The Avatar's Will of Fire

Interlude 2: Home

Okay, you people know the drill; Me and Mortal don't own anything

"Next time would be different. That he promised to himself, and Naruto Uzumaki never made a promise that he couldn't keep.

Resolved, Naruto re-holstered the kunai and made his way back to the Temple.

While he wanted to get down to training again immediately, he had to see to this first.

A few hours had passed since the failed raid, Naruto, Korra, and the others having returned to the Temple to recover. Well, most of them had.

Before Naruto could leave to begin his exercises with the kunai, Lin had intercepted him and very bluntly told him that she had some questions that she wanted answered.

Naruto suppressed the anxiety welling up in his stomach as the lights came into view— since he was pretty positive that a situation like this had never happened before, he would more or less have to make it up as he went along.

While that was his usual style, at the moment, Naruto couldn't help but wish that he would be able to come up with a better plan.

Well, not much he could really do about it now.

He was amused to note that the meeting would be taking place in the same area where he had first met Asami and the others. Maybe it had been chosen on purpose?

Naruto's distracted musings were broken when he heard someone say "It's about time."

Turning in the direction of the voice, Naruto recognized Lin Beifong, staring him down from her position at the entrance to the Temple. Naruto didn't need to read body language to guess that the Police Chief was angry, and most of that anger seemed to be focused on him at the moment. Just like Baa-chan, he thought only half-jokingly. Though really, the older woman still reminded him more of Ibiki than anyone else.

Taking a quick look around, Naruto was relieved to see Korra there as well—she had gone to Tenzin about something quickly after they had all returned. At the very least, she appeared unharmed. Naruto knew that she hadn't been severely damaged in any way, but given that she had almost been flattened, he couldn't help himself.

Tarrlok was absent, though. If Naruto had to guess, he'd say the man was running damage control back at the Sato estate.

The others were gone too, probably forced away by Beifong, Tenzin, or both.

"We need to talk."

Well, might as well get it over with. "About what?" He asked, injecting a slight hint of a challenge into his voice.

"I think you already know." Lin shot back in a near-growl.

Naruto said nothing, waiting for her to make the first move.

Lin huffed. "Fine, we'll do it your way."

Naruto blinked in surprise. Given how the Police Chief had acted around him for the past few hours (and to a lesser extent since they had first met, although they hadn't spoken more than ten words to each other) he wouldn't have thought that she would give in so easily.

In truth, Lin hadn't given in—she'd just changed tactics.

"Why don't we start with your... techniques at the factory, hmm?"

Naruto knew he had to be cautious here; he might have been in another world, but he still couldn't jeopardize Konoha's security. "What about them?"

"I might not have whatever it is you use, but I'm not blind. The way you moved, the way you held that knife? Whatever you are, you're no civilian, and I want to know how and why you learned to fight like that."