"You have to kill Uzumaki Naruto."
All the Avatars agreed.
The war.
The Fire Nation.
All of that was irrelevant once the Avatar crossed paths with the shinobi.
"No."
All the figures were overwhelmed by that single word from a serious Aang, who did not lower his gaze and stood upright before all his ancestors.
"You can't refuse."
"I can do it... I can choose..."
Aang wouldn't make the same mistake; he wouldn't be afraid to face adversity.
He had fled out of fear of the responsibility of being the Avatar.
He wouldn't be afraid now. He wouldn't let his destiny be controlled.
Taking a deep breath, he puffed out his chest.
"I am the Avatar!" His cry shook reality itself; the entire cosmic plane trembled, as did the other Avatars. "I appreciate your warnings! Your wisdom and help! But now I am the Avatar! I am the one who will decide what to do! And I would never harm someone who has done nothing wrong! Much less a friend!"
Aang had provoked the fury of the spirits; he knew it by the way they looked at him, their eyes filled with anger and frustration.
"Then the Avatar State will be denied to you; you will no longer be able to access it."
"Honestly, I don't care," he said with a gentle smile. He knew what he was doing would change everything, but... he felt it was the right thing to do.
And that's what mattered most.
"Dude..." But among all the disapproving looks, there was one that reflected only amusement and empathy. "You're crazy."
Aang remained silent when he heard someone's footsteps coming toward him. Among the Avatars appeared a young man; his way of dressing did not resemble any of the four nations.
The air master couldn't explain it, but a feeling of nostalgia filled his chest when that young man reached him, placed his hands on his shoulders, and gave him a bright smile.
"Wan…" That name appeared like a ray of light in the darkness. Before him stood the first Avatar, the one who started it all.
"I started out like you, just a kid doing what I thought was right, and although my path wasn't easy, I made many mistakes, some of which still haunt me today..."
"…"
"You don't have to follow the advice of these grumpy old men, who only think they are wise because they are old," mocked Wan, earning the hostile gazes of all the other spirits.
"Am I doing the right thing?" Aang questioned uncertainly.
"Only time will tell... but you have nothing to doubt, because I am with you." The first Avatar's right hand lit up and touched the monk's chest. "Perhaps you don't have the power and experience of a thousand Avatars, but you have me."
The warmth in his chest made him smile.
"Thank you, Wan."
"Remember, Aang, this is your path, this is your life... It's the legend of the last airbender!" With a glow, Wan slowly faded away.
"I will not fail you!" he shouted with determination, watching as the first Avatar continued to ascend while all the other Avatars disappeared one by one.
"I know you won't... and don't be afraid, because you don't just have me, you also have your friends." His silhouette faded into tiny particles of light, which fell upon the monk, who couldn't hold back the tears streaming down his face, overwhelmed by so many emotions swirling in his chest. "I'm happy... that there are still... people like you."
Opening his eyes, Aang saw that he was back on the mountaintop, in front of the guru.
"…?" He noticed that something bad had happened; the last chakra of the air master had not opened, at least not as it should have.
Slowly, the boy stood up, enjoying the breeze that caressed his face.
It was time to go back.
....
Toph was hearing a lot of noise.
She dismissed it, but when a cup of tea was placed in front of her, she couldn't help but be delighted by the aroma.
"So... tell me your problem?" Iroh set the teapot down on the table and sat next to the blind girl, who took a sip of tea.
"I'm a fool, and he's a wretch."
"You're not holding anything back, huh?" Iroh asked, amused by the girl's sour expression.
"I never had to worry about that. I knew how to pretend to be a good girl in front of my parents, although lately I've forgotten how to do it."
Spending so much time with Team Avatar, with him, had made her leave behind that image of a blind and helpless girl, which she had used with her parents for so many years.
"It sounds like a difficult childhood."
Iroh could understand her; everyone wore masks. Even the most honest and open people acted completely differently depending on who they were with.
He had used one for a long time during the war.
"I'd say boring..." Toph placed the empty cup on the table and played with it, her expression blank. "But I can't complain. I've never gone hungry, never slept cold. It's more than many have."
"You're a good girl," Iroh complimented. He liked people who didn't play the victim and feel sorry for themselves; that didn't lead to anything.
We all have difficult lives, some more than others.
There are people who spend their time talking about how difficult their lives were, and they get stuck in the past.
Then there are people who leave their past behind because it is the past. It cannot be changed. All that remains is to be grateful for what they have, work, and improve their lives.
"I won't be a good girl when I break your niece's teeth."
In a complete 180-degree turn, the girl's expression became dangerous, almost cracking her knuckles, eager for that girl to come through the door so she could knock all her teeth out.
"Wow." That girl was tough. Amused, Iroh filled the blind bandit's cup with tea so she could drink it and calm down a bit. "Why would you do something like that?"
"For making out with the boy I like."
"Ohhhh, that explains the reason for Azula's smile," chuckled the old Dragon of the West.
Who would have thought?
His niece was having teenage moments, like kids her age usually did.
"..." Toph gritted her teeth upon hearing that; she felt a lot of fury and rage.
"And now?"
"Now?" She looked up, confused.
"Yeah, I don't see why you're so worried. It's not like a kiss is a marriage proposal." He shrugged and poured some tea, this time for himself.
"What does that mean?" she asked, confused.
"You're not seeing the whole picture. They're just teenagers. They have their whole lives ahead of them, full of romance and silliness, but I think you're forgetting something important, little one."
"What?"
"Friendship."
"…"
"Are you seriously going to throw that in the trash?" Iroh asked, this time more seriously.
"…"
"Friendship is a beautiful gift, my child, something that can give us so much joy, so much strength, so many... laughs." The old man's words were full of wisdom on a topic that many people overlooked.
Friendship.
"..." Toph clutched the cup in her hands. The moments she had spent with Team Avatar, with Naruto, were the most fun of her life. The mere thought of returning home, locked up again, filled her with dread.
Alone.
Seeing the girl's distressed face, Iroh approached her and gently patted her shoulder. "Don't let anger and rage cloud your judgment. You may have been hurt this time, but I'm sure he apologized and begged you to forgive him, right?"
"..." was Toph's low murmur in response, which was enough to make Iroh smile.
"People hurt each other. That's what makes us human. I was lucky enough to have a good woman give me a second chance, a chance that lasted a lifetime with her."
Should she forgive him?
"It depends on you. Only good friends, true friends, can forgive each other's mistakes and give a second chance, because we know that if the situation were reversed, would he have given you one?"
"Yes..." Knowing Naruto, he would.
If their roles had been reversed...
If it had been her, if she had gone out with someone else, someone she liked who liked her back...
Naruto wouldn't have been jealous. He would have surely congratulated her, supported her, and even encouraged her to be with the person she liked, even if it wasn't him.
That boy… was too good for his own good.
Even if his heart were broken, he would be happy seeing the person he loved be happy with someone else.
He would always be happy for the happiness of others.
"Fool..." Biting her lip, Toph clenched her fists. The more she thought about it, the more it hurt. She felt that she loved him even more, and she hated knowing that Azula now had his heart.
It hurt her.
But… if he was happy, she couldn't deny him his happiness. That's not what a best friend would do.
Iroh stroked the girl's back, comforting her as small tears threatened to well up in her eyes.
She was a good girl.
[ If you want to read advance Chapters then go to Pat reon and support me there.
PAT REON I'D:- Alzero ]