Alone

A gentle hand broke Naruto from his slumber. Blinking away the blurriness from his eyes, he looked up and saw his teacher Yangchen levitating softly beside Chomei. Her expression was its usual calm with a hint of bemusement.

Naruto must have slept for hours for the sun had already set. He could just make out the lanterns burning brightly at the village's entrance. Sleep had done well in keeping his mind off the test results. A part of him was tempted to fall right back asleep and let the rest of the day just disappear into a memory.

Yangchen descended to the ground and invited him to follow suit, "I see you are faring a deal better. Why don't I treat you to a meal? You must be hungry now."

Truth be told, he was hungry. While the mango from earlier had been delicious, it was far from enough to be filling. Naruto took a moment to stretch out his limbs with a loud groan. He flipped off Chomei's body and patted her on the forehead, "Thanks for letting me rest buddy."

Chomei affectionately pushed her nose against him. He was just going to accept that as her way of saying you're welcome. Giving one last farewell pat to his buddy, he chased after his teacher.

The walk back was a serene but odd experience. Jingshen had a rather active night life. When Naruto had to turn in for his curfew, he would still see the other villagers going about their business, either with dancing, singing, or even just meditating. Today the path was empty.

Lights were on, but there were no other air nomads around. Even the wind seemed to be in a quiet state with no airbending occurring. Naruto took to peeking into the different shops to see if he could catch sight of anyone. All he saw were darkened rooms and empty chairs.

It felt eerie to see such a lively village be so silent. He supposed that this was the silence he wanted from earlier on the day. There were now no masters around to agitate him. Naruto didn't like this as much as he thought he would. He promised to be a lot friendlier and appreciative of everyone's company tomorrow.

Yangchen led him to his favorite restaurant Ichiraku. The hustle and bustle that he expected was sorely missing. He could see the shadows of the cooks as he sat in one of the large tables. At least there was somebody here even if it appeared to be a slow day for customers.

"Feel free to pick whatever you would like. No need to be reserved," Yangchen passed one of the menus that were laid on the table surface, her voice inviting.

He cheered and pushed aside all of his concerns about the lack of customers. There was a time and place for everything and right now it was time for ramen. Pulling out the menu, he marveled at the selection as though it was his very first time again.

He marveled at all the different broth variations, noodle types, vegetables, and seasoned eggs available. Naruto had to make a conscious effort to not let his mouth water. The last thing he wanted was to listen to a lecture about appropriate eating behaviors. He understood Yangchen's point but she had to understand that ramen was an exception.

"Lost in the majesty of it all again?" a wizened voice teased. It belonged to the restaurant's owner Hiruzen. He smiled genially.

Naruto flushed at the statement. On his first visit to Ichiraku years ago, he had been utterly amazed by the smells drifting in the restaurant as well as the menu. He had been restless with so much pent up excitement that he had even began jumping in the seats.

He had even tried to order everything on the menu before Yangchen had reeled him in. In the end, he was paralyzed by indecision and she had to choose for him. It had taken all of one slurp for him to be hooked on ramen. Everything about it had been too perfect.

When he had slurped the last of the broth, his sigh of contentment had come out as an uncontrolled wind that had made a mess of things. Not a lot of airbenders could say that ramen had stimulated their first conscious case of bending.

Ramen was clearly a very spiritual food and he was right to fall in love with it! There was nothing Yangchen, Jiraiya, or the others could say to shake him of that belief. It was ramen that had opened the world of airbending to him.

Still, it was a little embarrassing to remember how much he had lost it as a kid. Apparently he had even tried to convince his teacher that it was an appropriate meditation tool to always have at hand.

"I'll have the Tantanmen!" he rushed out in the hopes of preventing any mentions of his early childhood. The smiles he received told him that they were not at all fooled.

"I'll have the Shio ramen, please," Yangchen added.

"Your orders will be out as soon as possible. The tea set will be brought in for the meantime. It's always a pleasure to serve you," Hiruzen chuckled and shuffled to the kitchens.

A pair of employees seamlessly moved in as Hiruzen made his leave. Both carried trays holding a teapot, teacups, strainer, kettle, water, leaf holder, bowls of steaming hot water, and tea leaves. Clearing the tray in a neat manner, they arranged the equipment on the table.

Yangchen said her thanks and the employees nodded and flashed him warm smiles and returned to whatever it was that they did. Yangchen reached for the supplies before Naruto interrupted her.

"Let me," he requested.

She blinked in a mixture of confusion and surprise but retracted her hands, "Feel free."Yangchen's smile was encouraging.

Her surprise was warranted. Naruto hated dealing with tea preparation. It took a patience that always bothered him. When he first learned the basics, he had been very frustrated by the whole deal. While Yangchen felt it was a nice exercise in patience and control, he thought the whole affair was a bit much. Still, she enjoyed the tea ceremonies and he wanted to share that with her.

Naruto inhaled and exhaled trying to take control of the anxious energy that was already building up. Licking his lips, he gripped the tea chopsticks. His grip strained the delicate utensils and he immediately eased the grip. Confident that the chopsticks wouldn't break, he began moving the tea leaves into the teapot.

His looser grip caused some of the leaves to flutter to the table. Naruto attempted to offset this by speeding up his movement which unfortunately caused more leaves to fall. This wasn't going to discourage him. Fixating on not dropping the leaves caused him to put a bit too many leaves into the teapot.

It would've taken too long for his liking to go through the process of removing leaves now. He didn't want the water to cool too much. Stronger tea tasted better anyway. Naruto poured in hot water. The flow of the water wasn't nearly as smooth as Yangchen's own pouring but that was just his own unique way of pouring!

Bits of water started to miss the teapot entrance causing him to hiss in annoyance. No matter, he wasn't going to be deterred. She would get her tea if it was the last thing he did.

Now he had to pour out the first brew to wash out the tea leaves. Honestly, the tea should've been fine at this stage. The people really enjoyed tea around here. It must've been clean enough already, but he was trying to impress Yangchen with his tea making. He'll take all those busy body steps.

When he poured out the first batch, he cringed as quite a few tea leaves poured out as well. His positioning of the teapot had been too steep and the flow had been faster than he expected. Fortunately, it wasn't too many leaves. Since he had put too much to begin with, this should've balanced things out.

It was a relief when he was able to pour the second batch into the teapot without much trouble. Closing the lid, he tap his fingers impatiently as the aroma of the green tea flowed out. He counted to ten and then poured the contents of the teapot into a large fair cup. Naruto shook it and ignored any spillage. He counted to twenty and then poured the tea into two of the smaller teacups.

His hold was a bit unsteady, but he prevented any more accidents. Naruto slid the cup towards his teacher with a nervous expression.

Yangchen smiled easily at him, "Thank you, my student."

He was kind of impressed at how elegantly she took up the cup and enjoyed the scent of tea. Yangchen lightly blew over the surface and took a small sip, "You have improved immensely. But next time, do try to not be so stressed. This is supposed to be a calming exercise not a test. Your tea is filled with anxiety."

When she saw his confused expression, she chuckled and explained, "You put a little of yourself in every cup. The you of now is filled with concern, but be at ease."

"You think the kid can take it easy? I didn't know you were into that brand of humor!" Jiraiya laughed uncaringly as he entered the room.

Yangchen huffed in exasperation but moved to the adjacent chair to give him a seat, "You're late."

Jiraiya playfully elbowed her, "I'm a popular guy and had a lot to do. Give me a break sheesh. "

Naruto began the tea process all over again.

This caused Jiraiya to raise an eyebrow and pointed at Yangchen in suspicion, "What have you done with the kid? He hates tea making as much as me!"

She laughed into her sleeve, "Well he is my student. Is it odd for him to partake in my hobbies?"

Naruto slid another teacup in Jiraiya's direction, "Here."

Jiraiya blinked in surprise, but smiled in appreciation, "… Thanks kid."

"Even the mighty Jiraiya can be at a loss for words. Was your heart moved?" Yangchen questioned with a teasing smile.

Jiraiya grumbled and gulped all the tea at once, "Not bad, kid. It's better than what I could do at your age anyway."

Naruto smiled in contentment. He must not have screwed up too badly if they were so happy with the results. The table's atmosphere was rather light as the employees returned to clear out the tea set and bring their orders. Jiraiya had apparently made his order ahead of time.

Naruto would've normally savored the rich and spicy broth of his meal but he saw Jiraiya eyeing him in challenge. He returned a competitive smirk and the race was on. Yangchen chose to ignore the little competition. She had berated the two on this subject a many times and didn't bother this time.

In the back of his mind, he realized that she was being pretty lax, all things considered. Jiraiya slammed his bowl down after finishing his ramen moments before Naruto.

"Looks like I still got it," Jiraiya bragged.

Naruto groaned in defeat but still smiled.

Yangchen dabbed her lips with a cloth before speaking, "Are you excited for your journey?"

Naruto blinked.

Jiraiya snorted at his expression. He smacked his forehead and sighed in disbelief, "She's talking about taking up the nomad lifestyle. If you're ever going to become a master, you need to keep up."

Naruto bristled, "I know that, old man! I… was just surprised by the change in subject."

Jiraiya snorted at his weak defense, "The boy has air for brains."

"Hush you," Yangchen reprimanded Jiraiya before addressing Naruto, "The question still stands: are you excited?"

"You bet I am. I'm going to have all kinds of adventures and see the different nations, besides the Fire Nation of course," he said.

She smiled warmly at his enthusiasm, "That's good to hear. I was concerned that the results of your test would've dimmed your excitement. Always remember that even the mighty bison-"

"must descend," Naruto finished. He understood her point clearly enough. Everybody had to deal with the lows in life. It didn't ease the sting though. Becoming a master would've been a good omen for his journey around the world.

"Now that I think about it, what exactly am I supposed to do on my journey?" Naruto hadn't put too much thought into the specifics. He had grand ideas of defending villages and saving princesses. It wasn't the most structured of plans to go off on.

Following his question, Yangchen and Jiraiya looked at each other and engaged in some silent conversation. Jiraiya looked awkward but Yangchen eyes were firm and scolding. In the end, Jiraiya surrendered with a roll of his eyes.

"All you have to do is gain experience and live the best life you can. This isn't so much a mission as a new stage in your life. There need not be a sense of urgency," Yangchen explained.

Jiraiya snorted in response and raised his hands in surrender when she glowered at him, "Listen to the little lady here, kid. Just go with the flow and enjoy every second of it. You might want to do something about your hair though. Take it from me; if you want to be a troublemaker, you have to hide what makes you distinct."

Naruto ran his fingers through his golden hair in confusion. Was golden hair really that surprising? He had just assumed that other golden haired villagers had simply gone grey.

"Golden hair is rare. You gained it from indulging in the dense spiritual energy of Jinsheng since youth. I would suggest shaving, covering, or even dyeing it," she suggested.

Jiraiya clapped his hands, "Alright, enough with all the seriousness. We come bearing gifts." He grabbed a tall scroll that was resting on the wall. It wasn't something Naruto paid much attention to since Jiraiya was known to carry large sized scrolls around on his back.

Jiraiya unwrapped the scroll to reveal a handcrafted wooden staff. It was an airbender staff. He tossed it Naruto's direction with a smirk, "Like it? That's your teacher's old staff. I had it spoofed up to better suit you. Considering the age, I'm surprised that it even lasted that long. Some folks really can't let go of the past."

Naruto marveled at the craftsmanship and traced his hands over the woodwork, "Are you sure I can have this? It's your staff."

"Of course. Nothing would make me happier than to see you take it, my student. Accept it as a token of my appreciation for being such a wonderful student," she encouraged.

"Whoa you're sounding pretty maternal there, Yangchen. Is the great Yangchen making earthly attachments?" teased Jiraiya.

She merely gave a soft laugh, "Perhaps. But I have cared for him since he was but a babe. That is something quite difficult to push aside. It appears I have much to learn from your wisdom. "

"Jealousy is an ugly look on you. Don't be upset, lots of masters wish they could get on my level. Here's my personal gift," he walked over to Naruto and handed over his gift.

It was a headband with an orange cloth with a metal plate sewn into it. The plate was the width of his forehead with the Air Nomad insignia, an orb with stylized coiling lines that depicted the wind, etched into the surface.

"These are amazing. I promise to always carry on the lessons you two have instilled into me" he cried out. Naruto could openly admit that he wasn't the brightest of airbenders, but even he could understand the depth of emotion that went into these gifts. Yangchen's staff must've been by her side since her own youth. It was like passing on a trusted companion to the next generation. Jiraiya's gift held the weight of the Air Nomads behind it. To carry the very insignia of their people was to be a representative of them all. He didn't know what else to really say to something like this. Even after his performance, they still held him in such high regard.

"That's good enough," Jiraiya said with a shrug before he yawned loudly. "Alright, that's enough for these old bones. I best be moving on."

"What? It's pretty early for you," Naruto pointed out. He had been convinced for a time that Jiraiya never really slept. The man was always roaming around at night doing all sorts of esoteric research, especially into the depths of the forests.

"Maybe, but I hate emotional goodbyes, so I'll leave the rest to you, Yangchen," Jiraiya declared and marched to the front door. He paused just as his hand touched door and rested his forehead on it as though he was in deep thought. Without turning his back he spoke to Naruto one last time, "For what it's worth, you weren't half the headache I thought you would be, brat. Don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't make it in the world. See you."

Then Jiraiya was gone. It was odd how solemn the man had been. Did he expect to never see Naruto again? Naruto shot Yangchen a questioning look but she just sighed in resignation.

"That man is such a scoundrel. He comes and goes as he pleases and leaves the hard work to me," her words while harsh were offset by her fond tone. She appeared like she too would miss him.

"Come let's take our leave as well, Naruto."

Naruto nodded and followed her out of the restaurant. The streets were just as silent as before. Jingshen never felt so dead before. Yangchen walked with a solemn finality that was just adding to his concerns. He wasn't sure what the problem was, if there even was one, but everything just felt off and heavy. Tightening his grip on the staff and headband, he caught up to his teacher's pace.

She led him to the plains to the North of Jingshen. The open plain was filled with all the missing people of the village. They all sat in meditative positions with their eyes closed. It wasn't unusual to see groups of nomads meditating together; it typically didn't apply for a group this size outside of some festivals though. Naruto was very well versed in all forms of festivities that took place in the village so he knew that there wasn't one taking place.

Yangchen sat down and gestured for him to follow suit. Once he was situated, she spoke, "I don't believe I ever explained how you came to be under my tutelage. After the Air Nomad's genocide, a small collection of survivors banded together to make a small community. In fear of being caught, they hid away their bending and kept their numbers small. There weren't many members to begin with and the following generations' numbers only decreased. Misfortune struck the last Air Nomads once again with a sickness that destroyed them except for one baby. I discovered you just in time to nurse you to health and brought you here to Jingshen."

Naruto took a deep breath. That had been even more morbid that he expected. What did those Air Nomads feel about their slow and pitiful decline? Then when they were at their lowest, a disease finished the job the Fire Nation had started. He sent a silent prayer for the suffering of his original community.

Yangchen continued with a voice laden in regret, "You were raised with the knowledge that you were one of the last Air Nomads alive. That is something of a… gross understatement. You are one of two remaining Air Nomads left."

Naruto shot her an incredulous look before staring at all the meditating monks before them. That didn't seem remotely true.

"Jingshen is a land rich in spiritual energy that allows the mortal world to interact with the spirit world. One can more easily travel between the two. All manner of spirits can make the trip… even those of humans," she revealed.

Naruto's eyes widened as he looked at Yangchen, the woman who had been his teacher for as long as he could remember. All of this couldn't possibly be true. After all these years, he should've noticed if they were spirits. She had to be going crazy.

"Every adult in this village was but the spirit of an enlightened airbender. It was our dearest wish to make a home for you. I know that your heart must be in turmoil, but you must accept this truth. Our time in the physical world is coming to a close. We've lingered here far too long already," she sounded so remorseful that it physically hurt Naruto.

Naruto scrambled over to her and clenched onto her robes with the desperation of a man holding to the very edge of a cliff, "E-Even if you're a spirit, I need all of you. You can't just leave now! There's so much more for me to learn! I couldn't even become a master. That means you have to teach me more!" His eyes stung as tears began falling down his cheeks.

"I cannot stay any longer. Though it pains me, we must part ways here," she didn't fight against his grip but her answer was resolute.

"T-Then take me with you. If you guys can't stay in the physical world anymore, then I'll just follow you guys in the spirit world," he begged, his voice growing hoarse.

"No," she said with firmness that he recognized as absolute. He had never succeeded in swaying her choices when she used that tone of voice. Yangchen looked him straight in the eyes, "The rest of us have lived our lives and even come to terms with any regrets we'd have. But there is so much more for you to do. To leave your physical body behind and live in the spirit world is to die. You have yet to truly experience the world, how can I take that away from you, Naruto?"

Naruto's heart nearly stopped when his fingers actually slipped through her robes and arms. A faint blue hue covered Yangchen's body and she grew transparent like a clear lake. The other monks in the field gained the same blue hue that lit up the field like an army of lanterns breaking through the night. Naruto chocked on his tears, "No, no, no, no, no, no!"

"I know you may feel that you have nothing left, but that pain will subside. You have the strength of heart to stand again and begin your own journey. There are lands for you to visit and bonds to forge. Don't let this pain cripple you. You were a fine student, Naruto," Yangchen consoled.

Gathering all of his strength, he gave her a wide tear stained smile and reached for her. But it was too late; she flickered through his very fingers. Before him all the other people he had grown up with, laughed alongside, and even studied beside faded away like sand blown by the wind.

His fragile smile shattered and he collapsed to the ground weeping.

Naruto was utterly alone.