Chapter 1: Hinata's Resolve

Pound. Pound. Pound. Hinata bent over her knees panting, the limp strands of her indigo hair creating a silky curtain over her face. The large tree in front of her bore traces of her blood and her hands were bleeding. Hinata slowly got up and put her clenched fist on the tree, resting her throbbing head on her fist. Why, why am I so weak? A series of memories ran through her head.

She lay on the floor of the sparring dojo, Hanabi stood above her panting. Hinata struggled to get up but she gave up, flopping back as Hanabi narrowed her eyes that were veined with the Byakugan.

"Hinata. Hanabi, who is five years your junior has defeated you in taijutsu. Get out of my sight you weakling, you make me sick. You shame the pure blood of the Hyugas." Hiashi said coldly. Hinata bowed, and got up shakily, pressing her hands against the rough wooden floors. Unnoticed a tear fell, creating a perfect shining circle at the site of Hinata's shame. As she closed the rice paper paneled door behind she heard Hiashi say," Hanabi, don't follow the ways of your weak sister, for you have more talent and strength. You are the true heiress to the Hyuga clan. Hinata's eyes widened in shock and she pelted down the hallways of the Hyuga household where she enfolded herself in her arms against the wall of the courtyard, silently crying.

Hinata remembered her fight with Neji, how she had barely landed a blow on his body. How he had mocked her and called her dropout and a failure as he punched her backwards.

Another memory of Pain resurfaced. A sharp black chakra rod skewered her and she silently yelled in agony as she stared into Naruto's horror-filled face. Her eyes were fixed on him as the scope of her vision became more and more smothered with black. Naruto-kun…I couldn't protect you. I failed…

Hinata opened her eyes and clenched her teeth together. I'll never fail to protect you again Naruto-kun! She slammed her fist into the tree and felt a strange satisfaction in hearing it groan and topple over. She had never been able to knock the tree down without chakra before. Hinata had thrown herself back into training after Naruto had defeated Pain.

I will get stronger. I will get stronger. Hinata chanted to herself as she stepped onto a small pond and closed her eyes. Byakugan! She opened her eyes and began firing needles of chakra at the various targets that she had hung around the trees at various distances.

One, two, three, four, five, six…Hinata counted as she maintained a flowing orb of water around. The strain was immense. In the end, she hit eight of the fifteen targets. Damn it, that's not good enough. Hinata thought, clenching her fists enough and felt the orb of water breaking around her, a few droplets landed on her white face like tears. She slowly wiped them off, remembering all the times she had cried at her own weakness. That won't happen anymore. I swear it! She took out a kunai and nicked her hand. Raising her bloody hand to the white moon that glimmered above her, she thought, I will become strong enough.

Slowly, she picked up the fallen targets and quietly hid them behind a bush before setting off back towards the Hyuga household. She concentrated on making her movements smooth and quiet and restricting the chakra flow from her feet. The trees swished softly around her, blowing her blue hair in strands across her lavender eyes. Looking at the falling leaves that twirled to the ground, she quickly began running as fast as she could to retrieve them. Hinata pumped chakra back down to her legs and began speeding back and forth. I will try to get 20!

In the end, she got nine. Slowly, Hinata let the leaves slide out of her hands as she continued up the path to her home. Gently sliding in, in tiptoed down the moon-splashed halls where she stopped at Hanabi's room. Softly opening the door, she crept to Hanabi's bedside and looked down at the face of her little sister.

Hanabi's face was peaceful and open which was rare because she usually wore a guarded expression like her father. Hinata smoothed a strand of brown hair from Hanabi's forehead and kissed her cheek. Ghosting out of Hanabi's room she thought about Hanabi's immense strength. I will surpass Neji-nii-san and my dear little sister so that I can protect Naruto-kun.