Kunoichi amongst Benders (avatar x Naruto crossover) Sakuar centric

Greetings oh Grand Readers! I hope you"ve enjoyed your holidays and made cheerful memories. These are officially the last chapters for the year 2024. Thank you all for being with me on this creative journey. I had a drastic year and your support has been what's gotten me through it. I am so grateful to each and everyone one of you for your support and encouragement. You have allowed me to continue pursuing my derams for another year.

I have many new projects in the making, stories and new creatives I have taken on. So there will be plenty to look forward to.

You can get to the Poll through my Tumblr here: https://www.tumblr.com/katsura369/768599853376864256/new-poll-out?source=share 

If you have any questions or you want to reach out Please do it through TUMBLR ONLY: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/katsura369 

And I hope you enjoy the chapter!

CHAPTER 9: The serpents Pass

The group stood at the mountain's entrance, waiting for the guards to open the hidden doorway with her earth bending. The heavy rock shifted aside with a low rumble, revealing a dark tunnel that led into the heart of the mountain. As they stepped inside, Sakura was immediately struck by the sheer number of people packed into the cavernous space. Families huddled together, their faces weary and filled with uncertainty. Children clung to their parents, eyes wide with fear and confusion. The air was thick with the murmur of voices, a mixture of different dialects, all with a common thread of desperation. Refugees from all corners of the Earth Kingdom, and perhaps beyond, had gathered here in search of safety.

"This is really sad," Sakura muttered, her heart becoming heavy with the sight. Watching the lines heading towards ticket booths. "Suppose peace is fleeting in any world."

Katara, standing beside her, nodded solemnly. "It is. This war has taken a toll on everyone. Ba Sing Se is supposed to be a haven, the one place the Fire Nation can't touch."

The line moved at a snail's pace. The woman at the ticket booth was as bitter as the crowd was weary, her voice a sharp bark as she dealt with the seemingly endless stream of refugees.

"Next!" she called, her tone leaving no room for pleasantries.

When the group finally reached the front, Aang stepped forward. "Five tickets to Ba Sing Se, please,"

The woman glanced at them with a look of disinterest, then replied curtly, "Passports?"

Aang blinked in surprise. "Passports? We... don't have any."

The woman's eyes narrowed. "No passport, no ticket. Next!"

Sakura leaned in closer to Katara, whispering, "This is bad. What do we do now?"

Katara bit her lip, glancing nervously at Aang and Sokka, who were trying to reason with the woman. Sokka leaned over the counter and spoke in a low voice. "Listen, we need to get to Ba Sing Se. The guy is the Avatar."

The woman barely raised an eyebrow. "Nice try. You wouldn't believe how many people have tried that one today. Next!"

Toph, broke between Aang and Sokka. They watched as she approached the booth, her steps sure and steady despite her blindness. She placed a document down on the counter with a firm hand.

"My name is Toph Beifong, and I need five tickets," she declared, her voice carrying a weight that demanded attention.

The woman behind the counter paused, her eyes flicking down to the document. The name "Beifong" clearly registered, and her previously dismissive attitude shifted to one of cautious respect. She looked up at Toph, her demeanor noticeably softer.

"Beifong?" the woman said, a hint of recognition in her voice. She picked up the document and examined it closely, her eyes widening slightly. "The Beifong family from Gaoling?"

"That's correct,"

The tension from their close call at the ticket booth had barely begun to fade when the woman behind the counter suddenly bowed her head slightly, her demeanor changing entirely. "The golden seal of the flying boar," she said with a note of reverence. "It is my pleasure to help anyone of the Beifong family."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, and she turned to Katara for an explanation. "What was that about?"

Katara leaned in, speaking softly. "Toph may not look it—or act it—but she's actually the daughter of a wealthy and prestigious family." They both glanced back at Toph, who stood confidently, indifferent.

"Toph being blind caused her parents to be extremely overprotective of her," Katara continued. "They wouldn't even let her earthbound. She left so that she could teach Aang earthbending. We haven't mentioned the incident since she came along, though."

Sakura pressed her lips into a straight line, digesting this new information. It gave her a new perspective on the blind earthbender who had been so self-assured and independent despite her young age. Toph was full of surprises.

Sokka appeared behind the girls, holding their newly approved tickets. "Toph got our tickets, let's go!"

As they approached the ferry, Sokka couldn't resist bragging a little about how smoothly they had gotten the tickets. "Man, I can't believe how well that worked! We really scammed that—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a girl with short brown hair in a green and white uniform stepped in front of him, grabbing his arm. Her sudden appearance made everyone stop in their tracks.

"Tickets and passports, please!" she demanded, her tone sharp and almost hostile.

"Is there a problem?" Sokka asked, his earlier bravado replaced by nervousness.

"Yeah, I got a problem with you," she replied, poking him in the chest. "I've seen your type before: probably sarcastic, think you're hilarious, and let me guess... you're traveling with the Avatar."

Sokka's face scrunched up in confusion. "Do I know you?"

The girl smirked, grabbing him by the collar. For a moment, Sakura tensed, ready to step in, but then something unexpected happened. The girl leaned in and kissed Sokka on the cheek.

Sokka's eyes went wide in recognition before a huge grin spread across his face. "Suki!" he exclaimed, pulling her into a hug.

The girl, now smiling warmly, pulled away slightly. "Sokka, it's good to see you."

Sakura blinked, feeling like she had missed something important. She glanced back at the rest of the group, pointing to Sokka and Suki. "What's going on?"

Katara chuckled, stepping closer to Sakura. "That's Suki. She's a Kyoshi Warrior and an old friend of ours. We met while traveling." Katara then whispered this part, "She and Sokka have a bit of a history,"

Toph smirked, crossing her arms. "Yeah, history."

..

..

..

"What are you all doing here?"

Aang stepped forward. "We're trying to get to Ba Sing Se. We have some really important information that we need to deliver."

While waiting for the ferry, they had moved to a more secluded spot above the crowds, on a wall where they could overlook everything but no one was interested in the view as much as the privacy they were offered.

Suki looked over at Sakura, a friendly glimmer in her eyes. "I haven't seen you before; just join the group?"

Sakura nodded rubbing the back of her head "Yeah, you could say that I suddenly dropped in...."

"She's an alien," Toph stated with a tone of casualty that caused Katara to give such a glare of disapproval, that the girl could practically feel it in the air.

Sokka interjected to smooth out an explanation, although it was still fairly wrinkled. "What she means is Sakura came from the spirit world,"

"I'm not a spirit," Sakura clarified quickly, shaking her head.

Suki, sensing the awkward tension, decided to redirect the conversation. "So why are you guys getting tickets for the ferry? Wouldn't you just fly across on Appa?"

The question brought an immediate shift in the group's demeanor. Their expressions darkened, and a shared sadness hung in their eyes.

"Appa is missing. We hope to find him in Ba Sing Se." Katara explained.

Suki's face softened with sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that." She turned to Aang, her concern evident. While she hadn't been acquainted very long with Aang, she knew that he had a deep affection for his friends, including his bison. Airbender's bison were considered their lifetime companions, it wasn't just a statement, but his culture and tradition steeped into a bond. "Are you doing okay?"

Aang's shoulders tensed as he looked at her, then at the rest of the group, who wore similar expressions of worry. "I'm fine," he replied quickly, his tone a bit too defensive. "Would everybody stop worrying about me?"

Before anyone could respond, a familiar voice called out to Aang. The group turned to see the pregnant women who helped lead them to this haven Ying, and the rest of her family members. They all had the same distraught faces.

"Avatar Aang, you have to help us," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "Someone took all of our belongings. Our tickets, our passports—everything is gone." Tears welled up in her eyes as she buried her face in her husband's shoulder, sobbing.

Aang's expression softened as he stepped forward, trying to offer reassurance. "I'll talk to the lady for you,"

..

..

The group watched as Aang approached the ticket booth, but their hopes quickly faded as they saw the woman behind the counter shake her head firmly. Despite Aang's best efforts, she refused to grant tickets without passports, regardless of the circumstances. Even when Aang offered to give away their tickets, she remained unmoved.

Sakura, growing increasingly frustrated, clenched her fists. "I could just break through the booth and take the tickets."

"Ooh," Toph's expression lit up and Katara interjected,

"She's joking, right Sakura?" Katara looked to her friend for reassurance that this was just an impulse statement but the girl had an unsettling cool expression. "No!"

Aang came back to the group, they were expecting a disappointed apology, but his posture was held up with determination. "Don't worry," he said, turning to the family. "You'll get to Ba Sing Se safely. I'll lead you through the Serpent's Pass."

The group exchanged glances, but there was no protest to this. While they would've enjoyed a safe journey, their sense of morality would've turned that trip into a storm of discomfort.

..

..

..

The group stood at the entrance of the Serpent's Pass, a narrow strip of jagged land that jutted out into the turbulent sea. Dark, sharp rocks lined the path, creating an ominous atmosphere that made the already daunting journey seem even more perilous.

Sokka eyed the pass incredulously, "This is the Serpent's Pass?" he asked, tilting his head as he examined the structure. The name had conjured images of winding paths and treacherous turns, yet the pass looked rather straightforward. "I guess they misnamed it."

The rest of the group was quiet as they gazed at the large gate before them. The entrance to the pass was marked by an imposing structure, with ancient carvings etched into the stone pillars. Katara approached the gate, her eyes catching on the writing scrawled across one of the pillars.

"Look at this writing; how awful," one of the refugees, Ying, muttered, frowning as she traced her belly with her hands.

"'Abandon Hope,'" Katara read aloud, her voice tinged with unease. The message was blunt and unsettling.

Ying's face crumpled, and she clung to her husband's arm, her voice trembling. "How can we abandon hope? That's all we have."

Aang, who had been silent up until now, the sea breeze ruffling his clothing as he stood apart from the group, his gaze fixed on the horizon with a void expression. "I don't know," he said flatly. "The monks used to say that hope was just a distraction; so maybe we do need to abandon it."

Katara turned to him, her concern deepening. "What are you talking about, Aang?"

"Hope isn't going to get us into Ba Sing Se," Aang replied bluntly. "And it's not going to help us find Appa. We need to focus on getting across this pass."

Without another word, Aang began to walk ahead of the group, his footsteps heavy against the rocky ground. The others watched him go, a silent tension hanging in the air.

Sakura felt a pang in her chest as she listened to Aang's words. There was a coldness to them that made her heartache. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease at the thought of abandoning hope, not when that was the foundation that held up her goals of returning to her world.

She had been thrust into this world without warning, separated from her home and everything she knew. Hope was the only thing that had kept her going, the only thing that kept her from giving in to despair.

Even before, hope was the reason she could get up in the morning, after losing Sasuke and separating from Naruto, holding out on her own for three years. It was the reason she could train as hard as she did, and smile, even without them around. Why did she get up to train every day and wanted strength? Because she had to believe that it would all amount to something someday. And this whole turn of events threw her completely off the trail toward her goals, and she needed to believe that she would find it again. To Sakura hope wasn't a distraction from reality, it was the reason she could even live in it.

"Hey, you okay?" Toph asked, her voice softer than usual.

Sakura managed a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Don't worry about Aang," Toph said, her tone matter-of-fact. "He'll bounce back. He always does."

..

..

The path may have been large but it was narrow, and crossing it was proving to be a treacherous task, as they ended up scaling high onto the pass walls, and walking along the narrow pathways that it offered. The jagged rocks beneath their feet made the journey difficult, and the sound of the crashing waves against the cliffs only added to the sense of foreboding.

When Sakura noticed the narrow pathways, she offered Ying her back to make the journey, even though the woman insisted she could manage, the medic didn't back down until she conceded to allow Sakura to carry her on her back. Even as the hours passed, Sakura showed no signs of tiring. And they were able to keep their heads free of rock slides thanks to Toph and Aang's bending.

However, dangers lurked on the sea as well, with Fire Nation ships patrolling along the Western Lake. Suki explained the rumors that they were working on something and had been tireless in their efforts to keep it a secret.

"This over the ferry ride is just peachy." Sokka mumbled

Sakura rolled her eyes "You've been complaining for over an hour do you ever stop?"

"No," Aang; Katara, Toph, and even Sokka answered for her.

The narrow, jagged path along the Serpent's Pass was treacherous enough, but the wind from where they stood whipped wildly around them, and the waves below crashed violently against the cliffs.

Suddenly, one of the refugees, Ying's husband, stepped on a loose rock, and the ground beneath him gave way. He gasped as he began to fall, but before anyone could react, Toph's quick earth bending saved him. She swiftly manipulated the rocks, pulling him back onto solid ground just as a section of the path crumbled into the sea.

"Watch your step, people."

Relief washed over the group, but it was short-lived. The sound of crashing rocks had alerted a nearby Fire Nation ship to their location. From the distance, they could see the ship's catapults being loaded with oil-covered boulders, and moments later, the first one was launched toward them, flames trailing in its wake.

"They spotted us!" Sokka yelled. "Let's go, let's go!"

The group quickened their pace, racing down the narrow path as Aang took the lead. He deftly redirected the first flaming boulder with a blast of air, sending it crashing back into the ocean. But more were on the way, each one threatening to rain down destruction on the narrow path.

Another flaming rock slammed into the path ahead, sending debris flying in all directions. Sokka saw it coming and instinctively pushed Suki out of the way. The force of the impact sent him stumbling, and a massive chunk of rock hurtled toward him.

Toph once again used her earth bending to create a barrier, deflecting the debris just in time. 

Breathing heavily, Sokka scrambled to his feet, his eyes immediately darting to Suki. "Suki, are you okay?" he asked, rushing to her side, his voice thick with worry. He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he had just narrowly avoided being crushed by a boulder.

Suki nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Sokka. You didn't have to—"

"You have to be more careful," Sokka interrupted, pulling her to safety. "Come on, let's keep moving."

As they hurried down the path, Sakura couldn't help but notice Toph standing there with a slight pout on her face, clearly irritated by Sokka's lack of acknowledgment. Sakura approached the earthbender and patted her on the head. "Nice job, Toph. You saved him."

Toph's pout turned into a small, satisfied smile. "Thanks," she replied, crossing her arms. "Though next time, I'm gonna let the boulders crush him. See how he likes it."

Sakura chuckled, appreciating Toph's dry humor.

..

..

After the eventful day of escaping the Fire Nation and avoiding rock slides, everyone was grateful to end their first day on the Serpant's pass without injury. Sakura was busy until the night when she helped set up camp and checked on Ying to ensure the mother and child were in top condition after the hazardous walk they had today.

"It won't be long now before someone is ready to come out," Sakura's hands were hovering over Ying's back, her chakra flowing through to relieve her back pain.

"We hoped to make it to Ba Sing Se, so they can be born safely,"

"We'll make it," Sakura looked down the path they were taking, the land seemed to stretch far and join the darkness in the distance but she knew from the map they would take at least another day to reach the end of it. 

Sakura went further up on the pass to take a look over and see how far they were from the end mainly because she didn't want to stick around to hear Sokka and his overprotective comments with Suki. He had already told Suki not to sleep near a ledge thus moving her sleeping mat and then shouted when he thought he saw a spider on the mat.

Sakura rolled her eyes, 'Seriously that level of over-protectiveness is enough to make any girl go insane'

As Sakura noticed Katara and Aang standing together on a rocky outcrop, silhouetted against the starry sky. Their voices were low, and there was an air of tension that Sakura could sense even from a distance.

"What's going on with you? In the desert, all you cared about was finding Appa, and now it's like you don't care about him at all," Katara's voice was filled with concern, and Sakura could see the worry etched on her face.

Aang's reply was quiet, almost detached. "You saw what I did out there, Katara. I was so upset about losing Appa that I couldn't control myself. I hated feeling like that."

"But now you're not letting yourself feel anything at all," Katara argued softly, stepping closer to him. "I know sometimes it hurts more to hope and it hurts more to care, but you have to promise me that you won't stop caring."

Sakura watched as Katara held out her arms, offering Aang a comforting hug. But instead of accepting it, Aang simply bowed his head and thanked her for her concern. The sight made Sakura's heart ache a little—she could see how much Katara wanted to help, but Aang wasn't ready to let anyone in

Deciding it was time to make her presence known, Sakura stepped forward, her sandals crunching lightly on the rocky ground. "You sure you're not the one that needs a hug, Katara?"

Katara jumped slightly, turning around with wide eyes. "Sakura! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Sakura smirked, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, but that's kinda what ninjas are known for,"

Katara shook her head. "I'm just… worried about Aang."

Sakura nodded, joining Katara on the ledge and looking out at the vast expanse of the Serpent's Pass stretching before them. "Yeah, I can tell. It's hard watching someone you care about shut down like that."

Katara sighed. "I just wish I knew how to help him."

Sakura thought for a moment before sitting down, her legs dangling over the edge. "When I was twelve, I lost someone I cared about. It was so hard for me to handle that I let my emotions cloud my judgment, and I ended up hurting a lot of people because of it. Aang's probably afraid of what might happen to you guys if he lets his emotions take over."

Katara listened intently, her eyes softening as she absorbed Sakura's words. "That must've been hard for you."

"It was," Sakura admitted, her gaze distant as memories of her past resurfaced. "But I learned that bottling everything up doesn't work either. It just makes everything worse in the end. Aang will figure that out too, in his own time."

Katara sighed, leaning back on her hands as she looked up at the stars. "I hope you're right."

Sakura smiled softly. "I am. Besides, no one can keep up a strong front forever. Eventually, it all crumbles away."

Katara nodded, her expression thoughtful. The two girls sat in comfortable silence for a while, each lost in their thoughts, before Katara finally stood up. "We should get some rest. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Sakura agreed, standing and stretching her arms above her head. "Yeah, let's head back."

As they made their way back to the camp, Sakura couldn't help but glance at Aang, who was now sitting alone by the fire, staring into the flames. She hoped that in time, he would allow himself to feel again. For his sake, and for the sake of those who cared about him.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and Remember to stay strong!

If you want to get a hold of these latest chapters check out my TUMBLR where you can join as a member. You can also get the update schedule to follow. As well as Fanart posts.

MEMBERS NOW: (BMAC MEMBER)

-Commission: Demon slayer x My hero academia

 Kunoichi amongst Benders (Avatar x Naruto crossover) ( 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)

-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter (75, 76, 77)

-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams

-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter ( 30, 31, 32)

-Crossroads of Fate chapter 22, 23, 24, 25

-Through the Looking Glass chapter 28, 29, 30, 31, 32. 33

-(SEQUEL) Through the Spyglass chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6

-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi

Want more INFO on my STORIES and ARTWORK lookup Katsura369 in your search Tab!