Avatar the Last Airbender: Lake of Still Fire

Chapter 8

Book 1: Prodigy
Chapter 8–Progression

The concept of Firebending first came from dragons that roamed the earth thousands of years ago. People imitated their movements and created Firebending as people know today. Shisui knows that. He knows so much about Firebending but hadn't been able to access the ability himself.

The energy to do so was within him. He could feel its coursing cool flowing through him, a feeling similar to chakra, in a way. But it was still foreign to him. It was impacting his control over his own chakra, stunting him. But if he could learn to control it, he knows that he can beat them. He wouldn't become proficient in Firebending that quickly. It would likely take a while, and with severe training to boot.

It was likely that Azula knew that as well. He was sure her reason for helping him at all was for her own benefit. The reason they built this contract was for a reason like that. But it was better this way then getting help from her any other way. She would probably sabotage him.

A small streak of flames came from her sweeping motion. He tried to jump over them, but felt the flames lick the soles of his feet. He grits his teeth and grunts, stumbling back. The pain takes away his ability to focus and he doesn't noticing Azula advancing upon him until it is too late. The kick she aims is high enough to reach the side of his head. It's too quick to block so he tries to dodge. He leans himself away as quickly as possible, but he didn't realize Azula's body hadn't fully committed.

A fake! He realizes in mute shock. Her next kick hits home, hitting him square in the chest. Air forcibly leaves his lung as he tumbles the floor. Azula never hit hard, but she never needed to. She was precise and accurate. When she wasn't full of anger, she was more precise then him and quicker because of her weight. She was fierce and fluid.

It made him question how he was able to beat her to begin with.

"How you were able to beat me is anyone's guess. You're laughably bad."

"Oh, yea," he pushes himself up. "I was dodging most of your attacks there. I can't be that horrible can I?"

"You probably used that eye trick of yours. Not that it'll do you any good. No tricks work on me twice."

"Yea, yea." With a grunt, he lays up and crosses his legs to look at his feet. "Ouch." It wasn't that bad, thankfully. Wearing shoes would hurt for a while.

"You're fighting technique is suitable to learn firebending. You're loose and quick, I'll give you that. But that isn't the hard part."

"I'm aware. Still, I have a question. You know I'm not going to be on par with those masked guys anytime soon. And you're still helping me, why?"

She smirked and chuckled, then leaned against the wall with her arms crossing in front of her chest, her bangs dancing in front of her face before she used her hand to lightly brush it aside. Her eyes held some unknown emotion that made his fingers twitch in nervousness. He didn't like that gaze at all.

It all disappeared as if it were never there with a shrug of her shoulders and an easy smile crossing her lips. "Haven't I told you? You're helping me out, so I'll help you out. I have no ulterior motive, if that's what you're thinking."

Shisui's never lifted his gaze away from her. He didn't trust that one bit. He hadn't known her long, but anyone with half a brain could see the look on her face when she was plotting something. The smirk only a devil could give lit up her face.

Her smile seemed to widen into amusement as she pushed off the wall and walked to him slowly, her light footsteps barely audible despite stepping on wood. Like a predator moving in on its prey. Her hand reached out and he couldn't hide his surprise as it snatched him by the chin and brought him close. Too close. Her natural smell without all the fragrance servants drenched her with filling his senses. If he didn't know any better, he'd would've thought she was an Uchiha the way her eyes lit up in red, like she'd closed in and was looking at fresh meat.