was very romantic."

Mako looked about ready to throttle his brother as Korra laughed along with Bolin. "I told you that in confidence Bo. Nice to see brothers can't even keep secrets."

His anger however subsided when he felt Asami's lips on his cheek and his face turning red. "I think it's very sweet and a good incentive to keep that moped around from now on."

As Mako continued to stumble over his own tongue and Bolin watched his brother with amusement, Korra let her eyes wander around the massive assembly line.

It was certainly an interesting sight. Watching the various workers go about assembling each Satomobile by hand. Each one applied a different piece of the frame, from the wheels to the windows, to the axles, the doors, it all moved along at a mastered pace until the completed vehicle was at the end of the line.

Korra herself couldn't help but admire the completed vehicle itself.

"It truly is marvelous isn't it?"

Korra blinked and found Hiroshi standing next to her, looking upon the vehicle with undisguised pride. But she quickly nodded, sharing his excitement.

"It really is. Growing up in the South Pole, we didn't really have anything like it. Always relied on Naga to get me where I wanted to go. Getting to see these bad boys in person was something else."

The aged entrepreneur chuckled, placing his hand on the finished frame.

"I can still recall a time when things like carriages and even simple carts were considered luxuries only royalty and nobility could afford. Having come from nothing myself, I wanted to ensure that when it came to transportation at least, it was available to everyone. And it's an accomplishment I'm the most proud of."

Hearing the construction continue behind it, Korra again felt herself marveling at the many machines being built in the factory, each a means for a person or even a family to effortlessly travel across the city or even the country in a fraction of the time it used to take back during the time of Aang.

It left her looking at Hiroshi with a degree of awe she rarely showed anyone. After all, his invention had completely changed the world in a significant way few would have imagined a few decades ago.

"And he did it all without bending."

That thought actually made her realize something, namely, the noticeable lack of bending in the factory.

Scanning all over the floor Korra didn't see nor hear any signs of bending of any kind within the massive construction zone.

No pillars or bursts of flame, nor the sounds of stomps and the raising of earth or splash of water. It was all done purely by hand, no outside force required whatsoever.

Korra's mind quickly drifted back to the Jang Hui Sanctuary, the countless homeless and jobless Non-Benders, forced to live with next to nothing to their names or any prospects of a future.

It left Korra with a question and…an idea.

"Mr. Sato."

"Please Korra, you can call me Hiroshi. Formality like that is only for the Press or my Board of Directors. Is there something you need?"

His friendly disposition helped put the Avatar at ease a little as she contemplated her thoughts. "It's just, I noticed there don't seem to be any benders working here."

Her comment made Hiroshi's eyebrow raise, along with a faint tic of the eye, so fast one wouldn't even register it without looking. Yet Hiroshi's expression remained friendly and otherwise unchanged.

"Well, Future Industries does employ all manner of people Korra, regardless of their bending status. However, when it comes to production of my Satomobiles, bending isn't really a necessity and I'm more than happy to employ anyone provided they have a solid work ethic and perform well, who often tend to be Non-benders. I hope that isn't a problem."

Korra immediately panicked a little, realizing how her question might've been interpreted. "No, no, that's not what I meant at all. Sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything."

Her over the top reaction left the CEO looking a little perplexed but still kept his jovial demeanor, if a little more off balance. "It's fine, no harm done. But what is it I can help you with?"

Trying to think of how to phrase her words properly this time, Korra tried again. "Well, when I first came here, a friend of mine brought me somewhere. The Jang Hui Sanctuary."

A look of familiarity crossed Hiroshi's eyes as he nodded. "Yes, I'm familiar with the location. Truly a tragic reminder that not everyone in this city can be as fortunate."

"You said that bending isn't a requirement to work here. So I was thinking that, since so many of the people there need a job…"

"That perhaps if I had any positions available I could consider offering any to those at the Sanctuary." Hiroshi finished her sentence, a look of understanding and…genuine joy on his face that Korra hadn't seen since she arrived. "I must say, that wasn't something I was expecting to talk with you about when you came here Korra."

Korra only offered a bow to Hiroshi, knowing she was asking quite a bit from the man. "I know it's not exactly my place to ask, but since I came to Republic City, I've been shown how life isn't as easy for Non-Benders and I'm the Avatar so, I want to help out in some way and I figured…."

A warm hand was felt on Korra's shoulder as she found Hiroshi's smiling face looking at her, actually reminding her of a similar look Naruto often shared with her.

"I believe I might be able to work something out." Hiroshi said before his smile faltered a bit. "Although I can't promise everyone will get a chance, I can only guarantee some may find work."

"Some is better than none as they say." An undeterred Korra quipped.

"Agreed." Hiroshi nodded before. "Let's go discuss this a bit more in private."

Korra silently nodded and as they walked she felt a sense of elation start to form inside of her, one she hadn't felt since she first arrived.

With just some words and kindness from others she may have very well helped several people. And she did it without needing her bending.

-Avatar and Revolutionary-

"Korra seemed pretty happy as we were leaving. Any idea why?" Bolin asked as he and Mako had returned to their apartment, gearing up for a late practice in preparation for their next tournament match the following day.

"No clue, I was too distracted by your little betrayal." Mako sarcastically jabbed at his brother.

"Oh come on. It was just a little good natured sibling ribbing and Asami found it adorable. If anything I improved your standing with your girlfriend and more importantly, her dad."

Mako rolled his eyes as he examined his equipment, smiling a bit at the Future Industries logo resting proudly on their uniforms. "Well, next time you decide to help out, maybe run it by me first. Kind of don't want Asami to think I'm weird."

"You're right, I get it, you're in a relationship now and I have to respect how much that means. I know the Bro-Code." Bolin again chuckled as he started putting on the wrist guards of his uniform. "Though, onto a related topic, as the one currently in a relationship with a very beautiful and all around amazing girl, I was hoping you could bless this poor naieve with some brotherly advice."

The flowery and dramatic way he spoke made Mako look at his brother like was a little off his rocker, but brushed it off and gave him his full attention. "Long as you stop talking like that, sure, what's up?"

"So, I was thinking about asking out Korra…"

"No!"

"What, you didn't even let me finish." Bolin practically yelled, waving his arms about like he was trying to swat a fly. "And what's wrong with me wanting to date Korra. She's beautiful, an amazing bender and just an all around awesome girl."

"I'm not gonna deny any of that…even if her attitude rubs me the wrong way sometimes." Mako spoke that last part with a hint of childish spite.

"Are you just saying that because she didn't immediately wanna date you?"

That got Mako more than a little heated, slamming his palm on the nearby wall. "No, I'm quite happy with Asami and you're avoiding the bigger issue here or rather two of them."

"And those would be?" Bolin asked genuinely curious.

Mako immediately held out his hand, one finger pointed straight up. "For starters, she's a teammate. Dating between teammates almost always leads to distractions and if this goes badly, then it could ruin our chances in the Tournament."

"Kind of offended you automatically think it's not gonna work out." Bolin groaned a little at his brother's lack of faith, Mako merely giving him a knowing look. "Bo, I love you, but you have zero experience with women and there's still the other issue."

The second finger came up. "We've only known Korra a couple of weeks and outside of practice we don't exactly hang out much. Can you really say you know her well enough you're sure she'd even want to date you?"

"What's to know. We've got plenty in common. She's strong, I'm strong, she's fun, I'm fun, she's beautiful and I'm gorgeous." Bolin spoke with an almost salesman-like pitch, waving his hands for effect, while Mako merely stared at his brother flatly, Pabu offering a similar look.

Groaning as he put on the last of his gear, he approached Bolin. "Look Bo, I know arguing with you about this is probably not going anywhere. But, at least think about it and wait until the tournament is over. We already almost got knocked out in the first round, we don't need any more distractions…and if you still feel the same way after, then go right ahead and ask her."

His input seemed to finally get through to Bolin, whose enthusiasm sagged along with his shoulders, as he gave a weak nod. "Fine, but I'm gonna ask her once the tournament's over and you'll see."

Mako simply tapped his brother on the shoulder. "Whatever you say Bo. Now, let's get in some practice before tomorrow. And remember, no mention of this to Korra."

Bolin watched his brother as he descended down to the gym, before putting his equipment on and lifting up Pabu to meet him eye to eye.

"You know I'm right don't you Pabu. Mako just doesn't get it cause he's already got himself a girlfriend."

The fire ferret merely tilted his head to the side, offering no definitive answer, making Bolin slump in defeat.

"Okay, I just need a second opinion on this. And I know just the person to ask."

-Avatar and Revolutionary-

"Hope the food was satisfactory. You guys have a busy night ahead, so need your energy after all." Naruto gave a good natured smile as he took the provided money from the pair getting up from his counter.

"Still can't believe Amon has us pulling guard duty tonight. Doesn;t the school have enough…OW!" One of the pair, a male of Fire Nation heritage groaned as his companion, a female Earth Kingdom native, glared at him.

"Why not just shout out what we're doing for the entire block to hear. Besides, you should be happy, these schools are a major step towards life improving in this city."

The male of the two sneered a little. "Yeah, yeah. Just wish Amon could've picked someone else is all."

"Just get over it." The woman spoke, giving Naruto a smile. "Thanks again for the food as always Naruto. You sure you don't want to take a few lessons at the school?"

The blonde merely waved off the suggestion. "Nah, I'm just the information broker. I prefer keeping my ear to the pavement. Just stay safe out there you two."

"Will do, and thanks again." The woman dragged away her complaining companion, while Naruto waved them off, before groaning a little.

"Wonder how they'd react if they knew the truth." Naruto sighed as he started cleaning the bowls. "Hopefully things will be more or less resolved if and when I can finally take the mask off…hopefully."

As he worked, Naruto's ears perked up at the sound of another person approaching.

"Hey, Naruto, are you open, it's Bolin."

"Bolin?" Opening the window to his cart, he was greeted by the smiling face of his favorite earthbender and his faithful little companion. "Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you this late in the day. Shouldn't you be resting for your match tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but I figured getting a little fresh air couldn't hurt." Bolin spoke candidly as he took a seat at the counter. "Plus, Mako was meeting with Asami and I don't like being reminded of him being in a relationship while I'm not."

Seeing Bolin likely wasn't there for food but just to chat, Naruto simply leaned forward, placing his elbows on the window sill of his cart.

"Yeah, I can see how that would be a little irritating."

"So Naruto…mind if I get your opinion on something?" Bolin asked in a more serious tone, one that left Naruto a little off balance given how accustomed he was to Bolin's more goofy nature. It actually left him a bit curious.

"Sure, shoot."

Bolin took a breath for a moment and asked. "Well, in your honest opinion…what do you think of Korra?"

"...Huh?" Naruto offered the only intelligent response he could think of, not exactly sure what was just asked. "Where exactly are you going with this?"

"I mean, what do you think of her as a person?" Bolin again tried to elaborate his point. "I want to have a girlfriend, but I don't exactly know a lot of girls and Korra is a girl and a good friend and I was thinking maybe…."

Naruto gave the earthbender a flat look. "You're asking me for dating advice? Wouldn't Mako, the guy currently in a relationship, be better for this sort of thing?"

Bolin's expression turned sour, staring at the countertop. "I did and he said it was a bad idea. Said dating between teammates is too distracting…nevermind he's dating our sponsor's daughter." He immediately looked up at Naruto, eyes filled with a mix of determination and slight desperation. "So I thought you might be able to help me out a little. I mean, you're an unbiased party and you spend a lot of time around Korra, so I figured who better right?"

Naruto actually didn't have a snarky remark for that comment. Next to Tenzin and his family on Air Temple Island, Korra did hang around his cart a lot…admittedly part of that was by design.

But…Naruto wouldn't deny that he had genuinely come to really enjoy the fiery Avatar's company these last few weeks. Memories of some of their past interactions started to float around in his mind, as he mulled over how to answer Bolin's question.

"Well…I think Korra is a complicated girl." Naruto rested his chin on one of his hands as he chose his words. "She's certainly strong and has a pretty serious aggressive streak. Also she's kind of impatient at times and tends to rely a little too much on her bending to solve all her problems."

Naruto quickly pictured Korra's recent experiences behind his counter, both at his home and his cart. "Heh, she almost set my cart on fire two weeks ago. Had to wrestle her away because she was too stubborn to admit you're not supposed to use firebending to boil water."

That memory actually made Naruto chuckle quite a bit, recalling the admittedly adorable look of frustration Korra had during that moment.

Bolin meanwhile looked a little taken aback, both because he hadn't anticipated such an answer…and that Naruto seemed to actually look back at the experience fondly. "And suddenly Mako's comment on her attitude makes a little more sense."

Naruto stopped chuckling, yet still had that fond smile on his face. "Sorry, probably not giving much of a ringing endorsement am I. Lucky Korra isn't here, pretty sure she'd be half way through chewing my ear off or throttling me."

That actually made Bolin laugh, picturing such a scenario rather easily. "Yeah, I could see that happening. She can fly off the handle quite a bit."

"True. That headfirst mentality can be a little exhausting at times…but she's also unbelievably brave, compassionate and selfless. First time I met her, she squared up against Viper and his Triple Threat buddies, just to help Old Man Chung…even if she did also cause quite a bit of property damage in the end."

Again he spoke with a genuine fondness that was apparent even at a glance, which left Bolin feeling a bit shaken. He'd come expecting a short but sweet description, instead he was getting part of a biography almost.

"Sounds kind of like Korra can't help but cause a bit of chaos wherever she goes huh?" Bolin chuckled a little more awkwardly, as Naruto's own smile never dropped for even a second, his face looking out at the ocean just a few blocks down, Air Temple Island in view for both to see, the image of Korra's smiling face slowly overlaying the image.

"Yeah, but she's big enough to admit when she messes up…with a little coaxing here and there. And she clearly wants to better herself and the people in this city. Sure she's kind of rough like an angry Boarcupine, but in the end, she's got a kind heart and a fiery passion that you almost never see these days." Naruto sighed as he gave perhaps the most sincere grin Bolin had ever seen in his life.

"Add to that the fact she is extremely beautiful and pretty fun to be around, well any guy would have to be blind or crazy not to wanna date her."

And Bolin felt something inside of him crack as Naruto spoke those last few words. While people occasionally would call the earthbender a little naive and even dense at times, he was perceptive enough to pick up on certain things and the more he heard Naruto describe Korra, the more it made him think back to his own description of the Avatar.

Pretty, strong and fun. That's how he'd described her. All true statements no one could deny, but something anyone with eyes who knew Korra for even a couple of seconds could identify.

Sure Bolin did think Korra was amazing, but more from the perspective of an onlooker looking in, someone with maybe a silly crush. But, would that even be enough for Korra to want to give him a chance or…did she maybe already have her eyes on someone else?

Bolin found himself reflecting on some of the prior interactions he'd seen between Naruto and Korra and he quickly began to recall little things he'd ignored.

The seemingly innocent compliments the blonde gave the young Avatar that never failed to make her blush, his willingness to lend her an ear or a shoulder to lean on when she was struggling, the genuine ease he managed to make her smile and laugh.

It was obvious to him and that caused his smile to grow dour, even as he worked to keep up his cheery demeanor.

"Yeah, they'd certainly be a lucky guy." Bolin said with less enthusiasm compared to when he first showed up, eyeing Naruto briefly, before getting up from the counter. "Thanks for the input Naruto…it really helped clear up a lot of things for me."

Oblivious, Naruto smirked, giving the earthbender a thumbs up. "Happy to be of service. Like I say, my carts always open, whether for food or just to chat. Hope everything goes well with you Bolin."

Bolin smiled again, waving at Naruto before turning around, letting his own smile drop as he started heading back to his apartment.

"Hope everything goes well for you too, Naruto."

-Avatar and Revolutionary-

As night truly started to set in, a familiar pair of Non-Benders, now clad in their Equalist uniforms were walking through some of the back allies of Old Cranefish Town.

"Nice going Hai, we're twenty minutes late," the masked female Equalist angrily scolded her companion as they lightly jogged towards their destination. "I can't believe you forgot your mask in your apartment. We'll be lucky if the class isn't over by the time we get there."

"I said I was sorry, Yibei. My landlord just showed up the other day giving me grief about the rent and I had to kick it under the couch so no one would see it." The male Equalist quipped, run along side her. "I must've forgot about it."

"Just remember to keep an eye on it in the future."

The pair rounded the corner only for the sound of something rumbling to get their attention and cause them to stop.

"Did you hear that?" Yibei asked, entering a ready stance. Hai nodding. "Think it was just a rat or something?"

The pair got their answer as the ground underneath their feet seemed to sink, their legs and lower bodies being all but swallowed by the earth, leaving only their torsos, arms and heads free.

"My, my, what do we have here? A couple of naughty little Equalists out late at night."

The pair of Equalists felt their pulse drop at the sight of Jargala and four members of the Creeping Crystals walk out from behind a nearby corner, a look of cruel amusement on her face.

"I do hope you hadn't forgotten about us after you brought down the Triple Threats." Jargala smiled, leaning down to the two Equalists, Hai shivering at the presence of the ruthless Earthbender.

However, Yibei proved far less shaken. "Looks like you were right Hai, guess there were a couple dirt covered rats crawling around these allies

Jargala could also feel the smirk hidden behind that mask, yet her cocky smile never broke. "Nice to see you Equalists have some backbone even in the face of certain death…shame that's not what I need."

With a wave of her hand, and to Hai's horror, Yibei's body was swallowed by the earth until only her flailing left arm was left, pounding and gripping the air and the ground in a vain attempt to break free.

"People tend to forget how flexible an element Earth truly is. Most only associate it with big men hurling large rocks and making the ground explode." Jargala simply continued with a playful tone as she watched Yibei's arm continue to writhe in agony. "But it's actually the element most suited to capturing and killing people, so many wonderful possibilities. All you need to do is get…creative."

And with a final vain grasp, the trapped arm went completely limp, falling to the ground with a thud that might as well have been an execution bell as Hai felt the eyes of Jagarla on him now.

With a devious smirk, Jagarla reached into her pocket and pulled out something…a small green crystal that sent Hai into panicked flailing.

"Glad to see you know exactly what this is…then again it is our trademark afterall, but still." With a gentle hand, she placed the crystal next to Hai's neck, and gave her hand another wave. Like a wild plant, the crystal immediately grew inside, circling the man's throat like a collar, before slowly spreading upwards, causing the man to squeal in panic.

"You…you can't do this. Amon and the Equalists will come for you and then, you'll be the powerless one." Hai raved in fear as the crystal started to grow, only to stop as it was about up to his chin, Jargala looking deep into the goggle-covered eyes of her victim.

"Spirits or not, Amon is just another man, like the rest of us. And just like the rest of us, he can be beaten." With another twitch of her finger, the crystal rose over Hai's chin to his bottom teeth. "We simply need to approach this from a different angle, starting with exposing the man behind the mask."

Hai's eyes shot up at the declaration, even as the crystal continued to rise above his teeth to his upper jaw, before stopping.

"Once his face is revealed, every gang member and police officer won't rest until they've hunted him down and either locked him away…or buried him like your friend." Jargala's smile turned positively wicked, practically moaning the image of the Equalist Leader in constant peril. "Of course, finding such information will likely take considerable effort and may even cost several people, say civilians, their lives."

By now the crystal was up to Hai's nose and he felt his air supply start to shrink.

"However."

The crystal stopped once again and receded, until Hai's mouth was uncovered once again, Jagarla looking at him expectantly.

"If someone were to provide us with that oh so crucial intel, we could avoid all that unnecessary bloodshed and simply let the police handle things for us. So…"

She got down on her knees and gently pulled the Equalist mask off Hai's head, revealing his scared and panicked face, shivering as the Creeping Crystal leader gently traced her finger across his sweat-covered chin.

"Do we have a deal? Tell us and I promise you'll get to live to see your next sunrise…I might even make it worth your while." To emphasize her point, she leaned forward ever so slightly, allowing the top of her impressive bust to peak out from the top of her outfit, sending the Fire Nation native's face aflame.

Despite the situation he was in, there was no denying the scary woman before him was indeed quite attractive. Her offer was certainly tempting despite his loyalty to the Equalists. While he was a believer in the cause he also wasn't fearlessly committed like the more severe loyalists who would die for Amon.

However, his eyes quickly turned dour as he fell deathly calm. "Well…you see…the truth is. I actually don't know who Amon is under the mask. I'm not sure if anyone's ever even seen him without it."

Even as the words left his mouth, he knew he was doomed as Jagarla simply shrugged and stood up. "Pity, oh well. Plan B it is."

Without another word she pointed her finger upward, causing the crystal to practically burst forward, encasing the poor man's head in it's shimmer form, his hands reaching to try and break it, only for earth to rise up around them, pulling the limbs underground, leaving him to weave and struggle, as he gradually ran out of air.

After a minute of struggling, he stopped.

"Shame really, would've been nice for things to be easy for once." Slamming her foot into the ground and lifting both her arms up, palms to the sky, the two now corpses were all but spat out of the ground as Jagarla turned to her subordinates.

"Get to work stripping them, once you have their uniforms on, two of you head to the school and blend in. The rest of you, load the bodies into the truck and bury them in hills outside of the city and make sure it's nice and deep. Don't want any word of this reaching Amon's ears."

With a nod, the four got to work, as Jagarala picked up the jenamite crystal she'd just used and smiled.

"Won't be long now Amon. It's only a matter of time before the Creeping Crystal finally ensnares you.

-Avatar and Revolutionary-

"And you're absolutely positive Naruto isn't your boyfriend?"

"Ugh, Ikki we've been over this." Korra growled through her teeth as she and Tenzin's daughters loaded fruits into a feeder for the island's Lemur population. "Naruto and I aren't dating."

"But you'd like to be wouldn't you?" Ikki asked excitedly, Korra's face turning red at the question, causing Jinora to smirk.

"I'm not hearing a no."

With a loud huff Korra stomped her foot. "Okay! Maybe, and I'm not saying I would, but maybe I wouldn't exactly be against us dating." Despite the attempt at downplaying her response, her increasingly red face and withering voice made it obvious how strongly she felt about it.

Her reward for her honesty was a loud squeal from Ikki and an excited but restrained giggle from Jinora.

"But I don't even know if he's interested in the first place." Korra groaned, leaning against a nearby tree. "I mean, he's been a really good friend to me ever since I came to Republic City and he's helped me out even with how often I've screwed up."

"Sounds like he's the perfect guy for you Korra." Jinora said with Ikki nodding eagerly. "You totally need to ask him out."

"Ugh, but what if he says no?" Korra groaned into her hands. "I mean can you imagine how awkward it'd be afterwards whenever I see him." The very thought made her shiver, foreseeing quite a few uncomfortable silences at the cart and during their cooking lessons.

The thought caused Korra to slide to the ground from the tree against her back. "How is it that I can pick up bending without even breaking a sweat, but I'm terrified to ask out the guy I might be interested in?"

"Probably because love is more complicated than bending."

Korra yelped as she jumped to her feet, finding a chuckling Penma standing not to far away, making the Avatar awkwardly rub her head. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Around the part where you denied being interested in this Naruto fellow."

With groan Korra's shoulders sulked, Ikki gently patting her leg, as Penma watched them with amusement.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of Korra. Everyone has relationship issues, I certainly know Aang and Katara had a rocky start to their relationship."

Korra perked up a little, recalling some of the tales her master mentioned about her adventures with the previous Avatar. "Katara did mention it took Aang almost a year before he told her how he felt and they didn't officially become a couple until after Aang beat Ozai."

However, she felt her mood immediately drop at the comparison. "So does that mean I need to defeat some world ending threat before I can even ask him out?"

"Maybe, but I doubt it. More likely you'll have to deal with some awkward moments before you figure things out." Penma looked up at the sky fondly. "I know I was certainly hesitant when it came to Tenzin. Didn't exactly help that he was already in love with someone else."

"Wait really?" Korra asked surprised, Ikki and Jinora sharing her feelings.

"Yup, for a while I thought I'd missed my chance. Lucky for me, the relationship didn't work out in the end and I didn't let my fear of what might happen stop me." Penma gently approached Korra and gave her a support pat on the shoulder. "When love is real, it finds a way. Or so I've been told anyway. The worst thing you can do is nothing and regret it later on."

Korra's gloomy expression started to perk up, her smile slowly returning as she felt a bit more confidence start to bubble up inside her.

"I guess sitting around and just worrying about it doesn't really solve my problem huh?"

Feeling a degree of ease, Korra's eyes drifted to the city, hopefully in the direction of the aforementioned noodle vendor.

"Part of me wants to run right up to his cart and ask him now….but I should still try to take things slow, especially now."

As much as Korra wanted to resolve this matter right away, she already had plenty to worry about, especially with the Tournament in full swing. If things ended poorly it could easily cost her and the Fire Ferrets everything they'd worked for and she couldn't do that to Bolin and Mako.

"I can put it off until the Tournament's over, then I'll ask him." She felt her heart start to beat faster, her face flushing red as memories of her dream started to fill her head.

"Who knows, maybe I won't have to do anything and Naruto will be the one who asks me."

-Avatar and Revolutionary-

Finally some romantic development atleast to some extent. Irony I'm releasing this chapter not long after the next Avatar Series gets announced and….wow it does not paint Korra in the best light. Then again that's kind of par for the course at this point, hopefully at least this alternate reality paints Korra or atleast my version better.

Also, a couple things I want to address:

The Romance Subplot: The Legend of Korra is infamous for its mess of a Love Triangle or Square or whatever, so I wanted to nip that in the butt right from the start and make it clear, that is NOT gonna happen in this story. Korra met Naruto before Bolin and Mako, thus has more of a rapport with him and he actively helps her out and is just friendly with her, thus the affection she feels is more genuine compared to the canon one, where she just randomly likes Mako. Wanted to just make the romance make a bit more sense, but still wanted Bolin to kind of try, but realize his feelings for Korra were more shallow compared to the growing feelings Naruto is developing for Korra and she him. Again wanted to include it, but have it taken care of quickly. Also I don't hate Bolin or anything, figured this was a more graceful end to his romantic intentions then having his heart ripped out.

Jargala: Didn't mention this when she was introduced but Jargala aka the Leader of the Creeping Crystals is a semi-canon character from the comics. Since I wanted to focus more on the gangs in Republic City, made sense to give her a prominent role, but she's the only comic character I'm importing into the story. Also writing her kind of like Azula if she were an Earthbender and less crazy, tactical but also insanely ruthless, sort of a nice contrast from the more standard mobster that Zolt was.

Pretty straight forward I think and hope this clears up any questions that people might have, but if you have questions please leave them in the reviews and I will answer them to the best of my ability, though please make sure to clarify if you have a problem with spoilers or not.

Looking forward to whatever feedback or input you guys provide and again hoping this story gets more views, follows and reviews, and hopefully a TV Tropes page at some point cause that would be awesome.

One last thing, to the people constantly flooding my inbox and review section with requests to do art collabs KNOCK IT OFF! Seriously, I'm not interested in your painfully obvious scam, so kindly stop bothering me, I'm just gonna delete your emails and ignore your reviews. It's not working so back off.

Anyway, with that out of the way, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one. I plan to stick with this story until the end.