Dedicated to: My Sushi-kun!
I lubby-dub YOU! Who is my chinchilla? You are! You are! Not you... and I'm not a psyhico, thank you very much. I'm...lively.
Gaara vs. Haku
Chapter 1
As usual, Gaara's senses tingled and the monster within him began to break free. He was up next. Gaara swirled off from the balcony to the match floor waiting for another opportunity to prove his existence.
I shall hate everyone, love only myself, and shall kill those who threaten my purpose in life.
He repeated his ninja path over and over again in his mind. After a few seconds, the match scrambler finally came to a halt. It read: Gaara vs. Haku
Looking for his competitor, Gaara glared up to the crowd of contestants. Seeing no one move, he turned to the other balcony and suddenly noticed a figure standing in front of him. The boy was about a head taller than him, with a Shinobi Assassin mask that covered his face. Haku was draped in a large green robe with his hair tied in a tight bun.
'…Haku...is he a boy?' Gaara thought with repulsion.
There's was no noise to be heard on the balcony only the noisy humming sound of the air-conditioning.
'We should fix the air-conditioning sometime, its killing me…' Anko sighed.
"Haku's gonna beat that red-hair guy easily!!" Naruto exclaimed.
"I don't know what kind of jutsus that girlish-guy has up his sleeves…but there's no way he'll stand a chance against Gaara." Kankuro said. High on the other side of the balcony, Zabuza stood, watching Haku's opponent. 'That kid…he has strange chakra. Heh. I wonder if Haku will actually kill him.' Zabuza smirked.
Back on the match ground, Haku stood in front of his challenger. He was a few years younger than him, with crimson red hair, a tattoo with the Chinese symbol "love" on one corner of his forehead, and a horrifying glare in his eyes. A hefty gourd was strapped on Gaara's back, containing something within it. 'Master Zabuza, I will not fail you again.' Haku thought glancing towards his master.
They both waited patiently for Hayate to finish his long fit of coughing and sneezing. After the last coughs faded, Hayate folded his used tissue, tucked it in his pocket, and rubbed his reddish nose with his fingers.
"Ok… Let the 9th match of the prelims began!" Hayate yelled in a monotone, and hand signaled for the match to commence.
Chapter 2
Haku had vanished and reappeared behind the boy. Gaara hadn't move even slightly as Haku threw his acupuncture needles that aimed for his vital spots. Suddenly, a gush of sand flowed out of the gourd, and blocked Haku's attack. Haku was stunned. 'There's sand in his gourd that protected him from my attacks! He wasn't even surprised! What is he?!'
"It seems that the sand protects Gaara at his will." Kakashi explained. 'Hmm, I'm curious' Kakashi thought.
"That's Gaara's ultimate defense, no one has ever penetrated it." Kankuro bragged. Naruto looked at Haku with a concern expression on his face.
"Come on! Haku, you can beat this guy!!" Naruto bellowed. 'Naruto's so annoying. This is such a drag…' Shikimaru sighed.
With a boost of adrenaline from Naruto's cheering, Haku held up his empty hand and made the sign of the tiger. 'The Kirigakure Jutsu!!'
The air began to coagulate until the bottom level was enveloped over by a cloud of fog.
"Aww man, we're going to miss all the good parts!" Chouji whined between the intervals from BBQ chip to chip.
"So much for entertainment…" Shikimaru groaned.
"Whoa, I can't see anything down there," Kiba said, "Hinata, could you check out what's going on with your Byyakugan?"
"Sure. Byyakugan!" Hinata whispered. Her eyes dilated and turned white with visible veins on the side of her head. Hinata gasped and lean closer against the rail.
"What's going on?" Naruto yelled, "I can't see a thing!"
"It's…it is…amazing!" Hinata said incredulously in her murmuring voice.
Chapter 3
A sudden whiff of fog surrounded Gaara within seconds. This time, Gaara blinked. Haku had disappeared. The demon stirred again within his body, but this time it hurt. Gaara's head filled with stinging pain that clouded up his focus.
'Now's my chance!' Haku thought with renewed aggression. 'Crystal Ice Mirrors!'
The pain got worse every passing minute. As the pain began to loosen its strong grip on Gaara, the air around him dropped rapidly.
Zzznn, zznn, znn, znnn. Gaara could barely make it out, but he noticed he was encircled by a house of mirrors.
"The tables have turned to my advantage. Now you can't see…or escape." Haku's voice echoed.
Chapter 4
"I see. That guy from the sand is in trouble. Haku has created mirror barriers." Shino observed.
"Not only that…but….he has also blinded him from seeing." Hinata added.
"Hey, wait a minute, Shino how did you know?" Kiba questioned.
"I sent some of my bug friends to see what was going on. They have ideal visibility in the darkest and even the foggiest of days." Shino explained.
'Yeesh, does Shino have to brag about his insects everyday?' Kiba complained.
"And that guy from the Sand Village…he's…he's badly hurt…" Hinata said in a distressed manner. Kankuro and Temari congealed with their eyes wide and mouths open. They looked doubtful.
"No one has ever laid a single scratch on Gaara!!" Kankuro said, once again bragging about his sibling's great power.
"No way!" Temari spook with skepticism. Abruptly, the fog vanished in thin air like a small ship caught in a deathly vortex. Everyone on the second level gaped at what they saw.
Chapter 5
Creeping towards one of the Ice Mirrors, Haku slipped inside it.
"Shall we begin?" Haku said gripping on to his acupuncture needles.
Chapter 6
Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding. The mirrors glowed radiantly and Gaara was positioned like he had, with his hands crossed and his eyes fixed on a mirror. His stare was like death itself.
Gaara winced. He felt a brisk shot of pain on his right shoulder. More and more pain throbbed all over his body within a split second. What was going on?! Blood was pouring on the floor and his sand was scattered moving randomly back and forth and side to side. The pain kept on coming, but Gaara couldn't distinguish the explanation because of the fog. Something else was to it. Why would Haku make a mirror barrier, if he had the fog? He wouldn't need the Jutsu then it would just be a waste of chakra. 'The fog…' Gaara had found the solution. "Sand Extend Jutsu!!" Gaara said. His sand began to increase and the fog began to withdraw.
"What! The fog…it's disappearing!" Haku stammered with uncertainty.
On the second level, Temari, Kankuro, Shino, Kiba, Naruto, Hinata, and everyone else waited anxiously to witness the aftermath the fog. In the middle of the match arena, were large slabs of crystal mirrors forming a house-like dome above Gaara just like Hinata and Shino had described. Gaara stood inside the mirrors covered with bloody gashes. Temari and Kankuro gawked at their hurt "sibling", feeling humiliated by bragging about Gaara when all this time, he was getting beat up against that kid. 'Who is he? That guy landed so many wounds on Gaara! Gaara's actually bleeding!!' Temari mentally exclaimed.
'Impossible!!' Baki thought to himself.
"Clever. That Gaara kid used his sand to absorb the fog." Kakashi acknowledged.
"But, Sensei, how could sand possibly soak up fog? It's not practical!" Sakura asked with her hands gesturing her confusion.
"It indeed is. Fog is an element of liquid, but a lot less water particles than the original form of water, and his sand is the same thing as dirt. So, the question is Sakura, what happens to water when it is poured on dirt?" Kakashi said. Sakura still did not understand.
"It absorbs of course, but fog contains a lot fewer water particles than water itself does. So that means the sand would not suck the fog up at all!" Sakura grinned at her intelligence. 'Yeesss!! I over thought Kakashi! YEAH!!' Sakura's inner character squealed while forming a fist with her hands as if she were boxing.
"That's correct, but there's one little catch. That fog is drenched with Haku's Chakra. He used his chakra to summon the fog at his command and apparently that unique sand Gaara has in his gourd is also able to absorb chakra." Kakashi pointed out, also taking back his imaginary intellectual crown.
'Darn it!' Inner Sakura cried as Kakashi stole her crown. "But…that still wouldn't be enough sand to have captured the fog!" Sakura spit out her comeback. 'Take that! Chaaaa!!' The inner personality of Sakura said.
"That's why he used the Sand Extend Jutsu." Kakashi said. The inner Sakura slumped in dismayed defeated by Kakashi once again.
Chapter 7
"What! The fog…it's disappearing!" Haku stammered with uncertainty.
"Now that the fog it out of my way…," Gaara said evilly, "It's over."
"No one has ever broken out of my house of mirrors or has defeated me," Haku said in his deepest tone, "I still my speed. I don't need the element of surprise on my side."
The mirrors once again glowed like bright fire, but this time Gaara was prepared for the attack. The acupuncture needles snapped as it scraped against Gaara's rock solid sand ball. Haku smirked, threw the broken needles away, and slipped back into his mirrors.
Now, we shall begin…, Haku thought as his demon curse mark on his right arm burned like hell, flames engulfing his whole body. Haku winced at the amount of Chakra bucketing in him, feeling the adrenaline and power rushing through his inner system.
100, 157, 245, 300...
Faster than the speed of light, the demon Haku threw a punch at the pitiful sand protection. BOOM!!!
Chapter 8
"G-Gaara is hurt?!" Kankuro and Temari stuttered. This Haku kid…he was something horrible…
"Where's the other guy/girl?" Kiba asked. Faint "dingings" were overheard on the battle and the mirrors laminated like a light bulb. Gaara shield was nearly torn to pieces with blood on the ground. His sand was useless. The Ice Mirrors glimmered again and Gaara's sand formed a large 360˚ shield. The audience caught a glimpse of the mysterious masked kid retreat back into his mirror.
"Ha! I knew it! No one can break through the Sand Shield!!" Kankuro cheered with renewed hope.
"HEY!! WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!!" Naruto inquired in his usual clueless and loud voice. But no matter his voice, what they saw next…was all the answers he needed. BOOM!!! Kankuro's expression on his face showed what everyone was feeling at that split second. Horrified.
Chapter 9
The ceiling of the arena crumbled into the dust which made the whole arena tremble. Naruto, Sakura, Rock Lee, Temari, Kankuro, Baki, Gai Sensei, Kakashi Sensei, and even the Hokage gaped, dumbstruck at the aftermath of Haku's attack. Out of the thick cloud of dust, two distant figures became more visible. The "thing" on the left side of the arena was an enormous raccoon-like monster made of sand with one long tail and a gruesome snarl on its face. Its body was higher than the roof and the Shakuku legs and asparagus-like tail were the only thing visible on the match floor. On the right side of the arena was the same old Haku, but something about him was different.
"Hmph." 'So, Haku released the water demon, eh?' Zabuza thought.
"Yes! We are going to have some delicious blood today, mother." The beast formerly within Gaara growled in its raspy voice. A sudden and unusual burst of laughter came from the other side of the arena out of Haku's mouth. Everyone stared at Haku in disbelief.
"What are you laughing at, weakling?!" The monster snarled angrily.
"What the?!" Naruto yelled from the balcony.
Up on the opposite balcony from all the commotion, Zabuza stood as a lone figure watching down at his beloved partner. He never had the guts to tell him, but after what happened on the bridge, Haku knew more than ever.
"Haku…" Zabuza mumbled. Remembering. Remembering back when he had "adopted" Haku. Zabuza could have chose any other abandoned child with far greater potential and Kekai Genkai blood trait rather than Haku, but his first words to him made Haku even more special.
"…I…can see myself in your eyes. We have the same expression." Haku said, huddling to keep warmth as he stared at Zabuza with passion.
He was a demon like him for sure. The both shared the same sorrow, hatred, and loneliness. Like a saying said, "The bottomless depths of your eyes can determine every aspect of your past, your fate, and even your deepest secrets."
In ninja way, your eyes were the enemy. Just by someone looking in your eye, it gave away emotions and lies. Everything from the glance of fear to tears are indicated from the eye. After all, ninja or not, they were all still humans with all too human-like emotions.
So, where Zabuza stood, one thousand of these "feelings" where going through his mind. Haku was a monster like him. The water dragon demon was originally named Haagenti, the Great Water Demon Ruler of the Under World who came in command for thirty-three legions of demons. Zabuza had struggled to suppress and control its enormous power, but that failed. Zabuza was forced to seal away the demon with the water seal, but after encountering Haku, he didn't want to abandon him. Somehow, the damn feelings got in the way. He had just recently released the water seal after that fateful day fighting on that bridge. He had thought Haku died, but once he went up to heaven, somehow, Haku took his hand and lead him back here on Earth. Haku had proved himself worthy, but it was a great risk…and great cost for those whose death's were on the line.
Chapter 10
"Kakashi-Sensei, what is wrong with Haku?" Sakura nervously asked.
"Hmmm, I think Haku has the Haagenti spirit demon within him. See that dragon insignia on his right arm that his selves were exposing? That is the mark of the water demon." Kakashi pointed out.
"Stupid water demon or not, Gaara is in his totally transformed state. This is bad." Kankuro said. Shivering at the time when he had seen him kill those in his "path". They were bad memories. All the blood splattered on the stone floor of their Kazekage's porch view, and Yashamaru's body crumpled in the spotlight of the full moon, but neither Kankuro nor Temari had ever seen Gaara in this state, especially this riled. Kankuro shivered and turned towards Temari and Baki seeing their face masked by trepidation.
Chapter 11
"Forth-Hokage! We must do something! This is getting way out of hand! Can't you just sense that-"
The Hokage raised his hand and Anko went silent.
"Yes, that amount of chakra. It seems even I cannot stop this fight now…" The Hokage said staring below on the utterly damaged match ground. His words were in concern, but actually, he was interested in this fight. Gaara of the Suna (not tuna, don't make me sick)Sand Village, and Haku, of the Hidden Village of Mist. It had been 8 years since he had seen another Hidden Village of the Mist competitor, and it was Zabuza. What a coincidence.
"But…sir…" Anko stuttered, glancing from the match to the Hokage. Lately, the Forth had been acting quiet strangely to the news about Orochimaru and his return to Konoha Village. 'Could Orochimaru have taken his b—?'
Before she could think further more, a pool of pitch black water raised from under the ground forming bubbles as it hovered in mid-air.
'Death Water Jutsu' Haku formed a long series of hand signs. 'Tora, I, Uma, Ushi, Ne, Saru, Mi.'
The black water began to attach together and form a dragon. Spikes wedged out from the rear of its head like a group icicles, extended all the way to the tip of the dragons tail. On the water dragons face, a fierce snout scrunched up similar to a pig's making it's expression seem enraged. Adding to that description, the dragon's eyes were close so it only showed the dark outer layer of its eyelids. Haku leaped up in the air and landed silently on the dragon's head having on hand on his side and the other creating the sign of the tiger in front of his mask. Slowly, but surely, the "death water" commenced on swallowing Haku, and as his flip flops began to go under the surface of the liquid water. As Haku opened his eyes, the dragon's eyes shot open and Orochimaru vanished in search his "right hand man", Kabuto, with his information gathered on his future container, Sasuke Uchiha.
Chapter 12
There stood the monster within Gaara out of his prison at last, and was facing this stupid masked kid, who was also a demon. The Shukaku always pictured the day he would finally break out of this boy containing him. It laughed at everything it had done to make the boy miserable and what had become of him. 'Cute ninja path, boy. Mind if I help out a little?'
Gaara's thoughts were empty, and the monster felt a bit of annoyance.
Chapter 13
"Lord Hokage! I have sent for our highest ranked Anbu to stop this disaster!" Anko yelled pointed towards the two creatures.
"Let them come, but shall they be able to complete their given duties?" The Hokage spoke with wisdom.
Suddenly, they went for the final attack to see who would prevail.
'I will fight to the end to prove I am useful, Master Zabuza. Please notice me.' Haku thought.
'I shall hate everyone, love only myself, and shall kill those who threaten my purpose in life.' Gaara thought.
The two ninjas fought for victory, and in the end, they forfeited, and then went out for tacos.
The End
Shakuku Gaara's inner demon (like Naruto's Nine-Tailed Fox)
Hidden in the Mist Jutsu Kii-re-gak-ray
Baki- The Joinin leader of the Sand group (includes Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro)