Hi everybody. I'm happy to say that I finished the third chapter. Hopefully you guys will enjoy it. Here it is.

Chapter 3: Inner Strength

"Ok then, I see what you're doing." Sakura focused a level gaze on Hinata. "You didn't come here to get your wounds treated, you came here to insult me, correct?"

Hinata was getting more frustrated by the minute. This girl really knew how to push her buttons. "No, I did not come here to insult you Sakura, I-"

"Well then, if that wasn't your intention you have two options. Either drop the subject, no apology required, and let me heal your wound or…" Sakura strutted to the door, held it open, and stared Hinata down, a deadly look in her eyes. "Get out."

Hinata knew before she had even opened her mouth that what she had said to Sakura would probably lead to an argument. But now there were two ways she could go about this. She could just let it go like Sakura suggested and avoid any more drama. Or she could haughtily storm out of the room, looking like a total diva. Both would mean her backing down, her being put in her place. And right now Hinata was not willing to be seen as weak. But, she had to make a decision. So she considered her options briefly, and decided which route she would take.

She walked towards the door.

Sakura hadn't expected that she would leave but she was fine with it. Just when she thought there could be no more surprises for the day, Hinata, who was in front of the door now, grabbed the door handle from Sakura and slammed it. Silence filled the room as Hinata glared at Sakura and what she said would change Sakura's opinion of her forever.

"I will not leave until what I have to say has been heard."

"What the hell just happened" was pretty much the first thought that went through Sakura's mind. This was Hinata Hyuga who was standing up to her. This was the girl who would turn as red as a tomato and faint at the mere sight of Naruto. This was the girl who was insulted by her cousin in front of all her fellow academy classmates and her sensei at the Chuunin exams. Not only was she insulted by Neji in front of everyone, but she was ruthlessly beat to a pulp by him. Maybe if she admitted defeat from before, she could have got out of the match with not more than a fist to the jaw.

When Sakura was watching Hinata's match against Neji all those years ago, one thought kept popping up in her mind. Why didn't she back down? Why wouldn't she make things easier for herself when there was no way she could end up the winner. But then it hit Sakura. That day, she saw a determination in Hinata's eyes, a fierceness she had never seen before. She had seen that determination again on that horrible day when Hinata risked her life to save Naruto from Pein. And now, with Hinata standing before her, she was once again met with that determination. Yep, she's strong alright. It turns out I misjudged her after all. And then Sakura was met with a sad realization. Hinata had given all she had to save Naruto that day when all I did was stand by and watch. But that was then, and although she regretted her lack of action, she couldn't waste her time thinking about past mistakes.

Sakura could see that Hinata wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Of course, she was still angry at her for accusing her of not caring about Naruto, but she had to admit she was impressed. Although Hinata was annoying her, Sakura valued someone with a backbone. She had to acknowledge that she liked hanging out with people who brought out her competitive side. It was one of the many reasons why she was so close with Ino.

And so, she took a deep breath, swallowed her pride and gave Hinata a chance. "Alright then, say what you have to say."

Thank you to everyone who decided to read. Also, I would like to give a special thank you to Myomi-chan and Dbzgirl1011 for being my very first reviewers. I'm so happy and it means a lot to me. Oh, and to Dbzgirl1011 I'll see what I can do to throw some romance in, lol. Have a good day everybody, and please review when you can!