Chapter-113

"Here we are, 'The oasis of palm trees with mist.'"

"Aang, no offense, but even my old apartment was fancier than this dump."

"Crazy Feet is right."

"My name is Toph."

"Don't bother me, little girl."

The Avatar team decided to take a break, and what better place than one of the most popular spots 100 years ago. Although time didn't seem kind to this place—mud houses around a small iceberg, not far from melting into water.

"Come on, guys, to appreciate a place, you have to have an open mind," Katara had to be pulled by Naruto to avoid being hit by the old piece of wood hanging on the door. "Or maybe it's a garbage dump."

"I've been in worse places." The Uzumaki had nothing to complain about; he'd been to the Suna desert on some missions, and that place was hell. Here wasn't so bad. "Hey, there's a bar; we should go."

"You know you're underage, right?"

*Pufff*

Sokka had to swallow his words as the boy, in a burst of smoke, aged into adulthood, and his hair turned black—the typical appearance of a traveler.

"Listen, if anyone asks, we are wealthy, self-centered travelers."

"Why?"

"Because no one likes wealthy, self-centered people, Aang."

"Ohhhh."

"And we must go unnoticed," the Uzumaki took out a straw cap for the monk's head and had to make his henge a bit darker. "I will be the father of Katara and Sokka, and as for Aang and the dwarf, they will be a young couple who fled their village to live their forbidden love, and I will help them fulfill their dream."

"You're an idiot, Naruto," Toph growled and was forced to take the monk's hand to follow all the silly theater so as not to attract attention.

"Stop complaining and smile; you're supposed to be married to Aang."

"And that has to make me smile? I'm married to a skinny, bald vegan who smells like bison."

"Hey!"

"I'm sorry, Aang, she's right." Without listening to the monk's complaints, Naruto pushed his group to enter the small village full of people that looked quite dangerous. "And remember to concentrate; we are wanted by the whole world."

"Hey honey, do you want to have fun?"

"Hummm." Apparently, the shinobi's concentration did not last long, faced with the seductive offer of an attractive woman outside a dressing room.

"Keep walking, Dad." Katara almost tore off the boy's ear to keep him walking.

"Sorry, that was unprofessional; now let's get in."

The group entered the small cantina, which honestly seemed like the place where someone with only alcohol problems would come to quench their thirst. At least there was one guy making fruit salad with bowls of ice.

"Give me five bowls and make sure you chop the fruit well; my children could choke. They are like babies; unless it is mashed, they can't eat it."

The four teenagers glared at their 'father,' who had a mocking smile; apparently, he is really enjoying his role as a father.

Surprisingly, the salad was better than they thought, and they enjoyed the peaceful moment of eating.

"Don't worry; I can dry quickly."

Naruto slapped his forehead as he saw how the monk, instead of using napkins to keep up appearances, used his airbending to dry himself, causing his hat to fly off, revealing the marks on his head.

"And that's my husband? How well you chose them, Toph." Toph grunted and drank her drink in one gulp.

"At least there is no one who is interested in being the Avatar," the shinobi said with resignation, who dropped his transformation; apparently, the people of this town had too many problems of their own to be interested in them.

"You are the Orange pillar!"

"Oh, come on." Naruto rolled his eyes at the shout of the guy who introduced himself as Professor Zei, who apparently didn't know the concept of a personal bubble because of the way he checked him from top to bottom.

"Golden hair, blue pupils, and tanned skin; it is the first time I have seen all these characteristics in a single person." The professor furiously made notes in one of his several notebooks. "Is your blonde hair a sign of having lived in cold climates?"

"No, in fact, in my home, it is hot most of the year."

"I see, I see; is your IQ higher than anyone else's?"

"What is IQ?"

"Below average intelligence."

Sokka and Aang had to hold their friend so he wouldn't hit the professor with a chair.

….

"Remember, in the face of adversity, you always have to smile."

"Come on, Azula, keep moving that bear/sloth dung." Underneath the mess, there were potatoes they could use to cook and fill their empty stomachs.

It was a dirty job, but hunger silenced any complaints. Azula couldn't help but grimace as she worked with the still-warm animal waste, thankful that it didn't take long to extract the vegetables from the filth.

Now, the potatoes needed a good wash.

"Just follow the other refugees; they'll know where there's a river."

Azula didn't need further instructions. She grabbed the vegetables and headed for the nearest river, fortunately not too far away.

Mothers washing the few clothes they had.

Fathers trying to catch something.

Children playing on the riverbank.

The princess pondered which was more toxic—the water where the peasants bathed or the bear dung covering the vegetables. They'd have to be washed with boiling water and scrubbed just to be safe.

"I see you were lucky, little one. Those potatoes look good."

Azula didn't bother looking at the old woman next to her in the river. She continued washing the potatoes with a deadly look that frightened nearby children.

"Do you need help?"

"..." Azula stared at the brush the old woman handed her. Looking at the filth on her hands, she decided to use a more suitable tool. Taking the brush, she vigorously washed the vegetables.

"In difficult times like this, it's good to help each other." The old woman's smile remained soft and calm as she resumed washing clothes. Her task was interrupted when several children ran to her.

"Grandma, we're hungry!"

"My stomach hurts, grandma..."

"Grandma... our last rations are gone."

All the children looked hopefully at the old woman, who could only sigh sadly.

"Don't worry. I'm sure that in a few days, we'll reach Ba Sing Se. There, we'll have so much food that we'll eat until we burst." She carefully took out a piece of bread, dividing it equally among the children.

"Grandma, aren't you going to eat?"

"I'm not hungry. Go ahead and eat."

Azula had remained silent, observing the scene. Gazing at the water, she looked at the people in the river. Even in her situation, she noticed children playing happily, women chatting while cooking or gathering food, and men helping each other with carts or hunting for their families.

They all looked so content, with the same hopeful expression as the old woman—that tomorrow would be better.

She couldn't fathom their hope. Arriving in Ba Sing Se didn't guarantee safety; all of the Fire Nation's attention was focused on breaking down the walls of the supposedly impenetrable city.

Someday, it would fall, becoming just another conquest for the Fire Nation.

These people would face death or enslavement.

Lost in thought, Azula barely noticed when a potato slipped from her hands, floating into the river. However, small hands quickly grabbed it.

"It's yours, ma'am."

A boy, no more than four years old, took the vegetable and, even though hunger urged him to eat, he knew it belonged to the girl next to him. Carefully, he approached to return it.

"..."

"Lady?" The little boy got confused when she handed him all the vegetables and turned to leave.

"I don't want them. They're yours."

"Thank you!" Grateful, he ran to where his brothers were. "Grandma, I have food!" The grandmother, surprised to see her grandchild with those vegetables, tried to spot the girl from earlier, but she had already left.

"Who wants potato soup?"

"I do!"

On the other side of the forest, Iroh looked strangely at two dead crows at his feet while Azula, with boredom evident, plucked another crow.

"What happened to the potatoes?"

"I hate potatoes," growled the teenager as she tore off the crow's head, impaling it on a stick to place it on the bonfire. After repeating the process with the other birds, they would have dinner served.

The crow meat tasted like chicken.

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PAT REON I'D:- Alzero ]