A Spirit of Elements Chapter 52 (PAIN) (Patreon)

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"Alright, Naruto. According to the test results, you're in condition to leave the hospital this day," Dao said as he went through the documents lying on his desk. After three weeks of full-time therapy, his patient had finally reached the point where he could walk and move on his own.

Naruto proved to be one of the most stubborn patients Dao had ever taken care of. The young man was adamant on leaving the hospital as soon as he could.

Imagine Dao's shock when Katara herself arrived to heal the boy, but it wasn't really a surprise, knowing the boy was her grandson. The Doctor felt bad for the poor boy; the paranoia around the Republic City had gone from bad to worse since the trial ended. Even worse than when the Equalists were at the peak of their power. There was this air of uneasiness around the air. People in this City had split into groups. One group demanded that Naruto should be executed for his crimes, and the same group also chanted that Korra should be killed for siding with the monster that almost destroyed their City.

The Doctor was happy the boy wouldn't be here long; that could calm things down and allow the people to move on and one day forget about the Monster of The Republic City. If one asked Dao, he would say that Avatar Korra should also leave this City for a while until things calmed down.

Anyhow, thanks to Katara's expertise and knowledge in the healing arts, Naruto made a stunningly fast recovery. The damage to his body and skull was gone. Katara's aid, combined with Doctor Dao's therapy sessions and Korra's encouragement, enabled the young Airbender to finish his treatment in only three weeks instead of the anticipated three months.

Now, back to the present...

"... Naruto, are you listening? I said I need you to sign these documents before you leave."

Naruto absentmindedly picked up a pen and signed every sheet of paper that Dao gave him, paying little attention. The only thing he wanted to do was to get out of the hospital and go to the Air Temple. He wanted to eat the food Pema cooked for him; he wanted to sleep in his own room; he wanted to ride Sozu and feel the wind passing by; he wanted to be with his little cousins; he wanted to kiss Asami; he wanted to chill out with Korra and spent the day together. He knew he wouldn't be able to stay here long after all.

Dao checked the papers twice to see if anything was missing. Once he was sure everything was in order, he wrote down his own signature, shook hands with Naruto, and left the room so the Airbender could change his current patient attire. Naruto found his old clothes carefully packed inside a box. He had to admit he missed wearing his pants and jacket. The hospital attire was all very well and good, but wearing them all day and night became boring after a while. Once he was properly dressed, he stepped outside the room where he slept the last three weeks in and turned the lights off.

...

Outside of Republic City's Hospital

'I forgot how nice it felt to be outside.' Naruto thought as he took a deep, deep breath once he exited the hospital and started walking downstairs. He would go as far as saying he missed the sound of the Satomobiles' horns, something he would've found rather annoying three months ago.

Right now, walking without crutches feels great. But he knew he needed to hide his face in public, as showing his face would make people furious.

However, Naruto felt slightly disappointed when he realized no one, not even Korra or Tenzin, had bothered to go pick him up. Where were they? Naruto was certain Doctor Dao told them he would be released today. It... hurt him a little. Like, seriously? No one came to pick him up? Not Korra? Not Asami? Not his mother? Not Tenzin? Not Pema or any of the airbending kids? Not Mako? Not Bolin? Not Sozu? Not Pabu?

... Not even Lin?

Once he reached the sidewalk, he looked to the right and saw a certain someone sitting on a bench.

Korra was sitting on a bench near the hospital entrance, rubbing her eyes with one hand and covering a yawn with the other. Naga was also with her, though she was sleeping instead of trying to keep herself awake. Korra was wearing her usual Water Tribe outfit, but instead of her sky-blue, sleeveless shirt, she wore her dark blue coat that was made out of leather. It was a chilly afternoon, and Naruto regretted not having his winter coat with him. But he could care less about the cold. The only thing that had his attention right now was the sight of his second girlfriend. He slowly walked towards Korra, who was dozing off just like Naga, and raised his voice. "Waiting for someone?"

As soon as the sound of his voice reached Korra's ears, she bolted out of her seat and jumped straight into his arms. Korra placed her arms around Naruto's neck and started kissing him furiously. "Missed-you-so-much!"

Naruto returned the kisses with equal devotion and hugged her as hard as he could, almost fearing that she would disappear should he let her go. Naga started barking and jumping around them, obviously excited to see Naruto back on his feet again. The two teens kept kissing each other until their lips became numb. When they were done, Naruto distanced himself from her a little so he could see her face. She looked just as beautiful as the first time he saw her. "I swear I'm not trying to be mushy or anything, but you have no idea how much I've missed you."

"You wanna make it a competition? Because you're going down for sure." Korra replied before kissing her boyfriend again. Spirits, she missed this. She missed his lips. She missed his strong arms around her waist. She missed that warm energy that seemed to radiate out of his body every time she was near him. She missed his handsome face. She missed... well, everything about him, really.

When the second kiss came to an end, Naruto looked at Korra. "You know, it's great to see you again, but where's everybody? I thought uncle Tenzin would be here to pick me up. Where's Asami?"

"Asami is busy with her work, Naruto. Is not easy, especially after her father. Tenzin? Yeah, uuhhh... He had to attend this... Council meeting?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Are you answering me or asking me?"

"... Answering you?"

...

"I-I mean, answering you." Korra stammered out, looking as if she was mentally berating herself. "Yeah, I'm totally answering you. He had this really important Council meeting and he sent me to pick you up instead."

'She's always been bad at lying,' Naruto thought. It wasn't really that hard to tell when Korra was lying. She kept lifting the corner of her mouth, and she completely avoided his gaze. Naruto had no idea why Korra would lie about Tenzin attending a Council meeting, but he decided not to call her up on that. Instead, he went for another question. "Alright, what about Aunt Pema? What about Bolin and Mako?"

"Pema had to take care of the kids. As for the guys... Well, Asami is still figuring out a way to clean the name of Sato Industries after being involved with the Equalists, so she's basically drowning herself in paperwork. Mako started to work at Republic City's Headquarters as an officer under Lin's recomendation. Bolin got really sick and he's not supposed to go outside."

"So basically, no one else could come?" Naruto asked. Korra shrugged and gave her boyfriend a 'there's nothing we can do about it' sort of look. Naruto remained expressionless for a minute before a small smile appeared on his face. "It's okay. You're the only one I want to be with right now anyways."

The Avatar beamed at him and pecked his lips. "Took the words right out of my mouth. Still, Tenzin told me to bring you over to the Air Temple. The kids are really excited to see you again. Even Sozu is less of a pain in the rear. Anyways..." Korra paused and mounted Naga, then offered Naruto a hand. "... Shall we go now?"

"Actually, do you mind if we walk instead?" Seeing Korra's puzzled face, Naruto elaborated. "I haven't stretched my legs in a long time. Being in that prison cell wasn't pleasent. Walking inside the same hospital room for three weeks gets pretty boring. I just... feel like walking right now."

"... Alright, sure," Korra said as she dismounted Naga. She supposed Naruto had a point. Besides, it was his first day outside the hospital, and she really didn't feel like arguing. She knew her boyfriend couldn't stay here forever; soon enough, he would have to leave Republic City. They only allowed him to stay here for one more month, and three weeks of that month were spent in the hospital, trying to heal him after spending so much time in that cursed cell. The two of them started walking towards the docks, holding hands and enjoying each other's company. Korra informed Naruto about everything that had happened during his absence. How she was better at controlling the Avatar State now, and her Airbending had improved a lot since the last time. Naruto listened to what she had to say and remained quiet. Maybe a bit too quiet... "Hey, Naruto, are you feeling okay?" Korra asked tentatively.

Naruto blinked and faced her. "Of course I'm feeling okay."

But that was a lie, and he knew it.

"Are you sure? You look... I don't know, different."

"I'm just tired, that's all."

"If you're not feeling well, we can ride Na-"

"Look, Korra, I'm fine." Naruto unwillingly snapped at her, his voice cold and hard as iron. The couple stopped walking and stared at each other, shock written all over Korra's face. Even Naga was looking at Naruto anxiously. It took the Airbender a couple of seconds to realize what he just said. "I-I'm sorry, Korra. I didn't mean to yell at you. I... I was just-"

Korra shook her head and recovered herself. "Don't worry about it. But you do realize you just confirmed to me that there's something wrong with you, right?"

The blonde boy gulped and looked away, not daring to meet Korra's beautiful eyes. She was completely right. There was something wrong with him, and he knew exactly what it was.

"... You're right. There's something bothering me." Naruto said slowly.

"What is it?" Korra asked worriedly. She hated seeing Naruto so down; it was completely unlike him.

He gestured her to an old bench nearby, and they both sat down. Naruto took a deep breath before starting to talk. "When I was in that cell, alone and by myself. I dreamed, and one day, I found myself in the Spirit World. I saw Mom and Dad, and they talked to me." He felt like a weight was lifted from his shoulders as he revealed to Korra part of what had been eating him for days. Ignoring the look of disbelief from Korra, he proceeded. "Mom said..." he choked a little. "... Mom said it was time for me to learn the truth. She told me that something was coming and that I needed to get stronger in order to protect all of you."

The Avatar was completely speechless. She could understand now why Naruto was acting so strange. But how was she supposed to react? What was she supposed to say? Naruto was staring down at his knees as if waiting for her to tell him how crazy he sounded, but Korra was simply looking at him with her mouth slightly open. "Naruto, I-I don't know what to say." she managed to blurt out. It was only after she finished her sentence that she realized how utterly unhelpful her words were and mentally slapped herself for her inefficiency.

But before she could make things better (or worse), Naruto started talking again. "Since the first moment I lost control with Asami, I have felt this rage building inside me. I was causing all of this, but after Asami, the foolish side of me thought that perhaps it would never happen again, and perhpas I could live my life, but I was proven wrong. I cannot control this... thing, Korra. And now, there are people who are coming for me, and will put all of you in danger?" Naruto's anger flared up the more he spoke, slapping his hands on his knees before gripping them; his knuckles turned white like snow.

"Naruto, please calm down-"

"No! I don't feel like calming down! I've been calm for the last ten years! Is that fair!? I sure as hell hope it's not, because if it is, then I don't even want to think what unfair is!"

Naruto started breathing heavily while his chest became considerably lighter. It felt like dropping a heavy backpack full of rocks, and a part of his frustration faded away. As vicious and wrong as it may have been, shouting at Korra made Naruto feel a lot better. He wasn't angry at her, not in the slightest. After all, she had nothing to do with his issues. The young Airbender realized he was being unnecessarily harsh with Korra and buried his face in his hands after letting out a weary sigh.

"I just... I just don't know what to think anymore."

Silence surrounded the couple. The usually crowded streets were surprisingly empty, as if fortune had taken pity on them and allowed the couple to talk privately in the middle of Republic City.

A couple of minutes later, Korra spoke up. "Naruto, I'm not even gonna pretend that I know what you're going through. But I do know this..." she made a pause to make sure Naruto was looking at her. "... When we reach our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change. That's what Avatar Aang told me when you were in that cell. He made me understand that even when everything seems lost, you can still stand up and fight for what you believe... or something like that." she trailed off. What? She wasn't exactly a philosopher. "Anyways, what I'm trying to tell you is that, if you really want to know more about yourself, you have to search for the answers and rely on me and the guys. If I hadn't received help from you, Mako, Bolin, Asami and Lin (Naga growled at that) and yes, you too Naga, I seriously doubt I could've save Republic City. We're here for you, Naruto. I'm here for you, and you can bet I'm not leaving your side."

In all honesty, Korra wasn't really thinking through what she just said. Instead of listening to her brain, she listened to her gut and her heart. Naruto was repeatedly blinking at her, wondering when Korra became such a softie. Did that last sentence really come out of the hot-blooded and tough girl he met back at the South Pole? What happened to her?

Korra seemed to realize the sheer amount of cheesiness behind her words. Her face went bright pink, and she looked away.

"... Okay, either I'm hearing things, or you just went full-fluff mode." Naruto said after a while.

That comment earned him a smack in the arm. "Shut it, smartass." Korra glared at him, but her glare was ineffective as her cheeks were still sporting a small blush.

After taking a deep breath, Naruto looked at Korra and smiled warmly before wrapping his arms around her. The gesture took Korra a little aback but quickly returned the embrace. "Sorry for shouting at you, Korra. I was being a douche."

"S' okay." came Korra's muffled voice. "You needed to get it out."

"But I shouldn't have taken my frustrations out on you. It wasn't fair."

"Naruto, it's okay, really. I'm not angry at you or anything like that."

"... I never thanked you, did I? I never thanked you for being the awesome girlfriend that you are. I never thanked you for being with me when I needed. Maybe you're not aware of it, but I lo... but you mean so much to me, it's ridiculous. You're strong, beautiful, brave, kind, and you're always willing to protect others without a second thought. I guess what I want to say is thank you... for existing. Thank you for being you. Thanks for coming into my life."

"Naruto..." Korra whispered, feeling her eyes starting to get wet and her insides turning into a gooey puddle. Her heart started beating dangerously fast, almost going overdrive. She opened her mouth, but instead of speaking coherently, words seemed to stumble between one another randomly. "You... I don't..."

"You don't have to say anything, Korra. I just... want to let you know how happy you make me."

Oh, but there were so many things she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him that she thought about him almost every single day, that his gentle touch was more than enough to make her warm inside, that the kisses they shared made her go haywire, that his bright smile could make her forget about all of her problems and that she couldn't really picture her future without him. Her eyes widened like dinner plates when she realized what was happening to her. Naruto was now a man.

To be more precise, the man she had fallen head over heels in love with.

Neither of them proclaimed their love to one another, at least not verbally. They wanted to, but for some reason, they felt like there were better times. All they wanted to do was to be close to each other. For a brief instance, they felt like they were the only ones in the world. And it felt just right...

Air Temple

Naruto and Korra took the ferry to the Air Temple and enjoyed the ride back home in comfortable silence. They were sitting at the back of the boat, with Korra resting her head on Naruto's shoulder. He couldn't help but notice Korra's anxiousness as they approached the island. She was biting her lower lip and tapping her right foot nervously. It was almost like watching a little girl trying her hardest not to tell a secret. The moon had already taken the sun's place by the time they landed on the docks. The couple waved the captain goodbye before making their way to the temple.

"Someone's feeling jumpy today." Naruto commented with a raised eyebrow, noticing how hard Korra was breathing even though she clearly wasn't physically tired. He was even willing to bet that Korra was sweating if her shiny forehead was any indicator. "Seriously though, what's going on? And where are the sentries? Aren't they supposed to be patrolling the island right now?"

"Oh, that's right. The sentries..." Korra trailed off as she tried her best to look casual. "Yeah, Tenzin cut them some slack and gave them the day off. The Elders of the White Lotus were really worried about the whole Equalist-Revolution fiasco so they ordered the guards to work longer than their usual routine. They were starting to get really tired, and since nothing has happened so far, Tenzin told them they could have a break today."

Naruto pondered about Korra's response. Tenzin only allowed the sentries to skip from their duties if they had good reasons or health problems that kept them from properly doing their jobs. If what Korra said was true, then he supposed it wasn't impossible for Tenzin to let the sentries rest this one night. After all, Amon and his followers were gone. In the end, he let out a 'Huh' and kept on walking.

Once they reached the gardens, Naruto was greeted with a sight he didn't really expect.

"SURPRISE!"

Tenzin, Pema, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, Mako, Bolin, Asami, his mother, his family, Lord Zuko, and even the sentries were all waiting for him. The temple gardens were decorated with several tables, chairs, and enough candles and lamps to lighten up the whole place. "Huh? What's going on?" came Naruto's eloquent question.

"A celebration, that's what's going on. Everybody is here to see you and celebrate that you're finally out of the hospital." Korra said with a bright smile, enjoying the look of disbelief on her boyfriend's face.

"Korra wanted you to have a proper welcome back, so she arranged all of this." Mako explained, smirking ever so slightly.

"Excuse me?" Asami asked in amused disbelief as she started giving cold beverages to the party attendants. "I was one who arranged all of this. Korra wanted to, but she was too afraid to mess things up because she has no idea how to throw a party."

"Hey, I totally know how to throw a party!" the Avatar snapped. "... I just, don't have much experience on the matter."

That was true. Back in the South Pole, Korra's birthdays weren't really that big of a deal. The only good thing about them was that her parents were allowed to visit her and spend some time with their daughter. Some of the White Lotus Elders were kind enough to give her some toys, but it didn't make much of a difference because she had no one to play with, Naga being the exception. The days after her birthday were as ordinary as the days before: nothing but training and training.

Korra shook her head. There was no point in remembering her less-than-thrilling birthday parties. Today was about Naruto and nothing else.

Kya hugged her son, kissing both of his cheeks and so did the rest of his family, one by one. Katara hugged him, kissing his cheek; Toph punched his shoulder before calling him 'Air Head,' Asami threw herself at him, quickly kissing his lips; he kissed her back with all the passion he could muster before pulling away, her green eyes sparing with love.

Naruto kept his arm around her waist as Tenzin approached Naruto. "It's good to have you back, nephew. We all missed you dearly." He said, his eyes red, but he didn't shed any tears, but he didn't need to; the blonde quickly hugged his Uncle tightly; he let out a stifle, and the others quickly joined in the hug.

"I want to hug, Naruto." Jinora cried out, and before long, everyone shared one big hug, pulling away; the blonde felt his eyes burning, and his heart swelled with joy and love for everyone around him. "I want to say this. I-" He sniffled before swallowing thickly. "I'm so grateful for everything you all did for me. I would not be here if it weren't for all of you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all. You all are precious to me. I might be from another world, but I think of all of you as my family. I could have never asked for a better family. Thank You." They all quickly started clapping, even Lin did, with a ghost of a smile on her face.

Asami and Korra hugged him tightly. The party started, and everyone was celebrating, and Naruto was stuck with having to talk with everyone there, one after the other. Meelo wanted to ask about the cell, but thankfully, Jinora shut him up before he could ask something Naruto didn't feel comfortable sharing yet, if ever.

Kya talked about embarrassing situations, like the one time Naruto threw himself off the cliff to the water below in hopes of triggering his water bending before he actually learned how to air bend. The others laughed upon hearing that while the blonde gave his mother a deadpan look.

Then Toph started telling Tenzin's kids about the day Ozai was defeated by Avatar Aang, and quickly, everyone else joined in, wanting to hear about that fateful day. However, they soon realized Toph wasn't good at telling stories.

"It was hot, and I think a Turtle showed up," Toph said casually, with a hint of annoyance. Lin grumped, shaking her head.

"That's it? That was boring," Jinora declared with a huff. Toph let out a burst of laughter until Katara stepped forward with a clear throat.

"Perhaps, I should be the story teller, Toph was never good at telling stories." Katara said with a hint of teasing, Toph let out a blow of air from her mouth, crossing her arms.

"As humble as always, Sugar Queen," Toph said with a teasing smile, earning a giggle from Suyin, who seemed to try to talk with Lin, but the latter was obviously avoiding her.

"Yeah, Granny. Tell Us How Grandpa defeated Zuko's daddy." Meelo shouted, and the old Fire Lord rolled his eyes when many snickered.

Katara sat down in front of everyone and started telling the story of that day.

Naruto had heard that story countless times, so he started walking to where Sozu's nest was. "I need some fresh air. I won't be late."

Naruto slipped past the attendants and walked away from the party, hoping his absence would not be noticed immediately.

'What's the matter, brat? Can't stand your own party?'

"Not really." the airbender responded as he approached Sozu and took a seat near him. "Why weren't you there with the rest of the guys? Aren't you glad I'm finally back?"

'I have better things to do.'

"Like what?"

'Get some sleep, maybe.'

"... Right." Naruto trailed off. "You know, while I was in the hospital, I realized that I've never asked you how are you able to communicate with me. I mean, I know you're different from the rest, but you're still essentially an animal. Why can you 'talk' to me when other birds can't?"

Sozu stared at Naruto in silence. '... Are you serious? We've been together for ten years, and only now you start to wonder why I'm able to communicate with you through our thoughts and feelings? I always knew you were slow, but not this much.'

Naruto glared at the giant bird. "Just answer my question, Sozu. I'm not in the mood for your stupid jokes." he demanded.

Even though he didn't show it, Sozu was slightly taken aback by Naruto's attitude. He could feel the frustration starting to boil inside of him. 'Hnh, you have some nerve to talk to me like that, you insolent brat. Nevertheless, I'll answer your question. We Alpha Raven Eagles are descendants of the Spirit World. We're not Spirits per say, but we have a natural connection to our place of origin. Due to our spiritual roots, we've been gifted with the ability to express ourselves and to be fully aware of our surroundings just like you humans.'

"That's really amazing, but it doesn't explain why you and I can communicate through our thoughts."

'I was about to explain that, you dimwit. There's a reason why we understand each other the same way you understand that female of yours, and that's because we've established an emotional bond over time. We use this emotional bond to share our thoughts and communicate with each other. Only a few descendants of the Spirit World, such as me, can establish an emotional bond of similar nature.'

'There's something bothering you, isn't it?' Naruto knew there was no point in lying to his dear friend.

"Yes. My mom said someone or something was coming for us, and that I should be prepared, but I have no idea how to do that." Naruto said, looking down at his hands in defeat.

'I don't know why someone would want to get to you, but remember you are not alone.' Naruto's blue eyes glittered before he hugged Sozu's head, his beak resting over his shoulder.

"Thank you, little buddy."

One Week Later

After 'winning' the trial, Naruto was escorted outside by Korra and the rest of his family, but the decision the judger had made was made public the moment he made it; upon walking outside, what awaited them was a mob of angry people. Naruto had never seen so many people angry with him; they all were shouting names at him, calling him a monster; the blonde could do nothing; there were no words he could say to take their pain away. All he could do was make sure he would never lose control again; that was the most important part.

Korra tried to hide it behind a blank face, but he knew how much it affected her that people were angry with her, calling her names, and some saying she should die since the next Avatar would do a better job. His mother had always stood beside him during the whole journey to the hospital. They had only a week of stay in the Air Temple; once that week expired, he needed to be far away from the Republic City, and according to the Judge, if he were anywhere inside the borders of the City after the week passed, he would be imprisoned immediately.

The borders of the Republic City were around fifty kilometers away from the City, so he knew he couldn't stay at the Air Temple. Naruto knew this week would be his last days in this place, the last days he could enjoy this place, once the week passed. He would have to get far away.

Naruto wasn't sure yet where he would even go. Lord Zuko had invited him to the Fire Nation if he desired. He would be welcomed in the Palace, but Naruto had respectfully declined the offer. He didn't want to be more of a burden than he already was.

Naruto knew he didn't really have anywhere else to go; his home was the only place he could think of back at the Southern Water Tribes. But the blonde didn't want just to be stuck there for the rest of his life. Even if he was forbidden from entering the Republic City, Naruto wasn't about to just find a hole to die. He knew he could do naught for what happened. That had already happened, and he reminded himself that the past was written; he could not change it. No matter how much he wanted to, so with that thought on his head, Naruto had already made up his mind that he would go back to the Southern Water Tribes, stay there for a month or so, and then explore the rest of the world he wasn't forbidden from entering, while training, and perhaps, find a way to control himself even in the 'Rage State' as Bolin had called it.

Now, he was packing his belongings when Jinora barged into his room and begged him to stay longer with them.

"I'm really sorry, Jinora, but I cannot stay here. I'm afraid." Naruto apologized with a sniffle, looking down at the Airbender girl. Jinora stiffened for a moment, tears running down her cheeks, the full moon illuminating the room in a white glow.

"WHY! It wasn't your fault!" Jinora cried out, quickly hugging him, her arms around his waist, and her face nuzzled against his stomach. Naruto let out a sigh, looking down at Jinora, whose cries were muffled by his clothes. He quickly placed his hands on her shoulders, pulling her away. He kneeled to her level, and with his thumb, he wiped away the tears from her face.

"Jinora, this is not the end. I might have to leave this place, but do you remember what I always told you about Airbending?" Naruto asked, looking at her eyes.

"Airbending is the element of Freedom," the two said in unison. Her lips twitched upwards for a moment, and she stopped sobbing.

"Yes, and we are Airbenders, we are free. Just because I cannot be here anymore, that doesn't mean we will never see each other again." Naruto said reassuringly before hugging her; Jinora hugged him back as tightly. Her face resting on the crook of his neck, he knew it would never be the same, but Life never cared what one desired. He knew leaving them would be painful, but it needed to happen.

Morning

Naruto was eating breakfast with the rest of his family, but despite everyone being together around the round table. Right now, it was oddly quiet; the only sound heard was them eating and Meelo trying to show a trick to Aunt Suyin.

Asami and Korra were sitting beside him, and his mother sat near Tenzin, who wasn't eating and instead was staring at the food. Naruto knew it wasn't easy, but he didn't want to leave, with this being his last memory. The last thing to remember before leaving was his family looking all grumpy. Finally, Naruto had enough of this.

"I know you all wished this could have ended differently, but it's not the end of the world. We will see each other again, Uncle." Naruto reminded him with a bright smile; his Uncle managed to form a ghost of a smile, his head no longer slumping down, but before another word could be uttered, there was a knock on the door.

"Huh, I wonder who it is?" Naruto wondered out loud as he stood up and strode towards the door. After leaving the Common Room and walking into the Entryway, he heard Meelo say something about the guards not being at their place.

Naruto found that odd. As he gripped the handle and opened the door, his breath hitched; a strange man stood before him, wearing black rods around his face.

The man had short, spiky orange hair and strange purple eyes; he wore a long black robe with a red line running down the center and armor covering only his mid-section with a pouch attached to it. He bore six piercings, a metal bar through each ear, three studs through the side of its upper nose, and one spike stud on each end of the bottom lip. It also had three piercings on each wrist, at least one on its upper wrist, and some just under its neck. He wore a purplish-grey ring on his right thumb that bore the kanji '零.' He was also wearing red nail polish.

"You must be Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto's eyes widened. How did he know his real last name?

"Who are you?"

 Alright, we have reached the Final Saga of this Story. 'The Spirit of The Elements' Saga.

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