CHAPTER 18: THE SERPENT'S PASS
(Disclaimer: Avatar The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon and Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my OC's)
(PLEASE READ: THIS IS NOT A SEQUEL TO "SHUJINKO: THE FOURTH MEMBER", BUT A DIFFERENT STORY WITH SHUJINKO AS THE MAIN CHARACTER. THIS STORY WILL NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT WHATSOEVER IN "SHUJINKO SHIPPUDEN". I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A SEQUEL TO SHUJINKO'S ORIGINAL STORY)
Summary: One night, a stranger breaks into Shujinko's house and tries to steal one of the most mystical objects in the history of the Ozuma clan: The Eye of Kazemaru. When Shujinko tries to stop him, the two of them activate an ancient and forgotten power of the gem by accident, which sends them to another dimension where a certain bald-headed monk has to master the four elements in order to defeat the evil Fire Lord. What kind of impact will Shujinko's presence have in the Avatar universe? Who is this stranger and what does he want? Get ready for one wild space-time adventure
Taking into consideration how they were doing now and how they were doing three days ago, one could conclude that Team Avatar's situation had improved overall, even though that wasn't saying a whole heap exactly.
After reaching an understanding with the Tampai Tribe, Sha-Mo kept his word and took the youngsters out of the Si Wong Desert. Given how Aang's outburst had caused the destruction of two sand-sailers, a couple of sandbenders had to stay behind and wait for the rest of their tribesmen to return, including Joluik and Gashiun, who could only dread the sort of punishment that would befall them as soon as their leader came back for them. Eventually, Sha-Mo and his tribesmen reached a spot where they could drop Team Avatar off, a nice waterfall pond located in the northern outskirts of the desert. Before taking his leave, Sha-Mo gave them enough supplies to last for a couple of days, apologized for the problems his son had caused, and bid them farewell.
The two days that followed were spent recovering from the effects of the food pills, which had left every single member of Team Avatar exhausted and weary except for Sokka, who didn't get to eat one given his hallucinating state at the time. Despite knowing that this would happen to them, Aang, Katara, and Toph were still in awe by how draining the side effects of the food pill were, and didn't even want to think just how bad their fatigue would be had Shujinko offered them a full pill instead of half of one. In spite of all that, they managed to wait it out relatively fine since they had shelter, food, and plenty of clean water to drink from.
Now that they all had their strength back up, Team Avatar was taking a break from the ordeal. Sokka was taking a look at a map that he took from Wan Shi Tong's library. Aang and Katara were swimming in the pond while Toph, who didn't know how to swim, was content with dipping her feet into the water. Meanwhile, Shujinko was currently sitting by the waterfall, wearing nothing but boxers as he scrubbed the bloodstains from his clothes.
To do this, he had to borrow a laundry brush from Katara and concoct a special brew using extracts of certain plants that he kept in his backpack. Combining these extracts with hot water resulted in a foamy mixture capable of removing even the toughest of stains out of clothes, something that ninjas often had to do in order to avoid unwanted attention whenever they were out on a mission. It was a slow and tedious process, but Team Avatar would soon find itself surrounded by people on their way to Ba Sing Se, who would definitely feel uneasy if they saw someone whose garments were tainted with so much blood. Besides, even if no one laid an eye on his clothes, Shujinko would still feel grossed out by them nevertheless.
While he cleaned the laundry brush with water from the pond, Shujinko glanced at Aang, who had his back turned towards him as he shaved his head, keeping it smooth and hairless. Although he had regained most of his usual personality, Shujinko had noticed a few changes in the airbender's demeanor, which undoubtedly stemmed from the fact that Appa was no longer with him. He was calmer than before, even reserved on occasions, and that jolly attitude of his had gone from a flame to a spark.
In all honesty, Shujinko kind of liked this toned-down version of Aang, who seemed focused and more mature. At the same time, it was hard not to miss the smiling, happy-go-lucky monk that the Chunin knew him as. It was like watching Naruto not being the loudmouthed, overconfident goofball that he was, or Shikamaru not being the lazy genius who spent more time being asleep than awake. It just didn't feel quite right for some reason. Shujinko and Aang had barely interacted together over the past few days, and even though a small part of him wanted to sit next to the Avatar and ask him if he was alright, the Ozuma didn't have it in him to do it, as the two of them were still keeping a certain distance from one another ever since their escape from Wan Shi Tong's Library.
Once most of the bloodstains had been removed, Shujinko washed his vest, shirt, and pants one last time before hanging them up to dry, attaching the rings of two kunais with some wire string to raise a makeshift clothesline. Since it would take a fair amount of time for his clothes to warm up, the Chunin decided to go for a little dive. It wasn't a particularly hot day, but after so many hours of walking under the desert's sun, he now felt the need to stay refresh as much as possible. After swimming underwater for about a minute, he raised his head above the water to gasp for breath just in time to see Sokka waving an arm at him.
"Shujinko, get over here. You gotta listen to this," Sokka called out. Seeing as the rest of Team Avatar was already there, Shujinko started making his way to the shore. "Okay, so I was looking at this map and I realized there's a different route that can get us… Huhh, Shujinko, are you…?"
The boy from the Southern Water Tribe wouldn't stop staring at the sight of Shujinko placing his hands on the surface of the water, pulling the rest of his body out, and then standing on the pond as if it were solid ground. "Am I what?" the Chunin asked before looking down at the water beneath his feet. "Oh, right. Just a little ninja trick. Don't pay any attention to it,"
Sokka blinked a few times before shaking his head. "… Fine, whatever, you can walk on water. I can accept that. It's not like I haven't seen you do weirder stuff before. Anyways, as I was saying, there's a different route that can get us to Ba Sing Se. It's this narrow sliver of land called The Serpent's Pass, a passage that connects the south straight to the north. Seems like a viable option if you ask me,"
"Do you really think it's a smart decision to go anywhere near a place that has that name?" Toph asked.
"Hey, we have to travel to Ba Sing Se any way we can. If for some reason we can't get in one of those ferries we were told about, then The Serpent's Pass is the next best alternative, as well as the only other alternative left. It's just a backup plan in case anything happens to us, and without Appa, we need to have as many backup plans as we-" Katara interrupted her brother by abruptly clearing her throat before gesturing towards Aang, her eyes giving Sokka a look that said 'More tact please!'. "… Oh, sorry buddy. I didn't mean to bring up the subject like that,"
Aang's face remained stoic for a couple of seconds. Then, he took a deep breath and sat on the ground with his elbows resting on his knees. "Don't worry, Sokka. I know I was really upset about losing Appa before, but that's all in the past. Right now, the only thing I want is to reach Ba Sing Se, find Appa once we get there, and warn the Earth King about the solar eclipse. That's all I want to focus on,"
There he was again. Collected, eloquent, and getting right to the point without coming across as curt. Shujinko could think of a few instances in which Aang would've benefited from acting this way. However, it was unfortunate that the catalyst of this behavior was the capture of Appa, for the Ozuma could tell that Aang's calmness wasn't completely sincere, not after all the time he had spent getting to know the Avatar. In any case, Shujinko had no motive to call him out on it, so he wasn't going to unless he found a good enough reason.
The fact that the two of them had yet to discuss the brief altercation they had in the desert was also a factor, now that Shujinko thought about it.
"… Oh, okay. If you say so, Aang," Katara said, a little surprised by the composure displayed by the airbender. "I guess you're right, and I'm glad you're doing better. Now then, I take it the next step would be to find Full Moon Bay. According to what Sha-Mo said, it's supposed to be fairly close from here,"
"Guys, we're about to have some company," Toph said all of a sudden as she furrowed her brow, placing the palm of her hand hard against the ground. "There are three individuals coming our way. What should we do about them?"
Shujinko got out of the water and instinctively reached for his kunai holster, only to remember he had left all of his belongings close to where his clothes were drying up, including his weapons. A little embarrassed by his carelessness and not wanting to lose face, the golden-eyed teen feigned confidence and tried to play it cool. "Easy there, let's not jump to conclusions. For all we know, they're just travelers like us. There's no need to lose our heads over some strangers who probably mean us no harm,"
Upon hearing this, Sokka couldn't help himself and let out a loud snort. "Huh, that's pretty darn rich coming from the one guy who overthinks stuff more than I do,"
A few moments later, the three individuals Toph had warned them about walked into the scene. One of them was a man in his late twenties who was carrying a heavy backpack with multiple patches stitched all over it. He was accompanied by two women, one who was a few years younger than him and another one who was about his same age. They all had typical Earth Kingdom clothes that, without being rags, were noticeably worn out as a result of extensive use. The prominent and inflated belly of the adult woman caught Shujinko's attention, a dead giveaway that she was pregnant.
As soon as he took notice of their presence, the man greeted the members of Team Avatar with an amicable smile. "Hello there, friends. How's your day going? Catching your breath before continuing with your journey?"
Seeing as they didn't look the least bit threatening, the Chunin allowed himself to lower his guard a little, though he still kept his eyes on them as a precaution. "We want to get to Full Moon Bay if that's what you're referring to,"
"Oh, I was. Nowadays, Full Moon Bay has got to be the most popular place in the world amongst us refugees, second only to Ba Sing Se. We're headed there as well, though you probably guessed that already. My name is Than, by the way. This is my wife Ying and my sister Gaita," The two women introduced themselves by nodding their heads at Team Avatar, a gesture that they returned. Than placed his hand on his wife's stomach and gave it a delicate stroke. "My wife is about to give birth to our baby. We're hoping to reach Ba Sing Se before that happens and build a new life for ourselves,"
"Is that so?" Sokka asked. "Well, in that case, maybe we could go there together. That would save us the trouble of having to find Full Moon Bay on our own and it sounds a lot easier than taking The Serpent's Pass route. Do you know anything about it?"
The look on the travelers' faces almost made it seem as if Sokka had just made a blasphemous remark. "The Serpent's Pass?" Ying repeated, visibly spooked. "Only the most desperate of travelers would consider going there. I haven't heard of a single person taking that deadly route and making it to the other side. I know we can't tell you what to do, but for your own sake, please stay as far away as you can from The Serpent's Pass, as well as anyone who advises you otherwise,"
"… I'm sold," Toph casually said after a while, voicing what everyone else was thinking. "So, we either take a nice and secure ferry trip to Ba Sing Se or we risk our lives like idiots just to get to the same destination. Unless one of us has a few screws loose, I think we can all agree on what's the best course of action,"
|Full Moon Bay|
'Than definitely wasn't lying when he said this place was popular amongst refugees,' Shujinko thought as he took in his surroundings.
Guided by the traveling couple, Team Avatar made it to the secluded cove in a little over an hour, marching at a slow and relaxed pace so that Ying wouldn't exhaust herself. Upon reaching the entrance, the guards posted outside didn't even bother to ask questions and let them in right away, assuming they were refugees just like basically everyone else there. They went through a dimly lit tunnel that led to the harbor, and although they were ready to find a great number of people inside, the sight they were greeted by surpassed just about every single one of their expectations.
Rather than a bay, the place looked like a tiny town next to a port, only without any buildings. The number of refugees that were gathered there was simply overwhelming, so much so that it amazed Shujinko how there was still enough space to move around. Most people were sitting on the ground doing whatever they could to get comfortable, and some of them had even set up a camp of sorts, with several tents raised around a community pot where they could cook what little food they had. If that wasn't enough, the air was impregnated with an unpleasant stench due to how crowded the place was and the lack of sanitary facilities where refugees could take a bath or wash their clothes.
"Why is everyone here so obnoxiously loud? I feel like I'm going nuts," Toph complained as she covered her ears. The sound of adults discussing, kids shouting, and babies crying in their mothers' arms resonated inside the cove in a confusing blend of echoes, something that affected the earthbender's acute sense of hearing more than anybody else. Distressed, Toph grabbed dirt from the ground, molded it, and stuck some of it into her ears as a way to muffle the noise. "Aahh, much better,"
"I don't believe this. Look how many people's lives have been uprooted by the Fire Nation, and these are just the ones that are here today," Katara said, watching with pained eyes from afar as a woman struggled to feed the skinny child on her lap. "At least they're all on their way to Ba Sing Se. I don't know what the city is like, but it can't possibly be worse than living like… Well, like this,"
Shujinko agreed with Katara, though that didn't stop him from wondering how many refugees could fit in one place before it began to face issues related to overpopulation. The Hidden Leaf Village, despite its military power and overall stability, was still just a village. Unless it expanded its borders, there was simply no way it could handle a continuous influx of people coming in. A shinobi village needed to have a certain amount of civilians in order for the economy to prosper and remain stable, and it also had to make sure enough ninjas were trained from a young age to make up for the loss of human lives in the battlefield, but never to the point where there wasn't enough territory or resources to maintain the required balance.
In any case, how to administrate a village was a subject Shujinko preferred to leave to smarter people than him. Right now, getting to Ba Sing Se was all that mattered. They approached the long line of refugees who were waiting their turn to get a ticket for the ferry, and the person in charge of handing over said tickets was a short, stout old woman whose expression on her face was sourer than a lemon. Team Avatar got there just in time to see her exploding at a guy who was pushing a cart full of cabbages.
"I already told you, no vegetables on the ferry!" the woman shouted. "One cabbage slug could destroy the entire ecosystem of Ba Sing Se, and I won't let such calamity happen on my watch! Security!"
Two men in uniform brought a leashed Platypus Bear that made quick work of the merchant's cart, destroying it on the spot and devouring the cabbages as if they were treats. "NOOOO! MY CABBAGES! MY BELOVED CABBAGES!" the merchant cried in desperation as he was subdued and dragged outside by the guards, too distraught to even offer resistance.
Sokka, who watched the scene unfold along with the rest of Team Avatar, furrowed his brow and scratched his cheek with his index finger. "Huh, that's funny. I could've sworn I've seen that guy somewhere before,"
000
"You've got to be freaking kidding me," Shujinko muttered to himself.
After waiting for approximately two hours straight, dealing with the smell and the uncomfortable feeling that came with being pushed and shoved by those who were standing behind them, the members of Team Avatar finally made it to the front of the line… only to be told that no tickets would be issued to them unless they showed Earth Kingdom passports, which they obviously didn't have. Aang was trying to convince the lady to no avail, and even though Shujinko had no idea how to deal with her, he and Sokka still went to see if there was anything they could do to remedy this.
"Come on, ma'am. We really, really need to get to Ba Sing Se. Would it hurt to give away five tickets to a bunch of kids who could use some help?" Sokka asked. Noticing the aggravated look he was getting from the passport attendant, the boy from the Southern Water Tribe placed an arm around Aang and slightly pushed him forward. "Besides, believe it or not, my friend right here is none other than the Avatar. He doesn't like to ask for this, but can't you do him one tiny favor?
"The Avatar? Oh please, I see about fifty Avatars every day. And by the way, your costume isn't exactly all that impressive," The elderly woman pointed a bony finger at a group of refugees standing a little further away from them, all of whom were wearing outfits that poorly imitated Aang's clothes. While it was a comical sight to behold, the situation at hand was hardly anything to laugh at, which was why Shujinko took a step forward to gain the lady's attention.
"How about we buy the tickets? We have enough money, and we'll pay you with golden pieces. Does that sound okay?"
The frown on the lady's face accentuated and she leaned in closer from her seat, towering over the Chunin. "Are you trying to bribe me, young man?"
"What? No, of course not. I'm just saying that-"
"Enough, I'll take care of this," Shujinko heard Toph say. The earthbender walked up to the attendant and casually slid a green piece of fancy paper across her desk, one that had a beige trim and a piece of ribbon tied to the top. The most prominent feature of the paper was the golden seal of the Flying Boar at the upper left corner of the document, which made the old woman gasp in awe. "My name is Toph Beifong and I'll need five tickets. Oh, and if you don't mind, please hurry,"
"… My oh my… The Flying Boar…" To Shujinko's surprise, the elderly woman got up and bowed before Toph, spreading her arms wide open. "My apologies. I had no idea who you were. It would be my pleasure to help anyone of the Beifong family,"
"That's right. In case you haven't noticed, I am blind, and these four buffoons right here are my personal servants. My parents insisted I should keep them around wherever I go, so I'm stuck with them whether I like it or not. As for the lemur, it's my seeing-eye pet, and I assume you won't deprive a young blind girl of the only guide she can rely on. Now, about those tickets…"
Shujinko's eyebrows rose slightly. He had to make an effort to not look surprised, as doing so might blow their cover, but he was genuinely impressed by how good of an actor Toph was. She could play the role of a snobbish young lady without even having to try, which made sense given her family and her background, and the performance she just put up in order to get them what they needed was fairly convincing. 'I guess anyone who spends years deceiving their parents would be good at telling lies,' the Ozuma thought.
The passport attendant stared hesitantly at the golden seal of the Flying Boar, wrinkling her fat nose until it looked like a pig's snout. "Normally, it's only one ticket per passport, but the authenticity of this document is unquestionable, and since there's no regulation in place for this specific situation… Alright, I suppose an exception can be made just this once," Five tickets were taken from the pile of papers on the desk, sealed with a rubber stamp, and then given to Toph, which she accepted before giving the lady a curt 'Thank you', still maintaining the pompous brat charade.
Once they were out of earshot, the earthbender shared the tickets with her 'personal servants'. Everyone was smiling with satisfaction as they folded the piece of paper in half and held onto it, everyone except Shujinko, who noticed a guard frowning at them not too far away from where they were. Through furtive glances, all he could see was that the guard was female and rather young, about their age if he were to guess. Why she was staring at them so keenly was beyond Shujinko, but whatever the reason was, it probably wasn't anything good, and the last thing they needed right now was to get into more trouble.
The Ozuma took a few slow steps until he was at the back of the group. Then, he placed his arms around the shoulders of Sokka and Aang, pretending to be a guy giving his pals a friendly hug while they continued to walk. As anticipated, this unwarranted show of affection on his behalf stole the boys' attention, as they both knew the Chunin wasn't exactly the hugging sort. What was even stranger was that Shujinko was doing it with a straight face.
"Stay calm and listen to me," Shujinko said, his voice loud enough for Team Avatar to hear, yet low enough to avoid attracting attention. "I think one of the guards has her eyes on us this very moment. Act normal, keep moving, and no matter what you do, do not look back,"
Naturally, the unexpected warning startled the other members of Team Avatar, who almost stopped in their tracks upon hearing what the Ozuma had just told them. It took every ounce of self-control and willpower within them to follow Shujinko's instructions, as their instincts were urging them to turn around and spot the source of concern. However, in a brief moment of weakness, Sokka caved in and peeked over his shoulder long enough to see a guard closing in on them, and he had to gulp down a yelp.
Before long, the guard approached Team Avatar and grabbed Sokka from behind, forcing him to turn around. "Tickets and passports, please," she demanded in a tone of voice that was a little less than authoritarian.
"M-My ticket and passport?" Sokka repeated as he started to sweat, barely making eye contact with the girl in front of him. "What for? I-I mean, is there a problem or something?"
'Crap, crap, crap!' Shujinko thought.
"Is there a problem, you ask? You bet there is. In fact, I have a problem with you. I've seen your type before. Probably sarcastic, think you're hilarious, and let me guess, you're traveling with the Avatar,"
"… Do I know you?"
"What, you don't remember me?" the girl asked as she grabbed Sokka by the collar of his shirt. "Maybe you'll remember… this,
The Ozuma, who was already on alert mode after being discovered, got ready to intervene. Judging by the way the girl was holding Sokka, he assumed she was about to subdue him or perform some sort of grappling move on him. What Shujinko wasn't prepared for, however, was to see the girl lean in closer to Sokka and plant a soft kiss on his left cheek before smiling at him. Sokka himself was blinking owlishly as his brain processed what just happened, but after staring at the girl's face for a few seconds, he cracked a huge grin and his eyes went wide with emotion.
"I don't believe it! It's you, Suki!"
000
As it turned out, the female security guard and Team Avatar went back a long way.
Being the two most recent incorporations of the group, Shujinko and Toph had to be brought up to speed in regards to who Suki was and how they came across her for the first time. From what the Chunin got from the explanation, Suki was, or at least used to be, some sort of soldier from an order known as the Kyoshi Warriors, a group of female-only guardians tasked with the protection of their home, Kyoshi Island. After catching a couple of hints dropped during the conversation, Shujinko figured out that Kyoshi was someone who used to be an Avatar just like Aang, and that both the island and the group of warriors were named after Kyoshi due to her having been born there.
All of this was apparently a widely-known fact, so the Ozuma had to pretend as if he already knew the story of Avatar Kyoshi so that Suki wouldn't grow suspicious of him right off the bat. It wasn't so hard since all Shujinko had to do was to stay quiet most of the time and think twice before making any questions. The difficult part was when Suki laid her eyes on him and started to make questions of her own. "I see you made some new friends along the way. What's your name?"
"Shujinko Ozuma. Nice to meet you, Suki,"
"Likewise. If you don't mind me asking, can you tell me where you're from? Those clothes you're wearing are… a bit out of the ordinary. No offense, of course,"
"Don't worry, I get that a lot," the golden-eyed teen replied. Instead of answering the question right away, Shujinko made a pause and kept silent for a few seconds, responding just before he could make himself look weird. "I'm from the village of Gi Yuin. Back there, people have a particular sense of fashion, and as you can already guess, I'm no different. You could say we're a little peculiar in more ways than one,"
Due to her gaze being fixated on Shujinko and his apparel, Suki didn't catch the fleeting glances that the members of Team Avatar shared among themselves. It was obvious to them that Shujinko was referring to the Hidden Leaf Village, but they couldn't quite understand why he would lie about his real home. Did he not trust Suki? It was true that the two of them had just met, but the way she interacted with the rest of Team Avatar should've made it clear to him that they all knew her well enough.
"Well, we Kyoshi Warriors have our fair share of peculiarities compared to the rest of the world, so it's not like I'm in any position to judge. Besides, I'm just being nosy," Suki said before taking Momo in her arms to cuddle him, smiling at Team Avatar as a whole, though she seemed particularly interested in Sokka if the faint gleam in her eyes was anything to go by. "I'm happy to see all of you again. And look at you, sleeveless guy. You certainly don't have an issue flaunting those muscles of yours. Been workin' out recently?"
Sokka puffed his chest out and flexed one of his arms in an attempt to make it look as big as possible. "Oh, you already know me. I've never been one to say no to a bit of exercise. I'll just grab a tree branch and do a few chin touches every morning. Same daily routine as always, so it's really not that big of a deal," he responded in an overly casual tone of voice as he tapped his bicep, to which his sister had to stop herself from letting out an amused snort. "Anyways, what are you doing here, Suki? Are the other Kyoshi Warriors around?"
"They sure are. After you left Kyoshi, we decided we couldn't keep hiding away from the war and that we had to do our part. We became quite good at escorting refugees, so we inevitably ended up hearing about Full Moon Bay. The people in charge of running this place hired us almost immediately once we showed them what we're capable of, and we've been staying here ever since. Speaking of which, if you came all this way, I can only assume you're here to travel to Ba Sing Se. Why don't you fly across on Appa? Wouldn't that be a lot faster and less bothersome?"
Suki watched as the expression on the faces of Team Avatar's members dropped all of a sudden, making room for an uncomfortable silence that Katara took upon herself to break. "Appa is… missing. We're hoping to find him in Ba Sing Se,"
"Appa is missing?" Suki repeated, her eyes wide in surprise. "Oh, that's… that's awful. I'm so sorry, Aang. I only asked because I thought-"
"I'm fine, seriously," Aang cut her off, acting more hostile than Suki could've expected from the goofy boy she met all those months ago. "There's no need to worry about me. We already talked about this, so can we please just focus on what we came here to do?"
Sensing the mood growing both tense and awkward, Toph decided to change the subject as quickly as possible. "I say we go check on Than and his family. They said they would meet us once they get their tickets, and since the line for pregnant mothers was far shorter than ours, they should've gotten them a while ago. The sooner we get on one of those ferries, the better off we'll all be,"
The Avatar was about to express his agreement when he heard Ying calling out his name in distress.
|Meanwhile, East Lake|
Zuko came to learn that, whatever weird social club his uncle was a member of, it was far more influential and extensive than he ever could've imagined.
Somehow, the people of this club had provided them with everything they needed to reach Ba Sing Se safely and start a new life there, including supplies, transport, and even fake passports that would allow them to pass through any checkpoints they might encounter. They hadn't even been asked for anything in return, or at least not as far as Zuko was aware, since Iroh had kept him out of the loop for the most part. The scarred prince didn't like not knowing what was going on and demanded his uncle to tell him why were they receiving such tremendous help from complete strangers, but the Dragon of the West had deflected all of his inquiries and kept telling him "Some people see past borders and concern themselves with the bigger picture. It just so happens that I know some of those people,"
In the end, Zuko stopped asking questions and took consolation in the fact that they were in less trouble than before, even if it was through mysterious means that his uncle refused to disclose. Right now, the two of them were on their way to Ba Sing Se after taking a ferry, joined by countless refugees that were escaping from the war, looking for better opportunities, or both. Since they were wearing typical Earth Kingdom clothes and kept mostly to themselves, no one on the ferry bothered to look at them twice, and Zuko very much wanted things to stay that way.
"Who would've thought, after so many years, I'd return to the scene of my biggest military disgrace…" Iroh said in an ominous voice as he stared at the endless mass of water before them, only to spin around and put on a stray hat with flower decorations on it. "As a tourist!"
"We're not tourists. We're refugees, just like the rest of this sad lot," Zuko replied, sharing none of his uncle's enthusiasm as usual. He looked down at the bowl he was holding between his palms, halfway filled with minestrone soup so unappetizing that it nearly made him feel ill. The hunger he felt turned into frustration, and despite knowing he wouldn't get any more food until the next day, he grabbed the bowl with one hand and tossed it overboard. "I'm sick of this. I can't remember the last time I didn't have to sleep on the dirt or eat from it. We deserve better after all we've gone through,"
"Don't we all?"
Both firebenders turned around to see a young man smiling at them, holding a blade of wheat between his lips. His skin was rather tan and his hair was dark brown, but his eyes were his most prominent physical feature, exuding confidence and haughtiness like few others. Despite not wearing a full set of armor, his attire came with protective gear such as elbow pads and metal plates that covered his thighs. He carried a pair of twin tiger hook swords strapped to his back, and something was telling Zuko that the boy had no problem handling them.
"What do you want?" Zuko asked cautiously, worried that these strangers might be on to them for some reason.
"I want what everyone wants: A little justice for those who have put up with enough crap. My name is Jet, and these are my friends Longshot and Smellerbee," the teenager replied as he pointed his thumb at two other refugees standing behind him. One of them was a tall boy who carried a bow and a quiver full of arrows while the other one was a boy (or maybe she was a girl? Zuko wasn't quite sure) equipped with two swords and a bunch of daggers. "Just like you, we wanna' get to Ba Sing Se and enjoy a fresh new start, but there's no reason why we can't improve things for ourselves in the meantime. Are you interested?"
The banished prince stared at Jet for a moment, trying to decipher his intentions. Although he didn't trust him, Jet didn't seem to be a liar or a swindler, and there was no way he could know about his true identity. Aside from that, the prospect of improving his situation, even if it only made a small difference, was tempting. Zuko decided he would at least hear him out. "Maybe I am. Tell me what you have in mind,"
"A second ago, I saw how you threw your bowl aside. I don't blame you, I did the same with mine. According to the ferry's cook, that nauseating broth is the only meal available on the menu, but I have it on good authority that the captain's pantry is well-stocked and that he eats like a king. Meanwhile, the rest of us are supposed to feel fortunate because we get to feed off his scraps. That doesn't sound very fair to me, and you?"
"You say the captain eats like a king?" Iroh asked as he imagined himself sitting at the head of a large table, wearing a golden crown and licking his fingers while in the middle of a private banquet. "A-And what kind of king does he eat like?"
"The kind of king who stuffs his fat face day and night," Jet replied, smirking at the sight of Iroh's mouth gathering drool. "Here's the deal. My buddies and I are planning on redistributing some food tonight. Most of what we find will be shared with the other refugees, but if you lend us a hand, I'll make sure you and the old man get a slice of the spoils. If you don't want to get involved, then you can simply forget this conversation ever happened and wait until tomorrow for another bowl of Elephant Rat meat stew. The choice is yours, friend,"
Zuko took a look around at the many refugees that were there, all of them sharing the same look of discontent and frustration. Not so long ago, the banished prince of the Fire Nation wouldn't have spared them a second glance, but due to his most recent travels, Zuko found himself developing a small, yet genuine level of empathy towards some of the people of the Earth Kingdom. After all, whether he wanted it or not, both he and his uncle had been living like refugees themselves, surviving whichever way they could. It wasn't a pleasant lifestyle and these refugees had probably been living in exactly the same situation for years, maybe since they were born.
More than anything, he just wanted to eat food without feeling the urge to gag, as he had no desire to arrive at Ba Sing Se starved or suffering from food poisoning… and even though they weren't his main concern, Zuko didn't really mind if the kitchen heist benefited some of the refugees on board.
"… Count me in,"
|The Serpent's Pass|
At times like these, Shujinko sort of wanted to chuckle. Not because he thought Team Avatar's current situation was funny or meant to be taken lightly, for that wasn't the case at all. It was just that he was dumbfounded by the absurd amount of obstacles, setbacks, and difficulties they stumbled upon on a regular basis. A few days ago, they were stranded in the middle of the Si Wong Desert, which they survived by the skin of their teeth, and now they had to go across the infamous Serpent's Pass if they wanted to make it to Ba Sing Se. Perfect, just perfect.
As it turns out, a couple of pickpockets stole everything from Than and Ying at some point after getting tickets for the ferry, which were also taken away from them. Gaita, Than's little sister, kept crying and blaming herself as she was supposed to keep an eye on her family's possessions while they sorted everything out, but the thieves had acted too quickly and silently for her to notice them. Once she explained to Team Avatar what had happened, Aang immediately asked the passport attendant if they could get three more tickets, but the lady vehemently refused his request, stating that it was forbidden to hand over more than one ticket per refugee. This rule was implemented to prevent scams from happening and it applied to every individual, pregnant or not.
Seeing the desperation in their eyes and how badly they needed help, Aang swore to Than and Ying that he would guide them to Ba Sing Se one way or another, even if they had to take the route of the Serpent's Pass.
If Shujinko had to find an upside to all of this, it would be that Suki had decided to join them on their deadly field trip, taking a couple of days off from work to help Team Avatar out. Strangely enough, Sokka seemed a bit hesitant to let her go with them, even though it was clear that he enjoyed Suki's company and that she got along well with every single member of Team Avatar. That being said, Toph appeared to be somewhat of an exception to this, as Shujinko had noticed a slight change in her demeanor in regards to Suki, which suggested that she wasn't exactly overjoyed to have her around for whatever reason. Even so, the outspoken earthbender raised no objections nor made any complaints, so if she indeed had something against the arrangement, it probably wasn't that big of an issue.
Following Sokka's map, Team Avatar reached the entrance of the Serpent's Pass where a wooden torii gate stood stall. Shujinko wasn't all that impressed by the gateway itself, as they were a common sight back in his homeland, but what drew his attention were the two words carved into one of the wooden posts, which relayed a piece of simple and straightforward advice.
Abandon hope
As one might think, this was hardly the sort of message that most travelers felt encouraged by, much less when it came to a poor family whose belongings had just gotten stolen. "Abandon hope?" Ying muttered uneasily before breaking into a fit of sobbing, looking for support in her husband's arms. "Our tickets, our supplies, our savings, everything has been taken away from us. H-How can we abandon the one thing we have left?"
Distraught by the woman's anguish, Katara laid a hand on Ying's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down, wishing to give her as much comfort as she could. "Don't let it get to you, Ying. A warning is just a warning. Hope is what gives us the strength to move forward, so don't abandon it now that you need it more than ever,"
"I don't know, Katara. Maybe we should do what the warning says," was Aang's unexpected reply, staring at the gateway with a look of sheer determination. "The monks used to tell me that hope and despair are clouds of the same fog that obfuscate our judgment, and that we shouldn't let either of them distract us. If we want to achieve an outcome, we must focus on how to make it happen, not on how likely or unlikely we are to succeed. Hope won't find Appa for us or take us through the Serpent's Pass, so we have to forget about it and do it ourselves,"
"If I'm being sincere, I think Aang is right about this," Shujinko said, earning himself a couple of inquisitive stares. Even Aang seemed surprised to hear that the Chunin was in agreement with him, considering that their relationship wasn't going through the best of moments ever since Appa's capture. "We didn't survive the Si Wong Desert thanks to hope. We survived because we did everything we could to avoid dying there. I'm not saying we have to abandon hope completely. Keep it if you want to, but don't rely on it. Instead, we must rely on our skills, our intelligence, our instincts, our experience, and those who are by our side. That's how things get done. The rest is just optimism and wishful thinking,"
Katara's face twisted with concern, and rightfully so. As a result of their upbringing, their culture, and the way they'd been taught to see the world, Katara was aware of how different Aang and Shujinko could be from one another when it came to a whole variety of subjects. One was a monk who preached about kindness and peace, the other was a ninja trained in the arts of stealth and combat. For them to share almost the same disregarding beliefs on hope was nothing short of worrisome in her eyes. She could understand Shujinko having said mentality, as she had seen that cold shinobi side of him on more than one occasion. However, Aang was anything but cold and Katara knew it. It nearly felt as if she was in the presence of a completely different person, and although she didn't want to dictate to Aang what emotions he should express, it hurt her to see him like that.
"If you two say so…" was all the crestfallen waterbender managed to say.
000
|Some hours later|
As expected of a trained warrior, Suki was a fairly perceptive girl, and not just when it came to combat. Therefore, it was no surprise when, after a few hours of travel, she began to suspect there was more to Shujinko Ozuma than met the eye.
Obviously, this impression of hers wasn't based on the boy's appearance alone, even though his looks were hard to ignore. For example, his eyes were of a golden color that resembled a pair of yellow tourmalines, a physical trait that was only normal amongst firebenders according to the rumors Suki had heard. In terms of apparel, that green vest with the red swirl embroidered on the back was just plain weird. If she had to, Suki would describe it as the result of a cuirass getting removed from its armor and later transformed into something softer and easier to wear. It wasn't ugly per se, it just looked highly unusual.
The interesting bits were in the details, the manner in which Shujinko conducted himself. As soon as they started to cross the Serpent's Pass, Shujinko ordered the group to march in a specific linear formation. He placed Ying, Than, and Gaita between Aang and Toph, with Katara taking the rear and the rest covering the front. This way, if any of them got too close to the edge of the narrow path they were walking on, or if rocks fell from above, Aang and Toph could protect them using Earthbending. It wasn't an exceptionally brilliant idea, but it made sense and Shujinko came up with it right away, which suggested that he had some experience handling situations as a leader.
What Suki really wanted to know was what Shujinko's place in Team Avatar was. From what little she'd seen, everyone in that group seemed to serve a purpose. Naturally, Aang was the central piece, being the Avatar and whatnot. Katara and Toph taught Aang their respective bending arts while Sokka was in charge of the plans and organizing the squad. Taking all of this into account, Suki couldn't help but assume that Shujinko had his own role, and seeing as there wasn't much else to do, she decided that a little probing was allowed.
"So, Shujinko, tell me more about yourself," Suki began to say. "You weren't with Aang, Sokka, and Katara when they went to Kyoshi Island. How did you meet these guys and what made you want to join them?"
"Well, I can assure you it wasn't in my plans to do so. It was more of a coincidence," the Ozuma replied. He felt he was being a bit rude for not looking at Suki while responding to her, but since he was the one leading the vanguard, Shujinko had to keep his gaze focused on what was in front of him at all times. "To answer your question, these three were in Gi Yuin Village when I bumped into them. A bunch of Fire Nation soldiers happened to be there at the time. One thing led to another and we had to escape before things could escalate any further. We've been traveling together ever since,"
"The Fire Nation came after your village too? I know what that's like. Those soldiers cause nothing but trouble wherever they go. Does that mean you had to leave your home for your own good?"
"Something like that. I wanna go back to where I belong, but right now, it's complicated. It's always one thing after another, and it doesn't help that we keep running into problems, either with the Fire Nation, spirits, or the locals of whichever place we visit. Heck, we haven't even arrived in Ba Sing Se and someone there is probably annoyed at us already," Suki nodded in understanding, though she was detecting a subtle evasiveness to the Ozuma's answers. The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors supposed that Shujinko didn't feel like sharing too much personal information with someone he'd just met, and she felt obligated to respect his privacy.
"I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm sure you'll find a way to return home safely. After all, you're surrounded by friends willing to help you out," To her slight surprise, Shujinko had nothing to say to that, as if he hadn't heard her at all. Suki turned to Sokka, who shrugged his shoulder in an 'I don't know' gesture, yet she managed to see a spark of concern flashing in his eyes. In any case, she thought it would be better to switch the topic before any toes were stepped on. "Are you teaching Aang any bending forms? If I remember correctly, he was just starting his Waterbending lessons with Katara the last time I saw him,"
"Toph and Katara are the ones in charge of overseeing Aang's training," Shujinko clarified, keeping the same neutral tone as before. "I'm not a bender, so there's not a whole lot I can teach him in that regard,"
"Really? What can you do, then? I mean, with all the danger that comes with going up against the Fire Nation, you must have an… aptitude for something, right?"
"An aptitude for something? Sure, you could say I'm very enthusiastic when it comes to self-defense. I wouldn't consider myself an expert, but I can hold my own in most fights. You never know when you're gonna-"
"Suki, look out!" Sokka yelled out of nowhere, grabbing Suki by the wrist and pulling her back. The entire gang stopped to see what had prompted him to shout like that, fearing an accident or a fatal injury. When absolutely nothing happened, Sokka let go of Suki and acted as if he hadn't just made a scene. "Oh, never mind. I saw a crack next to your foot and I thought the ground was beginning to fall apart, but I guess I was wrong. Let's keep moving, everyone,"
…
Once they got over the startlement caused by Sokka's false alarm, Team Avatar spent the following hours traveling until nightfall, encountering no major inconveniences other than the narrowness of the passage and its varied inclinations. Being forced to walk up and down across a path that offered limited moving room left Ying exhausted, and since it would've been reckless to go any further when it was already dark, Team Avatar found a spot with sufficient space for all of them where they set up camp.
While Than tended to his wife and Gaita raised a tent for her, Shujinko got a small fire started in the center of the camp with the help of Toph, who used her Earthbending to rub two rocks together and create sparks. Once the fire acquired enough size and stability, the Chunin told the rest of Team Avatar that they should take turns to stand guard through the night, arguing that the Serpent's Pass was known for being dangerous and that Ying's wellbeing was their priority. To make things more bearable, he volunteered to take the first watch and suggested that they should do it in pairs so that everyone got the same amount of rest.
Tired as they were, Shujinko's suggestion was ultimately acknowledged and accepted. Sokka immediately picked Suki as his watch partner while Katara asked Aang if he wanted to team up with her. Both of them agreed, which made Toph and Shujinko take the first turn together.
000
|Past midnight|
The Ozuma's gaze was fixated on the campfire, hearing the crackling of the flames as they danced without ceasing.
So far, nothing worthy of interest had happened. The waves of the Eastern and Western Lakes, separated from one another by the thin strip of land that was the Serpent's Pass, were calm and gentle, almost shy. No filthy insects to deal with, no venomous reptiles to worry about, and the moon was shining like a white soap bubble floating still high up in the sky. It was hard to believe the Serpent's Pass had garnered such a dreadful reputation with a view like this. That was why Shujinko wanted Team Avatar to keep watch for the night, so that they wouldn't be caught with their guard down. If this place was as mortally dangerous as people said, there had to be a reason for it.
Shujinko threw a glance in Toph's way. The earthbender was on the ground with both hands behind the back of her head and one ankle on top of her knee, lying close to the campfire to enjoy its warmth. She let out a yawn as if to indicate that she was still awake. Neither of them had talked much since the start of their watch, and frankly, the Chunin was fine with that. Toph wasn't the type of person who felt the need to force conversations, and right now, Shujinko wasn't in a very talkative mood.
Instead, he was submerged in his own thoughts, wondering what sort of fate awaited Team Avatar once they got to Ba Sing Se… as well as what would be his next step.
Despite the bond he had developed with them, the time they had spent together, and how much he sympathized with their cause, Shujinko still had yet to forget how Aang, Sokka, and even Katara, had turned their back on him during their visit to Wan Shi Tong's Library. He had kept his resentment in check while they were at the desert and in the days after, mostly because he'd been either too busy trying to stay alive or too tired to dwell on his emotions. Now that he was both physically and mentally recovered, the time had come for him to confront his own feelings and evaluate his options.
However, what Shujinko wanted to do and what he could do in his position were two different things. On one side, he hadn't made any solid progress finding a way to return to the Hidden Leaf Village by sticking with Team Avatar, and their refusal to help him out in the library had set a precedent, meaning that they might very well back down on their promise a second time if they felt like they had to. They might have good intentions and sincerely wish to assist him, but none of them did so when an unrepeatable opportunity presented itself, so those good intentions and sincere wishes didn't really amount to much.
In addition to that, with Appa missing and the whole group focused on finding him, it was obvious that the Hidden Leaf Village was no one else's priority at the moment, and if Shujinko were to bring it up, he'd most likely receive a 'Not now' for an answer, even though they'd been made aware of his predicament long ago. All in all, his current course of action, which he had maintained for months, wasn't yielding any results. At the very least, Shujinko could forget about getting any help from them until Appa was found and the Earth King was informed of the eclipse, and there was no way of knowing how much time that could take.
On the other side, what else could he do? Regardless of his discontentment, would he really be better off on his own? Shujinko didn't think so. At this point, he was far too enmeshed in this conflict, more than he had ever intended to. Whether he liked it or not, the members of Team Avatar were the only ones who could potentially help him, for everyone else was either an enemy or a possible victim. As the most foreign of foreigners, the Chunin needed to be around people with whom he could travel this part of the world, which was so vastly different from the one he came from. Furthermore, Shujinko doubted he'd find another group of persons willing to accept him and aid him in his journey.
In the end, he felt like a passenger on a ship that not only might sink at any moment, but that it wasn't even taking him to his destination. Should he abandon ship, leap into the ocean and face the tides on his own? Or should he hang in there and pray that the ship would one day make it to where he wanted to go?
"… You know something? Keeping watch sucks. If I wasn't so tired, I would throw a rock at you for making me stay awake when I should be sleeping right now," Toph said all of a sudden.
"You're welcome," Shujinko replied, thoroughly uninterested in hearing the complaints of the Blind Bandit. She could go to sleep whenever she wanted to as far as Shujinko cared, just as long as she didn't interrupt him while he contemplated what to do.
"Geez, cheer up, will you? It was a joke. I'm sorry for not wanting to die of boredom,"
"There are worse ways to go out,"
Upon hearing such a despondent rebuttal, Toph leaned forward and turned around to where Shujinko was. "What's going on with you, Shujinko?" she asked, now sitting with her legs crossed and her brow furrowed. "I know these last days haven't been easy or fun, but you're not this much of a downer. What's got you so bummed out?"
The Ozuma went silent for a while, wondering if he should open up to Toph or not. Out of all the other members of Team Avatar, he knew her the least, but unlike the rest of them, Shujinko didn't have a bone to pick with Toph right now. She wasn't there when Aang, Sokka, and Katara chose not to lend him a hand even after he insisted, so the golden-eyed teen had no right to hold a grudge against her. Also, while the Avatar and the Water Tribe siblings had explicitly promised Shujinko that they would help him find a way to return to his village, Toph herself did not, so technically speaking, she hadn't broken any promises.
Besides, after losing his diary, Shujinko needed another outlet for the sake of his mental health. "I guess I'm just worried," he finally admitted.
"Worried?" Toph repeated. "Worried about what? Us? Appa? Your village? Yourself?"
"No… I mean, yes, of course, but not now specifically. It's about the others. Aang, Katara, and Sokka. Ever since what happened at the library, I haven't been able to see them with the same eyes as before. I know I've made some mistakes in the past, and I'm not asking anyone to solve my own problems for me, but I've contributed to the group, haven't I? And whoever contributes to a group deserves to be helped by it, more so when there's a promise involved,"
The earthbender raised an eyebrow at him. "Sure, whatever you say, but where are you going with this?"
"What I'm trying to say… What has me worried … is that I don't know if those three actually have any desire to help me at all, or if they just want to use me for as long as they can,"
The most ironic thing of all was that as a shinobi, Shujinko was supposed to know it felt like to be used. Even if they weren't tools, ninjas had to learn how to act as such, and should they need to, treat others as such. Lies, schemes, manipulation, those were just another set of skills in the repertory of those who donned metallic headbands with the symbol of their village. Sometimes, it wasn't even necessary to flat-out lie. A simple misrepresentation of the facts or a faint omission of the truth could turn the tables around just as easily.
Deep down, the Chunin earnestly wanted to believe that Team Avatar would help him out because whenever he looked at them, he saw people who were far better human beings than him.
Unlike Shujinko, whose loyalty belonged exclusively to his village and its welfare, his companions pursued the welfare of the entire world. They risked their lives for a bigger purpose and of their own accord, not because they had a client to satisfy or a paycheck to look forward to. Despite the gargantuan task they were faced with, nothing stopped them from assisting others whichever way they could, even if it meant postponing their plans and making things harder for themselves. They were fighting for everyone, and they didn't dedicate their efforts to the crushing of their enemy, but to the restoration of a balance and a peace long forgotten.
Compared to them, the Ozuma wasn't much more than a close-minded mercenary, someone who fought for the interests of a single place without caring too much about what happened elsewhere. The Hidden Leaf Village was his home, and just like every single one of his comrades, Shujinko loved his home dearly, having sworn to defend it even at the cost of his own life. Because of that, Shujinko had never thought of himself as selfish. After all, how could he be selfish if he was protecting his village and all those who lived there?
However, his perspective on the matter had changed after spending time amongst the members of Team Avatar, getting to know them and aiding them in their quest. If Shujinko was selfless for looking after one village, how selfless were the other members of Team Avatar, who looked after an entire part of the world? There really was no room for debate. Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Toph, were more altruistic and heroic than Shujinko would ever be…
… and that was why it stung so hard. His good and kind companions were ready to help anyone they came across with whatever they needed, but they just couldn't do the same for him.
"Listen Shujinko, I have no idea why you'd think you're being used, but I can assure you that's not what's happening. Those goody two shoes over there would never try to play you on purpose. I may not know the entire lives of Twinkletoes, Sugar Queen, or Boomerang Boy, but what I do know is that you're important to them,"
"That's the point. In which sense am I important to them?" Shujinko asked the earthbender. "Is it because they truly care about me or because they don't wanna lose me as an asset? I'm not stupid, I know there are plenty of things I can do that the rest of you can't. That was made clear from the start. I'm not asking for special treatment, I simply want them to be honest with me as I've been to them," As soon as he was done, the Chunin heard a snort of amusement escape from Toph's lips, to which Shujinko got offended. "What, did I say something funny?"
"Sorry, it's just that I never took you for the dramatic type. That's more of Katara's thing," Toph replied humorously, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Just as Shujinko was about to tell her he wasn't being dramatic, Toph talked first, now with a more solemn attitude. "You might be too clueless to realize it, but you depend on them just as much as they depend on you, stupid. Whether you want to accept that or not is up to you. In my opinion, you couldn't have run into a better bunch of misfits than the one you're with today, and I suppose the same thing could be said about me too,"
Shujinko remained silent for a moment, dwelling on that last statement. "Maybe so, but that doesn't give me an answer. I still don't know what I am to them,"
"Well, I do, and I don't need to ask any of them, Aang least of all,"
"Aang? Aang has been giving me the cold shoulder since Appa was captured. How can you know what he sees me as?"
"Because he pretty much told me himself,"
|Yahai Town, two weeks ago|
With her arms crossed over her chest, Toph nodded to herself as she supervised the last exercise of Aang's Earthbending training, which had started early in the morning and had continued late into the night. The exercise was called 'Rock Juggling', and as the name suggested, Aang had to juggle rocks of different sizes using Earthbending, tossing them upwards over and over again without letting any of them fall to the ground. It was a fairly challenging exercise for a beginner, especially when attempted after many hours of previous training.
Even so, she had to give her student some credit, for not only was he getting the hang of Rock Juggling, but he had also worked his butt off in all of the other exercises he'd been introduced to. Toph deemed his progress to be acceptable, which meant that Aang was doing quite well by the standards of almost every other earthbender out there, considering that he was just starting his lessons. She had no intention to praise him for doing an acceptable job, but equally, she had nothing to criticize him for thus far.
"Alright Twinkletoes, you can stop now,"
The Avatar dropped the four rocks he was controlling before turning to his Earthbending teacher, his face covered in sweat and sporting several dust spots all over his clothes. He took a minute to catch his breath, waiting for Toph to let him carry on with the exercise or instruct him to do a different one. "What's next?"
"Actually, I think you've had enough," Toph replied. "Let's go back to the inn and call it a day. We'll continue with the torture tomorrow,"
"We don't have to wait until tomorrow. I can still keep going," Aang insisted with a look of determination in his eyes that was at odds with his sore and worn-out body. "How about I try something else? Or maybe you can teach me one of your Earthbending moves. I'm sure I can learn a simple one,"
"First of all, none of my Earthbending moves are 'simple'. Second of all, even if I were to teach you one, you wouldn't be able to pull it off, not until you master the basics. And third of all, maybe you can keep going now, but what about the next day? And the day after the next day? I know I'm a slave driver, but even I have to make sure you don't work yourself to death," As soon as she said that last word, Toph noticed a slight shift in the earth's vibrations as a result of Aang shuddering with discomfort, though she didn't know what had caused that reaction in him. "Is something the matter, Twinkletoes?"
With a tired sigh, Aang sat down, spreading his legs open and making a fist with his right hand, letting his cheek rest on it. Toph's training had certainly taken a lot out of him, but right now, he looked more worried than exhausted, and it became apparent to Toph that something was weighing heavy on his mind. "Yeah, something is the matter," the airbender said, picking up a flat stone from the ground and softly running his thumb against it in circles. "He… He almost didn't make it…He got so close to dying and I…"
Toph quickly figured out that Aang was talking about Shujinko, who was currently at the inn being taken care of by Katara and Sokka. Four days had passed since his fight with the hooded man, and even though he had already regained consciousness, he was too weak to get out of bed and could only stay awake for a few hours before drifting back to sleep. It was somewhat disconcerting to watch their ninja friend, wielder of powers the rest of them had never thought possible before, bedridden and in such a weakened state. When Toph asked about his condition, the other members of Team Avatar explained to her that it was most likely due to Shujinko using too much chakra during the fight, as he had pointed out the risks of Ninjutsu to them prior to her joining the gang.
"… I've always felt the need to protect those around me, to not see them get in harm's way. Shujinko nearly died when he fought that man, and the worst thing of all is that there's nothing I could've done to stop him. If I had tried to intervene, the hooded man would've taken me out right there and then. Now I have to live knowing that there's someone out there who wants to hurt one of our friends and I can't do anything about it. This isn't the Fire Nation we're talking about, it's… it's something completely different, something I can't train or prepare for, and I hate having to accept that when Shujinko's life is at stake,"
"Are you sure you're not being a little too pessimistic about what happened? Because it feels to me that you might be underestimating Shujinko," Toph argued. "That lunatic with the spear is dangerous for sure, but when he tried to take on Shujinko, he got his butt handed to him and ended up backing down. Meanwhile, even if he's really tired right now, Shujinko is alive and in one piece. He beat him, and if that whacko ever comes back, he'll beat him a second time, with our without our help,"
"But what if he doesn't? What if their next encounter goes the other way and we lose Shujinko forever? He barely managed to defeat the hooded man back in Tu Zin, and he wasn't even going up against the real him, just a clone that he made to put Shujinko to the test,"
That was a point the earthbender couldn't refute. If a clone of the hooded man had given the Ozuma such a hard time, it was scary to think how stronger the real deal was. Besides, although Shujinko had technically 'won' the fight, it had left him utterly fatigued. Had he wanted to, the hooded man could've finished him off once his clone turned to mud, but instead, he left the scene after giving Shujinko some enigmatic advice. He even said he was going to reserve the pleasure for a later date, and nothing about his demeanor suggested that he was bluffing or afraid to act, just that he was satisfied with what he had seen the Chunin do, promising a future reunion.
"When I thought the hooded man had killed Shujinko, I was so angry that I tapped into the Avatar State without realizing it. I wasn't even aware of what I was doing. His death sent me over the edge, but it wasn't just that. It was thinking that he never got to see his village again, that we never got the chance to help him out as we had promised him, and that I never got to thank him for saving my life and everything he did for us. I felt awful in that moment, and if the hooded man decides to attack again, who knows if I'll end up feeling awful for the rest of my life,"
|End of flashback|
"That's what he said to me that night. Take it however you want, but to me, those aren't the words of someone who doesn't see you as a friend, a true friend,"
After hearing Aang's confession, Shujinko's mouth was left hanging slightly open. He wanted to say something, anything, but he felt as though his voice had abandoned him all of a sudden. Gawking like a fool, the Ozuma quietly watched as Toph suddenly got on her feet and casually stretched her arms, yawning rather loudly.
"Alright, that's enough chit-chat. If you still have an issue with any of those three, talk to them about it, not me. I'm an earthbender, not a therapist. I'm off to get some shuteye, so would you mind finishing the rest of our watch on your own? I'm sure you need some privacy to think and all that, and our turn is about to end soon anyway," Having said that, Toph walked away from the fire and made an earth tent for herself near the outskirts of the camping spot, leaving Shujinko to reflect on what she had just told him.
Aaaaaaand that was chapter 18. Hope you all liked it.
Quite a bit of introspection in this chapter, huh? Don't worry, the next chapter will have plenty of action, so for now, just sit tight and wait. There's not a whole lot to comment on this chapter if I'm being honest. It was entertaining to write from Suki's POV and I hope I did her character justice. Also, the character of Than's sister doesn't have a canon name, so I named her Gaita because why not.
I guess the highlight of the chapter was the conversation between Shujinko and Toph. As you can see, his current relationship with some of the members of Team Avatar isn't as good as it could be, but that doesn't mean it won't improve. This time, it was Shujinko who got his views challenged by the end of the chapter. I know it sometimes seems as though his attitude, thoughts, and emotions keep shifting, but at the end of the day, it should be expected from someone who finds himself in such a complicated and ever-evolving situation.
Did you enjoy the flashback scene? My apologies if I went overboard with the emotions and the drama. However, Aang is a sensible kid who is very attached to his friends, and after seeing the hooded man in action, I wouldn't be surprised to see him experience fear and anxiety, since he knows Shujinko is the target of a threat that he can't protect him from and that it could strike again at any moment.
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Peace!