23 Yuki 'Spar!'

The two brothers continued their spar mostly using taijutsu till now. Haku testing out his strength and agility was surprised that with his level of speed he still was falling behind in his attacks. He knew that he needed to start moving faster.

So far both brothers were sizing each other up. Sato already knew that he was stronger than even Kage level shinobi but this was his brother he was sparring with. He had no inclination about ending it early.

This was a test to see his nii-san's level and what weaknesses he should focus on. Sato had decided from the beginning that he would hold back his power and slowly release it, growing stronger as the fight goes on.

This way he could measure Haku's strength and skills.

Fukushima also watching the battle ongoing noticed what the state of the spar between brothers were. He could see that Sato was holding back but also that Haku did not use any ninjutsu as well.

Akina and Midori had worried looks on their faces. They knew that the boys were only testing their strength and would soon resort to more destructive purposes to battle. They only hoped that they would not overdo it.

( Back to the battle )

Haku launched a flip kick towards Sato. He jumped with his kick and rotated his body spinning backwards to exert the power he gathered from his initial forward inertia to power his kick towards Sato.

Sato dodged the kick by slightly stepping back making Haku's kick pass his face by only a couple centimeters. Then once he was out of the radius of the attack he launched a jab towards Haku. This jab would connect towards Haku's back where the lungs were located.

Haku quickly adjusted himself in order to avoid the oncoming attack. He twisted in mid -air bring his feet to his chest hoping the velocity of his rotation would allow him the time to move away from the jab.

Once he landed back on his feet he saw Sato's punch miss him by only a couple inches. A cold sweat dropped from his forehead and ran down the side to his cheeks. He could feel the danger from that attack.

Although it did not exert a lot of power the speed of the attack was immense and if it were to connect then it would have disrupted the function of his right lungs giving him difficulty in breathing.

Haku knew that he was being outclassed in the Hand to Hand department so he decided to switch things in hopes of catching Sato off guard.

He quickly formed hand seals and from his mouth came a water bullet heading towards Sato.

"Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu ( Water Release: Water Bullet Technique )" shouted Haku.

A large quantity of water in the form of a powerful torrent aimed towards Sato came intending to clash upon him trying to render him unconscious.

Sato however did something that Haku did not expect. Raising his hands in front of him, a large ball of fire formed from almost nothingness a few feet from his hands. With the fireball formed he launched it towards Haku's jutsu.

Both attacks met and both cancelled each other's forming a spread of mist in the air.

Shocked by what his brother just did, Haku stared in the direction of his brother waiting for the mist to clear. As it did, he spotted Sato standing there waiting on the next attack that Haku was going to deliver.

"I did not expect you to be able to use Katon jutsu without forming any hand seals. That was quite the shock otouto." spoke Haku.

"It seems I've underestimated you too much" continued Haku.

"Be prepared brother, I will not be holding back." stated Haku preparing to unleash his next jutsu quickly performing the required hand seals for them.

"Hyoton: Hissatsu Hyōsō" shouted Haku.

Several large ice spikes emerge from below trying to impale anyone in it's vicinity. This was an area of effect attack and while lethal in an enclosed area was not so strong in an outdoor environment. Nonetheless it was still a deadly technique and was aimed at limiting the area of mobility of Sato.

Sato for his part flared some Qi energy and with a flash of black and white, reduced the oncoming attack to little more than a passing wind with a swing of his arm.

Ice started crushing and being reduced to fine shards of particles gently flowing away with the wind.

Haku's deadly attack of ice became nothing more than a breeze that chilled the air. If it was not a battle this wind would have been refreshing to the spectators.

However this was not the case for most. They stood there with stunned expressions and mouths opened. Some who were whispering comments about the hand to hand combat that was displayed earlier were now stuttering about the techniques being displayed.

Once the attack was reduced and the wind settled both brothers stood there unmoving.

Haku was trying to comprehend how Sato was able to cancel his jutsu and the speed of his own jutsu. Also he felt that weird energy once again that he felt before. It did not seem similar to chakra and felt like something else entirely.

Haku narrowed his eyes towards his brother. Whatever he was using in his techniques were of a unknown source and he did not like the feeling of not knowing what it is.

Sato for his part, was neither bothered by using his Qi in the spar.

That jutsu Haku used against him was rather destructive and while there were other ways to have handled it he wanted to stop it from disabling his movement.

Sato spoke for the first time since the match started, "Be careful nii-san, I will be relatiating now."

With that he took a position that had his left foot forward and his body facing to his right with his right foot back. Then while his face was still on Haku his right hand went outwards from this position making it seem as he was pointing towards something off to the side of both brothers.

Just when his hand was perpendicular to the ground a greenish blue light started forming in front of his right hand. Sato held his hand out and then while the energy was forming he held his palm up stabilizing the energy.

What formed from it was a straight line of about three inches thick and four feet in length. It had a greenish blue hue and a flame like aura on both ends. It emitted a stable but most certainly destructive force.

Once the formation of his attack was completed Sato grabbed towards it with his hand gripping the attack in his palm. He rotated it with a spin making his hand grasping the attack go from an overhand grip to an underhanded one.

He brought his hand to the side of his head and took aim at Haku.

"Kōri no Yari ( Lance of Ice )" spoke Sato with a small whisper.

"That is bad" replied Haku eyeing the attack that spelt his doom.

After calling it's name Sato threw the attack at Haku. The speed of the lance was quick and deadly. It took some time to form the attack but the travel time and the launch were blazing fast. In less than one second the attack reached Haku.

Haku was wide-eyed at the speed of the attack. It left no room to counter and would surely hit any opponent Sato wanted it to.

Yet Haku had already performed the necessary hand seals and held the last seal up. When the attack were but a mere centimeter from him, a log of wood had instead taken the brunt of the attack.

Haku had splendidly replaced himself with a well timed 'Replacement Jutsu'.

Even still the attack had grazed him at the chest and when he looked towards it, ice had formed a layer over part of him.

Narrowly missing him by only a centimeter yet still incasing him with ice. Haku wondered what would have happened had he taken the full hit.

He did not have to ponder on it for long, for when he looked back at the attack which hit the log and then pierced through it, it was continuing to the further end of the training ground. The lance attack hit the ground and caused a small earthquake.

Then right after a beam of greenish blue energy penetrated towards the sky and expanded in circumference of the end of the training ground with an explosion of Ice. After the light died everyone looked on with awe as a pillar of ice in the shape of a cylinder stood.

The attack form a ice cylinder as huge as a tower and wide enough to almost expand out of the training field. Some trees that were part of the forest around the clan had toppled over and frozen in place.

Haku had a cold sweat flowing down his face looking at that attack. His face became ghastly and he tensed at the thought of the attack hitting him.

"Hmm, it still needs refinement and better control", stated Sato.

As he said this all attention came back on him. All the chūnin shinobi and genin present in the area had to get out of the way of that attack. They had to run in the direction Sato was standing but still did not dare to enter the area where the battle took place.

The backlash from the explosion came and blew wind across the grounds fiercely. Trees off to the sides of the training grounds were swaying with the wind. Some were on the verge of toppling over.

Akane and Midori along with the others were also shocked. Fukushima was awe-shocked. He had never seen an ice attack like this.

Akane was worried but with awe in her eyes at the attack. Such a devastating move was displayed before her and not only that but was aimed at her eldest son. This made her very worried and furious Sato would use such a move against Haku.

She would have to have a stern talking with both boys once this 'spar' was over that was for sure.

Both boys had a shiver run up their spines for some reason they did not know. All they thought of it was 'a promise of pain' and it had them dreading it.

Just outside the barrier where they were sparring, the Anbu that was stationed there by the Hokage were still trying to spy on them. They felt the earthquake of the attack and almost fell from their spots on the trees.

"Damn, what was that!" asked one of the Anbu.

"I don't know" spoke another.

"Shit!, we have to see what's going on in there." stated another who seem to be the captain of the group.

"I can't believe we are missing this match ARGHHH!" screamed another Anbu. From the scream you can tell that it was a female but you could not tell anything else.

( Back with Sato )

"Although I wanted to test this attack, there are still some issues with it once it leaves a certain range from me. I guess for now it will have to do with being a short-to-mid range attack." spoke Sato.

Just as he finished speaking another lance formed and he grabbed it with his right hand again.

Everyone looking widen their eyes even further.

'He can make more of those?' was the universal thought from everyone.

Haku was the one who was sweating even more now. This attack was going to be used at him.

He wanted to know his otouto power but never thought he'd be this powerful.

He readied himself and drew his favorite weapon, senbons. With his senbons in his hands Haku threw them at Sato. His free hands were now able to form hand seals and the second he threw his senbons he performed the seals necessary for his next jutsu.

"Makyō Hyōshō ( Secret Jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors )" whispered Haku.

Then Ice mirrors formed encompassing both Sato and Haku. Haku got ready and stepped into his mirrors like the time he did with Sasuke and Naruto. He wanted to battle Sato with his favorite jutsu.

Sato stood their with his 'Kōri no Yari' in hand. He was still calm but that was only because he already knew about this jutsu.

He took a stance with his Kōri no Yari and ran towards a mirror. Reaching before the mirror he pulled his hand back with his lance and then pushed forward driving the lance through the mirror.

Haku who was inside another mirror looked on in shock as Sato drove his lance through his mirror. The lance penetrated it and dispersed the mirror then Sato was able to walk out of his jutsu.

This meant that Sato had just rendered his jutsu useless. Haku with no other choice cancelled his jutsu and stood with senbons in his hands.

With that Haku's only choice would be another taijutsu fight but with Sato's Kōri no Yari he was sure he would not be able to fight at close range. His best bet was long distance with ranged attacks and throwing senbons but then again Sato could just throw his Kōri no Yari to incapacitate him.

The last time he did a ranged attack with Suiton, Sato countered with a somewhat similar to Katon jutsu fireball and he had other hidden techniques.

It would seem that Haku found out his weaknesses. While his taijutsu was not bad and he could work on it to be better his ninjutsu arsenal was lacking. He did not have any genjutsu either but he was sure he could learn it.

His opponent was his otouto and was probably still holding back on him but in a real fight he would be hard pressed with the situation he is in from this spar.

His opponents in the future would not wait for him to attack and would surely exploit his weaknesses. This spar had enlightened him on what he could work on.

With a slight smile on his face he looked towards both Sato and then towards Zabuza.

"I surrender!" stated Haku.

He had gotten what he wanted. He tested his strength and found what he could improve on. Most of all he had some semblance on what his otouto could do. Although he was still holding back and probably had even more dangerous abilities hidden from him, the techniques he performed were more that shocking to say the least.

Sato smiled when Haku announced his surrender. He was having some fun 'sparring' with his nii-san.

He was bonding with him and showing him where his weaknesses and strengths lie.

Now both of them could train together and they could share any enlightenment they achieve on some techniques that suited them.

Zabuza announced the ending of the spar and had a satisfied look on his face. Getting rid of boredom was very irritating for him, thankfully this 'spar' was able to satisfy his boredom and the attack Sato unleashed somehow got his blood boiling. That attack was amazing for him.

He could not wait to be back in the field and he missed his Kubikiribōchō immensely.

Akane walked towards the two boys who were in the middle, standing before each other and ending their 'spar'. She came to the side of both boys wearing a demonic expression hidden behind that motherly smile on her face.

Everyone who saw her walking to both boys shuddered and while they wanted to speak with the two boys on their 'spar' they did not. They were scared off by Akane's smile that promised death.

Sato and Haku turned to their mother and they both paled. They had fun fighting each other and did not pay much attention to the observers during the fight. It was only now that they remembered that their MOTHER was watching them.

She slowly and agonizingly made her way to them with a smile that was just barely holding back her rage. Both boys knew this smile and they turned to look back at each other. Seeing the look of helplessness they had on each others face they could only chuckle scared for what was to come.

"Oh boys!" called their loving mother.

Both yuki brothers had a cold sweat runned down their faces, their spine tingled showing their fear.

If this was not the worst for them, when they looked to the side of their mother they saw something worse. It was their aunt Midori, who had the same expression on her face. Both Akane and Midori were sisters and both cared for Sato and Haku.

Seeing the two of them, they could only wait for the scolding that was about to come.