Learning

(Naruto POV)

Walking in this city was like experiencing the zoo from the animal's point of view. Comparing my physical qualities with the people who lived here, I gathered that being a natural blonde might not be a thing in this place. At least fair-skin and blue eyes exist here. Maybe I'm getting gazed at due to my different clothing and whisker marks or perhaps the old lady is the one getting the attention. She did talk down a group of people with a few words before it got any worse.

At one point she released my hand and used her own to tell me that I should follow her. I complied with her request and silently analyzed my surroundings. It was a beautiful city that was filled with the color blue. I don't mind it personally as I find it quite fitting. Most if not all individuals who live here have dark skin and blue eyes with the occasional fair skin folks who look very much out of place.

The citizens reminded me of Killer Bee and his silly antics whenever he visited me. We would fight and chat, get some food, tell each other about our lives so far and then fight again to end the day. The one time he decided to crash at my place for a week was when I met his elder brother, A, the Fourth Raikage. He was so angry that his younger brother left somewhere for a long time without telling him. I didn't understand why A would be so worried about Bee but when I heard about his jinchuriki status, I understood. One thing I discovered about this pair of brothers was the fact that their names had to do with alphabets. It must be nice to have siblings.

After a while, I saw the old lady entering what I assume to be her home and I joined her. She sat down on a chair that was there and watched me as I approached her with a fist raised in front of her. Most people get confused by that but It's really simple. We jinchurikis can connect with other jinchurikis with a fist bump to share ourselves. That was why our small group of nine individuals were as close as siblings. Even if the world turned on us, we knew that we had each other.

Back to this unique ability; unlike my eight comrades, I had special perks that allow me to connect and read any person I fist bump with. It had to do with me being an Uzumaki while being Ashura's reincarnation and the Nine-Tails jinchuriki. Not that I paid attention to that part of the explanation or anything but it didn't make sense to me. Honestly, I should've stopped questioning things by the time I time traveled, saw giant talking toads, met a large tsundere fox, fought with my reanimated parents, caught sight of the Shinigami, destroyed two meteors with my bare hands, and ate sixty-two bowls of ramen. Yeah...that last one made me stay in the bathroom for a few hours. My butt didn't feel right for a week.

I urged her to bump my fist by showing her what I wanted her to do with my two hands. Understanding me, she raised a fist towards me with a confused expression and we made contact.

There was so much information that I had to examine. In this world, people use their energy called chi to do something called bending which is just a manipulation of the environment. Then there is the Avatar, spirits, war, her identity, her adventures, and all that. It just occurred to me as to why everyone gave me shocked looks when I used fire and wind since only the Avatar could bend more that one element. Oops.

"Um...can you understand me now Mrs. Katara?" I said. From her initial surprise at my newfound ability to speak their language all of a sudden, she regained her composure and scanned me from head to toe.

"You can speak our language? How do you know my name?" Katara questioned with solemnity in her voice. Relax lady. Do you think someone with this adorable face is capable of evil? Get outta here with that nonsense.

Making myself comfortable on another chair beside her, I thought about my answers. Rule 3 in being a shinobi; never fully give away what you can do. If your closest people do not know your capabilities, then most likely your opponent will not either. However, from her memories, I can see that there is not a bad bone in her body. She is just a good person who is rightfully cautious against someone who magically knew her name. It's a normal reaction.

With my answers calculated and modified to my satisfaction, I replied, "It's an innate ability. By bumping fists with others, I can share my feelings and thoughts with others and vice versa. However, with a recent boost to my abilities, I can observe your life and study everything about it. This information shall serve to satisfy your answers." Her eyes widened for once.

"Very interesting. Would you mind if I test it?" I shook my head and she started. "What is my husband's name?"

Easy. "Aang."

"My children?"

"Bumi, Kya, and Tenzin."

"Who was my husband?"

I had to think about this a little. Should I go with Avatar or Hero? Eh; doesn't matter. The more I give, the more she'll be convinced; the more I'll have her trust.

"The Avatar and the Hero who stopped the 100-year war by combating Fire Lord Ozai and taking away his bending with a lost bending art called energy bending. He was one of the founders of Republic City, the last human energy bender, previously the last air bender, the boy who lived in ice for a hundred years, and...Twinkle Toes."

A short second of silence later, Katara and I shared a laugh at the mention of Aang's nickname from Toph.

"It was either that or the Fancy Dancer. Both were fitting for his fighting style at the time." She chuckled. "We can't forget about you now can we Sugar Queen."

"Oh. That is truly nostalgic." She smiled. "Now I'm thoroughly convinced. I have a feeling that you and Toph would get together quite magnificently. Actually...I don't think you two should meet. With her blunt and mischievous nature and your playful personality, who knows what could happen?" she joked.

"You might worry but I on the other hand am very excited to meet her. I can only imagine the pranks we can pull off together. Hehehe." Naruto's creepy laughter worried Katara.

"Do I want to know?"

Nope. "Probably not."

"I almost feel bad about the nations. Who knows how you're going to terrorize them?" She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Just...don't take it too far."

Naruto closed his fist and touched his chest. "I promise I won't. You have a ninja's word." Eh; depends on how much of a dickhead the other person or nation is being towards me.

"You're a ninja?"

"Yep. A genius one too." Oh man, my ego. Way to stroke it, me. "I've been a ninja for...seven years now? I haven't kept track." Katara lost her curious expression.

"Seven years? You look like a new adult. Did you become a ninja as a child?" Is she misunderstanding something?

"I started when I was six and I passed the academy in four years, thus granting me the title ninja. I started as the lowest rank and then worked my way up to Jonin. Ah, don't worry about the ranks. I'll explain it at a later time."

"I see." Katara seemed upset? Angry? I couldn't quite tell. I understand that something was bothering her and I can't for the life of me figure it out. "Did you...kill others?" she asked hesitantly.

See, that's what's I didn't expect to come out of her mouth. Seriously, how do you want me to reply to that? Why yes Ms.Katara. I indeed murdered someone before. In fact, for the following week, I couldn't sleep because I would see my victim's expression if I slept. It wasn't until I had a session with Ino's family did I go back to being a ninja and even then, I was being treated like a delicate flower.

"I..." I can't. There is just no way for me to put it in words.

Observing my struggle, Katara sighed and hugged me. "You poor child. You must have had it rough." You have no idea. "When you want to talk with somebody, I am always available to you." That...might be nice.

"Why would you do that for someone like me? I'm both a killer and a stranger. You don't need to do anything." Way to go negativity. You're back at full force it seems.

"It's because you look like you need someone. I've seen many war veterans Naruto and from your eyes, I can tell you experienced it. Someone so young had to go through something that cruel. It is unforgivable."

"You don't even know the half it Katara." She cringed. "And you were right about the war. I did come out of one. I mean, what a birthday, right? End a war that started on your previous birthday, fight a Goddess, lose your future lover since she sacrificed her life for you, officially turn seventeen, saying goodbye to my dead parents for the last time, have a death match against one your friends who wanted to revolutionize the world by being the enemy, and then arrive in another world where my people don't exist and bending is a thing. So far, I'm having a wonderful day. How about you? What have you done today?"

Venting is something I rarely do; especially if it's with a stranger I've known for less than an hour. However, words are coming out of my mouth faster than I can think of it, and that's how I arrived at this moment. Since I'm me, my sarcastic-ass is being rude to the lady who has been nothing but kind to me while I dropped an info bomb about what I did in the past twenty-four hours.

I felt like crying with every word that came out but I won't because I'm strong. I dried all my tears when I was a kid and I had to realize that the world moves on with or without you. Sometimes, I would love to just break down and let my sobbing describe my frustrations and everything wrong that happened to me.

No. I'm not gonna cry. I'm just burying my face in Katara's clothing because my face is cold. It's the South Pole. My shaking and the slightly wet area of her clothes where my face was just my face having the ice melted from her body heat. Yep. I'm not...I'm not...sad...and I don't shed tears. I don't...

"It's going to be okay." She patted my back. "I can't even begin to imagine what you have gone through but you'll get through this. I'm here for you." And there goes the last of my defenses.

I don't understand it. Why?

Why did all of this have to happen? Why can't I enjoy a normal life like the others? Why can't I have peace? Why can't I have a normal childhood? Why can't I have my real parents? Why did she have to die? Why did I have to fight? Why did I get chosen? Why...was I born?

Just...why?