Folded Hands, Chapter Thirty-One
Pairings: Zabuza/Haku, Ino/Chouji, possibly others later
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Notes:
sona—
Aka will NOT be with Itachi.
All—
More art up! There's even a picture of Haku!
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Haku sat down next to Ino that night, at a diagonal from Sasuke. Chouji took this as most people at the temple would—Ino still liked the Uchiha boy, didn't she?—and sat down on Ino's other side.
Sasuke nodded at Haku. "How's training?" he asked coolly.
"I think it's going rather well," Haku replied. "Ino is teaching me basic ninjutsu."
A look of horror came over Sasuke's otherwise placid face. "We…forgot…oh…"
"It's alright, Sasuke," Chouji said before Sasuke could continue. "The Hokage can't expect any one team to try to teach him everything. We've each only got a week with him, so it's alright if all Team Seven could teach him was taijutsu. I must say that Haku is already very skilled in taijutsu, for a beginner."
"Well, he's a good student," Sasuke said, trying to recover from his team's mistake.
The table fell silent when Itachi sat down next to Sasuke and across from Haku. The Sharingan heir addressed Haku directly. "How was training today?"
"Good," Haku answered. It was difficult to act normally when the silence at his table cut his voice out of the air.
"Has anyone taught you any water-type jutsu since you've come here?" Itachi asked quietly. "Anyone at all?"
Sasuke sent his older brother a sideways glare and blushed. Fuck, another thing we forgot. Not that we know any, but we didn't try to look any up, either.
"No," Haku replied.
Itachi turned to Chouji. "He's with your team this week, correct?"
"Yes. He has four more days with our team," the overweight ninja replied. Ino simply stared at the Jounin in stunned silence, waiting for him to teleport away or start spreading ANBU secrets.
"Well, I'd like to train Haku for a few hours each day for the duration of his stay at Konoha Temple," Itachi said in a soft, low voice. "If that would be alright with your team."
Chouji nodded. "I don't see why that would be a problem. Haku can probably learn a lot more from you than he can from us."
Itachi turned back to Haku. "Is that alright? I don't want to disturb any lesson plans."
Ino and Chouji shot each other a look. Lesson plans?
Still suffocating under the silence at his table, Haku nodded after a moment and said, "I'd appreciate it if you'd train me, Itachi."
The Jounin nodded. "Good. I'll take the last two hours of each afternoon, right before dinner. Meet me at the door to my foolish little brother's room." Itachi smiled a little when Sasuke elbowed him.
"Bastard," his little brother whispered.
With that, Itachi stood. "It was nice seeing Sasuke and some of his friends again," he said in as polite a voice as he could. Ino nodded as he left.
"Wow!" she said when Itachi was gone. Turning to Haku, Ino continued, "I can't believe you're getting private lessons from THE Uchiha Itachi! He normally doesn't even, like, talk to people or anything! And he's going to teach you!"
"It must be a part of the mission that the Hokage gave him," Sasuke said in a low voice.
Haku watched Sasuke for a moment before asking, "Itachi has given you private lessons before, hasn't he?"
Sasuke nodded, a little surprised. "When I was little, he'd take me to the training grounds every few days, or he'd work on taijutsu with me in the house when mom and dad were gone."
"That's so cool," Ino said, smiling as she played with her food. "I mean, my dad taught me a lot of stuff on his own and he's pretty strong, but he's not like Sasuke's older brother. And my dad had time. I've heard that Itachi is away on missions more often than at the temple or in the village."
I hope that Sasuke doesn't mind Itachi spending time with me, Haku thought, since he rarely has the chance to talk to him.
Across the cafeteria, Zabuza watched Itachi leave the Haku and the 'Chuunin' students and walk over to the table at which he sat with the rest of Team Gai. He'd decided to heed Itachi's advice about sticking close to Aka, and when he sat down with Aka and Moegi at the 'Girl's' table Udon and Konohamaru had followed him, as if they'd follow him into Hell.
Zabuza nodded at Itachi and Itachi sat down across from him. Konohamaru's and Udon's respect for him grew when they realized that THE Uchiha Itachi had chosen to sit, be around, and possibly talk to their new team member.
"Good evening, Momoiro, Aka," Itachi said in a low voice. He turned to Aka. "How is your new team treating you?"
Moegi stared at Itachi, hoping that Aka wouldn't say anything bad. She liked living, and she liked Itachi a little too.
"Fine," Aka said. "I'm finished training for the day, though."
Itachi nodded. "I'll step in during your training starting tomorrow. I was hoping that you could become familiar with your teammates today." He glanced at Konohamaru and Udon, who flinched a little under the heavy look.
"Um, Aka's nice, in a quiet way," Udon said quickly.
Konohamaru nodded. "We'll, uh, go over stuff with her tomorrow."
With that, Itachi turned to Zabuza. "Momoiro, I overheard Gai telling the other teachers that you are very, very skilled in the sword arts."
Zabuza shrugged. "They taught me a little back home."
His male teammates stared at him. He was the first kid they'd ever met who rivaled an Uchiha in coolness.
It really would've been something if I had been this strong as a thirteen-year-old, he thought. But hell, I've worked to become as strong as I am, and I've worked for a long time. The attention is getting a little annoying. It's not so much because they think I'm a child prodigy; it's the child part that bothers me.
"I don't really see a need to supervise in your training," Itachi said. "If you would like me to supervise you, or if you have any questions, you can talk to me when I come to see Aka. I think that you're strong enough to not need the attention, though."
Woah, Konohamaru thought. A kid who's so strong that he doesn't need Itachi's help?
Itachi stood to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow, then," he said to Aka. She nodded and he smiled at her before leaving.
"So, why's Itachi so interested in you, Aka?" Udon asked after a minute.
Aka shot him a sideways glance. "Interested?"
"Itachi usually doesn't talk to anyone," Moegi explained. "He doesn't even get to see his own brother most of the time, and I don't know if he has any friends. Not that it's because he's not cool, because he is."
"Does it matter?" Zabuza asked. He started to cut into his second steak for the night.
Udon blinked at him from the shock of his question. "Of course it matters! If Itachi wants to supervise Aka's training then it probably means that she's really strong, or maybe she has a Bloodline Limit!"
A Bloodline Limit, the same as Haku's, Zabuza thought. He frowned as he shoved food into his mouth.
"Whatever," Konohamaru said coolly. "And, if you say that, then at the same time aren't you saying that Momoiro ISN'T strong because Itachi hasn't shown an interest in him? And that Aka IS strong, just because Itachi showed an interest in her? Because it kind of looks like it's the other way around."
"Have you been hiding something from us, Aka?" Moegi asked her female teammate playfully.
Aka paled a little and placed one small hand over her abdomen but remained silent.
"We're from another country," Zabuza interrupted them. "That's probably all that it is. And maybe he just thinks that I'm too old for whatever he's planning for Aka."
"But you're only a year older than she is," Udon pointed out.
Zabuza nearly choked on his food. "Well, if you respect him so damned much then you'll respect his decision to train Aka and not me," he growled. His male teammates nodded and started to shovel food into their mouths.
I'd rather that he spends time looking into this imposter, than training me, Zabuza thought. That's not why I came back here.
I can't leave Haku here while he's in danger.
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When Zabuza returned to Yondaime's living quarters, he found Naruto meditating in the study. Yondaime smiled at him when he walked in the door and rose from his desk to make tea.
Somewhat intrigued by Naruto's meditation, or perhaps just bored, Zabuza sat down in front of the blonde ninja and watched him. It was the first time that he had ever seen the young fire-nin at peace, and it really was quite a sight.
The sound of footsteps alerted him of the fact that Yondaime was standing in the doorway of the room. Zabuza half-turned to face the blonde older man.
"He can't hear you," Yondaime said softly. "I'd suggest not sitting so close to him when he's in that state, though."
"Why not?" Zabuza asked. He didn't move.
"Naruto has attacked me several times in the past, and each and every attack was provoked during meditation," the blonde man answered as he watched his charge look inside himself. "Naruto meditates to overcome a burden that a past leader of this temple laid upon him. The meditative state allows him to control this burden, as well as communicate with its source."
Zabuza turned back to face Naruto. Sounds like spiritual crap. If he attacks someone when he's meditating, then it's probably just because he's mad that they woke him up from his nap.
The water-nin waved a hand in front of Naruto's face. The blonde young man remained passive, though his nostrils flared a little.
"You can either take my word for it or see for yourself," Yondaime said as he leaned against the door frame. He folded his left sleeve up to the elbow and showed Zabuza four even, deep, parallel claw marks on his arm. "This is the worst wound he's given me. Maybe you wouldn't mind receiving one yourself; they do make boys look a little stronger, though they just look ugly as you grow old and regretful."
Zabuza stared at the marks on Yondaime's arm, and then turned to look at Naruto's hand. As soon as the blonde man had left the room, Zabuza backed away from Naruto and stood up to look around the study.
As he read a map of the world posted on Yondaime's wall, he glanced back at the meditating young man. What could make a kid do that? He's grateful to that old man, isn't he? Why would he attack him? Was it deserved?
And why didn't that old man kick him out?
If Haku attacked me, actually attacked me, like that, it wouldn't be a life on the street he'd have to worry about. If he ever posed a threat to me or tried to kill me then I would kill him.
Now that this imposter has taken my place, I don't even know where Haku's loyalties lie. If he's strong, then Haku might have gone over to him. Haku might not even know that he's an imposter.
I always thought that he was a little smarter, though.
But he might not want to question the imposter, if he thinks that he's me, even if the signs are present.
Hell, what do I want him to do?
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
Zabuza turned around, alarmed, to see Naruto on his ass, pointing at him with his mouth wide open.
"No-Eyebrows!" he shouted, "where did you come from?"
"Naruto?" Yondaime asked from the door. Zabuza and Haku turned to see him standing in the doorway, his reaction time too short to be possible, a look of concern across his time-wearied face.
Naruto placed a hand over his heart and sprawled out on the carpet. "Jeez! One moment, I'm meditating peacefully, and the next there's this creepy Bandage Fa—I mean, the kid from the Water Country is in here and I don't remember him being in here! I was about to release it or something!"
"Release it?" Zabuza asked.
"You let your mouth run a little too much, Naruto," Yondaime scolded his charge. The scarred young man sat up and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Sorry, Yondaime," Naruto muttered softly.
Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "What did you mean by 'release it'?"
"His burden," Yondaime said simply. "Now that you two are done in here, come out to the living room for tea. We can speak in there."
Naruto pulled himself off the floor and followed his guardian into the living room. Zabuza stayed behind for a moment, wondering what they were trying to cover up.
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When Taro awoke, he was given a new name, though this second name came from the same person as the first one had. When the little blonde boy sounded out his name, his new guardian pointed to the symbol on his stomach.
"Naruto," he said. "it may sound strange to you now, but you'll find that you'll never be able to forget it, as long as this spiral remains on your body."
The little boy tried to rub the mark. "It won't wash off?" he asked after making the skin on his stomache red.
Yondaime shook his head. "It will stay with you until you die."
"Cool!" the boy called Naruto shouted. "I have a tattoo now!"
He's just like Obito, Yondaime thought as a smile cracked on his face.
A red-haired medical nin practically ran into the room. "Yondaime, are you alright?" she asked as she closed the door behind her. Her eyes caught Naruto for only a moment before refocusing on the temple leader.
Yondaime smiled at her. "Rin, have you come to tell me to return to my bed?"
She took a deep breath and sighed. "No, I…" the medical-nin interrupted herself by hugging him suddenly and bursting into tears.
Naruto watched her in confusion. Yondaime patted his old student on the back and said softly, "Rin, don't you have other patients to attend to?"
Rin pulled away from him and said, "I will go, in a moment, I just wanted…" she dried her eyes as best she could. "I just heard that you used the sealing technique, and that always has different effects on the user, so I wanted to see you…Kakashi said you were doing fine, but as soon as I came here to work on the other victims I knew that I had to see you for myself." She took another breath and dried her face again, once the tears had stopped falling. "I'll see you later, then…I just had to…"
Yondaime nodded. "Now, go. You can help others right now; the only person I've of any use to right now is this little boy."
Rin looked at Naruto again. The spiral on his stomach screamed out his identity but she knew better than to ask the questions for which she already knew the answers, so she nodded and hugged her old teacher one last time, wordlessly, before leaving the room.
The Hokage sighed and he sat down in the chair next to Naruto's hospital bed. The little boy was still admiring the spiral on his stomach.
"Naruto," Yondaime said after a moment, "that spiral on your stomach is special. It's a mark of bravery, and you were very brave last night, Naruto."
Naruto froze and he looked at his new guardian. "You said that you were going to put that demon inside of me."
"And we did," the blonde man said. Naruto's blue eyes shot open in shock and Yondaime took a breath. Here comes the storm.
"So," Naruto said, putting his hands over the spiral, "this…is that monster?"
"Yes and no," Yondaime answered. "The monster now lives as a part of your mind. It lives in your body, in your brain. You'll soon find that it will make you much stronger than you were before, but it might also try to intrude on your consciousness and take over your body."
Naruto stared at him.
"But, nothing bad will happen if I teach you how to control it," Yondaime said. "Don't worry; I don't want it to take over your body, and I won't let it. When you start living with me, I'll teach you how to control it."
"But…there's a monster in me now?" Naruto asked. "Am I one too?"
"Only if you want to be," Yondaime answered with a smile.
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As she walked back to Moegi's room for the night, Aka couldn't forget the boys' earlier conversation. If Itachi wants to train me, then does it mean that there's something special about me? I know why he doesn't want to train Momoiro, because Momoiro is actually Zabuza and I don't think Zabuza would like a littler man to be his teacher, but why does he want to train me? There are many other students here at the temple, and I couldn't be the best, at least not now, because I don't know anything.
I still don't really understand what it means to be a ninja.
Aka unlocked the door with the key Moegi had given her. The orange-haired girl had gone off to talk to some of her friends before turning in for the night, leaving Aka to go to sleep in an empty room. Feeling somewhat intimidated by the thought of spending time alone, Aka picked up her bath kit and made her way to the girls' bathroom in her wing.
On her way there, Aka passed by a few windows. She looked outside. The sky was dark and the trees had turned black, but she could still make out green grass and a few scattered flowers lying in the path of light flooding out from the temple and into the world. At home, she had only seen the sky, either blue or black, and clouds and a vast expanse of white snow. There had been occasional thaws during which she had been able to make out green grass and brown mud, and during storms the sky turned different colors, but she had only been able to see it and dream about the rest of the world.
She had been sick ever since her birth, like the few other children she had known growing up, but there was a definite difference: she had lived to the age of twelve and they had not. It was because of this that she had been bedridden and lonely for all of her life, each day the same as the one before. They had started to spend more time with her the previous year, the adults of her clan; there had been pain and confusion and now the results of that had been hidden by Itachi.
Aka did not feel indifferent about Itachi, and now that she was looking out into the dark world on the other side of the window Aka did not feel indifferent about that dark sky and that green grass either.
Movement caught her eye, movement on the other side of the glass, and Aka peered out the window. What goes on here at night? She wondered curiously. Is there training? Or…something else?
The 'something else' took her feet from that spot and she walked along the wall of the temple facing the inner training grounds to the nearest door outside. She glanced at her bath kit before setting it down next to the door before stepping outside in her bare feet.
Aka stood for a moment to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Once she could see again, she looked for the movement she'd noticed before.
It's near the lake.
With that, she set off in the direction of the movement. Aka spotted beams of light dancing across the shore as several of her fellow students ran around with flashlights, playing a game of tag.
The presence she'd felt earlier that day returned but kept its distance. Aka glanced over her shoulder for a moment, hoping she wouldn't be pulled back into the temple by an adult, before closing in on the students.
She heard Konohamaru before she saw him. He was waving his flashlight around, turning it on and off to tease the 'demon' and his eyes were focused on his pursuer when he ran into her. The moment became stretched out in time as Aka felt her breath draw out, expecting pain.
Aka fell slowly, so slowly that she was able to push her male teammate to the side. The fell to the ground side by side and Konohamaru searched for his flashlight in the dark for a moment before locating it and turning it on her.
"Aka?" he asked in confusion.
"Ouch." was her reply.
Konohamaru's friends noticed the stop in their play and walked over.
"Who is it?" one of them asked. Several beams of light turned onto Aka's pale face and she raised one of her arms to protect her light-sensitive eyes.
Another one, girl this time, walked closer. "It's that new girl," she said.
Aka stared at the others blankly, watching, waiting. Konohamaru waited for her to complain, as he had obviously ran into her, but when the placid girl remained silent he frowned at her. "I didn't know you were out here. Why didn't you say something?" When she didn't reply, his tone rose. "What are you doing out here?"
She turned to him and said, "I just wanted to see what was happening. Now I know." Aka dusted herself off and removed herself from their company, leaving just as she had come, as an observer.
One of Konoha's son's friends stared after her. "What was that?"
"I don't know," Konohamaru said, lifting himself from the ground and shrugging. "She's a little weird."
Once she was back inside, Aka picked up her bath kit and returned to her original path. That's the start of my list, she thought with a smile. I'll see what that world is like.
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The next day, Haku left Team Ten after lunch and made his way to Sasuke's room. Itachi was waiting at the door when he arrived there, just as he had promised he'd be the night before. The Jounin was wearing a different gear pack from the one that Haku had seen him with before.
"Ready?" Itachi asked him. Haku nodded and followed Itachi to one of the training grounds outside the temple.
Once they arrived at a location that had no particular significance to Haku, Itachi stopped walking and took his gear back off. He pulled out two scrolls and three very worn books. The books had come from the Yukitori compound, but Itachi new from the look on Haku's face that the water-nin had never seen them before.
"I'm going to work on basic water jutsu today," Itachi said.
Haku gave him a puzzled look, and Itachi smiled a little before asking, "Are you wondering why we're not at a lake?"
"To be honest, yes," Haku answered.
And then, a terrible though occurred to him.
What if Itachi isn't Itachi…
Haku's pulse quickened and he tried to prepare himself for whatever he needed to prepare for.
I need to act normally…
"Do you know why we're nowhere near a body of water?" Itachi asked him.
He stared back at Itachi. What if he's a Fake? What if…what should I do? He might have brought me here to…
"I have no idea," he answered. I can't think straight right now.
Itachi narrowed his eyes. "You depend on your Bloodline Limit too much," he said quietly. "So far, you've been able to avoid learning techniques because you've depended on your ability to manipulate water. Or that's how the ANBU report on your unauthorized fight with Sai made it sound."
Haku's throat went dry and he held his breath. It was true, but…could a Fake have known that? Should ITACHI have known that?
"I…I did learn a few water-type jutsu from Master Zabuza," he replied.
"Oh, yes, I heard about the Water Dragon Bullet Technique. Did your master teach you any other?"
Haku's heart skipped a beat, and he released the breath he'd been holding. "Yes, he taught me how to form clones," he said. "Though I honestly used water manipulation to make up for my lack of skill."
He said Master.
He said Master.
He said MASTER.
Itachi nodded. "I take it that Master Zabuza hasn't taught you why your tendency to use your Bloodline Limit, or to overuse it, is limiting your progress as a ninja." When Haku's eyes narrowed in confusion and a question rose on his tongue, Itachi held up a hand for silence.
"There is a fundamental difference between water manipulation and water-type ninjutsu. Elemental summons do not require that the element actually be present. Wind and fire can be easily summoned. There is earth everywhere, and the components of lightning are all around us, so earth-nin and lightning-nin rarely use elemental summons. Water is in the air we breathe, but only in small amounts. It can be summoned like fire and wind, but the way in which normal water jutsu are used is far different from your style of water manipulation."
Itachi let this sink in for a moment before adding, "Water manipulation comes naturally for you, so you've been able to avoid learning a battery of jutsu thus far by relying on your Bloodline Limit. However, your Bloodline Limit is useless when you're away from water."
He set down the books and one of the scrolls on top of his gear pack and opened the remaining scroll. "This scroll was taken from the temple library on water jutsu and contains information regarding the Deep Ice jutsu," he said, turning the opened scroll around to show Haku the hand seals drawn carefully onto the old paper. "The Deep Ice jutsu is a concealment-type technique that allows the user to create a sheet of ice that he or she can step into and attack from. The ice is impervious to attack, though the user can pull his or her enemy into the sheet once it is created."
Haku took the scroll and looked over it for a moment before turning back to Itachi and asking, "Do you know how to perform this jutsu?"
Itachi just smiled and raised his hands chest-level as he formed the first hand seal.
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On his last day with Team Ten, Chouji brought Haku a gift basket from his mother. Haku looked at the basket in confusion as it sat before him on the breakfast table until Chouji shrugged and explained, "I told my mom that you were going to Team Eight tomorrow and she went into tears…she hasn't even met you or anything…"
Upon seeing the basket, Naruto sat down across from Chouji and picked out a roll. "Don't mind if I do…" was all the blonde ninja said in explanation before running off.
Chouji sent Haku a sideways look and he shrugged off the 'attack'.
Ino took command again after breakfast. She now wore a whistle, which Haku assumed she had bought for his training even though that was the first day he'd seen it. The blonde woman brought the whistle to her lips and blew into it loudly, once assuming her coach persona.
"Okay!" she said as Haku stood before her, smiling a little sheepishly as he waited whatever Ino had planned for their last day, if anything at all. Chouji had taken it upon himself to put a dent in the basket his mother had given him for Haku, which Haku was glad for and which Ino really, really wished wasn't happening.
She ignored her cheerier male teammate as he sat on the grass for her part of Haku's training, though. There was no time to waste.
"We're going to go over everything I've taught you so far to make sure you're improved as a ninja since you came onto my team!" Ino shouted. Haku nodded and waited for her command.
Ino pointed at the nearest tree. "You're going to race me at tree-walking! You go there, and I'll take that one!" she shouted, pointing to another tree. They walked up to their respective trees and Haku took a breath as Ino counted, "Three, two, one!"
As soon as Chouji heard the countdown end, he stood up and walked up to the tree Ino was walking up.
Haku made his way up his tree easily. He turned to see Ino running up hers, too, and when she turned to look at him to see his progress she lost her footing and fell down to the exact place where Chouji was waiting for her.
As soon as she realized that Chouji had expected her fall, Ino shook her fist and shouted at the sky, "Damn it!" Haku looked down at them and laughed before walking onto one of the tree's branches and smiling up at the sky himself.
They worked on transformation as soon as Ino called Haku down from the tree. Chouji took his spot on the ground again and was able to settle into his resting place knowing that Ino probably wouldn't hurt herself during this portion of the test.
"Okay!" Ino said again after giving her whistle a blow. Nearby, Hinata and her brown-haired cousin flinched during their Gentle Fist practice and the latter glared at Ino.
"Now, turn into…Sasuke!" Ino shouted.
Haku raised his hands and performed the hand seals. Two seconds later, he reappeared before Ino and Chouji as his own roommate, dressed in black.
"Now…Hinata!"
The Hyuuga heiress spun around after dodging a blow from her cousin upon hearing her name. She caught sight of herself standing in front of Ino and hoped that the blonde ninja wasn't making fun of her.
Neji stopped his attack for a moment. "Are you alright?" he asked her.
Hinata laughed uneasily. "Yes, of course! I'm sorry for stopping in the middle of pratice."
He shrugged. "That girl's being too noisy," he said. "Let's go practice at home."
Satisfied with Haku's impersonation of Hinata, Ino nodded to herself. "Now…your teacher!"
Haku started to form the hand seal reflexively but stopped when Ino's words registered. He stood frozen for a moment before pulling his hands down.
"What? Not cool?" she asked.
Haku shook his head. "It would be disrespectful."
Ino rolled her eyes. "Whatever, okay, then, I wanted you to do three so just do, uh…Shikamaru!"
The water-nin nodded and transformed into Team Ten's third member. Ino sighed as soon as he'd transformed and muttered, "If that's what it takes to get him to come to training…"
She waved a hand and Haku dispelled his transformation. "Okay, then!" she shouted, trying to get back her steam. "Now, form some clones! Woo hoo! Clones!"
In one of the recreational rooms of the temple's third floor, Nara Shikamaru studied a shogi board as he sat opposite the former Sandaime, Sarutobi. He felt guilty about skipping out that day and he knew he'd get a guilt trip about it later.
I damn well know what day it is, Shikamaru thought. Not like it matters.
Sarutobi yawned and took a sip of his tea. Jasmine tea.
"While we're young, Nara…" the old man said.
Shikamaru rolled his eyes and took his turn.
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Upon returning to the temple from his training with Itachi, Haku was surprised to see Sai standing outside the door to the infirmary. The artist-nin stared off into space, and he seemed to be waiting for something. Haku paused for a moment before continuing on his way. If Sai had seen him, he made no move to acknowledge him.
When he rounded the next corner, Haku looked over his shoulder and was relieved to see that he hadn't been followed. He was close to the dining hall when he began to wonder where the black-haired ninja had been since their fight.
He may have been punished for fighting with me. He may have been called away on a mission.
Or…
Haku looked around the dining hall. The temple's residents were abuzz like usual, sharing stories, making jokes, eating, and enjoying each other's company. The scene made Haku feel nostalgic, and he smiled a little as he stopped in the doorway to the dining hall.
He failed to realized the fact that two of his juniors were waiting behind him.
Aka stared at Haku's back and then turned to Zabuza. "Can we push him?" she asked.
Zabuza was still edgy about approaching his slave in any shape or form—literally. "Ask him to get out of the way," he replied. Come on, Haku, I'd punish you for zoning out in public like this. You're a ninja, remember?
His 'cousin' pouted and said, "I don't want to talk to him,"
He rolled his eyes. She's afraid of talking to guys, right? The rape thing? And Haku probably looks like the guys who did it because he's in her family. But, Zabuza was a kind-hearted, warm, gentle person, so he spared Aka by grabbing her hand and pushing Haku out of the way with his usual amount of force.
"Move."
Haku fell forward but caught himself in time to see a girl, about twelve years old, and a slightly older boy with the same coloring. The boy glared at him and the girl stared openly as she was pulled along, to a table where Genin-level students sat. He bowed slightly to them in apology as they passed him before walking towards the Chuunin students.
He smiled constantly through his dinner. Without knowing why, he was…happy.
Tomorrow, I'll start training with Team Eight. I've planned to stay at the temple for four weeks of training, so I'll train by myself after that, I suppose, but my real Master will come after that.
Soon, the sun will rise.
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Haku dreamt about his training with Itachi that night. He'd come along rather well—it helped that the Deep Ice Technique was easy to execute. The matter of using it, though, was much more complex.
Itachi nodded as he stood in front of him, and Haku looked up to nod in return. He raised his hands chest-level and performed the hand seals to create one ice panel, but as soon as the panel appeared another one formed, and another one. Haku was soon surrounded by ice panels, and he saw his reflection in all of them.
"Itachi?" he called out. There was no answer.
When he tried to walk out of the ice-panel ring, more panels formed and he could not escape. He tried to release the jutsu, but none of the mirrors disappeared.
"Haku," he heard in a deep voice.
Master!
Haku looked around in search of his Master. "Master?" he called out. When there was no answer, he called in a louder voice, "Master?".
Still, no answer.
He spun around and looked at the mirrors. Where his image had once been, he now saw the students from the temple.
Naruto looked at him with sad eyes. "I owe everything to him. I can't believe the things that I've done…I owe everything to him but I still…"
Sakura held her head in her hands. "I have to go through with this, no matter how much it hurts me, no matter what it does to me, this is what I wanted."
Sasuke sighed. "I miss him, even when he's not gone. Even when he's a few steps away."
Hinata smiled at him sadly. "It's okay to love someone. Love is the best thing, even though it can be hard to understand. Love as many people as you can."
Ino looked away. "You can't always be honest. Sometimes you need to lie to protect yourself."
Shikamaru shook his head. "When they matter to you, you've lost."
He turned and saw his Master in an ice panel. He waited and waited for what he had to say, but even as he stood and stared at the man he cared for the image grew blurry and he couldn't focus his eyes.
"Please, Master…" he said, "please, what do you have to tell me?"
The image came into focus and his Master's eyes grew sharp and cruel. "Turn around," he commanded.
Haku turned just in time to be cut down by a ninja dressed in black. He watched the sky as he died, and Sai leaned over him and smiled.
"Some tools just aren't good for anything." he said in a deep voice, the voice that belonged to his Master.
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Hinata smiled at Haku as he walked up to her team before the morning run. Kiba smiled, too, and pointed to Shino before giving Haku a thumbs-up. Haku gave him a confused look and he explained.
"Mr. My-Dad's-An-Awesome-Ninja-Who-Always-Takes-Me-On-Missions came today!" the dog trained said happily. Shino shrugged.
"It's nice to see you this morning, Shino," Haku said politely.
"Likewise," Shino replied in a soft voice. If he had smiled at Haku, the water-nin didn't know it.
"So," Kiba said, "you're probably wondering what we've got cooked up for you, huh?"
Haku shook his head. "I hadn't even thought of it yet."
"It's good that Shino's here," Hinata said as she stretched. "Otherwise, it wouldn't work out."
Haku waited for further elaboration, but Kiba and Shino had started to jog so he just followed with Hinata.
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