The Beach - Saturday Afternoon/Evening - Sunset

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

Haku stood on the edge of the beach, wearing his mask, watching the waves move in and out as the tides changed. Taking a deep breath, he slowly moved his arms back and forth, seeming as if he was fighting nothng at all as he moved through his kata forms, joined a moment later by a clone made of water who moved in sync with him, and another, and another until there were four water clones around the boy all doing kata.

[The beach is open. Feel free to poke at Haku, he's just workng out.]

Comments

[southernbender.livejournal.com]

There's been so many people around all day, and between that and saying good-bye to Cameron and Jack, Katara wanted to spend sometime by the water, listening to the waves wash over the beach.

That idea went out of her head the minute she saw the girl waterbending on the beach. She moved closer, trying to be quiet, but too interested to really be silent walking across the sand.

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

Haku dismissed all but one of the water clones and began fighting it, using needles of water turned to ice, as well as hands and fists. He didn't notice Katara as he focused soley on the mock fight.

[southernbender.livejournal.com]

Katara sat down, trying to feel the chi of the water to figure out how she was doing that with her bending.

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

There was chi in the water, or something very like it at least, but probably not something she could understand doing just by watching. After scoring a few hits, the water clone disolved and Haku bent over panting. It wasn't anything like what Zabuza would put him through, so the boy had made sure to work himself harder than normal.

Now that the water clones were gone, he felt the prescence of another person and looked up, nodding to Katara in greeting.

[southernbender.livejournal.com]

"Hi!" Katara said, standing up quickly. "I'm so happy there's a new waterbender. My name's Katara."

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

"Hello Katara," Haku said removing the mask. "I'm Haku, nice to meet you, but what is a waterbender?"

[southernbender.livejournal.com]

"Someone who can manipulate water like you did," Katara said. "But I've never seen someone do it quite like that was before. How did you make the water people attack you?"

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

"They're clones," He said with a smile. "Most ninja that I know can use them, I'm from the Hidden Mist Village and we all use water clones. It's not called water bending where I'm from, it's called a kekkei genkai, which is a bloodline ability."

[southernbender.livejournal.com]

She tried to follow most of that but the end result was the same. "So...it's not something you can teach me?"

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

Her expression was heart breaking. Really. Haku gave her a small smile. "I don't know if I can, it's kind of difficult, but I can try. Do you know anything about how to use Chakra?"

[southernbender.livejournal.com]

"That's an Avatar thing in my world," Katara said. "I know how to feel and move the chi of the water. But I don't know anything about chakra."

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

Haku smiled brightly. "Chi and chakra are just about the same thing," he explained. "Just different terms." Haku thought a moment more and headed towards the edge of the water.

"Try this," he said and slowly went through one or two hand seals. "Move your hands like this and focus your chi, while concentrating on how a water version of you would appear." He said, closing his eyes in concentration and letting his chakra flow through himself, and in a small poof of water there was another Haku standing there.

He didn't expect her to get it the first time at least, his first few times had just produced gelatinous moving puddles.

[southernbender.livejournal.com]

Katara watched Haku as she started her bending and, memorising her form, tried herself.

She moved through the form fairly easily, trying to pull the chi of the water into a clone. When she looked, a misshapen blob was there instead. Katara eyed it and let the water fall back. "Was the form incorrect?" she asked.

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

Kabuto had needed to get out of the cabin for a while, and a walk was a good idea.

The clones caught his attention, as did the obvious chakra-use going on. Something like that was bound to perk the interest of a ninja with questionable morals. He walked down closer, keeping an air about himself of harmless curiosity.

"Are you a ninja?" he asked amiably.

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

"Yes," he said cautiously, noting Kabuto's forehead protector. "I see you're one as well."

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

"Someone else from home, then?" Kabuto smiled, noting Haku's headband as well. "If not, then definitely somewhere like it. Something that coincides with Mist, at least."

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

"Yes," he frowned. "You know my village, but I'm not familiar with yours."

Just because there was a peace between the countries like he told Inara, it didn't mean that they liked each other.

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

"The Hidden Village of Sound? It's in the Rice Country." Kabuto shrugged slightly. "It's a small village still. We're only just starting to become known at all. Participated in the Chuunin exams recently."

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

"Ahh yes, I have heard my partner mention it before," He nodded with a small guarded smile. When Zabuza had mentioned it, it wasn't anything good.

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

Just because the village didn't have the best reputation didn't mean that he could still be a good guy. Especially if he didn't do anything outright evil.

Which he wouldn't. Yet.

"It's...nice," Kabuto said noncomittally. "It has pros and cons, just like here."

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

"Every place does," Haku agreed, noncomittally. "My village included. How do you like it here? Is there anything interesting to learn?"

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

"There are quite a few interesting things here," the older ninja replied. "Konoha's Yondaime Hokage, for example." He smirked.

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

Haku had to think a moment. "Wait... He's the one that died fighting the kyuubi, isn't he?"

[sound-loyalty.livejournal.com]

"Supposedly. But he's definitely not dead, here." Kabuto shrugged. "I was his assistant last term. And I probably will be again this coming term, for the ninja class."

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

"Ahh yes, I signed up for that but there was a clerical error and I was put in the mercenary class." This was interesting information indeed, maybe he would be writing to Zabuza.