Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the start of my newest story, "Mai's Teacher"! This story focuses on Naruto and Mai, but will also revolve around the Avatar canon. After this first chapter, no one but Naruto and Kyuubi will appear from the Naruto-verse unless they are in a flashback or something spiritually related. Naruto will also be OOC, but there will be a good reason.

AN1: I want to give major thanks to my sempai, sendicard! He was a major help in the development and processing of this story idea!

AN2: Happy New Year everyone! I just want to wish all of you a good start to this New Year!

Please note: pain17ification does not own the series Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Higher Being Speech"

'Higher Being Thoughts'

"Jutsu"

(Technique Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 1: World's End and Rebirth

Disappointment was felt by a blonde man as he watched another battle ensue from his perch on top of a hill in Mizu no Kuni. His azure eyes watched on as shinobi pitted against shinobi and blood painted the battlefield a deep crimson. Ever since the end of the Fourth Shinobi War, tensions had once again begun to rise between the Shinobi Villages of the Elemental Nations. It didn't even take more than ten years before the tensions grew into skirmishes and the skirmishes grew into full-blown battles. It was pathetic really; how easy it was to get caught up in another war so soon.

Naruto Uzumaki sighed as he kept observing the battle between Kirigakure and Kumogakure. Ever since the loss of Ay, the Yondaime Raikage, and Kirabi, the Hachibi Jinchuriki, Kumo had lost much of its military strength. They had noticed that Kiri had gotten noticeably stronger ever since the Bloodline Wielders returned to their old home in the mist. The Godaime Raikage was an unknown man who attained the seat through bribes and blackmail. He had decided that the need for restoring Kumo's military strength would be easily fulfilled by capturing and breeding any of the Bloodline Wielders they could capture.

Kiri wasn't without loss though. Mei, the Godaime Mizukage, had fallen in combat. In fact, all of the previous Kage except for Gaara the Godaime Kazekage and Tsunade the Godaime Hokage had lost their lives in the war as they faced off against the revived body of the Uchiha Ancestor, Madara.

Naruto took this time of silent observation to think back towards the Fourth War. The war itself was issued by an Uchiha by the name of Obito, a teammate of Kakashi Hatake and student of Minato Namikaze. Obito Uchiha had assumed the role of Madara and fooled everyone into believing that he was the Uchiha ancestor before he was revealed to be an impostor of the man. Others knew Obito as Tobi, the fool of the Akatsuki, who used his idiocy as a façade to hide his true role as puppet-master of the dark organization.

Obito's identity had finally been unveiled when he was in the middle of battle against Naruto, Kakashi, Maito Gai, and Kirabi. Both Naruto and Kirabi had the support of their respective Bijuu, Kurama the Kyuubi and Gyūki the Hachibi, during the battle and utilized their abilities to the fullest. Kirabi fought in his Full Bijuu Form while Naruto used what he dubbed his Kyuubi Sennin Mode and the six of them were able to give Obito a hard time. Unfortunately, the revived Madara appeared in the middle of the battle after killing three Kage and incapacitating the other two and began to fight alongside Obito. Madara went to fight the two Jinchuriki while Obito stayed to fight Kakashi and Gai.

Naruto used every tactic, every jutsu, and every trick he had in his fight against Madara but was only able to barely keep up with him. Even with Kirabi assisting him, it was a long and bitter fight. Madara had used his ultimate Mangekyou Sharingan (Kaleidoscope Mirror Wheel Eye) technique Susano'o (Tempestuous God of Valor) to fight both Jinchuriki defensively and offensively at the same time. It was only by sheer dumb luck that Naruto was able to get the drop on the Uchiha. While Kirabi distracted him with a Bijuu Dama (Tailed-Beast Bullet), Naruto had pulled out a special seal tag provided by the Fuinjutsu Dept. of the Shinobi Alliance. The tag was meant to cut the connection between Kabuto and the people revived by the Edo Tensei (Impure Resurrection) technique.

Kurama warned Naruto that the connection between Kabuto and Madara was no longer there and that he would have to pump the fox's youki (demonic energy) into the seal in order to give it a higher chance to work. As soon as Madara was forced out of his Susano'o by the Bijuu Dama, Naruto poured all of his chakra into his speed to appear in front of the Uchiha in a yellow flash; similar to how his father did in the past. He then slapped the seal tag on the undead Uchiha's torso, pumped as much of Kurama's youki into it as he could, and activated the Tamashī no Maisō Fuiin (Burial of the Soul Seal) in hopes of finally putting Madara to rest for good.

At first Madara believed that the seal would fail; however when he felt his soul leaving the body it had currently inhabited, he realized that the youki was cutting off his chakra used to resist the seal by corroding his chakra coils. Before succumbing to his fate, Madara congratulated the blonde before using the remainder of his strength to have his Susano'o fire an arrow covered in the black flames of Amaterasu (Illuminating Heaven) at Kirabi. The unexpected attack struck the rapping Jinchuriki in his heart while in his Full Bijuu Form and began to engulf him in its undying black flames. Naruto watched on in horror as the man he both respected and befriended slowly burnt to death by the dark flames.

"How does it feel, Jinchuriki, to win this fight at the cost of another of your kind? This victory may be yours, but it will always be remembered as a hollow victory for you," Madara taunted before succumbing to the Tamashī no Maisō Fuiin.

The rest of the war was nothing but a blur for Naruto as the only thing he truly remembered after that fight was allowing Kurama to take full control of his body. After that, he remembered nothing else but rage for the loss of a dear friend. Kurama had explained that while he was in control, he was able to utilize all of his biju abilities and some that Naruto was unable to handle at the time. The war had ended when Kurama/Naruto fired what Kurama had called the Zettai no Bijuu Dama (Absolute Tailed-Beast Bullet) at Obito which Kakashi aided by using the remainder of his chakra to engulf it in a Kamui (Authority of the Gods) while Obito tried to use his own to make his body intangible. The result was Obito's body and the Gedō Mazō (Demonic Statue of the Outer Path) being engulfed and obliterated by the technique which started the chain of events leading to the end of the war. With their leader dead, the Zetsu clones didn't know what to do and were overwhelmed by the Shinobi Alliance.

However, Kakashi had lost his life performing his final Kamui and Konoha mourned the loss of a great shinobi as well as the many other shinobi that they had lost. Those included were Rock Lee, Shino Aburame, and Genma Shiranui.

It was still unknown what happened to Sasuke, the reborn Orochimaru, and Team Taka after the end of the war. They had laid low over the years and no one had even heard rumors of their whereabouts. It surprised everyone, especially Naruto's other teammate Sakura Haruno, that Naruto did not really care about Sasuke's disappearance; but he paid their surprise no mind. He had stopped planning to bring the Uchiha back during the war and figured that as long as Sasuke didn't choose to harm any of his precious people, then he wouldn't worry about the vengeful Uchiha.

After the battle, Naruto had scoured the many battlefields for any survivors and was pleased to see that his friend Anko had not only survived, but had her Juin (Cursed Seal) removed. He was surprised at this discovery, as was Anko, but the woman was far too elated to care about details. Anko was finally free of her ex-mentor's influence and had surprised everyone by kissing Naruto in her moment of sheer joy. The reason why it was Naruto was because he was the one who had found her unconscious body and brought her back to Konohagakure. Of course, the kiss was just a spur of the moment action and the two remained nothing more than very close friends.

Naruto shook out of his reminiscing before he activated his Kyuubi Sennin Mode. "Another day, another issue to settle…" he sighed.

"Indeed it is, Kit," agreed the fox inside the blonde's seal as its host entered the fray.

To the participants of the skirmish, Naruto was nothing more than an orange flicker as he took down battling shinobi left and right. To a spectator, it was like watching a bright orange flame move through the battle while countless shinobi were knocked aside. It was truly a sight to behold.

As self appointed 'peacekeeper' of the Elemental Nations, Naruto made it his duty to find peaceful ways to end disputes between the Hidden Villages. Of course, the job was far from easy and most of the time Naruto had to end the disputes forcefully; meaning that he would enter a battle and take down both sides. He avoided killing them and settled for incapacitating; however his message to end the fighting was still given to both sides. Naruto knew that the idea of 'peace' was becoming an empty dream at this point and decided that after this dispute, he would retire as a shinobi go into a self-imposed exile.

After all, one could only take so much stress before finally deciding that enough was enough. Plus, Naruto had one final plan in mind for the Elemental Nations.

Hokage's Office (1 week later)

Tsunade was busy with her never-ending battle against paperwork. Over the years, she still did not discover the secret to defeating it and it pissed her off tremendously. She was interrupted by a knock on her door and she inwardly thanked Kami for the distraction. Once she cleared the knocker to come in, the door opened to reveal Naruto.

Naruto had changed over the years and the changes were seen positively in the eyes of the villagers. He wore a pair of black ANBU style boots, maroon cargo pants, a black karate gi shirt with the sleeves torn off, had bandages covering from his fingers to his elbows, and his old Gama Sennin cloak. He also wore a straw hat with small bells like the Akatsuki used to wear, and constantly had a senbon in his mouth like the Jonin Genma had. Because of the hat, his hiate (headband) was wrapped around his left bicep which allowed his wild blonde hair to slightly cover his eyes. His hair was a blend of his father's and Jiraiya's having his father's bangs and his godfather's ponytail. Many wondered why Naruto chose this as his attire, and the reason was so that he could never forget the ordeals that he went through or the precious people that he lost.

"Naruto, it's good to see you gaki. What do you need from me?" questioned the blonde Kage. 'He still looks so young compared to everyone else,' she thought to herself.

True to her observation, Naruto appeared to have only aged by about one year. He assumed that Kyuubi was responsible since he still felt healthy, if not healthier. When brought to her attention years back, she was surprised to see that his body had seemed to stop aging due to the fox's youki. It wasn't a total stop though; just a seriously slowed aging process. If she had to guess, Naruto would appear to age one year for every ten years that passed naturally.

Naruto sighed before stating, "Baa-chan, I ready to retire as a shinobi of Konoha."

Tsunade was shocked at his request. "W-Why would you want to do that? I mean, wasn't it your dream to become Hokage of the Leaf one day? You can't become Hokage if you're retired, Naruto!"

Naruto merely gave her a blank stare at her outburst. "I've given up on that dream years ago, baa-chan. I let dozens of people rush to their deaths just for my sake and they'll continue to do so if I become Hokage. I don't want their deaths weighing on my conscience, so I gave up that dream. What I want to do now is explore kaa-san's old home; the ruins of Uzushiogakure."

"I can easily allow you to do that and you can still remain a shinobi!" she countered in hopes that he'd change his mind. She couldn't deny that his reasons for abandoning his dream were completely reasonable, but she refused to see him give up being a shinobi; the one thing that he enjoyed doing the most.

"I'm not just gonna visit Uzu, baa-chan; I'm gonna restore it." He saw the surprise on her face and elaborated. "I want to go back to my roots as an Uzumaki and see if there is anything worth scavenging. After that, I plan to slowly rebuild Uzu and restore its old prestige as a Shinobi Nation. However, I can't do that as a Konoha shinobi, so I've decided to retire. Besides, all of the constant arguments and disagreements between the other nations have really worn me out and I can't handle it for much longer. If this keeps up, I might lose my mind and snap. Please baa-chan, just let me retire and go home," he pleaded.

Tsunade was depressed that he called a place he had never seen his home besides Konoha and was torn at her godson's request. He was well overdue for a visit to Uzu and she had planned on taking him there, but she was constantly busy with her duties as Kage of the Leaf. Not only that, but the war had made her forget all about taking him there and him asking to retire had brought back that old plan to her thoughts. She also knew of his duties as 'peacekeeper' and how much of a toll they had taken on him over the years. She saw the slight bags under his eyes from his stress and knew that he needed a rest. Perhaps retirement was the best alternative for her godson.

She sighed sadly before she stated, "Alright Naruto, I'll give you the retirement forms as well as clearance papers to leave Konoha. No one will be able to stop you from leaving. But Naruto is this really what you want? What about the rest of the Rookie 11? I'm sure they'll miss you if you go."

Naruto smiled sadly at that comment. "They all have their own lives and futures to deal with, baa-chan. They all have families to care for and I can't place myself back into their lives after not even seeing them for at least two years. And don't say it hasn't been that long, because you know it has," he asserted when he noticed that she was about to interrupt. "The point is that they don't need me in their lives anymore and the village doesn't need me either. They haven't needed me for over two years, and it won't change a thing if I leave for good."

"Yes it will; the village will lose its ray of sunshine that brought me back," Tsunade said sadly with tears threatening to leave her eyes.

Naruto frowned at that before he walked over to her and enveloped her in a warm hug. She was initially surprised at his actions before she returned the embrace and shed a single tear. She would miss her godson terribly and she knew Shizune would as well. Shizune and Naruto had a sibling relationship that seemed to outdo relationships between even blood siblings. Everyone could see how close they were during their interactions around the village. She was currently working her shift at the hospital and would be devastated once she heard the news of Naruto retiring.

After they separated from the hug, Tsunade pulled out the retirement forms and a pass to leave Konoha. Naruto quickly filled out the forms, handed them to Tsunade in exchange for the pass, and gave her one last hug before he left her office. Once he was outside the door, Tsunade shed one more tear at his departure.

"Good luck Naruto," she whispered to the empty office.

With Naruto

The blonde was currently heading for his apartment complex for the last time. Many people who saw him in the village paid him no mind and just went about their business. Even if Naruto was revered as the 'Hero of the Flame', there were some who still gave him nothing more than a passing glance. He was just about to pass Ichiraku Ramen before he stopped and decided to say his farewells to the father/daughter duo.

He entered the stand to see it looking the same as it always had; the large counter, many stools, and few customers that were finishing up their bowls of noodles. He smiled softly at the many memories he had in this very stand with Iruka, Jiraiya, and the two Ichiraku chefs.

Speaking of the Ichiraku duo, Ayame noticed him enter and gave him a wide smile before running around the counter and enveloping him in a hug. He returned the happy embrace while offering a smile in greeting to Teuchi who was observing them from behind the counter.

After releasing him, Ayame said, "It's so good to see you again, Naruto-kun! It's been too long!"

"It's good to see you too, Ayame-chan. However, this isn't just a social visit. There's something I have to tell you and Teuchi-Jiji." The two were curious about what he had to say but they merely waited for him to speak. Naruto gave them a sad smile before he dropped the bomb. "I retired as a Konoha shinobi and am leaving the village…For good."

Teuchi and Ayame were shocked at his statement. "Why did you do that, Naruto?" questioned Teuchi.

"I did it because I'm returning to my kaa-san's home village, Uzu. I plan to rebuild it and have it flourish as a Shinobi Village once again."

Ayame was surprised at that before she smiled sadly to him. "You always were one to dream big Naruto-kun, but what about becoming Hokage? Did you give up on that?"

He nodded before replying, "The village doesn't need me; they haven't for over two years now. Besides, rebuilding my home is more important to me right now."

Teuchi frowned slightly. "You never saw this place as home, did you son?"

Naruto sighed at the question. "Not completely, old man. I know that you and all of the people I've come to love will always be seen as family in my eyes, but this place just never felt like home. I can't explain it other than feeling a sense of longing whenever I bring up Uzu into a conversation. It's like I feel homesick or something…"

Teuchi nodded while Ayame smiled. "I completely understand, Naruto. You're feeling your ancestral home calling for you, the last of the Uzumaki. Your mother always mentioned about being homesick as well, but she grew to see Konoha as home eventually. I guess it's merely the opposite with you, huh?" asked the ramen chef.

Naruto chuckled at that. "Yea, I guess it is. Well, that was all I wanted to say, so this is goodbye." Ayame quickly gave him another hug while Teuchi placed a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I promise that I won't forget you guys. You were the first people I ever saw as family after all."

Naruto then separated from them, said one final goodbye, and left the stand. Ayame shed a couple tears but quickly wiped them away as Teuchi thought, 'There goes a man destined for incredible things.'

Naruto had reached his apartment a couple minutes after leaving the stand and packed away the essentials inside of a small sealing scroll. He then lifted up a small carpet that held a seal on the floorboard before he deactivated the seal. The seal then released the bindings on the floorboard and Naruto pulled out a single scroll that was from his late mother, Kushina. The scroll merely gave the location of Uzu and a brief insight on what the Uzumaki specialized in. The Uzumaki Clan was famous for one thing: fuinjutsu; and they were greatly feared and respected for it. Unfortunately, it was the fear of what the clan could have become that set off its destruction from Kumo and Iwa in the past. However, Naruto held no grudges since he did not live in the time of the clan.

After putting the scrolls into his pocket, he took one last look at his "home" and reminisced about the nights he spent alone as a child. He shook his head out of those depressing thoughts as he began heading for the main gates to leave. Suddenly, he tensed and caught a kunai heading for his cheek. He then felt a familiar weight on his back and gave a small grin. "Nice of you to see me off, Anko."

Said kunoichi smirked as she got off of him before giving a playful pout. "What's the deal with you not telling me you were leaving, Foxy?"

"I only told baa-chan and the Ichiraku family goodbye. I was actually hoping to avoid saying it to anyone else altogether."

Anko's fake pout turned real at that. "Not even me? I thought we were close, gaki?"

"We are, but saying goodbye to those three was hard enough as it was. Saying it to anyone else would have been too much." He then gave her a small smile and added, "If it's any consolation, you would have been one of the first I'd have said it to."

Anko returned the smile and said, "Yea, I can live with that. Are you sure about this though? I thought you had big dreams here?"

Naruto shook his head at her questions. "Not anymore. My future plans revolve around Uzu and restoring it." He then embraced her one last time and teased, "Try not to drive the people too crazy when I'm gone."

Anko smiled at that as she returned the embrace. "No promises, Naruto." After releasing him, she gave him one last smirk and warned, "Don't lose your edge, Foxy. You never know when I'll see you again. And when I do, I expect you to still be in top form."

Naruto chuckled at her antics. "I'll do my best, Anko. Goodbye…" he said before he walked through the gates and left the village. Anko's smirk turned into a sad smile as she silently wished her friend good luck before she left for home.

Nami no Kuni (Land of Waves) 2 weeks later

It took Naruto only a couple days to reach Nami and he happily got reacquainted with the people there. They were all excited to see their hero return and were more than happy to welcome him. He spent the remainder of the week trying to have someone take him as close to Uzu as they could on a boat. He was in luck and found one by the end of the week, but he decided to stay for one more just to relax. He was retired after all, so he could take his time getting home.

The week of R&R was mainly spent in the company of Tazuna's family. His daughter Tsunami welcomed Naruto like a son who hadn't been home in years while Inari was glad to have his nii-san back in Nami. Naruto told them stories of the war and the years that followed and the three were surprised that the Shinobi Alliance had turned on each other so quickly. They also agreed that Naruto needed a break from constantly being the mediator of the disputes between villages. It saddened them that he talked about his experiences like a veteran past his prime instead of a young man.

Naruto thoroughly enjoyed his time in Nami, but he knew that he had to get a move on. After saying his goodbyes to the people of Nami, he left for Uzu on the boat he rented. The boat ride ended up taking a couple days before they stopped a few miles away from the coast. According to the boat driver, the boat couldn't go any further due to the whirlpools surrounding the island. Naruto thanked the man and paid him before he stepped onto the water and began walking to the shore. Due to his Uzumaki blood, the whirlpools calmed when he neared them and resumed their torrents when he passed them.

Once Naruto stepped onto the shore, he gazed upon the ruins of his home and smiled sadly. 'I'm home, kaa-san. And now, I've got a lot of work to do.'

Naruto started off by searching through the ruins for anything worth scavenging. His Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clones) technique was immensely helpful in searching the ruins. In the span of two hours, the entire village, except the Uzukage Office, had been searched and Naruto was lucky enough to find two scrolls, a medallion, and a trapdoor in one of the collapsed buildings.

The scrolls were on Raiton (Lightning Element) techniques and fuinjutsu. Naruto was glad that he had discovered during the years after the war that he had a secondary affinity to lightning giving him affinities for Fuuton (Wind Element) and Raiton jutsu. The scroll seemed like it was Kami's way of welcoming him home. The techniques were B to A-Rank jutsu but there were only 3 total jutsu that were readable in the scroll; two B-Ranks and one A-Rank. He would work on them later.

The fuinjutsu scroll was actually a scroll for adept to master fuinjutsu users which suited Naruto just fine. He had taken up the intricate art of fuinjutsu during his time away from the village and was a natural with them. He assumed it was his Uzumaki blood and left it at that. The teachings in the scroll were damaged slightly from the village's destruction, but it was still perfectly usable.

The medallion was silver with a ruby gem in the center. Naruto and Kurama both noticed that there were seal arrays on the medallion that protected it from damage as well as stored chakra into the gem. Naruto smirked at the thought of restoring his chakra quickly with the seal. He wondered if he could store some of Kurama's youki in it as well, but he would test it later.

As for the trapdoor, it led to an underground bunker for the Uzumaki. Naruto was surprised with the discovery and wondered if there were other Uzumaki survivors besides his mother and Nagato. He searched the bunkers, only to find blood smears along the walls and decaying skeletons on the ground. Naruto shed a tear for the deaths of his ancestors and silently vowed to restore their honor.

During his searching, he came across a small Chi Fuiin (Blood Seal) along the wall and offered the blood required to it. The seal glowed before the wall in front of him separated and revealed a hidden office to the blonde. Naruto stepped inside to see that the office had remained untouched. There were scrolls on a shelf and what looked to be plans for a seal that was labeled Gyakusetsu Fuiin (Paradox Seal). Apparently, the seal was meant to place someone in a state of suspended animation until someone that met the seal's requirements removed it. While under the effects of the seal, one was supposed to age at a far slower rate and the seal would also keep the body's health in the condition it started off with when using the seal.

Naruto was impressed with the plans and sealed them away in a separate scroll so that he could attempt to finish it. He then searched the other scrolls and saw that they were more lessons on fuinjutsu, but these were for Master Sealers. Master Sealers were practitioners of fuinjutsu that had enough experience to use seals for practically anything. Based on the scrolls, Naruto deduced that the idea of the Gyakusetsu Fuiin was thought up by at least a few Master Sealers.

After emptying the office, Naruto searched the rest of the bunker but found nothing else. As he left, he placed multiple Bakudan Fuiin (Bomb Seals) to destroy the bunker and the skeletons within. Naruto wished the souls a peaceful rest as he activated the seals and destroyed the bunker.

The last building Naruto had to check was the Uzukage's Office. He had his clones avoid that building mainly because he wanted to search it himself. Once he stepped inside the office, he saw that it was mainly ashes and dust. He silently cursed Iwa and Kumo before he began looking through the ashes. He didn't find anything solid in the office, but he did find another Chi Fuiin on the floor. When he released the seal, he pulled out a small scroll and saw that it was a final letter written by the last Uzukage.

The letter read: To the Uzumaki who finds this, I regret to say that I have failed in defending our home. Uzushiogakure was a thriving village full of life and peace. We meant no harm to any of the other Shinobi Nations and tried to reason with them, but they were too stubborn and paranoid to see reason. Uzu is most likely destroyed by now, but I'm sure you can rebuild. There will always be the Village of Uzu if there is but a single Uzumaki alive. Remember this, for I assume you are all we have left of our once great clan.

Farewell; Arashi Uzumaki, the Nidaime Uzukage.

Naruto reread the letter twice before he sighed and turned his gaze to the ruined village. 'There will always be the Village of Uzu… I suppose it's time to prove the statement is true.'

And with that, Naruto summoned his Kage Bunshin and began the long process of rebuilding his home.

2 years later

As he thought, the rebuilding of Uzu took quite a while. It took at least half a year to remove the rubble and dispose of it into the many whirlpools surrounding the island while it took the remaining year and a half to rebuild. Naruto wasn't alone though and enlisted the help of Tazuna and the people of Nami who wished to migrate to the rebuilding nation.

Naruto accepted their request to stay with open arms and the people worked tirelessly to restore the once beautiful village. By the end of two years, Uzu had been reborn as a beautiful nation while the land of Nami was used as an outpost for trades and goods. Naruto was appointed as Uzukage, even though he felt he wasn't worthy, while he set up a small council that he called 'Shiro Renge (White Lotus)'. It was named so because it was the rarest flower of Uzu and its beauty was unmatched.

Naruto had also enlisted the old members of Jiraiya's spy network as honorary members of the Shiro Renge and had them give him updates on the other villages. The last thing he did in preparation of the village was set up an alliance with the one man he saw as a brother; Subaku no Gaara. Sunagakure was more than happy to agree to the alliance with Uzu and Naruto was pleased with their acceptance.

The Kages had met in Nami to solidify the alliance as well as allow Naruto and Gaara to catch up. Gaara was impressed with his brother's current success and determinedly stated that their alliance would hold strong. After they went their separate ways, Naruto contacted some old acquaintances of his to set up more alliances and promote good relations.

The nations chosen were Ame, Yuki, Oni, Hoshi, and the Nadeshiko Village and they all accepted the alliance with Naruto. It slightly surprised the blonde when he received word that the Priestess of Oni, Shion, had met another to help her keep the Priestess Line alive, but he was happy that she still accepted the alliance.

In exchange for some advanced seals made by Naruto, they offered supplies, technology from Yuki, and some shinobi from the villages to increase Uzu's own shinobi force. After all, one lone shinobi is definitely not enough to be counted as a Shinobi Village; even if the single shinobi is Naruto.

It seemed as though things were looking up for the future. However, Naruto would soon see that the future would turn drastic.

18 years later (Uzu)

Naruto was currently holding off a battalion of soldiers from an alliance between Iwa and Kumo. It stunned him how history had seemed to replay itself since the two villages feared Uzu's rapid growth in force and alliances. He was also caught completely off guard by the invasion force. Apparently the Shiro Renge members that were stationed in Iwa and Kumo were discovered and killed.

Naruto cursed as he activated a defensive seal that released multiple Katon (Fire Element) jutsu against the forces and activated his Kyuubi Sennin Mode. Using his speed, he began decimating the forces left and right while the Katon Seals distracted them. He was determined to defend his home and was able to hold them all off easily while his shinobi rallied behind him and prepared to defend their home and their leader.

Suddenly, a giant arrow made of dark chakra was fired towards the group and Naruto defended them with a well-timed Bijuu Rasengan (Tailed-Beast Spiral Sphere). When the dust created from the clash cleared, Naruto was shocked to see Sasuke, Team Taka with the exception of Karin, and Orochimaru standing in front of the dual forces.

Naruto glared at the Uchiha in rage and yelled, "Sasuke, what are you doing to Uzu?!"

Sasuke smirked at Naruto and responded, "What does it look like, dobe? I'm taking away everything you hold dear just like your old village did to me!"

"I left Konoha, teme! I'm no longer a part of it!"

"That may be, but you used to be. It doesn't matter though, seeing as how we've already destroyed it."

Naruto froze at the Uchiha's statement. "What do you mean? Why would you destroy the Leaf, Sasuke?!"

"Because they deserved it, that's why! Konoha is filled with nothing but worthless fools who feared the Uchiha and their potential." He then chuckled darkly before he confirmed, "I guess their fear was justified since I wiped out that pathetic excuse of a village."

Naruto shook with rage at that statement. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, and yet he also could believe it. He knew Sasuke wasn't lying, but he didn't want to believe it. His resolve set, Naruto activated one last seal that the enemy was closest to.

"I suppose the promise I made to Sakura no longer matters anymore… Goodbye Sasuke… Fuinjutsu: Banshi Fuiin (Sealing Art: Certain Death Seal)!"

The ground beneath the enemy forces glowed in the design of a massive rune circle colored blood red while Naruto activated another seal.

"Get behind me!" he ordered his people before he cried out, "Fuinjutsu: Jinsei Tate Fuiin (Sealing Art: Life Shield Seal)!"

Just like the seal under the enemy, a rune circle appeared under the people of Uzu. However, this circle was colored a golden yellow color. The circles expanded and trapped both forces in their respective zones with no means of escape. They inched closer and closer to one another while the people under the Banshi Fuiin tried desperately to break out using any jutsu or technique they knew. Sasuke's Susano'o wasn't even enough to break through it much to the Uchiha's surprise and rage.

As soon as the rune circles were about to touch, Naruto said to Sasuke, "I hope you enjoy your stay in hell, teme."

After his final statement, the circles finally touched and caused an explosion of incredible proportion that obliterated everyone and everything not within the Jinsei Tate Fuiin. The smoke from the explosion rose up and gained what appeared to be a mushroom shape in the air while the shockwave from the technique blew back everything. The protective seal held strong though, and after about fifteen minutes of waiting, it finally dispelled itself and revealed the aftermath of the explosion.

Uzu was once again destroyed, but there were no ruins at all this time. It was all gone and Naruto grew sorrowful at what his creations had done. With a heavy heart, he turned to the people who had faithfully followed him and whispered, "I'm sorry…" before he disappeared in a flash of yellow. The people of the once rebuilt Uzu would never see their Sandaime Uzukage again.

70 years later (Konoha Ruins)

A now 116 year old Naruto, though he only appeared to be 26, stared out towards the ruins of Konoha like he had done during his self-appointed exile from Uzu. He knew that the world did not need Jinchuriki any longer since they brought nothing but chaos and destruction to the world and he believed that he was to blame for the world's downfall.

He hadn't changed much during his exile. He mainly looked much more mature and battle-hardened due to defending the home of his deceased friends and other precious people. Upon returning to the destroyed village of Konoha, he spent a great deal of time making makeshift graves for each person he could positively remember from his time in the village; the main ones being the Konoha shinobi he grew up with, Tsunade, Shizune, the Ichiraku chefs, and Anko.

His attire had changed once again during his time in the village remains. He kept his Sennin coat, wore a long-sleeved black shirt with a armored shoulder plate on his left side, blood red cargo pants with Konoha's symbol stitched to the sides in gold lettering, black ANBU boots, and the headband of Uzu wrapped around his left bicep. The most notable change was the blonde's hair. He never once cut it and it grew into a style very much like that of the Uchiha Patriarch, Madara (1). When asked why by his tenant, Naruto responded, "So I'll never forget the man who started it all. He turned Obito who in turn made Sasuke who he was before his death." Kyuubi respected that answer, but was still slightly unnerved by the new look.

Over the years, he had increased his skills in Fuuton, Raiton, and Fuinjutsu to unmatched levels and also learned Medical Jutsu to the point of being able to heal moderate wounds such as a broken bone. The Uzumaki also trained Kyuubi and Gama Sennin Modes to the point of gaining a high form of empathy. It enabled him to feel the energies of millions and stretch his senses for miles upon miles. He felt their anger, their despair, their anguish, and their destruction all throughout his exile, yet he stayed away. He would not interfere with the world and its problems anymore due to a new sense of apathy for the world and its constant destruction. How could he ever hope to care for a world that would not even save itself from its own destruction? No, his time as 'peacekeeper' ended decades ago…

Still though, living in a time where it was nothing but war and violence didn't seem too appealing to the seemingly immortal Jinchuriki. So he had been preparing for his 'nap', as Kurama endearingly labeled. The 'nap' would be initiated by the now completed Gyakusetsu Fuiin being activated on Naruto. Since his aging was already slowed due to the Kyuubi, Naruto and the fox believed that the seal would slow it even further to the point of halting it altogether. This did not stop the fox from worrying about its container.

"Kit, are you sure about this?" the Kyuubi asked Naruto as the blonde readied the seal. The two were now currently under the ruined village in a cavern-like chamber that Naruto had filled with various seals. Having 100 years to study fuinjutsu had made him a Master unlike any other and it was his seals that brought the world's destruction.

'Yes Kurama, I am sure. I've had 70 years to think this over and my mind's made up. This time does not need us, so we will wait and sleep until a time where we are needed arises,' Naruto mentally answered his tenant.

The Kyuubi sighed at its container's decision. It knew that Naruto had given up on this time, but the fox did not think that the blonde would actually seal himself away. "Before you activate the seal, what are you going to have as the requirements to remove it?"

Naruto was silent as he thought it over. After what had seemed like hours, he finally made his decision. 'The requirements to remove this seal will be that the remover must be strong-willed, they must have a pure soul, and they must have the blood of this time flowing through them. Only with those requirements will one be able to remove the seal.' He then activated the seals surrounding the cavern with the Kyuubi's youki, an action that confused the fox. Naruto decided to elaborate. 'Those seals will allow you to see those who enter this place. You will be the one who judges them Kurama since you are the better of the both of us at sensing the worth in people. Once they have your approval, the seal will be able to be removed.'

"How will I know when someone has entered?"

'Their blood must touch any part of the cavern. If their blood has the essence of this time flowing through it, then the seals will activate. Once it does, you will be able to see if they are worthy. I'm counting on you for this, Kurama.'

The fox's gaze softened at its container. It was ironic that the being that caused Naruto so many problems in his life was the one being that he fully trusted. "You can count on me…Naruto."

Naruto smiled at the fox when he said his name. The Kyuubi only called him by name when he sympathized with Naruto and truly felt for him. He mentally held out his fist, which the fox bumped its own against, before stating, 'I know I can. I'll see you when I wake up.' Naruto then cut the mental connection before putting in the requirements for removal on the tag holding the Gyakusetsu Fuiin. After he finished, he placed the seal on his chest and whispered, "Fuiin (Seal)!"

Once the seal had activated, the runes slowly spread around Naruto's body, save for his head, and covered it in a white substance that wrapped around him in a cocoon of sorts and attached itself to the wall behind him.

Unknown to him, the spirits of the world began their own plan to save the world by creating a bridge between their world and the mortal world. The being would be the replacement peacekeeper of the Child of Prophecy and would be known as 'The Avatar'.

And years later, the era of Benders had begun along with many changes to the once shinobi-filled world.

4997 years later (3 years before ATLA canon)

People never forgot about the age of shinobi, which was now known as the "Age of Chaos", or of the fabled "Hero of the Flame". Naruto's story was held in high regard by all nations and there were many who believed that he was still out there, no matter how impossible the idea seemed. Over the years after Naruto's sealing, people with the natural ability to use the elements of Air, Water, Earth, and Fire came into fruition. These people were called Benders, due to making the elements bend to their will. Unfortunately, these new abilities brought new ways to separate and destroy the world.

The people of the Air, the Air Nomads, were once a peaceful race. They lived in large temples and traveled the world on their flying bison. They were the most spiritual of all the cultures and lived in harmony with nature. They also were fun-loving people and had a strong sense of humor. The AirBenders utilized their talent over the air by drawing it out in circular motions as well as using it to evade their opponents. This reluctance for offensive techniques was due to their passive nature. Unfortunately, the peaceful people were victims of genocide at the start of Sozin's Hundred Year War while the current Avatar had disappeared without a trace.

The people of the Water were a respectable people and were known as the Water Tribes. They strived to live in harmony with nature and with the other nations of the world while using their Bending for protection and healing purposes. There were two primary groups of Water Tribes, the Northern and the Southern with some smaller tribes spread out around the world. However, it was hard for the main tribes to keep contact with one another due to being on polar opposites of the world. The Northern Tribe inhabited the North Pole while the Southern Tribe inhabited the South Pole. Their already difficult contact practically ended with the start of the war by Fire Lord Sozin.

The people of the Earth were vast in number, which allowed them to form the Earth Kingdoms. Proud and strong, the Earth Kingdom citizens adhered to a philosophy of peaceful coexistence and cooperation with the other nations of the world and used their Bending as a mix of stable defense and rough offense. They were also an ethnically diverse country, with wide variance in customs between different provinces and tribes. Out of all the nations attacked during Sozin's Hundred Year War, the Earth Kingdom suffered no serious casualties and still currently thrived as a nation.

The people of Fire, the Fire Nations, were the second-largest nation of the world in terms of population and area; second to the Earth Kingdom. They were passionate and had strong wills, which was the first source of their Bending. However, most found that using their rage and anger was an easier alternative to using FireBending and many have forgotten the old teachings. The Fire Nation's economy is the most powerful in the world, with a strong industrial sector and extensive technological developments. It was also known for its large, powerful military. It was Fire Lord Sozin who started the Hundred Year War by using a comet that increased FireBending exponentially. With the genocide of the Air Nomads, the separation of the Water Tribes, and the slight fear instilled into the Earth Kingdom, Sozin's War was off to a good start for the current Fire Lord, Ozai.

It is also in the Fire Nation where the start of the end of the war begins.

Ember Island

On the island resort, we find the children of Fire Lord Ozai and their two friends currently on the shore of the island. The children were Prince Zuko and Princess Azula and their friends were Ty Lee and Mai. The children were sent to the island while their parental figures were busy with their governmental schedules and issues. While Ty Lee was overly excited, the others were not as excited or not excited at all.

Zuko was currently playing kuai ball (2) with some other people while the girls were talking amongst one another.

"This place is so great! I can't wait to just relax and do nothing all day!" gushed a happy Ty Lee.

"Calm down Ty Lee, it's not worth that much excitement. Besides, I'd much rather be back at home and participate in father's war meetings," Azula stated with a small huff. She may have been the younger of the two between Zuko and herself, but she was a prodigy at FireBending and it showed with her fire slowly becoming hotter and changing color. She was fascinated with her father's war meetings and desperately wished to take part in one in the future.

Mai sighed in boredom over the group's 'vacation'. "I just want this trip to be over with. I don't understand how you guys can like this troublesome place so much, especially you Ty Lee." (3)

Ty Lee pouted cutely at her friend. "Oh come on Mai! You can't seriously be telling me that you aren't the least bit excited?"

Mai gave her a blank look and replied, "I can and I will." She then turned her gaze to the happy people having fun on the beach and expressing themselves. Her bored look turned to one of small envy at their expressiveness as she was unable to fully express herself due to her father's reputation as a governor. True, if she behaved she got whatever she wanted, but money and gifts only bought happiness to a certain point before it didn't matter anymore. She sighed again before standing up and stating, "I'm gonna take a walk. I'll be back."

Her two friends watched her leave, one not caring and one slightly concerned. However, the two decided to drop it and just enjoy the beach.

Mai was walking along the shore and getting steadily further away from the beach crowd. She didn't have a set destination in mind; she just wanted to walk and clear her head. She walked along the rock face of the island's cliff side and just kept to her thoughts about home. She loved her parents, but they were so controlling over her life and demanded her to act like a doll; unable to change expression from what she was manufactured to be. She was brought out of her thoughts by a small gust of wind passing by her and entering a cavern next to her.

She stared into the dark cave and felt a small sense of foreboding from it. It was strange to her, yet the foreboding also came with a sense of the cave calling out to her. Curiosity getting the better of her, she began to walk into the cavern. It was hard to see, so she kept her hand along the inner walls of the cave to help guide her. Unfortunately, some parts of the wall had sharper rocks and one of them cut into her palm, resulting in a few drops hitting the ground.

As soon as the blood touched the cavern floor, a being once thought lost to the world woke up and used its power to activate the seals inside of the cave. Mai was surprised to see the walls covered in red runes that allowed her to see the inside. She noticed that she had slowly entered a circular opening within the cave and she gazed at a white object stuck to the wall on the other side of the opening.

Inside of the object's seal, a certain fox observed the young teen through the seals surrounding the cavern walls. Using its ability of empathy, the fox saw that this girl craved to express herself but was also innocent and that her soul was pure.

The fox then focused on the blood that hit the ground and was shocked to see how thickly the essence of the old world flowed through the drops.

'Interesting… This girl meets the requirements and has the most essence of the old world that I have ever encountered over the years. Perhaps she truly is the one to remove the seal...' The fox then pushed its energy through the cavern seals and spoke to the confused teen. "Welcome child… Tell me, do you know what this place holds?"

Mai was shocked to hear a voice speak throughout the cave and searched for the source. She then heard the same voice give a small chuckle and grew irritated. "What exactly is so funny?"

"The fact that you are trying to locate me, when my location is far beyond your understanding, is amusing. Step closer to the object stuck to the wall, child, and see exactly where I am."

While skeptical, Mai slowly approached the object to see that it was a person wrapped in a white cocoon of sorts with a piece of paper where she assumed the person's chest would be. The paper had a strange design and was pulsing with a red glow every few seconds.

Since the person's head was bent down, she bent over to get a better look at their face. She discovered that it was a man with naturally tanned skin, whisker-like markings on his cheeks, hair as gold as the sun, and a calm expression on his sleeping face. "Meet my container, child. This is the man once praised as the 'Hero of the Flame', Naruto Uzumaki."

Her eyes widened in recognition at the name. It was taught in ancient history at her school that the 'Hero of the Flame' was a man who helped end a major war and was once the 'peacekeeper' of the world. However, the constant disputes between the nations at the time forced the Hero to stop his foolish duty and leave the world. It was unknown where he went or what had happened to him, but now she had supposedly found him.

"Is there proof that he is who you claim?"

Instead of hearing the voice answer her, she noticed another rune appear where she assumed the man's naval would be. From the glowing rune, a spectral head of a red fox appeared and gazed into the girl's amber eyes with its blood red ones. "The proof you ask for is me; the Kyuubi no Kitsune. I have resided inside of this man ever since his birth over 5000 years ago. That tag you see on his chest is actually what is known as a seal from our time that he perfected. The seal has placed him in the state you see him in now and can only be removed by one who meets the requirements; and that person is you."

"Me? What have I done to prove I could remove that seal?" she asked in surprise.

"Naruto set up three requirements to removing the seal: the remover must have a strong will, they must have a pure soul, and they must have the essence of his time flowing through their blood. You meet those requirements because you were courageous enough to enter this place, your soul is pure from the world's taint, and you have the highest levels of the old world's essence in your blood that I've ever witnessed. You are the one who could finally remove the seal and awaken a man who has been hidden away from the world for about 5000 years."

Mai was shocked at the influence she had on the future of the world. If she released the Hero, would he put the world first and go against the Fire Nation, or would years of seeing the world constantly destroy itself make him not care about the outcome? She was slightly afraid, yet also curious at the same time.

In the end, curiosity won over fear and she slowly reached for the seal and grasped the top right corner of it. As soon as she came into contact with it, she felt a small jolt of electricity course through her and a gust of wind rush past her.

"The seal has deemed you worthy. Now please, remove it so that my container and I may finally see the world once again."

Mai was surprised to hear the spectral fox actually plead to her, but she nodded before taking a deep breath and removing the seal. As soon as she did, the cavern was engulfed in a bright light that forced her to close her eyes. She kept them closed until she felt it was safe to see what happened.

When the light died down, Mai was left gaping in shock at what she saw.

(End)

1~ Can someone please draw this Naruto for me?

2~ Kuai Ball was the game the Fire Nation teens played in the episode "Ember Island". It's like volleyball, but the players use their feet instead of their hands.

3~ Can you guess who Mai descended from?

And that was chapter one! I'm so evil with my cliffhanger, aren't I?! *evil laughter*

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me! Now please: Review! Review! Review!

As for updating times, I will try to have a new chapter up alternatively with "Bloody Guardian". Basically, one weekend is "Bloody Guardian", the next is this. Please be sure to be on the lookout for them then! Next week will be a "Bloody Guardian" update!

Current ages:

Naruto: (physical) 26; (actual) 5113

Fire Nation Girls: 14

Zuko: 15

Aang: (physical) 12; (actual) 109

Next Time: Meetings and Tests! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification