The Ninja of Unlimited Blades

by chimmon

Shirou was saved from the fire that consumed his village by a young ninja called Haku. Now, he seeks to become a useful tool to Zabuza, just like she is.

1. Zabuza's Apprentice 1

Shirou gazed over the battlefield. His chakra-enhanced eyesight focused on the fight. His role in this confrontation was as a lookout. His bow was held low and parallel to his leg, next to his quiver. He had to keep his posture rigid to maximize the area that he could see. Unfortunately, such an act left him visible to everyone else. That is if they had time to concentrate on something aside from the enemy in front of them. The un-notched bow was another concession to stealth. He was unable to properly hide, but he could at least obscure the fact that he was an archer from prying eyes. Shirou ruefully acknowledged that his skill with projectiles probably wouldn't come into play. His arrows went exactly where he wanted them to go, but that didn't mean they'd always hit their mark. Every second they were in flight gave his target time to counter the attack, and ninjas had ample ways to do so. He knew he shouldn't feel slighted at being left out. A ninja did what was needed. A part of him refused to accept that. The same part that wanted to be used. It was his purpose after all.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

10 years ago...

Fire was how the boy died, and ice was how he was born. His first memories were of death. A great fire that had consumed everything it touched. For an eternity he'd walked through it while people on all sides died. The stench of so many bodies. The heat from the flames. The weariness of his muscles as he finally ran out of energy. The darkness that consumed him was a welcome relief. The recollections of his birth were even more disjointed. There was a wonderful cold. A flash of gold. A rough voice. "..wish.." The clear blue of the sky and ice. Most importantly, there was a smile. What could make someone smile like that? He had to know. He'd follow that smile until he found out why.

Later he would know the smiler as Haku. She had immediately left with a large man with bandages around his mouth and neck. The boy followed. One step at a time, mile after mile, he followed. For long periods of time he'd lose sight of the pair of them, but his need to know about that smile drove him onwards. Hours turned to days. Days turned to weeks. Time had lost all meaning, but still he pursued her. At some point it had become too much, and the boy lost consciousness.

He awoke to cool water being dribbled through his parched lips and down his raw throat. The bandaged man loomed over him. "You're persistent, I'll give you that. Tough too. Even a chunin would be hard-pressed to follow us non-stop for as long as you did. Your tracking is horrible though. As is your perceptiveness. I don't think you're even a ninja. So tell me, who are you?"

The boy blinked. He didn't know. "I..I don't know."

"That's an interesting accent you got there. Strange hair too. Tell me why you were following us. If I don't like your answer, I'm gong to start removing pieces."

"The girl... her smile... I need to know why."

"Why?"

"Why she smiled. Why she was happy."

The bandaged man stared at him. "Either you're the single best spy I've ever seen. Or you're a complete moron." He glanced to the side. "Haku! He's your responsibility. We've wasted too much time running in circles because of a civilian with a crush. Kill him, leave him here, or carry him yourself, but we're leaving. Now."

The boy moved his head to the right, and saw the girl sitting there. The cup she held must've been the source of the water earlier. She wore a brown shirt that was too big for her. "Yes, Zabuza-sama." She then turned to him. "Can you walk?"

The boy nodded. He was so close, he couldn't stop now. She handed him the wooden cup filled with clear water. It tasted like ambrosia, but by the time he'd finished the girl was already several yards away. It took all his energy to catch up. It was only then that he noticed the gigantic sword the large man wore across his back. The boy's eyes were drawn it to it. Something about that sword radiated power, and distracted him during their walk. Thankfully, the pair stopped to camp only a few hours later. The girl brought him more water, that he greedily drank. The two of them sat around the campfire that Zabuza had made. The older man had gone somewhere, so for now it was just him and Haku. Once he was done drinking, he fell asleep again.

He awoke to the smell of something cooking, and a change of lighting. There were slabs of some animal on sticks over the fire. The boy brought his had up to shade his eyes from the morning sun. "Ah, you're awake." Haku exclaimed from closer to the fire. She brought over a cup of water, and one of the skewers. "Here, eat this. Zabuza-sama said that we're far enough from the Village Hidden in the Mist to stop for a while." The smell of cooking flesh nauseated him some. Hunger and the fact that it was just venison won out quite quickly. "Easy, your stomach is empty. You should eat slowly. Rebuild your strength." He nodded, and obediently chewed slower. "So you don't know your own name?"

"I don't remember."

"What do you remember?"

"Fire. Then ice. You and your smile. Walking. That's all... Oh! and that huge sword!"

"Yeah, Zabuza-sama's sword is something else isn't it?" Haku let out a small smile. "Your village was burning. Mist ninjas put the entire populace to the torch, just to be sure none of them were blood-line users. I managed to save you, but everyone else was killed." He nodded, accepting what had happened. "So you don't remember anything else? Not even your name? Or your family?"

"No, sorry." He took another small bite.

"Well, we have to call you something. Here, my name is Haku Yuki." She drew some symbols in the ground. "It means 'White Snow'. We need to pick something for you."

"How about 'Haku'?"

"That's my name! You have to have something else. Think how confusing it'd be!"

He nodded. That made sense, but he still though she had the best name. "How about 'Shiro Yuki'?"

"'White Snow' huh? Let's be a little more original. Well, I like Shiro, but you can't be a 'Yuki' - that's my clan's name."

"I don't think I have a clan, so does that mean I only get one name."

"I guess so? Also, both of us being 'White' might get confusing. Why not 'Shirou'? See, it can be written in a lot of ways."

The boy looked at the different symbols on the ground. He nodded, and pointed at one set. "Then my name is 'Shirou'."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Zabuza entered the clearing he'd set up camp in. Haku had nursed the boy back health, or at least consciousness. The missing nin had been observing their interaction while hidden. Haku was too valuable of a tool to risk with an unknown. Once she was trained, she'd be able to handle herself, but now she was just a child. She could already instinctively use her clan's ice techniques without any training. Given time the girl would become a fine ninja. This boy - Shirou as he was now calling himself - might also be a valuable tool. Obviously untrained, but possessing astounding physical resilience for one so young. Haku might have saved him from the fire, but the fact that he had no burns meant he'd healed himself. Bright red hair. Incredible healing abilities. There was one clan with a powerful blood-limit that matched. It had been dispersed from the Land of Whirlpools, which wasn't far away. Uzumaki was still a common surname. Lots of people possessed it that didn't have any of the once famous clan's traits. Shirou's hair was orange, not red. If he was an Uzumaki, it was probably from a branch family. In any case, the boy was infatuated with Haku. He could use that. They'd both be shaped into tools of the highest caliber.

"Haku!" The young girl sprang up as he called her name.

"Yes, Zabuza-sama!"

"We'll start your training today. Boy, have you remembered anything?"

"No, sir."

"His name is 'Shirou'." Haku volunteered.

"So you remembered your name. And that doesn't count as something?" Zabuza leaked the barest of killing-intent. Best to establish himself from the start.

"No." Shirou started at him with golden eyes, showing no sign that he was intimidated. "I picked it myself."

So, a strong enough will to resist cringing. That was good. As long as he didn't step out of line that is. "Come Haku, we'll start with taijutsu."

"What about Shirou, Zabuza-sama?"

"Let him clean up the camp. He'll train with us tomorrow." The jonin's words were accepted as fact. Shirou would train and become a ninja, Zabuza had no use for him otherwise.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Shirou picked himself up off the ground. Haku stood over him, a dispassionate look on her face. Zabuza stood off to the side. "Again!" The two children faced off with one another, and in a few seconds Shirou had once more been knocked onto his back. "Shirou, this is unacceptable. You still aren't using your chakra. Without it enhancing your body, your taijutsu will always be pathetic."

"I'm trying Zabuza-sama!" Shirou hung his head. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to become a tool. If he couldn't serve his precious people by being a tool for them, why was he even born? Was he cursed with a chakra pool so small as to be unusable. "Do I even have chakra?"

"Everyone has chakra. Even the lowliest street urchin. Even if your natural capacity is low, or if your chakra coils are malformed. Everyone has it, it's just a question of utilizing it."

"What if I don't have much, and my coils are damaged?"

"Then you'd still be able to use it to empower your body. I know you have stamina, and that's what determines how quickly body-chakra regenerates. So a low limit, or the inability to mix body and mind chakra together wouldn't be a hindrance at all."

"I'll get better then."

"Yes, but in the meantime, Haku's development is stalled. If you can't be a strong enough opponent for her, then she'll only ever improve by sparring with me." Zabuza didn't like that idea. One of the reasons he'd agreed to take Shirou in was to help Haku's development. As an active Jonin, he was still expected to perform a minimum number of missions. If the coup was to succeed, he'd need Haku to be ready.

"I, I have an idea sir."

"Oh?"

"Can I try with a sword?"

"You have a kunai."

"I meant a proper sword, like Zabuza-sama uses."

The bandaged shinobi stroked his chin. "It's unlikely that you'd be able to hurt Haku even with a sword. I suppose she could use the practice against armed opponents. Very well." Zabuza only used Kubikiribocho - one of the seven swords of the Mist. While he wasn't about to let anyone else use his legendary blade, he had already procured some swords of high quality for his students. Most ninjas outside of the Hidden Mist didn't bother with bukijutsu beyond kunai. Zabuza was one of the best that used a sword. He firmly believed that one must be able to use a weapon, even if it wasn't your preferred attack method. It helped to know how to defend against a similarly equipped opponent. He hadn't been planning on having them practice with swords for a while. Shirou's idea had some merit. This way Haku would get something out of their sparring sessions. Even if it was just how to disarm someone.

Shirou went to where they stored the weapons, and selected a katana. The boy had a good eye. The blade he'd chosen was the finest of what Zabuza had gathered. It's handle and scabbard were unadorned. The redhead had chosen the one who's length and weight would suit him best. It took a good swordsman to recognize great steel at a glance - or Shirou had just been lucky. Under his bandages, Zabuza frowned. The way the boy held his blade, he hadn't taught him that. The boy's form was natural and at ease, the katana already seemed like an extension of his arm. Was this muscle memory from before the fire? Had the boy received training previously?

Haku sprang into motion first. She led with a feint to the right, but Shirou's now increased reach caused her to pull up short. Shirou's counter was aimed at her shoulder - what would've been a flesh wound. Zabuza watched closely. Again and again Shirou aimed at spots that weren't just non-lethal. They would be little more than a scratch if they connected. Haku's superior strength was negated by the fact that she had to dodge every attack. Her endurance would be going down quicker too due to her increased movements. She still retained her speed advantage. It was mitigated somewhat by the sword-wielder's increased reach. Haku was so much faster than Shirou that it didn't take her too long to adapt. Once she got inside of Shirou's swing, the fight was over, or so Zabuza thought. In a surprising move, Shirou tossed his blade from his right hand to his left while reversing his grip. This brought the sword right up against his chest and forced Haku to retreat. Not to be detured, Haku came back in quicker than before. Shirou's guard wasn't as good with his left hand. One leg sweep later and the fight was over.

"Much better. You two can spar like that from now on." Zabuza expected Shirou to smile at his small victory, but the boy just nodded and resumed his stance. Perhaps Shirou would make something more than just a camp helper. A loyal servant, even one that was below genin level, was quite useful for a number of things. The fact that he was a natural swordsman...well, that just made Zabuza feel a little warm inside. He probably wouldn't be much help in the coup for anything more than a lookout or cannon fodder.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Another grueling day of sparring was over. Haku sat relaxing next to the fire. Shirou insisted on doing all the chores around their campsite. He even went so far as to try and do them stealthily so that no one else would get the chance. It'd be kind of cute if he was capable of moving silently. Instead, she kept on being woken up far too early. She'd never say that out loud. Zabuza-sama might hear. If she was to be of use to him, she couldn't balk at something so banal as not sleeping in. Their sensei had left them alone for almost a month now. He had duties in the Village Hidden in the Mist. She hoped he'd come back soon. Shirou wasn't bad company, but he wasn't Zabuza-sama. Her fellow apprentice didn't want her for the very ability that made her an outcast. Not like Zabuza-sama did. Shirou came from the fire and sat down next to her. The redhead handed her a plate with some grilled fish and steamed vegetables on it. The boy had taken to cooking with a gusto. She was still better, but Shirou's skill had grown considerably.

"Haku. Can I ask you something."

"Sure."

"Your smile. I've seen again a few times around Zabuza-sensei, but I still don't know why." Shirou was incredibly straightforward. Annoyingly so at times.

Haku resisted the urge to roll her eyes. From anyone else, it would've been a corny pickup line. Over the past few months, she'd gotten to know Shirou. Her fellow trainee just didn't think that way. He could say something like "Being nice is good." with a completely straight face. No sarcasm, just conviction. So when he asked about her smile, she knew she shouldn't take it at anything more than face value. "I smile when I'm happy."

Shirou nodded at the answer. His golden eyes looked off to the side as he thought about this revelation. "So being around Zabuza-sensei makes you happy."

"It does."

"What about when you saved me from the fire? Were you happy then because of Zabuza-sensei?"

"In a way... I mean he told me to look for survivors, and I was happy when I found them."

"Would you have been happy if you'd just done it on your own?" Shirou was now asking if she was happy she saved him.

Haku suppressed the instinct to assure him she was glad he didn't die. He seemed really fixated on this point. In fact, this was the 3rd time he'd tried to get her to explain her emotions. If she sugarcoated things, he'd just bring it up later. "I would've been happy, but probably not AS happy."

"So you do smile for Zabuza-sensei."

"I smile because he's precious to me. I don't have many precious people, so I want to protect the ones I do have."

"If you had saved Zabuza-sensei, would you have smiled more?" Kami, she hoped he wasn't going to do something stupid to see how'd she smile.

"Zabuza-sama would never need rescuing. Just helping him is enough for me." The food was going to get cold. Why was he so focused on this?

"Helping people..." Shirou was about to continue, but a raised hand from Haku stopped him.

"Did you hear something?"

Shirou reached for his sword. Training from Zabuza had drilled in the importance of always having it close by. His eyes flicked back and forth. A senbon pierced his chest. The small dart had come from the East. A soft rustling from the right made Haku instinctively dodge to the left. The second senbon missed her, and a figure emerged from the darkness. It was a teenage girl with short brown hair. She was wearing a Hidden Mist forehead guard. Shirou began to stand, but halfway up his knees buckled. Haku's mind raced. The senbon was poisoned. Was Shirou dead, unconscious, or just weakened? For him, pretending to be out of the fight wasn't a likely option. Haku could hear movement in the woods from two other directions. A 3 person team. The girl must've been the stealthiest of them. Now that her surprise attack had failed, she was trying to provide a distraction for her teammates to get into position.

Options. Haku could run. That would abandon Shirou - if he was still alive. She could never do that. Not only did she care for him, but failing to protect one of Zabuza's precious tools was inexcusable. She could fight. If Shirou could provide backup, the odds wouldn't be very mismatched. However, she was on her own. Her only option was to strike first and reduce the odds against her. The kunai was flying even before she hit the ground from dodging. The female ninja's eyes grew wide. Her reflexes weren't good enough, and the sharp blade plunged into her throat. Haku winced. She didn't want to kill anyone. Disabling with a thrown kunai just wasn't possible. Any hit that wasn't fatal could be endured.

"Megumi!" The cry came from the left. "I'll kill you for that!" Two male teenagers ran into the clearing. The duo had abandoned all pretense of stealth. They both wore Hidden Mist forehead guards. Haku dashed forwards to engage the rest of the ninja cell that had found her. Her target wasn't taken by surprise, and nimbly jumped over her leg sweep. His partner was on them in a second, swinging a broadsword. He wasn't as quick as Shirou, and Haku sidestepped his attack. The first ninja had regained his footing, and proceeded to launch a flurry of punches.

The combined assault drove her back. She was quick. Against two skilled opponents, it wasn't enough. Haku cartwheeled away. When the first Hidden Mist ninja followed, she threw the dirt she'd picked up in his face. The maneuver caught him off-guard. Her follow-up of a kick to the solar plexus was cut short by a sword stroke that nearly took her leg. Haku focused on her weapon-wielding antagonist. He was too slow in recovering from his attack. She surged inside of his reach.

The second ninja dropped his sword to free his hands. That sacrifice allowed him to block Haku's elbow strike. The force of the blow pushed him back. Again, before she could follow up, the first Hidden Mist ninja was on her. The second joined the fight a moment later. His taijutsu wasn't as good, but now that they were attacking in tandem. Haku took some solid blows. The pain distracted her. She wasn't used to being injured in her spars with Shirou. Thankfully Zabuza-sama wasn't as coddling, and was far more skilled. Ideally, she'd put them both on the defensive with a single move. Then she could capitalize on the lull to take out the weaker of the two. Unfortunately, Haku didn't have time for a large motion attack like a leg sweep. Instead she ducked to the right, putting the more skilled opponent between her and his partner. She'd circle around so that the first ninja was between them at all times. It was a handicap, but not as severe as having to dodge two sets of attacks.

From the corner of her eyes, Haku saw something that made her blood freeze. A figure was crouching over the fallen female ninja. It was an adult and he was performing a jutsu that made his hand glow green. She cursed herself. She'd only heard 3 people, but that didn't mean there weren't more. These three were now obviously genin, which meant they'd have a leader with them. By the looks of it, he was a jonin. This changed everything. She knew she couldn't win a fight, or even run away. Surrender meant death. Haku's mind froze. What could she possibly do in this situation?

Unfortunately for her, the two Hidden Mist genin didn't have any such startling revelations. Their attacks continued. Haku was in a daze. She tried putting room between herself and both her opponents. A burst of speed gave her some space, but she tripped over the log Shirou had been sitting on. The two teenagers moved to flank her while she was prone. Haku frantically looked around. Three feet away Shirou laid on the ground. His eyes were closed. A small voice in Haku's mind said that was a good sign. He was more likely unconscious then dead. His sword was on the ground next to him. It had given him a huge advantage in their spars. She wasn't a natural like Shirou, and Zabuza-sama hadn't trained her yet... Still, if she could just get his sword...

Pain blossomed across the bridge of her nose. The world went dark, and spots swum across her vision. One of the ninjas had kicked her in the face. Another kick went to her stomach. All her training went away, as she rolled into a ball. Her attempts to shield herself provided some amount of protection. However, her complete change to defense meant that the two teenagers on her no longer had to hold back. Blow after blow rained down. She'd failed. Haku was no longer Zabuza-sama's tool. Once again she was that scared little girl that was lost and alone. The certainty of her death felt like a frozen hand clutching her heart. One of the boys was screaming. Haku could no longer understand him. The cold inside of her was too much. It was building up. She needed a release. She had to escape. The ice reacted to her primal fear, and exploded in a sphere of jagged icicles.

Haku opened her eyes. It had seemed like an eternity, but she knew no more than a few seconds had passed. Two bodies lay near her. There was surprisingly little blood, despite their multiple puncture wounds. The icicles froze even as they perforated. She tried to stand up on her shaky legs. Her heart raced. The world was unsteady. Her breath was raspy as she looked around the clearing. Shirou! The ring of frost encompassed him, but the shards of ice hadn't struck his prone body. Good. Good. Wait. There was something she was forgetting...

A hand lifted her from behind. Haku tried to pry the fingers from her throat, but they were like iron. "You witch. You killed my genin. I thought we got rid of all the filth like you." The hand squeezed. Haku couldn't breath. The world began to fade again. Her weak kicks and pitiful scratching had no effect. "I'm going to enjoy this. They didn't deserve what you did to them. You, on the other hand, richly deserve this." The voice had gotten quieter.

Haku tried to summon the ice again, but whatever reserves she had were spent. Lack of oxygen was keeping her from thinking straight. If only she could have seen Zabuza-sama one more time before she died. Suddenly she was free. Turning around, she saw her precious person. He had Kubikiribocho drawn, held in one hand. At his feet was the headless body of the jonin. Haku hadn't even heard the body hit the ground.

"Looks like I need to teach you some chakra control."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Zabuza sent Haku and Shirou ahead. The boy had been poisoned. Fortunately, it had only been one of the kinds that made you lose consciousness. A forcefully administered soldier pill got him back on his feet. He'd crash in a few days, but if they weren't in a safe place by then it wouldn't matter. 4 bodies. Correction, 3 bodies and one unconscious female ninja. What to do with her? The jonin -Takiyama - was a decent medical nin, but his stances were too in-line with the Mizukage's. His death would only help in the long run. Right now the short run was the more pressing issue. Killing a genin was pointless. Could he use her to throw the ANBU off the trail? No. That was stupid. Giving away information you couldn't control was a bad idea. Zabuza didn't know what the unconscious female had seen or heard. She'd have to meet the same fate as her sensei.

His apprentices had to leave the main island. They might even have to leave the Land of Water. That would be inconvenient. He had to spend a minimum of time here, or else he'd run the risk of being suspected. At worst they might even label him a missing nin. The travel time would cut into his training of Haku. Worst, he couldn't very well always spend all his time outside the village in one location. That would bring the hunter nins faster than anything. At least she had a sparring partner. That was better than nothing. He hoped.

There was a lot of evidence here. Zabuza took out a sealing scroll and stored away all their equipment. Next, he needed to hide the bodies, but first all traces of Haku's ice needed to be wiped away. He could only use this technique by using the full 77 hand seals. The effect also wasn't very strong with only one person's chakra powering it. Still, the right tool for the right job.

"Water Release: Grudge Rain!"

The water this localized storm produced would not only melt Haku's ice, it would also wash away all other chakra. Unfortunately, it wouldn't remove his own. If the bodies were found too early, his chakra and the decapitations would single him out as a suspect. Time to hide the bodies then.

"Water Release: Bottomless Swamp!"

The ground in a 20 meter radius was reduced to more liquid than solid. Zabuza stood back and watched the four bodies slowly sink into the swamp. He maintained the technique for an hour. With any luck, they'd never be found. Takiyama and his genin team would be declared missing nins. This effectively destroyed all their tracks. The problem was that it now left a ninja teams tracks that abruptly vanished. Genin weren't exactly known for their great stealth. Shirou and Haku's tracks could be found exiting the radius too. Still, it was the best he could hope for. All such clues would be swallowed by nature - given time.

Now, where to go? The Land of Waves or the Land of Noodles were close, but still too far. Plus, they'd have border patrols. It was something to consider when Haku was more advanced. Evading the ninja of minor lands would be good practice. Did Waves even have a village now? No, it had to be one of the other islands in the Land of Water. He'd leave it up to where the first boat they found was heading.

Even with a substantial head start, Zabuza caught up to his apprentices in half an hour.

"Zabuza-sama!" "Zabuza-sensei!"

"We have to leave the main island now. You need to do so in as open a way as possible. I want our next camp to last longer." The two children looked ashamed. "Give me the rest of your equipment." Shirou handed over his sword, and a backup kunai. Haku had several kunai and a spool of ninja wire. Zabuza sealed the gear in another scroll. He also unsealed a worn looking bow and quiver. The weapon was sized for an adult, but he handed it and a bag of ryo to Shirou. "Claim that you're a hunter's son. Fishermen are more common, but that will explain the bow. Haku, you're his younger sister. You parents died, and you're looking for other family members. Head East, then hug the coast. Take the first boat you can book passage on that staying in the Land of Water. I'll shadow you, but we can't talk during the trip. I'll probably stowaway on the ship. At the next island, find a place to live. We'll meet up there."

"Zabuza-sama!" Haku cried out. He turned and patted her on the head.

"This isn't a punishment, think of it as a test. You both have good enough skills to survive on your own. I want you to know that." The bandage around his mouth did a poor job of concealing his smile. "Even if it was sloppy, winning against three genin is quite the accomplishment."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"What's our mother's name?"

"Kumi."

"Our father?"

"Macunochi."

"When were you born?"

"In the fall."

"What date?"

"I don't know for certain."

"When was I born."

"The summer."

"The date?"

"I don't know."

"Who are we going to see?"

"Our uncle."

"His name?"

"Mashiba."

"What does he do?"

"Haku, this is the hundredth time we've gone over this."

"We have to be sure our stories don't have any inconsistencies! All it'll take is one slip-up for us to be found out!"

"I still don't see why you want me to miss 'about 1 in 4 shots'."

"A real hunter's son would be good with the bow, but not that good."

"And you think they're going to ask me to prove that I can use a bow?"

"They might. Or someone might watch us."

Shirou looked at his 'little sister' with a flat stare. "You're being paranoid."

"It's only paranoia if they aren't out to get you."

"Ugh. We've been going over our covers for three days now! I think we have them down."

"No. I have them down. You're the worst liar I've ever met. You need the practice."

"And how many liars have you met? How did you know they were liars?"

"Shut up."

"Why would a ship captain interrogate his passengers?"

"He's cautious. There's a law or embargo in place. He keeps strict records. He's a ninja. Pick one."

"No ship captain is like that."

"How many ship captains have you met."

"Exactly. Now from the top. What's our mother's name?"

The first day Shirou had thought Haku very clever for working out their fake past to such a degree. The second day, he thought she was being thorough. By the third day, he was certain she'd become mentally imbalanced. Now, there was no helping it. At least it helped pass the time. Zabuza-sensei had told them which way to go. Even if they hadn't, it was an island. They were bound to hit the shoreline eventually. Or so everyone said. At what point did an island stop being an island? Shirou thought that "continent" was more appropriate. At least he got to practice with the bow. It was more convenient for hunting than kunai. Haku complained about his aim being too good. Apparently, REAL hunters missed on occasion. Which made no sense in Shirou's mind. He'd never met a hunter, but shouldn't they be skilled at their job?

It took another day to reach the ocean. Two more brought them to the village of Kawagama. It was a nice town Shirou thought. It certainly was the biggest village he'd ever seen, but for some reason he thought of it as small. Real cities were much more crowded. He just knew it. The buildings were awfully small as well. The pair of them went to the docks and asked about departing ships. They were in luck. A ship was set to leave with the tide in two hours.

"Shirou. Be ready. The verbal jousting is about to begin. Every sentence is both a parry and a thrust. You must hide your real resolve. Fool your opponent into thinking they can see right through you! Don't give them anything real. Be memorable, but instantly forgettable!" Haku whispered last minute advice to him as they approached the ship. A gruff looking man with a wild unkempt black beard called out to them.

"I see you're interested in the Dirty Wolf."

"Is that the name of your ship."

"Aye."

"We'd like to speak to you about pro..." Shirou wanted to say 'procuring passage', but Haku elbowed him. "..uhm... getting on board? Captain."

"Har har har! I'm not the Captain. I'm the first mate! Don't know much about sailing do ya lad? The Captain don't have time to worry about passengers."

"Oh, well, where are you.. going to go?"

"Our target's The Land of Noodles, but we're hitting lots of ports on the way. The first one is Dousei. Going that far will be one thousand ryo for the two of you."

Zabuza had given them three thousand ryo. Haku whispered "Haggle!"

"Well, we have our own food." Shirou motioned at the rabbit pelts he was carrying.

"If you don't eat anything, and share a bunk... I'll let you on for 500 ryo."

"Ok." Shirou brought out the money, and prepared for the line of questioning. They'd gotten this much from their parents. They'd been saving up for passage to another country. One where hunters could do better. It represented eleven years of savings. "What would you like to know first?" He tried to sound casual as he counted out the agreed upon amount.

"Know what?"

"About us?"

"Sonny, the only thing I give one flying flip about is if you have 500 ryo. I don't care one lick beside that. I'll only resume caring if you happen to run out of food." Shirou stared at him. "Har har har! And that'll only be because I'll have to toss your skinny corpses overboard! Har har har!"

"Uhm... Thank you sir." Shirou bowed to the strange man. He then turned with Haku and left. Once they were out of earshot, he leaned over and whispered "I think that went well. I'm glad we practiced." She didn't respond.

The trip itself was unpleasant. By some kind of evil timing, the effect of the solider pill wore off just as they set sail. Haku told him that the whole trip took only a week. Shirou found that preposterous for two reasons. First, no one could starve in a week. He and Haku did get quite thirsty though. They hadn't brought much water with them, as they were used to Haku making it. If they couldn't starve, why would the first mate say they might? It didn't make any sense. Haku said it was a joke, but Shirou didn't get it. The second, and far more compelling reason was it didn't feel like a week. It didn't feel like a month. Shirou was certain he'd been locked in that tiny room for at least a year. He couldn't keep much down - food or water. In hindsight, perhaps Zabuza giving him medicine designed for an adult ninja wasn't such a good idea.

When they disembarked at Dousei, the looked like refugees. Haku hadn't slept for a week. She had started sleeping while standing, but the constant motion of the ship roused her in seconds. Shirou was dehydrated, and had lost at least 10 pounds. Half dead on their feet, the pair wandered out of the city. They found a small inlet on the beach and decided to rest there for a while. Zabuza must've been watching them, but the jonin never revealed himself. Haku slept for an entire day. Even the tide coming in didn't wake her - despite it soaking the lower half of their bodies. Shirou needed food and water. The island didn't have any forested areas, so hunting wasn't an option. He broke down and spent 20 ryo on some stew and bread from a street vendor. The town had a well that was free at least.

The next day, Haku had mostly recovered. Their savings dwindled some more as they purchased supplies. Soon they set off to scout the area. It was a lot smaller, and felt like an island. The smell of the ocean was present everywhere. Aside from the main port village, there was a second town on the east coast. Several small houses dotted the countryside as well. It took 3 days to make a circle around the coastline. The most promising location was a run down single room shack by a cliff. It overlooked the ocean, but there was no beach by it. Just jagged rocks. The closest house was a mile away. Shirou's knocking was answered by an elderly man.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I was wondering about the old cabin down the coast."

"That shack? What about it?"

"Do you know if anyone is living there, or if it's available for rent?"

"Ha! You must be desperate if you're considering staying there. Well, come in. You can talk terms with my wife. She handles the finances around here."

"So it's yours?"

"It sure is. Was originally a supply shed. Don't know what I was thinking when I built it. You can't fish on that bluff, no matter how long of line ya got!" The old man had beckoned them inside. "Yumi. We have two waifs looking to rent that old shack of mine?"

An old woman came from what smells suggested was the kitchen. "What? You want to force some children to pay money for that pile of boards?"

"Hey now, I didn't bring up money woman! They did!"

"You didn't refuse their money did you? Look at them! Come sit, sit. I'll fix you two some food in a hurry." Shirou and Haku gratefully accepted the woman's generosity. Between bites they related their tale of being orphaned hunters. Their cover story went over well. "Oh, that reminds me of my youth. Mind you, I had to abandon the mainland because of the war! There were a lot of orphans from that war. Why, if it hadn't been for the kindness of the people of this island, I'd have died to certain!" She gave a wistful smile at the old memory.

"We don't have much money, but we'll pay rent."

"Don't be foolish dear. You two can stay with us. Not much call for hunters 'round these parts, but I reckon we can teach you a trade or two."

Shirou shook his head. "We want to make it on our own."

"Well, I can see you're determined. The offer stands. Feel free to stay at that drafty old shanty if you must, but at least spend the night here."

Shirou glanced over at Haku before nodding in acceptance. A roof over their heads and a warm meal was too enticing to turn down.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Zabuza waited for them to exit the small house. He wasn't much of a sensor, so he could only surmise what was going on inside. His apprentices had done well so far. Finding your way with no help was a difficult thing to do. Even when the other choice was to lay down and die, a surprising number of people would falter. He'd start their chakra training tomorrow. This was an important lesson. He was willing to return to the Hidden Village a bit later than normal. Shirou and Haku left at daybreak, and made their way to their new home.

"Zabuza-sama!" "Zabuza-sensei!" He smiled at their greeting.

"Let's get started on your chakra training. I need to show you the basic exercises. Hold out your right hands." They did so, and he placed a drop of water in each of their palms. "The first step is projecting chakra into the water and making it move. You have to hold perfectly still. Don't jostle the water by moving around." Haku's drop immediately exploded. Shirou's stayed still. "A good start Haku. You can move on to the next step." He placed another drop in her hand. "Correctly gauging the amount of chakra used is important. Too much and it'll explode. Too little and it won't move at all. Try to make it ripple."

After a few missteps, including freezing the water, Haku had the first exercise mastered. "Now, try to form a thin sheen of chakra underneath the water. Let it come together in a bead that rests in your hand." Shirou's water still hadn't moved. After an hour, Haku's water rolled about on her hand - completely seperated from her skin by a layer of chakra.

Walking on still water came next. After that was walking on turbulent water. Haku took to both exercises like it was just walking on dry land. She had an intuitive grasp. No surprise really, she'd been actively using chakra for more than a year now. Shirou obviously had no idea what to do.

"Focus your mind. Meditation and visualization are what you should be working on. Until you can sense your chakra, you won't be able to use it."

"Yes, Zabuza-sensei!" The boy closed his eyes.

A slight shift in the wind combined with the presence of a faint chakra signature to the north alerted Zabuza. "You're about to have company. Never become so engrossed in your training that you lose awareness of what's going on around you." He then shunshin'd away, leaving a whirlwind of mist behind.

A minute later, a now familiar face showed up. "Oh! Shirou-chan! Haku-chan! Here you are. I wondered where you ran off to this morning."

"We didn't want to impose on you any more Yumi-san." Shirou replied.

"Nonsense. You're no imposition at all! Have the two of you given any thought about money? Not much wildlife to hunt in these parts."

"No, ma'am. We haven't."

"Come eat breakfast. We can go into the village after that. There are always some people who'll want odd-jobs done. I'll introduce you."

"That would be wonderful! Your help is greatly appreciated." Shirou glanced over at Haku. She kept her face expressionless. He could read her body language. She didn't want to stop training with Zabuza-sensei. At the same time she was resigned to the fact.

The trio headed back to the Midoriyama's house. Yumi chatted pleasantly with Shirou. After a hearty breakfast, they took a trip to the village. Haku tried to excuse herself, but the elderly woman booked no disagreement. It wasn't until late afternoon that Shirou and Haku got back to their new home. Yumi had tried to invite them dinner, but relented when they said their shack needed work before bedtime.

"I can't believe we missed so much training time!" Haku and Shirou were calmly walking away from a waving Yumi. Once they were out of sight, Haku broke into a sprint. "C'mon Shirou! We can still get some good practice in!"

"Yeah, let's hurry!"

The trip didn't take much time at their top speed. Zabuza was waiting for them. "I set up a small storage space underneath the cliff. Everything that would give your identities away is in it."

"How are we supposed to get at it Zabuza-sensei?" Shirou was peering over the cliff, but couldn't see anything like Zabuza described.

"You walk. Right now Haku will be the one who gets the equipment. Consider it motivation for you to improve your chakra control." He turned to the ice user. "Haku, if you would?"

"Of course! Zabuza-sama!" She had already mastered walking down the cliff. It was easier than standing on still water, and the only way to get to the ocean. "What should I get?"

"Get a kunai for yourself, and a sword for Shirou. The two of you are going to spar for a while."

"Yes sir!"

The following days a routine set in. They'd work on chakra control in the morning before going to visit Yumi. Shirou went over earlier to delay the old woman, and to fix breakfast. Haku stayed to train with Zabuza. He had begun showing her hand signs for shaping ninjutsu. She did make an appearance for the meal itself. No point in passing on free food. They'd spar after breakfast. Shirou would then go into town to both keep up appearances and to earn some money. The evening meal would either be with the Midoriyamas, or Shirou would fix them something at home. They would end the day with more sparring.

Zabuza had mixed emotions. Haku was doing wonderfully. She was well on her way to performing base jutsu. He wouldn't be surprised if she began to be able to use them without hand signs soon. Her grasp on the theory of constructing jutsu was also advanced. This was important. Acquiring ice jutsu from scrolls or other users wasn't a realistic possibility. If she was to become his ultimate weapon, she'd have to develop her powers from scratch. Shirou was another story. He couldn't make the drop of water so much as ripple. Zabuza wasn't a sensor ninja. His ability to detect chakra was, however, quite good for someone without a special ability. As far as he could tell, Shirou didn't possess a drop. Civilians had more than the redheaded boy did. At least his stamina was good.

Haku easily won most of their spars at first. As the fights went on, it was obvious that fatigue was taking it's toll on her. Towards the end of their sparring sessions Shirou managed to pull off some wins. This was in addition to the jobs he did in the village, and the less sleep he generally got. Shirou's physical energy couldn't be the issue. His mental energy or his chakra coils were the problem. Shirou was an odd person. He'd thrown himself into becoming a tool with more ease than Haku. It was like there was something wrong with his mind. Something that distorted his sense of self. Zabuza wondered if such a mental issue could be the root behind his lack of chakra. If it was, what was the solution? Telling him to not be such a loyal tool? The would be counter-productive. If it was a problem with his chakra coils, then at least his body would still be infused. Such a use of chakra was natural. The Shirou couldn't do it was very strange. He could also just be a late bloomer. Zabuza told him to focus on meditation more.

All too soon the week was over. He would already be missed back in the Village Hidden in the Mist. His apprentices had a training regime. Haku was making great progress. That would have to be enough for now.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Shirou enjoyed his life. The simple routine of waking up, meditating, visiting the Midoriyamas, helping out around the village, and then more training. Being useful to others gave him a purpose. He wanted to be useful to Zabuza like Haku was, but he just couldn't access his chakra. At first he'd managed to win one duel out of ten, once she was sufficiently tired. That was before her chakra training had improved her stamina. Haku did still occasionally comment on Shirou's lack of downtime. He thought nothing of it. He had to earn his place somehow. Even if he wasn't as good of ninja as Haku, he could still do something.

Haku spent the time he was away in the village working on hand signs. Her solo practice had to be concealable, in case anybody wondered by. Each sign molded chakra differently. Zabuza had left some scrolls with water jutsu. She could perform them well enough, but the real test was to modify them to use her bloodline. A water whip turned into an ice whip was basically the same thing. Icy mist was the same as regular mist, just colder. She was having better luck with changes to non-elemental techniques. An ice shunshin lacked the stability for quick movement. High speed and friction-less surfaces didn't mix, but she had an idea. She had a vision of a jutsu that united clones, shunshin, ice, and water forming. There was something there. She knew it. It remained just outside of her grasp. A dog or an ox sign? Which would adjust the shape just so... She sighed in frustration. Enough for today. Time to turn her focus to Shirou's complete lack of control. Or even sensing. Without chakra, Zabuza would abandon him. Their teacher had no use for a dull weapon. She thought about another visualization technique.

"Shirou, I have another idea for your meditation yesterday."

"What is it?"

"You know how you said that thinking about swords felt 'right'?"

"It did, but I still couldn't feel any chakra."

"When trying the meditative katas, you came close."

"Well, I felt something. I think it might've been chakra."

"Try thinking about forging. Creating chakra is a lot like forging a sword. You're combining two things into one."

Shirou nodded. "Fire and metal into a blade. Physical and Mental energy into chakra."

"Exactly." Haku smiled. "You're always been better with swords. Even Zabuza-sama said you had talent!"

"Right." Shirou expression became serious. "I'll definitely do it this time."

He closed his eyes. He'd never seen a sword forged - that he could remember. He somehow knew all the steps despite that: Start with the concept - a small, quick weapon. Hypothesize it's basic structure - tip, edge, fuller, tang, guard, hilt, and pommel. Create it's composition - iron, carbon 3%, no impurities. Forge the blade. Red-hot metal. Soft but solid. A glowing line that... Shirou screamed. His body felt like a red hot rod of iron had been shoved into his veins. Almost as soon as the pain started, it was over. Whatever he'd touched on shattered without his focus.

"Shirou!" Haku rushed over to him. "Are you ok?"

He looked up with a smile on his face. "I think I found my chakra. It was...intense."

She looked at him with a blank expression. "You screamed in pain."

"I'll do better next time. Now I know what to expect."

"Chakra isn't painful."

"Then I'll get better at shaping it."

Shirou's second attempt went better. It was painful, but not surprising. After a minute of letting his chakra flow within him, he stood up. "I want to try it out. Let's spar."

Haku shrugged. "What about Midoriyama-san? She'll come looking for you if you don't show up at their house."

"You're right. This afternoon then."

"Yep." Haku flashed him another smile.

Shirou set out. He was ecstatic. He'd accessed his chakra. Now he could really become a ninja. He let himself into the Midoriyama's house, and started making breakfast. His chakra burned through his veins. It was painful, but manageable. The first instance had been much worse. He hoped the pain would decrease more with time. The smell of his cooking awoke his landlords. Yumi came into the kitchen. "Good Morning Shirou-chan."

"Good Morning Yumi-san."

"You're in a good mood. Why, I can't remember seeing you smile before."

"Yeah, today's going to be a good day."

"You look a little flushed. Must be excited about something."

"Yes."

"Oh, is it that little Higako girl?"

"No, it's nothing like that."

"You know she has a crush on you right?"

"So you've told me, Yumi-san."

"I'm just saying that you need to spend some time with a female that isn't your sister or 60 years your senior."

"Yes, yes."

"How is Haku-chan doing? I wish she would come by more often."

"She's doing well. You know her, training takes precedence."

"I'd be amazed if anyone could catch fish on that reef. Still, she seems determined. If anyone could it's Haku-chan."

Shirou gave a non-committal grunt. He would have to talk to Haku about catching some fish. Perhaps in another month. He'd already bought some gear with his earnings. It was the best cover story they could come up with.

The rest of the day flew by. Shirou's mind was on the spar he and Haku would have. He would still probably lose, but now he had new limits. Limits he wanted to explore. He arrived home and found Haku waiting. The two didn't talk. They just exchanged nods. The spar began...and then it was over. Haku still moved too fast for him. He didn't seem any faster or stronger. What was worse, after she took him down his chakra evaporated. He envisioned a forged sword again, and it came back. Over and over Haku won. Shirou got to the point where he could hold on to his chakra, but it didn't seem to be doing him any good.

"I think that's enough Shirou. Any more and your bruises will worsen and take too long to heal."

"Yeah, you're right. I thought I'd do better."

Haku shook her head. "You didn't improve at all, but that just means you aren't utilizing your chakra. Now that you have it, it's just a matter of using it to enhance yourself. I'm sure you'll get it soon!"

"Yep! Real soon!"

It actually took him a week. Even though it was physical chakra, it all seemed to rely on his mental imaging. Perhaps that what Zabuza-sensei meant when he said it was a fusion. Shirou envisioned a flow of chakra to his limbs. Making them faster, stronger, tougher - better. And it worked. It felt amazing, being so strong. He still wasn't as quick as Haku, but he could react to her moves again. His chakra also ran out before hers did. That was unfortunate, but Zabuza-sensei said their upper limits could be improved somewhat. That would be the next step.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Zabuza approached the meager residence of his two apprentices. The ship had made harbor during the afternoon, so there wasn't much light left. Just like last time, he didn't have much time to train them. Only three days, five if he pushed it. Haku's training was coming along nicely. She was quick, but lacked power. Zabuza needed to find a fighting style that fit her. Precision could make up for a lack strength. This was even discounting her bloodline ability. If only he'd been able to find a Yuki clan scroll. Haku was smart. She'd be able to create some powerful jutsu on her own. Most masters did so. There wasn't a singe Kage who hadn't developed a smattering of A and S-rank jutsus by themselves.

At least while he was here, she could get some real sparring in. She'd have to stop fighting Shirou. It was better for her to practice katas now. Limiting herself to dealing with a single opponent below chunin would be detrimental in the long run. Haku needed to be pushed. Even geniuses grew sloppy if they didn't have motivation. She had a goal, but no real opposition. Perhaps he should have her start accompanying him on missions. A-ranks would be too much, but Haku could reasonably contribute to C and B-rank missions. She might even be able to complete one on her own.

The shack came into view. Zabuza could hear the sounds of combat. From this distance he couldn't see more than some shapes blurring around the cliff. That was enhanced movement. Whatever was going on involved a ninja that wasn't Haku. He cursed. How had she been found out? This was a small island. No patrols even came here. At least he didn't think they did. Could it be a hunter-nin? Haku wasn't that good yet. Zabuza hid his presence. As long as there was movement, Haku was alive. Dashing in might help, but a surprise attack would probably be more effective. He crept forward. Coming around from behind would normally be the better choice. But if this was a hunter nin, the water wouldn't be safe. Zabuza trusted his water-jutsu, but he trusted Kubikiribocho more. The greatsword was in his hands. If he could catch his target by surprise, the legendary sword was just as effective at decapitation with a throw.

He slunk forward, quiet but quickly. His eyes focused on Haku. She was on the defensive, but holding her own. Good. He reared back his arm - readying his sword to be thrown. A glance over gave him his target... Shirou? The redheaded boy was moving quicker than he'd ever seen him. From the sounds of metal against metal, his strength had been augmented as well. Zabuza still couldn't sense his chakra. So he'd awakened it. Or the boy had been faking. For what reason, Zabuza could only dread. He didn't sense any blood-lust between the two of them, so it must've been a spar. If Haku had known about Shirou using chakra, she'd have told him. Shirou's chakra must be a new development. It was strange though. He was a jonin, but he still couldn't sense any chakra from the boy. In the heat of battle, he should've been able to sense something. Shirou must have a bloodline. A chakra that was subtle enough to not be sensed, even in use. THAT was a valuable ability. Especially for an assassin. If Zabuza could use a jutsu to hide himself while suppressing his chakra - a lot of missions would become child's play.

The Mist jonin lowered himself back down. He watched the spar play out. Despite his superior reach with a katana, Haku had no problem counter-attacking. She was using her speed to make up for weapon's size. After a minute, a curse rang out. Shirou's blade had snapped. Haku took the opportunity. An high elbow and a low kick brought her opponent to his knees. She then whirled around him and placed her kunai to his throat. The spar was over. Zabuza waited for the boy to regain his feet before showing himself.

"Good work."

"Zabuza-sama!" Haku cried out happily.

"Zabuza-sensei! I've learned how to use my chakra!"

"So I saw. Haku still won I see."

"Yes. She's quicker than I am. The sword breaking gave her an opening. It usually takes a few more minutes for her to beat me." As expected Shirou didn't rise to his bait. The boy was nothing if not humble.

"Quite so." Zabuza hated false modesty. After meeting Shirou, he found he didn't care for sincere modesty either. "Let's find out what your elemental affinity is." From a waterproof pouch he took out to slips of chakra paper. It was rare and expensive - and didn't take well to being sealed. Traveling with it was a pain sometimes, but Zabuza had it for this exact situation. "You're probably water, most people in the Land of Water are. Still, we don't know who you're parents were."

Each of the two children took the offered slip. "You just channel chakra into it." Haku explained to Shirou. She then demonstrated. Her slip of paper froze, then shattered into shards. Shirou's brow furled. His slip didn't change.

"Zabuza-sensei. What does it mean if it doesn't change?"

"It means you didn't put any chakra into it."

"But it did! It felt the same as when I reinforce myself."

"Let me see." Did the merchant that sold him these rip him off? Hiding plain paper slips with the others? True, such a switch wouldn't be noticed for a while. Once the paper was used, the ruse would be obvious. Or, more likely, Shirou didn't actually channel any chakra into it. Zabuza took the paper. Ouch. It hurt! A red line appeared across his fingers. The paper had sliced him! Not a paper-cut either. The wound was deep. With a scowl, he threw the slip at the shack. It flew like a shuriken, and buried itself into the wood. Odd. He drew out another slip, and handed it to the boy. "Do it again."

Shirou grasped the paper. He then flicked his wrist towards the wooden wall. His throw was horrible, and slips of paper weren't very aerodynamic. Still, it struck the wall and stuck, just like Zabuza's throw had. The boy looked up at him. "What does that mean?"

Zabuza smiled. "It means you're a much more valuable tool than I had thought."