Chapter 3

-YukikoNanashi13: I've made a lot of updates, but since this is my first fanfiction, I wanted it to get it finished as soon as possible with all the chapters it will probably have. Anyway, back to the story.

Hinata's eyes grew open.

No, I can't possibly.. I've never even spoken to him...

She felt like her admiration for Naruto just shifted to Sasuke... How can I even think about him? Is it possible that... No, I can't like him, not just all of a sudden... It took forever for my feelings for Naruto to be admitted, but Sasuke..?! I've admitted it all of a sudden?! This is not right! It must be a crush, if it happened all of a sudden... Yes, that's it.. That's all...

She got off the swing and walked back to her home. The battlefield under the Hyuga's property was occupied with Neji and Hinata's father. They were obviously training for Neji's Jonin Exams. They always trained together, but today was much more intense. You could practically see Neji straining himself... It was actually really hard to watch.

"You have to strike harder, Neji!" Hinata could hear her father yelling, from her distance. She felt sorry for Neji, but to be honest, she wished her father could train her like that. Although their father-to-daughter relationship was being mended, she still could see her father didn't think she was good enough. The tea was still sitting on the small table. She walked passed them and straight to her room.

I do not like him... Not him... There's nothing he ever did to me to make me like him. He never did anything to make other girls like him, they were just small faded crushes. I've never had crushes before. I just hope this is one.. Oh, please, please let it be just a crush!

She stopped her thinking. I'm thinking way too much about him.. If this continues, maybe it will be more than a crush. From the thought itself, she feared it, and ran outside to train with her father and Neji. She ran back down the spiral staircase, and cut through the kitchen.

She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Hanabi-sama... What is wrong?"

She was... crying... Hinata never saw her sister cry before, she knew it was serious.

Hanabi didn't answer to her question. She only sat silent on the floor, against the crafted table.

"What is wrong?" Hinata's voice became firmer.

Still no answer...

"I'm going to ask one more time.." Her voice as firm as ever, but just as quiet. "What is wrong?"

Still no answer.

She sighed. "There is no need to answer me then. If you don't want to tell me."

She walked off. She did feel bad for leaving her sister in depression, but what about it? She's 8 years old, what kind of pain could she honestly be going through? There could be no conflict that bad for a girl her age. Certainly not the kinds of conflicts going through Hinata's head...

"Otoo-san.."

Hinata stopped again. Father.. So that's it..

"What about him?"

Hanabi started to cry again. "H-He s-s-s-s-scolded m-me!" She broke back into tears.

"Did he hit you?"

"Iiee. H-He j-just said that I-I w-w-was d-doing h-h-horrible, and that my skills were w-w-w-weak."

There was silence as Hanabi cried harder and harder.

"Imooto-san.. Eto, Hanabi-sama.."

"H-Hai?"

"Otoo-san has scolded me ever since I started training at a younger age than you. Please, I do not want you to cry over one scolding. You have been complimented far more than I have, don't let it get to your head."

"But h-he's never scolded me before! Fathers should care for their daughters!"

"I wish that was true, Hanabi-sama."

Hinata started to walk again. She will learn at one point that tolerating criticism and insults are part of being a ninja.. Letting small crap like that won't help her. It only helps if she wishes to die...

Hanabi stared at her sister in shock. I thought I was stronger than her... Emotionally and physically... Was I wrong?

"Otoo-san, Neji-ni-san! I wish to train as well, please do not let me disturb you." Hinata said her words shyly, scared she would be refused.

"Hai. If you would like, you can train with us." Her father spoke in monotone.

"Hai. I will then."

Hinata ran to their space and stood her ground. Her father's Byakugan appeared, then Neji's, with Hinata eventually following. Kunai was thrown in multiple directions, all of which Neji could dodge.

Then they came at Hinata.

"Shugohakke Rokujuyon Shou.." Her arms went in multiple directions blocking the kunai, with her streaming chakra. It was definitely a sight to see.

Soon after, silence started to grow, and she looked at her father nervously.

He merely nodded. She lightly smiled.

Later on in the day, she continued to convince herself that her developed crush was a mere coincidence, and that it would easily disappear into nothing(I can't believe I am arguing with myself!). She sat in the daidokoro thinking as she made tea for the rest of her family.

Hanabi had walked in, Hinata not noticing.

"I saw you.. I saw you training with Neji and Otoo-san."

"That's good. I guess you could see father isn't sad."

"Hai."

Silence. There was always so much silence between them. They never talked!

"Hanabi-sama."

"Hai?"

"You are not still affected by Otoo-san's words, are you?"

"Iiee. I thought about what you said. I guess you're right. I will continue to amount to nothing if I break down so easily. I'll be nothing but a lost cause to father, and he'll decide to train Neji over me- I'll be pathetic."

"You mean like he was to me?"

"I didn't mean it that way."

"It's fine. So have you graduated from the academy yet?"

"Iiee. Are you Chunin?"

"I'm taking the exams to find out."

"Oh. Well, Otoo-san wants me to prepare dinner. Anything in mind?"

"Nanimo nai."

"Hai."

Hinata was back in her room. All these frickn' distractions... I need to think this out.. Sasuke, or Naruto-kun? Naruto-kun of course! But then why is it that I haven't shaken off Sasuke?! Why am I letting this pound onto me the day before the Chunin Exams?! I should be training right now! Oh, but what's the use of training of I can't concentrate? I'll just kill myself! So do I like Sasuke, or Naruto-kun..? Will I allow my feelings to interfere with my ninja life? Should I start to become friends with my little sister, Hanabi? Should I worry for Neji-ni-san and the Jonin Exams? Should I worry about the Chunin Exams? Does Otoo-san accept me?

Am I going insane?!?!

End of Chapter 3

As you can probably see, Hinata has gone crazy. Hiding her emotions in her mind, letting them explode silently, must be some serious conflict within a single person.. And not to mention the Chunin Exams!!! The violence is about to start! I realize this chapter really didn't seem very SasuHina to you readers, but I couldn't make it too top-heavy with the romance.. Especially since this is only Chapter 3. Chapter 4 will probably be less OOC than this chapter.. )