My eyes darted around from treetops to the forest floor as I crouched low behind a bush. Last thing I needed was to alert my prey. I had a sinking suspicion that whomever was out here was keeping tabs on us for whatever reason, so it was a good guess that they could already tell I was missing from my group.
My prey was good at hiding; I'll give them that. It took almost all of my concentration to block out the surrounding noise and pinpoint the scent. I crept along the bottoms of the trees and slowly made my way towards the imposter as silent as possible.
Thanks to years of hunting, I was a little more in control of my chakra than most kids my age. Many animals had a certain intuition for chakra sensing, especially prey. As a predator I knew exactly how to hide my chakra sense to minimal existence, then to blend that minimal signature with the surrounding nature chakra to make myself almost non-existent; at least, to anyone on high alert for an attack.
It was difficult to find, but with patience and silence I was able to locate my prey. They had long dark brown hair cascading down their back over, strangely masculine, robes. They also held a mask by their hip with odd markings on it. They watched the fight totally at ease as if simply observing a match they already knew the outcome to.
I was instantly suspicious.
I contemplated my options of attack as I watched the stranger. I considered what each of my teammates might do in my situation. Naruto would charge headfirst with a yell, instantly alerting the enemy. Sasuke would silently attack him. Sakura would probably stay hidden and continue to watch him. Kakashi-sensei would probably try to talk to him and get some information.
I decided to try and mimic my teacher.
"Is there a reason you've been watching us?" I asked the stranger causing him to jump and turn to me, instantly on the defensive. He was actually... incredibly pretty for a boy. It was kind of strange to see honestly. In comparison to him I looked about as lady-like as a rock.
"Hello, I didn't notice you coming. I did note your absence from the battle and wondered where you had gone off. It seems you've found me. I'm quite surprised." He spoke in a gentle tone, which at this point only served to make me more aggravated as my own tone sounded gravely in comparison.
"Is there a reason you've been watching us?" I repeated, unable to halt myself from baring my teeth in an animalistic fashion at the boy to express my annoyance. He eyed my teeth with caution that served to calm me slightly. I was pleased he felt the need to be cautious around me; he should.
"You see this mask?" he asked gesturing to the mask he held, "I'm a tracker nin from the Village Hidden in the Rain. Zabuza is my target." I narrowed my eyes at him. I've never heard of a tracker nin before, but I suppose the notion made sense. After all, some ninja held village secrets and had to be taken out.
"It seems if I wait here long enough, your team will take care of my target for me." I took a step back from the boy, physically taken aback by the sheer rudeness of his intentions.
"You plan to take someone else's prey? After they had worked hard to bring it down?" I knew the answer to these questions, but couldn't help them come tumbling out. The mere thought of such a dishonorable act sent angry trembles down my spine.
How dare he?
His silence answered my questions.
"You have two options," I began in a low and threatening tone, "you can expose yourself and help my team to bring down your prey, or you can face me instead. Either way, you won't be getting out of here with your hands clean of fight." I narrowed my eyes at him as I waited for a reaction that didn't come. The boy seemed so cold. Not a single emotion touched his frozen facial expression.
I supposed this is what a real ninja must be like. After all, we're only tools to our village and tools weren't meant to have feelings, only to do as they're told.
"I hoped we could remain allies in this, but it seems I have no choice." He drew his weapon of choice; little needles that I had seen only once before in my life.
So he chose to battle me instead of reveal himself to his enemy. I wonder if this means he's choosing Zabuza over me?
Copying the boy before me I too drew my kunai. I stood on guard waiting for him to attack first. If I was being honest with myself, I really didn't want to fight him. After all he's a tracker nin and has to be crazy skilled to gain a title at such a young age. No doubt he has more experience than me. Not to mention, he has to be a true hardened ninja to be able to hide his emotions so easily.
No doubt about it, I was in over my head with this boy.
But I did have one saving grace. My overanalyzing and assumption of his skill would make me cautious and paranoid, two incredibly life saving traits for a ninja. My only goal in this fight would be to walk away alive. If I were to fall then my team wouldn't even be able to come help me since they don't know where I am and I'm the only one with tracking abilities.
"Before we begin," he spoke, still not having braced himself for our oncoming battle, "I would like to know the name of my opponent. It isn't often that I'm challenged so outright." I quirked an eyebrow at him.
What an odd boy...
"My name is Miyu, and since we're exchanging names would you care to share yours?"
"I am Haku. I would like to let you know that I do not wish to hurt you, Miyu." I nodded to him.
"You seem like a gentle person and a smart ninja. I have to say, poaching someone else's prey seems out of character for someone like you."
"And yet, you just met me." Haku took that moment to go on the offensive taking me off guard.
He threw some of his needles my way and I was able to block them and jump away from the final few. The needles clanged softly against my kunai and I narrowed my eyes.
Surly a ninja of his standard has immense strength. The sound should've been much louder. We're far enough away that the sounds of a fight wouldn't reach my team. So why is he throwing so softly? Is he taking it easy on me?
Without much time to consider the possibilities, Haku had approached me. He produced another needle from inside his sleeve, a smart place to hide his weapons, and struck out at me. He aimed for my neck; no doubt he knew the human body well with such a precise weapon. I bent backwards to avoid his attack.
I quickly caught myself with my hands, my body now in a bridge. I decided to try a similar move as the one I used so long ago against Sasuke and flipped my feet up. I caught Haku in his chest and was able to kick him with enough strength to give myself some breathing room from his advances. I flipped myself back to my feet and readied myself once more. Haku paused to catch his breath and I let him do so.
"You have a strange fighting style. I've never seen anything like it before." Unable to withhold my smirk I nodded to him.
"I didn't learn from the village if that's what you're asking. I taught myself." He nodded and tossed more needles at me. I only avoided a few of them this time. One hit my right arm, my stronger arm, and the other hit my right leg.
I curled my nose, noting that thanks to his attack my stronger side was now weaker. He must've done that on purpose. In a split second decision I tossed my kunai to my left hand and hoped that I could teach myself to be ambidextrous in this moment.
If he's observant enough to tell which is my dominant side then he must've noticed other weaknesses as well.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves. The last thing I needed in this moment was to feel helpless. I'm a ninja of the Leaf, the Uchiha blood runs through my veins, and my pack has taught me well; I'm far from helpless.
This time I took the offensive and approached him quickly. I swiped with my kunai at his neck in a sloppy version of what he did earlier. Using my upper attack as a diversion, I swept my foot out to catch his feet. My foot caught one of his and he stumbled but it wasn't enough to send him to the ground, more just to throw him off balance.
Using his unsteadiness to my advantage I drew back a few paces while making memorized hand-signs to help channel my chakra.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu." I murmured out and blew at my fingertips. A, we'll call it medium sized, fireball shot out from my breath towards Haku.
Having just regained his balance Haku stumbled to dodge my attack. The fireball fizzled out just past Haku and I noted with satisfaction that I was able to singe his robes. One sleeve of his robe was completely burned off and he had some mild burns on his arm along with his ankle.
Haku knelt once the danger had passed. I paused in my advances feeling like the victor, but Haku seemed distracted.
"I enjoyed our fight, but it seems that it must come to an end. Perhaps we will meet again." Using speed he had certainly been holding back from during our fight, he was before me. I blinked, startled by his advance.
"You were holding back!" I accused, outraged. Haku, instead of answering me, gave me an angelic smile as he plunged a needle I hadn't noticed into my neck. I suddenly didn't feel well and the world spun.
"Until next time." He spoke, the words only half registered on my hazy brain. The last thing I remembered was collapsing into his arms.