Chapter 14 – The Fist That Speaks
(The mountain clearing again. The sun is rising, bathing the stone ground in gold. Ashura is battered, his arms wrapped in fresh bandages. His eyes burn with exhaustion… but also with determination. Iroh stands calmly across from him, hands behind his back.)
Iroh: This is your last attempt, Ashura. Fail again… and you will not train for a week. Your body cannot take more.
Ashura: (panting, smirking) Then I'll just have to get it right.
(Ashura settles into his stance. His body trembles, but this time his breathing slows. His heartbeat steadies. He remembers Iroh's words — "find harmony within yourself.")
(Flash cuts of his journey: Shoto crying by his bedside, Temari yelling at him to stop being reckless, Danzi's cold glare, the nurse's voice saying "he's the one after 100 years." All of it collides inside him. He exhales, shoulders dropping. His aura steadies like calm water.)
Iroh: (eyes narrowing) …Good. Now move.
(Ashura steps forward — but this time, there's no rush, no wild swing. His footwork is measured. His punch flows like water, carrying his whole body's weight. Iroh blocks… but his arm shakes for the first time. Ashura follows instantly with a low sweep, then a rising elbow — smooth, fluid, one motion to the next.)
Iroh: (grinning faintly) At last… your fist speaks.
(Iroh tries countering with a palm strike — but Ashura redirects it, slipping inside and landing a clean punch to Iroh's chest. The impact echoes across the mountain. Iroh staggers back a step, then steadies himself, his expression unreadable.)
Ashura: (panting) …I did it.
Iroh: (smiles, rubbing his chest) Hmph. You did not defeat me. But for the first time… you defeated yourself.
(Ashura collapses to his knees, laughing breathlessly. Temari rushes over, checking his injuries, while Shoto cheers from the sidelines.)
Temari: (scolding) You idiot, you almost killed yourself getting here!
Ashura: (grinning through bloodied lips) Worth it.
(Iroh steps closer, casting a shadow over Ashura.)
Iroh: Remember this, boy. The true enemy is never in front of you. It is always within. Until you master that… no artifact, no power, no destiny will save you.
(Ashura looks up, eyes blazing with new resolve. The screen fades to black with his voice echoing:)
Ashura: Then I'll master myself… no matter what it takes.