1A/N: I know I said at the end of the week, but you know how unpredictable life can be. Anyway here is the chapter I hope you enjoy it. And thanks to all who have stayed with me and reviewed.
They were solely focused on each other, other than that of the inside arena everything else was just a blur, of distortion. This was their stage, for all eyes were focused on them. All hope and esteem beamed down on Hanabi, and hatred and prayers of failure cursed upon Hinata, as the two blood sisters engaged each other in the familiar deadly art of battle.
Charging each other, Hanabi slipped a kunai from her pouch, raising it just below eye level to Hinata's ivory refined face. Hinata smirked at her juvenile defense, that she did something not even she expected herself to do.
Both whizzed by each other, stopping as they reached the ends of the tiled arena floor. Hanabi turned around confidently smirking knowing she took a piece out of her sister. Applauds were all around as they to saw their, champion draw first blood. However, other weren't fooled like Neji.
He saw Hinata's cunning eyes sharpen before Hanabi even drew her weapon. She could have evaded or even blocked the attack if she so chose too. He looked at the box seat which held his uncle, and by the looks of it he noticed too.
Hinata felt the cut below her eye as the blood spilled down her cheek, and pooled at her chin. She felt it drip down on her chest as it ran down soaking her mesh netted shirt. Hinata slightly turned her head over her shoulder. "That one was for free."
Swiftly turning around facing her wretched sister, she cloned herself, but it wasn't any it was a Kage Bunshin no Jutsu clone, and on top of that she didn't make the hand seal necessary to perform such an advanced jutsu.
Hanabi, come to a halt. She looked to her Baykugan to show her the truth, but was surprised. Both copies held the same chakra signatures and the same chakra highways. Even the advanced Baykugan wielders of the family were confused, at this turn of events.
Hinata and her clone disappeared and reappeared before Hanabi. She received an agonizing punch to her stomach, which lifted her feet off the ground. Dubbing over Hanabi gasped for air, as she felt an elbow drive itself in the back of her neck. Hinata dropped her and stood aside. She could have finished her, but she wanted to show the clan how insignificant and poorly their choice of leader was. So she waited until Hanabi was back on her feet, and waited for the bells to stop ringing in her head.
'She's not supposed to be this strong.' Hanabi thought. 'No she's still that same loser, who got a lucky shot in. I let my guard down, and now I'll show her, what a real wielder of the Baykugan can do.' The realization of Hinata's strength hit Hanabi literally, but she was still in denial, about her own limitation.
Charging at what she thought was Hinata she begin to attack using gentle fist attacks. However, Hinata's clone eluded every attack effortlessly. She didn't even make a defense to defend herself, she just moved quicker than what Hanabi was capable of.
Growing weary of Hanabi's lame yet amusing attacks, Hinata mentally instructed her clone to attack. The clone shifted behind Hanabi and sent a swift hard knee into her back making her fall face forward and slide across the arena floor. Again Hinata waited for Hanabi to get up.
Pushing herself up the ground, wincing as she did so, she felt the blood slipping down her cheek, from the scraps she received as her face slid across the pavement. She stood in position and went for Hinata's clone again assuming it was the real Hinata. This time the clone caught on to Hanabi's wrist. "Give it up. You're clearly, out of your league."
"Bitch." Hanabi spat.
"Bitch" the cloned echoed. "What's the matter, Hanabi? You're slipping. Usually you'd come up with a witty comeback."
The clowned taunted Hanabi as Hinata instructed it to. She wanted to make Hanabi lose her temper. She'd start to make mistakes, and get sloppy in her attacks. It was something she and Sakura learned when going up against an opponent, who was stronger, however in this case she just wanted Hanabi to erupt.
"Are you embarrassed, that you can't back up all that talk, you've been spewing every chance you got?" Hinata's silver tongue, was a weapon she developed by hanging out with Sakura too much. "Come on Hanabi they're all watching you, get your ass handed to you. After they put so much devotion and trust and you to defeat me. You're letting them down."
"Shut up." she hissed. Hinata knew the next statement would send her wicked sister over the edge. "Aww is the wittle baby going to cry." Letting go of Hanabi's hands, the clone jumped a few steps back, letting Hanabi start attacking in a blind fury.
Neji watch and heard Hinata's taunting. He wondered if he was as merciless in taunting, as Hinata was now when they fought years ago. Knowing himself back then he probably was. He didn't quite remember all that happened that day. All he knew is he tried to kill Hinata, and now he could see his former self in his cousin. A quiet anger is what he used to describe himself, with a need to prove to everyone that he was better than the main branch. Now Hinata was proving that same point. It seems that his training and that of his uncle's training with Hanabi was all in vain. He thought to himself. Hinata could have finished her 30 seconds into the fight, but she wanted to prove to all of us, that she was not the failure we all regarded her as. He continued his watch of the match as Hinata blocks all of Hanabi's attacks.
'Were we responsible for the transformation of the once shy girl, turn resilient, powerful, and hateful woman now?' Neji knew the answer to that question. They had indeed fractured the spirit of the true heiress, for it was not her will, or fate to become the vengeful person she was now.
Hanabi continued to attack in her blinded rage. She even tried at least three jutsus which all were ineffective. So the clone tried one of her own. One that would surly capture their attention. She started the sequence for the Hakke Rokujuyon Sho but with a twist instead of hitting all 64 pressure points, she hit only eight which effectively cut all 64 points. Something else she learned from Sakura's medical training.
The clone looked up to the elders, who were now on their feet and smirked. Then she looked back to her opponent who was bewildered at her lack of chakra. "Hanabi." she called. A clearly distressed Hanabi looked at her sister for the first time and realized, what she had been truly up against.
"I end this now." she told her. Without another word she, flew toward Hanabi and proceeded to beat the girl savagely. After the series of punches, kicks, and combos, she let Hanabi fall into a bloody heap. She looked toward the elders and kicked Hanabi beaten and broken body before them. She displayed her rag doll body almost as if offering it to a deity, showing them their chosen one. The real Hinata came to stand in front of her clone and bowed which the clone bowed in return and vanished in a cloud of smoke when Hinata released her.
Sakura, who was still perched in a tree, watched the faces of the elders and Hinata's father. They were a colorful bunch, as she watched the different faces of shock, anger, and hatred pass across their faces, except the Hiashi who stayed completely passive. She hated that man's look of indifference. However Hinata did warn her about, his passiveness. Yet the other day when they summoned her, she couldn't help but feel Hiashi did care for Hinata, but kept it hidden from the elders. However the looks on their faces now were priceless. Their precious Hanabi was beaten by a shadow clone.
Hinata smirked at their puzzled faces. "Is this really what you want for the clan?" Hinata asked putting her foot on Hanabi's shoulder shaking her a bit. "Your champion was beat by a mere shadow clone. A clone." she repeated. "I say it's fair that you call the match, in my favor. It's clear that I am the victor."
Hiashi stood as the elders tried to stop him. "Winner Hinata." Hiashi looked down at his daughters still not giving up his passive facade, but he was sad for Hanabi, but was proud of Hinata, as she bowed respectfully to the other elders before disappearing, to celebrate with Sakura.
Later that Day
Sasuke sat in his less cluttered home, now that he sent all the things Yuya bought back to their stores. He also finished packing her clothes and other personal belongings, and put them on a carriage were four Jounin were stationed outside waiting for his final orders.
Yuya came in clamoring, disturbing his much needed solitude. "Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke!"
"Yuya, I'm right here, there's no need to yell."
"But Sassy-poo this is an emergency." Sasuke rubbed his temples, hearing her pet name for him, and her voice period made what he was about to do easier.
"Sasuke did you hear me?" she screeched. 'Nails on a chalk board.' Sasuke thought.
"Yes, Yuya I hear you loud and screeching." Sasuke said.
"What?" Yuya asked not quite hearing his words.
"Nothing." Taking a breath to prepare he sat her down across from him. "I suppose you know your access to my account has been revoked."
"Yes! Not only that what happened to our nice things." she commented looking at 'her' home.
Remembering his etiquette background he spoke to her, as calmly as he could. "Yuya as you are aware, I'm entitled to break any previous agreement, on the circumstances of our nuptials." He looked to her making sure she understood the arrangement.
"Unfortunately, I can't go into this union knowing I can't commit myself whole heartedly to you. That is why I have decided that it'd be in both our best interest if you went back to your village, and our engagement called off." Sasuke sighed. He had never said so much in one sentence since he was a kid, but his Uchiha upbringing however short it was, dictated such speech.
"Until, you call for me again, right?" Yuya asked, setting her voice into her own etiquette.
Gripping his fist in anger. 'Is she stupid? I'm trying to let her down easy.'
"Yuya, I want be calling for you ever. I will be in control of my life from here on out, not a slip of a paper signed before I was born."
"No!!! You can't be serious." she argued.
There was knock at the door and Sasuke answered it was the Godaime Tsunade along with Lord Hiashi who looked a bit dejected. Opposed to what everyone thought Hiashi and his father were good friends. The Hyuuga and Uchiha clans were distant cousins to each other. Much to everyone's surprise he was also Itachi and Sasuke's godfather. He had given the Hyuuga clan a hard time when his clan was murdered. He had refused to listen or even stay with his chosen guardian. So when he returned he may have gotten off easy with the village elders, but Hiashi didn't share their sentiments. The last Uchiha received an extremely hard tongue lashing and other various punishments from Hiashi. Take it from Sasuke, Hinata, Neji, and Hanabi he was no easy task master.
Escorting Tsunade and Hiashi in, both stood flanked at his side, as Sasuke took a pen and signed his name to the marriage contract, voiding it for good. Tsunade signed her name as Hokage in agreement to void their marriage contract between the two villages by the Forth Hokage and Hiashi signed as a former guardian and advisor.
"Thank you." he bowed respectfully to them both. "Yuya please I would like for you to leave. I have paid for the safe return to your home, as well as compensated you for your time. The squadron will escort you back."
"Its that girl isn't." It was more of a statement than question. She had heard of Sakura's devotion to Sasuke, but ignored it since she heard the trollop was dead. "Sakura, you'd pick that savage looking girl over a proper bride."
Sasuke had no desire to drag the girl out screaming in front of his guest especially Hiashi, so he did the proper thing by listening to her voice her accusations.
"Sasuke I half expected you to elect someone of nobility, instead you want a commoner, such as she. She not even breed from a clan."
Sasuke disappeared and reappeared before Yuya making her step back at Sasuke's aggressive movement. "I suppose that what makes her better than the rest of us." Sasuke told her. "She is not held back by our standards of what's proper and what's not, she's free to dictate her own life with out restriction."
"You're a fool." She whispered to him.
"Yuya please leave before you make a fool of yourself."
"You're going to regret this. She doesn't know the first thing about being the wife to a leader of a clan. She'll break, and fail pitifully." Yuya thought for a minute and smirked. "Instead of being your wife, I think I rather see her fall from that pedestal you all seem to put her on." Yuya stood, and bowed low to Sasuke.
"Good luck taming your bitch." She spat. Yuya arm was grabbed by Tsunade
"That bitch you speak of is my student." Tsunade may have come from a prestigious background, but her etiquette had long been misplaced. She eyed the girl viciously, and shoved her out the door to the dirt street. Picking herself up, Yuya turned to the towering woman.
Tsunade scowled daring the girl to speak. Huffing Yuya boarded the carriage, with the disguised jounin members serving as horsemen.
Tsunade then grabbed Sasuke dragging him up to meet her almond eyes. "Don't make me regret signing that contract."
Sasuke could do nothing, but nod dumbly at the woman, who managed to vex Orochimaru everytime he thought of her. Hiashi shook his head at the woman's lack of restraint.
Hinata and Sakura sat in a local bar having a drink celebrating Hinata's victory over her family. The tavern was a popular place among shinobi, so it was no surprise many of them were having drinks and trading mission stories with each other.
Among the patrons there were the former rookie nine Jonins, along with Gai, Ibiki, Anko and Genma who was about to have his lecherous arm ripped from his socket.
Kakashi eyed the two as they came in, and ordered two stiff drinks. His eye mentally widened as they downed their drinks without flinching, or even a cough for such strong drinks. The only other women he knew, that could drink like that is Tsunade, and Anko.
"Thinking about your former student Kakashi?" Ibiki asked following Kakashi's lingering gaze.
Ibiki's question grabbed everyone's attention. Being typical Kakashi he looked down and started nursing his drink, avoiding the question.
'Why is Sakura avoiding me?' Kakashi thought to himself. For the last couple of days she had slipped past me, always running from me. The only person who had real contact with her was Hinata of course, Tsunade, who continued Sakura's tutoring in medicine, and as strange as it may sound Naruto.
"Ibiki." Kurenai's soft voice called out. "I know you can't tell us the details of your interrogations or their whereabouts, but I need to know what frame a mind Hinata's in so I can help her, in anyway I can."
Ibiki sighed, debating an answer the woman would find comfort in, but fond none. "I'm not sure you could help her, or either of them." Kakashi listened as Kurenai took the focus off him, and opened his ears to Ibiki's mental evaluation.
"They aren't the same naïve little girls we knew. If you want my professional opinion I would consider them as hardened shinobi." Kakashi had enough of Ibiki's 'professional opinion'. Kakashi slammed his fist on the table, spilling some of their drinks as he did so. "You're wrong."
Ibiki held Kakashi's accusing glare. "Am I now?" Ibiki knew of Kakashi's mental health. He knew Kakashi desired to protect those under his care. Failure was not an option especially when it came to safeguarding his students. "How would you know Kakashi? You weren't there. You have no idea, what Sakura has managed to overcome."
"So the power of their youth have has been extinguished." Gai stated. To everyone else Gai's youth talk was annoying, but to those who knew him, they could interpret the man's strange speech.
"Yes Gai." Ibiki answered. "They have seen, and heard what we've wished them not to. They have succumbed to the life we have lived."
Anko knew what Ibiki spoke of. The shinobi in their age range were all hardened by war. What they had endured during the time of war was not for the faint of heart, and they all wished that the new batch of shinobi wouldn't live to see such dark times.
"I don't know about Hinata, but I know Sakura." Kakashi said arguing with the sadist.
"Kakashi do yourself a favor and don't do this to us or yourself." Ibiki said foreseeing the months of psychotherapy Kakashi might have to endure, if he didn't stop his thought process.
Kakashi drained his drink in one swig. Paying his tap he left his seat with the intent to have a talk with Sakura. He wanted to evaluate Sakura himself. He wanted to know was it really too late for him to save her, to finally do right by her. However she seemed busy with Sai who invited himself to her table. Sighing at Sai's crappy timing, he took one last look at Sakura as he teleported from the bar. 'Until tomorrow Sakura, you want escape this time.'
At her table Sakura was considering what Sai had just told her. It did make sense, and plus she was running out of the petty cash that she received from Tsunade. Also since Hinata had been coming to see her everyday, people had started to talk about their sexual orientation. On the other hand she knew Sai was up to something. Every since he laid that news on her about how Sasuke she knew there was more to Sai, than 'just wanting to know how well she was adjusting'. That was just a copout.
"Very well Sai. I'll do it. I'll move in with you." Sakura answered. Hinata looked at Sakura uneasily as Sai handed Sakura a key to his apartment.
"I'll be out of the village tomorrow, but you can start moving in if you'd like." Sai's ever present fake smile graced his pale face and left to get his mission on the way. Once Hinata knew Sai was out of hearing range she eyed her best friend.
"You're actually going to move in with him?" Hinata asked edgily, fearing what was coming.
"Yes, just until I find out what he's really after." Sakura said eyeing the gold key in her hand.
Lowering her misty eyes, as her smile slipped into a frown. Hinata thought about the troublesome issue that had been bound to rear its head. It was more than curiosity and answers Sakura desired. This was side of Sakura she was afraid of. Sakura had a problem with promiscuity.
'This wouldn't be first time you've moved in with a guy Sakura. You move in, tell them what they want to hear, make them fall for you, and then crush them.' Hinata thought.
'That night still has a hold on to you doesn't it Sakura? That night, I was supposed to seduce the Lord and kill him. Yet you took my place. That night you found coitus with a man as an outlet for your pain. Using men to channel your pain, just to take the edge off you always say.'
'Then I'm always seeing you leave with some passing through shinobi, or random thug, just to see self hatred in your eyes the morning after.'
Hinata sighed. This time she was determined not to see her friend get stuck in the same routine of love'em and leave'm fast. This time would be different. She was under the watchful eyes of their village. There was no way she could, get away with what she did back than here. Too many people knew her.
'I'll help you Sakura.' Hinata though. 'I will repay my dept that is owed on to you.'
Well this is the chapter until next time. The next chapter will hold more Sakura and Kakashi conversation if anything. Please REVIEW!!!!!