He wasn't wrong, though. She'd give him that much.
Azula rolled the thought around like a smooth stone in her palm, turning it over, examining it from every angle. Because that's just what she did.
Why don't I use lightning redirection more often? Someone actually has to throw lightning at you first. Kind of a prerequisite because without lightning bolt, there's no redirecting, basic math.
But oh, it went so much deeper than that.
First, there was the raw physics of it. The kinetic force behind his blasts would rattle her teeth loose if she got it wrong.
Then came the chakra situation: trying to absorb his lightning while keeping her own Lightning Chakra Mode active was like trying to fill a glass that was already overflowing with water.
At least for now, she thought.
She'd figured out something: keep just enough chakra wrapped around her brain like a helmet while letting the rest of her system power down.
The redirected lightning got a nice, clear highway that wouldn't turn her thoughts into scrambled eggs, and her Sharingan handled the microscopic tweaks this party trick required.
Still doesn't solve the real problem though.
His annoying defense was what she didn't like.
"Okay, so you're half right," she admitted, her voice practically dancing. "Lightning redirection isn't exactly the most efficient way to deal with you. Fair point."
"But this is just one method. One of the theories I wanted to test drive today. I've got a whole list, actually. So many ideas I've been dying to try." Her smile stretched wider, sharper. "I really, really hope you're as durable as you look."
Those who were watching from the sidelines didn't see an ounce of fear. To them, they saw the same kind of excitement as a kid who just got let loose in a candy store with an unlimited budget.
Wide-eyed, manic, absolutely thrilled.
"Round two?" she asked, like she was offering him a snack.
And then she did something stupid. Or smart?
Depends on who you asked.
She completely switched off her Lightning Chakra Mode.
Sure, it gave her speed and defense, but it also came with a catch, making her chakra so aggressive and chaotic that even she struggled to keep her Sharingan active.
Fire Release Chakra Mode would've been the same problem. Different flavor, same headache.
So instead?
Fwoosh.
Flames erupted at her feet and she shot skyward like a firework with an attitude problem. Because without Lightning Mode, engaging A head-on was basically asking for a dirt permanent nap, and she had better things to do than that.
And this was exactly the kind of thing that made brawlers like A want to throw furniture.
How exactly do you punch someone who's currently chilling in the stratosphere?
"What's wrong, Uchiha? Scared of me and flying after speaking nonsense?" A called up, and if you listened closely, you could hear the jealousy leaking through.
His chakra control could never. He refused to believe anyone else on the planet could fly like she did.
Azula tilted her head, looking down at him like a cat evaluating a particularly boring bug.
"Scared? Don't be ridiculous." Her smile turned patronizing, the kind adults give children who ask stupid questions. "I'm just choosing the optimal attack angle. It's not my fault your entire fighting style becomes useless the moment your opponent demonstrates even a single brain cell."
"You're like a guard dog," she continued, sweet as poison. "And I've just climbed the fence. See? Nothing you can do."
"What—" A tried to speak, but Azula didn't care much for what he had to say.
That's the thing about her. The second you show even a flicker of weakness, she's already inside your kitchen raiding the fridge.
Theoretically, A is fast. He should've dodged that attack even with his mouth half open and his brain half engaged. But theory is theory until proven otherwise, which Azula did.
He stared at her like she'd just grown a second head.
The shock was painted all over his face, and yeah, maybe a little sprinkle of fear too, because there was now a very angry burn on his shoulder and something that looked suspiciously like his own blood doing its best impression of a leaking faucet, not even able to hide it from his expression this time.
"She's... she's got it that mastered?" Tsunade whispered, because sometimes you just have to state the obvious when the obvious is trying to barbecue one of the fastest men alive.
As if to twist the knife, blue lightning flickered to life in Azula's right hand, then blue fire joined the party together at the same time like they were old friends at a reunion.
This time, A actually saw it. And seeing it somehow made it worse.
In the Ninja World, using two jutsu at once from the same chakra nature is already the kind of flex that gets you featured in the history books. But sure, there are prodigies; they break rules and make everyone else feel inadequate, which is still fine.
But two jutsu from completely different chakra natures?
At the same time?
How? How was she doing it? By selling her soul to some fire-and-lightning demon? Is this even legal? His brain was running laps around his skull trying to find an answer.
And then it hit him: during their entire fight, he'd never once seen her use hand signs. He'd brushed it off because Lightning Release Chakra Mode lets you coat yourself in lightning and that takes concentration—maybe she was just too busy to gesture.
You can theoretically still release jutsu without flailing your hands around if you're that good.
Except now he realized 'that good' was putting it mildly. She was playing a completely different game on a completely different board while he was still trying to figure out the rules of checkers.
He wanted to ask questions. But she was standing right there with her lightning-fire hybrid of doom, and falling for the same trick twice? That's the kind of reputation you don't come back from and the kind of mistake that follows you to your grave and gets carved on your tombstone.
"What a pity," she murmured.
Not quietly enough.
A's eye twitched.
"Lightning–Fire Style: Plasma Spear."
This time she took her sweet time building it. The surprise was gone, so why rush? Let him appreciate the artistry.
They were twenty meters apart, maybe more with snow everywhere. Land of Frost living up to its name, and yet, A could feel the temperature climbing like someone had accidentally left the door to hell cracked open.
How is she not burning herself alive? The question burned hotter than the actual heat. How is her skin still attached to her body? How is she standing there like she's making tea instead of holding a miniature sun?
Today, A has the most "How?" moments in his life.
Unfortunately for him, Azula wasn't the type to explain her techniques like some third-rate villain monologuing before the final act.
If he knew she was running on fumes, if he knew how close she was to tapping out, he might've just said 'you know what, this isn't worth it' and taken his injuries back to Kumo for a refund.
But he didn't know. And she wasn't telling.
Here's the thing about Plasma: it's what happens when heat and electricity get together and decide to make something beautiful and terrifying.
Fire meets Lightning, things get spicy.
Azula called it Proto Plasma Release because she liked naming things and also because "Fire-Lightning Combination That Will Absolutely Ruin Your Day" felt a bit too long, but it's not yet a Kekkei Genkai.
The tricky part was getting the ratio right. Too much Lightning and it's fast but bounces off A like rubber off a wall, basically Light Release, then too much Fire and it hits hard but not fast enough for A to dodge, basically enhanced Explosion Release.
It had to be perfect.
And then there was the small matter of everything else.
Fire Burst at her feet to keep her mobile. Yang Chakra working overtime to patch up the damage her own techniques were doing to her body. Two different chakra natures weaving together like they'd been doing this their whole lives, all at once.
It was a lot.
Unfortunately, she thought, because even geniuses have limits, it's also way too much chakra to keep up for long.
(END OF THE CHAPTER)
Oh well, I really don't know why, if I'm describing a fight scene, it takes too many chapters. Am I fleshing it out too much? I will try to end it in the next chapter, and yes, I'm back.
Don't forget to check my new work