Ch. 10- Et Videndum Ludum, ad Extremumque
(...and we must see game, to bitter end.)
The sun was just coming up over the horizon, its rays casting new light over the village of Konoha. As the light form the sun illuminated the city, the streets were shown to be vacant; a common occurrence in the last few weeks. However, one person was up, and ready to greet the new day.
Hinata Hyuga was standing in front of her bathroom mirror, brushing her hair that now reached her ears. After Naruto's banishment the young heiress had devoted herself to becoming everything the blonde would need in a soldier...and a women.
Once she'd finished with her morning routine Hinata went to get dressed. Gone was her old cream-colored hoodie. Hinata decided that she'd need something more battle appropriate, so, her new outfit was comprised of: A gray, mesh-armor top and black, bicycle shorts; like she'd seen Sakura wear. Hinata now had shin-guards like she'd seen Naruto wear, and also had plated metal armor that was tied to her arms, it started from her shoulders, and went down to before her elbows; the metal was thinner so the armor was flexible, but would be easy to pierce. Unlike Naruto, she'd left her wrists bare, so as not to interfere with her taijutsu. On her feet she still wore her blue ninja sandals.
After getting dressed, Hinata strapped on her two gladius, which she'd had Tenten make, and she began her trek to the training grounds.
"Hinata, hold a moment." She was stopped by her father. Hiashi Hyuga was a man of imposing stature. He stood at a towering 6'3, and his mastery over the Hyuga's traditional stoic and cold expression unnerved the vast majority of people, ninja or civilian. Currently he was dressed in traditional Hyuga robes.
Turning, Hinata addressed her father, "Good morning Father, is there something you need?"
"I was going to inquire as to where you seem to be off to so early in the morning, You seem to disappear for hours, only returning well after an acceptable hour, and no one, not even your own team, seems to know where you go. I'd like an explanation."
Hiashi had been one of the people who'd voted for Naruto's banishment. Not because he disliked the boy, but because he considered the blonde a distraction to his daughter. Contrary to popular belief, the Hyuga clan head didn't hate his oldest child; he simply wasn't able to be the father she needed. As the leader of Konoha's most prominent clan, Hiashi had an image he needed to uphold, and part of that image did not include 'loving father'. It was too much of a weakness. But that didn't mean he didn't love Hinata, he actually loved her very much, and only wanted to see her succeed.
So when Hinata began disappearing during the day Hiashi thought it was just to cry over the Uzumaki boy's banishment, but then, about a week and a half ago, Hinata had changed her usual conservative clothing to what he saw her in now. She'd also taken up swordsmanship; something unheard of in the Hyuga household. Something was going on, and Hiashi wanted to know what.
"I've been training Father. My battle with the traitorous Uchiha showed me that I have a lot of training to do if I wish to be taken seriously as a ninja, and not be a burden to those I hold close."
"And is there a reason you've decided to break Hyuga tradition, and take up swordsmanship?"
Hinata sent her father a curious stare as she replied, "Father, while it is true we of the Hyuga clan possess the greatest taijutsu in the Elemental Nations, you must realize that eventually someone will find a way around it and our Byakugan. We are already hindered by fighters who aren't close-range fighters, I'm just trying to even the playing field a little. Times change Father, and you can either adapt to the times...or be destroyed by them."
Hiashi was left mind-boggled by his once shy daughter's wise words. However, hundreds of years of Hyuga tradition couldn't just be thrown out the window, so the man decided the best thing to say was: "While you are correct in stating that times change, you are wrong in that we of the Hyuga clan must change with them. For hundreds of years our ways have survived and flourished; so why fix what's not broken?"
Giving her father a disapproving look, Hinata just shook her head, turned, and continued her journey to the training grounds. 'It is that exact line of thinking that will keep our clan from reaching its highest potential.'
xxxxxxxxxx
As she approached her regular practice field, Hinata took notice of a person already standing in it, seemingly waiting for someone. Upon reaching the edge of the clearing the Hyuga heiress saw that it was Shikamaru; although anyone who knew the lazy Nara would think the one in the field was an impostor.
Instead of his usual slouched demeanor, Shikamaru was standing with his back straight and his hands crossed behind his back. He still wore his usual attire consisting of: black cargo shorts, a mesh-armor shirt, an olive-green vest, and his chunin jacket. But now, on his hips, he had two blades sheathed. On his his left hip was a gladius, and on his right the pugio. He had also taken up swordsmanship.
Deciding to make herself known Hinata called out, "Good morning Shikamaru-san."
Hearing his name the descendant of Crassus turned to respond, "To you as well Hinata-san. Are you ready for practice?"
Soon after Naruto's banishment Hinata was approached by the Nara heir, who explained that the two of them needed to begin work on their own plans, so that when they met up with Naruto again, they'd have something to work off of. Hinata had her suspicions at first, but once Shikamaru divulged his family history to her and explained what Naruto and he had discussed, the young kunoichi was able to accept the shadow-user's help.
This started daily meet-up's between the two clan heirs, and after watching Hinata spar with a clone, evolved to include training. The two had begun spending so much time together, many of the village's citizens began to rumor that the two were dating.
The two young clan heirs ignored the rumors and continued meeting. Today they would practice, and then discuss possible political maneuvers that would aid Naruto in the future.
A sharp nod was Hinata's reply to her training partner's question. No more words were said as each combatant moved to their respective starting points and entered into fighting stances.
Hinata entered into her traditional Gentle-Fist: left leg out in front, right leg in back with the knee slightly bent and ready to push off, her left arm stretched out in front while her right was held at a ninety-degree angle at her side; both blades aimed towards her opponent.
Shikamaru, opting for just one gladius, was positioned in a slight crouch with his sword held at an angled defensive position. His left arm sat underneath the blade, ready to strike out or parry when needed.
The two would always begin their spars with sword-play before moving on to full on 'ninja spars'. Being made aware that Naruto had reintroduced jutsu into their future legion's arsenal, Shikamaru and Hinata had taken it upon themselves to learn as many as they thought would be useful...that they could actually perform.
Hinata, deciding to hold-off using her dojutsu for the time being, pushed off of her right foot and charged her opponent. Opting to try and catch Shikamaru off-guard, Hinata started with a feint jab to the Nara's face but then did a crouching-spin and aimed for his right leg. Shikamaru stepped over the swipe and plunged his own gladius down towards the Hyuga heiress, and the open patch of flesh where her neck met her shoulder.
But the young kunoichi had anticipated this, and brought her swords up in an X-block, but, remembering Naruto's lesson of getting into a stalemate with a physically stronger opponent, Hinata quickly redirected her opponent's sword and rolled off to the side.
Shikamaru, knowing how dangerous it was to give Hinata time to reset, immediately went after her. As she finished her roll, the Nara heir attacked with a windmill-slash. When his sparring partner managed a clumsy parry, Shikamaru thought he had her, but then she retaliated with a jab to his left knee.
Not expecting this, Shikamaru's response was a hasty twist-away. While managing to avoid having the gladius go straight through his knee, the young shadow-user couldn't escape the shoulder that slammed into his chest as Hinata sprang up from the ground. However, Shikamaru wasn't so unprepared that he wasn't able to parry the jab that followed.
Hinata hadn't expected that maneuver, and was left open to the left-hook that sent her reeling back. But, using the momentum, she responded with a roundhouse-kick that sent Shikamaru flying back, and landing with a loud 'Oomph' after hitting the ground.
Deciding she wanted to begin working on the next phase of their training, Hinata leaped into the air, and came down with one blade stabbed into the ground next to Shikamaru's head, and the other at his throat.
"I guess this means you want to jump forward?"
Hinata nodded, "Yes, if you don't mind. We spent the majority of yesterday morning on sword-play, and I'd like to spend that time on our shinobi skills."
Shikamaru let his training partner pull him up and then replied, "Alright, I don't mind, but we should get back on the time-table tomorrow so we can work evenly on both." With that both combatants returned to their starting positions; each sheathing their swords.
While the Hyuga heiress merely returned to her Gentle-Fist stance, Shikamaru's was slightly different. The young shadow-user pulled a kunai from his thigh-holster and held it in front of himself in a reverse-grip. His left hand was turned, palm facing the opponent, and his fingers in a claw-like shape; his knees were once again bent, ready to move.
Hinata started them off, eager to begin. She rushed forward, but once she was in striking distance, the kunoichi spun on her right foot and aimed a palm-strike at her opponents back.
Shikamaru had anticipated that she'd do this, to try and catch him off-guard, and opted to jump and flip behind Hinata, taking hold of her hair along the way. As he came down, Hinata's head was forced to bend back, where her face was met by Shikamaru's elbow, effectively dropping her on her back.
However, the young heiress used this to her advantage, and performed a sweep-kick that caused her fellow clan heir to stumble. Hinata capitalized on this by springing forward once she'd finished, and attempting to elbow the young chunin in the chest. Attempted, because Shikamaru managed to get his bearings fast enough for him to pull off a substitution with a nearby log.
Hinata's eyes swept the surrounding area, and when they couldn't catch a glimpse of anything the bluenette activated her Byakugan, just in time to avoid the shadow that was streaking towards her. After avoiding the attack, Hinata retaliated by sending a wave of shuriken in the direction the shadow stretched from. This forced her opponent to give up his hiding spot and return to the open field.
The two ninja stared each other down for a moment before Hinata began weaving through hand-signs. Ending on Monkey, she pointed her index-finger at Shikamaru and yelled: {Kaminari Dangan}. A decent-sized ball of crackling electricity raced through the air towards its target. However it was blocked, by a wall of black. Using the wall's view-blocking property to her advantage, Hinata summoned a Shadow-Clone and then two normal clones. Next she had them all stand in a line behind her, where they waited for the wall to drop.
Once he let his {Kage no Kabe} drop, Shikamaru was met by the sight of four Hinata's standing in a line. With the sun's position in the sky, the girl's shadow was facing behind her, so the young Nara was unable to tell which ones were just illusions. 'Clever Hinata, very clever.' Deciding to let them come to him, Shikamaru got back into his defensive stance, and waited.
Seeing that her sparring partner wasn't going to make the first move, Hinata smirked from her place in the front of the line, and began to charge forward.
xxxxxxxxxx
The two young heirs were walking through the streets of their village, ignoring the looks of other citizens, and making their way to the Ichiraku ramen shop. They'd decided that the best place to convene was somewhere they could speak about Naruto, and not run the risk of anyone they didn't want attempting to eavesdrop on their conversations.
As the two sat down, the two chefs, Ayame and her father Teuchi, began preparing the pair's usual meals. While they waited, Hinata turned to her pseudo-friend and began speaking.
"You did well in our spar today Shikamaru-san, I see you've mastered your Shadow Wall jutsu to the point you no longer require hand-signs."
"Thank you, and yes, I have. I realized that a defensive jutsu was no good if it couldn't be called on immediately. Your Lightning Ball has gotten bigger, but you've managed to make it so that increase hasn't effected its speed, congratulations."
Before they could continue, their drinks were set in front of them; green-tea for Hinata, water for Shikamaru. With a quick 'thank you' they both took sips of their drinks before returning to conversation.
"So did you have time to think on my proposal from yesterday?" Shikamaru asked.
Hinata looked over to her fellow ninja and replied, "You mean about informing Temari-san about Naruto-kun's plan next time she makes a visit to the Leaf?" A nod was her answer.
"-sigh- Yes, I've thought about it. And while I don't like the thought of another girl being in his life, I understand that Naruto-kun will want her, and Suna by extension, on board as soon as possible. He most likely didn't tell her, or Gaara, out of fear that their sensei would disapprove."
By this time their food had arrived and was set in front of them. However, before Hinata could begin eating, Ino walked into the stand and addressed her.
"Hey, Hinata, I thought I told you yesterday that I wanted you at my house early; why didn't you ever show up!?"
Hinata just let out an annoyed huff before responding, "I didn't show up today, or yesterday, or any of the other days, because I don't see the need to. It won't help me regain favor with Naruto-kun, so I see no reason I should let you torment me."
Ino looked shocked as she bellowed out, "B-But the Master said you were beneath me now, a-and you had to do what I said. H-How do you think he'll react when he finds out you disobeyed a direct order!?"
Looking over to her "superior" with a bored look on her face, Hinata responded, "Ino, I don't see the Master anywhere do you? As far as I'm concerned, Naruto-kun won't ever find out I didn't follow that order; because no one's going to tell him." Her bored tone took on a sharp edge near the end, an edge that made Ino shiver.
"W-Well then what will you tell him when we see him again?"
"I'm going to tell him, as well as show him, how much I've improved since we've been apart. And then, once I've proven myself worthy again, Master will grace me again with favor and return me to my place as his top women."
Ino stood there, silent, as Hinata returned to her meal. Silence reigned over the ramen stand for a few minutes before the platinum blonde found her voice again.
"H-How do you plan on doing that?"
Although she heard the question, Hinata continued to eat her lunch. The Hyuga heiress had anticipated this; Ino would want to try and keep up with her. She ate quietly for a few more minutes, until she finally finished her meal, and then decided to answer her fellow kunoichi's question.
"Doing what?"
Ino could feel her temples throb in aggravation, "Proving yourself; how do you plan on doing it?"
"Oh," Hinata replied, as if she'd suddenly remembered, "that. Well, the obvious, and first thing to do, will be for me to train. When I see the Master again I want to be useful to his cause; not just some tag-along slave." At the word "slave", Hinata sent a knowing look towards the platinum-blonde.
"W-Why are you looking at me like that!?" The Yamanaka heiress squawked. "I'm useful, and I am not just some tag-along slave!"
Shikamaru, who had been silent throughout the cat-fight, decided to re-assert his presence, "Ino, I hate to have to be the one to tell you this, but your worth right now lies solely in your station of heiress. If it weren't for that single detail, Naruto would want nothing to do with you as you are now; you have no other useful qualities."
"What do you mean Shika? What about my clan's techniques, I'm sure the Master can put those to use, and my skills as a fighter; I-I could fight beside him during his conquest."
The shadow-user sighed regrettably before responding, "Your clan techniques could come in handy, but only if used by a master; like your father. And as for your skills? Ino the last battle Naruto saw you in was during the preliminary round of the chunin exams...against Sakura...and you didn't even win."
Her team-mate's words pulled apart Ino's resolve piece by piece, until she was left with her head hanging and her shoulders slumped.
Seeing his childhood friend in such a state pained the Nara heir; he hadn't been trying to hurt her feelings. But, surprisingly, it was Hinata that pulled Ino from the darkness.
"Ino, while I understand these things may be hard for you to hear, they are the truth. However, it isn't written in stone; you can get better. Look at me, remember how I use to be back at the academy, and even after we graduated? I was a weak, spineless coward. Sure I had my moments where I was fierce, but it wasn't enough; and then Naruto-kun began to notice me. Once that happened, I realized I needed to do something to keep his attention...so I worked on getting stronger."
The platinum-blonde kunoichi listened with rapt attention as Hinata explained her personal journey. As the girl spoke Ino could feel her heart begin to speed up, as feelings of hope began to fill her. "H-Hinata, will you...what I mean is...would you consider helping me get stronger?"
Hinata looked her fellow kunoichi in the eye for what seemed like hours before quietly saying, "Yes, Ino, I will help you."
xxxxxxxxxx
While this was going on, Tsunade was in her office, standing by the window and looking over the village below. But she wasn't alone. Standing in front of her desk was her fellow Sannin Jiraiya. In his hands he held a thick manila folder, its contents being the intelligence the white-haired man's spy network had gathered.
"Are you sure their information is accurate?" The pig-tailed blonde already knew the answer, but part of her hoped she had heard wrong.
Jiraiya sighed in exasperation at his former teammate's question, not that he hadn't been expecting it. "For the third time Tsunade, yes, my spies found ruins that matched the ruins of Uzu in Wave country. After hours of searching, they discovered a fairly large temple with a Latin inscription that translated to: Long Live Caesar. Upon entering the temple my spies were met with a giant statue of a man that, they say, resembled Naruto as an adult." At this point Jiraiya pulled out a small stack of photos from the folder and laid them on the table. "When they went further inside they found most of the rooms were bed chambers, but, one room held a set of armor that resembled what the statue was wearing. However, once they reached the back room...it was completely empty; nothing but a table, chair, and an empty bookcase."
Tsunade pondered over the information again. As a Senju, she was blood related to the Uzumaki clan, and as such she knew of their origins; she knew about Rome. While the pig-tailed blonde held a sense of pride in her ancestry, Tsunade didn't let it consume her like she knew so many Uzumaki and other Senju to have done; all of whom were now dead. But, if Naruto had discovered his heritage, then there was a possibility that that was what had caused his sudden change.
The blonde Hokage had learned about Naruto's harsh childhood, and understood the possible damage it could have done to the boy's sense of self-worth. So now, with the knowledge of what was found in Wave, Tsunade was beginning to think that her favorite knucklehead was looking for a way to prove he wasn't just a clan-less orphan. 'Ironic, considering who his father was.'
Tsunade turned to look at her fellow Sannin and began to speak, "Jiraiya, I want you to send a small squad of men out to find and make contact with Naruto. Have them relay the message that I know about Wave...and I'm willing to help with anything he has planned."
"...I can't do that Tsunade."
The buxom blonde hadn't been expecting that. Normally, when she needed something from her former team-mate he was too eager to oblige, and yet here he was; refusing her.
"W-What do you mean 'no'?"
"I mean exactly that, Tsunade. I can't send men to Naruto because I don't agree with what he may do with the information he has. The kid messed up, and unfortunately he now has to wait until a new council has been formed before he can be allowed to return home. I don't like it, but it's really all we can do."
Tsunade's hazel eyes narrowed in aggravation, before she growled, "The only thing we can do? No it's not, because I just gave you a perfectly fine option just a minute ago, but for some reason you won't take it! What do you honestly think Naruto is going to do with the information he's gotten from Wave? You make it sound as if he's going to become the next Orochimaru!"
"And what if he does?! Listen, Tsunade-hime, I know you care for the kid, but you have to think of the possibility that he isn't the same Naruto that came to you at Tanzaku town; he may be a completely different person."
The female Sannin didn't say anything, she simply stood there and let her mind work over her white-haired friend's words. What if he was right? What if Naruto was turning into a monster bent on destroying the very place that turned him into one? But then...what if he wasn't?
"Get out."
It came out so low, Jiraiya almost didn't hear it. "What?"
Tsunade, who'd had her head down, looked up and sent a seething glare at the Toad-Sannin, "I said get out! You're wrong about Naruto, and I won't let you stand in my office and bad mouth him anymore! That kid was the only person who managed to pull me out of hell-hole that I'd fallen into after Dan and Nawaki's deaths, and is the only reason I decided to take up the position of Hokage. So, until you decide to change your opinion of him, our relationship will be strictly professional, and I don't want to see you unless its business related. Understand!"
Jiraiya looked at his enraged not-so-secret love with a look of pure shock. That look soon turned to a stone-faced facade as he crossed his arms over his chest and spoke, "Very well Hokage-sama, this lowly servant bends to your will. If it's alright with you, I'd like to take me leave now. I feel as though I've overstayed my welcome."
With a wave of her hand the Slug-Queen dismissed her former team-mate, and in a 'poof' of smoke Jiraiya was gone.
After being sure he had left, Tsunade ordered her personal ANBU detail to leave her for a few moments, as she had a personal matter to attend to.
Once she was alone Tsunade sat back in her chair and brought her thumb up to her mouth. Biting, and drawing blood, she proceeded to summon one of her slugs to the top of her desk.
As the smoke cleared, the blonde Hokage was greeted by the sight of a small slug. The summon was about six inches in length, was a bright yellow color, and had a purple stripe running across its back.
The slug turned towards its summoner, and in a quiet, female voice greeted Tsunade, "Hello Lady Tsunade, my name is Kiiro no Suragu. How may I be of assistance?"
"Hello Kiiro, it's nice to meet you." As she spoke, Tsunade produced a piece of paper and a pen, and began to write a letter. "If you could, would you mind taking this letter to Mt. Myoboku? And, when you get there, give it to Gamakichi and tell him to deliver it to Naruto please?"
Finishing the letter, the pig-tailed blonde began to hand it to the slug, but stopped, "Oh, one more thing, tell the toads not to inform Jiraiya of your arrival; this is something personal."
With an affirmative nod, Kiiro took hold of the letter and, with another poof of smoke, returned to the summons realm.
Once the deed was done Tsunade leaned back in her chair, elbows on the arm rests, and fingers folded in front of her mouth, as she thought, 'I don't care what anybody says, I won't just abandon Naruto, I'll do whatever I can to help him.'
xxxxxxxxxx
It had been about two months since Naruto's banishment, and things continued on in a regular cycle.
Hours of the day came and went, until finally the sky was colored a brilliant, fiery orange. It was a warm evening in the village of Konoha; an evening being taken advantage of by a single academy student.
A young Konohamaru could be found at the academy training field, wooden bokken in hand, practicing against a training post.
Almost immediately after his teacher's banishment Konohamaru went and searched for anyone who would make him a special set of bokken resembling the weapons he'd seen Naruto carry around. The day his blonde "big brother" was cast from the village the young academy student had made a promise; to be ready to join his boss the next time they met.
Realizing that he couldn't just swing his sword around and hope he got better, Konohamaru made frequent trips to the library in search of kenjutsu scrolls. And while the more advanced forms were off-limits to non-graduates and civilians, the young Sarutobi didn't let that deter him, and he made sure to study each and every scroll he could get his hands on; he wanted to make sure he would be ready.
However this devotion came at a price; he no longer had time for his friends Moegi and Udon. Where they used to be found joined at the hip, now the three only saw and spoke to each other during school hours. Konohamaru had invited them to train with him, but it soon became apparent that they didn't have the same drive that he did, and since then they had begun drifting apart.
But where Konohamaru's dedication lost him his two closest friends, it gained him a shadow.
Behind the sliding-door that lead out to the academy field, Hanabi Hyuga could be found peeking around the corner, and watching Konohamaru Sarutobi.
She'd started watching him about a month after the Uzumaki boy's banishment; because that was around the same time that Konohamaru became the rumored candidate for top of the class in terms of practical skill.
While the young boy wasn't so far down the ladder in terms of class placement in any terms, for him to go from average to top of the class in just a month was unusual. And Hanabi couldn't help but be curious.
As the favored to become the next clan head for the Hyuga's, Hanabi wasn't required to go to the regular ninja academy until her final year, but the young girl had asked her father for the chance to showcase the Hyuga clan's strength, and he'd agreed.
It hadn't taken her long to pull ahead of everyone else in the class, but, in her mind, that was just natural; as she was a Hyuga.
Hanabi had picked up her father's ideology that the Hyuga clan was superior to the other clans in Konoha, and especially the civilian population. So it came as a surprise that she was later beaten by the very boy she was watching. It was also the main reason she was watching him now.
The day had started off like most other days at the academy: Hanabi would answer many of the instructor's questions correctly, earning her the ire of her classmates, and then they would be taken outside to practice their practical skills. Now, usually Konohamaru, while a challenge, never managed to defeat Hanabi, but that day, he did.
It had happened so unexpectedly. The two had traded blows for several minutes until, finally, Hanabi saw an opening; but this turned out to be a trap. The moment she pressed her advantage, Konohamaru retaliated by taking a hold of her wrist, twisting it behind her back, and then wrapping his other arm around her throat. Whenever she would try and struggle, the young Sarutobi would squeeze down on her windpipe, until finally Iruka declared Konohamaru as the victor.
Hanabi had been furious after that. How could she have lost!? The youngest Hyuga heiress then made a silent promise to herself; she would discover what it was that allowed the boy to beat her.
So that evening, and all the ones following, the young girl followed her classmate as he performed his usual routine. She found that the class clown she'd grown accustomed to was no longer the Konohamaru she was following. This new Konohamaru was quieter, and had a different look in his eye; this Konohamaru was worth her attention.
As he finished up another attack combination Konohamaru took a step back and let himself start to relax. He'd been at it for four hours, moving from physical conditioning to sword-play. His body was sore all over, but weeks of constant activity turned what was once screaming pain, into dull aches and throbs.
Once he'd regained some of his breath, the young academy student decided he'd call it a day. So, slipping his bokken/gladius and pugio into their makeshift holsters, Konohamaru turned and began walking away from the field, towards the sliding door leading to the Academy. While normally he would just walk around the building, it was exceptionally hot out that evening, and the young boy wanted to spend some time in the air-conditioned school building.
Half-way to the door Konohamaru heard a noise that sounded like a gasp, followed by the patter of retreating footsteps. 'Hanabi must have been following me...again.'
Unlike his 'big brother', Konohamaru had caught on to his personal Hyuga stalker, but had decided that since she wasn't getting in his way, he'd leave her be. Besides, having an audience only made him want to push himself harder when he trained.
xxxxxxxxxx
Ino Yamanaka was exhausted. So much so, that the platinum-blonde didn't think she had the strength to get up off the ground she'd just been slammed into.
Two months after she'd taken up Hinata's offer of help and she still couldn't land a decent blow on the Hyuga heiress. After weeks of conditioning, eating properly, and sparring, and the gap between them had hardly closed as all!
"Get up Ino, didn't you tell me that you wanted to be useful? That you wanted to be more than just a sex toy for the Master?" The voice of Ino's fellow "sister" snapped the girl out of her pity party.
Hinata looked over at the girl that was laying spread-eagle on the ground of the training field. They'd been training for about two hours, and Ino had yet to impress her.
When the Yamanaka heiress finally stood up, Hinata decided that, if Ino didn't show any progress in this next round, she could forget being trained. 'I can't slow down my own training, just so Ino can catch up.'
The Hyuga heiress entered back into her Gentle-Fist stance and waited; she wasn't forced to wait long.
Ino started off the round with a barrage of kunai, but she didn't stop there. Almost immediately after launching her weapons, the platinum-blonde leaped into the air, and performed a set of hand-signs. However Hinata didn't jump to avoid the kunai like Ino thought she would, instead she used a substitution. Still in the air, Ino searched for her opponent; never expecting what came next.
"{Raiottojaberin}!"
Ino looked up when she heard the jutsu, and was met, for an instant, with the sight of Hinata coming down on her with her right fist engulfed in a blazing flame. Thinking fast, Ino used her acrobatic skills to perform a flip-kick which caught the Hyuga heiress in the cheek. As Hinata was sent flying, gravity began to take its effect on Ino, and brought her back down to the training field.
Once her feet touched the ground Ino looked over to the downed Hyuga heiress, who was currently picking herself up off the ground. Although pleased with herself for landing that kick, the blue-eyed kunoichi understood that it was only because Hinata called out her attack, that Ino had avoided it.
Deciding to take the initiative again, Ino went through her previous hand-signs, and called out her attack: "{Chikyu Datsu}!" The ground in front of her bulged in several spots, and then cones of earth erupted from the ground and sailed towards Hinata's position.
But after they'd reached about half way though, the Hinata in the clearing poofed into smoke, leaving the earth darts to crash into the tree-wall.
Ino looked around, this time being sure to look up too, but could find no sign of Hinata. Then, for a brief moment, she felt the earth beneath her feet tremble. But that was all the warning she needed, and the blonde leaped to the side. As she landed Ino looked to her previous position and, sure enough, Hinata's hands were coming up out of the ground. She'd used the Head-hunter jutsu.
'But her affinities are lightning and water, which means the Head-hunter jutsu took a greater amount of chakra to perform. That, added to her use of her one Shadow-Clone, means she's probably exhausted most of her chakra. I might be able to win!'
With renewed hope, Ino pulled a kunai from her holster, attached an explosive note to it, and waited for Hinata to resurface. Once she did, Ino charged forward, intent on finishing their match.
When Hinata removed herself from underground she hadn't really been expecting Ino to attack her head on. But this didn't surprise her so much that she wasn't able to put up a defense. Once the blonde kunoichi was within striking distance, Hinata ducked under her kunai swipe, and countered with an upward palm-thrust. The blow hit its mark, Ino's chin, but when Hinata tried to continue her assault she was stopped when her opponent allowed herself to flip backwards, plant her hands on the ground, and perform a kick that sent Hinata stumbling back.
After recovering from the chin strike, Ino charged the explosive note with chakra, and threw it down at Hinata's feet. Leaping back, the Yamanaka heiress only had to wait a moment before the paper bomb exploded; the resulting explosion catapulting its target all the way back to the tree-line.
Hinata hadn't expected Ino to perform such a kick; it seemed beyond her skill-level. And yet she'd done it. Then, a few seconds later, the bluenette found herself rocketed through the air due to the explosion of a paper bomb until, finally, she slammed into the trunk of a tree. After falling forward, and catching herself with her hands and knees, Hinata took a moment to clear the haziness from her vision.
'That last round I underestimated Ino, I figured she wasn't cut out to be a fighter, and it's because of that foolish mentality that I'm in the position I'm in. With the use of my Shadow-Clone, and that earth-style jutsu I picked up from the Uchiha, I don't have much chakra left to perform ninjutsu... kenjutsu it is then.'
After making sure she would only be sore in the morning, Hinata stood up and drew her custom bokken. Entering into her opening stance, Hinata channeled her chakra, and soon the edges of the practice-swords were lined with chakra.
Figuring that Ino had started them off more than enough, Hinata decided to take the initiative this time. She sprinted forward in an impressive display of speed, almost to the point of vanishing, and re-appeared, crouched, by Ino's left side.
At first, Ino thought practice was over, until she saw her opponent get up and then draw her practice swords. 'Uh-oh'. The platinum-blonde knew how dangerous Hinata could be with those bokken; the girl had described what she'd done to Sasuke. And now, Ino was going to be on the receiving end of them.
When Hinata seemed to just disappear, Ino began to feel scared. She had no idea the Hyuga heiress had gotten so fast! And then, when she appeared at Ino's side, the blue-eyed girl just barely managed to avoid the sweep-slash that was aimed at her leg.
But this threw her off balance, and vulnerable to the stab that followed with Hinata's left sword aimed at her abdomen. Again, the girl barely managed to avoid any major damage, but she now sported a nice sized cut along her side. Ino was then forced to step back as Hinata followed up with a rising, vertical swipe with her right sword...but her bandages falling off let the blonde know just how close the call really was.
Deciding she needed a better way to defend herself, Ino reached into her thigh holster and went to pull out a kunai, only to find that she'd thrown them all. While ducking under another stab, this time aimed for her shoulder, Ino looked around the field for one of her discarded weapons. Just as she was forced to use her right forearm to sloppily parry a horizontal swipe at her face, the platinum-blonde caught a glimpse of one of her kunai lodged in the ground.
But she didn't get the chance to dive for it.
Hinata had noticed her opponent's wandering eyes, and had activated her Byakugan to see what Ino was searching for. It took mere seconds for her to realize that the blonde was trying to find a kunai. 'Well, that can't be allowed.'
After her attack was parried, Hinata went along with the momentum, and brought her arm back around and connected with Ino's chin. The Yamanaka heiress flew into the air, and then came back down to earth about fifteen feet from Hinata's position.
Ino found herself in a familiar position; 7on her back, with a rivulet of blood dripping from the side of her mouth. Only this time, she wasn't getting back up on her own. She heard the sound of footsteps and knew that Hinata was coming to evaluate her final performance.
It only took a few seconds for the young Hyuga to come into view, and when she did, Ino feared she had failed from the stony facade Hinata wore.
"S-So how did I do?"
Hinata just stood there a moment, not saying anything, before a ghost of a smile made its way onto her lips, "Ino, you've proven that there is potential in you, and that I may be able to turn you into something useful."
The blonde kunoichi let out a huge breath she'd been holding before replying, "Thank you Hinata, I hope I can continue to prove myself." With the exchanging of nods of respect, Hinata turned and began walking away.
"H-Hey, wait, where are you going!?"
The young girl didn't even turn around as she replied, "I have a meeting with Lady Tsunade in about an hour, and I can't show up looking like this if I want to talk her into training me." With that Hinata was about to start walking again, until Ino stopped her again.
"But what about me!?" The platinum-blonde squawked.
Hinata just laughed, and as she exited the training field she training field she threw back, "What about you?" Ino was left lying in the dirt for hours before she finally managed to pick herself up.
xxxxxxxxxx
Sasuke Uchiha stood in the middle of one of his compound's training dojos. Across from him stood the ever lax form of his former sensei, Kakashi Hatake. After his release from the hospital, after a month of care, the Uchiha searched out Naruto to have a rematch...but he couldn't find any sign of the blonde.
After searching for hours Sasuke finally went to the Hokage's office to demand the whereabouts of his rival; the answer he received was shocking. Naruto had been banished.
When he asked why, Sasuke hadn't expected his question to be answered by him being lifted off the ground, putting him eye to eye with a teary Hokage. Once Tsunade explained the reason for the Uzumaki's expulsion, Sasuke made it a point to have a meeting with Danzo Shimura, and once again make a demand; the lifting of Naruto's punishment.
However things didn't work out like the raven-haired youth had planned. Danzo laughed in his face and told Sasuke that, by now, Naruto was probably already dead and that now, no one would be able to use 'it' against Konoha. While Sasuke was curious to learn about what 'it' was, he decided that, if Naruto was indeed dead, then someone had to fulfill the knucklehead's dream of becoming Hokage. Someone like him.
While he may have tried to abandon the village, Sasuke still considered Naruto his best, and only, friend. Something that he'd never told anybody was, after receiving Orochimaru's curse-mark, the young Uchiha had begun to hear a voice in his head. This voice was constant, and hadn't allowed the boy to get any real amount of sleep; like that kid from the Sand Village.
The voice started out as a whisper, something he was mostly able to ignore, but after his confrontation with Itachi the voice had become a loud, oily constant. It would tell him that the only way to defeat his brother was to give in to the hate and allow the curse-mark to give him power. This only worsened after his defeat at the hands of Naruto. And when he sat atop that roof, Sasuke had been trying to close off the voice, and he'd almost succeeded...until the Sound Four arrived.
After the taunts and the disrespect they threw at him, Sasuke felt he had no other option than to fight them; to prove that he was still the strongest. When his own power failed, Sasuke allowed his anger, and his desire to restore the Uchiha name to cloud his judgment... and he activated the curse-mark.
When that didn't work, and he was again defeated, Sasuke felt that, if training from Kakashi couldn't give him the strength he needed, then maybe training from a Sannin would. And he decided to abandon the village.
He hadn't actually wanted to harm Hinata when he ran into her, but, after hearing her comment about his strength in comparison to Naruto's, he snapped. Then he met up with the Sound Four again... and it was all a blur after that.
After coming to terms with everything that had happened, Sasuke decided that the best thing that he could do at that moment was to train; at least until he got the chance to talk to Naruto again.
So here he stood, dressed in the same black outfit he'd worn during the chunin exams, about to spar with his former sensei. Deciding to start things off, Sasuke rushed Kakashi.
Sasuke began his attack with a roundhouse-kick. When the former ANBU captain blocked his attack, the young Uchiha pushed off his other foot, and attempted to land a kick to the side of Kakashi's head. The Jounin took hold of both of Sasuke's ankles, and whipped him around before tossing the young genin away. After throwing his former student Kakashi followed, and buried his knee into Sasuke's gut, sending the boy sprawling onto the dojo floor.
As he laid on the ground Sasuke tried his best to devise an attack strategy that could give him the upper hand. The one he came up with, while not guaranteed, was his best shot at the moment. So, lifting himself onto all fours, and then back onto his feet, the raven-haired youth turned to face his sparring partner... only to find the man missing.
Only because of his harsh training was Sasuke able to catch the faint sound of air being cut, and have time to duck under the chop aimed at his neck. As he ducked, Sasuke threw his elbow back in hopes of catching the older man in the stomach. When that didn't work, and Kakashi's own elbow was coming around for a spin hit, the Uchiha boy stopped the elbow with his right hand, shoved the arm up, and tried to deliver a blow to the Jounin's ribs. This failed when Kakashi brought his elbow back down, and dealt a swift blow to the top of Sasuke's head, sending the boy crumpling to the ground.
"You're not focusing Sasuke. Your mind is hopping from one attack plan to the next; you'll never get anywhere like that. A ninja must be swift, and decisive, that means selecting a plan and being able to alter it on the spot; not thinking about all the different things that could go wrong with your choice."
By this time Sasuke had managed to haul himself back to his feet and respond to his teacher, "I know that already it's just... my mind won't slow down. My brain keeps thinking 'what would Naruto do'. He... he beat me, twice, and I just feel that if I could think like him during battle, then I'd never lose the advantage."
"Sasuke," Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose, "you can't think like that. Naruto's way of fighting only works for him. There's nothing wrong with the way you've been fighting up until now, you just need to get stronger. And I promise you, you will get stronger if you just listen to me."
The Uchiha took all of his former sensei's words in, his eyes turned to the ground, showing that he was in deep thought.
Moments later, Sasuke lifted his head up, his Sharingan blazing and a hint of his old fire alight in their depths.
xxxxxxxxxx
"So Naruto wasn't kidding, you really do want me to train you?" Tsunade could see from the look in the girl's eyes that this was a serious request.
After finishing with Ino, Hinata had returned home to clean up, and then made a bee-line for the Hokage's Tower to speak with Tsunade. It was another part of her plan to improve herself. Once she was allowed in, the Hyuga heiress didn't even offer any small talk; she immediately asked for training.
"Yes, I have perfect chakra control so I'd be the best candidate to learn your enhanced strength technique, and I also have an adept understand of health/medicine that would benefit greatly from learning what you know..." Hinata folded her hands in her lap and bowed at the waist, "so please, accept me as your next apprentice."
Tsunade stared down at the bowing kunoichi, her hazel eyes narrowed in thought. She'd originally planned to make Sakura her apprentice, she too had perfect chakra control, but here Hinata was taking the initiative and coming to her. There was also her earlier decision to help Naruto however she could, and if the blonde Uzumaki thought the Hyuga heiress deserved the training, why not give it to her?
"Alright Hinata, I've decided-" The pig-tailed blonde didn't get to finish, the door to her office opening interrupted her train of thought. When both kunoichi turned to look at who had entered the room, both were shocked to find that the newest occupant was Sakura.
The pink-haired girl stood awkwardly at the entrance of the room. Her right hand was brought up and holding her left arm, and her emerald-green eyes were shifting around the room, not looking directly at either of the other females in the room.
"Sakura," Tsunade greeted, "what can I do for you?"
Sakura, eyes still refusing to address her Hokage, replied, "Good evening Lady Tsunade. I-I'm sorry if I interrupted something, but, I just had something important I wanted to discuss with you."
While Hinata looked on with suspicion in her eyes, Tsunade held a look of curiosity. "No, it's alright Sakura, Hinata just came by to ask if I would be willing to accept her as my new apprentice." A pair of green eyes immediately looked over to the Hyuga girl, before shooting to the buxom blonde.
"H-Hokage-sama, t-that's why I've come to you today."
Hinata's eyes practically smoldered with annoyance as she looked to her former 'rival'. What made that girl think she was worthy of being trained by Lady Tsunade? She may have perfect chakra control, something the pink-haired girl boasted about in the academy, but that was only because her chakra levels were so low! Sakura, from what Naruto had told her, had done nothing to improve herself during the time she was on Team Seven, and it showed during the chunin exams when she couldn't even beat Ino! Hinata truly didn't believe that the Haruno girl deserved anything other than being sent back to the academy for remedial classes.
Tsunade, on the other hand, saw an opportunity for Hinata to become an even greater kunoichi. She'd noticed the way her new apprentice looked at Sakura, she could tell how much the pink-haired girl's request irked the young heiress, and had immediately decided on what to do. 'You'll thank me for this later, Hinata'.
"Well now, this puts me between a rock and a hard place, because while I was originally going to call you in here Sakura. Hinata beat you to it, and she shows so much potential. However, seeing as you were only minutes behind your fellow kunoichi, I think it'd be unfair to not give you a fair shot. We are going to have a competition."
Both young girls first looked, wide-eyed, at their Hokage, before turning and giving each other a look; Sakura's eyes held anger, while Hinata's just held condescending confidence.
"The first part of the competition," the female Hokage's voice drew the younger girl's attention back to the matter at hand, "is this: you will both tell me what your reason is for asking me to train you. You will each have a turn, and once you are finished speaking you will not interrupt the others explanation; Sakura you can go first."
Sakura was startled, having expected to be given more time to prepare, but managed to find her voice, "Hokage-sama, I've come to you today, asking for training because I... I don't want to be useless anymore." At this the pink-haired girl turned her head down in shame. "During my time with Team Seven I realized that, for all my book smarts and high grades, I was a terrible ninja; I was a disgrace to the title of kunoichi. I'm asking you, Lady-Tsunade, to give me the chance to prove that I have what it takes to hold the title of 'ninja', that I deserve this headband."
Sakura finished her piece and looked up to gauge the responses of the other two in the room. She noticed that Hinata now had her arms crossed in front of her chest, and this action made Sakura finally take in the drastic change in the Hyuga's look. Sakura hadn't seen Hinata since she'd been released from the hospital, never actually bothering to visit, and so hadn't seen the drastic change in her fellow ninja. But now, taking in the lack of the heiress' large coat, the pink-haired girl could now take in the sight of Hinata's athletic body; toned from years of training, and now hardened after months of her beginning Legionary training. It also allowed her to see that Hinata was an early bloomer, and that her chest was significantly more pronounced than hers, and even Ino's; who Sakura originally thought had the largest bust of any girl in their class. But something else caught Sakura's attention.
She noticed the armor now covering the girl's arms and legs, as well as the two wooden swords she now had strapped to her hips. But before she could inquire the reason for the new look, Tsunade's voice flowed into the air.
Tsunade had seen that Sakura had gotten caught up in her fellow kunoichi's new look, and sighed mentally at how little the girl seemed to pay attention to her surroundings. The girl's speech also left much to be desired. You didn't need special training to be an effective ninja. In fact, those who received the training were the ones who had become the best with what they already had to work with, and then the mentor would take notice and accept them. Figuring it was time to let Hinata speak, Tsunade spoke up.
"Alright Sakura, thank you for that. Now Hinata, I'd like to hear what your reason is for seeking me out."
Hinata turned away from Sakura, and looked directly into Tsunade's eyes as she spoke. "Tsunade-sama, I have come to ask you to train me so that I can better protect the one I love, and, even if you do not train me, I will still find a way to gain the strength I need. There is no other reason than this; you may think what you wish about my reason."
The Hyuga girl's response wasn't what the blonde Hokage had expected. Tsunade had expected the girl to give her a speech, much like Naruto would have done, but instead she receives a blunt, and to the point response.
"Alright, now that that's out of the way, I've decided that we will move on to the second phase of the competition." Sakura looked as if she wanted to say something, but Tsunade cut her off, "I will give my full evaluation, and make my decision after the competition; not a moment sooner."
Hinata readdressed her Hokage, "Lady Tsunade, what is the second phase of the competition?"
"I'm glad you asked Hinata. The next contest will be a duel between the two of you, so that I can get a better idea of what I'm working with here."
But Sakura thought that was strange, and decided to voice her opinion, "But, Tsunade-sama, wouldn't the match between the two of us be the final phase of the competition?"
A gleam passed through the female Sannin's eyes that Sakura didn't catch as she replied, "No Sakura, I have something much more interesting in mind for that. So, if you two could follow me, we'll head over to training ground seven and-"
"Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but I've just finished an intense sparring session with one of my fellow kunoichi and need time to rest. If it's alright with you, I'd like to postpone this match until tomorrow, when I'm better rested."
Tsunade looked over to the Hyuga who had spoken. While it would be fair to let the girl rest and regain her full strength, the buxom blonde decided to use this as another learning experience from both of the two genin.
"Unfortunately Hinata, I'm going to have to decline your request. It's not that I wish to be unfair, but I'd like to use this as a teaching moment. You see, there will be times where you aren't going to be one hundred percent out in the field, and your enemies won't just sit back and let you rest up, so this will be a lesson of learning how to work with what you have in an unfavorable situation." With that, the pig-tailed woman began to exit her office.
Hinata, seeing no other choice, and understanding the lesson, began to follow, with Sakura bringing up the rear. Neither of the two women in front noticed the dark look Sakura sent Hinata as she walked.
xxxxxxxxxx
By the time the three females arrived at the training ground, the sun had begun to go down, and the sky had lit up in a brilliant, fiery orange. Tsunade stood of on the edge of the training ground while instructing the two younger women to take their places on the field.
Hinata, deciding not to waste any energy, immediately drew her practice swords and entered into her opening stance. Sakura noticed, and became confused.
"Hinata, when did the Hyuga clan add kenjutsu to their list of skills?" She received no response, just a silent stare. Figuring it best to be prepared, Sakura drew a pair of kunai and held them in a reverse grip, cross guard.
Tsunade looked at both girls with a calculating eye, trying to predict how the match would play out before it even started. After a few minutes, deciding she'd kept them waiting long enough, the Sannin began to speak.
"Alright, the rules are simple. This match is anything goes, you do whatever you have to do to win. The match will end when one of you loses consciousness, is unable to continue, or gives up; there will obviously be no killing. Begin!"
At the sound of Tsunade beginning the battle Sakura rushed her opponent. After seeing Zabuza's skill with a sword during her first real mission, Sakura believed that Hinata couldn't be anywhere near that level after only a few months of training; and therefore, would be easy to wear out. Once in range of attacking, Sakura opened with a stab to the Hyuga's face, expecting a sloppy block she could work around.
Hinata, on the other hand, had seen the attack coming from back when Sakura had been halfway to her position. The girl had no subtlty, her body had already been shifted to compensate for the attack. Shaking her head in shame Hinata performed a swift parry before striking Sakura's face with a right hook. The Haruno girl was left sprawled out on the ground.
Tsunade looked on at the scene before her and let out a disheartened sigh. It seemed Sakura's skills were more deplorable than she'd feared. It seemed she'd have to rebuild the girl from the ground up. Hopefully she'd give Hinata enough of a challenge that the Hyuga heiress would showcase more of her skills.
Hinata looked down at her opponent. Sakura was trying to clear the cobwebs from her brain and was wiping the rivulet of blood away from her bottom lip. It was this sight that made the Hyuga drop her guard, and allowed Sakura to tackle her.
Sakura had noticed that Hinata had dropped her guard and decided to prove what an error that was. Like a snake she lunged forward, knocking the bluenette's legs out from under her, and landing with Hinata on her back and Sakura laying on top of her.
'What just happened?' Was the primary though running through Hinata's mind as she struggled to catch her breath; she'd been more winded than she thought. However she didn't have much time to take in oxygen, because soon she was forced to defend against a barrage of punches that rained down upon her. Fist after fist seemed to come down as Sakura took advantage of their current state, while Hinata held her arms up in an attempt to avoid any blows to the head.
Sakura was enjoying herself. She hadn't expected to be given such an opportunity, but now that it was here, she wasn't going to waste it. She had been appalled at the condition Sasuke had been returned in, she had asked Naruto to bring him back not mangle him, and felt a sense of resentment towards her former teammate. However, with his banishment, Sakura had no way of letting out that feeling...until now.
Unfortunately, the pink-haired girl was so caught-up in her sense of vengeance, that she didn't notice Hinata reach for one of the practice swords she'd dropped while being tackled; but she did feel when the pommel made contact with the side of her head.
After shoving the pink-haired girl off of her, Hinata sat up, and swiftly jumped away from her opponent. Re-entering her stance the young heiress waited for her opponent to reengage her.
The first thing Sakura did once she regained her senses was check to see if she was bleeding; thankfully, she wasn't. Immediately following this, she searched for her opponent, who she found waiting for her. And finally, Sakura stood up, readied herself again, and charged.
Hinata had anticipated another obvious attack, but made sure she was prepared for something new. This preparation paid off when Sakura started off with a feint, and attacked with a stab at her side. Hinata parried the attack, and countered with a horizontal slash at her head.
Sakura ducked under the attack, hooked her foot behind Hinata's, and shoved the girl back. Although she managed to catch herself, Hinata's stumble left an opening for Sakura, and she was soon forced to perform an awkward twist in order to avoid a nasty blow to her side. However that twist left the heiress off balance, and she soon stumbled over her own feet; landing roughly on her butt.
Breathing heavy, Hinata scrambled back to her feet in a crouch. Almost instantly, she was forced to avoid another attack. This time she did so through an impressive display of flexibility, arching backwards to avoid a punch to her face. Deciding to go on the offensive, Hinata planted her palms on the ground and, shifting her weight, lifted her legs up and landed a kick to Sakura's chin.
Landing back on her feet, Hinata rushed her stunned opponent, intent on finishing the fight. Calling on the small amount of chakra she had left for battle Hinata lined the edges of her practice-swords. After she was close enough, Hinata crouched and spun, ending up behind Sakura. Once there she attacked with a rising, vertical slash before going low and performing a three-sixty spin; slashing at the girl's calves. This made Sakura drop to her knees, where Hinata swiftly brought her swords up to her throat; signaling the end of the match.
Or so she thought.
With Hinata crouched behind her Sakura had the perfect angle to throw her head back and slam into the Hyuga girl's nose. The shock made Hinata drop her swords. Next, Sakura hooked her arms under Hinata's and lurched forward; landing on top of the bluenette. Bringing up her elbow Sakura introduced it to the downed girl's nose before flipping over and delivering another head butt to Hinata's forehead. Making sure to grab the heiress' wrists this time, Sakura went for the lights out approach; she wrapped her other hand around Hinata's throat and began to squeeze.
Hinata couldn't believe what had just happened! How could Sakura have gotten her into such a position?! Desperately fighting for air, the trapped Hyuga looked for a way out. But she was so tired, her practice session with Ino had been more difficult than she'd thought it'd be, and now she had almost no energy to fight with. She started bucking, hoping to throw Sakura off of her...and discovered a way out. Sakura, while not light enough to be tossed off, was light enough that she could be lifted. So, taking as big a breath as she could, Hinata planted her feet on the ground, pushed off, and rolled backwards.
Sakura didn't see it coming, and soon landed with her face in the dirt; her position forcing her to let go of Hinata's wrists. But it didn't end there. Now Hinata sat, straddling Sakura's mid-section. Taking a page out of Sakura's book she took hold of the pinkette's wrists, but she did it with both hands, and began to deliver a series of head butts to the Haruno girl's large forehead. Eventually, a loud crack echoed through the training ground, followed by a weak grunt. Sakura had passed out.
Tsunade looked on at the outcome of the match, eyes wide with shock. The female Sannin hadn't expected any of that from Sakura! The young girl had impressed Tsunade. 'But she was lucky too. If I'd allowed Hinata time to recover there's no doubt in my mind Sakura wouldn't have stood a chance.'
Walking over Tsunade's footsteps alerted the conscious Hyuga that the match was indeed over. When she looked up, Tsunade saw blood splattered on the girl's forehead; its dark crimson marring her alabaster skin. However it was the look in Hinata's eyes that caught the Sannin's attention.
Hinata's eyes held a raging fire inside them. It blazed with such intensity that Tsunade felt as if she'd burst into flames if she continued to stare into the girl's eyes.
'This is going to be interesting.'
xxxxxxxxxx
A/N: And there it is. This chapter came out pretty short, but I'm planning to do a continuation next chapter; it'll be a two year time-skip. At the end of the next chapter I'm hoping to have certain characters run into Naruto at the end of the coming chapter, and then start on Naruto's personal journey.
To be honest, there wasn't much about this chapter that I felt very...hyped about, I guess. So, I hope you enjoyed this, and I look forward to reading your reviews.