"How long have you been traveling, Princess Azula?"

"I'm no longer a princess. I'm nothing anymore, just another person in this miserable situation," the girl responded venomously, disregarding the offended and hurt expressions of other refugees around her.

Now, Zuko, Iroh, and Azula were walking together on one of the main roads of the Earth Kingdom, accompanied by refugees from different towns throughout the Earth Kingdom.

"As long as you have the blood of our family, you'll always be someone special to me, Azula."

"Don't try to sugarcoat the reality, old man. I'm not desperate for affection like Zuko," Azula retorted, disliking her uncle's carefree smile. He simply shrugged.

"Sweet is better than bitter. Why not add some good taste to life?" His two nephews rolled their eyes at how calmly and relaxed the old dragon of the west was. He always had a metaphor or advice to offer.

Something the two princes didn't know how to appreciate.

"What now? Are you joining us on our family journey?" Zuko scoffed, making it clear he didn't trust his sister in the least. He felt tense just being near her, muscles tensed in anticipation of her possible attack from behind.

It wouldn't be the first time it had happened.

Azula was about to refuse but didn't know which direction to take in her life. She was lost, unsure of where to go or what to do. The bitter feeling of not belonging weighed heavily on her.

"You can come with us," but a hand rested on her shoulder, and Azula's golden eyes met the old soldier's kind and understanding gaze. "In the most difficult moments, you can always rely on your family."

"I don't need your pity," the girl snapped, forcefully pushing her uncle's hand away.

"Hey... Can we talk?" Zuko didn't give his uncle time to respond. He grabbed him by the arm and led him away from his younger sister. Once they were at a sufficient distance, the banished prince confronted the Dragon of the West. "Are you out of your mind? She's a maniac!"

"Prince Zuko, you don't understand."

"Understand what? You know how much she hurt me when I was just a child. The times she made me feel like garbage and enjoyed it. Every chance she had, she despised me. She's a cruel person who revels in others' pain. Besides, she's manipulative, she's a maniac, she's insane, she's..."

"She's your little sister, Prince Zuko."

"..." That simple statement left the young firebender speechless.

"I know she wasn't the kindest person you could have known, and I admit, there were times I wanted to use my belt to teach her a lesson," he said without shame. He hadn't had to, as their mother had instilled good discipline in him and Ozai, although the latter seemingly learned nothing from a life of lessons under their mother's guidance.

"Then why? Why help her?"

"Because she has the same look your younger self once had."

"..."

"She has no one to lean on during this difficult time. Just consider it for a moment, please."

Several minutes passed until Zuko returned from his uncle. With heavy steps, he walked directly toward his younger sister, who stood with her arms crossed and a stern expression.

"You will come with us, not because I like you, and we are siblings, but because my uncle requested it. If you try anything against us... I will deal with you," he vowed, his tone threatening, hand on the hilt of his sword.

"…"

"…"

"Lead the way... Zuzu."

…..

That hadn't gone well.

In pain, Naruto rose from the tree he had been thrown into. Whatever had attacked him was undeniably powerful. It had tossed him across the swamp like a dry branch, and now he was separated from the others. Not a good situation.

"At times like this, having Hinata or Kiba would be useful," he grunted as he stood up. Having his two friends here would have been a relief, and it wouldn't have taken long to locate Katara and the others. But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. He had to find the others, deal with the swamp monster, and get out of this place.

Naruto was about to create hundreds of clones to locate his friends as quickly as possible when something stopped him.

"Naruto…"

"Sakura?" His neck almost craned as he looked in the direction of the voice. It was a voice he recognized well, and his eyes nearly sparkled when he spotted that unmistakable pink hair in the distance.

The branch beneath his feet snapped as he made a powerful jump and sprinted toward her. As he made the final turn around a tree, he hoped to find her, but she wasn't there.

"You have to return, brat."

"Ero-sennin?" Naruto felt bewildered when he saw Jiraiya, his teacher, perched high in the trees. He had an expression that seemed… sad? Without thinking, the teenager climbed the trees once more in desperation, but when he reached the spot again, Jiraiya was nowhere to be found.

"Naruto, we're waiting for you."

Iruka.

"You have to come back, boy."

Tsunade.

"Please, we need you."

Ayame.

"Naruto…"

Shikamaru.

"Naruto."

Kakashi-sensei.

"Dumb…"

Sasuke.

"Naruto-kun!"

Hinata.

Naruto felt disoriented and overwhelmed as he saw the silhouettes appearing around him. All of them murmuring his name, each with distinct expressions that he could distinguish.

"I want to be with you!" His mind was playing tricks on him, and he could now see, through his eyes, all those cherished moments he had shared with them. Even though they were few, they held immeasurable value to him. "I want to go back home!" he yelled with all his might.

He had to go back.

He wanted to go back.

He needed to come back.

"Help…"

But Naruto abruptly halted when he heard the plea for help. The illusions remained, but he pushed through them, running at top speed. He darted through the forest, leaping and finally reached a clearing where the Avatar team was locked in a battle against the swamp monster.

That he had trapped the three teenagers in a web of vines, constricting them to the point of causing agonizing screams.

"..." The swamp monster froze as it sensed its chest swell, and before it could react, a churning surge of chakra exploded from the boy. The vines binding Katara, Aang, and Sokka became ineffective, allowing them to break free.

"Wow, that was unexpected, kid."

"What the heck?" Naruto appeared bewildered as he spotted an elderly homeless man clad in nothing but a loincloth. He was relieved he hadn't struck him with the Rasengan; that would have been fatal. "Who are you?"

"I am the guardian of this swamp."

Minutes later:

"..." Naruto felt incredibly small in the presence of the colossal tree situated at the heart of the swamp. "How did we miss this before?" he wondered aloud, realizing that this tree would probably be visible from outside the swamp.

"I don't know. I suppose the tree reveals itself only to those it deems worthy," the swamp guardian replied cryptically as he sat on one of the tree's massive roots.

"Are you telling me the tree can turn invisible?"

"Don't be absurd, kid. A tree can't go invisible."

"But you just said…"

"What did I say?"

"..." Sokka was on the verge of turning and leaving. He despised people who never gave straightforward answers, offering riddles instead. "How hard is it to talk like a regular person?"

"What is this tree?" Naruto couldn't ignore the strange sensation that had intensified even further.

"This tree is everything. It's the origin of life in this swamp and the forest surrounding it. It's more than a tree; it's life itself, nourished by the spiritual energy that permeates everything."

"Spiritual energy?" Katara was taken aback; she had never heard of such a thing. Master Pakku had taught her about Chi, the energy bending masters used to shape and control the elements, but this spiritual energy was unfamiliar.

"There are more types of energy than you might imagine at first," the guardian replied, stroking his beard. He lazily rested his hand on the tree's surface, and the teenagers were astonished to witness thousands of bright lines radiating along the roots. "Actually, boy, the spiritual energy reminds me of your own. You have something similar."

All eyes turned to Naruto, who curiously touched the roots, trying to mimic what the guardian had done. However, despite his efforts, he couldn't produce any results.

"You possess an intriguing power, kid. Maybe it's time to learn how to harness it properly."

"…" The shinobi was at a loss for words, but he had other questions that needed answers now. "What about those visions in the forest? What are they?" This question piqued the curiosity of the other teenagers, and they eagerly awaited an explanation.

"That's what you need to figure out, kid. Don't think this swamp just shows random things."

"…"

"It's your choice to give meaning to those visions, but..." The guardian smiled kindly, stood up, and took a step that caused one of the roots to light up and form a path leading deeper into the swamp. "This will guide you to your furry friend. You should hurry and find him. Swamp waterbenders typically hunt at this time."

"Hunt?!"

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

PAT REON I'D:- Alzero ]