A mist had appeared over the area. Zabuza's signature technique. Hiding in the Mist was one of the most basic techniques from The Village Hidden in the Mist. Basics killed, and Zabuza had perfected it. He hadn't made it as thick as he was capable of yet. His powerful demonic chakra could create a fog so thick that visibility was measured in inches. Alone that wouldn't have been why he was an Anbu-level threat. Shirou's teacher had also mastered Silent Killing. He made virtually no noise in the mist. With hearing keener than a bat, Zabuza didn't need his eyes to land deadly blows. The sounds of his opponent's footsteps, breathing, and heartbeat gave him all the information he required. Even with sending chakra to his ears, Shirou couldn't match up to the jonin. It also meant that once Zabuza was serious, his arrows couldn't provide him any support. That was fine. His sensei had told him to give warning of anything that might jeopardize the mission. That was Shirou's main purpose, and that was what he was going to do. He supposed that there was a slight chance Haku might need help. His arrows could reach the ice ninja. She was fighting away from Zabuza for the same reason. Getting in the way of your user meant you were a failure of a tool.
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8 years ago...
"Hey, Haku-nee-san." The pair had finished their evening training and were walking back to their shack. It was a lot more cozy now. The two of them had repaired the walls and ceiling. They also now had furniture and a window. Most of their time was still spent outside. The building was only large enough for one futon, so they mainly used it for sleeping or getting out of the rain.
"For the last time Shirou, I'm not your older sister." As she replied, Haku didn't look at her fellow apprentice.
"I'm pretty sure you are."
"Look, we aren't related, and you're clearly older than I am." Shirou had a good 6 inches on her. Even if he was tall for a boy, he had to be at least a year older.
"Since we don't know when I was born, you can't say that for certain. Besides, you have more memories than I do." They reached the door, and Shirou let himself in first.
"None of them good ones." She grumbled under her breath as she followed him inside. "Fine. I MIGHT be older than you, and I suppose that since you don't have all your memories that your mental age would be categorized as 'childish'."
"Exactly."
"Kami help me."
"And of course you're my sister!" The redhead smiled as he lay out their futon.
"I'm just a tool. I'm no one's sister." Haku helped him with the sheets, even as she corrected him.
"We can both be tools and brother and sister!"
"I'm not getting into this with you again."
"You brought it up."
"No, you did with that silly honorific."
"Oh yeah, that's right."
The next few minutes passed in silence as various scrounged sheets were laid out. They had one pillow, but both refused to use it out of politeness. Thus it had become Zabuza's when their teacher was with them. "So what did you want to talk about, before we got sidetracked?"
"I just wanted to ask you about why you've only been using senbon recently."
"What? I just like them. Plus I can make them from water or ice if needed."
"But they aren't swords!" Shirou crossed his arms and took a defiant pose. Haku shook her head. Honestly, he could be stubborn about the oddest things.
"And that matters because?" She knew she'd regret delving into his 'logic' almost as soon as she spoke.
"Swords are the best!"
"Can a sword kill at range?"
"Zabuza's can."
"Ok, can a sword incapacitate at range?"
"I guess...I mean...probably?"
"It can injure at range, but it can't stop someone. Senbon are precise enough to target nerve points. If I can become accurate enough, I can paralyze or immobilize at range."
"Or kill?"
Haku sighed. "Yes, Shirou. Or kill."
"You won't kill me right?"
"No, I won't kill you. Why would you ask such a thing?" Haku laid back against the wall and shut her eyes. She was tired after such a long day, how did Shirou have so much energy?
"Well, because of all the practice you do with sticking senbon in me."
"It's so I won't accidentally kill anyone that we have to practice so much. It's not painful is it?" Haku frowned. She didn't want to hurt him with her practice. The bonus that it slowed him down for a while wasn't the main point. Nope. Not the MAIN point. Although there were those nerve clusters that caused a death-like state. That might be a good thing to test on Shirou...
"Nah, everything's fine. It just seems like an odd weapon choice. I want to understand."
"You're not going to give up on this are you?" She opened her eyes to look at her persistent bunk-mate.
"Huh?"
"Ok, I'll tell you. Otherwise you'll just pester me for years. Like about that thrice-cursed smile."
"I like your smile." The unsolicited sentiment brought a small grin to her face. Even when he was being dense and annoying, Shirou did have his good points. Especially since she knew the compliment wasn't intended as one. Still, the last thing she wanted was to reopen that particular can of worms.
"Not. The. Point. Do you remember when we fled from the main island?"
"Of course."
"Do you remember the fight?"
"Uhm... Not really." He looked down and to the side. Shirou was probably ashamed at how poorly he had performed.
"There was a girl, not much older than we are now. She took you out with one senbon."
"But that was poison. It wouldn't work so quickly on an adult. Zabuza says that a lot of ninja are immune to poison anyways."
"That's right. Afterwards, well, immediately afterwards I threw a kunai at her throat." Megumi. Haku remembered her name. She was dead. Either by her hand or Zabuza's.
"Did it kill her?"
"I thought that it did. So did her teammates. I really regretted it. Especially since she used a non-lethal attack against you. If I had done something different, they might still be alive."
"I suppose..."
"I know it would've been a long-shot. Unaffiliated ninjas in training aren't getting a warm reception in the best case. With us both having blood line abilities, the odds would be against us. It doesn't change the emotions I felt."
"Regret."
"Yes, and relief. It was buried under fear, so I didn't realize what I felt for a long time."
"Relief?"
"Yes, when her sensei appeared and started healing her."
"So not-killing her would've made you smile."
"Oh no! Not this again! I'm going to bed." Haku pointedly turned her back to Shirou and ducked under the covers.
"Goodnight Haku-nee-chan."
"...Goodnight Shirou."
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6 years ago...
"Are you sure you have to leave, Shirou-chan? You and Haku-chan are more than welcome to stay living here!"
"I appreciate your kindness, Yumi-san. We've been planning this for a while now. A ship finally came that's heading to the Land of Noodles. Who knows how long the next one would be? We can't afford non-direct passage."
"I know, I know. I'm just sad to see you youngsters go. You've both grown up so much! Why you're so dead set on finding this Macunochi person is beyond me."
"It's Mashiba-san. He may not know we exist, but mother spoke fondly of him. We have to try and find our family."
"Family is important." The old woman wistfully accepted his argument. She had a faraway look in her eyes. "It's hard to lose family... Here. I've made you some snacks for the road." Yumi handed him a bag filled with mochi.
"Thank you again for all your kindness Yumi-san. I don't know what Haku or I would've done without your generosity."
"Oh stop that! All the chores and helping out that you did leaves us in your debt, not the other way around!"
"I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on that." Shirou gave a long bow. "I hope I see you again one day."
"So do I, Shirou-san."
Shirou waved goodbye as he walked away. In a few minutes he came upon Haku waiting for him. She was dressed in a simple purple kimono. Not well suited for travel overland, but they were going to be on a ship. Shirou was wearing black pants, a white shirt, and a red jacket. Neither of their clothes had any adornments or patterns on them. They simply didn't have enough money to spare any for such things. Haku was carrying their supplies in a dirty brown bag. Chief among them were the sealing scrolls that stored all their equipment. Shirou couldn't open them as much as he tried. Releasing sealed objects was a supposed fail-proof task, just pour chakra into the scroll. Sealing thing into a scroll was a bit more involved. It required some control to activate the proper arrays. For Shirou, it didn't matter. He'd tried and tried, and all he got from it were scrolls as hard as steel. He supposed that if he didn't have a sword he could just bash someone over the head with a reinforced scroll. They also had some dried fish and water bottles, just in case. Finally, in the last four years they'd managed to save 20,000 ryo. Shirou had earned about 20 ryo a day. It wasn't very much - it would buy two small meals or one big one. However, it was on top of the food and supplies that grateful villagers let them have. Ships were expensive, but the Land of Noodles wasn't that far away.
Soon they came into sight of the port. It felt like forever since they'd arrived on this tiny island. Waiting for them at the dock was an unmistakable figure. He was quite the intimidating sight, with a sword larger than either of them. Shirou felt Haku tense. She must've wanted to run up to their sensei and greet him. That wouldn't do. Zabuza had told them not to speak with him until they were alone on board the ship. As far as this island knew, the two young orphans were setting sail to seek their uncle in another country. Shirou handed over the agreed upon amount to the first mate. Ten thousand ryo. They couldn't get a discount this time, but at least that meant they got their own bunks and food.
Once on board, they had to wait for tide to go out. Haku sat on her bunk, twirling a senbon in her fingers. "When do you think Zabuza will come in?"
"I don't know. I wouldn't put it past him to stay out there and scare off any other passengers."
"That would be good. Then we'd have the guest cabin to ourselves."
"Yep."
"That means he won't be in here until the tide starts going out. That's at least an hour away!"
"Yep."
"Hey, Shirou-chan, how 'bout some senbon practice."
"Sure."
Shirou stood up and took off his jacket and shirt. He carefully folded his discarded clothing and placed it on his bunk. He then went to the far side of the room from Haku. The female ninja took out two more senbon, holding them between the fingers of her right hand. With a quick motion, the thin metal spikes were sent flying at Shirou. One went into his left leg, the other two struck his left arm. His leg went numb, but he remained standing. His arm felt fine, or as fine as it could feel with a pair of six inch iron throwing picks in it.
"I missed. I think I need to adjust for the movement of the boat."
"My leg went numb."
"Well, that nerve patch is larger than the ones in your arm. C'mon, let's go again."
"Sure." Shirou obediently withdrew the metal weapons from himself. The hadn't struck any blood vessels, so the bleeding was minimal. Even with the senbon removed, his leg still felt strange. "Why don't you just target my upper body? I don't want to strip, and I don't know if we can get any string to patch up my pants."
"Good point." Haku had drawn three more senbon. "Now hold still."
Some time later, the cabin door opened. Zabuza stepped in and looked around. His two tools were sitting on their beds fully dressed. The jonin's head slowly turned from one of his students to the other. "Haku, what have I said about using Shirou to test pressure points?"
"I believe you expressed some displeasure in it, Zabuza-sama."
"Then why is he sitting up so straight?"
"Good posture."
"And the smell of blood?"
"Uhm..." Haku glanced around. Shirou shrugged, or tried to. The two of them had been paying attention during their impromptu aiming/target session. The instant Haku felt the ship shift under the weight of someone approaching, she'd given a signal. There hadn't been a lot of time to clean up after themselves. "Shirou...fell down some stairs." She finally replied.
"Really?"
"Yep, really. No sea legs."
Zabuza raised an eyebrow, but said no more.
Shirou cleared his throat. Raising his hand seemed like too much effort at the moment. "Zabuza-sensei, where are we going?"
The Hidden Mist jonin turned his head. "We're headed to the Land of Rivers."
Haku furrowed her brow. "Isn't that far away?"
Zabuza nodded. "It's an A-Rank mission."
"How far away is the Land of Rivers?" Shirou didn't know much about geography.
"It's somewhere far to the west I think." Haku replied.
"Haku's right." Zabuza responded. "We're going to take a ship to the Land of Noodles. From there we're heading to the Land of Tea, but that's only the first leg of our journey. We could find a ship that's heading directly to the Land of Rivers, but the Land of Tea is a large peninsula we'd have to go around. Instead we'll take a ship to the Land of Tea, cut across it overland, and then head to the Land of Rivers."
"The Lands of Noodles, Tea, and Rivers?" Haku asked. "We'll be crossing three boarders. What about foreign ninja?"
"They won't be a problem." Zabuza walked over to an unoccupied bunk and sat down. "None of the countries we're passing through have a hidden village."
"It sounds like a long trip." Shirou commented.
"It's an extended mission. Fortunately, I feel the two of you are up for it. I doubt we'll have much trouble until we find what we're looking for."
"What's there that's so important?"
"One of the missing Swords of the Mist."
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The trip itself was boring. In total they spent a month traveling. Even for ninja, ships were a lot faster than walking on foot, since ships traveled through the night. It was still a long turnaround for acting on a rumor. The Village Hidden in the Mist had reliable information that there was something of interest in the small village of Tsurui. Several bandits in the area were found dead from a combination of cuts and massive bludgeoning. It was the same type of wounds Kabutowari would deal. It was one of the missing Swords of the Mist, and reclaiming it was a high priority. The Hidden Mist's source had personally witnessed the aftermath of one such encounter. There was no doubt that a ninja was behind it. Since the deaths were all bandits, the people in the region weren't likely to hire a ninja from a Hidden Village. Only a Hidden Village interested in bandits being killed might send ninja. Only the Hidden Sand, Leaf, or Rain could beat them to the prize.
Haku and Shirou's training continued on the trip, but at a reduced pace. While walking, there wasn't time. While riding, there wasn't space. At least on a boat they could get in some target practice and low-level jutsu training. Not to mention Haku's increasing interest in anatomy. She had good enough chakra control to become a medic, but unfortunately Zabuza didn't know any such techniques. Developing medical jutsu by oneself was more difficult than nearly any other type. Without a good teacher, progress was nonexistent. Haku had decided to focus on more traditional healing. Scrolls on that were much more easily obtained. Zabuza's Anbu anatomy training was absorbed by her at a tremendous pace. She also had an all-too-willing guinea pig in Shirou. What was wrong with that boy? It was good for Haku to get real-life practice in striking nerve clusters with senbon, but what did the redhead get out of it? At least Shirou recovered quickly. His Uzumaki blood was proving itself useful - as expected.
Zabuza debated telling Shirou about his clan. He was 90% sure by now that Shirou was an Uzumaki, but what good would come from that information? At worst it might even prompt the boy to seek out relatives. No, better to keep his hypotheses to himself for now. Besides, there was enough to figure out with Shirou already. Just what was his chakra nature? Zabuza guessed Steel. It was odd. Haku's ice was a combination of water and wind. There was more to it than that. Even a ninja with a dual-affinity in water and wind couldn't reproduce her ice techniques. It was more precise to say that she could alter her ice element to act as water or wind. Shirou couldn't do that. Reinforcing his swords or himself was the extent of the boy's techniques. Useful for a swordsman at least. Haku was the superior tool, but Zabuza enjoyed training another in the way of the blade. Shirou was a genius with weapons. He picked up techniques like he was born to wield a sword. Given how well his chakra nature meshed with his fighting style, he probably was. It was a shame he was utterly hopeless at Silent Killing. Otherwise he'd have been a perfect Swordsman of the Mist. He'd still be one in the new regime, just not perfect.
The Steel-wielder wasn't without his faults. Every other ninja jutsu was beyond him. Clones, Substitution, Shunshin, Surface Walking or Transformation. He couldn't perform any of them. There also wasn't any information about Steel release users in the Hidden Mist. Just like Haku, if Shirou wanted a new technique he would have to develop it himself.
At the outskirts of Tsurui, a small bird circled them. Zabuza raised his arm, and the bird obediently landed. Hidden under it's feathers was a small slip of paper. The jonin carefully unfolded it. He channeled a very precise amount of chakra. Too little and nothing would happen. Too much and the paper would dissolve away. The exact right amount revealed words, then had the paper dissolve. It two seconds the paper was nothing more than moisture on his fingers. He had enough time to commit the message to memory. Haku and Shirou looked up at him expectantly.
"There haven't been any more incidents since the report from a month ago. Our target may have left, or he might be laying low. There was one witness to the event. Munoto Tanimoto. Apparently he's something of a drunkard. His account may not be reliable, but it's where we'll start. We'll spread out and meet back here at sundown."
"Yes, Zabuza-sama!" "Yes, Zabuza-sensei!"
Shirou knelt down and opened his backpack. The boy was wearing a black T-shirt to go along with his blank pants and sandals. From his pack he removed a jacket that looked like the top of a kimono, a pair of black gloves, and a length of black cloth. Zabuza and Haku looked on as he put on the jacket and gloves. He then wrapped the cloth around his head until only a slit with his eyes was showing. Nodding to himself, the boy put his backpack on. He then readjusted the bow and quiver at his back, the butterfly swords at his sides, and the kunai pouch on his leg.
"Shirou. What, pray tell, do you think you're wearing?" Zabuza wondered what was going through his young apprentice's mind. Haku had turned around and her shoulders shook suspiciously. At least it wasn't summer, Mist's humidity was the real thing. On the other hand, hot weather might make Shirou change his mind.
"This is what a ninja wears." Shirou stated with 100% conviction.
"Ok, first of all, you're not a ninja. Without graduating from a Hidden Village, you're classified as a civilian." The tall jonin began to tick down his fingers. "Second, no ninja I've ever seen dresses like that. Third, you stand out like a sore thumb. Fourth, it looks ridiculous. And finally, ninjas wear headbands. That's how you identify them."
Shirou shook his head. "Ninjas wear black. It's so they can hide."
"No they don't."
"That you've seen."
Zabuza briefly considered continuing the argument with Shirou. He was quite bull-headed about the most surprising things. He could also order his apprentice to remove the silly costume, but was it worth it? Ninjas, as a whole, had some very unique fashion sense. He'd gotten looks for his black and white leg and arm warmers. They were stylish, but he'd heard rumors about him and cows. "Whatever. You both know what to do. Let's go."
"Yes, Zabuza-sensei!" "Y-es, *giggle* Zabuza-sama!"
Haku must've found Shirou's outfit funny. Or she had some insight into the redhead's thought process. Or she was happy to let someone else deal with him for once. In any case, she'd chosen an outfit that was much better suited for infiltration. She used easily concealable senbons, and could seal away unneeded equipment. There was no reason for her to carry it all out in the open like Shirou. Haku wore a white sleeveless shirt with a purple skirt. The skirt had a slip in the side and was short enough to not impede her movement. Her hair had grown long, and she now had the back of it tied up in a small white bun.
Shirou and Haku spread out into the town. Zabuza walked down the main street. He reveled in the reactions he got. His appearance screamed danger. Anyone who saw him would recognize him as a Hidden Mist ninja. The bandages and sword would help him intimidate answers from all but the bravest or stupidest of people. People who were put off balance mentally were easy to read. All he had to do was walk around and note reactions. That was the easiest and quickest way to separate the useful people from the rest.
"Zabuza Momochi - The Demon of the Hidden Mist. You're in my bingo book." A large man stood up from a stool at a roadside restaurant. He wore a brown and yellow outfit with a brown flack jacket. A headband from the Village Hidden by the Rocks was worn beneath short, spiky, gray hair. The man's chest was 3 feet across, and looked like it was made of pure muscle. Multiple scars crisscrossed his face, only hidden by a short goatee.
"You're not in mine." The Mist jonin replied. "Guess you're not dangerous enough to warrant the space or ink."
"Hah! Perhaps I'm not." The large man laughed jovially. His mirthful expression suddenly hardened into a sneer. "Or I might just be the most dangerous man you'll ever meet. Only one way to find out."
"Agreed." Zabuza stretched his neck to the right and left. The nonchalant action had the added benefit of loosening the rope around Kubikiribocho's hilt. By Mist tradition the great blade was wrapped in bandages. It dulled it's edge, but preserved it's anonymity. "If you ever want to find out, I'm game."
"Hah! Well spoken! My name is Bashi Osada, but my friends call me 'Basalt'." The large man grinned, and turned to walk away. His eyes narrowed as he turned his head to give a parting retort. "I wonder if you'll maintain that bravado in the face of death?"
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Shirou walked down the street. Tsurui was so different from the village he was used to. Back on the island, everyone knew one another. The ports occasionally had merchants that came to buy and sell, but nothing like the city he was now in. Tsurui had merchants lined up along the streets in stalls. They cried out their wares, and tried to get his attention. Even being dressed like a ninja didn't deter them. It made sense he decided. Ninjas must be a common enough sight even in a country without a Hidden Village of their own. Shirou steadfastly ignored the interesting things being sold. He had a job to do, and he was going to find Munoto Tanimoto. Then he heard a sound. It was quiet compared to the yells around him, but he instantly recognized its steady rhythm. He had to see.
Shirou turned past a fat man selling pumpkins. The sound was louder. *Thunk* *Thunk* He almost broke out into a run. Finally he came upon it's source. There was a blacksmith shop. That wasn't odd. His old village had one two. What was different was what a young-looking man in the back was working on. It was a sword. Shirou could see it's shape as the man folded the iron again and again. He was strengthening it. Each fold helped temper the blade. It became stronger, but also more brittle. That was the downside of using lower-quality iron. A higher carbon content would allow a blade just as strong, but easier to forge and without any increased brittleness. Shirou had dreamed up stories for his swords years ago. Who'd forged them. Who'd used them. How they'd gotten from their creator to Zabuza to him. It may have just been a daydream on his part, but Shirou had conviction that it was true. Lately he'd even imagined the past of every weapon he saw. Even if it was just a glimpse, a detailed history of it came to mind. He looked at the sword that was being formed before his eyes. He knew it was three days old. The iron that composed it was of lower quality. It would take a lot of effort to turn it into steel. Shirou tried to imagine what kind of sword it would eventually be. Nothing came to mind. He could see each hammer stroke as it fell. He knew details of how the blade was forming, but conceiving of the sword's future was beyond him.
It struck him as odd. Haku had told him that he had a great imagination. Why was it failing now? He'd even come up with a detailed history of Zabuza's Kubikiribocho. It's story was centuries old. He liked to imagine the blade had the power to reforge itself with the blood of it's victims. Time and time again it had been damaged, only to be pristine after the next fight. The idea wasn't even that preposterous. It was all in how the blade had been forged. The smith who'd made it had been a master, and carefully poured his blood and chakra into his work. Shirou shook his head. He'd been reminiscing about daydreams for far too long now. A quick glance up showed him the sun had nearly set! A small curse escaped his lips. He'd been watching the smith for hours now! That was simply unacceptable! What kind of a useless ninja gets sidetracked by fantasies about swords. Especially on a mission! There was no time to waste. At least he wouldn't be late for the rendezvous with Haku and Zabuza.
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Haku walked down the street. She looked for people who were following the crowd with their eyes. A middle-aged woman selling fish told her where to find a bar. An overweight merchant with a stock of large orange vegetables said Munoto Tanimoto had buckteeth and a wispy beard. The bartender said the old drunk always had a gourd with him. Haku was now armed with a description and an area to search over. Finally, she found the mousey looking man. He was sitting at a BBQ stall. Haku walked up to him. Munoto took a drag on his gourd, and then messily wiped his lips.
"Munoto Tanimoto?"
"Who's asking?"
"Excuse me. My name is Haku. I'm interested in some bandits that were killed about a month ago. I've heard you saw what happened."
"I didn't see it exactly miss. A month is a long time when you're my age. I'm afraid my memory's not what it's used to."
Haku glanced at the plate in front of him. It only contained bones. "Perhaps I can buy you some lunch?"
"Hmmmm... Make it lunch and a drink, and I'll see what this old noggin can dredge up."
Haku motioned to the chef. He'd been paying attention, and was already preparing another plate of ribs. He placed them in front of the bucktoothed man. From underneath the counter he brought out a bottle and refilled the cup next to the plate. As he moved to put the alcohol away, Munoto motioned for him to leave it. The chef glanced at Haku, who gave a nod.
"Tanimoto-san. If you would please be so kind as to tell me about the fight."
"It was pretty amazing. That bandit gang had been preying on travelers for a while now. Pretty smart about it too: always avoiding the merchants that had a ninja escort. Well, one day, about a month ago I was taking a stroll. It was on the east side of the village. It was nighttime, so I didn't see much."
"You didn't see much?"
"Now, now, don't be hasty." The old man drained his cup, and then began to pour the contents of the bottle into his gourd. Haku wondered if it was the same drink, or if he wasn't concerned as long as it got him drunk. "These old ears are pretty sharp, y'know. The yelling was plenty loud. 'Help! Spare me!' That kind of stuff."
"Bandits don't have much courage."
"Nope, wouldn't be bandits otherwise. Now, as I was saying, the interesting thing was the other sounds."
"Other sounds?"
"The sounds of killing. The sound of flesh being cut, of bones being crushed."
"That doesn't sound interesting."
"But it is, because it was the only other sounds. Now, I've seen a ninja battle or two. They're always yelling as part of their jutsu."
"I understand that skilled ninja does not need to vocalize their jutsu or use hand signs."
"How knowledgeable. That's right. There are other sounds too. Or more precisely, there were a lack of other sounds. No sound of cutting wind, of raging fire, or splashing water."
"I note you left out 'crushing stone'."
"Why yes, I did. I suppose that the sound of crushing stone, is an awful lot like crushing bones. If it's bones the stones are crushing, that is. Heh heh heh."
"I see. You're account is quite thorough, for only hearing the fight."
Munoto blushed. "Well, I'm glad to be of help little lady. Heh heh. Tell ya what." He beckoned her closer. Haku leaned forward, and in a low voice he said: "I hear that there are some Stone Ninja in town right now. Wonder what they could want, eh? Heh heh heh."
"You were most helpful. Good day." Haku stood up. With a quick bow, she turned to walk away. There was still a few hours until sundown. She could head to the east side of town. It had been a month, but she might be able to find something by herself.
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It hadn't been a productive day for Zabuza. A stone jonin probably meant that there were more ninja around. Whoever Bashi was, Zabuza had to keep an eye on him. The Mist ninja had spent his time walking around as an obvious target. There wasn't much point in hiding his identity now. Better to provide a distraction while learning about his potential adversaries. So far, he'd identified two other ninjas in Tsurui, in addition to Bashi. They both wore Stone headbands, so it was probably a 3-man squad. While it was possible they were here for another reason, it was only prudent to assume he'd have to kill them eventually. Hopefully Haku or Shirou had more luck their investigations. Now that he was going to meet his tools, Zabuza favored stealth. He left the town in a different, random direction. He then took a very roundabout route to their meeting spot.
He saw that Shirou was already there. The boy had his bow out and an arrow notched. He made a good archer in addition to a swordsman, Zabuza thought ruefully. It was almost like he also possessed a Doujutsu. Shirou's eyes were an unusual golden-brown. Most eye jutsu had a far more distinctive appearance. Heck, Zabuza had seen other ninja with far more exotic eyes and worse vision. No, whatever the secret to the Steel ninja's sight was, it had to do with his unique chakra nature. Zabuza relaxed as he walked forward. With Shirou as a lookout, they weren't going to be ambushed or spied upon.
"Did you find anything?"
"No, Zabuza-sensei. I also haven't seen Haku yet."
"I wonder what she's up to? I'm going to rest for a bit. Stay sharp."
"Yes, Zabuza-sensei."
Zabuza sat down next to the lone tree. He leaned back and closed his eyes. It wasn't that he was being carefree with Shirou around. His hearing was his best sense, and closing his eyes let him focus on it. Shirou could also enhance his hearing, but not as easily as his sight. Perhaps he would make a better archer? Ninja archers were pretty rare. Finding a bow capable of handling a ninja's sheer strength was practically impossible. Wood just wasn't that strong. He'd never even heard of a "Legendary Bow-smith", or whatever you'd call one. It was one reason why most ninja used kunai and senbon. They were cheap. Being destroyed by an attack didn't really matter. Shirou's chakra could strengthen his bow and arrows. It allowed him to shoot at a much greater velocity. It didn't remove archery's other fatal flaw. While you could shoot someone father than you can throw something at them, any half-decent ninja could get out of the way of an arrow. Just because it wasn't as good as a sword, didn't mean they should discount Shirou's bow. If nothing else, it gave the enemy an opportunity to make a mistake. Plus, it did cost stamina to dodge. Every little bit could matter in a close fight.
"She's coming."
Zabuza nodded. It was close to a minute before he heard the familiar footsteps of his first apprentice. "You're late Haku."
"My apologies Zabuza-sama. I found the old man we were searching for, but even with his directions the battlefield eluded me."
"Oh?" Zabuza cracked open an eye. "Where did he say it was?"
"To the east. Unfortunately, 'east' is a very vague term and I failed to ask how far from the village it was."
"No matter. Come morning we'll make the drunk lead us in person. Then there won't be any miscommunication. Shirou, you take the first watch. Haku, you're next."
Shirou and Haku nodded in consent. Zabuza naturally got to take the last watch, which just meant he woke up at around three in the morning. He was going to let his young trainees sleep in. Shirou had other plans. The redhead woke up at five and started making breakfast. Given his lack of materials, and inability to access fresh food from the sealing scrolls, it was a doomed endeavor. In the end, he roasted an orange vegetable he'd bought in town. It wasn't bad, but it was pretty simple. Better than ration bars. The smell woke Haku, and pretty soon the three of them were ready to go.
Haku led the way. She had been the one to speak with Munoto, and she had an idea of his usual haunts. It was around seven that they found him. Zabuza wasted no time. He wasn't about to accept an answer that wasn't "I'll gladly lead you to the location for free." He could see the look of cunning in the rat-like man's eyes. No doubt he'd run away at the first opportunity. That was fine, as long as he took them to the battleground first. The location was four miles out of town.
"What were you doing this far from Tsurui?"
"Eh, you know. Taking a walk."
"At night?"
"What? Is that a crime now?" Zabuza eyed the drunk. There was something he wasn't telling them.
"Whoa!" A crashing noise came from where Shirou had been standing. All that was left now was an open hole.
Haku ran over. "Shirou! Are you ok?"
The boy's voice echoed from the ground. "Yeah, I'm fine. There's a big tunnel here."
Zabuza's hand went to Kubikiribocho. "Spread out!" Tunnels meant earth jutsu. That meant Stone ninja. He and Haku sprinted apart. Munoto stayed by the hole in the ground, a confused look on his face.
"Earth Release: Great Fissure!" Three voices rang out from around them. The sound was immediately swallowed up by a great clashing of rock. Zabuza couldn't stay on his feet, not with the ground buckling and breaking apart. A chasm opened underneath him, and the next thing he knew he was falling. The Mist ninja rolled as he hit the ground, and then kept rolling. He landed in a tunnel. It was at a decent incline, and gravity took the rest. Behind him he could hear shouting. A lot of curse words were being used.
Zabuza rolled out of the tunnel into a large cavern. There was a stench of decay here. Numerous bodies in the first stages of decay lined the walls. There wasn't enough light to make out details. Only a faint amount of reflected sunlight made it's way down the shaft he'd come from. His eyes couldn't see everything, but the echoes left no doubt. That tunnel was the only exit from this room. There was also someone coming down it.
"Hah! That was quite the surprise! Who could've guessed the ground would be riddled with caverns like this!"
"Bashi Osada."
"We meet again, Zabuza of the Hidden Mist. Looks like we will be finding out if your bravado is only for show."
"I'm not surprised that you'd launch a sneak attack like this. It's your bad luck that you're facing off against me."
"Oh, we'll see about that." The grey haired man now had an evil-looking smile on his face. "Can't say I'm not looking forward to this. Earth Style: Stone Armor!"
"Water Style: Hiding in the Mist!" Zabuza called up a dense mist. It wouldn't take much in this lighting to completely blind his opponent. He then dashed forward without making a sound. Kubikiribocho swung at the perfect height to decapitate his opponent. Instead the greatsword impacted a pillar and stopped. No, there was the smell of fresh blood. Hard to make out over the rotten flesh.
"Hah! Looks like even the Demon of the Hidden Mist can penetrate my armor! Now, so you don't run away. Earth Style: Earthen Wall!" The faint light that was diffusing through the mist disappeared. Bashi must've closed off the tunnel.
"Your armor's not so good. Kubikiribocho drew blood. Now you've sealed your fate. Fighting me in perfect darkness is an impossibility!" Zabuza could tell his opponent was now covered with spiky protrusions. He swung again. His sword impacted against Bashi's side. Again there was no give, but the smell of blood increased.
"It's good enough to ward off the likes of you. Or did you think I'm bleeding because of your sword? Hah! My armor's a doubled edged sword, but you'll get a first hand example right now! Earth Style: Stone Spikes."
Zabuza stepped back - right onto a caltrop that had formed from the ground itself. The long thin spike of earth punched through his sandal and into his foot. That would slow him down. Another step left two more punctures in his other foot. The bastard must've blanketed the area with those spikes.
"You can't run. If you move you'll just hurt yourself more. Hah! The fight's mine!"
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Haku sped up, trying to stay ahead of the rolling and cracking earth behind her. Suddenly a large circular area collapsed, with her in the center. The Ice Ninja gracefully landed on one foot before taking a fighting stance. She was now in the middle of a crater a hundred yards wide. A figure came falling out of the sky. From his trajectory, Haku assumed he'd jumped. With a loud crash, the man landed where Haku had been seconds ago. He knelt on one knee, a spider web of cracks emanating from his impact. Haku was already throwing a senbon as she dodged. It hit with a small thunk. The man was wearing stone around himself like armor. It fit him like full-plate, leaving only a small visor around his eyes. Haku's senbon had been deflected without making a scratch.
"A weak attack like that wouldn't hurt me without my armor. You're not going to be any fun." The armored figure dashed at her.
Haku supposed he was moving pretty fast for someone hauling around 300+ pounds of rocks. To her, he was standing still. More senbon bounced off his defenses. The pattern repeated itself a few times. The Stone ninja couldn't catch her, but her senbon were useless. Even his joints were armored. The gaps in the stone had mud in them. Her senbon pierced that, rather than bounce off - but it wasn't nearly deep enough. "That's quite the defense you have. It occurs to me, that not all of you is actually armored." She sent a pair of senbon flying at his eyes. He dodged one, but the other left him half blind.
"Ah! That hurts!" He pulled the spike out. His one eye was bleeding profusely.
"It's just a matter of time before I get the other one. Give up now, I don't want to blind you."
"You think I'll stop over this? Get real. Also, you're not getting another shot at me! Earth Style: Mud field!" The man slammed his hands into the ground. From the epicenter, Haku could make out a change in the ground. It was spreading quickly. Far too quickly! She jumped.
Earth, water, or mud, she could walk on it. "You think this'll slow me down?" Haku landed lightly on her feet. She moved to dash across the ground, and get a better angle on his remaining eye. Her feet didn't move. A quick glance confirmed her fears. Her sandals had stuck to the mud, and were slowly sinking.
"Now who's the sitting duck?" The other ninja smirked. He raised back his arm. "Earth Style: Stone Spear!" A length of brown rock seemed to grow in his hand. Haku narrowed her eyes. Was it her imagination, or did his armor get the tiniest bit smaller? She didn't have any time to contemplate it as the newly created spear was thrown her way.
Haku took out a kunai and cut the straps of her sandals. With a quick jump, she avoided the spear. She twisted in mid-air and thew another volley of senbon at her opponent's good eye. "You know what I have that you don't? Depth perception."
The Stone ninja raised his arm to block. The senbon bounced of it harmlessly. "You know what I have? A place to land." Haku glanced down. Her jump had avoided the spear, but she was going to land in the mud. No matter how much she twisted to adjust her trajectory, there was no place to land that wasn't covered in it.
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The earth shook and Shirou could only guess what was happening. Munoto then fell into the tunnel next to him. In hindsight, this was a pretty safe place. The earth had already collapsed. Unless there was another tunnel beneath them, they were safe for the moment.
Shirou helped the old man to his feet. "Are you ok sir?"
"I'm fine sonny, but I get the feeling something bad is about to happen."
"Something worse than this?" The earth beneath their feet heaved up and down. A huge cloud of dust enveloped them. The dust was thick, but Zabuza's mist was thicker. Shirou poured chakra into his eyes. He had to see what was coming.
There! A faint stirring in the dust. "Get down!" Shirou yelled as he tackled Munoto to the side. A large rock flew through where the two of them had been standing. Shirou got to one knee and drew and released an arrow back along the boulder's path.
"Hey! That stung a little." The dust was settling, and Shirou could make out who spoke. It was a figure covered head to toe in rocks. How had he spoken?
Shirou supposed it didn't matter, as he quickly shot another arrow. It was no more successful than the last. "Munoto-san, you should run away. That's a ninja. I don't want you caught up in this."
"That's a nice sentiment, sonny. I think they might have other ideas."
Shirou glanced around. Five more humanoids made of stone were spread out surrounding them. "Yeah, neither of you are leaving here." "Not unless you can get past all of us." "Me? I'm guessing you'll die in the crossfire." The stone people took turns talking. Then they all slammed their hands into the ground simultaneously. "Earth Release: Boulder Barrage!"
Shirou grabbed Munoto and ducked and weaved around the hail of stones. One clipped his arm. He spun around. Another hit him in the leg, and he fell over. "Ah, that hurts." If he hadn't reinforced his body, then his bones would've been crushed. Shirou staggered to his feet, and drew another arrow.
"Wooden arrows can't pierce our stone." A mocking retort came from one of the stone figures.
"My arrows may be wooden, but my body is Steel!" Shirou was pouring chakra into his arrow as he spoke. The words resonated within him. It was if he brushed against a truth. In response his chakra surged. The arrow in his hand seemed to shake with power. Again it flew straight, and again it struck the stone figure in the chest. This time it kept going, leaving a fist-sized hole in it's wake.
The figure muttered a "What?" Then his form dissolved into mud and collapsed. "Close in! Don't let him shoot again!" Another stone ninja cried. The remaining humanoids charged.
"Stay behind me. I'll protect you!" Shirou reassured his civilian companion. The redhead dropped his bow and began to unsheathed his twin swords.
"I don't suppose I could get something to defend myself with sonny?"
"Here." Shirou paused to draw a kunai from his pouch. He held the small knife behind him for the old man to take.
Munoto crouched down, trying to keep Shirou between and the charging ninja. "You have an interesting jutsu there boy. You're also too trusting." The rat-like man moved suddenly. Blood sprayed onto the ground at Shirou's feet.
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Zabuza had struck Bashi twice more with Kubikiribocho, for no effect. In return the Stone Ninja laughed. "You're still moving well, despite what your feet must be like now. Oh, I get it. Hah! Clever, but now you'll have no where to hide. Earth Style: Stone Spikes." Zabuza cursed. He'd been staying on the wall between attacks. Now both the walls and the ceiling were covered in those needle-sharp rocks. His sandals had been shredded. They fell off a minute ago, leaving his feet defenseless. Not that they had blocked the spikes. His feet felt like pin-cushions. Blood loss was setting in. Channeling chakra through his injured feet was getting harder and harder.
"Hyah!" With a shout he swung Kubikiribocho at the ground. His sword could take the punishment, the spikes couldn't. The sound had alerted Bashi. Zabuza could sense his approach. His opponent barreled past him. There was no technique to his swings, rather he was trying to use his girth to his advantage.
Bashi charged again and again. After the third attempt, he stopped. "Earth Style: Stone Spikes!" The ground that he'd trampled over sharpened again. Zabuza had been following in the larger man's footsteps. Those had been a safezone. As the Stone Ninja slammed his hands to the ground, Zabuza leap up. He brought Kubikiribocho down to the ground before he landed. The impact created another space free of the earth jutsu. It also alerted Bashi to his presence. Zabuza didn't know who could keep this up longer. The earth shaping must take it's drain on Bashi's chakra, but Zabuza was tiring quickly.
"Is that the best you can do? Barrel willy nilly through you're own minefield?" If he could get his opponent talking, then it would provide him a reprieve.
"Hah! My armor protects me."
"I can smell your blood. You've lost nearly as much as me, and you've spent a lot more chakra."
"Hah! I'm not the one wasting chakra on mist in total darkness. My armor may take it's toll, but it's still better than the sandals you used to wear. I found them you see. Now that you're barefooted, one wrong step will spell your doom."
"Just like any other battle. Unfortunately for you, I'll never take that step!"
"Oh, but I think you will. I'm done giving you a safe place to walk. Earth Style: Stone Shuriken!"
Zabuza couldn't see the attack, but Kubikiribocho could act as a large shield if necessary. Stone shards plinked off it's side. More impacted Zabuza from the side. He grunted in pain. The water clone was formed without seals or words. The mist had provided enough substance for him to finally create one. "Your aim is horrible." The clone only had time to utter that one line, before it was destroyed by the spikes. The diversion worked. The next volley of Shuriken went towards it's location. Zabuza focused on slowing his breaths. He needed all the energy he could muster.
"Where are you? My stones will flay your skin!"
The sound of stone hitting stone started to echo throughout the cavern. Bashi was getting agitated. Zabuza saw his chance. Another leap took him to within striking distance of the Stone Ninja. Kubikiribocho didn't soften his landing this time. Spikes drove into his feet. He'd be crippled until he got treatment. Perhaps permanently. His sacrifice and brought Bashi into striking distance, and the other ninja didn't know. Kubikiribocho came up and through.
"Do you know why I kept the mist up now? Stone 'beats' water by absorbing it. If it absorbs too much, it's not really stone anymore is it? I guess mud armor doesn't work as well? Hah!"
Bashi's decapitated head didn't answer.
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"Secret Technique: Demonic Ice!" Haku ran through a series of hand signs mid-air. Her now bare feet landed on a smooth ice platform that was now floating a foot above the mud. Three senbon were thrown at her opponent. One struck his forehead, one lodged in his outstretched palm, and the third struck his neck.
"Earth Release: Quartz Armor!" The rocky hands made some signs. They then went to the ninja's face. The gap in his stone armor was now filled with a clear rock. "Let's see if you can find a hole now. I guarantee that one doesn't exist!" Haku responded by throwing more senbon. The darts plinked off his head and neck - once again with no visible effect. "Earth Release: Mud Ball!"
A baseball sized glob of mud sprung out of the ground close to where the Stone Ninja had slammed his hands. The projectile flew towards Haku. "Secret Technique: Demonic Ice!" She leapt away, onto another suspended plane of ice. More senbons flew through the air. "Do you know the main distinction in water jutsu? I'm betting you don't." Her opponent snarled and more mud flew at the female ninja. "Secret Technique: Demonic Ice!" A third platform formed, and Haku nimbly dodged the attack. "There are two main categories. Techniques that produce water, and techniques that shape it."
"Oh, and that's relevant to your ice how?"
"It's not. My ice is a special case. It doesn't follow water jutsu conventions."
"Then why tell me?"
"Well, mud is water and earth right? I figured the Hidden Stone doesn't have that many water ninja, so you could use all the help you could get."
"Why you! Earth Release: Mud Hand!" A three foot wide hand emerged from the ground. It dripped and oozed mud. The hand then smashed down on the ice that Haku was standing on. She vacated the location with time to spare. "Which do you think are more easily made? My mud or your ice?"
More senbon bounced off the armor. "It doesn't really matter, does it? I mean, you can't destroy my ice with an attack like that. Also, no matter how sticky that mud of yours is, it'll slide right off of it." As Haku taunted the other ninja, her words were proven true. The remains of the mud hand slid off of the ice and dripped back to the ground. She quickly followed up with another flurry of metal spikes.
"Dodge this! Earth Release: Mud Tsunami!" At the edge of the crater, a wave of mud formed. It grew bigger and bigger as it picked up speed. "Even if you jump over it, all your ice will still be covered upon your landing!"
Haku threw more senbon towards his face. The wave of mud was now easily twenty feet high, and was gaining more mass each passing second. "Secret Technique: Demonic Ice Mirror!" A vertical section of ice appeared high in the sky. It's surface reflected the light of the sun.
"That won't do you any good! It's still within my range! Mud expand!" Upon the ninja's command, the wave of mud surged up and over the battlefield. Even Haku's newly created mirror was coated. "Told you you couldn't avoid it."
"Actually, I did." Haku stood on an ice platform that was at least a hundred feet in the air.
"But, but, that's too far to jump!"
"For you it would be." Haku hopped down. The mud had slipped off the ice platforms by the time she landed. Another barrage of senbons quickly followed.
"Why do you persist with that annoying attack? You've seen my armor has no weaknesses!"
"Hmmm, well if you must know, I suppose it's because of Shirou."
"Who?"
"My fellow tool. I'm not as good at the technique, but that doesn't mean I can't perform it."
"What technique? Can he use ice too?"
"No, no. Not that. I mean reinforcing stuff with chakra. Except I don't really 'reinforce'. I guess it has to do with my elements. Water and ice don't do much when put into a senbon. Wind? That's a different matter."
"Wind?"
"Like I said, I'm not as good. So it took me a while to chip away enough to make a hole." Haku's form blurred. She was now standing on the ice platform behind the Stone Ninja. A single senbon was sticking out of his neck. "Ah, it didn't go all the way though. Guess the armor on the other side stopped it. Still, in the end it was enough right?" Her opponent fell over. "I hope this mud dissolves soon. I didn't go through all that effort for you to suffocate on me."
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Shirou looked at the blood on the ground, then back at the small man behind him. Munoto had slashed the palm of his hand with the kunai. "I mean, if I was your opponent, you'd have just given me both the weapon and the opportunity to stab you in the back. Might want to stand back for this." He then slammed his bloody limb to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"
Shirou jumped away, barely escaping the circle of symbols emanating from the old man's hand. There was an explosion and a cloud of smoke. When it cleared, the redhead and the five Stone Ninja all stopped and gawked at the newly arrived creature. It stood ten feet tall and twelve feet wide. It's clawed hands clutched a sword that hung sheathed by it's side. Small round shades sat upon it's furry snout and protected it's eyes. "So it was you." One of the stone-clad ninja spoke. "Shoyo Nakatomi. Missing nin, and bearer of the Scroll of the Moles."
"Man, I knew killing those bandits was stupid. All I want to do is drink in peace. Is that so wrong?"
"You can't be allowed take away one of The Hidden Stone's assets! The Mole Summoning Scroll is too valuable to lose."
"You talk as if he carries it around with him, human." The mole's voice was rough. "Nakatomi-san has a contract with us, but the scroll itself resides under our protection."
"Then let me sign it!"
The giant mole shook it's head. "That would only be if you proved yourself worthy. Since you're about to be dead, I don't see that happening." He then drew his sword. It was the same size as Zabuza's preferred blade, but in the mole's hands it looked more like a regular katana. A story instantly came to Shirou's mind. Chikyuukou - the hardened blade. Forged by the moles more than a century ago, it was a chakra blade that incorporated a nature transformation. It would only accept earthen chakra, but it enhanced every aspect of the sword. Earth's durability, Wind's cutting, Water's density. Nothing flashy like Fire or Electricity. The effect was almost exactly the same as his own Steel reinforcement.
Shirou reinforced his butterfly swords and dashed at one of the ninja. His blows gouged the stone armor. "Not enough." He mumbled to himself. The counterattack was slow. Abysmally slow compared to Haku. Carrying all that weight couldn't be easy. Shirou dodged around it. His blades became sharper and heavier. He poured more chakra into both them and his arms. The next strike tore through the stone and revealed packed earth inside. The soil spilled out like blood would've in a human. A quick stroke later, and the golem was without it's head. Shirou turned, only to find the rest of the Stone Ninja already dead.
Chikyuukou thrummed with power. The blade had carved through the stone armor as if it were nothing more than paper. The mole apparently didn't share Shirou's restraint. "What about him Shoyo?"
"He's not an enemy, Mokyuuran. In fact, I'm thinking he might just fit your definition of 'worthy'."
"Does he now?" The mole leaned in, his nose sniffing. "I'll trust your judgement." He then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
"So, what do you say boy? Getting contracted to a summoning is a quite the boon."
Shirou looked around. Zabuza and Haku were still missing. Hopefully they'd escaped the earthquake the golem ninja had made. Summoning Moles sounded like it could be useful. "Sure!"
"Ok then." Shoyo slammed his still-bleeding palm to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu: Shomoru!"
A regular-sized mole appeared. He wore reading glasses on his nose, and had a scroll tied to his back. Shirou didn't see any weapons. The tiny animal raised his claws to shade his eyes. "What do you want Shoyo?"
Shoyo had taken out his gourd, and was busy drinking. After a few more gulps, he lowered it back down and let out a burp. "I want to let this kid here sign the scroll."
"Hmmmmmm... weeelllllll if you saaaay so." Shomoru slowly and methodically untied the scroll from his back and rolled it out on the ground. Several names were written, each with five dots beneath them.
"So what do I do?" Shirou looked down at the scroll.
"Sign it with your blood. Be sure to put plenty of chakra in it."
"Ok." Shirou took out a kunai and cut his index finger. He channeled chakra into his blood as best he could. With an unpracticed hand, he spelled out 'SHIROU' in large blocky letters.
"Now put blood on each of your fingertips and place your palm on the scroll."
"Oh, so those are what the dots are." Shirou complied, but nothing happened. "Is that all?"
"Well, that's odd. The chakra in your blood should react with the scroll. Something should've happened. You might not be compatible after all. Sorry kid." Shoyo was looking over his shoulder.
"He could already have a contract. You caaaan't have two." Shomoru whined as he rolled the scroll back up.
"You can summon boy? Why didn't you say so?"
Shirou blinked. "I don't think I can."
"Is that so? Well, who knows. Give it a shot." He took another long draw from his gourd. "Anyways, thanks for your help with those Hidden Stone ninjas! Take care!" Shoyo walked away while waving behind him. The small mole just shrugged his shoulders and disappeared with a small pop.
"Well, I found out what happened to the bandits. That'll make Zabuza-sensei happy." Shirou looked around. "I wonder where he and Haku are?"
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"Zabuza-sama, please sit still. I need to finish bandaging your wounds." Haku was methodically applying a healing salve she'd made to her teacher's feet. Zabuza was not an easy patient.
"I'm fine." The older jonin began putting on a new pair of sandals. "We can sit around all day long. Bad enough that it wasn't actually Kabutowari. We get trapped in tunnels made by ninja moles. Shirou manages to sign their contract, but it doesn't work for him!"
"Boar. Dog. Bird. Monkey. Ram. Summoning Jutsu!" Off to the side Shirou cried out his new technique and placed his hand on the ground.
"Nothing huh?" Haku shook her head. "Are you sure the old man said you might have a contract already?"
"Shirou, I'm telling you it's not possible. Before I found you, you couldn't access your chakra. Even if you'd found a summoning scroll at such a young age, and managed to convince it's bearer to let you sign, you'd still wouldn't have been able to." Zabuza began clamoring to his feet.
"I know Zabuza-sensei, but shouldn't I at least try? I mean, the hand symbols are the same for each animal, so if I do have a contract it should work."
"If you want to keep wasting chakra and cutting yourself, be my guest." Zabuza turned to his more rational pupil. "C'mon Haku let's go."
Shirou noticed they had left after almost a minute. "Hey! Wait for me!"
