"You abandoned the plan to rescue them?!"
Kahn's voice spiked before he forced it back down, leaning in with barely contained irritation.
"What do you mean? What the hell are you doing?!"
"We didn't abandon the plan—we changed it," the shop assistant replied calmly.
"Our original plan was to rescue them mid-transport. But that plan was adjusted later."
"Who changed the plan without authorization?"
"Elder Iroh."
"Iroh… Uncle Iroh?"
Kahn froze. Of all people, he hadn't expected Iroh to suddenly be involved here.
His fiery aggression instantly collapsed, leaving him feeling awkward and caught mid-stride.
It was Iroh, after all. If he changed something, he definitely had a reason.
"Cough… cough."
Kahn cleared his throat twice, pretending nothing happened. "Alright then. What exactly is going on?"
The shop assistant wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead, shocked at how fast Kahn's expression flipped from enraged to polite.
But he still didn't answer.
Instead, he bowed. "I apologize, Sir Kahn. The details are classified within the White Lotus. Only members may access them."
"However," he continued, "your previous cooperation with us was excellent, and I believe you understand the White Lotus quite well by now. Elder Iroh is also your master. So, if you would consider joining us—"
…Huh?
The sudden recruitment attempt caught Kahn off guard.
Then he realized what was happening… and instantly judged the tactic as a 0/10.
This? This arrogant 'slap then reward' method?
Against him?
Do these White Lotus guys misunderstand something about who he is?
Do they think he's some clueless novice?
Do they think they're Azula?
It was downright laughable.
Even if Iroh himself came today, it wouldn't work.
He refuses to be recruited like this.
"Alright then, I won't ask anymore. Goodbye."
Without waiting for further explanation, Kahn stood, turned, and strode out with a single effortless wave—leaving only his dramatic exit silhouette and the stunned faces of the White Lotus members behind.
That night, Kahn went straight to the Spirit World to confront Iroh directly, ranting about the arrogant recruitment stunt.
"If I hadn't been sitting in a teahouse, I would've thought that guy was Ozai, speaking with that tone."
"HAHAHAHA! So that's what happened?"
Iroh practically howled with laughter, completely unconcerned with his rank as a White Lotus Elder.
After recovering, he explained:
"Green has been stationed in the Fire Nation Capital for too long. He's picked up some bad habits. But his character is fine—you don't need to worry."
Green was the White Lotus regional leader in the capital—a high-ranking member.
The recruitment attempt had been his idea, probably because he saw potential in Kahn.
Iroh, on the other hand, wanted Kahn to join willingly, only after truly understanding their goals.
The shop assistant earlier wasn't Green—just one of his subordinates.
Kahn had no intention of meeting Green.
He had zero interest in joining now… likely not in the future either.
He snorted. "If it weren't for that, I would've teamed up with Azula and leveled their hideout."
Hearing that, Iroh's gaze softened.
In a flash, he saw shades of Azula within Kahn.
Clearly, while Kahn influenced Azula… Azula also influenced him.
But Iroh wasn't worried.
Kahn's Firebending talent didn't just come from strength or training speed—it came from his understanding of restraint.
Iroh trusted his student deeply.
Back to the real issue: the sudden change in the rescue plan.
The "classified information" the shop assistant mentioned?
Iroh didn't treat it as classified at all. He explained everything.
He had come up with the countermeasure the moment he first met Kahn in the Spirit World, after hearing Kahn describe Lidon's situation.
The revised plan was meant to sync better with Kahn's overall strategy.
Instead of rescuing Lidon's troops outright, Iroh sent spies to their labor site.
Their job was to protect Lidon and the others quietly while letting them recover and wait for the right moment to strike.
"I believe that since your plan succeeded, Ozai will adopt similar measures for future rebels—giving them a chance to survive."
"But if Lidon's group were rescued now, Ozai would switch to extermination. That would cause far greater losses."
"So I changed the plan. They will need to endure a bit longer, but it's the safer path."
Iroh sighed, apologetic for what Lidon and his men had to suffer.
Meanwhile, Kahn was absolutely floored.
Everything Ozai had done so far matched Iroh's predictions exactly.
This mission alone proved it.
Was this the wisdom of the Dragon of the West, the former Fire Nation Grand General?
There was only one truth he could shout in his heart:
Iroh is forever divine!!!
Knowing he was right, Iroh stroked his beard smugly as he and Kahn joked about Ozai being "too naive."
Yet, it wasn't really naivety—just a massive information gap.
As the saying goes:
The downfall always comes from within.
A spear you see can be dodged; a hidden arrow cannot.
Ozai looked dominant on the surface, but he didn't know his own house was already being quietly dismantled.
Azula and Kahn looked like they were in danger…
but if used correctly, they were the sharpest dagger aimed at Ozai's heart.
And right now?
They were indeed that dagger.
With this new intel, Kahn finally relaxed. With teammates this insanely competent, he couldn't imagine losing.
He practically felt ready to ride a dragon straight into Ozai's throne room.
Cough… cough.
But it's best not to tempt fate.
Set too many flags and things might end badly.
So, staying calm but energized, Kahn and Azula departed again—
beginning their second mission.
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Avatar: Rebirth of the Strongest Firebender — Part 1 (ATLA) is now available on Patreon!
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