Chapter 20

Aang watched the sun rise for a moment and then walked down to where Sokka, Katara, and Team Kurenai stood in front of Appa. Sokka watched the scene carefully, waiting to see if the hostage would appear with his captors.

"Please remember that we may be walking into a trap," Sokka told him, scratching Akela behind the ear.

"I know," Aang replied.

- We are ready? - Kurenai asked, holding the sleeping baby in her arms.

"We're probably as ready as possible, Kurenai-sensei," Shino answered her.

"Don't worry guys, it will be easy," Kiba said.

Sokka turned to his sister.

"I would like to put on record that these words did not come from my mouth."

"That's a good point," Katara replied, causing them to laugh a little and relieve the tension that hung in the air between them.

(Location: Omashu)

May stood in front of the entrance to the governor's mansion. She watched as a group of Imperial Fire Mages carried the royal palanquin towards her. She didn't need to ask who was inside, she already knew. When the palanquin was set down and Azula stepped out of it, she bowed.

"Please tell me that you have come to kill me," she said without any emotion.

The two of them looked at each other for a moment and then laughed.

"It's good to see you, May," Azula said, hugging her. They parted and Ty Lee hugged May again, albeit more tightly.

- I thought you ran away and joined the circus. "You said that this is your calling," May asked the acrobat.

"Well, Azula called a little louder," Ty Lee replied, stepping back.

"Actually, Ty Lee, I think that call was lost in the noise of the animals when they went on a rampage," Naruto said as he joined the girls.

"Naruto," Mai greeted him, her eyes sparkling.

"Doomed and gloomy," Naruto answered with a smile. - So how do you want to die this time: suffocate, drown, behead, stab, electrocute, strangle? - he asked, listing the methods on his fingers.

- How do you like a knife in the heart? - she asked, throwing out her hand and throwing a knife at him. It whistled through the air and seemed about to pierce his eye.

- Sounds a bit boring, if you want my opinion. If I wanted a boring and dull death, I would agree to be skinned or suffer from many small cuts," he replied, catching the knife and not taking his eyes off her.

May frowned slightly, but then grinned and replied:

"It's always fun when you're around, Naruto."

"If you two are done, I can tell May why we are here," Azula told them, stepping forward and looking at May and Ty Lee. - I have a mission, and I need both of you.

- Consider me in business. - May automatically agreed. "I agree to anything that will help me get out of this place."

"After we finish in Omashu, I will tell the squad leader to return to the Fire Country," Naruto said to Azula, who nodded in agreement.

"I suppose I should talk to your father now?" - she asked May. She nodded. - Lead the way.

The ruler, his wife, May and Ty Lee sat in front of Azula as she sat down in the ruler's chair. Naruto leaned against the wall next to the door, making sure no one entered the governor's residence for no reason.

"I apologize," said Governor Azoulay. -You arrived in Omashu at a difficult time. At noon we make a deal with the resistance to get Tom-Tom back.

"Yes, I'm sorry to hear about your son," Azula said sarcastically as her expression turned serious. - Really, what did you expect, just letting all the residents leave. My father entrusted this city to you, and you ruined everything.

"Forgive me, princess," the governor begged, bowing his head. His wife followed suit.

"You will stay here," she told him. - May will handle the hostage trade so you don't have the opportunity to ruin everything. And there is no more "Omashu". I'm renaming it after my father...

- No, you can't rename it. - Naruto abruptly interrupted her. Most of the people in the room looked at him in shocked silence. They didn't know anyone who disagreed with the princess so openly, but the silence became dangerous when she looked at her bodyguard.

- What you said? - she growled.

He looked at the two Imperial Fire Mages standing on either side of the chair. They accepted the subtle order and left silently.

- Could you give us a few minutes? - he asked the governor and his wife. They nodded and also left the room.

- What in the name of Agni do you mean when you say that I will not rename this city? Azula demanded as she took a few steps towards Naruto.

"You won't rename this city for two reasons," he told her, tearing himself away from the wall and walking forward a few steps. - First: names are important.

- What are you talking about?

- This is the city of Omashu; its inhabitants are part of the Earthly Kingdom. - He made a sweeping gesture to emphasize his point. "They're proud to be from Omashu, if you take that name away from them, they can't be proud of where they were born or who they are."

She scoffed.

- This is nonsense. - For her, one name was no worse than another.

- As you say, miss. Chunky-Chunky Boom-Boom.

She just stood there, digesting what had just come out of her bodyguard's mouth.

- Sorry? - she asked him in a soft, quiet voice. People who knew Azula, hearing such a voice, began to look for secluded places and pray to Agni that she would not approach them.

- What? - he asked, pretending that he hadn't actually said anything.

-What did you just call me?

- Oh, this. "I called you by your new name, Chunky-Chunky Boom-Boom, current Earthrealm girl," he replied, pretending it was nothing.

- Hell no! - She launched a fireball past his head, hitting the wall harmlessly. - My name is Azula, and I am the princess of the Fire Nation!

He looked at her as he slowly walked towards her and finally stopped right in front of her.

- So you can change the name of something or someone else, but you can't change your name or the place you're from? - he asked quietly.

- You are damn right! - she growled, pressing her face into his. They looked at each other, their faces just inches apart. Her eyes were angry, and his were calm.

"What you just felt is what everyone feels when their name is taken away from them." Of course, you can empathize with them when they feel the same way as you do now," Naruto told her softly. - Do you really want to do this to these people?

Azula stared at him for several minutes before she realized what he said. She knew what he was talking about and was about to throw away the name that the people of the city kept in their hearts and thought nothing of it. And yet she was just about to attack him when he did the same to her.

"I think not," she agreed, stepping away from him.

- This is a valuable lesson, Azula. Sooner or later you would have learned it. - He turned to the door. - I'll go tell the governor that we're going to make an exchange.

"Very good," she agreed. He started to leave. "And Naruto, that name must never be mentioned again."

He turned to face her.

"Don't give me a reason to use it," he told her with a mischievous grin before turning back.

- Um... Naruto? - Ty Lee called. - You said you had two reasons, but you only explained one. What was the second one?

Naruto stopped and turned around, looking like a lamb.

"Yeah, sorry, I forgot about that," he said, scratching the back of his head.

- Well, what is the second reason? - May asked. Now she was curious.

"Royal Flaming Ass doesn't deserve to be named after a diaper, much less a city."

"You know, some might call this betrayal," Azula said dryly. Although she wasn't sure how many there were, she knew that there were only a few brave people who openly spoke ill of her father and got away with it. Her uncle was obviously one of them, as he was considered part of the family. On the other hand, Naruto is a completely different matter.

Naruto grinned and told the three girls.

"The day he gets off his ass and actually fights in this war is when I might start to respect him, and I emphasize the word "maybe."

At this point he left the room.