DISCLAIMER: Characters and story based on the Anime and Manga- Naruto. I'm only going to introduce the new OC(s) I add in the story. For my first OC, meet Moeru kōri- A snow leopard and Haku's primary summoning.
So the poll is closed! The mystery character Haku converses with is…. Yūkimaru! Probably one the most neglected characters in the Narutoverse. Thank you for choosing such a unique character!
The initial paragraphs present a small fragment of Haku's emotions in the form of a short soliloquy.
After the death of his beloved Zabuza-senpai, Haku had killed himself with his thoughts and the physical tortures on his body.
"I was yours and yours alone. In the end, you didn't let me sacrifice anything. What happened to you senpai? You said it yourself- I was just your tool. You were the only person who asked for me. Asked for things only I could give. You never saw my sacrifices then but it didn't matter. I was content. As long as it made you happy, I was happy. You asked for my talents so I trained. You demanded for my time and I complied. My love and devotion to you was surreal. Was it not Why did you hesitate before asking for my life? It was already yours. My freedom lied with yours. I loved you senpai. You were aggressive yet kind. You had scars but they were beautiful and gorgeous. I had submitted myself to you and I never wanted more. I knew it as a fact that you would never come to me- that you would never be mine. Not because you deserve better, way better; but because I'm not the right choice.
Insanity never has one meaning. It really depends on what basis it is being judged and the situations which surround it simultaneously. It is all only an extremely high level endurance test. People call me a coward for not using my power to save you. F*ck them. Cowardice is not the same as insanity because 'insane' people are never cowards. It has been more than 5 million years since the beginning of the Oh! so great human race and the same humans are still primitive. The way they react to abstract ideas like Insanity is only a primitive reaction. When they first saw fire, they didn't start cooking it; rather the element of ignorance made them worship it. So how is it differnt?
Only a true shinobi knows what insanity is. This 'primitive' reaction is one's fear of the unknown. Insanity is not simply the state of being mentally ill or not showing 'normal behavior'. Insanity is more of a feeling which cannot be put into words precisely, even if you think you have felt it. I know.
All one can say is that it feels like he is standing on a cliff ready to jump in a river full of man-eating piranhas and not undermining his capability to figure it how somehow. Let us improve on that; on what insanity really feel like. The cliff is paper thin; he cannot escape. One bfreath and the cliff breaks. The river is deeper than the deepest ocean and the cliff is higher than the peak of the highest mountain; high enough that when you fall, your free-falling speed will increase to such a point where it cannot go any faster. The place where you will fall is darker than the purest shade of black and deeper than any level you've ever known. You fall. Is it the end?
One push is all it asks for; because once you go insane, you are never reminded of sanity. It is a live-or-die situation. One cannot claim both the dark and the white side of the moon at the same time. The moon is grey in color. It is white in sunlight's presence and is dark in the latter's absence. Insanity is the sunlight and we humans are the moon- The ten-tails. It not only controls the tides; it controls everything but you. What you choose to do is what the moon does to everything around you. Insanity is a state of mind which is best friends with desperation and hopelessness.
I train to forget about you. People cal my methods harsh and grotesque but what they don't see is that only the pain makes me stop thinking about you. You gave me the sign to live on after your demise. Funny. You've killed me! I need a purpose to live; I need you in my life.
I will avenge your death. Kakashi is the criminal now. His Sharingan will be the trophy and proof of me avenging you. Please don't stop me Senpai; let me go. Let me have my vendetta. Let me be the Demon now.
It was stupid of me to fall for you. Like the innocent boy in the story, I gave up everything. I want to give up more if it's for you."
*Unsheathes the Nuibari and the Executioner's Blade*
"So how did it start?" Yūkimaru asked.
"Zabuza-senpai had been a part of the rebellious gang of Mist Ninja who tried to assassinate the Third Mizukage in the coup d'état. He did not succeed, but he never really intend to overthrow Lord Third out of power. I knew his real intentions.
He called me a child prodigy and told me I was a descendant of the very powerful Yuki Clan. The Yuki Clan was infamous for their kekkai genkai; the ice release. It combined both the water and wind release to create Ice. I posses this unique kekkai genkai.
He took me under his wings noticing my hidden potential. He was one of the very few individuals who knew the true power of the Yuki clan. A power feared by the Greatest Clans; including the mighty Uchiha and the Hyuga Clans. A power because of which the Yuki clan was slaughtered and completely annihilated. Every innocent member who had the slightest change of activating that power was killed; brutally. There were very few survivors; one of them being me. I was completely unaware about the history of my clan, my abilities or my deceased parents.
He was the one who nurtured my abilities and grew me up."
"Enough with the basics Haku. Tell me how you reached here." Yūkimaru continued to inquire.
"He had been training me to perform the Secret Arts of the Yuki Clan from the old and ancient scrolls and artifacts he had collected- Basically, the trump cards of our clan. At first, I never really understood as to why Zabuza-senpai was helping me out. Eventually, I realized that when he said that we had the "same eyes", that he saw himself in me. That was the day I decided that I will become stronger and I will become a ninja of the Seven Swordsmen; just like him. Once I noticed that I had a way with senbon and ice needles, I thought of giving the long needle sword a try and I secretly started practicing for wielding the Nuibari." Haku replied.
"YOU CAN WIELD THE NUIBARI?!" Yūkimaru exclaimed.
"Well, not exactly. I've only trained alone and I didn't have much real-life experience."
"This is confusing me now."
"When Zabuza-senpai died on the bridge, he died saving me; handing out a scroll. The scroll he gave me had three summoning seals. The details of which are of much concern for the future."
"Well, then tell me."
"It was supposed to be a happy day. I had finally mastered the Nuibari and I decided I'll show it to him that day. After all, it took me 3 years to finally surpass Kushimaru Kuriarare's skill with the Nuibari. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to. What I will always regret is that Zabuza-senpai died because of me. He was the only friend I had. Leaving me alone in this harsh world, I had a good mind to suicide. So, I prepared the Executioner's Blade to impale me. It only seemed fitting."
"Did you just ignore me Haku?"
"We were destined to be together; Zabuza-senpai and me. Without him, I felt….. Empty. I just wanted to be with him. "
"So you're telling me that you almost killed yourself because you think that this Zabuza person was all so important to you and that you are nothing without him? Grow up Haku. All this rubbish about destiny and fate is a lie. What we call fate or destiny is just what we think we can't do.
I broke an egg today in the morning. That doesn't mean that it was my fate not to eat an omelet today. Geez man. If he really did mean something to you, live on for him. From what I made out of what you've told me so far, he wanted you to live for a purpose."
"I guess….."
"Anyways, what happened then? As in, what happened after you almost stabbed yourself with the Executioner's blade?"
"I met Zabuza-Senpai."
"Say what now?"
"When I prepared the Executioner's blade, it seemed very normal. Ready to impale myself, very courageously I pushed it in my stomach. To my surprise, nothing happened."
"Not really surprised anymore but what kind of sorcery is this?"
"No sorcery; only self-realization. Zabuza-senpai really did want me to live. The reason why I did not feel anything was because the Executioner's Blade had shattered into pieces before even touching me. It was as if it did not want to kill me; it was as if Zabuza-senpai wanted me to live. That sign alone was enough for me to follow his footsteps."
"Praise the lord! You came back to your senses. You don't believe in common sense but in 'signs'. This might take a while.
But anyways, this Zabuza person… he does sound nice. Except for his killing instincts you talk about, he might actually be caring. Looking after you even after he died. Atta boy.
Hey, and whatever happened to that scroll he gave you?"
"Back to that, I took the scroll and Senpai's blade and I left."
"Why exactly did you take his blade? Momento purposes? No wait. Knowing you…Don't tell me you've mastered the Executioner's Blade too."
"It took me a year but now I have complete control over it. In fact I can now wield the Nuibari and the Executioner's Blade at the same time. You can call me as the 'Dual Wielding Swordsmen Ninja of the Mist' from now on."
*Whispers*show off b**ch…"
"Huh?"
"No no nothing. What happened to the scroll?
"Nothing happened to the scroll. But I did manage to undo one seal. In fact, I have both the items right now; the scroll and the item which it contained"
"May I?"
"You may."
*has a look; screams at Haku*
"What nonsense! A scroll inside a scroll? Are you sure your senpai wasn't crazy? I'm on the verge of losing my patience. First all this destiny and sentimental garbage, then your amazing talents self mocking me & now this crap-Who seals a scroll inside a scroll?"
"It's an ancient scroll which belonged to my clan. Through this scroll, I made my contract for my summoning jutsu.A Yuki Clan exclusive summoning. "
"Oh yeah? Well, which summoning have you contracted to?"
"Summoning Jutsu!"
*poof*
When the smoke cleared you could see it, standing proudly. The breeze brushed through its fur which was gleaming in the purest shade of white. The perfect ratios of peace, serenity, rage and power were reflected in his eyes. One eye blue and the other red.
The blue eye looked exactly like Haku's.- a calm and soothing sea which could turn into a raging storm putting all of nature's weapons to shame. It let out a roar and an icy breeze enveloped the entire area with a soothing warmth at the same time. The snow leopard stood proudly showing off his dual nature; proud enough that he believed God himself had carved his fearful symmetry.
His paw touched and the ground froze. The frost so formed was gorgeous. A blue fire was burning inside the frost.
"They call him Moeru kōri (燃える氷) or the Burning Ice" Haku said.
"I've never seen or heard of a Snow Leopard summoning before. I mean, it makes sense if it is exclusive to the Yuki Clan. What I do not understand is the blue flame. The ice matches with your kekkai genkai being the ice release and all but fire? That too inside ice? This is defying the laws of Physics. How can the ice not melt with a flame burning right inside of it?
"You see; Matatabi, the two-tails has a rather embarrassing history with the Yuki clan. The rumors of the two tails being a living ghost can be called somewhat true. Before he fell into the hands of Kumogakure, he had been living within our nomadic clan disguising himself with a pretty handsome face. Now you already know where this is going. He screwed several ladies of our clan, maintaining somewhat secret relationships with each one of them. What the crazed oversexed beast did not anticipate was the possibility of having children. All these children were leopards; rather snow leopards, each with a blue and a red eye representing their chakra natures- Ice and Fire respectively. Wherever their paws touched, this unique frost was formed. The fire burning inside the ice was sign of their level of chakra control. Without any chakra control training whatsoever, these newborn creatures had managed to show the power of Ice and the Yuki Clan. Ice strong enough to contain the blue flame of Matatabi. Their existence made the Yuki Clan quite popular which is why these creatures were handed over to solely Matatabi who was then banished from the clan for such vulgar acts. It was from this incident when his personality changed to a much polite and respectful one."
"So to sum it up, a tailed beast hooked up with some women from your clan, had babies, raised them and made their summoning exclusive to your clan?"
"Somewhat. After he was banished, he realized that his children had large amounts of hidden potential which, if not utilized in the correct manner will promote turmoil and chaos. So he took them to Mount Eberesuto, the highest mountains covered with snow and set them up there. The mountains were hidden and concealed from the shinobi so the Snow Leopards were safe there. There they would grow, prosper and continue the species. As a sign of expressing his guilt and seeking apology, he only allowed them to contract with the members of the Yuki Clan."
"Interesting..."
"Master, I find it unpleasant for you to refer to our great father in such a lewd manner. If you could, could you please rephrase the way to refer to Matatabi-Otosan?" Moeru kōri spoke in a very calm tone.
"I love when you speak so formally Moeru kōri-san. I will remember that now. I beg your forgiveness." Haku replied, teasing Moeru kōri by trying to be formal himself.
"You distress me yet again Master. I have no right to be angry from you. It is highly unpleasing for you to apologize to a lesser minded and selfish creature like me. I apologize for I will have to take my leave in embarrassment."
*poof*
"I did not see that coming." Haku said.
"Ha ha ha. I loved him. So sweet, humble, polite and formal; he's like the perfect guy anyone would ever want to marry. You guys were so similar though. He's like the perfect summon for you. Both of you have a humble personality, respectful nature, controlled power, beauty, grace and I could go on and on forever. Maybe if you had a red eye, he could be your son! Moeru kōri-san and Haku; the son and father duo!" Yūkimaru said.
"About that…." Haku continued.
"Huh? You're taking the duo-thing seriously?"
"No No. Chill." stopped midway. he then whispers "the red eye though..."
"I could swear that I heard you say something"
"Nothing Yūkimaru. Relax."
"Okay anyways, let's have a recap. The scroll you had contained three items. One of them was a Summoning Scroll to make a contract with the summoning exclusive to you clan. But what are the other two for?"
"Well from what I know, the other two seals both contain ancient tablets with information regarding the Secret Arts of my clan. One of them, I managed to decipher. The outcomes however are not normal. "
"Come on Haku! You're talking to a jinchuriki! We're used to abnormal stuff."
"Okay Yūkimaru. Promise me that you won't freak out after seeing what… well, you see."
"Okay promise."
*Series of Complicated hand signs which end rather quickly*
"Forbidden Art: Demonic Ice Byakugan Formation"
A thin layer of ice develops on Haku's eyes covering the entire eyeball and reflecting a light purple color and the veins near the temple bulging. One wouldn't be able to distinguish it from an original byakugan.
"Qu'est ça whaaaa?" Was Yūkimaru's instant reaction with his eyes widening and him left gaping.
"Hey you promised!"
"Ummm….. I know I did but, this too much to take in all at once."
"I understand. This was my reaction too. The tablet says that the jutsu was developed by the First Mizukage as a sign of some treaty between the Hidden Mist and the Hyga Clan; turns out, only the Yuki Clan was able to completely inherit and master this jutsu. Now that the brief history session is over, there is this teensy-weensy problem in my hands as of now."
"And what might that be?"
"So I can activate or deactivate the Byakugan on my will and use it as casually as the Hyugas do. The only problem is that I don't know any justsu pertaining to the Byakugan. Although I do know the basics like observing the chakra flow and locating vital points to disturb the former, for utilizing the Byakugan in combat, I'll have to undergo proper training."
"Well then what's the big deal? We'll just head to the Hidden Leaf where you can disguise yourself as a Hyuga and then trick them into training you! That Byakugan of yours looks real AF and they wont be able to distinguish it from a normal Hyuga's Byakugan; And after all, with your speed, the training shouldn't last more than a few months."
*Whispers* "If only you knew about that damn Kakashi you would know why with him there I won't be able to control myself..."
"Did you just say something Haku?"
"No no. Nothing."
"Well, as there is no sign of protest from your side, I'll take your silence as yes!"
"... I still don't think this is a good idea..."
*Completely ignoring what Haku says*
"Then it's settled! We leave tomorrow morning!" Yūkimaru declared.
Haku was in a constant state of tension. He was much worried thinking about the consequences if he lost his calm. It had been over a year since his Senpai's death and he still couldn't get over it. In the initial months after the incident, Konoha had held the Chunnin exams where Haku had a good mind to participate and kill Kakashi sneakily. He was sure of his capability to kill a Jonin as strong as Kakashi. But why; why was he so anxious?
As if reading his friends face, Yūkimaru asked, "Everything alright?"
"I cannot go to Konoha."
"Too late now Haku. We're there. If only you had spoken earlier, we could've stopped. We've been travelling for two days straight and I'm not going to let it go to waste. Quickly, activate that Byakugan of yours and put on your mask."
"I still don't think this is a good idea."
"Halt! You cannot just enter the village without permission. Who exactly are you?" Izumo shrieked.
"My name is Yūkimaru and this is ummmm…. Gaku. Yeah."
"Well, I am Izumo Kamizuki and am on the guard duty today. Sheesh. I was told that the guard duty is the best. No nin usually comes in its just free time and doughnuts. Turns out, I'm the unlucky one. Anyways what business do you have hereand why is that Gaku hiding his face? Wait a second…His veins near his temples are bulging! Oh my god is he alright? I'll call a medic."
"No need for a medic. Just let us pass through and meet the leader of the Hyuga Clan. We have some business to discuss."
"Without the Hokage's Permit, I cannot let you in."
"We are Mist nin; masters of silence. We could have easily sneaked in without you noticing, but we chose to develop some sort of mutual trust and respect. If you could please…."
"Wait a second. Are you underestimating me? You brats! Take this! Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field!"
The ground was quickly covered with high-viscosity water Izumo spat from his mouth. Both Haku and Yūkimaru easily dodged by jumping in the air and Haku then countered-
"Water Style: Water prison Jutsu!" Haku screamed. He pointed his hand at the very water Izumo had spat and then morphed it to form a water prison around Izumo. He was left suffocating and struggling.
"See? I told you. If we wanted we could have just barged in. But-" Yūkimaru looked at Haku who then lowered his hands releasing Izumo from the water prison.
"We are not here to demonstrate our power or underestimate you. We need help. Please. Let us go."
*coughing* "It's a bit rich for you to say that after almost killing me using my own technique." *coughs*
"Almost Izumo-san."
*still coughing* "Fine. Run away before I change my mind. And learn how to negotiate. Geez man."
"Thank you." Both Haku and Yūkimaru spoke in chorus before jolting inside the village.
"What exactly do they require from the Hyuga Clan? I must report this to Lady Tsunade. Body Flicker Technique!"
*poof*
"Hmmm. It does look like a Byakugan. What was your name again?" Hiashi Hyuga; leader of the Hyuga Clan asks Haku.
"Gaku. My name is Gaku." Haku said formally.
"And you have just awakened this Byakugan?"
"Yes Hiashi-sama."
"So from what your friend here told me, Yukimaru right?"
"Yes Hiashi-sama." Yūkimaru said
"Yeah so from what you friend here told me is that your name is Gaku and you are a genin of the Hidden Mist. You accidently activated your latent Byakugan when you saw your sensei dying? Then you were chased away by your villagers into Konoha who called you an 'intruder' from here.
I don't know Gaku. All this seems very vague and mysterious. If all of this really is true, then you being so traumatized that you cannot speak much makes sense."
"… … …." Haku lets out a tear. "I'm sorry Hiashi-sama. I just can't stop myself-" Haku now starts sobbing.
"It's alright. I believe you Gaku. It's just that all this is very suspicious. But well, it is the Hidden Mist we are talking about. Anything is possible there! Ha ha ha."
Haku bit his lip but managed controlled his anger.
"Hiashi-sama, we will be very grateful to you if you could help Haku… umm I mean Gaku, in controlling his Byakugan."
"Do not worry Yukimaru. I will assist your friend. I will impart to him the knowledge and the disciplines of the Hyuga Clan and the Byakugan. Do not falter Gaku. I will protect you. As a possessor of the Byakugan, you are surely of our blood and it is my duty to care for you. Let me introduce you to the family; This is my wife, my apprentice-Neiji and my daughters-Hinata and Hanabi." Clan leader Hiashi said pointing at his various family members.
"I do not know how to express my gratitude Hiashi-sama."
"Don't worry about it. We'll start your training tomorrow. Take some rest, and for now just weave this hand sign and speak, Byakugan! That should help you deactivate it."
"Byakugan!" Haku followed.
"Are you sure of what you are speaking Izumo?"
"Yes Tsunade-sama. They were two genin from the Mist, Yūkimaru and Gaku; a boy and a girl respectively. Yūkimaru was the one talking and Gaku had extensive control over the water style. You could see his veins near the temple bulging, much like an active Byakugan. They threatened me, managed to throw me off guard and almost killed me, then finally they were persistent on meeting Hiashi-sama."
"Are you sure of their ninja status and appearance?"
"Yes Tsunade-sama. They both looked like genin however their power exceeded that level. Yukimaru looked like a boy of thirteen and from Gaku's attire, she looked like a girl. I couldn't see her face though. It was covered with a mask."
"And what about the possibility of Gaku having a Byakugan? Are you certain of what you saw?"
"Yes Tsunade-sama."
"Okay then. You may leave."
"Okay Gaku. Before we start some training, two things need to be cleared. The Hokage must already be aware about your existence and the possibility of you having a Byakugan. Therefore, you need to avoid all contacts with anyone outside the mansion. If however, you stumble upon a person questioning the authenticity of your Byakugan, you are to reply to him with confidence that you are distantly related to the side branch of the Hyugas and are not allowed to disclose any other information about yourself on my orders. I'll handle the rest."
"Point noted Hiashi-sama."
"Good. And second; before actual combat training, you need to know what the Byakugan is and what potential it holds. Byakugan is a doujutsu with an unmatched level of vision. When activated, it allows the user to see in every direction at the same time meaning to have a near 360 degree vision, with only a small blind spot at some angle above their back. More than that, it allows one to scan wide areas by letting them see through objects and over a distance of up to ten miles i.e. Its vision can penetrate through most solid objects and obstructions, though certain barriers may distort the Byakugan's perception somewhat. The Byakugan is also able to more effectively follow high-speed movements to better react to them. It can magnify in on small targets and seeing infrared to detect a target's body heat. Arguably, its greatest ability is to see chakra to a greater degree than any other eye dojutsu. It can identify chakra by the specific individuals it originates from, determine when genjutsu is being used, and discern certain types of clone from the real thing. The Byakugan's ability to see chakra is so acute that it can actually see the chakra pathway system and the 361 tenketsu that run along it. A style of combat known as the Gentle Fist or the Jyuuken has been devised that specifically takes advantage of this, wherein we strike an opponent's tenketsu to either seal or forcibly open these tenketsu, thus giving the user complete control over their opponent's chakra. While the Byakugan only has one stage, the level of power between its general level and that which only a few can achieve is vast. Generally, mastering this doujutsu yields all the same powers to a clan member, with only one tiny difference, which creates a large gap in power as a result. This difference is the ability to see tenketsu, special regulatory points in one's chakra circulatory system. By attacking these points with Jyuuken, we the Hyuuga can affect the flow of chakra in their opponent's body without limit. With that said, you need to realize that you can already see the tenketsu of an opponent and now can activate or deactivate your Byakugan at will. This is a considerable feat which has never been achieved by any member of the Hyuga Clan before. So, we will proceed to the training of the Jyuuken right away. Before that, as you are Genin, do you know any jutsu or have a weapon of choice?"
"Yes Hiashi-sama. I do know some basic water style jutsus and I have a considerably fair control over senbons."
"Senbons huh?
My main purpose for asking this question was to tell you that you being a varied user of jutsus and weapons other than the Byakugan, you can maybe combine and derive new techniques out of Jyuuken and evolve a fighting style of your own. For instance, both the usage of senbon and the basic water style jutsus are long range offensive or rarely defensive techniques. Therefore, you can combine the Gentle fist and these long-range moves to inflict a two-fold damage on the opponent; in continuation, you could use the Byakugan to locate the vital points in the tenketsu of the opponent and then throw chakra-enhanced senbon at those point from a distance.
This is all just a thought for the purpose of illustration. As I mentioned earlier, the Jyuuken is an evolving style varying from user to user and after I'm done with teaching you the basics, ultimately you are the one responsible for what you develop out of the Jyuuken. Now that I'm done with the theory, on to the practical(s)."
And with that Note, Haku's training in the Jyuuken as Gaku Hyuga begins alongside Yūkimaru who keeps a close watch on the things in their proximity.
End of first Chapter.