Chapter 10: The Failure Stands Tall

"Since both competitors are unable to fight. It is a draw."

Then the medic nins came in and took Naruto and Sasuke's bodies. Sakura's mouth was agape, What a match. Then she got a slap on the back, she faced the white eyed girl, "Good luck Sakura-chan!"

"I'll need it," then she along with Lee went to the field. "You may begin," Gemna said.

Sakura headed towards him and punched him, but he easily dodged it. The punch hit the wall, breaking it into pieces. Lee's eyes widened, One hit and I lose this match!! The crowd got even more excited at Sakura's strength.

For a whole five minutes Sakura kept on trying to hit Lee but he was able to dodge all of them, he couldn't get close enough to try and hit her without getting one in return. Sakura cursed under her breath, I'm just wasting my chakra!

When Lee was only about a few feet away Sakura hit the floor creating a crater. But with the impact on the floor Lee ended up tripping. He got up quickly but not quick enough to dodge the punch she gave him right on the cheek.

He flew feet away from his original position. He stood up and quickly and jumped away from Sakura's punch. There was no way he was going to win if it kept going on like this. He removed his weights and dropped them on the floor. The weights left a large hole on the floor.

Sakura smirked, I didn't even have to remove my own weights. Though they look like the same mass... but I also have some on my arms. Lee headed towards her.

She received alot of punches and kicks from him, I have to end this now! She jumped up into the air and sent a bunch of kunai at him. He dodged them all but then noticed the kunai all had cherry blossom petals.

"Sakura Blizzard Jutsu!" She threw an additional kunai with an exploding note and Lee was caught in a huge explosion. Sakura made sure the exploding tags weren't too powerful. When the smoke cleared up Lee was in the center, unconscience.

"The winner is Haruno Sakura."

Then the match many were looking forward too began.

Hyuuga vs. Hyuuga. The weak Hyuuga heir against the branch member Hyuuga prodigy.

Sakura looked at the two down at the field with anticipation and worry but then noticed two people that were with Tsunade and the others. Two Hyuugas.

She squinted her eyes and noticed there was a male adult... her eyes widened, Hinata-chan's father from the picture! Was he actually worried about her to go to this match?!... Probably not, just to see how quick Neji will defeat Hinata-chan... and the other is... a small girl... Hinata-chan's sister!

"Begin."

"Go Hinata-chan!!" Sakura cheered her on. Hinata faced her and smiled, I can't let all of her training for me go to waste!! She ran towards Neji. Both were using Gentle Fist. But neither were able to land a hit.

After a moments time they both attacked each other right on the heart. There was silence, but then Hinata coughed up blood, but Neji wasn't harmed. But that still didn't stop her, she kept on hitting him but they were all blocked.

Hinata panted, I'm wasting my chakra. I need to surprise him somehow! She jumped far away from him, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Nine more Hinatas appeared. Neji activated his Byakugan, She sent an even amount of chakra to all the clones. I can't tell who is the real one.

Many headed towards him, but he was able to hit the ones that were attacking him, then noticed that one clone wasn't fighting at all. He ran past all the others and approached that Hinata "The more you stood still and let the clones fight, the more you gave your position away by holding back!" Hiashi smirked at the statement, Typical really.

He hit her but it ended up being a clone, he turned around and received a kick from the real Hinata, "I won't hold back because, now I'm one of the first to fight on the battlefield!" Sakura smiled, Just like what I said.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Another batch appeared, they all headed towards Neji throwing shuriken at him, "Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation!" He was able to deflect all of them, and since he knew where the real Hinata already was, all the shuriken headed towards her.

Her eyes widened but then she sighed, Guess I have to use it too, "Eight Trigrams Palm Rotaion!" She was able to deflect all of them.

Hanabi's eyes widened, "I thought only you knew that Otoosan?"

Hiashi nodded, "I understand if Neji was self taught, but your sister..."

"Maybe it was also self taught," Hanabi said. Hiashi just nodded again, But that's impossible...

Tenten just watched the two then let out a sigh, "If she's as good as Neji I don't feel so bad anymore that I lost to her."

Sakura nodded "Yeah, but I hope she doesn't lose to him."

"But there's a higher chance that she will lose," Tenten told her, "With that hit on the heart earlier the battle is already in Neji's favor. I just hope it wasn't too strong... But I think now he's gonna use the move I taught him." Then the two girls' attention went back to the fight.

Neji threw two kunai but Hinata didn't notice it in time, the kunai got on her pants dragging them down in the floor. She tried to remove them, but looked up and saw hordes of kunai and shuriken, about a hundred or more, her eyes widened, Since when did he use alot of weapons?! It must be a move he learned from Tenten! She couldn't get out of the way in time so she used her new fighting style.

"Protective Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" Her hands moved in a blur stopping all weapons.

Everyone, besides a pink haired girl, were extremely shocked. Hanabi faced her father, "Did you even know that technique Otoosan?"

"No."

Hanabi smiled then faced her sister again, "She is good. She made her own technique, its like a combination of Eight Trigrams Palms Rotation and the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" Hiashi just nodded again signalling that he heard her.

The two genin were only a few feet away and they both knew what was going to happen next, "Gentle Fist Style: Eight Trigams Sixty-Four Palms!" The two exclaimed.

"Two strikes!"

"Four strikes!"

"Eight strikes!"

"Sixteen strikes!"

"Thirty-two strikes!"

"Sixty-four strikes!" The thing about that, was that neither were defending themselves, they were just attacking each other. The two had all of their chakra points closed, not even a single one open.

The audience's eyes widened. Neji glared at her, but she just smiled back at him. He was taken back, then Hinata spoke up "I've gotten pretty strong haven't I?" Neji nodded a bit hesitantly, What is she planning?

Hinata sighed then looked up at the sky and saw a bird fly above, "Once a failure always a failure, right Neji-niisan?" Neji just remained silent.

She looked down back at him, "You can always change your destiny... You said you're a bird in a cage. The bird will only be let free if it tries to. Tries to change destiny. I did it. I know you can too. Because unlike me, you're not a failure."

Then she went down on her hands and coughed up blood. Neji approached her, then she whispered something in his ear, and his eyes widened and he turned a bit red on the cheeks. Then she collapsed on the floor.

"Hyuuga Neji is the winner!" Gemna exclaimed. Then the medic nins came and took Hinata, and Neji said he was just fine. So he went back to the upper level where the rest of the genins were.

He faced Sakura, but she didn't glare at him but smirked instead, "Nice match," he just nodded.

"What did Hinata-chan whisper to you?" Kiba asked.

Neji shrugged, "If she wanted you to know then she wouldn't have whispered it."

"In one hour the final match will be held! Hyuuga Neji vs. Haruno Sakura!" Shizune exclaimed. Sakura went to check on Hinata. And Neji just needed to rest for his chakra points to reopen again, so by their match he would be as good as new.

The rest already left but Neji just stood there remembering what Hinata said. A tint of red appeared on his cheeks. He really didn't expect those words to be the last ones in the match, they were so random, but Hinata really is full of surprises... That and if she hadn't collapsed he would've made her. Smart girl.

'I look forward to Sakura-chan being a Hyuuga, don't disappoint me.'

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

I apologize for the long wait, and short chapter. It was exams and I had to study the whole week, and-you really don't care about my reason do you?

And if you thought Hina and Saku would be fighting in the last match, well, that would be a bit too predictable, no? Especially in their last conversation in the before chapter.

The next chapter will be (of course) Neji and Saku's fight!

And don't forget to REVIEW, they make any author feel loved! :D