Naruto: A Red Eye Hidden by Shadow

by Tatanka4Life

On the fateful night of the Uchiha Massacre, a girl of Uchiha and Nara blood is spared and left with no memories of her past. Now she must walk on the path left by her family to help her build a new future for herself. Her path will be hard, full of struggles and pain, but as long as she has her friends and family at her side she will keep forging ahead, even if it was a drag.

34. Chapter 33: Failures Stand Tall!

Chapter 33

End of the Line: Failures Stand Tall!

Amari had been excited for Naruto when his name appeared. Victory here cemented his placement in the finals, joining the likes of Mimi, Shikamaru, Shino, Kankurō, Temari and Sasuke—intelligent, powerful and prodigious Genin's of their generation. Only the best could join them. To even have your name in the finals rubbed the glimmer of the stars on a shinobi, raising their status and placing even more eyes on their growth by the higher-ups. To be among this crop of candidates, who were as talented as they were unique, didn't just rub the sparkle of a single star on those involved; they glowed with the shining silver of hundreds of stars combined together.

More than that, though, by earning his place in the finals, Naruto couldn't be outright ignored by anyone. For the first time in his life, every important figure, every Leaf shinobi attending the event would have to acknowledge him. None of them could simply pretend he didn't exist. Every single person in attendance—civilian, shinobi and Lord alike—would be given no other option but to acknowledge Naruto's existence, his will and his strength.

The finals were his chance to prove he was Naruto Uzumaki of the Leaf. Not just the Nine-Tails container. Not an incarnation of the Nine-Tails waiting to unleash vengeance and wreak havoc on the Leaf. He was Naruto Uzumaki, a Leaf Village shinobi.

How could she not be excited for him?

Well, her knucklehead wielded the power to transmute excitement into annoyance instantaneously. An irritating power that required two key ingredients to activate: An ego the size of the sun and a fellow loudmouth to draw it out from behind an eclipse. Why, why, why did fate place two loudmouths together? Naruto and Kiba hadn't even started to fight yet because they were bickering. Bickering! She wasn't even sure why anymore. But she could feel a headache stretching itself out after a long nap, preparing to tear through her skull on a sugar rush it wouldn't come down from.

Ugh, this is all such a drag. Stupid, too. Naruto and Kiba were two volatile chemicals, full of testosterone and ego, being mixed together in fate's science lab just to see what the reaction would be. Only fate was safely out of earshot and out of the blast radius while all of them were seated next to the mixing chemicals without safety equipment on.

At least an explosion would be entertaining. This is boring. How long were they going to go at it? Or, better question, how long would the proctor let it go on for? She wasn't an impatient person, not usually. Shogi proved she wasn't impatient. Impatient people couldn't sit for hours on end, demanding rematch after rematch against their troublesome uncle and cousin because they kept winning, and she was so close that time.

But come on. She wanted to fight already! Or to see a fight! Or anything that didn't include these two bickering over nonsense that didn't matter! Amari tilted her head back to stare in frustration at the ceiling, internally groaning as loudly and annoyed as was possible within the confines of her own mind.

Somehow, despite not being Yamanaka's, Kakashi and Kurenai could hear it. The pair chuckled and hummed, amused at the tiny hint of body language translating the internal thoughts of the Nara. They understood. It wasn't as if she was alone in her annoyance or the only one unimpressed by the ego-fest going on down below.

Standing around was such a waste of everyone's time. Amari's specifically. Droplets of warm blood dropped off the fingertips of her left hand, the numbness hadn't improved in her right, and she really needed a shower. A warm one, preferably, but honestly she wouldn't care if she had to stand under a melting glacier. She'd still hop in as if it were a warm bed she could nestle under and relax with either a novel in hand or nothing at all.

Unlike everyone else here, she actually had dry blood stains in her clothing no amount of cold wash cycles or homemade remedies could fix. And no amount of sewing, she thought of the torn fabric hanging off her back, revealing the mesh long sleeve underneath.

Her peers were all relatively clean, and uninjured to top it off. Not her. Nope. Her relationship with cleanliness hit an all-time low in the Forest of Death. Almost as if she enjoyed sweat induced knotted hair and the fuchsia color her blood created when it combined with her purple tank top. She really didn't. On her list of priorities, ice cream and surgery were second and third to bathing.

Amari could hardly believe the placement of ice cream below anything. Making ice cream a secondary objective was practically blasphemy. Yet given the choice between mountainous ice cream peaks, paired with sugary cookies crushed in it and a shower, Amari wouldn't hesitate to ignore her holy grail for warm water and toiletries.

I think I've become a heretic.

Complaints aside, she was still excited for Naruto, even if he and Kiba were being idiots. Everyone here saw Naruto as the Naruto of old. The knucklehead, the dead last, the loser. He was still a knucklehead, of course. The back and forth bickering with Kiba proved that. But her best friend wasn't a loser or dead last anymore. Naruto grew. He became stronger and had more willpower and determination than their peers understood.

Only she, Sakura and Hinata—albeit secretly—believed in him. Kakashi did as well, but he wasn't about to grab some pom-poms to cheer his student on. When the fight started, Naruto's actions would speak for him, proving beyond any doubt he wasn't the same kid from the Academy. Imagining her sensei wielding pom-poms, cheering on Naruto with Guy's exuberance, however, made her giggle.

Everyone else, from her cousin's team to Team Guy, didn't have an ounce of faith in him. They knew Kiba's strength and speed. Mimi's furious display against Hironori only increased their skepticism of Naruto's chances here.

In short, it was the same old story. Naruto stuck on his uphill struggle to prove to others he wasn't just a prankster or a nuisance. He was a fighter, training to be a shinobi so he could one day become Hokage. It wasn't just a catchphrase or pipedream to him. Hokage was his goal, his dream, and no one was going to stop him from reaching it.

This is your shot, Naruto. Everyone here has no choice but to watch you, so show them all your true strength. Show them why doubting you is the worst mistake they can make.

When the match finally began, Kiba crouched down to use his Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu. Instead of the furious red that consumed Mimi, he was enveloped by blue chakra. From there the transformation followed the same pattern; sharper and longer nails and canine teeth as well as the enhanced speed and strength.

Naruto didn't have a chance to dodge. As soon as the jutsu took hold, Kiba darted forward, drilling an elbow right into Naruto's sternum, knocking the air from his lungs and toppling him. A solid blow. Against a weaker opponent the single hit would have done the trick.

Naruto wasn't a weaker opponent. No one else could see that, though. Their peers called the match, commented on how Naruto never stood a chance against Kiba because of how much stronger and faster the Inuzuka was. Mimi and Shikamaru notably said nothing. Both watched and waited to see what occurred.

Amari rolled her eye at the others, more annoyed than anything at their underestimation. "You guys should stop talking and pay attention. He isn't done yet," she said. A preconception based on past data was a terrible miscalculation. It could get a squad killed in the field.

None of them witnessed Naruto push himself to his absolute limit using the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu against Haku. They did not witness his courage to knowingly stand against an infinitely more powerful enemy than them in the Forest of Death. Their peers did not know the new Naruto, but they would learn. He would show them all how far he had come since their Academy days.

"Naruto's not the same kid he used to be," she stated firmly. "He's so much stronger than any of you realize. If you guys or Kiba think a single hit like that is all it will take to win, then you are all in for a rude awakening."

Down below, Naruto chuckled without moving from his spot on the ground. "That all you got, Kiba?" The Inuzuka furrowed his brow and titled his head at his opponent, confused by the taunt from his thought to be defeated opponent. Naruto sprang back up onto his feet and brushed the center of his jacket off. His lips curled into a daring smirk; determination shone in his cerulean eyes like the bright fire that burned in his heart. "I know a grumpy old man who hits harder than you!"

"Heh, I haven't even got started yet!" Kiba declared, grinning confidently. "Let's see how tough you're talking after this!"

Kiba reached into his ninja pouch as he charged in. Upon nearing his opponent, he tossed two tiny ball shaped objects at Naruto—smoke bombs. Thick clouds of dark lavender smoke the naked eye couldn't see through enveloped her teammate.

"Hmm, Kiba must be using the smoke to hide his presence as he hits Naruto with hit-and-run attacks. I'd say he needs to get out, but…" Amari's eye flitted over to Akamaru. The ninken waited outside of the smoke, stalking carefully as he waited for his prey. If he leaves, he'll play right into Kiba's plan.

"Kiba has the Goofball right where he wants him," Mimi said. "The density of the smoke renders your sense of sight useless. Without our enhanced senses, sensory abilities or dōjutsu, Naruto is blind, deaf and screwed. He'll realize his best plan is to escape the smoke, in the end running himself right into Akamaru."

She still appeared distant. Obviously Temari's actions weighed on her mind, extinguishing her upbeat personality like a waterfall on a campfire. At least she's invested in Kiba's victory. It wasn't much, but it was something.

Naruto rushed out of the smoke cloud, unfortunately running right into Akamaru. The ninken, having prepared for his prey's exit strategy, lunged through the air at him, tackling the blond back into the smoke with an aggressive attack.

The trap was sprung.

Kiba jumped out of the smoke and waited for the smoke to dissipate; the move intrigued Amari. Had it been her, she would have attacked Naruto alongside Akamaru, pummeling him when he couldn't fight back to assure her victory within the first few minutes of the fight. Yet Kiba hung back. Mimi said the density of the smoke renders sight useless. Amari rested the knuckle of her thumb against her chin, chewing on the inside of her bottom lip in thought. Could it be his sense of smell alone isn't enough for him to accurately pinpoint Naruto in the smoke?

If he couldn't, then the smoke cloud was as ingenious as it was flawed. An enemy trapped within couldn't see, hear or smell their enemy. As Kiba landed attack after attack, the idea of his enhanced senses pinpointing an exact target without sight grew, sewing panic in whoever was caught within. But perhaps that was only an illusion. Kiba wasn't an idiot. He would know double teaming Naruto would all but ensure his victory when he couldn't see him to counterattack. For him to wait outside the cloud must mean his senses don't have a one-hundred percent accuracy in the smoke like a dōjutsu. He isn't attacking because he'll risk hitting Akamaru.

It was a sound hypothesis, but a hypothesis nonetheless. She needed more evidence before making such a conclusion.

The smoke cleared. Face down on the arena floor was none other than Naruto. Next to him sat Akamaru, tail wagging happily with his accomplishment in taking down his opponent. At the sight of Kiba he gave a light yip of victory.

"Hmph. Looks like Kiba managed to do pretty damn well," Mimi said.

"Haha! Nice one, Akamaru! Come here, buddy!" Kiba knelt down and reached his hands out for an embrace. Akamaru yipped again and ran over to his companion without hesitation. As he neared, though, his lips curled into a snarl before springing into the air directly at Kiba.

Out of a Transformation Jutsu, Naruto appeared, fist cocked back and ready to pound Kiba into the floor. The Inuzuka's enhanced senses weren't enough for him to dodge. The shock of the sudden dispelled transformation paralyzed him; eyes wide as he watched the orange-clad shinobi's fist speed right for his face.

Naruto's fist connected and hit hard, leveling Kiba and casting him away across the hard concrete like a stone skipped across a calm lake.

Mimi's eyebrows shot up. "How did he… There's no way Kiba's nose would have confused their scents if Akamaru wasn't there!"

The Naruto on the ground stood up. In his hands were Akamaru's front paws, the ninken awake and unharmed, but hanging limply in defeat.

"In case you're all wondering, that's a Clone Jutsu and Transformation balanced perfectly," Amari bragged on behalf of her teammate. The Naruto from the Academy couldn't have pulled this off. He couldn't even pull off a functional Clone Jutsu, let alone balancing two separate jutsu's.

"That was amazing, Naruto!" Sakura cheered.

"Is that…really Naruto?" Ino questioned. Her bewilderment was as satisfying as everyone else's. Nearly as sweet and delicious as ice cream.

"Yeah," Shikamaru said. "'Risu told us upfront right at the beginning: This isn't the same Naruto we used to know. He's different. Stronger. Still a loudmouthed idiot, but he knows how to think on his feet in a fight."

"That's right, Shika."

Naruto was a knucklehead. And loud. Sheesh, the boy didn't know what an inside voice was. But he wasn't a loser or the dead last anymore. His suffering made him stronger than those who always looked down on him from their balconies of self-righteousness. When you were a loser or the dead last, you had to fight and claw your way to the top. That's exactly what Naruto intended to do. Fight and claw his way from the bottom to the seat of Hokage.

For Naruto, every fight was important to win. He went in with the mentality of everything to gain and everything to lose. If he lost, he was back at square one. The loser. The dead last. The annoyance everyone shunned and tried to ignore. The pesky fly no one could stop from buzzing around their heads. If he won, he was one step closer to his goal by the sheer acknowledgment of those around him witnessing his new strength.

Kiba rubbed his cheek and growled at his opponent, but quickly schooled himself. He shut his eyes, inhaled a deep breath to soothe his fiery Inuzuka temper then opened his eyes again. His growl was replaced by a smile, confident once again.

"Hey Naruto, you should really let go of Akamaru." The Inuzuka reached into his ninja pouch then flicked a small, round shaped object directly into Akamaru's mouth. The object—a food pill by her estimations—had an instantaneous effect on the ninken. Akamaru's fur was normally a white color, with brown around his ears and mouth. But after taking the food pill his fur changed from light white to feral red.

The ninken let out a roar. Not bark or a growl or a snarl. A legitimate roar. He sounded like a lion. Akamaru mule kicked Naruto's clone, popping it, then rushed over to rejoin his partner, who also consumed a food pill. Kiba crouched down again, his body once more enveloped by chakra, though this time it was stronger, fiercer—results of the food pill, no doubt. His ninken hopped on his back and followed through with Man Beast Clone, transforming himself into a carbon copy of Kiba.

"He's going to use the food pills?" Mimi wondered aloud.

"Is that a problem?" Amari asked.

Her fellow kunoichi shook her head, eye still not budging from the fight. "As long as he uses just the one, no. Food pills can replenish depleted chakra for combat purposes. They're developed by the military and allow a shinobi to fight for three days and three nights without a break. Medically speaking, though, the aftereffects are pretty bad. If a shinobi is stuck in combat for the duration of the effects, their bodies begin to experience negative reactions."

"Sounds troublesome. What kind of negative reactions are we talking about?" Shikamaru asked.

"High levels of stress and anxiety, insomnia, headaches, and a level of chakra exhaustion most shinobi don't even know exists. It's bad. But when you're at full chakra like Kiba, the stimulants and nutrients in the pills double the power of the users chakra. It intensifies it, and Kiba already has intense chakra." Mimi narrowed her eyes. "I just don't get why he's going to use it on the Goofball. We usually save our food pills for when we need them most. He might be trying to show off his strength. He may also be trying to take Naruto down as quickly as possible to prevent a counterattack. Or, the more irritating possibility, their egos are clashing so much he wants to humiliate him."

"Why didn't you use your food pill?" Amari asked.

Mimi scoffed. "Tch, that bastard wasn't worth my time."

The next hit-and-run assault by Kiba and Akamaru left Naruto off balance. He couldn't react fast enough to counterattack or to get in any offensive attacks. All he could do was stay on his feet, dodging the two on one attack, hoping he could at some point find an opening.

Kiba gave him no chance to find one. He and Akamaru lined up a perfect Fang over Fang and landed a direct hit to Naruto. Her teammate cried out in pain, blood splattering across the concrete floor from newly opened wounds before ultimately crashing chest first to the ground, unmoving at first. Slowly his fingers started to curl back into fists, arms beginning to shake as he tried to push himself back up.

Come on, Naruto. Don't quit yet.

"I- I will…I will become Hokage," Naruto uttered through labored breaths.

Kiba, full of confidence, ego and the stimulants of his food pill, laughed harshly at the statement. "Oh yeah? How you going to do that when you're face flat on the floor? Hehehe! Well, I've got news for you: I'm the one who's going to be Hokage! You really think a weakling like you can become someone as great as the Hokage?" Kiba swiped his hand through the air. "You must be weak in the head!"

More laughter. More doubts. It never changed, no matter how hard Naruto tried to prove himself. Why, though? Why couldn't more people see the strength in Naruto? He wasn't weak. He wasn't. Naruto struggled with the basics, she wouldn't deny. He sometimes needed more time than others to grasp a concept, but that didn't make him weak.

No. Naruto knew what it meant to struggle. He endured even when an entire Village cast its disdain on him for a reason he wasn't responsible for. And though he screwed up from time to time, he always put forth the effort to become stronger, to become better than he was. He had to work harder than people with natural talent; something he and Lee shared equally.

Yet it wasn't Amari to speak first to rekindle the fires in her teammate's heart. It wasn't even Sakura or Kakashi.

Mimi spoke first. "Kiba, shut up or I'll shut you up."

Her cousin snapped his mouth shut and cast a surprised look at Mimi. Amari did the same, stunned to see the heated gaze in her ocean blue eyes. "Huh? Mimi, what's with that look?"

"You're my family Kiba, and I think of you like a little brother, but what you're saying to Naruto right now, it's pissing me off." Amari could feel it. The tense air around Mimi was becoming stifling. Her heart beat a little faster on its own, distressed by being in such close vicinity to visibly held back anger. "I don't care about the ridiculous macho, testosterone-fest you two were having before. Taunt each other. Play mind games to get in his head. Rip him apart if he disrespects our Clan. But don't act like the bastards who made my life a living hell."

Kiba visibly flinched at the comparison and raised his hands as if it could soothe anything. "Hey, hold on a second—"

"This isn't a conversation or a debate, Kiba. This is just a warning. Naruto is your opponent, and this is your chance to advance to the finals, so show no mercy. I expect nothing less than your best. I'll fix the Goofball up afterwards." She could sense the searing glare in the slit pupils without seeing them. "But do not lower yourself to these…infuriating insults you pair with condescending laughter. You're better than that."

"…All right," Kiba sighed.

---

I- I won't lose here. I can't. Naruto squeezed his hands tightly into fists. Kiba's laughter may have stopped, but he could still hear it in his ears. He could still hear the laughter of his Academy class when he would fail, and those eyes full of hatred always staring at him. Hatred he didn't understand. Hatred that caused him to be lonely.

"Come on, Naruto!" An involuntary gasp escaped him at the sound of Amari's voice. "You've worked too hard to give up now! Don't tell me you're going back on your nindo!"

"On your feet, Naruto!" Sakura shouted.

But…there were others now. The first had been Amari. She was the first to open her arms to him, to look at him without suspicion, disgust or hatred. She just saw him. A boy who startled her as she studied; a boy with a dream she hoped he succeeded in. Even when she learned what was contained within him, Amari still looked at him with the same fondness that illuminated his life from darkness like the sun after a terrible storm.

One turned to two with Iruka-sensei. Then two turned five with his team. It took some time, but he found people who acknowledged his existence and cared about him. People he would do anything for because they helped him find joy in life. That meant he couldn't give in here. Even if he was in pain, he had to stand back up. Even if Kiba ended up breaking his legs, he would just have to stand on his hands and win that way.

He had to show everyone how far he had come since the Academy. He had to prove he could go the distance when it really mattered. That he could get to the finals of this exam just like Sasuke did, and no doubt Amari too when she had her chance. Just like Sakura, he would prove he belonged here by meeting his teammates in the finals. No matter what.

I won't…lose here. The Fang over Fang did a number on his body. He could feel warm blood dripping from his forehead as well as other open wounds on various parts of his torso. A metallic taste assaulted his taste buds. But he still forced himself back onto his feet. "Sorry to break it to you, but you can forget about being Hokage," he said slowly. He raised his defiant eyes to meet Kiba's. A frown creased his opponent's lips. "Because I'm the one who will become Hokage!"

"You're a real glutton for punishment, aren't ya?" Naruto smirked. He supposed he was, otherwise he would have given up long before he met Amari. "All right, it's your funeral. I'm going to make sure you never get up again! Come on, Akamaru!" Kiba declared.

Once more the duo charged in to use their Fang over Fang. "That technique again? How many times are you going to use it?" Naruto said cockily to hide his unease. They're moving too fast. I wasn't able to keep my feet last time, and dodging around isn't going to be enough to win. I need to think of something.

They spun themselves into the ferocious spirals again. In an attempt to dodge, Naruto jumped straight up, hoping they would fly right under him. The duo grinded past one another, the sound like a lumber mill saw at full-power as it sawed through a giant log. Whether intentional or not, their direction shifted just enough to nick him and open a new wound, throwing his entire landing out of whack, bringing him chest first back to the ground.

Man, they're just too fast!

"Naruto! He's using the same technique over and over again, so the longer you stay up the more you should see the flaws! Think about it!" Amari coached.

He was trying, he really was. Kiba's consistent attacks made it really difficult to create a concrete plan and pick apart any flaws of his technique, though. More smoke bombs detonated around him and swallowed him whole within an impenetrable purple cloud to his normal eyes and normal senses. Unlike him, Kiba and Akamaru weaved in and out of the cloud without restraints, their vicious razor sharp attacks hitting their marks now and then, but more than a few failed to find flesh. Air brushed past his body, causing him to flinch in preparation of pain, but then the attacker kept going.

He's using the same trick as before, and it's working like before. It's like fighting in the dark. Only they could actually see him and he stumbled around like an idiot. Or, as Sasuke would probably put it, more of an idiot than normal.

Jerk.

The assault ended as the cloud faded. His two opponents slid on all-fours to a stop a few meters in front of him, their eyes watching him carefully and gauging his current state. It wasn't great, he had to admit. He panted lightly, blood dripped off his hand from a slash on his arm, and man did his body just hurt everywhere. To them it must have appeared he was attempting to win a futile battle. Maybe to others it was futile. Not to Naruto.

He wasn't going to lose here. They could attack him all day for all he cared; he'd keep getting back up until he found a way to win. He had so much riding on this, more people than he ever had before believing in him and wanting him to win. He couldn't let them or himself down.

Naruto Uzumaki didn't quit or run away, and he certainly wasn't about to become the same loser he used to be.

"Looks like you're running out of gas, kid," Kiba jabbed.

Naruto took up his fighting stance again. "Heh, no way! It doesn't matter how many times you attack me, I'll still have enough gas to beat you!"

"Ha! You always have a snappy comeback, I'll give you that! Let's see you come back from this! Ready, Akamaru!"

Again smoke bombs exploded around him followed by the Fang over Fang slashing past him. "Gotta find a way to counter attack," he muttered.

The problem is I don't know which one to attack. Hearing an incoming attack, Naruto scrambled across the ground to dodge out of the way, narrowly escaping the hit. They have their enhanced senses to pick me out in this smoke, but I don't. I can't tell them apart! More attacks scraped by him. But…they've missed a few attacks when I was a stationary target, which must mean they're enhanced senses aren't one hundred percent accurate. And neither of them want to accidently hit each other. That must be why, when the smoke bombs are active, they only attack me one at a time instead of at the same time.

It'd be more effective to hit him at the same time to put him down for the count, especially when he was blind. He didn't have Sharingan or Byakugan, Kiba knew that. Kiba didn't have those eyes either, though. So really, although it felt as if the Inuzuka could see him in here, he really couldn't, and when he was stationary he couldn't hear him. That could only mean he was smelling him!

Which was kind of weird when he thought about it.

Naruto listened to the sounds of the Fang over Fang scratching across the concrete. He wouldn't be able to run out of here, and running wouldn't help anyways. He needed to get this fight to a one-on-one battle by getting Akamaru out of the way. But how? It wasn't as if he could tell the difference between them. They looked identical.

A light bulb switched on in Naruto's brain. Wait a minute, that's it!

Naruto brought his hands into Ram seal. "Transform!"

---

Kiba's attacks came to an abrupt halt after Naruto's jutsu, yet all had to wait for the smoke to clear to see what exactly was going on. Out of everyone, only Amari was prepared to shut her eye at the sight of pigtails or Kiba with a bloody nose. Naruto, please don't be troublesome. It'd just be embarrassing if you used the Sexy Jutsu, for both of you. But, despite her anxiety over what they might see, there was a chance her knucklehead pieced together a decent plan based on the repeated use of the same technique.

"Very clever," Kakashi said.

"Huh?" Sakura sounded off in confusion.

"Wait, you'll see."

His reassurance did settle her nerves a little. If it had been a Sexy Jutsu, Kakashi probably wouldn't be praising it with a straight face. He'd either sigh or shake his head, all to play it off cool despite his choice of pervy reading material.

The smoke cleared and revealed not one or two Kiba's, but three. The three stared one another down, eyes moving from Kiba to Kiba in search for hints at who the imposter was. None of trio seemed willing to make the first move when it could either end up hurting an ally or revealing his presence too soon.

"Good one, Naruto! Brilliant!" Sakura cheered.

Now we'll see if he can fool Kiba's nose.

Kiba's nose would remain the single flaw of this plan. Even in a Transformation, the nose of an Inuzuka could smell the scent of their opponent compared to their partner. Scent could be tricked or concealed by a shinobi; it was just a lot harder to pull off. The disruption of Naruto's chakra wouldn't do him any favors here either.

Should his plan to have Kiba attack Akamaru instead work, his problems were far from over. His opponent wouldn't simply raise a white flag and plead for mercy because the ninken was down for the count. Naruto was still slower than his opponent on a normal day. The All-Fours technique plus the food pill only increased Kiba's speed and strength to a far more dangerous level. In a way, Naruto was stuck in a fight against her speed and Sasuke's strength combined together in two opponents.

Talk about a drag.

"Impressive. By making himself look like Kiba, my knucklehead doesn't know which one to attack while your knucklehead remains safe," Mimi noted thoughtfully, leaning her forearms onto the railing. "So long as Kiba doesn't catch his scent, Naruto will be fine. Otherwise it won't matter and Kiba will attack him again."

"Brilliant idea! Woohooo!" Lee praised, pumping a fist.

The real Kiba patiently examined the pair, eyes and nose working together to solve the mystery in front of him. When he made his decision, he wound up a punch and slammed his fist into the face of one of the other Kiba's. The transformed version fell to the ground, disappearing into a cloud of smoke as the Transformation Jutsu dispelled.

When it cleared, Akamaru was lying out cold on the ground.

Mimi bolted upright from her hunched over position, wide-eyes full of disbelief. "No way!"

Angrily, without thinking, Kiba turned around and socked the other version of himself even harder, knocking him through the air and to the ground.

This one too dispelled to reveal Akamaru.

Kiba looked on in bewilderment, as did Kurenai and Mimi. Amari couldn't help but smirk, pleased by her teammate's ability to think on the fly. When he actually uses his head, he can be quite ingenious.

Naruto had been the original transformation punched. The trap was sprung. Her teammate dispelled his second transformation of Akamaru and dashed in. Sensing the incoming attack, Kiba—still in shock—turned right into the jumping kick, taking it right in the chin. He tumbled across the concrete and skidded to a stop next to his fallen partner.

"Attaboy!" Sakura cheered.

Amari shared her elation, yet kept it in as Kiba sat up and checked on Akamaru. His entire body quivered in anger at what Naruto caused him to do. Harming an Inuzuka's ninken was no different than harming a family member to the Inuzuka Clan. The fact the harm came at his own hand because he lashed out without thinking mixed guilt and anger together into an even more volatile chemical explosion.

Uh-oh. Kiba is really mad. It may blind him, but it may also make him even more dangerous. Come on, Naruto. Don't get a big head. You need to finish this.

Mimi laughed in bemusement. "Heh, I'll give the Goofball credit, he used his head to get past our sense of smell. Instead of letting Kiba's fist call his bluff, he faked him out again by transforming into Akamaru. Kiba believed his eyes over his nose and reacted like a hothead, taking out Akamaru in the process. I'm impressed. Not many shinobi would have thought of that in the heat of the moment."

Kiba bit down on his own hand and visibly started to calm down. An interesting move, in Amari's opinion. Rather than continuing to get worked up, losing focus and likely leaving himself open for a counterattack, the Inuzuka used his sharpened teeth to puncture his skin, dialing in on the pain to put his temper aside. He was being consciously aware of his temper and how it could affect his ability to fight.

He may be a hothead, but Kiba is aware of it. He knows it's a flaw that could cost him this fight. Now he's refocused, ready to pick up where he left off on offense, because despite losing Akamaru, Kiba is still under the influence of the food pill. Amari narrowed her eye. If Naruto wants to win this on endurance alone, he'll lose. Kiba won't lose speed or strength in this fight. He'll be able to keep going and going until Naruto has literally nothing left to give.

At the same time, due to his lack of Shadow Clones, Amari had to believe Naruto was at the least subconsciously aware of his disrupted chakra. Otherwise he would have evened the numbers or tried to overwhelm Kiba with larger numbers. But he hadn't. He only used a single clone so far and the Transformation Jutsu. Though the tricks worked in the moment, it wouldn't get him through this round if that's all he kept doing.

He needed a new strategy. Had he faced a normal enemy, and had his chakra not been disrupted, an endurance battle would be in his favor. This battle wasn't his normal variety. His best bet was finding some way to slow Kiba down to get in a powerful strike. It was similar to Sasuke's situation. He couldn't rely on ninjutsu or Sharingan to get him through his fight. He had to close the distance and take him down with powerful taijutsu.

All of this was easier said than done, though. Slow down an enemy of Kiba's speed when he couldn't use his Shadow Clones to his usual extent? She might as well ask him to arrange a mosaic in the midst of the fight. Or ask him to perform Fire Style or Shadow Possession Jutsu.

So, Naruto. Her eye flitted back to her teammate. What are you going to do? You're not an absolute idiot. You can see the situation in front of you and how the odds are against you. What is your plan to beat those odds and win?

"You finally getting serious, Kiba? Good! Because now it's time I unleash my super-secret killer move!"

Amari quirked an eyebrow up. Super-secret killer move? She didn't recall Naruto having a super-secret killer move. Unless they counted Sexy Jutsu, which she didn't. Could it be a bluff? Possible. But a bluff wouldn't get him far. He needed a legitimate move and plan to win. Maybe he thought of something just now? Another possibility. Her knucklehead improvised constantly. Maybe he thought up a technique during this fight without actually training for one.

But what could it be?

Whatever it was, Kiba didn't wait to find out—an intelligent move on his part. He charged in, tossing shuriken at Naruto to give him no chance to prepare for his new move. The blades never found flesh; her teammate dodged them well, but in the end they didn't have to find their target. As Naruto landed back on his feet after jumping over a shuriken, Kiba met him there, speeding in and slamming his shoulder, and the momentum behind it, into his opponent.

To his credit, Naruto didn't let himself fall down. He slid back on his heels and tried to recover to build his chakra for his new technique. Again, Kiba was on him faster than Chōji on barbecue. This time his punch landed perfectly and knocked Naruto to the ground.

Oh man, Kiba's using his speed to prevent Naruto from building up his chakra and executing his technique. But Naruto isn't doing anything to get him off guard or off his feet long enough. He's too focused on unleashing his new move to do what's necessary to prepare it.

It reminded her of their battle on the Land of Waves bridge. Instead of keeping on the move, using ninja tools and the like to distract from his use of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, he simply stood there and tried to use it. Zabuza wasn't some foolish Genin, though. He saw the trick coming the instant he started to go for it and acted accordingly, throwing ninja tools right at him.

The same applied here. Naruto, ever the boaster, told Kiba he was about to unleash a new technique. A "super-secret killer move" as he called it. But for all of Kiba's hotheaded tendencies, he wasn't stupid. He wouldn't risk his chance to win by allowing Naruto breathing room to use the technique. So, he did what any intelligent shinobi would do, he attacked relentlessly and ferociously to keep his enemy from using a game changing technique.

It was simple Battlefield Tactics 101. Unfortunately for Naruto, he either skipped that class or completely forgot the whole point of a fight wasn't to tell your enemy your next move.

"On your feet, Naruto!" Sakura shouted.

"Come on, use your head! You can't keep standing still to build up your chakra! You need to distract him and build it while he can't touch you!" Amari coached.

"Don't be too rough on him, Amari," Kakashi scolded lightly. "The disruption of his chakra is playing a large role in his inability to build his chakra up. Naruto may not understand why, but he realizes he can't use the Shadow Clone Jutsu as he usually would, so he's doing what he can without expending too much chakra."

Amari bit her bottom lip in frustration and curled her hand into a fist. "I know. I just…"

"You're invested in his success. I understand. But Naruto is trying his hardest within the constraints he has. Don't forget, you've focused on building your speed and your strength equally, and with your dōjutsu as well as your ninjutsu you have an extra edge against an opponent like Kiba. Naruto has trained for strength only. He's a hard hitter, a frontline fighter built to take on other frontline fighters. Kiba can switch between hit-and-run and head-on assaults because of his enhanced strength and speed."

"It's a contrast of styles, I know," Amari sighed. But I really want him to win.

Naruto got back on his feet and caught Kiba's arm right as he clawed him. Blood pooled from the strike, but her teammate seemed unfazed by the new wound. He tightened his grip then tossed Kiba away as hard as he could. Ironically, Kiba twisted out of his fall and landed on all-fours like a cat; the momentum of the throw left him sliding across the concrete for a few feet.

Close, but not enough.

Again Naruto tried to build his chakra, again he was stopped. One slash from the front then another from behind.

"Naruto!" Sakura panicked.

"Back on your feet, Naruto! Don't let Sasuke show you up!"

Yelling was such a drag, but panic took hold and she didn't do well with panic.

Resilient as ever, Naruto pushed himself back onto shaky legs. Streams of crimson dripped from his fingertips and jaw; his clothes were scuffed and slashed up more than they had been from their time in the Forest of Death. Again he tried to build up his chakra. Again Kiba dashed in, speeding around his enemy to attack him from behind.

What happened next was a testament to how much of knucklehead Naruto really was, and it would forever go in the history books as the strangest, most effective way to defeat an Inuzuka.

Team Seven's knucklehead passed gas right in Kiba's face.

Stupid? Yes. Baffling? Yes. Repulsive? Absolutely. Effective? Unfortunately.

For a normal shinobi, this simple flatulence would do nothing except irritate and disgust them, leading to the annihilation of the fool who did such a thing. However for an Inuzuka, a Clan with a sharp sense of smell intensified by the All-Fours Jutsu, it was debilitating.

Deep down, Mimi probably felt sympathy for her cousin. She probably even wanted to help him punch Naruto's lights out. None of her sympathy could be heard over the mad cackling.

"I- I- I can't believe he just—" Mimi fell further into a fit, face turning as red as her clan markings and tears forming in her eyes as she bent over at the waist like a hinge and braced herself on the railing. "He- he- he-" Her words died by laughter.

Amari sweat dropped and frowned. This was…this was one of the most ridiculous things she ever witnessed. While she appreciated Mimi's evil cackles, because it meant she was being forced out of her bad mood, she was beginning to wonder if this was his super-secret technique. If it was, Naruto punched a ticket to genjutsu city for being stupid.

Kiba found no humor in the situation. He clutched his hands around his nose in futility as he screamed in agony. Sorry Kiba. Your sense of smell is a thousand times stronger than normal so…that's going to be stuck in your nose for a while.

She could never condone this type of action, but since this was still a fight and since it was working, she would cheer her teammate on. "Wha- whatever works, Naruto. You slowed him down at least," Sakura cheered awkwardly.

"Don't waste any more time, you troublesome boy. This could be your one and only shot," Amari said.

"I wish I could say I planned it. Anyway, the time has come to unleash my new technique!" He brought up the clone seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

He created four clones, who promptly surrounded the incapacitated Kiba. The Inuzuka watched them, but his agony and the crippling stench in his nostrils prevented any form of defense.

One Naruto jumped in, landing a hard punch to Kiba's face. Using the clone's back as a springboard, the real one jumped into the air, flipping himself end over end repeatedly to gain momentum. The other three Clones slid in, kicking the Inuzuka up into the air with a similar kick to Lee's and Sasuke's.

"Na-Ru-To!" the Naruto's shouted.

The original came out of his flip and slammed the heel of his foot into Kiba's face. The hard blow sent Kiba chest first into the concrete.

"Uzumaki Barrage!"

The attack incapacitated Kiba instantly.

"He may not have changed the name of Lion's Barrage that much, but he took what I said earlier and applied it faster than I expected," Amari said. But…Her eye watched her teammate closely as his clones dispelled. Naruto was breathing hard. He still stood on his feet, yet his limbs shook in a clear sign of exhaustion and pain. Either those few Clones are the cause of his heavy breathing, or the use of Clones only lessens the strain a little in comparison to the Lion's Barrage.

Either way, a job well done, if she said so herself. It wasn't exactly how she imagined his victory, but a win was a win.

"Since he can no longer continue, I declare Naruto Uzumaki the winner of this round," Hayate announced.

"Woohoooo!" Lee shouted, his eyes alight with fires of youth.

"Yeah! That's my teammate!" Sakura followed.

"Nice going, Naruto!" Amari joined them.

Another step taken on his journey towards becoming Hokage.

Naruto, either full of adrenaline or somehow miraculously recovered, ran the entire way to the stairs and back up, grinning from ear to ear. He only slowed down to a walk when he reached the top of the stairs. Hinata managed to stop him, quietly speaking up to try to give him a jar of healing ointment. Naruto didn't quite understand, mostly because he was too dense and loud for his own good, and Hinata was barely able to speak above a whisper around him.

Hinata's cheeks tinted pink as she tried, and failed, to explain herself. Eventually she just chose to bow and hold out the healing ointment for him to take. "Naruto, take it," Kurenai urged, smiling at the pair. "It's a healing ointment Hinata made; it will help with your wounds."

"Oh! All right. Thanks, Hinata!" he thanked and took the jar from her.

"Yo- you're wel- welcome, Naruto!" Hinata squeaked out.

Mimi's laughter died out at the end of the fight. At the sight of her cousin being taken out on a stretcher, she turned to head down to meet up with the medics. On the way, she wrapped an arm around Hinata's neck, grinning as the shy kunoichi awkwardly tried to keep her feet and figure out how to handle such a gesture.

"So, you make healing ointment, huh? What kind of herbs do you gather?" she asked.

Those were the last words Amari heard from the Inuzuka before they descended down the stairs.

Naruto rejoined the group, unscrewed the jar and applied the ointment to one of the cuts he received. Almost instantly it started to heal. Amari eyed the ointment suspiciously. That worked too fast. Either it's the power of love, which I highly doubt, or something else entirely.

"Whoa, this stuff works fast!" Naruto exclaimed. He closed the top then extended his arm to her and Sakura to offer it. "Here, try it out."

Sakura joined her suspicions and didn't take it. Amari trusted Hinata and had no doubt it would work on her fresh wound, but it wouldn't be instantaneous. It wouldn't seal up the wounds as if by magic or miracles. Ointments didn't work that way. Amari cast a sidelong glance to Kakashi, who gave her an unnoticeable shake of his head.

Don't, the gesture transmitted.

She returned his headshake with a nod. The last thing they needed was to draw attention to its lack of miracle healing.

Amari smiled at her friend. "I'll be fine, Naruto. It really isn't even worth the ointment," she said.

"Yeah, I'll be okay too, Naruto. You need it the most, anyways," Sakura agreed.

"Oh, well, all right. If you two say so." He took their words at face value.

When the machine chose the next two opponents, Amari's concern shot through the roof. She wasn't alone. Her mother's features revealed the same worry over who was chosen.

Hinata Hyūga vs. Neji Hyūga.

If placing Naruto and Kiba together was meant to be fate's sense of humor, this was fate simply being cruel.

Anger flashed in Neji's lavender eyes. A deep rooted hatred Amari didn't like.

Hinata reluctantly made her way to the center of the arena. Neji only stopped once on the way, but not by choice. He stopped when Mimi grabbed him by his arm. His angry eyes snapped to his Inuzuka teammate's unflinching blue eyes. Mimi spoke in a hushed whisper; her words were only meant for him and nobody else. By body language and the intensity of Mimi's features, Amari bet it was some kind of warning. Something regarding the anger in his eyes that the Inuzuka knew about.

The Hyūga tugged his arm from her grip. "Don't involve yourself in matters you don't understand."

"Oh I understand plenty," she snarled. "Don't mistake me for Guy-sensei, Lee or Tenten. I don't give a damn if you pass or fail. I've got nothing to prove to you of all people." Someone who disrespected her because of her heritage. "My fuse is razor thin right now, so you've only got one strike. Don't cross that line," she warned, shaking her head. "If you do, you'll answer to me."

Neji scoffed and started down the stairs. "Tch. Whatever."

"Don't test me, Neji. You'll regret it."

The two went their separate ways with no other words spared; Neji joined Hinata down in the center of the arena, Mimi took her original spot and watched Neji with intense eyes. Her muscles remained wound up like a spring. Her body language did nothing except put Amari on edge.

Hinata…please be careful.

There was a reason her mother gave Hinata special training. Amari didn't know all the details; it wasn't her business to know. But she knew enough. Hinata's father gave up training her. Not because he was too busy. Not for some honorable cause. Hinata just wasn't the prodigious talent he wanted. She wasn't the fierce kunoichi who steeled her heart and turned it as cold as his eyes. To him, she was a failure. An ineffective heir. Unfortunately, Hinata knew he felt that way, hence her lack of confidence and struggle to improve.

When you see yourself as a failure, you fail constantly.

Amari knew that struggle intimately. She knew how hard it was to see value in yourself when others didn't; it was one of the reasons she cared a lot for Hinata. She went out of her way to be kind and supportive to her fellow blue-haired kunoichi because she wanted Hinata to see her strength, to see herself as more than what her jerk of a father saw.

Her kindness, her compassion, they weren't weaknesses. They were strengths. And one of these days she hoped Hinata would see that. Amari just hoped she never had the misfortunate of meeting her father. Not because of the Byakugan under her bandana, but because she wasn't sure she could keep a lid on the many harsh words she had for him. Words to tell him exactly what she thought of his treatment to his daughter.

Amari understood the need for strong warriors and the pride people had in their Clans. But to let that need for warriors and that pride cause you to treat the very people you are meant to love and protect as trash? To ignore her existence, to make her believe herself worthless because she didn't match his idea of strength?

It infuriated her.

"I never thought we would have to face each other, Hinata," Neji said slowly.

"Nor I brother," she replied, meek and quiet in the presence of Neji, more so than usual.

The gears in Amari's brain screeched to a halt. "Whoaaa, hold on, that arrogant jerk is the brother of shy, caring Hinata?" It had to be a mistake.

"They are both descended from the Hyūga Clan—one of the most ancient and honorable families of Konoha. But they aren't actually brother and sister," Kakashi explained.

"But they are related?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, like a branch of a tree is related to a trunk. It's more accurate to say they are cousins. Your relation to Sasuke and Shikamaru, Amari, is pretty much the same, though we can't actually say you are direct cousins."

"And I see them as brothers anyways, so my perception of family isn't based on actual blood ties."

"The trunk of a tree?" Naruto was confused by the example.

It was Lee to speak up next. "Yes. Hinata is directly related to the Head of the Clan while Neji's family is just a side branch of the Clan."

"But still, they're family and now they have to fight each other. I feel for them. It must be hard," Sakura sighed.

"Not this time," Mimi said. The gathered Genin looked to her, but her eyes never left the arena. "The Hyūga aren't like most families. If it were me against Kiba, or Amari against Shikamaru or even one of you, that would be hard. But this? Hinata is the nice sort, so I have no doubt this is hard on her. I have no doubt she's tearing herself up inside right now because of the state of her Clan." Mimi snarled and tightened her grip on the railing. "But not Neji. Neji doesn't care about her. He won't feel an ounce of remorse in hurting her."

"Is that why you warned him?" Amari asked.

Mimi's eyes flicked over to her briefly, a small flicker of surprise in them, before returning to the arena. Clearly she hadn't meant for anyone to hear their conversation. "Yeah. It is. There's been bad blood between the Main Branch and Side Branches for a long time, and it all comes back to the Byakugan. Unlike the Uchiha Clan, the Hyūga take the protection of their dōjutsu insanely serious. They created a ton of rules, all that favor the Main Branch, of course. That's politics in a nutshell: Do whatever is possible to increase the favor to your own side."

She sounded disgusted.

"And those rules, they're messed up. It's subjugation of innocent people. Kids who never had a choice. All for the 'greater good' and 'the safety of the Byakugan' as they justify it. Families are torn apart. Divided down a line old men created years ago."

Amari couldn't find words. She was appalled by how the Hyūga divided themselves. Her heart hurt for Hinata and the children affected by these archaic rules. Yet she was also even more fearful for her own safety than ever before. If the Hyūga were willing to do terrible things to their own Clan members for the Byakugan, what would they do to an outsider?

"Funny thing is, I get why Neji is so angry," Mimi continued. "I get where he's coming from, but he's so blinded by his own anger and need to prove a point to the Main Branch, he's become a cruel and arrogant ass. He thinks his prodigious talent gives him the right to sneer down at others. He thinks because the world was cruel to him that he can be cruel to others. That his experiences and his Byakugan allow him to see the destiny of others."

The Inuzuka's hand tightened even further around the railing. At this rate, Amari worried she might crush it. "I admit, I don't have much of a right to judge anyone for their cruelty. I've hurt a lot of people for less legitimate reasons. But Hinata didn't cause the problems of the Hyūga. She didn't have a choice of what branch she was born into. She's innocent, just like Neji was innocent."

"Neji doesn't see her as innocent," Amari observed.

"No." Mimi shook her head. "No, Neji only sees the daughter of the Head of the Main Branch. Somehow, in his skewed view, that makes her guilty for his pain."

If she was tense before, she was ready to jump down on Hinata's behalf now.

Hayate started the match. Once more, instead of the combatants moving to fight, Neji started on one of his destiny talks. How Hinata was never meant to be a ninja because she was too soft, too kind. She was too gentle for a kunoichi. She didn't want to hurt people, and somehow that made her a disgrace.

Amari didn't keep track of how long he jabbered on for, mostly due to the growing rage building in her heart. Unlike her, Hinata didn't have thick skin to ignore his words for the pointless drivel they were. Tears welled in her eyes, her breathing quickened as if being overtaken by a panic attack.

Hinata wanted to change. She wanted to become stronger as a person and as a ninja, and damn it did she put all of her effort towards the goal. But she continued to have people like Neji, people like her father who tore her down when she tried so hard to become better.

Next to her, Naruto fumed as well. What set him off was Neji telling Hinata, "You're a failure, and a failure will always be a failure. You can't change that."

Between the two of them, though, Amari was the first to hit her breaking point. This bastard was pushing Hinata to the point of nearly shedding tears. No more. No way would she stand by and let him continue to cut her friend down.

"Shut up, you arrogant jackass!" Her entire body was thrown into the shout. If she wasn't holding onto the railing, she might have flung herself over. "Hinata! Stop standing there and kick his ass! You've trained so hard and become so strong! Don't throw it all away because of this bastard!" Neji turned his head just enough for her to see the scowl on his lips. Her Uchiha rage took full control at his hatred filled eye. She pointed down at him. "You have no right to treat her that way! How about I come down there and bury you up to your neck in cement, then we'll see who the failure is!"

Neji glared. "You insolent—"

"Who gave you the right to tell her who she can and can't be?!" Naruto didn't let him get another word in. "Go on Hinata! Show this idiot he's wrong!"

Hinata looked like a startled deer. Frozen in place by the sight and sound of two people shouting encouragement to her for the first time in her life. Her lack of movement, however, spurred the pair on.

"Stop listening to people like him and believe in yourself! You can do this! I know you can!" Amari yelled.

"Stand up for yourself and fight, Hinata! Amari and I believe in you, Kurenai-sensei believes in you, Shino too! Don't just stand there and take his crap! Show him how wrong he is!"

"Naruto…Amari…" Hinata lowered her eyes for a moment. Neither of the pair heard her quiet whisper of, "Thank you."

When Hinata raised her eyes again, they were reinforced by steel and sharp as kunai knives. She quickly activated her Byakugan and took up the Gentle Fist stance. Neji mirrored her movements exactly.

This was to be a battle between Gentle Fist and Gentle Fist. Their stances, their techniques, they'd be exactly the same. The winner would be determined by who struck fastest, strongest and by who made the most of the tiniest of openings.

"Take him down, Hinata," Amari whispered.

Her veins still boiled with anger. The more she experienced intense anger like this, the more she felt this strange tugging feeling in her heart. It was like a tug-of-war being waged between her normal, passive and compassionate attitude, and a dark, festering hatred that demanded to strike down people who hurt her loved ones. Or like a roaring battle between two dragons; one protective and colored in a similar soothing green as her chakra, the other demonic, its black scales sheathing it in darkness as its red eyes gleamed with malicious intent.

She didn't like the demonic dragon, or the feeling of the tug-of-war.

The fight began without any other words spoken. Due to their style of taijutsu, Hinata and Neji did not strike one another in the same way Naruto, Sasuke or herself would hit another person. Though, it was more accurate to say they weren't able to land strikes on one another at all. Their palms struck together, the collisions sending off waves of blue chakra from both combatants, but nothing more. These palm strikes were essentially blocks to prevent their opponent from letting loose those chakra strikes on their chakra network.

Their footwork was incredible. Not a single wasted movement. Not a single wasted opportunity. Only those blocks and varying dodges kept them from falling prey to the internal damage the Gentle Fist focused on. Whereas Guy's style of taijutsu, and most other styles of taijutsu, focused on external injuries—bruises, broken bones, etc.—the Gentle Fist was dangerous to the internal systems.

Truly, it was an incredibly powerful style of taijutsu, because no matter how hard you trained, you couldn't strengthen your internal organs. They were completely vulnerable to attacks. One full-powered strike to a major organ and the fight was over.

Hinata narrowly missed a direct hit on Neji, but even that glancing blow dealt damage. Because the chakra network was so closely intertwined with the major internal organs, they were practically one and the same.

Both Hyūga went in for a strike at the same time. Both blows appeared to land, but from the angle they were all at, no one could see if that was in fact the truth.

Not until Hinata coughed up blood.

Hinata…

Neji managed to stop her blow from hitting its mark while the tips of his fingers were pressed right over her heart.

"So, that's all the Main Branch has to offer?" Neji's was as condescending as ever.

Hinata slapped his arm away and went for another strike against Neji, only to have the boy grab her wrist and slam two of his fingers into the bottom of her forearm. The blow itself didn't seem like much, but upon pulling back the sleeve, even at a distance the red spots on Hinata's pale forearm were visible to the naked eye.

"Her chakra points…He's able to pinpoint every single one," Amari realized.

"Chakra points?" Naruto asked.

"In our Chakra Network, there are three hundred and sixteen chakra points that are no smaller than the head of a nail. Hitting one directly affects our chakra flow by speeding it up or cutting it off completely. The problem is those points are undetectable even to the Sharingan, but the Byakugan has an even sharper sight. Even then, though, it takes someone of great skill to be able to strike these tiny points in the heat of battle."

A person with Neji's prodigious talent.

Neji brought his palm back and struck Hinata square in the chest without chakra, knocking her down to the ground hard. "I'm out of your league, Hinata; that is a fact. This is what separates the elite from the failures. From the moment you told yourself you would no longer run, you sealed your own fate. You were destined to fail and now you are consumed—"

"Oh for the love of Kami, would you shut the hell up!" Amari interrupted him. "Don't listen to him, Hinata! What I've seen from you is far more impressive than that loser!"

Neji turned his head to send a seething glare back at her. "Irritating little brat. Someone ought to teach her where she belongs too."

"Don- Don't talk to Ama- Amaririsu tha- that way." Hinata struggled to stand and speak equally. "She- she has been a true friend to me. I- I owe her for giving me the courage to keep standing up. Besides, brother, your fight is with me. Not her. I- I'm not going to run. I never go back on my word." She stood on shaky legs, yet she appeared stronger and more determined than ever. "Because that too is my nindo, my ninja way," she said, smiling up at Naruto and Amari.

Sweat beaded on her forehead and trails of crimson led down from the corners of her mouth. But even then she did not look weak or defeated. She looked strong and carried herself with the same strength in her eyes.

"I didn't know Hinata was this tough," Naruto said in surprise.

"Heh. If you really look at her and where she got her nindo from, you would see similarities to yourself," Amari pointed out.

"She's right," Lee agreed with a smile.

Sakura nodded. "Come to think of it, I remember seeing Hinata watch you a lot. I bet you've inspired her too."

Hinata activated her Byakugan again, but the dōjutsu deactivated immediately after as she coughed up blood. The kunoichi grabbed at her chest and shook in pain with every renewed cough.

Part of Amari realized that the match was over. She knew Neji's initial strike cut her off from her chakra completely, and that meant she couldn't put chakra behind her strikes. The other part of Amari wanted nothing more than to ignore those facts and continue to cheer on her fellow kunoichi.

At the voices of dissent around her, speaking of how mismatched Hinata was and the difference of skill between her and Neji, she chose to shut off logic and follow her heart.

"Don't give up, Hinata! You still have a chance to win!"

A very slim chance, but a chance nonetheless. All she had to do was get ahold of Neji and disable him.

Still, at the same time, this wasn't about winning a promotion or even about beating Neji anymore, not to Amari. This was about encouraging Hinata's growth as a person and helping her grab hold of the strength in her heart.

"Go Hinata! You can win this!" Naruto shouted.

Their shouts rallied the kunoichi. She grabbed hold of her strength and charged back in, forcing Neji onto the defense as she threw ferocious strike after ferocious strike. Every next strike was even fiercer than the last; faster too. Neji dodged and blocked, and quickly found her new spirit made it impossible to get back on the offensive.

No matter what happens, you should be proud of yourself for what you've accomplished, Hinata. And Naruto, even if she doesn't win, I hope you can see that she has won something far more important thanks to you inspiring her to keep fighting. It's not just her, though. You inspire me too.

I hope you see that…you make us feel worth something.

Hinata moved in for another strike, but Neji grabbed hold of her forearm, dragged her forward and jaw first into an upwards palm.

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted in worry.

She slid backwards on her heels but didn't allow herself to fall. Bloody coughs reverberated off the walls of the arena, yet the moment she regained her composure, she charged in again and went for a strike. Neji's palm hit her first, a chakra filled blow right to her chest yet again. Hinata's legs caved and she fell to the concrete floor.

"You just don't get it. Your strikes were completely ineffective from the start. You're finished," Neji stated.

Murmurs from Aoko caught Amari's attention. Mimi sprang onto the railing, snarling viciously. "I warned you, you bastard! Now you're answering to me!"

Before she could launch into action, Guy grabbed her and pulled her back down to the balcony. Something snapped in Mimi. She spun out of Guy's grab and shoved his chest with rage written all over her face. "Guy-sensei, what the hell!" Her mentor was taken aback by the shout and shove. "I know these matches are no-holds-barred. I understand the rules perfectly clear, but you know, you know those strikes to her heart are on purpose! He's taking out his hatred for the Main Branch on her when you strictly forbade him from ever doing that! Why haven't you stopped him?!"

"If I interrupted the match, Neji would be disqualified," Guy tried to defend his actions.

"To hell with the match!" She swiped her hand through the air. "This is about Hinata's life! She's on the verge of cardiac arrest, damn it, and for what?! So Neji can get a promotion?! She should have never been placed against him in the first place!"

Guy recovered from his state of shock and hardened his eyes. It was one of the rare times Amari saw the tough shinobi beneath the exuberance and youthful nature of the spandex wearing man. "Do not dishonor Hinata's courage by saying she shouldn't have fought. Hinata may not have won this match, she may be extremely hurt, but she chose to fight. She chose to face her doubts, her fears and fought to prove her strength to all of us. She deserves your respect."

Mimi flinched and tried to protest her point. "Guy-sensei, that's not—"

"I know you're still angry about what happened to Tenten, and I know you and Neji have your own problems. I understand why you are angry, Mimi. I'm disappointed in Neji for unleashing his hatred on her, but Hinata has gained far more than she has lost in this fight. You see this, I know you do. Don't let your duty as a medic-nin blind you to what your comrade risked her life for."

Mimi didn't argue further, but her slit pupil and the rage within it did not fade either. She turned back to the railing and started to bounce on her toes, not in the usual excitement Amari witnessed from her, but from holding herself back when her duty as a medic-nin demanded her to intervene. "Come on, come on, come on," she muttered under her breath.

Hayate stepped forward and cast a glance to Hinata's prone form. "Since she is no longer—"

"Nooo!" Naruto's shout cut off the proctor. "Don't stop the match!"

"Naruto! What are you doing? Hinata's done, you can see she's out cold, can't you?" Sakura scolded.

"Stop, Goofball! Stop pushing her! She's done enough already!"

Gasps of shock escaped everyone as Hinata, who they thought was unconscious, shakily made it up onto un-sturdy legs. She held her side, her frame hunched over and quivering from the pain she was experiencing.

Hinata…your will is incredible.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Mimi cursed under her breath, her jitters growing worse. She grabbed onto the railing but her muscles stiffened and kept her from flinging herself down there. "Stop it, Hinata! He'll kill you!"

Amari believed her. Covertly, she prepared herself for action, steadily sending chakra through her body in preparation of a Body Flicker Technique.

"I'm far from finished," the shy girl said firmly.

"Drop the act," Neji said. "You're barely able to hold yourself up. You've been carrying a heavy burden by being born to the Main Branch of the Hyūga Clan. And you've cursed and blamed yourself for being too weak, but it isn't in your power. People can't change the way they are; it is what it is. Just accept defeat and you won't have to suffer anymore."

"No," Hinata panted, shaking her head ever so slightly. "You're wrong, brother. You've got it backwards. You see, I can tell you are the one who carries a heavier burden than I. You're suffering on the inside because of the fate of the Main and Side Branches of our Clan. Because of what happened between our fathers."

Those final words sent Neji into a rage. He charged the weakened Hinata with blind anger and the intent to kill, roaring with raw emotion of the pain she accurately pinpointed.

Oh no you don't!

Amari's body flooded with chakra and then she was gone. A large explosion of smoke surrounded Neji and quickly dispersed, revealing Kakashi, Guy, Hayate, and Kurenai all holding the boy back.

Her sensei had a firm grip on his extended right arm, Hayate had his two fingers set right against Neji's forehead protector, Guy had the boy in a headlock and her mother was crouched down holding his other arm in place.

Directly in front of Hinata were Mimi, Aoko and Amari. The Inuzuka duo were on All-Fours while Amari stood braced and ready to launch forward right at Neji.

"Fancy meeting you here, Mimi," she tried to lighten the atmosphere.

"Fancy that," she growled.

"Can you check on Hinata? I think they have him handled."

"Yeah, just keep on your guard. I don't want him anywhere near her." Mimi stood up and turned to the Hyūga heiress. "Hey," her voice was far gentler, "let's sit you down so I can get to work. You took some serious damage in your fight. I know you can feel it; it'd be impossible for anyone to not feel it. Easy there, slow. There we go."

"Th- thank you."

"You know, you put up a damn good fight. I haven't known them long, but I could tell Kurenai-sensei and Shino were really proud of you, so wipe that sad look off your face. You got nothing to be ashamed of. Amari and Naruto, everyone really, thought you were incredible."

Amari tuned out of their conversation at the sound of Guy's voice. Her eye darted forward and back to the boy struggling to break free of the Jōnins grasps.

"Get ahold of yourself, Neji. You promised you wouldn't let the state of the Hyūga Clan get you so riled up."

"Why are you and the other Jōnin butting in?" the boy growled back.

"You've already won the match, kid." Kakashi did not sound pleased. His eye bored down on the boy. "But that's not enough for you, is it? You've let this personal vendetta of yours cloud your judgement. You have incredible talent, I don't deny that, but so long as you hold onto this hatred of yours, I will personally ensure you are never promoted. Even if you somehow win this tournament, I will see you remain a Genin for the rest of your life until you grow up."

"Kakashi, that's not your decision," Guy tried to argue.

"No, Guy, it may not be, but I will argue my point to our superiors for as long as it takes them to see the truth." Kakashi's eye squinted into a frightening glare. "This isn't his first time trying to kill a fellow Leaf shinobi. During our little contest he purposefully struck Amari with a blow that would have put her in critical condition. Fortunately for her she used a Clone in her place. Now this?

"To purposefully try to kill fellow Leaf shinobi's is unacceptable. It's not the mind of a leader. No, it's a disgrace to the headband you earned." The glare intensified. "Someone like him, he'd let his entire squad be sacrificed for the sake of a mission and call it a success. That is not the way of the Leaf."

"He's right," Hayate said. "I will remain neutral and give my reports of his talent as is my duty, but should I be asked for my personal opinion, it will not be positive. Neji, you have great skill." The proctor coughed into his free hand, the fingers of his other still pressed against the Hyūga's headband. "I am sure no one will dispute this point. You are also intelligent and one day may be a great leader and one of the Leaf's elites. But Kakashi has described your attitude perfectly: You are clouded by a personal vendetta. Hinata had clearly been defeated and, despite her standing up again, I would have ended the match to prevent loss of life."

Hayate coughed again. Someone really needed to take care of that for him.

"Yet you still charged her with the intent to kill. Leaf shinobi killing Leaf shinobi is unacceptable," he stated. No anger. No emotion. Just simple facts.

"Oh so the Main Branch gets special treatment, huh?!"

"My opinion would remain the same had she been any of the Leaf shinobi here," Hayate continued. "For example, had Mimi Inuzuka tried to kill Hironori instead of incapacitating him, I would hold the same feelings and opinion for her as I do you. I am only slightly more lenient for her due to Hironori continuously using derogatory insults in regards to her Clan.

"Let it be said, though, her quick temper needs to be worked on if she intends to be a leader. Her attempt to attack Temari, and her subsequent grapple with Amaririsu Yūhi, is dangerous example of unchecked anger."

"Fortunately for both of you, there's still plenty of time for you two to grow and mature," Kakashi said evenly. "You've both earned a chance to prove it in the finals. For your sake, I hope you've been listening very clearly to what we've said."

Rough coughs turning into choking sounds startled Amari from her eavesdropping. She spun back around to see Hinata laid flat on her back. Fresh blood ran down her chin, pain was etched into her features and her breathing uneven. Mimi kneeled at her side. Alarm was clear in her body language and in her eyes as Aoko barked at her.

"I know, I know! Damn it to hell, why isn't it working?" she cursed under her breath. She unzipped Hinata's sweater and pressed her ear to her heart, listening intently before snapping back up and placing her green glowing hands over it. "Hey, stay here. Look me in the eyes and stay here, Hinata. You hear me!"

"Mi…Mi," the girl choked.

"Yeah, that's me. Medic-nin extraordinaire. One day gonna be better than Lady Tsunade herself. And you, you're gonna be just fine. Just stay here, you get me?"

"Ye- yes."

"Good. Just— Hey, keep your damn eyes open. I'm talkin' to ya! Don't you know it's rude to close your eyes when someone's talkin' to ya?"

The frantic nature of Mimi's voice concerned Amari immensely. She was beginning to shorten her words, talking the same way she did when she was enraged.

Amari stood rooted in her spot, unsure of what she should do or if she should do anything at all. It wasn't as if she knew Medical Ninjutsu. So she stood there, frozen in place as she watched Mimi work.

"Sor- Sorry," Hinata apologized weakly. Her eyes struggled to stay open.

"You better be. Don't think I just talk to anyone when I'm healin' 'em. I've gotta particular taste in people." Mimi spun her head around to look at her and the adults. "Get your Medical Ninja's out here! I can keep her stabilized, but she needs professional help right now!"

The adults heeded her words. Kurenai rushed over to Hinata's other side and took hold of her hand while Hayate disappeared to retrieve the Medical-Ninja's. Guy and Kakashi hovered near Neji. The boy didn't rush in for the kill. He just stood there, watching the situation unfold with cold eyes. Eyes full of hatred. Eyes of condescension, as if Hinata deserved what he gave her.

Naruto, Lee and Sakura joined the group, stricken with worry as they too rushed to Hinata's side. Amari wanted to. She really did. She just…didn't. They were consumed by emotions. Fear. Concern. Hope they could do something to help, but they couldn't. Just like her, they didn't know anything about Medical Ninjutsu. They'd all only get in Mimi's way.

Besides, she had another set of emotions tugging at her. Violent emotions. Emotions that demanded to be unleashed.

"Give her some damn room, Goofball! I get you're worried, but she needs some space!"

Amari watched as Hinata coughed up blood again. "Hinata!" her mother cried out in worry.

Mimi put together an impressive string of curses under her breath before raising her voice. "Neji, you prick! I can't believe you actually tried to kill her!" Her blue eyes never left Hinata, neither did her hands. But Amari's body shifted, turning in place so her onyx eye could sear into Neji's soul.

Neji snorted. A smug smirk twitched onto his lips. "Glare all you like. You're just as responsible for her state as I am. Encouraging such foolish behavior, telling her she could win as if she truly had a chance; it's because of you she kept fighting. Not me. I told her to forfeit. I gave her legitimate reasons why she shouldn't fight, but you and that fool pushed her."

Amari grit her teeth and clenched her hands into fists.

"Hey! Stay right here, Hinata! Look at me! Look at me damn it! Where the hell are those Medical-Ninja's?!"

Mimi's frantic yelling was nails on chalkboard for Amari. Not her fault. She didn't realize the darkness latching its scorching nails into the Uchiha's heart, setting the blood in her veins on fire with every pulsation of her heart.

"I don't use these words lightly, so when I say them, know they're coming straight from my heart. You are worse than scum," she said. Her voice was even, her words sharpened to a fine point. Hatred dripped off the blade. A dark, poisonous hatred.

She wanted to make him suffer. Just like Hinata was. He didn't deserve to walk around, chin held high as if he was so great with that stupid condescending look on his face. He deserved to suffer. Every ounce of pain Hinata was enduring right now, the coughs that made her chest ache, the crimson, metallic liquid her taste buds were flooded in, he deserved that.

Not her. No, never Hinata. Hinata was innocent, compassionate, gentle, never had a bad thing to say to anyone. Even when people deserved it, she stayed respectful. She didn't look at others as if they were trash. She didn't treat others as if her birth into the honorable Hyūga Clan made her far better than those around her.

She was nothing like Neji.

Neji sneered at her. "Is that so? Worse than scum, huh? What does that make you? A righteous hero?" He scoffed. "Please, don't delude yourself into thinking you are anything more than a half-breed. You're not scum. You're not even trash. You are beneath the scum and trash. You are the bottom-feeder parasite inflicted on your Clans, just as Mimi is on the Inuzuka Clan."

The hatred grew. The heat pumping through her veins intensified and turned Amari's eye the color of fire unconsciously. She didn't even notice Naruto and Lee's small confrontation with Neji. Her mind tugged further and further towards the darkness. How dare he say that about her and Mimi. How dare he call her a half-breed, again. Not even just a half-breed, but a bottom-feeder parasite.

All Amari could see in her vision was Neji. Everything else, everyone else, they were gone. Shrouded by the violent darkness tunneling her vision on him. This anger, this hatred, she couldn't control it. The more he opened his mouth, the more she wanted to destroy him. She could feel her nails digging into her palms, to the point of almost drawing blood. Her teeth felt on the verge of cracking she was clenching them so tightly.

Then, a voice spoke. Not Amari's voice. It didn't belong to the girl or the kunoichi. It belonged to a different person altogether. The voice cut the air with coldness she found unnerving.

"I don't delude myself into thinking I'm some righteous hero," the foreign voice said. "A righteous hero wouldn't want to disassemble you into such small pieces, you could fit in a to-go box from Ichiraku."

"Amari," Kakashi's voice warned.

Amari didn't know why he was talking to her. She wasn't even the one talking. Whoever this new person was frightened her. They felt dark and cold. Full of nothing except hatred and unquenchable rage.

"A righteous hero would look at you and find something worth redeeming. A righteous hero would try to show you the error of your ways. A righteous hero wouldn't look at you and see her next victim."

Killing intent unshackled itself and swarmed Neji. The boy flinched and shivered as the red eyed, demonic dragon flashed before his eyes and glared straight into the place he called a soul. "Call me or Mimi a half-breed again. I dare you. Because when you do, I'll break you bone by bone. Finger by finger. I'll break you until you beg for mercy. And then I'll keep breaking you until you realize one truth: For scum like you, I have no mercy to give."

Oh. Uh-oh. This was her. What remained of Amari's rationality flickered on like a nearly dead light bulb and found itself deep in roaring waves of darkness. In a desperate attempt to regain control, she started swimming through the dark ocean towards the light of her Will of Fire. She swam and swam and swam, but her struggle was in vain. The undertow tugged her down deeper into the ice cold darkness. She had better luck swimming up a waterfall.

A bead of sweat fell down Neji's cheek. His left foot unconsciously slid backwards—a sign of retreat from the killing intent flooding off her. "You bullied and tried to manipulate Hinata. You treated her like trash, and you have the gall to say you gave her legitimate reasons to forfeit? You have the gall to act smug when she could die?"

Amari's foot stepped forward. As it did, the physical form of Amaririsu Yūhi disappeared fully and the visage of the demonic dragon took over. Sharpened teeth, fiery eyes, snarls and rumbling growls that shook Neji to his very core. And death. His death reflected in those red eyes.

She had never seen Neji look so frightened before. She never would again.

"Pray she lives, Neji. Pray she doesn't succumb to her injuries. Because if she dies…I will make it my personal mission to send you straight to hell."

Amari felt the weight of a hand on her shoulder. Desperate for help, she internally latched onto it and hoped it would pull her ashore. "Excuse us." It was Kakashi. Weightlessness followed the absence of Neji in front of her. Kakashi's face then filled her vision. There wasn't a hint of amusement or humor in his eye. She wasn't seeing Kakashi her kind mentor. This was Kakashi the shinobi. One of the few people who could see the darkness lurking in her; someone who always stood ready to defend her and others from it.

"Calm. Down."

Not a question. Not a debate. An order.

Amari shut her eye and exhaled a shaky breath. She hadn't known it was possible to be frightened by herself.

Here we are, though…

"…He…He called me a bottom-feeder parasite."

Those words hurt. They tangled themselves in past pain and aided the darkness lingering beyond where her dōjutsu could see.

"And he's wrong."

"The Uchiha's used to…they used to look at me the same way he does. I can feel it in my heart. Every time he calls me a half-breed, this…this terrible feeling swarms me. Old pains knot themselves together and make me so angry! Because I couldn't be angry back then! I couldn't fight back. I was too frightened and helpless and my heart hurt so much, I just wanted to disappear from the world. And the way he treated Hinata when she did nothing wrong…Everything went dark. I didn't even realize I was the one talking."

"Hatred blinds all. Remember your nindo, Amari. Remember who you are. Because the display down there is someone you don't want to be. Trust me, I know."

The time it took everyone to return to the balcony and for the arena to be fully cleared was enough for Amari to regain control of her emotions. She could still feel the incessant tugging in her heart. The tug-of-war between darkness and light. But as long as she held true to her nindo and stayed close to the fire in her heart…as long as she had people like her sensei around to reach out to her, she knew she would be okay.

Kakashi stayed at her side. His body served as a physical barrier between her and Team Guy. It kept Neji from her vision and Neji from instigating her further. She saw Mimi, though. The Inuzuka looked tired. Could have been only chakra exhaustion, but Amari believed part of it was emotional as well. She knew hers was.

The exhaustion evaporated at the sight of her name on the monitor.

"Good luck, Amari," Sakura said with a smile.

Naruto grinned at her. "Yeah, show that guy whose boss, Amari."

Kakashi ruffled her hair. Amari looked back only once to meet her mother's eyes, finding a smile and a confident nod. "Do your best, little one."

"I will." She jumped up onto the railing then, in a flash, was gone. Amari reappeared on the ground in a crouch.

Amaririsu Yūhi vs. Hisashi of the Leaf.

Now it was her chance to follow Sasuke and Naruto to the finals. She wouldn't waste the opportunity. A Nara and Uchiha never wasted opportunities like these.

It was finally time to fight.