Orphans of Time Chapter 15

Behind his mask Haku found that most people didn't question him, there was something about the masks that intimidated the rank and file.  While the Konoha Anbu preferred masks with animal designs, the Hunter Nin in Kiri went with more natural designs as though the job they performed were as natural as the winds and the waves blowing away refuse.

There was a hidden tension in the air, something he had always been able to sense.  The infirmary was around the corner but he didn't dare go inside, far too many guards and his time was short in any case.  Listening to the water in the pipes flowing through the walls, Haku found a leaky faucet and froze the water as it came out of the pipe.  Using an ice eye technique he saw and heard through the icicle as it hung from the faucet at the far end of the room from where everyone else sat.

Zaku was the first to catch his eye; he was both one-armed and unconscious.  On a sealing scroll next to him lay his other arm which looked the worse for wear.  The sealing would keep it in stasis should the surgeons try to reattach it or simply send it off to Otogakure.

Most of the attention was at the far end of the room where Kakashi and the Hokage surrounded the young Uchiha boy.  While Sasuke was near unconscious though in pain, it was clear their conversation centered on Orochimaru.  Haku felt a twinge of his nerves at the thought that he might be traced to the scene for the help he had rendered to the Haruno girl, but he didn't regret it.

Finally his eye rested on Kin, who was sitting in a corner with an ice pack for her head.  On a table next to her was a liquid which was most likely an herbal blend to help her with her concussion.  There was a calm sort of depression on her face, part defeat part resignation.  Odd that he expected her to show a hint of anger, some sort of determination to never fail again.  It was almost as though he was looking at a girl who had failed her last chance, sitting in a cell of her own mind waiting for an executioner's blade.

"No, you aren't waiting for a quick retribution like Zabuza's sword.  You are afraid but you know you can't escape."  Letting the ice melt, Haku made his way back to the stadium but his thoughts were troubled.  Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, would likely not reward failure.

Stopping himself, a question tugged at his thoughts, 'Why do I care?'  These young genin from the Sound Village did not mean anything to him.  What was the connection?  It was a question that bothered him in part because he was so quick to find answers.  Reachign the stadium he climbed up the ramp to the balcony and leaned back against the wall.  No longer interested in the fights, he tried to think of the answer but all he could see was the look on the girl's face as she lay unconscious.

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"Inuzuka Kiba versus Uzumaki Naruto."  The announcer waited for the fighters to face off in the arena before letting them fight.  Zabuza knew that in any other situation the Ninken user would have an advantage, but between the Shadow Clone technique and dumb luck, the idiotic Naruto would have the edge in this fight.  Despite the advantage in speed, strength and tactics, sure enough Naruto came out on top.  The fight did nothing but make him angry, it ended on such a gimmick.

The next fight did not interest him either, a duel between Hyuuga Clan members.  Behind him Ao was sweating and watching intently, that eye he kept hidden from the world was something he was not comfortable having in Konoha, least of all at this moment.  Thankfully research had proven that his eye was hidden from detection by other Byakugan, but nervous was nervous nonetheless.

A technically interesting fist fight, but swordplay beat taijutsu every time, provided the swordsman was even half competent.  It was another dragged on fight that seemed to get Naruto riled up, but otherwise it ended predictably.  The confident young man beat the withdrawn younger girl.  Still, to have such a contrast of strength and weakness in a single Clan, Konoha had to show a high level of strength to conceal its weaknesses.

"I kind of feel sorry for her."  Chojuro said in an aside.  Naruto jumped down and made some sort of blood oath of vengeance against the Hyuuga boy.

"Personally I'd feel sorrier for him, calling out the Hyuuga like that."  He'd need more than luck to beat the skill that was obviously concealed behind those white devil eyes.

"The next match: Yuki Haku versus Onoda Ryouichi."

"Seems like fate is pinning us all against the same team from Konoha.  He's the teammate of the man Chojuro fought."  Haku jumped down to face off against his opponent, as Zabuza stole a glance at the other member of the team; a man in his middle years with glasses, wearing a very formal shirt and vest.  His look was a sharp contrast to his younger teammate facing Haku who was a large man in his early twenties with a skintight, sleeveless black shirt.  Dark Brown hair and eyes that seemed to be glazed over, as though lost in a trance.  It was a difficult expression to read, Haku would have to rely on body movements to work out his strategy.

At the word, their fight began.  Haku ran in close range, punching at Ryouchi with hidden senbon in his fists.  Clearly not a slouch at taijutsu, he managed to parry and dodge most of the punches; most, not all, as after a couple minutes he did have pins sticking out of specific pressure points.

"I know those pressure points," Chojuro confidently observed, "Haku is slowly paralyzing him."

"Not quite.  The needles aren't going in far enough."  Ao corrected, it was easier to let the older voice reply Chojuro's enthusiasm and questions.  Ao's job was to instruct Chojuro and give him information; Zabuza had begun to take an interest in Chojuro and would teach him how to think and how to act.  Even if he partially succeeded, he would make life harder for Ao and the Mizukage in their attempts to correct the boy's attitude, which was fine by Zabuza.

Ao had been right though, something was odd about Haku's opponent.  Not much more time elapsed before Zabuza saw it.  A Stoneskin technique, it was gradual in development, where more advanced users could bring it out instantaneously.  No longer wasting senbon on profitless attacks, Haku decided to withdraw to medium range and see where his opponent would make his move.

Sure enough the rock user made his advance.  Charging Haku, he threw stones seemingly conjured from air at Haku.  The technique was subtle, pulling up materials from the ground and transferring it through the stone armor to his hands.  One strategy to defeating someone like this would be to remove him from his element, get him up in the air or in the water.  But this was Haku's fight to win.

It was looking bad for a moment, Haku backed against the wall and upon touching it was grasped by hidden hands of stone which trapped his arms and legs.  Charging at full speed, Ryouichi crashed into the stone wall, sending shattered pieces of ice all across the floor.  One piece seemed to flatten into an ice mirror and out stepped Haku.  The other shards of ice expanded as the room grew colder, eventually the ice formed into three perfect clones of Haku, in shape only.

Rebounding from the wall, Ryouichi charged Haku again, smashing the ice statues and grabbing Haku in his grip.  "You're mine now boy."

"Actually, that's my line." A gasp raised from all the onlookers as icicles began forming all over Ryouichi's body, freezing him in place.  Freeing himself from the icy grip, Haku circled his opponent and with a single strike to his back said, "Shimoyake."  With that the icicles shattered and so to did Ryouichi's stone armor.  Letting his opponent fall to the ground, shivering and blue with cold, Haku calmly walked back to where he had landed when he went down and jumped back up to the spot he had been standing before.  The ice evaporated and returned to vapor and the room returned to normal temperature.

Naruto went over to congratulate Haku, praising him alongside Chojuro and a couple other rookies.  From across the room the eyes of Gaara were intently fixed on something, a big difference from the cold disregard he had given every other fighter other than the Uchiha and Hyuuga boys.

Shrugging his shoulders, Zabuza felt eager at the thought of his own upcoming fight.  Perhaps he would face Gaara; it would feel good to have the sword in his hands again.  So see how he would fare against the kazekage's son.  But now was Haku's moment and truth being told it would likely always be Haku's moment.  He knew his brother's potential exceeded his own, yet for some reason Haku relied on Zabuza for direction.  Already the pretext of coming to Konoha was serving everyone's ends: Chojuro's corruption, Zabuza's ambition, the Mizukage's reformation; but the question bothered Zabuza, how best would this experience serve Haku?  Heavy thoughts, not anything to have on one's mind when going into a fight, yet those were his thoughts.