Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Core of Sakura, The Saddest of Victories

Soon the teams were gathered in the arena for the one-on-one preliminary matches. Sakura had changed her clothing to another battle-ready black outfit lined with red. Her hair pulled up and all her specialty beads primed and ready for battle. She kept her face reserved but her eyes clearly showed her advanced truth. She was not the average shinobi and her team knew but not the true extent of it. 'No more hiding from my team…they can see the truth like Genma, Hayate, Yugao, Ino, Hiruzen-sama, and Ibiki.'

Asuma had been called in by his father that morning and sighed as he saw the countenance of his only female student. Her eyes and soul older than her body could keep up with and the weight of the world on her shoulders. His father told him everything…if he hadn't known both his student or his father better he would have had his father committed but Ibiki had backed his claims. He placed his hand on her shoulder, "I don't know what gods sent you to us but, no matter what happens…you have me."

Sakura looked up into warm brown eyes and smirked, "Don't go getting soft on me now Asuma." She nodded towards the two boys who were hesitant to interrupt, "They need you more than anyone." Asuma shook his head, "We need each other and no matter what secrets you must keep and distances you must go our team will always have your back, we can wait until the boys are older at least chunin. To tell them anything detailed." He glanced at the boys who nodded in understanding, "There's a lot of things at stake, trusting me, trusting her, trusting each other no matter what anyone says is all that matters."

The boys shared a look and Shikamaru said, "Yeah, even if you can't always tell us or be there. You've already shown you care. No worries, Sakura if we have to wait then we wait." Chouji nodded while munching on his healthier protein snacks Sakura made in the kitchen for him that morning. "Yeah, you always take such good care of us if we have to wait to understand somethings because Asuma-sensei says so then we wait."

Sakura smiled gently and nodded, "I'm sorry guys but in your case plausible deniability is the safer course for now." She looked at the match ups and groaned, "Ino, I'm not going to go easy on you and you better not either!"

Ino laughed from where Team 7 stood and grinned, "I wouldn't expect anything less Sakura. Let's do it right and put on a show." The sensei sighed alongside the boys while Kiba scoffed in disbelief.

"Sure like you little girls can put on a show. Yeah right!" Kiba said as Shino shook his head. "Hinata would wipe the floor with both of you." Hinata elbowed Kiba, "Kiba, Sakura and Ino-san are my classmates and Sakura graduated as top of the class…she isn't incapable." Hinata sighed and bowed until Sakura stopped her, "You don't owe anyone apologies, if you didn't do it you are not responsible. Don't bow to anyone who hasn't earned it, family, friend, comrade, or otherwise beyond your Hokage and Daimyo. Not even your parents deserve for you to bow unless they've earned that respect Hinata-san." Sakura adjusted Hinata's posture, "You are an heiress, you are a shinobi, and you can walk proudly with your head up high. You are enough and you don't answer to the expectations of anyone else but yourself. When you look in a mirror at the end of each day you only need to know you did your best and keep moving."

Sakura met Hinata with direct eye contact without flinching, "Anyone who tries to belittle or discourage you…they are not worthy of tears or respect. They are weaker because they lash out at you in an attempt to hurt you, manipulate you, and bring you to your knees. Do not give anyone that power over you. You are Hinata Hyuuga and you are enough."

Hinata's heart raced and her eyes shimmered, "I am Hinata Hyuuga and I am enough." She held her hand to her chest and said firmly, "I am Hinata and I am Enough!" She allowed her eyes to fiercely meet the emerald gaze before her and nodded. "I will do my best and no one can take that away from me."

Sakura smiled, "Exactly, words are nothing more than a tool wielded best by the bitter and jaded. Don't let their pain and their weakness become yours, you're better than that and the best among them." The pinkette jumped to the ring with Ino as their names were called for their match.

Kurenai moved to Asuma, "I've been trying to get through to her for months, just what kind of person is she?"

Asuma chuckled, "She's the best kind of person. She lifts her comrades up and stands strong even in the face of the unknown. With her the impossible becomes possible." He allowed himself to gaze at the red eyes of the woman he adored, "She has secrets per my father's orders, and she is more than she seems but, she leaves no man behind if it's in her power."

Both Ino and Sakura summoned their weapons beads and held their own weapons once more. Sakura had been given the bead back and returned Ino's back at the tower to make sure they were both ready. Sakura held her Chakram (Tira from SC) and Ino her Sword-whip (Ivy from SC). The crowd went silent as the two girls fought with great respect neither fighting unfairly and Team Guys weapons mistress was on the edge of her seat. Sakura upped the level after Ino failed to capture her in her family techniques. One bead released a torrent of water within the stadium and Sakura trapped Ino within the water prison.

Sakura counted to ten and released her darting and holding akunai to her throat and waited. Ino groaned, "I yield" She then smiles and punches Sakura in the shoulder, "Got me again…damn it!" Sakura smiled at her friend as the announcer stated,

"Winner: Haruno Sakura, next match Hyuuga Hinata, vs. Hyuuga Neji" Sakura gave Hinata a firm glance and nodded only to smirk as she nodded back. Her fierce emerald glanced to meet the brutal Neji who only glared at the exchange.

Sakura walked Ino to her sensei and healed her wounds before returning to her team and watching the next match with intensity. She knew Neji was bitter but, Hinata was not the one who tormented him, and she would not let it stand if he went for the kill.

Neji waited for Hinata to enter the ring. Neji said darkly "You know you were never meant to be a ninja. You have no confidence and feel inferior to everyone else here and you couldn't bare to let you teammates down, could you?"

Hinata instead of wavering stood firm remembering Sakura's words, 'Words are the weapons of the bitter and jaded, Neji has not earned my respect.' Her voice came out the strongest it's ever been, "You're wrong." Her voice carried even to her father in the stands who had never heard her so firm.

"Hinata you are the pampered offspring of the Hyuuga's main branch." When she showed no response he continued to needle her, "We can change our physical appearance but just as I must live with the fact that you are born to the elite of our clan while I am from a lesser branch but, what you're really thinking is that you'd like to run." He smirked coldly, " To run as far from here as you can."

Inside Hinata trembled but she refused to budge. She would not let him have that kind of power over her ever again until he earned it. She would not let him bully her because of the circumstances of birth any longer. She would show him that she was enough in spite of what he and her father both believed.

Both summoned the Byakugan and Hinata said firmly with a brashness and confidence burning through her veins, "Are we here to fight or to listen to you complain about circumstances of birth, Neji?" Hinata got into a stance that was not the Hyuuga clan's normal style, a form she picked up from watching Sakura and Ino's match that made more sense. "I will not apologize for using your techniques Sakura-san, I think Neji is in need of a very valuable lesson."

Sakura said firmly, "Feel free we can spar later to practice. Show them what you're made of Hinata-chan."

Hinata darted forward and then spun behind her cousin and nailed him in a critical chakra point in the back slowing his movements drastically. She then moved to away to avoid Neji from crippling her use of her arms. Her retreat gave her grounds to assess his movement capabilities with the new block in place. He was slower but not completely stopped and she was careful to avoid falling into the rhythm of their clan since he could easily read that.

Neji said coolly, "You were fated to lose from the moment you reminded me this was a fight. You are destined to lose."

Hinata didn't waver before him as he expected nor did she boast. She simply stood her ground, which unnerved him. This was not the princess he was used to protecting 'What changed?'

Hinata understood his anger, "I will win and I will make the clan change…I will not allow this separation between branches to poison future generations of our family Neji. If that means fighting you here and now," She grounded herself and readied for his rage, "So be it!"

The boy charged forward with fury only to be stopped short as Hinata disabled several chakra points in his arms and with a firm karate chop knocked him unconscious. She only looked down at the angry boy and said sadly, "I'm sorry that it came to this Neji…I love you even if you begrudge me." She took a deep breath and waited.

"Winner: Hyuuga Hinata" The announcer said and there was dead silence in the arena until a clap came from the competitors side and Hinata turned to see a humble and proud Sakura.

"Well done, Hinata-chan." Sakura said kind but true, "I knew you could do it."

Hinata smiled a bit tremulously and nodded, "Thank you, Sakura-chan. I'll never forget what you said, you know. I am Hinata Hyuuga, and I am enough. No matter what anyone else says." She then removed herself from the ring for the next match. She stood with her team not wanting to see what her father or anyone else's reaction was. Her sensei bent to look her in the eye, "Good job Hinata. I'm proud of you. You didn't let him bait you and you won."

Hinata finally allowed herself to smile and held her hand to her chest, "I won…I did it." She moved to Sakura and gave her a hug, "Thank you Sakura-chan!" She moved away towards her whooping teammates who congratulated her happily despite Kiba's loss in the preliminaries.

Sakura smiled, "I did nothing," She turned towards Hinata's father, "You had it in you all along Hinata. You just needed a friendly reminder to realize it for yourself. Now will your father see his own folly and fix things or will he bury his head in the sand?"

The man paled and glared towards the pinkette as his Byakugan allowed him to read her lips. He then saw the celebrating of his daughter's team on her behalf and couldn't help but wonder 'If I had behaved differently, would she have been like this all along?'

Author Note:

BSR: well there you have it my first of several chapters to be posted today. I hope you all enjoy the slight changes I am making not to take away from Kishimoto's world but to add another perspective to it.