Hopeless

((A/N: Okay, I have started on the Tsunade fic Sariachan-A Kokiri Leaf gave me the idea/suggestion for,(extra shout-out to ya, thank you!) but I just HAD to write this one. It's been cloudy here lately, and after watching Naruto, I realized that it was almost the Hyuuga eye color...and this came from it. It's short, I know, but the next will be longer...much...promise. Thanks for reading and reveiwing, I'm forever grateful.

Disclaimer: I don't anything of or relating to Naruto. I'm still not sure why we have to do disclaimers, since this is
We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. -Thornton Wilder

Hopeless

She was hopeless, she realized, as she took another jab at the sparring post.
The sky had clouded over to a dull gray, one in which only gave you headache, promising rain but holding back, as if something besides Mother Nature kept it there. Sweat trickled down her brow as she let out another, hitting the post with whatever she had left.
Hinata wasn't sure if she had anything left.
Another cut from her right hand ensured her, that yes, she did have some more.
She found herself wishing desperately that it would rain. For she was in the Hyuuga backyard, and despite all of it's acres, there was only one sparring center used for training.
Any second now- - Neji would show up.
Neji...the way he looked at you, the way he pried into your mind...that was truly terrifying.

A flicker of a smile graced Hinata's features. Naruto hadn't been afraid.
That's right...it wasn't completely hopeless. Because that's exactly what she had.
Hope, that was...
A sound. Hinata stopped in mid-swing, her eyes wide. He was practically here. She couldn't bear facing him...her hands started to tremble, but it was not due to exhaustion. Her head whipped around, looking for an escape.
Tree! Yes, a tree...she leapt into it swiftly, perching herself on a thick branch and resting her heaving torso against the trunk. He might see her, he might not; with his incredible vision it wouldn't be hard. Maybe, she thought, gulping, he would just ignore her.
It seemed, however, Neji wasn't exactly the type to ignore anything.
Every detail seemed to filter through his brain, calculating it and analyzing it. It was foolish of her to think she could withstand that, especially due to the fact her heart was weakened, probably permanently. She-
She held her breath, her hands flying instinctively to her quivering mouth. He was down below her, and the way the tree branches arced so she could see him, his rich dark hair flowing down his back to the only current but his strong shoulder blades.
It was unusual for him to just spar. Apparently, though, that was what he was doing.
Daring herself to keep her eyes trained on him, she studied him carefully. Quick glances were what she typically allowed herself to steal; not that, most of the time, she wanted to look. A part of her, a very small part of her, was curious as to what made him so fearsome.
His very presence seemed to weaken the knees of her family, and his.
Not that, the two were really separate...
Sure, he had striking features and confidence that radiated from his body like Akamaru's odor; but what was it, really?
And where were his teammates, anyway? Sure, hers weren't here, but that's because Akamaru was sick, and Shino was still recovering. Kurenai was too busy with everything going on, and Hinata would've helped, she would've! - If it hadn't been for her father, who insisted that she trained a few hours a day first.
Not daring to look around, her eyes settled back on him again, his strikes quiet and smooth, not a sound uttered from his lips.
Maybe he scared his teammates, as well.
It was strange, what power did to people. That was why, Hinata supposed, she didn't like having too much of it. But she was hopeless;
Hinata was destined to become the head of the Hyuuga family, regardless of her will.
Even if Neji was better than her, and he clearly was, he was destined...
Her eyes went softer, and her fist clenched; only in the slightest. Surely, her father would see Neji as a threat to her, and...and...
He would die.
It wasn't as if Hinata really liked him, no...if anything, the only thing she had for him was respect. But that respect could really be blurred with fear, once she thought about it.
Suddenly, something came to mind. Surely, Neji must know this. Even now, as he fought silently with a blank expression, he must realize this. Yet he still continued to get stronger, still continued to spread that dominating air about him, making him more vulnerable to death at the same time.
How could he live...when he was told he was going to die?
He couldn't...could he?
But that's not what made the single tear slip down Hinata's cheek, her mouth suddenly going dry with more than just awe for her cousin.
The sad thing was, he was going to die...he was going to die for no one...
He was going to die alone.
No one would miss him, his existence would be that of only a distant memory, like the sunshine behind the clouds. Because he was so terrifying...
No, she realized, holding her breath as he paused. It was he who was hopeless.
He was hopeless because of her.
And that made her cry harder as he looked up at her passively, meeting her eyes for only a brief second, and walking away.
That's right, he knew.
He knew.
I'll m-miss you... She choked, much to soft for him to ever hear.
And he kept walking as it began to pour.