"Is everyone okay?"

The Avatar team had been caught off guard by the tornado, which had knocked them down and thrust them into the vast swamp, separating them from Appa, and their whereabouts were anyone's guess.

"We were just hit by a tornado. How do you think we are?" Sokka grumbled, having landed awkwardly on a log, and to his misfortune, he ended up with Sokka falling onto his back in a painful and uncomfortable position.

"You're such a crybaby," Naruto remarked, rubbing his sore head after he split a log with it, clearly showing the bump it had caused.

"Ouch..." Aang winced as he rose from the muddy spot where he had landed. The ground might have been muddy, but it didn't provide much cushioning for the impact.

"It wasn't that bad," Katara said modestly, brushing leaves off her dress. The boys couldn't help but look at her in disbelief, as she had fallen into a large leafy bush that acted as a natural mattress.

Someone up there seemed to have favorites and wasn't hiding it.

"What about Appa and Momo?" Aang began to climb the trees to search for his animal friends.

Naruto crossed his fingers, and in an instant, two dozen clones vanished in a burst of speed, scattering into the forest. He hoped they hadn't ended up too far away.

"Now what?" Katara asked with a hint of concern about their next steps.

"What do you think, sis? Should we just sit and have tea with our new friends, the mosquitoes and moss?" Sokka responded sarcastically to her question.

"..." Katara shot her older brother a withering look in response to his sarcasm.

"What a place," Naruto remarked, gazing around. The energy in this place felt even stronger than before, yet it was still unclear whether it was a positive or negative force.

"I think we should proceed on foot for now," Sokka suggested as he pulled out his machete and began cutting through the vegetation.

"Sokka, I'm not so sure about that," Aang expressed his reservations, sensing an eerie feeling and the impression that they were being watched. "Am I the only one who feels like we're being watched?"

"Don't tell me you're scared," Naruto teased while manifesting a zambato from one of his seals and joining Sokka in cutting through the underbrush.

"It's just that... in a dark forest, it's creepy," Katara admitted.

"I've been in much scarier places," Naruto declared. This swamp was nothing compared to the Forest of Death during the Chunin Exams. "I'm a ninja; nothing can scare me."

*Shout*

All the teenagers jumped in alarm at a sudden high-pitched scream echoing from the depths of the dark swamp. Sokka and Aang reacted with enthusiasm, grabbing their weapons, thinking someone was in trouble.

However, it turned out to be nothing more than a strange bird taking flight.

"Naruto... you're squeezing me," Katara said, bearing the weight of the boy clinging to her tightly, trembling like a leaf. "I thought nothing could scare you."

"I wasn't scared! I... I thought there was something on your back, and I was protecting you."

"Sure, whatever," Katara scoffed, releasing the hug, causing the blonde to fall to his feet. Ignoring Sokka's mocking expression, she stood up, offering her sword to the group.

"In times like this, only the strong survive. Fortunately, I'm here," Sokka, the oldest in the group, assumed a leadership role. He believed he needed to guide these lost souls in this wild world, convinced they would be lost without him. "Now we just need fire, water, and food. Nothing a seasoned survivor like me can't handle."

Two hours later:

"Sokka, why don't you join us?"

"Quiet! It's almost there."

"But Naruto already lit the fire," Katara found it challenging to tolerate her brother's stubbornness. He'd spent nearly an hour rubbing two sticks together to start a fire, a daunting task given the swamp's humidity and greenery. Naruto had only achieved it due to his extraordinary speed and strength when rubbing the sticks.

"And I found fruit!" Aang chimed in, carrying a basket filled with fruit he'd gathered from the treetops.

"I don't need a sorcerer and the Avatar to help me. I can do it alone. I'll make a grand bonfire and catch a feast of fish. You'll see," Sokka stubbornly continued to rub the two pieces of wood together with all his might. He strained until a small ember flickered among the sticks, only to have his hopes extinguished as quickly as his failing campfire. "I hate this swamp!"

Naruto and Aang shared a worried glance as a strange sensation overcame them. Even the gentle breeze that flowed through the swamp ceased. Something didn't feel right. They watched as Sokka vented his frustration by striking a log with his machete.

"Sokka, please stop harming the plants."

"Harming the plants? I know being the Avatar comes with its eccentricities, but this is just a tree, following the natural circle of life—growing, withering, and decaying. Nothing more to it."

"I think you should listen to him, Sokka, don't be stubborn," Katara urged, fearing that her brother might provoke the swamp's wrath.

"Of course, label anyone with differing opinions as an idiot. If I don't respect your ideas, I'm an idiot. But if you don't respect mine, then I'm the one in the wrong, and you're right. It's pitiable how you 'think' like that."

"What are you two arguing about? Just stop striking the trees with your machete."

"Or what? Are the trees going to sprout arms and teach me a lesson in humility?"

"…"

"What's going on with them?" Sokka wondered in confusion as Naruto and Aang stood still, their gaze locked on something above him. "Is there a giant monster sneaking up on me from behind?"

The Avatar team screamed in terror as they witnessed a colossal creature formed from plants and swamp vegetation. Before they could react, they were ensnared by vines that hurled them in different directions.

[ If you want to read advance Chapters then go to Pat reon and support me there.

PAT REON I'D:- Alzero ]