Last Resort:
Summary: One Day, Hinata discovers that Hanabi is learning the caged-bird seal, with extra research for the addition of older subjects into the seal's control. After Hinata finds this out, she becomes resentful of Hanabi and begins to see her as a rival, not a sister. She realizes that she will never rule the clan without becoming stronger, and asks to become Tsunade's apprentice while Neji helps her with her Jyuuken family attacks.
A/N: Please take the time to read my story. It's not my first, but it will be the first I finish! Last Resort will be written in the first person point of view. I know Hinata wouldn't feel this way to her sister normally, but betrayal brings out a range of emotion. :)
Chapter 1: NO, Hanabi!
I moved through the halls of the Hyūga compound with my Byakugan activated. I had to find out why Hanabi had been acting so differently from the beginning of the Chūnin exams. She had distanced herself from me, and I had no idea why. I was going to find out. I finally found myself in front of Hanabi's room. There was no one around, so I slipped inside. It was lavishly decorated with her raised bed in one corner and her nightstand below the window. However, there was a gold scroll, with notebooks and a few pens lying on her embellished comforter.
I unrolled the scroll and began reading. It was the instructions on how to correctly apply the caged bird seal. The yellow was only splotched on the inside of the scroll. It was yellow with age, I realized. It was passed down to every heir of the Hyūga clan. I rolled the scroll back up and picked up the notebooks. I opened the first page and gasped. These would be alterations for the seal to correctly seal someone older, whose chakra system had partially developed. It only had to be for me. Everyone else in the branch clan would already been sealed, and I was the only one that it could apply to. Once I got to the second notebook, I outright gasped. It was written in Father's handwriting, and it clearly dictated the goals that Hanabi was supposed to accomplish.
Number 1 was to defeat me in a serious fight, not sparring match. The second was to challenge me to a fight for position of heiress of Hyūga. The third was to learn the caged bird seal, so that when I lost the fight, I would be sealed as part of the branch clan. The fourth was to become head of the clan upon making the rank of Jonin. I activated my Byakugan and slammed the notebook shut, then dodged out the open window. I heard Hanabi enter her room humming, of all things. She giggled to herself as the papers on her bed rattled, and I quietly made my way to the training grounds on the other side of the compound.
I had never been this mad at Hanabi before. We were sisters! I promised Mother on her deathbed that I would protect Hanabi from harm! I had always cared for her without judging her, as Father did to me. It was unfair! My fist clenched unintentionally and I punched the training log. I could feel the tears running down my face, and I angrily wiped them off. Hyūga did not cry. Hanabi always was better than me, no matter what I did. I always did the paperwork in the clan. Father claimed that it would prepare me for leading the clan. But since Neji had seriously injured me and Tsunade had healed me, even that had tapered off.
I began hitting the training logs without chakra supplementing my Jyuuken. I heard hurried footsteps, and I turned from the log.
Hanabi stood before me, in her training clothes. Her black top with mesh added and pants fit her perfectly. I had one just like it for clan sparring. She smirked at me, and I felt my anger return. She was only 9. I had to calm down or I would do something I would regret. I felt myself relax, and Hanabi's smirk grew.
"Hinata! I challenge you!"
I just looked at her. Maybe if I ignored her she would go away and I wouldn't have to fight her.
"Onee-san, Tsunade-sama healed you! You can finally fight me," she said, as if it was a favor she was doing me.
"N-no, Hanabi", I stuttered out.
I hated this stutter. It always came out when I was trying to make myself sound serious. Hanabi's eyes widened from shock. I had never denied her anything, but I truly couldn't deal with her right now after finding all that research on altering the caged bird seal sitting on her bed, in her handwriting. She didn't understand what she was doing!
"Hinata! I challenge you to a fight", she said calmly as her Byakugan activated.
"No, Hanabi!" I stated forcefully, and her eyes narrowed.
I had never talked to her like that, and it made her mad. She said coldy, "Onee-san, if you will not fight me willingly, I will force you to fight me".
She launched herself at me after she finished speaking, and I rolled under her first round of attacks, and dodged the next set. The smell of her chakra, the burning hot energy that emanated from Hanabi's hands permeated this side of the training field. I dodged behind the training logs and between them as Hanabi followed me. In my haste to dodge her next attack, I tripped over my feet and landed on my side. Hanabi took this moment to kick me in the stomach, and I rolled to my feet while holding it.
"Come on, Onee-san!" She exclaimed. She sounded irritated.
She attacked me again and I blocked her first three strikes and the fourth sent me sprawling on the ground. I wiped the blood that I coughed up off my face and I stood again.
"I refuse to attack you, Hanabi!"
She didn't say anything to me this time, but attacked me anyway. I didn't dodge this time and my vision went dark. I woke up to the smell of antiseptic and medicinal herbs. I kept my eyes closed and breathing even.
"Father, Onee-san has never talked to me like she had today. She was actually forceful," Hanabi commented.
"She is finally growing a backbone, but it is too late. You will soon be heir to the Hyūga clan and she will be branded with the seal and live with the branch," Hiashi said.
So I was right. He was teaching Hanabi how to modify the seal so she would apply it to me.
I heard footsteps approach, and did my best to maintain my even breathing as the medic said, " Hiashi-sama, Hinata-sama is not injured".
"Very well," he said, "Hanabi and I will be leaving."
I listened until his and Hanabi's footsteps disappeared and I finally opened my eyes. I was in the bed in the Hyūga infirmary. Neji was in the bed next to me, with his eyes closed. He was breathing too fast to be asleep. Even in the bed, I could tell his hair was 6 centimeters shorter, and his face was green instead of pale.
"Neji-nii-san", I whispered.
His eyes slowly opened, but they were downcast at the floor, "Hinata-sama", he greeted.
He opened his mouth, and closed it before he said quietly, "I would like to apologize to you about my conduct during the Chūnin exam preliminary rounds".
"I forgive you, Neji-nii-san", I replied, just as quietly.
He sat up and finally said, "Hinata-sama, I've seen you in the training field every day practicing your Jyuuken strikes. If you would like, I could help strengthen your techniques."
"Y-yes, Neji-nii-san," I said, "Whenever you feel like it."
He blinked and nodded once when the medic approached us. He said quietly, "I will see you tomorrow morning at 9 where you normally train."
The medic, a Hyūga I had never gotten to talk to before, turned to me and said, "Hinata-sama, you were only brought in for observation. You seem to be fine now, so you are released."
"Thank you,"I replied quietly, as I pulled myself out of the bed.
She nodded and gave me a soft smile as I walked away.