So I've had this idea for a Naruto/A:TLA crossover that I've been busy fleshing out for a few days and I'm curious what others think of it, whether it's worth pursuing further or not.

The text I've written up is meant to establish the backstory and justify the mechanics of the crossover.

Uh yeah, that's what I've got so far. Worlds will collide, the canon timeline (for both series) will mostly be thrown out the window, and good times shall be had by Madara.

 

Looks good. Looks damn good. My only questions would be what the exact nature of the Severence is, and how it affects the planet's structure. Is the eastern/western halves in different dimensions? Different dimensions on the same planet, much like the magical world on Mars in Negima? Opposite sides of the same spherical planet, but separated by an energy curtain or mystical barrier? Separate, like the Undying Lands in Middle Earth? Or is the world flat (being that the actual physical nature in a mythological universe able to be manipulated to needs)?

What of the Moon? How did the koi-spirit of the Moon come into being? Is it the same Moon in both universes?

Apologies for the many questions, but I don't see many good ATLA crossovers, so I'm really looking forward to a well-written one.

 

It's something of a mix of those two. The Severance is a mystical and cataclysmic event triggered by a god. Trying to figure it out is like approaching a Zen koan with logical reasoning. I intended the Severance to be a paradox.

It's the same moon. When the Avatar created it, the spirit of the stone gained power appropriate to its new station as a heavenly body. Its gravitic effect on the ocean drew those two spirits into a relationship marked by its equilibrium. I suppose the reason it is a fish is because the foundation stone around which the Avatar formed the moon was a river stone, hosting a water spirit. This reflects the Shinto view that spirits inhabit all of the natural world.

The reason the moon spirit later manifested itself in the material world is probably because it gradually grew distressed by its close proximity to the Jūbi.

And don't worry about asking questions. Every concern someone raises helps me to flesh out the crossover a little bit better.

 

Ok then. As long as I don't devolve into syed I guess I'm fine.

Which universe does the story take place in? What characters are going to be the main ones? I assume that as you placed the Rinnegan as an Uzumaki bloodline trait, that at some point Naruto gains it, correct? You said that you would shoot the canon timeline to hell. What do you mean? Are the order of events different? Are you diverting from progression of events?

Your description so far makes for a great intro to the basic set-up of the universe, but there is no actual storyline hook.

 

Well, I don't want to reveal too much about what I've got planned, but the story will take place in both worlds. I'm not just throwing canon out completely, but I am going to assume that Madara being a reincarnation of Sozin would have reprecussions, which will alter the timeline. Basically the story will be based on canon, but with deviations in terms of plot due to the consequences of the story's premise. Madara's knowledge of the past is different, which means his beliefs about the Uchiha will be different, which ultimately means his motivations in this story won't be the same. Would he bother to attack Konoha after freeing the Kyuubi from Kushina when he knows that the Hidden Leaf is about as big and as significant as a single city block in Ba Sing Se? Madara will be setting his sights higher, which is about all I'm going to say right now.

Naruto may get the Rinnegan, but not early in the tale and not without a damn good reason.

There won't be a single main character, rather an ensemble cast, since there will be a lot going on and a lot of intricacies in the plot. But I can say that Aang, Naruto, Nagato, Madara, and Zuko will definitely feature prominently.

I won't lie - I'm still playing around with the plot and trying to fit everything together in a way that will work.

Is there anything you would like to see based on what you've read so far?

Something I'm looking forward to writing about is an Akatsuki made up of benders and ninja alike.

 

I figured that Naruto wouldn't get the Rinnegan anytime early on--it seems that it is like a mantle of power that can reside in only one man at a time, so Nagato would have to die before the power could transfer to Naruto.

The only things that I could say that I would like to see (without knowing more of the plot) would be that the teachings of the Rikudo Avatar would have been passed down--perhaps in written form--to Jiraiya. He believes in them wholeheartedly and tries to pass that belief to his students. Nagato would pick up on many of the teachings, so when he meets Aang, the actual reincarnation of his ancestor and founder of the shinobi world, he has a deep respect. Or disgust/hatred maybe, as he was the one who set the world on an endless cycle of hate, pain and retaliation by creating shinobi. Either way.

Not to mention Jiraiya having a brief sojourn into the Spirit Realm like Iroh. If there is anyone who would be perfect for such a trip it's him. Hey, maybe the Rikudo Avatar could have cast the Elemental Nations to the opposite side of the Spirit Realm. You may say it's a paradox, but one way or another I'm going to keep guessing until you thoroughly confuse me enough for me to retreat to Zen acceptance. I'd suggest drawing from something Doctor Who-ish to do so. That's got a pretty good track record of making me do that with the Time War, so some influences from there might be good for the story.

 

Focus on characters that the audience wants to read. Much as sozin-madara sounds like an awesome concept, I wouldn't actually enjoy reading about him all that much. Rather, I think that would be a great thing to reveal later on, perhaps when sozin meets aang for the first time, and Boom! Firebending; Boom! Taunting him with detailed information; Boom! I'm sozin you airbending son of a bitch, and I'm going to screw you over so bad your head will spin.

 

Jiraiya, as a Rikudō Sennin believer and enthusiast, will certainly have more knowledge about the first Avatar's teachings than most. And through him, Nagato, too. The problem is that they only know the same things they knew in canon. Meanwhile Madara knows everything Sozin did and is able to puzzle the whole occult history of the world together.

Good idea. I had also intended that Jiraiya end up joining the Order of the White Lotus, which will assume a more mystical and central importance in this story. They'll be a sort of counterpart to Akatsuki.

Madara is the villain, so I won't be disclosing too much of his plans or actions in the actual story until the end or during crucial scenes (like the undoing of the Severance), or else there wouldn't be much suspense. The story will focus on the chief protagonists.

 

Here's a question. Is the Rikudo Avatar still around in the Spirit Realm in some form? It's clear from the post regarding the premise that even the reincarnated lives of the Avatar forgot about the conflict with the Juubi.

Do any of the Bijuu remember what they once were?

 

He is still around but he's been dormant for millennia. So long as the equilibrium between the two worlds holds, he has no reason to interfere with events in the material world. Obviously, when the worlds are reconnected, he would start taking a greater interest in the current Avatar. That is assuming, however, that he can still awaken from his slumber. To reveal much more of his role in the story would probably spoil too many things.

As for the bijuu, they each have a portion of the Juubi's knowledge, but it's fractured. The Kyuubi's knowledge will prove critical in the story.