Chapter Twenty-Eight

The air of festivity around the Hyūga Compound seems nearly foreign in the fortress-like structure. Nevertheless, bright red paper lantern were strung along and across the various courtyards and walkways, bathing the cold grey structure in a warm, luscious red. The buffet spread, too, was beyond impressive. Teuchi from Ichiraku's had a stand handing out fresh bowls of hot ramen and tea to ward of the bitter New Year's cold. Past him, long tables with chaffing dishes filled to brim with rice, bugogi beef, salted fish, stewed pork and chicken cutlets, gingered tofu and other delicacies tantalized the nose and taste buds. Too bad I can't enjoy a damn bit of it!

Naruto wandered through the party, feeling anything but festive at what was supposed to be the event to snag an invite to on New Year's Eve. The Hyūga's did not invite just anyone. Lord Sarutobi was here, Jiraiya and Tsunade came together, Mom and Dad were invited perpetually, and Sakura brought Sasuke as her date. Lucky bastard! Naruto wasn't jealous that they came arm and arm; he was jealous that Hinata wasn't on his arm. Even almost a month later, Naruto still hadn't completely forgotten his ill-feelings toward the couple despite forgiving them. You should thank them. Otherwise you'd be sitting out the Chunin exam, and you might not have realized how important Hinata is to you.

Hinata was seated across the courtyard, Mom seated to her left, and Aunt Akemi to Mom's left. Hinata looked like she was part of a trio of sisters. All three women wore brilliant red silk robes over black bodysuits made of fire-retardant material. While Hinata had generally mastered fire-release and didn't have to worry about igniting her outfit, Mom and Aunt Akemi were still having incidents where they'd singed or burned bits of clothing. All three of them were lovingly dolled up in porcelain white makeup, red lipstick, and fine bits of black eyeliner. From watching them practice, Naruto knew the makeup also served an important role in protecting their skin from the repeated effects of fire release, especially when performing the finale with a phoenix cloak of fire.

Hinata specifically looked pretty as a lotus blossom, not even a hint of worry made it past the mask of confidence or makeup. It was only when she locked eyes with him did she even remotely display any sign of worry. There could be any number of ways for an assassin to get at her tonight; stop thinking with your tool and keep your eyes open! "Naruto," the radio earpiece buzzed, "any sign of trouble on ground level?" Dad called over the radio.

"Negative," he answered, "Uncle Kakashi, anything visible from up high?" Naruto didn't stop moving through the crowd, observing everyone's outfit for the slightest bulge to indicate a weapon.

"I see one particular family member about five or six sakes too many, but everything looks quiet –"

"I told you, you were being paranoid," Neji interrupted.

"—Too quiet," Kakashi was audibly irked, "barely any of the alcohol is being touched otherwise, which is quite abnormal. And despite the universal importance of the occasion, only the lesser members of the family are mingling. The elders are either wallflowers or absent entirely."

The mention of absent family members set off alarm bells in Naruto's head, "Is there any sign of Hanabi or her grandfather?" he asked intently, scanning the crowd. He could spot the drunk aunt, but whether she was a diversion or simply a heavy boozer was anyone's guess. She swayed with genuine intoxication and there was no hint of a weapon in her robes.

"Negative," Kakashi answered, "Minato?"

"No sign of either and neither were in the receiving line when we arrived," Dad's voice sounded strained, "Neji, any insight?"

There was a long radio pause, "Neji, dammit, are you there?" Naruto raced back into the crowd as Mom, Aunt Akemi, and Hinata stood up to begin the Maelstrom of fire.

"I'm here," he said in a hushed tone, "I found both of them, and…"

"And what?!" Kakashi called over the radio exasperated. The trio of kunoichi began their Kata demonstration.

"You're not going to like this," Neji called, sounding like he was running. "You know how two members of our family do an exhibition sparing match every New Year's?"

Naruto stopped dead in his tracks, eyes fixated on the kata's finale. Thunderous applause broke out from the crowd as the trio extinguished their chakra and took a bow. "Let me guess, Hinata and Hanabi?"

"The contestants are sworn to keep it secret to the last minute; even I didn't know!" Naruto scrutinized Neji's tone, but he found no pause, no hesitation. If it was a lie or a non-truth, it was a well-rehearsed one.

"Neji, get your butt back down to the courtyard, and get ready," Dad called from his vantage point at the VIP table, "I don't like this!"

"Me neither," Kakashi said.

Naruto left his own thoughts unsaid as he watched Hinata shed the red robe, leaving only the black jumpsuit. From that she removed the out layer to reveal a form-fitting sleeveless bodysuit – she had come ready for battle. Why didn't you tell me? She locked eyes with him, a nervous smile cracked at the corner of her mouth that quickly disappeared as her grandfather and Hanabi approached. "Ladies and gentlemen, that was some show!" The former Hyūga Lord called, "Please another round of applause for our distinguished guests!" The crowed obliged, but Naruto was unmoved. Guests? Akemi and Hinata are part of this family, not a troupe of circus performers!

"And now, we have a special treat for you all this evening!" his voice boomed as Hanabi strode into the makeshift fighting ring opposite of Hinata. Hanabi's stare was the same stony stare as Sasuke's, magnified to where it could cut a diamond in two. Even Sasuke would be afraid of going up against her, and she was five years younger than him or Hinata. Naruto couldn't ever fathom fighting someone who wasn't even a genin and being afraid; it would be like battling Konohamaru.

"I present to you, the main event of this evening!" the old lord grinned like a predator about to pounce, "As we end the old year, we welcome the new year the way true shinobi do, with battle! Tonight, a special feature, the two closest heirs to our family's leadership: Hinata and Hanabi!"

Mom's face twisted from triumphant at a performance well done to being awash with shock. There was a heated exchange between her and Aunt Akemi; he ignored it as Hinata's grandfather gleefully signaled the start to the match by ringing a gong. "I'm stopping this right now!" Naruto called into his headset as he approached Hinata's corner of the ring.

"Naruto hold, that's an order," Dad called firmly over the radio.

"Dad!"

"Naruto," Kakashi called exasperated, "we can only intervene if her life is in danger directly. Stay ringside with Neji,but remember we cannot intervene unless that condition is met. This is not our clan!"

Naruto felt his bladder shrink and his stomach twist. They had been on the watch for an assassin, someone hidden. This was going down in plain sight, and Naruto could do nothing but watch and pray for the best. "HANABI, HANABI!" raucous members of the family chanted. If there were any other supporters for Hinata, they were dead silent.

The opening match of the fight didn't instantly look one-sided. Hanabi, typical of someone still so young, attacked recklessly, charging headlong toward Hinata with furious abandon to match the feral look in her eyes. Naruto was reminded too well of the sensation of losing control of Kyuubi when fighting against Obito. Just imagine if she was the one carrying Nine-Tails. His lunch curdled at the thought of something so dangerous in the hands of someone so spiteful.

Hinata remained cool and collected, blocking each of Hanbi's swipes with the same rapidity that Hanabi dealt them. Had she been looking cause pain to her younger sister, Hinata could have clotheslined her initial attack. Except, she doesn't want to hurt her sister, and they're counting on that! The crowd continued shouting for Hababi to land a blow as the girl spun through a forward roundhouse before changing legs into a reverse roundhouse kick, both hammering bruises into Hinata's right forearm. She can't keep that up forever!

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted over the venomous roar of the crowd, "Hinata! You have to hit back! Show them everything you've been learning!"

Hinata turned her block inward as Hanabi's right jab sailed past her face. Without missing a beat, Hinata, popped her left elbow into the side of Hanabi's cheek. The younger girl's head jolted sideways, and she staggered away from Hinata. The loud crash of a gong sounded, and both girls retreated to their corners.

Out of breath but otherwise unharmed, Hinata hunched over, hands on her knees in front of Neji and him. "She's… tough…" Hinata heaved as beads of sweat rained from her hair and face.

"Hinata," Neji pleaded, she's going to destroy you in round two, why aren't you hitting back!"

"This is… an exhibition… Neji!" Hinata gasped. Naruto noticed the dark purple bruises forming from where Hinata had blocked the relentless storm of attacks. There were also scratches alongside her face, indicating some glancing blows had made contact. The fight happened so fast he hadn't noticed. Neji was right, she couldn't keep this up forever. Even with successful blocks, Hanabi's strikes were causing damage.

"You should be owning her! Not the other way around!" Neji shouted. If he was going for encouragement, it wasn't effective. Hinata looked defeated.

A quick glance across the ring gave Naruto some hope. There was a scarlet welt where Hinata's elbow made contact with Hanabi's cheek, and the girl, while looking furious, also was heaving with exhaustion – punch drunk. He looked back at Hinata, remembering something Iruka Sensei said to him his first day in reading class. "I believe in you, Naruto! It doesn't matter if a fight lasts one round or ten so long as you're the one still standing at the end of it. It's no different when reading – take one minute or ten, so long as you get it right!" "Hinata! I believe in you!" Naruto said. "It doesn't matter how long it lasts, just so long as you're the one still standing!"

"Iruka's mantra for reading!" her exhausted scowl morphed into a breathless smile.

"Believe it!" Naruto replied with a thumb's up. "Just remember, we believe in you; you can win this!"


Hinata nodded at Naruto's encouragement; she could do this. She didn't have to beat her sister down; she merely had to outlast her. While Hanabi's conditioning and chakra reserves were astounding for someone only eight years old, Hinata could out last her as long as she needed. Hanabi already looked exhausted. Hinata just had to last another round or two of blocking reckless attacks.

The momentary flame of confidence blew out as Hanabi activated her Byakugan. Shit! Hinata's heart jumped several beats. "Grandfather," she turned to where he stood, "This is an exhibition match, not a duel! Since when do we allow potentially lethal techniques!" Hinata demanded.

"What's wrong, Jinchuriki?" he said with a venomous grin. Oh god he knows! "Don't tell me," he continued to mock her, "the Nine-Tailed beast is afraid?"

"Get a grip, child!" a voice growled in her head, "He wants you to lose it here! He wants you to make a scene!" Nine-Tails seemed disgusted with the situation as well.

Grandfather banged the gong, starting round two. Kurama was right, if she lost control now, Grandfather and the elders would have all the excuse they'd need to demand her replacement. So, what is their strategy for it they lose or if I don't lose my cool?

Hinata didn't have time to contemplate as Hanabi circled slowly like a shadowy panther, her chakra burning purple in the tips of her fingers. Had Hanabi been an adult, or even a few years older, Hinata have no compunction about using gentle fist as well. She's just a child! I use even the most basic attack, and I might kill her on the spot! Gentle fist used properly on an adult could cause effects ranging from weakness, paralysis, internal organ damage, and death. Very little was known about what effect it would have on a child.
"Stand and fight, monster!" Hanabi mocked as she surged forward for an attack. Hinata blocked the sidekick, but the one-two follow up punches landed like bricks on her right arm. In the process, she'd narrowly missed having the chakra point in her shoulder pierced. As the attack sailed past, Hanabi reverse, backhanding Hinata across the face like an iron gauntlet.

Rather than retreat, Hinata rushed forward off the blow, body-checking her right side into Hanabi, knocking her to the ground. Hanabi rolled expertly with the blow, coming back to her feet, and going on the attack again. This time, Hanabi got her arms clutched around Hinata's neck and began driving her knees into Hinata's stomach and ribcage. Even with her gut muscles hardened against the attack, Hinata need to break free, or Hanabi wouldn't need gentle fist to cause serious damage. No choice, chance it! Hinata activated her own Byakugan and struck the chakra point below Hanabi's right armpit.

Loud screams ensued as her sister's grip went slack, and she fell backwards off of Hinata. As she fell, Hanabi clamped her left leg behind Hinata's left knee, causing it to buckle and crash forward into the concrete surface. "GAHHHHHHH!" Hinata screamed as her knee ground into the pavement, lighting old wounds ablaze. Ignore it! It's not broken and not unstable! Thankfully, Hanabi took the fall just as bad if not worse – she'd landed with a resounding impact on her back and the back of her head. Even still, Hinata barely got her guard up in time to block Hanabi's clumsy attempt to strike her chakra point in the center of her chest.

Hinata could see blood trickling down Hanabi's forehead from an unseen scalp wound. Her normally immaculate hair was now a tangled, bloody mass, clinging to her face like the ghost from a horror movie. Having given up on refined tactics, Hanabi resorted to feral swipes at Hinata. Even blocked on the arm and shoulder, the clumsy attacks stung like being struck with an oak quarterstaff. A heel-hand strike hit her right cheek, followed by a right hook across her left. Hinata tasted blood in her mouth. "Fight back!" Kyuubi urged. Hinata drove the heel of her hand into Hanabi's chin, causing her head to jerk backwards. The girl fell backwards, hitting her head on the ground. This time, Hanabi was much slower to get up. Before Hinata could make another move to subdue her, the gong sounded to end round two.

Naruto stood in Hinata's corner; his hands clenched in to quaking fists. This isn't an exhibition; this is an attempt at execution! The only saving grace of the situation was Hinata was holding her own and not getting her ass beat down. Naruto's eyes wandered to Mom and Aunt Akemi's worrisome eyes. Now standing next to them, Dad and Uncle Hiashi wore masks of impassiveness, but it was only a front. A spasm of pained anguish carved through Uncle Hiashi's face. Dad, too, was a smoldering furnace of anger at such a reckless display.

As Hinata and Hanabi separated, he could see why. Hanabi staggered back to her corner with an uneven gait, and her right arm flopped uselessly at her right side. Naruto had only seen Hinata use gentle fist once on Uncle Kakashi – incapacitating him in one hit. Naruto dreaded what it could do to a young person like Hanabi or Hinata. HINATA!

Hinata struggled, clearly pained, to get up on her good right leg. She uncertainly tested the left for her ability to bear weight, only to almost fall. "Hinata!" Naruto ran toward her as she limped toward him. Without missing a beat, he brought her right arm over his shoulder and assisted her back to the corner. A quick inspection showed the knee was torn and bleeding, turning the black material of her jumpsuit shiny. Naruto thumbed his earpiece, "I'm ending this now!"

"Naruto, we cannot intervene unless –"Dad called over the radio.

"Dammit, Dad," Naruto cut his father off, "Someone is going to get seriously hurt or killed if we let this go on!"

"Naruto, that's an order!" Dad scolded.

"Naruto," Neji's voice was between sympathy and scolding, "if you step in now, Hinata's honor will suffer greatly!"

"To hell with honor, Neji!" Naruto roared, his chest puffing in and out as he heaved angrily. "You're sworn to protect the heir of this clan! Maybe if you actually gave a damn about family beyond appearances—"

"Naruto, please," Hinata said through blood stained lips. "I have to finish this!"

"Hinata!" he tried to reason with her, "you can barely walk!"

"A shinobi never gives up!" she remined him. "She's almost spent; I—I can win this!"

"Hinata," Naruto paused, no believing what she'd said, "You could get seriously hurt or worse!"

"It would be preferable," she heaved, "to what would await if I threw in the towel now!" She smiled despite the blood on her lips and bruises on her body, "Thank you, for believing in me!"

The gong sounded, and Hinata and Hanabi limped and stumbled back to their starting marks. They exchanged pleasantries of bowing to each other and their grandfather. Hinata activated her own Byakugan, and her chakra burned in her hands. The round kicked off with Hanabi screaming wildly, smashing her left hand and her feet against Hinata's defenses. Hinata blocked what must have been a dozen strikes effectively despite her poor balance with one good leg. Finally, Hanabi seemed to collapse as her eyes closed. Instinctively, Hinata, tried catching her sister.

Naruto saw what was happening before Hanabi opened her eyes. Exploiting your sister's protective instinct to get her to drop her guard. You rotten bitch! Hanabi's left hand sprung like a rattlesnake toward the center or Hinata's chest. Hinata gripped her sister's forearm, desperately trying to keep the lethal tips of her fingers off her heart. Hanabi seesawed with her full weight, causing Hinata to fall backwards; Hanabi fell with her. Hinata landed with an audible THUNK on her back. Naruto watched horror as Hanabi's fingers hit their mark, eliciting a scream from Hinata.

Hinata's form went limp, but Hanabi stood up and circled. Oh god! "Neji! Stop the fight!" Naruto cried, "It's already over! STOP IT NOW!" The boy stood frozen as Hanabi stared intently at Hinata, eyeing another target chakra point. Neji still didn't respond as Hanabi drew up with her arm.

"STUPID FOOLS!" Naruto yanked the earpiece from his head and lunged to place himself between Hinata and Hanabi's strike. She hit him right behind the right shoulder socket. While the blow barely shifted his joint, Naruto felt a cold sensation wash over his body throughout. His toes curled in his shoes and time dilated as he felt the unusual sensation of burning cold pins and needles sticking him throughout his right arm, hand, and fingers. Naruto almost fell over Hinata's limp form, barely getting his left arm onto the pavement to brace himself. At some point, his lungs reminded him to breathe.

All that from just a blow to the arm! Naruto sucked in a deep, narrow channel of air, too frightened of how bad things would hurt if he tried breathing normally. He blew it out, still frightened to move as he began cycling air in and out more rapidly. He could hear yelling, but he felt disconnected from all around him. At that moment, he realized Hinata, who had taken a similar blow in the dead center of her chest, wasn't breathing. Oh my god! "Sa-Sakura! Tsunade!" he screamed through pain and tears.

Sensation returned to his arm as Sakura reached him, "Naruto!" The pink-haired medic's eyes flashed wildly between him and Hinata. She froze, panicked as to whom to help first.

"Save her!" Naruto freed his left arm to point at Hinata. "She's not breathing!" Despite the sensation in his arm of having dipped it up to his shoulder in molten steel, Naruto kept his thoughts on Hinata. Angry bruises littered her arms and face, and blood was seeping from her nose and mouth.

"Come on dammit!" Sakura shouted, as she tore open the front of Hinata black bodysuit. Sakura's chakra glowed blue-green as she placed her hands over Hinata's chest, "Don't die on me! Not like this!"

Naruto felt completely helpless to do anything but watch in horror as the seconds ticked by, and Hinata still refused to breath. He scurried on his knees toward her, taking her cold hand. Honey, please don't die! Naruto had been close to death before, but this was something he couldn't survive.

A loud, sucking heave came from Hinata followed by a violent wave of coughing. Her fingers clamped around his left hand, turning the skin red. Naruto didn't care; she was alive!

"Hinata!" Granny Tsunade appeared next to them, relieving Sakura. The sensation of heat and cold in his right arm bounced suddenly, and Naruto roared in anguish, "AHHHHH!"

"Easy, Naruto," Sakura held him upright against the urge to faint. "The chakra in the arm is blocked, but you'll be all right! You'll have full use of it again in a few hours!"

"Hinata…"

"She'll be fine, Naruto! Tsunade is working on her right now!" Sakura replied.

Mom, Dad, Aunt Akemi, Neji, and Uncle Hiashi approached. "She'll need transport to the hospital!" Tsunade exclaimed, "She's stable but I don't want to chance it!"

Naruto felt a heavy, icy presence behind him. He turned to see Hanabi, her grandfather, and Hizashi standing over him, their gaze malevolent. "What is the meaning of this, kid?" the elder Hyūga asked.

Right now, Naruto was through with pleasantries. He struggled to his feet, his right arm still hanging limply at his side. "You," he pointed a finger at the old man, "were trying to kill her!"

The old man smiled sickly, "I merely sought to demonstrate how unfit Hinata is for leadership," he grinned toward Uncle Hiashi, "and, apparently, how unfit you are to lead as well." The former clan leader paused, but quickly resumed, "I therefore elect Hanabi to challenge you for clan leadership!" Naruto had no idea how the hell something so sinister could be related to someone like Hinata.

"You know I can't fight my own daughter!" Hiashi huffed angrily. Naruto could tell Hiashi was on the verge of violence, himself."

"Then you forfeit, and Hanabi becomes clan leader this July first, unless you can put forth another challenger!" his father laughed.

"I challenge!" a weak, raspy groan came from behind. Naruto turned to see Hinata struggling to her feet, still limping on the left leg. "I challenge Hanabi for leadership of this clan if father will not!"

"You should learn to give up, child," her grandfather mocked.

"And you should learn to shut up," she heaved. Her eyes flicked wildly to Hanabi, "Accept the challenge, little sister, or withdraw it!"

"Fine," Hanabi said, "I accept!"

Hinata grinned, and she fell forward clutching her chest, grin turning to grimace. "HINATA!" Naruto yelled as she fell forward. Dad rushed forward, placing one arm over Tsunade and Hinata and placing his other arm over Sakura and him. A bright flash, and they were at Konoha Hospital.


The dull grey glow of the overhead fluorescent lights ground sandpaper into Hinata's eyes, and their incessant hum sang a chorus of dissonance to the melody of heart rate monitors, pulse oximeters, and other medical equipment noises echoing like madness in her skull. Her head sank back into the pillow. She didn't know what time it was, and she no longer cared. She was aware that Tsunade and Mom were in the room, could even hear what they were saying, but she was completely disconnect.

"Blood labs are mildly spiked for creatinine kinase, but all cardiac markers are clean…"

Tears ran down the sides of her cheeks; she hadn't cried this much when her knee and ankle were injured. Just when she thought she'd let out her last tear, something would start the taps again. Useless! Useless! Another wave started, salty tears burning along the bruises on her cheeks.

"That last attack triggered a sudden bradycardia with a rapid drop in blood pressure. EKG shows no persistent arrythmia, but we'll have to continue to monitor it for some time," Tsunade said as she began pulling off electrode pads from Hinata's chest, arms, and legs. She wasn't even sure if Tsuande was speaking to Mom or her. Hinata got the first real look at her arm, legs, and stomach as Tsuande gingerly removed the pads. The bruises covering her looked like a child had been haphazardly finger painting her body with black, blue, purple, and red watercolors. I wonder if my face looks half as bad. Being ugly to match being weak and pathetic wouldn't be so bad. At least then I could hide without anyone complaining.

"Hinata," Mom said, forcing her to focus outside her own recriminations, "Honey, they're keeping you until morning." She slide the hospital gown back over her bruised body, "I want you to get some sleep, and I'll be by in few hours to take you home." Mom covered her up with a blanket.

Home, is that what we still call it? Hinata no longer felt safe going home. She wanted to scream, to run away from all of this. She wanted to feel safe the way she did with Lord Minato and Aunt Kushina. She wanted her family back, her real family, not the clan that kept making demands on her and punishing her for never being good enough.

Before Hinata could response, there was a tapping at the door. Tsunade answered, and Hinata recognized the voice, even hushed, as Uncle Minato. "Five minutes, that's all I'm asking!"

"She's pretty banged up; she should have been asleep hours ago!" Tsunade scolded. There was an inaudible exchange. "Fine, five minutes, but not a second more!" Tsunade sighed. The medical-nin turned to Hinata, "It seems you have a few visitors who refuse to leave unless they speak with you."

Tsunade stepped aside and admitted Sakura and Naruto. Both were still in their formal attire, and Naruto had his right arm in a sling. "Na-Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried. Just the thought of him being injured made the void in her heart thunder.

The sound of monitors chirping elicited a look of nervousness from both Mom and Tsunade. "Hinata, you have to stay calm," Mom said, "or I'll have to insist they leave now."

Hinata nodded dumbly and laid back on the pillow. She stared at her teammates, both of whom she owed her life. And you have nothing to show for them saving your ass! Hinata could feel tears, barely keeping them restrained. Tsunade must have seen the reaction because she walked over and handed her a tissue. "Akemi, let's let them talk," Tsunade said, turning to Naruto and Sakura, "Five minutes, or I'll be coming in after you two.

As Mom and Tsunade left, there was a long pause. Hinata couldn't hold it any longer, "Naruto! Your arm!"

"It's all right," he smiled weakly, opening and closing his hand. "I'm already getting sensation back."

"His chakra point was blocked in his arm," Sakura explained, "It will be back to normal by midday." Sakura stared back and forth between Naruto and her, smiling. "Why don't I give you two some privacy," Sakura walked to the door.

"Sakura," Hinata willed her to stop at the door, "Thank you for saving me!"

Sakura turned, staring back with her green eyes. She stared and winked before leaving. Now it was just her and Naruto. "Hinata," Naruto said as he walked to her side. She could see a thousand questions in his eyes.

The levee broke, and tears followed. "Naruto!" Before she could say another word, he had his good arm around her, and she was sobbing into his shoulder.

"Shhh…" he gently rocked her gently, stroking his fingers through her hair. "It's all right, Hinata,"

"I feel so stupid!" she buried her face further into his neck and shoulder. "I-I should have won!"

"You made a mistake, Hinata," he reassured her, "We all do it."

"I could have died!" she shrieked, sending the heart monitor ablaze, "You could have died!"

"Nah," he said, "I'm more worried about you." He pulled back, looking curiously, "But why did you challenge Hanabi for clan leadership? No one would have faulted you for remaining quiet. You could have been free from all of this!"

The tears stopped, and Hinata reached deep in her heart to explain, "A shinobi never gives up, a little boy I knew once told me that," her voice quaked, but she refused to cry, "And do you really think my grandfather would just leave me alone if I threw in the towel? He'd just find another way to torment me, like a wild animal chasing you when you run." Tears began again, "I'm sick and tired of running, Naruto! I'm tired of being scared of being in my home – the place I should feel safest!"

"Then why didn't you tell me this was going to happen?" he asked, looking worried. "I thought we were a team."

Hinata let a few tears run, "I'm sorry… it was a stupid family honor thing… I thought…" she heaved, "I thought if I won without your help, it would prove to the elders and me that I was worth a damn!"

"And you yet invited me and Sakura in case things went wrong," he wiped some of her tears away with his hand.

"I should have known it would go wrong from the start!" she sobbed, "Everything I plan does!" He held her again. She knew their time was almost up, and she was desperate to finish, be damned any consequences. "Naruto… help me!" she cried. "Help me change my destiny! Help me stop being a loser!"

"You're not a loser, Hinata!" he said firmly. "The fact that you got up to challenge Hanabi after taking such a beating proves that!" He began sniffling, "You'll be a good clan leader when you win in July! I promise!"

"You'll train me?"

"Once Granny Tsunade says you're okay," he nodded, "Yes! I'll even tell Grandpa this takes priority over everything else, including the Chunin Exam!" he gave her a long squeeze, gently guiding her back onto her back. "But for tonight, you need to rest and heal." Hinata's eyelids threatened to slam shut. "I'll be by in the morning," Naruto said, kissing her forehead, "Happy New Year," he whispered. She wanted to say something, anything, but her eyes closed. The last thing she heard was the sound of the light switch and the door to the room opening and closing. Happy New Year, Naruto, my love.