NUMBER TWO ROOKIE
"Nani!"
Someone as talented as Kato Fuyuka shouldn't make such an unpleasant face, at least that's what Hyuuga Neji decided. Everyone else decided that Kato Fuyuka was so angry she couldn't see straight. Fuyuka was considered to be the prettiest of this year's graduating class, something that no one openly argued. Her skin was a flawless cinnamon brown, her eyes were a soft green and her hair fell like a river of red satin. She had a lovely smile, but a frightening frown.
Hyuuga Neji tilted his head to the side to sit clear of Fuyuka's anger. The passionate girl was angry and rightly so. She just found out she was the number two rookie.
"Kurenai-sensei! How am I only the number two rookie? I've only received perfect marks in all my years at the academy."
Kurenai turned her gaze to the front row where Hyuuga Neji and Kato Fuyuka, the number one and number two rookies, were sharing a bench. All the other benches had three students to them, they hadn't made a conscious effort to isolate themselves, however their superiority in talent had lead their classmates to keep them together at all times. "Fuyuka, it is true that you have received perfect marks. So has Hyuuga Neji."
"How then is he number one and me two?"
"A tie breaker was established years ago by Sandaime Hokage when two of the legendary sannin had tied for number one rookie."
"Tie breaker?"
"Hai."
"What was it? And why wasn't I made aware of it."
"It was a simple speed test. On your last written exam, Neji finished sixteen seconds before you, thus he was number one and you number two."
"Nahhh!" Fuyuka screamed.
Neji raised his eyebrow at the circumstance. That's how they decide? There must be something else to it that Kurenai-sensei isn't telling us. Fuyuka probably realizes it too.
"It could only be because my name takes longer to write."
Fuyuka did realize it, but was still upset. She crossed her arms over her chest, her feminine brown trench coat stretched over the bend of her elbows. She sighed heavily and pushed a strand of red hair behind her ear.
"Which sannin became number one rookie?" She asked.
"Orochimaru."
"Ahh!" Fuyuka shouted and pointed at Kurenai. "The system is biased! The girls can't win!"
Kurenai smiled as she saw the cheeky grin slip over Fuyuka's face. The class became an uproar of laughter and even Hyuuga Neji let out a smile. Kato Fuyuka sat down in her seat, propping her long legs on the table. She put her hands behind her head as she leaned backwards, her green eyes counting the dots on the ceiling before she turned them to Neji. He had to read her lips because her antics had inspired excitement in the class of twelve year olds. Congratulations. She adjusted her newly awarded forehead protector, her green eyes returned skyward.
Neji really couldn't help but smile.
…
Neji had been called by the Academy Historian to have his photo taken to be placed in the memorial of Konoha's number one rookies. Afterwards he went to the bathroom and removed a layer of bandages from his forehead. In his reflection he saw his symbol and stared at it for a moment with disgust. He gathered himself and tied his forehead protector on securely.
A shinobi of Konoha… I am that first before anything else…
He exited the bathroom and found Fuyuka leaning against the wall, holding a framed picture in her hands. Neji turned and look at her, realizing immediately the picture was the framed one he hadn't taken more than ten minutes ago.
Fuyuka didn't look up when she spoke to him. "You photograph well, Neji-kun. You should use this for your genin registration."
"I'll keep that in consideration."
Fuyuka laughed, realizing he would do no such thing. "It's really a shame, neh? There's no reward for being second."
"It could be worse." Neji responded. "You could be number three."
Fuyuka looked up and blinked before laughing heartily. "Come on, Neji-kun. I'll buy you lunch."
"That isn't necessary."
"Consider it as an act of friendly relations from the Kato clan to the Hyuuga."
"Wouldn't you like to extend such an invitation to the Main house?" Neji asked.
He could become so dark so quickly. It didn't take much to ruin his mood. Fuyuka knew very well what was behind that forehead protector and band-aids. The Katos and Hyuugas had a long history. Fuyuka and Neji had a long history, as both rivals and best friends.
Fuyuka turned her green eyes softly to look at Hyuuga Neji. "Iie. I think I made the right decision. Are you going to have lunch with me or not?"
Neji regarded Fuyuka and saw clearly that she had unconsciously tightened her grip on that photo of Neji. He read her better than anyone else. He looked her clearly in the eyes.
"If you wish."
Fuyuka smiled. "Yeah, I do."
They separated ways for a few moments. Fuyuka went to return the photo to the memorial hall. She smiled as she put it in its place, tracing the shape of the wood with her index finger. Hyuuga Neji now stood with the likes of Sannin, Anbu captains and even Yondaime Hokage. I'm expecting something great out of you too, Neji-kun.
Neji went to the nurse's office and found his mother organizing records at her desk. "Neji? What is it? Are you not feeling well?"
"I feel fine, Ka-san. I just wanted to inform you that I won't be eating lunch with you today."
Hyuuga Sango pouted. "You're seeing another woman, aren't you Neji?"
Neji blushed furiously and some of the other nurses giggled behind their folders. Sango-hime was the only woman who could destroy Neji's impassive expression. She didn't always choose to embarrass him, but every once in a while she needed to see Neji smile.
"I'm having lunch with Kato Fuyuka to celebrate my being number one rookie."
"Kato Fuyuka, ka? Well, have fun. We'll celebrate over dinner, okay?"
"That isn't necessary, Ka-san."
"I know that, Neji. I want to. I'm very proud of you, Neji. So is your father."
Neji said nothing for a few seconds before Sango put her hand on his cheek and cleared the dark cloud on Neji's face. "Arigato, Ka-san."
"Hai. Go enjoy lunch. I'll be here when the ceremony commences. We can go to dinner in the village after training."
"Hai, Ka-san."
Neji turned and walked out, bowing to the other nurses, most of whom had known Neji since he was in diapers.
Ame watched Neji exit before turning to the boy's mother. "He sure grew up handsome, Sango-hime."
"Hai."
"I suppose with you and Hizashi as parents he was destined to be such a cutie." Ame replied.
Sango turned back to her work, bowing over her folders. "Hai." With her back turned, Ame couldn't see the sad expression on Sango's face.
…
Kato Fuyuka and Hyuuga Neji split pork dumplings and rice balls at an outdoor restaurant not far from the academy. Fuyuka watched Neji eat in silence and drunk her warm tea slowly.
She had known Neji her entire life it seemed. She didn't have any memories from before she knew him and her memory was clear back to the age of four. For a long time, the Kato clan and the Hyuuga clan didn't get along. A long time ago there had been talks of combining the clans through marriage, however that fell through and since then the clans had been friendly, but nothing more.
Fuyuka watched Neji over her clay cup, he continued to eat slow even though she knew that he felt her eyes on him.
Kato Fuyuka was the third born in the dynasty lineage of the Kato clan. Like her siblings, she was a genius type. Her older brother was a genjutsu genius; her older sister was a strategic genius. Fuyuka herself was a taijutsu genius but also was formidable tracker and a creative ninjutsu master. Her family didn't have a kekkei genkai like Hyuuga or Uchiha, but they produced just as many geniuses as either house did. Like Neji, Fuyuka would never lead her clan, but unlike Neji, if the circumstance arose, she could.
"Neh, Neji…"
"Yes?"
"I was thinking… My brown cloth forehead protector would look better on you than your traditional one."
"You were thinking that?" Neji asked.
Fuyuka nodded and pulled off her forehead protector. She held it in her left hand and extended it to Neji over the table. Neji looked at her incredulously, becoming aware at what she was implying with their trade.
Fuyuka and Neji had known each other their entire lives, but she had never seen his cursed seal. For eight years, two thirds of his lifetime, Neji had worn a wrap of bandages around his forehead to hide from the rest of the world the Hyuuga Fate of Hatred. Though he kept it from the world, the implications of that which made him a caged bird poured into almost every aspect of his life: his training, his ideals, his faith… the only thing it didn't sour was her.
Neji shook his head in the negative, but Fuyuka kept that hand outstretched for a few more moments hoping he would change his mind. He didn't. Fuyuka looked down sadly. She lifted her chin to tie her forehead protector back on and watched the way Neji was staring at his reflection in his green tea.
"We'll need to go back to the academy soon. Our Jounin trainers will be assigned to us." Neji said.
Fuyuka stood up and walked to Neji's side of the table. He watched her look down at him before she pulled her left hand back and swung to slap him. Catching her hand was easy for Neji, his Byakugan activated with a single thought. When he blocked the attack, she swung with her right and he caught that one as well. His face didn't even register surprise. That changed when Fuyuka gripped his hands firmly with hers then leaned forward and kissed his forehead protector right over where his cursed seal was hidden.
Their fingers pulled away and Neji looked up at her his eyes unsteady for the first time in a long time. He looked up at her and she looked down at him with her soft eyes. "Neji, I hope we're in the same genin team… so that eventually… you'll come to trust me."
"Fuyuka…"
She left money on the table and walked without him half way back to the academy before she stopped and thought about what she had done. With my luck, we won't be in the same group and I won't see him until a Chuunin exam…I'll just have to continue to advance… until I can see that…
…
Neji returned to the academy on time, but later than he normally did from the lunch breaks. He sat in his usual spot but found Fuyuka sat in the third seat of their table, putting a seat between them.
"I will now announce this year's teams. There are eleven teams, please listen closely for your names." Kurenai commanded.
Fuyuka frowned before even hearing a single name. She reached into her bag and took out a scroll and began writing on it.
They had gotten to group eight and neither Hyuuga Neji nor Fuyuka Kato had been called. Fuyuka finished her scroll just as team ten was announced.
"Team ten: Ohnuki Aki, Kato Fuyuka, Enjoji Sono. Team eleven: Hyuuga Neji, Tenten, Rock Lee."
The genin gasped collectively when the power team of Hyuuga Neji and Kato Fuyuka were split up. While others were murmuring, and in particular one Rock Lee was surprised with his grouping, Fuyuka and Neji remained silent.
This is fate, isn't it? Neji asked himself. Of course it is… fate is painful.
Fuyuka gripped the scroll in her hand tightly before placing it on the table between herself and her childhood friend. Neji saw her do this and when Kurenai dismissed the class to meet their Jounin, Fuyuka stood up and was approached by Aki and Sono. The trio left immediately to meet their trainer.
Neji sat where he was for a few moments before taking the scroll into his hand and opening. Her handwriting was neat, as expected of a controlled taijutsu genius.
Neji,
Fate is a weird thing, ne? Some say it floats on a current of its own choosing… I wonder how freely it moves... It's something that is hard to understand for me… I made a promise to myself that I cannot keep and as such will never make another promise, except this one… In one year, on this very day I want us to meet again. I want us to meet on the mountain face of the Hokages and fight. If I win, you'll give me that forehead protector and if you win, I'll give you whatever you want.
Fuyuka.
"Neh, Neji we need to meet our sensei on the roof of the main building in twenty minutes." Tenten stated, obvious that Neji's attention wasn't on the meeting their sensei.
"Please go on ahead without me; I will meet you there in twenty minutes." Neji stood up and left them behind, not even waiting for a response.
He found Fuyuka walking with her new partners, making a smile that he had never seen before. It was fake.
He reached forward and grabbed her free wrist, pulled her backwards toward him. A surprised Fuyuka turned her feet quickly and settled herself before she collided with Neji. As it was, she was toe to toe with him. His eyes looked different.
"Neji-kun?"
"I need to speak with you, Fuyuka-san."
Fuyuka frowned, Neji had never used an honorific before. She only called him Neji-kun to tease him. "Uh, hai." Fuyuka turned back to her new teammates. It was obvious they had wanted to interfere, but much more obvious they were terrified at the prospect of challenging Hyuuga Neji. "I will catch up. Please go on ahead."
"Hai." The two boys turned and walked away without another glance back.
"We never fought before." Neji said.
"I know. It's why we both have perfect records. The day we were supposed to fight we had the evacuation drill and the unit closed the next day. It would have definitely decided which of us was truly number one."
"Is that why you wrote this?" Neji asked, holding up the scroll.
"Iie. That's not why."
"Why then?"
"Because it was a promise… I thought the promise of a lifetime… but it was a promise I could not keep."
"What was it?" Neji asked.
"To dispel your concept of fate as tragedy."
"Nani?"
"Neji-kun… let's fight."
Neji didn't understand why there was a tear in Fuyuka's eye. There were few things that Neji didn't understand. He didn't like this, not at all. So he nodded in agreement.
…
The arena Fuyuka choose was the stage of the main auditorium. She didn't know what lead her there, what made her lead Neji there, but here they were. Fuyuka unbuckled the clasp that held her jacket closed and removed her overcoat. Beneath it she was a simple black shirt and dark red Capri pants. Her shuriken holder was strapped to her left leg. Her equipment pouch was turned onto the right side of the small of her back. Neji removed nothing, but turned his feet before unleashing his Byakugan.
Fuyuka frowned and took her stance. She closed her fists and settled her weight on her back leg. Her angles were fluid. Neji could see she was going to use her Xing Yi style.
"Neji-kun… are you ready?"
"Hai."
"Then come at me with everything you have."
Neji dashed forward with a straight palm thrust. Fuyuka blocked with her forearm and felt Neji's chakra bound off her skin. He's using his Juuken. I'm glad… he's fighting as a Hyuuga.
Fuyuka unleashed a string of war clubs, twisting her fist and elbows to strike at Neji's bones. She was a Goken type. Neji evaded and blocked. Their feet work was clean. They were equally talented, equally aggressive. This was a fair fight…
Neji found an opening and slammed his elbow into Fuyuka's breadbasket, knocking the wind from the other genius. Fuyuka rolled her hips to counter and off-balanced the Hyuuga enough to counter throw him. Neji soared across the stage, rotating his body to land on his feet. At the distance he could see Fuyuka completing a sequence of seals.
Replicas?
Fuyuka's image separated into three counterparts.
What is she thinking? I can already see the true one.
The Fuyuka group completed another set of seals. "Daton: End of the World!"
The ground began to shake under Neji's feet. The floor boards split apart and trembled beneath Fuyuka's jutsu. As Neji moved to steady his feet all four Fuyuka's dashed in.
I see, it's a momentary diversion attack. She plans to feign an attack with a replica then attack with a real one immediately following. Fuyuka, what are you thinking with such tactics?
The first attack came straight ahead and Neji turned his focus for the second assault that would follow. He found a straight punch to the face. He barely reacted fast enough to catch Fuyuka's fist and parry, tossing her to the side. Fuyuka turned her body and landed on her feet, her green eyes flaring.
I understand. She knew I'd ignore the first attack… so she attacked with her real self. I was careless. It will not happen again.
The Fuyuka replicas came at him again, this time Neji found the real Fuyuka immediately, delivering a palm thrust into her chest. Fuyuka tumbled backwards and coughed as she felt her lungs being influenced by Neji's chakra.
Fuyuka's strategic advantages became less and less as Neji analyzed each move for efficiency of execution: thinking the way she thought, inside her head with his powerful eyes. They deflected shurikens with kunai and moved to engage in taijutsu when ninjutsu failed against the other.
He struck at her and she blocked. Her face was tight in a grimace as she countered and shifted her feet to counter his position. Her blood was rushing she could see it clearly that Neji was going to pull out his last stop.
"Juukenhou Hakke Rokujun Yonshou."
Fuyuka steadied her feet. She had to do this.
"Hakke Nishou!"
Tentetsu number eight and eleven were blocked. It had been too fast.
"Yonshou!"
Next one…Here!
As Neji's fingers leapt out at number thirty six and eighteen, Fuyuka's hand moved in and blocked the first strike with the palm of her hand. Neji's eyes stretched wide but he pressed on into the next strike. His two fingers came again and were blocked by all five fingertips of her right hand. The third strike was dispersed by her right thumb. Before he could make his fourth strike, her right fist balled up and made a swing for his face. Neji's eyes opened wide.
Fuyuka gasped and realized her mistake a second too late. Her fist swung out over Neji's shoulder as the Hyuuga ducked. Fuyuka knew the position he was in and there was no way to defend now. Both of Neji's palms were pressed against her stomach. With one powerful release a blast of Neji's chakra would enter Fuyuka's body and overload her system.
But Neji didn't release his chakra.
"You lose." Neji declared, withdrawing his Byakugan.
Neji stood up and Fuyuka conceded her loss. "Hai… you are the number one rookie." She leaned her weight back so she was resting back on both feet evenly. Her face was dirty. His was still clean. His expression was calm. Her expression was pained, but it had nothing to do with injury. I lost… in the only fight I ever needed to win… Neji… gomenasai.
"Why don't you understand fate?" Neji asked, looking at his childhood friend.
Fuyuka's fists shook at her sides. "I don't see because I don't wish to see."
"I have no such luxury." Neji replied.
A tear slid down Fuyuka's cheek. "Hai." Her voice wavered pathetically.
Her hands stilled when she felt Neji's finger on her cheek, moving gently against her skin to wipe away her tear. It was an unromantic gesture. It was barely a touch, but Fuyuka would remember it for the rest of her life.
Neji's hand moved from Fuyuka's cheek. He moved his arms over her shoulders, his hands going behind her head. "My prize is this." Fuyuka's eyes stretched wide as he removed her forehead protector. He took off his own protector without ceremony. He extended his hand to her and offered it to Fuyuka. Fuyuka stared down at his outstretched hand for a moment before reaching her hand out and taking the blue protector from Neji. At the same time they reached up and tied their protectors back to their foreheads. She hadn't thought to look at his curse.
This is fate. Neji thought. It has to be… because it's painful.
Neji turned away from Fuyuka and made to walk away.
"Do you still want to meet in a year… with these forehead protectors on the line?"
Fuyuka nodded weakly. "On the mountain summit over the Yondaime… There I won't lose."
Neji walked away.
He felt something burning in his stomach. He calmed his nerves as he climbed the staircase to meet his Jounin trainer. When it was his turn to tell his dream… he chose not to say. He made it look like he was so cool, but in truth it took everything he had not to submit to the burn in his stomach.
The truth was… he wished he was the number two rookie.
END