According to Iroh, things like vision, willpower, experience, and knowledge cannot be cultivated in isolation; the only way, without a doubt, is to travel.
This was also one of the opportunities that he, Azula, and Zuko had been eagerly awaiting.
But opportunities cannot be forced, as the outside world is currently quite chaotic.
So Kahn consulted Iroh, asking,
"When do you think I'll be able to travel and broaden my horizons?"
"Hmm."
Iroh pondered for a mont before replying,
"There's no rush for this.
Although with your current strength it shouldn't be a problem, you're only twelve years old.
It would be better to wait a few more years."
"Ideally, wait until you're sixteen and an adult—no, wait."
Mid-sentence, Iroh suddenly rembered sothing.
Counting the ti, it seed that event was only three or four years away.
Is it already that ti?
Iroh sighed softly.
He reconsidered, weighing Kahn's current strength and the state of the world, among other factors, to decide whether Kahn should be involved.
If it were an ordinary child, he would never consider such a question.
But Kahn was different.
His talent, strength, and wisdom destined him to stand at the pinnacle of the world one day.
Iroh held high expectations for him, and precisely because of that, he had to consider this carefully.
In the end, he made a decision.
Even if Kahn would not be directly involved, he should at least witness the war-torn world with his own eyes.
That way, after that event, regardless of the outco, he would have his own understanding and judgnt.
If this opportunity were missed, the world might look entirely different afterward.
Iroh did not voice these thoughts, but a surge of complex emotions rose within him.
Ti truly flies.
Once he had made up his mind, Iroh imdiately changed his tone.
"Generally speaking, you should wait until you're an adult, but considering your current strength is sufficient, wait another year or two.
Then you can go out and see the world."
Although Iroh's inner struggle did not show on his face, his sudden change of tone and brief pause still caught Kahn's attention.
Since no one else was around, Kahn asked directly,
"You look troubled.
Is sothing going to happen in a few years?"
Iroh's expression froze.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Uh-huh."
Kahn shrugged, then smiled slyly.
"I just guessed since you suddenly changed your mind, but I didn't expect sothing really was going on.
Can you tell ?
If it's a secret, then never mind."
"You're quite the cunning little rascal.
Did you learn that from Azula?"
Iroh scratched his head, looking helpless.
Perhaps he had grown used to Kahn's intelligence, so when Kahn asked, he found it both surprising and natural, failing to realize he had been tricked.
He had been careless.
Looking at Kahn, who was full of curiosity, Iroh thought for a mont and said,
"It's not really a secret.
Telling you is fine.
In any case, it cannot be changed.
I'll make it brief—"
"No, don't make it brief.
Tell the full version."
Kahn quickly moved a table and chairs from the house and sat down.
"I want to listen carefully."
"I truly don't know who you inherited this gossip-loving nature from."
Iroh sighed and shook his head, then sat down as well.
"Go make a pot of tea.
Actually, never mind, I'll do it myself."
While Iroh went to prepare the tea, Kahn returned to the house and brought out so lon seeds and pastries, turning what should have been a serious revelation into an afternoon tea gathering.
"Where should I begin?"
Iroh raised the cup, inhaled the aroma, took a pleasant sip, and then asked,
"You know the source of fire, don't you?"
Kahn nodded.
"It's the sun."
Air cos from the sky; the higher one rises, the stronger the power.
Earth cos from the ground; as long as one remains rooted, strength flows endlessly.
Water cos from the moon; its power grows stronger at night.
The sun is the source of fire, the foundation of a firebender's power.
As the sun rises and sets, the strength of a firebender's flas waxes and wanes accordingly.
During the day, firebenders are empowered by the sun, reaching their peak at noon, while their power is weakest at night.
Although the sun's influence is not overwhelming, the difference is still noticeable.
This is one of the reasons the resistance has been able to endure until now.
"You're correct, but besides the sun, there is another source that can amplify a firebender's power—a cot."
"That cot approaches the world once every hundred years.
On that day, firebenders' power is greatly enhanced under its influence."
"It only happens once every hundred years… is the power it brings that significant?"
Kahn asked while cracking lon seeds.
Iroh took another sip of tea before answering,
"Probably.
After all, I haven't witnessed it myself.
But according to ancient records, firebenders beco unimaginably powerful when the cot arrives."
Kahn thought for a mont.
"So the Fire Lord will launch a full-scale attack on that day?
But what can really be accomplished in just one day?"
Iroh replied,
"One day is enough to accomplish many things."
Although Kahn was intelligent, his lack of experience limited his understanding.
Just like now, he clearly did not grasp the scale of war.
This was also one of the reasons Iroh wanted him to gain firsthand experience.
"Is that so?"
Even after hearing this, Kahn still lacked a clear sense of it.
In his impression, in such an era, even travel could take months.
Even though the Fire Nation had steam warships, they lacked faster ans like airships or vehicles, so movent itself seed like a major obstacle.
Setting that question aside, Kahn suddenly realized sothing.
The cot appeared once every hundred years, a cycle that gave him a strong sense of familiarity.
The current world war was also approaching its hundredth year.
By that logic, the Fire Nation had likely begun the war during the previous cot's arrival.
Yet he did not recall reading about such an event in the history books.
Strange.
So Kahn asked,
"What did the Fire Nation do the last ti the cot appeared?
Did they start the war then?"
...
Hearing this question, Iroh paused mid-sip, falling silent.
Kahn was indeed very perceptive to think of this imdiately, but the answer might be too heavy.
Still, he would eventually have to learn the truth.
Iroh set down his teacup, sighed, and said,
"This part of history has been deliberately obscured in our nation's records, so it's natural you don't know.
The Fire Nation had already begun the war before that, but when the cot arrived—"
"—the Fire Nation sent its forces to wipe out the Air Nomads."
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