Zuko lifted a small flame in his palm to light the way, marveling at the existence of such a secret passage.
This was one of the many hidden tunnels beneath the Imperial Palace—passages Kou Li had incidentally discovered when helping them find the secret chamber containing Ursa's letters.
At the time, their focus had been solely on locating that room, so they hadn't explored these tunnels fully, though they secretly memorized the relevant details.
Later, once the chamber was found, they began investigating the tunnels: their entrances, exits, mechanisms, and the ways to open or seal them.
This operation was jokingly called the "Imperial Palace Decryption Operation."
Both Zuko and Kahn had participated in it back then.
However, exploring these passages had been both difficult and dangerous, and before Zuko's banishment, they had only deciphered two or three tunnels—not including this one.
Apparently, even after he left, the operation continued, and this particular secret passage was discovered during his absence.
A passage leading from the Imperial Palace to beyond the capital's outer boundaries—its purpose was obvious: a last-resort escape route for the Imperial family.
The passage was one-way, with all its mechanisms hidden on the inside.
Anyone could escape outward, but no one could infiltrate the palace from outside via this tunnel.
Even an Earthbender would need significant time to brute-force their way through.
Normally, that was the case.
Unfortunately, physical limitations did not apply to a spirit.
East, South, West, and North, in its spiritual state, could phase through solid material, slip inside the mechanism chamber, then transform back into its physical form and open everything from within.
The journey was effortlessly smooth.
As they proceeded, Zuko and Mai walked closely behind the group, whispering intimately and recounting their years apart.
Although they whispered, the confined underground space amplified every sound.
Azula finally came to a halt, turned, and snapped.
"Do you two have to flirt here of all places? Are you that desperate?"
Their initial rush of emotion from reuniting had settled a bit, and both Zuko and Mai flushed with mild embarrassment—but still refused to let go of each other's hands.
Then, Zuko suddenly remembered something.
"I remember Kahn said his Heavenly Eye Vision can only see images, not hear us, right?"
Azula replied impatiently:
"Yes. So?"
"There's something I've always been curious about, but it might not be convenient if Kahn hears."
Zuko asked straightforwardly:
"How are you and him doing now?"
"…Huh?"
Azula froze—then bristled like an angry cat.
"None of your business!"
Ty Lee flinched.
Zuko frowned, "I just wanted to ask about you and—"
A blazing blue flame streaked past his ear like a meteor, exploding against the wall with a dull bang.
"Say one more word and I won't be polite about it."
The tension in the air solidified instantly.
Right then, Mai's foot lashed out—bam!—kicking Zuko to the ground.
"Mai?!" Zuko stared at her in shock.
Mai ignored him and addressed Azula.
"Sorry. I'll deal with this idiot."
Azula spared Zuko a cold glance and turned away, continuing forward. Ty Lee bowed apologetically and followed after her.
Only then did Mai look back at Zuko, who was climbing to his feet.
"Did you really have to ask Azula that question now?" she sighed. "Even I thought you were provoking her."
Realizing he had indeed acted without thinking, Zuko scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"…Right. I didn't think it through. So—what's their situation?"
Mai shrugged bluntly.
"No progress."
"What?" Zuko stared, stunned.
Before leaving, he had already known Azula was learning about romance from Mai, and Mai had told him about Azula's feelings for Kahn.
Zuko had been shocked by Azula's initiative—but supportive. Around Kahn, Azula had genuinely changed for the better.
He even felt he owed Kahn for that.
He had assumed that after all this time, they would at least be somewhat closer. He wasn't expecting zero progress.
Zuko couldn't help asking:
"So… Kahn doesn't like Azula?"
"No," Mai replied. "He just hasn't thought about it that way. And Azula's behavior isn't helping."
Her expression showed clear helplessness.
Then she added.
"If you want them together, talk to Kahn. Honestly, relying on Azula alone is hopeless."
"After all—she's Azula."
Zuko sighed, fully understanding his sister's personality.
"Alright. After this operation, I'll talk to Kahn."
They rejoined the group without another word, and the mood returned to calm.
Reaching the palace area, Kahn—far away—used Heavenly Eye Vision to monitor every patrol route and communicated instructions through mental voice transmission.
With Azula's complete familiarity with palace layouts, they avoided detection with ease.
Zuko couldn't help but feel that this was practically cheating.
After slipping past multiple patrols, they used another hidden passage to exit the palace and enter the city.
Moving quickly across rooftops, they arrived at the rendezvous point arranged with the White Lotus.
The representative stepped forward, bowed, and said:
"You must be Prince Zuko. Your temporary residence is ready. Please follow us."
Zuko nodded politely.
"Thank you for the trouble."
From then on, he naturally took the lead, walking beside the White Lotus guide.
Azula silently drifted to the back of the group, unusually quiet—as if lost in thought.
Mai noticed and moved closer, intending to ask, but Azula shot her a warning glance, stopping her.
The hiding place was an unobtrusive, secluded courtyard—one of the White Lotus's backup strongholds. Safe, discreet, reliable.
The group memorized its location. Kahn, observing from afar, also gave a silent approving nod.
And with that—
The mission to welcome Zuko home was complete.
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Avatar: Rebirth of the Strongest Firebender — Part 1 (ATLA) is now available on Patreon!
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Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
Warning: This chapter contains EXTREMELY explicit adult content.
In this merged Avatar world with zero inhibitions, all your favorite benders drown in raw, filthy, non-stop lust — gangbangs, elemental bending sex, incest, breeding, and extreme kinks.
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1.Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
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