[Chapter 9: Haku's Secret Jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors and The Number One Hyperactive, Knucklehead Ninja Joins the Fight!]
Recap!
'Could it be?' Kakashi thought before a mist started in, "this mist...Sasuke, Hitomi get ready." Sasuke and Hitomi moved to protect Tazuna. "I knew he was alive. He just couldn't wait for round 2."
"Dad, it's Zabuza isn't?" Hitomi asked.
"Sorry to keep you waiting Kakashi," Zabuza's voice sounded around them, "I see you still have those brats with you." Hitomi could hear Sasuke trembling from behind her. "That one's still trembling. Pitiful."
At that moment they were all surrounded by Zabuza's Water Clones, but Sasuke smirked.
"I'm trembling with...excitement," Sasuke told him.
"Go on Sasuke," Kakashi approved.
Sasuke moved with quick reflexes and was able to destroy all of the clones before he landed back in place.
'I can see it,' he thought.
"Oh, so you could see they were Water Clones, uh?" Zabuza asked as he and his two goons came into view. "The brat's improving. Looks like you go a rival Haku."
"So it seems," Haku agreed.
Hitomi and Sasuke glared at Zabuza's goon as they ready their weapons.
QS-Hitomi
growled as she glared at two enemies ninjas ahead of them wanting to rip them apart from limp to limp and it was scaring her to be thinking like that.
"Well, well, so I had it right," Kakashi stated, "it was all an act."
"An act?" "With cute little masks, too."
"Big Phony," Sasuke stated.
"So I guess all that stuff about being Tracker Ninjas protecting their village was all bunch of bull?" Tazuna asked.
"They look pretty chummy to me," Kakashi answered, "I'll say they have been pulling scams like that for a long time. And hiding behind those mask. Who do they think their fulling?"
"That's it I'm taking them out," Sasuke said, "who do they think their fulling? Hiding behind those masks like some sort of clowns.
'Didn't Dad just said that?' Hitomi thought.
"He's impressive," Haku stated making Zabuza snort, "even though they were just 1/10th th strength of the original Water Clone Jutsu. He did destroy them all."
"That move still gave us the first advantage," Zabuza told him, "now use it."
"Right," Haku agreed before he moved quickly.
"What's this?" Sasuke asked.
'So he can keep with Haku's speed, huh?' Zabuza thought as he watched the two young boys fight each other.
'Hmmm,' Kakashi thought, "Hitomi cover Tazuna and stay close to me. Let Sasuke handle this, but be ready to jump in if needed."
Hitomi nodded as she jumped in front of the bridge-builder while she also stood ready to jump into the fight when she had to.
"I want the bridge-builder not you," Haku told Sasuke, "if you back down I won't have to kill you."
"Save it," Sasuke told him.
"Your making a mistake," Haku told them, "you won't be able to keep up with my speed. I've gain two key advantages."
"Yeah?" Sasuke asked "what are they?"
"First you are surrounded by water, second I blocked one of your hands there for you only have one free hand to defend yourself with," Haku answered.
Haku started to do hand signs with one hand making Sasuke gasp in shock.
'What?' Sasuke thought in shock, 'using one hand?'
"Secret Jutsu: A Thousand Needles of Death," Haku said.
'He doesn't want to kill the kid?' Zabuza thought as he watched the two fights, 'does he mean that?'
'Remember the training,' Sasuke thought, 'focus. Summon my Chakra at once and derate it to my feet.'
Of them jumped out of the way as the needles came raining down on them. Haku start looking for Sasuke once he landed and noticed that the young Uchiha wasn't in sight..
'He vanished,' Haku thought before looking up to see that Sasuke and jumped up.
"You're not at fast as you think," Sasuke told them before he atked Haku. "From this point on you'll be the ones defending from my Atks."
Sasuke tried different methods of fighting before he was able to land a kick on Haku sending back to Zabuza was.
'It's not possible,' Zabuza thought, 'no one's faster then Haku.'
"Thought you were quicker, huh?" Sasuke asked, "well, what else were you wrong about?"
Hitomi's eyes narrowed even more as she looked at Zabuza and Haku who was struggling to set up.
"You made a big mistake by insulting these Ninjas and calling them brats," Kakashi informed Zabuza, "that's just granted to bring out Sasuke attitude. He's the best young fighter of the Hidden Leaf Village." Kakashi then motioned to Hitomi. "And my little girl, Hitomi is our feistiest, short-tempered, smartest, and very strongest young Kunoichi since Lady Tsunade, herself and last, but certainly not least is our number one hyperactive, knuckleheaded Ninja; Naruto Uzumaki."
"*Laugh* Haku," Zabuza said as the two stood up, "if we keep going like this we'll be the victims instead of them. Get on with it."
"Right," Haku agreed.
Haku's Chakra started to surround him.
"What's this?" Sasuke asked.
"I'm sorry it's came to this," Haku told him.
"The air it's so cold," Sasuke mumbled to himself.
Haku placed his hands in a hand sign, "Secret Jutsu..." Sasuke looked around himself as panel after panel appeared. "Crystal Ice Mirrors!"
Hitomi let out a gasp as ice like mirrors formed started to form around Sasuke.
"Sasuke!" Hitomi shouted as she ran forward to only be trapped in the mirrors as well. 'Shit.'
"What is that?" Kakashi asked, "how does it work?"
Sasuke and Hitomi both gasp as they watched Haku stepped through one of the panels before replicas appeared in the others.
"Mirrors, but how?" Sasuke asked.
Hitomi stood at the ready as she looked around while she stood back to back with Sasuke. Outside of the mirrors Kakashi ran forward to help them, but Zabuza got in the way.
"If you enter this fight..." Zabuza started, "you fight me." Kakashi glared at him. "Your boy and little girl has no chance against that Jutsu. Their finished.
Back in the mirror Hitomi was starting feel a bit useless as she tried to find away out of the trouble that they were in.
"Now we'll begin," Haku told them as he held up a senbone, "and I'll show you what speed really means."
Sasuke and Hitomi groaned as they were cut by the senbone that Haku throw at them while Kakashi looked worried.
"Hitomi, Sasuke," Kakashi mumbled.
Zabuza smirked at Kakashi through his bandages around his mouth.
"Just try to help them and I'll kill the other two in a heartbeat," Zabuza stated making Kakashi to growl.
Sasuke ended up falling to the ground while Hitomi kneeled on one knee panting.
"Sasuke?" Hitomi asked quietly.
"I'm fine," Sasuke groaned.
The two of them looked up at just as a shuriken hit Haku in the face leaving a stretch on the white mask and knocking him out of the mirror.
'What a fool,' Sasuke and Hitomi thought as smoked appeared.
'Such a show off,' Sasuke thought.
Hitomi growled under her breath as the smoke started to clear.
"Number On Hyperactive, Knucklehead Ninja," Haku said as he stood up.
"Naruto Uzumaki is here," Naruto said once the smoked cleared, "Yeah! Believe it! Now that I'm everything will be alright. You know who in stories the hero's usually shows up at the least minute and kicks butt? Well, that's what I'm going to do right now! Believe it!"
"This brat again," Zabuza mumbled.
'Shut-up Naruto.'
'What an idiot,' Kakashi thought with an is-this-kid-for-real loo his face, 'if he stayed hidden, he could have been much more effective.'
'That boy...
"Alright!" Naruto shouted, "your history! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Zabuza spun around and threw shuriken at Naruto making Hitomi gasp and Kakashi to go wide eyed.
"NO!" Kakashi shouted.
"NARUTO!" "Huh?"
"Naruto! Move!"
Naruto started to freak out before Haku threw his senbones that crashed into the shuriken making them to fall on the ground.
"They didn't get him," Tazuna said in shock, "their weapons concealed each other out. Amazing. Now that's was lucky. I think."
"What are you doing Naruto?" Hitomi asked, "you crazy?"
"This is a battle not a talent show!" Kakashi yelled at him, "don't let your opponent see your jutsu! The shinobi's art is deception. Keep your opponent guessing. Even when excruciating a single jutsu one must desecration one's opponent, catch them off balance, and out maneuver them. You'll just turn yourself into a human target when you enter a battle like that."
"I'M SORRY I WAS JUST TRYING TO RECUSE EVERYBODY!" Naruto shouted.
"But there's another mystery here..."
'Him.'
"Haku!" Zabuza called over as he looked at the boy, "what are you doing?"
"Zabuza...this boy...let me fight him in my own way? Please?"
"Bring it on."
"So you want me to leave this to you? Is that it Haku? As usually, your to soft."
"Forgive me?"
'Soft,' Sasuke thought confused before looking at his wounds, 'no. He's right. Look at this wounds...he cut me up with his needles, but didn't hit a vital spot. Why? Is he just trying to humiliate me?'
Hitomi looked at her own wounds to find that they were minor.
"I'm warning you! One way or another I'm going to rip off that mask and take you apart!"
'It's impossible,' Kakashi thought, 'Naruto, can't match this kid. I've got to...'
"Don't even think about," Zabuza told him, "we've got a score to settle Kakashi, but if you go after Haku, I go after the bridge-builder."
'He's got me,' Kakashi thought again, 'I can't protect Tazuna and help Naruto, Sasuke, and Hitomi at the same time.' Kakashi looked over at Tazuna. 'I'm should have tooken on another member or at least had another team company us.'
"Relax Kakashi," Zabuza told him, "set back and enjoy the show. Let's see how they do. One on one."
Naruto glared harden as he looked Haku.
"That mask and bogus story," Naruto said, "you were with Zabuza all along. You think you can get away with a stunt like that?"
"I'm sorry, but as your Sensei said, deceiving your opponent, catching them off guard that is the art of the Shinobi. Please don't take it personally?"
'While your gibbering I'll catch you off guard,' Sasuke thought before threw a Kunai.
Haku dodged the Kunai with ease without even looking. Naruto looked over to see Sasuke and Hitomi inside the mirrors.
"Sasuke? Hitomi?"
"I haven't forgotten about you not for an instant," Haku told him.
Naruto looked over to see Sasuke stunk in some kind of Crystal Mirrors, 'so that's where Sasuke and Hitomi is. Their pinned down.'
"Some warrior's except defeat gracefully and know when they are beaten and others do not," Haku stated, "so be it. Let us finish our battle then? To the death."
Naruto gasped as Haku started to walk away from him, "Hey, where are you going?"
"It's alright Naruto," Haku informed him, "we'll have our fight next."
'What is he?' Naruto thought as Haku walked into a mirror.
'Here he comes,' Sasuke thought as the real Haku appeared in front of him, but he still looked around to make sure. 'The real one is over there.' He's hand reached for his Kunai pouch. 'Now...'
"I'm behind you," Haku's voice sounded making Sasuke's eyes widen.
'He transported himself instant,' Sasuke thought in shock, 'how?'
'This is bad,' Hitomi thought as she looked around to see more replicas of Haku appeared.
It was then that they were bombed with senbone after senbone before both Hitomi and Sasuke landed on their backs.
"Hitomi! Sasuke!" Naruto shouted in alarm, 'what is that? Sasuke and Hitomi are getting ripped up and I can't even tell where the attacks coming from. How is he going that?'
Both Sasuke and Hitomi got onto their knees a bit more cut up then they where before.
'What kind of Jutsu is this?' Sasuke thought, 'could it be? He has clone's hiding the mirrors, all throwing needles at the same time.' Sasuke looked over at Hitomi who was panting a bit, but looked like she was trying to come up with a plan. 'No their to fast for it. I can't even see where their coming from. If it was just a clone jutsu then he wouldn't need the ice mirrors. Those mirrors diffidently the key to his attacks, but what's my next move?'
"Sasuke, Naruto, Hitomi!" Kakashi's voice called out to them, "think! You need to attack from the outside and the inside at the same time!"
'To figure out how the mirrors work,' Hitomi thought.
'I've got it.'
'Yes,' both Hitomi and Sasuke realized at the same time.
'It's all about positioning and Naruto, Hitomi, and I are in the perfect position,' Sasuke thought, 'if both Kitsune and I attack from in here and Naruto got him from the outside...we can do it.'
"Hey!" Naruto's voice yelled/whispered making Hitomi jump and Sasuke to freak out. "I sneak in to save you two!" Kitsune and Sasuke both looked at Naruto with a glare clearly pissed off. "Pretty cool move, huh, Sasuke, Hitomi?"
"Naruto, you idiot," Hitomi hissed, "if we weren't in trouble I'll kill you for sneaking up on us."
"Naruto, you sneak up on the enemy not your allies," Kakashi's voice told him from the outside.
"You're a complete loser!" Sasuke yelled, "you're a shinobi, think carefully before you move!"
"What the hack's your problem?" Naruto asked in anger, "you two should thank me for coming in here to help you two!"
"Naruto, if all three of us are inside here...grrr," Sasuke started, but stopped and growled a bit, "FORGET IT! I've had it with your mistakes!"
"And I had it with your attitude!" Naruto yelled, "believe it!"
'Naruto is building a soled reputation of the most clueless ninja in history,' Kakashi thought with a sigh, 'the more he helps the worse things get.'
"That's it," Sasuke said as he stood up making the other two to look at him, "I'm going to destroy these mirrors right now." Hitomi gasp when Sasuke wove hand signs. "Fire Style:..."
"Hey!" Naruto interrupted, "what attack are you using?"
"These mirrors are made of ice," Sasuke started to explain, "and how do you melt ice?" Hitomi sweat dropped. "Figure it out!" placed his pointing finger over his top lip and his thumb under his bottom lip before making an O shape with his mouth. "Fire Ball Jutsu!" For awhile Hitomi thought that Sasuke might had thought up a good idea, but the mirrors where still there when the flames died down.
"That didn't do anything at all!" Naruto yelled at him.
"You'll need much more heat then that to melt this ice," Haku told all thee.
The mirrors light up and all of a sudden Naruto, Hitomi, and Sasuke found themselves on their asses from an on slot of needles.
"Where is he?" Naruto asked, "Where the needle attacks coming at us from? Are they clones?" Naruto stood up while Hitomi and Sasuke remained kneeling, "We've got to find the real one. Which one is it?" "Look into every mirror as hard as you like," Haku told Naruto, "you'll never learn the secret."
"Oh yeah?" Naruto asked as he made a hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"No don't," Sasuke yelled at him.
"Naruto!" Hitomi joined him.
Naruto didn't listen to the two of them as he still made clones of himself.
"You've got a 100 mirrors then a 100 of me will smash them all," Naruto said to him as he clones jumped at the mirrors, "then I'll find the real one."
Haku however moved quickly sending Naruto back to the ground next to his teammates.
"These mirrors only reflect my image," Haku told them, "allowing me to transport myself at light speed." Hitomi's eyes widen when she cought on. "Through my eyes you appear to be moving in slow motions."
"I knew it," both Hitomi and Kakashi said at the same time.
"Knew what Hitomi?" Naruto asked.
"It's a bloodline treat," Hitomi answered, "kekkei genkai."
She was, however, unaware that her Father said the same time.
"Kekkei Genkai?" Tazuna's voice could be heard asking, "what is it?"
"It's like my Sharingan and Hitomi's KesshÅ Kai (Crystal Release)," Kakashi's voice was heard answering, "you can't learn it. It has to be in your blood. In your genetic code, pass down from generation to generation within a signal clone."
"But that means..."
"Yes," Kakashi agreed with the unspoken sentences, "even I can't copy that jutsu. There's no way to destroy it. No way to stop him."
'Dad, you seriously need to work on that explanation,' Hitomi thought with a sweat drop, 'I need to find away to be able to buy Naruto and Sasuke enough time to get out of here so they can attack from the outside.'
"I couldn't break through," Naruto said making Sasuke and Hitomi to look at him, "so what? He's not gonna to stop me. I'm not going to up and I'm not going to lose here cause I have a dream and no one's going to take it away from me." Naruto glared at Haku who let out a gasp. "Some day I'll be respected in my Village that's my dream. To be the greatest Hokage!"
'Naruto,' thought Hitomi as she looked over at the blonde.
'Dreams,' Haku thought as his mind went back to when he first meet Zabuza. "It was not my desire to be a shinobi, it's painful." Hitomi raised an eyebrow at this. "I don't want to kill you, but if you advance, I will have no choice. Then I'll kill the kindness in my own heart and fully embrace the shinobi way and there will be no mercy, no turning back." A growl escape Hitomi's throat. "This bridge well be the battle field where our dreams collide. Now I must fight for my dream just as you fight for your. Please do not blame me? I fight for some one who is precious to me. I live for him and I'll face death for him so that his dream can become a reality. That is my dream and for the sake of that dream, if I must, I'll act as a shinobi and take your lives."
Hitomi, Naruto, and Sasuke all smirk as they faced Haku ready for the real show down.