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.

9. Chapter 8 - A Fracture Forms

Hey everyone, back again with another chapter. Glad again to see everyone enjoying everything, especially the romantic development, that was certainly an area I felt a little unsure about but glad you enjoyed how everything played out.

Expect more drama and excitement in this chapter.

Like always comment, leave reviews or PM me if you just wanna chat. Spread the word and let the Revolution grow.

Also finally released my Naruto x Helluva Boss crossover, Wrath and Order, so give that a read, review and the like. Probably gonna do Naruto x DanDaDan next followed by Jujutsu, look forward to that.

Lastly, still hoping someone will make a TV tropes page for this story, would love to have one of my stories finally get a page.

Chapter 8: A Fracture Forms

-Avatar and Revolutionary-

Welcome back sports fans to the Quarter Final Round of the Pro-Bending Championship. This tournament has proven to be one surprise after another and tonight's match is no exception.

The Red Sands Rabaroos came into the ring confident they'd secure a spot in the Semi-Finals, but unfortunately for this fiery team of ladies, the tournament's dark horse, The Future Industries Fire Ferrets, are squaring up to snatch that spot right out of their paws.

Down in the ring, the aforementioned Rabaroos were panting heavily and on the defensive, with their firebending captain, Adi, the only member still in Zone Two while Ula and Umi, Earth and Water Respectively, were pushed all the way back to Zone Three.

Standing in front of the outnumbered and visibly frustrated firebender, Bolin, Mako and Korra all stood, confident, guards up and eager to end things right there.

Refusing to back down, Adi let off a few fire jabs, weaving from side to side to allow her teammates to provide some supporting elemental assistance, but distance proved to be the enemy, making their attacks take longer to connect and easier to respond to.

Mako effortlessly deflected each of Adi's blasts, Bolin responding with several earth discs to destroy and repel the remaining projectiles, while Korra's water followed almost immediately, pushing the two Rabaroos practically to the edge of the platform.

Things are not looking good for the Rabaroos ladies and gentlemen. With her teammates trapped in Zone 3, Adi has almost no room to breathe, yet she is refusing to go down. How will the Ferrets respond?

As if to answer Mako offered a quick side glance to Bolin and Korra, who nodded and all but charged in, all three of their eyes on Adi, and let loose a three pronged assault.

With fire ahead of the pack, Adi pressed her forearms in front of her face to shield herself on pure instinct, only for her knees to quickly buckle from the watery bullet courtesy of the Avatar. Adi's stomach was given the same treatment from Bolin, his earth plate barreled into her torso and sent her crashing hard onto the floor.

Ouch, that's gotta hurt! Looks like the Fire Ferrets decided to help Adi get reacquainted with the arena floor!

Adi strained herself trying to regain her facilities, barely able to acknowledge the continued play going on around her, though a quick shift in temperature and air a few feet above her followed by a familiar buzzer was enough of a clue.

Rising up on soaked and bruised knees, a look of all but total surrender on her worn face, Adi paid a cursory glance over her shoulder, feeling the last vestige of resolve flicker out at the lack of presence from her teammates.

And with Adi down the Fire Ferrets utterly swamped the remaining two with overwhelming elemental supremacy. That's two Rabaroos in the pool and by the look of things, their captain is about to take a dive herself.

Letting a tired gasp out of her still aching chest, Adi paid the Fire Ferrets one last glance, as the trio closed in on her.

A loud splash soon followed along with another buzzer, the audience breaking out into thunderous applause

And with a totally decisive knockout, the Fire Ferrets have managed to make it all the way to the Semi-Finals. Talk about an upset ladies and gents. I may not be a betting man, but I daresay, these Fire Ferrets might just walk away with the whole tournament, though we'll have to wait and see if their luck holds out in the Semi-Finals in two days.

Back on the arena floor, the three winning Pro-Benders cheered and gave a triple high five at their victory.

"Oh yeah, did you see us out there? Totally in sync and utterly unstoppable." Bolin practically buzzed with his usual enthusiasm, bouncing on his feet as they headed to the locker room.

"I know what you mean Bo." Mako pulled off his helmet and opened his locker door. "We keep this up, and that championship is as good as ours."

"No kidding," Korra nodded eagerly, feeling practically on top of the world at that moment. "Though, is anyone really that surprised? I mean who wouldn't expect the Avatar to be a champion in her first season?"

Korra let out a spirited whoop before offering a few playful poses, with Bolin applauding her antics, leaving Mako furrowing his brow in mild annoyance.

"Don't get too cocky Korra." Mako quickly brought down the hype, looking at his team with a serious eye. "We've still got two more matches to go and they'll be against some really tough teams. We can't go in half cocked."

Feeling the mood drop like the Rabaroos, Korra stopped posing, giving Mako a mild stink eye. "Guess Asami still hasn't sanded away that serious side of yours."

"You should listen to your captain there." A new voice spoke up.

The trio of eyes immediately darted to the entrance of their booth, finding a young, fairly skinny man with pale skin, grey eyes and short, geasy black hair with a prominent droop in the front, a snake-like smile on his face. "Afterall, luck is about the only reason a collection of amateurs like you even made it this far."

The guy had a pretty haunty air that made Korra wanna gag as she sized him up. "And whose this clown supposed to be? A male cheerleader?"

The crack proved effective as the stranger's cocky facade chipped, his twitching lip and eye making him look like he'd just stubbed his toe against a metal desk.

"He's Tahno, Captain of the White Falls Wolfbats." Mako said, giving a leveled glare at his fellow Pro-Bender.

Korra simply let off a disinterested huff. "That supposed to mean something?"

Bolin immediately appeared at her side, looking considerably less confident than his brother. "Korra, his team are the current champions."

"For the last three years running in fact." Tahno finally regained his composure and voice, tracing his eyes over Korra in a way that made her skin crawl. "And we fully intend to keep that streak up this year, so you'd best forget about winning, Avatar."

His cocksure attitude earned him a restrained but still visible sneer from Korra, Bolin lightly holding her in place, while Mako kept a neutral air. Yet that only seemed to egg the Wolfbat Captain on, as he got closer, until he was in front of the shorter Korra, taking advantage of the extra foot in height to literally look down on her.

"Shame really, amateur or not, you're a halfway decent pro-bender, pity you decided to throw yourself in with this sorry excuse for a team." Tahno then leaned in closer, near Korra's ear. "Of course, if you want, I could give you some private lessons. Give you a taste of what a real pro-bender can do."

The double entendeur wasn't lost on anyone present, with Bolin actually looking both disgusted and angry, with Mako actually taking a step forward with his fist raised.

"You're pushing your luck Tahno, think about what you say next very carefully." Mako's fists tightened, yet Tahno didn't look worried.

"What's the problem, I'm just extending a friendly hand to a fellow competitor." Tahno's eyes drifted back to Korra, who was surprisingly quiet. "Of course, I'd hate for this to get violent. After all, you two failures already know any kind of fighting outside of the ring gets you an instant disqualification from the tournament."

Despite the threat, Mako still looked riled up and prepared to take another step forward, Bolin's eyes darting between them, worried about what would happen, when Korra looked up at Tahno and wasn't looking angry, disgusted or annoyed…she was smirking, rather confidently in fact.

Tahno cockily grinned, as he put his arm around Korra's shoulder. "So what'd you say Avatar? Up for a little one on one tutoring with a champ?"

The gesture made both brothers look as if a bomb was about to go off, fearing less for their position in the tournament at this point and more Tahno's life expectancy. Yet, to their surprise, Korra simply pulled the offending limb off with minimum force, while keeping her smirk up, unperturbed by the repellent behavior.

"Hate to break it to you pretty boy, but I've already got a tutor giving me plenty of one-on-one lessons." Korra's mind briefly flashed the image of a familiar noodle chef into her head as she looked up at Tahno's stunned expression, while enjoying the implication she was throwing in his face. "And he's a heck of a lot more skilled than you, champ! So thanks, but no thanks."

Off balance by the unexpected retort, Tahno quickly dusted off his ego, along with his shirt and gave a light scoff in Korra's direction.

"Well, make it to the finals and we'll see how well all your practice pays off." With a wide but closed smile, he smugly made his way out of the locker room. "Just don't act too sad when you take a nice little dive."

Once he was gone, Korra's smile morphed into a wrathful snarl, teeth on full display, acting like she'd just smelled something rotten. "Please tell me that guy's all talk and the whole three time champion thing is just some fluke?"

"Sorry, but as far as I've heard he's legit." Bolin spoke with disappointment in his voice. "Ego or not, his team are the reigning champs."

"Which is why we have to make sure we're as ready as possible in the last two matches." Mako practically tossed the rest of his uniform into the locker, clearly rattled by Tahno's taunts. "Best way to give that guy a reality check is for a couple of amateurs to knock him on his back and out of the ring."

Korra's smirk returned, almost shark-like in appearance as she slammed her fist into an open palm. "I like the sound of that. And some nice incentive to make it to the finals…beyond the obvious."

"Awesome, cause we've got plenty of time to practice before we get there." Bolin said, grinning ear to ear as he put his gear away and shut his locker.

"Yeah, about that…" Korra started awkwardly scratching the back of her head. "I kind of have something else going on tomorrow morning, so I can't exactly make it to practice for a bit."

"Is this about that mystery tutor, something we should know about?" Bolin asked, practically leaning over towards Korra, only for Mako to pull him back.

"Bo relax, it's probably just Avatar related stuff."

"Not exactly, but it's nothing weird I promise." Korra almost felt silly acting embarrassed in front of her friends. "Naruto just asked me to help hand out food at the Jang Hui Sanctuary tomorrow is all."

"Oh yeah, I think you mentioned that place at practice once." Bolin's posture quickly relaxed, yet his eye shrewdly remained on the young Avatar. "So, spending time with Naruto…that's an interesting development."

That earned him an elbow to the ribs from Mako, though the firebender kept an expectant look on the Avatar.

Korra's cheeks started to redden as she awkwardly shuffled her hands together. "Well, when I was having trouble with my Airbending he figured I needed a distraction and thought helping out there would do the trick…and honestly I'm enjoying it a lot more than I thought."

"Nothing wrong with that." Mako approached Korra, patting her gently on the shoulder. "Long as you don't forget to come to practice, it's fine with me. I've got a date with Asami tomorrow anyway, so I'd be kind of a hypocrite if I had a problem with you having other commitments."

"How about that, maybe Asami is rubbing off on you after all." Korra joked, earning a light punch to the shoulder from Mako.

Bolin quietly sulked in the background, practically shoulders slumped as Pabu gave his master a few comforting licks. "Okay, I'm really happy for both of them but…UGH…I NEED to get a girlfriend!"

-Avatar and Revolutionary-

"Excellent work tonight class." A fully covered female Equalist clapped loudly to the assembled group of over 30 civilians of various ages, two additional Equalists standing beside her. "We'll continue to cover pressure points for the rest of the week and starting next Monday, we'll begin conditioning training and proper Chi-Blocking forms."

Turning her attention to a nearby training dummy, coated in various dots along its body, the instructor quickly struck one of the spots with her middle and index ring finger. "Just remember to properly memorize every pressure point, the forms and techniques won't be effective if you don't know where to strike."

A chorus of nods and acknowledgements followed, with several in attendance looking excited at the prospect of further lessons, a few pairs even playfully jabbing each other in a mock demonstration of skill.

The instructor behind her mask felt a ghost of a smile behind her mask at the crowd's rampant enthusiasm before she gave another clap, regaining their attention. "That's all for tonight's lesson. Make sure to be safe walking home. Just because you're taking these classes doesn't mean you should actively look for a fight after all."

The crowd bowed in respect to their instructor who returned it before the many students headed for the large double doors leading out of the training facility. Two masked Equalists at the entrance wordlessly opened the doors for the vacating students who offered their thanks on the way out.

The two remained quiet as they continued to look around the Chi-Blocking School.

The building was fairly large, illuminated by multiple overhead lights. The floor itself was padded for sparring purposes, with several wooden training dummies along with a matching number of pressure point dummies arranged at various spots. The walls opposite the door had two bright red banners with the Equalist symbol adorning them, along with a large pressure point chart and paintings depicting different Chi-Blocking Forms.

Overall it was a fairly well put together establishment, not too different from the various bending academies that existed throughout the world. Though that was of little interest to the two guards, who simply stood in silence as the last of the trainees finally left, leaving only the female instructor behind.

"Nice work as usual you guys." The instructor spoke with a much lighter, more familiar tone and offered a friendly wave. "Sorry you're stuck with guard duty, must get kind of boring just standing there all night. If you want, I could let you help out during practice. Get the blood pumping a little maybe?"

One of the guards immediately shook their head. "Thanks, but we're alright here."

The other nodded quickly. "You're doing fine without us."

The two kept their words brief and quick, lest they potentially out themselves. Neither knew how to even pretend to impersonate one of the intended guards Jargala had killed, only managing to get this far thanks to the full body uniforms they wore. Didn't help that outside of the pair being a man and a woman like the originals, they sounded almost nothing like them.

It left the two hardened criminals on edge, less fearing what the one instructor would do if they were exposed and more what Jargala would do to them if they ruined her plan before it even began.

Fortunately, luck seemed to be on their side, as the instructor gave a light shrug. "Well, offer's always open if you guys change your minds. I'll lock up, so you can go home. I can take care of myself."

The two Creeping Crystals nodded and bowed before exiting the building, quickly putting as much distance between themselves and the school as possible.

"Let's take these masks off already, we stick out more than usual." One of the pair whispered, only to get immediately elbowed by her companion.

"Shut up, the cops are keeping an eye on this place, you wanna blow the whole plan?" He quickly jerked his neck towards a nearby parked police vehicle just across the street, two officers visible behind the wheel.

Trying to keep up the facade, the more sensible of the pair offered a weak wave to the police before leading his far jumpier comrade into a nearby alleyway.

Sneaking through the back alleys of Old Cranefish Town and moving for several blocks, they were soon greeted by a dark green Satomobile parking in front of the alleyway. The driver side window rolled down, revealing Councilman Jie, impatiently glaring at the pair.

"Get in!"

Immediately the two gave a quick scan of the alley before opening the door and shutting it behind them, the car quickly driving off.

"Hurry up and take those damn masks off already. Do you want to ruin my reputation and get me kicked off the Council?"

The two criminals did as instructed as the vehicle quickly drove onwards, entering the Roku District, more specifically one of the more pristine upper middle class residential areas.

"Nice to see how much being a politician buys you." One of the Creeping Crystals spoke with a mixture of envy and sarcasm, happy to finally be able to speak freely for a change. "And all without having to get your own hands dirty."

Jie growled as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel, but said nothing as the car eventually pulled into the driveway of a rather large, Earth Kingdom styled home.

The Councilman quickly got out, the two following him as his eyes scanned the area for any prying eyes, before all but forcing the two inside and shutting the door.

"Someone's a little tense, you know all that stress will lead you to an early grave." The male of the criminal pair jeered, even as the middle aged Jie's face started to break out in angry veins, his aged knuckles and fingers cracking as he tightened them.

"Leave Jie alone you two. We're guests in his home after all, it's only polite that we show him the proper respect."

The group entered the lavish living room, finding Jargala seated comfortably in a large plush green and gold chair like a queen on her throne, her ever present smile never leaving her face.

The two lower ranking members quickly bowed to their leader, while Jie walked into the nearby kitchen and started pouring a pair of drinks, scowling as he did, paying the three little mind.

"So, have there been any developments on your little assignment?" Jargala leaned forward, fingers interlocked under her chin, an eager glimmer in her eyes. "No hiccups I trust. Discretion is important here if we want to expose Amon and I'd hate to have to bury the entire matter because someone got sloppy."

"No one suspects anything." The female Creeping Crystal spoke quickly, picking up on her boss's double meaning. "We've done what we can to avoid attracting attention, though they'll likely notice something amiss eventually."

"True, but that shouldn't be a problem." Jaragla leaned back in her seat, using her earthbending to lift one of the crystal cups Jie had poured a drink into before taking a quick sip. "We only need a name, and that masked man's entire empire will crumble like a pile of rubble."

An uneasy glance was shared between the two low level criminals, which Jargala's sharp eyes easily spotted, her eye quivering in confusion as she took another sip. "Hmm, you say there've been no complications, but your eyes tell a different story."

Taking a seat in another chair nearby, Jie took a hearty sip of his own drink, practically grinning like a wolfbat at the sight of the two previously cocky criminals quaking under their leader's eye.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't appear anyone at the school is aware of Amon's identity, or atleast, not where they are willing to discuss it openly." The male of the pair spoke quickly, hoping to avoid a possible punishment as his cohort nodded.

"We thought perhaps the instructor might know something, but apparently they do a rotation every few days and all of them keep those same creepy masks on." The female Crystal added with haste, keeping her eyes glued to the ground. "And the Equalists would certainly notice if one of their teachers went missing."

"Hmm, quite the quandary indeed." Jargala eyed her glass as she gently twirled it in her wrist, eying the liquid as it swirled in place. "Figuring out Amon's identity was always going to be a challenge though, we knew that from the start. Still, if they don't know who Amon is themselves, perhaps they know someone who does?"

Another uneasy glance was shared between the two, before the male spoke up. "Well, we did hear something."

"Oh…then please share it. There's no need to be so tight-lipped about it."

"Well, one of the instructors mentioned a guy in the organization, everyone just calls him the Lieutenant. He's basically Amon's right hand man, if anyone knows who he is under the mask, it'd be him."

"A fair and reasonable assumption." Jargala relaxed more into her seat, tracing the rim of her glass with her finger. "Though, if they only know him by a title or code name, it's a safe enough bet his actual identity is also hidden. Meaning all you've done is exchanged one dead end for another."

The male criminal felt his pulse rapidly increase as Jargala's finger gently tapped the glass, her eyes looking into his with an almost hollow, remorseless glance.

"There was something else." His partner quickly spoke up. "The instructors also mentioned someone else, someone with an actual name and a face."

Satisfied with the nugget of information, Jaragala's smile slowly grew back while her posture relaxed. "There we are, genuine progress. Please continue."

"Apparently, he's some kind of information broker they visit from time to time. Keeps the Equalists all over the city up to date on any gang activity in the city. Odds are good he has to know something about Amon."

Jargala shared a look with Jie, who seemed less convinced by the claim. "Sounds more like you two are just trying to waste our time to save your own necks." Jie took a long sip from his drink, enjoying the angry glares the lower ranked members were giving him. "Might need to replace you with a more competent pair, not like the Equalists will know the difference."

Despite the visible seething hatred directed at the corrupt councilman, he wasn't even remotely bothered, happily enjoying his drink. Thanks to his position, he was too valuable to Jaragala to be in any kind of danger, and getting to rub that particular perk in the faces of the group's low ranked thugs with more brawn than brains was always a treat he liked to savor.

"Now now Jie, there's no need for that." Jargala casually waved the older Earthbender off, giving a glance towards the two. "It at least sounds like a promising lead to look into. Even if this broker doesn't know Amon's identity, we could still learn some useful information from him. Tell me, who is he?"

"Some noodle cart owner. Usually hangs around the Roku District. Really easy to spot thanks to his bright yellow hair."

Jargala's smile grew as finished her drink, using her tongue to catch some remaining liquid on her upper lip with a look in her eyes that reminded the other three earthbenders of a hungry predator.

"Sounds like we found our lead. Bring him in, but remember to be gentle." Jargala's hand tightened around the glass, causing small cracks to form. "I'd hate for him to be damaged before I get to speak with him."

-Avatar and Revolutionary-

"Huh, seems like you're a quicker study than I took you for Korra." Naruto watched the Avatar slowly mix a batch of dough at a far slower and more practiced pace, and thankfully no water or firebending to correct any potential snafu's. "Guess Liu doesn't need to call the police department about a potential dough bombing. Or the fire department to help clean up the mess."

"Haha, you're just never gonna let that go are you?" Korra didn't look up from her dough, wanting to make sure this time around she got it absolutely right, and having grown accustomed to the blonde's playful jabs at her expense.

They did still mildly annoy her, but she'd learned to just roll with them.

"Always gotta be honest, remember? Plus, think of it as a nice little motivator to pace yourself. Can't have you getting too big of a head just cause you didn't make a mess this time." Naruto smirked as he got a little close, almost leaning over Korra's shoulder, actually making her shiver a little bit. "If it helps, think of it as another form of meditation. How would Tenzin put it?"

Coughing for a moment, Naruto started stroking an imaginary beard and talking in a much deeper voice similar to the Air Master. "In order for your mind to be as free as air, you must learn to block out all distractions, especially my very stupid comments. Only once you've done this and achieved a truly sound mind, can you master the art of Doughbending."

"Pfft," Korra struggled to hold in a laugh at the blonde's rather spot-on Tenzin impression. "Doughbending? What, is that some secret cooking technique?"

Honestly the more she thought about it, it wasn't nearly as crazy as one would think. Korra recalled quite a few instances where Katara used her waterbending skills when making stew. Plus even though Naruto had forbade her using her bending to cook, that was more on the condition she master the basics before trying it.

And, it actually sounded like a pretty exciting thing to try out.

"If it is, I certainly can't do it. But I figure it'd help get you in the right mindset. Bending is kind of your thing after all?" Naruto smirked, dropping the impression. "Heck, who's to say one of your past lives didn't experiment a little in the kitchen from time to time."

Now there was an interesting thought. "I'd ask them, but I'm pretty sure I still have to nail down meditation before I move up to the whole consulting past lives thing."

That comment made Naruto look at Korra with a quizzical eye, one that quickly made the Avatar feel a little self conscious. "What?"

"Sorry, just…sometimes I still can't wrap my head around the idea that you used to be…what was it, ten thousand different people at one point in time." The pair's eyes were drawn into the distance of the harbor, more specifically the massive statue of Aang standing proud. "I mean, I still can't quite believe you were Aang in a past life, nevermind people like Kiyoshi, Roku or Kuruk."

"Not sure if I should feel insulted by that." Korra eyed Naruto who looked ready to offer some kind of apology. "But I get it. Being the Avatar, people just kind of expect you to be a natural at certain things. Pretty sure everyone figured I'd be talking to spirits and Airbending by the time I was thirteen just like Aang did."

The atmosphere around the cart started to drop, Korra's boisterous enthusiasm practically evaporating, making Naruto wishing he hadn't broached the issue. "The whole spiritual thing really is a sore spot for you?"

Glancing back out at the harbor, almost feeling the statue's eyes on her even from such a distance, Korra couldn't help but nod.

"The Avatar is supposed to be this great hero, a bridge between the humans and the spirits. But ever since I found out I was the Avatar, the bending was the only thing I really cared about. I mean I was four, what kid isn't gonna think bending three different elements isn't the coolest thing ever? All that spiritual stuff; meditating, past lives…it just never clicked with me. And it's because of that one stupid block that I still can't airbend yet."

Briefly Naruto's mind pictured a very tiny Korra gleefully tossing around fire, earth and water with the reckless abandon one expected from that age. "Okay, that's a bit more adorable of a mental image then I was expecting. But for right now, we need to shift focus."

"Hey," Korra felt her face heat up as Naruto's hand touched her bare shoulder, suddenly making her debate whether she was grateful or angry at herself for not wearing sleeves. "You'll nail the whole spiritual thing eventually, you're way too stubborn to let it beat you. But for right now just stop thinking about it. When we're cooking, you're just Korra, not the Avatar. And, honestly, just Korra is more than enough for me."

The young Avatar felt her heart skip a beat as her entire body started to heat up rapidly, not helped by her not crush still having his very warm and strong hand still resting on her bare skin.

"I-I mean…if, tha-t's what…uh, I mean…" Korra internally screamed and groaned at finding herself of all times to be tongue tied. "This would be so much easier if I could just ask him out now! NO! Focus Korra, you can't afford to get distracted before the Championship Match. Just focus on something else. ANYTHING ELSE!"

"Hey, um…." The two practicality jumped out of their shoes when the sound of an unfamiliar voice made the two look out the window of Naruto's cart, finding a middle aged man of Fire Nation descent in somewhat shaggy clothing looking at them. "Will you two have those noodles ready soon? Kind of getting hungry out here?"

Feeling a sense of relief at the awkward moment passing, Korra was quick to bury any kind of romantic thoughts in her head for the moment. "Guess we probably should get to cooking, or are we just gonna call it Doughbending from now on?"

"That depends?" Naruto spoke with the utmost seriousness, happy to see the girl out of her funk. "Korra, are you ready to present your dough and take the next step in mastering this sacred and divine art form?"

Happily playing along with their new found routine, Korra practically grinned like a fiend as she picked up her dough ball and immediately started to knead and stretch the dough, the ball offering very little in the way of resistance compared to the last time.

"I was born ready and as you can see, I think I've got this whole thing nailed down."

For a little added flare, Korra actually started rolling the dough into a ball and tossing it back and forth in her hands at a breakneck speed, before squishing it in between her palms, leaving a visible imprint behind.

"Impressed?"

"Nice to see your ego's recovered since last time." Naruto quickly took the imprinted dough before rolling it back into a ball and then placing it on the kitchen counter of his cart and used a rolling pin to flatten it out. "Now comes the cutting and the cooking part."

At the mention of cutting Korra's eyes immediately zeroed in on the rather large, square shaped knife on the rack near the sink. However, as she reached out to grab it, Naruto gently smacked her hand before grabbing the knife himself.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"Knife work is next week's lesson. Still need to get boiling the water down first."

For a brief moment Korra was angrily clutching her hands as if she wished they were around the blonde's throat. "He's so frustrating…but I can't stay mad at him! UGH!"

Again not wanting to argue, Korra started filling the pot up and placed it on the stove, making sure to pay attention to the dial and set the water to boil, while Naruto cut the noodles.

After about 5 minutes or so, the water was ready, the noodles were cooked and Naruto had Korra mix the noodles, broth and other toppings, eventually presenting the customer with a fully prepared bowl.

"Here you are sir! You get to try the very first bowl prepared by the Avatar herself! Enjoy."

"There's that trademark modesty of yours again Korra! Wanna sign the bowl for him while you're at it." Naruto snarked from behind, earning a fiery glare from Korra, while the man took the bowl and started eating.

Korra tried her hardest not to stare, hands trembling in anticipation as he chewed and finally swallowed. "Well, what'd you think? Is it amazing, awesome, the best thing you've ever had?"

The man eyed the noodles for a moment, then offered Korra the most neutral, borderline unimpressed expressions she'd ever seen in her life. His mouth was a flat line and his eyes were barely open beyond a normal size.

From beyond Naruto visibly winced. "Yeah, this isn't going to end well."

"It's okay. " The customer took a few more bites and downed the broth before handing the bowl to Naruto, as Korra remained quiet.

"Hey, come on, it's no big deal. I mean, it was edible and he didn't say it was bad right?" Naruto offered some type of a compliment, only getting a comically seething look from Korra.

"Let me try again." Korra spoke with a low tone.

"Maybe in a little bit…"

Korra practically grabbed Naruto by the shirt Korra and angrily looked him in the eye. "I WANNA TRY AGAIN!"

Taking a breath, Naruto gently pulled Korra's hands off him and shut the window to the kitchen.

"Maybe take a break, we've still got a lot of customers to feed and obviously you still need a bit more practice. But you're making progress."

Letting off an angry and defeated huff, Korra took off her apron and walked out from behind the cart, practically stomping towards a nearby bench. Her mood didn't improve much as several people immediately raced to the cart, almost making her jump up.

"Oh come on. It wasn't that bad!"

"Problem Avatar?"

"AHH!" Korra leapt off the bench with a yelp, landing several feet away, only to be greeted by the owner of the Sanctuary. "Oh, Mr. Zhujao, hey, how's it going?" Korra awkwardly tried to brush off her rather loud reaction, glaring lightly at some of the snickering children nearby.

"It's going quite well, thank you. Glad to see your appearance a few weeks ago wasn't a one time affair." The older gentlemen smiled as Korra returned to her seat on the bench. "Seems as though your first step into the culinary arts didn't pan out quite as well as you'd hoped."

Crossing her arms, Korra practically pulled her chin below her forearms, a metaphorical rain cloud practically hanging over her head.

"Don't dwell on it too much. Perfection is the enemy of progress, you set your expectations too high you'll never meet them." Liu spoke with an almost sage-like wisdom to him, fitting given his aged appearance.

Korra merely sulked deeper into her arms, pulling her legs into her knees. "You and Tenzin take pages from the same mentor book. You sound just like him right now."

"Sound advice can be found in any discipline. Whether it be cooking or bending, parallels and connections can be found between the two. It's simply a matter of taking what you learn from one and applying it to the other."

That got Korra to peek out from behind her arms. "Any chance you know a parallel that'll help me figure out how to Airbend or maybe connect with my past lives?"

Liu didn't offer an immediate answer, eyes looking towards the main building of the Sanctuary. "Tell me something Avatar Korra, do you recognize the name of my Sanctuary?"

Finally pulling herself out of her arms and looking back at the building, her eyes zeroed in on the sign depicting its name. At first nothing really came to mind, yet as she started to think about it a bit further, a small nagging sensation started to form in the back of her mind.

It was like reaching out to grab something but only able to brush against it with her fingers.

"I'm not surprised you don't remember it, the last time you even heard that name was likely about…eighty years ago if I'm not mistaken."

Korra's eyes widened, though she still didn't understand the connection, for the briefest moment, images started to form in her mind.

A massive dirty green lake, a collection of houseboats connected by stilts, numerous ill and depressed people and…a bizarre old man wearing multiple hats.

"Seems like that finally jogged your memory a little. Or at least Avatar Aang's."

The mention of her predecessor practically floored the Avatar, still unable to put a name to it, yet it was obvious to her.

"Those were Aang's memories?"

"Jang Hui, was the name of a small fishing village in the Fire Nation." Liu spoke quietly, drawing Korra's full attention. "It suffered from extreme pollution thanks to a nearby refinery that threatened the lives of its people, including my father."

Again Korra's mind briefly was hit with images of many people she didn't recognize, standing atop the bridges and docks, among which was a young boy with a large burn on his left shoulder.

"It wasn't until the arrival of a small group of seemingly innocuous children that things seemed to improve. The village's own Guardian Spirit suddenly appeared to help heal the sick and protect its people."

"The Painted Lady." Korra spoke without even thinking, the words coming to her lips as if she'd spoken them countless times before.

Liu nodded, smiling with gratitude as he lightly bowed his head to the young Avatar. "Your predecessor and his friends saved my father's life as well as his village." Liu's eyes drifted back towards the city and the Sanctuary. "That act of kindness enabled him to grow up and eventually move to this very city. He was able to meet my mother and open this very Sanctuary. To offer aid to those in need, just as Avatar Aang and his friends had done for him and his people."

Korra's mind was awash with emotions, shock, amazement, joy and a hint of pride. All mixing together, as the visions in her mind still played, though fragmented, enough to make her smile grow once again.

"And even now, after almost a century, you've managed to help the people of Jang Hui once again, Avatar."

Surprised and confused, another memory hit Korra like a blow in the bending arena. It made Korra finally notice the considerably smaller number of people at the Sanctuary.

A look of genuine glee and excitement erupted on Korra's face. "Wait, you mean, Mr. Sato actually?!"

Crossing his arms and leaning back, a knowing grin on his face. "Imagine my surprise when the CEO of Future Industries called, asking if I had any occupants interested in a position at his company. The people here cheered as though a war had just ended."

Korra didn't speak, her entire body completely overwhelmed with a type of joy she hadn't felt in…well ever. She had to fight the urge to start jumping in place, cheering like Ikki normally did for seemingly no logical reason at all.

In a way, it sort of reminded her how she felt when she'd first arrived and helped Old Man Chung, though that moment had been soured by the rather sizable amount of destruction that came with it.

But here?

"I actually made a difference. I actually helped people. No past lives, no meditation, no bending needed. WOOOO!"

She settled for cheering internally, yet still couldn't stop herself from fidgeting with childlike glee, Liu watching the entire sight with amusement.

"Though we may be on opposite sides for the moment Avatar, on some level you'll always have my gratitude for what you did for my family."

Giving Korra another few moments to bask in her moment of triumph, Liu let out a slight cough to get her attention back. "While it's true you're not like Aang or any of your past lives, that doesn't discredit what you can accomplish with the skills you do possess. Just don't dwell on what you can't do…at least not yet anyway."

"Anyone ever tell you you're really good at these motivational speeches?" Korra joked a little. "Wish Tenzin was here, he could take a few notes."

"Your compliment is appreciated Avatar, though misplaced I'm afraid." Liu's eyes drifted towards Naruto's cart, the young noodle chef effortlessly chatting with several of the people at his counter. "Truth is, Naruto is more of anorator than me, I imagine he'd give you the same advice…in between the occasional humorous remark."

Korra again felt her heart flutter as she watched Naruto effortlessly charm the masses at his cart. The fact he was willing to keep smiling even when she lost her temper or messed up certainly helped, though didn't exactly paint a flattering picture of her.

"Be kind of nice for him to see me not mess up for a change…wait a minute."

Korra's brain quickly thought of the upcoming match and an idea started to form in her mind.

True she'd forbade herself from asking him out on a date until the Championship was over…but that didn't stop her from inviting him to an event. And if she got to show off a bit for him that left him swooning for her as much as she did for him, well, that was just a fun bonus.

"Appreciate the talk Mr. Zhujao, but I've gotta ask Naruto something. Sorry." With more pep in her step the eager young woman rushed over to the cart, Liu watching the scene with a mixture of emotions of his own.

Yet a faint glimmer of hope still shined through.

-Avatar and Revolutionary-

"I still can't believe I'm back here." Mako fiddled with the collar of his shirt, before lightly licking his fingers to slick back his hair. "Somehow it feels even more awkward than our first date."

A gentle pair of hands quickly sorted out the new wrinkles Mako added to his collar. "I still can't believe Mr. Big and Strong Pro-Bender gets so skittish when at a restaurant with his girlfriend." Asami gave a cat-like smile that left the poor firebender a little tongue tied.

"It's, I-I mean…wow. I must sound pretty dumb right now."

"I'd go more with adorable than dumb." Asami chuckled at the sight of Mako's face turning redder as the pair sat in their booth, enjoying the rather soothing atmosphere of the restaurant.

"Honestly, I thought coming to this place was gonna be a one time thing." Mako's eyes traced all over the high class scene, shifting from one fellow customer to the next, each wearing clothing that likely cost more than the Fire Ferrets entry fee. "Still doesn't exactly feel real. I mean, a few weeks ago, my brother and I were just a down on our luck rookie Pro-Bending team. Now, we're one win away from the championship, sponsored by the biggest captain of industry in the entire city and…"

"And you're dating the sponsor's exceptionally beautiful daughter." Asami gave her boyfriend a playful wink.

"I think that's probably the most unbelievable part." Mako joked, taking a light drink from his water glass.

"Hey, you're a great Pro-Bender and an equally amazing guy.." Asami's hand slowly slid atop Mako's on the table, giving him a soft gaze. "Trust me, my dad doesn't let just any guy get this close to me. I'd say that's a pretty good endorsement of your character."

Mako let his grip on Asami's hand tighten ever so slightly, enjoying the sensation while almost getting lost in Asami's emerald green eyes. "By the sound of it, he does seem pretty protective. Y-you were joking about the security detail thing right?"

Korra's prior jab aside, the image of Asami surrounded on all sides by like five likely very large and intimidating bodyguards, certainly would have painted their initial encounter from potentially star crossed lovers into likely three to five minutes of the young firebender getting his bones rearranged by said burly security members.

"I wish." Asami gently blew a few strands of hair from her left eye as she leaned back into the booth, genuine exasperation written across her face. "I spent almost a week convincing him he was being way beyond paranoid. I get he just wants to keep me safe, but I can handle myself and don't need security."

"I'm a little surprised he actually agreed." Mako might've only known Hiroshi for maybe a week or two, but if the man's approach to his family was similar to his business acumen, he wasn't the type to give up easily. "Guess negotiation runs in the family."

"Kind of." Now it was Asami's turn to look a little awkward, shuffling in her seat, making the pro-bender more curious.

"Whadda you mean?"

"Well, the only way Dad relented was if I could prove I could defend myself…so I might've had to take down a few of those prospective bodyguards before Dad finally agreed."

If Mako had a fork or some food in his mouth, they'd have dropped right onto the table cloth.

"Guess those self defense lessons really paid off." Mako awkwardly chuckled, not necessarily bothered his girlfriend could handle herself in a fight, more just the mental image of the normally soft, reserved and gentle Asami, throwing hands with grown men.

Actually if he was being honest, it was kind of…attractive?

Asami actually perked up quite a bit, wearing a proud look not too dissimilar to Korra after some of their most recent wins. "Yup, I actually started teaching classes recently, so I'm pretty sure Dad is fully convinced I'm safe now."

"Wow, I might have to drop by sometime. Maybe you could teach me a thing or two."

Asami smirked, leaning in, a knowing and seductive smile on her face. "I think I could pencil you in for a few private lessons, though that might be pushing it a little."

"I thought you said your dad liked me?" Mako tried to hide his disappointment. Sure he wasn't planning to do anything that drastic yet, but Asami was certainly tempting him with something.

"No, he does, trust me." Asami gave him a light kiss on the cheek to ease his worries. "And he's fine with me dating, but he's still worries. And I get it, I'm the only family he has left."

The heiress's tone and mirth dropped, like a weight was pushing down on her ever so slightly, a look that Mako recognized all too well.

"Cause of what happened to your mom?" Mako knew he was probably entering dangerous territory, but he had a feeling it was an area he could handle. "I remember hearing it mentioned in the papers a while back…sorry, probably shouldn't be bringing it up."

"No, it's alright. Not exactly like it's a secret or anything." Asami's tone sounded flat with a hint of bitterness, like she'd had this exact conversation many times before, her arms crossing and pressing against her chest as if trying to hold herself together. "It all happened when I was six years old. The Agni Kais tried to intimidate my dad into paying protection money for his factories, and he refused. So, one night they broke into our home and…."

Even after almost two decades the memories were still as fresh in her mind as back then. Strangers yelling through the massive house, Hiroshi rushing to safety while carrying a young Asami, the putrid smell of smoke and ash filling the hallway.

The loud and final scream of her mother, and Hiroshi's tear stained face holding her as tightly as he could, offering frantic apologies as police sirens filled the air.

Asami's eyes widened as she felt Mako's hand gently tighten around her own, looking at her with sympathy and compassion. "I'm sorry that happened to you, no surprise the Triads had something to do with it."

Mako's free hand tightened along with his teeth, eyes flickering with a palpable anger.

The heiress let the tension in her arms relax, leaning her head back and looking up at the lights and the ceiling, trying to relock the memories away. "After it happened my dad made sure the house always had multiple guards on hand and never let me out of his sight for almost a year. And I know he still blames himself for what happened."

"I can certainly sympathize with that." Mako said, his voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia, his hand brushing against his nearly everpresent red scarf. "The Agi Kais killed mine and Bo's parents when I was eight years old, right in front of both of us."

Asami actually gasped, holding her hand to her mouth, genuine horror present in her eyes. "Mako, I-I'm so…."

"Kind of some twisted irony huh? Both of us losing parents to the same gang of thugs." Mako's voice was laced with bitterness as his eyes drifted from the small candle on the table to his hand. "You know, after it happened, I was actually ashamed of my firebending?"

Again Asami looked stunned by the revelation, though avoided gasping this time.

Mako's hands rested on the table as they slowly curled into fists, eyes almost vacant as he spoke. "Between everything the Fire Nation did during the War to my brother and me being orphaned by it. I guess it felt like I was guilty just by association."

A dull silence hung over the table, the other patrons happily talking as the music played on, with little care for the goings on between the couple.

"Guess life decided to deal both of us a rough hand?" Asami spoke quietly, gesturing to one of the waiters to bring something over.

Mako nodded. "Certainly feels like that."

"But I'd say it still has its bright spots." Asami's finger found itself under Mako's chin, returning his gaze back to hers, Mako's face warming at how the heiress's face looked illuminated by the candle.

A waiter quietly appeared next to the pair, a bottle in his hands. "The drink you requested, Miss. Sato."

Seeing the bottle Mako couldn't help but pick it up to eye the label as two glasses were placed along with it. The young firebender's expression quickly morphed to one resembling an obscure art piece, having seen said bottle on the top shelf of the bar as they entered.

"Really starting to feel like kind of a freeloader with you covering everything." Mako mentally recounting how much money he actually had in his wallet, wondering if he could cover anything for this date.

Asami simply waved off his concern as the waiter uncorked the bottle and poured it into the two glasses. "Relax, you can pay for our next date after you win the championship."

Seeing little reason to argue, Mako accepted the glass, internally planning to savor every drop for how much it cost. "Guess, that's another incentive for us to win. Be kind of a lousy boyfriend if I couldn't treat you myself."

Asami simply gave him a flirtatious wink as she lifted her own glass. "I'll be looking forward to it. Just make sure you win."

"You can count on it." Mako said firmly as the pair clinked their glasses together and took a sip, the dower subject matter of the previous conversation forgotten for the moment.

-Avatar and Revolutionary-

A loud howl from the crowd sounded through the arena, as a familiar noodle chef felt a similar degree of excitement bubble inside of him, standing just at the railing of the locker room of the red side of the bending arena.

"Pretty nice view huh?" Korra asked with boisterous confidence, approaching Naruto from behind. "Probably the best seats in the entire arena."

"Top seats at a Pro-Bending Semi-Final Match, are you just trying to show off at this point Korra?"

"Mmm-maybe, but you've been helping me out alot these last few weeks, so I thought I'd do you a solid this time." Korra spoke honestly, even if she genuinely did want to show off to the blonde. Having him cheer for her as she brought the Fire Ferrets to the Finals certainly wasn't hurting either. "What's the point of being a Pro-Bender and the Avatar if you don't enjoy the perks a little."

Naruto chuckled a little, happy to see Korra in such high spirits for a change, though her mood quickly soured as her eyes seemed to be shooting daggers at Tahno getting ready for the match to start.

"Seems like someone other than our esteemed police chief managed to rub you the wrong way." Even from this distance the blonde was getting a rather slimy vibe from the Wolfbat Captain. Guy was preening and posturing like a peacock for the jeering crowd, arrogance dripping off him like engine oil…probably explained that greasy hair of his.

"Let's just say, I'm hoping he makes it to the finals, just so I can knock his smug, pretty boy face into the water and out of the tournament." Korra practically snorted like an angry Gemsbook bull.

"Well, if his record is anything to go off of, I'd say your chances are pretty good." Naruto kept up fairly regularly on Pro-Bending teams and knew the Wolfbats were frequent champions. Though, he was also quite confident Korra and the Ferrets could finally dethrone them. "And hopefully, I'll get to see the exact moment you send him along with maybe some of his teeth, onto the arena floor."

Korra's expression turned a little devious, now contemplating if she could pull that off in spite of the protective masks, only to be pulled out of her head by Mako's voice.

"Korra, better get changed into your uniform. I wanna go over our strategy one more time before our match starts."

"On my way," Korra gave Naruto an apologetic look which he waved off. "Don't let me hold you up, I'll keep an eye on things, maybe give you a few tips if I see anything."

Offering a wordless thank you, Korra jogged over to her locker, as Naruto turned his attention to the match as it was just about to start.

"Seeing things in person certainly makes a world of difference compared to the radio." Naruto mused as the announcer introduced the two teams. "Can at least say this about Pro-Bending, it's something Benders and Non-Benders can enjoy. Kind of sucks Non-Benders can't participate, but compromise and all that."

The buzzer sounded and the match immediately got underway.

The Wolfbats quickly proved to be as vicious as their namesakes, managing to get out a rather heavy barrage almost immediately that forced their opponents nearly back into Zone Two.

However, that nearly became a certainty as Tahno got in close and used a hard waterbending punch to the gut that sent the opponents firebender rolling backwards past Zone Two and straight into Zone Three.

Things weren't better for the other two team members as the Waterbender was knocked clean into Zone Two thanks to a rapidly barrage of fire punches, while their Earthbending Captain managed to block the initial attack, only for Tahno and his Earthbending companion to double team the poor captain and send him flying back to Zone Three.

OUCH! That has gotta hurt. Things aren't looking good for the Mo Ce Mongoose Lizards. Despite making it to the Semi-Finals these scrappy benders had to get matched against the defending, three time champions, the White Falls Wolfbats.

The announcer's voice blared through the arena, though Naruto barely paid him much attention, eyes trained almost exclusively on the match below.

More specifically the Wolfbats.

"They're certainly aggressive. Korra's good, but she and the Ferrets might have their hands full with these jokers."

And the Wolfbats have the Mongoose Lizards on the ropes in Round One. Question is can they take them down with only one minute left in the round?

And it seemed Tahno and his teammates took that as a challenge, quickly unleashing a triple elemental blast that sent the opposing waterbender rocketing backwards and slamming into his firebending companion, off the floor and into the water.

Looks like I spoke too soon sports fans. Only team Captain Jushi is left standing, can he survive thirty more seconds to Round Two?

Tahno grinned like a predator letting off a heavy blast of water at Jushi, his firebending teammate Shaozu, similarly letting off two quick jabs. But Jushi planted his feet and brought out two earth discs, flipping them forward like shields, managing to absorb both attacks before launching them backwards.

Tahno managed to dodge, while Shaozu was caught mid jump and sent tumbling back a zone.

What's this ladies and gentlemen? Seems Jushi isn't going down without a fight, he might just keep the Mongoose Lizards alive for another round.

As Naruto watched the match he noticed Tahno quickly gesture to his fellow teammate Ming, who nodded and called up another earth plate, launching it Jushi who prepared to defend.

However, in the blink of an eye, Tanho let loose a narrow, almost spear-like blast of water straight into Ming's earth plate. The water shattered the stone and carried the shards forward with far more weight and momentum, smashing into Jushi like bullets, with one large chunk colliding with his mask, actually punching through the protective casing and colliding with Jushi's jaw.

The entire exchange happened in an instant. The poor earthbender flew out of bounds into the water below, a loud buzzer signifying the end.

Sorry folks, but it seems like there won't be another round in this match. The Wolfbats successfully advance to the finals in a brutal display of bending, leaving the Mongoose Lizards soggy, sore and possibly more.

Again the audience roared with excitement, many fans throwing an untold amount of praise on the players below, a sentiment the Equalist Leader didn't share, his grip on the guard rail tightening as he watched the medics below drag the visibly injured and unconscious Jushi from the water before loading him onto a stretch.

"That bastard Tahno cheated."

Though Pro-Bending wasn't necessarily something he was a massive fan of, Naruto had listened to enough matches to know the rules, more specifically what was allowed and what wasn't, and breaking an earth disc to use it like shrapnel was a major violation. To say nothing of how headshots were only allowed when using water.

And looking at Jushi, it was easy to see why.

Immediately Naruto's blue eyes targeted the ref, expecting some kind of a reaction. But he just stood there indifferently. Though looking close the blonde noticed Tahno, amidst waving and soaking in the crowd's admiration, gave the official a brief glance. The ref in turn raised his hand and rubbed his fingers together, with Tahno smirking and nodding before immediately going back to showboating.

It was an almost instant exchange, but Naruto's sharp eyes caught every moment and it was easy to figure it out.

"So, the esteemed Wolfbats decided to grease wheels in order to stay on top in the Pro-Bending world?" Naruto's hand slowly drifted to cover his mouth to hide the scowl starting to form, practically feeling his mask on his face as his mind drifted towards a more sinister area. "Seems like these Pro-Benders might need a little lesson in proper etiquette, especially if they plan to pull that same kind of nonsense with Korra and the others."

"What?! How's it over already?" Korra's loud cry of surprise broke Naruto's inner monologue, as the now suited up Avatar rushed onto the arena.

Immediately Naruto wanted to say something to Korra, pointing out the Wolfbat's blatant cheating, but opted to hold his tongue. "It's likely the Wolfbats have been pulling this same routine for a while, possibly years. And if they have the refs on their side, no amount of complaining will matter…only decisive action will get the message across."

Taking his mind out of Amon mode for a moment, Naruto simply shrugged. "Guess Pretty Boy and his cronies are a bit better than you gave them credit for. But that'll just make it more satisfying when you knock him on his ass."

Korra still looked a little surprised by Tahno's win, but still appreciated the ego boost.

"And now, the second Semi-Final Match. The Bau Ling Buzzard Wasps vs the Future Industries Fire Ferrets."

"Guess that's us." Korra turned to Naruto with anticipation. "Just make sure you watch us win this one."

Naruto chuckled as he extended his fist. "I won't take my eyes off it. Just make sure to give Tahno and the Wolfbats a nice preview of what they have to look forward to."

Looking at his fist, Korra eagerly tapped her own against it, her face lighting up just at little at the contact before charging out onto the stage.

Time for the next round folks and this one is a doozy. The Fire Ferrets have amazed the Pro-Bending World by coming from out of nowhere to the Semi-Finals. Now only the Buzzard Wasps stand between these Ferrets and the finals.

Can these tricky Ferrets outfox the Buzzard Wasps, we're about to find out.

Korra, Mako and Bolin stood at the ready, with Korra giving Naruto one last glance just to make sure his eyes were on her.

"Time to put on a show."

The second the buzzer rang, Korra was out of the gate, immediately pulling a large amount of water from the vents below before blasting the Buzzard Wasp's Water and Firebender backwards, immediately sending them into Zone Two.

Meanwhile their captain got a similar treatment from Bolin and Mako, double teaming him with equal ferocity. Poor guy barely had a chance to get some earth in position before joining his teammates in Zone Two.

The Fire Ferrets come out swinging hard and fast, almost immediately knocking the Buzzard Wasps into Zone Two. They seem to be in prime form today and the Avatar in particular looks extra motivated.

"Heck yeah I am!" Korra mentally cheered as she spun over a fiery blast, landing and managing to spin to avoid some water from the opposing team, before quickly pulling some of her own and launching a three strike combination, slamming into the opposing waterbender's knees, chest and finally his head, tumbling him backwards onto his back and into Zone Three.

Taking a moment to see how Mako and Bolin were doing, their own opponents seemed to be less willing to go down, the pairs trading volleys

.

Smirking with excitement and adrenaline rushing through her veins Korra quickly pulled more water to her arms, and launched two more bursts.

The first managed to hit the Buzzard Wasp's Earthbender in the side, knocking him off balance and unable to block the incoming attack from Mako sending him back into Zone Three. The remaining member was able to turn and use his flames to disperse the water, only for Bolin to immediately pounce on him.

In less than a few seconds the Buzzard Wasps were all in Zone Three.

Inconceivable. This is less of a match and more a one sided thrashing. The Fire Ferrets are bending circles around the Buzzard Wasps, with Avatar Korra relentlessly on the attack, taking advantage of every opportunity she gets. What is possibly going through her mind right now.

"Right now, I'm thinking…." Korra pulled an immense amount of water from the vents and pulled it into a ball of water near the size of a Satomobile as she looked to see Naruto eagerly cheering for her, causing her grin to widen. "I wanna WIN!"

With a loud roar, she hurled the massive liquid train at the all but cowering Buzzard Wasps, Mako and Bolin matching with equal fervor. The attacks hit with a massive boom as the three unfortunate Pro-Benders flew into the pool below, the buzzer ringing through the arena.

AND THAT'S IT! The Fire Ferrets have secured their spot in the finals with some of the most impressive bending I've seen in my years observing this wonderful sport. Now all that remains is whether the Fire Ferrets ferocity will be enough to finally dethrone the Wolfbats in the upcoming Finals.

With the titular Ferrets they were celebrating like there was no tomorrow. Korra practically bouncing with excitement and elation, Bolin actually crying as he hugged his brother, Mako looking similarly overjoyed.

Yet, even as she basked in the victory at hand, there was something even more pressing on her mind.

"One more match to go, and then I'll ask him." The thought only served to make her more motivated, eagerly anticipating the moment.

-Avatar and Revolutionary-

"Come on Fire Ferrets, it's time to celebrate!" Bolin whooped loudly at the Arena Entrance. "We're heading to Narook's Seaweed Noodlery and it's all on me this time."

"Someone's clearly in a good mood." Asami chuckled as she walked arm in arm with Mako, who tried not to look embarrassed at his brother's excitement.

"Are you kidding, we just made it to the Finals. The Fire Ferrets are on the cusp of being Pro-Bending Champs." Bolin cheered again, pumping his fist in the air. "Plus, I've still got the…payment Shin gave me and it's been burning a hole in my pocket since. So let's go spend it."

"Sounds good to me, with how much you talk about this place during practice it must be good." Korra was practically riding the same high as her teammate, grinning from ear to ear, made more so by Naruto walking along with the group. "And I've been kind of missing some traditional Water Tribe food."

"Gee, thanks alot." Naruto said dramatically, acting affronted by the declaration. "And here I thought you guys enjoyed my cooking. But it seems I've been betrayed, stabbed in the back by my most loyal customers."

That earned a good laugh from the others, knowing he was simply playing around.

"Also can't help but feel like a third or fourth wheel here." The blonde spoke as they walked through the halls. "I mean I'm not exactly part of the team or even the sponsor here."

"ARE YOU KIDDING!" Bolin all but screamed, Korra looking like she'd been ready to do the same. "We wouldn't even have a team if it weren't for you. Frankly we owe you more than anyone at this point."

Mako nodded. "Bo's right, you pointed Korra in our direction and without her, we'd never make it this far. So don't sell yourself short."

Naruto felt his heart clench a little, both from genuine gratitude…and also guilt considering recent events and the obvious truth he was hiding from them.

"It has to be this way though…for now anyway. Once everything is settled with the Triads…among a few other things, hopefully we can handle more messy affairs from there."

Shaking that thought off for a second, Naruto's eyes drifted off somewhere. "Hey you guys go on ahead, I need to make a phone call real quick."

"What, you got a secret girlfriend or something." Mako joked, with Korra angrily hissing in his direction only making him laugh harder.

"I wish, nah, I asked Liu to look after my cart while I was here. Just letting him know I'll be a little late picking it up."

"Well hurry up, otherwise we'll start celebrating without you." Korra joked while still giving Mako the stink eye.

Nodding, Naruto lightly jogged over to a nearby payphone and quickly dialed in the number.

"Hello?"

"Liu, it's me."

"Good evening sir. Did you enjoy the Pro-Bending Matches?"

Naruto grimaced a little, still weighing over what he was about to do, before hardening his resolve. "Yeah, though it seems like the Triads aren't the only people in need of our…help as it seems."

"Sir?"

"The White Fall Wolfbats, these guys were cheating openly in front of everyone and by the look of things they paid off the refs, possibly everyone except the announcers."

"That is certainly problematic, though Sir, isn't this deviating away from our mission? The Triads actively harm and extort innocent people. A team cheating at a sport seems a far cry from our main goal."

Internally Naruto had to agree, it certainly seemed a touch more small scale compared to the mission they originally started.

"Is it possible you feel this strongly because of how it relates to the Avatar. You have gotten rather close to her as of late."

Naruto's grip on the phone tightened, unable to offer an immediate retort. He wanted to say his right hand was overthinking things…yet for some reason he couldn't do that. Instead he thought back to Juchi from the Mongoose Lizards being loaded onto a stretcher and how that could just as easily be Korra come the Finals.

"Am…am I just worried about Korra?"

His mind seemed to wrestle with this for a solid moment, before a voice in the back of his head seemed to yell.

Remember the Mission!

"If the Wolfbats think they can ignore Pro-Bending rules just by throwing money around, how long before they apply similar logic outside of the ring and replace money with their bending?"

Liu didn't answer, his leader's logic proving to have some weight behind it.

"Guys like the Triads almost always flexed some kind of power over others before becoming criminals. That's what the Wolfbats are, and if we show not just them, but everyone else in this city that, we might be able to stop new Triads from forming before they get the chance."

"I'll consult the others and hopefully we can formulate some kind of plan. Luckily the Finals aren't for another week. I just hope you know what you're doing Sir."

"Believe me, I hope so too." Naruto's mind couldn't help but form all manner of scenarios about how things would play out, yet knew it was necessary. "I'll meet with you tomorrow to figure out a plan."

"Understood Sir. I'll see you tomorrow."

Hanging up the phone and taking a breath, Naruto quickly slapped his cheeks to shake off the visible apprehension on his face as he started walking towards the Arena entrance where the others were waiting for him.

Walking down the hall, he caught sight of the group about twenty yards away, Korra seeing him and waving towards him, which he returned.

However, as he took another step forward he felt something grab him by the collar and looked behind him, eyes widening as he did.

A pair of very large earth kingdom natives were standing behind him, eyeing him like a prized piece of meat.

"Pardon me Mr. Information Broker, but our boss would like a word with you."

Naruto's expression immediately turned from worried to angry as he recognized the two.

"Creeping Crystals."

-Avatar and Revolutionary-

Yup, that's another chapter in the books. Things ramping up a bit more and yeah, trying to offer a bit more of a motivation as to why the Equalists would attack the Pro-Bending Championships outside of just flexing their power. Hopefully it's a sufficient enough reason for the readers.

And yup, the Creeping Crystals are proving a bit more proactive and dangerous than the Triads. Took a bit of influence from the Comics, plus they work a bit better as antagonists for this part in the story since they I think best represent the worst aspects of the Triads as a whole, not only having a member of the Counsel in their pocket but also being even more ruthless than the Triple Threats or other gangs ever were. Plus the fact they are from the Earth Kingdom like Naruto makes it more personal for him.

Also hope the date scene between Mako and Asami worked, want to try and build a more realistic or genuine relationship between the two compared to canon, where it felt like a bit cheesy. Also decided to play up the fact both of them lost family members to the same Triad gang. I'm legit shocked the show never even addressed this fact. Well their loss, is my gain.

Wanna thank Master Attlon and Masamunex23 for their help in editing this chapter. Couldn't do it without you guys.

Once again check out my Helluva Boss Naruto Crossover, Wrath and Order, leave a bunch of reviews and comments for both stories and maybe help me get a TV Tropes page for this story up.

Hopefully this will keep you guys on edge until the next chapter. Till then, Agurra Out.