The day seemed Peaceful and serene, as the wind gently brushed against the trees, and the sun shone down in mellow, yellow rays.

The 2 shinobi facing each other were anything but.


"You aren't trying to kill me", Jiraiya stated assertively.

"Otherwise, you would have tried to ambush me rather than being so straightforward"

"That's right."

"But I still don't know what your goal is, and although I am flattered, I know it's not simply to get a book signed."

Haku sighed, quickly making a decision, and took off his mask.

"My name is Haku Yuki, the last surviving user of the Hyoton." He stuck his hand out and formed a flower made of ice. "I need your help."

"You want my help, is that right?" Jiraiya's right eyebrow rose. "You know that it won't come for a low cost."

"Please don't jump to any conclusions before I explain myself, Jiraiya-sama", Haku demurred. "I have a feeling that once I tell you the situation in Kiri, you would have wanted to help me anyways."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "A bold statement, but go on."

"A gap has formed between 2 sections of Kiri's shinobi force. The civilian populous have long viewed the bloodline clans as much too powerful. The fourth Mizukage has capitalized on this fear and separated clan ninja from those who do not belong to a clan. Tensions are slowly but surely rising. Soon, Kiri will be doomed to fall into ruin through a great civil war.

"I still don't see what that has to do with me."

Haku's brow furrowed, almost certain that Jiraiya was faking idiocy to test him. "The fourth Mizukage is the Jinchuuriki of the Sanbi. Rather than assassinating him and having to deal with a gigantic demon, it would be much safer and easier to use an extraction seal on the Sanbi, sealing it into another container and killing Yagura in the process. Although we would still have to knock the Mizukage unconscious, my plan works a lot better than killing him and releasing the Sanbi.", he explained.

"You are both an S-class ninja and a seal master of great renown, Jiraiya-sama. You are the only person I know of who could help me. As compensation for your help, the new vessel of the Sanbi can belong to Konoha, and I promise that I will also become a Konoha ninja, bringing the Hyoton bloodline to Konoha."

Jiraiya smiled widely and rang out with bouts of raucous laughter. "You've got one thing right kid, there's no other seal master in the elemental nations that would even think of helping you!" He paused for a split second as his expression darkened significantly. "Still, I like your guts! Let's meet in this same inn 3 months from now, and if a Civil war really does start by then, I would be glad to take you up on your offer."

Haku, immensely satisfied that his gambit had paid off, slowly strode back to the inn he had stayed in the previous night, intent on gathering his things and leaving for the mountains. Just as he was about to leave the clearing he and Jiraiya had met in, Jiraiya called back to him, seemingly intent on asking another question.

"There's just one more condition I would like to add on, kid."

"I will do my best to fulfill it, sir."

"I haven't fought anybody who could challenge me in far too long. Why don't we spar a little so I can see what rank you'll be getting if you become a Konoha ninja?

Haku smirked, happy that he would get to spar with one of his favorite characters in the story. "I would love to, Jiraiya-Sama."


Despite having collapsed face-first on the ground, and having used almost all of his chakra, Haku couldn't have been happier. Jiraiya, even when not using sage mode, was an absolute monster. Still, Haku had managed to get a few good shots in, only losing after Jiraiya had figured out the trick behind his Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals. He had gone all out, fighting Jiraiya in Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu, in hopes that he could prove himself as a Jonin level ninja, and judging from the surprised look on Jiraiya's face, he had succeeded.

"You're surprisingly good Haku. Do you want to go soak in the hot springs again to recover?"

Haku chuckled lightly as he pushed his way up off the ground, dusting off his hunter-nin uniform. Now that he had found such a strong ninja to spar with, his trip into the Hyofu mountains would have to be put on hold.


It had been a week since Haku's match with Jiraiya, and they had settled into a pseudo-master-student relationship. Although Jiraiya seemed hesitant to take another student after Minato's death, he was unable to resist the opportunity of teaching a student with the Hyoton.

When he was still a chunin, Haku had developed a technique inspired by the Rasengan, an incredibly dense ball of rotating, chakra enhanced ice. The main distinguishing trait between the Rasengan and Haku's Jutsu, the Rasenkori, was that the Rasenkori had slightly less power, but would shatter into sharp shards of ice upon collision.

He had trained and practiced quite a lot over the past week, improving Jutsu and honing various techniques, with discreet instruction from the toad sage himself.

Jiraiya, having drawn a connection between the Great Toad Elder's prophecy and Haku, resolved to himself that he would officially take Haku as a student if he became a Konoha ninja.

Despite their gradually closening bonds, Jiraiya and Haku had to part. Jiraiya would soon be heading south back to Konoha, and Haku would be heading north towards the mountains. They quietly said their goodbye's at dawn and split apart, walking in opposite directions.

"Let's meet again soon, Jiraiya-sensei."

Jiraiya smirked playfully. "When did I say you could call me sensei, kid?"

Author's note: With full knowledge of the Naruto universe's techniques, as well as proper instruction and diet from a streamlined shinobi training system in Kiri, this Haku is a lot stronger than the 15-year old Haku from the anime. Still, Haku is not on the level of an S-class ninja.