Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow of the Lightning Kitsune ❯ The Back-Up Squad ( Chapter 5 )

Title: Shadow of the Lightning Kitsune

Chapter: 04 - The Back-Up Squad

Beta: None

Rating: T (swearing, jumpy!Harry, flashbacks)

Date / Words: Nov 10, 2007 / 1169

Disclaimer: Not mine.

"That was almost disturbingly sentimental. Almost, but what you managed to do to the other three made up for it. Really Harii, killing kittens?" Zabuza, damn his hide, grinned shark-like from the branch above him. It was so unfair that Zabuza could sneak up on him no matter what. Although... Harry smirked.

"Really, kittens? I thought it was more indignant fan girl with a hint of shocked despair." Oh, Zabuza was so rubbing off on him.

"Harii-kun. One Zabuza is more than enough." Haku's muffled voice sounded behind him. Harry, predictably, jumped.

"Damnit Haku! What have I said about that?" He turned swiftly to glare at his partner/brother.

"My apologies Harii-kun."

Harry softly snorted before waving his hand dismissively. "And you dare complain about me acting like Zabuza." Harry smirked to himself when Haku's chakra took on a distinctly pouty feel.

"Enough brat. Haku, did you find the second squad?"

Haku and Harry came to attention. Time for playing was over.

"Yes Zabuza-sama. I followed them for a time and managed to hear their names. A boy named Kiba Inuzuka carries a puppy with him along with a white eyed girl named Hinata. There is another boy in a trench coat and sunglasses called Shino and the cell leader is a red eyed woman named Kurenai. Her eyes appear to be natural and not a bloodline."

"Hn. Recognize any of them Harii?'

"The Inuzuka are combat and tracking specialists. Their bloodline allows them to bond to a dog and then share abilities with them. How did you find out his last name and not the others anyways?"

"The boy, Shino, made a comment concerning his teammate."

"Ah, okay. The white eyed child is undoubtedly a Hyuuga. Their bloodline is the Byakugan which offers them 360 degree vision and allows them to see a person's chakra system. They have a fighting technique called Gentle Fist centered around their bloodline.

"The last one sounds like an Aburame... shit!" Harry's head jerked and he looked suspiciously at Haku before jumping up next to Zabuza. "Haku stay put and suppress your chakra as much as possible."

Zabuza looks askance at his second protégé. "What's wrong?"

"The Aburame bloodline is the problem. They use kikai bugs to invisibly track their opponents and drain them of chakra. They are also the most secretive clan in leaf. I don't know much else about them." Harry explained quickly before putting his hands in the serpent seal and concentrating.

-----Flashback-----

Zabuza hadn't been happy getting saddled with another brat to train. Haku had been a once in a lifetime opportunity. A child with such a powerful bloodline willing to work for anyone who showed him the vaguest amount of kindness. Zabuza had recognized his worth immediately, with the proper training he could be a powerful tool and loyal to him, Zabuza, alone. He didn't pass it up.

Harry though, the strange little brat had been foisted on him just because of some stupid party trick. He was small, weak, almost fragile really. Like one of those porcelain dolls Haku looked at when he thought Zabuza wasn't watching. The brat would never survive training to be a shinobi and yet...he had looked excited at the prospect. The little doll's eyes had glowed with determination and then, the reason he had agreed to the mad scheme, something within him stirred. It was chakra, barely there but the density of that minor bit was amazing. Suddenly, Zabuza had another tool to forge.

-----

In a clearing, three days east of Gatou's compound and hidden under a couple of fairly strong layered genjutsu, was a willow tree. The massive girth, requiring three men of Zabuza's size to encompass, was testament to its age. The scars littering the bark told of its strength. The willow had seen and survived many storms, whether of nature or man and seemed intent on surviving many more.

It never met Harry Potter before.

The doll, Harry, did not respond well to being called 'boy'. The Zabuza sized crater in the trunk was proof of that. One moment the Demon of the Mist was trying to make Harry summon his chakra, and when he failed Zabuza lit into the "useless boy wasting his time." Maybe it wasn't so much the word itself as the derogatory tone used when it was said. Either way, the dense chakra from before whipped up from no where and sent Zabuza careening into the willow's trunk.

Harry never apologized. Zabuza never asked. Surprisingly, Zabuza never called him 'boy' in his vicinity again. Haku would become adept at healing large contusions, abrasions, and broken bones-- especially the ribcage.

-----

It took months for Harry to be able to summon his chakra at will. Thankfully, his physical fitness was so far below par that his chakra wasn't first priority. Unfortunately, his physical fitness was so far below par that it was the only priority for two months.

When Harry was finally able to summon his chakra four and a half months had passed, and it only worked if he used the serpent seal. Neither Zabuza nor Haku knew why and it took another two months to figure it out. Two months, an introduction to Land Swimmer, Quick Strike and Bush Hider, and one extraordinarily pissed off Shichibi no Youko. He had had nightmares for a week straight. However, on the plus side, he found out why he could only summon chakra with one seal; Shichibi was such a bastard. After that particular life threatening incident Harry could summon his chakra using any seal but the serpent was best for concentration. (1)

A year after being foisted on 'Demon of the Mist' Momochi Zabuza and his apprentice Harry was high-chunin level taijutsu, low-chunin level genjutsu, and below average genin in ninjutsu.

-----End Flashback-----

The kikai bugs of the Aburame clan were unique in their ability to consume chakra. Their natural state was that of a chakra 'void', requiring them to absorb the chakra of other beings to live and reproduce. If the Aburame, Shino, had successfully placed a kikai on Haku, Harry could theoretically locate it if he looked for an absence or dip in the natural chakra around them. By having Haku suppress his chakra any abnormalities in his chakra should become more obvious.

And what do you know?

"Gotcha!" In an instant Harry was beside Haku, a small beetle held carefully between his fingers. Haku tree hopped next to Zabuza, carefully avoiding Harry and the beetle.

"Well? Kill it already."

"That isn't necessarily the best idea, sir. Aburame's are hyper-aware of their bugs. If I squish this little guy..." Harry shrugged helplessly, unsure what to do.

"It's just a tracer. We'll go on ahead while you plant that on someone else. You know where to meet us."

Nodding curtly, Zabuza disappeared from sight without a sound. Haku signed 'be safe' before following.

Sighing softly to himself, he glared at the kikai, beads clacking softly in agitation. "Well, let's go visit Naruto. You'll just love his chakra."

1 - AbeoUmbra pointed out some folks might need a small explanation here:

Land Swimmer, Quick Strike, and Bush Hider are all names of snakes Harry knows. Refer to “Is That Snake Cringing?”

Shichibi no Youko is the bastard offspring of Kyuubi reincarnated (not sealed!) into Harry. Refer to “Not So Loony Luna”