There is reason. There is more reason than you could poke a stick at. We are here to relive the glory days. We are here because we refuse to let Avatar die. We are here because we know that Avatar has just gone into hibernation - and sooner or later it will emerge.

Yes, but Azula is more sneaky. Even when she was insane she was able to figure out how to outmaneuver Zuko during their Agni Kai.

Yep, and that's how she won. She made Zuko choose between sacrificing Katara in order to win (Azula would have been disqualified only if Katara was hurt) and sacrificing himself to protect her. She knew which choice he'd make, and she was right, and the end was result was that Zuko got hit by the lightning bolt and put out of the fight. A win is a win, good sportsmanship or no. Then of course, after defeating Zuko, who was the far greater challenge, Azula got caught out by the old "lure your enemy over a drain of water and freeze em" waterbending trick. Irony, it gets you every time.

I think you're confusing "prodigy" with "master". A prodigy is someone like Azula who displays a natural talent at a young age. It has been stressed several times that Zuko is not a prodigy; he has to work hard, stuggling and fighting, in ordr to progress himself. He is a master, at least as far as technique goes, but he seriously needs to work on his strategy.