Chapter 11

When Kakashi wakes, the first thing he does is to check if his mask hasn't been touched. His right eye groggily opens to see the warm brown ceiling while making sure the left one stays firmly shut. His hand brushes against his face, his headband off but mask untouched. It's only when he reaches up does he notice the shackle and chain on his right wrist. Kakashi looks at it blankly as the memories of the battle in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se slowly return to him.

He hums to himself as he looks around the bare room that they left him in. A part of him is surprised that he's not in a jail cell. Yet, the iron on his wrist rattles with his movement. It's long enough where he can sit up comfortably on the stiff bed, but not to leave the room. He's still in the palace if the color of the walls and ceiling and the tiling of the floor is anything to go by. A small side table has his Konoha headband laying there, distortedly reflecting his haggard appearance.

As Kakashi puts his headband back to its usual spot, he debates whether or not to pick the lock and escape when the door opens to reveal the waterbending girl. She's reading a scroll in her hands, distracted, not noticing that he's awake in his bed. It would be so easy to take her down and leave this place.

Instead, he lets loose a small huff, loud enough to be heard. The girl finally looks up from her reading, startled. "You're awake!"

"Glad you can tell," Kakashi replies nonchalantly. "How long was I out?"

"A little over a week." She looks downward, eyebrows furrowing. "I tried to heal you, but I didn't find anything wrong."

"Oh, I just needed a little rest, that's all. Mind explaining this?" Kakashi makes the chain jingle.

Seeing the shackle seems to jog her memories as suspicion grows in her eyes. "You bent lightning."

Kakashi just hums, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. It's always best to let people answer their own questions.

"You also bent water too! Who are you?"

As Kakashi thinks of a bullshit lie, a bright spot of orange appears in the doorway.

"Katara, Sokka says he needs the pl—" Aang stops himself when he finally notices that Kakashi sitting up and awake. "You're finally awake!" There's a dust trail following the Avatar as he zooms over to Kakashi's bedside. Kakashi has to lean back to make sure the kid doesn't smash his arrow tattoo against the metal plate. "I heard you managed to deflect Azula's lightning! How did you do that? What's with your eye? I didn't even mention, you saved me! If you didn't, I would've—"

"Whoa, slow down there," Kakashi says while gently pushing Aang away from his personal space. "First, if you wouldn't mind getting this off my wrist, that'd be great." He waves the chain around.

"Oh, I think one of the guards around here has the key—"

"Aang, we can't just release him!" Katara interrupts.

"But Katara, he saved me from Azula! And he pretty much saved Ba Sing Se too."

Kakashi places his cheek on his fist as he watches the two children go back and forth. Sometimes, he's glad that Sakura just ends arguments with her powerful punches.

"He bent lightning, that makes him a firebender!"

"He also bent water, that makes him… well, I don't know, but he's not a firebender!"

While the kids completely forget his presence in the room, Kakashi rubs his sore wrist. Sleeping in a shackle isn't the most comfortable experience. When he's finally had enough of their bickering, there's an audible sigh that interrupts the duo.

Katara and Aang pause in their heated debate, turning their heads back to the now-freed man lounging on the bed.

"How about I just tell you both what I am?"

They lean closer in suspense.

Kakashi makes sure to hold the pause. "I'm… a ninja!"

Their expressions shift into confusion. The Avatar even scratched the top of his bald head.
"What's a 'ninja'?"

Katara only shrugs in response. Kakashi almost sweatdrops at their cluelessness.

"Something out of an Earth Kingdom fairy tale."

The two kids turn to their blind companion standing in the doorway. "Toph!"

The small girl crosses her arms across her chest. "When I snuck out of the house to go practice earthbending, I'd listen to the other kids tell each other stories that would make my parents faint." She steps into the room, closer to her friends. "One of them told me a story about ninjas, how in the ancient days of Ba Sing Se, the nobles would higher these sneaky assassins to do their dirty deeds. They did all these tricks like walking on water and disappear into thin air. And so far, that matches what Slippy here has done so far."

"But that doesn't explain how you're able to bend multiple elements," Katara states.

Kakashi shrugs once more. "Well, have you ever met a ninja? We do all sorts of tricks."

When it's clear they won't get a straight answer from the mysterious man, Aang brings up the other tension in the room.

"So… you're an assassin?" Aang asks hesitantly.

Kakashi shrugs, "When the situation calls for it. In fact, that's probably why the last member of your little gang isn't here. Scared him off, it seems."

"What? But who did you—"

"Hey, you kids get out of here!" Another voice growls from the door. A smartly dressed general steps in. The room was really starting to get crowded. "You," he points a finger at Kakashi, "get over here. The Earth King wants to see you."

The kids are quick to follow behind them, almost like leading a line of ducklings. Turns out the room that Kakashi was staying in was in one of the wings of the palace, almost making him tsk at their low security.

More guards come to flank him on either side, marching him towards the familiar towering doors. With a synchronized motion of their hands, they open the massive slabs to reveal the throne room. Sokka stands off to the right in front of the Earth King's throne, drawing the kids behind Kakashi towards the boy's position.

While quickly scanning the room, Kakashi immediately spots the familiar figure also present before the Earth King. "Oh? Iroh, how are you?"

The old man turns his head toward the recognizable lazy tone. "Kakashi," he grins, "it's nice to see you again."

Those around them seemed to look disbelieving at their casual conversation in front of the Earth King.

The king himself coughs softly into a fist to interrupt them, "Um, excuse me…"

Kakashi and Iroh respect King Kuei's weak command, finishing their conversation with a shared look.

Kuei fiddles around with his fingers. "From what I understand, you two are firebenders. One with a great history of laying siege on my city. My generals have advised that I put you both in the dungeons to join ex-Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, the two girls that assisted Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, and the surviving Dai Li agents." He glances at the general that led Kakashi out of his room. "However, General How vouches that Kakashi saved him from the coup that had the rest of the generals captured by the Dai Li. You also saved me from being thrown into my own prison by dealing with the treasonous Dai Li agents working with the Fire Nation princess. For that, Ba Sing Se thanks you.

"General Iroh, as the Avatar tells me, you warned Avatar Aang of the princess's invasion of my palace. In doing so, you allowed the Avatar and his friends to put a stop to the Coup of Ba Sing Se. For that, Ba Sing Se thanks you. Unfortunately, the same does not extend to your nephew. The remaining Dai Li agents who did not participate in the coup will be investigated and determine where their loyalties lie.

"I welcome you both to Ba Sing Se and hope that you continue your efforts in protecting the city with your efforts."

Kakashi and Iroh bow to the Earth King as the guards disperse around them. "Have you seen Zuko?" he turns to the old man.

Iroh sighs tiredly. "He will not speak to me. He sits in his cell alone and silent. I only wish our positions were switched."

The ninja shakes his head. "Can't say I feel sorry for him. He has to deal with the consequences of his actions," Kakashi replies. Had Zuko been a part of Konohagakure, he would've been executed. If Sasuke ever returned to the village (if it was intact) the same would happen to him.

The approach of the children interrupts the adults' conversation.

"Uh…" Sokka starts, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Toph has to elbow him hard enough that he rubs his side. "Thanks for saving me and Toph back there."

This is awkward. Kakashi mirrors the motion, making his silver hair sway a bit. "No problem."

At that, there's a deafening silence that fills the room. Kakashi peers at Iroh, the old man neatly ignoring the atmosphere around them.

"You shouldn't have killed those people!" Aang blurts out.

"Aang…" the waterbender says softly.

"Ma…" Kakashi sighs. "Would you rather had them hold your friends and the Earth King hostage instead?"

"No... but you could've just knocked them out or something!"

"I could've, but what if they escaped back into the remaining Dai Li and assassinated the King at a later point?"

"Well—"

"Or what if one woke up and killed your friends over there?"

At that, the Avatar falls silent.

Kakashi scratches the top of his head. "You seem to have forgotten that there's a war going on. A coup just took place and you think that those who participated are just getting a slap on their wrists."

"But the Air Nomads taught me—"

"Aang, he's right."

The Avatar turns to his Water Tribe friend. "Sokka?"

The teen shifts back and forth on his feet, obviously contemplating his next words. "It is war, and we're going to have to put an end the Fire Lord at some point to stop it. Which is why Kakashi here is coming with us into the Fire Nation!"

The whole group turns to the teen. "Eh?"

"Were taking him along?!" the Avatar shouts.

"What do you mean 'into the Fire Nation'?" Toph crosses her arms.

Kakashi just sighs once more. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"You've failed me, daughter."

Azula digs her forehead farther into the ground, a position that she's unused to. "Father, I—"

"Silence." Her father rises from his seated position. There's an unusual emotion that comes up in Azula's mind. One that does not appear often. It's fear. "You were so confident that your plan was going to work. You managed to take Ba Sing Se's forces right from underneath the King's feet, yet you still failed. How?"

"There was a man!" She looks up to her father's eyes. So cold that they burn. Her hair flies free in front of her as her head rises. "He stopped my lightning! I was going to kill the Avatar! It was going to work if it wasn't for him!"

"What man?" Curiosity is better than rage.

"I don't know his name or where he comes from." Best to get the bad news out of the way. "But he created lightning in his palm and pierced through my own lightning. Yet, I encountered him before and he waterbended us away from those Earth Kingdom girls, creating a powerful whirlpool in the middle of a forest. And the Dai Li that accompanied me say that he moved the earth to block their path."

"Lightning, water, and earth?" The Fire Lord parts the wall of fire that spans the front of his stage. He steps down and stops in front of his kneeling daughter. "Tell me more about this man."

Uh hi! Ok, sorry thing is like a month late but college is crazy! Also sorry that this chapter is kinda short, it was pretty hard to find a balance between Aang being a pacifist and Kakashi being... well, Kakashi. We'll be getting into kinda Season 3 but not really next chapter! Some things I want to keep in the story and others I'm definitely switching out! We'll also get to see of our grumpy boy next chapter!

If you want updates on my life/fic or sneak peeks or even some art I do, check me out on Tumblr at the-simplest-writer!