Book 1: Prodigy
Chapter 5–Change
When Shisui came to, he had actually momentarily forgotten what had transpired hours ago. But it wasn't for long, and those memories came back to him quickly. All what had happened just left a bitter taste in his mouth. Yea, he had won but what he had learned about the Fire Lord just didn't sit right with him. From a young age he was taught that the Fire Lord was always right, his word the truth and absolute. To find out that the Fire Lord was capable of using his own daughter to his own ends sickened him. It was utterly disgusting.
And he couldn't do a damn thing about it.
He looked down at his hands resting on his lap. They were empty; just as he felt on the inside. So much for victory. This was one problem he was miles away from solving.
This isn't over, Fire Lord. I will regain my strength, and if that isn't enough I will gain even more to defeat you. To show you that what you're doing is wrong, and that your words aren't absolute. Shisui thought, eyes shining with determination and face tightening into a grimace when he squeezed his hands in a fist.
XxX
Shisui was lead back to the Fire Lord after a guard had discovered that he was awake. He was given medicine to reduce the pain in his muscles that he over-exerted. The guard that took him into the room bowed and motioned for Shisui to do the same. He relented, not wanting to further anger the Fire Lord and put himself in another Agni Kai. With the way his muscles were screaming even just standing right now, he was sure to lose.
"Just as promised, I plan to keep my part of the deal." Shisui felt the need to sigh in relief until his next words came out. "But I'd like to welcome your family as royalty for this Great Nation. I will be extending an invitation to your family. It has already been sent out."
What the hell? What was he doing? I'm utter disbelief, Shisui ran a hand through his hair and tried to figure out what the most powerful fire bender intended to do. He wouldn't just do this for no reason.
"You're quite a curious child." Continued Ozai. "I can see that look of contemplation on your face. You are beginning to understand why I'm extending such an invitation, and if that is so, I see no reason to hide it from you. After all, it is already a foregone conclusion."
"You have talent that has to be nurtured and watched. My daughter, the Fire Princess, has been training nearly since birth, and yet, an unseasoned, untrained, and under-ranked boy managed to beat her. Her Fire Bending is already on a level of that of Generals and yet you can not only react to them but move your body and even find a way to counterattack accordingly. Truly, you have great potential, but you lack respect."
The silhouette on the curtain moved and it seemed that it grew 2 times in size like it was nothing. "And I will be the one to drive it into you, with my own hands."
Shisui could no longer keep himself quiet. "What are you talking about?"
"You will be my own personal student."
Shisui knew he probably looked a little funny, but he honest couldn't believe what he was hearing. His mouth closed and open over and over, looking like a fish out of water. He tried to form a sentence but couldn't. The Fire Lord; he would be training under him.
"I can tell." Shisui gritted out, his head lowered. "That you have something planned. But, it won't work like you think it will."
Angry, he raised his head, his eyes filled with a determined glare. "I will not go with whatever you have planned."
XxX
Shisui found himself home days later, having completed three task, two of which he'd given to himself. One was to deliver his goods, two was to get that boy out of prison, which he had succeeded after being let out of the presence of the Fire Lord, and the third was to just make it home alive. He found the third the hardest to accomplish, but he did it. He was home he thought hugging him mom tightly.
He had celebrated it as if it were the last. His parents were both confused and concerned at his behavior but they didn't know just how soon their entire lives were about to change.
XxX
It wasn't long before that dreaded day had come. It came faster than Shisui expected. He wanted more time. Just to be with his family. To be happy. But dread was all he was feeling as he parents wept and cried out in excitement and happy tears at the thought of him being accepted into the highest school in the entire Fire Kingdom. They would be nobles, royalty even.
And all Shisui could do was feel dread. He tried to be happy for his family. They deserved a good life after all the hard work they had done over the all these years. But a part of Shisui couldn't sympathize with it. So he had to act. To play alone, as if this really were something he wanted.
But he never forgot. With every step they took away from their house, being carried like they were royalty by a carriage, Shisui felt anger, for he knew that this was a ploy by the Fire Lord. To bring him closer to him. To observe his power. He was similar to Danzo, in that regard, and Shisui wanted no part of it.
Even if I have to bear this, I will not allow the Fire Lord to get whatever he wants.
That was the promise he made to himself. One he would keep, if only it meant to stop the Fire Lord destroying everything in a quest for power.
XxX
Shisui could say without a doubt that proper high class classes were the worst part of his days. He spent hours forced to learn how other nobles spent their time and etiquette befitting a noble. All of it was just annoying and unnecessary.
It wasn't long before an entire month had passed. He'd finished his training in record time. He just wanted to get through the damned things already. He couldn't stand another week of it.
His parents had their own specialized training as well that they were still going through and expressed pride and joy for having such a wonderful son. He was happy for them. But each waiting moment, looking out for the Fire Lord's call was a painful reminder that this wasn't just some random status boost he encroached on. This was mercilessly planned. To force him to join their ranks in the military when he was older.
A week later of being at home, tucked in his room, he received that call. Not by the Fire Lord, but by the most prestigious Firebending school in the entire country. Naturally, he didn't want to do it. Even more naturally, his parents were happy by the offer, so he accepted it without question.
All the paperwork and interviews later brought him to where he was today. In formal uniform, and walking the slow way to the school. He thought back to how long he'd been walking. If he kept going like this he was definitely going to be late. Late on his first day, huh.
Definitely not the impression one should be looking for. Definitely something his parents would disapprove of. With a tired sigh, he sped up, waiting for some of the people of the large crowd, filling the streets to wain out a bit before leaping to a rooftop and running the rest of the way there.
He landed before a giant entrance that almost reminded him of the entrance to the Hokage's Mansion. The red fire emblem, their natural emblem, displayed big and proud on the front of the arched entrance.
He popped the bone on his index finger with his thumb, not taking his eyes away. "I'm not going to enjoy this, am I?"
"Of course not." Black orbs darted around the many corners that could've been said from. That voice sounded familiar, but not a familiar he was comfortable enough with to name immediately. The person had to step out of the shadows for Shisui to see where they were. That training must've dulled his senses. He hadn't felt her presence at all.
Azula leaned on a wall, a part of her royal armor peaking from the shadows, and eyes glaring with a prideful look.
Shisui kept constant eye contact, making a conscious decision to turn his body more toward her. He watched her predatory gaze notice it, and she smirked. He wondered what was going through her head to make that sort of face.
He had expected her to try and attack him, but she merely chuckled and sauntered over to him with a smirk on his face that he didn't like one bit. Something about it put him off, even more than her cold, predatory gaze did.
"So," she drawled, pausing and looking at him as she slowly circled him as if she were sizing him up. "This is the one who had the balls to stand up and talk back to my father."
Shisui eyed her back as well, this time in no mood to deal with her. "Back off, Azula. I don't want to fight."
She grit her teeth, pure annoyance and rage spilling her otherwise beautiful features. "Stop addressing me so causally, commoner! This is why I hate you!"
Shisui only stared at her, like a stranger would stare at a crying child making a scene in public. He didn't know if this was all called for, or why she was so adamant on wanting to speak to him.
He decided to walk away.
She didn't take kindly to that.
He barely made it halfway into the gate before he turned to see a torrent of fire heading at him. His eyes widened in surprise but before he could move, someone stepped in front of him. He could only watch as a swift hand movement spilt the fire in half and he covered up as the hot flames passed both sides of him.
Shisui took in a couple of quick breaths to calm himself once the flames passed.
"Refrain from using your bending without explicit permission, Princess Azula."
Shisui gazed up and saw a man with long, gray hair, clearly old but looked regal nonetheless. He was more surprised to see when Azula didn't lash out at him.
"Yessir." She said, looking at the ground, clearly not wanting to say it but something made her.
He nodded to himself and turned into the school. "Come children, class awaits."
After a couple seconds of hesitation, they both followed after him and Shisui glanced at Azula then cupped his hand around his mouth.
"Hey, Princess. Who's that?" He thumped a finger at the man walking in front of them.
"You don't know?" She laughed. "You really are a commoner. That's Shie Hashikagi. A famous general from the last war. He's a respectable member and he even has royal blood in him. Even my father gives respect to him, nothing like a lucky commoner you are. You shouldn't even be in his presence."
Shisui sighed. She was going to insult him the entire time, wasn't she.
X
Azula fell flat on her back and Hashikagi called the match.
She lost.
Once again she lost to Shisui, and in front of everyone.
"Wow, he beat her without using fire bending!"
"How come!"
"He's awesome! He's sure to become a general one day!"
Those were just a few of the whispers that rung in her ears. It was more painful than being hit. This wasn't just physical pain, this was blow to her pride. Her very being as a high status princess. This commoner actually beat her, twice.
She slowly got to her knees and he was still looking at her. She felt those judging eyes on her. She knew they were judging her. They had to be. Her hand gripped the mat underneath her and her teacher's eyes narrowed.
Shisui gives a polite bow and offers her a hand. Why? Why was he so strong?
He quirks his brow at her. Why couldn't she win?
She feels power wheeling overwhelming her. Why?
Her hand launches upward, his eyes widen in shock, and flames dance on her hand. In a second, her hand is planted to the ground by a foot, a foot she soon discovered didn't belong to Shisui. She locks eyes with her teacher's. A pit forms in her stomach at his hardened eyes.
Her Father spoke highly of him. He never spoke highly of anyone. She should've listened.
"Princess Azula." His voice echoes across the room like rolling thunder. "The sparring match had been called. For what reason did you attack your fellow man? I want an explanation within the next five seconds."
Her heart rate is now easy for her to hear. But she's accustomed to this type of behavior and orders. Reminiscent of her time with her Father and how he would command her. Readying her for her future destiny.
"I-I didn't want to lose, sir. I apologize for my actions. It will not happen again."
Her response was met with painful silence. Silence she wanted to break, but didn't want to be the one to break it. Her teacher seemed to be studying her now, his hardened gaze perhaps searching through her clear deception. She hopes she won't have to apologize to Shisui. She would rather die than that.
Thankfully, he lifts his foot and motions with his head for her to stand. When she does, her right cheek stung and she was no longer looking at him. Gasp sounded about the room, but her ringing ear couldn't quite pick it up. Her other one seemed to just stop working.
Before she could fully turn back to her teacher, Shisui's back is to her.
"Don't," he mutters softly, then after a second straightens his back. "Don't hit her, Teacher. It was a friendly spar. I-I don't mind."
He was defending her. Why was he doing that? Was he trying to further cement his superiority? Was beating her down in front of everyone not enough for him? She felt like heaving. He was making a fool of her! There was no doubt in her mind. He thought she needed his damned protection.
She struck without meaning to. The back of her fist smashed into his head and sent him flying on the ground. It took her second to realize what she'd done but didn't care because of how it made her feel.
"Punish me! I can take any-"
Another slap. Worse than last time. She stumbles but catches herself and the class quiet gasp echoes.
"I see you have problems taking orders. Well, Princess Azula, I think I'll have a chat with Lord Ozai later today. In the meantime, why don't you do this. Take Shisui to the doctors office and make sure he receives proper care. I want you to wait until he wakes up as well. Understood?"
Dread filled her. Not only from the mere mention of her Father but the fact that she had to look after the fucking commoner. He couldn't be serious. He couldn't actually want her to do a maid's job. But his gaze showed no sign of a joke and he turns away from her to direct the rest of the class back into the classroom to continue instruction.
As they leave, she tries but fails and her gaze wonders to his lifeless form. She could kill him, but her Father seemed to take a liking to him and she'd be going against her Teacher. What a tough spot she was in. Instead of sighing like she wanted to, she decided to that this was simply her duty as the Princess of the Fire Nation and moved to pick up the smaller boy. She barely got him off the ground before wincing harshly as he was much heavier than he looked.
"What the hell?" She grits between her struggling. "What do you eat? A whole damned hog?"
She's glad she's been trained to have an inside voice by nature of being in the presence of her Father. Otherwise she may be in even more trouble.
XxX
Shisui sputters and awakes, but is more confused than ever. He's overlooking a rather messed up bed, with covers thrown across the floor as if someone had gotten up very quickly, as if escaping. A second later, his catch the form of Azula, staring up at him with dis long etched onto her face, as if seeing something she wouldn't normally.
He's confused as to why he's receiving that gaze but realizes in that instant that if he's overlooking the bed, then where was his view coming from? He blinks and turns to himself, only to find himself using chakra to stick to the ceiling like some sort of spider. He blinks once more, than let's his chakra relax, allowing him to fall down to earth gracefully, deciding to miss the bed in case it would break underneath his weight.
Instead, he lands before Azula's narrowing eyes.
"Um, what are you doing here? Worried about me?"
"Like hell!" She yells in a short burst of extreme anger but quickly covers her mouth, hoping that no one had just hear her. She was already in trouble dammit. "Tch, bastard." She mutters when he can't hold in a chuckle.
"Sorry, you just look so funny doing that."
"You know what'll make me laugh? Seeing you burnt to a crisp." Her initial mock happiness when she starts the sentence ends with a deadpanned glare.
He sighs, connecting his fingers behind his head. "This is getting really old."
"How did you stick to the ceiling? I know what I saw, so don't try and lie." Shisui almost laughs. He doesn't have to answer her. Her intense gaze follows him around the room as he goes around the bed and grabs the cover off the floor. Folding it up onto the bed, he looks at her, amusement dancing on his face.
"Maybe you were seeing things." Her probably would've regret his decision saying that as Azula's clutched fists bore flame. He'd already beaten her twice and that couldn't have been a fluke.
"I know what I saw." She reaffirms pointedly.
"Well sometimes you see what you want to see." He says just as pointedly. "That doesn't make it reality."
That was the straw that broke the camels back. She snapped instantly, the tips of her finger erupting with a blaze of fire even hotter than she could normally produce.
Thus began the cycle of her attacking and him dodging all around the doctors office.
XxX
Azula was really annoying. Shisui hated that he had to find that out so late, but he supposed it was due to his good nature. He probably always knew Azula was annoying and just didn't want to believe. Now he didn't know whether to think that the way she acted was because of her or her Father's influence. He knew it would hurt him to say both so he didn't answer that question.
They had gotten caught rather quickly, but damaged the room so much that their Teacher hadn't even believed that they had been able to do it. Even as they stood in the middle of the room. They'd gotten a stern scolding from their Teacher who also notified them that he would be having a private meeting with both their parents.
He wondered how it got to this point so fast. Back in Konoha, his teachers loved him. He never got in trouble even once. And now on his first day here he found it hard to stay out of trouble either the girl. She even knocked him out.
He almost trips on a rock, scowling. "Stupid, Azula." Maybe he should make a nickname for her. Something that would really piss her off.
"Wow," he mutters after realizing his thoughts. That sounded really childish. But then again, he was a child. Technically anyways.
The sound of cheering broke his thoughts and he blinks, searching for the sound with his good ears. He thinks he knows where it's coming from and decides to give it a search. He comes onto a large street where vendors of all sorts sold their products but the cheering isn't because of them.
He sees a small crowd gathered around one particular spot and makes his way through them, going in between them. He's glad his status as a child and student of a prestigious school allows him to go through the whole crowd without a curse being thrown his way.
He slips between two more adults and before him is a scene of a girl putting on some sort of performance. Strings dance around her spinning form in a way he's never seen before. Her body was flexing, bending to perform the complicated task she was effortlessly performing. Part of him couldn't believe his eyes as a small, "wow," came from his mouth.
She spun again, and their eyes made full contact. "Shisui!" She exclaims in surprise and trips on herself, instantly ruining her performance.
He's frozen as the crowd disperses, leaving the two kids by themselves. The whole time he was staring at her disheveled form upon the ground, trampled by her own ribbons.
He blinks, comes back to earth, and quickly bows his head. "Uh, sorry! I-I didn't mean to scare you!"
She sighs at that point and takes her time getting off the ground. "It's ok. You didn't scare me, you just surprised me. That's all."
Shisui didn't feel better from her saying that. "Still, I ruined you dance thing, right?"
"Well, yea. But you could make it up to me." She says with a smile, leaning on the tips of her feet.
"Um, how?"
Her smile brightens. "A date!"
Sorry for the long wait you guys, so here's a sizable chapter and a light cliffhanger. I had fun writing the relationship between Shisui and Azula. It's always something with these two so I hope you guys don't get tired of them constantly arguing.
I had this chapter in the works for a while but certain comments by you guys made me feel bad for waiting so long to get back with you. Lots of things have happened in my life but I'm back on track and hopefully I can be consistent in providing you guys with content.
Thanks for the wait and hopefully you enjoy this chapter!
