Chapter-45

All the ancestors' eyes gleamed with intensity, each one poised to confront the perceived "threat."

"Wow! Wow! Wow! What?" Aang made a hurried attempt to halt his predecessors, but they brushed past him as if unfazed.

Naruto, on the other hand, reacted to the situation by assuming a defensive stance. If these spectral apparitions sought a battle, so be it. "What?" he questioned. However, when he extended his hand, he was unable to conjure a Rasengan. His surprise grew as he realized his chakra seemed inaccessible. "And what's this?" He clenched his fists, an unwavering resolve etched on his face, as he observed the hundreds of spirits converging upon him. "Backing down isn't my ninja way!" With that determination, he launched himself into the confrontation.

Yet, the confrontation between the Avatars and Naruto was abruptly interrupted when a colossal figure descended between them. All eyes turned towards the colossal silhouette that towered behind the blonde. Slowly, Naruto pivoted to face the immense nine-tailed fox, its size continually expanding, its fiery red eyes finally opening.

"No one has the right to kill him... but me," the Kyubi proclaimed as its nine tails began to shift towards where the Avatars were positioned.

"Evil and destructive spirit," Roku, at the helm of the spiritual group of Avatars, cast an unsatisfied glare toward the colossal nine-tailed entity. "Your presence is a threat to our balance, and thus, you must be eradicated..."

"Hah! You insignificant pests, I am no threat... I am your deepest nightmare."

With the roar of the nine-tailed fox resonating through the void, Aang and Naruto were flung in opposite directions. The avatars responded with war cries, launching an assault against the malevolent entity.

In a burst of radiant light, the surrounding darkness shattered like fragile glass, leaving only the two children to plummet into the endless void itself.

…..

Opening his eyes, Naruto realized he was hurtling towards the bottom of the cliff. He glanced around, seeing the multitude of debris descending with him. "Oh no." Just a short distance away, also in freefall, was the bald boy. Thinking fast, Naruto manifested a chain and hurled it at a rock. Using it as leverage, he flung himself towards Aang.

Navigating through the tumbling rocks, he reached out with his right arm and managed to grasp the young airbender. Just as they were attempting to ascend...

*Thud.*

It was the sound of Naruto's back impacting the rocky terminus of the mountains. Despite the rough collision, he tenaciously held onto Aang. Eventually, both youths plummeted into the river.

The last image Naruto caught before losing consciousness was a six-legged creature descending from the sky.

...

"Ready!" Sokka declared with pride as he securely fastened a rope around their captive, who dangled from a log affixed to a tree.

A short distance away, Katara diligently wiped the sweat, blood, and dirt from the young Avatar, who lay on a sleeping bag. She furrowed her brow slightly as she attended to the wound on Aang's chest. He emitted faint groans of pain. "Do you think he's from the Fire Nation?"

"No," Sokka replied promptly while holding the stranger's belongings. "But I can say this guy has a serious penchant for the color orange." He regarded the backpack he had discovered near the temple, certain of its owner. Opening it, he emptied the contents onto the ground.

Inside were various articles of clothing: pants, jackets, shirts, and underwear. "These seem pretty high-quality... I'll confiscate them," Sokka mused with a grin, selecting some non-orange garments that would suit him nicely. After all, he could use some new clothes, and the prisoner certainly didn't need them. "Not bad!" he exclaimed upon discovering a stash of kunai. He twirled one deftly, appreciating its balance and weight. They were ideal weapons.

Katara's eyebrow twitched involuntarily as she observed her older brother essentially appropriating the golden-haired boy. "Sokka, you shouldn't be messing around with him."

"Relax," undeterred by his sister's admonishments, he retrieved something more substantial. It resembled a peculiar boomerang, bulky and weighty. His eyes widened with fascination as it unfolded into a flying weapon, bearing four blades resembling windmill vanes.

"Ugh..."

Both siblings immediately diverted their attention to Aang, who stirred and opened his eyes.

"Thank goodness you're alright," Katara said with relief as she assisted the boy in sitting up within the sleeping bag.

"What happened?"

"You went berserk, shining like a lamp, and nearly brought the temple down on us. Luckily, this guy showed up and put you in your place... hey!" Sokka's explanation was cut short by a sudden jet of water to his face, and a stern look from his sister swiftly silenced him.

"Did I hurt anyone?" Aang inquired, his distress palpable. Katara reassured him with gentle strokes on his back.

"No, everything's fine now. You just lost control when you saw... I'm sorry." There was no need for a detailed explanation.

In silence, Aang rose, somewhat stiff, retrieved his clothing, and dressed, all while under the watchful eyes of the two siblings.

"But hey, it's not all bad news. We have al—" Sokka's words trailed off as he noticed the severed ropes and the empty log where their prisoner once hung. "Uh-oh." He felt Katara's piercing gaze burning into the back of his neck.

Before they could begin their questioning, a whistle caught their attention. All eyes turned to the stranger perched on a tree branch, wearing a solemn expression. "Follow me," he declared before taking a mighty leap towards the mountains. Team Avatar wasted no time and swiftly mounted their bison to pursue the boy.

….

Aang felt a lump in his throat, sinking to his knees as he gazed upon the numerous graves before him. Katara and Sokka stood silently behind him.

"I did my best to gather the remains of each one and give them a dignified burial," the shinobi, who had been guiding the group, explained. "Now, there's only one last burial left, and I think you should do it." He conjured a shovel and handed it to Aang, who accepted it with tear-filled eyes, looking bewildered.

Before he could voice his questions, they witnessed an exact copy of the stranger descending before them, carefully holding a bundle wrapped in cloth.

Without hesitation, Aang took the shovel. In what felt like an eternity to the young monk, he placed the final stone upon the grave of the person he cherished most in his life. "Thank you for everything... master." He gently laid his master's necklace on the main stone of the tomb and offered a brief prayer.

The silence between Team Avatar and the shinobi grew increasingly tense until Naruto broke it.

"Many told me about you, the Avatar, master of the four elements... or simply?"

"Aang."

"Naruto."

Their introduction was succinct yet efficient.

"I'm sorry for attacking you. I don't know what happened," Aang apologized, clutching his glider tightly. His memories remained jumbled, but... "I want to thank you for stopping me and protecting my friends from myself... too." He joined his hands and bowed to the shinobi. "Thank you for giving eternal rest to my people. I speak for all of them in thanking you..." Without raising his head, he held his bow.

Nodding his head, Naruto looked at the tombs for a few seconds, then looked at the avatar, "I originally just wanted to go back to my home... but..."

My dream is to be Hokage! So that people stop looking down on me and give me their respect!

I will never go back to my ninja way!

I promise you that I will bring Sasuke back... It's a promise...

"I..." bitterly Naruto didn't know what to say, the words just wouldn't come out of his mouth.

You have the power to make a change, the change we need.

Thank you... thank you for everything Mr. Naruto!

Not only do you have my respect kid… you have my loyalty.

You're a good boy.

Now the last words that the prisoners he had freed told him before leaving echoed in his mind, they had faith in him? Maybe the Avatar knows the way to return to his home, but...

He could just walk away leaving people like Dororo, Mio, Yui, Yuei, the old man, Miho, Suni and thousands more who were in this war.

You know brat... I would like that one day you achieve the dream that I never achieved

And which one is it?

Paz…

"You always knew what to say, Ero-sennin," Naruto thought, a bright smile spreading across his face, which puzzled Team Avatar. "I want to end this war..."

He hoped everyone in Konoha was safe, as he wouldn't be returning for a long time.

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PAT REON I'D:- Alzero ]