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"Do you really expect me to believe that children like you will tort-" his words cut off as he suddenly felt a sharp and agonizing pain pierce through his chest, causing him to gasp. His eyes widened in sheer disbelief as he glanced downwards, only to see a dagger that had punctured his heart.
His vision blurred and distorted, the edges fading away as if being devoured by an insatiable void. His weakening heartbeat echoed in his ears.
Slowly, all semblance of light and hope waned, plunging him deeper into an abyss. The last vestiges of life slipped away.
"One down. Four to Go."
As an eerie stillness descended upon rooms of the home. All that resonated was the drip-drip of crimson droplets.
Naruto's gaze shifted, like a predator surveying its prey, towards the remaining four Dai Li agents who had, until now, maintained an air of misplaced confidence and arrogance.
Their previously composure had crumbled beneath the weight of fear.
One of the agents stood out, his chest heaving with each labored breath, his limbs trembling. Naruto's lips curled into a triumphant smile as he closed in.
Naruto raised the blade right up to the level of his nose, its crimson hue mirroring the fresh blood that stained its surface. Droplets of scarlet rolled down the polished edge of the blade until they succumbed, descending to rest upon the cold floor beneath.
As the man's eyes widened in terror. Desperation etched across his features, he instinctively attempted to tilt his head away from Naruto.
"Who's your leader? This time, I will start with the eyes first," his piercing blue eyes resembled two frozen pools, sending shivers down the spine of the trembling man who stood before him.
The man, drenched in fear, could do nothing but whimper as beads of cold sweat cascaded down his face. "Please!" Meanwhile, Naruto, inched the razor-sharp tip of his blade closer to the agent's right eye.
"Naruto," Aang stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief, "w-what- what have you done?" As the initial shock subsided, Aang's grip tightened around his staff, his knuckles turning white.
Naruto didn't even look at him, as if Aang wasn't even there.
"Step back right now!" Aang's thunderous voice reverberated through the air as he took steps forward.
The tension crackled in the air. Aang could not stand idly by while Naruto endangered the lives of the captured agents.
With a swift motion of his outstretched hand, Aang summoned a gust of wind that whirled around him. The howling gale whipped at Naruto's clothes, threatening to knock him off balance. It was a warning.
"Calm down, Twinkle Toes," Toph soothingly interjected, her voice laced with a hint of playful sarcasm. "Remember, they were the first to attack us. They were going to kill us, or did you forget about that part?" With each tap of her agile fingers upon the solid ground beneath them resonated like a rhythmic heartbeat.
"That doesn't excuse him killing him for no reason." Aang's voice reverberated through the air, filled with a mix of anger, frustration, and disbelief, as he addressed Toph. He couldn't fathom how someone could justify the senseless act of taking another person's life without any valid reason. However, his attention swiftly shifted, towards Naruto.
"I Said Stand Back." Aang's voice echoed through the air as he swiftly used his staff, unleashing a fierce wind. The forceful gale surged towards Naruto.
However, just moments before the gust could reach its intended target, an abrupt upheaval of the earth manifested itself, a wall materializing from the very ground beneath their feet, soaring skyward with speed and towering from the floor all the way to the lofty heights of the roof, halting the relentless assault of Aang's windstorm in its tracks.
The gust now dissipated harmlessly against the resolute fortification. Aang swiveled his head, his eyes locking onto Toph.
Aang moved his hands toward the wall, trying to use his own earthbending to move it away. It started descending, only for Toph to stomp the floor and cause the wall to rise again despite Aang's trying to put it down.
"You might be the Avatar, Aang, but I have trained all my life on how to use Earthbending; you're still nowhere near my level," Toph spoke with a shift in her tone, the usual playful banter melted away, replaced by a solemnity that resonated in her voice.
"Guys, help me!" Aang shouted at both Sokka and Katara, who had been quiet this whole time. Aang knew he could use airbending to get the upper hand, but he didn't want to fight Toph. Sokka suddenly cleared his throat, while Katara was very quiet and looking downwards as if not sure what to do.
"Aang, we need to know who the leader is. Whoever he is, He ordered them to kill the Avatar. Do you really think your past lives would have allowed a threat to their life to fly off like nothing?" Sokka questioned with a hardened gaze toward both Aang and Toph.
Aang roared, "All life is sacred!"
Katara knew she needed to do something right now, if he used the Avatar State, he might do something he will regret later.
"Maybe, but we need information, Aang. I don't know if you have realised it or not, but this is War, we are currently in the only place in the Earth Kingdom that is not conquered yet, and we arrive here to see that the whole city is practically useless since whoever is in charge prefers living a Dream," Sokka quickly objected reluctantly, he himself didn't like what Naruto did.
Still, Sokka knew, or at least believed, that sometimes, some things needed to be done for the greater good. Sokka couldn't help but wonder what his father would say, what his mother would say.
"Toph just put down the wall—Aang's right. We can do this another way," Katara almost pleaded as she stood beside Aang. Toph narrowed her eyes; she could tell Katara wasn't being sincere when suddenly the Wall descended on its own.
Naruto stepped forward, wiping the bloodstained blade with a damp napkin. Aang's eyes widened in horror as he took in the scene, realizing that Naruto had killed another one. Meanwhile, the remaining three agents were unconscious, their pallid faces marked by droplets of blood that fell silently to the ground.
"Their leader is a man named Long Feng; that's all they know. They don't know what his status in the Ba Sing Se is or anything else. They said they simply listened to his orders. Whoever this man is, he is smart, but knowing his name is a start," Naruto informed them casually as he returned his knife to its hostler.
Naruto's eyes locked onto Aang, whose intense glare seared into his very core, bellowing with a fury that seemed to eclipse any anger Naruto had witnessed from him before.
With each deliberate step, Aang advanced towards Naruto, his grip on the staff growing tighter. He seemed ready to hit Naruto in the head with it.
"Aang, stop. It's over!" It seemed as if Aang's ears had turned a deaf ear to his pleas, for he continued to stride forward. The world seemed to fade away as Aang's gaze locked onto Naruto, who remained in his position. Aang's fingers clenched tightly around Naruto's tunic.
"You are a Monster! How can you do something like this? Do you want to be the same as those from the Fire Nation?" Aang questioned furiously; from the way he was gripping his staff, Naruto knew Aang was on the verge of attacking him.
"Like the Fire Nation?" he seethed, his voice laced with a mix of indignation and frustration as he locked eyes with Aang.
His hand shot up, fingers curling tightly around the fabric of Aang's tunic.
"Never compare me with them, Aang." Naruto shouted with fury. "Those people attacked the Air Temples without cause," he continued with growing anger. "They killed everyone. They attacked the water tribes without cause." As Naruto spoke, his voice grew firmer.
With an accusatory finger pointed firmly at the captured agents, "These soldiers that you are protecting, they tried to kill us, Aang. Do you understand me? How would you feel if they killed Katara?"
In an instant, his eyes widened. Aang instinctively flicked a fleeting gaze over his shoulder, where Katara. Yet, his focus swiftly returned to Naruto. Aang could see the logic in Naruto's words, but Aang couldn't help but feel that Naruto took his brutality too far; they could have found another way to make them talk, any way that didn't involve torturing and killing people.
"You didn't have to kill them. You didn't have to torture them. Aren't you worried about what you will become?" Aang's inquiry struck a chord deep within Naruto, he let go of his tunic.
"This is War, Aang. People have lost more than their humanity in this war. It has destroyed generations for a hundred years, and we need to make the right decisions to ensure the war will end soon. Remember that we have time until the Comet arrives. Once that comet arrives, the Fire Nation will destroy all of us." Naruto countered firmly as he walked past Aang. The latter hung his head low, and his grip around the staff eased slightly.
"I don't want this War to cost us ourselves," Aang said firmly, looking at Naruto over his shoulder, standing his ground. Unlike Naruto, Aang didn't want them to be completely different people by the time the war ended. He knew they needed to do certain things, but not at the cost of everything they stand for; Aang didn't want to look at himself at the war's end and be unable to recognize himself.
"Victory cannot be achieved without sacrifice, Aang. You should know this better than all of us," Naruto declared resolutely.
As Naruto's words hung in the air, Aang's eyes widened, causing the first droplets of tears to well up. Yet, he swiftly averted his gaze. With a trembling hand, Aang brushed away the tears.
The house was enveloped in a profound silence. Katara approached Aang, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Toph approached Naruto. A silent understanding passed between them, and without a word, Toph's hand instinctively sought out Naruto's, their fingers intertwining.
Sokka stood at the center, his eyes shifting between the two duos with a mix of concern and compassion before clearing his throat.
"What are we doing with them?" inquired Sokka, his gaze fixed upon the three agents who had been apprehended. Toph stumped the floor, sending them crashing to the ground, their bodies motionless, save for the rise and fall of their chests.
"Katara, heal their wounds. I will drop them near the palace with Appa later," Aang spoke in a commanding way. Katara, reluctantly walked up to them, before using her waterbending to heal their wounds.
"Aang, I don't think-" Naruto began. However, before he could voice his concerns, Aang interrupted him, his tone cold and determined. As he locked eyes with Naruto, his glare conveyed a sense of authority and power. "I'm the Avatar. I will decide what we do, not you, and I decide not to spill more blood unnecessarily," Aang stated firmly, he forcefully stomped the floor with the bottom of his staff.
Sensing the tension escalating, Sokka positioned himself ready to intervene. He observed Naruto's reaction, expecting resistance. However, Naruto surprised everyone by simply turning around and calmly walking away towards his room.
"Very well, Aang, but I want you to ask yourself this: what is more important? Your belief or the world? Are you willing to give up on the world so that you can stick to your guts? One day, you will have to choose, and I hope you make the right decision," Naruto spoke with genuine concern in his voice, not looking back at Aang before he resumed his walking; Toph was quick to follow after him.
"Aang, you're my friend, but I hope you realize that sometimes, good people do bad things," Toph said with sadness in her voice as she walked inside Naruto's room.
Despite the closed window, Aang shuddered from a sudden cold wind inside the house. He felt as if someone was watching him from the shadows.
"It's done, Aang," Katara said, her voice sounding down. Aang couldn't really blame her for feeling this way; after all, they still found it hard to believe that Naruto would go that far. Aang turned to face the five agents who lay motionless on the floor. Two of them, now lifeless corpses, lay separated from the other three, all of them lying on their backs.
Aang's attention was drawn to the spot where the blood should have been, the floor appeared remarkably clean, devoid of any traces of blood. Katara must have waterbend it. Aang couldn't help but feel relieved, he never liked the sight of blood.
"Thank you, Katara," Aang sincerely expressed his gratitude, knowing she had been there for him. Without uttering a single word, she walked into her room. Aang lifted one of the lifeless bodies onto his shoulder. Sokka instinctively joined in, assisting Aang without hesitation.
Eventually, after carefully maneuvering and lifting all five lifeless bodies onto the sturdy back of Appa, Aang felt a pang of guilt as he sensed Appa's growing frustration. "I'm sorry, buddy, but we don't have any other choice," Aang apologized, his usual goofy and lighthearted tone replaced by a much heavier and somber one.
Appa, attempted to comfort him by licking his face. However, Aang received the gesture with a faint, bitter smile that failed to reach his eyes.
As Aang swiftly leaped into the air, he skillfully found his way onto the back of the bison. Aang firmly clutched onto the reins of Appa's saddle.
"Yip Yip." Appa roared before he soared through the air. After a few minutes of airborne travel, Aang maneuvered Appa to position themselves directly beneath the towering gates of the King's palace. With care, Appa descended, his enormous paws touching the ground with a gentle thud. As they landed, Aang carefully set the three agents, down onto the solid earth.
Aang, carefully positioned the lifeless bodies of the two fallen agents a little distance from the remaining three agents. As he gently lowered them to the ground, Aang's heart sank, weighing heavy with grief. Kneeling down beside them, he placed his trembling hand upon their chests.
Overwhelmed with remorse, Aang spoke softly, his voice filled with sorrow, "I'm sorry this happened to you,"
After springing onto Appa's sturdy back, Aang drew in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the crisp air before emitting a powerful shout that reverberated through the atmosphere, resonating for a full kilometer in every direction.
"HELP"
The sheer force of his cry carried his plea for help, ensuring that someone, somewhere, would hear his desperate call.
Appa ascended into the vast sky, Aang couldn't help but cast a final glance behind him, his eyes tinged with a profound sadness.
Aang silently promised himself that he would no longer allow Naruto to do whatever he wanted.
"Do whatever you think is right," Aang vividly recalled the advice imparted by Szeto. His resolve strengthened as he firmly clasped the reins in his hands.
With a resolute command, Aang directed Appa, to ascend higher into the sky, reaching the clouds.
Appa loved the wind that gently caressing his supple fur. Peering downwards, Aang's gaze enveloped Ba Sing Se, the largest city in the world. Yet from so high up, Ba Sing Se appeared minuscule.
Naruto
"Thank you for backing me up, Toph," Naruto expressed his gratitude with genuine sincerity, as she stepped inside his room.
He couldn't help but notice how her composed demeanor momentarily faltered.
"I-It was nothing, Naruto," Toph said nervously while rubbing the top of her head. Toph, normally known for her bold and straightforward nature, felt a wave of confusion wash over her as she found herself struggling to comprehend the sudden change in her behavior. Perplexed and unable to understand what was wrong with her,
"Nonetheless, I'm really happy to have you," Naruto said with a genuine smile on his face, his eyes brimming with affection and gratitude towards Toph. He leaned in, planting a gentle kiss on her cheek, causing a rush of warmth to spread across Toph's face, staining it a rosy shade of crimson.
Naruto anticipated her typical retaliation — a light punch on his shoulder. However, much to his surprise, Toph, with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Toph unexpectedly leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. It happened so swiftly that Naruto's mind struggled to catch up with the overwhelming surge of emotions coursing through him. He watched her briskly retreat out of the room, his fingertips gingerly brushing against the spot where Toph's lips had briefly touched his skin.
"You kids these days have absolutely no idea how to express your feelings," Naruto heard a voice laced with a hint of frustration and wisdom coming from behind him, causing him to swiftly spin around in surprise. Standing before him was Avatar Kyoshi. Her figure glittered blue, and she was slightly invisible.
"What?"
"When I figured out that I had feelings for Hashirama. I didn't bother dancing around the bush. I simply kissed him." Kyoshi's face adorned a small smile as she recollected the memory, which was only amplified by the sight of Naruto blushing uncontrollably in sheer embarrassment.
"It's not like that," Naruto quickly objected, his face turning a deeper shade of red as embarrassment overtook him.
"Sure, I have lived for over two centuries, you can never hide anything from me. If you want advice, I can give you one," Kyoshi spoke with a slight hint of teasing.
"What?"
"Here's what you should do: you walk up to her, and you don't waste time saying anything. You kiss her, and that's it," Kyoshi explained casually.
"Kyoshi, that's too direct, and I'm not going to say it again. Me and Toph are not like that," Naruto said with a slight hint of irritation while looking away from her. Kyoshi giggled slightly before she sat on the floor in a cross-legged position, her expression turning serious.
"I saw you had problems with the airhead?" Kyoshi asked, but more like stating the obvious as she motioned for Naruto to sit across her.
"You saw?" Naruto repeated in confusion as he sat on the floor across from Kyoshi.
"We Avatars go to the Spirit World once we die; some don't really care about what happens anymore, and some watch over the new Avatar and are ready to give advice when needed," Kyoshi explained with a little shrug.
"So you talked with Aang; what did he want?" Naruto asked, but already having an idea of why Aang wanted to talk with his past lives.
"Naruto, Aang has no trust in you anymore. He sees you as someone who stands against his way of thinking; some people can get quite defensive when their way of living is challenged," Kyoshi explained with a hint of irritation in her voice. To Kyoshi, this felt very similar to Roku's horrible decision, despite how many times Kyoshi, Yangchen, and even Kuruk tried to change his mind and convince him to kill Sozin.
"What do you think I should do?"
"You still need to stop the fire nation before the comet arrives; that is priority number one. Aang wants to go through this the easy and slower way, but time is not something any of you have, so my advice is for you to do things your way, but remember, don't push Aang too much. Otherwise, you will lose him. He's the Avatar; the world needs him." Kyoshi explained strictly, Naruto nodding in understanding, his face showing a slight conflict.
"To be honest, I feel bad for Aang, having to clean Roku's mess," Kyoshi expressed her sentiments with a palpable air of disdain.
"What does Avatar Roku have to do with this?" Naruto questioned in confusion.
"What do you know of Roku's life?" Kyoshi questioned instead of answering. She figured the Fire Nation didn't make it public how he died.
"Not much. The only source of information is just rumours. Some say he died fighting an army, some say he disappeared, some say he died in his sleep, and the fire nation says Avatar Roku died protecting Firelord Sozin," Naruto answered with a bitter taste in his mouth. He knew the Fire Nation's version was bullshit.
"Well, all that is bullshit. Roku was close friends with Sozin until the age of 16, when he was revealed as the next Avatar. He knew Sozin was dangerous to the world once he mastered all his elements, but he allowed him to live due to their 'past friendship.' Then Roku died to a volcano," Kyoshi, with her face turning red and her voice growing louder with each word she forcefully emitted, answered Naruto's question. Her final words puzzled Naruto, causing him to raise an eyebrow.
"W-wait, who died to a Volcano?" Naruto questioned, cleaning the inside of his ears with his picky finger. He was certain he had heard her wrong.
"Roku."
"But he was the Avatar. How can he die to a volcano?" Naruto questioned, his confusion growing even more.
"Well, you should ask Roku; instead of using his dragon to fly away the moment his people were safe, he decided to fight the volcano. Anyway, my time here is over. Don't forget Naruto, 'Never forget who you are,' and you will make your family proud," Kyoshi spoke with a proud smile on her face, something she rarely showed.
"Thank you, Avatar Kyoshi." Naruto thanked her respectfully. He humbly inclined his head toward her,. In response, the Avatar's form began to emanate a vibrant blue aura, surrounding her body before abruptly fragmenting into a multitude of distinct blue luminous particles that swiftly vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
I will do whatever is necessary to win. Naruto thought with unwavering determination as his gaze drifted towards the closed window, capturing the sight of the full moon casting its glow upon Ba Sing Se.
Whatever it takes...