Jin said goodbye to Asami after a short follow-up conversation, where Asami curiously asked him how he had come up with the idea to create Pro-bending Control.
As a curious anecdote, and since Asami mentioned some of the current Pro-bending Control teams, Jin explained his encounter with Bolin and his good deed. He also indirectly revealed some details about Mako's past as a member of the Triads and his opportunistic nature.
Maybe Jin had gone a long time without talking, but that didn't stop him from sharing the information in a way that ensured Asami wouldn't be too generous with Mako if something similar happened again.
Although, after the scare she had gone through, maybe she'd be more careful—one never knows.
It should be understood that Asami wasn't naïve, just overly sheltered. With enough information and time to think, she could grasp the message and act more cautiously.
Naturally, he wasn't about to become the villain after all this. On the way back to Lin's home—who was in a very good mood thanks to all the arrests that day, not caring about the paperwork they brought—Jin asked his niece to set aside some yuans to fund the Fire Ferrets, but only starting from a certain date.
That date fell within the time frame that would allow them to participate in the tournament, but after Bolin was taken to Amon's secret meeting.
"Tenzin returned to the police department this afternoon," Lin commented as they had dinner, courtesy of Jin, who had bought some ingredients on the way back.
"And?"
"He demanded that you meet with him tomorrow morning."
"Oh~?" Jin chuckled softly at the demand. "What a pity. At that time tomorrow, I'll be boarding the ship I need to take from the pier."
"And what should I tell him?" Lin wasn't worried about her uncle's absence; she had almost expected that reaction.
"Tell him the kids should behave themselves, and that someone still needs to learn how to respect his elders." Jin wasn't wrong—technically, he was almost twice Tenzin's age. "Besides, neither he nor the city needs to rebuild that monument. If they do, I'll destroy it again."
He wasn't going to tolerate a monument to a traitor near his property.
"Do you know how many complaints he'll file?"
"He can complain all he wants." Jin shrugged, unconcerned. "I checked Republic City's laws. I didn't do anything illegal, and all he can do is show displeasure."
Lin couldn't refute that. Afraid Tenzin might try to use the law against her uncle, she too had spent time reviewing the legal code and found nothing that could cause Jin trouble.
After dinner, Lin was about to return to the station to keep working, but Jin stopped her and handed her a sheet of paper.
"What's this?" she asked as she took it.
It didn't look like another incriminating piece of evidence.
"Instructions for you to start practicing inkbending," Jin promised her he would teach her. "For now, you just need to improve your perception and control. When I return from my trip, I'll teach you the rest, so make sure to build a solid foundation. Half an hour of practice a day will be enough."
Lin raised a brow but nodded as she pocketed the paper.
She could dedicate half an hour—it would be very useful in her work in the long run.
"So, see you in a month?"
"Of course." Jin opened his arms with a mischievous smile. "Do you need a farewell hug?"
Lin gave him a dead-fish stare before leaving his apartment.
"Tch, still shy…" Jin lowered his arms. "Anyway, let's get ready for departure."
…
As the ship departed, Jin was amused to notice a flying bison passing over the vessel heading back toward Republic City. He could tell Tenzin was steering the animal. What kind of face would he make when he realized his demand had been ignored?
Would he try to catch up?
"Maybe I should start throwing in age jokes from now on?" Jin mused, rubbing his chin. "Tempting."
At this point, there were few people in the world as old or older than him—the rest were all younger.
As for the trip itself, it was rather boring.
No pirates, no beast attacks, thieves, or terrorism…
He couldn't exactly enjoy the seascape, so Jin spent most of the journey planning for his current situation and possible developments.
The most annoying part was that the food came from a fixed menu, and it wasn't exactly the best cuisine in the world. It seemed more focused on filling the belly than on quality.
As for renting or buying a private ship, there were too many troublesome issues.
Days later, he arrived at his first stop: Kyoshi Island.
"Well, well." Jin was undeniably surprised as he set foot on the island and took in its condition. "This brings back memories…"
This was the place where his wasabi empire had begun, courtesy of Suki.
He had also fought the Kyoshi Warriors back then without earthbending, but aside from the fact that he hadn't learned much—since their movements didn't suit him—he had probably gotten too overconfident. After defeating a handful of warriors with chi-blocking, the leader herself had stepped in and taught him a harsh lesson.
From an outsider's perspective, it would have looked like an adult beating up a child.
"The pier has been expanded, and the roads modernized, but almost everything else is the same," Jin smiled. "Not only has the Pro-bending field stayed unchanged, but even Suki's Path is still there."
Suki's Path was a fissure in the ground he had created as a warning to the greedy after closing the wasabi deal with Suki, since the amount of yuans the then-young Kyoshi warrior had earned was no small sum.
The houses had modernized a bit, but the village hadn't expanded much and retained the same structure, though more wasabi fields were now cultivated near the mountains.
"Well, I'd better not keep Kyoshi waiting." Jin followed the path he remembered until he reached the Avatar's totem, which once again looked rather neglected.
He sat down cross-legged, leaning his back against the wood, and closed his eyes.
It didn't take long before he arrived at a closed space with a massive gate.
"What the hell?" Jin couldn't help but curse. "Is Kyoshi or Kurama locked up here?"
"Jin?"
The spirit of Kyoshi sat in seiza on the other side of the bars, looking exhausted, rubbing her eyes as if she wasn't sure what she was seeing was real.
"Kyoshi, how nice to see you again." Jin greeted as he approached. "Looks like this place has taken a toll on you." The woman's spirit wasn't even manifesting her usual armor or makeup, showing instead a younger version of herself. Jin had always thought the freckles on her face made her look cuter.
Her condition was only a reflection of the mental stress she was suffering from being trapped here. This only further fueled Jin's resolve to punish the traitor.
Kyoshi's expression lit up as she realized what she was seeing was real—only the real Jin could make such terrible jokes about her blindness!
"Jin! I… I…"
"Wait. Before you cry or something, I'm going to get you out of here." Jin touched the bars to evaluate them. "You look like you need some fresh air."
Kyoshi took a deep breath to control the surge of emotions in that instant.
"Wait," she warned. "If the bars break, Aang will know. They're spiritually connected to him."
"Then let's not break them." Jin grabbed two bars and, consuming a considerable amount of chi, bent them apart wide enough for Kyoshi to slip through. She didn't hesitate for a second once the chance was there.
As soon as Jin let go, the bars returned to their original shape.
"Alright, let's get comfortable before we start catching up, sound—?"
Jin couldn't finish his sentence before Kyoshi threw herself into his arms and began crying.
Completely caught off guard, all he could do was return the embrace and let her vent.
Seventy years locked away in a place like this, seeing no one, no outside world, with nothing but her own voice…
Because her mental state was reflected in her spirit form, Kyoshi now had the same height as Jin, her head resting on his shoulder as he felt it grow wet from her tears.
If anyone had looked at Kyoshi's totem in the material world, they would have noticed the statue was crying as well.
A long time passed before Kyoshi managed to calm down.
"I'm sorry," Kyoshi apologized without pulling away or letting go. "Just… give me one more minute."
Jin patted her back. He didn't mind if she cried a little longer—it was better to let these things out than bury them inside.
But the surprises didn't end there. When he thought Kyoshi was pulling away to look him in the face… she grabbed his cheeks with both hands and kissed him!
Jin's mind went blank for a moment as he processed what was happening, then slowly placed his hands on Kyoshi's waist and began to respond.
Inkasha, returning from Wan Shi Tong's library, witnessed this from the edge of the space purely by chance and wisely turned back around.
"I think it's better not to interrupt Dad while he's finding me a mom…"
Pausing a moment with a thought, she subtly adjusted the flow of time within her father's area so that it moved perceptibly faster than in the material world.
"Dad will definitely praise me for this!" she thought cheerfully as she left, humming a tune.