An Early Autumn

by Granate, 2005


Disclaimer: Don't own, not making any money!

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From his cover in the trees, Zabuza formed the last seal and his water clone finished off the swordsman with one final slash.  It was so fast, the man probably hadn't even seen it before he died.  The Demon came out of hiding and moved towards the river, where Haku was using the water for his ice mirror technique on the other swordsman thug.  Zabuza could see that he had frozen a section of the river and was using the hard surface as one of his mirrors.  Zabuza had never seen him do that before.

He could feel the formidable chakra as he approached.  Such power.  Not only was Haku keeping the river frozen, he had a dozen ice mirrors up and he was moving so fast that even Zabuza had to concentrate to see him.  He stood outside the ice formation, watching Haku's prey run around slashing at the mirrors with his utterly ineffective sword.  There were already numerous cuts and several needles protruding from various parts of his body, all non-lethal.  Looked like Haku wanted to practice.

Haku chased him around for a bit, letting him work himself into a frenzy, shouting crude obscenities and charging the mirrors indiscriminately.  Without warning, eight needles landed in the man's neck, each two inches apart and forming a perfect circle.  When it came to techniques of his bloodline limit, Haku was not just a perfectionist, he was an artist.

The thug collapsed to the ground, his sword clattered onto the ice and slid away.  He grappled for the blade, trying to stand and pull the needles out.  He slipped on the ice and coughed up blood.

"That's enough," Zabuza barked as he fearlessly entered the ice dome.  Haku stopped immediately and became visible.  Now able to see him, the thug reached again for the sword.  

"Zabuza-san," Haku said.  Without taking his eyes off Zabuza, he sunk a needle into the center of the thug's hand before he could pick up his sword.  The man screamed and thrashed on the ice.  Zabuza walked over to him and lifted him up by the vest.

"You," the man rasped, trying to sneer despite the needles in his neck.  "What kind of sick monster are you?" he gurgled, blood dribbling down his chin and neck, "Letting the kid torture me and stepping in for the kill."  

He reached his hand back as if to hit Zabuza with the spike imbedded in his palm but Zabuza caught his wrist and wrenched the needle out.  The man screamed in pain again and Zabuza snorted out loud.  The swordsman was pathetic, he had no self-control.  This was no ninja, just another thug whose bloodlust was far greater than his skill.

"A monster?" Zabuza asked.  "You should thank me - I'm putting you out of your misery."  The man choked and clawed at Zabuza's hand and Zabuza rammed the needle into his temple.  He instantly went limp and Zabuza threw him to the ice.  The mirrors melted away but the river remained frozen.  Haku stood at his side.

"Two more across the river," he said softly.  Zabuza nodded and they turned to face the new opponents.

A tattooed man with an eye patch and a scarecrow-ish man in a hat stood calmly on the bank of the river.  The sun was setting behind them, casting an orange glow on the unseasonally frozen river.  Zabuza did not recognize either of the men from the current target list they were working on.  

The shorter one in the hat applauded.  "That was some fancy work, there," he whistled.

"You've got five seconds to get out of my sight or you're next," Zabuza snarled.

"Easy now," the guy placated, "we just want to talk business, Mr. Demon."

"I'm in the middle of a job," Zabuza bit out, "tight schedule."

"Is that so?  Well, when you're finished, come to the Land of the Waves.  Gato's got a job for you," the guy in the hat said before both of them turned and walked away.

Zabuza and Haku looked at each other and then walked wordlessly to the other riverbank.  Zabuza glanced over his shoulder and watched the ice melt behind them.  He had been Haku's teacher since he took the boy in; he had taught Haku everything he knew.  Zabuza's best techniques were water manipulations, but Haku was much more advanced than he could ever be because of the bloodline limit he possessed.  Exploring those capabilities was completely up to him

"Your ice mirror technique is becoming very sophisticated," Zabuza said when they were in safer territory nearer to their current hide-out.  "The frozen river was a new addition."

"It worked well for the illusion, but I don't think I'll do it again.  Too much scrabbling about," Haku said.

Too inelegant, Zabuza thought.  Haku liked to give his enemies more of a fair chance.  Zabuza was not that way, but it wasn't something he wished to change about Haku.  It was almost amazing that this kindness had not been trained out of Haku by now.  Zabuza expected a lot of him, he wanted to make sure that Haku could use more than his bloodline limit and water techniques.  He put Haku through some of the harshest, deadliest training imaginable, the sort that was banned in most villages, exactly the kind Zabuza himself had undergone.  

Brutal training was one thing, but Zabuza was careful.  Although Haku was his tool, his property, Zabuza did not abuse him.  A dog could turn on its master.  Abuse and mistreatment could cause deep, deep resentment.  He knew first hand.  After killing his classmates years ago, he made sure to kill his master before running away from his village.  He couldn't afford mistrust in this situation, he had to depend on Haku to back him up.  Occasionally, he had to trust Haku to care for him while he was injured or even unconscious.  He certainly couldn't afford Haku running away and losing such a powerful tool.  It was more convenient for Haku to worship him than live in fear of his raised hand.

They skirted a rice paddy, now under the full cover of darkness.  Their hide-out was just on the other side of the tree line, past a patch of tall red flowers.  Zabuza could not recall the name or significance of this flower, he didn't have a mind for such things, but for just a moment he wished he could remember as they waded through the field.  

"The higan-bana are blooming," Haku said as if he could read Zabuza' thoughts.  He idly brushed his hand over the spidery, crimson blossoms as he walked.  "Seems a little early."

Zabuza paused and Haku stopped next to him.

"Zabuza-san?" Haku asked.  "What is it?  I don't sense anyone."

"Is that a scratch?" Zabuza asked.  He reached out to Haku, cradling his face and tilting it up so he could see.  The light of the new moon lit the boy's face clearly.

There was no scratch.  He knew there was no scratch, the worthless bodyguard Haku had been fighting hadn't even gotten close to him.  Zabuza's fingers pushed the boy's long hair back, stroked over his smooth, pale face.  He used to simply pat Haku on the head.  So it was like this now, was it?  

Brown eyes were closed, trusting.  It was like this more and more recently, these strange moments when time seemed to stop.  Unable to stop himself, Zabuza ran one roughened thumb over Haku's lower lip.  He could feel a slight tremble there and eyelids fluttered almost imperceptibly.

"Zabuza-san, I was ready," Haku whispered.  "Ready to kill for you."

Zabuza did not answer.  Without opening his eyes, Haku raised one hand to Zabuza's jaw.  His fingers deftly navigated through the layers wrappings across his master's mouth until he touched skin.  Zabuza wondered how Haku could love him.  He was evil, cruel, and repulsive, with his beady eyes and mouth full of sharpened teeth.

"I do not need you to kill for me," he answered finally.

The boy's eyes opened into dark slits, brown irises indistinguishable through thick lashes.  "There is nothing I will not do for you, Zabuza-san," he breathed.

Haku was an exacting technician and a genius; he could be cold and he could be calculating, but he was not a killer.  If circumstances had been different, if he hadn't been born with this incredible power, he would have been the kind of boy who chased butterflies and kept pet rabbits.  Zabuza would not force him into killing.  There was something so pure about Haku, that even a demon like Zabuza wanted to protect it.  When Haku made his first kill, it should be his own decision.  It should be a fight worthy of his skill and grace.

"You shouldn't waste your time with trash like that," Zabuza said.  He released Haku and took his hand by the wrist, drawing it away.  Haku was too young to know what he was doing.  Besides, if Haku ever became more than a weapon to him, where did that leave him?  He couldn't afford to change the way he thought about Haku.  Zabuza turned and they continued on their way.  If Haku had any thoughts, they went unsaid for now, and Zabuza was grateful for that.  The boy could only ever be his tool.  This was the life of a ninja.

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