The Last Woodbender

Hello, Drinor here. I'm happy to publish a new Chapter of The Last Woodbender.

If you want to Read 9 Chapters Right Now. Write 'Patreon Drinor' in Google and click the First Link

Chapter 46 (A Knife in the Darkness), Chapter 47 (Innocence is Dead), Chapter 48 (Breaking Apart), Chapter 49 (The Princess, The Woodbender, and The Void), Chapter 50 (Aang Alone), Chapter 51 (Half Blind, Full Hearted), Chapter 52 (The Last Boy Avatar), Chapter 53 (Underground Heroes), and Chapter 54 (Kill the Boy) are already available for Patrons.

"How long will this take?" Naruto asked as they all walked into Jet's office. It had taken hours for them to rest, and they all thought they would be ready to start their counterattack, but twenty minutes ago, 'Frog-Boy' informed them that Jet and their group needed more time and their attack needed to be postponed.

"Naruto, Aang. I understand we are on a time clock, but the people you see here right now. They are not all that are part of this revolution. There are more out there around Ba Sing Se, and forgive me for not preparing them earlier for your arrival since I had no idea that you would come here." Jet said with his usual sass, and Naruto groaned, but he could understand where he was coming from; they found out this place existed about ten hours ago.

Aang stepped forward with a determined look in his eyes. Naruto couldn't help but feel that Aang seemed different somehow. He didn't know what had happened to him, but he knew there was something new with him. Perhaps their Avatar had finally decided to step up and do what needed to be done for the future of this world. Naruto didn't know, and only time would tell.

"Jet, I understand that not all your troops are ready, but as Naruto said, the day of the Black Sun won't wait for us, so we will give you one whole day to communicate with your troops; we will wait that much, but once that one day passes. My friends and I will attack the castle with or without you." Jet looked surprised to hear such a tone from the Avatar, and even his friends were, but Katara was the one who was caught the most off guard.

Naruto smiled triumphantly, but as he looked down at Aang, he turned into two, then four, then eight Aangs'.

Naruto swallowed thickly as he squinted his eyes. The shapes had all disappeared; it was getting too blurry. He looked around, his hand right in front of him, but it started disappearing. It was no longer a hand, just a mash of blurs that he couldn't make out.

No, no, no, no, not yet. I'm not ready, Naruto thought in panic. Feeling the sweat rolling down his face, he clenched his teeth as he squinted his eyes even more. A lump formed in his throat. He didn't know where he was, and he felt like falling, but he reached around, grabbing a chair and using it as support.

After one minute, the shapes slowly returned, and he was no longer seeing in double anymore. He stopped using the chair as support. He could stand on his legs once again.

Naruto rubbed his eyes with his forearm and focused back on the conversation his friends were having, but he didn't notice Toph's worried look.

"So it's settled then, Avatar Aang. You return after twenty four hours. I promise you, the entire might of the Revolution will be there, and together." Jet extended his hand towards Aang, and the Avatar shook his hand in agreement. "Together we will make sure Ba Sing Se will forever be safe."

Naruto thought his choice of words at the end was a little strange, but he decided to ignore him as they walked out of his office, using the secret tunnels. Soon, they were outside of the Undertown.

"Ahhh!! I feel like I'm going blind!!" Sokka complained as they walked out, the bright sun above them. Walking outside felt strange after spending so many hours below ground without sunlight.

Naruto felt his eyes water and quickly looked away; his eyes burned like hot coal.

"Naruto, are you okay?" Toph asked with a hushed tone, looking worried.

Yes, I am, Naruto wanted to say as usual, but the words didn't come out of his mouth. Instead, he said something else. "We will talk later," he said dismissively.

Toph looked saddened but still accepted his answer... for now.

"Shut up, Sokka," Katara said with a shake of her head before turning to face Aang. "What should we do now?"

"You four can do whatever you want, I will go and find Iroh and Zuko. I need to talk with them about my firebending training." Aang said with a final tone. The four of them didn't even have time to say anything as he opened his staff and took to the skies.

"Does Aang seem different to you all?" Katara asked the moment he was out of earshot. She looked at the others, and she appeared concerned.

"By different, you mean he sounds more grown up, then yeah. I think we all have noticed it," Sokka said sarcastically as he put down his backpack and opened it. From inside, he pulled out a notebook.

"I agree with Sokka on this one. Aang is just changing, it is expected. This war needs someone who is more serious, someone who is more willing to do what needs to be done." Naruto said, and from his tone and words, he clearly supported this change.

"I'm not sure." Katara started with a hushed tone, sounding worried, and the others looked at her strangely.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Aang is Aang. He's innocent, playful, and sees the good in everyone. That's who Aang is," Katara explained as she rubbed her shoulder with her hand, looked down at her feet, and looked worried.

"Katara." Sokka approached her with a comforting voice. "We all have changed, you know that. Aang will change too. You need to accept that." Sokka said, giving her a side hug.

Katara didn't seem like she wanted to accept this as she looked up at Naruto. "What will happen to us if Aang becomes like...becomes like..." "Like me?" Naruto finished for her, sounding a little hurt and bitter about it.

"No. I didn't mean to say that." Katara quickly defended herself, looking apologetic, but Naruto wasn't in the mood to hear that.

"Katara, don't worry. I understand where you are coming from. You like Aang how he is right now, and you are scared that this small change might lead to bigger changes in the future, to the point that you cannot even recognize him by the time everything is said and done." Naruto said with a sympathetic look, but that look quickly changed into one of anger. "But if he does change, then you need to accept that. You cannot force people to stay the same their entire lives. Katara, this war has already changed us and will continue for many months, if not years. You need to be prepared for the future, and you need to be there for Aang." Naruto said his piece and was ready to leave with Toph.

Since they had one free day, he wouldn't mind spending it with Toph. Perhaps this could be a date of some sort. It didn't sound bad.

"Naruto, I understand. But I'm worried that Aang might lose himself."

"We all might lose ourselves, Katara. It's part of this cursed world we live in. But at the end of the day. We should do what we must for the future of everyone else." Naruto said sympathetically before grabbing Toph's hand, ready to go somewhere with her.

"Alright. I will go to the Blacksmith. I need better weapons," Sokka said with a wave before walking away, leaving Katara alone. Naruto and Toph were already walking away from her.

Later

The evening sun cast long shadows across Ba Sing Se's Middle Ring as Naruto fidgeted, squinting at his reflection in a shop window. His vision swam slightly, the edges darkening before clearing again. He'd tried his best to dress nicely for tonight. His unruly blonde hair, unusual among the Kyoshi Islanders who had raised him, caught the dying sunlight as he turned away from his reflection.

"You're late, plantboy," came a familiar voice, followed by the sound of stone shifting beneath feet. Toph Bei Fong stood at the corner, arms crossed, a smirk playing on her lips. Her usual earth-bending attire had been swapped for a more casual green tunic, though her feet remained blissfully bare against the stone street.

"Sorry!" Naruto called out, jogging over to her. "I was making sure everything was perfect, ya know?" He held up an intricately woven basket that he'd been carrying. Small vines of his own creation decorated its handle, tiny flowers blooming along them. "Got a surprise for later!"

Toph's unseeing eyes crinkled with amusement. "Your heart's racing like a hog-monkey after moon peaches. Nervous about something?"

"Me? Never!" Naruto proclaimed, though his voice cracked slightly on the last word, making Toph snort with laughter. "Besides, you should talk – I can hear your stomach growling from here!"

"Then you better have something good in that basket, because if I have to eat more of that fancy Upper Ring garbage, I'm going to earthbend you into next week." She punched his arm affectionately, her strength making him stumble slightly. "Just because you can grow vegetables doesn't mean you can cook them."

Naruto blinked rapidly as his vision blurred again, but he recovered quickly. "Hey, I'll have you know the Kyoshi Warriors are excellent cooks! We have to be self-sufficient on the island." He reached out and took her hand, his calloused fingers intertwining with hers. "But first... there's this street festival I heard about in the shopping district."

"Lead the way, plantboy." Toph's grip tightened on his hand, and Naruto couldn't help but notice how perfectly their fingers fit together.

The shopping district was alive with lanterns and the buzz of evening crowds. Vendors called out their wares, the smell of street food mingling with the sweet scent of blooming night flowers. With a subtle gesture, Naruto made a small vine grow and curl around Toph's wrist like a bracelet, its tiny flowers giving off a gentle, sweet scent.

"Show-off," Toph said, but her fingers traced the vine with surprising gentleness. "You know, most guys just buy jewelry."

"Yeah, but mine's better," Naruto grinned. "It's alive, just like—" His vision swam dramatically, the lanterns blurring into streaks of light. He stumbled slightly but caught himself.

"Like what?" Toph asked, then frowned. "Your heartbeat just went weird. What's up?"

"Nothing! Just got excited about the festival," Naruto deflected quickly. "Oh man, check this out!" He pulled them to a stop in front of a game stall. "It's that thing where you have to catch the fish with the paper net!"

Toph raised an eyebrow. "You do realize I can't see the fish, right?"

"Yeah, but that's what makes it perfect!" Naruto bounced on his toes excitedly. "I'll be your eyes, and you be the hands. We'll work together!"

"This sounds like a disaster waiting to happen," Toph said, but she was already rolling up her sleeves with a competitive glint in her milky eyes.

What followed was possibly the most chaotic goldfish-catching attempt in Ba Sing Se history. Naruto tried to guide Toph's hands, but between his occasionally swimming vision and her enthusiastic swooping motions, they managed to soak themselves, the vendor, and three innocent bystanders before finally catching a single fish.

"The look on that guy's face!" Toph wheezed as they walked away, their prize fish swimming in a small bag. "His heartbeat was going crazy!"

"I think he was about to ban us for life," Naruto chuckled, then stumbled slightly as his peripheral vision darkened. He played it off as tripping over a loose stone, but Toph's expression shifted slightly.

"Okay, plantboy, spill it," she demanded, coming to a stop. "What's really going on? And don't try to lie – I'll know."

Naruto sighed, knowing he was caught. "My eyes... they've been getting worse. Sometimes everything gets blurry, or dark around the edges. I guess killing that dark spirit really messed me up and with everything that's been happening..."

"And you didn't tell anyone because...?"

"Because I didn't want to be a burden!" The words burst out of him. "Everyone's counting on us tomorrow, and I can't be the weak link just because my stupid eyes won't work right! I mean, I can still fight, I can still grow plants, but..."

Toph was quiet for a moment, then she started laughing. Not her usual mocking laugh, but something softer, more genuine.

"You're such an idiot," she said fondly. "You do realize you're talking to a blind girl, right? Being able to see isn't what makes you strong."

"But—"

"No buts! Listen up, plantboy, because I'm only going to say this once." She grabbed his collar, pulling him closer. "You're one of the strongest people I know, and that has nothing to do with your eyes. It's because you never give up, even when things are tough. It's because you care so much about protecting people that you'd risk everything for them. That's what matters."

Naruto's throat felt tight. "Toph..."

"Besides," she continued, a mischievous grin spreading across her face, "now you know what it's like to be me. Pretty awesome, right?"

He couldn't help but laugh, and with a gesture, he made small flowers bloom in her hair. "Yeah, it kind of is."

"Come on," he said after a moment, tugging her hand. "I still owe you dinner, and I've got the perfect spot picked out."

He led them to a small garden typically used for meditation, now empty and lit by paper lanterns that cast a warm glow over the carefully tended plants and small pond. Setting down his basket, he began pulling out items: a portable cooking station, ingredients, and cooking tools.

"Are you seriously going to cook right here?" Toph asked, amused.

"You bet! I promised you something special, didn't I?" Naruto began setting up, though he had to lean in close to read the labels on his ingredients. "It's a Kyoshi Island specialty – we call it Dragon's Breath Noodles. Not because they're spicy, but because of how the steam rises when you cook them."

As he worked, he narrated each step to Toph, who sat cross-legged nearby, occasionally sending small tremors through the ground to "see" what he was doing. With his plant-bending abilities, he added fresh herbs that he grew right there, their aromatic oils filling the air. The sauce sizzled, vegetables crashed into the pan with perhaps more force than necessary (earning a laugh from Toph), and soon the garden was filled with mouth-watering aromas.

"It's all about balance," Naruto explained as he served two portions. "Sweet, salty, crunchy, soft – just like how the Kyoshi Warriors taught me. Plus, I grew some special mushrooms that only grow on the island."

Toph took a bite and her eyebrows shot up. "Holy badgermoles, plantboy! This is actually good!"

"Don't sound so surprised!" Naruto protested, but he was beaming with pride.

They ate together, trading stories and jokes. Naruto told her about his misadventures learning to be a Kyoshi Warrior, while Toph recounted some of her Earth Rumble victories in gleeful detail. As they talked, Naruto's vision continued to fade in and out, but he focused on Toph's voice, on her laugh, on the way she punched the air when getting to the best parts of her stories.

The moment was interrupted by a distant boom – probably some festival fireworks – but it made them both tense slightly, reminded of what tomorrow might bring.

"Hey," Naruto said softly, "whatever happens tomorrow..."

"Don't." Toph's voice was firm. "Tonight's not about tomorrow. Tonight's about right now." She punched his arm, gentler than usual. "Besides, we're gonna kick their butts anyway."

They were very close now, and Naruto could feel Toph's breath on his face. His heart was hammering so hard he was sure she could feel it through the earth. Slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull away, he leaned in.

Their second kiss was different from their first. Where that one had been quick and impulsive, born of adrenaline after a battle, this one was soft and deliberate. Toph's lips were slightly chapped, tasting of the spices from dinner, and when she kissed him back, Naruto felt like he could make an entire forest grow with just a thought.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them were slightly breathless. Toph's cheeks were pink, and she punched his arm again, but she was smiling.

"Not bad, plantboy," she murmured. "But if you tell anyone I can be this mushy, I'll bury you up to your neck in rock."

"Your secret's safe with me," Naruto promised, making one last flower bloom in her hair. They sat together in the garden, listening to the distant sounds of the festival and the closer sound of their heartbeats. Tomorrow would bring what it would bring, but for now, this moment was perfect, blurry vision and all.

Tomorrow - Night

"Psss, Avatar Aang. We are ready." Frog Boy said with a wide smile before jumping from the window. The Gang still found it strange that his legs were so long compared to his body.

They all followed him and soon walked into the back of an alley. Before them appeared a large group of people, all of them holding weapons, swords, pitchforks, crossbows, knives, and other weapons. Some of them were even Earthbenders, with their leader standing in front of them.

"I won't disappoint you again, Avatar Aang." Jet said sincerely, standing in front of his entire group; he turned to face his group and climbed on top of a barrel, looking at everyone who had gathered.

"Tonight, we take this city back from the people who forced us all to live a lie. Tonight we fight for everyone you see everyday that walks these roads. For the fathers, for the mothers, for the children, for our friends. We fight for all of them tonight. I won't lie to you my friends. Some of us might not return. We might lose friends, we might lose people we hold dear to us. I understand if you are all afraid to go on. I'm afraid too. I would be a liar if I said otherwise, but someone once told me that one should sacrifice for a better tomorrow. I'm willing to put my life on the line for this tomorrow. Will you all follow me for a Better Tomorrow?"

"FOR A BETTER TOMORROW!!"

"FOR A BETTER TOMORROW!!"

"FOR A BETTER TOMORROW!!"

"FOR A BETTER TOMORROW!!"

Aang and his group looked shocked and a little amazed by Jet's speech, especially Naruto, who remembered that he had wanted to kill him the last time after Jet's plan to flood the town was revealed.

Perhaps sometimes it's better to spare some lives, Naruto thought as their cheers for Jet were heard. Cries for Liberty.

Naruto placed his hand on Toph's shoulder and Aang's shoulder, hugging the entire group.

"We stay together?" He asked, looking at each one of them.

"We stay together." The group shouted as they broke away. Aang walked ahead toward Jet, followed by Sokka and Katara, but when Toph tried to follow them.

Naruto turned Toph around, and before she had the time to ask what he was doing, his lips found hers. The two shared a deep, passionate kiss. Once they pulled away, he looked right at her moon-like eyes.

"You stay with me?"

"Always."

If you want to Read 9 Chapters Right Now. Write 'Patreon Drinor' in Google and click the First Link