UGH! Finally had my first day off in weeks to write a chapter.
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.
Warning: People get hurt, obvi.
Thank you, as always, xxOchibixx, time-twilight, Sophiebybophie, Lavendor Queen and Jemmy for your reviews.
To address some of you:
xxOchibixx: I wouldn't mind setting up a poll for Quorra's pairing if other people are interested. But, to be fair, I don't think Quorra has interacted with enough characters yet for people to have a set OTP.
Happy reading!
Chapter thirty-five: The Worst Has Yet To Come
Just like that, the screen displayed our first battle:
Sasuke Uchiha vs. Kabuto Yakushi
Sakura threw her hands over her mouth, trying to stifle a gasp.
Sasuke smirked. "Didn't waste any time, did they?"
Kabuto glared at Sasuke and silently adjusted his glasses.
"Alright, those whose names have been drawn come forward. Everyone other than the two opposing candidates will clear to the upper level," Hayate ordered.
"You better win, Sasuke, if you ever hope to take me on!" Naruto declared, shaking his fist. Sasuke nodded in return.
Teams and sensei were filing away when Kakashi approached Sasuke. His hands were casually in his pockets as he spoke quietly to him. I couldn't hear what they were discussing. My best guess, he was warning Sasuke not to go overboard or else the curse mark will take over.
"Wow that's it, all I can do now is watch," Sakura sounded helpless. I wrapped my arm around the wounded girl as we made our way to the upper level.
The upper level was deck-like, semi-narrow platform following the circular perimeter of the arena with one end having stairs that connected the two levels. I stood with Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura. Team Guy and Team Kurenai stood nearby, while Mae leaned on the railing next to Kiba. Team Asuma was a little bit away while Kabuto's team and Team Baki isolated themselves on the other side of the arena. On the lower level, Sasuke and Kabuto stood at a face off. Neither wished the other luck.
"Huh, alright then," Hayate spoke. "Let's begin the first match."
On cue, Kabuto threw a shuriken. Sasuke dodged, but the pain from the curse mark already threw him off balance and toppled to the ground. Sasuke sat up, tightly gripping his shoulder, growling at Kabuto.
"I can't watch this," Sakura turned away covering her face so no one could see her freight.
I grabbed her free arm, gently turning her back towards the fight. "He would want you to watch."
She gulped understandably, wiping an escaped tear.
Kabuto charged at the fallen Uchiha with a hand glowing blue. He thrust his hand, but Sasuke tripped Kabuto, pinning him down.
"Hey, he got him!" Naruto declared, unnecessarily loud.
Kabuto struggled under Sasuke's firm grasp until he placed his glowing hand on Sasuke's chest. Just from a single tap, Sasuke fell and Kabuto took control.
"Get… get off me," Sasuke's words became slurry, drunk as his reaching hand fell to his side.
"What's happening to him?" Sakura asked in distressed.
"He seems to be zapping Sasuke's energy," Kakashi realized.
"Zapping his energy?" Sakura stared back to Sasuke, who laid still.
The blue light didn't stop Sasuke as he struggled to lift his foot and kicked Kabuto away, disconnecting the channel.
Kabuto quickly shook off the attack. "You still have strength left. Impressive." His hand glowed once again and Sasuke dodged left and right to avoid being further zapped of energy.
"He needs to think of something, fast," I observed, worried as much as Sakura was, who gripped the railing with angst.
Naruto wasn't having it. "Ah, come on, Sasuke. What was that? And you call yourself an Uchiha? You're gonna let him walk all over you? Stop messing around and get into gear!"
Kabuto was so distracted by Naruto's bantering that he failed to see Sasuke sneaking up from behind.
"I wouldn't turn your back on your opponent," Sasuke warned. Kabuto whizzed around to throw a punch, but Sasuke was already gone.
The Uchiha reappeared under Kabuto and kicked the Leaf Shinobi into the air. Kabuto was soaring in the air, his stomach facing towards the ceiling while his back was left exposed for Sasuke to approach. Sasuke hovered below him, like a shadow.
Wait a minute.
"I've seen that move before," Sakura exclaimed.
She was right. "That's Dancing Leaf Shadow," I realized. Lee performed that jutsu on Sasuke when they brawled on the way to the written exams. Lee wanted to fight Sasuke to see if the Uchihas were all what they were hyped up to be, to see the power of the Sharingan first-hand.
"What's Sasuke doing with Bushy Brow's jutsu?" Naruto yelled.
"It's the power of the Sharingan," Kakashi concluded, and we all nodded in agreeance. It was scary the Sharingan had that kind of power. That I had this power now, hidden inside, making it even scarier.
"He's able to copy my jutsu from only witnessing it once?" Lee spoke with awe. A tinge of jealousy touched his voice. "So that's his special ability. Incredible."
"Okay, I admit. I kinda borrowed that move, but from here on out. It's all original," Sasuke smirked and was about to continue with the jutsu when curse mark started up again. He cried with pain. Suddenly, his curse mark morphed. It manifested from a three comma, triangular shape, to a mass spread. Harsh tribal squiggles spread from his shoulder to the base of his neck.
"What's happening?" Sakura panicked.
Kakashi looked grim. "It's just as I feared. It's growing, trying to take over Sasuke's body."
"Taking over?" Sakura looked mortified.
"When he uses chakra, the reaction is stronger," Mae calculated. I didn't think about it like that, but she was right. That curse mark depends on his chakra, trying to mold and blend into one entity.
Even through the excruciating pain, Sasuke defiantly gained control of the curse mark as it receded back to its original form. Still hovering under Kabuto, he twisted his body so that his leg fell upon his opponent, causing kabuto to fall.
"I'm not done yet," Sasuke growled and twisted his body on last time, using momentum to gain strength of his final kick that sailed his opponent into the ground. "Lion's Barrage!"
The move was incredible. Sasuke combined Lee's signature move and morphed it into his own, calling it his Lion's Barrage. However, what it left now was two wiped out fighters.
Sprawled on the arena floor, Kabuto slowly rose while Sasuke failed to. His teeth clenched as he tried to push himself upright, but that last move, in addition to the curse mark, took a heavy toll on him.
Kabuto approached Sasuke, his fingers glowed a fiery blue once again. Sasuke stared up, his mind ready to continue the fight, but his body wasn't so forthcoming. Sakura stared like a fish out of water, petrified this was the last thing she would see from her not-so-secret crush. I couldn't blame her worry, I was too.
Hovering over Sasuke, a smile of victory crossed over Kabuto lips, but the expression was minute, disappearing in nanoseconds. "I, Kabuto Yakushi, forfeit from the preliminary rounds."
Grasps shook the room. Sakura's was by far the loudest. "He forfeits?" The words sounded preposterous to her as they escaped her lips.
Hayate approached the combatants, confused by the declaration as well. "Huh, with an act of a forfeit, Sasuke Uchiha is declared winner of this round and will be proceeding to the finals."
Sasuke should have been annoyed that the fight ended so soon. But instead, he smiled with exhaustion and tried to sit up. With a huff, he would have fell, if it wasn't for Kakashi.
"Not bad," Kakashi said, propping his bend knee on the Uchiha's back to stabilize him while simultaneously reading his book. Sasuke smirked in reply.
"Sasuke, thank goodness," Sakura spoke shakily. Her fingers wrapped with each other's to cope with the relieving news.
Lee stared with amazement. Guy, on the other hand, wasn't as impressed. He stared at the Uchiha as if Sasuke took the easy approach to fighting. Like it required blood and sweat to get to where you were today, not a trick up your sleeve that was passed down for generations. But, he was wrong. Even if Sasuke didn't work as backbreaking hard as Lee did on the technique, if Sasuke didn't obtain the Sharingan and copy Lee's move, this could have ended differently. That takes its own hard work.
Anko had a different look, a look of disbelief. That even when the curse mark flared up into a bizarre pattern on his neck and shoulders, he was still able to control it.
"Wow, eh. That was amazing," Hinata spoke.
"Bleh. Wasn't anything that special," Kiba snorted.
"Way to go, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled. "You won, but in such an uncool way. You look like the one who got beat up!"
Sasuke gave Naruto an exhausted, dirty look. "Give me a break, you little… oh, well." He gave up Naruto's torment and instead gave a shaky smile.
I was beyond elated for Sasuke. Jovial that nothing worse happened to him. We needed some good news for once. But, I couldn't help the nagging feeling inside my chest. Kabuto was easily dominating the fight. He would have won easily. What made him quit?
Kabuto walked, without a word, away from the fight. Hayate gave him a quizzical face.
"I'm exhausted. I've been fighting for five days straight. There was no way I was going to win without it getting messy," Kabuto explained to Hayate's wordless question. "I rather live until tomorrow."
Hayate nodded, acknowledging, and with one last look at the Uchiha, Kabuto disappeared.
The medical team approached Sasuke, fully prepared to take him away.
"I think you're out of your league with this one. I'll take him," Kakashi stopped them in their tracks. The medical team was taken aback, baffled, but didn't object.
Kakashi bend down and whispered into Sasuke's ear. Whatever he said, it didn't go over well with Sasuke.
"Before the preliminaries are over? But, I wanna see who gets to be in the finals," Sasuke whined.
"Forget it," Kakashi shut him down, like a parent not allowing their child to go to the party. "If we leave it any longer, it might be too late. I already cut you enough slack as it is."
When Kakashi used this tone, one could argue all they wanted, but it was final. Sasuke knew this and agreed with a helpless sigh. With a helping hand on his shoulder, Sasuke and Kakashi left the arena.
"Huh, okay then. Let's move onto the second match," Hayate announced. The first match got everyone riled up. The feelings varied from anxious, to excited.
"Man, I can't wait for my turn," Naruto exclaimed, barely holding back his excitement.
"Wish I could say the same," Sakura sighed.
"You better hope you don't get stuck fighting me, Naruto, or else you're destined to lose," Kiba antagonized.
Naruto bought into the coax. "Oh, yeah?! I like to see what you got, Dog Boy!"
"Dog Boy?!" Kiba's face reddened and twisted with anger. "You're going to regret calling me that, Loser!"
They broke out into a verbal fight that left my eyes rolling. I couldn't bring myself to stop their pettiness. The ball of tension in my chest was too great. What if I was next to fight? Not knowing who I was destined to fight was making me sick.
In the corner of my eye, I saw Hinata shuffling her feet towards the boisterous Naruto. "Uhm, Nar-Naruto?"
Her words were easily washed out by Naruto's fury. "Oh, and your breath smells worse than your dog's. Do you eat out of a dumpster?" He told Kiba, pointedly.
"Naru-" Hinata spoke.
"A dumpster!?" Kiba's was beyond angry. "You eat so much ramen, you shit noodles!"
"Naruto," Hinata softly cried out.
"Oh, yeah!? Well, you- you," Naruto stopped himself when he realized Hinata's awkwardness.
Now she finally got the Knucklehead's attention, she was speechless. "I… I" but the words couldn't escape her flustered lips. Instead, she rose her hands and buried her face with shame. In her hands was a small potted container.
"Huh." Naruto looked at the thing questioningly and cocked his head with confusion.
"She's giving you a gift. Take it, Naruto," Hinata and Kiba's Sensei, Kurenai, gestured.
"What is it?" Naruto grabbed it from Hinata's palm. She retracted her arms, instinctively, hugging her body tightly.
"It's ointment, for cuts," Kurenai-Sensei explained.
"Ointment?" Naruto examined the container.
"It's for you… and Sasuke and everyone else on your team, too!" Her long-sleeved hands covered her embarrassed face.
"Oh, well thanks, Hinata." He rubbed his head with a goofy grin. "I-" he was about to add something, but Hinata's face stopped his words in his tracks.
She had a look of fear like someone was standing behind us with a knife. We all turned around to see what she was so scared about and that's when we saw it:
Neji Hyuuga vs. Hinata Hyuuga
"No," Kiba spoke, infuriated. "Hinata, you can't. You have to forfeit the match." Hinata fiddled with her hands in anticipation.
Naruto was taken aback by Kiba's urgency. "Forfeit the match? Who do you think you are, telling her what to do?"
"I'm saving my teammate," Kiba growled. Mae grabbed his arm, afraid he might lash out.
"By telling her to forfeit? What kind of teammate does that? Go ahead, Hinata. Show everyone what you're made of." Naruto gave a thumbs up to the Hyuuga. She shook with freight.
"Are you crazy?! Do you want her to get killed? Don't you know Neji? He's merciless. He doesn't care if Hinata is his cousin." Mae's grip grew stronger as Kiba charged forward. His claws begging to dig into Naruto's skin.
"Kiba, please," Mae cried, but it turned into a big brawl. Everyone started arguing. Some were defending Naruto while others were doing the same for Kiba. Everyone was so engulfed in the argument, no one seemed to notice Hinata slipping silently away.
Except me.
It was no question Hinata was scared, petrified really. She could barely stand on her own two feet. It made the turmoil in my stomach intensify. It made the realization that I, too, would soon be in her position that much worse. In my heartbroken mind, I shuffled through words I wish someone will speak to me before my fight.
"Do what feels right," I spoke, barely at a whisper, but that was all that was needed.
She was alerted by my comment, but quickly understood. Her tensed body relaxed some and with a slow, still unsure nod of the head, she walked down the stairs towards her fight.
Kiba noticed her leaving. "Hinata, wait!"
"Let her go," I told him.
Kiba gave me a vicious look, like he wanted to tear my head off, but I stood my ground. "Damn it." He punched the wall behind him. It was then I realized Kiba would never forgive me if anything happened to Hinata.
By the time Hinata reached the center of the arena, Neji and Hayate were there to greet her. She stood directly in front of Neji, in a standoff position.
"I never thought I would have to face you," Neji said.
"Nor, I, cousin." Hinata agreed.
"A word of advice, Hinata," Neji began. "Withdraw now. You know you were never meant to be a ninja. You're too kind and gentle. You seek harmony and avoid conflict. You allow yourself to be easily swayed by others. Admit it, you have no confidence and feel inferior to everyone else here. You took the Chunin exams because Shino and Kiba needed a third member and you couldn't bear to let your teammates down."
"No, you're wrong," Hinata interrupted. "I wanted… I had to find out… I did it to see if I can change." Her voice sounded minuscule, lost.
"People can't change no matter how hard they try. They can't run away from their true nature. A failure will always be a failure. I understand these things because I see the world clearly with my Byakugan." Neji activated his bloodline trait.
"Byakugan? That's the kenken genkai of the Hyuuga clan right?" Sakura asked.
"That's right. It's a visual jutsu like Sasuke's Sharingan. In fact, they say the Uchiha's Sharingan was derived from the Byakugan. But for its sheer power of insight, it is the stronger of the two." Kakashi explained, popping back into existence.
"Kakashi!" Sakura shrieked.
"Hi," he waved.
"What do you mean, hi? What about Sasuke?" Sakura scolded. The fight Hinata was about to endure had everyone rattled, but Sasuke's condition was Sakura's main concern.
"Oh, he's fine." He waved off to his pupil. "Sleeping soundly in the infirmary."
Sakura sighed with relief. A heavy weight was lifted off her chest. Already she looked lighter. Kakashi smiled at his student, but there was a look that made me unsettled. A mystery effect behind his steel colored eyes. Whatever was on his mind, I noted to myself to bug him about it later.
"If you don't forfeit the match, you know what will happen." Neji gave his final warning.
"I won't run away." Hinata performed hand signs, activating her own Byakugan. Determination filled her pupil-less, lavender eyes as she positioned herself to fight. "Defend yourself."
"If you are ready, you can begin the battle," Hayate announced.
"Very well then," Neji responded, following suit.
They fell into a hand-to-hand combat. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. Their hands were held flat and glowed a fire blue as they tried to hurt one another through jabbing movements.
I was so used to seeing weapons in hands, and rough, brutal movements. But, this was completely different. Everything they did was methodical, fluent, like the rush of a waterfall. It was both powerful, yet simple. It was a beautiful dance only those two shared—
A dance that will end up with someone dead.
Hinata managed to plunge her fingertips towards Neji's arm. Neji jumped back on instinct.
"Did she get him?" Naruto asked.
"No way. She barely grazed him," Sakura replied, not too sure of herself.
"Even so," Kakashi explained. "A glancing blow is enough. That's what makes the Hyuuga clan the most formidable fighters."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Their taijutsu is a unique one," Guy-Sensei informed. "They attack internal organs with their chakra networks, leaving devastating results." I gave Guy-sensei an unsure look, still not fully comprehending it.
"You can't build up your internal organs no matter how hard you train. Even the toughest ninja are vulnerable," Kakashi added.
"They attack the chakra network. These people are amazing," Mae said, watching the match with her calculating eyes.
"You can say that again," Naruto nodded, crossing his arms. "But, what is the chakra network?"
Sakura gave Naruto a look like she was questioning if he knew how to wipe his own ass. "Don't you know anything?!" and she proceeded to punish Naruto's incompetence with a bash to the head. Naruto cried out in pain.
Kakashi sighed. "It's the complex system of circulatory canals that distributes chakra throughout the body. Similar to a person's vascular system."
"I get it! Except these veins carry chakra not blood." Naruto pointed, as if he just solved the mysteries behind the Bermuda Triangle.
"The chakra network is so closely intertwined with your internal organs, they are virtually one in the same. Therefore, when the network is attacked, these organs suffer the most," Lee added to Kakashi's words.
"Wow, Lee. How'd you get to be so smart?" Naruto asked.
"How you get to be such an idiot?" Sakura yelled, welcoming him with another hit. As Naruto held his head, Sakura continued without second thought. "But Kakashi-sensei, how do they know where to strike their opponent? I mean, chakra is invisible to the naked eye."
"You are forgetting there is little their Byakugan can't see. What's more, when they strike a blow, a small but intense burst of their own chakra is released from their hand and drills into their opponent's body, directly attacking their chakra network."
Naruto and Sakura nodded, understanding this new knowledge about another bloodline trait other than Sasuke's. Meanwhile, Kiba couldn't care less. He was wordless as he was too engulfed in witnessing the fight. He gripped the railing with enough force to turn his knuckles white. Akamaru was mesmerized as well with his hair standing on end with anticipation.
As the fight persisted, they attacked and defended accordingly. Neji made jabbing movements while Hinata avoided them and countered movements of her own. They were evenly matched, for now. Well, it was until Hinata found an opening and made a blow to Neji's arm. Neji quickly anticipated the attack and rose his palm towards her chest. It didn't make direct contact, but it was enough to cause her to cough up blood.
"So that's it, huh?" Neji smirked at his cousin.
"What's going on? I saw Hinata hit Neji perfectly," Naruto asked aloud.
Hinata wasn't through yet as she pushed Neji's arm away from her chest and goes to strike, but Neji thrusted two fingers into her arm. Her arm was frozen in place. Neji triumphantly pushed Hinata's sleeve up, revealing an array of red dots. They resembled chicken pox, but bigger.
"You mean… this whole time… you could see." Hinata was too shocked to say the words.
"That's right. I could see your chakra points."
"What's he talking about?" Naruto demanded.
"On the chakra network, there are 316 energy centers or chakra points and each are only about the size of a head of a pin. Hitting one directly can effect chakra flow either by holding it or increasing it depending how the attacker strikes. Theoretically, this allows them to gain complete control over their opponent's chakra flow," Kakashi explained staring at the fight with amazement.
"But these points, they aren't even detectable to my Sharingan eye, yet he can target them directly even during intense battles."
I knew right then why he looked so surprised as I was wondering the same thing. Seeing and pinpointing chakra points with such accuracy during a heated battled was something only very skilled shinobi could do. How could a genin be this powerful?
As Hinata continued coughing, Neji pushed her, sending her skidding to the floor. She laid on her abdomen, motionless. "Look Hinata, I'm completely out of your ledge. This is what separates the elite from the failures. You may not like it, but it's a fact. You were destined for failure and now you are consumed with hopelessness. This is your last warning, Hinata. Forfeit this match."
Hinata slowly pushed her small body to her knees. "I never…. never go…. back on my word." The words sounded harsh on her lips as she strained to stand. Blood continued to drip onto the floor.
"I had no idea Hinata was this tough," Naruto spoke with awe.
"She's a lot like you," Lee commented.
"You know come to think of it, she's always watching you," Sakura added.
Once standing again, she reactivated her Byakugan, prepared for the next round. No further words needed to be exchanged as Neji fought again. I understood Hinata was brave and I admired her for it, but the truth of the matter was, one more deadly blow like before and she was done.
"Go, Hinata! You can do it!" Naruto cheered.
Hinata attacked, but she was losing her wits and wasn't thinking strategically. It took no effort at all for Neji to jab her in the jaw and fell again, resulting her to cough even harder.
"What do you think you're doing? You're going to die," Neji spoke matter-of-factly.
"It doesn't matter. I'm not letting myself look bad. Not now." She wiped her mouth, staining her tan sleeves red.
Naruto smiled at Hinata's determination, but clenched her gift in his hands.
"I'm far from finished," Hinata spoke with such bravery and self-worthy passion that it hit me. Neji was like a real-life version of my inner demons. They always told me I was a failure, bantered and cackled how I would never be good enough. From the beginning, I thought I wasn't suited to be a shinobi or to be in the Chunin exams. I proved my demons wrong, even as doubt whispered in my ears at night, tormenting me. But, Hinata, she just proved to me that even when it seemed impossible, that wasn't always the case.
Neji, on the other hand, didn't find it as awe inspiring. "Give up the tough guy act. I can tell you're barely standing. People can't change the way they are. That's just how it is, so accept defeat and you won't have to suffer any more."
"You got it backwards," Hinata smiled sadly. Neji was shocked by the accusation. "You see, I can tell you're the one who is suffering much more than I."
"I'm what?" Anger laced Neji's voice.
"You're the one who's torn up about your own fate. I see how you look at him."
"Why you," Neji was so immersed in rage, he couldn't even finish his sentence. There was a change in his eyes, something awakened in him. He looked wild, inhumane, nothing like the composed Neji we all knew.
Neji was determined to kill and Hinata couldn't do anything about it as he laid his final blow. Blood poured from her mouth as his well-positioned hand hit her heart.
"Hinata!" Kiba jumped over the railing.
"Kiba, wait!" Mae called, but that didn't stop Kiba from sliding into the arena, even when the match hadn't officially ended.
Kiba hovered over her teammate as Hayate trotted over. "Since she is no longer able to continue this match—"
"No! Don't stop this match!" Naruto bellowed.
"Naruto, what are you doing? Can't you see Hinata is unconscious?" Sakura asked Naruto.
There was no question Hinata has had it, but it brought everyone to a gasp when the hurt Hinata coughed. She rose her hand to the sky, trying to use the zero energy she had left to continue the fight. Kiba stared with pain in his eyes.
This made Neji even more furious as he charged at his cousin, again. Kiba whipped around, growling with claws out. Akamaru barked like mad. Luckily, Kiba didn't have to do anything because the jonin stopped Neji. Hayate stood in front of the Hyuuga while Kakashi held his arm. Guy-sensei had Neji in a headlock and Kurenai-Sensei had a tight grip around his leg.
"Neji, get a hold of yourself," Guy-sensei urged.
"Why are you and the other jonin butting in?" Neji dared to argue. Hinata's cough got worse as her shaky hand slumped to the ground with a thud.
"Hinata!" Kurenai-sensei and Kiba yelled, and she ran to her student.
Naruto, Sakura, Lee, Mae and I hopped over the railing and ran to Hinata.
"Hinata, you okay?" Naruto asked. Hinata was unresponsive as her head lolled. "Hey!"
"Naruto…" Hinata whispered. "I just…" but her words were diluted into her state of unconsciousness.
"Hey, Loser," Neji called towards Naruto. "I have two pieces of advice for you. First of all, if you call yourself a shinobi, stop that stupid cheering of yours. It's disgraceful and second, once a failure is always a failure. You can't change that."
"We'll just see about that!" Naruto ran towards Neji until Lee stopped him. "What are you doing?"
"Naruto, I get where you are coming from, believe me, but the rules say all fighting must be officially done in a match. A loser beating a match through sheer will power, now wouldn't that be an exciting match? Even if I will have to be the one who fights Neji."
Naruto growled and walked away. "Alright fine, Lee. You win."
Lee gave his sensei the thumbs up and Guy gave one in return; teeth gleaming.
"I'm not as forgiving as Naruto," Kiba roared and went after Neji.
I ran to stop him. "Stop it, you heard Lee. You will be disqualified." I grabbed his arm.
"I don't care! Get off me!" Kiba screamed and shook me off, causing me to fall.
I quickly sprang to my feet and dashed after him. If there was one advance I had over people, I was much faster. As much as I despised Neji and wished he got a world's hurt of beatings, I knew I couldn't hold Kiba back so I stood in front of Neji with arms held out.
Seeing me in the cross roads slowed Kiba some, but his momentum was too strong and his claws slashed into the side of my face. The force threw me to the ground and I gripped the claw marks in pain. Kiba hovered over me, with a face of anger and horror.
Kiba didn't know what to do next, but Hinata spitting up blood drew him back to reality. Finally accepting that fighting Neji had to happen later, he ran back to his partner without saying a word.
Kiba tried to comfort Hinata as Kurenai-sensei gave Neji a look that could kill an army.
"I wouldn't be wasting your time glaring at me when you really should be taking care of her," Neji spoke with uncaring meaning.
"Get a medic and fast!" Kurenai yelled.
A group of medics ran immediately over. One bend down to check Hinata's heartbeat. "This is serious. There's barely a pulse."
Before we could even comprehend it. The medics put Hinata on the stretcher and took her away. Mae went to comfort the red-faced Kiba and Sakura helped me to my feet.
"You're going to need to get that checked," Sakura said.
"I'm fine," I waved her off. Besides, there were more things to be concerned about. Watching what happened to Hinata made me fear what the future held for the rest of us.
Naruto watched Hinata get carted away. He hovered over her blood and bent down to swipe his fingers across the pool.
He turned towards Neji and held out his hand. "Hinata, I give you my word." Blood dripped from his fingertips. "I vow to win."
I made the battles a little different. Hope they were still exciting to read.
Sasuke won with the forfeit of Kabuto and Hinata was carted away after Neji went hay-wall. What made Neji so angry?
There will be three more battles for the preliminaries, but which three?! Next chapter will be the announcement of Quorra's opponent! Now that some candidates fought already, who do you think Quorra will battle?
Until next time!
xo
Next chapter will be update sooner this time, I promise!