Disclaimer: The characters and places in this story are not mine. Any similarities to other stories are completely coincidental. Naruto and Digimon belong to their respective creators.
I also want to thank everyone for their amazing reactions to my story.
Difficult Lives
Davis was sitting on a rooftop with a pink-haired girl and a black-haired boy. A silver-haired man in ninja gear stood in front of him.
"Ok. . . . Let's begin with some introductions." The man said to the group.
"What do you want to know?" the girl asked.
"How about . . . . your likes, dislikes, dreams for the future, hobbies, stuff like that." The man said with a shrug.
"Hey, hey, why don't you introduce yourself to us first?!" Davis demanded.
"Yeah . . . . You look suspicious." The girl added.
"Ohh . . . . Me? My name is Kakashi Hatake. I have no desire to tell you guys about my likes and dislikes. Dream for the future . . . . ? hmm . . . . Well, I have lots of hobbies." The silver-haired man introduced.
"So . . . . all we learned is his name?" the girl asked as the three young students looked at each other in irritation.
"Now, it's your turn, from the right." Kakashi continued.
That meant they were starting with Davis. "Me! Me! My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like ramen! What I like even more is the restaurant ramen Iruka-sensei buys me. What I dislike is waiting three minutes for the ramen to cook. My dream is to surpass the Hokage! And then have all the people of the village acknowledge my existence! Hobbies . . . . Pranks, I guess." Davis said enthusiastically.
"Next."
It was the black-haired boy's turn next. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. There are tons of things I dislike but I don't really like anything. And . . . I don't want to use the word 'dream' but . . . . I have an ambition. The resurrection of my clan and to kill a certain man."
He better not mean me. Davis thought.
"Ok. And lastly, the girl," Kakashi stated.
"I'm Sakura Haruno; the thing I like is . . . . well . . . . the person I like is . . . . umm . . . . should I say my dream for the future . . . . ? Oh my!" she shouted. Everyone could tell she had a crush on Sasuke, considering the side glances she had been shooting the boy as she talked about what, or rather who, she liked. "The thing I dislike is Naruto." Sakura added to her introduction with a murderous look at said blond. His subconscious shuddered. "My hobbies . . . . " she trailed off.
"Ok! That's enough of that. We will . . . . " Kakashi said as the memory faded around Davis.
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Davis stood in a circular arena. Trees and earth were spread all around it and the sunlight streamed from the large opening at the top. In front of him, stood a teenager dressed in a dark shirt, light pants, a headband with a swirl symbol like the one Davis had been given signaling his status as an academy graduate, and black sandals. His eyes were the main difference, they had no pupils.
An adult in longer pants but wearing the same headband as his opponent stood in the middle of the two teens, waiting.
"Looks like you have something to say." His opponent who was a younger version of Neji said with a smirk.
Davis, who had been standing with narrowed eyes and a downturned smile before, felt a calmness sweep over a heated anger and hatred he felt upon seeing this arrogant boy.
"I told you before, you're definitely going down." Davis stated, raising a fist straight in front of him towards Neji. He didn't move forward. This was a threat, not an attack.
"Now, the first fight! Begin!" the adult between them said, moving out of the way.
"Hehe . . . . That's what makes it worthwhile. It'll be fun to watch you fall apart when you discover reality." Neji said.
"Stop all the blabbering! Let's fight!" Davis responded with excitement.
Neji stood in the Hyuga family style fight style, called the gentle fist. Veins bulged around Neji's eyes.
'They are called the opening points. Basically if you press them correctly you can stop your opponent's flow of chakra.' Davis remembered Kakashi telling him. So basically if I get too close, he'll press my points and I won't be able to use chakra. So I'll have to fight from a distance. Davis thought.
His plan made, Davis held up his hands into a cross symbol much like he had with Mizuki, surprising Neji.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he shouted and four clones of him popped up around him. Four of the blonds pulled out a kunai.
Neji scowled.
"But in the end there's only one true body." Neji stated confidently a moment later.
"Heh, stop acting tough." One of the clones scoffed.
"If you're e gonna come, then come." Neji answered.
"Hey . . . ." "stop" "disrespecting" "me!" four of the clones said, rushing at Neji. One hung back.
Neji jumped over two of the blonds and bashed their heads together. He landed between two more of the blonds as a shout of "Now!" rang out. Landing, the Hyuga started to spin, knocking the two blonds, who had been closing on him from different sides, back. The two behind him rushed up but he grabbed the arms which were carrying kunai and pushed them up to uppercut the two blonds. Turning swiftly, he threw each one back with the palms of his hands.
'This guy . . . . does he have eyes on the back of his head . . . . ?' Davis wondered as his clones puffed out in smoke.
" . . . . Become Hokage . . . . eh? It's impossible with that. I can figure out with these eyes. Talent is decided at your birth. You could say that everything is decided when a person is born." Neji stated calmly.
"WHY THE HELL DO YOU ALWAYS AUTOMATICALLY DECIDE THINGS LIKE THAT!?" Davis shouted.
"Then . . . . are you saying that anyone can become Hokage through hard work? Only a handful of ninja are chosen as Hokage. Look closer at reality! Those that become Hokage are born into that destiny. You don't become it by trying. It is decided by destiny. People must live within their own unchangeable flow. Only one . . . . the only destiny that every person shares is death." Neji explained.
A small part of him was surprised by this strange attitude which was so different than the Neji he had come to know outside the memories.
"SO WHAT?! I'M NOT GOOD AT GIVING UP!" Davis shouted as he made more clones, a lot more.
"I'm not stupid. I already see your attack pattern." Neji responded without concern, ignoring Davis's outburst.
"BAH! I told you to stop automatically deciding things!" Davis shouted angrily. All the clones rushed Neji who fought against the masses, moving straight to where he thought Davis's true body to be. His target was a blond at the fringes.
"Fearing having your points pressed. One body is doing the least amount of attacking. The more you attack the clearer it becomes." Neji stated as he pressed a point on his target.
Davis folded, blood pouring from his mouth, still standing.
"That's why I told you it was useless." Neji added.
"Hehe . . . . That's why I told you to stop automatically deciding things." Davis stated as the blood stopped flowing and he lifted his head. The clone vanished in a puff of smoke.
"What?!" Neji exclaimed. He turned with a "no way!" as two more of the blonds came at him.
"I'm coming at you with everything I got and already prepared to die!" Davis shouted.
The two clones connected with Neji and Davis gave an excited mental 'yes.' His excitement changed to confusion as Neji spun his body so quickly that wind blew around him, repelling both of Davis's clones. Neji stopped spinning as the clones vanished in a puff of smoke.
"You thought you had won?" Neji asked with a smirk.
"Damn." Davis swore.
"It's over. You are within range of my Hakke." He continued, moving into a crouched position. Neji moved forward. Two hands pressed chakra points on Davis's body with lightning speed. "Hakke Two Hands!" Neji shouted at the same time. He continued doubling the number as the hands moved faster, hitting more and more points in a shorter amount of time.
Davis grunted with each assault but barely held his ground. Davis finally flew back as Neji finished with 64 hands.
"I have hit 64 points on your body. You can no longer stand." Neji stated.
Davis ignored the boy as he pushed himself up, battered and bruised. It wasn't easy.
"Heh . . . . Is it painful? Stay on your knees before a power you cannot change and realize your worthlessness. Having your dreams come true through hard work is an illusion." Neji said scornfully as Davis continued his struggle to stand up.
Damn it . . . . damn it. Davis thought as he remembered Lee's battered body and Hinata's pain filled body.
He felt the laughter bubbling up as Neji asked, "What . . . . ?" in confusion.
"I told you. I'm not good at giving up . . . . !" Davis finally answered having managed to stand up.
"Quit already . . . . continuing won't change anything. I have no grudge against you." Neji said his surprise over or so he thought.
"S-Shut up! Well . . . . I do!" Davis shouted.
Neji said nothing for a moment. Finally, he asked, "What do you mean?"
"Why . . . . Why if you're this strong? Why with those eyes that can see everything . . . . did you mentally attack Hinata, who was trying so hard?" Davis asked.
"That's none of your business." Neji responded with narrowed eyes.
"Insulting Hinata, automatically deciding she's a loser! Main family . . . . branch . . . . I don't know what the hell happened . . . . but pieces of shit like you who call other people losers . . . . . I will never forgive!" Davis shouted.
"All right. Fine . . . . if you're gonna go that far, then I'll tell you the Hyuga's destiny of hatred. The Hyuga main family has a special ninjutsu that's been passed down. It's a curse seal jutsu." Neji responded.
"Curse seal jutsu?"
"The curse of the mark represents 'a bird in a cage.' It is . . . . the symbol of being tied down to an inescapable destiny." Neji explained as he took off his headband.
"W-What?" Davis asked. On Neji's forehead was a plus sign with lines running adjacent to it and half-circles at the end of each adjacent line. Two lines with curls on the inner ends formed across his forehead away from the symbol.
"That mark is . . . ." Davis started.
"One day when I was four . . . . I had this horrible seal carved into my forehead through that curse seal jutsu. That day, a grand ceremony was taking place in the Leaf. A ninja leader from the Cloud country, which had been warring with the Leaf for many years, had arrived to sign an alliance treaty. But at this ceremony which everyone attended, from jonin to genin, one clan was missing. That was the Hyuga clan; because, that was the important day that the Hyuga heir turned three, Hinata-sama's third birthday. My father, Hizashi Hyuga, and Hinata-sama's father over there, Hiashi-sama Hyuga, were twins. But Hinata-sama's father was born to the world first. A member of the main family and my father, the second son, became a member of a branch family. When the Hyuga first daughter grew and became three, I was turned into the bird in the cage through this curse as a Hyuga branch family member."
"Why . . . . is that necessary . . . . ? Why do you need that weird mark to distinguish the main and branch families?" Davis interrupted.
"This mark on my forehead is not simply a decoration." Neji continued. "This curse seal is the absolute fear of death given to the branch families by the main family. With a simple secret hand seal, the branch members mind can be easily destroyed. Death is just as easy of course and this curse will only disappear after death sealing up the ability of the Byakugan along with it. The Hyuga house is a clan that holds great advanced blood. Those that go after those secrets are incalculable. So, with this jutsu the branch family is allowed to live only to protect the main family. No disobedience is allowed by the main family. It's an effective system, created to eternally protect the advanced Byakugan blood of the Hyuga and that incident occurred," Neji paused; sadness and grief had entered his voice at last. Anger was pushed into the next words. " . . . . my father was killed by the main family.
One night, Hinata-sama was taken by someone. Then Hiashi-sama quickly took care of it and killed him. It was dark and he was wearing a mask. Who do you think it was?" Neji asked. He continued when Davis didn't answer, "He was the Cloud country ninja leader who had signed the alliance treaty. It became clear that he was after the Hyuga secrets from the beginning but the Cloud County, with one of their leaders killed in the failed plan made demands of the Leaf for breaking the alliance. Of course, the Cloud and Leaf bickered back and forth. It almost came to war. But with the Leaf wanting to avoid war, they made a back door deal with the Cloud."
"Deal?" Davis asked.
"The Cloud wanted the Hyuga main family's advanced blood and the Byakugan, they demanded the corpse of Hiashi-sama and the Leaf agreed to their wishes. And war was safely avoided, thanks to my dad, who was killed by the main family to replace Hiashi Hyuga's corpse. To escape this horrible curse, there's no method but death." Neji finished. "They were twins their strength was virtually the same. Born first, born second. Destiny was decided by that and this fight . . . . your destiny was decided the moment that I became your opponent."
Davis scowled.
"Your destiny is to lose to me. There's no doubt." Neji stated.
"We won't know until it's over!" Davis answered, "I don't know how much it hurt that your dad was killed a long time ago, but thinking that destiny is all decided because of that is a huge mistake!" Davis finished as Neji returned his headband to where it had been.
"You're hopeless." Neji said and rushed at the blond. He pushed Davis, who hadn't been prepared for this strike back. "Examiner, it's over." Neji said and turned to walk away. He had started walking away, calling Davis a loser.
"D-don't run away . . . ." Davis stated as he got up shakily. Neji turned around. "I won't run. *cough* I don't go back on my word . . . ."
"Heh . . . . I've heard that before." Neji answered with a smirk.
"There's no way I'll lose to a coward whose always whining about destiny."
"An ignorant brat like you shouldn't be lecturing. People are born burdened with a destiny they cannot oppose. You could never understand what it's like to be burdened with a symbol you could never rid yourself of!" Neji shouted.
"Yeah . . . . I can and so what? Stop acting cool, you're not the only one that's special. Hinata too . . . . she's suffered as much as you. A member of the main family . . . . but not acknowledged, trying her best to change herself. Thinking that as she was coughing blood fighting you! You're the same! The branch family is supposed to protect the main family, yet doing that to Hinata . . . . In truth, you are trying your hardest to disobey destiny." Davis responded passionately.
"Heh . . . . your 64 opening points are closed. You won't be able to use chakra for a while, how can you fight?" Neji asked Davis's battered and bloody form. "In the end, you and Hinata-sama share the same destiny!"
"Shut up! Stop using the Byakugan to decide and act like you know everyone's destiny!" Davis shouted in rage.
"Then prove to me that what you are saying is correct." Neji responded.
"Yeah! I'm definitely going to defeat you and prove that!" Davis answered but even as he said it, his thoughts were bleak. Damn it! But I can't feel any chakra . . . . ! Feels like when I used it all during the training . . . . ! 'You have two types of chakra. You have to learn how to pull out this other huge chakra that's sleeping within you and use it.' He remembered Jiraiya say. The Nine-tails chakra. Stupid fox . . . . Lend me your power . . . . ! Davis finally thought to the demon inside of him.
"Enough talking, examiner. . . . I'm going to go at him intending to kill! If you want to stop it then go ahead." Neji finally said, calmly.
The examiner made no move to do so.
I can't lose this time! Davis thought as he made a hand seal and laughed.
"It's useless. Your points have been pressed." Neji answered with a smirk.
I must . . . . Davis thought, remembering his promise to Hinata and Lee's comment's to him before the green clothed teen's fight against Gaara.
"Can I ask you one thing . . . . ? Why do you go against your destiny so much?" Neji asked curiously while Davis waited for the chakra.
"Because I was called a loser." Davis answered as he finally felt the nine-tails chakra. Tendrils of red chakra reminiscent of fox tails formed around the blond. "Here I Come!" Davis shouted.
Neji had his hand up in a block but even though one eye, his shock was obvious.
Incredible power, like during the training but more. Davis thought as the chakra finished wrapping around him. Davis was ready to fight. He quickly disappeared and reappeared in the air behind Neji, chakra still wrapped around him. Neji started spinning in his ultimate defense, throwing stars out as he did. Davis dodged them, still coming after Neji.
Neji stopped spinning as Davis perched briefly on a wall. Both boys pulled out a kunai and lunged at each other. The kunai hit each other and flew apart as the boys were thrown back by their force.
"Hey! You're confident in close combat, right?" Davis asked. He got no response but ran at the Hyuga, his rage increasing as he remembered Neji's earlier comments about his dream. The ground broke as Davis passed.
"I don't know about the Hyuga destiny of hatred or whatever but if it's too much for you, then you don't have to do anything anymore. When I become Hokage, I'll change the Hyuga!" Davis promised as Neji's chakra defense and Davis's force collided. The dust cloud obscured Davis's vision as he flew backwards.
"Loser. Sorry but . . . . this is reality." He heard Neji say from above him. He knew that Neji had seen his clone in the hole. Therefore, Neji was completely surprised when Davis pushed through the ground and into Neji's chin. Neji flew back and he didn't stand back up. Davis ignored the blood flowing from his fingers as he walked over to Neji.
"Ugh . . . . To quickly use Kage Bunshin in that situation. Your main ninjutsu, eh? How careless of me . . . . " Neji gasped out.
"I-I failed the academy graduation exam three times. That's because unluckily for me, the ninjutsu test on the final exam was always decided as– always decided as my weakest jutsu." Davis answered. "The Bunshin was my worst ninjutsu. Destiny can't be changed, blah, blah. Stop whining about stupid crap like that. Since you're not a loser like me." Davis clarified. He knew that memory was ending as the examiner announced, "Winner, Naruto Uzumaki!"