342Chapter 4: Home
"All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near."
-Sun Tzu. The Art of War
Naruto loved his home, he loved his country and its citizens without question, but as surely as these words are true he also knew that corruption ran deep into the heart of the Fire Nation. His time living in the royal palace, learning from the once great General Iroh and the now Fire Lord Ozai, taught him such truths early on in his life. His country, the nation Fire Lord Sozin helped make prosper in his youth, was slowly being torn down by the very war they were waging. The problem itself lay at the feat of Fire Lord Ozai himself, for even as a child Naruto could see the cruelty in the man's eyes and felt the greed of his flames the first day they met. At least with Fire Lord Sozin, the one who started the war, he sought to spread the Fire Nation's higher standard of living across the world and unite everyone under a single banner. He would silence those that stood against him, but not just outright obliterate them like Ozai and his father were famous for doing.
It's why Naruto resolved to do everything in his power to end the war as quickly as possible, even if that ending meant the Earth Kingdom being ruled over by the Fire Nation. This war needed to end and people would suffer for as long as it did, with those of the Fire Nation being no different. Perhaps that's why Naruto felt the need to get back to the capital as quickly as humanly possible. He knew that the sooner he had his new orders then the sooner he would be back out there ending the war.
"Master," Shui announced herself before approaching, watching Naruto as he sat at the front of the Fire Nation battleship with a book of all things, a tray in her hand with a pot of freshly brewed tea and a single empty cup.
Naruto didn't respond with words so much as he simply waved Shui over without taking his eyes off his book, only briefly glancing up when Shui knelt down in front of him and began pouring his cup. Shui's long white hair was in a more intricate braid today, more so than usual at any rate, and her normal robes were now adorned with small white pinstripe flames. Naruto felt his heart beat just a bit faster when Shui leaned forward, her robes shifting to reveal a bit more of her chest, but steeled himself by forcing his gaze back to the words printed before him; the book had now lost his interest.
"Thank you, Shui," Naruto's tone was soft now, more personal, and whispered so that no one else could hear them over the crashing of the ocean against the ship.
The small smile that graced Shui's lips, so far from the empty mask she had to wear around others, was one of the small wonders of the world that only Naruto himself was privy to. Shui was a servant to others, seen as little more than property in the eyes of the Fire Nation, and she could live with that fact of life. It was a burden she would always be willing to bear, for the joy she found in Naruto's presence made it lighter than a feather.
"Of course, master," Shui bowed from her already kneeling position, her forehead almost touching the steel deck of the ship, before standing up to go about her other duties; yet she at least graced Naruto with one more smile.
With a resigned sigh, Naruto closed his book and downed his tea in a single gulp. His mind drifted to the past, of more innocent times, when he first met Shui. While he longed to go back to those days, when he hadn't a care in the world, he remembered Iroh's words about clinging onto the past.
"Always remember this, my student. It is wise to remember the past, where you come from, but do not allow yourself to live in the past. Recognize that you must always move forward in life; life a river must always flow down and never up," to be fair, Naruto was still rather young at the time and had no idea what in Agni's name the old man was talking about, but now he was starting to.
Shaking his head to clear away such thought, Naruto stood up to look out over the front of the ship and what awaited him was a sight to behold. The royal plaza was a place where mass gatherings could be held for inspiring rallies given by the elites of the Fire Nation, often to the average citizen that lived within the capital and surrounding areas. It also serves the purpose of representing the Fire Nation's power, with the many battlements and numerous weapons that lined the stone structure, while being the first line of defense for the capital. Naruto simply admired it because of its strategic location among the cliffs that make it impossible for an enemy force to avoid without going many miles out of their way.
Yet his ship's destination wasn't the royal plaza itself but the large stone docks located just a quarter mile to the right of it, in which several other warships could be seen unloading and reloading supplies for the war effort. The skull masked Fire Nation soldiers, usually firemenders themselves if they were wearing that specific armor configuration, patrolled the docks in groups of six, to both keep the peace and be a first response unit for any sudden attacks. Lining the watch towers was a smaller ballista than those lining the plaza, able to be operated by a single person instead of two or three at the least, and at least three archers at any one time. Now these archers were nothing like the ones under Naruto's command, not counting that they wore normal Fire Nation light armor when compared to the nonexistent armor worn by his Yuyan Archers, because their training was nowhere near as intense.
"General Uzumaki," the Captain of this ship approached and bowed respectfully, "We should be able to dock in the next few minutes. I've had some of my men gather your belongings and they await you down below."
Turning, Naruto faced the captain and nodded, "Thank you, Captain, I wish you and your men good fortune in any battles yet to come."
The Captain bowed once more before turning to go about the rest of his duties until they could come into port, completely unaware of the ten passengers that had not officially accompanied Naruto back to the capital. With a single hand gesture, one of the shadows on the main control tower shifted before completely falling away and landing in front of Naruto. It was one of his archers, more notably it was their leader, who knelt down on one knee with his head bowed and fist over his heart. His one notable feature was the long scar that extended from the corner of his mouth and stretched up to his right ear.
"Remain hidden until night falls and then meet me at my chambers in the royal palace. I have a feeling we won't be home for long," Naruto ordered without even turning around to look at his archer, while also receiving no response that his orders were understood even though he knew they would be followed to the letter.
Once the ship was docked, Naruto and his two servants were escorted down the ramp by his guard of Imperial Firebenders and towards an elegantly designed palanquin that had been sent to collect him. Naruto climbed into the palanquin with little hesitation, sitting down on the red pillow with his legs crossed and a neutral expression, while Shui and Shi trailed closely behind and the Imperial Firebenders formed a protective barrier around them all. Citizens knew to move out of the way whenever a palanquin came by surrounded by the crimson armored soldiers, but their curious gazes couldn't help but notice the striking young man they were escorting to what appeared to be the royal palace. They'd never seen anyone like him before and naturally whispers began to spread about the young man in white that held the sun atop his head like a crown.
Closer and closer they came to the royal palace, the small army of soldiers protecting it seemed to let them pass with little trouble, and before long the palanquin was being lowered just outside the main entrance. Nobles and servants alike wandered the grounds, going about whatever business they had while paying little attention to the newcomer; Naruto was relieved by their inability to see past their own interests. Shui and Shi greeted Naruto as he stepped back onto solid ground, his legs feeling just a bit stiff from the journey, and fell into step behind him as he approached the massive steel doors.
Words could not describe how gaudy he found the royal palace; it made his eyes hurt just looking at the needlessly fancy architecture. The entrance to the throne room was equally as grand, but maybe he was just biased because he grew up among the Fire Sages. Yet it would appear he really was expected, because the doors to the throne room opened without even the slightest hint of his presence being announced.
It was tradition for the Fire Lord to greet all of his subjects from behind the veil of fire that encircled his throne, projecting an image of all consuming importance and metaphorically separating him from the common man. Ozai used this tradition to great effect during his time as Fire Lord, making those that served him bow down to his will just by exerting control over the fire in front of him and raising its ethnicity whenever he wanted to get his point across. Now, for some strange reason, the fire veiling the throne was put out and the Fire Lord himself stood on the same ground as Naruto; his hands clasped behind his back.
Despite having spent years already sitting on the throne, attending to the never ending politics of the homeland while maintaining the war in the Earth Kingdom, Ozai was still as physically fit as ever and didn't have a single grey hair atop his head.
"My lord," Naruto said, lowering himself to both knees and bowing to the leader of his homeland, his forehead touching the ground as tradition dictated.
"Rise," Ozai commanded, gesturing with his hand for the young General to stand, "I'm pleased with how well you've handled yourself over the last six months, especially in regards to that incompetent General that once commanded your forces. Although, I fear, many loyal to him and his ways will not be as happy as I,"
Ozai's face was held in an expression Naruto had never seen on a man; it could easily be mistaken for satisfaction but with hints of both amusement and viciousness, "My loyalty is to the Fire Nation and the Fire Lord. I strive only to make my nation prosper. The opinions of others, especially those that disrupt that goal, don't mean much to me."
The smile leaves Ozai's face for just the briefest of moments, his eyes scanning Naruto's for some hidden truth, before it returns and the older man motions for Naruto to follow him, "Indeed, I wish all those that served me did so with such single minded desire for our country's benefit. Unfortunately, there are those that only wish to serve themselves above all others. Those that would abandon their loyalty to me and the Fire Nation."
"Has something happened?" Naruto inquired as they moved from the throne room, passing through a hidden exit into one of the adjacent hallways, and towards one of the more deserted sections of the royal palace.
"The Avatar has returned," Ozai said with an edge to his tone, no longer showing any form of amusement, "And has already struck a blow against the Fire Nation."
Now, while it was no surprise to Naruto that the Avatar had returned, he hadn't expected the legendary bending master to have already attacked. If the legends were to be believed then the Avatar was a force of nature in their own right, especially if they were anything like Avatar Roku in skill.
"How many soldiers were lost?"
"It wasn't soldiers that the Avatar killed, but the members of the Fire Sages that resided on Crescent Island. An Admiral by the name of Zhao had been following the Avatar since he entered Fire Nation territory and came upon the destroyed remains of the temple that had once been on the island. His reports also claim that the dormant volcano had been awakened, supposedly by the Avatar, and now the island is uninhabitable," Ozai pretended not to notice the way Naruto's hand clenched into a fist.
"What would you have me do, my lord?" Naruto's voice was calm, too calm, as if a shift had taken place inside his mind that no one could even begin to comprehend.
"It's not what I would have you do," Ozai said with a shake of his head, "It's what I'm offering you the chance to do. My son, the former prince, has spent the last few years searching for the Avatar without any progress and thus we were unprepared for this attack. I'd be willing to give the task to you, to hunt the Avatar and avenge those who helped raise you, if you asked."
"The progress of the war can't be stopped and my soldiers are directionless without a General. I thank you for the opportunity, but the prosperity of the Fire Nation comes before my own need for justice...or vengeance," Naruto bowed deeply, his eyes burning a hole into the ground as all the nearby sources of fire turned an almost blinding white.
Ozai did something no one would have expected, or at least none that knew him on a more personal level. He reached out and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, making the blonde stand upright and look him right in the eye, a mask of kindness firmly in place to hide the cruel glee he truly felt at the moment. Naruto saw through it right away but chose not to say anything, he was smart enough to know when to talk and when to hold his tongue.
"Some of our other camps have also sent in reports on the Avatar. Reports stating that he is currently traveling to the Northern Water Tribe and will pass into your area within the month. You may do with this information as you wish."
Naruto wasn't a fool, something was out of place.
"Thank you, my lord."
"Also, I'll be holding a meeting tomorrow with a few special individuals concerning our progress in the Earth Kingdom and beyond. I expect you to be there. I'll send one of the servants to collect you when it is time."
Night had fallen over the capital city of the Fire Nation and Naruto found himself standing out on the balcony extending from his room, dressed in only a loose pair of dark crimson robes and with his hair out of its traditional Fire Nation style. His mind had been plagued with what Ozai told him, about the Avatar destroying a place that had been sacred to the Fire Sages long before they began to follow them. If the reports were accurate then the current Avatar was an Air Nomad, still relatively young even if it did seem improbable, and thus Naruto could understand why he'd seek revenge against the Fire Nation. After all, when he was young, Iroh had shown him the dragon bone catacombs and the secrets buried there by Fire Lord Sozin. Still, to kill old men in such a way was very unusual for an Air Nomad and it almost didn't make sense.
There was movement above Naruto and a figure dropped down from the roof above, followed by nine others, who dropped to one knee and bowed to the General. Shui was standing in the doorway leading out to the balcony, his ever present bodyguard that no one expected to be able to defend him, and only left when she saw it was her master's archers. Any other assassin would have had their own blood turned against them before, at Naruto's will, being forced to watch as said blood was pulled from their eyes, mouth, nose, and even their bouth. It was a painful way to go.
"Find out everything you can about an Admiral Zhao and his last reports concerning Crescent Island. I want no stone left unturned, but don't allow yourselves to be discovered and make sure no one even suspects what your doing," Naruto's orders were absolute to the archers, their leader bowing deep before they all stood up and rushed past their General, jumping off the balcony and vanishing into the night.
He couldn't focus like this, his mind was clouded, his body tense, and he could feel his temper just seconds away from exploding. Naruto wanted to scream and rage, let out a roar of fire that would blow the roof of the palace itself, but at every instance he would fight it back down. It wouldn't serve a purpose, it was too destructive to be put to any good use, and thus he would just have to wait it out.
'Perhaps some sleep would help me?' Naruto thought, closing his eyes and decided that would be for the best, and then turned around to walk back into his room.
Naruto's blue eyes scanned around his room as he reentered it, washing over the cluttered desk filled with reports, the luxurious bed that he should probably use more often, and the various other decorations that showed he held a higher station in life than most people. Standing beside his bed, waiting patiently, was Shui. Naruto's mind went back to their moment on the ship, when his gaze caught something it shouldn't have and yet Shui just smiled at him all the same.
"Master?" Shui's voice knocked him out of his daydream and let him see the concern in her eyes.
"I'm fine, it's just been a long day, don't worry about it," Naruto tried to wave off her concerns, she was too nice to him sometimes, as he laid down upon his bed and rested his arms behind his head; his mind was still swallowed by what Ozai told him...damn.
"I can...help you relax, Master," there was hesitation in her voice, or perhaps it was uncertainty as to what lines she was allowed to cross, but all the same Naruto understood what she meant and sat up immediately.
"I'd never order you to do such a thing, you know that right?" Naruto remembered where he had found Shui, the condition she'd been in and the type of people that held her leash; it disgusted him then and it disgusted him now.
Shui didn't answer with words but with action, slowly climbing onto his bed and placing her hands on his chest. The slightly blush that dusted her cheeks drew Naruto's gaze the most, reminding him that she was still innocent to intimate things, and thus didn't resist when she gently pushed him back down. Any other member of the Fire Nation wouldn't have allowed a Water Tribe slave to do such things, especially a waterbender.
"You've given me so much, been kinder to me than anyone would have, now please let me help you. Seeing you so angry, I can feel it in your very presence, and it hurt," Shui whispered as she leaned in close to Naruto's face, their lips not even an inch apart now, and her long white hair blocking them both from the outside world.
"I…"
Naruto didn't get much further before he felt soft lips against his own, gentle and relaxing. For a moment, just a small moment, Naruto forgot everything Ozai told him.
The two of them wouldn't go any further than just a kiss, it wasn't safe to do so in the heart of the Fire Nation, but Naruto would hold Shui close for the rest of the night. He'd never slept so peacefully before.
Of the people assembled in the Fire Lord's secret war room, for those meetings that could not afford a spy of any sort overhearing anything important, Naruto only knew two people personally. The first was Fire Lord Ozai himself, sitting at the head of the table in which a map of the Earth Kingdom was carved upon, as imposing and controlling as ever. The second person, seated as Ozai's left hand and with a rather condescending smirk, was the royal princess, better known as Azula.
Despite only being fourteen years old, a few years younger than Naruto himself, Azula had the body of a young woman. Her long black hair was held up in a traditional Fire Nation bun, aside from two bangs framing her face, while her sharp gold eyes looked down on everyone as if they were beneath her. Naruto learned, over his time growing up in the palace and learning from both Ozai and Iroh, that Azula's personality left much to be desired when it came to dealing with others. Her social skills were almost nonexistent, she was quick to anger when things didn't go her way, and she honestly tried to act like her father far too much to be considered healthy by any means. Still, one must work with the tools presented to them.
"General Uzumaki," Ozai greeted in a tone that was all professional, leaving no doubt that this was an important meeting.
"My Lord," Naruto took a few steps forward and bowed, moving to take an open seat next to an older looking man that looked more like a thinker than a fighter.
"No," Ozai spoke up, catching everyone's attention as he motioned to the cushion on his right, a seat normally reserved for the crown prince, "Today you will be my right hand."
It was well out of the norm, breaking tradition that had been in place since long before the reign of Fire Lord Sozin, but one did not argue tradition with a man such as Ozai. Naruto moved around the table once more, passing by a few of his fellow Generals that he only knew by reputation, before ascending the few steps that led up to Ozai's elevated position. He bowed once more, as was expected, before taking his new seat without a word. Azula's smirk widened ever so slightly, going from condescending to downright predatory, and out the corner of his eyes, Naruto could see Ozai's lip twitch just a bit in satisfaction.
Ah, now Naruto understood. This was to show he was in the Fire Lord's favor, even over his own banished son, and make it clear to those in the room that his opinion carried weight.
"War Minister Qin, you may begin," once again, Ozai's words left no room for argument and the War Minister knew it; he immediately jumped to his feet.
"Thank you, my lord," Qin began, reaching for a pointing stick placed in front of him, "As we are all aware, the last Earth Kingdom stronghold of Ba Sing Se had withstood attack after attack for the last one-hundred years of the war. Only in recent years have we managed to break through the outermost wall, only to have the General in charge leave and doom the greatest success we've ever achieved on that front. After studying those reports, I've determined that they used several blasting compounds along the base of the wall to bring just a small section of it down; placed there in the dead of night as to not be noticed. It's for this reason I believe that same section of the wall is still weak even after being repaired."
Naruto suppressed a twitch as the subtle insult to Iroh, who had lost his son at that time and returned home to grieve, this was a man he did not like in the slightest.
"I believe this very section would be most suitable for Operation Crumbling Wall to begin and be most effective. The soil at the foundation is still loose and reports claim the earthbenders that repaired this section of the wall were rushed due to being under constant attack by remaining Fire Nation soldiers," Qin continued, pointing to each section he was talking about and moving little model Fire Nation flags as if directing a board game.
"What is Operation Crumbling Wall?" Naruto asked, having never heard of such an operation and thus couldn't form a proper opinion on what he was hearing.
One of the other Generals in the room spoke up, "Operation Crumbling Wall revolves around a device being supervised and created by War Minister Qin; a massive drill designed to bore through the supposedly impenetrable wall of Ba Sing Se and allow a way for our troops to enter into the first ring. From what our spies have told us, the outermost ring is used for farming and is the largest by far, meaning that if we take it then it would only be a matter of time before the city itself falls."
"A massive...drill?" that was...the stupidest thing he'd ever heard!
"I take it you disagree with War Minister Qin's plan?" Ozai inquired, skillfully hiding the amusement in his voice but not so much in his eyes; bringing Naruto into this meeting was proving to be an amusing choice on his part.
"The plan presented presents too much risk for so little reward. We already know that the outer walls can be taken down with carefully placed explosions and did so without leaving behind any of our more advanced technology for the Earth Kingdom to study. Now, while our tanks and other such things may have been reverse engineered over time, if this drill is to fail then who knows what they could create from it," Naruto explained, watching on as Qin's brow began to twitch rapidly and his face contorted with annoyance.
"Operation Crumbling Wall has been in the works since the former General Iroh failed to properly take advantage of the very opening he created. It. Will. Not. Fail!" Qin bit out the last few words, but Naruto's gaze upon him was like a sobering bucket of cold water being dumped on his head.
"No battle plan can anticipate all contingencies. There are always unexpected factors including those stemming from the opponent's initiative. A battle must thus become a balance between plan and improvisation, between error and correction," Naruto began, unaware of the way Ozai now smiled and Azula suppressed a shiver at Naruto's now chilling tone, "You've placed too much faith in your machine."
"Then how would you bring down the walls?" asked the General from before, curious as to what the young General had in mind.
"In my recent taking of the city Durjayan I employed agents to sneak into the city while the main army drew out the soldiers. I propose that we employ a similar strategy. It's a well known fact that refugees are constantly being allowed into Ba Sing Se, so it would not be hard to get our own agents inside…" Naruto continued on for quite some time after that, explaining the lengths and depths of a plan he was coming up with on the spot while also leaving room for some refinement; he even managed to include the massive waste of money that was Qin's drill.
Ozai loved listening to him work, like a father watching his son take his first steps. Or more accurately, an oppressive dictator watching a finely crafted weapon cleave its way through all obstacles with brutal efficiency.
