3 Meeting Zabuza

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After scavenging homes of the deceased the very same day, Shou and Haku travelled north. They eventually stayed in the city of Land of Water like cats and dogs in the city. Life is really difficult. Everyone only wants to take care of themselves.

Shou dragged Haku to find a proper job. He asked to be a waiter, to be a chef, to be a sales assistant, but no one wants to hire kids like them. He even went to an orphanage to seek refuge but they said we are already big enough to live on our own.

Why it's like this? He felt angry. So angry and irritated to be treated like this. As if everyone is so heartless.

He's mostly worried for Haku. Since then, he seems to... be mindless, as if he doesn't even want to live. He eats because it pains him to starve. And that's it. Shou felt like breaking down but had to keep going to survive, and to take care of his brother.

Out of desperation, Shou and Haku had to beg in the streets and eat food thrown away by others.

Even dogs would come pick a fight with them for scraps.

Shou feels sorry and pathetic that he can't provide for Haku, despite his past life experience and memories. He just wanted to do an honest job somewhere, he just wants enough to have a little home and eat, why no one wants to hire them?

He felt depressed and in pain deep inside. The fact that he can't stop any of it, and things happens so suddenly still haunts him at night.

But due to his higher mental age at least he didn't shut down like Haku did and strived forward. He doesn't want to see Haku hungry. He's just a child. Perhaps he too is just a child.

One a snowy day, Shou can only sit close with Haku to keep themselves warm. The days get colder and colder in the city. Winter is coming soon and at that time the temperature would lower even more. This worries him a lot. They don't have a house, no fire to keep them warm, not enough food to survive the cold.

They will die by the end of winter for sure...

Shou looks up to the sky, asking God why is He doing this to them? He felt mad and angry. Whoever the fuck reincarnates him to such a shitty place, he wished he could beat them, no, KILL THEM. God is really playing a joke on him.

Is it funny? Is that it? And the people here are all shitty. His dad killed his mother mercilessly. The villagers too are stupid like they have no brain to kill an innocent woman who just wants to live like any other person. And he and his brother are literal kids and they are so evil to want to kill them? This fucking world is messed the fuck up.

"Shou…?". Haku look at his brother while hugging him for warm. Haku can feel Shou's body is getting cold. And Haku can even see steam coming from his skin… as if frost is growing inside him.

Suddenly Haku felt it.

Huh!? The anger, rage, madness like a beast that can explode at any time coming from his little brother.

He is scared, he let go of his arms and move away a little.

But that feeling grow stronger and stronger.

"Shou… Shou…". Haku felt so scared. He cried while calling out to him.

?!

Haku was scared because now he sees a blurry light blue apparition around him. Like a monster. Its figure resembles a warrior of some kind, and yet its face is scary and not human

"Shou!". Haku does not want his little brother to be like this. He run and immediately hug him tight.

"Shou…". Haku felt the coldness seeped into his bone, reaching his bones. His little brother is suffering…

Haku realised this now. His tears show signs of freezing as it drops.

Shou finally came back to his sense and turned to look at Haku.

"Haku… I am sorry…".

Shou sees Haku is crying and, he realised what's going on with him. He doesn't understand…

It's as if, something in him, changed. For the worse or the better he doesn't know.

Seeing Haku crying next to him makes him cry as well. It's really difficult…

Few days passes by.

While sitting on the side of a bridge, Haku and Shou noticed a figure with bandages covering half of his face. He carried a large blade on his back, and had a headband showing his identity as a ninja.

Zabuza? Shou noticed the figure. It's definitely him.

It should be this time that...

Zabuza noticed them both and glanced at them.

He looked at Shou, and then at Haku. He stops seeing them.

In Shou's mind… Zabuza might be the closest they have to escape this predicament. Perhaps...

He looks at Zabuza, to see if he would say something to them.

"Hah. Pathetic little brats". He said that looking at Shou and Haku who seems cold, homeless, hungry, powerless, and only by themselves. He looks at Shou who seems to be only at 5 years old, and Haku who's only 7.

He approached both of them. As for the reason, he felt that these kids had gone through something and just felt like spitting on their faces for fun.

"No one wants you huh. By winter ends, you would be starving and left with nothing. Die like dogs in the streets".

Zabuza said so out of whim.

"Brother, you have the same eyes as me...". Haku spoke what he thought, surprising Zabuza.

He looks at Haku's eyes, and he felt a familiarity with himself. He looks at Shou, and also sees the same eyes. Although... Shou seems different.

Haku seems like he has no thoughts on life, but Shou is different. After all, Shou is at most 16 years old inside and he has a purpose to protect Haku, the only family he has left.

"You, how old are you?". He asked Shou. It's clear he is younger than Haku from his body size. And that's also why it confuses him why he seems more mature from his eyes.

"I am 4 years old".

Zabuza is surprised seeing the clarity in Shou's eyes – a sign of maturity like an adult.

"Do you want a purpose?". He asked both of them.

Haku looked at Zabuza, and then at Shou.

"I will give you a purpose and power to protect each other. In exchange become my tools to be used at my will".

Zabuza sees the siblings care for each other. But that's it. They are just brats that would die in the streets eventually. Becoming his tools for such benefits is a good deal.

Haku looks at Shou. Haku had always felt he was unwanted because of the cursed bloodline. He only had his brother. But his life felt like it has no purpose since everything that had happened. And when the man tells him he could have such a purpose, and power to protect his only little brother, he wants to follow that man.

"Shou...".

Shou sees it in Haku's eyes. He had always been, lifeless. And now... it seems they can have a purpose in life. Serving Zabuza as a tool in exchange to gaining power to protect each other...

Shou decides to take this path. He nods at Haku.

"We will become your tool, brother".

"Yes. We will be your tool". Haku chimed in.

'Stand up'. Zabuza said to them both. Shou and Haku stood and walk closer to Zabuza. Suddenly Zabuza drag them both and held their shoulders close. He pats their heads and ask them to follow him from now on.

Shou felt the hand patting his head, making him feel secure for once, as if he finally has someone he can rely on in this cruel world. And he can gain power following this man.

While for Haku, he too felt a sense of security and a mean to achieve his purpose – to protect his little brother and serving this man.

Zabuza raised them secretly, making a small base in a desolate forest. He cannot bring them to kirigakure for obvious reasons – they are both kekkei genkai users and they would be killed if they know. And for him, he wants his tools to use their kekkei genkai as it would limit them if they had to hide it.

They are both raised to be a Shinobi to be used as tools in secret.

Because of their young age and lack of foundation and basics, he focused on stamina building, and chakra manipulation and control through exercises like running, pushing up, walking on trees, walking on water, and leaf concentration exercise.

He is surprised, because he found that Shou and Haku are really talented. In an hour, they can already walk along the tree. Although Shou lost his grip and fell first, caught by Zabuza.

Shou felt embarrassed to be held by him.

Zabuza notes that Shou, being only 4 years old is too young. But it's already amazing he could walk on the tree to begin with even for few seconds.

They both are monster geniuses.

He sees how they both can lift up the leaf for more than an hour. He stopped the training. Did they train chakra manipulation before??

He does not want to believe they are not just monster, but demons from birth. He finally inquired.

Shou tells everything and show it to him, what he did for chakra manipulation and transformation. He made an ice castle in seconds. And add details with a little more mental focus with a little princess on the ice castle. He forms a spherical container and add snow in them in few seconds.

Zabuza had his mouth wide open under the bandages covering his mouth. Yuki clan? He found people from Yuki clan of Ice Release by chance!? And this extent of chakra manipulation and transformation? He actually found gem from picking up a random kid?

In honesty, he only expects them to be useful maybe reaching Chunin and at best Jonin level to be his blade. But he felt like he hit the jackpot.

He inquired since when they began, playing, like this.

"Haku, show me".

Haku shows Zabuza his skill to make sculptures. He made a ice rabbit. He can even make some fur, although its more like spikes. Then the ear moves, and the rabbit even stands up!

What a great chakra control!

He not only found 1 gems, but a whopping 2. He felt excited deep inside. His dream of changing his country is in front of his eyes. As long as these 2 tools of his grow strong, they would help him achieve his dream.

Even considering the time they 'play', they are still monster genius given the little time they trained. It's not like they do this 16 hours a day daily don't they.

Zabuza makes a slightly different plan for Shou, focusing on physical exercises and meditation more since he needed to build chakra reserve.

While Haku includes a little more chakra manipulation exercises. He thinks them 'playing' with their ice sculptures is the best chakra manipulation and transformation for them already and so he give them both that time.

Shou raised his eyebrow a little bit, and felt its funny. It's like Zabuza gave them time to play. Zabuza noticed the little smile.

"What are you smiling about?".

Shou is startled.

"I just feel happy to be your tool, Zabuza-sama". He gave an excuse fast.

'Then train harder'. He replied with cold eyes.

As their physical fitness improves, he feels it's time to teach them hand signs and throwing weapons for ninjas with kunai and shuriken.

He watched as they make their first clone technique after teaching them the 3 hand signs.

Ram → Snake → Tiger

Poof! A clone which is a fake body that contain only 1/10th of the user strength is produced by both of them. To think they can both do this at first time. Monster genius? No. Demon geniuses. Even he felt envious. If he had talent like this perhaps he could even becomes the Mizukage at this point. The Clone Technique is different and not the same with Shadow Clone Technique since it cannot transfer memory and has lesser risk.

He also makes them practice on hitting targets from distance away, correcting their postures and instructing them like a teacher. In Shou's mind, Zabuza is already his teacher and mentor. Or rather, his guardian.

"You must be decisive; each strike must be to kill".

Shou and Haku nod at his words, throwing the shuriken to the target. Over time, they can hit stationary targets close to the centre mark.

He nods at their progress.

The training continues over the year. In that time, Zabuza decides to teach them about the human body, even bringing a corpse who knows he got from where to show them. The 8 spots of the human body is where they need to strike for kill.

The larynx, the lungs, the liver, the spine, the jugular and subclavian veins, the kidneys, and finally the heart.

Shou looks at his brother Haku, to see if he feels uncomfortable. He does, but he endured fairly easily. A stranger corpse is nothing compared to the corpse of his own father and mother. Shou too, thinks the same. They are both traumatized enough that they are unfazed.

Sometimes Zabuza also brings them out to the mountain to catch wild meat. Haku manage to catch and rabbit and bring it with him. Shou managed to get a fat fowl.

Shou sees Haku has a smile on his face, cuddling with the bunny. Shou felt glad really, that Haku shows his child side again. He felt glad to Zabuza for giving them shelter and security. Although in his mind it's an exchange or a trade, but he really considered Zabuza as his teacher and mentor.

Shou can smile a little, seeing Haku kissing the bunny. They both jog to Zabuza. Zabuza watched as the bunny struggle and run away from Haku. Haku chased after it, along with Shou following. He catches the rabbit and give it to Haku. Haku smiled and hug the rabbit again. Shou also shows Zabuza the fat fowl. He pats Haku and Shou both seeing them. He is fond of his favourite tools and blades. Him patting them is akin to polishing and cleaning his swords.

Zabuza taught them how to survive, how to process wild meat, how to cook; but seeing they both can do so he inquired about their lives out of curiosity. Haku told him about their lives back then. Although he missed his mother, but he remained strong with no tear in his eyes.

Zabuza just nods in understanding. This story is common in Land of Water. Although for him it's stupid for people to fear Kekkei Genkai and judged the death of the villagers as justified and deserved. This is also one of the thing he wanted to change in the Land of Water.

For him, the strongest should stand at the top, including people with kekkei genkai. He even felt envious of strength and potential shown by Shou and Haku.

A lot of the times Zabuza leave them here and there for days, and even weeks as he does missions to earn a living as a Kirigakure ninja. During those times, both Shou and Haku diligently train.

One day, Zabuza suddenly said he is leaving for a long time. He mentions he has a dream to change the country. And before he leaves, he mentions he doesn't need compassion, or support, or friends. He only needs useful tools and asked them to train while he's gone to be useful for him.

"I am your tool that you can use as you see fit, I will be useful to you soon Zabuza-sama. And I am forever grateful to you". Shou said sincerely because he gave them both shelter, taught them, and they have their own purpose and means to it.

"Don't be grateful to me. I give you means to your purpose and power, while you become my tool. Shinobi does not need gratitude".

He said coldly after hearing the words. He does not need gratitude or emotional attachment, only loyalty.

"Yes. Zabuza-sama". Shou just nods. But in his heart, he already knew in the Naruto show Zabuza does see Haku as more than just tools and cried for him in the end.

Over time, Shou had already regarded him truly as someone important to him. Shou knows Zabuza had always held his own heart at bay, closing his heart all the time. But since he knew deep down Zabuza does care for them he appreciates him a lot. When he pats his head, he can feel he does care subconsciously. He just does not want to open his heart to caring for someone.

"I am your tool Zabuza-sama. Your word is your command. I will be useful to you". Haku chimed in as well.

Zabuza looks at Shou and Haku, he smiles under the bandages covering his face.

"What good kids".

He really found good blades.

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