"Well who would have thought that the great Kubikiribocho," Suigetsu said placing his hand on the hilt of the sword. Sasuke knew something wasn't right as they stood before the grave of Momochi Zabuza. Someone had placed the sword there and he realized there was only one grave.
"Where Haku…" Sasuke asked more to himself. Sasuke pushed Suigetsu out of the way as senbon he turned to see a masked man standing on a tree branch looking down upon them.
"Forget the sword and I shall allow you to leave with your lives," the masked man said coolly.
"Haku," Sasuke said in a whisper frowning slightly. The last time he had fought this guy he had been completely out matched and if it wasn't for Naruko he might not even be here now.
"Like hell I am leaving this behind," Suigetsu said smirking.
"Very well…then you shall not leave this place," the masked man said making hand signs and all around them mirrors appeared.
"What is this?" Karin asked looking around.
"Makyo Hyosho," Sasuke said frowning slightly.
"So you know my Jutsu there haven't been many who have seen it and lived," Haku said calmly, "but I do recognize you…you are Uchiha Sasuke. Last time we met you fell to my Jutsu will they be able to save you from my power?"
"I have grown much stronger than the last time we met," Sasuke said his eyes remained fixed on Haku.
"I too have grown much stronger," Haku replied, as he jumped down and stepped into the mirror.
"Don't let your guard down," Sasuke said his eyes darting around as Haku's image appeared in all the mirrors.
"I…can't find the real one," Karin said as she tried to pin point the real one.
"That is because they all are real, he is moving with high speed between the all the mirrors," Sasuke explained as his eyes continued to dart from one mirror to the next.
"So you remember how my Jutsu works," Haku said as senbon were lunched from all directions, he quickly unsheathed his sword and blocked the projectiles from reaching him and Karin while Juugo's curse mark partially activated and he used his arm as a shield.
"The same trick won't work twice against me," Sasuke said coolly.
"Then try this one," Haku said and all the reflections made a hand sign and massive spike made of ice shot from ground the four of them dodged it but more spike rapidly grew from the original spike, 'Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu,' but his fire ball did nothing to the ice. More spike just continued to appear. He had no problem dodging them but others of his team were barely managing.
"Jutsu of that level will not help you Sasuke," Haku said.
"Fine try this," Sasuke said quickly making a few hand signs, 'Katon: Goryuko no Jutsu,' a massive dragon made of flames ripped through the ice spikes and a destroy many of the mirrors.
"Your skills have improved," Haku said from behind him, Sasuke was barely able to counter his attack and then he remembered that Haku only needed one hand to perform Jutsu. He was kicked in the chest as Haku turned to counter Suigetsu's attack.
"We've got you," Suigetsu said smirking. Haku glanced back to see Juugo charging in.
"Wait, he only…" Sasuke shouted but it was too late, from the puddles left behind from the melted ice a water needles appeared in the air and they rained down on Juugo and Suigetsu. Juugo fell to the ground unable to move because they struck nerves. Suigetsu just turned into a puddle of water. He quickly reformed but the second he did he was kicked across the face causing his head to burst.
Haku jumped back, out of the corner of his eye he saw Juugo getting back to his feet Suigetsu's head had reformed, "I never expected this guy to be this good," Suigetsu said smirking, "but this guy is all speed using Kubikiribocho would only slow him down so why fight for it?"
"I failed my master once I will not fail him again by letting anyone else wield his sword," Haku said.
"We will finish this," Sasuke said stepping forward, "if I win I get your sword, if I lose they will leave it be."
"Very well Sasuke," with an amazing burst of speed Haku was before him aiming a kick at him but he was able to block it. Haku was fast nearly as fast as Naruko had been the last time he had fought her without the aid of her father's Jutsu. But he also lacked the power Naruko had behind each attack. Haku flipped back aiming a second kick at Sasuke and again he blocked it but he felt his leg was going numb. He looked down to see a senbon sticking out of it.
It was obvious Haku was much better at hiding his attack than Naruko had been, he would just have to be more careful. He sent another fire ball at Haku but Haku didn't make any move to avoid the attack. Sasuke saw something right before it hit its target.
The smoke cleared and Haku was standing behind a dome made of ice, and Haku was already making more hand signs and a thick fog rolled over the battle field. Sasuke the sound of a thousand birds filled the sky he rushed the dome and he struck it. The dome gave under the power of the Chidori and he was able to strike Haku as well. But the masked Shinobi turned to water and the dome repaired itself he turned to see Haku standing on the other side his hand on the ice structure.
"You have lost Sasuke don't make me kill you," Haku said calmly.
"Are you sure that you have won?" Sasuke asked turning into a pile of snakes. Haku turned around and he was kicked in the chest and slammed into the ice dome and the point of Sasuke sword was at his throat.
"You have won…so kill me," Haku said looking up into Sasuke's eyes. They were much colder harsher than the last time that they had met in battle. Back then Sasuke had been fresh out of academy easily intimidated, but now he was completely different.
"No, you are more useful to me alive," Sasuke said coolly as he sheathed his sword, "you will be my tool just as you were a tool for Zabuza."
"I am nothing but a broken tool, I was unable to protect my master," Haku said.
"Even a broken tool can still have its uses," Sasuke replied.
"What just happened?" Suigetsu asked.
"Met your newest teammate, Haku," Sasuke said and as Haku removed his mask.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, she did just try to kill us?" Suigetsu said.
"Haku never tried to kill us if he had Juugo wouldn't have been getting up so easily," Sasuke said calmly remembering last time they had fought, Haku had avoided vitals that time as well.
"Wait…he…?" Suigetsu said looking back at Haku.
"Hai, I am a boy," Haku said with a smile Karin's eye twitched she could believe any guy could be so pretty.
"We need to go time is running low," Sasuke said turning to head towards Kusagakure. After walking for some time they stopped to take a short rest. Suigetsu was sitting beside Haku.
"How do you and Sasuke know each other?" Karin asked.
"We met because of a girl," Haku said with a smile.
"Where you both after the same girl?" Suigetsu asked wondering how a competition for a girl would end between them.
"You could say that, Zabuza and I were hired to kidnap a girl Sasuke was hired to protect, but in the end she ended up protecting him," Haku said glancing over at Sasuke who was ignoring them or at least acting as if he wasn't.
"Really…I thought you were supposes to protect your charge and not the other way around," Suigetsu said smirking.
"What happened to this girl?" Juugo asked.
"That's enough you don't need to worry about her, she isn't a part of this mission," Sasuke said coldly.
"Touchy," Suigetsu said smirking. Sasuke turned glaring at the white haired teen. Sasuke walked a short distance away from his team. There weren't many nights he didn't spend thinking about her, wondering what she was up to. The last he heard she had gone missing and no one knew where she was, but he was sure that wasn't true. The daughter of the Hokage didn't just go missing someone knew where she was.
"Is something wrong Sasuke?" he glanced to see Juugo standing there.
"Nothing," Sasuke answered his gaze turning away from the massive orange haired teen, "we will be leaving soon."
A few days later they were in a small town near Tenchi Bridge. The night before the day of the meeting with the Akatsuki member Sasuke sat down his team to discuss the plan, "I will go out acting like Kabuto the rest of you will position yourselves here waiting for the signal to attack," he said point at the map before them.
"Sasuke-San, I believe it would be best if you didn't play the part of this Kabuto," Haku said looking up from the map.
"He's right…I guess I will do it," Suigetsu said.
"You…why you?" Karin asked wondering what he was playing at.
"Let's be honest I can take a hit the best of all of us, and since we don't know what we are going up against except that they are going to be powerful," Suigetsu said.
"I hate to admit it but he is right," Karin said, Sasuke was shocked that they could agree on anything. But he was worried he didn't know what they were going to face in the morning.
"Fine," Sasuke said in an indifferent tone.
The next morning Suigetsu made his way out on the bridge wearing a black cloak to go a long with his Henge. Sasuke could tell he was the only nervous one here. He didn't know much about the individual members of the Akatsuki but he knew that they were all powerful missing-nin from all the villages and they rarely traveled alone.
"Karin do you sense anything?" Sasuke asked his Sharingan active fixed on the other end of the bridge.
"Hai…there are two chakras heading our way," she whispered, Sasuke frowned slightly he had planned to fight them both but he hopped they wouldn't have to at least at the same time, "one of them has stopped."
They would have a small time to finish off the first and then they would take out the second. As long as Suigetsu didn't blow his cover too quickly they should be able to find out something before they had to take him out. He watched as a small strange looking creature moved across the bridge, "Sasuke…its chakra…it's like Juugo's."