"Fighting wars, tightening control at ho, playing political gas… the sa routine as always."
Azula listed them off casually, clearly used to it, then glanced at him with curiosity.
"Why are you asking about him?"
"Nothing."
Kahn spoke thoughtfully.
"I was just wondering if our situation now finally ets the conditions we were waiting for back then."
The conditions he ant were the ones for searching for Ursa.
After investigating her hotown of Hira'a, they had been forced to abandon the effort because they couldn't leave the capital, agreeing to wait until the timing was right.
Two years had passed since that failed attempt, and with everything Ozai had kept him busy with, Kahn had nearly forgotten about it.
If not for his encounter with Iroh in the Spirit World—and Zuko's actions reminding him—he might never have thought of it again.
"Conditions?"
Azula frowned slightly, confused for a mont, before realization struck.
Her expression changed instantly as she spoke in a lower, more serious tone.
"You an… Mother?"
It had been a long ti since she had even heard Ursa's na.
The mont she said it aloud, mories long buried stirred to life.
Fragnts of the past surfaced in her mind—faces, voices, monts she hadn't allowed herself to revisit.
Azula fell silent, her expression turning complicated as she drifted into those thoughts.
After a while, she drew in a slow breath and forced herself back to the present.
"It's ti we talked about this."
She had said it before.
She would find Ursa.
She would uncover the truth of what really happened that night.
But this ti, when she thought of her, the obsessive edge from before had faded.
She was calr now, more composed, able to face it without losing herself.
As for why…
Azula's gaze shifted to Kahn beside her.
Ozai had shaped her deeply.
But so had Kahn.
Ever since he entered her life, his influence had quietly taken root, changing her in ways she hadn't even noticed at first.
And strangely enough—
She didn't dislike it.
Kahn noticed her staring and instinctively checked himself, brushing at his clothes and hair in confusion.
"Why are you looking at like that?"
Azula looked away as if nothing had happened.
"Nothing."
"I just realized you're actually useful."
Kahn: "???"
They returned to the matter at hand.
Discussion turned into action.
The two spread out a map of the Fire Nation and began marking it, circling Hira'a with deliberate emphasis.
Though Hira'a lay in a remote region, the Fire Nation itself was nothing more than a chain of volcanic islands, its total landmass limited.
On the map, it resembled the shape of a whale.
The capital sat at the "eye" of the whale.
Hira'a rested in the middle of its "belly."
Both were on the sa island, and the straight-line distance between them wasn't great—far shorter than their previous journey into the Earth Kingdom.
After so calculations, they determined that moving cautiously and avoiding attention, a round trip would take roughly ten days.
Ten days.
Not too long, not too short.
For Kahn, it wasn't much of a problem.
Ozai didn't keep constant watch over him.
But for Azula, it was like an immovable mountain blocking her path.
Unless she was officially sent on a mission, disappearing for ten days right under Ozai's nose was impossible.
And if she were on a mission, detouring to Hira'a would be even more dangerous—practically inviting disaster.
"…We'll wait a little longer."
After exhausting every option and finding no solution, Azula finally gave in, though reluctance lingered in her voice.
She had already waited two years.
Waiting a bit longer wouldn't matter.
At most, another year.
Once she completed her studies, she would have far more freedom than she did now.
Then, she could truly act.
But what Azula didn't expect was that even after she chose to delay, Kahn—who usually dragged his feet—was suddenly more determined than she was.
"No."
"I think we should deal with this as soon as possible."
"And it's not like there's no solution."
"Huh?"
Azula looked at him oddly.
"When I pushed you before, you acted like it was a chore."
"Now you're more eager than I am."
"Did you burn your brain out or sothing?"
"…That was a genuine question, not an insult."
"I'm pretty sure that was an insult."
Kahn rolled his eyes, then spoke plainly.
"I want to find her as soon as possible."
"Not just for you."
"I want to know what really happened the night Ozai took the throne."
"That truth will be extrely valuable to us."
After being forced into missions against his will, Kahn had grown tired of being controlled by Ozai.
Since returning, he had been thinking about how to bring him down—and what would be required.
After careful consideration, he had identified a key factor.
The truth of that night.
The truth only Ursa had witnessed.
If he could grasp it, he would hold the foundation needed to topple Ozai's rule—
A just cause.
No matter how they overthrew Ozai in the future, legitimacy would be everything.
That was a truth that never changed.
To the common people, Ozai's sudden rise might have been unexpected, but he was still the rightful Fire Lord in their eyes.
Even if they had the strength to overthrow him by force, without justification, they would never gain the people's support.
Kahn didn't just want Ozai gone.
He wanted the next ruler—whether it was Iroh, Zuko, or Azula—to ascend smoothly.
And for that, public support was crucial.
And in this matter—
Ozai had already exposed his greatest weakness to them.
Patricide.
Usurpation.
Those cris were enough to seize the moral high ground and raise the banner of rebellion.
That alone made this truth invaluable.
Naturally, Kahn wanted to obtain this "weapon" as soon as possible.
"Legitimacy… righteousness… interesting."
After hearing his explanation, Azula imdiately fixated on those ideas.
Judging by her thoughtful expression, she had clearly gained insight from it.
She didn't reject Kahn's goal.
After all, he wasn't doing this just for himself.
And she, too, wanted to know the truth of that night.
Then, suddenly, she asked the sa question as before.
"So."
"Between Iroh, Zuko, and —who are you choosing to support?"
"Uh…"
Kahn scratched his cheek, thinking.
"How about you draw lots?"
"Get lost."
Azula shot him an annoyed glare, but didn't press further, instead steering the conversation back.
"Back to the point."
"You said there's a way."
"What is it?"
"There is one."
Kahn paused briefly before answering.
"I go alone."
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