Naruto: Journal of Hope
After the second half of the Chunin Exams Naruto is passed over by Kakashi to train Sasuke. Angry, he storms out and runs far away to an almost forgotten place. There he stumbles across a journal, written by his mother and holding the secrets of his lineage. Inspired by his parents' love, hope and dreams, he decides to become the Ninja his parents believed he could be.
Chapter VI: The Hyuga Princess
It was now almost three weeks into the Month break, and so far all the combatants were hard at work preparing for the finals. Shino was practising with his insect hive, to combat his opponent from the Sand - the Puppet User Kankuro. He was aware of what his opponent was capable of, and had to plan accordingly.
Shikamaru was more or less forced to train with Choji and Asuma, seeing as he had no drive to compete or win. Referring to the whole thing as 'Nothing but a Drag'. To Quote Shikamaru.
Sasuke was using every moment he had to refine his skills and master the Chidori, a powerful Jutsu that could prove useful against his Opponent Gaara. All the while Kakashi kept a watchful vigil over both his training and the Curse Mark on his shoulder.
Neji was practising all he had while observing the Hyuga Main Branch to progress further. He didn't honestly care about his current opponent, believing that it was fated for the Uzumaki to fail like Hinata, seeing as his view on life was bent.
Naruto's training on the other hand was going much smoother than anyone could imagine. Thanks to the Shadow Clones, he had completed the first stage of his Wind Chakra Transformation and only recently completed his Earth Chakra by forging the dirt into a solid piece of stone, but he still struggled with Water. His Summoning skill still needed improvement as all he could currently summon were the two toad brothers, Gamakichi and Gamatatsu.
Although, Naruto did bond with the two toads better, as they were only children like him. He would always have some snacks prepared for Gamtatsu and would let Gamakichi ride on his head whenever they were summoned.
Jiraiya did attempt to have Naruto learn Collaboration Jutsu with Gamariki, but the two's personalities were utterly incompatible arguing all the time. Especially after Gamariki tried to teach Naruto how to dispel Genjutsu and ended up sending Gamariki into the river from the large Chakra burst Naruto used.
Since then, the two had never truly seen eye-to-eye.
While that was happening, the real Naruto was focused on learning the second stage of the Wind Transformation, by attempting to cut the Waterfall in half. He was using a bunch of Shadow Clones to push their Chakra and make it into a blade of wind. The second stage was more difficult than the first one, as Naruto quickly discovered. Cutting a leaf was one thing, cutting a Waterfall was an entirely different matter. But Naruto was determined to get stronger so that he could Beat Neji and prove to him that Destiny and Fate were not set in stone and that it was up to the person that decided.
"Haaaaaaaaaaa!" Naruto yelled as they stood at the base of the waterfall. It wasn't a particularly large waterfall, so Naruto could only fit about fifteen Shadow Clones at a time with him. He went through all the lessons that he learned and charged his Chakra to create a powerful wind blade, but it barely scratched the surface of the Waterfall.
"Damn it! This is so much harder than a leaf!" The Clone Naruto cursed as the other clones continued to push their Chakra out.
Jiraiya was watching from a distance as he observed Naruto trying to cut the waterfall, and the Naruto's trying to solidify the pounds of dirt in front of them into one large boulder. The Narutos with the Water Group was starting to pull more water out of the leaves, but not by much.
"He's making progress…this clone trick has accelerated his training far better than I would've imagined. It was a good thing he discovered it, otherwise, I doubt he would have learned much in a month," Jiraiya observed as he looked at all the clones. "Still, we've only got two weeks left until the finals, and so far he hasn't been able to tap into the Nine-Tails Chakra, other than that time I used the Genjutsu. I could try it again…but I doubt it will work, not to mention now he can detect Genjutsu and I'm not that good at them. And another thing, he still needs to come up with a plan to beat Neji…Oi Naruto!" he called out as Naruto turned to his teacher.
"That's enough for the day, come here, we need to chat!" he called out as Naruto nodded and gestured to his clones. Dispelling them in groups so that he wouldn't suffer serious mental overload. But just in case, there was aspirin and a water bottle prepared for him.
"Ha…that's better…" Naruto said as he drank the water. "So, what do you want to talk about, Pervy Sage?"
"Stop Calling me that…nevermind, the thing I wanted to talk to you about was your plan,"
"My plan to beat Neji? Well, I admit it's still a Work in Progress. But thanks to the training and all those books you had me read, I know I've gotten a lot stronger. And once I learn some Jutsu I reckon I have a chance at beating him," Naruto said as he clenched his fist in determination.
"That's good, but I was referring to your next opponent," Jiraiya asked as Naruto raised a brow.
"My next opponent?"
"Yeah, you do know that after you beat Neji, you will be faced off with another opponent, and from what I hear it will be either between Sasuke Uchiha or Gaara of the Sand," Jiraiya said as Naruto blinked.
"Oh yeah…wow…I've just been so focused on Neji I kind of…forgot?" he admitted as Jiraiya sighed.
"Oh boy kid, well I can't blame you. I mean you are doing this for your girlfriend after all," he said with a smirk as Naruto raised a brow.
"Huh? Hinata's not my girlfriend, she's just someone I knew back at the academy. I'll admit she does seem kind of cute, but she'd always go red and avoid eye contact whenever she was around me…I think she might have a sickness or something?" he said as Jiraiya slapped his forehead.
"Oh brother…" he muttered to himself.
"Besides, I've got my eyes set on another, my teammate Sakura~," he said with a grin and a blush. Instantly Jiraiya had flashes to his youth and the many attempts to get together with Tsunade.
'I've got a bad feeling about this…' he thought as he leaned forward on his rock, fingers laced together as he rested his chin on his hands. "This Sakura, how would you describe her?" he asked as Naruto blushed and scratched his cheek.
"Well she's smart, beautiful and knows a lot of things I don't," he said as Jiraiya nodded. "But…" he sighed as he shook his head. "She seems to only have eyes for Sasuke. Every time I ask her out she shoots me down then goes right around and asks Sasuke for the same thing, only he shoots her down as well. Then she gets angry and socks me in the face…Not to mention she always agrees with whatever Sasuke says, even if I don't think it's a good idea…and she punches me and calls me an idiot…" he lamented as he rested his head on his palm. "I don't get her, what's so great about Sasuke anyway?" he asked as Jiraiya felt a trickle of sweat down his neck.
'...Crap…this is just like when I chased after Tsunade…' he thought, as he could see the similarities between them.
"Anyway, back to the matter at hand," he said as he had to get rid of this funk nostalgia that was drifting in his memory. "What have you planned for your fights?" he asked as Naruto crossed his arms and pondered.
"Well…given what you told me about the Hyuga, I can't match Neji with Taijutsu. Not when my skills are still lacking. So far I haven't seen him perform any Ninjutsu, but that was only because he fought Hinata with their Clan's Taijutsu. But given that they can shut down Chakra Points, close-quarters combat would be out of the question. My best bet is to trick him up with some Ninjutsu, and try restraining him to get some physical damage on him." he surmised as Jiraiya nodded.
"Looks like all that reading is starting to pay off, you're analyzing your opponent and planning accordingly. As for your Ninjutsu, don't worry, I have a few moves I can teach you, plus a few elemental ones. Now that you have the first stage of Wind and Earth Chakra down, the Water Jutsu will have to come later," he said as Naruto nodded. "Now, what can you tell me about your other opponents?" he asked as Naruto closed his eyes to concentrate.
"Well…if I win against Neji my next opponent will have to be either Sasuke or Gaara. I know what Sasuke can do. He has the Sharingan, but not like Kakashi's. Last I saw I think he only had two Tomoe in each eye. He has the Fire Style Jutsu, Bushy Brow's Fighting Style, his Lion's Barrage, and better Taijutsu than me. But seeing as Kakashi is training him, no doubt he will have some new moves," Naruto recalled as Jiraiya nodded.
"Good, and the other one?"
"Gaara…I don't know much about him. But he used Sand like a weapon, it protected him from Bushy Brow's attacks. I think I recall someone saying it was his perfect defence," Naruto recounted.
"What I recall, he is the son of the Fourth Kazekage. Although not much information is available for some reason," Jiraiya said as Naruto blinked.
"He's the son of a 4th…just like me?" he asked as Jiraiya nodded.
"Strange coincidence huh? Anyway, I've heard of the Sand Jutsu, his father uses a Gold Dust variation, but all of them stem from the Earth Element. Normally you can beat Earth Style with Lightning Style," Jiraiya explained as Naruto raised a brow. "Right, I forgot to teach you that part. See, each Element is stronger against one Element but weak against another." he pulled out a scroll and drew the five elements in a circle.
"Fire beats Wind but is weak against Water, Wind beats Lightning but is Weak to Fire, Lightning beats Earth but is weak against Wind, Earth beats Water but is weak to Lightning. You understand?" Jiraiya asked as Naruto nodded.
"I see…which means…Kakashi-Sensei will teach Sasuke a Lightning-based Jutsu, right?" Naruto asked as Jiraiya nodded.
"More than likely, but that will give you an advantage. Your Wind Jutsu would be stronger against Sasuke's Lightning. But, seeing as he is an Uchiha, he would naturally be born with Fire Chakra. And then your Wind Jutsu would be defeated, even make his Fire Jutsu stronger," he said as Naruto blinked.
"Wait, my wind makes his fire stronger? How does that work?" he asked as Jiraiya sighed.
"Okay, you know when you start a campfire, you blow on the embers to make them bigger?" he asked as Naruto nodded. "Well, it's the same with Wind and Fire Jutsu's. You would be fueling his Fire Jutsu and then he'd have a bigger stronger Jutsu against you. But you also have Water Chakra, so you can counter that. But once again, his Lightning would turn your Water Jutsu against you." Jiraiya explained as Naruto nodded.
"So…I'm a perfect match for Sasuke then…" Naruto said as Jiraiya raised a brow. "My Wind and Water can fight his Fire and Lightning…" he said as Jiraiya nodded.
"Anyway, while the Gaara kid might have a powerful defence, it doesn't mean that it's not perfect. There are bound to be cracks somewhere, you just need to figure it out," Jiraiya instructed as Naruto nodded. "Okay, so once you manage to beat either of them, who are the others?"
"Well, there's Shikamaru, Shino, that girl with the Fan, some puppet dude and the other Sound guy. Shikamaru I know, because he and I were friends back at the Academy with Choji and Kiba. He may look like a slacker, but he was always smarter than the rest of us. He can control his Shadow and can use it to immobilize his opponent as he did to that sound chick," Naruto said as Jiraiya nodded.
"The Nara Clan's Shadow Possession Technique is not an easy thing to overcome, but not impossible if you know what to look out for," Jiraiya advised.
"Then there's Shino, he's on Hinata's team. He uses bugs as his main weapon. He used them against that Zaku guy, to plug up the air holes he had in his hands. But apparently, he suffered prior damage in the Forest, and one of his arms blew off during the fight with Shino," Naruto recalled with some revulsion. "I mean, I know it wasn't fully Shino's fault but…yeesh…"
(A/N In the Manga, Zaku's arm blew off and didn't just go limp like in the anime)
"Ah, he's from the Aburame Clan, a clan that specializes in using insects. They have a special symbiosis with their insects, allowing the insect to live just under their host's skin," Jiraiya said as Naruto shivered.
"Man, that's a bit creepy…" Naruto admitted as Jiraiya nodded.
"Yeah, because of this, the Aburame clan usually keep to themselves. Due to how the civilians and fellow Shinobi view them…you should know that feeling," Jiraiya said as Naruto looked down. Knowing all too well the judgment of the villagers. "In any case, you need to be careful when facing them. They have a variety of insects they can use, and their Kikaichū beetles are their most prominent. They can overwhelm their opponent and eat their Chakra," Jiraiya explained as Naruto nodded.
"So direct contact with Shino would be out of the question…Shino is still a Leaf Shinobi, so I don't want to hurt his insects too much. Might need to come up with a method to keep them off me," Naruto pondered. "But I'll come back to that later, the next one is the girl with the Fan…Temari I think? She has Wind Chakra like me, 'cause she blew away Tenten's weapons like they were nothing," Naruto said as he tried to recall her name.
"Temari…She's the Daughter of the Kazekage, the oldest of the three. Which also means the one with the Puppet is Kankuro, the second child of the Kazekage." Jiraiya recalled from his network.
"Right, Temari was able to defeat Tenten pretty easily, so she has to be very strong and smart. She was also able to stop Bushy Brow's kick quickly. She had a fan that had circles on it. When she opened the fan, the wind got stronger. I think she was using it to amplify her Wind Chakra. Like Asuma-Sensei does with his combat knives," Naruto surmised as Jiraiya nodded.
"Good insight kid, if you knew a fire-style Jutsu you could turn that wind against her. But seeing as you don't, you'd need to be careful going at her. Now, how about the last two?" Jiraiya asked as Naruto thought.
"Well the other one, Kankuro, could use puppets. Which means he can have them attack me while he stays at a distance. And his puppet was disguised as him, so it might be hard to tell which is the real one?" Naruto said as he grumbled. "I still think it's cheating using a puppet,"
"Hey, whatever can be used to amass victory is essential to a Shinobi. Puppets are just one method. It's interesting that all the Sand Ninjas in the tournament so far are all the children of the 4th Kazekage…odd…" Jiraiya said as he pondered. "I can understand having one or two relatives on a team, but all three…" he thought to himself as Naruto raised a brow.
"What's up, Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked as Jiraiya shook his head.
"Nothing, and stop calling me… never mind. What about the last one?" he asked as Naruto scratched his chin.
"If I recall, he's another sound Ninja like the ones Shikamaru, Shino and Choji fought. All of them used Sound as a Weapon. He had some sort of gauntlet that he used against Choji to knock him out in one blow. Something about the human body having 70% Water, and that Water Transmits sound," Naruto tried to recall the fight as Jiraiya nodded.
"It's true, believe it or not, sound travels faster in water than air. Because the Water Molecules are packed tighter together, so when he used that sound attack on your friend, it was more effective on his body," Jiraiya explained as Naruto nodded. "So, now that you know all your potential opponents, what are you going to do?" he asked the boy as Naruto pondered.
"Well…I know some of their skills, but not all of them…I first should focus on a strategy to beat Neji. Then after him, Sasuke or Gaara should be my next focus, depending on who I face next. Then on however wins the next rounds between Shino, Kankuro, Temari, Shikamaru or Dosu. One of the advantages I have is I can watch all their fights, seeing as my match is first," Naruto said as Jiraiya nodded.
"But it also puts you at a disadvantage, because they will see your skills and tactics as well. Thus they can plan around your plan, so you will need to plan around the plan that they are planning around your plan…" he said as Naruto stared at the man with great confusion.
"...Huh?"
"It's complicated, you just try not to get caught up in their plan. Show them some of your Uzumaki Unpredictability," Jiraiya said as Naruto nodded, though still confused.
"Okay…" Naruto said as he went back to reading the Uzumaki history scroll. "Still, Neji is not going to be easy to beat. Rookie of the Year, a powerful Doujutsearly talented…I've got my work cut out for me," Naruto said as he pondered how to beat Neji.
"You know…you could ask someone for help," Jiraiya suggested as Naruto raised a brow.
"Who? I doubt Bushier Brows Sensei (Gai), Tenten, Bushy Brows or any of the Hyuga are going to be willing to tell me anything about how to Beat Neji," Naruto said, "Besides, I doubt any of them would even talk to me," Naruto lamented as Jiraiya held up a finger.
"Ah, but you do know one person that might give you an insight. Sure she lost, but she will be your best source of information on Neji," Jiraiya said as Naruto stared while the little hamster in his brain ran around the treadmill. Until finally…
"Oh! Right! Hinata! She's a Hyuga!"
"Way to state the obvious kid," Jiraiya joked.
"But…she's a Hyuga, so I doubt she'd be willing to tell me anything about her family's secrets," Naruto argued as Jiraiya shrugged.
"You never know until you try, go out and find her, she might be willing to help beat Neji," Jiraiya suggested as Naruto raised a brow.
"But why don't I just send out a Shadow Cone?" Naruto asked as Jiraiya shook his head.
"Out of the question. You've been using the Clones too much for today, one more and I think you might just pass out. Plus, that would be rude. She is a young lady whose honour you are fighting for, after all. Not someone you're asking Chakra tips from. The least you could do is go see her in person!" Jiraiya argued as Naruto stared at the man.
"...Whatever you say pervy sage," Naruto said as he got up, put his jacket back on and started walking away to find Hinata. Jiraiya meanwhile smirked as he watched his student.
'This is for own good. He needs a break to mentally prepare himself for his match, and get a better idea of his opponent. I know this Hinata won't spill any clan secrets, no clansmen would. Even if she has feelings for him if my assumption is true. But it would be good to get an idea of Neji's side of the story, and maybe start looking at other fish in the sea. His infatuation with this Sakura is the same as the one I had with Tsunade. The pattern I'm seeing…if this keeps up, he'll end up like me…the kid deserves some happiness in his life. The life I never had…' he looked back on his life and wondered if there was any possibility that Tsunade would've given him the time of day.
Konoha Hospital
The Konoha General Hospital was busy as usual, treating Shinobi that had returned from missions to the everyday aches and pains of the village civilians. It was also where several Chunin Exam participants were currently hospitalized for their injuries. Such as Rock Lee and Hinata Hyuga.
Rock Lee was placed in the Shinobi Ward, while Hinata was given a private room, due to her connection with the Hyuga clan. This is why currently…
"What do you mean I can't see Hinata?" Naruto asked the receptionist.
"As I told you before, we were given explicit instructions not to allow anyone that isn't family or friend into Miss Hinata's Room," she said as she looked over the list. "And as I can see, you are not on the list," she said as Naruto glared.
"But I need to see her, it's important,"
"If it was truly important you would've been permitted by either Lord Hyuga or her Sensei. But seeing as you are neither her teammate, sensei or a family relative, I cannot allow you to visit her," she explained as Naruto grumbled.
"Stupid rules…" Naruto grumbled as he crossed his arms.
"Oh, Naruto, is that you?" he suddenly heard as he turned to see Kurenai Yuhi, with a bouquet.
"Hey, Kurenai Sensei, are you here to visit Hinata?" he asked as she nodded.
"Indeed, she is one of my pupils after all. What are you doing here if I might ask, shouldn't you be training for the finals?" she asked as Naruto nodded.
"I am, but I kind of need Hinata's help. But this stuffy nurse isn't letting me see her!" he pointed at the middle-aged Nurse who flared her nostrils and readjusted her glasses.
"And as I've told you before, I cannot simply allow anyone to visit Miss Hinata! Not without proper authorisation from her father!" she told the boy who glared, as Kurenai stared at the boy.
'Curious, I never expected Naruto of all people would come to visit her. I know that she has a crush on the young boy, but it was my impression that he didn't notice her or knew she existed. Not to say it's his fault. Her shyness has made her somewhat of a wallflower. More than likely he's come to ask her for some insight on how to fight Neji.' Kurenai wagered as she shrugged. 'Oh well, it might do her some good to see him,' she told herself as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Let me handle this Naruto," Kurenai asked the young boy, as she turned to the Nurse. "I'm Hinata's Sensei, I can vouch for Naruto that he will not cause any trouble for Hinata," she told the Nurse.
"...Very well…" she said as wrote it down on a clipboard. "But if I hear that he's causing trouble, I will have him removed immediately," she said as Kurenai nodded.
"Understood," she said as she turned to Naruto. "Come along," she said as Naruto nodded, gave a small smug smirk to the Nurse, and then followed Kurenai.
"Thanks, Kurenai Senseally appreciate this," he said as Kurenai nodded.
"It's fine, I assume you are here to ask Hinata about her cousin, Neji?" she asked as Naruto nodded.
"Yeah, if I want to beat him and avenge what he said about Hinata, I need all the info I can get about him. I figure since she fought him, she might be able to help?" Naruto argued as Kurenai nodded.
"It's a sound idea, but you must be aware that as a Hyuga Clan Member, she can't divulge much in the way of her Clan's techniques," she said as Naruto nodded.
"I figure, but anything is better than nothing," he said as Kurenai stared at the boy.
'He's different from the Preliminaries…what could've forced this change?' she pondered to herself as she led Naruto to Hinata's room. 'Still, I wonder how Hinata will react to having her crush suddenly visit her in the hospital, would be rather entertaining…hmm…' she thought before she stopped the boy.
"Kurenai sensei?" he asked as she handed the flowers to Naruto.
"Here, give these to Hinata when you see her," she said as Naruto raised a brow.
"Uh…why?" he asked as Kurenai chuckled.
"You're going to visit someone in the hospital, it's customary to bring them a get-well gift," she argued as Naruto blinked.
"Is it? huh…I didn't know that. Then again, I've never really been that sick to have anyone visit me…or had anyone visiting…would she even like them?" Naruto asked as Kurenai looked at the boy with concern, before nodding.
"Well trust me, Hinata will like them. Especially from you," she said as Naruto raised a brow.
"Why me?" he asked as she sighed.
"Just trust me, and make sure you tell her they are from you," she said as he raised a brow. "Trust me," she said and led him to Hinata's room, where two Members of the Hyuga Clan were guarding her room.
"Kurenai-san…" they greeted with a bow, before looking down at Naruto. "What is he doing here?" one of the Hyuga guards asked as they glared at the boy with their pale eyes. A glare Naruto was all too familiar with growing up.
"He's with me, he's a friend of Hinata's, and wishes to see her," she told them as they looked at each other, knowing full well that the boy before them was the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
"Forgive us, but we were given strict instructions to not let anyone other than approved staff, Lord Hisashi or your team into Lady Hinata's room," the Hyuga guard said, staring at the boy before them.
"I can assure you he will not cause Hinata any trouble, I will be watching over them the entire exchange. You have my word," Kurenai told them as they looked at each other before nodding.
"Very well, you may enter…" they said as they opened the door and the pair walked in.
Hinata was busy staring out the window of her hospital room as she watched the clouds drift by. She had been stuck in this hospital ever since her battle with her cousin Neji. The injuries she had sustained from her cousin had damaged her internal organs, and if he had landed the final blow, she could very well have died. Luckily the doctors had told her she should make a full recovery, so long as she did nothing too strenuous, less she re-opened her internal injuries. But her father, despite his cold demeanour, had been assured that she was receiving the best of care.
Though he did voice his disappointment that she lost to a member of the Branch Family.
Her father had become emotionally colder over the years ever since her uncle had died, expecting her to be stronger and capable of leading the Clan. It was no secret the rest of the Elders found her to be unsuitable to lead the clan, seeing as she could not defeat her younger sister. Not that they care about the fact Hinata couldn't bring herself to harm her younger sister - Hanabi. She was the only reminder of their late mother who died shortly after Hanabi's birth, and she made a promise to her mother to keep Hanabi safe.
Yet because of her inability to hurt her sister, she failed to prove herself to the Elders and they started making plans to have Hanabi become the next head of the Hyuga Clan. And this defeat at her Cousin's hands would no doubt push the agenda even more.
And the Worse part of it all was that she lost in front of her crush, who probably thought she was a failure like everyone else did.
'No…Naruto-Kun would never think that…he cheered me on even when Neji and Kiba were telling me to give up. He never stops trying and never lets anyone push him down…it's one of the many reasons I look up to him. Even if he doesn't see me…' she thought to herself as she looked out the window and smiled thinking about the boy she had a crush on.
"Lady Hinata? You have visitors," she heard from her guards as the door opened and she turned expecting to see her sensei and maybe Kiba or Shino. Well, she was right about the first person…The last person she expected, however, was her crush. Holding a bouquet.
"Hey, Hinata! How are you doing?" He yelled with a smile on his face. Instantly Hinata went red in the face from the surprise visit from the last person she thought would visit her room.
"N-N-N-N-Naruto-Kun!" she yelled and started flailing her arms around, unable to form a coherent sentence. "W-W-What are you d-doing here!?" she yelped trying to hide her face.
"Well I came to see you of course," Naruto said like it was the easiest thing in the world, while Hinata was misinterpreting it and her mind read the words as 'I came to see you Hinata' in a more seductive fashion. Thus causing her face to blush red and her heart to beat faster.
"I-I-I y-you! M-Me! I-I-I-!" she stumbled over her words.
"Oh, by the way, Kurenai-" he stopped when Kurenai coughed into her hand. "Oh, uh I mean I got you these," he said as he held up the flowers. "I was told it's customary to give a get-well gift, I hope that's okay?" he asked as Hinata was blushing deep red and saw Naruto in a much more seductive way as he presented the flowers to her.
"N-Naruto-Kun-f-f-f-lowers-me?!" she managed to mumble out as her face was redder by the second.
"Hey, are you okay Hinata? Your face is getting red," Naruto said as he absent-mindedly placed a hand on her forehead, making her face brighter and her heart to beat even faster.
"N-Naruto…kun…I-I!" she said as her eyes began to swirl and she felt faint.
Meanwhile, Kurenai inwardly chucked at the scene before her, as she watched her student stumble over her crush. She knew she should probably stop this before she reopened her wounds, but she had been so down since she lost the match. And she always seemed to be much happier when either the topic of Naruto came up, or the boy himself was near her.
"Okay, calm down Hinata," she said as she walked over and placed a gentle hand on Hinata. "Naruto wanted to come to visit, it wouldn't do you any good if you fainted now, would it?" she whispered into Hinata's ear as the girl nodded and tried her best to swallow her nerves.
"H-Hai, Kurenai-Sensei…" Hinata said as she tried her best to look Naruto in the eye. "T-Thank you for C-coming to visit N-Naruto-Kun," she said as Naruto nodded with a smile.
"No problem, how are you by the way? That fight with your cousin was pretty serious, are you going to be okay?" he asked as Hinata nodded while blushing.
"Y-Yes, the doctors said I should recover if I take it easy for the next few weeks. I-It's nothing too serious, I just have avoided unnecessary stress for a while and unfortunately, I w-won't be on active duty for a while. T-Thank you for the concern…" she said as Naruto nodded his head.
"That's good to hear, you were pretty awesome out there," Naruto complimented as Hinata shook her head.
"B-but I lost, I must've looked pathetic being beaten up like that," she said as Naruto shook his head.
"Nah, you didn't back down and you never gave up, that makes you pretty awesome in my books!" he said with his trademark grin as Hinata blushed and felt her heart flutter. Naruto then sighed as he sat on the small chair next to her bed, causing her to become jittery at the close proximity. "Okay, so the reason I came here is that I wanted to find out more about Neji. But I've been told multiple times that Clan Members won't give out anything to me, even if he's the one that put you here." Naruto told her as she nodded. "So, instead I need to ask this…Hinata…" Naruto said with uncertainty, something Hinata had never heard from him. "Neji's strong…isn't he?" he asked as she solemnly nodded.
"H-Hai…" she said as Naruto nodded with his head down.
"Yeah, I figured that…" he said with a solemn nod.
"B-But you might be able to win," she said as she suddenly grew shyer.
"Huh, why do you think that?" he asked as Hinata began fidgeting with her fingers.
"U-um…because…Um…" she said as she couldn't muster up the courage to speak her mind. She looked over to Kurenai who gave her a supportive look, as she returned her gaze to the inquisitive Uzumaki. "B-Because…when you cheered me on…I-I felt like I became stronger. I even started liking myself more, and that was thanks to you cheering me on. It may not seem like I've changed to others, but I-I feel like I've changed, and it's all thanks to you, Naruto-Kun." She told the boy who smiled and rubbed the back of his head.
"Really, all thanks to me? Thanks, I guess I am pretty influential huh!?" he said with a grin as Kurenai rolled her eyes with a playful smirk on her lips. Keeping silent as she stood in the corner. "But…" he suddenly said as Kurenai and Hinata looked at the boy. "Why?" he asked.
"W-Why what?" Hinata asked as Naruto shook his head.
"Why do you think I helped you get better? I mean, sure I look super strong and stuff but…that's just a facade…" he said, forgetting for a moment that Kurenai was in the room. "It's an act I put on because…because I'm so frustrated with failing all the time. I failed the Exam three times trying to do a simple Clone Jutsu, I had terrible chakra control and…" His mind recalled the Genjutsu trick a week ago and how he thought he hurt Sakura. "...And I don't think things ahead and I could get someone hurt, people I care about…I just don't see how I can be someone that inspires you…" he said with his head low before in a brazen moment, Hinata placed her hand on top of his.
"That's not true!" she said with a shot of confidence unfamiliar to her, as Naruto looked up at her.
"The fact that you never give up, never let anyone put you down, is inspiring. You have this amazing strength to get back up and keep trying. In my eyes, you're not a failure. You're a really strong and cool person, Naruto-Kun…" she said as Naruto stared at her before he smiled.
"Thanks, Hinata, I needed to hear that. And don't worry, I'll make Neji pay for what he did to you. He had no right to say all those things! The guy's a total jerk!" Naruto declared as Hinata felt flush from this declaration. Before she noticed her hand was on his and shot off it like it was a hot plate leaving him slightly confused before she flustered and Kurenai chuckled in the background.
"T-Thank you, but i-its okay Naruto-Kun, Neji-san is not a bad guy, r-really," she tried to defend her cousin.
"But he insulted you and tried to put you down! Heck, if it wasn't for the examiners and the Sensei he could've killed you!" Naruto recounted as Hinata shook his head.
"I-I know, but the thing is…I think he has a reason to be angry at me," she said as Naruto raised a brow.
"Huh!? What possible reason could he have for hating you, aren't you two family or something?" he asked as Kurenai shook his head.
"It's not as simple as you think Naruto, the Hyuga Clan has some… tension between the Main and Branch members, and it partially revolves around a certain practice…" Kurenai said as Naruto looked confused and then at Hinata.
"Hinata?" he asked as Hinata lowered her head.
"Y-you see, there is a certain tradition within the Hyuga clan, where members of the branch family are g-given a certain seal…" she said as Naruto became curious.
"A seal?" he asked as she nodded.
"I–It's called the bird cage seal. It's a seal that is placed on members of the Branch Family. It is placed on the forehead and is supposed to seal away the Byakugan upon the person's death, to keep the Byakugan secrets safe…however…" she said as she looked down in shame.
"However, what?" Naruto asked, having a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"The Main Family have been known to use the Seal…to keep the Branch Family from disobeying them…it is a painful experience…from what I remember…" Hinata said with shame as she remembered when her father used the seal on her uncle years ago.
"What!? That's-that's horrible! Why would they do something like that, and to their own family!?" Naruto was appalled at the notion while Hinata hung her head.
"It's rather complicated Naruto," Kurenai interrupted Hinata who could see she was feeling great shame for her family's traditions. "Every clan has their customs and traditions, some are just more…extreme than others. You mustn't judge them on that," she said as Naruto shook his head.
"But if the Bird Cage Seal is supposed to keep the Byakugan Secrets Safe…then why doesn't every member of the Hyuga have it?" he asked as Kurenai sighed.
"Once again, it's a Clan matter and not something an outsider could understand…but you do have a point. More than likely it was meant to be a safeguard, but the Main Branch found other uses for it," she said as Hinata nodded.
Naruto took this information in stride as he felt a connection between the Branch Members of the Hyuga and himself, having a seal placed upon them. But where their mark limited their freedom, his mark isolated him from everyone around him.
"Okay…so I get that…but why does Neji have it out against you? You're not the one that put it on him," Naruto asked as Hinata sighed.
"A-A long time ago, after the end of the Third Great War, a Peace Treaty was signed between Kumogakure and Konohagakure. The Head Ninja of Kumogakure was in attendance for the event, it was also the same time as my third birthday. However there was an incident…" she said as she hung her head. "I…I was kidnapped…by the Head Ninja from the Cloud Village…and in his attempt to rescue me…my father killed him…"
"...What!? B-But why would he do that, wasn't he supposed to be there to sign a treaty!?" Naruto asked, greatly confused.
"Naruto, the Hyuga's bloodline is highly converted by many villages, especially Kumogakure. They've made attempts to steal it and its secrets in the past. It was clear that it was a ruse just to get access to the village and kidnap Hinata, so they could study her Bloodline," Kurenai explained as Naruto stared.
"But then, what does this have to do with Neji?" he asked as Hinata sighed.
"A-according to my father…Kumogakure claimed no knowledge of such a mission and accused us of attacking their diplomat. In return, to avoid a potential war, they demanded that my father be executed and his body be given to them…" Hinata said as Naruto looked angry.
"That's bull! They had no right to ask that when it was one of their guys that tried to kidnap you!" Naruto yelled, angry that such a thing happened. "But wait, isn't your father still alive? Then how did…" Hinata hung her head as she looked away.
"Lord Hisashi had a Twin Brother in the Branch Family…Hizashi Hyuga…Neji's father…" Kurenai explained as Naruto's eyes widened. "Because they were similar, the Hyuga were able to fool Kumo and sacrificed Hizashi, claiming he was the one that killed the Cloud Ninja. And with the Bird Cage Seal, the Byagukan would die with him, denying Kumogakure access to the Hyuga Bloodline…"
"But why did he have to die? It still doesn't make sense," Naruto argued as Kurenai lowered her gaze.
"You have to understand Naruto, Konoha was still vulnerable after both the Third Great War and Nine Tails attack," she said as Naruto stiffened at the mention of the Nine-Tails. "If we hadn't complied, the Land of Lightning would've used the incident as an excuse to wage war on Konoha. With the way things were back then, there was no guarantee that Konoha would've survived. But by sacrificing his life, Hizashi Hyuga prevented a War between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning," Kurenai explained.
"And that's why Neji hates me…I'm a constant reminder of the fact his father died while mine still lives…" Hinata said as Naruto nodded solemnly.
"I…I see…" Naruto said as he gripped his shirt where the Nine-Tails was sealed away.
'Man…I kind of see why Neji is like this…his father died to stop a war, branded with something he never wanted or asked for. Makes me realize that there's more to people than just what's in front of me…it just makes me think what would've happened if my father didn't sacrifice himself to stop the Nine-Tails…and maybe what would've happened if he was still around, could he have stopped the attempt, or at the least make the Cloud Village back off?' Naruto asked himself as he thought about the ifs and what-ifs.
"S-So I hope you understand why you shouldn't be so harsh on Neji-Nii… it's not his fault…" Hinata asked as Naruto sighed.
"I know…" Naruto said as he gripped his fist. "But it's not your fault either, Hinata…" Naruto said as Hinata looked up.
"I get what he went through, losing his father… it's messed up…but that still doesn't give him the right to put others down, especially you!" he then looked over to her as a fire raged in his eyes.
"If he was a 'genius' he could've seen the possibility of helping you to make the clan better! You don't like those Cage Seals, do you?" he asked as she shook her head. "Then instead of putting you down, he should've helped you rise! Then you could change the Hyuga Clan for the better! Get rid of the Seal, and the stupid divide between Branch and Main! And you know what!? I promise that when I become Hokage, I will help you change your clan's stupid way! Because I never back down! I never give up! That's my Ninja Way!" he said as he pointed his fist to Hinata.
Hinata's face flushed red as he stared directly into her eyes. Her crush on the boy grew bigger with every second as she found him to be more inspiring and determined than ever before, it made her more attracted to him.
"T-Thank you…N-Naruto-Kun…" she said as she twiddled her fingers and the boy grinned.
"No problem Hinata, and thanks for the insight. I came here wanting to know more about Neji and how to beat him, maybe even get an insight about him. And thanks to you, I think I know a little more about him. Now I know I'm going to win!" he said with his trademark grin.
Hinata smiled as she nodded.
"Y-You're welcome N-Naruto-Kun…" she said as Naruto chuckled.
"I should get going, thanks for the insight, I needed it. And hey, I enjoyed talking with you, think it would be okay if I came around more often?" he asked as Hinata felt flustered and tried in vain to come up with a response. Luckily her sensei answered for her.
"Hinata would love that, Naruto. I'll talk with the head nurse and give you access later," she told him as Naruto nodded.
"Sweet, thanks Kurenai-Sensei, well I should be going. Thanks," Naruto said as he got up to leave but paused before he turned back to Hinata. "You know, I always thought you were kind of weird…" Naruto absently said as Hinata felt crestfallen and Kurenai was debating whether to slap her forehead or Naruto's. "But…" he suddenly said as Hinata perked up. "I think you're kind of…awesome, and I like people like you!" he said with a grin, as Hinata felt her heart race and her face flush red and then promptly fainted.
'H-He likes me!' Hinata thought to herself, as she passed out.
"Hinata! Oi, Hinata! Are you okay!?" Naruto yelled as he rushed up to the girl and started shaking her to see if she was alright.
Kurenai had to suppress a chuckle as she watched the happy-go-lucky grin on Hinata's face, happy to see her pupil smile after so long. She could see the benefits of having Naruto interact with her more, and wondered how else she could help the shy Hyuga break out of her shell.
Later at the Training Field
Jiraiya sat under the tree as he made edits to his latest manuscript. His publisher was hounding him for his next Make Out Paradise Sequel and so far he had the basis of what he was planning to write. But he also had to balance his responsibilities with maintaining his network, his duties as a Leaf Shinobi, his toad Sage responsibilities and now the responsibilities that he had for his godson.
Speaking of which, he spied Naruto walking towards him, hands in his pocket as he seemed to be mentally mulling over everything he learned.
"Welcome back, kid. How'd it go with the Heiress?" he asked as Naruto snapped out of his mental musing and nodded.
"Huh? Oh, yeah it was very informative. I kind of understand why Neji is so angry, losing his dad like that. Still doesn't make what he said right, but…I get it. I kind of would be angry too if my dad died because of some political bull crap. But then again, Dad would've gladly made the same sacrifice wouldn't he?" he asked as Jiraiya nodded.
"He proved that years ago when the Nine Tails escaped. As Hokage it's more than just being the strongest or the smartest, it's about putting your life on the line for others. All Hokage before have shown that quality, but that doesn't mean it's the only quality. Your dream is to become Hokage, but that doesn't mean you have to throw away your life recklessly," Jiraya said as Naruto nodded.
"I see…"
"Well, I guess you want to get back to training, right?" he asked as Naruto nodded.
"Yeah…but, before that, there's something else," he said as Jiraiya raised a brow. "Hinata…she said that I helped her be better, that I inspire her because I don't give up…I still don't understand what she meant by that, but for some reason it made me feel…happy? Any idea what that's about, Pervy Sage?" he asked as Jiraiya smirked at the little knowledge.
"Oh, it's just you'll understand when you're older," Jiraiya said as Naruto felt a blood vein appear on his forehead.
"What the heck does that mean, you pervy bastard!?" Naruto yelled as Jiraiya laughed and put his book away.
"Nothing, now, let's get back to training. You've only got a week left for the Finals, and I think it's time you learned some Ninjutsu," he said as Naruto stopped his anger and seemed to bounce with excitement.
"Yes! New Jutsu! What are you going to teach me!?" he yelled as the old sage grinned.
"Well I have a Wind and Earth Jutsu I can teach you to increase your offence and defence, while Gamariki can teach you a Water Jutsu for range," he said as Naruto's face grew grim at the thought of the one Toad that he found annoying. "However, there are a few techniques I think would fit your certain…skills…" he said and threw him a scroll. Naruto caught the scroll and opened it up as he looked upon the contents as his eyebrow raised.
"Huh? Another Clone Jutsu?" he asked as he looked over the scroll.
"Ah, but not just any Clone Jutsu. One I think will give you a great advantage over your opponent, combine that with another Jutsu and Neji won't know what hit him…" Jiraiya said as Naruto read over the scroll.
"Think this will give me an edge over Neji?" he asked as Jiraiya nodded.
"Without a doubt," he said as Naruto grinned and rolled up the scroll as he placed his fingers together.
"Then what are we waiting for?! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
And Scene. Well here is Chapter VI of Journal of Hope, I hope you all enjoyed it. Sorry again for the lateness of these chapters, being super busy with Work, Uni, New Year's, Birthdays and whatnot I hardly got the time to write. Which is why I wanted to write these chapters in advance and post them all at once. To catch up and give you all a good late New Year present, enjoy.
So, story-wise, Naruto needed to see Hinata, so that she could get some insight into Neji. He gave a monologue during the exams, but the Thai version of Naruto is trying to be more insightful and think ahead of his opponents. Plus it gives a chance for the early development of Hinata and Naruto's relationship. Some Things were said earlier than expected, but I think it's for the best. And now we get into the Jutsu. I won't reveal all of them, but it should be quite a surprise for Neji. So stay tuned for the next Chapter in…
Chapter VII: Countdown to the Finals!