Chapter-12

In the city of the Earth Kingdom, Naruto walked confidently without his cane and blindfold, a big smile on his face. He had two small bags of money he got by slyly taking coins from a couple of guards – something he felt okay about doing. Whistling as he strolled through the busy streets, he noticed a clear split between people. There were those dressed fancy, likely from rich families, and others in old clothes, probably from poorer backgrounds. It struck him as kinda strange.

But he didn't let that bother him. He kept walking, not really paying attention to the curious looks from the folks around. He had a job to do – find the person who took his necklace and then get out of the city. He figured Azula might have told her Fire Nation buddies to catch him.

While he was lost in thought, he didn't notice a boy nearby with dark hair tied in a ponytail, purple eyes, and pale skin. The boy wore green clothes that covered most of his upper body and legs. He had spread out a blanket on the ground, showing off different things he was selling.

"Hey there, folks! Don't miss out on some awesome stuff I'm selling at good prices!" The boy smiled, handing a roll of cloth to a woman who stopped to take a look. "Straight from the Water Tribe, this fabric is perfect for making super beautiful kimonos," he explained with excitement, watching as the lady got more interested.

"Really?" The woman hesitated, checking out the cloth with a skeptical expression. It looked pretty nice, and if what the boy said was true, it could be worth more than what he was asking. "Okay, I'll take it," she decided, getting some coins out and handing them to the young seller, who smiled back happily.

"Thanks! But wait! How about something even better?" The young boy pulled out a necklace from his pocket. It had a shiny greenish stone hanging from it. Many people around stopped to look at the beautiful gem that seemed worth a lot. "This belonged to a strong earthbender! It's worth more than a bag of gold! But just for you, I'll sell it for only three gold coins!"

"Really?" The lady's eyes lit up with excitement as she stared at the necklace. But before she could say anything, some soldiers showed up. They pushed through the crowd to reach the boy. He quickly grabbed his things and blanket, ready to run. But one of the soldiers grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Don't you dare peddle your stuff here, kid!" One of the earthbenders barked in anger, giving the boy's arm a painful squeeze. The boy winced, his grip on the blanket faltering. Inadvertently, he revealed the necklace, which the soldier swiftly snatched, his brows furrowing. "This ain't some cheap junk... You! You understand the price of swiping things from nobles! Get a hold of the brat!" The soldier ordered, shoving the boy into the grasp of his comrades, who threw him to the ground.

"No! Wait! I didn't steal it! I found it in the woods!" Panic surged through the boy's voice as an earthbender pinned his hands down, pressing him into the ground. His fear escalated as he watched the leader of the group manipulate the ground, lifting a rock above the boy's arms. "Okay! Okay! I swiped it from a weird-haired guy who was sleeping! But I swear he wasn't some noble! He was just as poor and filthy as me! I swear!" His panicked voice echoed as he struggled against the soldier's grip, who refused to let go.

"Stealing from a thief is still stealing…" The earthbender raised his hands, causing a large rock, about forty centimeters in diameter, to hover dangerously over the boy's hands. Tears streamed down the boy's face as he looked up, scared. "Maybe if I break both your hands, you'll think twice…" The earthbender's hands lowered, preparing to strike the boy.

Unexpectedly, the rock shattered into thousands of pieces before it could reach the boy. A pre-adolescent boy, wearing only pants and holding a kunai, appeared. With a serious expression, the blonde threw the kunai, hitting the captain of the group. The captain fell to the ground, screaming in pain as the knife lodged in his shoulder, causing blood to flow.

"He's armed!" The soldier holding the boy got up and manipulated earth to form a wall, pushing it towards the newcomer. However, the blonde leaped an impressive four meters to evade the attack, then swiftly took down the soldier and knocked him out. As for the boy, he grabbed his belongings and dashed down an alley. Before leaving, he paused at the sound of a sandbag hitting the ground.

Amazement filled the boy as he observed the stranger surrounded by six earth kingdom soldiers, all of whom were either knocked out or incapacitated with broken bones. And the stranger seemed completely unharmed.

With a sigh, Naruto retrieved his necklace from the hands of a soldier. He glanced around, noticing he had accidentally destroyed an old man's vegetable stall. Retrieving a bag of coins from his pocket, he tossed it to the old man. "I'm sorry about that, this should cover the damages." He then leaped onto the roof of a two-story house, nimbly running across the rooftops. After a while, he halted at a tall temple-like structure. "Well, that went well," he thought, a smile forming as he lovingly touched his necklace. Although he had reclaimed it, he now realized he was being pursued by the earthbenders.

"Psst." Naruto tilted his head at the sound, spotting the boy who had initially stolen from him. From an alley, the dark-haired boy motioned for Naruto to come down. The blonde didn't make him wait long, jumping down with his arms crossed. "Listen, I know you must be angry about me borrowing something that's yours—"

"Stealing something that's mine…" Naruto growled, glaring at the boy.

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