— MC POV / Sasuke (Yan Hai) —
The sword whispered as it cut the morning air.
Each motion flowed into the next—measured, deliberate. The courtyard stones, worn smooth from countless drills, held the imprint of my steps. The dawn light stretched long shadows behind me as the sun crested over the sea.
Four years had passed.
I turned twelve at some point.
Taller. Stronger. My face was sharper, my hair slightly longer, flowing freely in the wind.
My skin bore the sun. My hands, the forge. The fire that once danced in my palms had vanished, but in its place stood something else.
Discipline.
I drew a final breath and sheathed the blade with a soft click.
Kusanagi. A name I decided on, but nobody yet knows.
Behind me, the soft crunch of gravel.
"You've changed," Piandao said.
"I had to."
He gave a short nod, arms folded in his sleeves. "The world is not simple. But now, neither are you."
I looked out across the cliffs. The sea was calm. For once, so was I.
Later that evening, we sat across from each other in the garden over a pot of jasmine tea. The last rays of sunlight filtered through the trees.
Piandao poured our cups with steady hands.
"I never asked before," he said. "But I believe now is the time. Who are you really, Yan Hai?"
I held my cup for a moment.
"I was born Sasuke, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation."
He didn't flinch. Just sipped quietly.
"My father, Ozai, exiled me when I was eight. He planned to kill me, but my mother gave her life to protect me. He cast me out and told the world I was dead."
"You ended up on that boat alone."
"Yes. I lost everything. My title. My bending. Even my name."
"And what do you want now?"
"I want to see the world. Understand it. Become strong enough to choose what matters, and protect it. I'm done being used."
There was a long pause. Then Piandao smiled.
"Good. Then it's time you understood something more."
He set down his cup and reached into his sleeve, pulling out a tile—
the white lotus.
"There is an order," he said, "founded not on war or politics, but wisdom, peace, and truth. We are few, scattered across the nations. But we shape history where it matters."
I looked at the tile in his palm.
"We do not seek power, but balance. If you choose to walk this path… you will not be alone."
I nodded slowly.
"I accept."
He passed me the tile.
"Then from this moment forward, you are not only my student—but a brother of the White Lotus."
I nodded in confirmation.
He stepped forward and held out a folded bundle—deep blue traveling robes, a cloak, and a short list sealed with his insignia.
"Supplies. Contacts. Cities where your name means nothing… and where your sword may speak for you if needed."
I took it.
Fat approached, shaking my hand, and quietly went back to Piando's side.
"It's time," Piandao said.
I looked at the road beyond the gates.
I wouldn't look back. There was nothing behind me I hadn't already buried.
But I wasn't running anymore. I was walking forward.
And I had a name.
Yan Hai.
A shadow who would shape the world in silence.
— Status Update —
Name: Sasuke (Alias: Yan Hai)
Title: The Exiled Prince, Student of Piandao, White Lotus Initiate
Age: 12
Level: 22 (1400/2200 EXP)
HP: 880 Chi: 900 (Dormant)
Attributes:
Strength: 72Dexterity: 88Constitution: 76Intelligence: 70Charisma: 80
Status Effects:
Firebending: InactiveChi Block: Emotional Trauma (Residual)
Skills:
Swordsmanship (Crystal Earth Blade – Kusanagi): CommanderForging / Metalwork: JourneymanShurikenjutsu: ChuninModified Intermediate Fire Forms: Captain (retained muscle memory)Calligraphy & Artistry: AdeptPai Sho Strategy: IntermediateStealth / Silent Movement: AdvancedMeditation & Breathwork: Advanced
— Piandao POV —
I watched him go, blade at his hip, silence in his stride.
No longer a boy. Not yet a man. But something rare.
Sasuke—Yan Hai—had come to me broken and lost.
He trained not to become stronger, but to survive his own shadow.
Now, he left forged.
He would not change the world with flame.
He would do it with choice.
'Now I'm the master of the exiled prince, haha fate is certainly a funny thing. Iroh will be pleased.'
___________________________________________
(A/N: That's the end of Volume 2!
Sasuke's transformation into Yan Hai is complete.
Next up: Volume 3 — Title undecided.
Let me know what you think of his status sheet and new arc direction. Chapter 25 is the beginning of his journey.
New places, new faces... and maybe, the return of fire.)