Chapter 9: Love Triangle?
"N-N-N-Neji-niisan i-is m-m-my o-o-o-opponent," Hinata barely said. Sakura just rolled her eyes, "At least you'll get a chance to beat him."
"I d-don't think I can b-beat-"
"Keep talking like that and you'll go back to your old stuttering self," Sakura told her in a stern voice. Hinata just nodded, "I understand."
"Besides, you can so beat him if you wanted to!"
Hinata waved her arms into the air, "That's the problem! For some insane reason I don't want to fight him! What if I wasn't suppose to go this far in the exam! Maybe it was supposed to be him who'll definitely beat me, not you! And-"
"Hinata. You're having one of your rare babbling moments again," Sakura said grabbing her by the shoulders and shook her. "You can stop it," Hinata said, then Sakura let go, she smiled, "At least I didn't have to slap you like last time."
Hinata rubbed her cheek remembering the incident, "Yeah, that really hurt with that insane strength you have."
"I wouldn't call it insane unless you want to experience it again."
"Save it for Lee."
"Yeah, he's fast, I'm strong. It'll be like strength vs. speed."
"What about Sasuke vs. Naruto-kun?"
"... Dark vs. light! Very cliche! But yours! Main family member vs. main family wannabe!"
"I was just hoping for Hyuuga vs. Hyuuga."
"Warm hearted girl vs. cold hearted bastard!"
"Sakura-chan!"
"Do you have something against me?" The two turned around and saw the main family wannabe in the flesh. Sakura stuck out her tongue at him, "Of course I do!" Neji glared at her, "And what would that be?"
"We are always against each other, that and what you said when Hinata-chan, Naruto, and I were training one time at lunch. It was low, even for the likes of you!"
Flashback
"That's not true!!" Naruto yelled at Neji. Hinata just put her finger to her mouth, and Sakura just rolled her eyes.
"'Once a failure always a failure', my ass!! Hinata-chan, Sakura-chan and I go to the same school as you, we took the same exams, and have the same classes! What makes us any different from you?!" Naruto shouted at him.
"A failure will always stay one. No matter how much you want to, one cannot change fate-"
"Fate?! Who believes in that?!" Naruto said, "You can always change your destiny!"
"Why do you think you even passed the entrance exams Naruto? If Kiba wasn't your partner in the second one you would have failed," Neji calmy told him compared to his violent outbursts. Naruto just glared at him, Neji sighed, "See? Its true. You cannot change who you are."
"Its not t-true," Hinata finally spoke up, "You should stop saying things like that."
Neji glared at her but Hinata kept on speaking, "You shouldn't feel sorry for me, because I feel sorry for you. You suffer much more than me... 'One cannot change fate' you say that even though it is something you want right? You also wish to change your fate, but unlike mines, you cannot change your own."
Before he could reply the bell rang signalling lunch was over. He sighed then headed to class. The three just stood there but Sakura just giggled. The two faced her, "Whats so funny Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked her.
"Nothing, just don't believe him okay? I know someone who also wanted to change into someone better. And he did. So don't let what he said get to you... but I hope what you, Hinata-chan, said to him, will remain in his head."
End Flashback
"Low? It is true," Neji told them. Sakura just scoffed, "I used to be as weak as Ino-pig, but now I'm stronger. I used to be someone who always hid when there was a fight, was always saved. A burden. But now I'm one of the first to fight on the battlefield."
She said all that right in his face. Neji quickly backed away at the close proximity, but Hinata was the only to note the red tint on his cheeks that only lasted for two seconds.
"If-"
"Neji!!" Lee headed towards them, "We must check on Tenten!!" Then he dragged him away but before they were out of hearing range Sakura yelled out at them, "Say 'hi' to your girlfriend for me!!" Neji glared at her. Sakura just giggled then faced Hinata, "Come on, lets get lunch. I'm starving."
Hinata just quietly ate, thinking some things over. Sakura gave her a questioning look, "What are you thinking about Hina-chan?" Hinata quickly shook her head, "Nothing."
Then Sasuke came to their table, "May I sit here?" Sakura smiled then nodded. He sat next to her, quite close. Sakura didn't mind but Sasuke did. Their hands brushed together. Once again Hinata was the only one to notice the red tint on his cheek that only lasted for two seconds.
The two were talking, with Sasuke smiling. Alot. Hinata bit her lip, Sasuke never smiles.She faced the other table and saw Neji looking at them, namely the pink haired girl, but quickly turned away when he saw Hinata glance at them.
The quiet girl sighed then faced Sakura, She is absolutely clueless about whats happening. She doesn't know she's in a love triangle. Not a good sign.
She glanced at Neji then back at Sasuke I never really expected them to have a crush- wait...! It finally dawned on the Hyuuga heiress How could I nothave noticed all the hints and clues?! And I call Sakura-chan clueless!... But then again, at least I noticed it.
Flashback
"Weak."
Scoff. "Freak."
Eye rolling. "Useless."
Smirk. "Loveless."
A raised eyebrow from the Hyuuga prodigy.
Another smirk on the face of the best friend of the Hyuuga Heiress.
Go insult rhyming!
"Loveless?" Neji asked her about her comeback. Ever since the little incident at lunch with the whole 'fate' stuff, their relationship didn't exactly blossom into something better. Sakura smirked, "Its the reason Tenten didn't make a move yet."
"Our relationship is that of siblings."
"Suuuuuure."
Glares.
Hinata just watched the look-like-lover-quarrel argument... or was it just bickering? Doubt it.
End Flashback
Hinata smiled, That is how Neji-niisan shows affection... how he gets attention. He gets attention from Sakura-chan by arguing and bullying her... so childish. I always knew he was still a little boy at heart.
Flashback
"Yeah... she talks tough. But I wonder if she can live up to those words," Kiba said.
Sasuke shrugged, "Sakura has pride. If she says she's strong, she is. Besides how else would she have gotten into this school?"
"True," Kiba said, then he smirked, "Did THE Sasuke just protect a teammate's image?"
He smirked, "So what if I did?"
End Flashback
Hinata sighed, The only thing Sasuke openly said he cared about was his clan and revenge. But a teammate's image? He would be the one destroying Naruto-kun's. But helping Sakura-chan's? How could I not have noticed it before?
"Hinata-chan!" That snapped Hinata out of her thoughts, "W-What?" She noticed Sasuke already left the table.
"What are you thinking about? I yelled out your name three times!"
"Uh..."
"Well?"
"I... was thinking about... your relationship with the others."
"Its... still the same. The occasional insult or glare. But I became friends with Naruto, Lee, and Sasuke. And Neji... well I'm sure you know it hit rockbottom."
"Maybe you should try and become friends with the others."
"They don't like me. I don't like them. We all know it. And you're asking me this why?"
"Because you could change it into something better. They will like you. You will like them. We will all know it. And isn't that much more better?"
"... Yeah. But how?"
"Just try and find a few things you have in common. And try to hang out with them."
"Got it. So is that all?"
"Yeah. What did you want to tell me?"
"I'll teach you a new jutsu."
"What? Now?"
"Yeah! Your fight tomorrow will be Byakugan vs. Byakugan, Gentle Fist vs. Gentle Fist. You haveto have a trick up your sleeve! And I'm sure Neji will also have one."
"But its tomorrow, how will I master it?"
"You don't need too, its really simple. Naruto taught me it a few days ago."
"What?"
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
After healing Tenten, Shizune left the room, and she bumped into Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama!"
"She came."
Shizune shot her a questioning look, "She came? Who is she?"
Tsunade looked out the window, and so did she.
A pink colored bird.
Shizune's face paled, "Does this mean?"
"Yes. And Sakura will want to be prepared if she'll have to fight them."
"Is she ready?"
"No."
Her eyes widened, "But then why are you letting her fight them?!"
Tsunade faced the bird again, "They weren't ready at all, but they defeated them as if though it was nothing. If Sakura was prepared..."
"What?"
"I don't want Konoha to lose another clan."
The pink bird cocked it's head, but inside it was smirking.
You don't know how ready the girl is.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Sakura sneezed.
Hinata faced her, "You okay, Sakura-chan?"
She nodded, but then smirked, "Maybe someone's talking about me."
Hinata rolled her eyes, "Who would want to talk about you?"
"HEY!! I am very popular!"
"Yeah, especially with two boys," Hinata muttered.
"You say something?"
"Nothing, Sakura-chan. Nothing at all."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
the nxt chap would be neji and hina's battle! look forward 2 it!
and don't foget to review/flame/comment/suggest!!