126 Chapter-126

"Hmm, something's up..."

Team Avatar and the refugee family stopped when they heard the blind bandit. She knelt down, putting her hands on the ground to figure out what was coming.

"Do you know what it is?" Sokka couldn't see any threat, but the black smoke on the horizon didn't bode well.

"Whatever it is, it's big and fast, faster than your crazy feet."

"Like a vehicle?" Naruto was fast, but with the Fire Nation, he wouldn't be surprised if they had some speedy machine.

"Aang?"

"Yes," Aang understood the Water Tribe elder's concern. After deploying his glider, he returned, "It's big and approaching fast. It might be here in a few minutes."

"That's bad," Katara worried. They were in an abandoned town, so close to reaching Ba Sing Se.

"What should we do?" The pregnant woman in her husband's arms asked anxiously.

"First, get them out of here." Naruto summoned four shadow clones and used an old cart without wheels to create a makeshift lift.

"Get in." The teenagers helped the small refugee family onto the transport.

"And you?" Yoru noticed only his family came up, not the others.

"We don't know where they're going…" Sokka saw the smoke getting closer, "They might come for us. We can't leave; they might be heading to Ba Sing Se. We need to know what we're facing."

The other members of Team Avatar agreed.

"The clones will take him there. Don't worry about us," Naruto's confident smile reassured the small family, "Everything will be fine..."

"Promise?"

"I promise," she responded with the hand signs she had taught. With a final smile, the mute girl bid farewell to the shinobi, who stayed to watch the clones run.

"I don't need to see to know there was a cheesy moment," Toph complained. She could hear that girl's strong heartbeat before she left, maybe they held hands or something; she hated sign language.

"Stop being bitter, Toph."

"And stop being too noble and kind; it's scary. No one can be like that all the time."

"You'd be surprised."

Easing the tension, the four teenagers looked at each other. They could feel the ground vibrating as their enemy approached.

In a loud screech, they witnessed a colossal armored train grind its wheels in a shower of sparks, slowly halting before them, releasing steam from several ducts. The train descended a bit when a large gate opened.

And two people emerged.

General Siu and Shòukǔ had arrived.

"Well, well, well," smiling, the Fire Lord's right-hand man looked at each of the teenagers, taking the time to examine them and finally grinning, "To think that a group of crazy teenagers can cause so much trouble. Kids your age should be dating, studying, or having fun all the time."

"And you, knitting a sweater for your grandson, grandma?"

"Are you the funny one in the group, girl?"

"What do you think, old lady?" Toph, even though she couldn't see, knew that comment had upset the general.

"I'll have fun cutting your throat and giving you a new disability."

"How scary. Will you do it with your sewing needles?"

If looks could kill, Toph would already be six meters underground, due to a murderous look that the firebender had. Not waiting for her gaze to do the work, she moved her hands, making electricity illuminate her hands, and a bolt of lightning went straight towards the blind bandit.

It was pushed by Naruto, who had no choice but to prepare to receive the attack. But before it touched him, another lightning bolt passed over his head and collided with Siu's attack, cancelling each other.

"If anyone has the right to kill him, it's me."

All eyes turned back to Azula, who slowly lowered her right hand. Behind her, an equally serious Iroh accompanied her. Both firebenders walked to stand next to Team Avatar, who did not know what to think.

"I see you've fallen under Azula. Did you really join this trash class?" She mocked the general, seeing how her niece was on guard.

"Don't compare me to them." The banished princess's hands lit up with blue fire. "He hated it..." she muttered with suppressed fury, glancing slightly at Naruto, "But..." her gaze returned to Siu, "My hate towards you is bigger!"

With that scream of fury, Azula shot out a giant flame, easily covering the entire armored train, the largest and most powerful flame of fire she had ever launched in her life.

However, the fire was dissipated as if it were just dust.

By an impassive Shòukǔ, who, with just a movement of his arm, dispersed the fire as if it were mist. He had not said a word, for the simple fact that he was not interested in the family problems between the firebenders. He made everyone shudder when he took the first step.

His gaze was directed at only one person.

His goal was before him.

"Are you Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Yes..." Naruto had a very bad feeling; this guy was not normal. He felt it even without being a sensor. Clenching his fists, swallowing, and preparing himself, he asked, "And who are you?"

"My enemies call me Shòukǔ..." Slowly, he descended the stairs, still looking into the eyes of Uzumaki. Naruto cautiously walked towards him, ready for anything. "But my mother... My name is Nozumo."

"And should I consider you my enemy?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

The wind blew softly between both fighters, who ignored everything around them, looking at each other. As if on cue, they both heard the soft fall of a leaf between them.

The battle had begun.