Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Seeing through Hate. Enjoy the 1200-word chapter. I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto and a few others do.
"Begin!" The duo heard which caused them to throw themselves at each other.
Hanabi deflected a punch from Kaito then sent him spiraling into the dirt. She leapt into the air, bringing down her foot down on Kaito's head.
Kaito brought up his arms just in time to block it, but the force behind it sent him backwards. Kaito hummed and blinked as he rubbed at his arms and looked at their marks.
"Ow…" Kaito muttered as he rushed forward, throwing a punch at Hanabi before pivoting to launch an elbow from his right arm.
These blows were blocked, Hanabi's hands blocking them with the palms of her hands. She simply twisted, throwing Kaito backwards once more.
Kaito hated how defensive Hanabi's fighting style could be. He wasn't confident in using a Jutsu since that required pausing to unleash it, something someone as fast as Hanabi could exploit.
She rushed in, throwing herself into a barrage of kicks which battered Kaito backwards. He grunted and rubbed at his ribs before rushing in.
Kaito threw a pair of kunai followed by another. Hanabi easily flicked both aside with her fingers before catching the last one.
She was so focused in continuing the battle that the hiss at the end of the tag. It exploded, sending the Hyuga girl backwards and ripping at the yellow kimono blouse she wore. Smoke billowed out from the detonation of the tag.
"Having fast reflexes doesn't help when you can't be cautious enough to study your enemy." Kaito said and straightened up with a smirk. "Princess Gentle Fist." Kaito said and prepared for her counterattack.
Kaito would admit he was terrible at trash talk. It wasn't exactly a skill that the academy bestowed on him… Plus being around the Hyuga clan didn't help.
"Don't get cocky, Kai." Hanabi said before she emerged with her Byakugan activated. "Taijitsu was never your strong suit during the war." Hanabi said as she flipped into a handspring that sent Kaito rolling backwards even as he blocked it.
Kaito's lips pursed into a frown at the mention of the war. Hanabi noticed this and frowned as well.
"The war was the worst thing to happen to Konoha, Lady Hyuga." Kaito responded, his tone changing from carefree to serious.
Hanabi couldn't fault that. Nor could she deny it. The war had ravaged the entire country and even years later? Hanabi knew scars didn't heal.
"Don't blame yourself for what happened." Hanabi said and rushed forward. She threw a trio of punches which Kaito caught. He looked the Hyuga girl in the eye.
Kaito almost wanted to laugh at how silly they might have looked. Him holding her arms at awkward angles due to her trying to catch him off guard.
"I don't blame anyone for the war." Kaito said before jumping up and kicking Hanabi away from him. "It just… Hurts, to see what happened." Kaito added with a sigh.
Hanabi knew he referred to Neij. Any hostile thoughts Kaito had about the clan before the war died with his death. It hit the Hyuga clan hard to see one of their own die.
Kaito frowned, anytime the war was mentioned? Kaito could only remember all the shinobi who weren't around to witness the war's end.
"Is it about him…" Hanabi asked as she closed her eyes. The veins around her pupils vanished as did the Byakugan. "Or me?" Hanabi asked, walking over to her friend.
Kaito waited a moment to see if the fight would continue, it didn't. He lowered his hands as Hanabi walked up to him.
"I thought being a shinobi would be a life of adventure." Kaito put in and crossed his arms. "Not one where I constantly have to grieve people being dead." Kaito said and sighed before looking at Hanabi.
"The match didn't end." Kaito said to which Hanabi nodded.
Then she slammed her fingertips into Kaito's ribs, doubling him over as he wheezed in pain.
"OW…." Kaito said before realizing she used gentle fist on him. Kaito could no longer stand up under his own power.
Hanabi dragged her friend and servant over to the trees of the courtyard. Kaito could only wheeze at having been jabbed in the stomach enough to take him out of commission for at least a few days. He couldn't tell if it was because of the fact that he let his guard down… Or because she felt like it.
"Now it's over." Hanabi said as she slid down the side of the tree. "You shouldn't let your guard down just because your enemy doesn't look like their attacking." Hanabi added and hummed before stretching out her legs.
Said tree was surrounded by a stone platform which they sat against.
Hanabi hummed and looked at Kaito who rubbed at his stomach. Kaito was shocked that he didn't collapse into shock at the pain coursing through him.
However? Kaito guessed that Hanabi had intentionally held back her charka amount just to disable his. She was every bit as skilled as her family.
"Did you…" Kaito said in a tone that reminded Hanabi that she had just jabbed him in the stomach. "Have to use gentle fist?" Kaito questioned as he groaned in pain.
Hanabi was silent, she hadn't put enough charka into Kaito to cause him lethal damage. It was the perfect amount simply to incapacitate him for a few hours. She would have the family physician take a look at his charka system if not.
"I'm supposed to be the clan head in a few months." Hanabi stated which caught Kaito off guard.
"Is Lord Hyuga ill?" Kaito questioned, Hanabi knew he wasn't being rude, only curious.
Hanabi hummed and looked at Kaito who was busy looking dead ahead. He was simply curious about the history of the clan.
When Kaito's father had retired from his post to handle shinobi duties? Kaito had offered himself as a retainer to the clan. Hiashi had made him Hanabi's official servant and bodyguard. Even though she didn't need it.
'Father obviously knows how much we used to play together as children.' Hanabi thought to herself. Kaito might have been cocky, sarcastic, and snarky… But he was very loyal and respectful.
"Kaito?" Hanabi asked as the incapacitate Shinobi turned to her. "Do you plan on serving the clan when I take over?" Hanabi questioned which Kaito hummed at.
She was about to speak up once more before Kaito cleared his throat to speak.
"I serve the Hyuga clan no matter who is the leader, Lady Hyuga." Kaito responded with to Hanabi.
He didn't notice the frown at being called by her title.
Hanabi didn't see Kaito as a servant. She saw him as one of her few true friends.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter done! I want to point out Hanabi and Kaito are supposed to have a very long storyline. Kaito also isn't supposed to be a super powerful Shinobi. Next chapter will be in 2-10 weeks and will show more talking between Hanabi and Kaito.
P.S: Next chapter is 1200 words, Ino 900-1200 words, Tsunade 1200 words, Sakura and Sarada 900 words. Hanabi will be updated the most and might replace Sarada's post.