Zabuhaku (Zabuza x Haku), shounen ai/shota. Manga spoilers for volume 3
and the beginning of 4; anime spoilers for episodes 9 - 12 or so. I'm not
*terribly* familir with the series, yet. A short piece, and my first
Naruto fic; for two characters who I feel deserved a lot more time: Zabuza
and Haku. *sigh* There are dozens of Japanese sites for this pairing,
but I don't think it's as popular in English. Maybe it's that technically,
they are bad guys...
Weak By Akauzu
"You know we're never truly free, Zabuza-san. It won't take them long to figure it out - the older ninja, with the Sharingan... it takes a strong mind as well to use techniques like that. The fatigue from using it should incapacitate him for a week or more, but I sense that he is much like you. The children, too, were not weak. We have a few days, at best." Haku spoke in a soft whisper that sounded more like wind through pines than a human voice, and moved so lightly through the forest that only a few leaves rustled to mark his passing. Even carrying Zabuza's weakened body, his grace belied a dangerous nature.
"You should have killed them. Instead, you attack me. Sometimes I wonder why I keep you around." Haku's pace slowed and he lowered his eyes, staring at the leaf-covered ground. His steps were eerily silent over the carpet of dead leaves.
"If I had killed those children, maybe someone would have... been sad."
"Don't tell me you've developed a soul, Haku." Zabuza sneered. "Put me down for a moment. Your body is too small, and I'm not about to be carried into Gatou's compound." Haku complied, setting Zabuza gently against a tree. It wasn't often that Zabuza showed weakness, and never for very long. Haku had been only a child when he joined the older ninja. For over half his life he had learned the ways of ninjutsu from Zabuza, unlike those children of Leaf Village who knew nothing of death and terror.
"Never allow emotions to rule your actions," was the way of the ninja. But Zabuza knew the true meaning. A true shinobi felt nothing. Under the mask, only incorruptible strength should remain. If it was necessary to kill, the shinobi must act without reservation. "Leave morals to the priests and love to the wives. It's none of your business." Zabuza's unwritten book of ninjitsu was far more powerful. Compassion and sadness were not his to understand. The loneliness that had gripped him when he saw those three young friends - children his own age, and yet he was so much older - that feeling had no place in his heart.
"If we were to kill children, we'd be hunted by two villages. Their families would certainly stalk us, and we don't need the complications of killing locals. It's hard enough as it is to dodge the assassins of the Hidden Mist." Zabuza nodded, apparently agreeing with Haku's judgment. Since they had abandoned the Mist Village, taking with them many sins and secrets, always their faint trail was followed. It was dangerous to linger in one place too long, even working for the underworld leader Gatou, or to leave an impression.
"We should get going. No doubt Gatou will want to know why we failed."
"We did not fail. We merely retreated." Zabuza grinned, slowly dragging his half-numbed body towards Gatou's fortress, not far off. No doubt Gatou's ninjas already knew of their presence, so moving silently was not necessary. Since they had not been attacked, they seemed to be welcome.
"Clever, and sly too. And with an innocent little face that no one would ever suspect. I like you, kid." Haku kept his head lowered so Zabuza could not see the furious blush that tainted his cheeks.
'I am weak, Zabuza-san,' he thought. 'But I must turn my weakness to strength, and live only for your sake.' Long hair shielded eyes that had become glassy. 'Because you... Zabuza-san... something like love for a weak creature like myself cannot mar your perfection.'
~~~~~~~
"Get out!" Their voices were always so harsh - he never looked into their eyes, so the disembodied sounds seemed to blur together in his mind, until he could no longer remember what gentle words sounded like. Perhaps that was in itself a kindness. To remember his parents' faces would be to remember how they died. There was no consolation in rationalizations; thinking that if he had not killed his father then he, too, would join his mother in death.
It was the tainted blood in his veins, carried from that half- recalled mother, which set him apart from everyone else. Years of civil war in the Water Country had produced bloodlines created only to kill. In a time of relative peace, those human weapons were no longer needed. They existed only as objects of fear - weapons with minds and faces, able to understand every move of their targets because they, too, were human.
Haku, still a child and yet corrupted, orphaned by his own hands, subsided on scraps of food thrown to him by villagers - usually aimed at his head. His parents had written his name with the character for "white", but now it seemed as if even his name reflected the blankness of his soul. With empty, uncomprehending eyes, he stared at villagers and yet expected nothing. Until Zabuza had saved him, he had only hoped for the mercy of death.
Zabuza fought dangerously but formidably, pushing forward even though he was but one man. There was no fear in his dark eyes. Someone like Zabuza would never be content to patiently wait for death... he would grasp his own future.
Of course Zabuza only intended to use him as long as he was of use. Haku knew that he did not deserve any more than this, being forsaken. Yet someone now wanted him. Even if he was a mere tool, there had to be some purpose in that. And so, he made the silent choice to devote his life, and whatever power he had inherited from his mother's powerful bloodline, to the service of Zabuza.
Haku's mother had been an acupuncturist - a perfect cover for her hidden ability as a killer. Haku had learned early how to manipulate a person's chakra energy with needles or even a simple touch. He could easily make it so he could no longer feel pain, or the cold nights alone. But now... the dull blur of his purposeless existence was no longer enough.
The older man became his father, his teacher, and in some bizarre one- sided way, a lover... after all, his body and blood belonged to Zabuza alone, for whatever purposes he saw fit. Perhaps, even for the rejected and tainted souls of the world, there could be happiness. Living for another person... that was happiness.
~~~~~~
"Kill me. Zabuza has no need for a weak shinobi." The fox boy's eyes were wild. Hake could sense it... this boy had never killed anyone, and yet there was a spirit inside him capable of destroying thousands. Haku momentarily regretted having to force the boy into killing him - the world had far too few innocents as it stood. But it was inevitable. Without being needed by Zabuza, there was no longer any reason to live.
The fox boy had hesitated too long. Perhaps under other circumstances, they might have been friends... that demon spirit had no doubt set him apart from his village, just as the power of Haku's bloodline had been feared by the Mist people. Friendship was irrelevant, though, at this point. Haku was nearly pleading for death, and reminded the fox child that he had, after all, killed his friend. The dark-haired boy with the Sharingan lay prone on the ground, dripping blood from numerous needle marks on a body that suddenly seemed so small and frail.
However... even in the hands of an experienced ninja, the needle was rarely an instrument of death. Other weapons were far more certain if to kill the opponent was the desired outcome. Haku smiled slightly. The Sharingan child would wake soon enough, once his purpose in this battle was over. His "death" would incite the other into a murderous frenzy; exactly what Haku most desired... and now, the fox child came at him. Haku welcomed oblivion with no defenses.
A stirring at the corner of his mind caused him to dodge the surely fatal attack at the last moment. Zabuza. Zabuza was in danger. The ninja with one Sharingan eye had him trapped by spirit dogs and was preparing to deal the final blow. Without even having to think, Haku placed his own body between the ninja and Zabuza, blocking the full force with nothing more than a child's weak arms. The other ninja's hand went through Haku's body as if he were made of air. Haku had manipulated his chakra so there was no pain, but even he could feel the light, vaporous feeling that quickly overtook his body.
He wanted to look at Zabuza's face again, and tell him that he loved him... a silly dream, but he felt his mind slipping in those last few seconds. And yet Zabuza was behind him. That brought a small smile to his bloodstained face - he had saved Zabuza-san, and there was no greater act for a weak, flawed shinobi like himself.
It was too difficult, now, to focus his eyes on the man who had tried to kill Zabuza, much less to speak. Shaking lips touched by cold struggled to form simple words.
"Zabuza... san..."
Zabuza knew the rest.
Weak By Akauzu
"You know we're never truly free, Zabuza-san. It won't take them long to figure it out - the older ninja, with the Sharingan... it takes a strong mind as well to use techniques like that. The fatigue from using it should incapacitate him for a week or more, but I sense that he is much like you. The children, too, were not weak. We have a few days, at best." Haku spoke in a soft whisper that sounded more like wind through pines than a human voice, and moved so lightly through the forest that only a few leaves rustled to mark his passing. Even carrying Zabuza's weakened body, his grace belied a dangerous nature.
"You should have killed them. Instead, you attack me. Sometimes I wonder why I keep you around." Haku's pace slowed and he lowered his eyes, staring at the leaf-covered ground. His steps were eerily silent over the carpet of dead leaves.
"If I had killed those children, maybe someone would have... been sad."
"Don't tell me you've developed a soul, Haku." Zabuza sneered. "Put me down for a moment. Your body is too small, and I'm not about to be carried into Gatou's compound." Haku complied, setting Zabuza gently against a tree. It wasn't often that Zabuza showed weakness, and never for very long. Haku had been only a child when he joined the older ninja. For over half his life he had learned the ways of ninjutsu from Zabuza, unlike those children of Leaf Village who knew nothing of death and terror.
"Never allow emotions to rule your actions," was the way of the ninja. But Zabuza knew the true meaning. A true shinobi felt nothing. Under the mask, only incorruptible strength should remain. If it was necessary to kill, the shinobi must act without reservation. "Leave morals to the priests and love to the wives. It's none of your business." Zabuza's unwritten book of ninjitsu was far more powerful. Compassion and sadness were not his to understand. The loneliness that had gripped him when he saw those three young friends - children his own age, and yet he was so much older - that feeling had no place in his heart.
"If we were to kill children, we'd be hunted by two villages. Their families would certainly stalk us, and we don't need the complications of killing locals. It's hard enough as it is to dodge the assassins of the Hidden Mist." Zabuza nodded, apparently agreeing with Haku's judgment. Since they had abandoned the Mist Village, taking with them many sins and secrets, always their faint trail was followed. It was dangerous to linger in one place too long, even working for the underworld leader Gatou, or to leave an impression.
"We should get going. No doubt Gatou will want to know why we failed."
"We did not fail. We merely retreated." Zabuza grinned, slowly dragging his half-numbed body towards Gatou's fortress, not far off. No doubt Gatou's ninjas already knew of their presence, so moving silently was not necessary. Since they had not been attacked, they seemed to be welcome.
"Clever, and sly too. And with an innocent little face that no one would ever suspect. I like you, kid." Haku kept his head lowered so Zabuza could not see the furious blush that tainted his cheeks.
'I am weak, Zabuza-san,' he thought. 'But I must turn my weakness to strength, and live only for your sake.' Long hair shielded eyes that had become glassy. 'Because you... Zabuza-san... something like love for a weak creature like myself cannot mar your perfection.'
~~~~~~~
"Get out!" Their voices were always so harsh - he never looked into their eyes, so the disembodied sounds seemed to blur together in his mind, until he could no longer remember what gentle words sounded like. Perhaps that was in itself a kindness. To remember his parents' faces would be to remember how they died. There was no consolation in rationalizations; thinking that if he had not killed his father then he, too, would join his mother in death.
It was the tainted blood in his veins, carried from that half- recalled mother, which set him apart from everyone else. Years of civil war in the Water Country had produced bloodlines created only to kill. In a time of relative peace, those human weapons were no longer needed. They existed only as objects of fear - weapons with minds and faces, able to understand every move of their targets because they, too, were human.
Haku, still a child and yet corrupted, orphaned by his own hands, subsided on scraps of food thrown to him by villagers - usually aimed at his head. His parents had written his name with the character for "white", but now it seemed as if even his name reflected the blankness of his soul. With empty, uncomprehending eyes, he stared at villagers and yet expected nothing. Until Zabuza had saved him, he had only hoped for the mercy of death.
Zabuza fought dangerously but formidably, pushing forward even though he was but one man. There was no fear in his dark eyes. Someone like Zabuza would never be content to patiently wait for death... he would grasp his own future.
Of course Zabuza only intended to use him as long as he was of use. Haku knew that he did not deserve any more than this, being forsaken. Yet someone now wanted him. Even if he was a mere tool, there had to be some purpose in that. And so, he made the silent choice to devote his life, and whatever power he had inherited from his mother's powerful bloodline, to the service of Zabuza.
Haku's mother had been an acupuncturist - a perfect cover for her hidden ability as a killer. Haku had learned early how to manipulate a person's chakra energy with needles or even a simple touch. He could easily make it so he could no longer feel pain, or the cold nights alone. But now... the dull blur of his purposeless existence was no longer enough.
The older man became his father, his teacher, and in some bizarre one- sided way, a lover... after all, his body and blood belonged to Zabuza alone, for whatever purposes he saw fit. Perhaps, even for the rejected and tainted souls of the world, there could be happiness. Living for another person... that was happiness.
~~~~~~
"Kill me. Zabuza has no need for a weak shinobi." The fox boy's eyes were wild. Hake could sense it... this boy had never killed anyone, and yet there was a spirit inside him capable of destroying thousands. Haku momentarily regretted having to force the boy into killing him - the world had far too few innocents as it stood. But it was inevitable. Without being needed by Zabuza, there was no longer any reason to live.
The fox boy had hesitated too long. Perhaps under other circumstances, they might have been friends... that demon spirit had no doubt set him apart from his village, just as the power of Haku's bloodline had been feared by the Mist people. Friendship was irrelevant, though, at this point. Haku was nearly pleading for death, and reminded the fox child that he had, after all, killed his friend. The dark-haired boy with the Sharingan lay prone on the ground, dripping blood from numerous needle marks on a body that suddenly seemed so small and frail.
However... even in the hands of an experienced ninja, the needle was rarely an instrument of death. Other weapons were far more certain if to kill the opponent was the desired outcome. Haku smiled slightly. The Sharingan child would wake soon enough, once his purpose in this battle was over. His "death" would incite the other into a murderous frenzy; exactly what Haku most desired... and now, the fox child came at him. Haku welcomed oblivion with no defenses.
A stirring at the corner of his mind caused him to dodge the surely fatal attack at the last moment. Zabuza. Zabuza was in danger. The ninja with one Sharingan eye had him trapped by spirit dogs and was preparing to deal the final blow. Without even having to think, Haku placed his own body between the ninja and Zabuza, blocking the full force with nothing more than a child's weak arms. The other ninja's hand went through Haku's body as if he were made of air. Haku had manipulated his chakra so there was no pain, but even he could feel the light, vaporous feeling that quickly overtook his body.
He wanted to look at Zabuza's face again, and tell him that he loved him... a silly dream, but he felt his mind slipping in those last few seconds. And yet Zabuza was behind him. That brought a small smile to his bloodstained face - he had saved Zabuza-san, and there was no greater act for a weak, flawed shinobi like himself.
It was too difficult, now, to focus his eyes on the man who had tried to kill Zabuza, much less to speak. Shaking lips touched by cold struggled to form simple words.
"Zabuza... san..."
Zabuza knew the rest.