Book 1: Prodigy

Chapter 4–Against the Fire Lord

Shisui was panting still, but he was quickly gaining his breath. He was looking down at the slumped form of the Fire Princess and his thoughts went back to that Genjutsu he had put her through.

Azula found herself in a blank, empty space. She was floating between it, still as can be. She had already tried desperately to move but gave when her body didn't budge despite commands.

"You're still fighting, huh?"

Her gaze snapped up and the first thing she saw were those dreadful eyes. And despite that, she couldn't take her eyes off them.

"You really are strong."

"Tch! What are you going on about?! I told you to stop talking as if you'd won?!" She snapped. She hated that look on his face. That look of sympathy, as if someone of her stature actually needed it.

How annoying!

"I'm talking like this, because I've already won, Azula. You-"

"Don't you dare address me as if we're familiar with each other! You don't know me, peasant!"

His features softened. "But I do know you, Azula. I know everything."

What the hell was he talking about? Why was he looking like that? What was the meaning of all of this? "Shut the hell up! Tell me where we are! What did you do?!"

"Your father is the one who made you this way. He doesn't love you. He has no love. All he is doing is using you for his own ambition."

Azula wanted to burn his throat for ignoring her questions. Despite the fact that she just couldn't move, her fist clenched tightly at her side and her arms were shaking now, the paralysis barely keeping her still.

Shisui couldn't help but show his surprise. How strong was this girl? "You can move? Wow, this Genjutsu might not be at full strength but I thought it was going to be enough to subdue you with a psyche like that."

"Stop it! Just stop speaking your nonsense! I will get out of whatever this is, and when I do I will not only burn you alive, slowly, inch by inch, but I will hunt down your family and burn up every thing. Not a stick will be left unharmed."

Despite those words, Shisui didn't react angrily as he had before. It wasn't because he'd already won; truthfully he won by sheer luck. If his Sharingan hadn't activated he would've been charged remains on the floor. He didn't get angry because he knew why she was the way she was. It wasn't because she was cruel or that she enjoyed what she was doing, that was the act. The feeling of things like love made her desensitized to what her actions did to other people and while she knew they were good, if it were to get her father to love her, she would do it.

That's sick.

"That's enough out of you." His features scrunched together in concentration and an invisible force forced her mouth shut. "It's my turn to talk. You've had your fair share already."

She tried to protest against him, but only muffled screams sounded instead of her perfect voice. Her eyes widened in the horror of it. What the hell? How was he doing this.

"When we're here, I'm in control of everything and there's no escape." Shisui told her. "I've been kind enough. You've been threatening my family, don't think I'm against hurting you for uttering those words."

The way she was glaring told Shisui that while she unterstood her new situation, she didn't in the least look like she felt remorse for what she said.

"Well," he began a bit awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "We don't have much time in here, so let's get to business, shall we. Now I know what you're saying right now, "what business? Our business was our fight" and you'd be correct to say that. But I want to talk about your past Azula, what your father did to you."

He saw her eyes widen in surprise and he kept going.

"I've seen all your memories and I'm trying to warn you that your father is using you. Once you're no longer useful, he will abandon you. Don't try to get his love. A man ruling by fear like him doesn't deserve it."

She started screaming and struggling against her mental binds then. Fire was coming from her hands as she thrashed violently and as time past and her anger rose, she was breaking through the restraints.

Shisui didn't move to fight against it anymore. He knew that he made them as strong as he could at the moment, so if she were breaking out of them then that meant she was close to breaking out of the Genjutsu itself.

It was a broken record at this point but just how strong was this girl. It was utterly ridiculous at this point. She was about to break the Genjutsu.

"Azula, your father he was the reason your mother disappeared! You know it! You haven't accepted it-

The Genjutsu broke like glass and with an ear piercing yell, Azula broke out of the mental prison she'd been trapped in.

"How the hell can someone be that strong?" He muttered, still panting and looking at her downed body. He got lucky that his Sharingan knocked her out and not only put her in the Genjutsu. She probably would've won if her mental fortitude was stronger. She definitely would've woken up.

His eyes turned back into their original black orbs and he felt the relief on his chakra reserves. But I still fill good to fight. Did the Sharingan make me stronger instead of weaker? He was confused. His chakra was not only more potent, he had more of it than he started the battle with and he felt that he could control it better.

He had to figure it out later. He had more pressing matters. Gripping his burnt arm, he stood off a knee to his full height and stared at the large curtain that held the most powerful man in the world behind it. What would he say? He'd just beat his daughter and had her face first planted on the ground.

"So, that's it. What a disappointment." Shisui's eyes widen in surprise. He expected to hear a lot of things, but none of it was what he actually heard. "You were suppose to make this much more interesting, daughter."

"Don't!" Shisui growled. "Don't talk about your own daughter like that! She did her best!"

"Who are you to order me around, boy? I grow sick of you and your disrespect of my stature." Behind the curtain, he rose to full height and his silhouette towered over Shisui, nearly covering the entire room. A dark presence settled sharply over the room and his breath seized on his throat. Sweat began dripping down his face, feeling numb and cold and he took a couple of steps back in nervousness.

The curtain covering his form burned away, revealing the elegant form of the Fire Lord with a face of pure rage. Shisui had never felt such a presence except when he stood before the Hokage.

"Remove my daughter from here and move her to her quarters." Ozai ordered. "I will deal with her later. I'm officially challenging this child to an Agni Kai."

Shisui gritted his teeth, trying to hide his nervousness. "You said I could leave and would he left alone after I defeated your daughter. Are you going back on your promise?"

He smirked. "No, I plan to give you want you earned... but only after I burn you for disrespecting your lord!"

Shit! He was serious, wasn't he? What a bother. But this wasn't good. Even at full power, Shisui obviously wouldn't be able to fight the Fire Lord and now that he was semi-injured what could he do against this man?

Wait, he had a plan. A risky plan that probably wouldn't work, but he had enough chakra. It could work, maybe.

"Since I won against your daughter, I want a stipulation. I win if I can tough you once. That's the stipulation."

A stipulation? Ozai was in disbelief at the guts this kid was showing and the fact that he actually believed he could touch him. Truthfully, he was a fool. But, he was an interesting fool.

Ozai seemed to grow amused and chuckled. "I try to keep my anger but truthfully you're very amusing. I'll indulge in your little game, boy. If you are able to hit me then I'll let you go with a title that you breath the Fire Lord in an Agni Kai. But... if I burn you I'll have you kill your family and serve directly under me. Is that suitable enough for you?"

Kill his own family? C-Could he do that? No, he couldn't. And that meant he couldn't lose. He had no choice. He was starting to regret the bet he made but knew that it was going to be the only way he would win.

"Y-yea." He crouched into a fighting position and tried to keep his face from showing nervousness despite sweat dripping down his face. "Let's do this."

It was silent after that. The guards were playing close attention, Ozai was waiting for Shisui to make his move, and Shisui himself was trying to make himself move. Trying to force his legs to do something.

"Any day now. I'm a very busy person." Ozai said.

Shisui sucked in a long breath through his nose and got even lower. One attack. One attack was all he was going to do. One moment to tag the man. One moment to win. He began to build chakra throughout his whole system and everything in his body began to speed up substantially.

He began to pant violently, his young body not used to all that chakra running through his system. His Sharingan blazed once more and he was grateful to have an even clearer vision, because it was not of his own doing.

The Body Flicker! That's the only way I'll have a slightest chance to hit him if his daughter is faster than my natural top speed! Nothing else will catch him off guard!

He leapt off the ground violently and raced at Ozai who smirked and sped toward the child in his own show of speed.

Foolish! Ozai thought, about to reach Shisui long before Shisui would reach him. But he didn't realize what Shisui was really doing.

They were 4 feet away from each other before Shisui literally turned into a blur of colors and sped up so tremendously and fast and out of nowhere that he was able to surprise the Fire Lord of all people. Shisui aimed a fist but Ozai blocked it with the palm of his hand.

Shisui smirked. Success! He actually touched the Fire Lord!

He skidded back, making no more attempts on the Fire Lord now that he had already won. Even if he blocked it, he was able to touch him. That was all that had mattered. He'd won.

"N-No way!" Ozai mutters shaking, trying to old in his rage at being utterly surprised by someone who had just come out of diapers.

Pain. Shisui felt intense pain wrap around his entire body as if it were a person's hand, squeezing him. His throat seized first and his entire body follows soon after, rendering him paralyzed.

It was his muscles. They were spazzing and stretching inside his skin. The lack of oxygen caused him to lose consciousness fast and soon he was out like a light.

XxX

Once the boy had completely stopped moving until small, faint breaths came from him, Ozai was only staring at the interesting boy. He'd been able to touch him. A small boy that couldn't be older than 7 and clearly was a untrained civilian was actually fast enough to force him to block.

What an interesting child. He though, impressed. He turned away, walking back to his thrown. "Bring that child to one of our best guest rooms and bring him a doctor to check him over for injuries. When he wakes up, I would like to speak with him."

"Yes, my Lord." A guard nodded and bowed before going to complete the plan.

"I'd never thought I'd see a moment where you would accept such conditions and lose." A familiar but rather annoying voice spoke out.

"Brother." He regarded, not sparing a glance. "I had no idea that would be visiting this place as well. I would've left early."

Iroh laughed in a amusement. "Oh, you wound me with such words brother. I didn't come here to visit, I was actually coming to give you a message. Although, I heard this village has rather particularly good fruit, so I may have to stay."

"The message." He urged. The sooner he got this over with the sooner he could start enjoying the silence of an empty room again.

"Yes, yes. Here it is."