Underlined italics are Team Eight's wordless communication
BOLD italics are Hinata's visions
Disclaimer: PandoraBoxx777 Does NOT in anyway own the series Naruto or any of its other name rights. Happy Reading!
The Chunin Exams usually had everyone buzzing with excitement. There was planning, registrations, seating, and customs to handle in preparation of one of the biggest shinobi-events within the nations; and with the information on Hinata's vision, there was more to think about and a lot to prepare for.
Kiba and Shino had finally completed their training, gaining new skills and creating new attacks to show off. Kiba was excited for his team to prove themselves in the exams, as the other teams didn't really know how hard they worked.
Hinata worked especially hard, seeing as how she fell a little ways back from her injury. After her full recovery, she was finally able to physically train with her team, all the while continuing her training with Jiraiya and updating her visions at least once a week.
Sometimes, while she sought beyond her time, she would see different versions of the village, of herself and her graduating class. There were times she saw Naruto as a young adult and other times as a young child.
The strangest vision was of Naruto with longer, shaggier hair. He never smiled, and acted professionally at all times, being just about as serious as Sasuke, who, in turn, was strangely flirty and carefree.
She apparently peered too deeply, having been interested in this version of the world, when "Naruto" suddenly turned and looked her in the eyes, startling her out of her vision. The Hokage had many questions about that one.
Regardless, she was finally catching up; training her elemental jutsu, improving her gravity seals on her weapon with her new sensei and slowly returning to her usual workout regimen.
Things almost felt normal, if it wasn't for the overwhelming sense of dread within Team Eight.
As Hinata readied herself for the day, she looked to see her umbrella propped up against her bed. She knew she would have to fight, but bringing a weapon to the arena without proper explanation would look suspicious.
She looked outside and noticed the sun beaming brightly, no clouds in sight. Surely, if she could use her weapon for its most basic function, she could get away with taking it along and not have to be scolded by her father. With that thought in mind, she grabbed it and took it with her.
"Hiashi" The Hokage greeted cheerfully. Hianta stopped in her tracks, from behind her father and sister, and turned to see the old man with his entourage closely behind. She smiled and looked to her father who bowed, "Good morning, Lord Hokage." He replied politely.
"I'm glad to see you." Hiruzen smiled, "And to see that Hinata has healed well. Hanabi is also looking very strong. You must be proud of them both." Hiashi hesitated but did not agree, thinning his lips instead.
"We thank you for your compliment and concern, Lord Hokage," Hinata bowed low along with her sister, who nodded her thanks as well.
Sarutobi smiled at Hinata, who was quick to decipher the look of fear and determination in his eyes. He was saying his goodbye to her.
Hinata looked away before she could tear up, nodding solemnly. He smiled.
They walked on, Hiashi and the Hokage chatting idly until they arrived at the arena. They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, sitting in the middle of the stone bleachers. Hinata sat on Hanabi's left, away from her father and close to the aisle, so that she may prepare herself to go at a moment's notice.
They waited as more and more people filed in. Hinata looked to the contender's area, seeing Neji arrive. She knew he was close behind them after they left, but it still surprised her to see him so early.
Seeing no one else, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, crossing his arms.
She wished she had the courage to greet him and wish him luck, but they were only just starting to get along, and she didn't want to overstep her boundaries too soon. She needed to be patient.
After another ten minutes, Shino and Kiba arrived together, Akamaru sleeping on Kiba's head. Hinata smiled, standing from her seat to go over and greet them.
"Hinata," Hiashi sternly called. She turned to see her father glaring at her from his seat, "Where do you think you're going?"
She pointed to her teammates who now looked in her direction. Kiba was frantically waving and Shino simply lifted his hand.
Hiashi didn't seem impressed and continued to stare at his daughter for an explanation.
"I was going to greet my teammates." She smiled, "I wanted to wish them luck before they are to battle. I won't be gone for very long, father."
Hiashi huffed to himself and nodded, "Very well," He relented, "Try not to become too much of a distraction. Your teammates were at least competent enough to make it this far; don't drag them down with you."
Hinata said nothing and turned to leave, unaware of her sister's eyes following her.
She passed through the crowds of people easily as she made her way over. Kiba was practically bouncing as she got closer, stopping when Shino put a hand on his shoulder.
She squeaked rather loudly as the dog boy swept her into a hug and spun around, while Akamaru licked her face.
Neji said nothing, only glaring for a moment before closing his eyes again.
"Kiba, please," She scolded lightly, "My father is watching." As much as she loved Kiba's affectionate greetings, she knew her father would blow a gasket at such a display, in public no less.
"He'll be fine. He's always an uptight dick." Nevertheless, he put her down, ruffling her hair. "So, are you ready to watch us kick some ass?"
Hinata saw the disappointment behind his smile. They all knew that Kiba and Shino wouldn't have the chance to show off their skills or how much they had improved, as the invasion would happen just before their match. Unfortunately, they had to still play along and act as if nothing was amiss, something they were all very good at.
So she just smiled and nodded, "I am quite excited to see what you have planned. I know that everything is slightly thrown off with the numbers. You may have to fight each other."
"That is reasonable," Shino nodded, "However, it may not be a completely fair fight, seeing as how I have advanced remarkably well in comparison to Kiba."
"What the fuck did you just say?" He jokingly shouted, "I'll fight you right now, you asshole!"
"Do you have to be so loud this early?"
Everyone turned in time to see Shikamaru cover his yawn as he walked over. He looked as if he had just woken up, which was nothing new, but he seemed a lot more alert than usual.
His tired eyes trailed over the males Team Eight and finally landed on the blue-haired kunoichi, trailing down her figure and eyeing her casual attire. He noticed that she even carried her umbrella, but thought nothing else of it because it was actually pretty hot today.
Hinata smiled and ducked her head shyly at the attention, "Good morning, Shikamaru. Congratulations on advancing."
He smirked tiredly, "Morning Hinata, and thanks. I still think this is all too troublesome."
"You think everything is troublesome." Kiba said, Akamaru barking in agreement. Shikamaru only shrugged, not having the energy to actually respond.
"Boy, am I glad I made it in time!" Hinata's eyes were immediately searching for orange, smiling wider when Naruto was finally in view. He looked strikingly confident and excited, some of it rubbing off on Hinata.
She realized, however, that Naruto was early. He was supposed to arrive later just before the rounds began. Everything was already falling apart.
Shikamaru, though Naruto's friend, was looking mildly irritated now that he arrived. He glanced at Hinata and frowned when he noticed her attention was on the orange knucklehead.
Kiba and Shino shared a look with one another.
"Good morning, Naruto," Hinata managed quietly, "I never had the opportunity to congratulate you on your victory."
Naruto grinned at her words and rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, I was pretty great in my fight." He boasted, "I've been working my butt off training this month, so that I could win this fight too. You're looking at a soon-to-be-Chunin now."
Kiba rolled his eyes, "Don't get too cocky now, Naruto," He warned, "Eventually you'll run your mouth too far and get your ass kicked."
Hinata glanced back at her teammate with a slight frown. "Don't be rude, Kiba."
Kiba's eyes widened, his mouth thinning. "He started it!"
"Whatever," Naruto brushed off Kiba's words, "I'm going to win my fight and the whole Chunin Exams. Believe it!"
Hinata smiled and nodded, "Well, I wanted to wish you all luck before you were to fight." She glanced Neji's way, catching his gaze as he looked at her from the corner of his eyes.
"What about us?" Everyone turned to see the Sand Siblings enter from the doorway. It was Kankuro who spoke, smirking maliciously at the other genin. No doubt he was excited about the match, or perhaps, the invasion. Temari glared at them all but couldn't help a tiny smirk. Gaara only stared, primarily at Hinata.
Having noticed this, Kiba and Shino moved closer to their teammate, Shikamaru moved to stand in front of her, and even Neji had removed himself from his spot on the wall.
Kankuro smirked wider now, "Well?" He baited, "We are allies after all. Won't you wish us luck during this friendly competition?"
Hinata forced a smile and nodded, "Of course. Good luck to you three as well. I'll be on my way now." She brushed her hands against those of Kiba and Shino as she walked out, feeling Gaara's eyes burning into the back of her head.
Hanabi watched her sister greet her team with a smile she had never seen before. There was a brightness in her eyes, and her shoulders were now relaxed as she made her way closer and closer to these boys who Hanabi knew nothing of.
Hinata looked excited and happy, something she did not see whenever they were in the compound.
Hanabi associated happiness with her father's praise, as it was all she knew, so seeing her sister smile so easily to other people was foreign and strange to her.
A sudden squeak brought Hanabi out of her thoughts.
She refocused to see Hinata being lifted and spun around by the wild-looking boy with tattoos, his dog slobbering all over her face in the process. She almost couldn't believe her eyes, turning to her father who looked on emotionlessly.
His face was stone still and his eyes were fixated on her sister. He was impossible to read but Hanabi could sense something within him, something sad and burdened.
She turned back and watched along as her sister chatted with more and more people, wondering and curious as to how she knew so many. She didn't know Hinata was so easy-going and sociable, thinking back to her silently shuffling through the halls of the compound and avoiding eye contact with everyone she came across.
This Hinata smiled and looked everyone in the eyes. This Hinata would turn and glare at her teammate and then gesture gracefully as she spoke to the Konoha Demon Prankster. She didn't know who this person was, who Hinata was outside of her clan walls. She realized she didn't know her sister at all.
Something stirred within Hanabi as she witnessed Hinata brushing her hands against those of her teammates in obvious affection and care. She felt a sudden need to have her own hands held.
She looked to her father's hands to see them stiffly placed upon his lap, clenched into fists. She knew he would never allow such a display. And though Hinata might be more willing, Hanabi didn't know her and couldn't imagine pushing their boundaries any further than what was set for them by their father and the counsel.
She sighed silently to herself and held her own hands, seeking the same warmth and gentleness of her sister's. Instead, she found them cold and callused.
The buzz within the crowd grew louder with time. Everyone was anxious and excited to see what was in store for them this year.
Mostly, they were anticipating the fight between the Last Uchiha, and the famous Demon of the Sand. There were so many stories revolving around both boys: Sasuke as a brilliant genius, and Gaara who was basically untouchable and powerful. They would prove to provide an interesting fight.
If there wasn't any danger of an invasion, Hinata would admit that she didn't really care about the fight between them. Sure, they were powerful and important to either village, but Sasuke was a jerk and she hardly knew Gaara. It would just be a competition beyond the development of the genin, it was a competition of village strength.
That's all the Chunin Exams were: a test to see which village was the most dangerous and remind the others of that power. A way of thinning out the competition and maintaining peace.
Hinata was just happy to see Shino and Kiba have a chance to be recognized by their peers, if not by their families, in a positive way.
"Good morning Lord Hyuga, Lady Hinata and Lady Hanabi." It was Inoichi. He smiled gently, something Hinata always appreciated.
"Good morning, Lord Yamanaka." Her father gracefully greeted back. He was clearly disturbed by the sudden presence, but handled it gracefully.
"Forgive my abrupt interruption of your time, Hiashi, but it seems my darling Ino has made a request to have your daughter, Hinata, sit with us for this."
Hinata felt herself stare forward as her father's eyes drifted to her form and then back to Inoichi. "This all seems very sudden, Inoichi," He nearly gritted out, "I was not aware our children had any sort of connections with one another."
Inoichi sighed tiredly and scratched the back of his head, "Nor I, Hiashi, but Ino was making a fuss about it when we arrived and saw you. I'm guessing she and her other friend, Sakura, were asking about her. Hinata has always been kind to them as well, so I see no reason to strengthen our family bonds. Hinata will sit right next to me, to ensure her safety, if that helps."
In all honesty, he just wanted Hinata to get away from Hiashi; half as a favor to Kurenai, but the other half as a way to have his daughter socialize more. Since ending the friendship with Sakura, Ino had been noticeably sadder and less enthusiastic about being a ninja. Someone as calm and even tempered as Hianta would help keep his daughter on the right track, as well as balance and compliment her outgoing personality.
Hiashi closed his eyes, most likely holding back his own tired sigh. "Very well." He relented, "Hinata, you may go. Come straight back when this is over, and you shall remain with the clan for the rest of the day. Is that understood?"
"Yes father." She replied as she stood to leave. She looked to Hanabi and shot her a shy smile before heading off with the Yamanaka.
Ino seemed very surprised when she saw Hinata approaching, turning and whispering something to Sakura who looked over with equal curiosity.
"Before you say anything, Ino," Inoichi started, "I invited Hinata over to sit with us so you can make a new female friend. Be nice."
Ino made a face and crossed her arms, "I don't need your help making friends, daddy," She sneered, "I happen to be very popular."
Sakura rolled her eyes at her rival, "Don't mind Ino-Pig," She told Hinata, "She likes to pretend that people like her, but we all know that she needs all the friends she can get."
Ino almost flew into a rage, "Says you, Forehead Girl! Last time I remember you don't have any friends of your own either." She stole a glance at Hinata and softened a bit, "But Hinata did make an alliance with us during the second exam, so she can sit with us, I guess."
Hinata smiled widely as she took her seat, causing Ino and Sakura to smile as well. Inoichi patted himself on the back for a job well done.
Choji spared her a glance but seemed absorbed in his chips at the moment, not really caring for the girl talk that was taking place. Hinata could tell, though, that he was content. Choji must be used to this kind of thing from Ino.
"So, Hinata," Sakura kindly called, "Who do you think is going to win their matches?"
Hinata didn't have a chance to reply when Ino cut her off almost immediately, "I think Shikamaru is going to win his. Team Ten has been training hard after all, and Asuma sensei has been personally training Shikamaru the moment he passed onto this stage; plus, he's the smartest genin of everyone who participated in exams. Whoever is against him doesn't stand a chance."
Hinata glanced over to Choji who shrugged and continued eating his chips.
She had to admit that she felt a little out of place among them, but it was better than the strained silence that came with sitting with her family. She would grow accustomed to Ino, Sakura and Choji soon enough.
"Speaking of Shikamaru," Ino's confident smirk turned sly, "I saw how well you and Shikamaru got along during the preliminary round." She smirked wider as Choji and Sakura now looked at them, clearly interested, and Hinata blushed a light red.
"You obviously have something going on there," Ino continued, "Do you like each other or something? I thought you liked Naruto?"
Hinata started to stutter a response, but nothing cohearent came out.
"Leave the poor girl alone, Pig," Sakura gently scolded, "She's about to burst into flames."
"I'm just asking questions, Forehead," She defended, "I have to know if Hinata is going to be mingling with my teammate. That way, we can be friends early and I could help her out when they finally get around to dating."
Hinata felt herself become dizzy with all of the blood that was rushing to her head. A reassuring Sakura and an apologetic Choji, let Hinata know that Ino was just being playful, not meaning to be malicious. She supposed she could grow a thicker skin to Ino's words.
The sudden hush over the stadium stopped even Hinata's nerves. Everyone looked down to the center and watched as the candidates stood in line. The crowd went wild, cheering those who stepped up.
Hinata couldn't take her eyes off of her teammates who beamed proudly in front of their village. She felt breathless to witness such happiness from them.
She couldn't feel more proud of them than she ever had. They worked hard to be there, just like everyone else, and they were more than deserving of their position.
"Wait," Sakura frowned, looking over everyone's faces over and over again, "Where's Sasuke?" Ino and Hinata immediately looked around and noticed that Sasuke was nowhere within the line.
"Maybe he's running a little late?" The blunette offered, "They wont start his match without him." That seemed to sate the pink-haired girl for now, but Hinata knew that she would be asking questions again.
The people hushed once more when they saw the Hokage step up to make the opening announcements to greet those attending and wish luck to the candidates. He gave a short speech in regards to the union and alliance of the village before allowing the first fight to begin: It was Shikamaru and Temari.
Ino was among the loud cheers in the crowd as both genin took their place at their respective sides in the arena which was quickly cleared out. Shikamaru seemed to be staring at the sky, daydreaming while the rules were being explained. Hinata couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about.
The match was beginning and Hinata was worried because he wasn't preparing. The girl, seeming impatient, got angry at his lack of attention and swung her fan, trying to hit Shikamaru on his head.
Hinata watched in slight shock as he took a casual step to the side, still watching the clouds. She smiled. Shikamaru was either very used to this type of attack or his training really had improved his skills. She studied the smirk he wore on his face as the dust cleared and the angry look of the Sand ninja.
Immediately she knew there was a spark between them. There was something about their chemistry that even she couldn't deny. Ino must have noticed too, because she was frowning in distaste.
"I don't like her." She stated, as she watched the match continue. Shikamaru was taunting Temari, playing with her as they fought. He was really enjoying himself with how quickly she was keeping up with him.
Sakura rolled her eyes, "Well duh, Ino-Pig," She said, "She's fighting Shikamaru after all. Not to mention the whole fight with Choji the month before."
Ino shook her head, "It's more than that," She huffed, "Look at them. It's like they're flirting or something." She turned to Hinata who smiled at the exchanges warmly, almost happy for Shikamaru. Ino then turned to Sakura and whispered in her ear, "I like Hinata for him a lot better." Sakura rolled her eyes once more and continued to watch the fight.
Shikamaru was sitting behind a tree for cover, his hands together in a strange sign and his eyes closed in concentration. Hinata smiled wider at the sight, intrigued and curious as to what was going through his head right now.
Though she never had a real conversation with Shikamaru, she knew without a doubt that he was the most brilliant student of their year. Sasuke only made top rookie because Shikamaru never put any effort into his schooling, but if he had, Sasuke would be left in the dust for sure.
After a while, it seemed that Shikamaru was done thinking. He stood and prepared himself to attack again, using all sorts of tricks and strategies that Temari could barely keep up with herself, regardless of her intelligence.
Hinata found herself looking at the Sand ninja now, her eyes following her every move. She was flustered for sure, but still confident and feisty as she fought. She had incredible strength and was very intelligent. No doubt she would be one of the few people who could keep up with Shikamaru to some great extent.
She also noticed how pretty the older girl was, lightly blushing to herself as she looked at Temari's outfit. Her dress, though simple, was still stylish. And the red sash she wore accented her waist. Hinata noticed that they wore their headbands the same as well, and smiled to herself at such a small, insignificant detail.
She was finding that she liked this girl more than she would think. If they weren't about to go to war with each other, she thinks they would have made good acquaintances at least.
Having been lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that Shikamaru was now the victor, as he had finally caught Temari in his shadow jutsu. He raised his hand slowly, savoring the scared look on Temari's face, before he sighed, "I give."
Everyone was in shock, screaming and yelling in outrage. "I used up all my chakra," He said as the jutsu finally released, "Which is a shame. because I had at least 30 more moves planned out. Oh well. Good match."
Temari hesitated, but shook his hand regardless. She wasn't sure how to react, but she was grateful nonetheless in a way. This Shikamaru guy is really interesting.
Shikamaru could hear Ino screaming, and he knew he was going to really hear it from her later, but it didn't matter so much as he walked up the stairs with the fight still fresh in his mind. That Temari girl was really smart, having made calculations on the fly and anticipating his moves. He had to admit, she was giving him some trouble, but as smart as she was, she wasn't as smart as he was.
He thought back to her behavior. She was prideful, confident, and loud: something all the women in his life seemed to have in common.
An image of Hinata's tearful, pink face, followed by her shy smile, flashed through his mind, and he found himself smiling as well.
His thoughts wandered back to Temari, however, and he groaned to himself about how troublesome women were. It was best to just stay focused on being a good ninja and worry about girl stuff when he got older.
Ino was still fuming in her seat. "When I get my hands on him, he's going to wish he had never gotten out of bed this morning."
Choji shrugged, "That's just Shikamaru for you," He said through a mouthful of chips, "Are you really surprised?" To which Ino replied with a huff.
Hinata giggled and looked to the arena again, just as Genma cleared his throat to have everyone's full attention, "Due to the absence of Uchiha Sasuke, the next match will go to Gaara of the Sand as a default win."
There were many shouts of anger and booing from the audience, most of which had come only to see the match between Konoha's Last Uchiha and the Sand demon.
Genma did nothing to calm the crowd, shrugging off the yelling until a voice rang in his earpiece, "Genma," The Third Hokage said, "Let's postpone the match until last. After all, we don't need a riot at this time."
Genma nodded to the Hokage and lifted his hands for quiet once more. "Listen up," He called, "The match will be postponed for now. Until then, we will have the next competitors come down to fight."
Naruto and Neji's names popped up as the next set of contestants.
Sakura looked excited, but her smile fell shortly in worry once more, "Sasuke's match was supposed to be next." She muttered, "I know he worked so hard just to make it this far, so why is he still late? He's lucky they even postponed the match."
Ino and Hinata glanced at each other before Ino reached over and patted Sakura's shoulder, "Hey, don't make it a big deal forehead," She joked, "Sasuke will be here and he's going to kick ass and beat everyone here; no offence Hinata."
The heiress only smiled, "That's alright Ino. You have every right to believe in Sasuke." She looked down to her teammates who cheered Naruto on and then to the orange prankster himself, watching as he and Neji took their places, "I know who I believe in."
Neji decided to attempt the same strategy he believed worked on Hinata, talking down to Naruto in order to shake his confidence. Naruto yelled in retaliation, threatening Neji and mocking his words. "Don't underestimate me." He declared, getting ready to fight.
Neji glared and lowered himself into his stance as well.
There was a moment to silence as everyone in the arena hushed, waiting for the match to start and the battle to begin.
Once Genma called it, Naruto and Neji immediately went after each other, or rather, Naruto raced to Neji. He recalled that Neji was a close range fighter and that he had to be careful, but he wanted to see what his strength was like. After all, Jiraiya taught him to assess his opponent before battle.
He was hit several times, but nothing too damaging as he had dodged the most devastating blow. He was ready.
Hinata watched in awe and fear of Naruto, hoping that Neji wouldn't hurt him too bad. It was almost as if he were toying with him.
Neji certainly had improved his training and she would like to think that maybe she had pushed him to do so; afterall, he had seemed quite shocked from their battle, and continued to watch her carefully as they passed each other by. It only made sense that he would improve himself.
Naruto was throwing all of his clones at Neji, each facing destruction at a single blow. When all seemed futile, Naruto smirked as he had Neji surrounded. All Naruto clones went in to attack at once, until suddenly, Neji gathered all of his chakra and expelled it from every point.
Hinata knew the flow too well, scrunching her brows together as Neji spun himself, performing a flawless Kaiten. She knew that he was not authorized to learn such a move, as it was passed down as a Main Branch technique.
She glanced down to her father, who was now sitting impossibly straight and leaning forward only slightly as he took this in. She didn't have to see his face to know that his own Byakugan was active and staring Neji down, though she was sure Neji was purposefully ignoring it.
Neji explained outloud that he had learned the technique simply by observation, furthering his status as a genius prodigy of the Hyuga. Many whispers went throughout the arena.
Throughout the fight he called naruto a failure, a weakling, but Naruto was still strong and determined to win. He challenged Neji in a way he was unfamiliar with, and Hinata could see the frustration building inside her cousin.
They fought some more, Naruto constantly charging at Neji and Neji defending with precise blows to his chakra system. If Naruto continued this way, his chakra would be completely shot before he could even begin to wear Neji down.
Naruto fought hard, but he had to admit he was getting a little tired. He huffed as Neji got into his stance and waited once more.
He could hear Sakura's cheering, and he was a little surprised to see Hinata sitting beside Sakura and Ino when he looked up. Her hands were clenched together at her chest, as if she was praying.
Neji scoffed, "You're just like her, you know? You don't know when to give up."
Naruto glared back, "Don't forget she was kicking your ass a month ago." He yelled, "What's your problem anyways? Hinata is a hard worker and a good ninja. She doesn't deserve your bullshit."
Neji faltered a moment, before focusing once more and sighing, "Lady Hinata was a part of something long ago. She is a part of a hierarchy within our family that makes us lower class Hyuga slaves." He tore off his headband and revealed that curse mark upon his forehead.
Hinata looked away, as Neji told the tale of the Hyuga Affair in front of hundreds of people. it 's not like it was a secret, but to hear it out loud at times made her emotional and even embarrassed. Her own weakness caused her to lose her uncle, who sacrificed himself for his brother, as an act of love and to choose fate himself.
She didn't know she was going to lose two relatives in one day as well. She loved Neji dearly, even after the abuse and hardship. That's why she showed him the truth. That's why she gave him his father's letter in place of her own father, who was to deliver it long ago.
She supposed even Hiashi couldn't let go of his own guilt, but chose a different way to express it.
"Fortunately," Neji said, catching Hinata's attention once more, "I have been shown that my father's death was not in vain. He died for his brother, because of the love he had for him. I have committed heinous acts, and acts he would no doubt be disappointed in; however, I am learning to forgive, so that I may be forgiven myself.
"Hinata may not be exactly who I thought she was, but she is still weak and pathetic. She may have gotten stronger, but she will always be the same as she always has been. You should learn that you will suffer the same fate. Also, Naruto, You are within range."
Suddenly, Neji shot forward, performing another Main Branch technique: The Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
Hinata watched devastated as Naruto's entire system began to shut down, finally spent from the final attack. But just as Neji landed the last blow, Naruto grabbed his arm and used all of his strength to pull him forward and punch him as hard as he could, sending the young man flying.
With Neji recovering from the surprise attack, Naruto puts his hands together and grit his teeth, summoning a strange orange-colored chakra from deep within him, and reopening his pathways.
Everyone was amazed, shouting and pointing at him as he used his chakra to enhance his speed, pummeling Neji to the ground.
Neji, of course, fought back, and both were in an all out brawl.
Naruto's chakra was too thick to penetrate, and Neji was soon realizing that his technique was not as effective as before. He began to use small, concentrated blasts of chakra to penetrate the armor, cursing as his own chakra began to run low.
Naruto wasn't finished however, not even tired in the slightest. He grinned victoriously as he managed to have Neji stumble back, losing his footing and breaking his concentration. Clones were being summoned, each with a weaker version of the armor as well, putting Neji in a corner.
Neji attempted to perform Kaitens, but the overwhelming amount of chakra he had to use was far too great for his body. He was losing and very quickly.
He glanced to Hinata who was biting her lip in worry… for him? She was worried about him?
Naruto used the brief distraction to punch Neji full force in the face, sending him flying into the air, following close behind. In a flash, Naruto was above him, punching him furiously in his gut and face until he finally hit the floor.
The sound was muffled, but he heard Naruto being announced as the winner, followed by surprised cheering and screaming.
He closed his eyes and sighed, waiting for the medics to take him, but a shadow hovered over him.
Hinata watched curiously as Naruto was speaking with Neji. A look of realization and shock was all over his face until finally the medics came to take care of him. She was excited Naruto won, but also sad for her cousin and the pain he still suffered.
Ino and Sakura looked to Hinata in worry. While they were happy for Naruto, They knew the impact the fight had on the young Hyuga girl as well.
"Hey, Hinata," Sakura called out, "Are you okay?"
Hinata took a moment to think before answering, "I am fine. I just feel a little sad for Neji is all. I wish life were easier on him."
The two rivals looked to each other with the same frown.
"The next match will be between Kankuro of the Sand and Aburame Shino." Genma announced, drawing reluctant and confused cheers. It seems that everyone was still hoping for the match between Sasuke.
Kankuro panicked, seeing Shino getting ready to jump the rails. He couldn't risk his puppets being damaged, not with the real battle about to begin. He looked to Temari who shrugged helplessly, then to Gaara who didn't even bother to acknowledge him. As much as he hated to do this, it was for the good of the Sand.
He swallowed his pride and shouted out, "I give up!"
Everyone turned their heads to him as he waved about and shook his head, "He wins, I give up. I don't want to fight him."
The crowd went wild again, yelling and booing Kankuro now. Shino glared at him from under his glasses, knowing what he was really doing. Hinata had seen it all. He was saving his puppets for the invasion.
He looked at his watch. Sadly, he wouldn't be able to show off his skills with Kiba, as Sasuke Uchiha was about to show up with Kakashi at any minute. Kiba noticed and sighed, equally upset.
They both counted the seconds together of Genma trying to calm the crowd so he may speak until a whirlwind of leaves entered the arena. Of course, it was Sasuke and Kakashi.
There was a moment of silence as everyone tried to comprehend the situation once more. Sakura was at the edge of her seat, a smile slowly forming on her face as she took in the scene.
"Sorry we're late," Kakashi said, casually closing his book and looking up to Genma, "We simply got a little carried away with the extra training time."
The crowd went wild, cheering on the dramatic entrance and finally being able to see the Uchiha in action. They were practically foaming at the mouth in excitement.
Kiba rolled his eyes, Akamaru whined and Shino sighed. They looked to Hinata who was equally exasperated and glanced at them as well. They smiled together, thinking such theatrics were ridiculous. Nonetheless it garnered the reaction they wanted, as Sasuke was smirking and Kakashi looked triumphant.
Kiba rolled his eyes, "What a badass entrance."
Hinata tilted her head to the left, her eyes glancing in the same direction briefly, "It must have been so hard to pull it off."
Shino struggled not to smile and tilted his head as if he were rolling his own eyes, "And without planning it all." He shook his head, "I'll never understand it."
Then silently laughed together, smiling brightly in mutual sarcastic friendship for the time being to ease their nerves and anxiety about what would happen next.
Genma listened to his earpiece before raising his hands to announce, "Since Uchiha Sasuke is now here, his match will be next. Gaara of the Sand, please make your way to the arena." The cheering was now intense as Gaara teleported his way to the arena.
Hinata glanced at Inoichi who had a determined frown on his face. He was looking to Shukaku and then to Kakashi who both nodded in understanding. Everyone was getting ready, as they knew that there was more to the match than what was seen.
It began. Hinata bit her lip as Gaara's sand leaked out of his gourd. He was talking to himself, muttering and giggling, though no one could really tell.
The look on Sasuke's face said it all, however, and she knew, even without the visions, that he was going to have a hard time dealing with him like this.
Gaara seemed to calm down, finally regaining control over the demon and taking a breath to calm himself. He was now ready.
Sasuke wasted no time in throwing his shuriken, only to hit Gaara's sand, which turned into a clone. Sasuke went in for the attack, only to be blocked and caught. He quickly rid himself of the trap and destroyed the clone. As he went to attack again, he smirked and seemingly disappeared.
Gaara was shocked, having a sort of flashback to his battle with lee. He turned around in time to Sasuke's location, but not in time to block the attack.
Shino frowned as it was exactly Lee's stance. Kiba noticed and frowned as well, "Man," He grumbled, "That Uchiha can't come up with something original can he? He's got to copy the moves of someone else. I guess that's all the Sharingan is good for." Akamaru whined in agreement.
"Kiba," Shino lightly scolded, "You know as well as I do that the ability to obtain that kind of speed takes a lot of hard work, and Uchiha was able to do so in a mere month. Whether he is stealing or borrowing another style, it still shows that he's worked hard to somewhat do so with competence. "
Kiba sighed, "Yeah, but that still doesn't mean he can't be original for once." He paused for a moment to listen to Sasuke's taunt about Gaara's sand armor and for him to fight seriously, "And it's this kind of 'skill' that makes him a cocky bastard."
Sasuke was too fast for Gaara, dodging and weaving past his defence to strike him and break down his armor. The entire time he was taunting him.
Hinata fought the urge to roll her eyes. She understood that with skill and talent, you have bragging rights, but this was a little too much in her opinion. She always saw Sasuke as a child with a superiority complex, and he may have his reasons, but it was still very annoying.
He constantly needed someone's failure by his hand or his success to validate his strength and progress as a ninja. Kind of like a bully who beat on the younger, weaker kids to feel in control and powerful. It was exhausting to watch.
Gaara was losing chakra and fast. He hated this Uchiha kid, he hated this village, he hated his own village, but most of all, he hated the voice in his head begging for release, to be let loose and destroy them all.
He knew he had a plan to follow, but if this fight goes any further like this, the plan was sure to fail. Plus, he didn't very care much about it anyways, he just needed blood for mother.
'Yes,' he thought, 'Blood for mother.'
He started to cover himself in sand, hardening it to keep himself safe as he performed his jutsu and released his seal. He felt the Uchiha attempt to punch his way in, but the sand protected him. Now he could perform peacefully.
He giggled to himself, excitement building in his veins. "It's almost time, mother." He whispered, "Soon you'll have all the blood you want."
Hinata looked down in worry, biting her lip hard enough to bruise. She knew what was going to happen next, and while she was prepared for the battle, she was still anxious and scared for what was still going to happen.
She closed her eyes, searching one last time.
It was a cat mask. ANBU.
His hand was reaching for her.
He was trying to take her, but who was it?
A flash of silver hair and glasses.
She knew that face, but where?
She gasped, her head snapping up in realization.
Luckily, everyone else was too busy looking down at the match to care.
Inoichi, however, noticed immediately and looked at her, "What's wrong, Hinata?" He whispered.
She remembered what Shino had told her team a month ago, that Kabuto was a suspicious character, he was not to be trusted. Now, as Hinata had seen everything, she knew why; he was a mole.
Hinata looked around carefully, spotting that same ANBU looking her way as he made his way over. She continued to 'search' so as to not raise suspicion, and covered her mouth to whisper back in Inoichi's ear. "The ANBU with the cat mask is a spy here to kidnap me after he's covered the arena with a genjutsu. I need to go."
He nodded and exchanged a look with Shukaku and Kakashi. "Excuse me, everyone," He said, "Hinata isn't feeling very good, so I must return her to her father. I'll be right back. Let's go, Hinata."
Ino and Sakura looked confused but were slightly concerned nevertheless, "Feel better Hinata." Sakura said.
"Yeah," added Ino, "And let's try to hang out sometime, too."
Hinata only smiled sheepishly and nodded, following closely behind Inoichi.
They were halfway down the stairs when Hinata gasped out loud, seeing Sasuke activate his Chidori and run to impale Gaara's sand.
Inoichi grabbed her hand and hurried further down the stairs to get her to her father in time. They had just made it to his row when Gaara screamed, "Blood! It's my blood!"
Shino and Kiba got ready, looking at each other and preparing to attack the other two siblings once their move was made.
Everyone was shocked at the cry, watching in anticipation as Sasuke struggled to get his arm free of the sand that was now attempting to crush it. He activated his Chidori and pulled free, an arm following after him. He was shocked to see a golden eye peering at him with killer intent from the hole in the sand barrier.
It finally dispersed, revealing Gaara a quarter into his transformation. He was drooling at the mouth, manic and desperate now. He was losing his mind from Shukaku's chakra and from feeling physical pain for the first time.
Hinata suddenly felt sleepy, her eyes growing heavy by the second and the world turning into a blur. She recognized the feeling immediately and threw her hands together to disrupt her chakra, "Kai!"
Inoichi did the same, both of them breaking free of the genjutsu. Some ninja were free while others weren't so lucky and, of course, the civilians were out cold.
The ninja who were unaffected looked around in confusion, all of them drawing their weapons to defend. There were shouts and orders being made just before the village started to shake.
Everyone pointed to the sky and began to shout louder, as they all saw the protective barrier shield dropping and shattering before their eyes. No one could believe it and some were starting to panic. What the hell was happening?
"It's an ambush!" Someone yelled.
"Defend the village." Shouted another.
Hinata turned to her father and ran to his side as he stood straight and held a sleeping Hanabi in his arms, "Father!" She called out, grabbing his sleeve, "I came as soon as something felt amiss. We must protect those under the genjutsu."
Hiashi was taken aback at the authority and determination in his daughter's voice, but ignored it for the time being and glared at the scene around him. "You must go now, Hinata." He said, "You are not skilled enough to fight this battle, and you must not burden real shinobi with your incompetence. Take your sister to the compound and defend her with your life. I will return after this is over."
Hinata knew that he was trying to protect her and her sister, but the words still stung her heart. She maneuvered her sister into her arms and turned to run home, hearing Inoichi sigh at Hiashi.
She looked around the arena as she ran, seeing if anyone was awake. A few shinobi were fighting, too busy to notice her existence as she passed by.
She debated with herself if she should sit the fight out. After all, Orochimaru was now after her. And if he knew about her, surely he knew about her team as well. She had to warn them and have them hide as well. If they were captured, their secrets would be turned into weapons against Konoha, and that was something they couldn't risk.
She shifted her sister's weight to grab at the beetle in her hair with her now-free hand. "Find Shino," She told it, "Find him and tell him to hide. Orochimaru found us." She lifted her palm for it to fly away, and it did so dutifully. She hoped that it would reach him in time.
She found the exit, smiling in victory as she neared it. Before she could make it out, Kabuto teleported right in front of her, blocking her escape. "Quite smart of you to move before I could get you," He said as he took off his mask, "But also dumb of you to leave yourself open and vulnerable like this.
"Come with me, Hyuga Hinata, and my master will help you harness your Byakugan beyond your wildest dreams. He will give you power and the opportunity to prove your father wrong. You can be strong with us."
Hinata took a step back, "I would never betray my home," She bit back, "I will earn my strength the right way."
Kabuto smiled, clearly disappointed, "Very well," He sighed, "I supposed we'll have to do this the hard way."
His hand reached out to grab her, but the sound of rushing wind stopped him. He pulled his hand back before it was stabbed with the kunai knife that was now in the wall. He looked to the left and glared at Kurenai who was casually walking up the stairs with another kunai in her hands, twirling it casually.
"Not so fast, Kabuto," She growled out, "If you try to lay a hand on my student, you'll lose it and have it shoved up your ass."
Kabuto smirked, "Well, well," He chuckled, "Of course I'm not surprised that the Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha didn't fall for my trap. Impressed?"
Kurenai scoffed, "Hardly. It's pretty weak if you ask me. Maybe I could help you learn what real genjutsu looks like."
He laughed gleefully, eager for the fight, but quickly composed himself as he remembered his mission. "Your tricks wont work on me, Kurenai; and as much as I want to fight, I'm not here for you, however, I'm here for her."
He threw a handful of shuriken at Kurenai, who used her weapon to block them, and grabbed Hinata's arm tightly, pulling her closer. She cried out before dissolving in rose petals.
Kabuto stepped back in shock, looking around for the student and finding that everyone in the arena had disappeared completely. He broke free and found himself still standing where he was just as he activated the genjutsu.
Kurenai was across from him with a smirk of her face, as she knew she won in protecting her student. He scowled in rage before running off to summon the snakes.
Hinata ran as quickly as she could. There was fighting on the streets and on rooftops, so thankfully, the enemy was too busy to stop her. She took the back alleys and roads to avoid meeting anyone.
When she didn't sense anyone nearby, she put her sister down, supporting her so that she was sitting. Hinata charged her finger with a small amount of chakra and touched her forehead lightly, disrupting the chakra so that she would wake up.
Hanabi stirred, blinking rapidly and twitching as her body fought to keep consciousness.
Hinata smiled, gently taking Hanabi's hand and squeezing it, "Take your time," She gently encouraged, "Genjutsu is usually a pain to wake from."
Hanabi looked to her older sister, confused and disoriented of course. "Hinata?" She asked, "What's going on. Where are we? Where's father?"
Hinata did her best to remain calm, "There's been an attack, Hanabi. The Sand has betrayed us.
"But, we're allies?"
"I know it's a lot to take in, but right now we need to get you somewhere safe. I promised to look after you with my life, little sister, and I intend to keep that promise."
Hanabi was still confused, even more so with the statement. "Why? We don't even talk to one another."
Hinata smiled down at her, and in that moment, Hanabi was mesmerized. Her hair shone in the light and her eyes were full of happiness. She remembered the picture of their mother she saw in her father's office and couldn't help but compare Hinata to it.
"I protect you because you're my little sister." Hinata explained, "I love you so much Hanabi, no matter what."
Hinata squeezed her hand tightly, as she helped her up. Hanabi stared at their joined hands for a moment before squeezing back, savoring the warmth she had imagined earlier that day.
"Let's get going." Hinata said, "We have to get to the compound where you'll be safe."
"Okay." Her sister agreed, nodding her head in determination.
Hinata pulled her along, running as fast as needed. She knew her sister had great stamina, but she didn't want to tire herself out in case she had to fight. She needed all of her energy right now.
She proved herself right when she felt a flare of chakra heading their way. As much as she wanted to send Hanabi away, there was no telling that other shinobi would chase after her as well. She would have to stay for now, at least until help came, but how long would that take?
Hinata sighed and continued to run, "Hanabi," She called, "Someone is chasing us. I need you to stay right beside me, okay? If I tell you to hide, you need to listen. It's very important that you don't fight with me."
Hanabi wanted to protest, but she knew better than to argue. Hinata was a trained ninja, while Hanabi was still studying her intermediate katas. She wasn't as "developed" as Hinata was, and her chakra reserves were still weaker. She would have to have faith in her sister.
A shadow blocked their way. Hinata stopped and drew her umbrella, keeping it closed for the time being.
"What's a Hyuga like you doing unattended?" The woman sneered, "Did you forget that you're being attacked or are you just that cocky?"
"And what about you?" Hinata retorted. Hanabi was surprised at the amount of confidence and bravery in her sister's voice. "How strong you must feel, picking a fight with children. If anyone is cocky, it is you."
The woman screeched with rage, "I've always hated your filthy clan! You all act like you're so much better than everyone, but you're not! You're a pathetic clan who depend on your kekkei genkai for fame and power. You're nothing compared to Lord Orochimaru or anyone else from the Sound."
She drew a sword and got ready to attack, "I'm going to enjoy killing you miserable brats."
Hinata gently ushered Hanabi behind her and smirked, "And I will enjoy watching you try."
Shino and Kiba immediately went to attack the sand siblings, who were caught off guard at their quick recovery. Temari swung her fan to push them back, "How are you not affected?" She panicked.
"Are you kidding me?" Kiba laughed as he got up, "From that weak-ass genjutsu?"
Shino stood as well, drawing his weapons, "We are students under the greatest genjutsu master in the Land of Fire. This is nothing."
"Fuck," Kabuto cursed, "Temari we don't have time for this. We need to go!"
Temari threw another wind jutsu at them before running off and grabbing Gaara. Kiba and Shino followed behind.
Sasuke chased after them, intending to defeat them alone. He noticed the other ninja with him and glared, "I don't need your help. I can take them."
Akamaru barked loudly and growled.
"We're not here to back you up, dick." Kiba bit back, "We're trying to defend our home. It's not about who's the strongest between us right now, it's about winning this battle and keeping Konoha safe."
"Kiba is right," Shino called out, "We're not interested in being heros, only to ensure that Konoha is still standing when this is over."
Sasuke seemed to accept the answer, because he didn't say anything more and carried on.
They followed the siblings to a dense forest that led to the outskirts of Konoha. It seemed as if they were just trying to hide long enough to give Gaara time to transform. Shino couldn't imagine the amount of destruction he would cause if that were to happen.
Akamaru barked again, growling and squirming under Kiba's hood. The Inuzuka looked around and noticed a shinobi chasing after them. He would surely cause a problem if he were to catch up, and frankly he was a little annoyed at not being able to fight the Sand Siblings.
'Oh well,' He thought, 'I might be able to have a meal.'
He started to slow down, "Shino," He called out, "We'll find you when I'm done here. I won't be long."
"Are you sure, Kiba?" It's not that he doubted his teammates' skill, but more so that he was worried something else would happen.
Kiba understood his friend's concern and nodded, "I'll be fine. Just leave it to me. Make sure you kick their ass extra hard for me."
Shino smirked and nodded, keeping up with Sasuke as Kiba stopped and turned, cracking his knuckles and neck. "Are you ready for this Akamaru?" He asked excitedly. Akamaru barked as he hopped out into Kiba's arms and was placed beside his master.
"Hello there," Kiba greeted once the enemy was close enough, "I understand you have something to say to me?"
The man pulled out a kunai and aimed it, "Get ready to die." He threatened.
Kiba laughed and pulled out his tetsubo, "You took the words right out of my mouth."
Shino was worried, of course. He wasn't sure about Kiba being on his own, but he reminded himself that Kiba trained just as hard as he did, and was able to handle himself in combat. If all else failed, Kiba did have his "secret weapon' to fall back on.
He chuckled a bit to himself. That guy was doomed.
"Never thought I would hear an Aburame laugh," Sasuke commented, "I always thought you guys were stone cold."
Shino didn't bother to reply. Sasuke was nothing to him, not really. Sure, he would be considered an ally and a comrade, but even then, that was pushing it. Sasuke didn't work well with others, and while he didn't do it in the name of glory, he certainly did it in the name of pride.
He was arrogant and bitter, though he had every right to be, so Shino didn't let it bother him too much, no matter how annoying.
It wasn't long before they caught up, of course Gaara being vulnerable and weak helped with that. They stood two against two, excluding Gaara who was still in and out of consciousness. Temari was ready to fight, but Kankuro stood in her way, "Get going, Tem," He said, "I'll hold them off."
Temari was unsure, concerned for her brother, "Kankuro, are you sure?"
"You're wasting time! Get going already!"
Temari said nothing else and turned to run, looking back at her younger brother one last time.
"Uchiha, give chase." Shino commanded, "I think I should finish a fight I've been waiting to start."
Sasuke didn't waste any time and immediately ran after Temari.
Kankuro went to stop him, but a blast of insects protected Sasuke from injury or interruption. "Your fight is with me." He heard the Aburame say.
Kankuro growled and removed the mummy on his back, "Fine," He sighed, "I'll take you out quickly."
Shino's smirk was hidden under his collar, "Funny," He said as he raised his arms. Swarms of insects poured out, covering him from the sun and casting an ominous shadow over the boy. "I was thinking the same thing."