Chapter Seventeen: Neji Vs. Sakura
The computer was running. Name after name flashed through it as it randomized the fighters. Within the halls of the Chunin Exam Building, Sakura Haruno was waiting. Sasuke was still getting treated for that mark he'd gotten from Orochimaru. She just hoped that he wouldn't end up fighting in the first match. Otherwise, he'd be disqualified.
Sakura looked at the teams that had been assembled. There were those Sound Ninja, leering at them. And there was Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji talking. And, of course, there was Kabuto's team, though Kabuto had left some time ago. They didn't look anywhere near as nice as him. Then there was Team Guy, who was on the opposite side, except for Rock Lee. Lee was with Naruto and her. Last, of all, there was Team Kurenai, with Hinata, Kiba, and Shino.
She sighed. "I hope Sasuke's alright."
"Don't worry, Sakura, Sasuke is tough," said Naruto. "I'm more worried about who I'm going to face in the exams."
"You and me both, Naruto," said Sakura. "I'm not sure I'll be able to take anyone here, except Ino and Hinata." Sakura had always been only a little behind Ino, and she couldn't imagine Hinata being all that hard to beat.
"Don't sweat it, Sakura. You held off those Sound Ninja before," said Naruto. "You can do this now."
Held off. It sounded much more impressive than it was. In reality, Sakura had been outmatched. If for even a moment they'd taken her seriously, she'd have been dead. She hoped she didn't end up fighting one of these. "Yeah, but I... well, if Ino hadn't arrived, you and Sasuke could have... nevermind."
The computer made a decision.
"Second match, Sakura Vs. Neji." said the announcer.
Neji Hyuga. He was the one with blank eyes like Hinata. He walked down with a stoic face and took his position. His long brown hair had fallen around his shoulders as he took his place.
Rock Lee flinched and ran over. "Sakura, I must warn you. Neji is a skilled combatant. You would be wise to forfeit."
Sakura realized that Lee had never been able to beat Neji. And Lee was way stronger than Sakura. She raised her hand.
"What? No way is Sakura going to forfeit after all we've been through," said Naruto.
Oh no. Now was not the time for Naruto's optimism. "Um, well..."
"I mean, come on, she'd have to be pretty darn weak to not even step into the ring with Neji," said Naruto.
Sakura really wanted to walk out of this without any broken bones. But she couldn't just disappoint Naruto after he stood up for her. "Naruto..."
"It is not cowardice to avoid a fight; you cannot win when there is nothing at stake. Guy-sensei taught me that," said Rock Lee.
Sakura was about to say, 'I forfeit.'
"What's the matter, Billboard Brow?!" called Ino. "Scared?!"
That settled it. Sakura narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists. She wasn't going to let Ino get this over her. "...You know what, fine, I'll try. Maybe I'll lose, but it's not like anyone is going to get killed."
She walked down to stand across from Neji and took a stance. Neji eyed her impassively. He cocked his head. All of a sudden, a change overtook him, and he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, there was something... different about him.
Was this some sort of jutsu?
"...I'm here," said Neji, looking around.
"What are you talking about. You never left," said Sakura.
"Yes, I know," said Neji. "Sakura Haruno, as the less experienced Shinobi, I will give you the first blow."
Sakura felt a surge of anger as she put her headband on. "Less experienced?
"Don't take me lightly!"
Running forward, Sakura unleashed a punch that swung toward Neji. Even as she did, however, he seemed to move like a ripple through water. Her fist cleared his head by a mere inch, as did her second strike. One of his hands went near her stomach, only for him to spin away.
"What... he moved so quickly," thought Sakura.
"Come over here," said Neji in a stance.
"Get back here!" shouted Sakura, rushing toward him in a rage. He was treating her like she was nothing. Well, she'd showed those Sound Ninja, and she would show him!
Even as she attacked, however, Neji made small, barely perceptible movements. No matter how much she attacked and struck at him, however, none of her blows cleared. She tried a low kick, and he stepped over it without moving his eyes from her face.
What kind of jutsu was this?
"I am remaining in one place," said Neji. "It is your own inefficient movements that are responsible."
"Inefficient!?" said Sakura, standing up.
"Yes, your stance is sloppy," said Neji. "You do not seem to have practiced very much at all for this tournament."
"Why you..." Sakura remembered the tree-climbing exercises and the D ranks. Then she remembered Sasuke revealing a new fire jutsu. And she hadn't been taught anything. Her trap making skills had come from the academy, and she'd barely put that together. "You're trying to distract me!"
"You seem to have distracted yourself," said Neji, voice simple. "Should you not be trying an alternative strategy? This one does not appear to be working."
"Stop doing that?!" said Sakura.
Neji smiled. "Doing what?"
"Pretending like I'm not even a threat!" said Sakura. "I'm a true Shinobi! I went on an A-rank mission and survived! And I survived the Forest of Death like any of you, chaa!"
Neji paused, then nodded. "My apologies.
"I will cause no further offense. I shall strike back."
And then he surged forward; Sakura had time to get back into her stance before an open palm struck her on the chest. She was flung back, hitting the ground hard. Seeing Neji standing over her, she tried to get up but panted, completely winded.
"Wha-" said Shikamaru.
"He's so fast!" said Ino.
"Sakura! Are you alright?!" called Ino.
Sakura was beginning to think she was a bit out of her league. Still, Neji didn't seem to be pressing his attack. He was just standing there, waiting for her to rise. Sakura did so and forced herself into a stance.
Who was she kidding? There was no way she could win? She'd only scraped by this far because of Naruto and Sasuke.
"Do you intend to forfeit?" asked Neji, voice holding a condescending note. "You realize, of course, that had I been using gentle fist, your heart would have stopped."
Anger filled her. Sakura wasn't going to give up that easily. "No way.
"I didn't come all the way out here to run away! I'm not giving up!"
"Then you have few options," said Neji. "Your taijutsu is ineffective against me. That much is plain. You will thus have to rely on alternative means of attack. What other resources do you have to move against me with?"
Sakura scanned through her old skills from the academy. Her mind then turned back to her graduation. "...Clone jutsu!"
When she'd graduated first, she'd been able to create three clones. Each one could be used as a decoy. They took their place near her, and then she charged at Neji with the clones. They couldn't actually hurt him, sure, but as they ran, they split apart as they ran. Getting behind him, they went at him while shifting.
"Hmm, three decoys. Creative, an improvement," said Neji. "However-"
As they came at Neji, he turned. His hands moved even faster, and his fingers touched against each of the clones. Each one disappeared before Sakura made her strike, only for him to step aside. Sakura tumbled past him and fell to her knees. Her fist shattered the tiles beneath her, sending fragments all over the place.
She'd overextended.
"My Byakugan allows me to see the chakra inherent to every being," said Neji. "Your clones are easily perceived through my Byakugan.
"There would be no shame in giving up if you have exhausted your offensive options."
"SHUT UP!" roared Sakura.
Sakura felt something rising in her. It was something which had only been hinted at when striking Naruto. It was her other self, her inner Sakura, raging to the forefront. She attacked Neji, forgetting forms and stances. Aggressively she struck and felt her body going into overdrive. She attacked without regard to defense.
Sakura must have gotten faster. Neji seemed to be moving his arms to counter him. "You are attacking me in a berserk fury. The power of your attacks have increased; however, they have less finesse. Are you hoping to get lucky?
"A wise shinobi makes their own luck."
Sakura's rage was bubbling over, but she stepped back and made the hand motions rapidly. She was taking his advice, and he was going to regret it. "Clone jutsu! Transformation jutsu!"
Smoke arose, and Sakura turned herself into the form of a loose fragment of tile, as did her clones. Doing so drew on her chakra, but Neji's Byakugan might not tell the difference if she wasn't in human form.
"Hmm, you are transforming yourself into many clones. Then you had each one use a transformation. By doing this, you hope to confuse my senses," said Neji, as Sakura looked for an opening. "But, there is a very simple countermeasure."
Neji leaped back about ten feet and took a stance. "It is your move. You can maintain your clones and remain helpless until you run out of chakra. Or you can revert back to normal and try a different strategy."
This was ridiculous.
Sakura got rid of the jutsu and gasped for air as she stood slowly. "Are you just fooling around with me or what?"
"I want you to think you're doing well," said Neji. "I'd hate to shatter your already broken self-esteem. I might have to fight alongside you as a comrade someday. If you're useless, it could get me killed too."
Sakura clenched a fist and gritted her teeth. But she knew she couldn't attack, not like this. But Neji was letting her move first, so her only other option was provoking him or forfeiting.
"You're angry and afraid," said Neji. "Even now, the rage is bubbling up inside you, but it is in held in check by fear. You knock that if you attack me in a rage, it'll be wasted effort. But if you don't attack, the match is as good as done.
"The two emotions inside you are welling up, keeping you torn.
"Now that you are calming yourself, you are wondering if you can attack me without anger. But you know that your clumsy strikes cannot overpower me by skill. You can't keep a cool head and win, but your rage alone can't overcome me.
"You know this and so have already lost.
"Why have I beaten you?"
Sakura thought about that and realized he was basically right. Neji was unscratched, not even sweating. And here she was on the ground, hardly able to stand, kept going by adrenaline. So why had he beaten her? She'd never asked that question about the enemies she'd faced. Just accepted that she had been beaten and needed to get stronger. "...You're way too fast and strong, I... I'm nowhere near your level."
Neji shifted. "Do you think that my 'level' would make a difference if I was flailing around in a mindless rage? Or if I were too afraid to commit fully to an attack?"
"Well... I might actually stand a chance then, I guess," said Sakura. Although she might also be dead meat.
"Interesting," said Neji. "The next question. Have you mastered your rage? Or has your rage mastered you?"
Sakura didn't say anything; they just thought about it. Thought about all the times that she'd hit Naruto, almost without thinking about it. About how she'd broken off years of friendship with Ino just because she liked the same guy. Was she actually in control of her anger?
"Perhaps we should ask Sasuke for his input when he gets here," said Neji. "After all, he's the one you failed."
Sakura now felt the rage again, filling her again as she shook with anger. Yet she didn't attack, not yet. "Why you... don't you dare talk like you know anything about Sasuke! I'll... I'll..."
"Do you hate me now, Sakura?" asked Neji. "Then use it."
Neji was baiting her.
He'd been trying to get Sakura to fight more effectively this entire time. So now he was trying to get her to master her anger and use it more effectively. Well, Sakura wasn't going to disappoint him.
She surged forward toward him, fist raised. And she attacked.
But it wasn't any berserk fury or passive defense. Sakura attacked while keeping a clear head. Not that it did her much good, Neji swayed and moved away from her with absolute ease. He parried her blows, and if he'd been using his gentle fist, this would be already over.
Yet Sakura was pressuring him, if only slightly. Neji was forced to yield ground before her, and maneuver.
"Ah, that's much better," said Neji.
"Look at that, Sakura is attacking way faster than I've ever seen her!" said Naruto.
Sakura thought that there might have actually been something to this philosophy. Granted, she wasn't making any headway, but she was striking more powerfully. And her attacks were at least aimed at potential weak points, even if they never got through.
Still, it was too predictable.
"Ino, have you ever seen her do this before?" asked Shikamaru.
"No, I..." Ino paused. "It's like she's become a completely different person."
"Good," said Neji. "You're trying to control your emotions without suppressing them. You are focusing them into an all-out attack against me.
"However..." A blow went for Sakura's gut, but she leaped back and managed to avoid it. "One should never become so dedicated to attack that they forget to maintain a guard. Otherwise, one's offensive will be easily countered."
Suddenly, Sakura slid to a halt and fell to her knees. Her entire body felt weak, weaker than ever. "What is...
"My entire body feels... it feels heavy. I can hardly move."
"While you were attacking, I sealed your chakra points," said Neji. "It only took a touch. You are no longer able to use any jutsu, and your physical attacks will be weakened.
"You would do well to forfeit."
"Forget it..." muttered Sakura. "It's not over yet."
"Isn't it?" asked Neji. "What other avenues for attack do you have?"
Sakura had kept a number of explosive tags with her during the exams. She hadn't used them because they killed people. And even when facing the Sound Ninja, the idea of willingly killing someone was...
Well, she remembered Sasuke's near-death and knew she didn't want to do that to someone else.
But they might have other uses.
"This," said Sakura, drawing out one of the tags, activating it, and hurling it into the air.
Neji's gaze followed it as it exploded high above, and everyone looked away. But Sakura charged toward Neji, meaning to land the knockout punch that would win her the match. However, his hand caught her blow and pinned her without any effort.
"An explosive tag, thrown skyward," said Neji. "A creative means of distraction. However, I can see in three hundred and sixty degrees. Even if you forced me to move suddenly, I could see your attempts to exploit my openings.
"What is your plan now?"
"Sakura, you don't have to keep going. You've done better than anyone could expect of you!" said Sakura.
"...I give up," said Neji flatly.
Wait what?
"WHAT?!" said the Sound Ninja girl to one side.
"I don't... why would he... that doesn't even..." the blonde Sand Ninja said.
"Has Neji gone insane?" said Rock Lee. "Tenten, can you release this genjutsu?"
"Why would he give up?" asked the red-headed Sand Ninja, muttering to himself. "He could have killed her."
Sakura lay there stunned while Neji got up and began to walk away. She stood up and stared at him. She stood up. "...Why are you giving up?! I don't need your pity!"
"Because I'm not worthy of becoming a Chunin," said Neji. "I learned that in this tournament. Neither are you, of course. But I think you'll get more out of staying in the tournament than I will.
"It has nothing to do with pity. I stand nothing to gain by remaining in the tournament. And you stand to gain a great deal."
"So you just handed me the victory because it was of no value to you?!" snapped Sakura. "Is that it?"
"Of course not," said Neji. "If you hadn't put absolutely everything you had into winning, I'd have knocked you out and advanced. As things stand, you proved just how much you were willing to do to win.
"My own desire for victory is less.
"So I cede you the field."
Sakura Haruno had just made it to the Chunin Exams. And for once, she felt like she deserved it.
Neji Hyuga got back to the tournament arena and stared out across it.
The world suddenly seemed far more real than it had. He was not sure why he'd chosen to act in that way. However, now everyone was giving him stunned looks—especially Tenten and Rock Lee.
When he'd first awoken, in that arena, he'd felt a surge of contempt for Sakura. Contempt for everyone. He'd felt it all his life, slowly building, but somehow it had... well, he hadn't wanted it anymore.
His thoughts were abruptly cut short when the black-haired Sound Ninja approached him. She seemed familiar to him. "Okay, what was all that about?"
"...Who are you?" asked Neji.
"I'm Kin Tsuchi," said the girl. "Answer the question.
"What do you mean?" asked Neji.
"You could have destroyed that idiot in ten seconds flat. I saw how you moved," said Kin. "But you deliberately drew that fight out. I could buy that maybe you wanted her to become less useless. But then you forfeit."
Neji shrugged. "Sakura Haruno does not realize her full potential; however, low a bar that is. The end of the fight was never in question. It was the journey that mattered."
"Just what is that supposed to mean?" asked Kin.
"Isn't it obvious?" asked Neji, feeling a surge of contempt. One far stronger than he ought to feel. "By drawing out the fight, I forced her to see her weaknesses. Sakura now knows exactly how far behind she is. If I had knocked her out in one blow, she'd have learned nothing other than her own inferiority. That would have made her less useful, not more. And by provoking her to try different tactics, I forced her to consider how best to use her strengths.
"More importantly, her incompetent hack of a teacher now has no choice but to train her."
"You mean the masked guy?" asked Kin.
"Obviously," said Neji. "She was nowhere near ready for the Forest of Death. I suspect that Kakashi ignored her training and focused on Sasuke Uchiha. It would certainly explain the gulf in their powers.
"Now, however, Sakura's lack of proper training will be displayed in broad daylight. Kakashi will have no choice but to retrain her from the ground up. If he does not, he will be humiliated.
"Which will also win our rivalry with Team Guy."
Kin blinked. "Yeah, but how does helping her help you?"
"If there is a war, and Sakura Haruno fights well in it, my side is more likely to win," said Neji, returning a bit to normal. "Also, she is absolutely no threat to me. She's clearly destined for failure, and the most I can do is convince her to fail in a usable manner."
"...Oh, thank god! You're okay!" said Tenten.
At this moment, Lee and Tenten glomped Neji. "Get off me, Lee, Tenten!"
"Yes, we were fearful that you had been possessed or gone insane," said Lee.
"Unhand me now!" said Neji. "Just because I tried breaking her spirit in a productive manner doesn't mean I've gone soft."
"You guys are totals losers; you know that right," said Kin.
"I am all too aware," said Neji.
This... was going to be a long tournament.