Chapter 18: Haku vs Gaara
A/N: About why I posted the same chapter multiple times, I have already explained it in the review section. Plus, a glitch made me physically delete the chapter and reupdate it, the replace button wasn't to Jayweather rulez, I did want to make Sasuke win but it didn't feel fair, therefore the result of the match, now let's get on with the story.
"So, are you nervous?" Asked Naruto to Haku.
"Why would you think that?" Haku asked back.
"Well, I don't know, maybe because he gives off an aura that he wants to kill everybody."
"That maybe, but I have faced others who wanted to kill me."
Naruto nodded sadly. He was well aware of the treatment Haku had faced in Kiri. Naruto was aware of how hard life was from his own experience of living alone before he was adopted by Obito.
"Well anyway, the hour's nearly up. You should be getting ready."
Haku nodded and moved to enter the field. He was surprised to see Gaara already waiting for him.
"Are you ready?" Asked Genma.
Haku nodded but Gaara made no expression of hearing him. "I will take that as a yes, Gaara. Start!"
Immediately, Haku threw some senbon at Gaara whose sand automatically came up to defend him. Haku tried to enter his guard and engage in taijutsu but the sand kept coming and fast at various angles. He was almost caught in it twice.
"Damn it. His sand is too fast for me to escape. I will lose my stamina before I can find an opening on him. His defense is just… too perfect" Thought Haku as he jumped out of Gaara's sand's reach.
"If only I could slow down the sand…" Thought Haku, "Of course! Suiton jutsu"
'Water style: Water Whip' Two tendrils of water appeared from the air and shot themselves at Gaara. His sand automatically came up to block it. Haku smirked as the water whips hit the sand. Haku rushed again at Gaara who couldn't block Haku with his sand in time. Haku tried to attack him with a Kunai but Gaara dodged.
Gaara scowled, "You are one of the few to break into my guard. You shall die for me to prove my existence."
Haku was startled at what he was hearing, "Existence…? You think killing is what proves your existence?" He asked in a shocked tone
"Of course. How else does one prove his existence?" Asked Gaara in his flat, emotionless tone.
"Killing will only make you feared and lose your precious people."
"Precious people?" Gaara asked with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Don't you have people you care for?"
"Why should I? They should all die for me to prove my existence, just like you." Saying this, Gaara sent a wave of sand forward to bury Haku.
"You can't be serious! Don't you have a father or mother or siblings? You wouldn't kill them would you?"
"Why shouldn't I? The only reason they are still alive is because I need resources."
Haku was horrified at what he was hearing. Just how bad was his life to make it like this?
"Why would you kill them!? They didn't hurt you, did they?"
"My father tried to kill me." Replied Gaara in a bland tone.
"Your siblings didn't do anything, did they?" Asked Haku still trying to reason with Gaara.
Gaara just stared at Haku and said, "Why should I give them a chance, they will probably try to kill me like my father."
Haku just stood shocked at what he was hearing, "Why can't you give them a chance, what about your mother?"
Haku knew immediately he had hit a soft spot as Gaara shot two tendrils of sand at Haku who was sent crashing into the stadium wall.
"You know nothing about my mother! She is no one to me! My mother always stays with me. She is the one who comforts me by letting me kill to prove my existence."
"This is too messed up," Haku muttered to himself. "Are you seriously saying you never want precious people?"
Gaara just sent more sand angrily and said, "Stop talking! You are only acting to care!."
Haku dodged the sand and continued to speak, "My father tried to kill me too!"
Immediately, the sand fell harmlessly around Haku. Gaara simply kept on staring at Haku. Haku knew he had caught his attention and continued, "I was a victim of the bloodline purges that is still going on. My mother had the bloodline to control ice but didn't tell my father. Once they were married, my mother entrusted the secret to my father." At this Haku looked to the ground, "But my mother didn't expect my father to run away horrified and come back with men to kill us. My mother died in front of my eyes, and I would have too if Zabuza-san who was passing along hadn't seen me. Since then, I had served him, mainly as a tool, as a show of gratitude."
Haku paused and looked at Gaara and as surprised to see him listening intently, "But that's when I met Naruto. He taught me that I wasn't just Zabuza-san's tool but one of his precious people too. And since then, I have continued to have more precious people. Zabuza-san adopted me and became my father. Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, Itachi-san, and Shisui-san and many others became my friends. Obito-san and Kakashi-sensei helped me too and for the first time in many years I felt happy too."
Haku looked Gaara in the eyes and said, "I didn't have the fortune to have siblings, but you do. So, at least make them your precious people."
For a minute Haku could see that he had gotten through to Gaara but the feeling of success was short-lived as Gaara suddenly clutching his head, screaming in pain, "No mother, I don't want… Okay, I will get his blood for you."
Haku was taken aback as Gaara looked straight at him and said, "Mother says you are dangerous and acting. I will have your blood and prove my existence!"
Gaara sent an enormous wave of sand towards Haku who had no space to dodge. In the stands, Naruto cried out in shock and was about to rush in to find Haku when Obito stopped him, "Look closely."
Naruto looked at the field and saw that the sand had subsided, and, in the middle, there was an ice dome. Naruto heaved a sigh of relief.
Haku released his jutsu with a scowl on his face, ("One that would have made the Uchihas proud" remarked Obito) Haku simply started creating a flash of hand seals, "I will make you change Gaara! Ice style: Demonic Mirroring Ice crystals'
Dozens of mirrors sprang around Gaara. If Gaara was surprised, he certainly didn't show it.
"You won't win anymore." Stated Haku.
Gaara said nothing. He simply gathered up more sand. Haku bit his lip, "I have no other choice."
Haku started jumping out of the mirrors at high speed and threw senbon at Gaara. Haku was sure that his water jutsu had slowed down Gaara's sand enough but he was wrong. The senbon deflected off the sand and harmlessly fell aside.
"I just have to go faster." Thought Haku and proceeded to throw more senbon at Gaara while moving at high speed. This time many senbon made it past the sand but it was no use as they did nothing against Gaara's sand armor.
After Haku had slowed down again, Gaara concentrated all the sand into one place and let it fly at one of the mirrors. The mirror broke and the illusion was destroyed. Haku dispersed the technique and jumped back. "Damn it, even that didn't work." Thought Haku.
"Looks like I will have to soak you." Yelled out Haku and shouted out 'Water style: Great water wave.' A wave of water rushed to Gaara. Haku felt his reserves empty to a quarter, the demonic mirror jutsu hadn't helped either. The water fell on the arena with a huge splash and soaked much of the crowd. Haku tried to pinpoint Gaara's location but couldn't find him. Suddenly, sand came from above Haku. Haku was smashed into the water-filled ground. Luckily, the field was huge, so the water wasn't too deep, and he didn't drown. Haku got up with a bleeding head and was surprised to see Gaara dry, standing on a tree.
"Damn Kawarimi." Muttered Haku.
"My options are pretty limited. I can't risk using a water jutsu and missing again. Wind Jutsu like air blades are my best bet right now, but I shouldn't use them carelessly." Haku thought as he assessed the situation.
Haku rushed forward again and tried to engage Gaara in Taijutsu but was kept at bay by Gaara's sand. After a few minutes, Haku had gotten the rhythm of Gaara's attacks. He rushed Gaara again and easily dodged the tendrils of sand that had shot up at him just like he had anticipated. He ducked below another wave of sand and threw 2 air blades at Gaara who blocked them with a very thick layer of sand but Haku had already moved behind him and thrown another air blade which hit Gaara and broke his armor but couldn't pierce his skin. Haku was just about to throw another when Gaara suddenly gathered all the dry sand encased Haku's leg in it. Haku was too tired and had become slow. He tried to escape but the sand was tightening. It felt like Gaara would burst his leg.
Haku screamed and fell to the ground. His vision was getting blurry and he was becoming unconscious. As Gaara gathered more sand to finish him, Hayate suddenly appeared and cut away Gaara's sand with his sword. "The match is over, you win."
Gaara scowled, "No, I must kill him and prove my existence."
"I said the match is over. Go to the spectator box right now or you are eliminated." Replied Hayate.
Gaara gave Hayate a murderous glance but walked away.
In the stands, Naruto had broken free from Obito, he wanted to fight Gaara right now.
He had caught up with Gaara and as just about to punch him when he turned. Both looked at each other in the eye and said, "You are like me."
Naruto was surprised to know that there were other jinchuriki and was about to question Gaara when he said, "Mother will love your blood. Killing someone similar to me will prove my existence further."
But before things could escalate, Obito had come and forcefully taken him away, "Now, Now Naruto, I know what he did made you angry but you will have your chance to fight him on the field. For now, concentrate on defeating Lee, if you can't defeat him, you won't get a chance to fight Gaara."
Naruto still looked angry but nodded his head, he would make him pay for hurting his friend.
A/N: I know this is a short chapter but I didn't want to cram both semi-finals in one chapter. The next chapter will come out this week too probably. Anyway I hope you liked it and please REVIEW, FAVORITE AND FOLLOW. It would mean a lot. And the first few chapters have also been rewritten a bit. Also, check out my other new one-shot fanfic and let me know if you liked it