Chapter 29: Shot Heard Across the Seas
A/N: Some readers last chapter had a minor problem with the fact I had Haku freeze Fire as one of his moves, saying such feats were technically impossible as Fire has no physical mass to freeze and that it should be regarded considerably high level like that of Amaterasu, seeing how it did consume flames.
Personally speaking, I see no problem with this as is. In the One Piece World, Oda does whatever the heck he wants – one of the many reasons I admire him – and has pulled numerous stunts that defy logic. A whale can have a door built into it's side, Wapol had to have his head reattached, Pell survives a point blank kilometer wide blast, and islands in the sky! And these are things just off the top of my head.
So while I don't see this as a plot hole or anything resembling a problem, I must concede it is nonetheless a valid point. So in an attempt to appease those who did raise the issue, I have modified the definition/move slightly to make it more realistic as well as keeping with my original intentions. See the bottom of the chapter.
So apologies, no harm intended it is just a story. It's all in the name of fun.
Arc – Captured Genin Resolution, part 9
Mubi is out behind the Nara household in a large garden pulling weeds in a bored like manner. All around him are kunai littered on the ground and stray animals running away in the background.
Subtext: Weed Puller and Crop Protector Mubi
XXXXXXX – East Blue, Baratie, Port side.
A sound similar to a blast coming from a large cannon echoed throughout the immediate area, as all heads whipped in the direction of the sound to see a dangerous poisonous gas ball heading for the heart of Baratie. Luffy, still on the fallen mast in the middle of the ocean, gave a loud squeal as he bent backwards a full ninety degrees as the cannonball flew right past him, missing him by inches.
"GET INSIDE THE RESTAURANT!!!" Patty and Carne shouted together as they hauled Zeff between them and bolted inside while the other Chefs dove into the water and the pirates put on their gas masks. Zabuza and Choza, in a silent agreement of a truce, both backed away further from each other and a bit further out into the ocean to avoid the coming fumes.
Luffy looked around in a panic, seeing how he was stuck on the mast with no mask and no pirate to still from. In a desperate attempt, he shot his arms as high into the air as he could.'
"GUM GUM BAZOOKA!!!"
At the proclamation, Luffy slammed his hands down on the mast hard snapping it in two but the force shot him high into the sky just as the gas bomb exploded, covering the entire area outside with a deadly poisonous cloud. As Luffy continued soaring high into the air, he saw the large column of the red energy stuff from the other side of the restaurant as he cupped his hand over his eyes, trying to see what was going on.
XXXXXXX – Baratie, Starboard Fin, Same time.
Haku stared in disbelief at what he was seeing inside his Ice Mirrors. The one called Naruto was bathed in a huge red aura that was unlike anything he had felt before, and this was coming from someone who had faced Mihawk. He watched as the needles all shot out of the younger boy's body and the wounds began healing an an accelerated rate!
"Whatever is happening." Haku said as he formed eight signs. Rabbit. Snake. Horse. Ram. Snake. Tiger. Monkey. Bird. "I must stop it now! Hyoushou Kogoeshinu (Ice Crystal Mirror Death Freezer)." He shouted, slamming a hand against the wooden deck as all the ice mirrors slammed together, like a giant steel box.
"My apologies, but that will freeze both of you instantaneously. It was not my wish to..." Haku trailed off as he saw a crack appear, then numerous others before the entire thing exploded in a violent fury (at the same time Krieg's gas bomb exploded). Haku had to instinctively bring his arms to protect his face as the shockwave threw both him and the unconscious Choji hard against Baratie's walls, dislocating his left shoulder. Fragments of the ice mirrors struck into the restaurant while others landed in the ocean, Sasuke landing on one of them, the force of the impact jerking him back awake as he gave a small scream.
'Ow... what... what happened...?' The Uchiha thought to himself, feeling too much pain to use his voice, as he looked around to see not only were those blasted Ice Mirrors destroyed but Naruto was blazing alive with that red demonic chakra. '… Is that... you... Naruto...?'
"WHAT ARE YOU!?" Sasuke and Haku thought/spoke simultaneously as they looked at the boy, the latter now favoring his left shoulder.
In response, Naruto gave a feral like roar as he dashed towards at an amazing speed. 'So fast!' Haku cried out as he tilted his head to the side, Naruto's punch slamming into the wall right beside it. Using his right arm, he pressed Naruto's own arm between it and his shoulder. With a grunt of pain from burning red chakra, Haku's began running through a set of signs.
'WHAT!?!' Sasuke shouted internally. That boy could do hand signs with one hand!? How was that possible?
"Sensatsu Suishou (Thousand Needles of Death)!" Haku stomped a foot down on the deck as a thousand water needles formed out of the moisture in the air as his right sleeve burned off from the red chakra. The needles all surged down at the beast boy striking him all over. Predictably it didn't anything harm him, but it did make him recoil enough for Haku to bring up his right foot and slam it into the demon boy's face, sending him flying back into the water.
Seeing how his right sandal was pretty much ruined, Haku kicked them both off as he raised his right arm, forming another series of one handed signs for his Iteru Jutsu. Several blasts of freezing ice shot out towards his opponent, who countered by zipping back and forth across the water, resulting in patches of the ocean freezing in his wake.
'This terror... I have felt it before... against Mihawk... and that man... yet it's different from them. Against them, I wanted to scream and run. Here... I just feel... afraid. To the point where I think my soul is ready to break apart...' Haku though firing out another blast which Naruto backflipped over. 'I must prevail against him... if I can't... I'll never be able prevail against those two men... and my goals will dissolve into dust...
'And I'll lose my duty as Zabuza's weapon...' At that, Naruto came rushing forward once more on all fours right at him as Haku steeled himself. "COME!"
With that, the Mist Ninja jumped out to meet Naruto as two the clashed in the water, Haku catching Naruto's next fist. The demon boy wouldn't give ground as he gave another, making Haku slide backwards on the water. Despite the burning on his hand, Haku launched another freezing blast, covering the Leaf Ninja's left arm entirely in ice... for a few seconds before it shattered completely.
'I can't freeze it! That chakra's too intense!' Haku prompted himself on the boy and rolled over, landing behind him only to meet a rear kick to his back. Recovering, he found himself right by Sasuke, still floating on the ice piece. "Still alive, huh?" Haku asked, keeping a firm look on the incoming missile.
"... so... what? Gonna... finish... me?" Sasuke asked. That had to be it because he could had sworn he heard relief in his enemy's voice, but that couldn't be right.
That's when Naruto jumped into the air, then came crashing down where the two boys were, landing with much destructive force as it threw high into the air. When it cleared, neither boy was there to be seen.
On the deck of Baratie, a single Ice Mirror had appeared, with Sasuke tugged underneath Haku's sole working arm. "Stay here like a good boy." Haku said, dropping Sasuke on the deck next to Choji, just confusing the Uchiha. The chatterbox just saved him?
Haku walked over to the wall and rammed his left shoulder against it hard, shoving it back into place. "It seems you no longer distinguish friend from foe." He declared to his opponent, flexing out his left hand. "Whatever that power is, be it demon, bloodline, devil fruit or something different all together, it goes against what you proclaim to believe: fighting for those you claim to cherish. I don't even know if you can understand me, but is such a power worth it? Or were you lying about what you said earlier?"
Naruto just roared in response, crouching on all fours while the chakra around his arms became red and more solid looking. "I'll find out... right now." Haku said as he rushed into towards him. "HERE I COME!!" I WON'T LOSE!!
In response, Naruto slashed upward with his right arm, slash marks coming right at him. Haku had to jump to the side, throwing his arms up to make himself as thin as possible to avoid the attack.
The attack continued cutting through the water, then right through Baratie and out the other side right as the poison smoke cleared.
Haku looked at the damage, the strike going as far as the eye could see. "Quite dangerous that is..." He commented, looking back. "Uh oh."
That's when began slashing around like mad, more slash marks shooting at Haku like a gatling gun, forcing Haku to jump to the left, right, up, right, in the water, up to avoid them all. The attacks cut through more of the ocean and of Baratie itself, sending water and water up in the air with each strike.
"Hyouton: Kirigakure no Jutsu!"
Once more, freezing fog enveloped the battlefield. This caused Naruto to let out a loud roar, the intensity of it dispersing the fog with ease only to have Haku appear right in his face, with his hands covered in ice. Getting underneath the demon boy picked up Naruto, threw him over his shoulder and slammed the blond's head down hard a section of the broken deck.
Not phased in the least, Naruto kicked Haku in the chest from his position sending the older boy flying back a ways. Recovering with a flip, Naruto was already on top of him with a vicious punch. By reflex, Haku caught it, whirled around and elbowed Naruto in the back, who stood his ground and slammed his head back into Haku's face, cracking his mask. Naruto then shifted his weight and swept kicked Haku, who recovered with one hand and flipped back to his feet. Quickly lunging forward, Haku attacked with a barrage of his ice covered punches at Naruto, who was avoiding them easily almost lazily.
Naruto leaped forward with a punch aimed at Haku's chest, forcing the masked Ninja to block with both hands, a feat that cost him his ice protection on his hands shattering them completely. Regaining his balance, he formed five hand signs. Dragon. Dog. Boar. Tiger. Bird. Haku held out his right hand as an Ice Staff began to form. 'If I keep him on the defensive, I may be able to keep up and press my advantage.' Haku thought as he twirled his ice weapon in his hands, then over his head into a stance.
Taking the offensive, Haku ran through another string of one handed signs and fired off another ice blast, which of course Naruto dodged. Before the demon boy could recover, Haku already appeared in front of him, swinging his ice staff across Naruto's chest. This time, Naruto held his footing, flashed a predatory grin before springing forward with a head butt. By pure reflex, Haku sidestepped, spun around and aimed a strike at Naruto's back, only for the boy to backflip over the staff and Mist Nin. Haku shoved the staff backwards before swinging it Naruto and launching a series of rapid strikes at him.
As expected, Naruto easily dodged all the strikes but at the same time, he was forced to constantly move backwards... right onto a frozen ice patch, making him slip. Capitalizing on this, Haku shoved his Ice Staff right into Naruto's throat, smashing him once more against the ice.
Blood spilled from the mouth of the youth as hatred intensified. The chakra around his arms solidified again as he slashed upward, claw marks flying at Haku, striking him repeatedly... before he became a piece of wooden debris.
Naruto jumped back to his feet, and whipped his head around looking for his prey. He spotted him several seconds from striking the back of his head. Naruto dropped to all fours to avoid Haku's next strike, then kicked upward. Leaping upward, he slashed upward, cutting Haku's staff in half. Not phased at all, Haku whirled the two pieces in his hands and slammed them down on the blazing boy's shoulders... only for Naruto to give off another feral roar, sending Haku flying backwards as Naruto punched slashing across Haku's chest.
This time it was Haku's turn to scream in pain as Naruto whipped his arm back and landed a solid punch on Haku's wound, sending the older boy skipping across the ocean like a stone. Sasuke could only watch from his position, not believing his eyes. What kind of battle was this?
The Mist boy's hand covering the new wound, Naruto appeared right on Haku in a flash as he punched his enemy... only for him to vanish.
And that's when Hakus began appearing all around him, constantly appearing and disappearing, often four or five at a time. Naruto's head jerked from side to side as he began attacking the Hakus blindly, slashing through them, then spring boarding back to hit another two. He crouched on all fours, then struck again, missing his mark, with another Haku vanishing as more reappeared. Glancing over his shoulder, he slashed at them again, only hitting two as they all continued moving and disappearing around him.
That's when the real Haku appeared standing on the railing of Baratie not too far away from where Sasuke was watching as he ran through another string of hand signs. Horse. Monkey. Hare. Horse. Bird. Tiger. Dragon. Tiger. Dragon. Dog. Monkey. Bird. "Hyouton: Aisu Kasui no Jutsu (Ice Style: Ice Spike Technique)!"
Chakra flowing into the water, then shooting out right towards Naruto a large Ice Spike erupted from beneath the boy to skewer him from below. It cut across Naruto's back and he barely moved back in time... only for another one to appear. Placing his foot against it, he propelled himself backwards just as another one came at him. With pure speed, he placed his hand against it, flipped over it then kicked at the ice spike, launching it right at Haku.
"Oh that's not good." Jerking in surprise, Haku rolled across the railing missing it as it lodged itself into Baratie. Naruto wasn't done as he hit the other two spikes, sending them flying at Haku, which failed to hit the boy and smashed into the restaurant instead.
Haku breathed out, knowing he was on his last reserves as he ran through a final hand string seal as the red blazing missile charged at him again. 'I'm betting it all on this last attack!' Hyouton: Tsunami Furasshu Hyouketsu no Jutsu (Ice Release: Tsunami Flash Freeze)!"
At the foot of the restaurant, a massive tidal wave came rushing at the blond rocket as the two clashed. The water overpowering him and sending him down into the ocean depths, where Haku hoped to either make him run out of air or freeze him. That's when Haku saw that the boy's red chakra had latched on to the frozen patches of the ocean, stretching out like red ethereal arms. "OH CRUD!!"
"PULVERIZING..." Naruto mouthed underwater as he glared at his prey. "ROCKET!!!"
With that, Naruto shot through the tidal surge, through the water then out through the open air like a cannon blast, his head slamming right into Haku's stomach. Both of them then went flying upward at an angle, smashing through more of Baratie then into the open air above
'I've... lost... ' Haku admitted to himself as he felt himself falling back to earth with the beast boy coming at him, a deadly right hook read as his mask slid off his face. "...Forgive me... Zabuza-sama..."
With that, they both crashed on the rooftop of Baratie.
XXXXXXX – Ocean Outskirts of Baratie, Starboard Side. Choza vs Zabuza. Approximately seven minutes earlier.
As Kreig's poison began dispersing into the air around them being a short lived gas as large slash like marks erupted from one side of Baratie towards the group, missing Sanji and Gin by a foot.
"WATCH OUT!!" Patty's voice was heard as more slash marks came, tearing across Baratie, ruined fin and water alike as Pirates and Cooks all began swimming frantically away in any direction they could. The Akimichi Head and Demon of the Hidden Mist watched from their view point and both had the same thought: they had to end this battle now and find out what was going on!
But with both their reserves on low, they had to make their last moves count!
"Seems I don't have any more time to waste with you," Zabuza said, shouldering his blade back on his back.
"Took the words out of my mouth." Choza agreed, his hands causally reaching down for his pouch.
"I should had done this from the beginning. Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hidden Mist Technique)!"
Choza let out a swear as the mist began enveloping the entire area and he immediately grabbed his pouch for his pills... only for a shuriken to strike his hand. He gave a yell as pain shout up his arm and more shuriken struck his pouch and holster, cutting them loose to sink into the ocean depth's below.
"I'm not giving you the chance to pull out anymore toys." Zabuza's voice came from behind. Choza spun around and throw a punch in that direction, only to hit thin air. Zabuza threw his voice to mislead him!
That's when the Mist Jonin appeared on Choza's right, with a fierce right kick to the chubby man's face, while grabbing a kunai in his right hand and slashing downward on the Akimichi, cutting deep into his shoulder. Choza hit the water hard as Zabuza, tossed the kunai aside and regrabbed his sword making a downward slash... only for Leaf Ninja's hair to grow and deflect the blade! "Thought you might be throwing me off... but I had to play along. Getting you close to me was my only counter." Choza declared, breathing hard.
"So it seems..." Zabuza said as he attempted to pull his katana back... only to realize it was stuck. Choza's hair had wrapped around it, locking it in place! "You're not getting away!" Choza promised as the lower portion of his hair formed a single sharp point, aiming right for Zabuza's abdomen, only for the Mist Ninja to slap it away with his right hand. Choza's hair tore through Zabuza's hand and left side, but missed his vitals.
Before he got a chance to do anything else, Zabuza regrabbed his sword with both hands while throwing another left kick at the man's face. Between that and jerking with all his strength, he pulled his sword free from Choza's hair trap. "Kamasuryu: Totsuryuu Kyouran (Rushing Frenzy)!"
Choza's eyes widen with fear as multiple slash attacks struck him over and over on his chest area. His expanded hair held only for a moment before shattering off as the blade cut through his armor and into his flesh. Blood spluttered forth from his wounds and mouth alike as he slowly fell backwards, his hair already receding to its normal length.
"Choji..."
With that, Zabuza whipped his sword around and decapitated Choza in one swing.
XXXXXXX – Luffy
By this time, Luffy had descended on towards the remains of the fallen mast. "GIN! SANJI!!" Luffy shouted as he landed on the broken mast, recoiled his legs then leaping towards the wreckage where the two were as the cooks and pirates both resurfaced, the two Demon Brothers had awoken by now and dived into the water, as well as Patty and Carne helping Zeff come out from the restaurant and they all gasped at the sight they saw, temporarily forgetting about that nauseating chakra in the air.
Gin was bending over Sanji, forcing his gas mask on the assistant chef's face. Gin himself was breathing badly, his skin pale with blood seeping out of his nose and mouth.
"Gin... you..." Luffy started, not believing his eyes and he wasn't the only one. The other Krieg pirates couldn't believe Gin used his own gas mask to save Sanji at the cost of himself!
Sanji was also trying to speak to the Man Demon. "Gin... get off me... you're..."
"It's... alright... so long as you... live... I disobeyed... my captain... I deserve death! But you Sanji... live!" Gin coughed out more blood as he collapsed on the deck right next to the blond chef, who was already throwing the mask aside and checking the man's life signs.
During which, he was interrupted by Don Krieg's mocking laughter. "What a FOOL! The sin of gratitude that brought him to this state! And all for some measly food! What they say is true! Death is the only cure for fools!!"
"Don... Krieg..." Gin managed to mutter, only know tears were falling from his eyes at his former Captain's declaration.
Sanji felt rage boil within him. "You choose the wrong man to follow Gin!"
"KRIEG!!!" Luffy bellowed loudly, veins threatening to pop from his forehead as he looked at the Pirate Admiral with a look of utmost furry.
With all the attention on the bastard known as Krieg, no one noticed two figures shot into the air, then land on Baratie's rooftop as the foul chakra once felt earlier completely vanished.
XXXXXXX – Baratie Rooftop
"You're... the boy... I met back... in the storeroom..."
Haku, bloody and limp, looked up at his would be killer. That red chakra was gone and Naruto seemed to have regained his senses.
"... why are you... hesitating...? Finish me..." Haku told him.
In response, Naruto just grabbed Haku by the collar and held up him face to face. He was feeling a mixture of fury, anger and confusion, he didn't know what to say.
The Mist Ninja looked at him. "That power you had... where is it?"
Naruto didn't hear him. All that was running through his head was what the boy had said the last time they had met.
"Is this why you seek strength? Merely for your own satisfaction?"
"Is this man, or your shipmates, special to you?"
"When people are protecting something truly precious to them, they can become truly strong. As strong as they can be. And that's true, regardless of whether you're a civilian, pirate, shinobi, or even a Marine."
"Do you intend to spare me?" Haku asked, mistaking Naruto's silence for sympathy. "Even after all I did? You wouldn't be doing me a kindness. People often have it wrong., mistakenly believing that showing mercy to an enemy is a kindness." By this time, Naruto's look was losing some of his fury and replacing it with more confusion as Haku went on. "But don't you see? It's an empty existence to go on living alone and unloved... when defeat's already cost you your dream!"
"Say what!?"
"Zabuza-sama has no use for a weak shinobi. You've taken away my reason for living!" Haku said with a smile on his face. The same kind one used when you saw a cannonball coming for you and you had no way of dodging.
"Why waste all that devotion on such a creep!?" The blond demanded, tightening his grip. "What has Zabuza done to earn such loyalty from you!?! All the guy cares about his himself and fighting for his own amusement, not caring who gets in his way! Is that REALLY your precious person, that browless wonder of a ninja!?!"
Haku couldn't help but chuckle at the description. "Once... I was precious. I belong to my parents."
The Leaf Ninja looked at him questioningly. Once? "Tell me..." Haku said. "That man you seek... he was taken from you, unexpectedly right? And you search in hope that he's still alive out there, so you can reunite."
"Yes..." Naruto said slowly.
"Then we're the same." Haku replied.
"... the same?"
"I, once, had parents who loved me. They were good and kind people. And... I was happy. Until when I was eight... and it all changed."
"Why? What happened?" Naruto asked. Yet he felt he had a strange feeling he knew where this was going."
Haku didn't reply at first, but his eyes changed reflecting a look of fear and helplessly.
"That was the day that man appeared."
XXXXXXX – Flashback, Approximately 8 years ago.
Haku had been on some small island, it's name long forgotten to him by now. Snow was commonplace, but the love his parents gave him warmed his heart so much it almost didn't matter.
Except this day, when the door to his home was violently kicked open as he was playing in the living room with his toys with the warm fireplace. Haku gave a scream as a man strolled into the house. He had thick red boots on, with night black pants decorated with small daggers. On his belt was a shinobi leaf headband with a slash through it as a series of pistols hung from it. The man was bare chest, with only more weapon belts slung around his torso, showing a series of shuriken, ammo, small bombs and other accessories. He wore bright red arm guards and spiked brass knuckles. He had a short red beard on his face with a stubby amount of black hair on the top of his head with piercing black eyes.
And in the center of his chest was branded symbol of the Leaf Ninja, marked with a cancel sign.
The man held out his hand towards the young boy as Haku trembled against the wall. "GIVE ME YOUR BLOOD!!!"
XXXXXXX – End of Flashback. Present day.
"Blood?" Naruto repeated.
"Yes. Blood." Haku replied, his eyes casting downward. "I don't remember what happened next. Only shouts, and screams. The next thing I remembered..." A single tear escaped Haku's left eye. "My mother was gone."
It was like lightning struck him, as Naruto felt his mind jump back to the burning house and a younger boy crying in it, clutching a headband to his own precious person. "Then... you..."
Haku just nodded. "Just as you... search the seas for that man... I search for my mother... taken by that man and destroying the life I knew."
"... who... who was it?"
"I don't know. I have found no trace of him since. I don't even know his name. All I know is the symbol branded on his chest of the canceled out leaf."
'Not much more than me.' Naruto thought. All he remembered was the black cloak decorated with red cloaks and that laughter. That laughter he would never forget. "What... happened next?"
"My father tried to kill me."
Naruto's eyes went wide. "What!?"
"Do you know of the Blood Mist Purging?" Haku asked.
"Um..."
"... I'll give you the short version then." Haku told of a time when the shinobi villages were still formed. The Water Country, home to the Hidden Mist Village whose Headband Haku now wore, had been the scene of generations of nonstop war among its people. Those with bloodlines, or Kekkei Genkai, were particularly brutal during those times, being used as pure weapons in order to achieve victory on all sides. As a result the people of the land, citizen, Ninja, and soldier alike, came to view those with bloodlines as abominations. So the warring was finally ended by turning all the blame on the Kekkei Genkai clans, resulting in mass extermination among them all. Those that survived the initial slaughter had to go into hiding, living in a world were exposure meant certain death.
"It was during that incident that my father discovered my mother's true heritage... and that I too, carried a bloodline. Of the Shinsetsu clan. So he locked the house and came at me with a katana." Haku told Naruto.
Naruto couldn't believe it. "What!? Why!? The villages were gone! You were his son! Why - "
" - did he do it?" Haku supplied. "Because the old feelings of fear and hatred still remained in him, even if the villages are gone." He looked past Naruto, down towards the ruined area that they had all fought. "I'm sure that other boy, Sasuke, must know some of what I speak of. Even if we weren't hunted by remnants of our culture, the world at large fears us. The World Government condemns us, the Marines hunt us and the civilians fear us. So whatever normal shinobi face, those with bloodlines suffer twice as hard because of it.
"I activated my abilities for the first time that day, killing my father and destroying my home. I just left after that, not knowing where to go, not knowing who I could trust. For nine months, I drifted around the island I had lived on, no better than a scavenger. And I was forced to accept the most painful thing during that time."
"That you were alone. Unwanted. Shunned." Naruto spoke quietly.
Haku just gave a nod. "Exactly. You've gained shipmates and friends. You've become accepted, part of a group, a new family. Surely you can then you can answer your own question on why I'm loyal to Zabuza."
"He accepted you." The words flowed out of his mouth automatically,
"He did. Zabuza-sama took in a weak, frightened boy that he found on the island he came to by chance. He gave that boy a new purpose and a new drive. A chance to be accepted for what he was, to be shown that my blood – the very thing that took my mother and drove my father to kill me – was not a curse but a gift. That all I had to do was be his tool... and I'd be able to reclaim my purpose, identity. I also knew... that if I traveled with him, I might find some clue to my mother. And that made me happy..."
Haku closed his eyes softly. "But now I've lost to you. A broken tool has no purpose anymore. If I can't defeat you, then defeating Mihawk for what he did to Zabuza-sama, or finding the man that took my mother is no longer within my grasp."
"So you want me to kill you, just because you lost!?" Naruto repeatedly. "That's the LOSER'S way out! And you're no loser!"
"I just lost."
"You know what I mean!" Naruto retorted, shaking his head as he pointed out towards the ocean. "You said your mother is still out there! You really going to give up looking!?"
Haku seemed to get weaker in Naruto's grasp. "... it's been eight years. The chances she's still alive after all this time... is practically zero."
"Practically isn't the same as definite! What about Zabuza!? If you're that loyal, he's got to have some respect for you! You really think he wants you to die!?!"
At that, Haku just nodded.
Too angry to reply, Naruto just looked around and saw that Zabuza, his right hand and left side injured, was standing on the water facing off against Baratie. Krieg was still on the debris of his ship and Luffy, Sanji and Gin were on the ruined remains of the fin, a strange mask now covering Gin's face. Regrabbing Haku, he hurled the boy down to the deck right in front of Luffy and everyone.
"Haku!" Zabuza shouted, taken back by the sight of Haku being thrown around like a sack of potatoes. He'd never seen the boy reduced to this state.
Naruto landed next to the Mist Ninja next, surprising everyone else. "Alright, Naruto! You won!" Luffy smiled, flashing his grin and giving Naruto a double thumbs up before seeing the look on the orange clad boy's face. He took a step forward and shouted. "ZABUZA!!"
"What is it, runt?"
"Tell him you care!" Naruto demanded, pointing down at Haku. Sanji was watching the two carefully, looking for any sign of the fox from them.
"... about what?" Zabuza asked.
"THAT you don't care if he's been defeated or not! That you'll still accept him even with his loss! That he still has a purpose to be with you!" Naruto told him. There was a stunned silence at the words, shocking Zabuza himself (not physically, nothing changed), then the Krieg pirates all began laughing loudly, Don Krieg the loudest.
"ZABUZA!?! Care!? You really don't know the man do you!?"
"He's the Demon of the Hidden Mist! Of course he doesn't care!"
"You need your eyes checked boy! He's all about nonfeelings!"
"You want to know what he did in the old days?" Naruto looked over to see one of the Demon Brothers (He didn't know which one, but the one with the left claw on his arm) spoke up. "The Mist Village's Academy used to exercise a graduation ritual to promote the students to Genin... by pairing them off and killing each other in order to pass!"
At that, the cooks and even some of the pirates recoiled in shock from that statement. Naruto felt sick at that and even Luffy had a look of disgust on his face.
"Then there was one incident, where a young boy, not even officially in the Academy," The other brother spoke up. "Slaughtered over a hundred students on his own. The loss was so great, Mist had to cancel that tradition in order to get new recruits into the Mist forces at all. And Zabuza was the one that did it!"
At this time, Haku had managed to get to his feet while Naruto looked a little more defeated as he shot a look at the big man, the sword in his left him dripping with blood. That's when Krieg spoke up. "And you think this man... this brutal killer of a demon spawn," Zabuza shot a look at Krieg, but the pirate continued on, "cares at all for that little pond scum that failed!?"
This would work out perfectly! The boy's defeat was the perfect opportunity to destroy any lingering shreds of a bond between Zabuza and Haku... then he could step in as the boy's new idol! Don Krieg looked at Zabuza. "Go on. Tell the boy that he's worthless. That a broken tool is dead to you."
The Mist Ninja looked at Krieg, then at Haku and before he could speak, Naruto shouted once more. "SHUT UP!! WHAT DO YOU ALL KNOW!?!" Looking directly at Zabuza himself, he pointed at Haku. "YOU saved him! Took pity on him when he was alone! BEFORE he even had any fighting skills! He's devoted himself to you all this time, always following his orders!" Taking a chance, he added. "You know about his mother, right!?"
Haku flinched. "Naruto, no!"
The Uzumaki continued on. "You know that she was taken! Haku said that you've allowed him to look for her as he worked for you! You've helped him grow strong for that!"
"Mother!?" The pirates and cooks repeated, the pirates breaking out laughing again as Haku looked ashamed. "There's no way that Zabuza would had agreed to that! The boy's obviously lying to you!" Luffy looked ready to blow his top at the pirates.
Naruto shot a look at Haku. "... I never... told Zabuza... that I was looking for my mother. Only that I lost her." The boy confessed, looking distraught. "I knew if I did... he'd cast me aside. I didn't want that.... so I kept that secret."
The blond paled slightly as the pirates all laughed that much harder. Did Naruto just go and ruin everything?
"Give it up, Naruto," Several of Baratie's chefs said.
"Aye." Patty added. "These lugs would sell their own mothers for dirt. Don't expect them, Zabuza especially, to have any sort of sympathy..."
"I knew." Zabuza declared boldly, freezing everyone in place as all the pirates shut up immediately, as the Fighting Cook's jaws fell wide open. The Demon Brothers looked ready to panic. Haku jerked as if being slapped and Naruto felt his heart skip a few beats.
"... you... knew?" Don Krieg demanded. Zabuza KNEW Haku was tagging along to find some worthless tramp of a mother and didn't stop it!?
"What of it?" Zabuza asked for all to hear. "I knew from Haku's movements, the way he'd gaze longingly at the sea, always the first to volunteer for scouting and looking around, the way he talked about his mother. It was painfully obvious."
Naruto regained his composure, now absolutely certain Zabuza cared for the boy, otherwise he would had put a stop to Haku's efforts or discarded him and he did neither! "Do you see Haku!? Zabuza does care! He knew about your hidden ambition and didn't do anything to stop it! You're not just a tool in his eyes!"
Krieg's face went red. "Of course he is!" He bellowed. "Zabuza drilled that into his mind over and over! To be his tool and nothing else! Clearly, he used the boy's feelings to his own end, never once helping the boy along with that goal. All that ever mattered to him was that Haku served and fought for him!"
"BULLCRAP!!" This time, Naruto talked directly to Haku. "Even a TOOL needs to be cared for or it'll go dull!" He gestured Zabuza again. "And he knows it! He knew about your mother, and didn't stop you, because he didn't want you to lose hope! Screw what Krieg says! You shed a tear when you told me about your mother! You still want to find her! You haven't completely given up hope that she's still alive!" At this point, a few tears were falling from the other boy's eyes. "Do you still want to give up on your life, never finding your mother or helping your precious person now!? Become stronger! Learn from the defeat! Keep searching! You don't have to give up or lose! So do you still want to die for losing!?"
"... no..." Haku replied, fresh tears streaking down his face as he looked up, the sunlight basking around him as though he had been reborn. "... No... I don't want to..." He wiped his tears away. "Forgive me... Zabuza-sama... it seems... I've been defeated by this boy... completely..."
Everyone looked at Zabuza, awaiting his response. Did he care about the boy, or was Krieg right after all? Did he not speak of Haku searching for his mother to control him or because he was understood Haku's deserve? Was he still a coldhearted bastard that would slaughter people for fun or was their some warmth and sympathy in him? Which was it?
BANG!!!
At that one instant, everything around Naruto froze. An eternal second that would be etched into his mind. Luffy's look of utter disbelief, Patty and Carne ready to break out into tears, Zeff's face was one of realization, like one waking up from a bad nightmare, the other Fighting Cooks starting to form protests, the Demon Brother's eyes flying wide open. Sanji's cigarette fell from his mouth as he got an ugly look in his eye. Gin glanced off to the side.
And then Haku, standing as still as a statue, with a blank look on his face before he fell over on the deck, landing with a loud thump that seemed echo across the entire ocean. A hole was in the back of his head.
Krieg was still standing over on the wreckage of his galleon, a smoking gun in his outstretched right hand aimed right in Haku's direction, a predatory like grin on his face. 'If I can't have the boy, NO ONE can!'
"HAKU!!!" Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs, his cry mixed in with several others, not all of which he could identity. Luffy and several of the Chefs yelled for sure. Some part of him thought Zabuza himself had also screamed.
Because Zabuza, ruthless killer, and the legendary Demon of the Hidden Mist, was staring right at the dead boy, his eyes as wide as plates.
End of Chapter 29
Hello there! Miss me? Well, you probably all hate me now because I doubt anyone expected this turn of developments. Lot of talky in this chapter, all centered around Haku. Do let me know how that all worked out. If it was touching, corny, too long, too short, hit home, completely off base, whatever. It'll help me in the future when I have to have Naruto talk to someone else.
Hope you all enjoyed the last portion of the Haku fight, as I enjoyed playing with the Kyuubi and showing more versatility in the Hyouton ability. And before anyone protests that he had too much chakra, keep two things in mind:
1) Haku didn't keep his Ice Mirrors activated as long as he did in canon, falling back on other skills and tactics.
2) As with the Rookies, Haku's upbringing in this story is different from canon due to his own adventures and setting. His chakra reserves are higher, but his taijutsu is lower among other things.
We also have the final portion of the Choza and Zabuza fight was well. As you read, Shang did not write this piece since I was still playing in my head whether to kill Choza or not. I didn't fully decide on whether to do it or not until this chapter and ultimately, I decided to kill Choza off. To show that no matter how determined you are, no matter how strong your inner resolve is, the good guys don't always win. No matter how much you may want to. You also don't always get the chance to leave behind any parting words or messages to your loved ones, sad as that is.
Still Shang did write the other two portions, so do give him credit on those. I quite enjoyed them and I can only hope my ending portion lived up to the hype he set in the first two.
Alright, I want to address my usage of Naruto here in this story, and that of his upbringing and handlement. Biggest complaint about this story is him, that I've made him too much of an idiot and that his background with Meadow Village should had made him mature, all the more so with the loss of Iruka.
My response is, respectfully, says who?
There is no one specific way to handle development, no matter what the situation is out there. That includes those with unfortunate or extreme backgrounds. Life is filled with examples. Those that come from troubled homes, for instance, can turn out a number of different ways. To being a bully at school to making them feel good about themselves, to being the quiet loner that never speaks because they're keeping everything bottled up inside, to running away from home, to taking their own lives to escape their reality. There is no one set method that mandates how one reacts to their environment.
And if it's not clear by now, Naruto copes with his past by just shoving it out of his mind. Out of sight, out of mind. As long as he doesn't think about it, it doesn't affect him. So he doesn't dwell on it and let it consume his life. After he left Meadow Village, he spent two years basically wandering, during which time he was relatively happen and experience some compassion, so his entire life is not crappy. I mean, come on, he's only twelve. Lot of us were idiots at that age. I'll flat out admit to being one of them.
Now, to be perfectly honest, even with that intention, yes, I could had written and handled him better. Just remember that when I started this story, I was a newbie. With no experience at all at handling something like this, so I just did what I thought was best and hoped it worked out. Now I've got the experience and direction needed. And before anyone asks, no, I'm not going to go back and rework those chapters. Perfect or not, my intentions are still the same now as they were back in 2007 when I started this.
Yes, I could had made Naruto a mature, bright young man. I didn't want to do that, I wanted to show and handle the development. So that in future arcs, people can look back in the beginning of the story and say "Wow, is that really the same Naruto who was such a goof ball in the beginning?" I wanted to follow a general plan of development that the Naruto manga outlined: complete idiot when he started out, then slowly maturing through his experiences. That's what I aim for. And the first real step to that was the end of the Zabuza and Haku fight, so I wanted to keep that same spirit. One Piece has a significantly longer story line than Naruto, so in my planning, I marked the four beginning arcs: Morgan, Buggy, Kuro and Don Krieg to coincide with the NarutoIntroductory and Wave Arc.
And some things were different for him. He didn't care to train in the beginning of the story. What's wrong with that? There was no Leaf Village from him to impress, no Hokageship for him to aim for. The one person who cared was gone and the times he tried by himself had poor results. His main priority/goal was looking and finding Iruka. And I personally think that through the Haku fight, Naruto has shown he's grown and matured to a degree, not the same as he was in the beginning of the story, benefiting from his past experiences and fights and molding the person he is currently.
THAT'S why I showed Naruto as a goof in the beginning, that's why he didn't start out mature and compose: so I can show and handle the development by reflecting on past events that we've all seen. Both as readers and author. So I hope this clears up all intentions and view points on Naruto and lets the matter rest. Which I like to think that any who had stuck with the story this far understand and acknowledge. You don't have to like or even approve of what I did; but if you are going to read my own work, I hope you can at least understand and respect it.
Shinsetsu – new snow
Hyouton: Iteru Jinsoku (Ice Style: To Freeze Quickly) Revised: An upgraded form of the Iteru, designed as a counter for Katons where the freezing nature extinguishes the flames, provided Haku uses more chakra than the opposing attack. Due to this, it also freezes the moisture in the air, creating a hallowed out shell of the attack. Also capable of freezing portions of an opponent's body. C-Ranked Ninjutsu. Original Technique.
Hyoushou Kogoeshinu (Ice Crystal Mirror Death Freezer – Roughly): A last ditch effort by Haku with his Ice Mirrors, sealing them altogether into a large trap like box, then feeding sub-zero temperatures inside to freeze all occupants inside instantaneously. Requires a substantial amount of chakra. If affected, death is all but assured. No rank. Original Technique.
Side note: The reason Sasuke isn't affected is due to Naruto's Kyuubi chakra burst out, with no outlet to escape, filled the entire structure thus blocking the freezing process.
Sensatsu Suishou (Thousand Needles of Death): Sensatsu Suishou is a Ninjutsu technique unique to Haku's bloodline. Unlike every other hand seal, Haku is able to create the technique by forming hand seals on only one hand. To create the needles, Haku forms the needed hand seal and then kicks water into the air with his foot. The water then rises into the air and takes the form of a thousand needles. These needles then come raining down on his target. B Ranked Ninjutsu. Canon Technique.
Kyuubi Claws: When in Kyuubi form, dense chakra will form around Naruto's hands resulting in sharp like claws. When he slashes with them, the damage goes a considerable distance. Due to the dense nature of this, the Kyuubi Claws can be used as makeshift armguards if need be. No rank. Inspired by Grumpywinter
Tajuu Kage Sochi (Multi Shadow Step): A combination of the ordinary Bunshin and Shunshin. User forms a small horde of ordinary clones, then using the Body Flicker technique, makes them constantly appear and disappear around the enemy. Able to both confuse the enemy and allow Haku to regroup. D Ranked Ninjutsu. Original
Hyouton: Aisu Bo (Ice Style: Ice Bo): Forms a bo staff out of ice. Durability depends on the skill of the user, ranging from strong as paper to steel, in Haku's case can make it has hard as iron. C Ranked Ninjutsu. Original Technique.
Hyouton: Aisu Kasui no Jutsu (Ice Style: Ice Spike Technique): Haku creates of row of ice spikes to skewer an opponent from underneath. He individually controls each spike as it's created rather than producing them in mass as a means of more accuracy and less demanding on his chakra reserves. C Ranked Ninjutsu. Original Technique.
Hyouton: Tsunami Furasshu Hyouketsu no Jutsu (Ice Style: Tsunami Flash Freeze): Unleashes a high-pressure blast of water that washes over the victim and/or target. It flash-freezes on contact and traps the victim in a block of ice that could quickly kill if they are left like that for an extended period of time (5 to 10 minutes). Due to the nature of the move, it is highly uncontrollable and when used recklessly can ensnare one's own allies. Requires a massive amount of Chakra to use. (High A-Class Ninjutsu) Created by Tellemicus Sundance
Pulverizing Rocket: Naruto's recreation of Luffy's Gum Gum Rocket, using the Kyuubi chakra arms to stretch due to his own arms not having the ability. Original Technique.
Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hidden Mist Technique): is a Ninjutsu technique utilized by Hidden Mist ninja. The ninja causes the area surrounding their target to be covered in fog. The low visibility allows the ninja to silently and secretly assassinate their target. D Ranked Ninjutsu. Canon Technique.
Kamasuryu: Totsuryuu Kyouran (Barracuda Style: Rushing Frenzy): One of Zabuza's most powerful sword strikes. Zabuza will madly swing his sword at the target at top speed resulting in multiple cuts that are both numerous and damaging. Accuracy is lower as a result but due to the sheer mass of attacks, it's also irrelevant. Able to cut through most anything, including armor. Original Technique.
Nami's Ultimate Idiot Competition – Luffy: 49, Naruto: 58. Currently on hold due to Nami's departure.
May the Kage Bunshin and Gomu Gomu no Bazooka be with you!
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Naruto. They belong to their respective owners: Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto. Big thanks to Zoneshifter D for beta-reading this!