Chapter 37

The finalists entered the stadium and they all heard the sudden roar of noise. It made Siata's heart pound as she stood straighter while Hayate-san explained the rules of the matches. It sounded like a riot that had exploded into screams from nowhere.

"Ladies and gentlemen the Chuunin exams will now commence. Please take your seats. Ladies and gentlemen…"

An intercom somewhere echoed around the stadium. Everyone looked like ants from down here. But she could spot Hiashi-san with Hinata and her team. And also all the jounin sensei's along with Jiraiya-sama sitting in the front rows. The Hokage's box was at the top with the Kazekage sitting next to him.

The screams of excitement were slowly subsiding.

"Well then, cough. Best of luck. All of you. Please will the first pair remain here while the others go up and wait in the champions box." Hayate-san explained.

Siata assumed Oruchimaru's henchmen were going to be here. It was critical she located them in the sea of people before the attack began. She'd have to slowly start filtering through the crowd between matches.

Siata grabbed Sasuke and hugged him. "Duckling. Your going to do great. Good luck." Sasuke smirked and nodded already fired up.

"Don't lose and come crying!" Naruto grinned and they moved up the stadium without him.

Up on the stands she could hear the voices around her. The crowd's excitement rising up again in a loud chatter as Sasuke took his place in the ring.

Dozu stood in front of him. Siata had been surprised he'd shown up. Oruchimaru probably wanted to see Sasuke's skills himself and told Dozu to be extra diligent in the match.

With hooded eyes Dozu tracked Sasuke.

Hayate stood in front of them and coughed.

"Alright. First match of the Chuunin exam finals. Sasuke and Dozu. You may begin."

Sasuke and Dozu jumped off at the same time and clashed exchanging blows. Dozu grinned as he spammed his arm sound jutsu over and over Sasuke.

But Sasuke grabbed Dozu's rain jacket and kneed him in the gut, then smashed his feet into him at high speeds that Dozu just couldn't keep up.

"But… but how! My chakra.. my sound!"

Siata grinned.

"How is Sasuke so unaffected datebayo?" Naruto asked.

"Come on sunshine. Did you already forget about my partial shield seal I gifted you guys? It covers his upper area from his shoulders up. That includes his ears you know."

They turned as electricity exploded in the arena as a sound of a thousand chirping filled the stadium.

"OHHHH!" The crowed got up on their seats and screamed at Sasuke.

"Chidori." Sasuke slammed it into Dozu's shoulder making him completely pass out and making Sasuke the winner. There was no dispute. Hayate-san announced Sasuke the winner and the crowd exploded into cheers.

"That was so fast!"

"No wonder he's one of the last Uchiha."

"Did you see his moves?!"

"His taijutsu is just on another level!"

Siata could hear the crowd exploding around them admiring Sasuke.

He hadn't even had to show his snake summons. The training had done wonders to his speed, basics, and added to that a special attack skill.

"NICE DUCKLING! YEAH!" Siata screamed.

"WHOOOHOOO! YOU DID IT SASUKE!" Naruto jumped up for him.

Sasuke looked up at them and smirked and made his way up slowly to the stands.

"I'm glad to see your excited about the matches." The Hokage chucked to the Kazekage who had stood up and stared in admiration until the last moment Sasuke had left.

"Ah yes.. seeing these young ones do truly get my blood boiling. He truly is impressive as the surviving Uchiha. His talent is truly remarkable." The Kazekage turned to face the Hokage and grinned, although his mouth was hidden behind his mask. The Hokage chatted with him as they sat and waited for the next announcement.

It was time for the next contestants to get ready.

"Alright Shikamaru go kick their butt!" Ino grinned.

"Good luck out there Shikamaru." Choji grinned and he nodded back

"troublesome.. why is it always girls I'm paired up with." Shikamaru stood infront of his opponent.

"Heh. Does that mean your too scared?" Tenten grinned

"Let's have a good match."

"Let's have a good match." Shikamaru bowed back.

Hayate-san looked at both of them seeing they were ready, then called.

"Tenten VS Shikamaru. Begin!"

Shikamaru slammed the smoke bomb on the ground and disappeared in the smoke.

Tenten spammed her weapons regardless then jumped back when a shadow almost reached her.

Next she unleashed her weaponry seal. Looked like she wanted to finish this as fast as possible. Throwing a rain of weapons down that pierced through him.

"No!" Ino screamed. Siata watched with unblinking eyes- her sharingan activated.

Shikamaru burst into smoke turning into a log.

"Damn it!" Tenten searched for him again.

Shikamaru would be found and he'd dodge and hide. Dodge and hide. Dodge and-

"Lame." The crowd murmured

"Isn't that guy just running away?" Ino glared at the onlookers. Siata and Choji ignored them and kept watching.

Suddenly Shikamaru dashed across the arena. He quickly dodged the various weapons and closed the distance.

Tenten unlocked another scroll causing a sea of weapons his way. Suddenly his shadows rose up and smashed the oncoming weapons away in front of him, but Tenten-san quickly retreated up.

Suddenly she started pulling all the weapons up to the sky with chakra strings. And then threw the entire total of weapons towards Shikamaru.

But just before the weapons reached him they all froze and dropped harmlessly to the floor.

"What the..?! But I kept my distance!" Tenten grit out as her body wouldn't respond to her as she started walking towards the middle of the arena to meet Shikamaru.

"Heh, sorry Tenten-san." Shikamaru's shadows slithered out from the chakra strings Tenten had used for her weapons.

"He purposely baited her to use her multi weapon attack and use it to increase the surface area of the shadows created by the weapons that could reach her." Asuma grinned and explained to the others.

"Wow, that was really well planned."

"Who is this guy.."

The crowd was excited at the unexpected dark horse that had appeared in the contest.

"Do you yield Tenten-san?" Shikamaru asked.

Tenten grit her teeth and started to struggle. Shikamaru immediately extended his shadows. The hand-like shadows crawled up Tenten and choked her neck.

"Tenten-san?" Shikamaru asked.

"I… yield." She croaked out. Shikamaru immediately removed the shadows. Sighing.

"Winner of the second match – Nara Shikamaru."

Naruto cheered and paused seeing Siata was staring at Shikamaru thoughtfully.

"Huh? Siata-chan I thought you'd be happy datebayo."

"Hmm? Oh no I am… I just didn't think he'd follow through." She mumbled. Sasuke observed her then looked away to Shikamaru who was walking up now. They waved at him.

"You know he's trying to get into ANBU right? Of course he'd follow through." Sasuke said.

Siata nodded back.

"We are sorry to announce due to a forfeit, Aburame Shino will be the winner. Please could the next opponents get ready to fight." Hayate-san explained.

The boys including sensei looked at Siata and she sighed. This was it.

"Go get him." Kakashi sensei said.

The boys both encouraged me in their own way, and I grinned and went down. On the way she met Shikamaru.

"Hey, congratulations." Siata nodded to him. Shikamaru hugged her and said, "you know.. you don't have to… never mind. I'll see you back upstairs soon."

"Yeah." Siata hugged back and then turned from Shikamaru to step into the arena. Shikamaru grit his hands and quickly moved up stairs so he wouldn't miss the match.

At the entrances of the fighters the arena exploded in excitement. Another Uchiha and they were versing a Hyuuga.

Neji faced her emotionless as she met his eyes casually then gave a small grin. His lips twitched down. But she could tell he was excited as well from the way he was so focused.

Up on the stage Hinata gripped her hands tight in a prayer and stared at them. She had tried her best to train with Siata to give her tips during the training camp. She didn't want her friend to get hurt.

"look at that jerk staring her down.. Siata-chan! Beat him up to a pulp!" Naruto shouted.

"Yeah! Kick the arrogant bastards ass Siata-chan!" Ino screamed.

Shikamaru sat next to Choji and sighed. Choji gave his friend a look then looked back to the arena where it was starting.

Hayate-san stepped close to the two fighters.

"The next match. Hyuuga Neji VS Uchiha Siata."

The crowd screamed out in excitement banging on the seats.

"You better keep an eye on them. Or you'll miss the action." Gai sensei nodded and they all focused. Ready for the high speed action.

"Begin!"

The two contestants eyes changed form. And soon Neji had his eye veins budging while Siata had two lazy tomoe swimming in hers.

"No run down of my motivations like you gave to Hinata-chan Neji-san?" Siata asked casually getting into position.

"She is a weakling unfit for ninja life. Your resolve is different." Neji said plainly.

"Oh? Am I? I see no difference."

"Resolve means nothing. But results and strength are set in stone like fate. What's trash will always be trash."

Siata made the first move. She sprang to her feet and swung at his jaw then flipped her body last minute to land a kick to his chest, when she realised he was aiming to grab her arm.

She watched in slow motion as Neji flashed towards her.

"Gentle fist art: Eight Trigrams 64 palms." Her eyes followed his movements and dodged him by swatting his wrists one at a time.

"2 palms… 4 palms..16 palms… 32 pals… 64 palms!"

Siata's friends flinched every time one of the hits landed. They were moving so fast the crowd could hardly make sense of the blur.

Meanwhile Neji was noticing something. Every time his palms would hit Siata, a small disk like circle would appear like a block. He realised his moves weren't going in – some kind of small shield. He retreated.

"I call it a magic circle. I activate it where I can see your hands are moving, and activate a small shield seal. Since the surface area is small I don't get much chakra drainage. And I can ignore my worries about you giving me a heart attack… and do this."

Siata grinned.

"Sure your eyes can see," she slid open her tanto and crouched low, "but can you follow?"

She body flickered behind him and he spun around just enough to block her kick. She disappeared in an instant and threw some punches which he parried but then her blade snaked around, and his eyes were picking up on multiple blades coming all at once,

"Konoha style: Dance of the Crescent Moon!"

"Neji!" Tenten shouted as a blade pierced his shoulder.

Siata and Neji fought with their feet and one available hand sparring furiously together.

"164 palms!" Neji dashed out his arm in a blur. Siata summoned enough water around them and started going through the one handed seal while blocking his hands from reaching her skin using her mini shields.

She narrowly dodged Neji's feet that slammed up to her cheek making her head snap side from the impact. Neji grinned. Siata's sharingan flared as she blitzed through her jutsu.

"Special jutsu: flying water needles."

Many people jumped up to look "a one handed seal?!"

"She can pull it off at her age?" Asuma raised his brow.

"She's a sensitive sensor with a good sense of chakra, more so within her body so it makes sense she can pull it off." Kakashi explained.

The water turned into deadly needles and rushed towards Neji.

"Oi oi S-Siata-chan?! Siata-chan your going to kill him datebayo!" Naruto's hands shook as he gaped at Siata.

In the last minute Neji let go of Siata completely.

"Eight Trigrams: rotation!" Neji spun around causing the water needles to spurt back into water form.

"Damn it!" Naruto slammed the metal rails. "What the hell was that move?"

Tenten grinned knowing Neji was going to be unstoppable with his special defence move. He was already skilled enough he could manipulate the chakra outside his body enough to repel any attack. It was the ultimate defence.

Hinata worriedly looked at Siata, it shock Neji-niisan had mastered this move already.

Sasuke frowned in frustration. "If she'd combined that move with her genjutsu it would have been the perfect chance. Why isn't she using any genjutsu?" he muttered.

"That is strange. Siata's preferred approach method is to use taijutsu mixed with Kenjutsu to distract first, then genjutsu and meanwhile finish it off with her speed attack. I don't see anything making her unable to- it's more like she's decided not to use it on purpose for some reason." Kakashi said.

Shikamaru analysed her. Then the crowd. Then the opponent.

"It's possible she doesn't want to reveal the genjutsu in front of such a wide crowd with her paranoid personality. Afterall, that genjutsu works best when people are not expecting it- that or she's waiting for a perfect time." Shikamaru reasoned.

They nodded and looked back down where the two regarded one another.

"It must be frustrating, to realise how utterly hopeless it was to dream of winning. You can't succeed through hard work and motivation alone. Its an illusion. And the fact is- I am stronger than you." Said Neji

Siata smiled.

"Who's the trash calling who trash? Neji-san. Your complete disregard of your comrades, and how you treat others who may seem weaker than you as failures- like how you treated Lee-san and Hinata. Is why you'll never be a Chuunin until you change have a change of heart."

"Me trash? And in comparison to her? You know nothing." Neji glared.

"Mmm. I know enough. Strength you say is what determines a failure? Then what about criminals who are powerful? Are they heroes? Shinobi? No. Strength can be developed over time. But what's hard to change is someone's heart. And that's what makes someone trash Neji-san." Siata smiled pleasantly. Naruto and Sasuke slightly sank lower into their chairs, knowing the devil behind that smile. But to be fair, Neji deserved every bit of it.

"Heart over strength?! What good is 'heart' when strength is what determines who is a true Shinobi. Truly strong and free to achieve any dream they wish!" Neji shouted.

"Well. Take yourself for instance. No matter how strong you are. Your antagonism and hatred towards the main family only breeds more anger and violence in konoha. That is all your contributions amount to- trash."

"But Hinata, she is weaker than you sure, but she has made friendships with her kindness. She protects Konoha with a heart of wanting to do good for the people in her home. And when she gains strength, with that strength she will be able to direct it in a way which truly strengthens others because her heart is in the right place unlike you. I can guarantee you if you don't change, sooner or later she will do so much more than what your limited puny heart and mind is capable of seeing going around you and achieving 'dreams' of true value. From what I see- you're the more useless one in this village community out of the both of you."

Kakashi sank lower with the boys at Siata's stripping down of Neji with each sentence she made

"So you become Chuunin and jounin and what? With that seclusive and arrogant unhopeful attitude I can't imaging you ever being a good influence on your team mates strengths and growth, or teaching your students or reaching out to the villagers. So what good are you Hyuuga Neji? What the hell are you good for?"

Half the stadium were gaping silent at her or shaking in their seats. Shikamaru was scratching his head and hiding behind the railings along with the boys as well.

"I suggest you remember this for future reference and be wise before you do anything stupid to anger her.." Sasuke whispered to Shikamaru who gave a shaking laugh.

"Yeah, man I remember than one time when Kakashi sensei tried to make a run for it when she caught him standing in the memorial 2 hours late for a meeting. One smile. One smile. And Kakashi sensei can't beat her datebayo." Naruto said. Shikamaru looked sideways and saw Kakashi sensei shiver a bit at the memory.

"I'll take note of that." He chuckled.

Below Neji for a while seemed stunned for words from the mental damage he just took alone as he clutched his shoulder. But his anger at the injustice he and his family experienced and his relationship with the main family was reviled. He also explained the curse seal. As well as how his father was murdered to save Hiashi's neck instead.

"This curse mark is the instrument which they use to keep us in our place. We of the branch family live in constant fear that they would use this mark to destroy our brains any time they wish. Only death frees us from it. Just as my father's destiny had been sealed long ago. This match is the same with your destiny finalized the moment I became your opponent"

If I catch up faster than the rotation I'll be able to penetrate his guard and trap- wait. Yes.

"Your arrogance is quite distracting, but you don't fool me. You're unable to do anything but be bitter at the world around you so you take it out on Hinata and disrespect her when she was sincere as your opponent. Don't get so full of yourself looking down on others who are giving it their all! Don't make excuses on some seal on your forehead when all it realy is you've given up! Stop trampling on your own hopes and fight for your freedom for real!"

Siata threw a large rain of continuous kunai- which Neji deflected with his eight trigram rotation again. And again and again. Before he moved from the spot and while distracted by the Kunai Siata

"Fūinjutsu: Wall seal"

Suddenly Neji was trapped inside the newly enhanced walls of the seal – it's strength was adjusted for Oruchimaru- a Sanin. Siata was sure the walls would hold until Neji passes out.

"Fūinjutsu: Water explosion seal" Siata exploded the water inside the walls of the seal filling the space inside with no air in an instant and then she waited. She listened until Neji's struggles became nothing and drained the water removing the walls.

Neji was completely exhausted and unable to put strength in his limbs. The concentrated anaesthetic mixed in with the water was working nicely. As Neji shivered on the floor Siata walked up to him so he could see her face.

"Changing fate. You won't believe how much I've been trying to do that myself. And what I learnt is that you can't do it all alone. If you find it hard to change the Hyuuga now, then we'll change it."

"What?" Neji croaked out.

"Our generation. We can change the Hyuuga. The seal. So those injustices won't ever happen again. If your so damn hopeless then I'll do it. I'll fight for that policy- politically, physically, who knows how but I'm not going to give up. And neither is the people here that know and are willing to fight this with you. Right… Hinata?"

"Y-yes! Neji-niisan." Hinata replied instantly.
"Me too!" Tenten nodded.

"Yeah! We'll back you up!" Kiba grinned.

"It's only natural that things will change as the generation changes" Shino lifted up his glasses.

"YES! Neji-kun! Please feel my burning passions when I say I will hound you everyday and fill your heart with youth so that you never feel hopeless again! Isn't that right Gai-sensei!"

"Yes Lee! Neji! If I don't get your hopes up I will run around the village 100 times until you do! YOUTH!" Gai cried.

"Yeah yeah yeah! Tell those guys to go stick that rule whatever it is!" Naruto beamed.

"It's too early to give up now." Shikamaru smirked. And Choji and Sasuke nodded.

Neji blinked eyes widening as he saw the people who were supporting him. Was that really it? Had he failed to notice his hopelessness take over his efforts to try and break destiny?

He looked up and saw Siata shunshin and bring down the final kick to his face. Neji went sprawling on the ground and found he truly couldn't move anymore.

"Remember you're not alone. Remember they won't give up on you either. So don't give up on yourself and don't be scared of fate and big dreams. Neji." Siata grinned.

Neji's eyes took in the blue sky and sunlight beaming down on him as Siata looked down at him from above. He could see the birds flying up above. So the story he knew about himself and the world. He finally realised that a different story could be made. Forged. Through him. Though his comrades.

"I.. see." Neji closed his eyes and fell completely back on the ground.

Hayate coughed.

"Neji VS Siata. Winner is Uchiha Siata."

Danzo stood perfectly still on his booth, unable to look away from Siata. He nodded and turned around to leave. His fingers twitched.

"Owl, we're done here. Subtly place the root members close to the Hokage booth. It will be starting soon, and I want to make sure Oruchimaru can follow through. Go."

"Yes, Danzo-sama." Owl bowed and flickered away.

Siata turned around and split a grin and the crowd went wild. She could see Naruto was already coming down for his fight and her mood turned serious.

Her head turned up to see the Hokage and the Kazekage still sitting side by side. Every second counted now. Since the last match was occuring there would be Oruchimaru's men who were either already in place or if they weren't they would be moving right now. It was crucial to locate the key players and she spread her senses out wide and started filtering.

She managed to find an irregularity. A soul with a mix of snake and their own. A curse seal holder. She shielded her eyes and discreetly located the four that were dressed as ANBU right below the Hokage booths. She sighed relief and started walking up the stairs.