Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Warning Rated M for darker themes in later chapters. If you are a light hearted reader than don't read this
Alright I know it's been awhile and I apologize for that. I've just been up to other things in life and have had bigger things to focus on than my stories but here's a new chapter and in time I will be turning my attention to another story that hasn't seen new content in awhile but I don't know when I'll be updating again after that. Anyways hope you guys enjoy the chapter.
The sunlight pierced through the window shining on Hanabi's face and eliciting a groan as her eyes slowly stirred open. The feeling of pain from the day before immediately flooded her body again.
"Aauughh, It doesn't feel any better after getting some sleep." She complained to herself as she rose out of bed and started to get ready for the day.
Before she could finish getting dressed Natsu came in with a towel in hand.
"Miss Hanabi I have prepared a special bath for you before your training with Neiji."
Hanabi tilted her head in confusion. "Why do I need a bath? You want me to smell good when I take my rice bag beating today?"
Natsu giggled and shook her head no. "I said it's a special bath, the water is mixed with some medical herbs that will reduce the pain your in. This is a particularly brutal form of training that you are doing and the pain will only get worse until you can't even move."
Hanabi listened intently as she had stopped dressing herself and began to realize what Natsu meant.
"Ok I understand now. I'll follow you then."
Natsu bowed her head and lead Hanabi to the bath. Once they got there Hanabi felt her muscles relax almost instantly as she soaked in the warm steamy atmosphere.
"The tub is over there. Go ahead and settle in and I'll go grab you a change of clothes."
Hanabi nodded in response and went over to the bath. She stripped down and began to submerge herself in the water.
Hanabi let out a relaxed sigh as she felt the warm water envelope her body. The pain started to subside after a few minutes.
'I could get used to this.'
Twenty minutes later Natsu returned with a change of clothes.
"Are you ready for training now? Neiji is waiting at the field." She asked interrupting the relaxation that Hanabi felt.
"Oh... sure. I'm feeling a lot better now."
She jumped out of the bath and dried off thoroughly.
"I'll be tending to some of the compound chores now. Your father and sister are still out on their political trip." Natsu informed her.
"Very well. Thankyou Natsu."
Sometime later Hanabi was back in her training gi and on the field with Neiji again.
She was doing better than before as she was able to dodge or reflect a little over half of the rice bags that Neiji was throwing but every now and then he would land a shot.
"That pain your feeling. Don't fear it! Embrace it and let your anger fuel you!" Neiji shouted as he never relented.
As he shouted those words he landed a clean hit to Hanabi's mid torso area causing the girl to fall to her knees. Neiji ceased his barrage not out of concern for her safety but rather to see if she'd react to his words.
'The pain. He's saying I should embrace it.'
Hanabi closed her eyes and focused on the pain she was feeling. The young girl took the chance to truly get familiar with what she was feeling. Not just the pain but more specifically the sting of it, she then remembered yesterday and how she had taken such a beating in the name of training.
'What is it all for? It can't be for nothing? I can't allow it to all be in vain." Hanabi's eyes shot open in determination and she rose to her feet again.
Neiji smirked at seeing the girls determination and threw another rice bag with as much power as he could put into it and aimed straight ahead at his cousin.
With all the speed and power possible there was little time to react and yet Hanabi stood unfazed with the same determination she always had and a rice bag cut in half sat beneath her feet.
"Seems like you managed to manifest your chakra into your fingertips and cut through it." Neiji stated observantly.
Not leaving any room to back down Neiji threw more rice bags at Hanabi, but the girl never faltered. She sliced through most of them and managed to ignore the pain from the few that hit her.
Some time later Neiji had emptied the basket of all the rice bags. He still had two more baskets and Hanabi was still standing albeit quite exhausted as the adrenaline that fueled her was now a fleeting energy source.
"Let's call it a day. You'll die if we keep this up." Neiji said calmly.
"No big brother Neiji I have to get stronger!" Hanabi whined in protest.
"Look around. You've already improved significantly." Neiji responded.
Hanabi looked around the field and sure enough dozens of rice bags were sliced in half.
"Now then, I have a mission to go on anyways." With that statement Neiji walked away leaving Hanabi alone with her thoughts.
'Did I really improve that much? And what was that he said about channeling chakra into my fingertips?'
Hanabi decided not to overthink it and went back inside to take another rejuvenating bath to help her recover.
While the young Hyuga made her way to the tub elsewhere a certain pink haired young lady was getting ready for a special event. "In a couple hours I am going to have a date with Naruto."
An hour and a half passed and Hanabi had long since gotten out of the bath as she passed some time by eating lunch, tidying up her room, and playing some board games with Natsu but she was ready to go find Naruto and see if she can spend some time with him.
A bit later and everyone had set out for their afternoon plans. Sakura was currently in the town market and spotted the one she was so excited to see just casually strolling through the streets no doubt in search of her as well.
"Hey Naruto! Over here!" She waved enthusiastically as she ran up to the boy.
The blonde looked over in her direction and smiled as he waved back. "Hey Sakura!"
The two exchanged a brief hug before Sakura started talking about what she wanted to do today.
"There's a traveling art exhibit passing through Konoha. I want to go see them while we have the chance." Sakura happily declared.
"That sounds great! Let's do it!" Naruto agreed enthusiastically.
"Oh but I actually need a moment to take a wiz!" As quickly as he agreed Naruto excused himself leaving Sakura alone for awhile.
After some time Sakura started to lose patience. "Where is he? It's been like ten minutes and he's still not back."
"Hey there Sakura! How are you doing?!"
Sakura was interrupted by a voice and turned to see who it was. A familiar girl with white eyes and brown hair had appeared before her.
'Its her. The little brat who's trying to get in the way of my love.'
Sakura looked at the girl she recognized as Hanabi with nothing resembling friendliness. "Why are you here? You better not be aft-"
"Let's start off on the right foot shall we? I just want to talk to you about Naruto, I don't want to get in your way." Hanabi spoke trying to ease the tension.
Sakura was still suspicious. "Why should I trust you? You like him don't you?"
"Of course I like him. Naruto is practically family to me."
As she said that Hanabi lowered her head in slight thought. 'Actually he's pretty much nothing less than family. After that day he was the only one I could turn to for a while.'
She looked back at Sakura with a straight face. "What I want for Naruto... is a girl that will love him for the amazing boy that he is. I think we both know who that is."
Sakura felt a feeling of happiness and pride at hearing Hanabi's words. 'Looks like she realizes how good I will be for Naruto afterall. Maybe this girl isn't so bad.'
"Let's go for a walk shall we? I know you've got a date with Naruto but he hasn't shown up in awhile has he." Hanabi proposed.
Sakura looked unsure, if Naruto did show up then she didn't want to miss him.
Hanabi noticed her uncertainty and gave her a sweet and assuring smile. "I promise it won't take too long."
Well... eeehhh... Ok." With reluctant agreement the two girls headed away for a walk.
As the two disappeared another reappeared and it was none other than Naruto. "Hey Sakura! Sorry I got a little held up!" Naruto cheerfully declared but was promptly met with confusion as she was nowhere to be found.
'Ah man, did she decide that I'm a loser and doesn't want to hang out with me?'
Meanwhile in the nearby woods Hanabi and Sakura were walking together.
"I really love the woods. It's a quiet secluded place where you can be with your thoughts in peace." Hanabi said cheerfully earning an agreeing nod from Sakura.
"So if you don't mind me asking. Why exactly do you like Naruto so much?" Hanabi asked confused.
The thought of the blonde gave Sakura happiness and she started to answer. "He's just so cool and confident. Sure he's a little brash and lacks grace but he's got an inspiring energy around him and I admire him for it."
As she listened to Sakura talking about the boy she loved Hanabi dropped her facade instead adopting an indifferent expression as she walked slightly ahead of Sakura and started to slowly form hand signs.
In moments the two reached a dead end and stopped in their tracks.
"Your feelings are as hollow as a log."
Sakura was confused now as she heard such words.
"What did you just say to me!" Her frustration started to leak out rather quickly after that.
"He's cool? Confident? Inspiring you say? Sure. But that's all you see in him. You don't know how full of love his heart is. You don't know his compassion and determination. You say you love him but I say it's just a crush. A crush that needs to be crushed." Hanabi's word's darkened gradually as all cordial behavior between the two was left behind.
Sakura grit her teeth in anger and clenched her fists in rage as the young girl turned around to face her wrath.
"How. Dare. You. You would question my love for him!!!"
Sakura thrust her fist forward towards Hanabi but as it reached within inches of the younger girls face her body froze completely all while Hanabi never even flinched at the attack.
Sakura's sweat dropped as she noticed that her entire body was effectively paralyzed. All of her anger turned to fear in an instant.
"Maybe if you focused more on your training than looking pretty you'd be able to back up that bitchy attitude you carry around with you." Hanabi said mockingly.
Sakura panicked further as she noticed her body moving on it's own against her conscious will. She tried to yell for help but her ability to talk seemed to be disabled as well.
"What I want for Naruto is a girl that will love him for the amazing boy that he is. That much is definitely true."
Sakura's body shook violently as her hand found it's way to her kunai pouch and the small blade was picked up from the pouch. Hanabi's indifferent expression twisted into an arrogant smirk as she knew that she had full control over Sakura's body as if she were a puppet.
"But I am the only girl that I have in mind. Nobody is taking him from me, especially some worthless bitch like you."
Sakura now had the kunai close to her throat as she shakily tried in vain to resist Hanabi's genjutsu.
"We call this technique the Marionette Jutsu. Not to be confused with the puppet master techniques this is solely intended for the use on human bodies. A subtle but powerful genjutsu that takes over the target's subconscious and nervous system and links them to the will of the user." Hanabi explained to Sakura.
Tears flowed from the girls eyes as the kunai poked so deeply into her skin that it drew blood. As the blade threatened to pierce her throat Sakura couldn't even beg for her life.
She thought it was all over but in a moments notice she felt her control over her body reappear and her legs collapsed to the ground.
Sakura gasped for air as she looked up at Hanabi still no less calmer than when she was ensnared in the girls Jutsu.
"You are to stay away from Naruto outside of missions at all times. Am I clear?"
Sakura frantically shook her head in response.
"Y-yes. I-I'll never step foot near him again if you wish it." She sputtered out frantically.
Hanabi placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and looked straight into her eyes as if peering into her soul. "You'd better live by those words. It'd be ashame if such a young girl were to randomly decide to end her life for seemingly unknown reasons."
Sakura looked away in despair. "Yes... It would be ashame."
Hanabi stood back from the girl and walked away without saying another word. Sakura stood up some time later and walked back to the village and to her house.
On her way she heard footsteps and instinctively knew who it was she turned around to be faced by a familiar blonde.
"Hey Sakura what gives? You totally bailed on our date." Naruto asked with confusion and concern.
Sakura looked down at the ground with a troubled expression. "I-Im s-sorry Naruto but I can't hang out with you anymore."
Naruto took a moment to process her words but when he did he felt his heart sink. He was speechless as his jaw dropped and he couldn't find the words to respond.
Sakura jerked her head away from his direction and took off running away from the blonde.
Naruto soon let his head sink in disappointment as he trudged away in the opposite direction.
'Ah man, she really does think I'm a loser afterall.'
Neither of the young genin noticed the figure of a young girl spying on them from behind a distant tree with a grin of satisfaction across her face.
"That's one problem taken care of. You belong only to me Naruto."
There's the end of the chapter, hope everyone enjoyed and happy fourth to everybody.