Hinata and Neji both activate their byakugan. Hinata knows that Lord Fugaku is right: she can beat Neji. But she also knows Neji will win. Whether he loses or not, he will win.

Neji will win because his words cut deeper than any kunai, and those are the wounds that do the most damage.

Hinata knows that most of the Hyuuga clan does not approve of her friendship with Naruto and the pranks they pull together. Neji probably parroted most of what he told her.

And he most definitely got what he did parrot from their grandfather, which makes if far worse.

Neji and Hinata exchange blows, with Neji blocking off the chakra points in Hinata's arms. As the fight progresses, Hinata finds it more and more difficult to focus her chakra for the gentle fist.

Neji goads Hinata, telling her as they fight that he can tell she is afraid, that he can tell that every word he says hits the mark, and he is right of course. Neji tells Hinata that she should give in to fear and quit now, because he can see that she knows he will win.

There is only more pain in store if she continues to fight him. That is what Neji says.

Hinata can do this. Hinata can beat Neji. That is what Naruto says.

Hinata squares her shoulders and fights back.

And then Neji hits the chakra point beside Hinata's heart.

Blood. So much blood.

And all Hinata can see are Neji's cruel, cruel eyes.

And buried deep behind the cruel facade, she can see he is hiding how much he is hurting. His own hurt is buried beneath the way he cruelly tells Hinata that she is beaten.

But she gets back up. Hinata stands on her feet and looks Neji in the eyes before telling him she will never give up, because that is her ninja way.

Neji shows no mercy and soon Hinata is back on the floor, spitting up blood. Hayate tries to call the match, but Naruto tells him not to.

Madoka tries to tell Naruto that Hinata cannot fight anymore, but Naruto tells him to shut up, Hinata is stronger than this, he insists.

So long as Naruto believes in her, why does what Neji thinks matter? Hinata gets back up.

Neji demands to know why Hinata bothered to get back up. He thinks she will die if she continues to fight. But Hinata must fight. Hinata cannot let Naruto think she is weak.

Hinata tells Neji that the match is not over.

Neji glares at her with those cruel, pain filled eyes and insists that Hinata is nothing, that it is taking all her strength to stand. The match is over, and she should just accept that he is stronger.

But Hinata smiles, because she knows that even though she lost the match, Neji did not win anything. It is Neji who is in the most pain, caught between the main house and branch house. Neji is the one who cannot accept his so called destiny. Neji is suffering far more than Hinata, and she tells him so.

Now Neji is angry and he charges at Hinata, ready to kill her if that is what his blow does.

But then Hayate is standing between them, and Kakashi sensei, Gai sensei and Kurenai sensei are holding Neji back. Gai sensei tells Neji he is an idiot to drag personal hatred into the match, but Neji is still defiant, insisting they are all just favouring the main house.

Pain explodes in Hinata's chest, and she falls to the ground. The last thing she sees before the darkness takes over is Naruto's face.

"HINATA!" Naruto screams in terror. All his anger is gone, replaced by crippling fear that his best friend will die. Naruto runs to Hinata's side, but her eyes close.

The medics carry Hinata away, and Naruto clenches his fists.

"Hey, blonde kid!" jeers Neji.

Naruto turns slowly to face Neji.

"That's right, I'm talking to you, delinquent!" Neji continues. "Why do you bother with such a weakling? You are obviously much stronger than Hinata - forget about her, she is not worth your time."

Naruto feels an odd, cold rage creep over him. He bends down and sticks his hand in a pool of Hinata's blood. Then he straightens up and says, "Hinata is my best friend, and I will not let you get away with what you have done." He hold out his hand, the one with Hinata's blood dripping off it. "I will fight you," says Naruto calmly, as a brief image of a giant fox cowering in a giant cage flashes across his mind. "And I will BEAT you, Neji Hyuga!" Naruto meets Neji's eye and adds, "So you better be ready to fight me in the finals."

Neji barely reacts, but Naruto makes up his mind right then and there that he will beat Neji no matter what. He needs to show Neji something important. Naruto turns and heads back to the balcony, where Iruka-nii is standing with his arms crossed, glaring at Neji and radiating some scary killing intent. Everyone else looks somewhere between shocked and horrified.

Naruto stands beside Kakashi sensei and grabs onto his ANBU's sleeve. When Iruka sensei is radiating killing intent it is best not to touch him until he calms down. Kakashi sensei pats Naruto's head and whispers, "Kick that kid's ass in the finals."

"Naruto, if you hadn't egged Hinata on like that, she wouldn't have gotten so badly hurt!" snaps Madoka ready to pick a fight with Naruto.

"No!" says Sasuke, surprising everyone. "Hinata still would have got hurt, but at least Neji didn't break her spirit."

Naruto grips Kakashi sensei's sleeve tighter, grateful to Sasuke for standing up for him.

"How do you know that?" demands Madoka. "We won't know that until she wakes up!"

"That is enough," says Mr. Nice Police Chief sternly. "We cannot change what happened, nor should we speculate about what might have been. Let's just watch the next match."

One of the kids from the Hidden Sand, the one who tried to beat up Konohamaru that time, walks over to their balcony and says, "Hey! You guys are all way more cheerful than that lot." He jerks his thumb over at the other balcony.

"Go away," says Naruto. "I don't like bullies."

Sasuke, who seems bolder than normal for some reason, and is still hanging on to Shino, says, "You look like a fat cat with downs' syndrome."

"Sasuke!" scold Mr. Nice Police Chief. "That's not nice!"

"But it's true."

"That doesn't make it nice."

Sasuke blushes and turns back to the arena with a "Hmf."

"What's the deal with that Neji guy?" asks the Sand kid.

"He's a jerk, and I'm going to kick his ass," says Naruto. Then he sees who has been selected for the next match. "Wait..aren't those two Karin's team mates?"

"Sai VS Shin," the screen reads.

Karin's team mates head down into the arena. The two strange boys stand quietly while Hayate announces the match and tells them to begin.

"Why do those two seem familiar?" asks Mr. Nice Police Chief.

"They were both part of Danzo's training program," replies Kakashi sensei. "This should be a good match."

Shin smiles at Sai and says, "This match was inevitable, you know."

"I know," says Sai, drawing his tanto.

Shin also draws a tanto, and then attacks.

Naruto watches the lightning fast sword fight that follows, or at least tries to. Shin and Sai move so fast Naruto can only see them when they lock blades for a second or pause for second before attacking again.

Then Sai backs away from Shin and asks, "How about we up the stakes a bit?"

Shin pauses mid stride and says, "I thought you would never ask."

Sai pulls out a scroll draws on it and says, "Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll!" Three ink lions leap out of scroll and charge towards Shin, roaring all the way.

Shin jumps backwards, slashing at the lions.

Sai keeps drawing on his scroll. As Shin destroys the last lion, Sai releases a wave of birds. While the birds have Shin distracted, two large ink snakes slither out of the scroll and wrap themselves around Shin.

Shin resists the snakes for all of two seconds before saying, "I yeld!"

"The winner is Sai!" says Hayate.

"But brother," says Sai, releasing his jutsu. "You could have won."

"I am tired from the Forest of Death," says Shin, and breaks out into a burst of coughing. "Besides, I think I caught a cold in there."

"You should get that cough looked at," says Hayate, coughing himself. "That sounded nasty."

"I will if it persists," says Shin.

"Get it looked at now," says Hayate. "There's a virus going around - I should know, I've got it."

"Good grief, Hayate," calls Anko. "What HAVEN'T you got?"

"GOOD HEALTH! Cough, cough, cough."

"Alright, I'll see a doctor," agrees Shin. "But it's just a cold."

"It might be the flu," says Sai helpfully. "Or a deadly lung disease which can't be cured after a certain amount of time, or-"

"'Thank you Sai," says Shin, sighing.

"You're welcome," says Sai, smiling.

"Wait, are they brothers?" asks Kankuro, staring in surprise.

"Yes, dummy," says Naruto. "Shisui told me that Shin and Sai grew up together and trained together, so they're brothers."

"Who's Shisui?" asks Kankuro.

"He is," says Naruto, pointing to Shisui, who is still lying on the balcony floor, fast asleep. "Right now he looks like a homeless man, but he is none other than Shisui of the Shunshin, currently the most feared shinobi in the Hidden Leaf."

"But I like lollies!" Shisui mumbles in his sleep. "Why won't you let me have any!"

Naruto giggles. "Last time we let Shisui eat sugar he got hypo and pretended to be the Yellow Flash."

"Is that guy really the Shisui we are told to run from?" asks Kankuro.

"Yep!"

"YES! MY MATCH IS NEXT!" Lee shouts, doing a little dance of joy.

Naruto turns to the screen and reads, "Rock Lee VS Gaara of the Desert."