Akiko's plan was simple.
Step One: Hikuto would stall Azula and be the world's most distracting decoy.
Step Two: She, with her Three-Tails chakra enhancing her physical strength, would punch Azula's face so hard no one would recognize her.
Hikuto did his job, attracting attention even if he knew he was about to get hit, although it wasn't the kind of hit he probably expected.
The problem was what happened afterwards.
She channeled so much of the Three-Tails' chakra into her legs that her jōnin-grade calves were hurting, then with clawed hands ready to rend, she launched herself at Azula.
But "exposed" for Azula was apparently a relative term. Her Sharingan had already clocked Akiko's trajectory, calculated four different ways to counter, and then, just for fun, picked a fifth option that was pure style.
In a move that defied both physics and common sense, she used Hikuto's liquid body as a springboard. A perfect, contemptuous front flip. Akiko's claws, meant for Azula's spine, shredded nothing but water as they passed through Hikuto.
"Worth it, though," Hikuto thought, his molecules slowly reassembling.
But Azula wasn't done showing off. Mid-flip, with the grace of a gymnast and the malice of a honey badger, she'd already packed a brutal axe kick with Lightning Chakra, aiming it directly at Akiko's skull. It was a kick that screamed, "I'm not trapped in here with you; you're trapped in here with me."
Akiko, with a snarl, brought up her other arm, the chakra cloak flaring as she blocked the kick; the shockwave cracked the ground beneath them. For the first time since she appeared, they actually managed to stop her.
The unstoppable force had, for a fraction of a second, been stopped.
And that was all Kishi needed.
He'd been feeling a bit like a background extra in his own fight, but this was his moment.
His blade, the legendary Kubikiribōchō, cleaved through the air towards Azula's neck.
Azula's eyes, for just a moment, flickered with genuine curiosity. That blade was the same one she'd seen in the anime, the one wielded by Zabuza.
She hadn't known it was. Interesting.
'Interesting' didn't mean 'dangerous.' She flowed around the swing like water, her leg snapping out in a counter-kick that sent Kishi skidding back, his sword almost flying from his grip.
Now Hikuto saw his opening. Azula was facing Akiko. Her back was wide open. His chance to be the hero!
But he didn't use a jutsu; if he used one and she dodged—which would likely happen—it would instead hurt Akiko.
He settled for a physical attack, a surge of water-enhanced speed to land a hit on her exposed back.
Feeling his actions, Azula couldn't help but smirk.
Both Akiko and Hikuto lunged, a perfect pincer movement. It was an unsolvable situation.
And then, she wasn't there.
She reappeared on the far side of the clearing, near a very calm-looking Mito, who had been quietly observing like it was a particularly violent nature documentary.
"Whew," she exhaled, rolling her shoulders with a satisfied crack. "Now that was a warm-up! I haven't had a workout that fun since I tried to teach Shikaku to do the Rasengan."
She flashed a grin at Mito. "Seriously, this was more satisfying than my fight against Ōnoki and the Kazekage, even though I was only running at, like, half-power."
Mito let out a knowing chuckle, the kind a legendary kunoichi lets out when she's seen it all. "Well, if after all these years of blood and sweat you weren't at this level, I'd be more worried."
Azula's grin widened. She wasn't complaining about being strong, not even a little bit. It was more like… she was a competitive eater at a buffet of justice.
She loved a challenge, that feeling of reaching for the last shrimp tempura just as someone else does, and then snatching it with a smirk.
Someone almost on her level? Perfect. Someone she had to actually work to surpass? Even better.
Back on the battlefield, the three-headed monster of shock—Akiko, Hikuto, and Kishi—stood with their jaws unhinged. After all that buildup, after all that epic clash, it turned out the enemy could just… clock out whenever she felt like it?
From their perspective, it felt less like a battle and more like watching a shinobi who had unlocked some forbidden, god-tier jutsu stroll through the field.
They ran down the checklist in their heads, their thoughts shared:
First, she'd debuted her Lightning Release Chakra Mode as a Genin, which pushed her reputation in one fell swoop.
Then, when she threw down with two Kage, she'd casually switched to a brand-new Fire Release Chakra Mode.
Then, when it was time for a tactical retreat with her team, she'd used the Flying Raijin, one of the Second Hokage's trump cards.
And now, she'd zipped back to Mito's side with the same instant transmission trick.
It meant she'd been fighting them with one hand tied behind her back, using techniques that can only be considered normal in her arsenal, while they'd been emptying their entire ninja toolkit.
And all without forgetting who she was casually chatting with: Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the freaking Shinobi God and the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. The woman they called the Strongest Kunoichi during the First Ninja War.
But the thousands of grunts of the other ninjas who were puffing up their chests showed they aren't as pessimistic as the three, literally spelling, "Ha! We forced her back!"
"Not bad, not bad at all," Azula mused, a competitive spark igniting in her eyes. "You know, I'm starting to actually look forward to these Ōtsutsuki showing up. I hope they are fun to fight."
Suddenly, brilliant, crackling lightning began to wrap around her body, making her hair stand on end.
"Alright, time for reality to hit them again."
She wasn't going to hold back this time. The Lightning Release Chakra Mode was not only her signature; it was also her comfort zone, her favorite fighting style. It was way more fun than playing tag with the Flying Raijin or messing around with that new Water Release technique she'd been fiddling with.