"What did I tell you about attacking strangers?"
She looks at me. What a revolting face.
"Don't give me that look, Haku."
It's disgustingly cute. Sparkling tear-drops in her ghastly complexion – the barest bit of a pout on her swollen lips.
"Alright, alright, I get it Haku. Just stop it already, jeez..." manipulative little bitch.
I've created a monster.
"Yare yare... if he keeps following us I'm definitely going to kill him though,"
She actually gets a little alarmed at my joke. She's failing her arms.
"What? You don't want me to? I could drag him out to one of these alleys and hit him in the jugular," I wouldn't even need my sword, my hands alone are dense enough, "No one would hear a thing. Besides, he's just a shrimp."
"Why does everyone make fun of my height?!"
Haku and I turn to the voice in the bushes.
"You're pretty bad at stealth ne?"
Naruto bravely steps from the bushes. He takes a wide stance.
"What're you thinking, gaki?"
"I challenge you to a fight!"
I almost chuckle.
"Are you serious? Do you have any idea what's on my back?" my sword is obscured by a tarp, but it doesn't leave much to the imagination...
"I'll fight you, here and now! C'mon! I won't lose!"
I glance at Haku.
Is this guy serious?
Honestly, I've not fought anyone in a long time. Not that I'm rusty – I have to train Haku, but, since I found her, I've never run into anybody worth my time. Thugs, drunkards, mostly – occasionally a missing-nin. It would be nice to swing my sword around, but this kid's not even worth talking to.
"Kid, what do you want?"
"I want to fight you!"
It's dark, I had my sake, I didn't have my ramen. I'm tired and I don't want to deal with spoiled little boys. Especially not now.
"No you don't. You want something else. What is it?"
Naruto relaxes and folds his arms.
"Train me."
It takes me a while to process that.
"What?"
"I said," he's reluctant to say it again, "–train me!"
Train me!
Ethereal fog and mist lurk behind the trees. High soggy grass and foul water congeal under our feet. Mud under my toenails.
And there's Kisame... his training sword in his hand, challenging that priest.
If you seek power, I will not aid you.
I saw you! I saw you! You killed that thief!
It is regrettable.
Don't lie! You're a ninja! I know it!
Lies? I don't understand.
What are you doing sitting around praying? Stop lying to yourself! I know a ninja when I see one!
I am, I was and I am, I always will be. That too, is regrettable. But, I have no regrets. Leave here and do not–
If you won't teach me–
"No."
The boy's calmness collapses, "Then fight me!"
I gesture to the people that scurry past us.
"If I fought you, it would endanger innocents. And then Haku would be prohibited from entering the exam,"
"T-Then I'll fight you, over there!" he points off into the forest.
"There is no different from here..." I snort, "Besides, you're clearly unmatched. It wouldn't even be worth my time."
"Don't underestimate me!"
The priest leans to the side of Kisame's vertical slash. He grabs the fool's collar and midsection and flips him like he weighs nothing – slamming his body into the temple walkway.
His wrinkled face, obscured by noon shadows, looks up.
"Get this boy some help, would you, Zabuza-chan?"
- - -
Naruto charges forward, all of his frustration, rage, and sadness imbued into a single, wide-arcing punch.
Zabuza catches it easily. His open palm then closes on the tiny fist.
He can't fight the grin on his face, "That was pretty weak, gaki! I think Haku could punch harder than you when she was still in diapers."
"Arghh!" his teeth almost appear to elongate, "Fuck you!"
He catches his second punch.
"Don't try to hook. It's too slow. A straight punch has a better chance at catching someone off guard. Not that you would hit me, even then."
He glances at his stance, "And your weight is improperly distributed. I could flip you from here."
Before he can continue though, Haku appears besides the blond.
"Hmm? What's up Haku?"
She looks up at him, smiling just slightly.
"Shadow clone."
Just then, a flying kick comes speeding from a sakura tree behind him.
Zabuza releases the clone and pivots, barely capturing the genin's ankle just before he can bury his foot in his chin.
The swordsman holds Naruto up with one hand, his smile has changed slightly.
"Interesting. Shadow clones? And you didn't make a sound either. Perhaps you're better than I first thought."
Like a club, he slams Naruto's body into an adjacent park bench.
He goes out like a light.
"Well, that's that." Zabuza turns around to find the shadow clone he'd released seconds earlier, "Or not?"
Naruto scratches his hair sheepishly, "Ahh no, I'm done."
He explodes in a cloud of smoke.
When he turns again, Haku is at Naruto's corpse. She's examining his lifeless body with a bit of interest. It's rather cute.
"Weak."
"Huh? Oh yeah. He's weak sauce. I didn't know Konoha taught its genin Jounin-level techniques though, heh."
"You know where he lives?"
She shakes her head.
"Well, I guess..." she gives him that puppy look again, "Alright, alright! Jeez..."
"He can sleep on the floor."
- - -
Some filler? I guess there's some development here.
I know it's not much, but I have a criminally short attention span, and unless I release this, I'll just delete it and rewrite it a hundred times.
Thank you for your reviews, I really appreciate them.