Chapter 5: Because I Said so

"If I beat you in a duel, can I graduate early?"

"!!!" Everyone was shocked! What did this young prince just say? Beat the teacher in a duel? All teachers assigned to teach are retired captains, still trying their best to serve their nation. The class that was half-filled up exploded out of their seats in shock. Even the teacher's mouth was left agape at the sudden challenge by the 'Prodigious Dragon Prince'.

"Y-young prince, though I'm sure your skills are great, I'm not even sure that's in my power to grant."

"Aren't I the prince? Isn't my word enough? I beat you and prove myself able, and not even the Firelord would doubt me"

"Those are some bold words Sasuke"???

"Hm!?" I turn around looking at the voice. To my surprise and everyone else's bigger shock, Firelord Azulan stands in front of the classroom door.

"Were my words wrong?" I replied soon after. So what if he's here, as long as he gives the okay, all of this academy crap becomes meaningless.

"You are more confident than even your father in front of me. In regards to your graduation, you need to reach Captain level in skill by the age of 18. However, in order to graduate early, you must rival an Admiral."

"That makes no sense. I understand that the early graduation should be harder, but why does it require one to be two ranks higher than normal graduation?" I ask.

Azulan's eyes turned serious for a moment as he said, "You confused my words Sasuke. I said 'YOU need to rival an Admiral to graduate early. Everyone else only needs to prove their captain-level skills to do the same." My brows twitch at him.

'Wtf!? What kind of Oldman is this?! Making more obstacles in my way, who are you to do that?!'

"Interesting, your brows only twitched. You're very good at controlling your inner rage."

"...Why can't I just fight someone to prove myself and not go to the academy"

Azulan's eyes go softer while looking at me with half a smirk and he says, "You see my dear grandson, I could go on about how school is important to make friends, learn our family doctrine, or establishing yourself with the populace...but it's mainly because I said so."

"..."

'WTF IS WITH THIS OLD MAN! IT'S NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND THAT I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE! UGHHHH IF HE WASN'T THIS BODY'S GRANDFATHER I'D BURN YOU WITH GREAT FIREBALL JUTSU!'

"HAHAHAHA Boy you're really mad at your grandfather now huh‽ hahaha very well! Instructor Raz, clear training grounds A, I'll duel this boy"

"!!!" I don't think these nobody's mouths could gape any further. However, this old man's declaration is quite shocking. Can I face the equivalent of the Hokage as I am right now? The answer is no. My whole clan was suppressed under him alone after all.

"R-Right away Firelord Azulan!" said Raz. Finally learning his name.

"Come now Sasuke, I'll show you the way," said Azulan.

"..." He guides me at his own pace to the field. This may be my first time on the grounds but it feels like he's taking a long way around. Word gets around that the Firelord is on campus and will be on Training ground A soon after. While following this old man, we walked past a lot of surprised faces, but continuing on, the number of people decreased until nobody was around us.

"Sasuke," he called.

"?"

"You may not understand it right now, but you need to see things from another's perspective. 'A prodigious young prince that overflows with dedication into his training. He will usher in a new age to the Fire nation'. Truly someone to look up to. Yet for this grandpa, it's a child that feels significant pressure to be the best on his shoulders. Though my sons, Iroh and Ozai are strong, they lack the aspect that the other has to be a good ruler. Iroh is a great general that leads with strategic precision, yet still can't take over Ba Sing Se. It's his kindness. He is too kind to be a Ruler, even as a general he refrains from sacrificing too many people."

Azulan takes a minute here to give me a chance to digest the information. Soon he continues, "Ozai is cunning, ruthless, and very ambitious. My throne is a piece of meat in front of a starving man. The problem with that is, once you eat, it's inevitable that you'll go hungry again…"

"!" This is a good description of Ozai. This Hoka-Fire Lord is truly a smart old man. Possibly another hidden requirement to be a ruler.

"This is good. Your eyes tell me you can actually clearly understand what I am saying, and even agree with me on some things. I had Ozai send you to the Academy to develop your social skills, to learn from the populace as well as letting your people know who you are. I originally came today to see how my grandson's first day of school would go, yet I didn't expect him to immediately make someone kneel to him, and increase the distance between him and his people. Sigh…"

"..So why the whole duel charade? You know I can't beat you, but I also won't go easy on you just because of that." I replied.

"Hahaha! I haven't heard someone say they won't go easy on me in a long time. If you want to leap over this old man's order of attending the academy, you must rival an Admiral! Only then will you have sufficient strength to have your way. And if you don't have the strength, consider early graduation a pipe dream" Azulan smiles widely at me while saying this.

Tsk. Annoying old man.

We soon reached the training grounds that had an unprecedented amount of people watching eagerly at the spectacle. I'm not a f** show you annoying pests! Tsk.

"It's the Firelord!"

"Welcome the Firelord!" The audience soon realized our presence and everyone kneels in subservience.

Azulan looks at the crowd that's waiting in silence, "I will be demonstrating my grandson's skills to everyone so they can better understand his strength. At birth, he breathed fire. At 6 months old, he could speak. At 1 year old, he walked. At 2 years old, he learned on his own initiative the 32 basic fire forms of our military and mastered them at 5 years old! My grandson, Prince Sasuke's strength, is our strength. The Fire nation's younger generation is our future, and together we stand as the mighty Fire Nation!"

'Not bad old man. Certainly better than the Hokage's will of fire speech.

Azulan continues, "Prince Sasuke wishes to graduate early and prove himself to us. He wished to fight an instructor to do so and when I told him he'd be fighting me instead, he was hesitant. Of course, as all good filial grandsons are, Sasuke asked me why he would do such a thing." At this point, Azulan finally looked towards me with a sharp glint and a battle-ready aura emanated from him.

"And to answer your question young dragon, It's BECAUSE I SAID SO!"

(A/N: Azulan's character is kind of hard to gauge so I imagine him being kind of like a mix of Iroh and Bumi. A loving grandpa, yet intimidating and semi-crazy. Afterall all, Iroh became listless when he lost his son. Due to this, Ozai asked to be Firelord, instead of his older brother Iroh, to the aged Azulan. And this crazy old man told Ozai to feel Iroh's pain and KILL ZUKO. Of course, he didn't due to momma bear's interference and soon after, her disappearance. Yet Azulan died soon after and Ozai still magically became Firelord.)