Chapter 34: A Display of Power
"Naruto," Hiraoka said, his voice calm and reassuring, his gaze never leaving Haku. "I was the first to see your worth. Do you really think I'd let you down by losing here?"
"But—!" Naruto tried to protest, his protective instincts warring with his trust.
Uchiha Sasuke placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, silencing him. His dark eyes were fixed on Hiraoka with an intensity that bordered on obsession.
Hiraoka half-turned, his voice dropping so only Sasuke could hear. "You've always wondered about the gap between us, haven't you, Sasuke? The distance you need to cross?"
Sasuke flinched, his composure cracking for a fraction of a second.
"Then watch closely," Hiraoka declared, his tone shifting to one of absolute, unshakable confidence. "And see the summit you must one day conquer."
He turned back to Haku, raising his right hand and spreading his five fingers. "Five minutes," he stated, his voice ringing across the bridge. "That's all I need to defeat you."
A stunned silence fell. The arrogance of the claim was breathtaking.
Uchiha Sasuke felt a cold knot tighten in his stomach. Haku, behind his mask, felt a flicker of doubt—a seed of uncertainty planted by the sheer audacity of the statement.
"Shiro!" Momochi Zabuza's roar cut through the tension. "Don't let his words get to you! He's trying to poison your mind! You are my tool, sharp and emotionless! Remember your purpose!"
The reprimand was a bucket of cold water. Haku's posture straightened, the momentary hesitation vanishing, replaced by the cold, focused resolve of a perfect weapon. His eyes, visible through the slits in his mask, hardened.
Sasuke watched the entire exchange, horrified and fascinated. Hiraoka hadn't just made a boast; he had launched a psychological attack with a single sentence. This is another level of combat, Sasuke realized. It's not just about speed and power.
"Worry about yourself, Zabuza!" Kakashi interjected, unrolling a combat scroll, his Sharingan tracking the missing-nin's every micro-movement.
On their side of the bridge, the fight began in earnest. Haku leaped into the air, his hands a blur as he launched a dense cloud of senbon, each needle aimed with lethal precision.
Hiraoka didn't retreat. His hands moved to his weapon pouches and came out holding a fan of shuriken. With a series of sharp, ringing clangs, he deflected every single senbon mid-air, the deflected needles embedding themselves in the wooden planks of the bridge.
He met Haku's descent, their kunai colliding in a shower of sparks. They became a whirlwind of strikes, parries, and feints, their movements so fast they were barely blurs to Naruto and Sasuke. When they broke apart, they were locked in a stalemate, kunai against kunai.
"You're skilled," Haku acknowledged, his voice calm. "But your five minutes are ticking away. And while we're locked like this, you cannot form seals."
A faint smile touched Haku's lips as he performed the impossible—his free hand wove through a sequence of hand seals. One-handed.
Kakashi's eye widened in genuine shock. "A one-handed seal! He can't be..."
Zabuza laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "It's over, Kakashi! Your brat has miscalculated!"
Hiraoka's smile never wavered. "Is that all?" he asked, his voice light. "Watch this."
To the absolute astonishment of everyone present, Hiraoka's own free hand began to move, mirroring Haku's actions with flawless precision. He, too, was forming a one-handed seal.
"Impossible!" Kakashi breathed.
Uchiha Sasuke felt his legs weaken. The gap he was trying to measure suddenly felt like an abyss. He's been holding back... so much.
Even Zabuza's smug confidence shattered, replaced by a cold dread. This boy... what is he?
Haku's composure broke. For a moment, he was utterly stunned. "You... how?"
"I have my secrets," Hiraoka replied cryptically. "But save your shock. What comes next will be far more... enlightening."
Both of their jutsu completed at the same moment.
"Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Needles!" they shouted in unison.
They stomped their feet, and the puddles on the bridge erupted. Droplets of water shot into the air, crystallizing into thousands of glistening, razor-sharp senbon. The two clouds of needles shot towards each other, colliding in a deafening cacophony of shattering ice, filling the air with a glittering mist.
When the spectacle cleared, both combatants stood unharmed, but the message was clear: they were perfectly matched in this strange, mirrored duel.
"You... you can use one-handed seals," Haku stammered, the revelation shaking him to his core.
Hiraoka simply shrugged. "Like I said, I can't explain it. Just be ready."
Haku took a deep, steadying breath, trying to quell the rising unease in his heart.
"Shiro, stop talking and finish him!" Zabuza roared, his own battle with Kakashi forgotten for a moment. "Use your true power!"
The first five minutes were almost up. The real fight was about to begin.
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Do You Guys Prefer Smart MC Or a Fuck it type MC? Me a mix of both.
Give ME JADE CRYSTALS SO I CAN CULTIVATE