Hm. Smart one, wasn't he? Letting ice decide what to do for itself in that state would probably result in a high-speed explosion of shards that would be trouble for them and the plants both. He may have had medical training, but that didn't mean he wanted to deal with that sort of preventable accident.
"Not so strange." Zetsu agreed, complacent enough--just look at where he was from, after all--as he shrugged. "Though villages often keep a tight leash on shinobi of such valuable stock." That was what was usually the case, anyway. Though if he recalled correctly, a good number of the Hyotons had been slaughtered some time ago, during and after the war.... This boy looked too young to have even been born yet, much less have taken part in it. But again, there was a point to be made about how looks could deceive--didn't Sasori look like a young teenager, after all, if even that? Hadn't Orochimaru, that snake, kept his youthful looks without needing to preserve himself?
Perhaps this one was on the run. It would make sense, with the traveling he had mentioned.
"You would think that, ne?" Haku asked as he stepped carefully back onto the shore. The ice melted in his wake, leaving the lake as pristine as it had been before he had begun his training. "But sadly, some don't appreciate such value."
Haku was now standing face to face with the stranger, or as close to it as he could be. The effeminate shinobi was at least a head taller than the Grass-nin, so really, he was getting a closer look at the man's chest and neck. And he did like what he saw...
Haku had to look up to maintain eye contact, but it wasn't really that bad. "Not once in my travels have I ever come across a shinobi such as yourself."
The comment earned Haku a soft laugh, genuinely amused despite its undercurrent of ice. "If they ever do, it's too little, too late." Because it was true, wasn't it? Itachi had been considered a bloodline, not a person, from what Zetsu knew of the situation. And what had that earned Konoha? An almost extinct kekkai genkai that they had formerly taken for granted. Sasori's incredible artistry hadn't been appreciated, so he had taken his considerable skills of puppetry to where they were valued and useful.
And he, himself? The benefits had been ignored in favor of fear, hatred, and misunderstanding; he'd paid them all back--if not in full, then in decent measure--in blood. Was this stranger the same?
The ice melting away was noted, but more attention was paid to the ninja himself; He found himself wondering about how similar Haku's hair looked to Itachi's in some ways. Long, black, well cared for.... and to look at it, likely very touchable. Really, he had even Itachi and Deidara beat on femininity, and that was no small feat
The comment raised on his appearance prompted a smirk, exposing oddly sharp teeth--not so much so as Kisame and perhaps Zabuza sported, but still rather thorn-like, as unnatural as the rest of him. "Nor will you ever. We're an accident." Which, he supposed, was probably a good thing, even if the only benefit was that the stranger didn't need to worry about running into someone with similar powers. As much as he missed being normal and accepted sometimes, he couldn't fathom ever being truly human again--it was a rather disturbing thought. But still, being able to just.... talk like this....
It was nice. Nice to hear another person's voice other than his own, saying something other than a report or orders--or every so often, shouting, screaming, or pleading. It had been a while, and conversing with plants and animals didn't always adequately fill the void.
"Not so strange." Zetsu agreed, complacent enough--just look at where he was from, after all--as he shrugged. "Though villages often keep a tight leash on shinobi of such valuable stock." That was what was usually the case, anyway. Though if he recalled correctly, a good number of the Hyotons had been slaughtered some time ago, during and after the war.... This boy looked too young to have even been born yet, much less have taken part in it. But again, there was a point to be made about how looks could deceive--didn't Sasori look like a young teenager, after all, if even that? Hadn't Orochimaru, that snake, kept his youthful looks without needing to preserve himself?
Perhaps this one was on the run. It would make sense, with the traveling he had mentioned.
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Haku was now standing face to face with the stranger, or as close to it as he could be. The effeminate shinobi was at least a head taller than the Grass-nin, so really, he was getting a closer look at the man's chest and neck. And he did like what he saw...
Haku had to look up to maintain eye contact, but it wasn't really that bad. "Not once in my travels have I ever come across a shinobi such as yourself."
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And he, himself? The benefits had been ignored in favor of fear, hatred, and misunderstanding; he'd paid them all back--if not in full, then in decent measure--in blood. Was this stranger the same?
The ice melting away was noted, but more attention was paid to the ninja himself; He found himself wondering about how similar Haku's hair looked to Itachi's in some ways. Long, black, well cared for.... and to look at it, likely very touchable. Really, he had even Itachi and Deidara beat on femininity, and that was no small feat
The comment raised on his appearance prompted a smirk, exposing oddly sharp teeth--not so much so as Kisame and perhaps Zabuza sported, but still rather thorn-like, as unnatural as the rest of him. "Nor will you ever. We're an accident." Which, he supposed, was probably a good thing, even if the only benefit was that the stranger didn't need to worry about running into someone with similar powers. As much as he missed being normal and accepted sometimes, he couldn't fathom ever being truly human again--it was a rather disturbing thought. But still, being able to just.... talk like this....
It was nice. Nice to hear another person's voice other than his own, saying something other than a report or orders--or every so often, shouting, screaming, or pleading. It had been a while, and conversing with plants and animals didn't always adequately fill the void.
Reply
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