Disclaimer: I'm sure I'm not the only person who sees Azula as a mega bitch, but for this fan fic I'll be changing her attitude so she's not the power hungry psycho bitch she is in the series. And as you can tell I've rewritten this as a Naruto crossover. I might decide to give Naruto his jutsu back but don't hold your breath.

Another quick thing. The mistreatment of women appals and sickens me. Such as women being sold into prostitution to pay off family debts, being used as playthings for other people's amusement, women being used as hostages, assaulted, raped, stalked, murdered and underage girls being sold off to men for money. Any man who sexually assaults a woman should be castrated as death is just giving them a quick way out, it's better to have them live the rest of their lives knowing they can never have sex again.

But that's just my opinion.

"Speech"

Thought

Kitsune Series: Water and Fire.

South Pole.

A wandering figure shivered as he tried to walk in the snow. The wind was blowing and the falling snow was making it difficult to see more the a couple feet in front of him. His clothes were torn and burnt meaning he'd managed to escape the Fire Nation troops, his boat had gotten lost in the storm and he'd landed on an iceberg. Shaking his head, his tail was wrapped around his midsection trying to keep him warm. His flimsy shirt was poor covering. Making a decision his body shifted into a fox, his coat a fiery red. Feeling a bit warmer with fur he padded through the snow looking for a cave or some kind of shelter. He walked for hours and even in his fox form he was cold. Collapsing in the snow from exhaustion he gave off a tired whimper, his legs were numb. Fortunately the wind and falling snow had ceased, so he wouldn't be buried anytime soon. He felt his eyes closing when he heard a voice.

"Come on Katara…please!" A male voice said in a whining fashion.

Not Fire Nation…I'm near a Water Tribe if I remember right, he thought, lifting his head to see a pair wearing blue parkas with white fur.

"Sokka! Over here, I think I found something!" a female voice shouted. One of the figures leaning down to reveal a dark skinned blue-eyed girl with brown hair.

"Great. Looks like we'll be having fox for dinner," he replied, only to get slugged in the gut. "OW! What was that for?"

"No one's having fox for dinner, Sokka!" Katara scolded, slowly extending her mitten covered hand to brush some snow off the fox's red coat. "Poor thing's practically frozen,"

"Which means killing it will end its suffering and give us something to eat," was Sokka's snide comeback. Only to release a high pitched wail, courtesy of Katara's foot connecting with his groin.

"Then you stay out here and freeze to death!" Katara fumed, carefully picking up the half frozen fox. Wrapping it in her parka, she trudged back to the village. "Don't worry little guy. I won't let my idiotic brother turn you into a meal." She whispered, blushing slightly as the fox nuzzled its head against her chest. Just how long have you been wandering all alone out here?

Once back in the small village that was once the proud Southern Water Tribe, Katara quickly headed for her tent where she could properly tend to the fox. When she first saw the half frozen vulpine, she remembered the stories her mother told her as a child. How a tribe of shape shifting foxes called Kitsune helped guide the Avatar in mastering the four elements and keeping the world in balance. How they were able to change their forms and were masters of three of the elements, including fire. But 100 years ago, the Fire Nation began a campaign to exterminate the Kitsune and the Air Nomads. With both races wiped out no one could bring the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes together to end the war started by Fire Lord Sozin. For the last century there were rumours that small numbers of Kitsune had survived the slaughter of their people, and were hiding out in the Earth Kingdom. But none of the rumours were ever confirmed.

Looking down her parka Katara smiled warmly seeing that her passenger was comfortably sleeping and no longer shivering from the cold. She couldn't understand why, but for some reason she felt drawn to this fox. As if it was her destiny to find him in the snow. Deciding to ponder those thoughts later, Katara carefully deposited her new fury friend on her bedroll of furs. The subtle chill and sudden jostling woke him up but he didn't seem to have the strength to stand properly.

"You must be starving after walking around in the snow for so long," she said, searching her room for her stash of smoked salmon and fruit she kept for emergencies, or if she wanted something to snack on.

"KATARA!"

Well that didn't take him too long, she huffed, placing a bowl of salmon in front of the fox. "There you go little guy. Now I have to deal with my idiot of a brother again," sighing she opened her tent flap, only to be greeted to an irate Sokka. "What now Sokka?"

"I can't believe you kicked me in the dangly bits just for some stupid fox!" Sokka growled, his voice slightly higher than normal. "How would you like it if I kicked your dangly bits?"

"I wouldn't know since I don't have any dangly bits. So since we're not having fox for dinner, why don't you go hunt a penguin or two?" she grouched, shoving her brother back. "You're lucky I'm not very good at water-bending or I'd bend you into a block of ice!"

"Fine! Do what you want with the fox! See if I care!" Sokka shouted, limping away from Katara's tent. Why do girls have to be so stubborn?

"Jerk," she huffed, storming back inside her tent. Closing the tent flap she found the fox sleeping once again and an empty bowl. "I shouldn't expect you to be walking around so soon after being out in that storm. Just what were you doing this far south?"

Leaving the fox to rest and regain its strength, Katara left her tent to finish her chores not knowing her grandmother, Gran-Gran had been discreetly watching.

The bones have once again proven correct. There is now hope for this world, Gran-Gran thought with a deep sigh, I trust my granddaughter's future to you, young kitsune.

For the rest of the day Sokka kept his distance from his sister and kept his mouth shut about eating her new pet, as he wasn't eager to get kicked in the gonads again. At dinner the fox seemed strong enough to join the villagers around the fire, keeping close to Katara for warmth and the extra food she gladly provided. It even rode on her shoulders when she went to relieve herself, not that she minded of course, she had formed a quick liking to the fox. Climbing into her bedroll for the night she wasn't surprised to have her fury friend crawl in to snuggle up against her.

"Good night little fox," she whispered, getting a lick to her chin in return. He's so cute.

Southern Ocean.

Over 100 miles away a lone Fire Nation ship traversed the calm seas. Most of the crew were sleeping save for those who had night watch and a solitary individual standing on the balcony of the upmost deck. Amber eyes gazed out towards the horizon, hoping for an end to her search. She is none-other than Azula, a banished princess by her father's order.

"Azula, it's late. You should be in bed," came the sage advice from her uncle Iroh.

"It's still a bit strange to have you give me advice when I never listened in the past, Uncle. Why do you keep trying?" she asked, her gaze never leaving the horizon.

"The answer is a simple one, my dear niece. We are family and I will always be here for you when you need me, even when you don't think you need my advice," Iroh explained, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Just don't tell anyone that I listened to you this time," she joked, heading back inside the ship to her bunk.

Southern Water Tribe.

Following Morning.

Fighting consciousness, Katara's sleep fogged mind slowly registered something pressed against her. She could feel the extra warmth of something bigger than the fox she fell asleep with. There was a hand wrapped around her back while another was resting at her hip. Peeling her eyes open she saw a set of ocean blue eyes staring back at her. Realising these eyes belonged to an unknown male, Katara was about to scream when a hand clamped her mouth shut.

"Wait! Please don't scream, just let me explain," at her hesitant nod the hand slowly lifted away from her mouth. "You might find this hard to believe but I was the fox you fell asleep with last night. My people have the ability to change into foxes, but I was too weak after walking through yesterday's snow storm."

"You're a real kitsune!" Katara exclaimed, spotting the fox ears on top of his head. "I can't believe it! I never thought I'd meet a kitsune in my life! I never believed the Fire Nation had wiped you all out! This is so exciting! So is it true you can bend more than one element?"

"And the fact that you've had a guy in your bed all night means nothing?"

"Oh right. I guess I got a bit excited," she blushed. "Sorry. My name's Katara."

"Yeah, I know. I heard you and your brother talking when you found me. I'm Naruto Uzumaki by the way," he replied, noticing her curious gaze directed towards his ears. "You can touch them, my tail too if you want. I don't mind."

"You have a tail too?" Katara squealed in excitement.

"Katara, Gran-Gran wants to talk to you about your fox friend," Sokka said from outside the tent.

"I'll be right there," she called back, getting out of bed to change clothes. "You better change back."

"Uh, right," Naruto said, turning away as she shed her night clothes.

Once changed she picked up a transformed Naruto and hurried across the village to Gran-Gran's tent to find her preparing tea.

"So has your kitsune friend shown you his human form?" Gran-Gran asked, pouring a third cup.

"How'd you know?" Katara questioned, setting Naruto on the ground.

"Foxes don't normally have blue eyes, nor do they have red fur this far south," she smirked, as Naruto reverted to his human form, being no younger than Katara. "I see you are quite young for a kitsune, in a way it makes things less awkward."

"You didn't get a good look at me until I emerged from Katara's tent, but I get the feeling you knew about me a lot earlier," Naruto grumbled, plopping down on the furs on the ground. "And let me guess. You're going to invoke Water Tribe law for sleeping in Katara's bed?"

"And yet you still slept with her knowing the consequences of your actions," Gran-Gran replied, sipping her tea.

"What are you both talking about?" Katara asked, having no idea where this conversation was going.

"According to Water Tribe law you and I are engaged because we slept together, meaning once we reach marrying age we'll be husband and wife," Naruto growled, his tail swishing back and forth in agitation.

"What?"

"If you think that's bad, the only ways to nullify this arranged marriage is for one of us to die or already be engaged to someone else. But that still won't work because I'm the last kitsune. Stupid Clan Restoration Law." Naruto groused.

"What's the Clan Restoration Law?" Katara asked.

"The Kitsune Tribes created a law to prevent a clan from going extinct. In that the last member of said clan must take more than one wife to ensure the clan's survival," Gran-Gran explained, much to the ire of one kitsune. "You will both be married once Katara comes of age."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Katara demanded.

"Believe me, Katara, the last thing I want is to force you into this especially since you just met me. But arranged marriages are nearly impossible got get out of. Plus my mother taught me to respect traditions, even though I appal the idea of arranged marriage," Naruto muttered the last part. "And I can understand if you don't like the idea of multiple wives."

"That's not why I'm upset. I just didn't plan on getting married so soon, it's a huge shock right now. Though having to share a husband is a little odd, I fully intend respect this marriage, it'll just take me some time to accept this," she replied sadly, reaching for her tea cup. "I just wish I could have learnt waterbending."

Just as she was about to take a sip, the liquid suddenly froze. Peering into the cup Katara nearly dropped it in surprise as the tea floated out in front of her face where it went from froze cylinder to an arrow pointing at Naruto.

"You're a waterbender?" Katara gasped, yelping as something cold touched her neck.

"Kitsune have had the ability to bend three elements since the time of the first Avatar. But because we can fire bend the Fire Nation demanded my people help fight their war. From what my parents told me, our elders refused saying they were loyal to the Avatar and all four nations. The Fire Lord said we were all traitors and ordered our extermination. They used their overwhelming numbers to slaughter my grandparents and everyone in the village," Naruto explained, a stray tear sliding down his cheek. "My parents and I were outside the village when the attack happened. My father sacrificed his life to keep the soldiers busy so my mother and I could escape. But she was killed eight years ago in an attack in the Earth Kingdom, and I've been wandering around the world ever since."

"I know how you feel. The Fire Nation took my mother's life when I was little. She did it protect me since I'm the last water bender in the South Pole," Katara replied, looking down at her empty cup.

"Then you probably don't want to hear that I befriended the Fire Nation princess during my travels," Naruto mumbled.

"You were in the Fire Nation!" she exclaimed, making his ears fold against his head in fear. "What were you doing there?"

"I was trying to kill the Fire Lord, but his daughter found me and hid me in her room. But when her father found out he banished her for hiding an enemy of the Fire Nation. At least that's what I heard. I escaped about a year ago so I have no idea where she is," he replied sheepishly. "While I was with her I managed to change her views on the world. She stopped thinking the Fire Nation is superior to the other nations and her dreams of power and glory disappeared the more time we spent together."

"So would the princess be a potential wife?" Gran-Gran asked, causing Naruto to blush.

"Well we did talk about ending the war right before I escaped, so maybe," he cringed, wanting to change to his fox form. "And we did discuss me having a wife from a different nation."

"I'll make you a deal. Teach me waterbending and I'll consider accepting her as my step-sister and co-wife, once I meet her," Katara bargained with a stern expression.

"I was going to teach you anyway so deal," Naruto affirmed, taking her hand and kissing the back of it making her blush this time. "The only downside I see to this is having Sokka for a brother-in-law."