"Because of his father?"
Kahn asked, thinking Iroh's "complex" referred to the power struggle between Ozai and him for the throne.
Although Zuko might be oblivious to it, as Ozai's son, he was inherently caught in this vortex of power and couldn't stay out of it. Ozai becoming the new Fire Lord would undoubtedly affect Zuko.
Iroh nodded, then shook his head, saying, "It is indeed because of his father that he might not be able to come out recently. But what affects Zuko more deeply is probably another issue."
"His mother, Ursa, is missing."
"Missing?"
Kahn was stunned by the news, repeating Iroh's words, "Missing? What do you mean?"
Although he had only spent a short time with Ursa when he played at Zuko's house before, he had a deep impression of her.
In fact, he was not just deeply impressed by Ursa alone, but by everything that happened that day.
The eccentric Azula, the polite and loyal Zuko, the always silent maid, and the strange way Ursa interacted with Azula, and Zuko with Azula, Azula's weird and sinister smile and venomous way of speaking, and Zuko's father, Ozai, who never appeared.
Of course, there was also the Firebending he was promised to learn, which had been delayed until now with no news.
Aside from the last item, Kahn originally didn't feel anything amiss while he was in the midst of it, but afterward, he always felt something was off. Upon closer thought, there was nothing specific, yet there was an uncomfortable feeling, a sense of incongruity, even a faint chill down his spine, as if he had glimpsed some kind of taboo, a taboo like the abyss of human nature.
That night, Kahn had a nightmare, and the next morning, the news of Ozai becoming the Fire Lord came.
So Kahn regarded yesterday's discomfort and nightmare as a premonition of the palace upheaval and stopped digging deeper.
And when Iroh mentioned Ursa, Kahn subconsciously recalled everything he had seen and heard that day, and the Ursa who had praised him and been very friendly.
Ursa, she should be a good person, right?
Iroh took a sip of tea and continued:
"Just as the words imply, she's gone. It's said that on the second day after my Old Emperor passed away, Ursa mysteriously disappeared."
"Mysteriously disappeared? Could it be..."
Kahn instinctively felt there was a conspiracy, as the timing of Ursa's disappearance was too ambiguous—it happened right on the day the Old Emperor passed away, the throne changed hands, and Ozai was chosen. It was hard not to suspect some unspeakable reason behind it.
Of course, this was just his intuitive judgment, without any evidence.
Anyway, that's how it always plays out in TV shows.
Iroh seemed to know what Kahn was thinking and shook his head, saying:
"In short, nobody knows. No one is clear about what happened or why."
However, he actually had some guesses in his heart.
There really was a hidden story, and the only person who knew about it was probably his brother, Ozai.
After all, it was his wife who disappeared, so he must have been the first to know. Yet, in handling affairs these past few days, he never showed any other emotions, as if he didn't care about Ursa's disappearance at all.
Or rather, it was as if everything was under his control.
In fact, he had only recently learned the news of Ursa's disappearance, because he had been completely caught up in all the messy affairs of the succession to the throne, and he was very passive, almost letting Ozai manipulate him. Plus, he also had to deal with his Old Emperor's funeral, so he was too preoccupied to care for himself.
Finally, he escaped from the vortex in an almost 'naked' and disheveled state. After adjusting his mindset, he finally relaxed.
It was then that he remembered Zuko and Kahn, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, and prepared to visit them. Only then did he learn the news of Ursa's disappearance.
One could say that he was also completely bewildered at the moment, and everything was based solely on speculation.
But there was no need to tell Kahn this speculation; it was too dangerous for him.
So Iroh decided to end the topic, saying:
"Aside from this, there's nothing else. You'll probably be able to meet him in a few more days."
"I see."
Kahn nodded and then said, "Zuko must be having a hard time these days."
After all, his father suddenly became the emperor, and his mother mysteriously disappeared. His whole life became a mess. Even adults might not be able to withstand the shock of such changes, let alone Zuko, who was still a child. If it were him in Zuko's position, he would probably be at a loss.
Iroh also sighed with emotion, saying:
"Yes, so you'll need to comfort him well when the time comes."
Kahn nodded. He would do it even without being told, as he now regarded Zuko as his own younger brother.
Speaking of which, another child in a similar situation to Zuko was Azula.
Azula also left a very deep impression on him, perhaps because it was the first time he had met such a foul-mouthed child. Of course, she was also smart, very smart, and powerful with extraordinary talent.
It was just that he didn't know why her personality was somewhat volatile, with a strange sense of fragmentation.
Kahn was also worried about Azula, but his worries were different from his worries for Zuko.
His worry for Zuko was more about his safety during the critical period of power transition, fearing that he might accidentally be killed, as he was Ozai's only son, the current Crown Prince.
As for the impact of Ursa's disappearance on him, it was secondary compared to his life safety.
His worry for Azula, however, was the opposite, because he felt that given Azula's circumstances, he shouldn't have to worry about her life safety. Although this feeling of his was baseless.
In short, he was more concerned about the impact of Ursa's disappearance on her.
Although he saw Azula mostly argue with Ursa that day, and Ursa mostly reprimanded Azula, there were still some details that proved the complex relationship between Azula and Ursa.
He vaguely felt that Ursa might be more special in Azula's heart than in Zuko's, which made him wonder if Ursa's mysterious disappearance this time would have any impact on her.
And just as Kahn was thinking about Azula, Iroh seemed to inadvertently mention her, "Speaking of which, the last time you went to Zuko's house to play, you must have also met Zuko's sister, right?"
"Azula? Of course, we were playing together that day."
Kahn replied.
Iroh was a little surprised: "You played together?"
Then he paused and asked, "What do you think of Azula's personality?"
"Hmm."
Kahn pondered for a moment, somewhat conflicted, and finally concluded:
"She is a very special girl."
Kahn's answer once again surprised Iroh.
"A special girl."
Iroh repeated, seemingly thoughtful, and then a hint of emotion appeared in his eyes: "Yes, special, truly special... Perhaps I was wrong... Perhaps..."
His voice grew softer and softer, and Kahn didn't hear the rest of his words.
When Iroh emerged from his emotions, he continued to speak:
"Do you know? In my opinion, she is very much like her father."