Chapter 3: Kaguya Clan

Okay, don't really have much to say here yet for an Author's Note so...Please continue reading and let me know what you think of the story in a review if you have the time. All critics are welcomed. I won't bash you if you don't like it :(

But I'll thank you in advance if you do :)

Onwards with the story. I'm uploading up to chapter 7 today.

Chapter 3

It's been a year since Haku and I have teamed up together and we've been traveling around the land of water gathering information and materials for training when and wherever we can. With the spare money I had from last time we were able to get Haku a new set of clothes and with how unruly and unstable the land of mist is, robbing a few highway bandits and thugs didn't make us feel the least bit guilty.

After this past year our relationship has definitely improved and we don't just silently stare at one another with awkward silence.

"Where are we going this time?" Haku asked.

"We're going to a place where the Kaguya clan used to be, then we'll leave Kirigakure." I replied.

"Kaguya clan? What kind of clan is it?"

"Mmm...it was a brutal clan that believed in killing each other to become stronger."

"Eh, why are we going there big bro? Wouldn't it be pretty dangerous then? It'd be safer to leave from another access point. And what do you mean by used to be? Does that mean it's not there anymore?"

I inwardly smirked. This past year, as our relationship got better Haku started calling me big bro. We also revealed some secrets to each other such as what happened to Haku in his past and how he can use the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai whilst I told him that I'm not actually blind, but was an experimental subject of Orochimaru and had the sharingan planted in my eyes, hence the blindfold.

We continued our conversation while running side by side through a valley.

"Remember when we heard that a clan was wiped out recently because it attacked the hidden mist village?"

Haku nodded and replied, "Yeah I remember. So that Kaguya clan was the one behind that incident?"

I nodded. "We're going to take a look at the aftermath and see if there's any opportunity to get stronger. If we don't have any fruitful harvests then we'll leave for the land of fire and search for Konoha, the village hidden in the leaves. I hear they have a stable economy and that it's relatively safer there than the other villages."

Haku nodded and said, "Okay, I'll follow wherever you go big brother."

I sighed inwardly. I can't possibly tell him that I already know there's someone named Kimimaro, who's a kid like him and I and that the real purpose in us going there is to recruit him. We travelled on for a few more hours before stopping to rest in a well concealed area. "We'll rest here for tonight." I said as I gave the area a quick sweep with my senses.

Haku slowly took a glance over the area before saying, "Okay, how much further do you think we have to go?"

I gave a thoughtful look before replying, "We passed by the main river not too long ago so a days travel at most."

Haku nodded before taking out a few target practice papers and stuck them to the surrounding trees. He then proceeded to take out some senbon needles and practiced throwing them to hit their marks. Since we didn't have anyone to properly guide us and since our access to resources were limited, the techniques, skills, and tools we did have were all obtained from our experiences fighting thugs and bandits on the road. I offered my advice every now and then to Haku as I had plenty of combat experience in my previous life. The main difference is having to adapt to the use of chakra which allows for more versatility and power in battle.

I started practicing my tree climbing exercise by gathering chakra at my foot and keeping a stable control of it there to allow me to walk up the tree and hang upside down. When I had first started practicing this technique it took me multiple trial and errors before getting it right since I didn't have an instructor to guide me. Luckily I'm a sensory type and have the sharingan so it helps me see and understand the flow of chakra better than others.

While hanging upside down on a tree branch I started to observe Haku's needle throwing. He's gotten a lot better and more accurate. His accuracy is about 95% and he's only 6 years old! His chakra reserves for a 6 year old are definitely abnormal. He's definitely a prodigy but I guess I'm not one to talk since my 6 year old body also has an abnormal amount of chakra for my age.

Well...and factor in that I wasn't even naturally born...I let out a sigh which caught Haku's attention. He stopped throwing his senbon needle midway and turned his head to look up at me. "Is something wrong big brother? Did I make a mistake in my throwing technique?" He asked anxiously.

I stared down at him for a moment before jumping down from the tree branch. "No, it's not that, I was just thinking about some things. Your technique is good, great in fact. Give yourself another week, maybe less and you'll be hitting these targets with 100% accuracy."

Haku gave a curt nod before continuing on with his practice. As he continued his needle throwing I began training in my own kunai and shuriken throwing technique. Haku and I are both 6 years old now and Kimimaro should be the same. Naruto and Sasuke should also be about 6 and they'll start the academy when they turn 7. Please please let it be that Orochimaru did not find Kimimaro, I silently prayed to myself as I threw a shuriken with my left hand toward a tree marked with a target hidden behind a few other trees. Before it could hit its mark I threw the two shuriken in my right hand with extreme force to a tree on my right. This made sure that the right shuriken hit its mark first before the second right shuriken bounced off the first one and ricocheted at an angle where it hit the shuriken I threw with my left hand causing it to change direction at the right moment to meet its hidden target.

I nodded in satisfaction with my shuriken training as Haku watched with a look of admiration. He silently looked down at the senbon needles in his own hand before throwing a couple needles in separate directions and jumping in the air throwing more needles to redirect the first batch at a precise angle causing them to veer towards hidden target marks. Tch Tch Tch Tch Tch! All five needles had hit their marks with perfect accuracy. Haku landed on the ground soon after and gave me a smile.

I turned and stared at him with a curious gaze before saying, "Did I say a week? Forget it forget it. I acknowledge your senbon needle throwing prowess."

We proceeded to train in Taijutsu for a while before washing up by the river and getting some sleep. Early next morning we set foot on the road again and by the time afternoon rolled around a broken down village came into view. Haku and I slowed our steps and stood before a broken down sign that read "Kaguya Clan." I took a look around and closed my eyes through my blindfold attempting to sense any living signatures.

If I remember correctly Zabuza and Haku had once come across Kimimaro when they were traveling out of Kirigakure. The Kaguya clan is near the border so if I can't find him within the clan ruins, he shouldn't be too far away either. Once I find him we'll take him and leave Kirigakure given that Orochimaru hasn't already found him first. I turned to Haku and then said, "Haku, you take a look around the clan ruins to see if you can find anything useful and I'll scout a route up ahead for us to take out of Kirigakure."

Haku nodded and said, "Be careful big brother." He then took off...

Evening soon fell. I hope big brother Izaya is okay. It's been a few hours already Haku thought to himself silently. He had already finished checking the ruins of the clan and found some basic scrolls for taijutsu and chakra control techniques.

He paced back and forth waiting nervously. Did something happen to big brother? What if he was ambushed. No, big brother can take care of himself. Wait. He wouldn't leave me would he? No big brother wouldn't do that. Maybe I should go look for him. Just as Haku was about to run after Izaya he looked up at the road to see two silhouettes walking his way.

"Eh? Big brother!" Haku exclaimed as he dashed off towards Izaya.

"Haku, sorry if I scared you I didn't mean to be gone for so long." I apologized.

"No, it's okay big brother, I knew you wouldn't leave me. It's just that I was doubting myself."

I smiled and put a hand on Haku's shoulder as a show of comfort. It was then that Haku noticed the figure next to me. He tilted his head in confusion but immediately felt his heart sting when he met this stranger's eyes. Painful memories resurfaced in him as he recalled a similar gaze he once had himself. He immediately deduced the reason why his big brother was so late and it was probably because he wanted to help out this stranger just like how he helped him.

Haku snapped out of his own thoughts before extending a hand to this stranger and said, "I'm Haku. Yuki Haku. Since you came together with big brother then from this day forth, you and I will also be family."

Kimimaro gave an uncertain glance at Haku's hand before turning towards Izaya who gave him a nod of assurance. He then took hold of Haku's hand and said, "I'm Kimimaro, the last surviving member of the Kaguya clan."

Haku was inwardly shocked at the revelation that this kid in front of him was a member of the Kaguya clan. The clan that he had just raided the ruins of. The clan that his big brother said was savage and barbaric where they killed each other to grow stronger. He gave an inquisitive glance to Izaya who simply smiled back and said, "From today onwards, the three of us are more than family. We are sworn brothers. We live together and will always have each other's backs."

Haku nodded with a "Mn" while Kimimaro seemed to have a new light shine in his eyes. He stared at both Haku and Izaya and silently thought to himself, I will use my life to protect my sworn brothers. That is my purpose.