Byakugan versus Sharingan
Author: Shiroi Kusanagi
This is Bya/vs/Sha: edited, version 1.3. A lot better than before! Reviews will be highly appreciated. Author is male. Zero fluff content.
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Byakugan vs. Sharingan
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The rain halted. Neji came down from a big, old bushy tree and started to walk back home to Konoha-gakure from a solo mission since he was a Jounin already. The grassy land was once again in peace -- sun was beaming throughout the place as the chirping swallows glided in the crystal blue sky while the lake calmed.
Out of nowhere, flying shuriken came dashing towards Neji. But asexpected, he smoothly evaded the attack as his dark hazel brown hair swayed to the reflex of his body.
Neji regained his posture and straightened his robe-like clothing by the collar.
"I thought that it was you," he said as he turned around and grinned at the shadow of a man lurking at the top of the tree branch. "U-chi-ha Sa-su-ke," slowly pronouncing each syllable.
Sasuke slightly stepped out of the shadows with his oddly familiar-looking attire with his 3 tomoe-dotted sharingan looking straight at Neji.
"Its been more than two years now, ne, Neji?" a cold voice uttered from Sasuke's lips. He moved near Neji but still kept distance, avoiding any circumstance of fighting. His appearance was more defined as the bright vivid sun shone over him. His hair was slightly longer yet still bushy as ever and there was a noticeable scar on his lower left chin -- but what was more captivating was his attire.
Neji threw Sasuke an atypical glare, "Seems like you've got some new wardrobe."
"You mean this Akatsuki uniform?" Sasuke said, spreading his arms wide assuming that Neji would be shocked of it. "It's a gift from a friend I murdered a month ago," he added, seemingly proud of what he did.
In spite surprised to what Neji had heard, he still kept his valiant posture and asked, "And who is this friend of yours?"
Sasuke replied proudly, "They call him Enteki, the Hokuto northern star.
He added, "He's Akatsuki's long-ranged combat guy. There's nothing else I know about him, except that he sure did give a good fight he gave me this scar." Sasuke pointed to his chin.
"It appears that you too have a different look from last time I saw you."
"Nice of you to notice," Neji replied. "This is the Hyuuga Clan's traditional robe; nothing much special."
Sasuke was not satisfied with Neji's answer. He looked down on the grassy ground they were standing on while his hair strode down. The sharingan-user combed his hair back as he looked upright at his old friend and blew a low-laugh, "You're still as prudent with your words."
Annoyed with Sasuke's laugh, the Leaf ninja directly asked, "By the way, what brought you back here in Konoha?"
"Some monkey business." Sasuke muttered while still laughing.
"You mean Uzumaki-sama?" Neji asked, meeting his byakugan-eyes furiously with Sasuke's sharingan.
Sasuke halted his laugh and smirked, "You know, you can be a very good mystic."
Before Sasuke finished his statement, Neji bellowed, "Unfortunately, he's not here. No one knows where. Probably he's training with Master Jiraiya".
Disappointed with what he had heard, he turned around and was almost ready to flicker out of Neji's view when suddenly…
"Hakke Kusho!" Eight Trigram Empty Palm.
The branch of the oak tree he was about to jump onto, was knocked off from its spot and blew up to pieces. Sasuke's eyes were wide open, obviously surprised because he didn't see that one coming, especially when his keen sharingan activated. 'It's supposed to see and predict the opponent's slightest movement of chakra with great clarity. He is truly a genius, even though he's just a member of the branch family. He surpassed the main house with his promising skills at the same time he formulated and created new techniques on his own,' he said to himself jealously.
Neji was still standing there with his right hand diametrically pointing at the position where the smashed branch was supposed to be.
"Did you think I would let a nukenin get away?" He pulled down his hand and gave his opponent a serious stare.
"Hmmm. Guess not" Sasuke replied, glaring back at Neji with raging eyes of bloodshed.
The Hyuga clan member immediately formed the Hakke eight trigram pose, his demonic white eyes still hammered on Sasuke.
Sasuke threw several shuriken, then performed a series of hand seals, "Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique . The shuriken have increased in number and hurled straight at Neji.
"Hakkesho Kaiten!" Eight Trigram Palms Heavenly Spin. A solid amount of chakra expelled from Neji's body, as the rotating burst of chakra stopped the whirling shuriken. The taijutsu-spinning motion faded away slowly as the shuriken were long gone…
But out of nowhere, kunai were directly targeting his thoracic vertebra. It was about to strike the vertebra yet it failed to pierce through -- because of an invisible force protecting it.
"It appears that you know the byakugan's weakness," Neji commented. "Sorry, but I've already developed a technique to protect my back from sneaky moves -- thanks to one of your allied sound ninja." He returned to his Hakke pose. Then he added, "If I'm not mistaken his name was Kidomaru."
"If you mean the worthless six-armed freak, I didn't even know that he had brains," Sasuke bragged holding up a kunai right in front of his face.
Neji interrupted him, "Enough chit-chat, let's fight."
In an instant, he relocated himself before Sasuke. Sasuke, overwhelmed by Neji's incredible new speed leaving him defenseless, was not able to quickly counter Neji's attack.
"Hakke Hyaku Nijuhachi Sho!" Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms. The fingertips of Neji's index and middle fingers quickly performed a series of two heavy strikes, followed by two more, followed by four, followed by eight, followed by sixteen, followed by a dazzling thirty-two consecutive pinpoint-precision strikes, then repeated it with great dexterity, lastly blew an open hand strike finishing the 128 strikes. Sasuke's body was blown away by the hit. Unexpectedly (or rather expectedly), the body was just a Moku Bunshin Wood Clone.
"Another weakness: both byakugan and sharingan can't distinguish a clone from a real one." Sasuke's voice echoed in the empty space before Neji.
'How the heck did he quickly shifted himself with a clone!' Neji asked himself while looking around the perimeters.
"You seemed puzzled," Sasuke's voice once again echoed. "Let me explain to it you. Remember when I threw the shuriken and you performed your kaiten technique, I've already replaced myself with a clone."
"So you've improved your combat skill since we last met."
"Same comment here."
"But you forgot one thing. Byakugan!"
Sasuke's laughs echoed within the place, "Do you think I would forget that, you can't see me since I'm out of 50-meter radius."
Neji returned a short laugh, "I can already see you, since I managed to increase it sixteen times, meaning I can see at 800-meter radius."
'What! He handled to enhance and surpass the limits of his Kekkei Genkai within a short period of time!' Sasuke said to himself in disbelief, stabbing his kunai on the tree's trunk he was on. "But your not the only one who's improved -- I too have a little trick up my sleeves," He performed a sequence of hand seals. He then shouted, "Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!" Water Doppelganger Technique. About 5 water clones rose from the lake and circled Neji.
'Its hard to believe, but he summoned this clones from a great distance especially that Mizu Bunshin requires the user to be near in minute radius to them', Neji explained to himself while performing a circular motion on a stationary point guarding himself from the clones' unanticipated assaults.
One of the Sasuke clones moved forward and attacked Neji. Neji dodged the punches and kicks and after a few dodges he returned several strikes but the clone too dodged skillfully. When he threw a hard strike, the clone ducked then executed the Kage Buyo Shadow of the Dancing Leaf rendering him airborne. The clone jumped and appeared below him. He knew that clone would perform the Shishi Rendan Lion Combo, one of Sasuke's signature moves. The clone kicked him by the right side but he instantly grabbed the right leg with his left hand and smoothly turned around, then strike the clone with a single juken at the stomach. Then the clone turned back to water form, unexpectedly another clone was right above him and made a solid kick on his back which sent him to the ground at the same time it turned back to water.
Rather hurt by the hard fall, Neji stood up and came back to his stance. He felt a slight pain on his chest and back. He concentrated small amounts of chakra at these areas doing the same effect as Yakushi Kabuto's Inyu Shometsu Secret Healing Wound Destruction.
Sasuke noticed this through the eyes of his clones. It seems that Neji's mending technique is different that of Kabuto's, Sasuke concluded that he might used the knowledge of tenketsu to heal himself. Sasuke can't futher observe the technique.
Neji staightened up and prepared once again for battle. Back to his feet and yelled, "C'mon, let's get it over with."
One of Sasuke's clones formed a series of seals and bellowed, "Doton: Doryudan!" Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet. All of the sudden, the ground shook and in front of the clone formed a dragon's head that launched mud balls on the way to Neji. After that, another clone formed a series of seals and yelled, "Katon: Karyudan!" Fire Release: Fire Dragon Missile, a huge blaze of fire ignites the mud balls creating a great number of solid fire balls. The clones all together said what Sasuke uttered from afar, "If Shishi Rendan was not enough for you maybe this will. Katon: Karyu Endan!" Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame bullet.
Neji was not prepared for such a rapid and devastating attack, he has no time to escape so he spun to form the Hakkesho Kaiten barrier. The tremendously hot fire balls collided with the whirling chakra around him. Each collision made an excruciating blast, as the spinning momentum slowly faded away. Neji still endured the agonizing pain of the collision.
"Your Hakkesho Kaiten will not save you now," the threatening voice of the clones echoed.
'He's right. I can't stand this any longer and in time I'll be blown into pieces.' Neji pitied himself.
Neji thought it was stupid of him to challenge Sasuke -- such great ninjutsu can't be defeated by a limited type of taijutsu. He closed his eyes, like he was already giving up. Images were flashing from side to side in his mind, the past returning forth to him.
It was like yesterday, Lee was always asking Neji to a duel that always ends up beating the leotard-clad boy, but it seems that he never got tired of it. Lee wanted to prove that he's no worthless shinobi and someday he'll be the best ninja in Konoha -- even if he only knows simple taijutsu.
Neji was awakened by Lee's burning aspiration, returning his strength and ready to continue the combat.
Slowly gaining centrifugal speed and consciousness, he immediately countered Sasuke's attack.
"Hakkesho Daikaiten!" Eight Trigram Palms Great Heavenly Spin.
The chakra barrier increased its sized and ricocheted the fire balls, at the same time reached the two clones which made them burst back to water.
The placed that used to be a sanctuary was a total wreck -- flaming trees and bushes, and a big crater with Neji in the middle. He was exhausted by the counter attack but still managed to hang on. He was never this tired since he fought Naruto in the chuunin exam two years ago. He recalled how Naruto tricked him which led to his defeat. And with this defeat, he saw the light that destiny was capable of being changed. He may never admit it, but he is thankful of Naruto showing him the brighter part of life.
Neji looked up to the sky. It was dark-grey and the rain was about to pour. Seconds after, he heard a familiar sound of a thousand chirping birds. He looked up above the crater and noticed a visible lightning-like projection. In instant, he predicted that Sasuke was producing the Chidori -- A Thousand Birds. Without any delay, he immediately formulized a counter attack to stop the Chidori. He knew that it'll be a lot more destructive than Sasuke's last attack.
At the top, Sasuke's last clone was holding down the tremendous chakra that created a lightning-effect display, but for a while the glowing chakra seemed to lower. Neji noticed this too, but didn't let it interfere with what he was planning against it, hence he carried on.
While from afar, Sasuke felt that his chakra already depleting, given that he was manipulating the Mizu Bunshin from a great distance, also, he used powerful ninjutsu that consumed a lot of charka, especially the Chidori, so without any hesitations he released the Ten no Juin Cursed Seal of Heaven at level 1. The seal spread in a raging, flame-like pattern on half of Sasuke's body. Black chakra consumed his body and then felt the increase of his chakra and strength.
The clone too was affected by the change in his manipulator, the Chidori shifted from whitish-blue to burgundy-black lightning and charged with a more devastating force. The Akatsuki uniform the clone was wearing being torn apart by the intensity of it.
This didn't frighten nor disturb Neji from his concentration. His body was now enveloped by his blue chakra. The chakra in the chakra circulatory system rushed extremely fast giving him a highly energize body.
The clone threw havoc towards Neji, at the same time as burgundy-black Chidori destroying its path.
"Byakugan!" Neji opened his white eyes.
Sasuke's clone jumped above the enormous crater, extended the left arm held by his right hand, and headed towards Neji.
The rain started to pour heavily, extinguishing the flame but burned the brawling-hungry soul of both shinobi.
"Hakke Aiki Sho!" Eight Trigrams Harmonious Spirit Palm, Neji formed a rapid Tai-Chi like movements. The chakra that was enveloping him moved onto his two hands creating a chakra double-edge dagger-like technique.
'Huh! What's that? Another new technique!' Sasuke was astonished with his opponent's new move.
Neji leapt towards the raging Chidori. 'This is the last chakra I have, I'll gamble everything for this last jutsu.' he braced himself.
"Sasuke! I will stop you!"
"Dream on!"
In mid-air, the two clashed. The rain that fell on them flanged away because of the great impact.
The jutsus recoiled throwing both the clone and Neji on opposite directions.
The clone exploded back to water as Neji lay unconscious on the muddy ground.
Meanwhile, Sasuke from afar was damned exhausted and struggling in pain because of the jutsu. 'Damn! I hate this; I can't stay here any longer. This fight blew my cover and Orochimaru is fast approaching, he shouldn't find me,' he told himself. He flickered away from sight.
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Morning came; Neji woke up lying in the hospital bed. The door opened and he saw Hinata who looked beautiful sporting long hair and a green-themed kimono carrying a basket of freshly picked green apples.
"So you're awake now, Neji-onichan," Hinata greeted his cousin.
"Ohayou gozaimasu, Hinata-sama." Neji sat on his bed.
Hinata placed the apple at the side table beside the bed and sat down next to Neji.
"Godaime said that you're okay now and can go out of the hospital tomorrow." The Hyuga heiress said while peeling an apple.
Neji didn't hear what his cousin just said; he was looking out the closed window and was preoccupied about what happened between him and Sasuke.
Hinata noticed his cousin was absent-mindedly gazing out the closed window, so she stood up and went round across the bed. She opened the window; the bright golden yellow sunshine entered the room that distracted Neji from his state.
"I think you need some sunlight. It should help you relax both physically and mentally," in a closed eye smile said Hinata.
'Hinata-sama is right, I'm frantically bothered by what happened, I should loosen up', he inevitably told himself and smiled at her.
Hinata returned to her seat and continued peeling the apple. Afterwards cut them in pieces then offered it to Neji.
He was about to eat when suddenly the sliding door slammed open that caused it break. Hinata and Neji stared at the broken door.
"Neji!" shouted the two visitors.
"Lee! Gai-sensei!" surprised to see his friend-rival and former team sensei rushing towards him in their as usual astounded eye-bulging behavior.
"Gai-sensei and I came rushing back here from our mission as soon as we've heard that you were attacked by an unknown ninja." Lee explained to his former teammate in shock.
"Are you alright? Does anything hurt? Broken?" Maito Gai asked without pausing for breathe.
Hinata stood up from her seat and in a whispering-like manner said, "Tsunade-sama told me that he'll be alright and can go out the hospital by tomorrow."
Both of them calmed down and sat on the floor, worn out because of the long run.
"By the way, did you remember the face of this unknown ninja?" Lee questioned him.
He looked down and said, "He's no unknown ninja -- he's Uchiha Sasuke -- and he didn't attack me."
All of the three jolted with what he said and were equally puzzled with his next statement.
"If he didn't attack you, what really happened?" Lee continued questioning him.
Neji told the whole story from how they met until how he was left unconscious.
"Good thing he didn't kill you." Gai reasoned scratching his chin with his right hand.
"That's the question: why didn't he kill me?" Neji was bewildered with the event.
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The story reached the Godaime through Maito Gai. The Fifth Hokage too was mystified by the incident.
"Sasuke was looking for Naruto, right?" she asked.
"Right ma'am," consented Gai.
"But is Orochimaru with him or not?" the blonde Hokage stood up and asked once again.
Gai tried to recall if Neji told him something about Orochimaru being there in the scene, "I believe that he didn't tell me a thing about Orochimaru."
"So, I maybe right in my theory."
"Huh?" Gai was confused with the Hokage's statement. "What theory are you talking about, Tsunade-sama?"
Tsunade didn't bother to reply to Gai's question; instead, she immediately called Shizune.
"Shizune, call on Hatake Kakashi quickly." the furious Hokage ordered.
Owari.
Definitions:
Aiki - "Harmony meeting." When one combines an opponents' energy with their own for control.
Aikijustu - "Technique of harmonious spirit." A branch of ancient jujutsu from which aikido was developed. Meaning, the so-called technique works in a way that Neji used Sasuke's Chidori against him.
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Author's Notes:
Yes, this is a one-shot. I just love to hang my readers on the ending. I might make a sequel -- which will depend upon my mood, my time, the requests and the reviews.
I made up the Hakke Aiki Sho, I don't even know if it is right or acceptable in Japanese language so please bear with me. The reason for this: I needed a jutsu that would match the Chidori; surely the Rasengan is its match but I believe Neji needs to have his own signature move.
Editing was done by Yudachi, also an author. (AuID: u/ 1014603) Send her an e-mail if you need beta work. (Yu: All I could do were run some checks – I couldn't change the story nor add anything in it. T'was the orij author's request.)
Thanks for reading my lousy story.
PS. Go easy on the flame, it's my first time.