20 A Family

Tenzin heard what his nephew just said, yet he still was in total shock; opening his mouth to speak, yet no words came out; he still wondered if his ears were playing tricks with him, the master Airbender, for the first time since he became a master was caught off guard and didn't know what to say.

Seeing that his nephew was waiting patiently for him to say anything, he swallowed a breathed before his brown eyes looked at Naruto's blue eyes; the master hoped his nephew wasn't angry with him or the rest but breathed a silent sigh of relief to see no anger in his eyes.

"I know grandpa Aang found me in a snow storm and that I'm not from this World."

"How do you know?" Tenzin asked, his voice almost like a whisper; he was glad that Pema wasn't around, especially his daughters, Meelo and Korra. He knew how much they were fond of him, while Pema knew the truth about Naruto, the same wasn't for his children or Korra, but Tenzin knew he shouldn't be that much worried for them, despite him not being their blood relative, he knew his children would still see Naruto as simply Naruto.

The same was for Korra; she would most likely act the exact same way, not caring, and if what Pema told him about Korra's feelings for Naruto were true, well...

Naruto glanced at the steaming cup of tea in front of him, his uncle's face reflected upon the surface of the tea; his hands were gently grabbing the teacup; he took a quick sip, savoring the taste, putting back on the desk, his uncle's fingers were crossed in front of his face and his elbows resting on his knees, his chin resting on top of his crossed fingers.

"Kyuubi told me the truth; he said that I came from a different world," Naruto revealed, his voice sounding calm, despite the situation.

Tenzin arched an eyebrow; from the beginning, he knew his nephew was unique; it wasn't just because he could Airbend; one could easily say that was because his grandpa was Aang the Avatar; almost everyone would overlook it, not bothering to think much about it.

But Tenzin wasn't a master of Airbending for nothing; since his nephew first visited and started living in the Air Temple, Tenzin had done his own research; despite looking everywhere, he didn't see anywhere of anyone having Blonde Hair in any of the nations, the way Naruto was found by his father also added to the mystery.

Unlike him, Kya had not once thought much about it, and Tenzin couldn't really blame her; she loved Naruto like a son, his mother, on the other had been skeptical, but within a year or two, she too decided to drop it entirely.

Tenzin always tried to come up with theories about where the woman came from but found no valid theory.

"Different world?" Tenzin repeated with curiosity but no sign of mistrust, something Naruto truly appreciated.

Naruto reluctantly nodded his head, it was time to explain his origin, and he knew this would take quite a bit of time.

"Kyuubi told me that I come from-" Naruto told him everything, the moment he started, he didn't stop; Tenzin not once interrupted him, knowing he would be rude unless Naruto himself stopped.

"Then, grandpa Aang found me in the snow storm, the last words of my mother were my name, and you know the rest," Naruto finished releasing a considerable breath; suddenly, his shoulders slumped down, not feeling heavy anymore.

Tenzin kept quiet, his mind still trying to process everything his nephew told him, a different world!! What kind of Technique or ability did his mother use, and why here of all places??

But Tenzin mentally shook his head; that could wait for now; right now, he knew his nephew needed some answers.

"I'm really sorry, Naruto," Tenzin started with an apology with complete sincerity, his hands spread across the desk, his face gloomy. He knew they should have told Naruto by now, but Kya was always a bit afraid of what this could mean for Naruto.

Tenzin couldn't blame her for having that thought in her head; she had already lost her husband, which was devastating to her, but their child growing on her belly kept her going despite her pain, but her baby, too, didn't make it, his sister was alone in a way, the family she so much wanted for a long time disappeared like words in the wind.

Who could blame her for not wanting to risk the loss of Naruto as her son, perhaps the only thing that kept her alive since that night.

"Your mother wanted to tell you soon, we all did, but I guess we took too long. I understand if you're angry with us-" he stopped his apology when his nephew put a hand on his shoulder; looking up, his eyes met his nephew's eyes, his eyes the same as before, but with a hint of sadness.

"I still love you all like my family, knowing the truth won't change anything," Naruto spoke with tears in his eyes; Tenzin found himself smiling before standing up and hugging his nephew close; all the weight he felt suddenly vanished, and he allowed himself to breathe freely again.

After a minute, pulling away, Naruto returned back to his chair, his eyes looking at the desk before looking up at him.

"The tombstone without a name back at the South Pole, is that where my mother is buried?" Naruto asked with sadness, his mind thinking of the mother he never got to meet, the one who used everything in her power to ensure his safety.

"Yes. We never had a name; your uncle tried to find a name for years but never found one," Tenzin answered, knowing it must hurt for Naruto, knowing he never visited her grave while he had gone there with Kya to bring flowers, but he never knew why.

At least this was comforting for Naruto in a way; even if he didn't know whose tombstone was before, at least he had left flowers there, and his mother had made sure always to leave flowers there every time she went there.

Mother! The blonde thought with a sad smile; he still thought of Kya of The South Pole as his mother; despite everything, it didn't matter who gave birth to him; she raised him, and she and everyone Naruto considered Family.

Mother, Grandpa Aang, Grandma Katara, Uncle Bumi, Uncle Tenzin, Uncle Sokka, Korra, Asami, Ikki, Jinora, Meelo, Uncle Zuko, and everyone else, they're still my Family.

Naruto smiled brightly; all the sadness disappeared from his heart; Tenzin smiled, seeing the smile of his nephew return back to him. His nephew was always cheerful, and to see him not smiling was something Tenzin never liked; he hoped the day would never come when his nephew would lose his smile forever.

With that out of the way, both drank from their tea again, silence took over the room, but it was a comfortable silence. Tenzin put down the cup of tea before he remembered something that made him think...

"Did you ask Kyuubi why your mother's ability brought you here?" Tenzin asked curiously, already half-convinced of the true reason but wanting to know if his speculations were correct.

"I-He told me the seal or whatever was designed to bring her and me to a safe place," Naruto answered, wondering why his uncle was curious about it.

Tenzin pondered on his words, thinking if somehow whatever ability she used knew that Naruto would be safe here, but if that's the case, why didn't the seal just send him away somewhere but still in his world? But instead, in a completely different world.

Was he not safe there? If so, why would that be?? Tenzin asked himself but decided not to think much into it, his nephew was here, and that's all it mattered, and no one would come to take him away.

"Uncle, I would like to go to the South Pole," Naruto suddenly requested; Tenzin almost asked why but remembered immediately that he knew his nephew would go either way regardless if he said No or not.

"How long?"

"Just one or two days. I just need to thank my biological mother for saving me and bringing me here," Naruto said with a sad smile on his face. There were so many things he would like to tell her, one of them being that he loved her with all his heart.

Tenzin nodded his head without hesitation before standing along with his nephew. The blonde turned around, walking towards the door that led outside of the solar, just as his hand was about to touch the handle.

"When will you tell the others?" Tenzin asked thoughtfully, looking at his nephew.

Turning around to face his uncle, Tenzin quickly added. "Pema already knows but is not the same for my children or Korra," he clarified.

Naruto nodded, not knowing how his cousins would react but knowing them, they won't care if he was their cousin or not.

"Once I come back, I will tell them," Naruto replied as he was about to leave; Tenzin walked up to him, spreading his arms, and hugged his nephew again. The blonde accepted the hug.

"Always remember that the door of this place is always open for you," Tenzin said, smiling as he pulled away; the blonde returned the smile.

Tenzin watched from a window Sozu flying away with Naruto; he knew it would be two long days without him around; the master had no doubts that the reveal of Naruto's origin would change nothing for his children; Meelo would still look up at him as an 'Awesome' older brother, same for Ikki and Jinora.

Naruto

After hours of flying, he felt the air around him getting colder, gusts of wind flying by every now and then, but despite how strong they were, not once did Sozu have a hard time keeping his balance in the air.

Flying further and further, it soon started snowing; Naruto felt himself relaxing somewhat; despite living with his uncle for so many years, he still considered the South Pole as his home, his skin relaxed to the cold all around him, not feeling cold, despite the snow and cold wind all around him. Naruto felt at home in this kind of climate, his eyes closed as he spread his arms, the wind blowing on his face as if he was flying along with Sozu.

"Freedom," he shouted with passion; this is why he loved flying so much; he could fly, he could feel free, more than anyone else in this world. The clouds around it blocked the sun.

Eventually, after hours of flying, the view of his village slowly started appearing, the houses made of ice and snow, despite the Republic City being much more advanced, cars, telephones, radio, and everything else that eventually came with the new technology, all that still couldn't even hold a candle to His Home Village.

Sozu seemed to like the colder temperatures as much as him, leaving out a loud cry. Many people wouldn't be able to tell what Sozu was thinking or feeling; many would think he was angry or perhaps in pain, but the blonde could just by his cry that he was happy with the new climate.

A thin layer of snow had accumulated on his hair, his clothes, and hands, but despite that, not once did he shiver from the cold; on the contrary, he felt better like this, with the snow around him, the winds of winter blowing on him, the vast ocean ahead, in front of him the perfect place for a beautiful painting.

His attention turned to the village getting closer; he wondered what he would tell his mother, but soon figured there wasn't much to tell, he still viewed her as his mother, and he knew that would never change.

Soon Sozu started circling around the village, trying to find the best place to land; his presence was noticed immediately by the people on the ground, some pointing fingers at the big bird flying overhead, some ran away, while some simply went with their business.

Soon they landed, his giant wings causing the snow around to be blown away in the wind; Naruto jumped from Sozu, turning to look at him before petting his head, his friend "purred" at the attention, always liking when his owner paid attention to him, but both of them soon noticed that many people had gathered, Sozu narrowed his eyes before leaving out a warning cry at the crowd, his wings spread open making him look bigger than he already was.

The warning worked, causing many to stumble on their feet before walking away, some running away. Naruto turned around just in time to see his mother approaching with a bright smile; this time, Sozu didn't try to scare her away, knowing she was close to his owner, especially with the way she smelled.

"My baby boy!!" Kya cried before hugging Naruto close, who returned the hug; always good to hug his mother; he didn't try to protest by saying that he wasn't a 'baby boy' anymore, knowing in her eyes he would always be one.

Pulling away, she kissed his cheek, taking a step back, briefly glancing at her son's companion.

"Is so good to see you again, my son," Kya said warmly before noticing something was a bit off.

"You too, mother. How is grandma Katara?" Naruto asked, his voice warm and not hinting that something had happened.

But Kya could see right through him, almost like a lie detector, but decided to answer and play the fool for now. "She's fine; how is everyone back at the Air Temple?" She asked as they started walking towards their house. Sozu soon decided to fly away and hunt for fish.

Naruto somehow felt his feet were heavier; as he walked inside his home, looking inside, nothing at all had changed, not even the picture of him and Korra when he was only two years old; that picture was still hanging on the wall, much to his embarrassment.

The picture showed him playing with Korra, his little hand grabbing her hair.

"Everyone is well; Uncle Tenzin and his family send their regards," Naruto answered as he sat down on the couch, his body shifting slightly uncomfortably.

Kya could tell from the way he talked and moved that something was bothering him, and she had received no call or message from Tenzin that her son was coming back home, not that she had anything against it, but she knew her son hadn't planned this, it must have been a sudden visit.

She offered him some tea and biscuits before sitting on the couch in front of him, looking at him directly. "How is Asami? I hope you're still together?" Kya teased with a little smile enjoying the sudden blush on his face.

"S-She's well; we are still together. I told you we are going to get married within a few years," Naruto replied sheepishly, his hands rubbing his knees.

Kya grew a sly smirk on her face, "Ohh, should I expect to be a grandmother anytime soon?" She teased even more before laughing at the blush on Naruto's face.

"M-Mom, W-we are not ready yet for that," He stuttered out, but still smiling, feeling at home.

After several minutes of talking about everyday things, about Korra's progression in Airbending, Naruto's face suddenly turned serious; the moment that happened, Kya knew her son finally decided to tell her why he was here so suddenly.

Naruto felt like boulders were suddenly on top of him, his body growing tense all of a sudden, he knew this wouldn't be easy, but he just decided to tell her bluntly.

"Mother, I know the truth about my origin," Naruto spoke, his voice firm and strong; the moment his words left his mouth, his mother froze for a second, and her usual smiling face disappeared, and her face paled slightly.

Kya felt her heart beating in her throat; this was the moment her eyes welled up, but she didn't miss that Naruto still called her his mother instead of her actual name or any other name.

Kya was about to apologize to her son, but whatever she was about to say was stuck in her throat when her son stood up and hugged her.

"You're still my mother, the one I will always love, the one who raised me and became a good man," Naruto said warmly and with complete sincerity.

Kya let her tears roll down, smiling brightly; he still saw her as his mother, but that didn't change. Hugging him back, she felt her heart repair.

"Thank you, my son," Kya said warmly to him, all the tension she felt slowly disappearing like a puff of smoke.

Naruto sat back to his coach before telling his mother everything that happened and the part of Kyuubi telling him the truth of his origin. When he was done, his mother smiled sadly. She always knew whoever his mother had been; she was someone who gave it all to protect Naruto but to hear how much she and Naruto's father went through to secure his safety.

"I always knew you were special; Naruto never thought you came from a different world," Kya spoke with a soft chuckle.

Naruto chuckled as well; he still wondered why his mother's seal brought him here. Wouldn't it make sense to bring him somewhere safe but still in his world instead of bringing him to an entirely different world?

"Naruto," Kya suddenly called her son, drawing his attention to her.

"I'm really sorry for not-" "No need to apologize, while I would like more to know the truth from you, but still, it changes nothing," Naruto interrupted her; the blonde didn't want her to think that she had failed him in any way.

Naruto didn't know what kind of life he would have if he lived in the other world, but that didn't matter; he would never exchange this life for anything else.

But now that was out of the way; the blonde decided to address the main reason he had arrived here.

"Mother, I would like to visit my mother's grave," Naruto requested as he stood up on his feet; Kya nodded in understanding before leaving the room; the blonde wondered where she went when she quickly returned with flowers in her hands.

"The next time I would have gone to her grave, I planned to give her these flowers, but now you can give them," Kya said, handing him the flowers.

The flowers were bright blue, with white color at the edge of the petals, the anthers were gold, and the stigma on the center was a mix between gold and blue.

Inhaling deeply, the aroma was pleasant, reminding him of fresh air in the morning mixed with honey. Both left the house; as they walked towards the place, they were in complete silence; the blonde walked forward, his feet walking faster than usual. Soon reaching the graveyard, the blonde didn't need to look around; her tombstone was a bit further away from the others, with several flowers around it.

Walking up to it, Naruto looked at it with a new light, knowing this was where the woman who gave everything to save him was buried; kneeling, he put the flowers slowly in front of the tombstone, closing his eyes. He wondered what his mother and father would think of him now? Are they proud of me?

"Mother, I know I'm a bit late. I wish I had visited sooner, to give you all the flowers you deserved, to tell you about my life. I never knew you, but I'm so grateful that you were my mother; if my father is there with you, please tell him that I love him too. You both gave everything to ensure my safety; I can never say with just words how grateful I am. You don't have to worry about me; I have a family that loves me dearly, good friends like Korra, and a woman I love, Asami. I'm sure you both would have liked her; she's a bit hot-headed but is incredibly smart and knows how to take care of herself. My cousins, they're the wildest children I have ever known, but also my best friends. I will revisit you as soon as I can. Say Hello to Father for me,"

Opening his eyes, he stretched out his hand, his index finger having the fast-moving wind at the tip; slowly and carefully, he wrote the name of his mother and father on it.

Minato Namikaze

Kushina Uzumaki

Incredible parents and people.

Smiling with the results, the blonde's cheeks were filled with tears, his eyes red and puffy; standing up, the clouds moved away, revealing the sun shining behind him; Naruto saw three shadows in front of him, two larger shadows standing just a bit behind him.

Feeling a hand on his left and right shoulder, Naruto blinked, glancing behind to see a woman with long red hair smiling before mouthing the words.

I love you, my son

The second figure has long blonde hair, with two fangs of blonde hair just beside his face, and rich blue eyes like the ocean.

I'm proud of the man you have become.

Then Naruto heard the words he yearned the most to hear.

"We both love you, and we will be with you every step of the way," they said with love as they disappeared slowly in front of Naruto, the shadows disappearing as well.

Closing his eyes, Naruto smiled brightly; he shouted at the heavens above him.

"I love you too. Thank You for Everything, my parents,"