A.N. Okay, so this week is a little different. I work at a summer camp for a lot of the summer, so I really won't have a lot of time to write much. So, this chapter, and the next mini-chapter (yay! Double update!) are all I'm posting for the next three or four weeks. It's a good place to stop, as this chapter ends before Gaara VS Lee (which, while fun to watch, is HELL to write.) That said, I hope you guys enjoy!

Huge shoutout to Swagkage, the Youtuber I watch constantly to make sure that I understand the characters, powers, etc. I don't have time to reread/watch the whole series in preparation for this, so he's literally my saving grace, reminding me of limitations, hidden abilities, and helpfully creating VS videos and dissections that delve into fighting styles. Everyone should watch his videos!

THEN:

Tsukiko walked home slowly, her shoulders slumped. She'd been training alone, as both Itachi and Shisui had been summoned to attend a clan meeting. It was Itachi's first time, and he'd been rather reluctant to leave her, a rare anger rearing its head as he faced his father. Tsukiko had encouraged him to go, knowing it wasn't Lord Fugaku's fault she wasn't allowed to attend as well.

But now, a mere hour later, she was completely depressed. Training alone was no fun, and she didn't really want to go home. So she slowly meandered along, thinking that perhaps she'd read a book on advanced jutsu when she returned to the house.

"Hey, Tsukiko! Is that you?"

'Obviously. How many girls with white hair have permission to walk around the Uchiha compound?' In her bad mood, she was feeling less than charitable. Still, hoping that they would at least relieve her boredom, she turned to greet the speaker.

"Izumi?" That was a surprise. Tsukiko hadn't traded words with the girl since the academy.

The Uchiha girl ran over to her with a bright smile, slightly out of breath. "Good. I was hoping to run into you one of these days."

"What for?" Tsukiko cocked her head, honestly confused. She'd been under the impression that this girl didn't like her, and now she was acting like they were old friends.

Izumi's cheeks darkened. "I just—I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for last time. I spoke without thinking, and I hurt your feelings. I just really needed to speak with Itachi about something, and I didn't realize how rude I was being." She bowed her head. "Please forgive me."

Tsukiko's eyes widened, and she waved her arms in slight panic. "No! It's fine, really! There's no need for all that." They were in the middle of the compound and attracting weird looks, several people glancing over curiously at the Uchiha girl bowing her head to the Amaya heir.

This was not the kind of attention Tsukiko enjoyed, so she decided to change the subject. "Anyway, what did you need to talk to Itachi about? That was a couple months ago, but if you still have a problem, maybe I can help."

Izumi raised her head, looking embarrassed. "Well, I thought he could give me some advice on how to use the Sharingan. But I don't think he's activated his yet, so it was a good thing I never got to talk to him, or I would've made an even bigger fool of myself."

The white-haired girl felt her mouth drop, and she looked at Izumi with complete shock. "You have the Sharingan?!"

"Yeah," she rubbed the back of her head. "I-uh, I got it when the Nine Tails attacked, when—when my dad died." Izumi paused for a moment, her eyes far away. "I was just so upset that I saw red. And then, I realized that all the heat I felt in my head was chakra, and that my Sharingan was activated."

Sympathy and excitement vyed for Tsukiko's dominant emotion. "The same thing happened when I got my Gensogan," she said, smiling sadly. "I'm sorry about your dad."

Izumi smiled back. "Thanks. I'm sorry about your parents, too."

After a short moment, Tsukiko nodded at the road in front of her. "Do you want to come to my house? Itachi is with Lord Fugaku at a meeting, and I'd really like the company. We have several scrolls and books about the Sharingan, so maybe something there will help you. Itachi's been through them a million times, so I'm sure it's alright for you."

In truth, she also wanted to learn more about Izumi's Sharingan. It was a constant source of frustration to Itachi that he hadn't yet awakened his, and this was Tsukiko's chance to learn from someone their age. Also, it was nice to see someone who wasn't intimidated by her or angry at her existence.

The Uchiha girl nodded. "Okay. I'd like that." She smiled and began to walk next to the white-haired girl. "I've been wondering," she said slowly, glancing at Tsukiko to read her reaction. "Is it true that you can actually make fire from your hands?"

Tsukiko blinked, allowing her eyes to turn red. Flames erupted from her palm, and she presented the fire to the awed girl.

"That's amazing!"

"Not really," Tsukiko shrugged. "You Uchiha can do some pretty incredible things with fire, you know. I can't compete with a master."

"Yeah, but—" Izumi waved her hands as she tried to find words. "But it's right there! Touching your skin!"

The earnest way she said it, combined with her frustration at not being able to find the right words, were too much for Tsukiko. She burst out laughing, extinguishing the flame.

Izumi stared with wide eyes. "Why are you laughing?"

"It's just funny, the way you said that."

"'Just funny?' You're awful!" But she started to laugh too, both girls exploding into giggles.

"So, can you use the Sharingan?" Tsukiko asked, regaining control over herself a few minutes later.

"If I could do that, I'd be graduating just like you and Itachi." Izumi started walking again, the dark-tiled roof of Tsukiko's home coming into view.

"Still, it's impressive that you even have it," Tsukiko offered, taking off her shoes at the front porch. "Itachi hasn't awakened his, after all."

"But he still graduated," Izumi countered, taking off her own shoes. "He's a genin already. So, what kind of ninja will he be when he does activate the Sharingan?"

Tsukiko was spared having to answer by the sound of Lady Mikoto in the kitchen.

"Tsuki? Is that you, dear?"

"Yes ma'am," she called back, opening the door and gesturing for Izumi to follow.

"Well, you're back early. Is there anything I can—" Mikoto stopped short, coming around the corner to see her adoptive daughter with another person...who wasn't Itachi.

"This is Izumi," Tsukiko explained, somewhat embarrassed by Mikoto's surprised reaction. "Is it okay if we go look through Lord Fugaku's library?"

The broad smile that exploded across the older woman's face darkened Tsukiko's cheeks further, while Izumi looked back and forth between them, confused.

"Of course!" Mikoto exclaimed, clapping her hands delightedly. "I'll bring you girls some tea and snacks. It's so nice to finally meet one of Tsuki's friends! And perfect timing! I just finished making some of my homemade dango!"

She bustled off, leaving the two girls in an awkward atmosphere.

"Sorry," Tsukiko muttered, clearing her throat. The young girl was completely mortified. "It's just that, apart from Shisui, Itachi and I don't talk to many people. Even our own teammates."

Izumi laughed, smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry! My mom loves to embarrass me too! That's just how they are."

"Anyway, the library is this way." Tsukiko pointed, leading the Uchiha down the hall. As they passed one door, a voice rang out.

"Kikoooo! Kikoooo!"

Startling Izumi, Tsukiko swung around, a stupid grin on her face. She peeked into the bedroom where young Sasuke had been napping, and saw him tottering towards her, arms extended.

Playfully, Tsukiko hid behind a confused Izumi as the boy came into the hallway.

Sasuke stopped, scowling at Izumi before looking around. "Kikooo!" He demanded impatiently.

Giggling, the white-haired girl popped up at Izumi's shoulder. "Saaasuke!" She stuck her tongue out at him, making a silly face.

The young boy burst into laughter, and let out a happy shriek when Tsukiko scooped him up, cuddling her adoptive brother.

"Um, who's that?" Izumi asked, shaking off how weird it was to see Tsukiko act like...well, act her actual age. It was easy to forget the girl was only seven years old, same as her.

"This is Sasuke," Tsukiko said proudly, holding him with one arm as he clung to her. "Is it alright if he comes with us?"

The toddler, perhaps sensing that Izumi was somehow involved with Tsukiko not giving him her full attention, scowled at her.

"Uh, yeah," Izumi said, not sure whether to laugh or be intimidated. "Of course."

Tsukiko smiled happily and continued down the hall, cooing at the laughing baby. At the end of the hall, she slid open the door on the right, revealing a cozy room lined with shelves. A large table with several cushions dominated the center of the room, and the several lamps ensured that it was well lit.

"The scrolls you want are over there," Tsukiko pointed to one of the shelves. "Lord Fugaku doesn't let us touch the top shelf, but the other ones are fine. Let me know if you need any help."

For the next several minutes, Izumi searched through scrolls for something that might help her, and Tsukiko played peek-a-boo with Sasuke, using one of the cushions to hide her face before jumping out at him. Lady Mikoto brought dango and tea, laughing lightly at her adoptive daughter's antics, before leaving them.

"It's no use," Izumi sighed. "I don't even understand what any of this means!"

Tsukiko paused her game. "What do you mean?"

"Well, this scroll says my Sharingan has several stages of growth, but it doesn't explain it in a way that's easy to understand!"

The white-haired girl hummed, walking over and taking the paper. "Well, let me see your Sharingan, and I'll try to explain."

Izumi hesitated a moment, but closed her eyes and screwed up her face in concentration. When she opened them a moment later, her eyes were the dark red of the Uchiha clan.

Tsukiko couldn't help the slight gasp that escaped her. She'd seen the Sharingan, of course, but never this close, and never on someone her age. "Wow! The Sharingan!"

"Yeah, but apparently it's not complete," Izumi sighed. "No wonder I can't control it."

"You only have one tomoe," Tsukiko reasoned, pointing to an illustration in the scroll. "So it's not that strong yet. Three tomoe mark a fully awakened Sharingan. You just need to train with it more. One of the adults will probably help you."

"Yeah." Izumi was quiet for a long moment. "Do—Do you ever get scared of the adults?"

Tsukiko's mind immediately brought up Shisui's odd behavior, and the secret Uchiha meeting. "Did you hear something?"

"Uh-uh." She shook her head from side to side. "But sometimes, when I'm walking around the compound, I'll just get scared all of a sudden."

Despite her age, Izumi had activated the Sharingan, and had plenty of ninja training, even if she hadn't graduated, which meant her feelings had a certain weight to them. Plus, the Uchiha clan had sharp intuition to begin with. Izumi's gut feeling was no doubt that early blooming of that ability, so it would be foolish to brush her concerns away.

And Tsukiko wasn't a fool.

"What's scaring you?" She asked gently, instinctively holding Sasuke tighter.

"Like maybe the grown-ups are thinking about bad things or something."

Her words brought several memories to mind. The meeting she and Itachi had overheard in Lord Fugaku's office, the dissatisfaction over the Fourth Hokage choice, the issue of moving to the compound after the Nine-Tails attack, and the meetings held at Nakano Shrine, where Itachi was now.

"Izumi," she said seriously, selecting another scroll. "You probably shouldn't talk about this with anyone else. You might get into trouble."

"R-Right," Izumi nodded, her Sharingan fading away. "If you think so, Tsukiko, then I won't."

Silence reigned as the two young kunoichi stared at their respective scrolls, neither of them actually reading, as a dark aura seemed to roll over them.

Now:

"NARUTO UZUMAKI VS KIBA INUZUKA"

"This ought to be interesting," Tsukiko murmured.

And it most certainly was. Tsukiko wasn't quite sure when she'd begun to think Naruto was more of a prankster than a ninja. Perhaps it was Sasuke's constant complaining? At any rate, she found herself surprisingly impressed with the boy. He used clones and transformations very effectively to confuse Kiba, a loud ninja with an adorable dog named Akamaru. Kiba also used transformations, as well as ninja pills, but was unable to overcome Naruto's quick-thinking and fast ninjutsu. Of course, the young boy had some...unusual tricks up his sleeve, including a technique ("Uzumaki Barrage") that was an outright copy of Sasuke's "Lion's Barrage."

Still, he definitely earned his win.

Masuko whistled, shaking her head with a grin. "I don't see what everyone means when they say that kid's a screw up. Seems pretty strong to me."

"You never saw him at the academy, Masuko-Sensei," Chiyo said, her eyes wide. "The way he was then, I never thought he'd get this strong! He beat Kiba!"

Midori covered her mouth to smother a giggle. "Look how happy Hinata is!" She pointed to her friend, a cute girl with short violet hair and an overwhelming shyness, who was giving Naruto what looked like a tincture of medicine. The young Hyuga's cheeks were pink, and she seemed like she was about to run away any second.

"Aw," Masuko smiled, leaning on the railing. "What a cutie. I wonder who she'll have to fight. There's not a whole lot of guys left."

The blond genin glanced over at the Sand genin with concern. "I hope it's not that guy. He's scary."

Chiyo nodded, grinning. "Definitely. A real serious one, that guy. I wonder how strong he actually is."

Midori looked at her friend like she was crazy. "Don't go picking fights with everybody! Besides, it's Hinata we're talking about, not you. She's...a lot like me, so I'm worried."

Tsukiko glanced down at her in concern, and gestured to Masuko with her head.

The older Leaf kunoichi nodded, and tapped Midori's shoulder. "What do you mean, kiddo? She's a ninja, isn't she?"

The young genin looked away. "Yeah, but she hates fighting too. It's one of the reasons we got along so well."

Masuko bent down and placed both hands on the girl's shoulders. "Don't worry, Midori. You won your match, and she will too!"

"Maybe not," Chiyo muttered, looking up at the board. "Considering her opponent."

"HINATA HYUGA VS NEJI HYUGA"

Midori followed her friend's gaze and gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. "No! She can't fight Neji! Anyone but him!" Grabbing the railing, she watched, horrified, as the two Hyuga genin entered the arena.

"What's wrong?" Masuko looked at Tsukiko desperately. "Hey, no one's watching you right now. Help me out here! I don't understand all the fuss!"

Tsukiko crossed her arms as she studied Midori's panic. "All I know is that Hinata is from the main branch, and Neji from the side branch of the family. They're cousins, correct?" She tilted her head. "I've heard that the main branch of the Hyuga clan often takes advantage of the side branch, which has caused some tension. Is that what you're referring to?"

Midori nodded, taking a deep breath. "Neji has a lot of anger toward Hinata and the main branch. He used to be so nice...before…"

"Before what?" Masuko asked, scratching her head, completely lost.

"I think I have an idea of what this is about," Tsukiko nodded, her mind flashing back to the memory of her first mission. 'A brother sacrificed to protect the clan. Yes, I imagine that would make someone hate the main branch…so that means the head of the Hyuga clan's brother was Neji's…'

"Let the match begin!"

Neji, a boy with long brown hair in a loose ponytail and a stern demeanor, widened his stance, his expression unchanging. "Before we do this, a word of advice."

Hinata's head remained lowered until her cousin's voice became sharp. "Hinata, listen to me. Withdraw now."

Her head snapped up, her lilac eyes meeting Neji's. "You know you were never meant to be a shinobi," he continued, his words that of a concerned family member, but his tone meant to damage and inflict psychological pain. "You're too kind and gentle. You seek harmony and avoid conflict."

The boy nodded up at the catwalk. "You and Midori are alike in that respect, but she can at least fight well if it comes down to that. You cannot. You allow yourself to be easily swayed by others. Admit it, you have no confidence."

"That's enough, Neji!" Midori shouted angrily, startling Chiyo. "Don't talk to her like that!"

"Whoa now," Masuko cautioned. "It might be best if you didn't—"

"Why do you always try to make her feel like that?! Hinata may be gentle, but she has just as much right as you to call herself a shinobi!" Midori gripped the railing so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"Midori." Masuko placed a hand on her shoulder. "This is Hinata's fight, not yours." Her quiet authority seemed to cut past Midori's anger, and the young genin quieted, through her eyes blazed with a highly uncharacteristic anger.

Tsukiko traded glances with the purple-haired shinobi. 'Yikes. I've never seen her like this…'

Neji also seemed surprised, though he met Midori's gaze calmly. "Listen to your sensei, Midori. This isn't your fight. If Hinata can't even defend herself, then what right does she have to be here, in these exams? The truth is, she feels inferior to everyone here."

He turned back to Hinata, who was wide-eyed and practically trembling. "It would've been better for you to simply remain a genin. But to register for the chunin exams, you need a team of three people." His voice became more accusatory. "You never even wanted to take part in these exams, but Shino and Kiba did, and you couldn't bear to let your teammates down, could you?"

"No!" Hinata finally spoke, her voice tinged with desperation. "You're wrong!" She shook her head. "I wanted—I had to find out! I did it because I wanted to see if I could change…"

There was a long moment of silence at these words. To want to change is a powerful wish, and an admirable one for a shinobi, whose life was so set in tradition and training.

Tsukiko smiled. "Well now, she's perhaps stronger than she looks…"

Neji, whose expression had softened slightly, hardened further. "Hinata, you're the pampered offspring of the Hyuga's main branch." He straightened and glared at her fiercely, his words hinting at a deep anger. "People can't change no matter how hard they try!"

Hinata gasped, nearly taking a step back.

"They can't run away from their true nature," Neji continued mercilessly. "A failure will always be a failure."

Sadness and regret flashed across Midori's face, and her grip loosened as her head lowered. "And no matter how strong, a side branch will never rise to the top of the tree," she muttered, obviously having heard a similar sentiment before.

'I see…' Tsukiko studied the two Hyuga children closely. 'Neji is definitely the stronger of the two, which is a failure on Hinata's part. But is he really talking about her? This level of anger...no, he's just taking it out on her…'

"People are judged by their true nature." Neji's bitter voice spoke of experience. "It is the way of the world. That is why we have an elite, and why there are outcasts. We can change our physical appearance, improve our skills with training and study, but ultimately, we are judged by what we cannot change. What can't be changed, must be endured. We are who we are, Hinata. And we must live with it, just as I must live with the fact that you were born into the elite of our clan, while I am from a lesser branch."

Tsukiko's eyes softened with sympathy. "That kid. He's a little like me, or how I could have been…" Without Itachi, she would have been an outcast stuck in a clan that hated her, and might have easily become this jaded.

"I understand these things because I see the world clearly, with 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!"

"No! You're wrong!" Hinata insisted. "You're wrong about me!"

"Byakugan?" Sakura tilted her head. "What's that?"

Hearing this, Tsukiko gestured further down the catwalk. "Why don't we join Kakashi and Guy? I think Kakashi is about to give an explanation of the Byakugan. And Guy is Neji's teacher. This is your chance to learn about a possible opponent."

As they approached, Kakashi proved Tsukiko to be correct. "It's the kekkei genkai, or bloodline trait, of the Hyuga clan," he explained, answering Sakura. "A visual jutsu, like Sasuke's Sharingan. In fact, they say that the Uchiha clan's Sharingan was derived from the Byakugan, some time long ago."

Tsukiko nodded. "I've heard that too. As for my Gensogan, it's possible that it could be traced back to the Byakugan, but they're so different in use that it's doubtful."

"Yes, the Sharingan and Byakugan have many similarities," Kakashi agreed. "But for sheer power of insight, the Byakugan is the stronger of the two."

Down on the battlefield, Neji seemed to be through talking. He activated his Byakugan, a concentration of power in his eyes. Unlike the Sharingan or Gensogan, his eyes didn't change colors. Rather, the veins around and in his eyes seemed to pop grotesquely, creating an unnerving effect with the flat lilac of his eyes.

The followed was exactly as one might've expected. Hinata, due to some encouragement from Naruto and Midori, seemed to find her courage and refused to forfeit. Her stance was identical to Neji's, and she activated her own Byakugan. Still, the easy grace with which Neji held himself made it clear from the outset who the victor would be.

The two traded fast blows, familiar enough with the style to block and counter the other. Hinata actually managed to land a couple of hits, which would've been more than enough on a regular opponent.

"She barely touched him," Naruto commented with frustration.

Lee shook his head. "Even so, a glancing blow is enough. That is what makes the Hyuga clan the most formidable of fighters."

"What does?" Sakura asked, looking worriedly at the two fighters. "What are you talking about?"

Guy straightened. "Their Taijutsu is a unique one that's been passed down for generations." He held up a finger. "But it's not the Taijutsu that Lee and I employ, or anything that you will see from any other clan. We tend to concentrate on inflicting external damage. We use crushing blows to raise contusions and break limbs, pounding our enemy."

Masuko grinned, cracking her knuckles. "Sounds like my kind of fight."

Guy held up his other hand, continuing. "The Hyuga way is to attack an opponent's internal organs and the chakra network through which the chakra flows. Their way is more...subtle. Perhaps not at thrilling to watch, but it gradually takes effect, with devastating results."

"You see," Kakashi clarified. "You can't build up your internal organs, no matter how hard you train. Even the toughest ninja is vulnerable to this kind of attack."

Tsukiko gestured to herself. "Take me, for example. Because of the switching natures of my chakra, an attack like that is extremely effective. A couple of direct hits, and you'll disable one or more of my Elemental Styles. Although," she paused, a faint smile crossing her expression as she seemed to remember something. "I've never actually fought against a Hyuga, per se…"

Down below, Hinata managed another hit to Neji's shoulder. The boy looked surprised, and struck back so quickly that Hinata just barely managed to dodge.

Midori bit her lip. "The blow Hinata landed didn't hit enough chakra points to slow Neji down." She watched them circle, clearly unsure how to feel.

Sakura shook her head in surprise. "They attack the chakra network? These people are amazing."

"Yeah, you could say that again," Naruto agreed. "So what is the chakra network anyway?"

"Don't you know anything?!"

"Here, I will explain it," Lee offered. "It is the complex system of circulatory canals that distribute chakra throughout the body. Similar to a person's vascular system, the veins and arteries that carry blood."

Naruto crossed his arms. "I get it. Only these veins carry chakra, not blood, right?"

"Uh, basically," Lee admitted. "Furthermore, the chakra network is so closely interwoven with all the most vital internal organs that they are virtually one and the same. Therefore, when the network is attacked, these organs suffer damage as well."

"Wow, Lee!" Naruto exclaimed, grinning. "How'd you ever get to be so smart?!"

"Idiot!" Sakura shouted, her expression fierce. "How'd you ever get to be a genin?!" She hit him on the head.

"Ow!"

Chiyo turned to Midori. "Say, isn't that kind of what you did, back there in the woods?"

Almost unwillingly, Midori pulled her gaze away from the fight. "Naruto, can I see your arm?"

"Huh? Oh, okay." Rolling up his sleeve, he held his hand out.

Concentrating on the revealed skin, Midori made a slashing motion, a faint flash of chakra visible at her fingertips, and Naruto's arm dropped limply to his side.

"Ow! What the—?! What did you do to me?!"

"My chakra threads hit your pressure points. It only worked so well since you were standing still. I normally don't get that many." She turned to Chiyo. "Is that what you meant?"

The dark-haired girl nodded. "Yeah! So are you hitting chakra points, or—"

Midori was already shaking her head. "Those are normal points where veins and arteries connect to the muscle. Hitting them can momentarily cause someone to lose feeling or control in that limb, as the blood is cut off." She leaned forward and gently took Naruto's arm, pushing a few places. "All you have to do is wait for the blood flow to restore itself, or you can help it along by pressing other spots to force the blood back to the hurt areas."

Naruto pulled back his arm, waving it around with a relieved expression. "I can move!"

"Chakra points are different," Midori continued, her teammate eagerly listening. "Like Lee said, most of them are around internal organs. I can't hit that deeply. I mean, I theoretically know where some of the points on the arms and legal are, but it's still really hard to hit. Especially as some people focus their chakra in different ways, meaning the locations of their weak points can also differ slightly."

She pointed to the fight. "See, Neji and Hinata are both attacking with their palms open. When they hit you, they actually send bursts of chakra through the system to attack the points around the organs, rendering as much damage as possible."

"Scary stuff," Masuko whistled. "Best to keep that kind of fighter at a distance, though I'll bet that would be tricky with an experienced Hyuga. We fought plenty of them in the Mist, but I can't say I've ever seen their abilities this close. Hitting chakra points, huh?" Her gaze was contemplative as she watched the two Hyugas.

Sakura crossed her arms and turned to Kakashi. "But Sensei, then how do they know where to hit their target? I mean, the chakra network is invisible to the eye, right? So how do they know exactly where to land their blows?"

"You're forgetting their Byakugan," he chided gently. "There are few things invisible to those eyes. And as Midori mentioned, they release a small burst of their own chakra from their hand. This chakra drills into an opponent's body, directly attacking his chakra network. The chakra points, about the size of a pin, can be used to halt or increase chakra flow, depending on how the attacker strikes. Theoretically, hitting them allows someone to control an enemy's chakra."

"But how do you know so much, Midori?" Naruto asked, cocking his head.

"Well, someone has to repair that damage, right?" Midori countered, turning back to the circling Hyugas. "Several of my family members serve as personal healers to the Hyugas, using our chakra stitching technique. It's the fastest way to heal internal organs, and you'd be surprised how often a simple training session can lead to severe injuries. For example—"

She cut off with a gasp as the two fighters lunged, hitting each other in the chest. They stood, frozen in time for a long moment, both having hit their opponent.

Then with a wet choking noise, Hinata spat out blood, her frame shaking.

"Damn it!"

"What's going on?! I saw Hinata hit Neji perfectly!"

"Oh no! Hinata!"

Tsukiko shook her head sadly. 'Hinata is strong, but nowhere near Neji's level.'

And the rest of the fight was what you'd expect. Hinata showed great bravery and determination, refusing to back down, but Neji met each of her attacks calmly, hitting her over and over, expressing that same idea that no matter how skilled someone was, they were bound by fate.

Still, Tsukiko was immensely impressed by the Hyuga heir's will to fight, to protect her nindo, despite her chakra flow being cut off. And equally impressed with Neji, who was far stronger than anything she'd expected to see here. Guy holding him back a year was starting to seem ridiculous. He was clearly already at a chunin level with his physical skills, although he had a clear mental hang-up that was holding him back. Bound by anger, and a sense of superiority while in an inferior position, Neji Hyuga was a complicated boy indeed.

'Hm, strong as he is, I don't think even Sasuke stands a chance against him. Neji Hyuga will likely be the winner of the individual fights.' Her eyes narrowed, and she glanced down at her girls. 'Although, I'll bet these two put up quite a fight. I wonder how much time they will receive to train…'

Her thoughts were cut short by a final, devastating attack from Neji, slamming his fist into Hinata's stomach.

Midori covered her mouth to muffle a cry, her eyes tearing up. "She's—She can't fight anymore!"

The Hyuga girl's body fell forward, hitting the ground with a thud. She didn't get up.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Neji's voice was cold, despite the damage he'd just inflicted on a family member. "Your strikes were ineffective from the very start. You're finished." His Byakugan faded away.

"It's too bad, but after that blow to the heart, Hinata is done." Guy's quiet declaration rang true, as they waited for the official call, Masuko's hand resting on Midori's shaking shoulder.

Hayate walked into the arena, stopping next to Hinata. "As she can no longer continue this match—"

"NO!" Naruto's shout startled everyone, and all eyes immediately turned his way.

"Don't stop this match!"

"Naruto!" Sakura grabbed his arm. "What on earth are you doing?! Hinata's had it! You can see she's unconscious, can't you?"

But she wasn't.

Slowly, shakily, Hinata rose unsteadily to her feet, her breathing uneven.

"What do you think you're doing?" Neji asked, a faint tremor of concern in his voice. "If you continue to fight, you're going to die."

"No, Hinata!" Midori shouted. "You don't have to go all out like this!"

The girl's lilac eyes met Midori's green, and she smiled weakly. Then her gaze slid over to someone else. "I'm far from finished!"

The blond genin deflated, seemingly gaining insight into Hinata's reasoning. "Oh. I get it." Tears welling up, Midori nodded fiercely. "Okay, then!"

Tsukiko didn't quite follow the exchange, but didn't have time to come to an understanding. Hayate was signaling her to watch carefully, should they need to intervene. There was no way they could allow the Hyuga heir to die.

Neji reactivated his Byakugan, seeming genuinely angry now. "Give up the tough-guy act," he ordered. "I can tell you're barely standing. You've been carrying a very heavy burden, having been born to the main branch of the Hyuga clan. And you've cursed and blamed yourself for being weak." His tone softened. "But look, people can't change the way they are. That's just how it is. Just accept defeat and you won't have to suffer anymore!"

Hinata shook her head with a small smile. "No, you're wrong, brother," she said, using a friendly endearment. "You've got it backwards. You see, I can tell that you're the one—you're suffering much more than I."

"I'm what?" There was a quiet warning there.

The girl discarded it. "You are the one who's all torn up about the fate of the main and side branches of the Hyuga clan."

Something snapped then, inside the boy. His eyes narrowed, and he let out an angry growl.

"Hinata!" Midori's eyes were wide terror. "Neji, he—he's going to kill her!"

Tsukiko didn't bother to ask how Midori was so certain. She trusted her genin.

With a shout, boy rushed forward.

"Neji, no!" Hayate shouted. "The match is over!"

The boy didn't stop.

In an instant, Neji was surrounded on all sides. Hayate stood between him and Hinata, his finger pointed threateningly at Neji's forehead. Kakashi had a grip on the boy's right arm, extended to deal the killing blow. Guy's arm was loosely wrapped around his student's neck, and Kurenai gripped his left arm tightly. As for Tsukiko, she had pulled Hinata back by her fur coat, and was crouching protectively in front of her.

Perhaps most surprising was Midori, who had also rushed forward in the moment Neji had charged. She stood next to the jounin, her hands up in that peculiar way that marked her chakra threads, no doubt wrapping tightly around the Hyuga boy.

"Neji," Guy was the first to break the silence, his voice tight with warning. "Get ahold of yourself. You promised me you wouldn't let this whole head family thing get you riled up!"

"Why are you and the other jounin butting in?" Neji growled darkly. "The head family gets special treatment, huh?"

"Neji, please calm down," Midori stepped closer, her eyes sad. "You know that's not it. They just didn't want anyone to get killed."

His gaze flickered over to her, and while his bitter expression didn't change, his body slowly relaxed, the initial anger that drove him to attack draining away.

Behind her, Tsukiko heard Hinata cough up blood, the severity of her injuries finally catching up.

"Hinata!" Kurenai left Neji and caught the Hyuga heir before she fell. Naruto, Chiyo, Sakura, and Lee raced over to check on her before she fell unconscious.

Tsukiko kept her eye on Neji, who angrily pulled himself away from the jounin, Midori at his heels. She seemed to be trying to calm him down, her hand reaching up to touch his shoulder.

He jerked away, but Midori's face showed nothing but relief, too happy that Hinata was okay to be hurt by his rudeness.

Neji turned back to Naruto, who was crouched over Hinata's prone form. "Hey, loser."

'Well, that got his attention.'

"I have two pieces of advice for you. First of all, if you intend to call yourself a shinobi, stop that stupid cheering of yours. It's disgraceful. And second, once a failure, always a failure. You can't change that."

Naruto stood, smiling cockily. "We'll just see about that!"

Neji smirked.

And that was all it took to get the hot-blooded blond ninja charging. Luckily, Lee was quick to stop him, sliding swiftly between the two.

"What are you doing?!"

"Naruto, I get where you are coming from," Lee said peaceably, looking back over his shoulder at the blond. "Believe me. But the rules say, all fighting must be done officially in a match." He paused, staring intently at Neji. "The loser beating the gifted genius through sheer willpower—now would not that make for an exciting match, even if I am the one who is going to have to fight Neji?"

'Oh, so Lee has a rival…'

"Of course, if you ended up fighting him, that is fine too," Lee added quickly, glancing back.

Naruto snorted and turned away grumpily. "Alright, fine. You win, Lee." He shoved his hands in his pockets.

Lee smiled, and eagerly looked to his sensei, giving him a thumbs up. Guy returned it, his smile sparkling.

Tsukiko shook her head. 'I don't even want to know what mental conversation that was.'

"So that was Neji." Chiyo appeared next to her, an unreadable expression on her face. "I wonder if Midori will be alright. She seems to really admire him."

The young woman smiled. "Well, there's no harm in that. I imagine he has a soft spot for her. Childhood friends are like that."

"Yeah," Chiyo's voice was wistful. "You're right."

Tsukiko watched her student curiously, worry furrowing her brow. "Chiyo, is everything alr—"

"I wonder if Neji could beat that guy." Chiyo gazed up at the catwalk.

"The Sand genin? I don't know." Tsukiko cocked her head. "Why?"

The girl shrugged carelessly. "Just curiosity, ya know? He did some crazy stuff during the first exam. I got the sense that he's really strong."

"Hmm," Tsukiko gave no response, silently wondering herself.

"Hugyuk!" Hinata made a strangled choking noise, and her body began to convulse.

Kurenai quickly unzipped her jacket and felt her heartbeat. "She's going into cardiac arrest!"

Instantly, Midori left Neji and was at Hinata's side, her hands glowing green. "Somebody get a medic!" She shouted, eyes narrowed in concentration. Midori placed her hands on Hinata's chest and winced. "There's a lot of damage," she whispered. "I don't know if I can help." Her jaw tightened. "Damn it."

"Easy there, kiddo," Masuko crouched next to her. "The medics will be here any moment. Just keep her breathing."

A few moments later, a medical team came in, and Midori pulled back, shaking. "Her pulse is very faint," she reported.

"Got it," the head medic said, doing his own examination. "It's very serious. She has ten minutes at best! We have to get her to the emergency room!"

Carefully, but quickly, they loaded Hinata into a stretcher and took her out of the room.

"Masuko-sensei, please let me go with them." Midori's voice was quiet, her head low. "I need to make sure they go get my dad, or one of the higher ranked healers in my clan. They'll know what to do."

"Of course." Masuko nodded, then jerked her thumb back at Neji. "Do I need to have a word with this kid?"

Midori shook her head quickly, a few tears falling to the ground. "It's fine. I don't—I don't think Neji would've actually killed her. We used to be pretty close, so I know he cares about her. This was just...emotions clouding judgement. He hit her too hard, that's all."

"You might be giving him too much credit," Masuko growled, her fang glinting threateningly. "But, for your sake, I'll go along with it."

Midori nodded, then rushed after her friend.

THEN:

"Well, go in."

At his father's urging, Itachi placed a hand on the closed sliding doors. On the other side of the spotless paper, the room was silent. And yet the intense aura there, in that room separated from him by a single sliding door, came through with such intensity that it practically prickled his skin.

'An aura of unrest…' Itachi's heart sank. He shouldn't be here. Not without Tsukiko. He felt open and exposed, like something on the other side of that door was trying to tear him apart.

They had been training when his father had come for him, proudly telling him that he was now allowed to attend the clan meetings. Itachi had seen the hurt in Tsukiko's eyes that once again she was not included, that she was again abandoned.

'"I'm not going without Tsukiko,"' he'd told his father plainly. And he'd meant it. He was tired of everyone treating her badly, when she was going to be a better shinobi than all of them anyway.

'"Itachi, you know it's not my decision. Now come."' His father's voice had been stern, but something very much like pride had flashed in his eyes as he spoke.

The young boy opened his mouth to argue, but Tsukiko's hand gently landed on his shoulder. '"It's okay, Itachi,"' she'd said, her bittersweet eyes dulled with acceptance. '"This is really important. I want you to go. I can train here by myself for a while, it's no problem."' Then she smiled at him with such barely concealed sadness that he felt his heart clench at the sight.

His father had also seen it, and was not unaffected. '"Let's go, Itachi,"' he repeated, his voice strained with subdued emotion.

But now, facing the hatred behind this door, Itachi had the momentary thought that perhaps it was better that Tsukiko not experience this. It was better for him to take on this aura alone.

"Itachi," his father pressed him.

With no other choice, the young boy opened the sliding door. The hall, fifteen or so tatami mats large, was filled to capacity. But because there was no light in the room, the figures were all silhouetted.

"Sorry to make you wait." Gesturing Itachi into the room, his father crossed the threshold, and then reached back to close the door.

The darkness grew even more concentrated. With no one shadow leading, several of the human forms stood up, and together lit the candles in the four corners of the room. A faint light illuminated the interior.

"Sit down there and listen." His father pointed to a seat in the very back of the room, the only open space on the floor jammed with people.

Itachi pushed through them to make his way to the designated position, and sat down quietly. His father watched his son get settled in, before stepping through the assembled group to sit at the front of the room, facing everyone.

"We'll now begin our regular meeting," Yashiro announced from beside his father. "Lord Fugaku's son, Itachi, will also be attending the meeting from now on."

"My son is seven," Fugaku said, sitting tall. "Although he has the genin status requires to take part in these meetings, he is still very much a novice. Due to my admittedly selfish desire to have him learn about the clan status from such a young age, he has been allowed to take part. I appreciate your understanding." He bowed his head.

In response, the clan members sitting before him bowed their heads simultaneously.

"Now then, to pick up where we left off last time, I'd like to discuss the issue of the submission of a written opinion to the Hokage, with regards to the segregation of the clan's compound." Yashiro had barely finished speaking before the people at the meeting all started talking at once.

Some insisted a show of force for Konoha, others said they should keep a calm eye on things and proceed amicably, and still others looked at the faces of those around them, unsure which opinion to agree with. Even though their purposes were all different, it seemed that everyone there wanted to actively participate in the conversation.

Abruptly, Itachi felt someone's eyes on him and immediately turned his own eyes in that direction.

'Shisui.'

He met Shisui's eyes. The older boy was silent, and seemed unaccustomed to the boisterous atmosphere of the place. Then his good friend smiled at him, and Itachi once again felt an indescribable sadness.

The clan's evil feelings hung heavy here. Itachi was also not accustomed to it.

'I feel the same as you…' Itachi put his heart into the smile he flashed back at Shisui, thankful that at least Tsukiko wasn't being subjected to this poisonous atmosphere.

It was coming up on a year since they'd graduated from the academy. Itachi and Tsukiko turned eight.

Their careers as shinobi were going smoothly. Their team hadn't been sent on any particularly difficult missions. Tsukiko had complained that, looking back on this year, their very first mission as genin, taking care of the Stone village spy, had been their hardest.

Itachi's relationship with his teammates was the same as always. Tenma still wouldn't accept him or Tsukiko, who he still seemed frightened of, and Shinko would flare up at his attitude. Yuki watched over them half in a panic, while Tsukiko usually broke up the fights. Itachi didn't do anything special, just stood there watching.

He thought it was a bit of an unnatural, warped team, especially compared with him and Tsukiko alone, but even so, do the same thing over and over for a year, and it becomes the norm. Even if they were still unable to really open up with each other, they somehow managed to execute their missions without a fuss, and Itachi was fine with that. Because he had no intention of hanging around for long.

With Tsukiko's help, he would pile on the achievements, rise up to chunin, then jounin, before becoming the best ninja in the world and eradicating all war. For that reason, Itachi couldn't stand still. Instead of spending any of his precious time worrying about his teammates or supervising jounin, he poured his heart into polishing his own skills, and that of his partner. So naturally, they had mastered their fighting style to the extent that missions went too smoothly.

If Itachi had one bone to pick, it would be that Yuki hadn't recommended him or Tsukiko for the Chunin Selection Exams that year. This was probably due to Tenka and Shinko not being at the level to take the Chunin Exams, and participation was based on a three-or-more person cell.

But still, Yuki hadn't even tried to plead his case. Itachi was confident that he and Tsukiko could breeze through the exams together, no third person needed. So, when he learned he was unable to take the exams, in an unusual move, Itachi pressed Yuki about it.

Normally, no matter what was said to him, Yuki didn't bother to react. Just this once, however, he pushed back against Itachi forcefully, even cutting off Tsukiko's more quiet approach. He insisted that it was simply impossible that year, with a look on his face that said he wasn't the least bit interested in what either genin had to say.

Itachi and Tsukiko had no choice but to drop the matter.

But even if they weren't allowed to take the exams, they could still be promoted directly to chunin if the village administration and the jounin recommended it. And looking at Team Two's results, it was immediately obvious just how much the two talented children contributed. It was a fact that either of their judgement had passed that of even their sensei, and Itachi had reached the highest levels in everything from ninja arts to fighting techniques, all of which had allowed him to rescue his team from danger any number of times.

And Tsukiko's control over her Gensogan was as near outright mastery as was possible at her age. She controlled each element with relative ease, Earth being the rare exception, though her stamina made it so that she could only use her powers for a short time. Her ability to act in tandem with his thoughts had grown to the point where the two rarely needed words to fight together, each implicitly trusting the other.

'The administration will definitely say something…'

This belief firm in his heart, Itachi pushed on with the mission before him each day.

"The lands have all relaxed now that the war is over, so travel between countries is much safer now. Which is why we can assign this sort of mission to a genin-centered team," Yuki explained, his eyes on the document in his hand.

Tsukiko had the same document, but she was content to lean on Itachi's shoulder and read off his paper. The mission this time was actually something interesting.

'A mission to guard the daimyo of the Land of Fire.'

The village of Konohagakure was within the territory of the Land of Fire, and the ruler of that land was the daimyo. But although the village was located in the Land of Fire, it functioned semi-autonomously, with an independent government structure that had the Hokage on top. On paper, the daimyo of the Land of Fire was ranked above the Hokage, but currently, the land's military might rested with the ninja of Konoha, so the relationship between the two was more like an alliance of equals than master and servant.

The daimyo visited Konoha annually. This regular event was extremely important for both sides, and had been faithfully held for several years, even during the Great War.

"So the five of us are going to guard him?" Tenma asked, looking at the document with excited eyes.

"Officially, yes, it will be us," Yuki agreed. "But behind the scenes, there will be four-person Anbu cell keeping an eye on things from the shadows. And before that even, the daimyo has his own Twelve Guardian Ninja, an independent corps made up of only the most skilled shinobi in the land."

"So we're like a formality, yeah?"

"Well, basically yes." Yuki traced the route they'd be taking on his map, holding it up to show the genin. "The roads are quite safe since the end of the Great War, so the team with the genin who distinguished themselves most during the year is selected to guard the daimyo. In other words, this assignment is a great honor."

Tenma and Shinko both turned their eyes to the two other members on their team. Tsukiko felt their eyes, but kept her gaze firmly on the document in Itachi's hand, knowing he was doing the same. The last thing she wanted was to give Tenma a reason to start yelling again.

'Yuki-Sensei is useless,' she thought crossly, an uncharacteristic dislike for the man steadily growing. 'He can't even control his own team. I break up more fights than he does, and he's not particularly strong either. We should just take the Chunin Exams and be done with this nonsense.'

"We meet tomorrow morning at four. At the North Gate. Don't be late."

Tenma, Shinko, and Tsukiko assented aloud, but Itachi only nodded, still silent.

"All right then. Adjourned!" Yuki vanished, almost before he was done speaking.

Only the four genin remained.

Tenma's eyes never left the silent pair. "Guess you two are the village pets."

Irritation at their teacher flickered again in Tsukiko's mind. He couldn't be that brainless, as to think that there wouldn't be a fight the instant he left? Or did he just plan to leave it to Tsukiko?

Sure enough, his words sparked Shinko's temper. "You don't gotta go wording it like that!"

"Tch!" Tenma spat at the ground. "Yer attitude is just the worst!"

With her head still on Itachi's shoulder, she felt them rise as a sigh threatened to spill out of him. Knowing that sighing would only make the problem worse, he held it in and motioned for Tsukiko to move before standing up more forcefully than normal.

"See you two tomorrow," he offered, glancing back at his older teammates.

Tsukiko bowed her head politely. "Have a good day." The words had no sooner left her lips than they had disappeared.

"They always act like they're all that." Tenma's grumbling reached her ears like an echo, and Tsukiko sighed.

A.N. Okay, so that's it for now. I'd like to take this time to thank a few of you personally. Jessielric, Arisu003, and amaya are the three commenters that I look forward to every week. They give me their thoughts on every chapter, which, honestly, gives me all my motivation. I've been writing for a while, but actually posting something was difficult, especially Naruto, which has a pretty strong fan base with a lot of even stronger opinions.

Have a nice summer!