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' Kyoshi heard everything Kelsang told her, but she was still doubtful. So what if I know his poem, Kyoshi wanted to say. It made no sense; they all knew Yun was the Avatar, not her.
"Yun is the Avatar, you know that, you know there can't be two Avatars." Kyoshi was quick to say. Doubling down on her belief, while she knew Yun was apparently having problems showing that he could bend anything but earth, Kyoshi was certain that he would firebend sooner or later, she on the other hand had difficulty bending earth, let alone bending four elements.
"I know that, but I'm not sure Yun is the avatar." Kelsang said regretfully, much to Kyoshi's shock.
"What do you mean?" Kyoshi shouted before quickly closing her mouth regretfully. She hadn't wanted to yell at him but felt the need to protect her friend. Yun was everything she wasn't: a spectacular earthbender and an incredible strategist, something Jianzhu brought up quite often.
"Yun is simply having a few problems bending fire. I'm sure soon he will firebend." Kyoshi couldn't help but protect him; Kelsang didn't say anything. Instead, he walked up to the clay turtle, which Kyoshi kept in her room; the figure was lying on the window's ledge.
When Kelsang and Jianzhu started searching for the next Avatar, they took the clay Turtle, a relic that belonged to Avatar Kuruk; the two searched around the Earth Kingdom, trying to find the next Avatar, and they ended up at Yokoya Port. Since it had been seven years since Kuruk's death, they knew they needed to check every seven-year-old in the port; they proceeded to show the relic to every 7 years they could find eventually when it was Kyoshi's turn. When she had looked at it, she had liked the relic, but for no other reason. This has resulted in Kelsang eventually adopting Kyoshi as his own daughter. But everyone knew Yun was the Avatar; he showed the same strategic mind as Avatar Kuruk once did, something that convinced Kelsang and Jianzhu that he was the new Avatar.
"How did you know Kuruk's poem then?" Kelsang eventually asked. Kyoshi opened her mouth to answer, but she had no idea how; she just knew the damn poem, but she highly doubted that meant she was the Avatar.
Knowing she couldn't really answer that question, Kyoshi decided to ignore her adoptive her father for now. "I need to take fresh air outside, and don't tell anyone about your doubts," Kyoshi said, standing up and leaving the room hastily before her adoptive father could say anything to her.
Soon, she left the mansion and decided to go to the nearby forest; as she walked towards it, she couldn't help but repeat the words that Kelsang had told her.
'Kuruk made that love poem for Hei-Ran, only I ever heard it, but Kuruk never really said the poem to her. And after his fight with the spirits started, everything went downhill after that.'
Kyoshi knew how often her adoptive father talked about Kuruk; many still called him the 'Worst Avatar.' Kyoshi wasn't sure why; she had asked him to talk more about Kuruk, but Kelsang refused to say anything, saying Kuruk was dead, and there was no point talking about the dead.
Eventually, Kyoshi entered the forest; she looked at a nearby small rock just lying on the ground, Kyoshi tried to earthbend, trying to move the rock even a tiny inch, but the damn stupid thing wasn't moving. Eventually, Kyoshi gave up and slumped down, feeling like she needed to slap herself; as she looked up at the sky, she let out a sigh of disappointment.
"Avatar. Me, pfff, sure." Kyoshi murmured under her breath, sitting on the cold dump ground amidst the forest; for a long minute of just sitting there, she heard nothing but the sound of small animals nearby; suddenly, she heard a faint sound in the distance; it sounded like a melody.
"Who sings in the middle of the forest?" Kyoshi wondered out loud before she started running towards the sound; the closer she got, the more she noticed that someone was playing an instrument; it sounded like a flute.
Soon, she reached a part of the forest that confused her; the trees in this part were very much more frequent; in fact, as she looked down, she noticed there was more tree than ground to walk on, and the way the trees had interviewed with one another, she had never seen trees that grew like that. It looked as if someone had made them grow like that, but she knew Woodbending wasn't possible.
'How did this happen?' Kyoshi wondered out loud as she slowly walked further, trying to walk through the tight open spaces between trees, eventually needing to crawl to get further; soon, the mess of trees ended, and she found herself looking at something unexpected.
In front of her was a large circle clearing in the middle of the forest, with a waterfall nearby, but what caught her attention was the boy playing the flute in the middle of the clearing; he looked around her age.
He was a boy with tanned skin and dark eyes. He had waist-length black hair styled in a center-parted fringe that framed his face. He wore dark red armor over a simple black suit with sandals. This armor was constructed from numerous metal plates, formed into multiple protective guards along his body; each collar of his shoulder guards bore a symbol she had never seen before.
As she listened intently, Kyoshi couldn't help but be captivated by the melodious tune. Surprisingly, she had never considered herself to be someone who derived much pleasure from music. However, she found herself irresistibly drawn to this particular melody, appreciating its calming effect on her being. The peacefulness it evoked almost compelled her to shut her eyes and soak in every note, yet she momentarily halted herself from doing so. To her amazement, it became apparent that she was not the only one enraptured by the enchanting sound. Scanning her surroundings, Kyoshi noticed a tapestry of colorful birds perched on every branch, joyfully chirping in harmony with the boy's singing, as though they, too, were captivated by the mesmerizing melody.
"What is your name?" The sudden voice almost startled her. Kyoshi looked at the boy to see he was no longer playing his flute and was instead looking up at her with a smile across his face.
"Kyoshi."
"Hashirama. What are you doing here?" He asked as he stood up, placing the flute in a pouch he had strapped around his waist.
"I could ask you the same question." Kyoshi countered back.
"Well. I love playing music, and this spot looked the perfect place." Hashirama answered with the same friendly smile adoring his face as he spread his hands; Kyoshi had to admit, he looked handsome, almost as handsome as Yun.
"Indeed, it must have been difficult to pass through the trees," Kyoshi said, pointing at the trees behind her; her hands were still full of dirt; Hashirama didn't say anything to that. Instead, he asked something that took Kyoshi by surprise.
"Why are you here, Avatar Kyoshi?" Wait, what? Why does everyone suddenly think I'm the Avatar? Kyoshi asked herself, as her eyes narrowed towards him. She took a defensive stance in case she needed to throw hands.
"Were you spying on us?" Kyoshi demanded threateningly, but it seemed Hashirama wasn't taking her seriously.
"I wasn't spying on anyone. I can tell when someone has the ability to bend an element, and I can tell that you can bend all four of them." This surprised Kyoshi; she had never heard of such an ability, and even someone as old as her father had never brought it up before.
"That — isn't possible?" But her voice didn't come out as firm as she had wanted; she sounded doubtful, and she hated herself for sounding like that.
"Well, you don't have to believe me, but I can feel when someone nearby can bend, is like a feeling in the air and the ground. Hot when it is Firebending, Cold when it is Waterbending, the ground feels different when someone can earthbound near me, and the wind gets louder for me when an Airbender is nearby." Hashirama explained. Kyoshi looked him dead in the eye. His words sounded ridiculous, not something that should be possible, but she was certain that he wasn't lying, and if he was, then he was the best liar she had ever met.
"What about me?" Kyoshi asked curiously, pointing her thumb at herself.
"Well, you feel all four, Kyoshi. You don't know how to bend them yet; it is a little difficult, but now that you are much closer. You're undoubtedly the Avatar." '
Kyoshi escaped her thoughts as she looked at the flute in her hands, the one and only thing she had left from Hashirama, pressing it close to her heart. Suddenly, she heard footsteps from behind.
"Kyoshi, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Yangchen," Kyoshi answered sharply, with a tone that made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it. Standing up, she turned to face Yangchen, who looked at her with concern.
"You miss him, don't you?"
Kyoshi closed her eyes, tears escaping her eyes and rolling down her cheeks before falling to the ground below.
"Everyday."
Naruto
What is this?! Naruto asked himself as he sneaked around the underground tunnels, pipes attached to the walls; he wondered why the two Dai Li agents had gone down here.
As he kept walking, Naruto couldn't help but feel as if someone was watching him. His footsteps were light against the ground, and he kept walking forward. Eventually, he reached a door made of earth. Naruto sighed before punching the door; the door cracked and busted open. Naruto ignored the dirt spreading in the air as he walked inside, and in front of him was a man sitting on a chair.
"Who is he?" Naruto questioned; the man wasn't moving from the chair; now that he looked closely, Naruto noticed his lack of breathing. Naruto walked up to him before noticing how pale his skin was, as pale snow; he reached out, his finger touching just underneath his chin. Naruto quickly realized the man was dead.
"You really shouldn't stick your nose in someone else's business." The moment Naruto heard those words, the ground underneath his legs turned liquid, swallowing his legs before turning back to solid ground; Naruto's lower body was stuck in the ground. He looked up to see the man who attacked him, and his eyes widened in shock at what he saw; in front of him stood the same man he saw sitting on the chair, but this one had a strange circle tattoo on his forehead that he quickly covered with a piece of clothing.
"What is happening here? How are there two of you?" Naruto growled as he focused his chakra on his legs; the man stayed mute for a moment; his eyes appeared strange; they appeared foggy, and the color in his eyes appeared similar to that of ice. The man walked closer to Naruto, taking the stance; Naruto knew he was about to sink the rest of his body.
"Why would I tell you that, but don't worry. I will keep you alive. Jiǎ De, can't use your face if you are dead." The man said, his voice coming out emotionless, almost like a corpse was talking instead. With a mischievous grin on his face, Naruto's adrenaline surged as he harnessed his inner strength, propelling himself upwards with an unexpected burst of power. The solid ground shattered beneath him. Reacting swiftly, Naruto's fist connected with the guard's unsuspecting face, launching him through the air in a disorienting spin. The guard's startled cry echoed through the air, only to be abruptly silenced when his body collided forcefully against the unyielding wall.
Naruto quickly rushed towards him when he suddenly opened his mouth and yelled out loud. Naruto's instincts kicked in; he quickly jumped as a spike plunged upwards from the ground he had been standing on a second ago. While in mid-air, Naruto quickly noticed the sudden arrival of twenty Dai Li agents, all of them falling into the room through small openings in the ceiling. Naruto landed and quickly realized that Dai Li agents surrounded him, all of them taking a fighting stance.
"Resident of Ba Sing Se, Naruto. You are under arrest. If you fight back, you are officially an enemy of the Earth Kingdom." One of them spoke, looking at Naruto; the blonde didn't answer. Instead, he softly tapped the ground with the tip of his feet several times.
Naruto's lips twitched upwards; he knew all of them were ready to fight him, but what they didn't realize was the ground underneath had veins growing at the moment. When his lower body had been sunken in, Naruto wasted no time starting to grow trees. Usually, it would take seconds, but the ground surrounding them was much tougher than normal, making it more difficult but not impossible for his trees to grow. Never Impossible.
"I see. Here's my ultimatum. You will tell me everything you know about Long Feng and how this whole operation works. And if you refuse. I will kill all of you." The Dai Li were quick to throw rocks at him, many with pointy ends, trying to kill him, but the moment they moved, the veins burst through the floor with incredible speed.
Naruto effortlessly evaded every single attack launched towards him by the agents. As the agents' futile attempts continued, their screams pierced the air, indicative of their excruciating pain. The tightening grip of the veins wrapped around their bodies intensified, relentlessly crushing their bones one by one, causing unbearable suffering. A vein pierced through the stomach of one of the agents, forcefully tearing its way out through the chest, akin to a flower blooming amidst the chaos. The result was a torrential cascade of crimson as a waterfall of blood erupted from the ghastly wound, splashing onto the ground below and saturating it with a macabre red hue. Naruto keenly observed the crescendo of their agonized wails gradually diminishing, eventually rendering only ten survivors. However, these remaining agents were ensnared by the thick veins constricting their bodies, rendering them completely immobilized.
Naruto walked up to one of them. The agent was barely clinging to life, their shallow breaths audible amidst the tension in the air. The severity of the agent's injuries became apparent as Naruto's gaze fixated upon the agonizing scene before him. He noticed the agent's hand, horribly mangled and broken, with a bone gruesomely protruding from its confines. Blood saturated the agent's outfit, transforming its once vibrant hue into a chilling shade of red.
"You will die of blood loss," Naruto said, sounding almost concerned; the agent didn't react to Naruto's words.
"Tell me what is happening in this city; tell me everything you know about Long Feng and who Jiǎ De is," Naruto asked with a grave voice; the agent was quiet and simply moaning in pain from the broken bones. Naruto made a small gesture, and the veins tightened even more, causing the man to scream in pain, more blood gushing out from his open wounds; the man's head slumped down as he breathed heavily, cold sweat rolling down his face.
"Who is Jiǎ De?" Naruto demanded before grabbing him by the hair and forcing his face upwards; the man smirked before spitting on Naruto's face with a smug smile. Naruto maintained an eerily composed demeanor as he proceeded to wipe away the spit that had landed upon his face. With a quick move of his knife, the blade pierced through the flesh and muscle of his neck, causing a cascade of crimson liquid to trickle from the wound, painting a gruesome tableau. Naruto withdraws the weapon from the man's lifeless body, resulting in the release of arterial blood that spurts forth, sprinkling his attire with macabre splatters of red. The incessant dripping of the crimson fluid persisted, forming rivulets that traced their path down Naruto's garments, ultimately pooling onto the floor below.
Naruto watched as the light in his eyes slowly died away; Naruto's face remained emotionless as he quickly looked at the nine other Dai Li agents left; all of them were shivering even more than before after witnessing what Naruto had just done.
Naruto quickly saw one of them who was the most scared; as he approached him, the man started shaking from the fear, closing his eyes, and trying to hide his face. Naruto's face remained emotionless as he moved the tip of the knife to the man's throat; one small push, and he would die.
"It's a Spirit!!" The man screamed before Naruto had the chance to question him, but his words intrigued him.
"A Spirit?"
"Yes. He looks like a creature with six faces of different animals, including people. He accepted to help Long Feng as long as he brings him new faces to feed on."
"What is a spirit doing here? In Ba Sing Se?" Naruto questioned, wondering why a spirit would waste their time with a city like Ba Sing Se.
"I don't know, but he made a deal with Long Feng. But I don't know anything else. I swear." The man begged. Naruto frowned; the spirit's involvement just made things even more complicated than they already were.
"Please, let me go. I told you everything I know." The agent begged him, but Naruto didn't answer before closing his right hand tightly; the moment he did that, a round of SNAP sounds echoed in the room. Every agent had their necks snapped. Naruto let out a sigh before his eyes fell on the one who had the same face as the one in the chair, but his body wasn't moving, and his skin slowly turned darker and darker until his whole body looked like it was made of mud.
Naruto was ready to leave the place when he suddenly had the same feeling of someone watching him from behind, and Naruto could swear he could hear the sound of something crawling on the ceiling.
Naruto quickly looked upwards but couldn't see anything, but he could swear someone was watching him. Suddenly, he felt a sudden drop in temperature; the room felt much colder. Naruto felt his skin crawl, and his blue eyes widened in shock as he looked at the faces of the Dai Li agents he had killed. Each one now held the face of someone he knew instead. Toph. Aang, Katara. Sokka. Suki, even Zuko, and Uncle Iroh were there.
What is this? This is not real. Naruto thought as he heard the sound of footsteps. He turned around, and a woman with long red hair was walking slowly towards him. Naruto felt like he should know her.
"It has been a Long Time. Naruto." The woman said sweetly, with a motherly voice, as she slowly approached him.
Naruto's eyes widened; he had seen that face before; it had been a long time, so very long, but he remembered her. The way she used to sing to him, the way she would caress his hair, Naruto felt tears behind his eyes as the woman approached.
"Mother!"
"It's me, my son. It's so good to see you." The woman reached out, her hand cupping his cheek. Naruto felt warmth spreading in his eyes, her purple eyes looking back at him. Naruto felt drowsiness spreading, and he suddenly felt very sleepy.
"I-I missed you!" Naruto's voice cracked as he placed his hand on top of hers; she smiled at him sweetly as she slowly approached him.
"Come with me. We will be happy together."
Naruto's eyes closed, tears rolling down his face before gripping her hand tightly, hard enough to cause her to scream in pain. Naruto's other hand reached out, grabbing her by the throat.
"Why do you have her face?" Naruto demanded with clenched teeth and rage as his mother's face disappeared, the face changing again, now appearing as a creature with a big mouth and one big eye.
"How do you have her face?" Naruto demanded with growing rage, tightening his grip around the creature's throat; the thing let out a screech, and the noise bombarded Naruto's ears; he felt a sharp pain in his ears, blood leaking out as he let go of him, the creature quickly started crawling away, but Naruto quickly shot black fire towards, the creature screamed, as veins of the trees rushed towards it, Naruto slowly started closing the fist, ready to kill the dark spirit.
NARUTO
Naruto blinked as he looked around; for a brief moment, he wondered where the voice came from, but he knew there was only one other person that could talk to him.
"Kyoshi, this thing-" Naruto. Never Kill a Dark Spirit. You Will Die Like Kuruk.
His small distraction was enough for the thing to escape as he dug deep underground quickly. Naruto tried to find it, but the creature suddenly disappeared, as if it was never there. Naruto stumped on the ground; he had wanted to kill the stupid thing.
"How does this thing have my mother's face?" Naruto spoke, but more demanding, as he tried to return his breathing back to normal, reminding himself that he was talking to Kyoshi.
"I don't know, but remember, slaying dark spirits caused Kuruk to die at 33 years old. Killing one causes you to lose your vitality and your spirit to be harmed. If you see one, try to capture it, but never kill a dark spirit."
"Do you know this Spirit, Kyoshi?"
"Kuruk is the one you should ask, but if I had to guess. I'm sure you have heard of Koh, The Face Stealer."
Naruto felt a shiver in his body; he hadn't seen the thing, but Aang had mentioned the spirit briefly, saying the spirit was terrifying. "Yes."
"Well. I think this Jiǎ De is his brother."
"That thing has a brother?" Naruto shouted, feeling disgusted, when he remembered something else. "But how did this spirit get in our world?"
"There's only one spirit capable of making rifts between the Human World and the Spirit World," Kyoshi spoke with a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"Who?"
"Naruto, I'm not telling you that," Kyoshi said instead of answering him.
"What? Why? If this spirit is capable of creating rifts between our worlds, then it must be destroyed immediately." Naruto was quick to protest; whoever that spirit was deserved death.
"Kuruk said the same thing, and that spirit is much stronger than you. Even I wouldn't be able to kill that spirit without using everything I have, and even then I could still lose." Kyoshi spoke gravely, with a voice that made it clear she wasn't joking around.
Naruto heard what she said, but if this spirit had started creating rifts, then someone should stop it.
"Did you have to fight this spirit, Kyoshi?"
"No. Kuruk managed to make it lose much of his power and forced it to hide away, during my lifetime I didn't have much trouble with the spirits. Roku had a few small problems, but the presence of the Avatar was enough for the spirit to not start getting stronger, and return back to its original size."
"Wait, Avatar's Presence?! You mean-" "That Aang being in the Iceberg for a century was more than enough time for that thing to get stronger."
Naruto let out a weary sigh; the sight of his mother still made him furious. He wanted to know how that spirit had that face, and the next time he saw that spirit, he would destroy it for daring to use that face; consequences be damned. Naruto clenched his teeth as he pushed further. Soon, he destroyed another wall, and what he saw on the other side made his skin crawl. In front of him was a large square room full of girls repeating the exact same words. Over and Over.
"I'm Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se."
Zuko
Zuko started doing his job the following morning with a bigger smile than ever; as Zuko started preparing tea, he heard footsteps from behind. Zuko expected his uncle to start teasing him about the date last night, but instead, his voice was serious, something incredibly rare.
"Zuko, we have a visitor," his voice, void of the warmth it usually had, echoed through the empty room. Startled, Zuko's expression immediately shifted from focused contemplation to sheer surprise. He pivoted around to face his uncle, who stood a few paces away, his normally serene countenance marred by a hint of concern. With a mere glance, the older man conveyed his unspoken message, urging Zuko to look towards the center of the room. Curiosity piqued, Zuko's golden eyes followed his uncle's gaze and landed on an unexpected sight, leaving him momentarily breathless. A gasp unconsciously escaped from his lips as he beheld the unexpected visitor.
"It's good to see you, Zuzu!" His hands moved on their own as he grasped the two twin blades attached to the wall, his golden eyes glaring at Azula's playful golden eyes.
She might be a better bender, but my swords will easily cut through her, Zuko thought as he slowly approached her. Azula didn't seem concerned; she seemed like she was enjoying this situation as if they were children who were about to play an innocent game.
"Why are you here, Azula?" Zuko demanded as he put the tip of his right sword right under her chin, but Azula still seemed unconcerned; in fact, she seemed amused.
"You know, before I came here. I met this girl, and she seemed quite friendly. She said she was coming here too. She seemed so fragile, Zuzu. One small push and she could break to pieces, and she also told me she loves eating food." Zuko's eyes widened, and his heart skipped a beat before glaring furiously at Azula, his blade now pressing a little against her delicate throat; for a brief moment, Azula's amusement disappeared, turning into anger, but it quickly turned back to amusement as Zuko moved his blades away.
"Where is Jin? If you hurt her. I will kill you." Zuko threatened, his fingers holding his swords' handles tightly, a part of him reminding him that Azula was still his sister, but another part wanted nothing more than to attack her. No matter the outcome of such an attack.
"Me. Harm someone." Azula said, sounding hurt as she placed a hand on her heart. "Zuzu you wound me. Why would I ever harm anyone? How can you say such words to your sister?" She spoke sarcastically as Uncle Iroh approached them, holding three cups of tea, steam still coming out as he placed the cups on the table, one for Azula.
"There's no reason why can't we be reasonable with one another. And Azula, you did try to burn me in our last meeting, but Naruto protected me." Iroh reminded her; his voice came out normal and casual, but Zuko could hear a hint of wariness in his voice, something he had never heard before.
"Oh, right. I was just trying to scare off a fly." Azula said casually with a wave of her hand before moving the cup of tea away from her. She placed her hands on the table.
"Right. Must have been a big fly." Iroh said as he took a sip from his tea. "The tea is not poisoned; I would never put anything that filthy in tea," Iroh said, looking at Azula over the rim of his cup as if he could read her mind; Azula's slender fingers gripped the teacup.
"I figure you didn't come here to say 'Hi' if you did, then you are welcome. We can talk, and Jin can join us. She's a good girl; she knows how to keep secrets. If not, then would be a shame. For all your talent to go all in flames." Iroh said with a sharp voice; his words made Azula's smile of confidence falter, and her fingers gripped the cup tightly. Zuko wondered if the cup would break, but the playful smile returned to her face as she let go of the cup.
"I'm here to give you an opportunity, Zuzu. You might be a traitor, but our father hasn't forgiven you yet. You can still take back your honor. Our father will welcome you with open arms." Azula said sweetly, almost sounding concerned for his well-being.
"Look around you," Azula said before he could answer her, pointing at the walls around the house. "Do you really want to live the rest of your life behind these walls. Continue living like cattle, until the day comes and the walls are broken down. Your little girlfriend can come too. She would be treated well in the Fire Nation." Azula continued, her voice sounding hopeful, as if she genuinely wanted her brother to return. Zuko remained silent for the longest time; he couldn't tell if she was lying; after all, she was always the best at lying, but Zuko knew one thing above all when it came to Azula.
'Azula always lies.'
'Zuko, no matter how things may seem to change. Never forget who you are.' Zuko remembered the words his mother had told him before she disappeared.
He gripped his swords' handles and stood up, glaring down at Azula.
"Where is Jin?" Zuko demanded once again; Azula let out a giggle before standing up.
"Oh, she's fine. Tai Lee was showing her a few tricks. Mai wasn't really happy, but I'm sure you will figure it out." Azula said sweetly, with a smile on her face.
"Zuzu, remember my offer still stands. But before I leave. Do any of you know where Naruto is?" The question caught Zuko off guard. He expected many things, but not Azula, of all people, to ask about the whereabouts of a boy. Zuko smirked slightly.
"Never thought I see the day you fancy someone," Zuko said smugly, expecting some reaction from her, for her to get angry and lose control; after a whole life of being the one to be toyed with by Azula, he wanted to see her be the one who lost control of her emotions for once, but instead her mouth twitched upwards, and for the first time in his life, he saw unmistakable lust in her eyes.
"Ohh, I do fancy Naruto. After our little talk in the lake. I really want to get to know him better. He's quite strong. He could be the perfect candidate for me. Why not?" Her words caught Zuko off guard; he had never expected someone like her to openly admit that she fancied someone of a much lower status. Zuko didn't know what kind of status Naruto had, but he highly doubted that he was a Prince.
"We don't know where Naruto is, but I will say you should keep your hands away from him. I don't know him well, but he didn't look like someone who would want to be involved with you, but maybe he wants to; there's nothing wrong with falling in love." Iroh said before clearing his throat and speaking to Azula differently for the first time.
"How about you stay here? There's nothing wrong with catching up a bit. We are family, after all." Iroh offered, his voice sounding genuine; for a brief moment, Azula's face changed; for a moment, she looked like a little girl, someone who needed help, but her face quickly changed back to her sadistic one.
"Nice try, Uncle." She said smugly before turning around and walking out of the shop. Zuko's shoulders slumped down in relief, suddenly feeling better that she wasn't with them anymore; hearing footsteps again, he saw Jin appear in front of the open door of the tea shop.
Before Jin could even say anything, Zuko quickly enveloped her in a big hug, his arms around her waist; she blushed furiously as Zuko held her close.
"Not that I don't mind, but did something happen?" Jin questioned, sounding confused. Zuko pulled away. He was ready to ask where she had been, but he quickly realized that could result in her knowing that he had been lying to her about his real identity.
"No. Of course not." Zuko quickly said with a smile, suddenly feeling embarrassed; Jin cocked an eyebrow; she seemed like she didn't fully believe him, but before she could ask anything, they all heard someone landing outside, and Zuko saw Avatar Aang walking inside.
"Zuko, Iroh. It's good to see you both. I need your help."
"Help?" Zuko asked; he noticed the way Jin looked at him strangely; he knew he couldn't hide his real identity for long, especially after Aang said his real name out loud.
"Yes. I need your help to talk with the King." Aang said with a slight frown on his face. And help Ba Sing Se, he thought, remembering what Long Feng had told him. The truth about his assassination attempt and what the King had tried to do, but most importantly, what Naruto had done.
Naruto, why did it have to be this way? Aang thought, remembering what Long Feng had told him.
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