I don't even know where to start. Well, I guess to begin, Kishimoto-Sama still owns Naruto and all it's amazingness. And now for my absence. When I was younger, I had a bad habit of not taking care of my hands and as a result doing everyday things will sometimes cause my hands to be unbearably painful so doing things like writing or even holding a pen hurts me. Add in that my life has been a serious of me being too busy to do what I want, and you get me not opening my laptop in three months now. Physical therapy only helps so much, but I want to keep writing…it's probably one of two things in my life I want most, so here I am. Anyway, enough about me –
We last left our rookies sleeping, Sakura worried that her teammates drastic changes in their last few battles would reemerge left her feeling terrified of the monsters she saw before her. Team eight was second to the tower, only being beaten by the sand trio. And now, the moment I'm sure some of you have been waiting for…
Chapter 12: I want to fight you too…
"W-what's going?" Naruto asked, slowing sitting up from the stone floor. "Where…are we?" he looked around, only to find that he was in a stone room, his two teammates were standing with one another talking about something. When Sakura noticed him moving to stand, she smiled, but something behind it made Naruto wonder what was on her mind.
"Good, you're finally awake" Sasuke casually mentioned. He sighed, which to Naruto looked as if he was collecting his thoughts. "We were just about to open the scrolls" he informed the blond.
"I thought we weren't supposed to open them?" he asked, taking another look around the room. "Where are we anyway?"
"The tower. Sasuke and I carried you here after the battle" Sakura explained, the moment the words left her mouth Naruto seemed to be on edge.
"The battle; what happened to that snake bastard?" he all but growled causing Sakura to shrink in stature just a bit.
"I managed to drive him off" Sasuke admitted, but he didn't sound proud of the achievement. "Anyway, after that Sakura took care of both of us and was attacked by those sound ninja. She said you held them off before I could force them to retreat" Sasuke added but Naruto looked bewildered.
"Held…them…off?" he asked, looking between the two of them.
"Yeah, you rescued me and fought with them before Sasuke jumped in after you collapsed" Sakura informed him, but Naruto's expression didn't change.
"Don't you remember?" she asked when he didn't say anything.
"Y-yeah, I remember. Guess I'm still tired is all" Naruto quickly lied. "What are they talking about, I would remember something like that happening" he thought, but a nagging feeling in his stomach told him not to be so sure. An image of slicing air against his skin made him look down at his clothes, they were tattered, but there were no signs of cuts. "Are you sure you'd remember?" a sinister voice echoed through his mind. The voice was unfamiliar but he already knew who it belonged to, and the memory of sharpened wind cutting into him made him hesitant to dig deeper.
"Naruto?" Sakura's voice pulled him from his thoughts before he could figure out what exactly was happening to him. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah…yeah I'm fine. So, uh…why are we opening the scrolls?" he turned to look at Sasuke. He and Sakura both pointed towards a banner hanging on the opposite side of the room.
"If qualities of heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher. If earthly qualities are what you lack, then train your body and prepare to attack. When heaven and earth are opened together, the perillas path will become righteous forever. This something is the secret way that guides us from this place today" Naruto read aloud. He re-read it before turning back to his teammates. "So, if we open both scrolls…we'll know what to do next?" Sakura nodded, handing both Naruto and Sasuke one of the scrolls each.
"You open it" she suggested, standing between the two of them.
"Oh, okay" Naruto agreed. He and Sasuke nodded at one another, signaling that they would open them together. They pulled back on the parchment before unfurling the scroll completely.
"A…man?" Sakura read over Sasuke's shoulder.
"This is a summoning" Naruto and Sasuke both said. They looked at one another, surprised that the other knew what it was as well. They both tossed their scroll before readying themselves for whatever would come out of the scroll.
"What the…it's you" Sasuke's surprised voice rang out.
"Hey, long time no see"
"Iruka-Sensei…what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, but it was Naruto that Iruka looked at. He seemed to be taking in the tattered appearance of the boy, before smiling.
"Well, we Chunin were tasked with being the messenger for those that opened the scroll. We're supposed to welcome you guys back" he explained. He started walking towards them, relief washing over the pink-haired girl. Finally, there was someone better equipped to deal with her teammates should they run rampant again. "I was lucky enough to get you guys" Iruka added, before reaching into his pocket.
"A messenger?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to one side. "What's the message then?" He looked towards his teammates who both realized that a messenger meant there had to be a message to deliver. They all turned to look at their former instructor.
Iruka pulled a pocket watch out and sighed in relief; "You guys made it just in time. Congratulations, you passed the second exam" he smiled, proud to see three of his students managing to make it through the forest of death.
"What would have happened if we opened the scrolls in the middle of the exam?" Sasuke asked. Sakura had sat on the ground. She looked to be relieved beyond belief that the scrolls were just a congratulations.
"As sharp as always" Iruka smirked, before picking up one of the scrolls. "This test was designed to see whether or not you had what it takes to see a difficult mission through to the end. You knew that opening the scrolls was against the rules of your mission and had you tried to open one—"
"What? What would have happened?" Sakura blurted out, unable to control her curiosity.
The smirk on Iruka's face grew menacing. "If a scroll was opened, we were ordered to knock out the one's responsible for doing so. Some of the examinees found that out the hard way" he explained, causing Sakura to laugh nervously.
"Glad we didn't give that much thought then" Naruto commented. Sasuke nodded in agreement, glad that neither of his teammates slowed him down by doing something stupid like opening the scrolls.
"Say, Iruka-Sensei, what's the something that is mentioned on that banner?" Naruto asked, pointing towards the torn part of the banner.
"Right, that's another part of why I'm here" Iruka looked up at the banner as well. "They're instructions Lord Hokage recorded as principles that Chunin should follow. If intelligence is what you lack, then you should train your mind. If you lack the physical conditioning, then you should train your body. By doing both of these and having both your mind and body working together as one, even the most difficult of missions can become easy" Iruka explained, smiling only the way a teacher who just imparted knowledge could.
"But what about that missing part right there?" Sakura pointed towards the empty spot they read as something earlier.
"Well, that's this right here" Iruka held up the scroll.
"Man?" Sakura asked, looking confused.
"Person" Iruka corrected. "It refers to you bunch. You see these five days were to determine if you would be any good as a Chunin, a person who is capable of being a guide, a leader, for their team. It's important for a Chunin to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of those serving under them and to know what skills and training those ninjas will need in order to succeed on a mission. You did excellent on this mission and I want you to remember these instructions on your next one. With that, I'm done. That's everything I was supposed to tell you" Iruka looked worriedly at Naruto.
"Iruka-Sensei…don't look at me with those eyes looking sad" Naruto shocked the Chunin with his words. He hadn't realized how transparent he was being. "I made it through the second test, the three of us together managed to make it through. We're ninja too, after all" Naruto turned to look at Sakura and Sasuke. "The three of us are ready for whatever comes next. You can count on it" the blond turned to face one of the few people he trusted. Iruka's worried expression softened, instead he smiled.
"You're right. I'm sorry Naruto. I know you'll do great" Iruka couldn't help but be worried still, but if there was one thing that Naruto always managed to do, it was reminding him that he wasn't just a kid. "Sometimes I forget how much you've already endured, Naruto…I'm happy to see you're finally believing in your teammates as much as you believe in yourself" Iruka watched as the three of them sat with one another, discussing what their plan should be no matter what the third test threw at them.
"Tell me everything that happened when you encountered Orochimaru" Hiruzen instructed. Anko was rubbing her neck as she prepared herself. She sighed in disappointment.
"I was informed that three ninja were found on the outskirts of the village. Upon examining the bodies, it was clear to me who I needed to seek out" Anko began to explain.
"How did you come to the conclusion that you did?" Hiruzen interrupted, eyeing Anko as if she was being interrogated.
"I had encountered a woman during the explanation of the second exam, something about her seemed familiar and when I saw the bodies, I understood why. Only he was capable of being so merciless" Anko answered, her eyes shut as she recalled what it was the snake told her after they battled.
"He's after Sasuke, isn't he?" the third asked. Anko looked up in surprise.
"How…uh…yes" she replied, unsure how the third knew what it was Orochimaru had said to her. "Orochimaru mentioned that the Uchiha blood runs strongly in Sasuke, it is definitely safe to assume that's his goal" Anko clarified.
"Anko, we've confirmed that twenty-one ninja have made it through the second round. As per the rules, we will have to hold preliminary matches in order to weed out some of them" Anko as well as the third turned to see a Chunin explaining the situation to them over a security monitor.
"We will continue the exams as planned, but I want to keep an eye on that man as well. We have to figure out what it is he's truly planning before it's too late" Hiruzen instructed. Anko nodded her understanding, but she couldn't help but wonder how they were going to figure out the snake's plans if they hadn't even noticed he was here to begin with.
"How's it going, my name is Hayate Gekko, I'll be the referee for the next part of this exam. Due to the number that passed the second exam we will be holding preliminaries to determine who moves on to the third round" Hayate paused for a moment, letting out a cough. "With that being said, making it to the third round will no longer be based on a team. You will each be placed in a one-on-one battle to qualify. If your teammates fail and you pass, then you still pass. Of course, the matches will be random and you may even end up facing your teammates, but that shouldn't discourage you from giving it your best" Hayate finished explaining. He coughed again before looking over the Genin in front of him.
"We have an odd number so—" he was interrupted by a raised hand. "Yes?" he asked, turning to look at Kabuto.
"I wish to forfeit. If it's no longer a team exercise, then I am okay with forfeiting here. I don't think I can continue" Kabuto said. He looked at the rest of the Genin and waved goodbye to the group of them before walking away.
"Can't believe he just quit like that" Sakura muttered, but Naruto shrugged.
"It's important to know your limits after all" he replied. Sakura was shocked to hear such a valid point from the blond. Then again, she didn't really know much about him to begin with. She looked at Sasuke's back, someone she practically spent her whole childhood with as they went through school together, and hated the idea that she barely knew anything about him too.
"Well, with that forfeit it seems we have twenty contestants even. If you'll all make your way to the balcony, we'll begin the preliminaries right way" Hayate instructed. There were some sighs and groans as they all realized there would be no break between the five-day death trap that was the forest of death and these preliminary fights.
"Hey, Sasuke…you should tell them about that bruise on your neck" Sakura whispered to her teammate.
"No, I'm fine. Don't you say anything either Sakura. Not even to Naruto" Sasuke commanded. Sakura recoiled a bit from the sternness in his voice and the image of that foul purple chakra swam through her mind. She hesitated but nodded.
"O-okay…I won't" she said submissively. She was worried for him, but she was more afraid of what he would do if she did tell someone.
"What's the matter Sasuke? Your face is all scrunched up. Afraid?" Naruto asked, remembering how Sasuke asked him something similar before the exams started.
"You wish Naruto" he smirked.
"Good, wouldn't be any fun if I'm the only one going to the finals" Naruto casually mentioned.
"Oy, Naruto" the blond turned to look back at his teammate.
"What?" Naruto had his hands folded behind his head, the sight of Naruto looking relaxed made Sakura sigh in relief. At least one of them was normal at the moment.
"Don't you go losing to anyone before you face me" Sasuke ordered, the smirk on his face made Naruto drop his arms. A similar smirk on his face now.
"I don't plan on losing to anyone" Naruto retorted; "Not that it would matter" he added, a smug looking disdain in his eyes.
"Good, because I want to fight you" Sasuke admitted, leveling his gaze with his teammate's.
The two of them glared at one another for a moment and Sakura wasn't sure if they would even make it to an actual fight before they attacked one another. Naruto turned on his heel and started to walk away.
"I want to fight you too" Naruto called over his shoulder, but neither Sakura or Sasuke could see his face. The blond was annoyed with himself; "Why am I enjoying this?" he thought. He hated being a weapon, having to fight or kill. Yet, when he was around Sasuke, or when he saw people like Rock Lee or the sand ninja Gaara, he couldn't help but want to fight them. He couldn't help but feel like he needed to fight them. As if doing so would finally validate him as more than some weapon from a dark room. Even as the thought of the dark room crossed his thoughts, he felt a familiar presence nearby. "I'm imagining it" he scanned the faces present and sighed in relief when he saw the same faces already there.
"The first match will be Sasuke Uchiha vs. Yoroi Akado. The rest of you please exit this area and make your way to the balcony" Hayate said, gesturing for those not fighting to remove themselves. Naruto and Sakura made their way up the stairs, both of them eyed Sasuke closed while they made their way passed someone.
"Hey you two"
"Kakashi-Sensei" if Sakura was glad to see Iruka before, she was even more relieved to see Kakashi. "What are you doing here?" she asked, taking a spot next to him.
"Well, we're allowed to watch this part of the exam" he answered, pointing at the rest of the Jonin instructors. Naruto looked around the massive room and noticed not only Kakashi but Gai too. As well as a woman with brown hair standing with Hinata, and a man smoking a cigarette standing with Shikamaru and Choji.
"Anything interesting happen in the forest?" Kakashi asked, eyeing the two of them closely.
"I almost got eaten by a giant snake" Naruto replied, still annoyed that he was almost digested.
"Oh? Anything else?" Kakashi asked. He turned his attention to Sakura who shook her head.
"Nothing really" she lied. The demanding look in Sasuke's eyes caused her to answer before she could decide if she wanted to lie or not. Kakashi didn't say anything, and instead nodded.
"The fight will end with a knock out or one of you surrenders. Killing is not forbidden but I strongly advise against fighting with the intent to kill" Hayate went over the rules. Yoroi's face was covered by a cloth and sunglasses, but even from where Naruto was, he could tell he was smirking.
"Sasuke's going to mop the floor with this guy" he sighed. Bored already that he was being forced to wait.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that" Kakashi said, but didn't elaborate on why. Sakura looked worried, but she too wouldn't say why. The blond took another look around and his eyes lingered on Hinata. She was currently talking with the brown-haired woman whose name he couldn't remember, the two of them were smiling at one another and Naruto was glad to see her okay. Hinata must have felt him looking at her because she turned to look at him and the smile faded. Instead, she looked worriedly at his tattered state. He smiled at her to reassure her that he was okay, and he could see the worry slowly fade away.
The fight had already started and when Naruto turned to see what was going on Sasuke and Yoroi were airborne. Sasuke was shadowing Yoroi and Naruto couldn't help but be surprised. He looked towards Rock Lee who was also shocked at what he was seeing. Sasuke was currently in the same position that Rock Lee was in when the two of them fought.
"Lion's Barrage" Sasuke's voice rang out as he drove his foot into Yoroi's gut, the ground beneath him cracking from the impact.
"I looked away for a second and the match is over already?" Naruto's annoyance didn't escape Sakura, who was all too quick to boast on Sasuke's behalf. Kakashi on the other hand, said nothing. He noticed what others hadn't, a trail of black markings spreading across Sasuke's body before he seemed to get it under control.
"Hey, where are you going, Kakashi-Sensei?" Sakura asked as Kakashi made his way towards Sasuke.
"I'll be back in a bit" he answered, but that was all they got out of him. Naruto and Sakura watched as Kakashi and Sasuke exchanged some words before the two of them walked off together.
"I wonder what that was about" Naruto thought aloud. Sakura didn't say anything. she had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with that bruise on Sasuke's neck.
"Hey Sakura, I'll be back too. I'm gonna go check on Hinata" Naruto said, noticing that Hinata was finally done with her conversation. Sakura nodded, though she felt a little annoyed that Naruto didn't bother to ask if she was okay. She watched as he walked away and shuddered as she thought about the feral Naruto—the glutaral roar still made the hairs stand on end.
"Hey, Hinata" Naruto stopped next the Hyuga who let out a small 'Eep.'
"H-hi, Naruto-Kun" she smiled shyly.
"I could really use the moment to stretch my legs. Feel up to?" he asked, Hinata looked towards the match that was about to begin, her teammate Shino Aburame against someone named Zaku Abumi. Naruto looked at this Zaku and felt annoyed but couldn't place way. He tore his eyes away from the two and turned to face Hinata again. "It's okay if you want to watch the match" he reassured, not wanting to pull her away from cheering for her teammate.
He made to walk away but she reached out for his hand. Her cool palm enveloped his warm one; "N-no. I-I'll g-go. S-Shino-K-Kun w-will w-win" Hinata managed to get out. "I can't believe I grabbed his hand. I hope he doesn't get mad at me for it" she thought, relishing in the boldness of her own move. She felt her heart practically wear itself out from how fast it was pumping, nearly exploding when Naruto closed his hand around hers. Her face was burning red and she was unbelievably grateful that no one paid them any mind. At least, not that she noticed.
"N-Naruto-Kun, w-where a-are w-we g-going?" she asked, cursing herself for reverting to being shy around him. They were walking down a hallway with doors on either side, they all appeared to be locked but that was just a guess as Naruto didn't stop to check any of them.
"If I'm honest Hinata, I really just wanted to get away from everyone" he admitted. He looked back and though he was smiling, Hinata could see the sadness in his eyes.
"A-are y-you okay, Naruto-Kun?" she pried, hoping that for once he wouldn't shut her out. He stopped, and suddenly the Hyuga heiress was very aware that they were alone and that he had yet to release her hand.
"Do you remember when I came back to the leaf all those years ago?" Naruto's voice was soft and small, something that made Hinata's heart ache. He sounded vulnerable and childlike, something she wasn't used to hearing. She could only nod as words seemed to defy her.
"When I was gone…where I grew up…I…" his words trailed off. He wasn't even sure why he was thinking about that time but being in the forest, hearing that sinister voice in his head, feeling the presence of who was undoubtedly that man, made the boy feel hollow inside. Something that he hadn't felt in so long. He squeezed Hinata's hand before letting it go with a deep sigh.
"It's nothing. Never mind" he smiled at her again.
"Naruto-Kun…" Hinata wanted to stop him and pull him close to her, but she could only watch as the blond walked back to the arena. What was he about to say that was tearing him up so much inside, and why was it something that was on his mind now? No matter how much she admired the boy, and how she felt about him, he was still as much a mystery to her now, as the day he walked right up to her and asked to be her friend.
Naruto waited for Hinata at the end of the hall upset with himself that he couldn't just be open with the one person he just knew would understand. Yet, a little part of him couldn't help but think that she would run screaming from him if she knew the truth about him. The number of lives he snuffed out, the fact that he had a demon in him, or that he kept feeling this unquenchable rage inside himself that wouldn't subside, all seemed like good reasons for anyone to run away from him. He just wasn't sure if he could handle it if she did. He was about to say something as she approached him and was shocked into silence when Hinata threw her arms around his waist and hugged him.
"No matter what Naruto-Kun, I'll always be here for you" she said, her muffled voice was soft and encouraging. Naruto uncertainly wrapped his arms around her and now he too suddenly felt very aware that they were alone, and in each other's arms. Little did he know Hinata was screaming in triumph that she not only managed to say what she was feeling without stuttering, but she also managed to hug the blond. And what was more was that he hugged her back. Her poor heart was beating so fast she was sure she would die and she didn't care one bit if this was the moment it happened.
"Well, well. What's going on here?" Sakura's bright green eyes took in the scene. The accusing smile on her face made Hinata push away from Naruto in instant.
"N-nothing!" the Hyuga exclaimed, trying her best to hide her red face and giddy smile.
"Yeah…nothing. Right" Sakura replied, looking between the two of them. "You're up…Naruto" she said, gesturing over her shoulder that everyone was waiting for him.
"What happened to your face Sakura?" Naruto asked as he walked past her.
"Ino happened" his teammate replied. "It was a draw" she admitted in defeat.
"Ah, that's okay Sakura. I'm sure that next time you'll show Ino who's boss" Naruto reassured, giving her a thumbs up. "Guess I should get going."
"G-good l—" Hinata's words fell short as the door was already closing behind the blond.
"You two looked mighty friendly" Sakura teased the moment the two of them were alone.
"It wasn't like that" Hinata tried to explain but Sakura's laughter left no room for it. Hinata sighed in defeat, it didn't matter if what Sakura thought was going on was perverted or not. Naruto seemed so defeated and sad and she would endure the teasing if it meant she could help him.
After Sakura's fit of laughter died off, the two of them made their way back to the balcony with the others. Sakura gave Hinata a recap of what the two of them missed, some of the fights were over rather quickly and so far, the only one that lasted more than a couple of minutes was between the girl with a giant fan, Temari, and TenTen. That was only because Temari was humoring the other girl, which seemed crueler than the back breaking way she beat her.
Hinata was so focused on Sakura's words that she hadn't realized that Naruto was facing Kiba from her own team. "I don't know who to root for" the confliction was noticeable to Sakura who nudged the Hyuga.
"No matter who you cheer on, I'm sure they both know you want them both to do well" she said, though Hinata knew that would be the case for Naruto, she wasn't sure Kiba would be as understanding. Truthfully, she wasn't sure Naruto would be either, but after that embrace in the hall she was sure he would know no matter what.
She was about to cheer them both on but before she could form the words Kiba was on the attack. She was well aware of Kiba's power and his technique of Beast Mimicry. Naruto looked stunned when Akamaru transformed into a perfect copy of Kiba and even more shocked when the two of them attacked so perfectly in sync. It was something that he had never seen before but it wasn't something that he couldn't handle.
The blond went through a few hand seals but stopped midway through them. "What am I thinking, I can't use that technique on Kiba" he reprimanded himself for even thinking about using the Glyph of Detonation on his teammate. A technique that requires he make direct contact and one he had used only once before because of its destructive power. The force of the blast was enough to send anyone not tagged flying, but anyone within the blast had a small chance of walking away without injury. And the person who did get tagged with the seal would be obliterated.
In his hesitation to use his jutsu, Kiba and Akamaru landed their fang-over-fang attack on Naruto. The claws and rippling wind tore at his flesh and already butchered jacket. The attack lifted him from his feet and sent him flying into the wall on the opposite side of the room where he slid to the ground with a groan.
"Come on Naruto, don't make this fight too easy for me. Let me win with some style" Kiba taunted with a sneer. He was rubbing his nose with a cocky smirk, to him, he had already won.
Naruto pushed himself to his feet and stretched. His neck and back cracked as he made his way towards Kiba and his clone. "This isn't a fair fight for you" he spoke aloud, making Kiba laugh.
"How so? The way I see it, it's two on one and I'm winning so far" he shot back, Akamaru growled in agreement.
"I wouldn't count on it" Naruto replied and with a puff of smoke another Naruto now stood on his left.
"Seems like it's an even fight now" Naruto motioned to his own clone and then at Akamaru.
"If you really think that a measly clone is going to fool us than you really are an idiot!" Kiba shouted as he and Akamaru went charging towards their opponent. When Naruto's clone grabbed hold of Akamaru and sent the Kiba clone crashing to the ground with a practiced throw, the real Kiba jumped back to avoid the other Naruto.
"What the hell trick is that? There's no way that a clone could actually hurt someone" he complained in confusion.
"It's not a clone. It's a shadow clone" Naruto said. Everyone save for Sakura and Kakashi, who came back at the start of the match, was surprised to hear that Naruto was able to use such a skill.
"No way, how could he possibly know such an advanced technique?" Ino's shrill voice could be heard complaining making both Naruto and Kiba clench their teeth at the frequency.
"So, what if you can make a real clone. It's still not enough to beat me" Kiba growled. Akamaru had made his way back to Kiba's side and the two Kiba's prepared to attack again.
"If one isn't enough then how about fifty?" Naruto asked, he had placed both hands in his pockets and looked bored.
"C-can Naruto really make that many clones?" Ino, who was now standing with Sakura and Hinata asked. Sakura smiled smugly and nodded.
"He can make more than that" she boasted on behalf of the blond. She may have tied with Ino in their fight, but she was going to brag about her teammates if she could.
"There's no way. Not even Jonin can do—" Ino's words fell short as the arena filled with Naruto clones from wall to wall.
"What do you think Kiba? Is this more fair?" Naruto asked, looking at his opponent.
"T-that's…not…possible" Sakura's smug smile grew as she looked at Ino's face of disbelief.
"So, this is Naruto's full power?" The pinkette looked over at Shikamaru and Choji and couldn't help but feel pride that everyone was in shock by her teammate's power.
"It doesn't matter how many of you there are!" Kiba's voice sounded angry. "I'm not about to lose to you" he added, but Naruto just shrugged.
"Maybe this many was a bit much, hm… maybe I should have only made ten" the blond was in his own world contemplating if he went overboard or not while Kiba was busy fending off clone after clone. "Maybe I should have made them stronger" he thought aloud as he watched Kiba dispatch another clone. "Oh, I know!" an idea suddenly came to him as he watched Kiba continue to defeat the clones.
Naruto waited until Kiba was down to the last few clones before he prepared his final attack After a few hand seals, he held his hand up to his mouth.
"No way, did Naruto learn to use the fireball technique like Sasuke?" Sakura's disbelief was genuine as she watched the similar motion of the blond and compared it to her raven-haired teammate. "I had no idea he could do that."
"Naruto really is full of surprises, isn't he?" Ino's mouth was open in pure amazement, and even Hinata had to wonder if Naruto managed to learn a fire technique like Sasuke's.
"He can't" Kakashi said, catching the attention of the three of them. "The jutsu Naruto is about to use is similar to Sasuke's fireball jutsu, but it's not a fire technique" he explained. He was having a hard time believing that Naruto was capable of using the skill he was attempting to use but if he managed to actually pull it off, then Kakashi would have no choice but to admit he would be impressed.
"Wind Style: Spiraling Wind Ball!" Naruto's voice rang out and a ball of wind formed in front of his mouth with his hand as the guide. Just as Kiba dispatched the final clone he turned to take this ball of wind straight to the gut which sent him barreling into the wall opposite Naruto.
"When did Naruto learn to use a wind style Jutsu?" Sakura asked Kakashi in disbelief, but he didn't have an answer either.
The blond launched another ball of wind at Akamaru which sent the pup flying across the chamber as well.
"The winner of this round—Naruto Uzumaki" Hayate announced.
"He chose a technique with a lot of power and that he was capable of using in quick succession…" Kakashi was impressed, even if he knew Naruto was far stronger than he was letting on, he couldn't help but be more impressed that he held back so much to begin with.
"You sure have some strong teammates" Ino's flabbergasted expression made Hinata want to laugh as she watched Ino and Sakura start to argue.
She felt bad that her teammate lost, but at the same time she was overjoyed that Naruto won. As she turned to see the blond walking towards them, she smiled.
"W-well done, N-Naruto-Kun" she said, but Naruto brushed it off.
"Nah, it was nothing. Kiba was really strong. I didn't think he would manage to beat all the clones" he replied. The way he was being humble made Hinata want to hug him all over again but refrained from doing so. Noticing the cuts on his arm, she reached into her pouch and unscrewed the lid.
"What's that stuff?" Naruto asked as he watched Hinata practically force him to let her apply the cream.
"It's an ointment" she answered with sternness. "I can't leave you alone for a second without you coming back to me hurt or bloody" she rubbed his arm with the ointment before realizing what she had just said and that not only did she say it to Naruto, but she said it in front of everyone. Her face grew redder than normal but she refused to take her eyes off Naruto's wounds. "I d-didn't m-mean that t-the w-way I-it s-sounded" she said. And though the others understood the clarification, it went over Naruto's head, who hadn't taken what she said in any particular way other than her being friendly.
"You're the best Hinata" Naruto praised, unsure why Sakura and Ino were smiling the way they were, and instead focused on pulling his arm free from the Hyuga. "I'm okay, I'm okay" he complained. "You've done more than enough for me" he added, making Hinata shrink in embarrassment. No one said anything as the two of them stood side-by-side, and it was only out of the corner of her eye did Hinata see Sakura and Ino whispering about her and Naruto.
"Say Hinata" Naruto reached for Hinata's hand subtly, his fingers grazing the back of her hand.
"Y-yes?" she asked, not sure if she should take his hand or not.
"Have I thanked you yet?" he asked, turning to face her. She smiled that he was asking her that again before she shook her head. "I will" he said, yet again making her wonder what exactly he meant and why he wouldn't simply say 'thank you.'
"The next match will be Hinata Hyuga vs Neji Hyuga" Hayate called out.
"Hey you're up!" Naruto said excitedly but when he turned to look at Hinata he couldn't help but notice all the color drained from her face. "Hinata are you okay?" his voice seemed to snap her back to reality.
"I-I…" Hinata couldn't even manage to get the words out from how afraid she was feeling. Looking at Naruto's concerned face did nothing to ease her feelings of fear.
"Try not to disappoint the Hyuga name" Neji Hyuga stopped next to the two of them just long enough to get what he wanted to say out. Naruto didn't like the implication of those words and went to give this Neji a piece of his mind but Hinata's small hand in his own made him stop.
"It's okay" she mumbled before following after Neji.
"Do your best Hinata!" Naruto called after her, but she didn't turn back. He made his way to Kakashi and Sakura, taking his place next to the two of them. "Say Kakashi-sensei…who is that guy anyway?" Naruto asked, eyeing Neji with disdain.
"He's Hinata's older cousin" Naruto turned to look at Hinata's sensei, as she took a spot next to Kakashi. "Neji is…a bit rough around the edges and takes his life as a shinobi very seriously. It's his duty to protect Hinata" she informed them, but something in her tone made Naruto like Neji less.
"More so, I've heard that there is bad blood in that family" Naruto and Sakura now turned to see Rock Lee standing with them.
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, Lee turned to look at Neji and Hinata.
"You've heard of the clans in Konoha. Clans like the Uchiha and Hyuga clan. The Hyuga is split into two branches, the main branch and side branch. Lady Hinata is part of the main branch; her father is the current clan head. Whereas my teammate Neji is part of the side branch. It is rumored that there is bad blood between the two branches because of the rules set in place" Lee explained, turning to look towards Naruto. An underlying warning in his words.
"This match is like a family feud then" Sakura seemed saddened by this revelation.
Naruto remembered Lee's words from before about Neji Hyuga being the strongest member of team Gai. If Lee was strong enough to beat Sasuke, that meant that Neji must be more than capable of doing so too.
"You may begin when you're ready" Hayate instructed. He took a few steps away from the two. Neji had his back to the balcony but by the look on Hinata's face, Naruto could tell she felt inferior.
"Hinata, listen to me. Withdraw from this match. You know you were never meant to be a ninja. You're too kind and gentle, always seeking harmony. You're easily swayed by other people. Someone like that isn't fit to be a ninja. You're too timid and feel inferior to everyone else here. Admit it; you only joined the Chunin exams because Kiba and Shino wanted to join, right?" Neji's smug tone didn't falter once while speaking. But Hinata shook her head in defiance.
"You're wrong. I-I wanted…I had to find out…I did it because I wanted to see if I could change" Hinata's soft voice carried a slight edge of rebellion to it.
"Hinata…you're the pampered offspring of the main branch. People can't change no matter how hard they try" Neji's words bit harshly at Hinata's confidence. "They can't run away from their true nature. A failure will always be a failure. People are judged by their true nature. That is why we have elites, and why we have outcasts. We can change our physical appearance, improve our skills with training, but ultimately, we are judged by what we can't change and we must endure those things. Just as I have to endure that you were born into the elite main branch of our clan, while I am from a lesser branch. I can see this clearly thanks to my Byakugan. Despite your brave words, what you're really thinking is that you'd like to run. Run as far away from here as you can" Neji kept biting chunks of Hinata's confidence away, something that was working very well.
"Byakugan?" Sakura asked Kakashi, but it was Naruto who answered.
"It's the Kekkei Genki of the Hyuga clan…Hinata told me about it."
"Correct, it's similar to that of Sasuke's Sharingan. Though it is said that the Byakugan is stronger than even the Sharingan" Kakashi added.
"Stronger…than the Sharingan" Sakura repeated in awe.
"My eyes cannot be deceived" Neji kept speaking with an air of authority. "For just a moment your eyes flickered to the upper left corner of the room, revealing to me that you're thinking of your past, your mental trauma haunts you. Then your eyes drifted to the bottom right, telling me everything I need to know about your mental and physical condition. You're seeing your old self and wondering if your life has prepared you for this moment. You see yourself losing. And the way you're holding your arms in front of your body like that tells me that you're trying to build a wall between us. You're trying to keep me away, trying to stop me from raiding the deepest recesses of your mind. And why? Because everything I've said is true. That familiar gesture of putting your finger to your lips, I know that it's a way to try and keep the panic from taking you over. But you can't hide it from me, you are what you are, whether you admit it or not, you already know" Neji's words seemed to be doing the trick, Hinata hadn't said a word since he began his rant and with each word it sunk deeper and deeper into her core.
"Who are you to tell her who she can and can't be?" Naruto demanded from the balcony. Everyone turned to see Naruto glaring at Neji. "Damnit Hinata, are you gonna listen to this guy run his mouth like that? Go ahead and show him that he's wrong" Naruto yelled, snapping Hinata from her stupor. "You're driving me crazy letting this guy say all that crap."
"If you don't quit, you know what will happen" Neji warned. But for all his talk, Hinata's Byakugan came to life.
"Defend yourself, cousin" Hinata ordered, taking her stance.
"Very well" Neji replied, taking a similar stance.
"They're the same" Ino commented. Lee nodded.
"Yes, it is the Hyuga style of Taijutsu. The gentle fist" he explained, his eyes hardened. "I've said it before but…that man is probably the strongest genin to ever come out of the hidden leaf village" his eyes were fixed upon Neji's back, a clear respect in his words.
The group of them watched as Hinata and Neji dashed towards one another. In the blink of an eye, they were attacking. Naruto had seen Hinata train before, her Taijutsu was impressive and he always wanted to watch her do it. But watching her face off with Neji Hyuga was something he'd never seen before. They were going blow for blow. Exchanging open palm for open palm, but something was off about the way the flow of strikes was going.
"They're evenly matched" Sakura said in surprise, but Naruto shook his head.
"No, Neji has the advantage" he corrected and Kakashi cast a side eye at Naruto.
"What do you mean, they're matching strikes back and forth" Sakura insisted but again Naruto shook his head.
"I don't know what it is…but Hinata's losing…" though he tried to hide it, he couldn't keep the bitterness out of his tone. He couldn't accept that Hinata was about to lose to someone like Neji.
"You've a keen eye, Naruto" Kakashi complimented, though the blond didn't care much for the praise.
"The way the Gentle fist works is different than the way Lee and I fight" Gai joined them, taking a spot next to Kakashi. "You see, Lee and I fight inflicting external damage to our opponents. The Hyuga way is to attack the opponent's internal organs and chakra network. It's subtle, but it eventually takes effect, to devasting results" Gai explained, only stopping when Kakashi cleared his throat.
"Furthermore, the Hyuga fight by attacking the chakra network of their opponent and they do so with frightening accuracy. You see, you can train your body but you can't train your internal organs. This style of Taijutsu is effective against even the toughest opponents" Kakashi concluded, but Sakura looked confused still.
"Say, Kakashi-Sensei, how do they know where to attack? I mean the chakra network is invisible to the naked eye, right? So, how do they know?" she asked, looking at both Kakashi and Gai.
"It's because of the Byakugan, Sakura" Naruto answered before either of the Jonin could. "There are very few things that are invisible to those eyes" he added, remembering how nervous Hinata was explaining to him why the Byakugan was so powerful.
"What's more, when they strike, they use a small amount of their own chakra and drill it into their opponent's chakra network" Kakashi again was quick to add on to the explanation.
Hinata and Neji stopped swinging and for a moment there was a tension that was suffocating. Hinata's arm was outstretched but Neji seemed unfazed by whatever it as that just happened. Hinata coughed, blood spraying from her mouth.
"What the hell…I saw Hinata hit him straight on" Sakura was baffled as she watched Neji counter Hinata's next couple of strikes. Neji pulled back Hinata's sleeve to reveal a dozen or so red marks up and down her arm.
"You really never stood a chance" Neji said, the look of disappointment in his eyes reached all the way to the balcony. "I could see your chakra points this whole time but you didn't even realize what was going on. It's sad to think that this is the power of the main branch" he shook his head as he continued.
"What is he talking about now?"
"The chakra network is made up of three hundred and sixty-one points throughout the entire body. Each point is no bigger than the head of a pin. Those with the Byakugan can see these pin heads and by using the Gentle fist style of Taijutsu can shut off chakra flow by striking those points. Neji is capable of seeing these points even in the heat of battle" Kakashi finished explaining just as Neji shoved his palm into Hinata's chest, sending her flying back.
"From the moment you said you wouldn't run; your fate was sealed. You were destined for failure. And now you're consumed with hopelessness. Now this is your final warning. Forfeit this match" Neji ordered again. Hinata, with blood dripping into a puddle underneath her, pushed herself to stand.
"I never…go back…on my word…because that too is my ninja way" Hinata struggled to say. Naruto was stunned. Had she really adopted his own personal ninja way?
"I never realized how tough Hinata is" Sakura commented, Lee nodding in agreement.
"She's a lot like you, Naruto" Lee added, turning to face the blond.
"Come to think of it, you guys do spend a lot of time together. And she's always watching you" Sakura pointed out. Naruto turned his attention back to Hinata. It was as if for the first time he was seeing her, really seeing her, for the person she is and not the person he wanted to see.
Neji rushed in landing another hit to Hinata, she stumbled back but refused to fall. Another hit, and the same result. No matter how many strikes Neji would land, Hinata refused to give.
"Why?" Naruto mumbled.
"What's that Naruto?" Sakura asked, she took a step away from him when she looked at him. "Na…ru…to?"
"Why does…he keep…" Naruto's words were growing ragged and angry.
"Kakashi-Sensei…" Sakura wanted to tell Kakashi that Naruto was about to lose control like he did in the forest but the sound of that growl in his voice robbed of her of her voice.
"Why does he keep hitting my Hinata!?" Naruto demanded, leaping from the balcony straight towards the two Hyuga. "YOU BASTARD!" he roared as he plummeted towards his now enemy.
Hinata fell to her knees as she watched Naruto rocketing towards Neji. She was powerless to move let alone say anything. 'N-Naruto…Kun' before she could even finish her thoughts, she was unconscious.
The sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed through the chamber.
The only thing louder was the frenzied roar of one Naruto Uzumaki.
AN: Woo. This took me all day to write because I wanted to do it right. And because I had to take breaks in between to heat and ice my hands. But here it is, the moment that will set Naruto on his path to destroy Neji. And what's this about "My Hinata?"
Guess you'll just have to wait and see what happens on the next episode of Dragon ball Z…oh wait…wrong announcer. Uh…Naruto.