What am I doing?! My final is tonight! I should be studying! Why am I writing XD


Chapter 42: Preliminaries Part 6

"Next up… Hyuuga Hinata vs Hyuuga Neji."

Oh Hinata! It's the really shy girl. And Neji… The guy with the white eyes just like hers. They do have the same clan name. They must not like having to fight each other, though. Right?

"I never thought I'd be facing you, Hinata-sama."

"Neji-niisan…"

"Huh?! Siblings?"

Really? They're siblings? Maybe it's just that they're family or something. Also the way he addresses her makes me feel like she's not exactly his little sister… He actually seems to carry some resentment towards her. Other villages' clan dramas! Wish I knew more about it.

"You may begin!"

The proctor clears the way.

"Before we begin the fight, I'd like to say something, Hinata-sama. You don't make a good shinobi. Forfeit now."

What? How can he say that? It's not his place to judge others like that!

"You are too kind. You wish for harmony and avoid conflict. You agree with others, never resisting. And you have no confidence in yourself. I always feel your sense of inferiority. That's why I thought it would be best for you to remain a genin. But the Chunin exam exam can only be taken as a team of three. You couldn't turn down your teammates' request and unwillingly entered. This is reality. Am I wrong?"

He's merciless… Why does he seem to hate her so much?

"N-No… I just wanted… Wanted to change myself… To do it myself…"

Neji frowns after she says that.

"As I thought. You are a spoiled brat of the main house."

Main house?

"Huh?"

Hinata seems confused by his statement.

"People cannot change themselves."

Her eyes widen at what he says. This is intensifying… I kind of feel bad for Hinata.

"Loser are losers. Their personality and strength will not change. Because people cannot change, differences are born. Expressions like elite and losers are created. Looks, brains, ability, size, personality… All people judge and are judged in these values. Based on these unchangeable factors, people discriminate and are discriminated against. And they suffer within their own means. Just like the fact that I am from a branch house and you are from the main house cannot change."

So that's where the resentment comes from. There must be more to it though. It's not just because he's from a branch house or whatever… Or else that'd be really superficial.

"I have seen through many things with this Byakugan. So I know that you are just acting strong. Deep inside you just want to run away from here."

"N-No! I really…!"

Veins then appear around Neji's eyes. Is that the Byakugan? Hinata starts looking away and shaking.

"You can't fool my eyes. Against my pressure right now, you floated your eyes to the upper left. This is a sign that you're remembering your past experiences, your painful past. And after that, you looked to the lower right. That's a sign that you're imagining physical and mental pain. Basically, you are thinking about yourself. And from all the experiences until now, you are imagining the results of this match. Imagining that you'll lose!"

This is just plain intimidation at this point! Pisses me off!

"This action of raising your arms in front of your body shows that you are trying to build a wall between us, to create some distance from me. That you are trying to prevent me from figuring out how you truly feel. Because everything that I have said is completely right. Furthermore, touching your lips is a personality trait revealing a disturbance. It's a defence mechanism to soften the nervousness and worrying. So basically, in reality, haven't you already realized? That you cannot change your-"

"You can!"

My head snaps up to Naruto who just shouted that. Finally! Someone to shut that Neji guy up!

"Stop deciding things about people, idiot! Kick that bastard's ass, Hinata!"

Couldn't have said it better myself. Hinata looks up at Naruto, surprised at his outburst.

"Hinata! Stand up for yourself! This is hard to watch!"

She smiles and then looks at Neji with determination in her eyes.

"So you won't forfeit. I'm not responsible for what happens."

"I no longer… want to run away!"

Her voice sounds so much more confident! Her eyes then become just like Neji's with veins showing up around them.

"Neji-niisan. We fight!"

"Fine."

They then lunge at each other with a very unique fighting style. They're using their palms to strike, instead of their fists. Each impact that is blocked makes a loud noise and bursts of chakra and released. What is this style of taijutsu?

"Yay! Hinata!"

Naruto cheers for her.

"So this is the Hyuuga clan's taijutsu."

Temari says.

"What's so special about it?"

I ask her.

"I don't know too much about it, but in short, their eyes allow them to see the chakra network within another's body. The network contains many points that regulate the chakra flow. Their taijutsu is so precise and utilizes superior chakra control. They use their fingers and palms as needles to strike and shut those chakra points. Since a lot of those are connected to vital organs, it can be fatal."

Temari explains to me. I gulp. That's insane. I've never heard of such a power. Both Neji and Hinata strike each other at the same time. However, only Hinata coughs out blood.

"What's going on?!"

Naruto exclaims. Yeah they both struck each other at the same time! Why is only Hinata affected? Hinata then tried to strike again, but Neji holds her arm and strikes it with his finger, releasing a chakra flow. So that's how it works? He then pulls up her sleeves. It's covered in a lot of bruise marks. Those are her chakra points! He struck all of those in her arm? Does that mean that all of her strikes were useless since there's no chakra flowing through her arms?! She looks surprised at that. Neji then delivers a devastating blow to her heart, throwing her backwards to the ground.

"Hinata-sama. This is the difference in talent that can never change. The difference that divides an elite from a loser. This is the reality that cannot be changed. At the point you decided that you weren't going to run away, you were setting yourself up for regret. You should be overcome with desperation right now. Forfeit."

Hinata then starts getting back up, despite the difficulty she's having. After standing up, she looks straight into Neji's eyes.

"I… Don't go back… On my word… That is also my ninja way."

Also? She then looks up at Naruto and smiles. She then flinches and coughs out blood. I hear people around saying how the match is basically over.

"You can do it, Hinata!"

Naruto doesn't seem to be sharing that view, though. Hinata then reactivates her Byakugan and keeps fighting. Neji knocks her down again, but she gets back up. Once more, he delivers a devastating blow to her heart, causing her to fall to the ground like a rag doll.

"Continuing is impossible and thus-"

"Don't stop it!"

Naruto interrupts the proctor.

"What are you saying, you idiot?! She's at her limit! She's unconscious!"

Sakura screams at Naruto. But then… Hinata gets up again! Neji was wrong… I see nothing weak about this girl.

"Why do you stand? If you keep pushing yourself, you'll die."

Neji seems a bit unsettled by how Hinata's still on her feet.

"It's not over…"

"Acting tough is useless. You can barely stand, I can see that. From the time of your birth, the responsibility of the Hyuuga's clan main house has been forced upon you. You have always hated yourself for your own weakness. But people cannot change! That is destiny. There is no need to suffer anymore. Let it go."

He's still at it… He really also seems to believe that.

"That's not true, Neji-niisan. Because… I can see it. It's not me at all. The person lost and suffering within the destiny of the main and branch houses… is you…"

She seems to have hit it right in the head. Neji snaps when he hears that and he lunges at her with intent to kill! The proctor seems to sense that too.

"Neji-kun! This match is over!"

The proctor and three other jounin restrain him. I let out a sigh of relief. I really thought Hinata was a goner there. Still… It took four jounin to stop him… He really is insanely strong for a genin.

Hinata then falls to her knees and wheezes uncontrollably.

"Hinata!"

Naruto screams. Sakura, him and the bushy browed guy in the green jumpsuit jump down.

"Hinata! You alright?! Hey!"

Hinata then loses consciousness.

"Hey! The loser over there!"

Neji calls out to Naruto.

"I'd like to tell you two things. If you're a shinobi, then cut out the pathetic cheering for others. And one more thing… In the end, a loser will always be a loser. They cannot change."

Naruto faces Neji and frowns.

"Do you wanna test me?"

Neji gives him a smug smirk. Naruto then runs at him, but the bushy browed guy intercepts him with incredible speed. I barely saw that! He's strong.

"What?!"

"Naruto-kun. I understand your feelings so much that it hurts, but the fighting should occur in the matches. Whether a loser can defeat an elite through the power of hard work, that's something to look forward to in the main test. Though, his opponent might be me. But even if it's you, Naruto, there will be no hard feelings."

The green jumpsuit guy then gives a thumbs up to the jounin that looks eerily like him. Hinata then coughs out blood again. A lady jounin is by her side, checking her heart beat. She then glares at Neji.

"If you have time to glare at me, then take care of her."

He doesn't show any sign of remorse.

"Medical team! What are you doing?! Hurry!"

The jounin lady shouts at them.

"Sorry!"
The medical team then immediately transport her on a stretcher.

"At this rate she won't last ten minutes! Quickly to the emergency room!"

Naruto then puts his hand into Hinata's blood that was on the ground. He then makes a fist and stretches his arm out towards Neji's direction.

"You are going down."

I'm rooting for Naruto on this one if they end up fighting each other.

"He's so clueless it's funny. He hasn't even noticed the difference in ability."

Kankuro mocks him. I frown at Kankuro.

"Naruto can overcome that difference."

Kankuro then looks at me with a bit of surprise.

"Why do you even care about the Konoha shinobi? Did you forget why we're here?"

"No I didn't forget. It doesn't mean that I agree with it, though."

Temari then steps towards me and puts a hand on my shoulder.

"Even if you don't agree with it, you better not betray your village, Kiu."

We'll see about that…


Alright, I hope you guys enjoy this. It's more of the same, really. Next chapter will hopefully be more interesting!