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.

10. The Chunin Exams 5

"Trace On. Steel is my body."

Shirou was tired. Attempt after attempt had resulted in flawed weapons. Either the image just wasn't right, or the blades he summoned weren't strong enough. Each attempt helped crystallize the image in his mind. Soon. Soon, he'd get them right. He'd hoped to have them finished with one day of work, but he guessed he was being too optimistic. Still, once the image was complete, the actually creation should be quick. He just needed to focus as much chakra as he could. It wasn't the type of technique that could be dragged out over a long time.

The redhead wiped his brow. He hoped Haku was ok. He told her what he was going to do. It meant skipping their usual sparing time. Inoichi had smiled and shooed him away. The jonin said it was perfectly fine to skip a spar every so often. The Yamanaka urged him to spend time with Karin.

That reminded Shirou. He needed to speak with Inoichi about his new-found relative. Right now, he was late for his apprenticeship. He'd catch his teacher when he was finished at Ichiraku's. Shirou stowed his forged swords in his pack and headed to the restaurant. Once there, he redhead removed his mask, gloves and jacket. Shirou placed his weapons and packs beside his clothes. He then put an apron over his T-shirt and began to mix the batter for the noodles.

"What is that you have, Shirou?" Saber sat at the counter, his ever-present guardian.

"I'm prepping for the dinner crowd."

"I meant, what kind of food is that?"

"You've never had ramen?"

The Servant shook her head. "It seems extravagant. Food is just a necessity to keep one's body operating. What you're doing is not productive."

"Say that after you've tried it!" Teuchi smiled as he placed a bowl in front of Saber.

"Sensei, Saber doesn't eat." Shirou objected.

Saber raised a hand. "I am capable of eating, it's just far less efficient than receiving chakra from you."

"If that's the case, have a bowl." The old man smiled.

Saber bowed her head. "I have no money to pay you. I would not want to deplete Shirou's funds for such a pointless endeavor."

"It's fine. This bowl is free." Teuchi pushed the bowl towards her. "Shirou's my apprentice, so his food is on the house." The chef shook his head. "At first I thought I was ripping the poor boy off, but with the way he eats..."

Saber raised an eyebrow. "Very well. I will sample your wares." The blonde looked side to side. "Where is the spoon?"

Shirou stopped pounding dough against the counter top, and pointed with his hand. "Saber, you use chopsticks to eat the noodles and extras, then you drink the broth from the bowl."

"Is that so?" The Servant took a pair of chopsticks and broke them apart. "Thank you for the food." She dipped into the bowl, bringing noodles up to her mouth. She paused after her first mouthful. Her eyes opened wide. "This... this is delicious!" She inhaled the rest of the bowl before banging it down on the counter. "Another!"

"Ha ha, looks like I have a satisfied customer!" Teuchi chortled before placing another bowl down. "Try the pork this time."

Shirou looked on. Bowl after bowl was inhaled with impressive speed. The girl could give Naruto a run for his money. "Hey, wait!" Shirou spun towards his teacher. "Who's paying for the extra bowls?!"

"You are!" Teuchi slapped him on the back. "Don't worry, I'll give you a discount. She can have ramen at cost. I haven't seen anyone enjoy my cooking this much since Naruto."

"I wonder how he's doing..." Shirou turned to the street, hoping to catch sight of his cousin.

"Haven't you seen him lately?"

"The second exam finished yesterday." Shirou crossed his arms and tilted his head. "I saw him then, but I wanted to check in with him. See how he's preparing for the finals."

"Oh?" The old chef placed another bowl in front of Saber. "He was here for lunch."

"Really?"

Teuchi nodded. "Yep, he was with a jonin. I think he was getting instruction for the third exam."

"Kakashi?"

"No." The shop owner shook his head. "It was someone else... Ebitsu? I think that was his name." Teuchi opened his eyes, a glint formed in them. "He payed for Naruto to eat his fill."

"Ouch!" Shirou eyed the growing stack of bowls. "I think I can sympathize somewhat."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Inoichi sat back and relaxed. It was a quiet evening. His training with Haku had gone well. The girl was sharp as a tack. The term genius was thrown around too often, but it still applied to her. He closed his eyes. One-handed signs. She'd developed them all on her own, and created custom jutsu before she would've been out of the Academy. It sounded like a hard life, but she spoke of it fondly. The Yamanaka head was still surprised by his students' decision about training. He said he would only be able to train one of them, but he'd find someone to train the other. Haku and Shirou had resolutely refused. They insisted on continuing to train with each other. They then reasoned if that was the case, they could both make use of him.

Individual training was most effective, but Inoichi couldn't deny the results they had achieved so far. It was going to be more work for him, but that was fine. Without his T&I responsibilities, he had enough time to devote to them. It would be long hours for the next month. Yamanaka clan business. Training for Haku and Shirou, together and individually. He still had jonin duties, but they would be light since he was expected to stay in the village. Heck, today he'd even had enough free time to go and check on Ino at the flower shop. Asuma was training Choji, so Team 10 wouldn't have any missions for a while. He couldn't let his beautiful little girl slack off.

A presence approached the house. It made no effort to obscure itself. Inoichi wasn't sure Saber even could hide her chakra if she wanted to. Her resting level was so high it probably was impossible. At least it was easy to pinpoint her. The Servant stopped five feet away from their door. There was a knock. Inoichi waved his wife off, and went to answer it himself.

"Shirou and Saber, what can I do for the two of you?" He wasn't surprised to see the redheaded boy. Saber wouldn't be away from his side. It was quite refreshing, not having the masked ninja show up without any warning. The boy's chakra remained elusive as ever when he wasn't using it.

"Inoichi-sensei," Shirou bowed. "I was hoping to talk to you about Karin."

"Ah, I see." Shirou was focused on his newest relative. It was hardly surprising. "Please come in and have some tea."

"Thank you." The pair followed him inside. Shirou took his sword off his back and leaned it against the table as he sat down. Thankfully, it was wrapped in bandages and wouldn't harm the finish on the floor. To Inoichi's surprise, Saber sat down beside him.

The blonde ninja prepared a pot. There was a comfortable silence as the tea brewed. It might have been the quite night, or Saber's chakra, but Inoichi found himself at ease. Once the tea was ready, he poured Shirou a cup. He turned to the blonde swordswoman and asked. "Would you like some as well Saber?"

She nodded. "Please."

Inoichi was surprised. He had offered only to be polite. He guessed the woman could drink if she wanted to. The jonin savored his cup once they had all been served. After his first sip, he placed it on the table and looked across at his genin. "What is it you'd like to discuss Shirou?"

"It's about Karin." The boy took a deep breath. "Is there any way for her to live here?" His golden eyes bored into Inoichi's blue ones. "She wants to stay. Can she join the Leaf like Haku and I did?"

"So that's what this is about." Inoichi hummed to himself. "It's possible. The Leaf and Grass are on friendly enough terms that the proposition wouldn't be dismissed out of hand. Ninja migration has been uncommon after the last war, but not unheard of." The jonin held up a hand. He should keep Shirou's expectations reasonable. "Even if the Grass was open to it, they'd still want compensation."

"What?" Shirou's brow furrowed. "What kind of compensation? What do you mean?"

Inoichi gently shook his head. "To a Hidden Village, its ninja are valuable assets. The Village spends time training them for both protection and so the ninja can earn the Village money." The blonde raised his cup back to his lips and drank some more of the hot liquid. "Karin is only a genin, but she's made it to the final round of the Chunin Exam, and she has some unique talents. The Grass might see her as a promising investment."

"Oh." Shirou hung his head.

"It's not like she belongs to a Grass ninja clan. The Uzumaki's homeland was far away." Inoichi lowered his cup again. "They would understand the Leaf's interest in her because of her family. Indeed the Uzumaki and the Leaf used to be very close, despite them not being a member of the Village."

"They were?"

Inoichi nodded. "We still wear their symbol to this day as a reminder." He then shook his head. "That unfortunately will put us at a disadvantage in negotiations. Rebuilding the Uzumaki isn't a feat that would go unnoticed. Indeed, Karin is the only female that I know of. That gives her value."

Shirou pounded the table. "I don't want her for any of that! I just want her to be close, so I can protect her!" The male Uzumaki slumped. "So it's impossible then?"

Inoichi shook his head. "I never said that. The price may be high. More money than a genin or a chunin could expect to earn in a very long time."

"So they'd want a trade?" Shirou stroked his chin. "If it's valuable, then it's ok right?"

"That's right."

Shirou reached over and picked up his bandaged sword. He carefully laid it on the table. "How about Kubikiribocho? How much would that help? I can also make some more swords. They wouldn't be as good..."

One of the Seven Swords of the Mist? Inoichi almost gasped. He knew Shirou valued his family above everything else. So giving away his father's sword wasn't too unexpected. Its value eclipsed any genin. Any Chunin. Heck, most jonin wouldn't be a suitable trade. Karin might be valuable, but this was going too far in the opposite direction. "No, no, Shirou. Kubikiribocho will probably be enough." Inoichi hefted the sword and moved it from the table. How did Shirou lift it so casually? "I'll speak with the Hokage."

"So can she stay?" Shirou's eyes gleamed. "I mean, I can work harder and add in something else. Swords, ryo, something!"

Inoichi reached across the table and patted his genin on the shoulder. "No, let's keep it at this for now. I'm fairly confident this will suffice, but the Hokage will have to make the final decision. And the negotiations with the Grass may take some time."

Shirou's shoulders slumped. "How long?"

"Hopefully before the Third Exam." Inoichi smiled. "If I guess correctly, the price will change based on how well she does. The Grass won't want to let her go before then, since she's in the finals."

"But after?"

Inoichi nodded. "Yes, she'll most likely get to stay in the Village after the exams conclude." The Yamanaka head leaned back, and looked at the ceiling. "I suppose an earlier arrangement would be in order. So she'd technically join the Leaf after the exam ends."

Shirou jumped to his feet and bowed deeply. "THANK YOU, SENSEI!"

"Ok, ok..." Inoichi waved him down. "You don't have to yell. Please have some consideration for my family."

"Sorry." Shirou looked bashful.

"Is there anything else?"

"Well, I still have some stuff to do tomorrow morning." The redhead glanced to the side. "I'm going to need to apologize to Haku for missing our sparring."

"I'm sure she'll understand." Inoichi held up a hand. "I have an extensive training program planned out for Haku. She'll be kept busy if you want to train on your own."

"I still need to apologize." Shirou bowed again. "Thank you for the tea, Inoichi-sensei."

"You're welcome."

Shirou and Saber stood and left. Inoichi escorted them to the door. As they walked away he heard Shirou ask: "What did you think of the tea Saber?"

"It was not as good as the ramen."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Shirou dreamed of wars, battles and swords. While most people would find such nighttime thoughts stressful, Shirou enjoyed his dreams. He found them odd in that he didn't recognize the people, fighting styles, or landscapes, but that was to be expected of dreams. In the past, he'd often dreamt of other nonsensical things. Buildings that scraped the sky and rose above the clouds. Fuzzy creatures inside boxes that made funny noises. Shards and flickers of his subconscious' imagination. It was where he'd gotten the image of what a ninja should look like. Even if Haku and Zabuza had said his outfit was ridiculous, he KNEW that was how ninja were supposed to dress. Just because none of them actually seemed to wear all black wasn't his problem.

Now his dreams were filled with Samurai in heavy metal armor. Saber was there, but dressed differently. She almost looked like a boy in a suit of full-plate. She was awe-inspiring in his dreams. Leading charges. Commanding armies. Standing at the vanguard of wars. The thing he found most fascinating was her sword. He could never fully remember what it looked like, but her weapon stood out more so than anything else. The rest of the sleeping redhead's dreams would fade away with the morning sun, but the idea of her Swords would remain. Both of them were beyond anything he'd seen in his waking life, but one seemed more... ethereal than the other.

Shirou awoke before dawn. He and Haku got up early, but Shirou was usually first. Today he had something that needed to be done before anything else. It had taken all of yesterday as well, but Karin's and Tenten's swords were finished. It had been too late last night to bring them the completed weapons, so he decided to do it first thing this morning. Thankfully, he'd already made an appointment with his cousin. He could both hand her the finished sword and tell her the good news!

Shirou had more energy since the second exam was over. He felt like he needed less sleep. While Saber had tried eating, she still refused to sleep. With Karin's assistance, her chakra problems were solved. She claimed that every single bit helped in regard to the food, but that sleeping was an unnecessary risk. Shirou wasn't sure. His Servant looked awfully happy at Ichiraku's yesterday and the day before.

"Whacha doing?" Haku mumbled under her sheets.

"I have a delivery to make." Shirou replied over his shoulder as he folded his futon. "I'll be back for our morning spar."

"Better be... missed two days in a row..." His sister grumbled and went back to sleep.

Shirou quietly finished dressing. It felt strange not having Kubikiribocho's weight on his back. He liked it though. It reminded him that Karin would be staying the the Leaf. Hopefully. The teenager shut the door softly behind him as he and Saber exited their home.

Once they were a couple yards away, the blonde woman spoke. "Shirou, where are we going?"

He turned his head to look at her. Saber walked as straight and rigid as ever. Her discipline was amazing. "I want to catch Tenten before her morning workout. It'll be easier than trying to track her down to deliver Harikuyo."

"You put a lot of effort into arming an adversary."

"Tenten's not an opponent." Shirou stretched his arms as he walked. "She won't be using Harikuyo against Karin, Naruto, or Haku. We're not adversaries anyways. More like... competitors. We're still both members of the Leaf."

"This is true." Saber nodded her head. "Your true opponents have yet to appear."

Shirou gave her a glance out of the corner of his eye, but didn't reply. This upcoming war concerned him. If someone really was coming for him and Saber, then he should leave the Village. Get his family out of the potential conflict zone. Until that happened, he was better staying close by. In case someone like Orochimaru struck again. The Snake Sannin seemed to have targeted Sasuke, but that meant Naruto might get drawn up in the conflict. If that happened, Saber's presence might be the only thing that would save their lives again.

The conflicted boy finally arrived outside Tenten's shop. He and Saber stood in the street and waited for a few minutes. "Should I knock?" Shirou turned to ask his companion.

"You are uninvited, and it is early in the day." Saber's calm voice reasoned. "She may not be expecting you so soon. At the same time, we do not know if the young girl is even home. It would be unwise to waste time waiting for someone who will never show."

"Hmmmm..."

"Plus, she is a ninja." Saber nodded at the store. "She may not even leave by the front door. If this is their house along with their business, then it would stand to reason they have more private access points."

"You're right." Shirou approached the door and knocked.

A few moments later, he heard movement on the other side. The door swung inwards, and Tenten's bunned head poked out. "Shirou?" She raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to deliver the weapon I made for you."

"So quickly?!" Tenten's eyes shown. "Wait just a moment. I was about to head out to meet my team for our morning stamina training. Come with me so I can practice with it before they show up!"

The brown-haired girl ducked back inside. A few seconds later she re-emerged. She then took lead of the trio, and headed towards the edge of the village.

"Do you normally start training before the rest of your teammates?" Saber asked as they walked. "That is fine level of dedication."

"Starting before Gai and Lee?" Tenten gave a short laugh. "They'll be running around the edge of the Village right now. It's their pre-stamina training endurance training."

"And you do not join them?"

"If you knew Gai and Lee, you wouldn't ask that question." The brown-haired girl gave a wistful shake of her head.

The rest of their walk was done in silence. Shirou took in the early morning air. It was peaceful at this hour. The civilians were largely still asleep, only the occasion ninja was visible.

Once they arrived at the training ground. Tenten spun to face him. "Ok, let's see it!"

Shirou nodded. He took Harikuyo out of his pouch. "This is Harikuyo."

"Broken Needle, huh?" Tenten put her hands on her hips as she bent down to get a closer look. "Two senbon attached to two spools of ninja wire? I was expecting a katana or something."

The masked ninja shook his head. "I think these will compliment your fighting style best." He flicked one of the weapons at a training target. It hit dead-center. He then jerked it back to his hand with the wire.

"Well... Thank you." The girl's shoulders slumped.

"Wait, I need to tell you how to use them."

"What? You throw them, and pull the wire to get them back." Tenten shook her head as she shrugged her shoulders with her arms to the side. "I already know how to combine ninja wire and weapons."

"This wire is special." Shirou couldn't keep the smirk off his face as he rolled the length of it around his forearm, leaving a foot of it free. "If you channel chakra into it..." He threw Harikuyo at the target again. Instead of stopping short, it struck dead-center again. "The wire will stretch. If you then draw your chakra out." Without moving his arm, the blade unstuck itself and flew backward. Shirou snatched it out of the air. "The wire will constrict. It's capable of generating a pull of five hundred pounds."

"..." Tenten stared.

"Also, you can channel chakra into the blade part." Shirou threw Harikuyo again. This time it shot clear through the wooden target. "It increases it's penetrative power." The thrown weapon returned. "If you combine the two abilities..." The masked ninja threw the dart upwards this time. It sunk deep into a tree branch. "You can use it to maneuver around the battlefield." He lifted off the ground, as Harikuyo drew him upwards. "Without chakra in it, the blade loses its punch, but that allows it to keep its grip. All you have to do to free it is channel some chakra again." Shirou's rise was abated as Harikuyo pulled free of the tree. He dropped the few feet he'd been in the air, and once again caught the blade.

"..." Tenten's mouth was hanging open.

"Well?" Shirou unwrapped the wire from around his wrist. "What do you think?" He held out the pair of weapons to the kunochi in his left hand.

"I..." Tenten gulped. Her eyes left his face and locked onto the offered weapons. "I... can't accept this."

"What?" Shirou tilted his head. "Oh, yeah, it will take some practice to use. And I made you promise not to wield them against a lot of your competition in the finals." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. These might not do you any good. The time you spend training with them would distract you from weapons and techniques you can use." He let out a sigh as his head dropped.

"No!" Tenten shook her head, and looked up at Shirou's face. "That's not it at all! I was expecting a sword. A melee weapon that was weighed for throwing. Something like that. These..." She motioned at the offered items. "These, are made of chakra metal! I don't even know what the wire's made of, but it's certainly rare and expensive! I can't accept them because they must have cost you hundreds of thousands of ryo in raw materials!"

"Oh, is that all?"

"IS THAT ALL?" Tenten's voice rose several octaves. "It would take me forever to pay you back!"

"No, no, you don't have to do that." Shirou reached out and took her hand. He then placed Harikuyo in it. Tenten started to pull away, but he gently closed her fist his other hand. "I didn't spend any money on these. I summoned them."

The girls eyes rose up to meet his again. "These belong to someone else?"

"No." Shirou shook his head. "I made them especially for you. I meant you don't have to worry about the materials involved, I summoned them."

"Isn't that stealing?"

The redhead chuckled. "Not at all. Here, look." He took his hands away, and summoned another set of Harikuyo. "Have I stolen the pair you have?"

Tenten slowly opened her hands. She looked back and forth between the four identical weapons. "So these are summons."

Shirou nodded. "That's why I gave it the name Harikuyo. I tried to make them durable, but this is the first time I've ever done something like this." He waved his hand back and forth between them. "I'm not sure how long they'll last, but it should be several years at the least. So they shouldn't live up to their name for a while."

"Several years?" Tenten raised her eyes to look at his face again.

"Or they might be permanent. Since they're a unique existence I created, I don't think the Hokage will have any problem with summoning them this long or if they break."

"I.. I see." The bun-haired girl clutched the gift to her chest. "So I can really keep them?"

"Of course." Shirou nodded. "I made them just for you."

"Thank you!" She leapt forward and wrapped her arms around him. "I love them! They're amazing!"

"You're quite welcome." Shirou's arms were pinned as the kunochi squeezed him.

"Say..." Tenten looked up and locked eyes with him. "What's under your mask?"

"Uhm..." Shirou was taken aback. "My face?"

"Let me see!" Before he could respond, Tenten reached up and pulled his hood back and his mask down. "Say... You're pretty cute. You know that?"

"Uhm..." Shirou repeated.

"Giving me something like this..." Tenten smiled. "Is that your way of saying you're interested?"

"Uhm..."

The girl leaned upwards. Her face got closer and closer... "You're so easy! I'm just kidding!" Tenten released her hug, and pushed against his chest, causing Shirou to take a half step back. "Well..." The brown-haired girl ducked her head while still looking at him. "Maybe not completely." Her cheeks flushed a little.

Shirou was at a complete loss.

Tenten flashed him a huge grin and then started wrapping Harikuyo around her wrists. "I think I'll need to get some forearm protectors, something to hide the wire. Probably leather. I think brown would look nice."

Shirou turned to look at Saber. His Servant just returned his gaze. The boy pulled his hood and mask back on. Could this morning get any stranger?

As if summoned by eldritch forces, a pair of green blurs landed in the center of the field. "Tenten! It is good to see you up and about earlier than normal! If you wished to fan the flames of youth, you could have joined Lee and I for our pre-morning run sprint!" Maito Gai posed with his hand in an upside-down 'ok' sign over his eye as he addressed his genin. The jonin turned to look at Shirou and Saber. "Ah! You've brought guests!" He spread his arms wide. "Excellent! We can always use more company with our morning routine! Let's get started!"

Tenten looked over. "What about Neji?"

"Neji is training at the Hyuga compound." Gai put his hands on his hips and nodded. "He does not wish to do any training with his competitors."

"Gai-sensei!" Lee held up a fist. "While Neji isn't here, I will train twice as hard! I must surpass him in the finals!"

"Ha ha!" The jonin slapped his apprentice on the back. "That's the spirit Lee!" He turned to face Shirou and Saber. "Tenten. I see it now! You've brought guests to our morning work out to make up for Neji's absence!"

"I didn't know Neji wouldn't be here." The kunochi said off to the side.

"The more the merrier! Let us begin!" Gai gave Shirou a thumbs up.

"Well, I have to get going..." The masked ninja started backing away.

"Nonsense!" Shirou bumped into Gai. When had he moved behind him? "A morning run is an activity everyone can enjoy!" The jonin's hand fell across his shoulders. "Come, let's begin!"

With that, Gai took off - pushing Shirou beside him. Lee, Tenten, and Saber followed. They sprinted to the inside of the walls, and started their laps. Shirou thought once they had begun, they'd take a more... leisurely pace. Instead, Gai kept increasing their speed. Since they started at a sprint, it was hard to keep up.

"Come! We need to get our hearts pumping!" The green-clad jonin shouted. "Is this all you can do?"

"This level of speed is nothing." Saber smiled from the side. How was she running so fast in a dress?

"Oh! I see the flames of youth burn brightly in you! Very well, I too shall redouble my efforts!" Gai increased their pace.

"You'll have to go faster than that." Saber pulled ahead. "Shirou, keep up!" The Servant turned her head to address him. "If you're going to defend yourself, physical conditioning is vital!"

"Oh Kami..." Tenten gasped beside Shirou. "They're egging each other on!"

The rest of the morning was a haze of running and shouts about youth, fire, and not losing to anyone. At the end of it, Shirou, Tenten, and Lee stood panting. How none of them had collapsed from exhaustion was beyond him.

"Our genin seem to have reached their limits!" Gai's smile sparkled. "I, however and good to continue!" He pointed a finger at Saber. "If you are ready to accept my challenge, let's begin!"

Saber shook her head. "I cannot leave Shirou's side. My apologies."

"Ah, that is a shame, yet it warms my heart!" Gai covered his eyes with his forearm and began to cry. "I too should show that much devotion to Lee!"

"Th...Thank you Gai-sensei!" Lee was panting heavily. The green-clad genin had helped Tenten in the last... ten, twenty laps? Shirou had lost count. Was he still wearing those weights? That was seriously impressive. Haku was going to have her work cut out for her in the finals.

"Shirou..." Tenten crouched with her hands on her knees. The kunochi beckoned him over. When he approached, she grabbed the front of his outfit with both hands. "Thank you for Harikuyo. It's the perfect gift. The nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"You're.."

"But!" Tenten interrupted him. With a surge of strength, she pulled the taller boy down so their faces were inches apart. "If you ever bring HER to another of Gai-sensei's training sessions..." The brown-haired girl looked in his eyes. Sweat glistened on her skin. "I. Will. Kill. You."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Haku drummed her fingers impatiently. Shirou was late. Again. He hadn't shown up at all yesterday. The day before he'd been absent too! Today he got up early and went missing. She'd track him down. Haku closed her eyes. The Ice ninja centered herself, stilled her chakra. For several long minutes she stood like that. When she finally opened her eyes, they reflected the icy calm of her soul. Wherever Shirou was, Saber would be with him. Haku's sensory ability wasn't nearly precise enough to pinpoint the Servant from this distance. She got a vague impression of where there was more active chakra than not. It was good enough to start. The flux of signals was muddy and overlapped. Undoubtedly other jonin were practicing at this hour as well. She would just have to get closer.

Haku slipped into her infiltration mode. She darted along the rooftops, keeping out of sight. There was no real reason for her stealth, but it felt natural. When she was actively sensing, her own chakra was muted. Hiding herself at the same time just seemed right. The stronger chakra sources were all outside the town, in the training grounds. It made sense, that expenditure of chakra in the village would be odd. At least for everyone but Saber. So Shirou was outside. Why? Haku moved to the wall, and started circling around. She hoped they were still inside the perimeter. Going outside the walls felt risky. Why would they need to do something like that?

"Haku!" A high-pitched voice cried out. "Hey! Over here!"

Haku turned and looked. She saw a bright mop of red hair. Karin was waving at her from the middle of a training field. The one-armed kunoichi stopped her tree hoping. Shirou's cousin could be useful. She was somewhat surprised that the two of them weren't together.

"Karin." Haku nodded as she landed in front of the other kunochi.

"What are you doing around here?" The redhead smiled as she ran up.

"I'm looking for Shirou."

"You too?" The Uzumaki tilted her head. "He was supposed to meet me here half an hour ago."

Haku grunted. "It seems like my little brother is running late."

"Or running until he became late." Karin giggled. "Oh sorry, it's just that I've felt Saber's chakra circling the village for the last two hours. She's going pretty fast, and there are four other people with her, including Shirou. I think he's doing laps."

"As in running without a destination?" Haku blinked. "For training? That's... so inefficient!"

Karin shrugged. "I dunno. I don't think I'd be able to catch them, so I've just been waiting here."

Haku sighed and palmed her forehead. "At least he's safe."

"Ah!" Karin straightened. "They've stopped moving!"

"Which way?" Haku raised her head and scanned the surrounding forest. She wasn't as good of sensor as Haku, but she should be able to find Saber at least.

"Hey!" The Uzumaki stopped her foot and puffed out her cheeks. Haku raised an eyebrow at the display. It was surprisingly cute. "Don't you go running off too!"

"But I should check on Shirou."

"He'll be coming here." Karin crossed her arms and nodded. "He's going to give me a sword or something, so it'll be quicker if you just stayed put."

Haku shook her head. "It'll be quicker if I meet him halfway."

"But then I'd be left alone again!" The redhead frowned. "I know! We can talk! You're my sister-in-law after all!"

"I'm not certain that's the right term for adopted relatives."

"Ah, right." Karin blushed.

"Let's sit down while we wait." Haku motioned to a tree at the edge of the clearing. "What do you want to talk about?"

Karin began to walk with the other kunochi. "Well... what does Shirou like?"

"Swords."

"Swords?"

Haku nodded. "Swords."

"Uhm... anything else?"

Haku paused at the tree. "He also likes cooking. And, of course, he likes Naruto." She sat down.

Karin sat next to her and leaned back against the tree. "Naruto eh?"

"Hmhm." Haku wordlessly vocalized her assent.

"What about Naruto and Sasuke?" The glasses-wearing ninja turned to face her. "Do you know much about them."

"Naruto wants attention. It's odd because he genuinely seems to have high self-esteem." Haku brought her hand to her chin. "I get the impression that he doesn't have too many people close to him. Shirou and you are his only family, and that's a recent development. Most of all he wants to be acknowledged." She shrugged. "But that's not much of an observation, he does keep on going on and on about becoming Hokage."

"Oh." Karin slumped. "I didn't realize he was alone."

"I think it was worse before." Haku shrugged. "He doesn't have parents, but ever since graduating he's started to find people. Who would've imagined that his first mission outside the village would result in him meeting a long-lost cousin."

"Naruto and Shirou met on a mission?" Karin's red eyes grew wide.

Haku nodded. "I don't really want to talk about it, but yes." The Land of Waves brought back too many painful memories. Talking about Zabuza-sama would be too difficult with anyone but Shirou.

"Oh. What about Sasuke then?"

"I don't know much about him." Haku leaned back at looked up at the tree tops. "He's somewhat standoffish. I think he's an orphan too. Something happened to the Uchiha clan a couple of years ago. I'm not sure what, but I've heard him referenced as 'The Last Uchiha'. He's strong, for his age, but I think he wants to be even stronger."

"Is he... seeing anyone?" Karin's face flushed more.

"Sasuke?" Haku turned to look at the younger girl. "I don't think so, but from what I hear he actually has his own fan club. His female teammate and my instructor's daughter seem quite taken with him as well." The older ninja tilted her head. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason!" Karin held her hands up in front of her. Her face was beet red. The girl let out a sigh and muttered to herself. "I guess Naruto's the best option... He is bright and warm..."

Haku looked at the other girl. It was puzzling. What was she talking about? It was hard to understand people that weren't Shirou. Haku idly wondered if being around her brother so often had caused her sense of normalcy to become skewed.

Saber's chakra was getting closer. Haku stood up, and Karin followed her lead. In a few seconds, Shirou and his Servant appeared, walking along a path into the clearing.

"Haku! You're here!" Her brother's eyes widened. "What's going on?"

"You missed our morning spar. Again."

"What? It's that late?" Shirou scratched his head. "Sorry about that. I got roped into doing laps around the village."

"Oh?"

"Don't worry." He shook his head. "I won't be doing them again."

"Why not?" Saber spoke up from behind him. "It's a good exercise regime, and from what I saw you were able to keep pace easily enough."

"That's not the reason..." Shirou grimaced under his mask. "Let's just say we shouldn't intrude on another team's training time."

"I understand." Saber nodded. "You seem to have potential. Training is good. The better you can defend yourself the easier the War will be." The Servant then fell quiet.

"Right. In any case, I have something for Karin before we start." Shirou looked at his sister. "Is that ok Haku?"

"You might as well. We'll have to head back home afterwards to meet Inoichi."

"Ah! You're right! I need to talk to him about some new techniques too!"

"Oh?" Haku tilted her head.

"Yeah!" Shirou nodded. "Hey Karin! Look what I summoned!" Shirou reached into his pouch and took out a dagger with two handles. "Here you go!" He held it out to the other redhead. "It's just like Hiramekarei, but smaller and lighter."

"Wow..." The female Uzumaki reached out and gingerly accepted the weapon. "I can fill it with my chakra!" A light blue aura glowed around the dagger.

"Its name is 'Odoriebi', if you want help I should be able to give you some pointers!" Shirou wore a wide grin.

"'Dancing Shrimp', eh? That's hilarious Shirou." Karin said in a flat voice as she looked at the dagger.

Shirou blinked. "I thought it fit... I mean, it makes sense to keep the naming convention of its inspiration... Oh yeah! I wanted to tell you the most important thing!"

"What?" Karin looked up.

"I talked to Inoichi, and he says it's likely that you'll get to stay in the Leaf!"

"Really?" The female's red eyes started glistening.

Shirou nodded. "Really."

"Thank you!" Karin leaped forward and hugged her cousin. "I love you Shirou!"

The Sword ninja patted her head. "I love you too Karin. Now you don't have to worry about anything again. You'll be a Grass ninja through the exam, but Inoichi said that the Leaf should be able to take you in immediately afterwards."

Karin squeezed him even harder. Tears ran down her cheeks. She wore the biggest smile Haku had ever seen on her.

Shirou returned the hug. "I'll come by to help you train with Odoriebi. I'm not sure when, but I'll definitely have you master it before your match."

"Thanks." Karin's muffled voice came from his chest. "Thank you so much! I'm going to love it here!"

"I'm sure you will." Shirou rubbed her on the back. He and Haku then walked back to the Yamanaka grounds while waving goodbye.

"That was nice what you did for her." Haku nudged her brother.

Shirou nodded. "Family has to stick together. Right Haku-nee-chan?"

"Right!" Haku nodded and smiled. They continued on for a minute before she spoke up again. "Hey Shirou, where's Kubikiribocho?"

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Karin watched her cousin depart.

"Hmmm... Shirou has Haku. There chakra seems unusually in sync." The redhead furrowed her brow. "I wonder. They seem a lot closer than the brothers and sisters I've met." She let out a sigh. "Of course if I had a sibling, we might have been close like that too. Then mom might not have died and the Grass wouldn't have been so horrible..."

The teenaged girl shook her head. There'd be plenty of time to find a boyfriend in the future. Now that she got to stay in the Hidden Leaf, everything looked so much brighter! She spent a few more minutes basking in the afterglow of Saber's chakra. Shirou, Sasuke, and Naruto all had the nicest feeling to them that she'd ever felt. She could lose herself in their auras for hours. But all three of them combined were nothing compared to Saber. Karin idly wondered if the Servant had a little brother somewhere. If she did, he would have to be perfect!

Ah, well. Time to try training with Odoriebi. It was surprisingly easy to store her chakra into the blade. It really was like it was made exactly for her. The daggers fit perfectly in her hands. She split them apart and concentrated. Her chakra flowed from one to the other. A light blue aura connected the two weapons, visible to the naked eye. "Hmmm... not much loss there." She kept the bridge stable, and threw one of the daggers. It hit a training post. Her chakra stretched between it and the one she held in her hand. She flexed the connection, and her thrown projectile flew back - over her head. It landed on the ground, her chakra leash coiling around it. Karin peered down and adjusted her glasses. "Coming into contact with the ground is making my chakra dissipate quicker." She crossed her arms and watched as her chakra slowly broke apart. "So, if I don't use my chakra to enhance myself, it lasts much longer... Also, if I don't strike anything with it, it's duration is greatly increased." The redhead nodded to herself. "I can work with that. In fact, it's so much easier to manipulate the shape with Odoriebi. It does most of the work for me!"

She smiled. There were several ideas floating around in her mind. She could utilize her new weapon in dozens of ways.

Karin spent the rest of the day working hard. She didn't even take a break for lunch. The sooner she could master using Odoriebi, the sooner she could try incorporating it into her fighting style. Or develop a style around it. By the time dusk had arrived, she'd gotten her chakra to take the shape of chains. It felt natural in that form, more solid. Her chains could strike the training dummy without bleeding off any excess energy. Manipulating them used up some of their chakra, but only a small percentage. By her estimation, she'd stored half of her maximum daily chakra in Odoriebi. The other half had been used up, either through dissipation or manipulating her chains. Using any more would start to exhaust her, and increase the time it took to replenish her engergy to full.

That wasn't bad. Her daggers felt like they could hold more than a hundred times more chakra than she'd placed in them. Over thirty days, she could get them to be more than a third full - if she didn't use any for training. While Karin was certain she could improve her efficiency, 100% was a pipe dream. A better goal would to get Odoriebi up to a sixth of its capacity.

The redhead nodded to herself. That was a good start. She'd do the same thing every day until the finals.

Her stomach growled.

Well, a slight schedule adjustment was probably in order. Skipping one meal was ok, but she was burning a lot of calories. She had to stay healthy. Thankfully, her sensei had left her with a small allowance for food and supplies. It wasn't much, but she could live on it if need be. The Leaf Village had been more generous. As a finalist in the Chunin Exams, and a visitor to the Village, she could eat free at most establishments. Well, the bill was sent to the Mission Desk, but she didn't have to pay it.

She started walking back to her apartment. It was a good distance away. The area inside the Leaf's walls was truly massive.

On her way back, she felt a familiar presence. It was bright and warm, with just a hint of darkness hidden beyond the edges. Naruto. Karin tilted her head. Perhaps he was a bad boy at heart. A delinquent. Or he was trying to overcome a desperate past. Struggling against a world that hated him, with no one on his side...

The Uzumaki adjusted her path. It made perfect sense to drop in on her little brother, right?

Naruto was walking down the street, with his hands behind his head. The blonde ninja had his eyes closed, and seemed to be lost in thought. Karin moved beside him and bumped against his shoulder. "Hey, Naruto. How's it going?" She probably shouldn't play up the big sister angle... unless he was into that.

"What?" Naruto turned his head. "Oh, Hey Karin. What're you doing?"

"Just finished practicing, Now I'm looking for dinner." Her stomach let out a growl. Karin blushed and quickly explained. "I skipped lunch!"

"You too?" The blonde broken into a huge grin. "I had pervy sage keeping me busy. What's your excuse?"

"I was training with a sword Shirou made me!" Karin couldn't help but smile back.

"Shirou made you a sword?" Naruto crossed his arms.

"Yeah..." Karin couldn't understand the boy's body language. "Are you jealous? If you want one, I'm sure he'll make another!"

"Nah." The blonde shook his head. "That's not it. I just get the feeling that if I hang out with Shirou, he'll just try to fight all my battles for me."

"Is that a bad thing?" The redheaded Uzumaki looked over as she walked alongside.

"Well, yeah!" Naruto looked back at her. "If I'm going to be Hokage, then I have to give it my all! I can't let Shirou do everything for me. How'll I get strong if I don't fight?"

"I dunno." Karin looked up wistfully. "The idea of someone protecting me... it makes me happy. It reminds me of my mom."

Naruto opened his eyes. Karin could feel his chakra swell. "That sounds nice. You must have had a good childhood."

The female Uzumaki shook her head. "No, not really. It was great until she was killed by the Grass Ninja."

"What?!"

Karin let out a sigh. "She had a powerful bloodline ability. She could heal people, but it was very taxing on her." Karin's hands clenched into fists. "But that was the only way the Grass would let us stay! She gave them everything, so I would have a home!" The teenage kunochi could feel her body warming up, and her voice rising. "And what did they do? They worked her to death!"

"Man, that sucks." Naruto put a tentative hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

Karin blinked away her tears. "It's in the past." She relaxed her fists and tried to calm down. "Haku told me you had a rough childhood too."

"Nah." The blonde crossed his arms behind his head again. "I didn't have a family, and lots of people were mean to me, but there were a few that looked out for me. I had the old man, and Iruka-sensei too. Now I'm getting more and more precious people. Soon I'll prove to everyone what I'm worth."

"Prove to the people that were mean to you?"

"Well, yeah." Naruto looked puzzled.

"Why would you want to do that?" Karin's shoulders slumped. "I couldn't see myself doing it for the people that were mean to me. In fact, even before I met Shirou... I was thinking of running away from the Grass."

"Really?"

Karin nodded. "It was just so full of bad memories, and people that didn't care about me. To them I was a portable medic. Useless for anything else. Expendable. Why wouldn't I run?" She shook her head. "I don't see why you'd try to impress people that obviously don't care about you."

"Running doesn't get you anywhere." Naruto stopped in the street, and hung his head. His eyes were hidden in his shadow. "I should know. I tried running away from the orphanage when the other kids were mean. It didn't stop them from being mean. It didn't stop the look in the adults' eyes. I played pranks. In part to get even. In part to get attention. When I joined the Ninja Academy, I was so hopeful, but nothing changed." The young boy sniffed and blinked. His eyes were watery. "Then I met Iruka-sensei. He was just like everyone else at first. He ignored me. Looked at me like all the adults did..."

Karin stood next to Naruto, spellbound by his words. Even like this, his chakra was so warm and bright. So... empathetic.

She blinked. That was the difference between the two of them. She could sense other people, but Naruto could really feel them. He put himself in their shoes. That was why he was so passionate. How he'd been able to go on a mission, and come back with Shirou and Haku. That wasn't all, his chakra conveyed his feelings. Naruto could probably convince a rock to move out of his way if he tried. Karin marveled. Could she... be like him?

"Then Iruka changed." Naruto continued. "He stopped ignoring me and yelled at me. I... I was so happy." Tears overflowed from his eyes. "He finally acknowledged me!" Naruto sniffed again and looked up. "That's why I want to make everyone else acknowledge me as well!" The blonde shook his head. "Man, what am I saying over here? You don't want to hear anything like that!" He scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, Karin. Just a lot of memories came back y'know?"

The red-haired kunochi shook her head. "No, don't be sorry." She blinked back her tears. "You really are someone special, do you know that?"

"Huh?" Naruto squinted and tilted his head.

"So... how often do you see Iruka?"

"Not often, I'm busy with training and my team!" Naruto grinned and thumbed his chest.

"So it's the same as Shirou... You don't visit him either. I think I understand now." Karin could feel the blood rushing to her face.

"Understand what? Besides I see Shirou at Ichiraku's when I eat dinner there." Naruto looked up at her and blinked. "What's wrong Karin?! Your face is all red."

"Oh, something you might understand one day." She felt her cheeks burning. Did she have the courage?... Yes! She'd go for it! The redhead leaned forward and kissed her fellow Uzumaki on the cheek. "Thanks for talking with me, Naruto. I may have turned my back on the Grass, but I'll make sure everyone in the Leaf accepts and acknowledges me!" She turned away from the sputtering blonde, and started walking down the street. "Oh, and for the record. I think you're a great ninja, and will definitely be Hokage someday!"

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sakura sat in her room. She just couldn't seem to muster the motivation to go out and do anything. Both of her teammates were in the finals. She would be the only one that stayed a genin. It wasn't strange that Sasuke was doing well, but Naruto? Sure, he had surprisingly improved since the academy, but he was the Dead Last. The only direction he had to go was up. She had been the top female ninja, and what had she done since then? Tenten, Karin, and Haku had all advanced. Three kunochis that were better than her. At least in combat, but that seemed to be the only thing that mattered nowadays.

Enough moping around... She'd go visit Sasuke! Sakura put her performance out of her mind and set off. She spent the next couple of hours scouring the village and the training grounds. There was no sign of the raven-haired Uchiha. She hadn't even bumped into Naruto. She'd come across most of the other finalists training, but her teammates seemed MIA.

Her shoulders slumped as she walked back. What was she doing with her life? What did she want to do in the future? Haku had said she could help with motivation and training. Or rather she'd said she could help with one of those. Sakura stopped. She was close to the Yamanaka clan grounds. She still knew them pretty well, even if she didn't visit Ino anymore. Well, she had nothing better to do. She hadn't talked with the Ice ninja much. On the way back from the Land of Waves Haku kept to herself. Sakura hadn't approached her either, since she was a foreign ninja. Now she was a member of the Leaf, so it should be fine to talk with her. Right?

Sakura made her way to Ino's house. She waved at a couple of people she recognized from her youth. The Yamanaka's were always a nice clan. Friendly and open. Their clan grounds reflected their personality. The buildings were spread far enough apart for comfort, but close enough that visiting was commonplace. They didn't even have any walls.

As she approached her old friend's house, she saw Haku sitting outside a smaller shed to the south. The kunochi wasn't wearing her usual mask. In fact, she wasn't wearing much at all. She had bandages around her chest, but the rest of her upper body was naked. Sakura stared. She hadn't really noticed before since Haku tended to hide her face, but the girl was beautiful. Sakura shook her head. Shirou's sister really had everything going for her didn't she. The pink-haired kunochi turned to leave. Haku was busy doing something.

"You come all this way Sakura, just to turn around?" Haku's voice carried across the field.

"Oh, sorry!" Sakura turned back around and approached the sitting girl. "You looked busy training, so I didn't want to disturb you."

"I am training, but I would welcome some conversation."

"Really? Won't that be... counter-productive?" Sakura tilted her head. She was now close enough to make out drops of water moving across the older girl's skin.

"Not at all." Haku shook her head, and looked at the other kunochi. "My training right now if focusing on multi-tasking." The black-haired girl smiled. "So talking with you will actually help in that regard."

"Oh!" Sakura eyes widened a bit. "Well, then I'll be glad to assist you!" She smiled. "Especially if it just means chatting, that's the kind of training I can get behind!"

"Conversation is a trainable skill, just like any other." One by one, the drops of water on Haku's skin turned to ice. The frozen spheres kept rolling around. "Did you have anything you wanted to discuss?"

"No... not really."

"Are you certain?" Haku tilted her head. "The Yamanaka grounds are out of the way. Surely you came for a reason?"

"I'm friends with Ino." Sakura sat down. "Or I was years ago. I used to come here all the time."

"So you came to visit Ino?" Haku nodded. "I think she's working at her family flower shop."

"No..." Sakura sighed. "I was looking for Sasuke, but I couldn't find him. Heck, I didn't even find Naruto." Sakura rested her hands on her lap. "I was passing by, and I thought about our match."

"Ah." Haku nodded. "I tried to end things quickly. I'm sorry if I was too rough on you."

"That's not!" Sakura stopped, and hung her head. She gripped her skirt. "No, that kinda is the point. I'm the weakest member of our group. It's depressing."

"Someone will always be the weakest in a group." Haku smiled softly. The ice balls turned back to water. "At least in some aspect. There must be areas that you're stronger than your teammates."

"Academics... and I guess chakra control." The pinkette shook her head. "But being smart doesn't seem to matter as much as fighting now. I was the top of my class, and Naruto was the Dead Last. Now, he's out-performing me!" Sakura let out a sigh. "I just don't get it."

"Hmmm... Remember when I said I could help your motivation?"

"After the match?" Sakura looked up. "You said that you could help with either motivation or training, but you didn't really specify."

Haku chuckled. It caused the water droplets to shake, and two fell off. "Ah, I lost focus there!" Haku closed her eyes and concentrated, two bits of ice formed on her to replace the lost water. "There." She reopened her eyes. "Anyways, I remember. I did mean motivation, everything stems from that."

"Really?"

Haku nodded. "If you have someone to protect, that's when you truly become strong."

"Like you and Shirou." Sakura relaxed her hands. "But Naruto and Sasuke don't have that, and they're strong."

"Don't be so sure about Naruto." Haku chucked again, this time the water drops stayed in place. "I had a very similar talk with him once. He knew quite well what I meant about protecting people."

"What about Sasuke?"

"Sasuke... is weak."

"WHAT?!" Sakura's hand went to her mouth. She hadn't intended to shout. "What do you mean Sasuke is weak? He's the strongest ninja in the finals."

"I'm not so sure about that, but it's beside the point." Haku closed her eyes. "Sasuke is driven, but that doesn't make him strong. Just the opposite. I don't know what his goal is, but what will happen to him when he reaches it?"

Sakura remained silent. She had no idea.

Haku continued. "He'll replace it with another, and another. Or he'll stop improving. One will lead to his destruction, the other to his deterioration."

"You seem pretty sure of yourself." Sakura frowned. Where did Haku get off talking about Sasuke like she knew him!

The dark-haired kunochi shrugged. "I suppose I'm making assumptions, but I've seen lots of shinobi like him. Consumed by grief or anger. Often both. They lash out, and strive for power for power's sake." Haku shook her head. "Far too many of that ilk died at Zabuza-sama's hands." The one-armed kunochi let out a sigh. "But you're right. I don't know him. I shouldn't speculate like that. What I do know is myself and Shirou. We're strong because we protect each other. It's a goal that's ongoing, and that we're devoted to. We'll both just keep getting stronger. No matter what." Haku looked into the other girl's eyes. "What's your goal Sakura? What do you strive for?"

"Uhm..." The pink-haired girl thought back to her first day on Team 7. Kakashi had asked something similar. Sakura blushed thinking of her response. She couldn't say it then, and she couldn't say it now.

"Ah, I see."

"What?!" Sakura sat up straight. "I didn't say anything!"

"Not with words, but conversation is a trainable skill. Remember?" Haku gave her a small smile. "I'm going to make some more assumptions now, but I think your motivation is a fine one."

"Really?" Sakura leaned forward.

"At least in theory." Haku closed her eyes. "Romance is turbulent. It can be a powerful storm that pushes you forward. Or it can capsize your boat and leave you stranded." The Ice ninja shook her head and opened her eyes. "I've seen a wide variety of people driven by their love and devotion." Her voice took a soft mournful tone to it, as if the girl was speaking from personal experience. "Some were powerful ninja, and some were little more than speed-bumps."

"Which am I?"

"Right now, I'd have to say the later."

"Oh." Sakura slumped.

"My advice to you is this: Don't give up your love. Keep it in your heart, but don't use it for motivation to excel as a ninja."

Sakura blinked. "Then what should I do to get stronger?"

"How about focusing on your other strengths?" Haku tilted her head. "I have an idea, I think it will help both your motivation and training."

"Really?" Sakura leaned forward. "What is it?"

"In my youth, I figured out how to make signs with one hand." Haku chuckled. "I didn't think it would become as useful as it has." She looked down at her missing limb, and let out a sigh. "The theory is complicated, and the chakra control needed is extreme. My continued advancement has halted for obvious reasons. I think a smart, driven kunochi with perfect chakra control might just pick up where I left off."

"What do you mean?"

"One-handed seals have several innate advantages. You aren't as vulnerable using them. Jutsu can be performed quicker. Opposing ninja will have a harder time predicting your techniques. All of that is only a fraction of their potential." Haku formed a stick out of ice and began drawing in the dirt between them. "Forming a seal with one hand, means using only part of your chakra network. So if you form different seals with each hand..." The stick figure she drew had 'water' on its left and 'wind' on its right. "You can use the signs that correspond to adding shape to chakra or adjusting its element at the same time. I'm not sure what the results would be." A question mark was drawn in front of the stick figure. "For me, wind and water create Ice. I'm not sure what they'd make without my Yuki bloodline, but it's just one of ten possible combinations that you could test... Provided you can increase your affinity with all the basic elements."