In his soul state, Kahn could ignore the material world entirely.
He slipped through it freely—soaring above the treetops or diving beneath the ground—paths that were complex and dangerous for soldiers became nothing more than flat open terrain for him.
This was the first time he had used Spiritbending so extensively, and its effectiveness exceeded even his expectations.
From Azula's perspective, he remained perfectly still, maintaining his meditative position.
But in reality, his soul had already risen above the military camp, surveying the entire layout from the sky.
Kahn headed toward the area Azula had pinpointed.
He needed to find Iroh's former subordinates before the Fire Nation army did—only then could the next stage of his plan begin.
The task itself wasn't difficult. With the sun not fully set, Kahn swept low over forests and ravines, combing the terrain like a hawk searching for prey.
The rebel group was nearly a hundred strong.
Hidden deep inside rugged terrain, their mobility far surpassed that of the Fire Nation soldiers. Finding them by normal means would have been hellishly difficult.
But from the air, they were obvious.
The search went smoother than expected. By the time night completely fell, he had already found them.
They were tucked away inside a long, narrow valley.
From ground level, rocky walls completely blocked the view—perfect for hiding. But from above, their presence was unmistakable.
Even so, they were extremely cautious. No open flames. No Firebending. If night had fully settled before he arrived, even Kahn would've struggled to locate them.
Satisfied that they weren't moving anytime soon, he memorized the location and returned.
Inside the tent, Azula was lying on his side, casually flipping through a book—his own edited version of Journey to the West.
Meanwhile, his body was still sitting in its meditative posture, exactly as he left it.
His soul slipped back into his body. Kahn opened his eyes, stretched his stiff joints, and grinned at Azula.
"Not bad. You didn't play any pranks on my body while I was gone."
"Oh? So I could have played a prank?"
Azula looked up, finally understanding the opportunity she had missed. She stared at him with sudden interest.
Kahn immediately regretted speaking.
"…Can you pretend you didn't hear that?"
"Hm? Did you say something just now?"
Azula blinked innocently, giving him a sweet smile.
To Kahn, it was the smile of a mischievous demon.
There was no universe where Azula let such an opportunity go. But he still needed her to guard his body during Spiritbending, so what could he do?
Sins. Endless sins.
He sighed and quickly shifted the topic.
"I found them."
Azula pushed herself up at once, intrigued.
"That fast? Tsk… I guess this Spiritbending thing really is useful."
He had explained Spiritbending to her earlier because he needed her to watch his body while he used it.
But the moment she learned that only awakened individuals could learn it, she dismissed it with complete disdain.
Kahn called her reaction "sour grapes," though Azula obviously disagreed.
"So," Azula continued, excited, "we're going tonight, right?"
"Yeah. I already checked the layout of the entire camp. Once we study the night patrol routes, sneaking out won't be difficult. But, uh—"
Kahn paused and stared at her.
"You still want to come with me? The guards outside your tent won't allow it."
Azula received the treatment of a full military commander.
Even when she slept, Royal Guards stationed themselves right outside. There was no chance they'd let the princess sneak out.
But Azula simply smiled.
"It's fine. I believe Wolf will help me, just like he did back at the palace."
"Otherwise, why do you think I specifically requested him?"
Wolf was the captain of the Royal Guards.
Hearing this, Kahn felt a pang of sympathy for the man. To be used by Azula as casually as breathing… in a way, Wolf was one of her most important subordinates.
At least, if thinking that made Wolf feel better.
Still, having Azula accompany him was definitely better. It would allow them to coordinate directly and avoid misunderstandings.
As expected, Wolf was the one guarding Azula's tent that night.
When he silently let her walk past with a dead-eyed, numb expression, Kahn mourned for him in his heart.
"I'm telling you, Azula—if his identity and abilities check out, maybe you should just officially take him under your wing."
Azula could order Wolf around regardless, but formally recruiting him would at least stabilize the man emotionally.
Kahn mainly worried Wolf would mentally collapse one day—best case, suicide; worst case, self-detonation and suicide in front of Fire Lord Ozai.
Truly a catastrophic scenario.
Azula nodded thoughtfully. It wasn't a bad idea.
She preferred to dominate and manipulate people into submission, not nurture them. Even with Mai and Ty Lee, she rarely considered the gentler approach.
Kahn was the opposite.
In this way, though neither of them realized it, they complemented each other perfectly.
After sneaking out of the encampment, they hurried into the night. Firebending allowed them to travel even in deep darkness.
With Kahn guiding the way, they quickly reached the valley where Iroh's former subordinates hid.
It was late, and most of the rebels were asleep. Only a few rotating guards remained awake—and even they were half-drowsy.
Kahn and Azula didn't bother hiding their presence. They openly stepped into the valley, bright fireballs illuminating their faces.
Kahn called out loudly.
"White Lotus reinforcements have arrived! Where is White Lotus member Lidon?!"
Lidon was the leader of this group—and a confirmed member of the Order of the White Lotus. Kahn had learned this during his contact with the Order.
He had connections to Iroh, yes, but not enough evidence to prove his own identity. The White Lotus was his safest bet.
The sudden commotion jolted the entire rebel group awake.
Panic rippled through the camp, but once Kahn repeated his words, the confusion died down. Firebenders lit flames, brightening the valley.
A large, rugged-looking man stepped out of the crowd.
"I am Lidon. Are you from the White Lotus—"
He stopped mid-sentence, staring at Kahn's illuminated face.
"Tate?!"
The name struck Kahn like lightning.
Tate—that was the name of the man whose body Kahn now inhabited.
His father.
...
Author's Note:
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