Too Many Avatars Chapter 3 (Patreon)

So the three options Gyomei introduced to me had... Issues. I mean I just wanted an earth bending teacher to help me get started for gods sake.

All spirits weren't human, they didn't think like a human most of the time and thus you could never tell what they were planning or thinking. And an immortal tree spirit? At least the spirit in the shape of a panda, you could expect what it wanted in life. But a giant tree that took human form?

So yeah, I didn't exactly want to trust that tree spirit to train me as who knows if she could pick up on my training space by leaving some of her petals hidden in my clothes or something.

And as for the widower, Hanjin Niang, I asked around with some disciples that were loafing around and she herself had MAJOR problems as a teacher. Sure she was apparently really strong as she was an accomplished magma bender who combined fire, water, and earth elements to masterfully bend and create lava.

But she was mentally unstable as fuck apparently, as her 'love life' was an utter series of tragedies. She had a childhood fiancé she was supposed to marry, he became a shitty young master who beat the shit out of her on their wedding to elope with her older sister.

Then when she did find a good man later on who treated her good. He, after reaching the second stage of cultivation, became an air nomad and fell in love with their lifestyle. And promised her a lifetime of 'spiritual romance' after he castrated himself to make himself lose his lustful desires.

Then... After a couple of years, she finds another man, a good man. A man who didn't beat her, didn't cheat on her, nor castrate himself to become a monk. They were set to become married, and then on their wedding night, a spirit using the illusion of herself stole him on the wedding night and drained his soul on the wedding bed they should have shared.

So yeah, she had issues, and I knew that she would be drama if she even accepted me as a teacher anyway.

Finally, option three and the one I was most hopeful of her accepting me as a student, even nominally. Helim Ama, the 'Lost' supposedly. 

From what I had gathered her life wasn't a complete tragedy so much as... She was really emotional, like literally slapping a man to death who spanked her ass when he was dead drunk. 

Like so emotional that when someone overpaid the sect a bit by accident for a job. She went and killed another dozen bandit groups in that area that they were hired to protect.

So yeah... Apparently, the sect's female leadership was filled with A- a weird tree spirit that had an obsession with tea and herbs. A girl failure who utterly failed at all forms of romance. And finally, a woman who was an orphan took everything she did to the extreme.

'You know. Maybe I should try to find the male teachers hiding in the mountains? Maybe they would be more reliable?' I thought helplessly.

But the thought of shitting in the woods and needing to hunt my every meal made me quickly forget that idea, honestly.

So with a mental sigh, I used the directions given by disciples who rather kindly told me to learn Earthbending from them or other older students rather than trusting these teachers. To find the said teacher's abode that was built into the large mountain.

And like most other homes, there was a rope pulley system that would ring a bell within the cave abode to get the attention of those within.

So with a firm pull of the rope, I could hear a dull clanging noise in the distance as a bell rang out from the side of the large boulder that sealed her home and acted as the door.

And there was a good couple of minutes of silence as I patiently waited until the large stone door rumbled as it was pushed to the side.

Then, with the padding sounds of bare feet on smooth stone. A yawn rang out as a brunette beauty, with amber eyes, came out with her eyes taking in my form and she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Hmm? A new male disciple, huh? Did Tsunade steal all your money for gambling or drinking and let you in?" She spoke in a velvet husky tone.

My lips twitched at that before I took a deep breath and said. "My name is Hayato Long, and I was hoping you could teach me earthbending to get started." 

I wasn't going to beat around the bush, obviously. 

And Helim Ama gave me a long sigh before she threaded a hand through her hair as she all but whined. "Did Tsunade send you Hayato? I am not a good teacher at all, young man."

Instead of commenting on her attitude, I said helplessly. "I haven't met this Tsunade at all, Lady Helim Ama, I joined the Sect through proper channels with Senior Yin Panhua bringing me in." 

Helim Ama perked up at that, and she said with a smile. "Wait. So Tsunade doesn't owe you money, and she isn't trying to sell me away for a debt she ran away from?"

I nodded with dull eyes as I wondered what the hell kind of sect I had gotten myself into. Was it too late to be reincarnated in the Fire Nation with beaches filled with hot women in bikinis?

Then I felt even more weirded out as Helim Ama clapped her hands together happily and said. "Good! Good! What was your name, young man? Hayato Long, you look like a strong young man. Come on in. Let me make you some tea, and we can talk about an apprenticeship!"

My opinion on the matter... Cleary didn't matter as she waved her hand at me, and the stone platform I was on. Rumbled before it grew up from the walkway and brought me into her house.

And after a moment of following the powerful earth bender. I coudn't help but ask rather bluntly.

"Uhm... What made you change your mind so much? When I first came here, it looked like I was just trouble. Now you are so kind?" 

And Helim Ama didn't even pause as she poured me out a cup of tea as she explained. "Oh? That witch Tsunade had done just that before. See, the sect gives out an allowance based on the number of disciples and the male teachers make up the lion share as they have a number of powerful disciples that follow them through the mountains and such."

"Tsunade last year played a really nasty prank on me using a debtor that she took as a nominal disciple first, and then she asked a major favor from me to have me train that brat, and when he did well. She revealed that HE was her damned disciple, and I had to watch a large chunk of the resources I thought was going to go to me be lost!"