Before we could enter the gate, I was pulled aside by Anko. "The Hokage has given orders that you are to be excluded from this one. He wants you to act as a proctor would for this part. Don't worry kid, you'll get your chance in the last round." Damn. I was looking forward to eliminating the competition.
"Fine. Sakura, no matter, protect them both. You can't just focus on Sasuke. Sasuke, if you don't make it through, I will kick your Uchiha ass. And Naruto, try not to be a pest." With that I followed Anko to the proctor headquarters. From there, there was heavy talk of Orochimaru. "So you all know he is here?"
"How do you know he is here, maggot?" Asked Anko harshly.
"One of his henchmen is here. I was raised by Juriya. You think I couldn't track down that snake from miles away. He's in there. That's why I told Sakura to protect the boys. You know he's going to go after that last Uchiha. He always did have an obsession with Itachi." At least the last Uchiha anyone knows about.
"Anko, go see what you can find. With your curse mark, you have the most luck hunting him down. Hyuuga, just relax. We won't need you unless things get bad."
"Right. By the way, check the Grass nin. Something was off about them."
"That Byakugan doesn't miss much, does it?"
"Nope."
After Anko left, the room fell silent. That gave me a chance to think about what Itachi showed me. So, apparently my father was an Uchiha. That doesn't tell me who. There were a lot of Uchiha with the Sharingan. And why would Itachi want to personally show me? Unless...we were more than just cousins. "Hyuuga, stay alert. Anko is coming back in rough condition."
"Right." I should mention that at 11 years old, I am the youngest Genin. I should also mention that I have been trained in some medical ninjustsu as well. What can I say, I'm a young jack of all trades. When they brought Anko in, I got straight to work healing what I could with my chakra. "I've done all I can. The rest is up to her."
"Thanks kid. I owe ya one." With that, Anko and the Hokage, who had appeared at some point during my spacing out, proceeded to talk about her curse mark, and how Sasuke is the target. Damnit, I hate being right. Sasuke, please be okay.
The three days passed and I was brought into the central arena with the other Genin. So, the rookie 10 made it. So did Neji's squad. And the squads from the Hidden Sand, Sound and Mist.
While Hyate Gecko rambled on about the preliminaries that had to take place, I surveyed the Genin. So, 25 of us made it. This will be fun. Kabuto decided to drop out, despite Naruto's fit. "First up, Sasuke Uchiha vs Yoroi Akado." Then I noticed the curse mark on Sasuke's neck. Shit, Orochimaru got him. You better not lose Sasuke.
After being sucked almost completely try of chakra by Yoroi, Sasuke managed to pull through with the Lion's Barrage. Him and Kakashi then left. Get that mark sealed Kakashi-sensei. "Next up, Asura Hyuuga vs Samuri Hydeki." So, I have one of the Mist Genin huh? This will be a piece of cake. As I met him in the middle, Hyate went over the rules, or lack of rules. "Begin!" He yelled as he jumped out of the way. Well, since he knows I'm a Hyuuga, no point in hiding the Byakugan. I'll make this quick and painful. I activated my Byakugan and with one strike to the heart from my Gentle Fist, he was down and spitting up blood. "The winner is Asura Hyuuga."
I walked back up to where Naruto and Sakura were and noticed I was being watched. I looked over and met with seafoam eyes. Gaara. I can't wait to see what the Demon of the Sand is capable of. "Show off." Sakura muttered.
"Well, I have little chakra left and everyone here already knows about my Gentle Fist. Why show off what else I have before the final round?"
"Little chakra left? You got to skip the forest!" Yelled Naruto.
"I was needed elsewhere. Now keep quiet."
I then watched as Shino beat Zaku with his bugs, and Kankuro beat Misumi by crushing his bones. "Next, Sakura Haruno vs Ino Yamanaka." Shit. This isn't good. So much for a clean sweep from Team 7. They tied, both passing out. Temari then knocked Tenten straight out. It looks like the Sand get a clean sweep though. Next, Shikamaru knocked Kin out by using his shadow possession jutsu and bending her back, so her head hit the wall. "Next, Naruto Uzumaki vs Kiba Inuzuka." Well, this should be interesting. Naruto won, barely sliding by with his Uzumaki Barrage. "Hinata Hyuuga vs Neji Hyuuga." Shit, I have to stop this match. Neji will kill her. As they took the field, Neji started up. "I never thought you and I would have to face each other Hinata."
"Nor I, brother." Naruto proceeded to flip out until Kakashi, who had returned, explained they were more like distant cousins.
"They aren't distant. Hinata is Hiashi's daughter, heiress to the Hyuuga clan. Neji is Hizashi's son. Hiashi and Hizashi were twins. My mother was their younger sister."
"Before we do this, a word of advice. Hinata, listen to me. Withdraw now. You know you were never meant to be a ninja." Like hell she isn't. She's capable of more than you realize, Neji. "You're too kind and gentle. You seek harmony, and avoid conflict. You allow yourself to be easily swayed by others. Admit it, you have no confidence. You feel inferior to everyone else here. It would have been better for you to simply remain a Genin. But, to register for the Chunin exams, you need a team of 3 people. You never even wanted to take part in these exams. But, Shino and Kiba did, and you couldn't bear to let your teammates down, could you?"
"No, you're wrong. You're wrong. I wanted...I had to find out. I did it because I wanted to see if I could change."
"Hinata, you are the pampered offspring of the Hyuuga's main branch."
"What?"
"People can't change, no matter how hard they try." You're wrong, Neji. She will prove it to you. "They can't run away from their true nature. A failure will always be a failure. People are judged by their true nature. It is the way of the world. That is why we have an elite, and why there are outcasts. We can change our physical appearance. Improve our skills with training and studying. But, ultimately we are judged by what we can't change. What can't be changed must be indured. We are who we are Hinata, and we must live with it. Just as I must live with the fact that you were born into the elite of our clan, while I am from a lesser branch. I understand this because I see the world clearly through my Byakugan. Despite your brave words, what you're really thinking is that you would like to run. Run as far away from here as you can."
"No, you're wrong. You're wrong about me."
"My eyes cannot be deceived. Just one moment ago, in a slight movement your gaze drifted to the upper left corner of the room. I saw at that moment, you were thinking of your past. Your bitter past. And then, almost immediately after, your gaze drifted to the lower right. It was a mere flicker of the eyes, but to me, it revealed all of your mental and physical suffering. You're seeing your old self, and wondering if your life has prepared you for this moment. You're picturing the outcome of the battle. You see yourself losing. And the way you're holding your arms in front of your body like that? It tells me you're trying to build a wall between us, to keep me at bay. You want to keep me from raiding the deepest recesses of your mind. And why? Because everything I've said is true." Just wait, Neji. You'll see what a tigress our cousin can be. "Shall I go on? That familiar gesture of putting your finger to your lips? I know that it is a desperate attempt to suppress your rising panic, made all the more desperate because you know it's futile. It's all futile Hinata. You are what you are, whether you admit it or not. You already know."
With that, Naruto interrupted, and like a switch, Hinata gained the fight in her eyes. "If you don't forfeit the match, you know what will happen."
Hinata activated her Byakugan and got in the Gentle Fist stance. "Defend yourself, my brother."
"Very well then." And they were off. It was like watching a dance with chakra explosions. I activated my Byakugan and saw it all. Every blow. She won't win, Neji is blocking the chakra points. But, she sure as hell is giving him, and Naruto, a fight to remember.
After being knocked down 3 times, barely getting up the third, and Neji telling her to admit defeat and release the burden of suffering, Hinata replied, "No, you're wrong brother. You've got it backwards. You see, I can tell that you're the one. You're suffering much more than I."
"I what?"
"You are the one who is all torn up about the fate of the main and side branches of the Hyuuga clan." With that, Neji went in for the kill. I poofed in front of Hinata while the Jonin all surrounded Neji, stopping him from killing her. Then, Hinata went into cardiac arrest.
After she was taken off, I stayed to see Naruto's reaction. It was the first time he had truly seen Hinata. He scooped up some of her blood and said, "Hinata, I give you my word. I vow to win."