Training: Part Two

"No! I still won't tell you!" Rock Lee shouted through fits of helpless laughter. Iroh didn't give up, though; he continued his assault on bushy brows, tickling him with a piece of white feather in hopes that the boy would finally spill out any important information. However, it seemed to have no effect whatsoever.

It wasn't in Iroh's nature to use inhumane torture methods to pry out information from enemies, in this case, a young boy not even thirteen. Even during his time as general, he would use more subdued methods to get what he wanted. This was many of the reasons why some of the other generals would call Iroh soft. However, to Iroh, if retaining his humanity was considered soft, then so be it.

"You are quite the tough fellow, I must say," Iroh complimented, tossing the white feather away like garbage. Iroh's knees cracked as he stood up. "It seems that I may have to resort to something a little more underhanded."

Rock Lee's eyes followed Iroh as he walked behind him, "W-what are you doing?" He felt a sudden dread wash over him as Iroh refused to answer. Rock Lee couldn't shake off the feeling that Iroh was going to do something a lot worse. Perhaps, Iroh tickling him was a way to let his guard down before the finishing blow. Rock Lee couldn't help but shudder in thought.

"I have never used this dangerous technique until today since it goes against the way of heaven," Iroh stood solemnly behind the boy. He really meant what he said. It was back in his younger years when he was a mere soldier that Iroh had first laid eyes upon Jiraiya using this godforsaken technique on a poor soldier during one of his spars. It truly left an everlasting memory that he wished he had forgotten.

"You are the first to witness my ultimate technique, Lee. Even I don't know what will happen once this technique is unleashed," Iroh threatened of impending doom, causing chills to run down Rock Lee's spine.

"Pl-please wait," Rock Lee nervously pleaded. "You don't have to do this." Unfortunately, his pleas fell on deaf ears.

"It's too late for you now!" Iroh shouted as he clasped his hands together. Four fingers squeezed together and aimed directly towards bushy brow's chocolate starfish. "ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE: ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!"

Boop.

It was instant and deadly. His fingers had pierced through bushy brow's Mariana's Trench to inflict a lifetime of torment and humiliation. Rock Lee's face had suddenly lost all of its color and no words or whimpers were uttered; he was shocked silent and unmoving like a lifeless statue. And then:

"YEEEOOOOOOW!" Rock Lee blasted into the air like a human firework as white smoke trailed behind him.

He crashed onto the floor, his mouth filled with dirt as he slid through the ground like a sack of potatoes. Rock Lee groaned in anguish as he rubbed his butt. He had just been violated by that old man. The shame he now felt wasn't worth living it down.

"Sensei, I don't think I can live any longer!" Rock Lee cried out a waterfall of tears. It was truly a blow to his preserved modesty. Will he be able to find love after this?

"Perhaps I may have overdone it a little," Iroh stroked his beard. He didn't want to do it but sometimes a little force was required. Well, at least it wasn't in front of a large crowd, otherwise the boy would die from humiliation alone. He leisurely walked over to Rock Lee, "So, my young friend, are you finally going to tell me, or do I have to set another example?"

"No!" Rock Lee hastily shook his head. "Anything but that, sir!"

Iroh smiled to himself. It took a little bit of persuasion, but it was nothing an old man like himself can't handle. Iroh simply ignored the fact that he had violated a poor soul. Now, it was time for the real questions.

"So, why are you so insistent in capturing me, Lee?" Iroh asked as he sat down on a nearby boulder.

"My employer created a bounty to have you captured alive; it offered a huge amount of gold in return," Rock Lee sat down on his knees with his head lowered in shame. "I-I couldn't say no to such a lucrative reward. I needed it to help my sensei."

"For how much?" Iroh asked in curiosity.

"Five hundred gold."

Iroh felt a tad bit offended, "My life isn't worth five hundred gold."

Rock Lee fervently nodded to appeal to Iroh, "R-right! Human life is priceless; no amount of gold can ever be exchanged for one!"

"Well, I thought I was worth at least ten thousand gold, but I think I like your answer a bit more," Iroh said in a playful manner. At least Rock Lee had a good and honest heart. Nowadays, not much people can afford to be kind to others, not with this war going on. Iroh facepalmed himself as he realized his own mistake.

"How rude of me, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I am Iroh, a traveller on a journey to life," Iroh grabbed the teapot next to him and poured some jasmine tea into a small cup. Steam swirled into nothingness as Iroh handed Rock Lee the cup. "Here, come drink with this old man."

"Ah... thank you, Iroh," Rock Lee took the cup from Iroh out of politeness.

"You said something about helping your sensei before," Iroh took a sip from his cup. "Is there a story to that?"

Rock Lee stared at Iroh for a moment. He was hesitant whether or not he should tell him. However, Iroh had this calm aura around him that drew Rock Lee in. He felt like he could trust Iroh.

"My sensei is paralyzed from the waist down due to some unknown poison years ago, and I have been taking care of him since," Rock Lee balled his fists. He didn't want to let his emotions get the best of him. But, thinking about the pain and suffering his sensei is going through hurt him to the core.

"They say the best doctors all reside in Ba Sing Se, but the cost to treat my sensei is enormous, and we couldn't afford it. Doing odd jobs just wasn't enough anymore. That's- that's why I..." He grit his teeth, dropping his head down again. Rock Lee knew what he was doing was against Guy-sensei's way of teaching, but he had no choice. He rather save his sensei instead of watching him slowly wither away. Rock Lee feared what will happen to him if this kept going on.

Before this, Rock Lee had done other dirty jobs for his contractor from assassination and stealing to kidnapping innocents. This line of work earned him quite a bit of money, but it went against everything he and his sensei stood for. However, with his sensei's deteriorating health, Rock Lee didn't have any options left anymore. He needed to earn money fast to save his sensei.

Guy-sensei didn't know about the dirty jobs that Rock Lee had done, he never once questioned where the money came from, only assumed it was due to the power of youth. Rock Lee never had the heart to tell him; he was scared that his sensei would be angry and disappointed in him. So, he kept everything a secret until it slowly began to pile onto his shoulders like heavy weights. However, those weights grew as time went on, and Rock Lee felt as if he was going to collapse under it soon.

He didn't know what to do anymore. He was honestly scared. Rock Lee suddenly felt a hand over his shoulder and looked back up, seeing Iroh's soft gaze.

"The greatest thing you can do is to be there for a loved one," Iroh slowly said. An image of Lu Ten formed in his mind; if only he had been there for him during that fateful battle, perhaps things would have been different. "A familial bond isn't like any other, and it is unfortunate that some simply ignore it. But, to go to such lengths for your sensei means you truly love him like family."

"He is. Guy-sensei took me in when my parents died and cared for me like I was one of his own. That's why I need to find a way to save him," Rock Lee said.

Iroh could feel his overwhelming determination. However, he could also see the strain and fatigue present on the boy's face. Rock Lee must have been through a lot until now. For someone so young to experience this worried him deeply, so Iroh decided to make his move, "Then, let me help you."

Rock Lee was surprised by his sudden offer, "Wh-what? I can't have you do that, Iroh. It will be too much trouble for you."

"Lee, I'm not asking you," Iroh spoke with a commanding voice, reminiscent of the time as a general of the Fire Nation. "It's not within my conscious to ignore something like this."

Rock Lee could tell his words were genuine. The old man before him truly wanted to help. He didn't think anyone would be able to help him at all. Nobody ever did. The war had pushed everyone to think about their own survival, and they had no time to worry about anyone else.

Tears welled up in his eyes, but Rock Lee hastily wiped them away, "Thank you, Iroh! I promise to return your gratitude a hundredfold! If I ever break it, then I will do one thousand push-ups!"

"There's no need for that. I am just happy to help," Iroh let out a chortle. "So, who sent out that bounty, anyways? Was it the Earth Kingdom Military?"

"Not exactly," Rock Lee said. "It was from a man named Gato."

*****

Azula had finally realized something that she unintentionally looked over: how was she supposed to sense her spiritual fire in the first place? It had been roughly half an hour, yet she couldn't find any resemblance of her spiritual fire. Was she going about this the wrong way?

Yoona vaguely spoke of overcoming her own fears to attain it. Azula had assumed that should be the trigger. But what did she fear? Azula didn't exactly fear anything. Well, not anything she could think of at the moment. She tried everything from ghosts to monsters, yet nothing happened. Azula was beginning to feel frustrated for her lack of progress. However, a sudden voice dragged Azula out of her thoughts.

"The first step is to acknowledge your own fears which dwell deep within your heart."

Azula immediately recognized that voice, "Yoona?" She suddenly asked into the emptiness of her mind. A faint outline of Yoona appeared within Azula mindscape, her ethereal beauty still remained.

"I had injected a tiny portion of my chi into you before we parted ways," Yoona spoke again.

Azula remembered now; Back then, Yoona had tapped her forehead before a sudden, strange glow entered her mind, 'So, that mysterious glow was actually her chi.'

"Unfortunately, i won't be here for much longer, so I will try my best to guide you on your journey." Yoona placed a hand on Azula's shoulder. "But, remember this: this is your journey, Azula. You must be the one to overcome the trials that stand in your path to attain your spiritual fire."

Azula nodded at her. This was a venture that she was willing to risk walking on. No matter what will come in her way, Azula would be able to push through it.

"Your heart's desires and emotions are what drives the physical form of fire; for some, it's power and domination, for others, it's compassion and the drive to protect others," Yoona spoke sagely from years of experience. "But, your spiritual fire relies on your mental fortitude and the strength to let go of fear. A liberated mind allows you break free from the restraints that holds you back."

"I understand that and all, but I'm not quite sure where to even start," Azula protested.

"You are hiding your fears away, Azula, even if it's unintentional. You must learn how to face them," Yoona answered.

Was she? Azula haven't thought about it before. Then, a realization hit her like a Moose Lion. She remembered it all now, all her traumas from the past came back to haunt her. Her father's punishments, her mother's neglect; all the painful memories that she once hid in a locked safe now broke free. The whirlpool of memories were too much for Azula to bear, and the last bits of her father's lessons to hide her emotions were now crumbling apart.

Then, a sudden force began to pull Azula within the darkness, and she felt her mind becoming muddled. And soon, the darkness had swallowed her, and Azula passed out.