She couldn't protect herself; she was in shock.
Siu struggled to stand, only to receive a headbutt that shook her brain inside her skull; the flames went out, and the general's body thudded to the ground.
She was knocked out.
Naruto fell next to the general, engulfed in flames that still burned. Despite his injuries, he lacked the strength to remove his burning jacket. An old blanket was placed over his shoulders, extinguishing the fire.
Looking at Zuko, Naruto thanked him exhaustedly. "Your name was... Zuko."
"Yes, I'm Azula's older brother," he introduced himself dryly, putting on his jacket after extinguishing the flames.
Smiling as best he could, Naruto stayed on his knees. "Not bad for our second meeting, right?" His smile grew, a luxury he allowed himself now that everything was over.
A luxury Zuko couldn't understand.
How could the boy still smile and joke in his state? It was a mess. A completely broken arm, several more bones, a chest protuberance, and serious burns. Naruto's injuries were severe, yet he remained conscious.
"At least I'm not the one who ended up on the ground this time."
"Oh..." Naruto remembered what happened on Kyoshi Island, feeling uncomfortable about defeating Zuko. "I'm sorry about that."
The conversation between both boys was cut short when a somber Azula walked up to the orange ninja, who had stopped smiling upon seeing the princess approaching.
However, someone stood in his way.
"And who are you supposed to be?"
"..." The banished princess didn't like the tone of the girl who stood in her way, a girl younger than her, apparently blinded by blank eyes. "That doesn't matter to you."
Azula was going to push her off her feet, but before she could touch her, her wrist was taken in a harsh grip.
"I care," Toph said. She didn't know who the person before her was, but from his heart rate and tone of voice, she sensed the direction he was heading. "I don't have to be able to see to know that you want to hurt Naruto."
With a push, the blind bandit pushed the girl away from her wounded friend and stood on guard, ready to crush her if she tried to get close.
Tired, yes. But that wouldn't stop Toph from smashing this girl's face.
"Who do you think you are?" The Fire Nation teenager spat angrily, giving the girl a deathly glare, who only smiled mockingly.
"The one who protects his ass from crazy people like you."
The tension could be cut with a knife; the intensity in both girls made everything uncomfortable. At the slightest provocation, another battle would begin.
"Nothing will stop my revenge!" Azula burst into flames, having two targets to burn now. Her aunt was lying on the ground unconscious and helpless, and the one who started the worst decline of her life. She didn't think twice and shot a flare of fire at Siu.
"What are you doing?!" Her attack was deflected by her older brother, who grabbed her wrist and pushed her. "She's our mother's sister!"
"You think I care?!" The struggle between the brothers did not take long. One of them could not allow this. Even with everything his aunt had done, seeing her always reminded him of his mother. They were too similar in appearance, and he couldn't imagine what his mother would think if she knew that they killed his younger sister.
The members of a family did not have to kill each other.
It was what their mother would have said at a time like this.
"She didn't hesitate to want to kill us! I don't have to hesitate now!" Azula grabbed her brother's wrist and, with a sweep of her leg, knocked him down. She immediately ran to her aunt and blew her head off with her flames.
"Azula…"
However, the girl stopped when she heard a voice, her gaze went to a weakened Iroh who was still lying on the ground.
"Don't get involved in this, man! Don't tell me that after what she did! Now you want to let her live?!"
"Azula... I know she has hurt you, as she has hurt many, but would killing her now... in that state give you the gratification you seek?"
Azula clenched her fists, her Aunt just a few steps away; she could step on her and break her neck. It would be easy, very easy.
"Don't do what she would do… be better than her, Azula, that's all I can ask for."
The words forced themselves into the girl's mind, feeling overwhelmed. She had to make a decision, now, and her decision was.
"That's enough..." Naruto wasn't in the mood for this; he was too hurt and tired to watch the conflict between the Fire Nation royal family. "If you're going to kill someone who can't defend themselves, you're more disgusting than I thought."
"You..." All the hatred that Azula felt turned to the ninja boy. She wanted nothing more than to grab him by the neck and rip off his head; she wanted to do it. But he didn't even bother to look at her. He walked past her as if she didn't exist and slowly went over to Aang, picking him up to put him on one of his shoulders.
"It was too much for today," said the orange boy dryly, grunting at the sound of his left arm. Even though it was broken, he had to use it if he wanted to take his friends away from there.
"Nothing's over!" The firebender's scream was heard by everyone present.
This couldn't end like this, not like this, when there were the two people he hated the most in the world, in the same place. Toph was already ready to fight, feeling the heat of that girl's flames, who was going to attack them.
"It's over..." Naruto dragged his feet; with heavy steps, he passed by Azula, ignoring her again, to go to the two brothers of the Water Tribe. It was difficult, but he was able to carry them all—with Sokka and Aang in his arms and Katara on his back.
"No..." It was happening again; he ignored her, underestimated her, despised her. The anger in Azula's eyes burned like fire in her fists. "No one is leaving here..."
Revenge was just one step away; he had to do it, he had to do it to advance to his next objective.
"I said it's over…"
Everyone was frozen by the Uzumaki's gross change in voice, but what affected the most were both princes, who saw it. They saw the change in his eyes, which stopped being bright and blue and were now red like blood, with his pupil slit.
The silence in the place was deathly; no one dared to take a single step.
Toph didn't know what was happening, but she felt something strange about the ninja boy. She hesitantly approached him and took him by the hand to start walking. "We have to go..."
Naruto's eyes returned to normal in a blink; his expression softened, and he took one last look at Azula, who looked back at him. "I hope to see you… in better circumstances, Azula."
Without saying anything, Team Avatar began to mobilize; they still had a long way to go.
Zuko didn't care; even if he wanted to capture the Avatar now, if that boy still had the strength to threaten his little sister, he would have to attack him, and the blind girl didn't look like someone easy to deal with.
Besides…
The prince approached his uncle and sighed with relief when he saw that he only had a burn on his back. He carefully took him by one of his arms and lifted him up. It would be difficult, but he would take him to a place where he could rest and recover.
From one moment to the next, the weight decreased, and Zuko saw his younger sister take his uncle's other arm and help carry him.
"This is the first step to a better life, Princess," Iroh said with a happy smile, seeing his niece leave Siu and help him get up.
"…"
"Maybe the next step is to get a boyfriend. Have you thought about it?"
"Don't push it, man," the girl growled, not amused by the old soldier's smile.
They still had their own path to follow.
[ If you want to read advance Chapters then go to Pat reon and support me there.
PAT REON I'D:- Alzero ]