Konoha: Starting with the Tenseigan, Taking Charge of Team 7

"Hehe..." Yuki Haku covered his mouth and laughed softly. Aogetsu Hyuga looked nowhere near as dangerous in his sleep as he had last time. Back then, he had seemed to look down on everyone from above, as though they were all toys for his amusement...

Arrogant, overbearing, willful, and cruel. He liked to toy with his enemies, and his overwhelming strength drove them to despair. That had been Haku's first impression of Cangyue.

Haku recalled their fight. A flush spread across his fair face, and embarrassed anger flashed in his eyes.

Thousand Years of Death!

He still remembered it. That move was called Thousand Years of Death!

Disaster Ninja?

Wrong!

Pervert Ninja!

Haku raised a hand toward Cangyue's neck. If he could finish Cangyue here, Mr. Zabuza would be pleased, wouldn't he?

And in three days, they wouldn't need to show up for their appointment with Team 7. The Sealing on his body would disappear, and Mr. Zabuza would get a great deal of money.

Haku glanced at the three members of Team 7 training hard in the distance. His hand stopped short of Cangyue's neck. He bit his lip, hesitated, and finally relented.

To those children, Cangyue was someone important, wasn't he?

Haku picked up a blanket and draped it over Aogetsu Hyuga.

"Smart choice. You were one step from death just now." Cangyue Hyuga slowly opened his eyes and looked calmly at Haku.

He had only been pretending to sleep. He wanted to see what Haku would do.

The moment Haku entered his range, he had awakened.

More precisely, he had used the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power to cover the entire mountain in electromagnetic waves, then sensed someone entering the field.

"It's been chilly lately. Be careful not to catch a cold if you sleep outside." Haku smiled, looking both graceful and adorable.

"Graceful and considerate." Cangyue Hyuga glanced at the blanket and teased, "You really are a good wom... man."

"By the way, how's your backside?" Cangyue Hyuga looked at Haku.

"Your... filthy technique!" Haku instinctively stepped back, covering his backside through his kimono as he eyed Aogetsu Hyuga warily. He was genuinely afraid Cangyue would use Thousand Years of Death again.

"Honestly, you should quit being a ninja. You'd be better off playing saint at an orphanage than living among cold-blooded killers." Cangyue Hyuga sat up and looked at Haku coolly. "From your perspective, that was your only chance to eliminate an enemy. But you were naive and softhearted, so you let it go."

"Softheartedness is where failure begins. It'll be your downfall."

Aogetsu Hyuga had never shown mercy. Even when his enemies were beautiful women, he could toy with them and dispose of them without a second thought.

An enemy was an enemy. Whether there was a grudge or not, they had to be dealt with.

Many ninja bore each other no hatred. They simply stood on opposite sides, and that meant fighting to the death. Such was the life of a ninja.

But Haku was too softhearted.

Haku chuckled. "You're interesting, Mr. Pervert. Lecturing an enemy?"

This was the first time an enemy had lectured him. It felt strange, to say the least.

Softhearted?

Then so be it.

Cangyue Hyuga said seriously, "An enemy? To me, only someone equal in strength deserves that title. With power as meager as yours, I can hardly consider you one."

Haku tilted his head and asked curiously, "Then what am I 4.0?"

Aogetsu Hyuga held up a finger and smiled. "A toy. A tool to help me finish my mission."

Just a toy.

Nothing more than a tool for the mission.

He had never taken Haku seriously.

Haku was speechless. "You really are a pervert, Mr. Pervert. I'd rather you considered me your enemy."

A toy?

Now he actually wished Cangyue would see him as an enemy.

Mr. Cangyue was just as the rumors said: cruel enough to smile as he toyed with his enemies until they died, using his overwhelming power.

It was too much.

"Do you have someone important to you? Someone you love so much you'd protect them no matter the cost?" Haku tucked his hair behind his ear, a faint smile on his lips as he remembered the first time he met Zabuza.

To him, Zabuza mattered more than his own life.

To protect that person, he would gladly become a tool without feelings or even thoughts. As long as he could stay by Zabuza's side, it would all be worth it.

Haku smiled warmly. "I have someone very important to me. I'd give everything for him."

Cangyue Hyuga replied casually, "Even your backside, you little lovesick fool?"

"My backside?" Haku froze. Then his face turned crimson, and he shot Cangyue an indignant glare. "Pervert!"

Cangyue Hyuga said, "Everything, huh? I might kill you."

"People become incredibly strong when they're protecting someone important." Haku's lips curved into a happy smile. "On a snowy day, he became my only salvation and the only place I belonged."

"Even if he treats me as a tool, I'm happy. Even dying would be worth it."

So Cute, But... He's a Man!

When Haku awakened his Kekkei Genkai, everyone around him saw him as a monster. They feared and hated him. Even his parents had tried to burn him to death.

Haku had been in despair. When he was at his most helpless, Zabuza appeared and told him his power had value.

He knew Zabuza was using him. But even if Zabuza treated him as a tool, he was still Haku's only salvation—and his reason to live!

"Love is the most twisted curse. You're beyond saving." A mocking smile touched Aogetsu Hyuga's lips.

Utterly foolish.

The moment someone became willing to die for another person, they were beyond saving.

Rushing to one's death was the stupidest choice. Staying alive was the smart one.

Haku was willing to die for the person he admired most, to become an unfeeling tool for him.

That was already a twisted curse.

Still, Haku's conviction was firm. That much deserved respect.

"A curse? My Kekkei Genkai is more like one." Bitterness touched Haku's smile. If he hadn't awakened Ice Release, why would his parents have hated him? Why would everyone else have seen him as a monster?

"Is that so? Maybe." Cangyue Hyuga grumbled inwardly.

Obito Uchiha takes the blame!

The reason Kirigakure had once hunted so many ninja with Kekkei Genkai was that Obito Uchiha had controlled Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage.

Kirigakure's reputation as the Bloody Mist Village was Obito Uchiha's doing too.

Come to think of it...

Nearly every upheaval in the ninja world had the Uchiha behind it. The Nine-Tails incident, the Bloody Mist Village—the Uchiha Clan really knew how to stir up trouble.

Haku's expression turned solemn, his voice firm. "He is the reason I exist and the purpose of my life. He needs my power. Working for him, fighting for him, helping him fulfill his dream—that is my dream."

Back when everyone had seen him as a monster and even his parents had hated him, Zabuza Momochi had reached out a warm hand to him in that snowy winter.

He had said he needed Haku's power.

Even as a tool to be used, Haku was still needed.

When someone drowning in despair and self-loathing heard that they were needed, it felt wonderful.

Haku tilted his head, his smile gentle and composed. "And now, because of him, I've even come to like this power that made everyone call me a monster."

"I've never 18 wanted anyone to need me. I'm the one who picks my toys. I'll take that touching speech as your last words." Aogetsu Hyuga picked up the noodles he had prepared, blew on them, and spoke indistinctly as he ate. "Phew... phew... hot! Yesterday I was holding a lovely older woman while eating expensive meat. Today I'm sitting on a mountain eating lousy instant noodles. Life really is unpredictable."

Haku's childhood was much like Naruto's. Both had been treated as monsters, but the people they met had led them down different ninja paths.

"You spent too much money," Haku remarked.

"Mr. Cangyue, your students are all Genin, aren't they? Five days of training can't possibly let them defeat Mr. Zabuza, a Jonin." Haku looked toward the three training hard in the distance.

He clearly remembered how, when Cangyue fought Zabuza, the three young ninja of Team 7 had been too frightened to move.

Zabuza's killing intent had completely overwhelmed them. Later, when Haku fought Cangyue, all three could do was watch helplessly from afar.

That alone showed how weak they were. They couldn't stand against a Jonin like Zabuza yet.

What difference could five days of hard training make?

It was too little, too late!

When the decisive battle came in three days, Team 7 was certain to lose!

Haku wasn't underestimating Team 7. He thought they were talented, but talent would matter later. No matter how hard the three worked now, they couldn't defeat a Jonin.

Especially not with only five days to train!

"Don't say that. You can do a lot in five days. Give me five days and I could turn that proud woman Mei Terumi into an obedient little puppy." Aogetsu Hyuga took a sip of noodle broth and let out a contented breath. "Is it really so hard to make Team 7 grow stronger in just five days?"

"Of course, I was joking about that first part. Mei Terumi has a pretty forceful personality."

"Pervert Ninja," Haku muttered.

What was that supposed to mean?

Train Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage, like a puppy?

She's a genuine Kage Level powerhouse!

Mr. Cangyue really will say anything!

No matter how capable Mr. Cangyue was, he couldn't make three Genin strong enough to defeat a Jonin in five short days, could he?

If people could get strong in five days, powerful ninja would be everywhere!

Mr. Cangyue probably meant to test Team 7's resolve. They would train hard, lose to Zabuza, and have their determination ignited by the defeat.

"Teacher Cangyue, how am I supposed to break this rub... ber ball..." Naruto Uzumaki ran over holding a rubber ball, ready to complain. But before he could finish, he spotted the delicate, beautiful Yuki Haku.

Naruto stared at Haku, his cheeks flushing as he muttered without thinking, "So cute. Even cuter than Sakura..."

Whoa!

There's a girl this cute?

My heart's racing!

"Naruto, you idiot! What did you say?" Some distance away, Sakura Haruno caught his muttering as if she had ears like a hawk. She rolled up her sleeves, charged over, and punched him.

Bam! Before Naruto Uzumaki could react, Sakura Haruno sent him flying with one punch. He sailed a long way before crashing awkwardly into a tree trunk, shaking loose a shower of leaves.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Tears welled in Naruto's eyes as he clutched his head and rolled across the ground. The pain felt as though an iron hammer had knocked him flying.

Sakura's punches are even stronger than before!

"Sakura, that was mean..." Naruto looked up at Sakura Haruno with pleading eyes. He had only muttered something under his breath. He hadn't expected her to get so angry and hit him so hard.

"H-huh?" Sakura Haruno stared in disbelief at how far she had sent Naruto flying. Her face reddened with embarrassment, and she scratched her cheek. "Sorry. I... didn't hit you hard."

She really hadn't used much strength. She had only meant to give him a light smack to vent her irritation. She never imagined one punch would send Naruto Uzumaki flying so far.

"You didn't?" Fear flashed in Naruto Uzumaki's eyes, and he swallowed.

She's that strong without trying?

Is this how much Sakura's training has paid off?

If she really put her strength into it... I don't even want to think about it!

I'd better stop making Sakura angry.

Haku covered his mouth and laughed softly. "Hehe... Your students are entertaining."

Naruto Uzumaki got to his feet, still holding his head, and hurried over to Aogetsu Hyuga. He pointed at him indignantly. "You lousy teacher! We're training our hearts out over there, and you're here chatting with a pretty lady!"

"You little brat. Didn't I teach you to respect your elders and look after the young?" Aogetsu Hyuga gave Naruto a cool look, then sent him flying with a backhanded slap.

"Aaah!" Naruto Uzumaki tumbled through the air several times before slamming heavily into the ground.

"Idiot." Sakura Haruno covered her eyes. She couldn't bear to watch Naruto anymore.

How many times does Naruto have to get hit before he learns?