I Don't Own Naruto!
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Saga#03
Thousand Sleepless Nights
Chapter #09 - The Final Match
When the last two names of the preliminary round have been revealed on the screen above, both Neji and Hinata made their way down to the battlefield.
Hinata was concerned about fighting her cousin knowing that he was naturally stronger than she could be, and very hope to become.
But even though that Neji hold the talent and skills to combat whatever she could possible throw at him, Hinata had to try her best to prove to her family that she was not a waste of pass, at least she want her father to understand that!
"You should give up now, it will save you from a life-time of embarrassment." spoke Neji in a rude tone of voice,
Even though he was being exceptionally rude, he really was trying to spare his cousin from the embarrassing fate that was in store for her if she continued.
To bad she was too stubborn and naive to heed his warning, now he could no longer aid her in this battle,
Her fate has been washed away by the current of destiny, now she is helpless up to the unknowable fate that destiny had in store for her.
"If you are not willing to abandon this futile attempt of yours, than I will just prove to you that divine power of destiny is on my side, and my triumph over your might has already been written in history." spoke Neji certain of his victory
"You wrong, I can overcome anything that you can throw at me" spoke Hinata using all of her might just to stand her ground against her opponent
Feeling disrespected, Neji heart closed up like a turtle in his shell.
He chose not to be kind, even if he was up against his own blood. Nothing will stand in his way of destiny, he will prove to the world that he should have been born in the head branch of his clan.
He should be the next head of his clan, so he could guide his people into the blinding future that lies in front of them.
When the final match of the preliminary round finally began, both competitors rushed right out of the gate and started striking each other pressure point, cutting out the chakra flow to their bodies, slowly paralyzing them.
It haven't even been a minute and HInata already was out of breath, causing her to use even more of her strength just to keep up with her cousin that hasn't even broken a sweat yet.
"Why is this happening? I trained to I pass out each and every day but yet I still fall short compared to Neji.
Why can't I get any stronger?" thought Hinata feeling the crushing blow of misfortune.
She would had just quit and ended the match once the second she felt light headed, but the fear of never seeing the kind warm filled glow that Naruto give, gave Hinata the strength to push forward.
"Do you know now Hinata? You cannot fight destiny, no matter what you do" spoke Neji
But Hinata continue to deny the fact that he was trying to get across. It really did seem that Neji's words fell on deaf ears.
"I'm disappointed in you Hinata, I expected more out of you!" spoke Neji ready to give the finally strike and end this match.
In an instant Neji knock the poor girl to the ground, so she could wallow in her own misery and despair, unaware in that despair through the unkind shadows of dread and self-hatred Hinata found her fire!
The flames that fueled her body and gave her the courage to stand on her two feet and face her fierce opponent.
The instance flames that was shining in her eyes brought an unsettling feeling of nervousness in Neji's heart. For a moment he actually believed that destiny had forsaken him. Chose Hinata over him to become the victory of the match.
But his faith in destiny was far stronger than the doubt in his heart, and besides he knew Hinata is and always shall be a worthless piece of trash, that does not even deserve to be apart of a great clan such as theirs.
With that said a smirk appeared on Neji face, as he stared into the foolish eyes of his opponent,
"She actually believe she can defy destiny. What a fool!" thought Neji as he went in for the finally blow.
Shocked to find out the hard way, Hinata had a lot more in store for him. With one palm she struck Neji's rib-cage creating a electrical shock-wave that caused major damage to his heart, and to his balance.
With a lost of footing, Neji stumble around the battlefield trying to regain his balance, leaving him wide open for multiple strikes from his opponent.
Overwhelmed and in a state of dizziness, Neji stood there like a wall steadily taking all of the blows that Hinata had to throw at him.
He only truly broke free from this instance and powerful state that he was under, once Hinata throw him head first against a wall.
The blood that flow from his head like a rushing waterfall opened his eyes, and it gave him the ability to once again move his body.
"I do not know how you are doing this. But it does not matter, destiny is on my side" spoke Neji in a sure tone of voice as he slowly struggle to stand on his feet.
When he pulled his ragged body up off the floor and back into the light of battle, he looked in his heart for guidance, for the same thing that gave Hinata strength.
Sadly he was not ready and destiny turned its back on him, why he did not know.
Maybe he wasn't ready after all? But Neji refused to end this battle with a weakened resolve.
So he calmed his heart and steady his mind to the point were only pure confident was brewing in both mind and spirit.
"I'm not ending the battle here" yelled Neji with so much fury in his voice as he charged at his opponent.
Once more Hinata brutally overwhelmed Neji's so called talent and skills in battle, and pushed the warrior back.
"This cannot be! I can't lose to someone like you" spoke Neji clearly irritated, not grasping the reason why a lonely person like Hinata was beating him.
Like a fool he repeatedly charging into the battle only to be knocked on his butt.
He so stubborn it was pushing Hinata's patients to the limit.
"Why won't you stay down!?" spoke Hinata in a really irritated tone of voice,
Hinata was furious to see that Neji was still clinging onto his beliefs that he was still going to win the match,
She only wanted to see her opponent lose all sense in hope, and to turn his back on victory. That all she wanted, and she still going to push and push until want she want become reality!
As the battle go on it seemed to everybody the competitor Neji just would not give up, and that push Hinata over the edge.
"If you do not wish to stand down, then I will make you stand down!" spoke Hinata as she pick all of her rage and anger into her eyes.
The rage and the anger alleviate Hinata's visual prowess to the point where you could even say her byakugan evolved.
Hinata opened her new eyes and a sound-wave just pushed Neji up against the wall with such force, you would think Neji's spine would have shattered to thousand pieces.
This sound-wave was created and forced out by her knew byakugan.
When she saw that her cousin was no longer able to stand, Hinata came to the conclusion to end him and the match.
But when she went to end the battle something went horribly wrong, and the cause of it was nothing more than her ability to control something that she had since birth.
Yes it was her byakugan! Her body nor her mind could handle the extraordinary power that came with the change.
Her stomach felt uneasy, her mind was clouded and very unfocused, even her hands was shacking uncontrollably as her vision got bleary.
She felt the pain of having her byakugan repeatedly switching back and forth from the old and the new version, the result of this tragic turn of events worn her body to the bone, and caused her eyes to bleed.
Ending the battle with the very strong Hinata passing-out from the pain of exhaustion.
"Um...The winner of the tenth and finally match is Neji Hyuuga" spoke Hayate Gekko in a shocked tone of voice, believing that he would be crowning Hinata as the winner of the tenth match.
When Neji was crowned the victor of the final match, he couldn't help but bask in the wonderful feeling of achieving something that could not be seen.
"I told you, but you just wouldn't listen. Now it seemed you learned the hard truth, destiny is something that you cannot beat nor over-come." spoke Neji as he stared at his fallen foe,
But the rage that he had for his cousin was far to much for one person to handle, and it boiled over so to resolve his rage Neji directed his gaze to the people that dwell in the stands above
"NO! Destiny has already chosen us and the lives we live. We can't fight it nore change it ways. All we can do is live our lives the why destiny see fit!
This person right here tried to fight destiny, and she failed just like everything else she has done in her worthless life!" spoke Neji expressing his feeling to the genins above, right before he pass-out on the battlefield.
By the time he awoke he was confronted by one of the Hokage's greatest ninja a anbu, the anbu told Neji that their lord requested his presence in the main-hall.
"Thank you! I will be there shortly" spoke Neji as he got out of bed and followed the anbu to the main-hall.
Once he took his place along with the other genin that was fortunate to win their matches in the main hall, the Hokage was pleased to know that he could finally proceed to the next stage of these exams.
"The prelimenary round have finally came to a close, and you all showed excellent skills for those of your age.
It gives me great pride to say that the future of these great lands have nothing to fear as long as the next generation show the same strength and courage that you all have shown here today.
Millianna, Asun, Tenten, Neji, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Temari, Gaara, and Lee, you all are now one step away from becoming chunin, but before we move on to the next step of the exams I must share something with you all!
The third exam will be held in three months time. I know you might be thinking, Why do we need to wait? Why can't we just skip to the finale exams.
Well it's very simple! It's because you all have been exposed to your opponent's.
The way you fight, and the move that you used have already been carefully analyze by your opponents.
So this break will allow you all a chance to train and perfect new skills for battle." spoke the Third Hokage having so much pride in the future of the genins, he could actually smile,
But since his hold the title of Hokage he decided not to show any emotions at all, because he know that emotion over time brew weakness.
"So what are we suppose to do now?" spoke Millianna wondering if they was suppose to stay in the leaf village, or should they return to their master.
"That's a perfectly reasonable question to ask. Well! It time for you all to return to your individual villages and continue your life like nothing have change.
But keep in mind, once three months have passed you must return to the Leaf Village show to you can finish the Chuunin exams.
If you lucky you might actually walk away a chunin by the time the exams end." spoke the Hokage to all of the genins that was in front of him.
"What do you mean if we lucky?" spoke Tenten curious if there is something they might have to do to become a chunin.
The third Hokage explain to the nine genins what he meant by lucky, and what the third exam is going to be about from the start to end.
By the time the Hokage finished explaining the third exam, Millianna and Asun quickly and carefully pick up their literally broken partner and exit the both the temple and the leaf village.
It took an entire day before the student could reunite with their master and their master partner, that was bordering on the edge of the leaf and sand villages.
Once the genin's have finally have arrived at the rondevu point, both Sasori turned around and stared at his student's with such rage filled eyes, he barely could keep a lid on his rage as he spoke to his student's
"What took you so long? You know how I hate waiting!" spoke Sasori in a very irritated tone of voice.
"My dear apology master, it was not our intentions to cause you any sort of displeasure. It just we ran into a little problem" spoke Asun trying to calm down and stop his master from kill them!
"What kind of problem?"spoke Sasori curious to know what reason could there be too keep them waiting so long.
"The length of the exams took far longer than we first anticipated, I personally wanted to get in touch with you, but it seemed somebody was lurking in the shadows watching our every move, and the result of that made it impossible for me to send a note to you.
So with that I beg for your forgiveness" spoke Millianna telling why her Lord was in the dark while they dwell in the leaf village.
"Very well! I will accept your reason, but I do not wish for any of this things to happen again.
Do I make myself clear?" spoke Sasori in a irritated but calm state of mind as he speak to his students
As Sasori settled down from his fit of rage, Deidara Sasori partner curiosity spark from his gazed locked onto Night, he wondered what happened to him that could have caused such damage to his body.
"What happen to him?" spoke Deidara as he stared at Night
"He was attacked by one of the genin that also was participating in the exams.
This genin seemed to wield the power to control sand, that is how he took Night down." spoke Asun trying his best to answer the questions that was being ask of him.
"A genin that can control sand. What do you think master Sasori?" spoke Deidara wanting to her his master opinion.
"I do not wish to hear anymore of this foolish games, let's go Deidara!" spoke Sasori fed up with the actions that took place there today.
With those last word all five ninja left the wooded arena and returned to their hidden base.