Chapter 14: Memories of Training
Goku, Vegeta and Hanabi raced across the sky, three lines in the sky moving fast into the northeast, Hanabi didn't know exactly what to expect from the upcoming fight between Goku and Vegeta, but she wished she was fighting as well, it had been a long time sense she had actually sat and watched a fight from the sidelines. "Three years..." she muttered to herself thinking back on the Chuunin Exam that had taken place so many years ago, where she got too watch her Cousin Neji fight Naruto, she didn't remember it too well, it had been some years, but her father had said something to her at the time that had inspired her too triple her training from that time on, but what had really changed her, made her seek strength had happened when and after he was recovering from a battle where he had almost died, these events had helped shape her.
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Three and a Half Years Ago.
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Hanabi stood outside of the Hyuuga Manor. Most of the Village had taken damage from the multitude of large scale battles that had happened during the Chuunin Exam disaster. Though it was out in the open and exposed on almost all sides, it was where the clan held power, with all sides clear there guards could see all directions and see everything that went on for miles easily due to there bloodline.
Uchiha Sasuke of the Uchiha Clan had left the village, abandoned everything in search of power and her cousin was on the team that had went to try too forcefully bring him back to the Village, a doomed effort that almost ended in disaster. Her Cousin Neji had almost died in the incident, and though she had never said it a lot, she felt a sort of bond with Neji, like he was closer to a brother in her mind. Her family in general had a cold relationship, the distantness her father consistently showed, the shy fleeting nature of her Older Sister and the absolute drive for self improvement of her Cousin had made the family in a way complete, she didn't know where she fit in, for the most part she was quiet, observant but caring. Hiashi had once said that Neji had more potential then her for the bloodline, but looking at Neji, how he fought, and the environment he was consistently immersed in, she could see how he would be the way he was.
She walked towards the Branch Family Quarters, it was a place she normally avoided, as the looks she got there where often filled with distrust and disdain, as the Retainer Princess to her older sister Hinata, she was looked down upon as if she was an oppressor by some. Due to the deadly Curse-Seal Technique that the Branch Family had that could destroy them in an instant at the Head Families will. Most of the details behind it didn't make much sense to her. Mainly they where there to serve, they didn't like it, and somehow she was in some way to blame.
"Hanabi-sama, what are you doing here?" She was asked coldly by a member of the Branch Family, an older man with an unusual bitterness in his stare. "I'm here to check on Neji-ni-san." she said respectfully, the mans eyes remained cold, "Vary well, 'princess' go in." he said, the coldness in his voice apparent, like her claiming any familiarity to her Cousin was like uttering venom in his presence. Hanabi walked in slowly, she could practically feel the ill will of the place towards her. She hated the place, she didn't understand why they felt this way about her, she wasn't responsible for there problems and there wasn't anything she was in a position to change that she was neglecting.
Hanabi entered the room where Neji was resting, it was one of the few rooms in the Manor with an actual bed instead of the Traditional Sleep Mats, due to his injury laying on a Mat would probably cause damage so he was currently bedridden, due to the fact he himself slept on a Sleep Mat as well, she knew he probably thought it was degrading to have to be stuck in this predicament.
Neji looked up from his bed and saw Hanabi enter his room, "Hanabi-sama." he said with the strained politeness taught to him by the Branch Family, "Why are you here?" he asked to her. Hanabi smiled at Neji, "I, I haven't had a lot of time too get too know you, so I thought I'd come by and help you change the bandages on your shoulder." Neji frowned, he had expected the Hyuuga Medical-Nin to do this, not Hanabi, "You really don't have too." Hanabi smiled at him walking over to the bed leaping onto it sitting down next to Neji, "I know, but you've been through a lot, and I've known of you for several years, but we have never got to talk." Neji turned his head looking at Hanabi grunting slightly in pain as he forced himself to sit upright with Hanabi helping him move to a sitting position, "What is there to talk about?" he asked, most of the subjects he knew where oppressive and gloomy, the sort of stuff that made one sit depressed about the state of there life, not the kind of thing you talked about with a younger cousin who has more rights then you, "I dunno, I remembered seeing you fight back in the Chuunin Exam, and I was worried when I heard you where injured fighting to bring the Uchiha back. I... wanted to say I'm glad your okay." She said to him beginning to unwrap the bandages around the shoulder, "Hanabi-sama..." He started to say, "Hanabi." Hanabi corrected, "You're my family." She smiled at him, "I just want to see you well again."
Neji's eyes widened slightly, a small shot of pain in his shoulder at the wound getting exposed to the air causing him to grit his teeth slightly, "You really think about these sort of things?" he asked her looking up over his shoulder which was now almost completely unwrapped of bandages, he saw her nod in response, "I know, there's a lot of bad blood between our family for some reason, but you haven't done anything wrong. I don't want to carry on a stupid meaningless grudge." His eyes turned to look at her, "I'm in the Branch Family, you're in the Head Family, I didn't have a choice but to be born into this, grudge." Hanabi looked sadly at Neji taking out the fresh bandages from a medical pack at her side, she started to wrap his shoulder slowly with the fresh bandages, "I'm tired of it." she said to Neji, "I didn't choose to be in the Head Family, I don't want to be anyones master. I just want to be free, to be able to do what I want to do sometimes."
Neji's expression changed to one of shock, as he looked at Hanabi, he was shocked more then anything that the seemingly most contented member of the Head Family would say such a thing, he knew what he thought about it, but he was at a total loss for words. "You're my family, I don't want to have a grudge that I don't even understand."
Neji's expression changed to a resigned smile, "Fair enough." he said to her as she continued the process of wrapping his shoulder, he looked at her, partly wondering how she felt caged by this, if it was just the grudge or if it was more, or if it was just her young age that kept her from being like most of the other Head Family.
Hanabi noticed the silence hanging between them after a minute, "You know, how did you get so strong?" Neji looked at her curiously, "I trained hard, I-" Hanabi frowned shaking her head, "No, I mean... Not that kind of strength, I mean..." Hanabi paused, Neji was now staring at her waiting for her to finish her sentence, one she was taking several seconds trying to think the rest up, "...Your Heart." she said after a long moment considering, it was the best way to consider it.
Neji sat there in silence "My heart?" He thought to himself, "She admires my strength of heart?" His expression warmed as he looked at her, "I don't know..." he said to her, "I just never give up, I refuse to accept defeat and I won't let anyone down if I can help it... I don't know why, I don't know how... It's just who I am now." he said to her thinking of someone else like that who had changed his own life.
Hanabi smiled at Neji, "Then I'll strive to be like you then." Neji looked at Hanabi, smiling at her, "You seem pretty strong already." he said to her as Hanabi finished tying the bandage around his shoulder, "I'm not satisfied, I want to be strong enough to make a difference." Neji looked at her, "Then when I'm recovered let's train some together sometime." Hanabi smiled at Neji with a beaming smile, "I'd like that." she said to him.
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A short time later.
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Hanabi was standing across from her father, panting holding a Kunai in her hand, "Hanabi, you seem really impassioned today, more then usual. Something happen?" Hanabi smiled at Her father, Hiashi as he asked her the question, "Yes, Neji's better, fully recovered." Hiashi frowned, "You think about that sort of thing?" Hanabi nodded to her father, "Yeah, he's family. I spoke too him a while, he's really great." Hiashi looked a bit confused, usually Hanabi avoided the branch family because of the fact that she could feel there dislike of her and Neji of all of them was considered one of the most embittered ones. "I'm going to go train with him today actually." Hiashi's expression turned to one of mild shock, though on his stern face it only showed with the raising of an eyebrow, "You actually got him to agree to train you?" she nodded smiling, "So, if it's okay, can I call this session early so I can train with him father?" she asked. Hiashi nodded to her, "You may, but if he is too busy come back here to train with me." Hanabi nodded, "Yes father, thank you father." she said to him running off leaping over the training grounds wall towards
Hiashi looked up at the sky, "She trains so hard, and loves what she does, she's also good with the clan. I wish Hinata was more like her." he thought to himself, frowning knowing that the thought probably wasn't a good thing, Hinata after all was supposed to inherit the clan, she was his first born child. He only wished she was as good at influencing others as Hanabi. "It's probably my fault. She tries, but she doesn't even like the training like Hanabi does." his thoughts shifted elsewhere.
Hanabi ran quickly towards Team Gai's training ground, it was the training ground of Neji's Four Man Cell, and Gai was probably one of the few Jounin who had taken so much time in all the training grounds that it was deemed more efficient too give him one. Hanabi pondered for a second, she had never seen Neji train before save for watching him occasionally practice his Byakugan around the Manor. As she ran she saw the forest area give way to the Village as she hopped easily onto one of the walls springing off of it onto the roofs running straight towards the training grounds atop the buildings, it was the quickest route and because the village consisted mostly of Ninja, the construction of sturdy roofs that could be ran on was the most common practice.
As she ran the buildings got farther apart as she reached the training grounds, running passed several mutually shared training grounds until she heard peculiar yelling and shouting, "FULL POWER!" She heard a deep over enthused guys voices, "YES GAI-SENSEI!" She heard a younger equally enthusiastic voice shout followed by the sound of splintering rocks. "COME ON YOU TWO, DON'T FALL BEHIND." Shouted the deeper voiced one, then a girl's voice came up as she got closer, the one speaking having her hair in buns, "Come on... we've broken ninety rocks already." The younger one who she could now see having a bob haircut and round eyes filled with fire and dressed in an effective and rather stylish green jumpsuit with clashing and styling looking leg warmers and some great looking hand wraps. Finally she heard the voice of the person she was looking for, "It's no use Tenten, when they get something in there mind they won't stop." The girl let out an exaggerated sigh taking out a metal staff from seemingly nowhere and spin doing a heavy strike smashing a large rather solid looking rock in half.
Hanabi leaped from the roof of the building she was on spinning in the air twice landing in the training ground, everything instantly went quiet. She looked at the four before her, from what she heard, the Big Guy in green was there sensei Maito Gai, the girl who looked exhausted by was somehow surviving was Tenten, and there was her Cousin Neji, she didn't know who the younger one was.
Neji looked around he had already split his hundred rocks with his palm thrusts, but turned his head in time to see Hanabi leap from the top of the building landing on her feet in the training grounds, everyone else noticed too, everything had gone silent, something that usually only happened when Gai and Lee weren't in the training grounds. After several seconds of silence he heard Gai speak, "Hey, girl, what are you doing here? This is the training ground for my team." His voice was warm towards the girl. He saw Hanabi pause for a second and he thought he could see a bit of the hesitation that Hinata was well known for, but instead of stammering to reply she remained silent a few seconds and then said, "I'm here to train." Neji frowned slightly at her looking thoughtful.
Gai looked at the young girl on the training grounds before him requesting training, she was pretty young, "You're here to train?" Gai said looking thoughtful, "I'm not one of the Jounin who teaches at the Academy. You sure you're at the right training ground?" he asked, kids normally avoided his training because it was too hardcore, and a young girl seemed the least likely to show up requesting training. "I'm not a student at the Academy, I'm actually here to train with Neji." she said to Gai who looked closely squinting so he could better see her face in the Evening Sun, he noticed then that her eyes where completely white like Neji's meaning she was part of the clan, he turned to look at Neji.
Neji gave a slightly resigned smile remembering that he did say he'd train with her when he got better, "She's my younger cousin, I told her I'd help her with her training when my shoulder healed." he said to Gai who in turn nodded thoughtfully, he didn't even try to guess what his Sensei was thinking as his mind was as alien as his training regimen.
Gai looked at Hanabi, then he looked back at Lee, then he looked at Ten Ten, then back at Lee, "Lee, come here a moment." Hanabi looked as the smaller bob haired one walked over to Gai, "Yes Gai-Sensei?" he said, Gai looking around like he was whispering classified information, leaning in towards Lee putting his hand up between his mouth and her and Neji so the couldn't read his lips while he whispered, "What do you think? I mean we need to focus on our training, but Neji having a guest is rare." Lee's eyes sparkled as he whispered in return, "I've never seen him relate to his family, We must train her, it's our responsibility as good team mates and friends to Neji!" Gai smiled at Lee, "Lee..." Lee smiled in response his eyes sparkling, "Gai-sensei." "Lee." "Gai-Sensei." "Lee." "Gai-Sensei..." "...Lee..." "...Gai-Sensei..." Tenten then muttered, "God..."
Hanabi and Neji both where staring at Lee and Guy, though they couldn't read there lips, they where both whispering loud enough to be overheard in a crowd so they didn't miss a word. They both turned in unison Gai nodding at Neji, "It's settled then, we will allow your Cousin to train with us!" Neji's expression went sort of dry, "I only wanted a bit of time so I-" He was cut off by Lee suddenly, "Yes, the burning passion of youth in your cousin must be kindled!" Neji looked resigned, "Welcome to our training." said Tenten, obviously glad to see another person to help take the extra slack of Gai's training with.
Hanabi smiled looking between the four of them, this had not gone as she had planned, she had only meant to wait tell they where done training then train some with Neji, now she was made there honorary student, "U-uhh. Okay." she said, blinking a few times, "Where do I start?" suddenly silence ensued again.
"Neji." started Gai, looking at him, "How strong is she?" he asked, it was Neji's turn to frown in thought as he looked at Hanabi, he rightly didn't know, he'd never seen her train much, she was always busy training with Hiashi, he then remembered something, "She's strong enough to reliably beat Hinata in a fight." He looked at her, Hanabi didn't say anything, she didn't want to embarrass her older sister, but it was true, so she wouldn't deny it either.
Gai grinned "Okay! So she can handle the regular training." Tenten looked worried, "But isn't that a bit much starting out?" Gai shook his head, "Tenten, can't you see her burning youth passion? Running all the way here to seek training? She can take it." Hanabi looked confused, usually these questions where directed at the person it was about, not everyone except the person in question. Hanabi however saw an opportunity to make a good impression on the two, and she said six words that would make her life quite painful, "Don't worry, I can take it!" Gai almost cheered out loud at that declaration.
And so a painful day happened, that consisted of smashing rocks, training with weights and more then once of getting trampled, though Gai and Lee seemed strange to her as she trained, they really grew on her, they where both so free, so happy and optimistic, like there was nothing in the world that could destroy them. Though they where overwhelming, she also found it strangely comforting to be around.
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A week later.
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Hanabi stood in the Hyuuga training ground across from her father, it had taken him a surprisingly short amount of time to figure out that she had increased her training on her own. "Hanabi, you seem tired, what have you been up too?" He asked, the way he asked was less of a question and more of a 'come clean with me' sort of remark, Hanabi smiled at her father, "When Neji was recuperating I tried to help him recover and he offered to help me train." Hiashi looked at her thoughtfully, "The Hyuuga Style isn't that exerting to use except for the special techniques, is he teaching you any of those yet?" Hiashi despite his coldness did care deeply about his daughter, "No... well. How do I put it, when I went to the training ground his team was there too and his teacher, Gai, decided I was to join the whole teams training. Hiashi frowned deeply, he remembered that embarrassment of a man from a Jounin Meeting he had attended, but he couldn't scoff at his skills, but this was troubling, "Just don't pick up any strange habits..." he said to Hanabi who looked at him with a slightly confused look. "But this is enough training for today, I have business with the elders, regarding Hinata." Hanabi looked confused and asked, "I thought you didn't do much with her." Hiashi glared slightly and then forced the glare off of his face, he didn't want too admit that after the Chuunin Exam, and what had happened with Neji that he himself had realized what he had done was wrong, it was the clan leaders place to never be wrong, "She needs some training as well, she will some day have to lead the clan." He said, dodging the question, to his relief Hanabi didn't chase the line of questioning, Hiashi then turned and left the training ground.
Hanabi turned walking away from the training ground herself.
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A few hours later Hanabi stood outside of Team Gai's training grounds again, she walked forward, for the first time in a while Gai and Lee weren't present but Neji and Tenten where present, Neji meditating or practicing his Byakugan, either was possible. Tenten was throwing Kunai, Shuriken and other sharp weapons around at Targets set recklessly close to Neji's head.
"Neji-ni, I wanted to ask if we could train a bit." she asked Neji who opened his eyes standing to his feet walking over to her, "Okay." he responded, "I haven't seen how skilled you are with our clan's techniques yet. I need to see how good you are with the Byakugan and Jyuukin before I will know where to start."
Hanabi nodded to Neji looking thoughtful, "So a fight then, only using Hyuuga Technique, to see my skills." she asked Neji who's eyebrow had visibly raised, "I was going too have you just perform all the skills you know, but this may give me better insight. The Normal Sparing Rules then." He said to her, Hanabi nodding.
Tenten looked between the two, "Isn't your techniques too dangerous too do on each other, I mean you are attacking each others organs." she said looking at the two, "That's why we're fighting using the Normal Sparing Rules." Hanabi said, "You can't tell if someone's hit or missed if they just tap the spot so we put a tiny bit of loose chakra into the chakra point, it stings but doesn't damage the point or shut down the chakra flow." Neji nodded, thinking that as good of an explanation as any he'd heard so far.
The two walked under the shadow of the trees that had the target getting into exactly matching fighting stances, the Jyuukin combat stance, one palm at the side pulled back, the other forward for deflection and quick strikes, with a strong emphasis on footing.
Hanabi moved forward slowly towards Neji and he did the same inching forward in there stances her aiming her palm slightly upwards and Neji aiming down a bit do too hight difference, the low stance removed high advantages that, with this style, Hanabi would have. Neji himself noted that her stance was flawless, and identical to his own.
Hanabi closed her eyes slightly, focusing her chakra to her eyes, it was slower without the seals, but she was going all out too show Neji the limit of her skills. "Byakugan." she said, the Veins around her eyes enlarging pumping blood too and from the eyes faster the eyes getting an appearance like cracked marble.
Neji seeing this smiled closing his eyes eyes a moment focusing his chakra then opening his eyes, "Byakugan." he said, he had done it quicker then her and more easily, but she had still done it, and now with his Byakugan active he could see her flow of chakra and that her eyes where fully activated, a lot of Hyuuga, Hinata included where not able to fully activate the Byakugan without seals and a lot of extra focus.
The two suddenly moved in close to each other shooting palm thrusts and jabs at each others Chakra Points and each and every one of there blows where being completely deflected by the other's skill, as expected in Neji's mind considering her training with Hiashi, but she was spending a bit too much Chakra on the defense and would burn out from this a little faster then him. Hanabi suddenly spun leaping in spinning, "Kaiten!" she said suddenly a small orb of energy flying from her, Neji seeing it didn't try to stay close or counter it, he opted for simply leaping back a few feet and letting the energy swirl dissipate before he closed the distance again.
This went on a while longer before Hanabi pulled back both of her palms focusing her energy into them shooting them into Neji's arms sending a wave of Chakra that drove him back sending his arms reeling to his sides as she leaped in and tried to take advantage of the opportunity she saw, Neji smiled, to himself as she drew in closer, and closer, before he focused his own energy spinning, "Kaiten." he said, Hanabi's eyes going wide her trying to move back but having closed too much distance the orb of Energy from Neji hitting her sending her flying back crashing into a tree, Hanabi gritted her teeth as she hit the tree, Neji had held back on the Kaiten, he had enough energy to easily put her through the tree and the really thick one behind that.
Hanabi leaped to her feet running at Neji in an almost reckless charge striking twice at his arms with two pokes her getting lucky and hitting Two Tenketsu, Neji feeling the warmth in his arm, he spun back aiming his other arm at her still backing focusing causing enough chakra to go around the two Tenketsu that where blocked.
To Tenten the duel looked like it was full contact as they struck and there expressions when they hit each other still held pain in them, so she wasn't convinced that they weren't going full contact. As this was happening Tenten's train of thought was interrupted, "Tenten, why is Hanabi and Neji fighting?" Tenten turned her head seeing Lee, "Lee?!" she said shocked, she hadn't even noticed him arrive, "Well, he wants to see how good she's got with her Hyuuga Techniques." Lee nodded, "I see. We shou-" He was interrupted by Tenten shaking her head, "She wants to learn from him." Lee nodded totally understanding now, this wasn't a fight, it was family time, like when he had his personal training time with Gai, "I see, then I shall support him by training with you." Tenten's expression fell visibly, it wasn't that she didn't like training with Lee, but his training was hard, and this was the first break she'd had in a week from hell training... she was going to refuse... she knew what she was going to say... "Alright, let's train." and she blew it.
Hanabi was closing in pressing hard on Neji with her attacks moving in shooting attacks here and there at Neji's Chakra points which he would deflect, Hanabii then decided to end the battle and backed Neji and herself between two trees that wouldn't allow Neji room to dodge her, she started poking with one arm at his defense and then shot a palm forward towards Neji's chest.
Neji moved to back away from the strike when suddenly he realized Hanabi had backed them into a space he couldn't retreat from, he saw the tree when they went there, but he hadn't considered her changing style and managing to drive him back a bit, but this was her skills limit, she had a lot of chakra left, more then he had anticipated she would have at this stage which meant she was cycling the chakra from her whole body and keeping her flow evened out, he lowered his stance, "Hakke Rokujuuyonshou (Eight Divination Signs, Sixty-Four Palms of the Hand)" He said suddenly moving fast striking Hanabi twice fast.
This time Hanabi moved back but her back was too a tree, two hits connecting, then four, then eight, then sixteen, then thirty-two, then finally sixty-four strikes, every single one connecting Hanabi dropping down loosing strength in her leg, the stinging quite vivid to her, but, her chakra was still flowing, she was still awake, Neji had held the technique back, but her energy felt like it was slightly burning in there pathways, she stood.
"I know the limit of your abilities." he said to her, His expression was harsh looking do to the Byakugan, her own having shut off at her energy being bombarded, she looked at him, "Then we can train!" she said happily standing, "I saw you use that technique against Naruto in the Chuunin Exams, what is it?" she asked him.
Neji smiled inwardly at the questions and her remembering it's first use, "It's a technique that is mainly distributed and shared between the Royal Head Family and the Clan Elders, I saw it done once long ago and figured out how it worked. I'll teach you." he said to her, figuring it was as good of place as any to start.
From that time on Hanabi's life became training with no free time, Breakfast was done when she awoke before her and Hiashi trained, she trained the entire morning into the noon, her lunch was a healthy snack then training with Gai's team, and dinner was a healthy and rather tasteless food pill followed by training tell it was time for her to go to bed with Neji.
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Almost a Year Later
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Hanabi stood across from Hinata, it had come time for the two of them too fight in front of there father to gauge there skills, Hinata, as Hanabi knew had been training with a team had been going on missions and had field experience, she herself didn't have that, but she had been training with people who where at the pinnacle of there respective arts. Gai and Lee, masters of Hard Body Technique they gave her teachings and made her enduring and able to fight even should she loose the ability to inflict damage with her Jyuukin. Tenten master of many weapons taught who had helped her hone her Kunai Skills to the best she ever had them, taught her how to toss and maintain aim while moving and had even started teaching her how to wield a Bo Staff and lastly Neji, Genius of her Clan's techniques her cousin, and her friend who had taught her more about the Advanced Part of her Bloodline then even her father probably could.
Hinata looked somewhat worried as she stepped forward, Hanabi looked like she was getting more pumped by the second, she herself wasn't sure she wanted to do this, but she had been training hard, learning from Kurenai her Jounin Instructor and being Inspired by her Team Mate, the Feral Kiba, and the Mysterious Insect User, Shino whom frankly was more mysterious the longer you got to know him and being inspired by Naruto.
Hanabi noticed as Hinata stood there thinking she started to blush a bit, "Sister, focus." she said, which snapped Hinata back to attention, "Y-Yes." Hanabi twitched slightly hearing her, without farther prompting needed Hanabi shuffled easily into her stance activating her Byakugan without Hand Seals.
Hinata saw her get into her stance and her Byakugan activate she slightly gulped to herself, "I can do this." she thought to herself making a fast few seals, "Byakugan." she said out loud her eyes activating she looked at Hanabi looking for a weakness like the one she had seen the last time they had fought, she hadn't known it as a weakness at the time, but now she knew, this time however it was gone, her stance was solid as an oak tree and her arms where loose, ready to strike.
Hanabi wasn't one to wait, she wanted too be the first one to throw the strikes, sure one could have argued that it let ones deck be known early, but it also allowed her to set the grounds of the fight, and her fight with Hinata was almost symbolic to her, "Father, what are the rules of this fight?" she asked, sense Hiashi was acting as judge over it, "Part Contact." he said to her, a nod being her reply.
Part Contact was in essence full contact except for when it came to sensitive spots like the Chakra Points around the organs or on the chest area.
Hanabi centered her stance a bit bowing to Hinata who in return did the same sparing bow and they went back into there fighting stance. Hinata could see Hanabi's expression she knew her sister wasn't going to wait or play defensive, Hanabi had always been the aggressive one of the two of them, always grabbing for what she wanted. Hiashi raised his arm up into the end, them both getting into position, "Begin!" he said chopping his arm downward stepping off of the mat.
Hanabi charged towards Hinata on the Tatame Dojo flooring leaping towards Hinata instantly closing the space, she however made sure that her leap forward didn't allow her to be caught in the air by Hinata. Her striking a blow at her sisters head with her palm, Hinata moved her hand brushing the blow aside slipping to Hanabi's side shooting a palm thrust at her chest that she in turn rolled away from avoiding contact with by tossing herself to the side landing on her side in a Martial Art style landing that Lee had taught her to reduce the force of impact with the ground, she was grinning ear to ear.
Hinata suddenly moved forward too try to get Hanabi with a fast palm while she was down, Hanabi laying there in a half moon position. Hinata moved forward too shoot her palm thrust down into Hanabi's chest, but Hanabi's right leg shot out catching her left leg as she stepped forward forcing her stance to go wide as she almost tumbled forward. Hinata in response changed her center of gravity so that if she would come down she'd fall palm first into Hanabi. Hanabi however blocked her down coming left palm with her own left hand pushing it to the outside causing her too fall shoulder first into her. Hanabi moved to put her into a choke by wrapping her legs around her sister and grabbing to bar her neck with her arm but Hinata made a hand seal and a moment later the Hinata in Hanabi's arm burst into smoke, in it's place one of the training bags that where in the corner of the Dojo.
Hanabi blinked honestly not expecting that, she however with her Byakugan saw Hinata was above her charging to make another hit at her, she crossed her arm at her head level as Hinata moved in stopping short of her head shooting another palm thrust down before she could get up. Hanabi blocked her palm by pushing her wrist so her palm thrust hit above her head into the mat, her spinning herself around on her back kicking herself into a back roll off of Hinata's shoulder sending Hinata flying back and herself rolling the opposite way. A moment later Hanabi was on her feet.
Hiashi frowned, he didn't recognize that groundwork at all, Neji never used such techniques and he certainly didn't know anyone who'd teach Hanabi or who would even know the techniques to teach at all, a moment later he remembered that she was learning from Neji after all and his team was the one with that busybody Gai who was a master at all sorts of conventional close combat techniques.
Hinata however did not understand where Hanabi had picked that up, she however remained focused on the fight, but Hanabi's style had changed a bit and the techniques she had thought up that could beat her sister before somehow weren't cutting it this time around, Hinata moved forward now more slowly and carefully, Hanabi's last counter had almost got her into a classic choke hold, and would have lost her the match had she not managed to use Kawarimi no Jutsu (Replacement Technique). She moved in extending her stance shooting three jabs at Hanabi who blocked them, she frowned noticing Hanabi's fists where closed.
Hanabi saw Hinata come over more carefully staying in a more balanced stance so as not to be countered, suddenly three blinding quick attacks came towards her Tenketsu which she blocked with her forearms moving them so her sisters fingers missed the Tenketsu, now, most people would think that driving down on the fingers would be a good idea, but all Hyuuga have hardness of hand and finger enough to punch a hole through a solid peace of wood so Hanabi instead of pressing down on her fingers tried too push her arms wide. Hanabi then hopped back to the training wall grabbing two Kunai off of the wall, both of the small Ninja Blades where completely dull with rounded edge and no point so that they wouldn't be lethal in practice, she tossed one to Hinata.
Hinata saw Hanabi spin away from her grabbing the practice Kunai tossing one to her, now one would normally underestimate Hinata's ability to use one, but in the Academy mastering the vary symbol weapon of Konoha's Ninja was stuff that was drilled into you from the moment you where judged old enough to not hurt yourself with it, five years old in Konoha, ironically the day you're administered into the Ninja Academy, Years of training Hinata assumed Hanabi didn't have.
Hiashi himself knew this for a fact and allowed himself a smirk, he had taught Hanabi how to use a Kunai himself, and had spent long weeks teaching her how to use the ranged aspect of the Kunai with her Byakugan.
Hinata and Hanabi both charged each other this time throwing several slashes at each other with the dulled Kunai, everyone present wouldn't miss if one got a blow that would count on the other, after all there clan was famous for there eyes. Hanabi blocked a low strike throwing an uppercut at Hinata's face with the blade which Hinata deftly avoided stabbing at Hanabi's gut which she in turn rolled out of the way of. The match was taking a while both of them trying to best the other's Kunai techniques, Hanabi suddenly slashed in with her Kunai but Hinata moved shooting her hand out palm thrusting the Kunai in Hanabi's hand sending it flying out of her hand bending it as it was sent flying away.
Hanabi's eyes widened in shock as the palm thrust took away her knife, and Hinata struck with her own, Hanabi suddenly realized she had nothing to block with and rolled forward into Hinata's knee's unprofessionally causing them both to come tumbling to the ground this time was different as Hinata had the Knife.
Hinata knew her advantage and focused, rolling back kicking Hanabi in the face, Hanabi had left herself open for that knowing that a kick to the face wouldn't out her like a Knife to the side would.
Hanabi was knocked back and her entire world spinning for a half second, managed too focus and keep her Byakugan active and saw Hinata coming towards her with the knife, she then remembered something as she rolled forward shooting her hand up letting out a sudden burst of air from her lungs shouting out a "HIYAH!" as she lunged into Hinata's face.
Hinata was caught totally by surprise but swung the knife to intercept her charging sister, but suddenly Hanabi stopped dead in her tracks and spun around to her left side pressing her palm to her chest... she blinked, in a split second she went from the advantage of having the Kunai to Hanabi putting her palm to her side denoting a lethal blast to the heart.
Hanabi stepped backward a step from Hinata turned to face her and they both bowed to each other, her tasting a strange coppery taste in her mouth, her reaching up and seeing that the kick to her face had cut the inside of her lip slightly.
Hiashi frowned looking at the two of them, none of them had used any techniques and Hinata's field tested skills proved worse then her sister who didn't even have the right to be on the field, he glared coldly at the two of them, "Your skills are still as pathetic as usual I see..." he then looked at Hanabi, "...and your techniques where clumsy and cumbersome. I expected better from you." He remained staring at them coldly, he was demanding an explanation from them for there embarrassing display.
Hinata gulped tears welling in her eyes, she had tried so hard, "I... I... Uhh..." she started her hands shaking slightly, she closed her eyes forcing herself to smile, "Y-Y-Yes father, I will t-try harder." she said.
Hanabi stared at the display her father calling her clumsy and cumbersome and how he'd expected better, but Hanabi didn't understand how she could have done better, Hinata was quite strong and accomplished Ninja she was sure probably could beat Tenten ten out of ten fights, "Father don't you think that's a little unfair?" she asked, "Be silent Hanabi, that is for me too judge." he said to them.
Hinata seeing Hanabi was about to get into trouble spoke up, "I'll try harder, I promise, I'm sorry for being a failure." she said forcing herself to keep her smile.
Hanabi's eyes where wide with horror as Hinata said these words with a sickening fake smile, but Hiashi seemed to accept it and simply turned and left.
Hanabi went over to her sister, "Sister you..." Hinata was crying she saw, "You shouldn't have said that, you're not a Failure." she said to her, Hinata got to her feet running out of the room as fast as she could lest Hanabi see her break down. "Hinata..." Hanabi said sitting looking behind her sister. She knew there was no catching her, she was a Ninja, she knew how to disappear, all ninja did. But she'd be there for her.
Hanabi left the room and started walking to Team Gai's training ground, it was evening and the sky was gray in color, almost like it was about to rain, Hanabi noting the irony of the weather being bad when the mood was. But that was part of the magic of her village, when the mood was bad, so was the weather, most people took it for granted, she took it as a sign that the vary spirit of fire in Konoha was sad when Konoha was.
Hanabi walked to the training ground and started punching on the Log that she saw Lee punch on easily over nine thousand times.
---
Neji came to the training grounds, it wasn't a vary good day, Lee was getting a routine check up with the Doctors to make sure his injuries that he had got when he was in the Chuunin Exams where okay, and Gai was with him, probably more concerned with Lee's Checkup then Lee was and Tenten was learning weapons with her Father at the Weapon Shop.
He turned the corner into the training grounds and saw Hanabi punching Lee's log over and over again and over again her knuckles where bleeding pretty badly, "Hanabi-sama, stop that!" he ordered her.
Hanabi was punching the log over and over, her dark mood seething into her strikes, her wanting to hit her father for her sisters treatment, she threw a punch a shot of pain entering her fist, a good pain, she wanted to punch her sister for that fake smile, she punched again, more pain entering her other fist, and she wanted to punch herself for allowing Hinata to just run like that, she was broken out of her thoughts by Neji's Voice.
Instantly her perspective slowed and she felt like her fists where on fire she turned, "N-Neji-nii?" she said looking at him. Neji was frowning, but unlike Hiashi's frown it was a worried one, she then looked down at her hands and saw blood was pouring down her fingers and dripping onto the ground, the cloth from the punching tie around the tree had chunks of cloth stuck to her fist and there where even a few splinters in her knuckles, "Heh-heh, I-I guess I lost track of myself..." she said trying to laugh, but frowning instantly.
Neji looked worriedly at Hanabi, she was normally full of life and joy, but something was wrong, he didn't need his famed eyes to see that, her hands where bleeding, she was trying to laugh it off, but the biggest sign he could read was that she was stuttering, something he noticed she never did before. Neji reached into his belt pouch grabbing some bandages sitting down leaning on one of the trees, "Hanabi, come here." he said, dispensing with the Honorific. Hanabi came over and sat down next to Neji, "What happened?" he asked her.
Hanabi looked at Neji, "M-me and Hinata where f-" she was cut off by Neji pinching her hand hard, "OWE! What was that for?" she asked as he started pulling the cloth remnants and splinters out of her right hand, "Hyuuga Hanabi doesn't stutter." He said to her, her eyes widened slightly when she realized, "Y-yeah." she muttered, "What was that?" he asked, "Nothing." Neji smiled wrapping her hand now with Bandages, "What happened?" he asked her again, she smiled in return half heartedly, "Me and Hinata sparred to day in front of father... he called us both pathetic and verbally disregarded everything she did... but that's not what bothered me." she said to Neji, "It's when Hinata-nii forced herself to smile, and apologized for being a failure, she's not one... but she lets herself think she is... It pisses me off, I want to help but I don't know how..."
Neji frowned looking sadly at Hanabi, he himself had a bad way dealt to him but his uncle Hiashi had helped straighten that out but it was more the acts of Naruto that had corrected him. Naruto had made it clear that he wasn't the only one in pain, the only one caged and that anyone had great potential and now here he sat looking at the vary princess of the Hyuuga Family that he had scoffed at not more then a year ago for having an easy lucky life, feeling sorry for her position. The irony kind of hit him, but, that wasn't anything new, every time he turned around sense that Chuunin Exam irony tended to throw things at him. "Your other hand?" Hanabi looked down, seeing her one hand he had finished wrapping, she nodded, "Sure..."
Neji looked at Hanabi, she was depressed and she didn't know what to do, he took her hand cleaning the wounds she had inflicted on them and started wrapping her hands, he wondered what he could do too bring her spirits up... he frowned he couldn't think of anything, he finished wrapping her hands in silence, he silently noticed that if she kept punching like that her hands would look like Lee's, he suddenly furrowed his brow and idea forming in his head, "Hanabi-sama, could you remain here and practice for a bit? I have some stuff I forgot to do." he said to her adding the Honorific, trying to make it seem more business then pleasure, "Yeah, sure." she said looking at the tree which had a lot of her blood covering it and back at her stinging hands. Neji departed leaving Hanabi to think.
---
Tenten was sitting outside a new metal Bo Staff she had just finished crafting on her shoulder when Neji appeared next to her, "Neji-kun." she said, turning her head looking at him, "Have you seen Lee? They are not at the Hospital." Tenten nodded to Neji, "Yeah they where headed to there place to celebrate a good Doctor's Report." she said to him, "What's going on?", Neji looked at Tenten, "Hanabi's at the training area, she's really depressed, she skinned up her hands beating on a tree." Tenten's eyes widened, "What happened?" she asked shocked, "Her family had a major fight, and she's taking it really hard." he said, his tone making it sound like he agreed with her, "So you are looking for Lee to cheer her up?" Neji nodded, "I'm not that good at that sort of thing. I asked her to wait at the training area. I should get back to looking." Tenten nodded, "Yeah." with that Neji was off again.
---
Tenten arrived at the training ground and saw Hanabi sitting there, by the time she had arrived it was raining, "Neji you baka, you asked her to wait before a rainstorm?" she muttered.
Hanabi was sitting there rain pouring down on her, she didn't mind though, the rain always was nice to her, she was leaned back looking at the vivid green grasses and the red of her blood on the tree she had been hitting, in the rain Konoha had a Certain Beauty that she had to admire, as she was sitting she noticed the rain was no longer falling on her head, she turned her head and saw Tenten standing next to her holding a wooden umbrella over there heads, "Tenten-san?" she asked, looking at the older girl who had been a lot of help and fun.
Tenten looked seeing Hanabi, some of the funk had lifted off of her, but she still seemed out of it, she was soaked head to toe but she didn't seem to mind it, "So, what's on your mind?" she said awkwardly, "I'm sorry about what's going on at your home, I really am." she said.
Hanabi laughed coldly, "Don't mention it..." she said drolly like she really meant 'Don't mention it again ever.', "Thanks for your concern though, and thank you for the lessons you've been giving me on the use of Kunai and Bo Staff." Tenten smiled at Hanabi, "Glad I could help you."
---
Neji arrived outside of Gai and Lee's place, he knew the only time they where ever here was when it was raining, and that wasn't reliable or when they where sleeping, Neji walked over to the door and knocked a few times.
Lee was inside doing some push ups in the living room, Gai was in the living room pumping iron, sweat beaded dramatically down his face. Hearing a tap at the door Lee walked over, "Who's there?" … "Neji." he heard a moment later, he opened the door, "Neji-kun, come in." he said inviting him in.
Neji entered the place and looked around, the place was a lot less creepy then he had imagined there place would be, the main room was a large wooden room with some training stuff, some weights a kitchen with a two person table and a small hall leading to there bedrooms and the bath and shower room which he could see from the hall had there beds and some training equipment, the place wasn't as overwhelming is it's denizens.
"Neji, what brings you here?" asked Lee, "You normally avoid visiting." he didn't think anything of it, Neji wasn't the visiting sort, something Ten Ten would probably disagree with him on.
Neji looked at Lee, "I was at the training grounds today and Hanabi was there..." Neji was silently mulling over how to word it, coming up and saying 'I have distant family problems, can you cheer my cousin up.' wouldn't help. Lee met Neji's gaze, "Was there something wrong?" he asked, "Yeah." said Neji, "She's been beating herself bloody over what happened today at the Manor." he said coldly, "A family fight, I am not sure what to do." he said.
Lee looked at Neji, he was trying to cheer a family member up and didn't know how. This was strange, he himself frowned, he didn't really know what to do either, he could just go over and start chattering, it wouldn't really help, "I really don't know what to do about this..." he said to Neji, "I don't think I've ever helped cheer someone up who's had a family fight."
Gai was laying on his back on a weight bench pressing easily five hundred pounds, he was on his Nine-Hundred-Ninetieth repetition when he heard what was going on and sat up setting his weight bar down, "You need to cheer her up?" he asked sitting looking at Neji, he for once was dressed in blue jeans and was shirtless.
Neji looked over seeing Gai in something but his trademark outfit, "Yes." he said, slowly, "Youth is such a beautiful time! But some times you need a man to handle it!" Gai said walking too the door opening it and walking out shirtless heading towards the training ground without even putting on his shoes. Neji stared at the door and looked out and saw that it had started raining sense he had come.
Lee froze suddenly realizing that Gai was going out shirtless and shoeless in a rainstorm, he'd catch a cold for sure, Lee ran into Gai's room grabbing his Jounin Jacket and his Ninja Sandals, his headband and his wallet and ran out after Gai, "GAI-SENSEI!"
Gai was walking towards the training ground when he heard Lee behind him, "Lee." he said turning giving a proud smile to his protégé "What is it Lee?" he asked. "You forgot your stuff!" Lee said handing him his Jacket which Gai Slung over his bare top half. Lee handed Gai the Sandals the headband and his Wallet, Gai put the headband on around his neck tyeing it loosely and put on his sandals and took his small leather wallet putting it in his back left pocket, "Thanks Lee, I'd be in a bind without you, now go entertain our guest!" Lee smiled at this, "Yes Gai-Sensei." Gai smiled, now that his sandals where on he could go full, power to the training ground, "BURNING YOUTH POWER!!!" he shouted running off.
Lee returned too his house and looked around and saw Neji standing right where he had left him, "Have a seat." he said to Neji who nodded. "OH NO, GAI'S LUCKY GREEN JUMPSUIT! I GOTTA-" Neji just shook his head, "It's for the best." Lee looked worried, "But-" Neji just shook his head, "Your right, I should have faith in Gai Sensei!" Neji just sighed, Lee had missed the point.
---
Gai walked over too the Training Ground and saw Tenten and Hanabi sitting under Tenten's Umbrella, they where both dead silent as the rain beat down around them, "Tenten, Hanabi." he said behind them.
Hanabi turned up her head and half heartedly smiled at Gai, "Thanks." she said to him, she knew why he was here, Tenten came and tried to comfort her, and now Gai was, Neji was trying to look like he was busy, it was really amusing her in a way, "Can we talk for a bit?" she heard Gai ask, she smiled and nodded in response, "Sure."
Tenten smiled, "Hey, you keep the umbrella, and keep yourself dry you two, my father's probably worried about me being out in this." she said, reaching into her bag pulling out a second umbrella, one rule Tenten had was that if it was useful, carry more then one of them.
Hanabi was about to ask why she had two umbrellas but looked up into the wooden umbrella and saw a bunch of Senbon Needles held in little holds up in the umbrella that would shoot every which way if the umbrella was twirled with enough force, "Thanks, I'll return this too you next time we train." she said to her.
Hanabi looked at Gai, "So, you want to talk?" she asked him standing walking over next to him holding the umbrella offering it to him, Gai reached down and took the umbrella holding it up so that it covered both him and her.
Gai looked at the tree, "I haven't seen that much blood on a punching tree sense I was a kid." he said to her, which was true, considering Lee's hands where super calloused by the time he had found him, "What made you so mad?" he asked her.
Hanabi looked at Gai and frowned slightly before looking on ahead, she then went on to explain what had happened and how the fight went so that he'd clearly see what happened.
Gai smiled at her and asked her, "What are you going to do about it then?" looking at Hanabi's white eyes with his own black ones, "Huh?" She asked, "Well, it's gone bad and you feel things are in your hands, it's times like this where you gotta decide what you're gonna do." he said to her, "You have the Power of Youth!"
Hanabi smiled, suddenly understanding a bit about what Gai was talking about, The Power of Youth was a lot of time to work with and her full life ahead of her, he was absolutely right, "Well, I'm going to prove my father wrong, I'm going to keep getting stronger and stronger so that if Hinata can even stand in a fight to me it will be a testament to her skill, Every day I will strive to be better!"
Gai smiled at her, "That's burning youth passion." he said to her, "We'll help you train up and get stronger!" She was at just the right moment, he had inspired her, he realized and that now she had resolved to become stronger, "Hey, lets go have some Barbecue and plan out some of your training, and lets get some take out for your sister too." Gai said to her.
Hanabi smiled, "Yes!" she said, smiling, her day had just been totally salvaged, she hadn't really respected Gai before, the obnoxious guy in green who always kept himself going at a hectic pace like he'd die if he slowed down, but now that she understood what drove him a bit better deep down she respected him, and was glad to call him a friend.
---
Present Time
---
Hanabi smiled as she remembered the past as she flew behind Goku and Vegeta, she had trained so hard back then and had trained like hell before the time for her exam had come. It still pissed her off when she thought back to Hinata saying she was a Failure and made her grit her teeth remembering that, it made her remember her drive to get stronger, and her speed increased as she drew closer to Vegeta and Goku.
Vegeta looked back and saw Hanabi smirking about something, "Hmm, she already seems re-energized, she recovers pretty fast at least." He thought to himself as he flew onwards behind Goku as they went deeper into the desert areas.