"Do you really want to do it that way?" Sakumo finally broke the silence, knowing there was no escaping this conversation today.
Azula nodded. "Hiruzen isn't willing to step down, but I don't have time to waste on politics, proving myself, or playing some nonsensical game."
Having served in the Anbu for a long time, and with his strength, Sakumo was keenly aware of nearly everything happening in the village.
He knew for certain that Hiruzen didn't want Azula to become Hokage right now, he could understand why.
But he also understood Azula's patience, or the lack of it, and he could see why she simply wanted to move faster and more efficiently.
"You know, sometimes you really don't have to rush," he offered. "I know it's your nature, but you should really learn to be patient."
He shared his view without hesitation, knowing it wouldn't offend her; she liked straight talk.
Azula let out a sigh. "You should be more observant than that. Do you really think I'd rush something this important just because I'm impatient?"
She didn't mention her past life or the fact that she knew the future, those were secrets after all.
Her words made him pause. Yes, she can be impatient. But in a matter this critical, one that would shape the village's future, she wouldn't let her emotions take the lead.
Since she didn't say anything, he didn't press. He knew her well enough: if she stayed silent, it meant she either wasn't ready to share or considered it too personal.
Still, his thoughts turned to his own position. His starting point had always been the village; everything he did had to serve its good.
Then came his bottom line: he would never allow an internal conflict that led to mass death, no matter the reason behind it.
If such a conflict wasn't handled carefully, the worst outcome would be the annihilation of several clans.
"I'll say it again, you're giving me one serious headache," he said with a wry smile. "But I get it. As long as you don't cross that line, you've got my support."
He'd already made up his mind, he was no fool, and that made Azula smile.
"So my years of raising you weren't wasted after all," she teased.
Sakumo only answered with a deadpan look, long since used to her antics.
Finally, she stood. "I'm glad you made the right choice. But I need to go see Mito-sensei. See you later."
•••
Azula is confident she doesn't need anyone's support, she certainly doesn't need to go clan-hopping, begging for alliances she could easily seize on her own.
But Sakumo is different because he was a close friend and confidant. The least she can do, when planning something this monumental, is show him the respect of including him.
There are a few others too Ayane or Shikaku, people she also considers close friends. She's already carved out places for them in the empire she'll build.
It's just that none of them are personally all that strong, and Ayane especially is a little too 'innocent', someone Azula refuses to taint with the mess of internal conflict.
By the time she finishes mentally sorting through all of that, she's standing outside Mito's residence. To be honest, her heart feels strange.
She can't just walk in and announce, "Hey, sensei, I'm dating your daughter, and well, I've turned her away from men!"
She knows Mito wouldn't be against it. Still, it's… weird.
Before the Senju compound's residents can swarm her with their usual enthusiasm, she slips inside quickly.
She knew the inside of this place as well as she knew her own home, but fortunately, Mito was just outside, relaxing under the shade of a tree and savoring her tea.
Azula stood speechless for a moment before finally speaking. "You sure know how to enjoy yourself, sensei."
What met her was Mito's warm smile. "When you're this old, you need to savor your time as much as possible, instead of fretting over children throwing tantrums."
Azula couldn't help but notice Mito's state, the same state she'd been in ever since their return from Uzushiogakure.
Azula knew this state well: it was the state of having made peace with everything. Probably, with the Uzushio conflict resolved and Tsunade and Nawaki's strength, Mito felt she no longer had anything to worry about, which had eased her into this serene calm.
"Or should I give you something more stressful so you can feel even more alive?" she murmured under her breath, half to herself.
Mito couldn't help but roll her eyes, knowing full well that Azula was actually capable of something like that. "Please, can't you let an old granny enjoy her days with tea? I didn't raise you to be so inconsiderate."
The disciple and master went back and forth for a while, their bickering carrying on until Azula finally steered the conversation toward what truly mattered.
"I have something to tell you."
Her voice dropped into such a grave, deliberate tone that Mito immediately understood, this was serious.
Deep within her, Kurama recognized it too.
"I haven't sensed anyone or anything inside the house," Kurama informed her.
Tsunade was busy at Konoha Hospital, and Nawaki was out 'playing' with Fugaku. Before Azula's arrival, Mito had been entirely alone.
Even with Kurama's assurance that no one was lurking or listening, Mito still activated her Adamantine Sealing Chains, weaving them into a barrier around them.
With her profound skill and a few masterful tweaks, the barrier made it all but impossible for anyone to detect what was happening inside, or overhear a single word.
From that point on, even Azula's sharp sensing abilities could no longer perceive anything beyond the barrier. She couldn't hide her genuine admiration.
Then her thoughts drifted to her Mangekyō Sharingan, and a grin crept across her face, a reaction that only deepened Mito's curiosity.
And Azula did not disappoint.
First, her Sharingan spun to life, then the three tomoe converged into a single point before the pattern reshaped itself into a stylized eight-pointed mirror.
"You've awakened your Mangekyō?" Mito asked, genuinely caught off guard. She knew Azula hadn't lost anyone close to her recently, no family nor friend whose death could have triggered it.
But then she remembered: Azula had been searching for a way to attain the Mangekyō without that kind of loss. "Did your experiment succeed?"
Her voice carried fascination, because she could feel Azula's chakra radiating from those eyes, and it was anything but half-hearted.
In truth, Mito had never sensed a Mangekyō this powerful. She quickly attributed it to Azula's immense Yin chakra reserve.
What could Azula possibly say? That she had awakened it because she was too excited by Tsunade, then triggered it by recalling her past life and harnessing the power of a flashback like a shōnen main character?
She could only act as though nothing was out of the ordinary.
"I awakened it after my fight with A," she said. "You could call it a rather accidental experiment, though I'm not sure it's something that can be replicated."
Her words made Mito narrow her eyes, as if trying to peer right through her and uncover the truth. But Azula simply kept her poker face.
At that time, she was monologuing about how she could adapt to any world's rules, who knew that would end up influencing what her Mangekyō could do?
"So what are its abilities?" Mito asked bluntly. "Or is it better for you, more in your favor if I don't know?"
She understood that some techniques only worked if their effects remained a mystery.
With these abilities serving as her new trump card, it would only make sense for Azula to keep them secret for as long as possible.
But Azula shook her head.
"It's nothing complicated," she said, clearly satisfied with herself. "Just two techniques. Though they can be combined for an even more flawless effect."
She continued, her tone filled with pride. "My left eye is Ame-no-Uzume no Mikoto—Kagami no Maki. Its ability is fairly simple: it sees the fundamental composition of any energy or genetic chakra nature."
"My right eye is just as straightforward, Ame-no-Uzume no Mikoto—Odori no Maki. It converts my chakra into whatever foreign energy or chakra nature I've analyzed."
On the surface, this was the plain explanation of her ability, but the truth was far from as simple as she made it sound.
Still, she knew she didn't need to dive into the finer details. That was the rule among ninjas: never fully explain how your trump card works, unless you were teaching it to a disciple.
And that had nothing to do with how much confidence she had in Mito.
(END OF THE CHAPTER)
This is the overall explanation of Azula's ability. It'll be explained more in detail later so that I shouldn't info-dump you now.