A Spirit of Elements Chapter 12 (Airbending Master) (Patreon)

Tenzin just started to walk away with his mind pondering over Naruto's words and his action that caused them. From all the years that they have known each other, he had never heard Naruto calling him 'councilman Tenzin'. He felt somewhat hurt. It just made him feel so... distant from one another that it worried him more than he thought it would.

It was known that Tenzin disagreed with Naruto's way of airbending. That much was true. But did he really mean what he just said? After all, there were some things about the way his nephew airbended that were remarkable. Since the beginning of Naruto's lessons, it was clear that he had troubles with it. But he never gave up, nor did he let the frustration get the better of him. He kept trying and trying until he finally made some progress. And then there was his dedication to the art he had kept all these years now. Naruto spent nearly all of his time training in order to perfect his airbending skills. Tenzin had never saw before such drive and passion before, it was actually inspiring to some degree.

After thinking over it for a couple of minutes more, he decided to stay and watch Korra play. And then he would have to apologize to Naruto.

When he found a spot near the exit, he looked over and saw something he did not expect at all.

Korra was moving around the place, dodging every attack that was coming to her. But the thing that impressed him the most was the way she moved. She was so light on her feet and looked so calm yet focused at the same time, he felt like he was watching an Airbender in motion. The only difference was that she was bending water instead of air. The Avatar kept evading while Mako and Bolin took the chance and started attacking the other team. Soon enough, the Platypus-Bears were exhausted and quickly knocked down from the Arena.

Without even thinking what he was doing, Tenzin cheered for the Fire-Ferrets. "Woo-hoo!" he shouted while pointing at them. Realizing what he just did, he immediately regained his composure and started walking away...

... just to see his nephew grinning from ear to ear.

"Soooo uncle, what do you think about this mockery of the noble tradition of bending again?"

Turning red out of embarrassment, Tenzin started to think of an excuse that would explain his reaction. Needless to say, he was failing monumentally.

"Let's just go see Korra," Naruto said. Tenzin only nodded, relieved by the fact that his nephew wouldn't tease him any more.

Air Temple

"Tenzin, I'm really sorry for everything I said. I was really frustrated with myself and I took it out on you," Korra said to her airbending master.

"I think I owe you an apology too. I was trying to teach you about patience, and I ended up losing mine."

Korra looked at Tenzin and smiled hopefully. "No hard feelings?"

"Of course not. By the way, you really looked good out there tonight. You moved just like an airbender."

"Hmmm, I wonder who might have taught her that," a voice was heard behind them. Both Korra and Tenzin turned around and saw Naruto with his usual 'what-did-I-told-you-?' smirk.

Now Tenzin was baffled. "Wait, you were the one that taught her how to move like that?"

"Why yes I was. Looks like my misdirected airbending methods can actually be helpful. Wouldn't you agree uncle?"

Tenzin sighed but didn't try to argue. He deserved it. "I suppose I owe you an apology as well, nephew. Even if I don't particularly like your airbending, I should have never looked down on it. I was so caught up in the difference of our ways that I never noticed the similarities between them. Also, I underestimated your teaching methods, which have proven to be more effective than mines."

"Don't worry uncle. Even if we have different points of view regarding life, you should know I look up to you and respect you a great deal. Never forget that."

The old Airbender smiled. He was afraid Naruto would still hold a grudge against him. It looked like he should start giving his nephew's maturity more credit than before. "Apology accepted?" he asked while giving out his hand for a handshake.

Naruto's answer was to extend his own hand, but instead of shaking it with his uncle's, he closed his fingers and made a fist bump while inviting Tenzin over to respond it with his eyes. Tenzin reluctantly accepted the fist bump and returned it. "Now it is," Naruto said.

Watching the interaction, Korra rolled her eyes in amusement. A lot of interesting things happened since she arrived in Republic City back at the South Pole. From being arrested to finally starting her airbending training, from riding a giant Raven Eagle to meeting an actual Pro-bending team, from seeing her very first Pro-bending match to joining the team...

"Oh wait, I forgot to tell you Tenzin. I kinda permanently joined the Fire-Ferrets and we're playing in the tournament in a couple of weeks. See you guys tomorrow!" Korra shouted as she made her way to her bedroom, only this time she was extremely careful not to mistake her bedroom with Naruto's. She still was a little embarrassed for that stunt earlier, so a second one was 1000% out of the question.

What does Tenzin do at a time like this? The one thing he is the best at. Sighing.

Sensing his frustration, Naruto approached his uncle. "How about a game of Pai Sho to end the night?"

The old Airbender glanced at his nephew before smiling. "That would be nice." Both of them had this little thing going on for a couple of years now. Every time they argued and made peace with each other, they would officially end the discussion with a game of Pai Sho. While Naruto was decent enough, he was never very interested in the game itself. But he knew Tenzin enjoy it, and so they would play from one to three matches depending on Tenzin's mood.

"Loser treats the winner with ice cream next time?"

...

Unbeknownst to the airbending duo, a certain water tribe girl was in her room staring at the sky with a dreamy look on her face. She was thinking about all the things that she had done in the last couple of days and all the things that she might or might not do in the near future.

Not to mention, some of her thoughts also included mental images of a certain Airbender around her age that also happened to live on the island.

Following Morning

"What's the big idea with making us train this early in the morning? The morning is evil," Korra whined as she tossed a medicinal ball to Bolin. Much like Naruto, Korra was not a morning person.

"WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS WHY YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOUR TRAINING SCHEDULE WAS AT THIS HOUR! I COULD VERY WELL BE SLEEPING RIGHT NOW!" Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs from one of the benches nearby. He couldn't believe such treason! Such deceitfulness! And coming from his own student as if that wasn't enough!

Revenge was sworn in the deepest and darkest places of Naruto's sub consciousness.

Korra just smiled sheepishly at her friend. "Sorry Naruto, Tenzin's orders. He told me you had to come with me to everywhere I go in Republic City so I wouldn't get lost."

"THAT'S YOUR EXCUSE? YOU'RE A BIG GIRL, YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF JUST FINE!"

The Avatar felt a little guilty. In part because she knew how much Naruto hated to wake up unless it was necessary and in part because her excuse wasn't completely accurate. Tenzin didn't exactly tell her that Naruto had to go with her everywhere she went if she wanted to visit Republic City, that was actually Korra's idea, so Tenzin would give her permission. She really wanted to explore the city more and the only way to do that without making Tenzin angry was with Naruto. What she didn't plan through was Naruto's reaction when she had to wake him up and drag him all the way to the Arena.

She did promise to herself that she would make it up to him... somehow.

"Yeah well, we're the rookies so we get the worst time slots in the gym," Bolin answered.

"And you're the rookiest of us all. We've got to get you up to speed if we wanna' survive in the tournament. Deal with it," Mako said as he threw the ball to Korra unnecessarily hard. However, she was able to catch it.

"You deal with it!" Korra retorted while throwing the ball back to Mako so hard he tripped and landed on his back.

A voice came out of the gym's door. "There are my little hard working street urchins," a man in his forties wearing "fancy" clothes came up and approached the Fire-Ferrets. He then placed his hand on Korra's shoulder. "It's an honor to finally meet ya' Avatar."

"Aaaand you are?" Korra asked with suspicion.

The unidentified man identified himself. "Butakha. I run this whole Pro-bending shebang," he said as he took off his hat in a way to say hello. Next, out of his coat, he took out a stack of yuans. "Here are your winnings from the last match." Mako grinned and was about to put the cash away, but Butakha stopped him. "Not so fast, first you owe me for the Avatar's new gear. Gym and equipment rental last month. Rent on your apartment and personal loan for your groceries." Butakha said, taking bills out of Mako's cash stack until there was no payment at all. Mako glared at his younger brother.

"What? I'm a growing boy," Bolin excused himself while rubbing his belly.

At this point, Naruto was already approaching the group. He couldn't go back to sleep once he was awake, so he might as well know what was going on.

"Oh, one more small business detail. The Fire-Ferrets need to pay a total of 30,000 yuans in order to compete in the tournament," Butakha added.

"30,000 yuans!?" Bolin repeated in shock.

"Sorry kids, but you need to come up with the dough next week or else I'll have no other choice but to kick you out of the tournament," the man said before leaving.

Naruto joined the team. "30,000 yuans? Wow, that's some serious fee."

"You wouldn't happen to have a secret Avatar bank account overflowing with gold, would you?" Bolin asked Korra.

"I got nothing," Korra replied as she pulled out her empty pockets. "I never really needed money. I've always had people taking care of me," she said with a happy face, which turned into a confused one when she saw Naruto slapping his forehead.

"Then I wouldn't say you've had nothing," Mako said bitterly while putting the medicinal ball inside a sports bag.

When she realized what she had just said to them, she turned to Bolin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to..." Korra trailed off.

"No, it's alright. It's just that, ever since we lost our parents we've been on our own," Bolin said with a hunch of sadness. Even if he was usually happy and cheery like a kid, he couldn't help but feel down when he talked about what he and his brother had to go through.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know," the Avatar said in an attempt to excuse herself. 'Why do I always have to say the most inappropriate things?'

"So anyways, how are we supposed to get the 30,000 yuans before the tournament?" Mako asked, hoping that somebody would have an idea that was worth a shot.

A certain Airbender stepped in. "Well, I'm no expert in financial subjects but I can tell what I know."

"I'm listening," Mako said looking at Naruto with interest. Naruto looked like the kind of guy who knew what he was talking about.

"The way I look at it, you have about four choices. One would be asking for a loan to a bank, but I don't really think that's likely to happen. You guys are still relatively new to the Pro-bending scene and banks usually only gives loans to teams that are more experienced. Not to mention the interests that they would ask you for the loan when you win. And what would happen if you don't win the tournament? You'd be financially screwed," Naruto started to explain as Mako nodded in understanding.

"Two would be asking for a sponsor. Then again, the chances of getting one for the team are low for the same reason. Sponsors look out for well-known teams instead of new ones. It wouldn't hurt to try, but don't be surprised if they turn down your offer."

"Three would be doing as many jobs as possible before the tournament. I don't think I have to elaborate much on this one. Unless you start doing illegal business, say for the Triads, I don't think you guys can get 30,000 yuans within a week, no matter how many jobs you do. Needless to say, don't get involved with the Triads to get money. If you get caught, you might as well say goodbye to the tournament and to Pro-bending for that matter," Naruto continued. For some reason, he noticed that Mako's eyes narrowed for a second at the mention of working for the Triads.

"Four and the most likely choice we have would be for me to get the money for you."

This caught the attention of everybody. "You? What do you mean you could get the money?" Korra asked.

Naruto elaborated. "Right now, I have about 13,000 yuans saved in my bank account. I could donate 11,000 yuans to the cause, which would leave you with 19,000 yuans left. The rest of the money, I can ask-"

"13,000 yuans? How do you have so much?" Korra asked in shock. Living in the temple provided food and shelter for Naruto, so having money shouldn't be so important for him.

"Let's say I used to participate in other kind of tournaments that paid good money. Because I had everything I needed in the Air Temple, I decided to save the money I was getting in a bank account so I could use it in times of need. Anyways, for the rest, I can ask a friend of mine to give you the rest."

Korra raised an eyebrow, Wait Friend? She was about to ask which one he was talking about.

"Friend?" Bolin asked immediately, he figured whoever was the friend, must be either way too loyal or too rich to give 19,000 yuans.

"Yes, she has the money to provide, if you want Mako?" Naruto asked before looking at Mako, who rubbed his neck.

Wait! She, his friend is a 'She' ?? Who, and Why I don't know anything about it?? While Korra was thinking of the mysterious woman.

"Thanks Naruto, you really are resourceful," Mako thanked the Airbender. "Don't worry, I'll figure something out. I always do."

"You're welcome, but you need to tell me as soon as possible if you want my help. Otherwise I might not make it," Naruto said to Mako, who nodded.

"Wait, I got it! How about we have Pabu perform circus tricks? People would pay good money to see that!" Bolin exclaimed as he held the Fire Ferret pet.

Mako looked at his brother clearly annoyed. "Come on Bolin, we need serious ideas."

Bolin was heart-broken. "But I was serious."

"Well, tell us if you find anything. I and Korra are going back to the Air Temple. See you guys later," Naruto said as he started to walk towards the exit.

"Wait! Can we go to explore Republic City first?" Korra asked her 'city guide'.

"Do we have to?" Naruto said looking miserable.

It was then when Korra unleashed her ultimate persuasion weapon. She approached Naruto and looked at him with big sad puppy eyes while pouting. "Pleeeeeeease?"

Naruto didn't even try to fight back. It was useless. He let out a huge sigh that would make Tenzin jealous. "Fine."

"Yesssss!" Korra cheered. "You are the coolest guy ever Naruto!"

"You're darn right I am."

Streets of Republic City

Korra and Naruto were currently taking a walk around the streets, looking at the various shops the city had to offer. Now with someone to guide her, Korra was finally enjoying the tour. Naruto showed her the various districts around and explained how to get to them.

While they were walking together, Korra noticed that almost every girl who saw them was glaring profoundly at her, like she was some sort of hated dictator who made their lives miserable. At first, she was oblivious and even asked Naruto why every girl was staring at her with eyes full of anger. His only response was that jealousy may have something to do with it. Korra, being the naive girl she was, didn't get it at first. Were they jealous of her? Why would they be jealous of her?

'Could it be that...?'

Korra gasped at the realization. Those girls were jealous of her because Naruto was walking with her and not them!

She immediately got defensive. As they made small talk, Korra would glare harshly at any lustful and shameless woman who saw them together. 'They better stay away from Naruto,' she mentally growled.

...

'Huh? Why am I so worked up all of a sudden? He's just a good friend, that's all. It's not like we are a couple or anything. I mean sure he's charming, handsome, and funny and I wouldn't mind seeing him shirtless aga... Korra stop drooling damn it! The point is that he's not my boyfriend. I don't even like him like that... Or maybe I do a little?... Ahhh, screw it.'

"Hey Korra, you okay? You look like you're in la-la land," the voice of Naruto brought her back from her mental train of thought.

"Me? Oh yeah, I-I was just thinking about how we are gonna come up with the money for the tournament," Korra said in the most unconvincing way possible.

"Anyway, who is that 'She' friend that you mentioned earlier??" Korra couldn't help but ask, she also had noticed the warm tone Naruto used back then.

Naruto's face erupted in a smirk, "You will meet her soon, it will be a surprise," Naruto said, trying to end the conversation, Korra felt like asking more but decided to ask something else.

Korra approached Naruto. "Hey, back at the gym you said you used to compete in some tournaments right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm kinda' curious, what kind of tournaments were they? I mean, from what you said, they paid a lot of money," Korra asked her friend.

When Korra finished her question, Naruto slowed down. He seemed to be unsure about something. "Korra, we're friends, right?"

"We? Of course we are!" Korra replied. 'Where did that came from?'

"And I can trust you, right?"

"Sure you can, but what does that has to do with anything?"

"Because I'm gonna tell you a secret and I would like you to keep it... well, secret."

If Korra wasn't intrigued before, you can bet she was now. She nodded eagerly.

Walking away from the crowd of people passing by, the benders sat down on a park bench. After Naruto made sure no one was near them, he looked at Korra and started talking. "The tournaments I used to take part in were underground fighting tournaments. People go there and pay to watch fighters go all out on each other. It's kinda like Ba Sing Se's Earth Rumble, but a little more private."

Korra gasped "What? Are you serious?"

Naruto nodded. "Very serious. This tournament is known as 'The Brawl Out' and the point of the whole thing is to show the spectators some of the best fights of their lives. There are almost no regulations whatsoever. I guess the only rules they have are 'try not to kill your opponent' and 'give people a good show'. Aside from that, anything goes."

"But why would you participate in that? Was it for the money or something?"

"Well, I didn't mind getting some money out of it, but that was never the reason I was there. Actually, I discovered that tournament by coincidence. It all started a little more than a year ago..."

|Flashback 1 year ago|

Seventeen year-old Naruto was walking through the streets of Republic City at 23:00 PM. He just got done working out back at the Air Temple and he didn't feel like having salad for dinner, so he went out to the big city to find a place where he could have a decent meal.

Upon searching for a cheap restaurant, Naruto found a little place called "Rom-Toms". Deciding it was worth a shot, he entered.

He spotted an empty table near the entrance. The place was small, but it was comfy and had various decorations on the walls such as pictures, paintings and newspaper articles. It wasn't crowded and most of the clients seemed to be already eating. While Naruto was admiring the place, an old man around his sixties approached him.

"Good night young man, welcome to Rom-Tom's. My name is Rom-Tom and I hope you like my humble establishment," he welcomed him with a friendly smile.

"Thank you, sir. And yes, I really like how you have the place. So, what kind of food do you serve?" Naruto asked.

"About anything, really. I've traveled all across the world learning different cooking recipes. From the most delicate salads of the Air Nomads to the meatiest of meats from the Earth Kingdom, ask and you will receive the best dinner ever," Rom-Tom proclaimed proudly.

"Oh, really? I'm looking for something to fill my stomach with, maybe a meat dish. Think you can handle it?" Naruto challenged the cook with a smirk.

"Well, I don't mean to brag or anything, but I've been told that I make excellent Komodo sausages with rice," Rom-Tom challenged back with a sly grin of his own.

Challenge accepted.

"I suppose I'll have to find out if the rumors are true. Komodo sausages with rice, please."

"Right away Mister..."

"Naruto, but don't call me Mister Naruto. Makes me feel old, you know," Naruto chuckled.

Rom-Tom chuckled as well. "Sorry, it's the habit. Anyways, I'll bring your order soon." he said as he made his way to the kitchen. "Yanra, one Komodo special!"

"One Komodo special coming!" a voice shouted back from the kitchen. 15 minutes later, a girl around 16 with dark brown hair and red eyes came with a steaming plate which she handed to Naruto. "Alright, here's your order, Naruto. Hope you like it," the waitress said, smiling cheerfully.

"Thanks. You're Yanra, right?" Naruto asked the girl.

"Yup, that's me. I'm the daughter of Rom-Tom."

"Really? Well let's see if what your dad says about these Komodo sausages is true," Naruto said with a grin.

Yanra giggled. "Enjoy!" was the last thing she said before returning to the kitchen. When she was gone, Naruto smelled the food, and it was good. Very, very good. He had a feeling Rom-Tom was not kidding, but he needed to try it if he wanted to be sure.

10 minutes later...

"Okay, I admit it. It was delicious," Naruto stated after finishing his meal. Now his tummy was full and happy.

Before he could pay for the food, a group of thugs entered the place. There were ten men in total. One of them went to the bar and spoke up. "Sup' old timer. Got my money this time?"

"I already told you I don't have any money right now! Especially since you and your little friends come here every week and blackmail me!" Rom-Tom shouted angrily, though it was clear he was scared of them. Yanra quickly went upstairs to hide, but one of the thugs grabbed her arm and held her close.

"Hey boss, how bout' we have her as payment? She looks fine."

"Mhhhh, you know that aint'a bad idea at all, Jomu. What'ya say old man? Sounds like a fair trade."

Hearing the proposal, Rom-Tom panicked. "No, please! Take everything you want, just leave my daughter alone!" he pleaded.

"Sorry, but I think your daughter should know what it feels to be with a man. Alright boys, let's go," the boss said to his henchmen, who were laughing and cheering.

Naruto was not going to accept that. He stood up and blocked the entrance. "If you guys don't want to spend the rest of your lives in a wheelchair, you will leave this place right now and let go off her," the Airbender threatened.

"Who'd you think you are, boy? Get out'a here before we wreck ya'," the thug identified as Jomu threatened back.

"Last warning. You go or I'll make you."

The leader approached Naruto, who firmly stood his ground. They glared at each other for a moment. Suddenly, the man raised a fist covered in fire and attempted to punch Naruto in the face. Naruto immediately ducked and punched him with his left hand. As his opponent bended over, Naruto hit him with his right elbow on the left side of his face, knocking him out.

Seeing his boss was out cold, the rest of the thugs attacked the young man all at once.

5 minutes later, ten bodies were lying unconscious on the floor.

After making sure that no one would stand up fight back anytime soon, Naruto approached the owner of the restaurant. "Sorry for the mess."

Rom-Tom was gawking at him. He just witnessed one boy handling a group of dangerous criminals without even bending, using only his hands and legs to brace himself. What impressed him the most was his bravery and his willingness to get involved in something that didn't concern him. Republic City definitely needed more people like him.

Snapping out of his shock, the cook spoke up. "Thank you, Naruto. You saved not only my business, but my daughter as well. You have no idea how grateful I am."

"Th-Thank you Na-Naruto," Yanra stammered, still a little scared for what almost happened.

"Don't worry about it. I couldn't just sit there and watch these clowns take advantage of you. I think you guys should call the police and get these guys arrested. But please, don't tell them I did it. I don't want to get involved in any trouble," Naruto said. Rom-Tom nodded. "So, how much do I owe you for the dinner?"

"Nothing. I can't accept your money after what you just did for us. Forget it."

"Really? Ok then. Thanks for the meal, I'll make sure to visit you guys more often. See ya," Naruto said.

"Goodbye Naruto. Thanks again."

Naruto left the restaurant and started walking towards the island. He was feeling tired and sleepy. However, before he could cross the street, a man wearing a hat and a grey coat approached him. "That was quite the show back there. It's not very common to see such a young man being able to put down ten adversaries so fast without bending."

"Hummm, thanks. Yeah, I suppose I can handle myself in a fight. What of it?" Naruto asked the mysterious man with awkwardness.

"Oh, nothing. I just find you very skilled in the art of fighting, as well as interesting," was the man's cryptic answer.

Now Naruto was starting to get annoyed. "I'm sorry, who are you supposed to be?"

"My name is not important. What is important is the offer I am extending to you."

Naruto looked at him seriously before asking. "What kind of offer?"

The man handed him a piece of paper with an address. "If you wish to fight and get money for doing it, come to this address next week. You seem like a man capable of drawing attention. If you refuse, then I must ask you to not speak of this to anyone. For both our sakes," As he said that, the man walked into an alley and disappeared, leaving a thoughtful Naruto behind.

End of flashback

"Woooow," was the only thing Korra managed to say. Just when she thought she was starting to know Naruto, he kept surprising her.

"Anyways, the real reason why I participated was because I needed to find people willing to fight me in order to improve. Since I couldn't do that in the temple, this was the only place I had," Naruto finished explaining.

"Wait, so this 'Brawl Out' thing is illegal?" Korra asked.

"Let's just say it's between legal and illegal," Naruto sheepishly answered while scratching the back of his head. Korra stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Hey, don't look at me like that. Toph Beifong used to be Earth Rumble's champion when she was young and she turned out to be just fine," he defended himself.

"You have an excuse for everything, don't you?" The Avatar asked once more trying to look serious, though Naruto noticed the smile she was holding back.

"One of my many gifts, along with being charming and good-looking," Naruto retorted with a wink.

Korra decided it was time for some teasing. "Is that so? Well it's time I tell you a little secret. You're not half as charming and good-looking as you think you are," she stated with a playful smile.

"And you are the biggest liar I've ever seen." Naruto matched her smile. "It's getting late. We should go now or Sozu is gonna be moody at me for not feeding him."

"Alright, let's go," Korra nodded as the two of them started walking to the Air Temple. On their way to the island, Korra couldn't help but enjoy having Naruto with her, as well as making the other girls jealous.

Mako and Bolin's apartment

"Bo, I'm back. Picked up your favorites dumplings," Mako said as he entered his apartment. He was exhausted after spending the day working. "Hey, I got a job at the power plant. Made some decent money while I was at it."

No reply was heard.

"Bolin? You here, bro?" Mako asked. Once again, the room was silent. 'That's weird. Bo usually is here at this time. Where is he?'

Thinking where his brother could possibly be right now, he saw Air Temple Island through a broken window.

Shit, he cursed under his breath, it was very obvious that Korra looked at Naruto as more than a friend, he hoped that Bolin wasn't going to Air Temple to confess or anything?!