A/N: Well, at least I got this chapter out. I've been mostly slacking and reading other fics in the 'writing' department, and studying like crazy for exams. Lol, talk about a boring life.

But yeah, let's just cut all the crap and get it started lol. I know you guys hate these stupid Author Notes. :P

Anyways, do enjoy it. XD

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto.

I Will Believe

Chapter 25: Coda

The tension in the arena seemed to slowly dissipate away as Naruto watched the medics carry Lee off to the medical room. He frowned slightly, feeling sorry for the green-clad genin, before shaking his head. Lee had fought hard...it was just…unlucky for him that Naruto fought harder.

The blond grimaced slightly as the pain coursed through his muscles once again; the strain placed on them during the last attack seemed to last for longer than expected. His breathing didn't slow down by much, showing his apparent exhaustion throughout this series of events. He hadn't moved to the stairs yet because he wasn't sure if he even had the strength to keep his balance.

Just as he was taking a moment to recover, a pair of arms had already circled themselves around his waist, whilst another was tending to the minor cuts he sustained after the execution of Kaen Rendan. "Ah…"

"Relax Naruto…it's alright." Her soothing voice was but a whisper, stroking his mind lightly as she poured her care and affection for him through a deep, passionate kiss. He closed his eyes and returned it, as though he needed something to assure him that he was still here…that he could pull through…because he had them…

Ino tilted her head slightly, accepting all of what Naruto wanted to give, and in return, she provided him with the warmth that they both craved. It was a harsh combat, and the truth was, all of Team seven lost a part of themselves that day. Confidence. The powerless Naruto had experienced at certain points had made him weary of the fact that he wasn't as strong as he wanted himself to be…far from it.

Sakura bit her lips as she finalized the treatment of the wounds, her hands gently massaging the tired muscles on Naruto's arms, checking for any hidden injury that she might have missed. Naruto broke the kiss and felt Ino nuzzle his cheek whilst rubbing his ear. He smiled gently before pulling a troubled Sakura into his arms, "Arigato…" The blond breathed a sigh of relief once again, "Both of you…thank you."

The pink-haired cherry blossom smiled softly before gazing into those cerulean orbs, "What for?" The tiny circles his thumb made on her waist, relaxing and comforting, ever so gentle, ever so caring…

"For supporting me…for being here…for being my loves…for being you…"

Ino shook her head slightly before giggling, "How on earth do you make such cheesy lines into something that means so much more?"

Naruto laughed before shrugging playfully, "Because I'm me."

"And that explains everything, doesn't it?" drawled Sakura as she rolled her eyes at his smug antics, "Alright, get back up there, we're disrupting the matches." Without saying another word, Sakura glanced and Ino, before the two began to push an amused Naruto towards the stairs.

Hayate coughed a few times, before waiting for the crowd to settle down, "Now that the interruptions have ended, let the final match begin…" His eyes locked on to the electric board as the final two names flashed on, "Will Hyuga Hinata and Hyuga Neji please come down?"

The noises instantly hushed at the mention of the same last name, before their attention was grasped by the male Hyuga, who had already made his way on to the arena, those pale white eyes filled with hatred, anger and absolute arrogance. His piercing gaze was centered on one and one person alone…his cousin…

There was a notable change in posture from the Hyuga. His emotionless facial features now leak slight killing intent that was masked by the condescending look present. The lack of guard he showed on the outside was enough to hide his extremely careful nature to lull his prey in, before his ferocious rage, evident in his clenched fists, engulfed his opponent.

The famed Byakugan wasn't even activated yet, and already he had made excellent use of the fear factor, causing several genin to gulp as his gaze brushed past them, stopping finally on her. Hyuga's Soke (Main House) member, daughter of the Clan's leader, friend of one outrageous Uzumaki, the future heiress of the clan - Hyuga Hinata.

Shikamaru frowned at the blatant dislike this genin showed for his teammate. It wasn't just for show; one could literally feel the tension in the air as Hinata stared back at him, with something that seemed like…sorrow? Shino too sensed her distress and laid his hand on her shoulder, giving her his silent support. The lazy prodigy sighed, before giving her a small smile, and tapping his finger to his left temple.

This quiet interaction between Team eight made Kurenai prouder than ever. There might not be the same level of open interaction like Team Six, nor the constant rivalry within Team seven. Yet this kind of special communication her team possessed, mere gestures required to convey the meaning of all the words they wanted to speak. This special skill they had allowed them to fully utilize their teamwork on missions and hence allow them to further improve on their techniques and cooperation.

Hinata seemed hesitant as she slowly walked down the stairs, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, her teeth biting down her bottom lip lightly, her hands shaking faintly. One might mistake it for fear…and he might be correct, to a certain extent. Naruto however knew better, which was why stood in front of her as he walked up. He raised his right hand and using two fingers, he gently tapped her forehead, earning himself a meek gasp from the Hyuga.

"Prove to him. Show him. Win him." His eyes stared right into her white ones, the confidence he had in her skills were there for everyone to see. One simple gesture, one slight shock of chakra to the brain to clear her mind. Just like Naruto to do something like that.

Sakura and Ino both gave her the victory sign, their grins wide and firm.

"Go for it Hinata!"

"You can do it!"

Hinata closed her eyes for a moment before giving a short nod, "I'll do my best." The small smile on her lips showed that the confident boost from Team six had indeed worked and she really appreciated it, "Arigato, Ni-san…" was all she whispered as she made her way to the middle of the arena, where Neji waited for her.

Gai sighed as he saw Neji showing his disgust so openly, even when the prodigy had promised him to keep in under control. Kakashi shook his head, "Gai, I hope, both for his sake and yours…that he doesn't do something stupid…"

The grimace was answer enough, for the other Konoha jonin seemed to be shaking their heads and discussing amongst themselves regarding this situation. Even the Hokage seemed grim at the way the Hyuga prodigy was handling himself. Such blatant disrespect showed before all the ninjas from other countries not only proved his self-centeredness and his arrogance, but also showed the possibilities of heavy conflicts within clans in Konoha, thereby revealing a weakness to the foreign jonin present, who will no doubt reveal this little 'tidbit' back to their kage.

Hayate eyed the two Hyuga wearily, before giving a short cough, "Now then, final match of the preliminaries, Hyuga Neji vs. Hyuga Hinata. Hajime!"

Silence instantly descended upon the arena, where all the attention was focused on the two. Neji merely continued glaring at Hinata, no change in posture, none whatsoever. The raven-haired girl met his gaze with something akin to sympathy…no killing intent whatsoever, unlike the long-haired genin. His byakugan activated in a second, his clenched fists slowly released, before he relaxed into his fighting style – Hyuga Juken.

Gone were the harsh glares and anger, replaced with a piercing stare and a calmness that showed his careful nature, not wanting to underestimate any opponent, no matter who he or she was. "Hinata-sama…let's begin." Straight to the point, no needless interruptions in his actions, his words laced with ice, his entire posture screamed offense, and overall, he really could be one of the most intimidating presences on the floor today.

Hinata shook her head slightly, before taking in a deep breath, "So be it…Neji…ni-san…" When her eyes opened this time, familiar chakra veins diverged from her pupils, surrounding her eye, the determination raged true within those orbs. As though copying Neji, she too settled into her Hyuga stance. The only difference was that she focused on having a defensive kata, as though she had already known that Neji would be starting with such a stance.

The Konoha teams watched on with rapt attention, the reputation of Hyuga's special taijutsu had always been a topic that was much discussed upon, especially in Team Six and Eight, where Naruto had repeatedly went over the fine details along with Kireki and Hinata, pointing out possible flaws whilst the rest of them listened and asked any questions that might confuse them. The whole point of 'survey' was to make sure that they did not leave any part of the Hyuga Taijutsu out, for it was the best...strongest...last…and only weapon most Hyuga's ever use.

Ino had once blurted out that merely relying on such a taijutsu would be stupid, and surprisingly, it was Kireki who agreed with her right away. The risks involved in the fighting style were huge when the opponent was a long-range specialist, or a ninjutsu specialist. Not only must the strikes of Juken be precise and accurate, the amount of chakra used must be just right, because wasting chakra would be a definite handicap in the long run.

Hinata herself had come up with new ways to overcome the physical difficulties of the style. Where she lacked strength and instant power output, she made it up with extreme chakra control and flexibility. The amount of work she put into training was incredible. One would expect an heiress like her to laze around and do nothing, yet she trained almost as hard as Naruto at times, with similar intensity, and that was saying something. Naruto was a male, and due to Kyuubi, his muscles were able to repair and renew as he trained, meaning that he could survive days of non-stop training and not even feel tired.

Hinata had once trained two days in a row…and when they finally found her, she was exhausted beside a waterfall…Sakura immediately began applying the necessary first-aid skills whilst Ino moved to make sure that she did not suffer from chakra exhaustion. And Naruto had cradled her in his arms, his face filled with worry…and yet…all she did…was smile softly, before whispering, "I did it…"

In a flash, Neji struck. His blows hard and powerful, with chakra pulsing outwards like a mini-shockwave every time they connected. His fluidity was impressive as no extra movement was made, moving through the kata deftly, no time wasted, no opportunity wasted and no openings left unexploited.

Hinata parried his blows with technical maneuvers instead of matching in power. She would choose an alternate point when their blows connect, instead of clashing straight on with the chakra pulse, she neatly uses a slightly smaller chakra burst and attacks just a bit higher from the actual blow. That way, due to the chakra density, her attacks would always fall onto Neji's, and thereby allowing her to rival the chakra intensity adequately without using as much chakra.

The blows were never repetitive, nor were they improvised on the spot. They were merely following the actual style instead of the moves within the style. Both of them were no longer held back by mere execution of the move. It was the essence within that they needed to understand, and right now, down in the arena, it was clear that Neji was having an upper hand in that area.

"And to think…all those times we discussed along with Hinata…even after all that, Neji still……" Ino shook her head slightly, "No wonder they call him a prodigy…unlike someone…"

Sakura barely stifled a laugh as Sasuke looked ever so murderous at that off-handed comment, "Ino! Shh, focus on the match!"

Naruto didn't seem to hear that comment as he frowned slightly, "Look, Hinata's retaliating."

Eyes instantly focused on the raven-haired girl, where her speed in reacting to Neji's strikes increased gradually. Her concentration was clearly seen as she seemed to even predict where the strikes are coming from. Clear cut blows with no hesitation at all, careful yet quick calculations involved with when, how and where to strike, not showing any signs of fear…all those…are the key to winning the morale and mental battle within a fight.

Neji seemed to be getting more and more irritated as time passed. He had definitely underestimated Hinata, but only by a little. Her clear cut decisions in defense were able to override his offensive motives and turn him on the defensive, and bit by bit, he felt the pressure slowly closing around him. He had the upper hand in terms of strength, and he was sure that his chakra control was at least on par with Hinata, so why? Why was he still getting pushed back no matter how hard he tried? Was his experience not enough?

"No patience."

Heads instantly turned to Naruto, whose frown eased slightly as he gave a small smile, "His attack rhythm's messed up. Turns out his anger management still needs work." Shaking his head slightly, "But even so…I can't tell who's gonna win."

"Eh? I thought you said…" asked a bewildered Sakura.

"All I said was it's a draw. Because no matter what, the bottom line is that Neji is stronger than Hinata. Be it experience or skill. And he has a valid reason. He's a year older." His eyes never left the duo once, making sure to note their every move, learning from this battle, for the level of taijutsu being displayed below was…to be frank, the best of the best among this batch of genin.

Gai gave a sigh, "If only he would put aside his chaotic thoughts, he might be able to fight normally…but if this goes on, there's a chance that he might even lose." His face was grim, concern and slight disappointment evident in his expression.

Kurenai on the other hand continued to wear that smile of hers that widened ever so slightly every now and then. Shikamaru and Shino said nothing, merely stood on either of her side, watching silently as the battle of their teammate unfolded below. They had seen her practice so many times, helped her train countless times, assisted her theory proving over and over…and now, they can easily stand back, and let her take control of her skills. Her: Hyuga Hinata.

Said girl's eyes narrowed before she flipped her palm and successfully kept Neji out of range for a moment, before her left arm struck out fiercely, her fore and middle fingers brimming with a blue aura, "Genrei Nishi! (Twin Mirages)"

The Hyuga prodigy widened his eyes in surprise before hurriedly side-stepping, avoiding the attack, "What...?" Neji could not believe the attack that Hinata just used, "So it is true. You too, can see tenketsu." His right arm felt slightly numb, his eyes instantly found the tenketsu responsible and courtesy to Hinata, it was sealed.

Hinata nodded, "Hai."

"And to think…your control is enough to allow you to close them off at such a distance…" He clenched his fists, before he tapped himself hard on the shoulder, instantly opening the tenketsu and moved his arm around to check for any other damages.

"Sugoi!" Kiba seemed shocked by this sudden turn of events, "You mean…she can like…stop your movement…from that far?"

Ino shook her head a bit, "Not quite. She just invented this way of tenketsu sealing, and to be honest, it requires utmost concentration and control to be able to achieve such a thing. At this stage, all she can hit would be one tenketsu at once, using her fore and middle finger as focal points for her chakra, before storing energy for around one and a half seconds before releasing it swiftly, penetrating the opponent's defense and sealing off said tenketsu."

"So it takes a long time to er…'charge'?" asked a confused Chouji.

Naruto shook his head, "Depends on which tenketsu she wants to seal, and the distance the chakra needs to travel."

Neji gritted his teeth, "Impressive…so it seems that I severely underestimated you…" His eyes closed for a moment, before flashing open once again, sending another chakra pulse due to the re-activation of Byakugan, "But now…I'm going all out."

"What is he talking about? Has he been holding back all this time?!" muttered Kiba.

As though answering his question, Neji struck again. But this time, the blows were much faster, more lethal, more power and basically pushing the limits of Juken.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, "Just what is he doing? Increasing the speed for a taijutsu such as Juken would equal a quick defeat…"

"Indeed," Gai replied in a surprisingly serious manner, "The Hyuga clan has always made use of the fact that 'still can defeat moving', 'wait instead of charge'. Those are the basic rules, allowing those who practice Juken to stay close to the purpose of using Juken and lessen the amount of mistakes that might occur. However…" He gestured towards the duo below, "Neji has completely mastered the 'slow' aspect of the taijutsu…and his chakra control is extremely admirable…meaning he can maintain fluidity even under speeds as high as that."

Staring back at Hinata, who was currently struggling amidst the heavy assault of blows, Sakura couldn't help but gasp in horror, "Don't tell me…"

"Ah. It's true. Neji is using twice the supposed speed, whilst maintaining twice the power…and balancing it out with extreme control…keeping his fluidity whole. Right now, he's probably one of the ones that could actually prevent this type of taijutsu from breaking apart…by mere concentration." Gai ended his speech with a slightly proud note, and given the apparent advantages Neji had currently, no one could blame him for that.

Even Shino seemed tense as Hinata was almost barraged from all sides, where Neji's strikes came from everywhere. All the moves could and were predicted by Hinata…it's just the speed increase that completely put her off. It was pure instinct that kept her going, fending off the attacks with as much speed as she could manage.

Suddenly, Neji leapt backwards, before bending his back slightly and stretching his hands out with his right hand pointing behind his back and his left palm lay flat towards the front, "It's over. This…is your limit…" His smirk widened at the expression on Hinata's face, before continuing, "You're within my divination range…"

"No way!" gasped Sakura as she recognized the position that Neji was currently in and the danger that was looming ever so closely. "How can…that's just…"

"What? What?" The rest seemed to get over the fact that Team six knew way more than they do and proceeded to bombard them with questions the moment an exclamation was heard from any member.

Ino grimaced, "Hyuga's ougi…This does not look good…"

"Hakke…" His eyes locked onto his opponent, "Rokujuuyon shou! (Eight Divinations: Sixty Four Palms)" In an instant, Neji was off, palms poised to strike. Hinata bit her lips, not letting the shock get to her; she quickly took half a step back and channeled chakra mostly to her arms and eyes, focusing on the two palms that were drawing ever so close.

Neji completely disregarded her defense and went in straight for the 'kill', "Hakke nishou! (Two palms)" Hinata gritted her teeth as she formed mini-shields and clashed right on with the strikes, before changing the positions straight away, just in time to collide with Neji's blows, "Yonshou! (Four palms)".

However, it soon became apparent that she had no way to keep up with the relentless continuous strikes that were to come and by the time Neji yelled, "Sanjuunishou! (Thirty-two palms)" Hinata had been struck at least ten times. A thin stream of blood flowed out of the corner of her mouth, showing the intensity of Neji's attacks, and a definite sign that Hinata had suffered some form of internal damage.

"Rokujuu…yonshou! (Sixty four palms)" The final blows came at a speed that seemed like a blur to the spectators, for the blue auras rained down upon Hinata so quickly that barely anyone could follow the exact movements of Neji's palms. As the final strike hit, Hinata was sent hurling into the wall behind her, creating a slight dent in the concrete, before she coughed up quite a significant amount of blood.

"Hinata!" The crowd instantly became an uproar, where Sakura almost leapt down straight away to check on the poor girl. If not for Naruto holding her back, she most likely would have. Emerald gazed pleadingly into sky blue, almost begging him to let her check up on one of her best friends.

Said blond sighed, before shaking his head slightly, "No. This is her fight. She can handle it. Do not insult her by going to her now." His tone was strict and cold, his eyes staring back into those green eyes, wanting her to understand the message he sent across. "It's tough, and it's hard, but at the end of the day, it's still Hinata's fight. She would not have wanted to be healed before the match was over."

Ino bit her lips as she leaned heavily against the railing, "Damn it. Hinata!"

Shikamaru cursed as he quickly rushed to the railing, peering over it to take a closer look at his teammate, whilst Shino had opted to listen to his bugs commentary of what had happened, before speaking calmly, "Kurenai-sensei…Hinata should be fine."

Kiba looked at the cloaked boy incredulously, "Dude, did you see the amount of blood she coughed up?"

"I have."

"Did you see that crack on the wall?"

"I have."

"Then how can you still say she'll be fine?"

"I'm not saying. I know."

Kiba was about to argue again when he was stopped by Chouji who merely pointed to the arena and to his utmost amazement, the Hyuga heiress could be seen getting up ever so slowly, panting every now and then, her hands gently massaging her chest, with glows of blue pulsing ever so slightly. "What on earth…?"

Naruto gave a wry smile, "Opening tenketsu, as long as you have chakra and you know how, you can easily unseal all of them in a time span of one minute."

Sasuke couldn't believe what he was hearing, "You mean to say…that this…this girl can easily undo the jutsu that the Hyuga did to her?"

The blond didn't even bother to answer his question as he focused on Hinata, silently praying that Neji's arrogance and shock might keep him in place whilst she prepared her next attack.

Sakura eyed the Uchiha with disdain and replied, "Do you have any idea how stupid that question is? Hinata happens to be a Hyuga as well. And seeing how the jutsu Neji did to her belonged to the Hyuga arsenal, I don't see why Hinata can't undo it." It was pushing it a bit, seeing Hinata had learnt it the hard way when training with Kireki and to be honest, not everyone could accomplish such a feat just by training.

All Sasuke could do was glare at the pink-haired kunoichi who chose to dismiss his pathetic presence. She was currently in a conversation with Ino, discussing possible ways where Hinata might be able to regain her advantage.

Needless to say, Neji was absolutely pissed to see Hinata get back up and re-opening the tenketsu he sealed. Granted, he didn't get the full sixty four…hell he didn't even get half of them, but to be able to withstand twenty seven high pressured chakra 'injections' one after another, all over your body and still be able to stand was an impressive feat.

Hinata tapped her abdomen once again to check her chakra flow, and after making sure that it wasn't impeded in any way, she once again took up a fighting stance, "As expected from you Neji…but I won't go down that easily."

Many seemed doubtful at that statement and Chouji couldn't help but chew on his fingers, scared that she might not be able to withstand the next onslaught. Kakashi raised an eyebrow in amusement before looking over at Kurenai, "Good shinobi you got there."

The rookie jonin seemed surprised that the Kakashi would actually give her a complement…in teaching no less and couldn't stop the smile from appearing, "Thank you." Asuma chuckled, "Wonder where she got the headstrong-ness from?" And of course, that teasing comment earned him an elbow in the ribs, eliciting a grunt from the seasoned chain-smoker jonin.

Neji gritted his teeth as Hinata told him to – in simple terms – bring it once again. His chakra reserves weren't taxed that much but that was beside the point. She…She of all people had shrugged off that attack and recovered in such a short period of time, she had proved her speed and stamina by fending off more than half of the strikes involved. To hell with his pride, this girl was good, he'll give her that much. Hyuga Neji wasn't stupid, he knew skill when he saw it, but that didn't mean that he would change his views. Fate still decided everything, just like the destiny of failures shall be awaiting them at the end of their lives. It's pretty simple. The mission objective had not changed. Defeat Hinata and move on. Like a winner.

He gave a curt nod and narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, trying to find a weakened spot so that he could finish her off once and for all instead of dragging out the 'inevitable'. So once again, he settled into his stance, his eyes registering the eight divinations around him, "Hakke…"

However, to the spectators' surprise, Hinata began summoning up chakra onto her palms as well, strong aqua glows appearing on her hands, her brows furrowed, concentrating solely on Neji, ready to retaliate.

"What's that?" piped Ino, looking at Naruto for an answer, "Do tell!"

A smirking Naruto chuckled lightly, "So…she wants to use that huh…"

Sakura's eyebrows raised, "Huh? What? What?"

All they got was an 'innocent' shrug, "You'll see."

Below on the arena, she had already begun, "Shogo Hakke…"

And at the same moment, both struck simultaneously, the power behind their attacks clearly shown as they roared out their techniques:

"Rokujuyon Shou!"

"Rokujuyon Shou!"

Thin, sharp streams of chakra erupted from her palms as she swung them around gradually at first, allowing the 'afterflow' (The line created by the chakra before it dissipates) to successfully fend off the first two strikes from Neji. Slowly but surely she gained speed, the lines weaving a strong web almost around her, completely securing her from the harsh blows that were attempting to break through her defense, where the chakra shield held still, inert against the continuous rampage. The movement of her arms was so quick that all they could see were the afterimages of the palms, exquisite and graceful as she held her ground against Neji's attack.

"…whoa!" was all Kiba could manage as his eyes showed him the image of Hinata sprouting extra arms all of a sudden to manage that particular jutsu, "What on earth is that?!"

Shikamaru let loose a sigh of relief as he stretched his arms, finally letting the tension of his shoulders whilst Shino adjusted his sunglasses, hiding the smile in his eyes at Hinata's impressive achievement.

Naruto grinned and faced the bewildered genin, "That my friends, is Hinata's self-invented taijutsu - Shogo Hakke: Rokujuuyon shou."

"Self…really?!"

"That's huge oi! How does she do it?!"

"Incredible!"

"It's holding up!"

"Ah, a jutsu that focuses on the extremes of chakra control, tuning the density of the energy up before concentrating it into a small beam, weaving it with your arms in all eight directions, which by the way, requires intense flexibility, and by allowing the after-flow of the chakra to form, continue criss-crossing the beams of chakra over and over, forming a formidable shield if you're on the defensive…"

Ino gave a whistle, "Dang, and if you're on the offensive?"

Everyone looked at Naruto, waiting for his answer.

The blond merely tilted his head, "Well, you get sliced to pieces then. Simple as that."

They stared at him, before turning their gazes on the duo below, focused on the blue lights of the chakra, stared back at Naruto, and then gulped.

Unpleasant…

Indeed…

The clash finally ended with Neji being pushed back while Hinata stood her ground, panting slightly. The Hyuga prodigy couldn't believe it as once again, he failed to overwhelm her with his techniques. It was another strike to his ego and he could feel the rage he had kept hidden slowly surface. All the pain he had suffered during training, the emotional trauma he underwent when his father died, the prejudice he had withstood by being a branch house member, the lack of respect he got just because of that seal…that cursed seal on his forehead.

And yet here was the ojou-sama, the meek and shy girl that he watched grow up, the one he had deemed too weak to be of any success, the one that fate was supposed to laugh at, the one who was destined to be a failure…yet now…was he wrong? No! He couldn't be wrong! There's just no way his belief was incorrect!

Without warning, his chakra soared, almost engulfing him as he summoned up his power, "Hakke: Kaiten!" Making good use of the moment where she seemed stunned, Neji used his right leg as a pivot and began spinning furiously whilst expelling chakra from his tenketsu, his hands shaping them into a sphere, using the centrifugal force to further improve the balance and power behind this technique.

"You've got to be kidding me…Kaiten?!" muttered Naruto as he watched Neji perform a feat that shouldn't be possible, seeing how he was a branch house member. "Hinata! Dodge!" His cry was urgent and anxious, as though knowing that the raven-haired girl would not be able to counter this attack.

And he thought right, for Hinata had mostly exhausted her reserves in that last clash, where she fully executed the Shogo Hakke Rokujuuyon Shou, her arms tired from the constant clashes, and the shock of Neji knowing the Kaiten completely erased any thoughts of evading.

Before she knew it, she was swept up by the chakra current, before being slammed back down into the ground. The wind was completely knocked out of her petite body, almost knocking her unconscious if not for the slight chakra pulse she emitted before she hit the ground. But at this stage, the outcome of the match was pretty much clear.

Neji stopped the spin and settled back into his stance with amazing grace, without a sign any signs of fatigue. His eyes showed his triumph as he eyed the figure on the floor, "It's over, Hinata-sama."

He felt a cruel satisfaction by seeing the girl he was supposed to protect struggle to get up, to defy him, to defy destiny. Only he would know the fruitless result that could come from such a futile effort, no one can win fate…no one…

A bitter smile adorned his face as he did his best to keep from shaking. It wasn't rage, it was guilt. A part of him knew that it wasn't right to commit such an atrocious act against a girl so very kind, so caring and considerate with purity unrivalled by any. He hated this, this condescending manner, this strict posture, everything that he had sworn he wouldn't be when he was a child…but now…

He closed his eyes and deactivated Byakugan, his mind filled with conflicting thoughts. He was her protector, the one assigned to prevent the 'hime' from being hurt, yet here he was, the winner of a match where had just severely injured her. He admired her perseverance, loved her determination, adored her smile, enjoyed her cheerful nature and most of all, her shy and modest nature impressed him the most. But no, he had to ignore all of that, for he was nothing more than a branch house member. He shall forever be a bird caged, with no freedom, no power. A mere pawn in a chess set, expendable and weak. So he chose the easy way out. He let it stay that way. He chose to hate instead of try to love. Anger gave him motivation, a reason to get stronger, and his want to defeat the main house members to prove to them that the house system is a fucking retarded decision.

His past was over, he left it behind. His naivety died on the same day his father passed away. Gone was the idealistic world, where everything was wonderful. Say hello the real world. Any potential friends were impossible, for he had sworn to be an elite, and to achieve that, he must be alone. Only then can he focus on training, and forget all the 'fun' stuff that was waiting for him. Only that way could he strive for the better and not think about the devastatingly cold home waiting for him, the lack of warmth in the mediocre, boring life of his……

Gasps were heard from the spectators as a rustling of movement could be heard from behind him. Giving into curiosity, he turned around, only to widen his eyes in shock. Hinata had stood up once again, with her eyes half-closed, her legs shaking from the effort of holding up her battered body, her arms limp at her sides and her breath uneven. A stream of blood could be seen flowing down her jaw, but her posture did nothing to complete the image. If anything, it was one of defiance. And it was with this that she faced Neji, her words but a whisper.

"It hurts…doesn't it?"

Those words struck through him like a bolt of lightning, completely shaking him out of his reverie, his pupils almost shaking as he struggled to control the stream of emotions streaking through his conscious.

"I feel it you know…every day…the pain…the suffering…"

He wanted to cover his ears; he didn't need this, not now, not ever…

"You try so hard, not just for yourself…but even for everyone else in the branch house…it's not pride that keeps you going, it's compassion…"

His fists clenched, the veins on his eyes bulging…

"I know…you care…more than anyone else in Hyuga clans…and that is why…I admire you so…"

He gritted his teeth, his leg muscles tightening, as though ready to attack.

"The courage you show, the mask you wear to hide yourself up…the one who's extremely caring and kind, the one who was forcefully hidden when your father…"

"Don't you dare talk about my father Hyuga Hinata!" His eyes raged with fury as he pointed straight at the heiress, "You know nothing! Stop acting as though you understand me!"

Hinata showed no signs of stopping, choosing instead to walk slowly over to him, "I don't need to act…" Her words were so very soft, soothing and tender, "I admit…I don't understand you…"

Every step she took forward, Neji would slowly retreat half a step, as though afraid of her advance, "I don't understand why you completely reject everyone, why you forcefully bury all your affection, why you act so cold…why you keep everyone out of your reach…"

Neji shook his head slowly, "For your good and mine Hinata-sama, I suggest you stop this nonsense, I'm warning you, I won't be holding back anymore…"

Hinata didn't seem to hear him as she completely ignored the cries of worry from her friends, who were yelling their throats out to tell her to not get too close to him. She merely wore that sweet smile of hers, gradually moving towards Neji, her facial expression ever so warm and loving, her eyes staring into his, "Neji-ni-san…"

In a flash, Neji's palm struck out, mere milimetres from her face before halting in place, "Give me one reason to not strike you down…" Hissed the prodigy as he begged inwardly for her stop this.

The heiress merely leaned in to his palm and asked naively, as though they were both children again, her cheerful personality revealed, the playful child beneath the shyness, "Why won't you play with me anymore?"

And it was right after that sentence, where Hinata lost consciousness and fell into Neji's arms, her face calm and peaceful, without a single sign of fear, as though forgetting that Neji had just injured her a few minutes ago, as though knowing for sure that Neji would accept her and protect her, just like when they were young.

Sakura and Ino had the urge to leap down and grab Hinata, not knowing just what Neji would do to her, but both were stopped by Naruto as he shook his head, as though wanting them to wait it out. Everyone stood on their toes, wondering just how this twist of events would end.

Said prodigy sighed, his mind in a conflict, wondering just what he should do. A part of him screamed at him to stop dreaming about such useless stuff and get rid of her at once…yet he could tell, that voice was getting weaker by the second, for his real self spoke loud and clear. And he followed its advice.

Gently and carefully, he gathered her in his arms, lightly stroking her hair, before pulling her in for a soft embrace, his eyes closed as he spoke his mind, "Gomen nasai……Hina-hime……"

And amidst the comfortable silence that followed, Hayate averted his eyes from the couple and gave a slight smile, before quietly ending the match, "Winner, Hyuga Neji."

Lol, most of you could probably see what I'm doing, and to be honest, I'm gonna stick with it. But opinions on it would be nice. Neji's past would be elaborated later on, not exactly like the one in the manga of course, but I assure you guys that it would be explained later on.

I thought I should end this chapter here seeing how the 'fluff' was too nice to be ruined. 3

And yes, next chap would once again be an interlude where the training begins. A good end to so much action. XD Now I can develop the characters a bit more and perhaps the NSI relationship can improve. We'll see.

I thank you guys for your patience and any questions are welcome. Reviews are of course, extremely welcome. So please, take the time and leave a comment just to let me know how you think. I do value your opinions, every single one of them, so don't hesitate to tell me where I suck, or where I did right. Because it's the only way I can improve. XD

Hope you enjoyed it! C'ya guys. Laters.