"You are the worst Waterbending class I have ever had!" Shisui shouted at a group of people gathered at an open-air training camp at the North Pole.
It was six in the morning, and the early-morning chill made the already cold atmosphere even more uncomfortable. The crowd, a mixed group of men and women wearing Northern Water Tribe clothing, looked at him in exasperation. However, no one dared to complain, not even the Avatar, who was present.
"Does Shisui know that this is the first group of people he's taught Waterbending? He seems to be very strict with them!" Ty Lee whispered to Petra, who shook her head before replying.
"Of course, he knows, but he has to establish himself as a strict teacher. After all, that's what everyone does. That's how we learned in the army, remember?" Petra said this while watching with a smile as Shisui threw cold water on Avatar Aang.
"Of course I remember! It was horrible, but now that you mention it, I remember my instructor saying that we were the worst group he had ever trained..." Ty Lee rubbed her chin, thinking about things that came to mind.
"Were you in the army? Did you go to war? I wanted to participate! After beating so many big, dumb men in underground fights, you start wanting to find a new battlefield." Toph, standing next to the couple, couldn't help but share a bit about herself, prompting Petra to pat her on the shoulder.
"Yes, we were in the army, and yes, we went to war. You should know that, right? As a friend of Shisui's, how could I leave him alone? But anyway, war is not a game or a fun competition," Petra lectured her new friend. But she simply crossed her arms, unconvinced.
"Almost all the rumors I hear are about Shisui! I didn't know about you until I met you. I know war is not a joke. It's just...how could a blind girl enlist like the rest of the young people in the community?
I'm just curious, that's all. There are many things I've missed or won't be able to experience. However, I know that if I had gone to war, it would have been a remarkable experience. Although there was a hint of reproach in her words, it was clear that Toph was optimistic about her situation and didn't feel disadvantaged.
After all, she was an excellent earthbender, and one could argue that her blindness made her talent even more impressive, perhaps a way for the world to balance things out.
"Well, when you're with Shisui, it's hard to stand out. But in a way, it's good because it's more difficult to access our intelligence. If someone works according to Shisui's records, they'll end up ruined," Ty Lee replied to the first part of Toph's answer before glancing at Petra to take over. After all, Petra was more understanding about these issues.
"We never choose how we're born, but we can do our best to control the course of our lives. You may have missed out on many things, but the way you perceive the world is an experience that others cannot have. In that sense, you have experiences that not everyone can have." True to her girlfriend's expectations, Petra's words made Toph smile. She waved her hand casually.
"HAHA! I guess so. Did you know that I can tell if you're lying?" Toph asked enthusiastically. She wanted to demonstrate her ability to feel a person's heartbeat so clearly that she could tell if they were lying. After all, not everyone could do that.
"Oh? Let's put that to the test," said Azula, who had just approached the girls with Mai. She was interested in testing that claim.
...
While Toph debated whether her abilities had rusted over time, Aang shivered in the freezing water that Shisui had thrown at him. Katara approached him, but before she could help, the Sage created a wall of ice and gently pushed her aside.
"Aren't you exaggerating a little? He could get sick!" Katara complained. Even though Shisui was her instructor, she couldn't contain her fiery temper, so she questioned the Sage.
"He's sleepy, but now he's more awake, right? Let him take this seriously! He knows some things about waterbending, but he's still very attached to the inherent nature of air.
This is useful for a normal airbender, but the Avatar is not just a bender; he is the bender. He must learn to integrate the meanings of all the elements.
Let's start with water. Haven't you heard the saying, "If you snooze, you lose"? If he's sleepy, he won't learn much," Shisui justified himself. Just as Katara was about to argue, Aang beat her to it.
"Katara, it's okay. This is the least drastic thing Shisui has done. You should have seen him teach me math," Aang joked before trying to use wind to shake the water off his body. However, feeling the Sage's fierce gaze, he decided to use waterbending instead.
A faint, warm mist began to emanate from the Avatar's body because he had turned the water covering him into steam. This made Shisui nod before looking at the others under his tutelage.
"For many of you, this is not the first time you have trained in Waterbending. But for the women present, it is the first time you have done anything more than simply heal or purify, right? I'm telling you now: Forget everything you know.
You will not follow those rigid katas or doctrines. You are in my hands now. By the Water Spirits, I will make you more than human. I will make you water.
I will integrate waterbending so deeply into your bones that, when you urinate, you won't be able to avoid creating frozen sculptures of urine." His words inspired his students during his speech, but the final part made the women grimace, the men blush, and Aang slap his forehead.
'Here we go again with the strange methods.' Having been intensively educated by Shisui, Aang clearly knew his friend's teaching methods. He didn't know why Shisui would demonstrate in front of so many people.
"Was it necessary to say that?" Katara asked.
Shisui nodded smugly, put his hands on his hips, and looked up at the clear sky beginning to light up with sunlight.
"Of course! Waterbenders should use their Waterbending as much as possible. At the South Pole, I showed you how to use ink, didn't I? I've hardly written anything with my hands since discovering that I can use ink with waterbending. I'm a human printer!
As benders, the element is intrinsic to us, like our hands. You don't just use your hands to kill, do you? You do so many things with your hands, and you don't even notice! That's what I want to teach you. I'll be proud of you even if you discover how to give yourself pleasure with water one day." Shisui looked at the crowd with a wild smile on his face.
"So, welcome to the deepest layer of hell," he declared before getting serious about his Waterbending lessons. He guided each member of the large group of apprentices collectively and individually.
To him, even the elderly Waterbenders were his apprentices. Pakku, who had also joined the class, was seen as an inexperienced novice by him, which was far from the Sage's true thinking.
His teaching methods, thoughts, and approach to criticism and guidance prevented any resentment from growing in the hearts of those 'expert' Waterbenders.
They felt their mastery of Waterbending grow by leaps and bounds! They had only trained for half a day, yet even Pakku, who thought he had reached his limits, saw how much he had improved.
The old man chose to no longer be shy and asked Shisui many questions, some of which were doubts he had accumulated over decades. The Sage answered them all.
The women improved the most, although it was their first time venturing into more complete Waterbending. Many of them were patient due to their experience as healers, so they worked steadily and deliberately.
Of course, Shisui had to answer many questions that some might consider 'silly' or basic, but for these women, who were learning properly for the first time, it was a necessary process.
The Sage's answers were always concise, without giving them too much information or complicated terms. Shisui realized at that moment that this whole teaching process was allowing him to review the dusty knowledge in his mind.
This was the advantage of teaching! Everyone seeking to reach new heights should have the experience of educating others. Shisui remembered his conversation with Piandao, Zuko's sword instructor.
At the time, he didn't understand why such a powerful person would explain things so patiently to just any apprentice who asked a question. Now, being in that situation himself, he understood.
This was different from how he interacted with his friends. After all, these people's status and context were very different. Besides, he never saw himself as Zuko's or Azula's teacher, but rather as a facilitator of knowledge since learning was up to them.
During the teaching process, Shisui once again noticed Katara's immense talent. Even with her limited knowledge, she was already remarkable, and after his sporadic guidance, it could be said that the girl's foundation was very much in line with what the Sage sought to instill.
However, he had noticed a peculiar occurrence: Katara wanted to emulate him! In other circumstances, that would be a good thing. But for someone as talented as her, it was a bad thing. So he took her aside, not wanting others to hear their conversation.
"Katara, do you want to be like me? I mean, in terms of waterbending?" Shisui asked, his expression serious. Katara felt strange, but proceeded to answer anyway.
"Of course! You're the best waterbender there is, aren't you? Who else would I want to be like if not you?"
The girl's answer surprised Shisui, who shook his head.
"Imitation is one of humanity's greatest tools, but for people with great talent, it's a burden. You are an exceptional waterbender, so focusing solely on imitating me is not healthy for your development.
I don't want you to be like me; I want you to be you. Embrace your own strengths and weaknesses. Explore what you want, and walk a different path than mine.
Luckily, I discovered this before it became a habit. "Come, let's see what your path is like," Shisui said, patting Katara on the shoulder before returning to teaching the other apprentices.
This time, however, Katara's training was much more personalized. It was discovered that her greatest talent was healing. Somehow, the image of a healer who could heal you to death came to Shisui's mind.
He casually mentioned this to Katara out of curiosity, but the Sage, preoccupied with answering a child's question, didn't notice the sparkle in the girl's eyes as she contemplated those words deeply.
'Heal to death? Is that possible?' Shisui had asked her not to imitate him, but curiosity, asking questions, and pushing oneself beyond normal limits were things the sage instilled in them all day long. As a good apprentice, Katara carried them out.
The questions Katara asked herself, along with the teachings of a certain silent girl, opened a door to a completely different world!
As for Shisui, he was satisfied with the 12-hour class, which took place from dawn until dusk with necessary breaks in between.
He realized that those he had considered rigid were trying their best to let go and keep up with his teachings. The ice blocks that had been frozen for so long were finally melting and flowing properly. This made Shisui happy.
Others might think he was strengthening an enemy nation's power, but he was merely returning what belonged at the North Pole. No one can blame him for that, right?