Hello all!
So sorry it's been forever and an age since my last chapter.
Life has been a bit busy!
I hope to have more chapters out for you all soon, so look forward to that. There are a few more already written that I just need to edit before posting.
Thanks for not giving up on me and for reading!
Enjoy!
Light from the Shadows
Chapter 17
Kakashi
They'd been walking for a while now, along the floor of a forest. Their route still north for the Pole, but had stopped for a while to let Appa rest. His body still wasn't at one hundred percent after the shirshu fight. They hoped he'd recover soon, but Aang wanted to err on the side of caution rather than hurt his lifelong friend. It was late afternoon. They walked and Momo was flying from branch to branch in the trees, presumably following a bug or small prey. A few moments later he landed on a notice board in the middle of their path.
The rest of the group ran up to it, but he and Sakura took their time. Plastered on the sides of the board were posters of several different events and goings on in the area. Katara was leaning forward and inspecting the different articles closely.
"This should give us a good idea of what's around here."
Sokka shook the last bit of food out a bag he had been snacking out of a crumpled it in his hand.
"See if you can find a menu, I'm starving!"
Kakashi rose an eyebrow at him, "Didn't you just eat that whole bag?" He pointed at the crumpled up bag in his hand.
"So? I'm a growing boy! I need sustenance!"
Kakashi chuckled with the rest of the group. He sometimes forgot how young they were.
Aang ran around the board a couple of times and stopped at a brightly colored poster.
"I bet we'll find something to eat here! The Fire Days Festival... Fire Nation cultural exhibits... jugglers, benders, magicians. This'd be a great place for me to study some real firebenders!"
Kakashi couldn't help an inkling of fear rush ice cold through his veins. A Fire Nation Festival... with Fire Nation citizens... What if someone recognizes me?
"You might wanna rethink that. Look at this."
Sokka was on the other side of the board. He pulled back the poster for the festival, and behind it was a wanted poster for Aang, some man in a mask, and a man Kakashi hadn't seen in a very long time, in fact they even looked similar if you squinted really hard and tilted your head a bit from a distance.
"Hey, a poster of me!" Aang cried out.
"A wanted poster. This is bad."
Aang peeled the poster off the board and they turned and started walking away from the board. Katara followed as well.
That was a very good thing.
Underneath Aang's poster was another.
Wanted Dead or Alive: Kakashi Hatake.
So they haven't given up after all. Shit. At least they don't have a recent picture of me. The poster featured a silver haired man with a top knot. His face was the same if not more intense.
Sakura had followed the kids and turned back toward him, "Hey, Kakashi, we best keep moving! Let's go!"
He laughed and followed after her, "Sorry, I thought I saw a fox."
"A fox?" Sakura questioned, "Huh? Weird."
Aang decided they should go to the festival anyway, "I have to learn firebending at some point, and this could be my only chance to watch a master up close!"
Katara looked at the ground, unsure of the decision, "I guess we could check it out."
Sokka on the other hand, was completely against the idea, and Kakashi had to agree with him. If not for the possibility of Aang being captured, then for his own sake of possibly being recognized. Who knew how many people had seen that poster?
"What!? You want to walk into a Fire Nation town when they're all fired up with all their, you know, fire?"
Katara crossed her arms, "We'll wear disguises and if it looks like trouble, we'll leave."
She and Aang walked over to Appa.
"Like that ever happens." Kakashi mumbled.
The group walked to the edge of the forest, in the distance, a Fire Nation town could be seen. It was now dusk. Aang turned to Appa and Momo,
"You guys stay out of sight here while we go to the festival."
Momo flew around and disappeared into a bush. Appa saw this and tried to copy him, but the bush, being only about two feet tall, did little to hide a ten ton bison. Kakashi chuckled.
"Ready disguises!" Aang called out.
Everyone but Aang had purchased a dark cloak at the last town and they pullled them out now. Whether he forgot or deemed he didn't need one, who knew, but right now, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He saw that he was the only one who wasn't dressed in black, and grinned in some level of embarrassment. Sokka folding his hands, unimpressed, and Katara laughed. Aang pulled up part of his capelet over his head, but it did little to hide his identity.
Sakura clapped him on the back as they left, "It's like you're a whole different person. Let's go!"
Once they arrived in the town, the square was entirely filled with people. Above them, colorful fireworks were exploding. Children were running around, revelers ran by in heavily embroidered costumes, and several were weaving their way around the festival concealed in a Chinese dragon outfit. Everyone was wearing a mask.
"Yeah, I think we need different disguises." Kakashi gestured to the people around them all being masked.
Sokka glared at him, annoyed, "Where do you suggest we get masks like that?"
Kakashi didn't break eye contact as he pointed to a stall to their right.
"Possibly there."
"Get your genu-ine Fire Festival masks here!"
Sokka shrugged, "That was surprisingly easy."
Kakashi nodded and they all headed to the stall.
Katara chose a geisha mask that had red circles on its cheeks, Aang a blue sun mask with a big smile, and Sokka a red frowning mask. Kakashi turned to Sakura and her mask was similar to his own. She had a white porcelain mask designed to look like a cat and he had one that was a dog.
"Nice."
"Same to you."
They laughed and turned back to the festival.
Aang pointed ahead of them, "Hey, Sokka, there's some food."
Sokka started drooling and ran with him ahead of the group, "Finally!" They reached the merchant's booth, "What do you have?"
"Flaming fire flakes! Best in town."
He held out a small steaming bag, and before Kakashi could stop him, Sokka grabbed the bag and shouted, "I'll take 'em!"
"Sokka, no-"
The boy stuffed a handful in his mouth, then started screaming and blowing steam from his mouth. He lifted his mask slightly to cool off his mouth.
"Aah! Hot! It's hot!"
Kakashi sighed and slid a hand down his face. "They're flaming fire flakes. What about that statement makes you think they'll be anything but hot?"
He grabbed the remainder of the bag and tilted it into his own mouth. They were hot yes, maybe even the hottest Kakashi had ever had, but being a firebender, all it did was make steam flow off his hair. Sokka stared at him in disbelief.
"What? How?"
"Secret."
Kakashi winked at him and kept walking.
Aang pointed to an act a little ways away, "Hey, look at this!"
The group walked up and a Punch & Judy show was about to begin. The entire audience was made up of children. The curtain to the little stage drew open and a small puppet of the Fire Lord appeared. The audience cheered, but Kakashi narrowed his eyes. Ozai.
"Don't worry loyal citizens! No one can surprise the Fire Lord!"
Behind him an earthbender puppet rose up, with a rock at the ready to strike him. Some of the children in the audience cry out warnings to him. The Fire Lord puppet turned suddenly and torched the other puppet with a bout of blame. The audience cheered. The only thing Kakashi could think was that they were brainwashing the young children into thinking the Fire Lord was actually a good person. Kakashi shook his head and the group walked to a different stage. The crowd was massive.
"Aang, hold on! Where are we going?" Katara asked.
He turned to her and shrugged, "I don't know, but there's a big crowd so it must be good."
Sokka grumbled, "Knowing the Fire Nation, it's probably an execution."
Kakashi was reminded of the last public execution he had attended.
His father's. The dream he had a few weeks ago. The agony of losing his only living relation. He could still remember every agonizing detail, no matter how much tried to forget. Kakashi could still remember the disgusting smell of blood and digestive fluids filling the air of the arena. Just remembering it turned his stomach, he stopped for a moment, doubled over, attempting not to throw up.
Sakura noticed he had stopped and turned around.
"Kakashi! Are you all right?"
She ran up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He felt the bile rise.
"Hey... were those fire flakes just too much?" She chuckled nervously.
Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle, and regretted it immediately, it only encouraged whatever was trying to escape his body.
"Uggghhhhh."
"You gunna make it?"
She ran her hand through his hair, most likely attempting to soothe him. It worked, but probably not in the way she was thinking. The only thing on Kakashi's mind now was how great her fingers felt in his hair, and that one area that itched just behind his ear. His breathing evened out and the urge to throw up slowly subsided.
"Hooooo... thank you, Sakura."
"You good now?
"Yeah."
Even though he couldn't see it, he knew she was smiling at him. And for some reason he was strangely disappointed by it. Kakashi straightened up and they attempted to find the rest of their group. The show was in full swing, however, and the energy of the crowd made it difficult to get anywhere.
"Find them after the show?" Kakashi suggested.
"Sure."
They stopped looking for their companions and turned their attention to the stage.
The stage was composed of thin pillars with fire basins atop them at each corner. The performer was manipulating fire for the crowd's delight. From what Kakashi could tell, the man might have been doing the routine for a while, but he wasn't a very good firebender. The first trick concluded by the showman extinguishing the flame and producing a small flock of doves who flew off the stage. How he did that, Kakashi didn't know. But he still wasn't impressed. The crowd exploded with applause. He glanced sideways and saw Sakura was clapping so he decided to pat his hands together mildly a few times.
"Thank you! For my next trick I need a volunteer from the audience!"
A few hands went up, and the performer looked around for a few seconds before he pointed at someone.
"How about you, little lady?"
Apparently the 'volunteer' was less than enthusiastic.
"Aww, she's shy. Let's give her some encouragement, folks!"
The performer grabbed the participant and hauled them up. Kakashi peered closely, and yes, it was definitely Katara. He shook his head. I thought we weren't supposed to be attracting any attention?
"Hey, that's Katara. Sakura, let's go to where she was standing, Sokka and Aang are probably there."
They made their way to the right side of the stage. On the stage, proving to be a good distraction, the performer was tying Katara to a chair.
"This next trick is called 'Taming the Dragon.' You will be my captured princess!"
Kakashi watched the performer pull a fire from each of the basins into a large comet that he waved around the stage. The head of the 'dragon' was connected to the performer's hand by a sort of 'fire rope'.
"Don't worry, young maiden! I will tame this fiery beast!"
The two continued through the crowd and soon found Aang and Sokka.
"It's too strong, I can't hold it!"
"Hey you two!"
"Hey!" Aang pointed at Katara, "We gotta help her!"
Aang moved to run up on stage, but Sokka grabbed his arm.
"No, we don't want to make a scene!"
"I hate to admit it, but Sokka's right, anyone finds out you're the Avatar and we're in deep water."
"The rope, it's breaking!"
They all looked up at the stage, and the fireball was headed straight for Katara. She cringed and cried out. Aang ignored their advice and airbended himself up to the stage, Kakashi falling short when he tried to grab him. He dropped down on the stage and created a whirlwind that dissipated the 'dragon' into an explosion of confetti.
Sokka jumped up on stage to untie Katara while the rest of the group ran to the back of the stage, hoping to find a form of escape.
Aang was doing some sort of lame dance for the crowd, and low and behold, some asshole in the crowd had to shout out, 'Hey that kid's the Avatar!"
Aang froze. A few guards nearby turned at the mention of the name. They began cutting their way through the crowd. Sokka and Katara threw off their masks, but Kakashi decided to hold onto his, and when he looked, it seemed Sakura had just pushed hers up, not discarding it.
"Looks like it's time to go!"
A man in an alley close by peeked out, "Follow me! I can git ya outta here!"
They ran down the alley, but not before the guards noticed where they were going.
"There they are!"
The man who had offered his help, threw a smoke bomb at the guards' feet, obscuring their view. They ran through the square and a couple of different alleys. Aang called out while they ran, "I'm calling Appa!"
He took out he bison whistle and blew on it.
Kakashi had already seen the whistle in action, but he still doubted at the bison's ability to actually hear it. They were hundreds of feet away, and in a crowded loud festival! There was no way.
"I hope he can really hear that bison whistle!" Sokka shouted.
Their rescuer turned in a conjoining alley, "This way!" they saw it was a dead end, "Okay! Not this way!"
They turned back, but the exit was blocked by guards in pursuit. The mystery rescue man threw another smoke bomb and they ran past the guards into another alley. When the smoke cleared, they saw a massive brick wall blocking their way. A breeze flushed into the alley and Kakashi looked up to see Appa had arrived in the nick of time.
Aang called to him, "Appa! Down here!"
The giant bison landed between them and the guards, his tail facing away. He flopped his tail and the windy result blew the guards out of the alley to land in a heap elsewhere. Kakashi climbed onto Appa's back.
"Hey stranger guy." He was looking at what was beyond the wall.
"Do you have another of those bombs?"
"Mm. Yeah."
He handed a bomb to Kakashi.
"Just pull the string."
Appa was rising quickly, so Kakashi bit the string and threw the bomb in the direction of the firewords supply. Lucky enough, the bomb landed right in the middle of it all, setting off a massive explosion of colors and sounds.
"Nice!" Aang exclaimed.
Sokka turned to the new character in their group, "You seem to really know your explosives."
He looked at Sokka, "I'm familiar."
The water tribe boy seemed surprised, "You're a Fire Nation soldier!"
It seemed to be a sensitive subject with the man, "Was. My name's Chey."
Once the festival was out of site and they had gained some distance from the town, the group stopped to camp. Late into the evening, they sat around the fire talking.
Kakashi was suspicious of this 'Chey' person. Was he who he said he was? Was this all a trap? If he was Fire Nation, had he already recognized me? If so, why hasn't he called me out?
"I serve a man. More than a man really, he's a myth, but he's real, a living legend, Jeong Jeong the Deserter. He was a Fire Nation general, or wait, was he an admiral?"
"He was an admiral, get on with your story." Kakashi said.
The group stared at him.
"Do you know this guy, Kakashi?" Sakura asked.
"Eh... nothing much beyond his wanted poster on that notice board from earlier. He's said to have been the only person to desert the Fire Nation and live to tell the tale."
"Yeh! Way up there! Anyway, he just couldn't take the madness any more. He's the first person ever to leave the army - and live. I'm the second, but you don't get to be a legend for that. That's okay though. Jeong Jeongs' a firebending genius. Some say he's mad - but he's not! He's enlightened."
They said things like that about Jeong Jeong even before he deserted. And I was the second to desert, though they may have scrubbed that fact from public knowledge at this point. Once Jeong Jeong made it out, it didn't seem as impossible.
Aang stood up, excited, "You mean there's a firebender out here who's not with the Fire Lord? We've gotta go see him! He can train me!"
Sokka pulled him back down to his stump, "We're not gonna go find some crazy firebender!"
Aang pouted.
Chey stood, "He's not crazy! He's a genius! And he's the perfect person to train the Avatar! That's why I followed you into the festival."
Best to end this before it begins, I cannot have anyone finding out about me, and Jeong Jeong would definitely recognize me.
"Look, thanks for the help, but we're leaving for the North Pole in the morning." Kakashi said, hoping no one noticed the nervousness he was feeling.
"Kakashi, this could be my only chance to meet a firebending master who would actually be willing to teach me."
Kakashi wanted to retort that he could teach Aang, or that you never know, they could always find another teacher... but the heavy truth was, Kakashi was never going to outright tell Aang that he was a firebender, let alone offer to teach him. The rest of the group would turn on him before he even got a chance. And their odds of finding another master to fall in their lap like this were virtually null. He sighed.
"I suppose it couldn't hurt just to talk to him."
Sokka burst out, "Now just a second! That's what we thought about going to the festival! Why doesn't anyone ever listen to reason!?"
He got up and started to stalk away from the group, but almost ran straight into a spear. Kakashi glanced around them and noticed they were surrounded by men wearing straw hats and armor and wielding spears.
"Don't move!"
...
The group of soldiers let them through the forest.
One turned to Chey as if he were angry, "Jeong Jeong told you not to look for the Avatar!"
Sokka held up a hand, "Hold on, you know these guys!?"
Chey turned to them with a big smile on his face, but Kakashi knew the man was in deep shit. It would be the same level of offense as if someone were to tell the Fire Lord Kakashi's location, it puts Jeong Jeong in danger of being found.
"Oh yeh! Lin Yi's an old buddy! Right Lin Yi?"
The man in question scowled and lowered a spear at Chey, "Shut up! Keep moving."
...
Eventually they reached their destination, in the middle of the night. There was a small lean-to shack and the 'Lin Yi' guy walked up to it, leaving them alone with the rest of the soldiers. He soon returned and spoke to Chey.
"Go on. He sees you only."
Chey backed away, waving his hands, "Oh that's okay, we can chat later."
Aang hopped forward, "Is that where Joeng Joeng is? I need to talk to him right away."
He moved to walk down the path to the lean-to, but a spear shaft crossed his path."
Lin Yi had been the one to stop him, "No! You wait there."
He pushed Chey forward roughly, "Go now!"
The man laughed nervously, "Don't worry! Everything'll be fine. He's a great man, great man!"
...
It had to be quite late now. The rest of his group had decided to try and get some sleep while they waited. Kakashi offered to take watch. Not that it was really necessary. He wondered if any of Jeong Jeong's soldiers had recognized him.
At some point Chey exited Jeong Jeong's hut. Aang woke up instantly. Kakashi doubted he was ever really asleep. He bounced up and ran up to Chey.
"What happened? Can I see Jeong Jeong now?"
Chey sat down at their little campsite, his expression glum.
"He won't see you. He's very angry that I brought you here. He wants you to leave immediately."
Sokka got up on his elbows, "Finally! Let's hit the road."
"Why won't he see me?"
"He says you're not ready. Says you haven't mastered waterbending and earthbending yet."
"Wait, how does he know that?"
"He saw the way you walking into camp. He can tell."
"I'm going in anyway!"
Kakashi got up to follow him, "Wait, Aang, that's not a good idea-"
Aang turned back and scowled at him before continuing on to Jeong Jeong's hut anyway. Kakashi leaned against a nearby building just in case things went very badly for the kid in there.
"Get out."
The night was silent enough, Kakashi could hear their conversation.
"Master, I need to learn firebending."
"Only a fool seeks his own destruction."
"I'm the Avatar. It's my destiny to..."
"Destiny? What would a boy know of destiny? If a fish lives its whole life in this river, does he know the river's destiny? No! Only that it runs on and on out of his control! He may follow where it flows, but he cannot see the end. He cannot imagine the ocean."
"To master the bending disciplines, you must first master discipline itself. But you have no interest in this, so I have no interest in you! Now, get out."
"Please, I have to learn. This could be my only chance."
"Are you deaf?! How can I teach you if you refuse to listen? Before learning firebending you must learn water and earth. Water is cool and soothing, earth is steady and stable, but fire, fire is alive! It breathes, it grows, without a bender, a rock will not throw itself! But fire will spread and destroy everything in its path if one does not have the will to control it! That is its destiny! You are not ready! You are too weak!"
The voices changed suddenly. Aang's became darker, older.
"You think I am weak?"
"Avatar Roku! No! No! I did not mean that!"
"I have mastered the elements a thousand times in a thousand lifetimes. Now, I must do it once again. You will teach the Avatar firebending."
"Yes, yes, I will teach you."
Aang's normal voice came back.
"Really? That's great!"
"Ugghhh."
So Avatar Roku came out in the end, huh? Can't blame Jeong Jeong for giving in to that...but the timing is all wrong. Jeong Jeong is right, Aang has not learned all the discipline necessary to control the horrible destruction that is fire.
Aang left the hut and did a weird happy dance back to the camp. Kakashi decided that while Jeong Jeong was probably not in the best of moods, that this would still be his best chance at actually getting to talk to the man. It had been so long since he spoke with anyone he knew... from before.
He walked around to the entrance of the hut, and slipped the curtain to the side before entering.
"Master?"
Kakashi expected outrage and anger from the man, but instead was the most unexpected outcome, he grinned slightly and spoke.
"Master." He inclined his head slightly to Kakashi.
Inside Kakashi flipped out. Wait, did he just acknowledge me as a master? A master of what?
"I'm sorry?"
"It has been a long time, Kakashi."
He sat down and crossed his legs.
"Yes it has, Jeong Jeong. But I must confess. I am confused. If anyone is a master, it is you. Not me."
He idly twisted the wick of one of the candles in front of him, lighting it and putting it out in the same motion. "To me, Kakashi, control is mastery, the more you control anything, the more you master it. You can master bending, a skill, trade, whatever, but the hardest thing to master is yourself, your emotions, their ebb and flow. I am a pacifist. When I left the Fire Nation I swore off using firebending as a weapon, and the only thing you'll catch me doing now is lighting a candle. It's so peaceful, and when I saw you approach, I knew you had gained at least a piece of this serenity yourself. Tell me, when did you escape from the hell that is the Fire Nation?"
"A little over eight years ago."
"You have done well. The last time I saw you, the Fire Lord had his talons deep in you, you were a violent and angry person. I am proud to see you this way, thoughtful, cautious, caring. If there was anything I could have in this world, I would have been born as a nonbender. How much simpler life would have been! How much less destruction there would have been in the world."
"If not you, the Fire Lord would have only used another body."
"You are correct. Bastard."
They were silent for a moment.
"Where were you hiding?"
"I was all over for about a year. They finally stopped sending assassins at that point and it got easier. The last several I spent on Kyoshi Island, and I am so glad I did. My best friend was also there, and is here with me now. What a wonderful person she is."
Jeong Jeong smiled at him,
"Oh? And who is she?"
"Her name is Sakura."
"The earthbender?"
"Yes."
"She has spirit that one. Another question. You are a firebender, and Sakura is an Earthbender. Once your reach the north pole, the girl and the Avatar learn waterbending, why don't you and Sakura teach him the other elements?"
"I'm afraid mine is a very selfish reason."
He took a deep breath, "They don't know."
"No, they don't know. Not even Sakura."
"You would make an excellent teacher."
"Every time I think of spilling the beans, I think of the hurt I'm going to see in Sakura's eyes, the hatred. I just can't stand to see that. Not yet. I know it's not a very good reason, but I'd never firebend again if it kept her from looking at me like that. From losing my best friend."
"And what about her?"
"I asked her once, what she thought about doing it, and she said she tried teaching at one point, and that it went horribly for her. I didn't press it any further. Aang is also close friends with King Bumi of Omashu. Perhaps he thinks Bumi would teach him."
"That's quite impressive."
"Tell me about it, apparently they were friends a hundred years ago."
"Speaking of King Bumi... have you had any time to find a pai sho table?"
Kakashi thought of the tile occupying his pocket and ran his thumb around its smooth edge.
"I confess I have all but lost any tiles I had."
"There is only one that is important in the end."
"You are correct. Though not many still cling to the ancient ways."
"Those who do will always find a friend."
"The white lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets," Kakashi expelled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, "excellent to know I have a brother in you, Jeong Jeong."
"The same to you."
Kakashi leaned back on his hands, "So I suppose you start training him in the morning."
"Yes... even though I detest the position I've been put in."
"I apologize for the situation we've put you in. Myself especially."
"It's all right. Get some sleep, we start in the morning."
"Yes, master."
They each stood as much as the hut would allow and bowed to the other.
"Oh, and Kakashi?"
"Yes?"
"I won't tell anyone about you, if you extend the same courtesy to myself. It is not my place to share another's secrets."
"Of course, sir."
Kakashi turned and left, feeling a little less alone in the world.
...
The next morning Jeong Jeong and Aang started their training. The rest of the group occupied themselves. Katara and Sakura practiced their bending, sparring against each other. In some tiny part of his brain he pictured Sakura mud wrestling in a swimsuit. Focus on your book, don't think about Sakura. Except the chapter he was on was particularly smut filled, thus instead of leaving the pink-haired woman, his imagination instead filled with visions of her in the various scenes described in the book. An image of Sakura body slamming her opponent with an earth hardened elbow shook him out of his fantasies.
Kakashi looked up and saw Sokka sitting on a boulder, fishing in the river. Right now he and Sokka were supposed to be the nonbenders of the group, and he thought about joining the boy, but decided making another pole was too much effort.
Downstream a little ways was Aang balancing on a flat rock, Jeong Jeong on the shore across from him. From where he laid, Kakashi could hear them.
"Widen your stance... Wider!... Bend your knees... Now, concentrate... Good! Good..."
Jeong Jeong began to walk away.
"Wait! What do I do now?"
The firebending master whipped around, and Kakashi resisted the urge to laugh. Jeong Jeong knew the Avatar needed a firm hand, but the man wasn't as much of a hardass as he seemed.
"Silence! Talking is not concentrating! Look at your friends, are they talking? Even those oafs know to concentrate on what they're doing!"
Kakashi was slightly offended at being referred to as an oaf, but he knew it was Jeong Jeong's way of pretending he didn't know him. From the surface, Kakashi just looked like a dude reading a smutty novel, an oaf.
"But what am I concentrating on?"
"Feel the heat of the sun. It is the greatest source of fire. Yet, it is in complete balance with nature!"
Aang looked at the sun, squinted, and then looked back at Jeong Jeong, with a huge smile on his face, "So when do I get to make some fire?"
"Concentrate!"
This time Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle, and he wasn't alone, Sakura and Katara had stopped their bending to laugh, and Sokka giggled.
Aang breathed deeply and Kakashi could have sworn that the boy was blushing. He glanced their way, and everyone stopped laughing.
Jeong Jeong left and Kakashi walked up to Aang.
"Now, don't look up Aang, I'm just going to talk, you keep your eye's closed and let your mind go blank."
He crossed his legs and sat on the shore across from him.
"The monks taught you to meditate, didn't they? When you meditate, there is no talking, you just relax and focus on breathing in and out, even steady breaths. Inhale, exhale." Breath. "It's as easy as that."
Kakashi closed his eyes and followed his own instructions.
...
A few hours later, a hand was placed on Kakashi's shoulder.
"Kakashi. Thank you."
He opened his eyes and looked up, Aang was in his stance, eyes closed and in deep concentration. Kakashi looked up and Jeong Jeong was smiling.
"I told you you'd be an excellent teacher," he whispered as he pulled him up from the ground.
"Yeah yeah."
Kakashi walked back to his piece of soft grass, pulled his book out, and continued to read.
Jeong Jeong and Aang walked by and Kakashi didn't bother following. The former Fire Nation admiral knew what he was doing.
About an hour later he returned alone. Kakashi glanced up for a moment,
"Alone?"
"He doesn't know how to breathe."
"You're right about that. How ironic, an airbender who doesn't understand breathing."
Jeong Jeong smirked before he continued on to his hut.
A few hours later, Aang stormed past and straight into the master's hut. He's going to regret that.
Some shouting occured, and Aang left the tent. He sat on the rock from before and assumed a meditative position. His posture became more and more relaxed and Kakashi could tell that Jeong Jeong's words had sunk in.
Eventually Kakashi's old acquaintance came out of his hut and approached the boy. From where he sat, Kakashi could not hear them anymore, so he just read. The same page for the last three hours. Over the edge of his book, Kakashi saw Jeong Jeong give Aang something and then a soldier of his came up, they walked away together.
"I did it! I made fire!"
Kakashi's eyes snapped up. Aang was standing there with a fireball above his hand.
"Aang, that's great, but you should take it slow."
He could tell the comment annoyed Aang, the flame got larger.
"Aang! Calm down." Kakashi called out.
They didn't hear him.
"Careful!"
Luckily the flame was brought back into the boy's control but Kakashi decided it needed to stop before he hurt someone, Katara, or even worse, Sakura.
"Now that's firebending!"
He shot a whip of flame and then began to juggle the ball of flame happily.
"Aang you are going to hurt yourself! Stop!" Kakashi shouted.
He knew the kid heard him now, and chose to ignore him.
"Wonder how that juggler did it..."
Aang looped the ball around him. It became a complete circle and he pushed it outward. The shockwave of flame hit Katara and Sakura, Katara's hands and Sakura's shoulder and elbow. They recoiled and turned away from Aang.
"Katara! I'm so sorry!" Aang ran for her.
"Sakura!" Kakashi shouted, "Are you okay?"
Katara was crying and Sakura was lowering her arm in the water. Sokka heard the commotion and ran over.
"Katara! What happened?" He looked at Aang with anger burning in his eyes, "What did you do?"
"I-I-It was an accident! I was... Katara, Sakura, I'm so-"
Sokka cut him off and tackled him to the ground.
"I told you we shouldn't mess around with this! Look what you did! You burned my sister and Sakura!"
Katara got up and ran away. Sakura reached for her with the arm that wasn't burned.
"Katara wait, I can help."
The girl didn't stop, and Sakura let her arm fall.
Kakashi ran up to their camp and picked up Sakura's bag, bringing it back to shore. He knew she kept a medical aid kit in the top. He pulled it out and went through it, taking out a small pot of salve and some strips of thin cloth.
"Sakura come here, I'll help you." She pulled her arm out of the water and shook off the extra water, using her shirt to dry it off.
Kakashi used some of the salve on the burn and wrapped her arm with bandages, before tying it off.
"Thank you, Kakashi."
Jeong Jeong came up to them, and Sokka was just itching to blame someone.
"This is all your fault!"
"I know. Now pack your things. You must leave immediately."
"I'm sorry, I didn't... I'm sorry!"
Jeong Jeong didn't even bother stopping, he just walked upstream where Katara went. Kakashi pulled Sakura up and they followed a few paces behind. The master stooped next to Katara and they talked.
"You have healing abilities. Some of the great benders of the water tribe have this ability. I've always wished I had been blessed with abilities like yours. The ability to heal others, to be free from this burning curse."
"But you're a great master. You have powers I'll never know."
"Water brings healing and life. But fire brings only destruction and pain. It forces those of us burdened with its care to walk a razor's edge between humanity and savagery. Eventually, we are torn apart."
Jeong Jeong's words struck Kakashi. They were how he had felt in the middle of his Fire Nation military career, and the reason he had eventually left his country. If only every firebender in the Fire Nation felt this way, the world might be a more peaceful place.
Right before their eyes flames shot out over the water. Jeong Jeong stopped the flame from washing over them.
"Go! Get your friends and flee!" They all left Jeong Jeong to his own defences. He was a master, in the end if anyone could hold their own it would be him.
"Do not come back here or you will all be destroyed. Hurry!"
As they ran away, a wall of flames flew up in front of a row of ships on the river, Jeong Jeong's doing, no doubt, and an impressive maneuver. They reached the campsite, where Sokka was finishing packing up their bags on Appa.
He turned around, "Katara! Sakura! Are you two all right?"
"We're fine! We've got to get out of here. Where's Aang?"
Sokka thumbed in the direction of Jeong Jeong's hut. Kakashi ran down the path to get him.
When he reached the hut, Kakashi pushed the curtain aside and Aang was sitting inside.
"Jeong Jeong tried to tell me that I wasn't ready. I wouldn't listen. I'm never going to firebend again."
"I respect that decision, I do, but you're the Avatar, you'll have to eventually if you're going to defeat the Fire Lord, there's just no other way."
"No, never again."
"It's really okay, Aang. Katara's healed, and I bandaged up Sakura."
"What? How?"
"We can explain it all later. But right now, we have to get out of here. Zhao and his soldiers are attacking!"
Aang hopped up, "Where?"
"By the river. They captured Jeong Jeong."
"I have to help him!"
...
"Jeong Jeong!"
They had gone to help the master against Zhao.
"We'll see. Men! Take the deserter!"
When Kakashi looked at his friend, he was surrounded by five of his own men, and with a smile, he wrapped himself in massive wall of flame. When it dissipated, he was gone.
"It's a trick! He's run off into the woods. Find him!"
Zhao turned to Aang, "Let's find out what my old master has taught you."
Kakashi backed away, wanting to make sure that everyone was safe. This fight was Aang's. Not to mention you're a coward asshole who refused to reveal his true identity. I want to wait for the right moment! Yeah right, you just don't want Zhao to recognize you and blow your cover... He found Appa and the rest of the group a little ways away. Everything was ready to go.
"Hey, Aang is fighting Zhao. We can't help him, I don't want anyone else getting hurt, and the forest surrounding the fight has already gone up in flames." They reluctantly accepted this and nodded. The air was starting to fill with smoke, Zhao had already caught so much on fire. The forest would be just a shell of its former self by the time he was done. How typical. Katara and Sokka got on Appa, and Kakashi pulled Sakura aside.
"Hey.. I'm going to go watch Aang, if things get ugly, I'll try and save him. You guard those two, I don't know if Zhao was alone. I'll meet back up here when it's all done."
She nodded and Kakashi left, running back to the fight. He found a patch of trees that wasn't as horribly burned to hide in. Kakashi crouched low to the ground and pushed aside just enough shrubbery to give him a good visual of the fight. Zhao was firing blast after blast at Aang, who was doing excellent job of dispelling and dodging them. They all missed.
Kakashi couldn't hear what was being said, but it seemed like Aang was taunting Zhao. Perhaps the kid wasn't as immature as Kakashi had previously thought. The best way to get an edge against an opponent like Zhao was to work his temperament against him.
He couldn't resist laughing when Aang's words made Zhao launch another wayward blast that missed entirely along with a noise of frustration. An Admiral of the Fire Nation was outmatched by a 12 year old boy.
Aang dodged the blast, and hopped onto one of Zhao's boats. Shit's gunna get real here, Zhao better be careful...
Aang continued mocking the Admiral, who kept making hilarious noises and firing without restraint. His next attack set a good part of the ship on fire, but it didn't look as if he cared. Scratch that, he wasn't even aware of the damage he was doing. The kid jumped to the next ship and it clicked for Kakashi what he was doing.
He was going to have Zhao burn up all of his own ships so he couldn't follow them. A very smart move, even if the surrounding forest was unfortunately being burned to a crisp.
Kakashi sighed and patted the tree next to him. I'm sorry, my friend. He looked back to the battle and saw Zhao had presently blown massive holes right through the next two ships and held a hand in front of his face to stifle his laughter. He was making this too easy.
Aang stood on the edge of the last boat and Kakashi could finally pick up what he was saying.
"You've lost this battle."
Zhao fired another ball at Aang which he dodged by jumping and landing in the same spot. The attack had set even more of the third boat on fire.
"Are you crazy? You haven't thrown a single blow!"
"No, but you have."
He gestured over the three boats, all on fire and the first one sinking fast.
"Jeong Jeong said you had no restraint."
Aang jumped off his perch into the water, and when he surfaced he yelled back at Zhao, "Have a nice walk home!"
Kakashi caught Aang's attention by waving.
"Aang, come on!"
He ran up to Kakashi and the two rejoined the rest of their group. Aang ran up to Appa and they took off the second Kakashi hopped into the saddle. They had just left the ground when Aang hesitated.
"Wait! Where's Jeong Jeong?"
"He disappeared, they all did. By the time we got Appa ready to go they were already gone."
"Aang, you're burned." Sakura pointed at the hole in Aang's shirt over his forearm.
He looked down and saw that she was right.
"Let me help you." Sakura and Katara said at the same time.
Sakura moved to grab her first aid kit, but Katara was already taking water out of a flask on her waist. She bent it around her hand and it glowed white. She placed it over the burned area, and breathed. When she let go the wound was healed. Kakashi glanced next to him and saw Sakura droop.
"Wow that's good water!"
"When did you learn how to do that?"
Kakashi elbowed her lightly in the ribs and whispered in her ear.
"I know you're jealous you couldn't use your skills, but why not take some notes? Aren't you always looking for new things to learn?"
"I guess I always knew."
"Oh... well then thanks for all the first aid over the years. Like when I fell into the grease briar bramble and that time I had two fish hooks in my thumb!"
She flashed him a smile and pulled her notebook and a refillable ink pen out of her pack in place of the first aid kit.
"Two?"
"He tried to get the first hook out with another fish hook."
"Ahem." Sakura cleared her throat to try and get Katara's attention.
"Katara... can you tell me how that works? How it feels, what you do, etc?"
"Of course! -"
Thanks so much for reading!
I love all of you!
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