Mayu slowly breathed out. She needed to control herself. It was not wise to head into battle with a hot head. Neji was an asshole, but he was a strong asshole. Okay, that just sounded wrong… She mentally shook her head, and then focused on her Hyuga opponent. He was fast, but not as quick as he could be. Right now, he was a genius, but not a super genius as he had been in his fight with Naruto. Perhaps she could not beat him, but she could take him. Mayu had not been just sitting on her butt since the last time she was here. She vigorously trained to get stronger. Even if she had not expected to be placed here again. And in another's body, at that.

She closed her eyes for a moment. Well… Now was not the time to ponder her dilemma. What she needed was to figure out a way to best Neji. Honestly, she had been satisfied humiliating him with that butt prank. However, it was something about being on the receiving end—even if Neji had not known—that had riled her up. Now, her satisfaction lied only with beating him down so hard that he would never underestimate another. Mayu rushed forward, deciding to come up with a plan once she gauged how he fought. Sure, she had seen him, but she, of course, she had not experienced it firsthand. She wanted to test herself. The girl curled her fingers, and then launched a punch forward. This proved to be futile because Neji was faster than she was. He blocked and dodged every punch thrown. He saw an opening in her defenses, but Mayu quickly jumped back when she saw that Neji's eyes diverted from her face for a split second.

She backed up a little more, panting. "Ninja really are on a totally different level!" she thought. "Obviously, he's faster than me. But with a bit of help from my sudden counterpart…!" Again, Mayu charged at Neji. This time, she used the combined speed of herself and Hinata, plus chakra to get that extra boost. Neji, not expecting her to gain this much speed, froze in shock as Mayu's leg collided with his chest. The Hyuga male was sent flying back right into the wall! Mayu smirked, putting her leg back down. "He may have poked Hinata's arm, but I can still push chakra out of my feet!" she thought.

Neji stood up, palm against his chest. He had already suffered a bit of damage during his fight with Hinata. For now, Mayu had the advantage of surprise. She intended to use it until she no longer could. Also, it would be a good idea to keep the genius unbalanced as much as possible. She needed to show him things that could not make sense to him. Mayu pointed a finger at the Hyuga, and then turned her hand up, beckoning him with a single finger. Practically snarling, Neji did as suggested. He charged, gearing up to unleash his Gentle Fist upon her. Mayu hastily made a grab for his wrists before he could. Too late, she realized her mistake. Neji lifted his leg, nailing her right in the stomach. The sharp kick caused her to double over, grip around his wrist becoming slack. Neji followed up with a vicious upward palm thrust.

Mayu crashed landed a few meters away. Crap. That hurt. It sent tingles from her jaw all the way down to her toes. Very unpleasant tingles. Had that been his chakra invading her system? Still, she learned something from that bout. Neji's strongest weapon was his hands. His feet and legs were not as strong at this point. Mayu shakily stood up, holding her abused belly. Still hurt, though. Her eyes shifted elsewhere, attempting to locate anything that could help her. She found help in the form of Hinata's jacket, lying harmlessly on the ground where she had thrown it. Nearly directly behind where Hyuga Neji currently stood. Of course, it would not be easy to retrieve it. She could not draw his suspicion while she worked her plan out. Therefore, a bit of feint was necessary. They were, after all, ninja.

Running towards Neji, Mayu concentrating on condensing chakra. The genius moved to hit her, but Mayu shot up, maneuvering her body midair in order to land behind him. She crouched on all fours, and then launched a kick upward. Neji, sharply turned, catching her ankle before the sole of her shoe could reach him. "Did you really think I would fall for the same trick twice?" he asked in a condescending manner. "You think I don't know that you're trying to get inside my blind spot?" The second question had barely been a whisper. Instead of answering, Mayu used the leverage he had on her foot to lash out with the other. He blocked that one with his other arm.

Wasting no time, Mayu moved on hand, crossing her arms. She then twisted her body, jerking herself from Neji's grip. The heel of her free foot hit the shinobi's neck. Distracted, Neji released her. The girl repaid him for his earlier attack by tagging him underneath his chin. She did not let up, though. Hard and fast, her feet attacked the Hyuga. Apparently, caught off guard by the style, Neji struggled to defend against the kicks. Mayu would never think to do something like this in her own body, but chakra enhanced her maneuverability quite considerably. Probably sick of defending such an eccentric attack, Neji pushed her hard.

Mayu used the momentum to roll away. Not enough, she continued to roll until she reached the discarded jacket. Her fingers curled around the sleeve of the bloody jacket. She had to hide her smirk. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Neji coming her way fast. Grimacing, Mayu stood up just as his left arm extended, dangerous palm looming closer. Again, she used the combination of herself and Hinata. The combination of chakra cut through the blockage. At least enough so that she could effectively use it. Not for the Gentle Fist, but enough for her to quickly wrap one arm of the jacket around Neji's wrist. She yanked on the jacket and turned at the same time. With her other arm, she elbowed Neji in the face, aiming at his eyes. Rapidly, she switched to a backfist, and then another elbow strike to his throat.

Effectively incapacitating the Hyuga, Mayu orbited around him, roughly pulling Neji's arms behind him. She kicked at the back of his legs, causing him to buckle. The girl forced him down to his knees while simultaneously wrapping the other sleeve around the other wrist. Done, she tied the jacket into a knot, locking Neji's arms into place. She crossed his arms and tied the jacket tightly around his other wrist. Mayu stood behind him, panting through clenched teeth. She reached for his long hair and pulled. Neji stared up at her, wide-eyed and clearly unnerved. She had, after all, rendered his combat style useless against her. Neji grit his teeth, fiercely struggling against the binds.

"All for naught," Mayu told him, clamping her other hand around his shoulder. "This jacket is stronger and more durable than rope. Plus, the blood you've caused has made it stronger." She smirked. "How does it feel, onii-san? Will you remember this moment in future battles?" She leaned closer. "I certainly won't."

"Y-You… have changed," Neji murmured, appearing baffled.

"The life of a ninja tends to do that," Mayu retorted. She hoisted Neji onto his feet. He fruitlessly attempted a kick. Mayu merely danced out of the way. "You rely on your hands too much. Kicks are ineffective for you." She evaded another strike. Abruptly, her leg lifted in an axe kick, hitting the bottom of her opponent's chin. The impact raised him from the floor. Mayu went after him. During her descent, she turned once, hugging her thighs. The soles of her shoes smashed against Neji's head, slamming him against the floor again. "SHAZAAM!"

Holding back her own smugness, Mayu crossed her arms as she admired her handiwork. Without use of his arms, Neji almost seemed pitiful. More than likely, he had never been put in this position. It was his own fault, really. By not expecting much, he made himself vulnerable when Hinata suddenly gave more than expected. His mind could not catch up. Mayu shook her head, mildly disappointed he had remained unchanged during their battle. Sure, Hinata had done well in weakening her cousin for her, and it truly had been an uphill fight, but she knew that the likes of Hyuga Neji could have done better. But the so-called genius had been too wrapped up in his fate. If Hinata had been taken seriously from the beginning, surely Neji would not be in his current situation. Mayu almost wished that he had so that she could have a more accurate comparison between herself and a prodigy. Speaking of prodigies, perhaps a more accurate comparison lied with Uchiha Sasuke. He actually knew who she was and wanted the challenge. He definitely had gotten stronger during the chuunin exam.

"Chuunin exam…" Mayu muttered. Then a sudden thought occurred to her. She was smackdab in the middle of the exam right now. With ninja from all over watching. Eyes widening, she took her focus off Neji and began examining the room. She did a doubletake, spotting a certain red head. Realization slowly formed and her lips parted. She inhaled sharply, realizing just exactly who stared back at her. The girl released an excited squeal as she cupped her cheeks. "Dream comes true!" Giggling to herself, she hesitantly wiggled her fingers at him. Gaara of the Sand. The boy remained impassive, but the slightest confusion flitted across his face. Too cute. No longer able to control herself—for the inner fangirl had been unleashed—Mayu ran towards the stairs.

She took the stairs three at a time and ran towards the team from Suna. She slid to a stop in front of the siblings. She, of course, recognized Temari and Kankuro, but her focus was on their little brother. They seemed too bewildered to speak anyway. Logic be damned, she slowed her movements, but edged closer. "H-Hello, Gaara-kun," Mayu greeted with a bow of her head. So focused, she was completely unaware that the proctor warned her of her impending loss if she did not return to the arena floor. "My name is Ma—ah… I mean, my name is Hyuga Hinata." She scratched her cheek and shifted her eyes to the side. "But you can call me Mayu-chan if you want. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Ma… Mayu…?"

At the sound of her name on his tongue, Mayu squealed and clasped her hands together. She subconsciously ran in place, excited that her favorite knew her name now. "HINATA!" A shout from the other side broke through her rapid fangirl state. She recognized Naruto's loud voice. Sharply, she turned to look his way. "What are you doing?! You're going to lose!"

"Eh…?" Mayu peered over the railing to see the proctor holding up his hand. Only two fingers remained sticking up. Apparently, she had been given a countdown. "Uwaa…!" She leapt on the metal railing, preparing to jump, but the last finger went down before she could a move.

"By forfeit, Hyuga Hinata gives the match to Hyuga Neji," Hayate announced.

Mayu's mouth dropped open as the man coughed, a bit harshly, but he shook his head as well. Nothing could be done about the rules. Mayu looked towards Neji. He was still on the floor. She nearly wailed at the sight. She had lost to a person who could not even move well. Huffing in disappointment, the girl slipped off the railing. Actually, it was good that she had lost. The whole plot would have been completely jacked if she had won. Still, it was a bit embarrassing to realize Rapid Fangirl Syndrome could affect her so completely. Speaking of which… Her eyes turned back to the person who held her affection. His had uncrossed his arms, but his eyes still held suspicion because of her behavior no doubt. It was so cute she could die. However, she did not die. She only fainted. Just like that.

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted.

"What the hell…?" Temari muttered, staring down at the unconscious kunoichi.

0-0

"Are you positive that Hyuga Hinata has never summoned a clone of that nature?"

"No, Hokage-sama," Kurenai answered. "In fact, Hinata has never shown those abilities… or actions either. As her sensei, I know her quite well. That was the first time I had ever seen her behave assertively and aggressively."

"As I thought," the Third Hokage murmured. "That girl… has she finally returned?" he thought.

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, what do you think?" Kurenai asked. "What happened during her match with Neji was strange and should not be ignored. I am concerned with her mental health. But I will be unable to observe her closely because of the exam."

"Yes, you are right," he replied. "I will send someone to watch her during the one-month break."

0-0

Hinata poked her fingers together and stared at the floor as she walked. She paced back and forth in the hospital room. She had no idea what to do. Minutes ago, she had found herself staring up at the ceiling. The preliminaries must have been over by now. She had missed the rest of the matches because of the… other being inside her. The Hyuga breathed deeply, holding her hands together in front of her. She had tried to communicate with this other self, but there had been no response.

The question of whether it was all a dream had been laid to rest quickly. It was plausible that it was a nightmare. Neji could have beaten her so badly that she had fallen unconscious, which led to the nightmare. However, her body was extremely sore—most specifically her legs. Most often, Hinata only used her arms and upper body, choosing not to focus on her lower body. Most Hyuga trained and fought this way. So, having the soreness in her legs told her it was not a dream. What had happened was real.

After the dream theory came the insanity theory. As the former heir to the Hyuga clan, she had been expected to know all about the human body, not just the physical. Although many believed her to be weak, she still had been taught about the human body. Mentally, something could have gone wrong with the brain and a split personality—an alter ego—could form. This was the theory that seemed most plausible now. If she had taken on another personality, then surely, she would not be in her right mind, right? Her father would not take this news well. Also, the personality came out in a clone, during battle. In addition to that, the clone was altered in colors. That was strange. Because of that, the insanity theory was beginning to seem less likely, though she remained stuck on it.

Still, she paced, positively worried. "How will I explain this to my team…?" she questioned herself. Kiba hadn't been there. Shino was a bit on the quiet side, but he was blunt when he spoke. Surely, he would question her behavior in the future. And her sensei… Yūhi Kurenai was like an older sister. She, out of anyone on the team, would be the most concerned about this development. She couldn't very well lie to her—to them. Again, Hinata poked her fingers together. It was a nervous habit she had yet to get rid of. If only she knew what was going on herself…

Suddenly, a yawn filled her ears. Hinata whipped her head around, trying to discover where it came from. There had been no other patients in the room when she had awakened. The yawn came again. It sounded so close. Where was it coming from?

Hinata…?

Ah. Her alter ego. Should she answer back? She had already conversed with the alter already. Still, it seemed so strange. Well, there was no use in ignoring her other self. Besides, she had wanted to speak with this Ishikari Mayu. This was a very important matter, after all. "Y-Yes…?" Hinata replied. The Hyuga looked around the room. Perhaps it was best not to speak out loud.

Please tell me I didn't faint!

"You… You did," she answered. A sigh sounded louder than it should have. Then again, the alter ego was in her mind.

That sucks. So Neji did end up winning?

"Yes…" This time, Hinata replied to her within her head. Pouting could be heard only by Hinata. Swallowing, she waited until Mayu finished ranting to herself. "Um… Mayu-san…? Could we… possibly discuss how you appeared?"

Hm…?

"Are you my split personality?" It was a serious question, so it was quite a shock when laughter was the response.

No, Hinata-chan. As I said, this has happened before.

"With… Sakura-san?"

Yes.

"I see… Is this a type of jutsu? Similar to the Yamanaka clan?"

No, I don't have any relation with that clan. Could you imagine me being blonde? Ha!

"Then what exactly caused this to transpire? Surely this is not normal."

It is not. Sakura and I did not share a body.

"Does that mean the jutsu is growing stronger or weaker?"

I'm not even sure this is the work of a jutsu.

"What else could it be?" For that, Mayu did not seem to have an answer. Despite the sudden lack of comment, the conversation did stifle the insanity theory. This was only a jutsu—meaning its effects were temporary. However, the duration of the jutsu had Hinata worried. This girl, Ishikari Mayu, could not be kept secret for long, could she? Eventually, someone would find out. Hinata frowned a bit. The very thought of possible outcomes made her cringe. What would her clan think of her then? What would her father think? The Hyuga shook her head in a shudder. That would be too much to handle. "Mayu-san, we should hide this for as long as possible," she thought.

I am in full agreement. Who knows what could happen?

"Yes," Hinata nodded her head. For now, it was safer this way. With her team, they would be too busy training Shino for his match in the finals. That gave her some time to think about what to say when the time came. "Now that things are a bit clearer, I will head home. If you become control of my body again, then please try to behave in the way that I do."

Understood, Hinata-sama!

The Hyuga girl blushed. She did sound as though she was giving an order, didn't she? Just as she was about to explain—and apologize—strange noises reached her ears. They sounded much too faint to be coming from Mayu. Hinata walked over to the door and slid it open. The noises had gotten louder. They were coming from inside the room across from hers. It sounded as though someone was struggling. The thought of a patient falling and not being able to get up entered her mind. What if they were hurt?! Without thinking, Hinata opened the door to the room.

Her eyes widened, seeing the occupant of the room. He hadn't been on the floor, struggling to get up. Instead, he was over by the window, attempting to open it. Hinata blinked. He was an old classmate, and currently a teammate of Uzumaki Naruto. Blushing at the thought of the blond shinobi, she cleared her throat. Uchiha Sasuke spun around. Panic was in his eyes for only a second. His eyebrows furrowed as he gave her a once over. Hinata felt self-conscious under his dark gaze. She took a step back in response and lowered her eyes to the floor. "S-Sa-Sasuke-san… I'm so-sorry fo-for-"

"Hinite?" He didn't know her name. "What are you doing here?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I thought you liked Naruto." The blush on her face increased tenfold.

"Na-Na-Na-Naruto-kun…"

Hinata, let me handle this.

Realizing she might faint because of this, the Hyuga nodded her head. Mayu, now in control, grinned at the young Uchiha. "My, my," she began. "I can't believe you have forgotten me so quickly, Sasuke!" The shinobi frowned. "I guess Naruto's beginning to rub off on you, ne?" Sasuke opened his mouth, looking as though he would say something, but then he chose not to. Rolling her eyes, Mayu shook her head. "It's me, Sasuke… or should I call you bird brain?" It took a beat, but then his eyes showed recognition.

"Ma-Mayu…? You're back?" Sasuke questioned, incredulous.

Mayu grinned in response. He remembered her, after all. "In the flesh! Well, not exactly my flesh, but these things tend to happen, so…" She gave a wave. "Sup?" Instead of answering her, Sasuke did something so surprising that Mayu could only stand there, eyes wide. He had moved quickly, but the result was his arms around her. They stayed like that for a few moments before Mayu finally blinked. "S-Sasuke…?" He released her abruptly, going so far as to give her a light shove. He, himself, took a few steps backwards, eyes on an interesting corner of the room.

"Don't… Don't think anything of it," he said. "I just… I thought you died." Sasuke quickly glanced at the girl in front of him before turning his eyes again. "Suddenly, Sakura was back so… I had to lie and say... say you hit your head. Forgot everything. I thought..." He shook his head, composing himself. It took him just a moment. After he composed himself, he cleared his throat. "Where did you go?" His eyes focused in on her.

"Ah… Well, I didn't die," Mayu answered. "I only went back to my own body. This time, I've ended up in Hinata's body, and I still don't know why this is happening."

"What happened the first time?" Sasuke asked, raising a brow.

"I ran… off a cliff!" Her answer seemed a little too fishy. However, Sasuke chose not to question it. "It was pretty bad, too!" She made a face and shook her head. "I was in the hospital for weeks!" The Uchiha refrained from rolling his eyes.

"I'm guessing the same amount of time you were posing as Sakura," he said. "And this time?"

"Pretty sure I drowned..."

"…"

"…"

"Moron..."

"It wasn't my fault!"

"I have a hard time believing that."

"Eff you, bird brain!" She crossed her arms and looked away. Sasuke almost let a chuckle slip. It was so weird seeing Hinata behave this way. But it wasn't Hinata. It was Mayu. She was back. "To think I was happy to see you!"

"You still owe me a fight."

"Ah!" She looked as though she had just remembered. "I do have to kick your ass." Yeah, it was definitely weird to see Hinata acting this way. "I know you got hurt bad, so I won't do it right now..." She trailed off and furrowed her eyebrows. "What were you doing before I got here, anyway?"

"Trying to open up this window!" Sasuke glared at the window. Mayu gave him a flat look. "What?"

"Well, first... this particular window doesn't slide sideways," she told him as she walked over to the troublesome window. "It opens upward!" As she demonstrated opening the window properly, she watched Sasuke's mouth drop open. He was comical enough to make her snicker. "Wow… Someone must have really done a number on you, huh?"

"Shut up," Sasuke grumbled. He walked over, intending to leave via window, but Mayu stopped him.

"Hey, wanna see something cool?" she asked.

"No." Clearly, he was upset about looking like an idiot in front of another person.

"Well, too bad!" Clearly, Mayu was unperturbed about his answer. She then went about performing hand seals. Almost rolling his eyes, the young Uchiha turned to her. She was going so slow that he almost told her to hurry up. However, just as he was about to say something, a puff of smoke appeared beside her body. When it cleared, a clone of Hinata stood in its place. Sasuke reared his head back.

"What's wrong with it?"

"What a rude thing to say!"

"It talks?!" Sasuke sounded really surprised. "I thought it was the regular clone jutsu!"

"No, stupid. This is really me," Mayu spoke. "Well, except for the body... other than that, this is me!" Sasuke looked back and forth between Hinata and the 'clone.' He blinked three times. Finally, his eyes settled on Hinata.

"But, what about-" Sasuke began.

"That's Hinata, bird brain!" Mayu supplied. "And it's Hinata, not Hinite! Honestly, how can you not know your own classmate's name?!" The girl wrapped an arm around the blushing Hyuga's shoulders. "Especially cute little Hinata! She's going to be the future Hokage's wife, you know!" Sasuke stared flatly. "So show some respect to your teammate's bride-to-be!"

"M-Mayu-san…!"

"This is too weird…" Sasuke murmured, deciding to ignore that bizarre prediction. Though, it was nice to know that Mayu had not forgotten anything-like her faith in that blond idiot. "Why are you-?"

"My eyes are blue. My hair is black. And my skin is brown," Mayu explained.

"Brown skin…"

"Are you colored blind now?"

"Shut up." Sasuke glared. "I meant… I've never seen anyone with this skin tone."

"I guess that's true—being in Konoha all your life," Mayu shrugged her shoulders. She suddenly grinned, holding up her fingers. She wiggled them at him. "Does this intimidate you?"

"No," Sasuke answered, swatting her hands down. "You're still an idiot." Mayu stuck her lip out in a pout. She gasped when the Uchiha suddenly grabbed her hands. "You're real!"

"… You sound more and more like an idiot every time you speak."

"The hand seals you used were for the clone jutsu, but you're not just a regular clone. You're like a shadow clone!" He chose to ignore the comment Mayu had made. The girl snatched her hands back.

"So what?"

"This is weird!"

"Newsflash! This whole situation is weird, bird brain!"

"Stop calling me that!"

"What are you gonna do about it?!"

He promptly hit her.

"OW! What the hell was that for?!"

"I thought you'd disappear."

"Haha! I only go back into Hinata's body when I want to!"

"Damn…"

Hinata looked on, unsure of what to do.

"Anyway, I'm leaving to train for the chuunin exam," Sasuke continued. "Since you're in Hinata's body now, I assume you know about it?" Mayu smirked, and then nodded.

"Make sure you get stronger, so I won't have to take it easy on you when we throw down, okay?" Her words made the Uchiha give his own smirk in return. He gave a nod, and then jumped out of the window. Mayu smiled, and then turned to Hinata. The Hyuga wore a small smile of her own. "What?"

"Ah…" She averted her eyes. "It's just… Sa-Sasuke-san and Ma-Mayu-san seem close."

"Close…?" Mayu repeated. She blinked a couple of times, and then she grinned and scratched her cheek. "Yeah, well, I guess we did bond while I was Sakura. We became real friends after I blurted out my name."

"I always noticed Sasuke-san in the Academy. Despite his popularity, he seemed to be alone," Hinata remarked. "He has changed."

"Yeah, I am pretty awesome at changing mofos, aren't I?" Mayu bragged, crossing her arms. She gave haughty laugh. "Speaking of which, should we head to your house now?"

"Yes," Hinata nodded her head.

0-0

At some point or another, Mayu had switched places with Hinata. Really, she had spotted Gaara, and nearly had another fangirl moment. However, Hinata quickly informed her that the red head was clearly only Chouji's father. After realizing such a fact, the energy she had had seemed to drain from her system. She had spent nearly forty minutes traveling to Hinata's home. With a sigh, Mayu slip out of the standard ninja shoes before stepping up. Wearily, she looked around before following Hinata's directions. Finally, she came to the proper room. Weakly smiling, Mayu opened the door. Just as she was about to go in, a voice stopped her.

"Hinata-sama!" Mayu attempted to look even more exhausted, but the Hyuga clone seemed too impassive to care. She almost scoffed. Did the whole clan, besides Hinata, have foots up their butt? "Your father requests your presence."

"Okay…" she replied, sounding miserable. The man nodded, and then led the way. With a disappointed sigh, Mayu closed the door to Hinata's comfortable looking room. She wanted sleep, damn it! Within a few moments, they were standing outside another room. "Hey, Hinata!" Mayu thought as the man made his presence known to the clan head. "Is your father mean?"

He's not… a bad father.

Mayu found herself blinking. Many, who were Hinata's fans, did not like her father—hated him, in fact. Ichiro was probably the biggest hater of them all. However, Hyuga Hiashi had never done anything too bad. Yes, he beat her with his words, but he had not physically harmed Hinata. Still, some would call emotional abuse worse than physical abuse. Mentally, Mayu shrugged. Come what may, she was going to try to stifle her rage if the man had something rude to say. Besides, he was probably more threatening than Neji could ever be.

"Hiashi-sama will see you now." The older Hyuga bowed, and then left her there. Mayu pressed her lips together before she placed a hand on the door, preparing to open it. Let's get this over with, she thought. She stepped in. Hinata's father sat, formally, hands tucked into opposite sleeves at the opposite side of the room. He didn't bother to open his eyes.

"Hinata, close the door," he said.

"Yes, otou-san," Mayu replied, solemnly. She slid the door close behind her. She then walked forward until she stood a few meters away. She bowed, and then lowered herself to the floor. The girl waited for the man to speak, but it seemed the Hyuga head did not intend speak so soon. Mayu pressed her lips together, glancing at the corner of the room. Hinata's younger sister, Hanabi, watched her in return. Her expression was as neutral as her father's. A family of unreadable people. This talk would be a stark contrast to the talks Mayu had with her own father.

"Hinata, I understand that you lost to your cousin, Neji, in the chuunin exam," Hiashi stated.

"Yes, otou-san..." Mayu repeated in the same grave tone. The man opened his eyes. She had been right to assume that he was more intimidating than Neji. She swallowed hard and looked to the floor.

"Once again…" Hiashi breathed in. "Once again you have disgraced-"

"Disgraced…? Chill out!" Mayu interrupted before she could stop herself. Hiashi cocked an eyebrow. "Oh crap," she thought, realizing she made a mistake.

Mayu-san…!

The girl cleared her throat, and then looked to the floor again. "Um… What I meant was…" She cleared her throat again, wishing she had water to drink. "Could whoever told you this information not have gone into detail?"

"What?"

"If they had, you would have understood that I almost succeeded in besting him, otou-san," Mayu explained, keeping her head bowed. Had she been looking up, Hiashi might have seen her smirk.

"Hinata, I did not raise a liar," Hiashi remarked.

"Correct. You did not," Mayu replied. "Ass…" she finished in thought.

Mayu-san!

"What? He is!"

Hiashi stared at his eldest daughter. Her shoulders visibly shook. She was still as fragile as before. She could never beat—or almost beat—the most promising member of the Hyuga clan. Hinata could not even beat her younger sister, let alone Neji. However, doubt crept into his thoughts. He knew his daughter well enough to know that she did not lie—especially not to him. His pale eyes shifted to Hanabi, whom was in the corner of the room. She, too, stared at her sister with an incredulous gaze. "Hanabi, retrieve Neji now."

"Yes, father!" His voice seemed to startle her, but she followed his order without question.

The room became silent. Mayu felt her eye twitch. She could still feel Hinata's father's gaze on her. It freaked her out. She couldn't stop her body from shaking. But 'creeper vibes' wasn't the only reason her shoulders trembled. If there was one thing she hated, it was when someone insulted another person. And this—this took the cake. Hinata's father—her own father—was about to say how her loss against Neji was a disgrace. It was no wonder she couldn't control her mouth. "Hinata… I might lose it!" she told her host.

Please refrain from doing that, Mayu-san! My father… views me as a failure, so his reaction is expected.

"Still...!" Mayu hissed in thought. She really could not understand. Her doting parent would never speak to her in such a way. For better or worse, he would love her unconditionally. This experience was as jarring as an oncoming freight train. Inside her mouth, Mayu grit her teeth. She had to remind herself that this was probably a normal occurrence within the Hyuga clan. Perhaps, she should be a little more sensitive to the situation. The door suddenly opened, causing Mayu to turn. Hyuga Neji glared. Hah… He seemed to be doing that a lot. His body was riddled with medical dress. "Man, what did I do to him? Oh yeah, I practically beat him down! Fufufufu!"

"Hiashi-sama…?" Neji bowed, and then sat down beside Mayu, unaware of her cheeky thoughts.

"Hinata has told me that she almost defeated you… Is that true?" Hiashi asked.

"I'm pretty sure the bruises answers that question," Mayu thought, hoping her face remain neutral. To her amusement, Hinata actually giggled at her comment.

Neji didn't say anything for the longest time. He looked towards his cousin, glared again, and then back to Hinata's father. He seemed hesitant on answering. "Yes… Hiashi-sama, that is correct." Mayu would have laughed if she was not keeping up with appearances. She was Hinata right now, so she could not laugh obnoxiously as she had done in a room full of strangers. "Her skills have improved greatly... even without the use of her Byakugan... her taijutsu was… unexpected. I have not come across such… techniques. If I had not underestimated her, I would have won fairly."

"Won fairly...?" Hiashi sounded confused. "What do you mean by this?"

"Hinata-sama was given a ring out during the match. I was tied up, but still I won," Neji answered.

"Hinata... explain," Hiashi demanded. Mayu cringed. She forgot about that part. How was she supposed to admit such an embarrassing way to lose? Honestly, she wanted to cry. Lying seemed to be the best option. However, Neji was also in the room, and he could spitefully call her bluff. Scowling lightly, she apologized to Hinata in advance.

"I was effectively distracted," Mayu answered. She noticed that Neji looked towards her. She could feel questioning gazes on the others' faces. However, she did not elaborate. And she wasn't going to either.

"Distracted…?" Hiashi prompted.

"Distracted," Mayu confirmed, giving a small smile.

Hiashi narrowed his eyes at his daughter. She seemed to be refusing to speak more on the subject. It made him angry that she would display such disrespect, and in front of Neji, a Branch member, no less. However, there was some part of him that liked it. Trickles of pride seeped into his being. It would seem in her time on a team, she had grown a backbone. Never before did Hinata show even a smidgen of defiance. "Hm… Very well," Hiashi said. His three charges all seemed surprised by his leniency. They should not get used to it. "Starting tomorrow..." he continued. "Neji and Hinata, you will both spar and you will continue to do so until Neji is ready for his match in the chuunin exam finals."

"What?!" He was met with opposition.

"Do you have a problem with this?" Hiashi asked, glaring. As expected, the two young Hyuga cringed, shying away.

"No, sir..." Neji muttered.

"No, otou-san..." Mayu whispered.

"Well, then, you are dismissed," Hiashi said. Slowly, the two returned to their feet, bowed, and then headed for the door. Neji allowed his cousin to go first. He closed the door behind him. Once they were far enough away from the clan head's room, he spoke.

"Don't think for a second that I'll go easy on you, Hinata-sama," Neji practically snarled.

"Looking forward to it, onii-san," Mayu hissed back.

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