Hiashi Hyuga was standing by the window in his office staring into the distance, pensive as his pale eyes looked in the direction of his late brother's former house. It was not common for him to spend a second in idleness, but when the news of Neji having rejected the opportunity to take the Chunin Exams echoed in the halls of the Hyuga compound, he had to take a moment to mask the dumbfounded look off his face. After all, the Hyuga were always to remain collected despite the circumstances and as the leader of the clan he held this motto in the highest of regards. His harsh demeanor condemned him to a life of solitude, even when being surrounded by his advisors most of the time. In a sense, he sympathized with his nephew and shared the same burden of being held in captivity- A caged bird unable to fly and live life. He was not just any member of the clan, he was the Hyuga and as the clan leader he could not bring himself to identify with others, much less with individuals from the branch family.
-Flashback-
Hiashi's harsh demeanor made him unapproachable and deepened the numbness in his heart. The loneliness he held within consumed him day and night even after he had been blessed with two beautiful daughters. There was a lapse of time though, a missed opportunity that could have changed him when he finally experienced genuine joy in life. The day Hinata was born was one of the few instances where Hiashi had not been able to conceal his emotions as he finally had an heiress and the future looked hopeful, he was able to finally feel the warmth in his heart every time he saw the tiny girl; and right there and then, he swore that she would change the Hyuga. Although he could not partake in his daughter's displays of affection and her outbursts of excitement, he prided himself with having such a happy and vivacious child. She takes after her mother, she couldn't have gotten that from him he thought smiling inwardly as he slowly realized how fatherhood might be changing him. The sketch of a perfect image of what her daughter would be like was being drawn in his mind: Hinata would be charismatic but assertive, selfless but strong and talented in the ways of the Hyuga; She seemed to display all the perfect qualities and balance a leader should have, in his mind, she would be the chosen one.
Unfortunately, those dreams and hopes for the future of the clan were short lived when his life took a sudden turn after he lost his brother Hizashi, the loss made him bitter and the old familiar concept of loneliness slowly returned to his heart. He had lost his most precious confidant the moment Hizashi decided to sacrifice his life, making him reevaluate his views on duty and setting aside whatever feelings had overpowered him before. Blow after blow alienated him from his family, in a span of two years, the clan leader had lost his brother and his wife, who died soon after giving birth to his second daughter Hanabi. She had not been able to recover from Hanabi's birth, leaving him with the future of the clan: His two daughters, Hinata and Hanabi and Neji, his nephew. Hiashi knew the children desperately sought the comfort they had lost after their parents' deaths and despite wishing he could provide it for them, he chose to stay loyal to the Hyuga and lead them with extreme discipline.
Neji's innate talents and Hinata's lack of strength further frustrated Hiashi. In his eyes, Hinata was meant to surpass even the most talented Hyuga warrior, she was to become head of the clan and lead them to greatness and yet, here was Neji, a branch family member eclipsing his daughter with his strength and perfect skills. His denial to these facts made him look like a fool in front of his own clan, but accepting that Neji was the prodigy of the family and not his daughter wounded his pride terribly because deep down in his heart, he knew that his younger brother had always been stronger than him and that Hizashi and his family should have been chosen to lead the clan. Neji's strength was a constant reminder of Hizashi's true right to lead the family. The strongest one should have been the one to lead the Hyuga and not the eldest of the two. Was the thought that kept him up at night. The anguish kept tugging at his heart but he was brave and he never showed it. Hiashi was a Hyuga and if he had learned anything from being molded into the clan leader was that a Hyuga would never expose their true feelings; so, his harsh personality along with the frustration towards his first born made him unapproachable and often come across as a cruel man.
Hinata's inability to succeed in combat was an unforgivable shortcoming, the fact that Neji easily surpassed her at a younger age granted her Hiashi's rejection and her title as successor was taken away and given to the more promising heir, the little Hanabi. Hiashi had carefully considered Neji to become the Hyuga leader, but the thought never escaped his mind. He knew this proposition would be rejected as soon as the words escaped his lips and decided against it without any further thought. He watched his nephew closely when the announcement was made among the clan, he had wondered if Neji would be expecting the recognition he deserved, if he even desired to become the heir, but his nephew was as good as him masking his true feelings, Neji's stoic face did not flinch when Hanabi was announced as new heiress.
Rumours had crept to the darkest corners of the Hyuga compound that the great leader was planning on rejecting Hinata as heiress. One would have thought that such a stern group of individuals would not indulge in gossip as much as they did. Thus whenever the news broke that Hanabi was to battle Hinata for the title as their father's successor, every member of the clan arrived at the main family's courtyard shocked that the elders and Hiashi himself had agreed on making the conflict so public. When the rumours reached Neji, he surprisingly found himself understanding Hiashi's discontent with Hinata's little progress and although he did not feel sympathy for her, he was curious as to what his uncle's next plan of action would be; he decided to watch his cousins sparring and as expected, Hanabi beat Hinata winning the title of heiress. He had watched the two of them train with their father and carefully studied and revised their techniques and moves, he knew their respective strengths and weaknesses and judging from what he had witnessed so far, Neji knew as well before the battle even began that Hanabi would win. Hinata was weak and undeserving of the title and although he disliked Hanabi as well, he thought she would be a better fit for the position. Anybody would be better than Hinata, she would be a worthless leader. His inability to bond with his uncle and the branch family left a bitter taste in his mouth. He knew his place as a branch member of the family and as such, he was meant to protect the leader of the clan with his life: an unfair destiny. Therefore, he believed Hanabi was more worthy of dying for, because at least he wouldn't die protecting a useless brat incapable of defending herself.
The elders and Hiashi gathered in his private quarters along with his daughters and Neji. He had wondered why he had been requested to attend, but given that he was there to represent his branch family, a duty his late father would be responsible of, he desired not to voice his concern. They were there to further discuss the events that took place that evening: Hinata's inability to lead the clan. Neji listened carefully as each of the elders expressed their concerns and in unison agreed for Hanabi to become her father's successor. He noticed his uncle glancing at him carefully making him feel uneasy; why would his uncle care for his opinion on this matter if he was a mere member of the branch family? He surely did not think that he would be expected to be appointed to such a title despite being the most talented Hyuga in the clan. If only he had been fated to lead the Hyuga, he wouldn't have been born in the branch family, but it was something he had long ago resigned to. He had made peace with that fact although it greatly alienated him from the main family and as the years passed by he grew bitter of the idea that Hiashi seemed to revel in his misery, in the helplessness he felt knowing his talents were in vain for not being part of the main family. If only Neji knew that his uncle was the one who understood him the most and who deep down inside recognized him as the most deserving of such title, and if only Hiashi knew that his own behavior had caused Hinata to doubt herself and to miserably fail him for placing so much pressure on her: Hinata's insecurities originated from Hiashi's high expectations of her. If only they were aware of their own actions.
-End of Flashback-
Hiashi was standing by the window in his office staring into the distance pensive as his pale eyes looked in the direction of his brother's former house when he saw the subject of his thoughts walking across the Hyuga gardens and decided to approach him. He needed to understand Neji's reasoning for rejecting the chunin exams, he had assumed that as prideful as Neji was he would have accepted the challenge, succeeded and become a Jonin soon after; Neji was meant to advance at a greater speed than any other Hyuga had and secretly expected him to surpass his chunin status just as quick as his father Hizashi had done in the past. He was proud of him for earning the title of top rookie of the year and secretly commended him for it. That was the extent of Hiashi's high regards of his young nephew although he would never show it.
Today had been a hectic day for Neji, he had spent most of the day training with his teammates and Guy sensei had made them run around Konoha's perimeter at least 7 times. As if his master's outrageous request hadn't been enough, he had been dragged to the BBQ restaurant to celebrate Rock Lee mastering a new gate on his eight gates jutsu and not being able to object he followed an overly excited pair of green beasts across town, but his patience had truly been tested when Lee happened to drink some of their sensei's sake causing Neji to battle the younger green beast of Konoha. Discovering Lee's inability to handle alcohol was one of the toughest lessons Team Guy had learned so far. The three young ninja and their sensei were sitting enjoying their meal when suddenly Lee reached out for his drink grabbing instead Guy's sake and drinking it. All it took was a couple of gulps to get him drunk, he suddenly stood up and to the surprise of his unsuspecting team he flipped the table. Tenten was sitting on the ground startled looking at lee while covered in food and the look of confusion arose in her brown eyes. Neji's quick reflexes helped him evade the drinks thrown at him while he glared at Lee and Guy sensei tried to hold him down as he was trying to make an escape to a nearby table. Lee had managed to trash the entire left side of the restaurant while he attempted to fight other customers dining, but his attempt to challenge other ninja on the opposite side of the restaurant was thwarted when both Neji and Guy managed to restrain him and get him out through the back door as Tenten profusely apologized to the owner while paying the bill. The whole ordeal had gotten them banned from the restaurant until further notice, but thanks to Neji's training in diplomatic protocols courtesy of the Hyuga clan, he was able to speak with the owners and advert the crisis to only get Lee temporarily banned for a couple of months. Describe how lee went rampant in the restaurant wanting to fight everybody and that it took both guy and neji wrestling him to control him and get him settled.
Neji decided to walk through the Hyuga gardens on his way back home, he would usually avoid the area to evade encounters with the main family despite being one of his favorite spots in the entire compound. It was there where he would spend most of the time with Hizashi, his father, walking through those gardens reminded him of the times he'd meditate with his father and the quietness and beauty of the beautiful shades of different flowers and their scents always mellowed his mood. Neji would always find himself in this spot when he needed to ponder about life and after having dealt with his dear friend's drunken rampage he found himself idly walking by the small pond flowing across the yard. It was a quiet night he thought taking in the view and enjoying the dry breeze rustling through the leaves. He was lost in his thoughts thinking about finally seeing Lee's true powers that evening at the restaurant and being baffled at how the alcohol had affected his friend. He started picking apart Lee's movements as if he was reliving the moment, Who would have thought Lee would be a mean drunk? Neji thought to himself chuckling quietly and shaking his head when he suddenly felt someone's presence approaching behind him and as he opened his eyes, the tall dark figure of his uncle appeared from the shadow of the darkening sky. The two locked eyes as the sky turned from orange to pink to purple and the moon emerged along with a few stars.
"Hiashi Sama.." He bowed his head as a sign of respect to his leader, a customary Hyuga procedure.
"Neji, I'd like to have a word with you now" Hiashi turned as his stern voice guided the young prodigy towards a bench by the pond.
Neji obliged warily not wanting to have a conflict with his uncle. He knew what his uncle could do to him in retaliation. He bore that reminder in his forehead since the age of 4.
"Hiashi Sama, is there anything I can do for you?"
"I've heard from the elders that you have declined the Chunin Exams and I wish to know if this is a mockery or if you have a legitimate reason not to take them. I will not have the clan be humiliated with such actions." He questioned Neji, harshness in his tone. Neji bit his lower lip and scowled at having to explain decisions he made for his own personal life.
"I do not mean such disrespect, I declined the exam as I genuinely feel that my team and I would benefit from gaining more experience, it was a collective agreement", He explained and seeing the unsatisfied look on his uncle's face he continued by giving him a brief description of team Guy's strengths and weaknesses. " I personally know that with my talents, I will eventually become a Genin, so I prefer to take the time if it will benefit myself and my teammates." He elaborated further, willing to converse more with his uncle.
"Very well, I will let the elders know that you rejected the exams because your teammates were not sufficiently ready"
"But that isn't what I.."
"Enough! That is the official cause and nothing more, understood? Any other explanation will risk the Hyuga reputation." Hiashi interrupted as he got up from his seat glaring at the younger Hyuga leaving in shock with his mouth wide open and unable to speak.
Neji sat there as his uncle's image disappeared into the night. His face felt hot and his throat was dry, he looked down at his hands and noticed them growing numb from involuntary clenching his fists during the conversation. His eyes were lost in the beauty of the flowers and he finally felt his body simmering down and realizing that it was thanks to Hinata that he was able to come and appreciate such peaceful environment, after all, the garden was referred to as Hianta's garden around the compound. In moments such as this one, Neji wondered what his father would have done in his place. He had heard before that Hizashi was highly regarded among the elders and other high profile figures in the family, he had the chance to witness his father's talents in combat because he had been old enough to train with him and witness him in action and such memories he was grateful for. But, he still wondered what his character was like, he wondered if he had made the right call on rejecting the Chunin exams and wondered how his father would have reacted. Despite not fully knowing, Neji had always tried his best to follow the faint example he had of his father, even when making decisions he thought his father would make if he were in his situation.
After speaking with Neji, Hiashi was unsure whether to be proud or disappointed about his nephew's decision and potentially shaming the clan. He thought of asking his nephew if he didn't believe himself to be strong enough to take such a simple exam, but a jab like such would have shown how spiteful he felt at the time of the conversation. He knew Neji was well aware of just how strong he was, even maybe stronger than Hiashi himself, but as the clan leader he still had to exert his dominance and decided to question him instead of commending him for being concerned about his teammates. The Hyuga leader started regretting the way he had reprimanded the young Hyuga and in fact, validated Neji's reasons to have turned down the opportunity, but he would never voice it in front of anybody. Hiashi was just as prideful as Neji was: It must be a Hyuga thing, maybe we both yearn for that missing bond between us, maybe we both seek to fill the void Hizashi left, but is it even possible at this point?, he thought to himself as he once again stood by the window in his office and saw his nephew walking towards his home.
Guy Sensei summoned his team to the same spot where they had first met. Today they weren't going to jump right into training since there was a more pressing matter in hand. It was that time of the year again and he couldn't be more excited for his youthful team to finally take part in the approaching endeavors. Once Neji, Tenten and Lee arrived in a timely matter he looked at them and couldn't find the words he had already planned to say to them. His pupils found it odd that he had arrived before them as they were all very punctual with the exception of their sensei, they watched as he stared at them with nothing to say until Lee broke the silence.
"Guy Sensei! Why have you summoned us this early?" Lee asked somewhat concerned, he had been excited about training earlier than usual when he was first told to meet up with them, but this didn't seem to be the case.
"What's wrong Sensei? Are you not feeling well? You never get anywhere on time and you were here before even Neji arrived" Said Tenten as she glanced from her master to Neji and back. Neji simply crossed his arms to the mention of his name and laid back in his seat.
"My dear..loving...and youthful students..I just can't believe how far you've all come. The power of youth is strong with you and I couldn't be more proud"
Tears were appearing on both Guy's and Lee's eyes, Tenten frowned and Neji let out a sight.
"The time has come. It's THAT time of the year again and I believe in my youthful heart that you three are ready now, NOT THAT YOU WEREN'T READY BEFORE..you..MY precious pupils know what I mean...Ehhhh what I am trying to say...ASK.."
"Guy Sensei! Slow down!" Interrupted Tenten somewhat frustrated.
"The Chunin exams will be held in Konoha this year! And I know you three chose to skip them last year, but I wanted to ask, no no.. I was going to DEMAND you all to be a part of them this year! I know you three are more than ready! And I am so very excited to even think you three would finally participate! It has been my lifelong dream since last year to see you three excel and make me proud in these exams" He finally explained sobbing at the end of his rambling.
"Lifelong Dream..Since last year..?" Neji arched his brow and shot him a suspicious look.
"YES GUY SENSEI! WE ARE READY!" Lee jumped from his seat.
"I believe that we are more than capable of beating all other teams and it's about time we were given a new challenge. This should be interesting." Neji added with a smirk on his face.
They all looked at Tenten expectantly waiting for her answer as she had been quiet after Guy had confessed the nature of the meeting. She glanced at the three of them and then stared at the horizon pensive, they all leaned in closer to her expecting a response.
"Sign us up Guy Sensei! Team Guy will take on the Chunin Exams!" She exclaimed, a grin painted across her face from ear to ear and eyes closed.
Guy sensei was so delighted with his team's excitement he stumbled across the stairway missing a step as he ordered his team to start training for the exam. He could not wait to let his lifelong rival know that his team would be taking The Chunin Exams and decided that he would let him know after signing up his team with the Hokage. This was yet another challenge he had thought he would beat Kakashi at and was already tasting victory until he entered the Hokage's office. Guy found a very crowded building which was unusual, he saw his fellow comrades and other group leaders just as himself when he finally spotted him. Kakashi, the name emerged in his mind and Guy started chuckling as he walked in the direction where his rival was standing in his nonchalant pose reading one of his books. He was about to open his mouth when Sarutobi called him out for his late arrival to the meeting - In his excitement to let his team know about the Chunin exams he had forgotten he was summoned to the office the night prior- Sarutobi then addressed the entire crowd.
"Now then, with the start of the Chunin Exams approaching. Let us first have those in charge of the rookie teams come forward." Kurenai, Kakashi and Asuma took a few steps forward as he called out their names and Guy chuckled to himself at the thought of telling Kakashi that Team guy would be taking part of the exams before his.
"Are there any genin in your teams you recommend for these exams? The Hokage continued.
It's too soon for any of them Sensei thought even if the teams had completed the appropriate number of missions to qualify for the exams. Guy was sheepishly grinning oblivious to what was going on.
"I, Kakashi Hatake recommend the Kakashi squad, Team 7: Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura for the Chunin Exam" Stated Kakashi then Kurenai and Asuma on queue recommending their own pupils.
Iruka Sensei gasped at the mention of these names, Guy sensei simply nodded with the same sheepish smile he had until he finally caught on to what was going on and let out a bigger gasp which nobody noticed Iruka had interrupted the meeting in opposition and the rest of the crowd whispered in shock that all three rookie teams would be participating.
"Hokage Sama! Please just let me say one thing!" All eyes on Iruka Sensei now. "This may be presumptuous, but as for the nine names that were just mentioned, I was in charge of them at the academy and while they all had great abilities, I believe it's too soon for them and they should be tested after gaining more experience!" A flustered Iruka argued.
"I became a Chunin when I was six years younger than Naruto is now" Dully retorted Kakashi.
"Naruto is different from you! Are you trying to crush them?!" Argued Iruka dangerously approaching Kakashi.
"It'd be good teaching them a lesson. Trying to crush them would be interesting too". Joked Kakashi not giving in to the threat in the rookies' former sensei. "But jokes aside, I understand what you want to say..'
"Kakashi, enough already" Kurenai said in a failed attempt to stop the argument.
"They are no longer your students, so stay out of this! Now they are my subordinates" Kakashi barked.
Iruka's face felt hot and he was trembling as he was biting his lip. It looked like a fight was about to break out between the two and Guy sensei couldn't be more amused at the situation in hand. Tension filled the room as the two were staring down at each other, Kurenai looked mostly annoyed but seemed not to want to take part in the argument, while Asuma looked ready to jump in between Kakashi and Iruka to join the fight if it ever broke out. But the Hokage finally decided to take the matter into his own hands and called Iruka to come closer to him. Sarutobi understood Iruka's concern about his former students, therefore he assigned him to prove they were worthy of taking the exams. He was to go to each of the rookies and test them to make sure they were all ready for the challenge, all the instructors agreed to the terms and the matter was resolved without any more conflict and to put Iruka's worries at ease, he was able to find for himself that all nine Genin had passed the preliminary exams he subjected them to.
News of the rookies taking the Chunin exams spread like wildfire around Konoha, the last time genins had taken the exams had been about five years ago. Some villagers commended the Hokage for implementing the Ninja training at the academy, while others disapproved because they believed the rookies to be too young and too weak to participate. There were many rumours originating from the idea that rookies would take the exams: Some believed that Konoha was running out of ninjas and the Hokage didn't have an option but to offer the Genin's. Other villages did not think Konoha was taking the exams seriously which created some tension. Whether good or bad, there wasn't a single soul who was not intrigued by these nine kids who had just graduated from the academy.
Back in the Hyuga compound, three shinobi found themselves tirelessly preparing for the exams in their secret training grounds hiding deep in the forest. A brunette haired kunoichi threw all her kunai knives to different targets hoping to perfect her aim, her two teammates watched her attentive as they discussed what their sensei had shared with them.
"Have you heard? Rookies will be taking part in the Chunin of mouth is that Kakashi's team will be there...That's Guy sensei's rival." Said Lee analyzing the target Tenten had just attacked.
"No way… It's probably a battle of wills among the elders and the Hokage" The Kunoichi quickly dismissed the idea.
"Well, that's interesting.. It'll be unfortunate to see them fail" Neji's words escaped his mouth and a grim smile formed across his face. The sarcastic tone in his voice concurred with his teammates opinions as the unspoken goal of beating the rookies in the exam darted across their minds at the same time.
They formulated a plan to be discreet about their strengths to avoid putting a target on their back. Neji had concluded that the most logical thing for all the contestants to do was to either attack the strongest individuals or get rid of the weaklings first. Therefore,they decided to mask their talents to blend in the crowd, that way it would be easier for them to study their opponents and find out who their contenders would be.
The next day team Guy met outside the Academy to turn in their Chunin exam applications. They encountered a huge crowd of unfamiliar faces, most of them older and menacing looking but the three Konoha ninjas walked past them unfaced by their glares and threatening expressions. Neji scowled once he located the Cloud ninjas, and Tenten noticed as Neji pursed his lips and clenched his fists looking in their direction; she was always very perceptive of his antics, she had grown accustomed to his behavior after being his teammate for two years, they had actually grown closer to each other and he had been able to open up to her about his personal life, his rift with his clan and thus they had started to develop a bond. She stiffened as she saw Neji walking towards the Cloud ninja and hurried over to stop him not being able to think of a reason as to why he'd approach them unprovoked. Although he had shared some details of his life with her, he certainly hadn't told her about the Hyuga affair and the Cloud involvement in it. Lee was lost in the crowd oblivious of the tense situation about to unfold and just when Neji seemed unable to contain himself two young ninjas from Konoha called everyone's attention and Tenten was able to reach him and drag him to the front of the crowd where the two shinobi stood in front of a door. The brunette kunoichi advanced with caution when dragging her teammate by the arm, she knew that Neji never appreciated having his personal space invaded and she didn't know how he'd react by her actions. Fortunately, as soon as he felt her delicate touch on his shoulder to spin him around the opposite way, he felt himself ease off and his breathing became more even. He awkwardly unhooked her arm from his reassuring her he was his old collected self as they watched Lee approach the two Shinobi to let him enter the room.
"Are you weaklings sure you want to take the exams with those skills?" Asked one of the ninjas, a smug smile flashing across his face as he knocked down Lee to the ground. He pretended he was hurt just as team Guy had agreed on doing and Tenten quickly followed his lead and played along.
"Please let us through" Innocence radiating from her eyes as she walked towards the other guard successfully hiding the rage burning inside her due to the treatment her team was getting and plotting she'd be able to convince them with sweet words, but instead received a punch in the face that also knocked her down next to her teammate.
Neji stoically observed the encounter, successfully containing his thirst to attack the hidden Cloud ninjas, he looked at his teammates now laying on the ground and he could see Tenten slowly getting agitated and hoping to now diffuse the situation before either Lee or Tenten would give themselves away he started to open his mouth to speak when he sensed a strong chakra approaching. Three new faces now stood next to his team and in front of the two guys guarding the door. Neji carefully studied the pink haired kunoichi, the blond rowdy boy, and the arrogant boy who now spoke.
"You will let me through and you'll also break the barrier you've created with your Ninjutsu" Said Sasuke approaching the guard who had attacked Tenten and was not berating the other ninjas.
The Hyuga prodigy observed the raven haired boy as he dangerously walked towards the two slightly older shinobi blocking the way. Neji and his team had realized they were caught in a Ninjutsu the moment they walked into the academy and didn't expect others would catch the ruse. He was caught off guard with the fact that a recent academy graduate would be smart enough to notice but again, Sasuke was named the top rookie at the academy just as Neji himself had been the year prior.
A fight between Sasuke and the guard was about to break out. Their powerful kicks about to make impact when Lee popped up in between both offenders and effortlessly stopped them mid action and blowing his cover. Sasuke stared perplexed at the bushy brow boy unable to understand how Lee had been able to catch his hit and stop it. He stopped my kick! What is this chakra I feel in his arm? And the bruises he had before are starting to disappear rather quickly.. Sasuke bit his lip now oblivious to his contender.
"Lee, what happened with our agreement? You were the one who proposed to keep unwanted attention away from us.." Neji looked over from Lee to team 7 arching his brow. If Neji and Tenten weren't judging their comrade for ruining the plan, they were definitely judging him after realizing the reason for all of it was to impress Sakura Haruno. All of that for a silly crush that would reject him over and over. Tenten shook his head in disapproval and Neji gave team seven the stink eye.
"You there…" The Hyuga called out pointing at Sasuke with his bandaged hand. "Identify yourself, who are you?" Naruto watched the exchange of words between the two clan heirs while sulking the rejection he was now feeling. He had always liked to be the center of attention and the fact that he wasn't getting any recognition lately made him want to join a sulking Lee.
"You should first introduce yourself when demanding to know someone else's name, don't you think?" Sasuke said greeting his teeth from the irritation
"You are a rookie, huh? How old are you? Neji asked cooly.
"I am not obliged to answer any of your questions"
"What did you just say to me?!" Neji's white eyes fixated on Sasuke's dark ones. It was right then and there they had a mutual unspoken agreement of rivalry. After all, it was in their nature since the two young shinobi came from the longest rivalry known in Konoha: The Hyuga vs. The Uchiha. He could not be more astonished that he, a Hyuga nonetheless would be disrespected in such a way.
Tenten was standing behind Neji and witnessed the exchange of words between the two clans. A small subtle smile was painted on her face, had she not been with an already irritated Neji she would have exploded in laughter. She struggled to keep her composure as the two went on and her cheeks were growing hot and turning a peachy color. Sasuke is….Cuute AND Neji look cute when he is caught off guard! I wonder which rookie is stronger and who'd win a spar. The girl intrigued by what was happening, decided to lay back and take in how Neji had finally met his match. She noticed how both Sasuke and her teammate were so much alike, pretentious, condescending and bossy. It was a sight she never thought she'd get to see and it had been funny watching Neji handle someone who acted so much like himself.
Neji would be looking forward to fighting Sasuke during the Chunin exams. A worthy opponent he'd be willing to take on, although he'd doubt the Uchiha would be able to beat him. So Far, Team Guy had their eyes on the last remaining Uchiha boy, the team from Sunagakure, and of course Neji's personal vendetta: The cloud ninja. Indeed, the Chunin exams would be brutal and they were looking forward to it.