"You are nothing more than beasts before the eyes of the Uchiha." ~Sasuke
"Hya! Hya! Hya!" The repeated cries of Hinata Hyuuga resonated with her determination as she struck the tree in front of her, multiple handprints worn into the bark and underlying wood where the bark had begun to fall in places.
Wiping the sweat from her eyes, she executed a flawless three-point combo on the tree, a sizable piece of wood falling off as the bluenette spun on her heel, hooking her finger in a kunai as she flung it into the shadows of the woods, her eyes narrowed as a low chuckle returned her aggression.
"You keep up with accuracy like that, and I won't be the only expert markswoman in the village, at least among the Genin." Tenten said friendly, spinning the flung kunai around her ring finger before tossing it back at Hinata who didn't flinch as she leaned to the side, barely avoiding the return fire.
"Sorry, Tenten-san, I'm working out some issues. I didn't intend to actually hurt you; if I'm being honest I was kinda hoping it was someone else." Hinata apologized, reaching down to unzip Naruto's borrowed jacket.
"Every time I see you with that jacket on, you act like such a …" Tenten trailed off, looking aside as Hinata looked at the weapon's mistress with confusion. Laying the jacket aside as she tried to cool down, her eyes softened, the hard lines of her face returning to their softer counterparts.
"What's that Tenten-san?" She asked, her fingers poking each other, although she didn't realize it. It seemed old habits died hard.
"I was going to say you act like a real live kunoichi, but I realized that sounds insulting to your usual demeanor. I guess I'm just used to Neji-sama to think of you as any relation." Tenten apologized, blushing as she looked aside.
"Oh, that's okay. Speaking of Neji, why are you here and not helping him train for the Finals?" Hinata asked, eying up an apple overhead.
"Well, I remember how Neji treated you during the Preliminaries, and since Lee can't exactly find you to do this, Gai-sensei is busy actually training Neji, and Neji would probably die before he apologizes, I wanted you to know that Gai-sensei is sorry, as are the rest of Team 9 for his actions." Tenten said, bowing only to hear a dry chuckle overhead. Looking up, she saw Hinata sitting on a tree branch, biting crisply into a shiny red apple.
"You talk about me being not acting like a true kunoichi, but here you are, worrying about my feelings. Now who's not acting like a kunoichi?" Hinata said, and seeing Tenten's angry face, tossed her a second apple.
"Well excuse me for being concerned; next time I'll just leave you deal with it yourself!" Tenten retorted sharply.
"I didn't say I don't appreciate the concern, Tenten-san, just that you shouldn't always be concerned with how people perceive you. After all, females can't compete with males in a contest of strength, so sometimes…" Hinata trailed off as she dropped down, her whip wrapping around a tree branch to support her.
"us girls have to get them to drop their guards." Hinata said, falling to the ground as she acted like she'd hurt herself. She even had tears coming out of the sides of her pearlescent eyes. Tenten was immediately at her side.
"What's wrong Hinata?" Only to suddenly find herself constrained by Hinata's whip, which had slipped around her neck, cutting off her air.
"Case in point." Hinata said, standing gracefully, looking at Tenten teasingly before releasing her. Tenten was surprised by her flip personality until she saw the familiar sunset jacket was back on her. The panda Genin sighed, before noticing the weapon that had moments earlier constricted her oxygen.
"Wow, cool whip. Can I see it?" Tenten said excitedly, not waiting for a response as she grabbed the whip from Hinata, running her hands over it, pulling on it, giving it a few test cracks.
"High quality material, most likely domesticated deer, rather than wild, strong tensile strength, crystal tip for fighting rather than control, doesn't conduct chakra though. I'd say around 300,000 yen, bottom price. But if it could conduct chakra, easily 450." Tenten rattled off, her eyes glazing over as she gave it few twirls before sending it tip first through a tree, the crystal easily shearing through the wood.
"Tell you what, I hate seeing such a beautiful piece not at maximum potential. My father runs a high-end weapon shop, I bet he could fix this up for you, maybe teach you a few jutsu to go with it, and we'll call it even. Think of it as my way of investing in the better Hyuuga." Tenten said haughtily, and Hinata giggled.
Elsewhere in Konoha, a blonde Genin was dancing around numerous attacks, courtesy of his perverted teacher. However, no matter how the Sage's attacks seemed to pin Naruto in, he would barely contort his body out of the way while still managing to keep the target in sight. It sent a chill down Jiraiya's spine as he compared Naruto's dexterity to his former teammate's.
It had been Jiraiya's idea when he'd learned that Naruto was facing a Hyuuga prodigy. The exercise seemed simple, something Naruto would've thought up on his own. Simply balance a bowl of fresh ramen on his head, while dodging all of Jiraiya's kunai and shurikan, for the sake of the exercise, holding the ramen in his hands was off-limits, but that hadn't stopped him from juggling the heavenly treat while not losing a single drop.
About halfway through it though, Naruto had changed the rules. Making the valid point that eventually Neji would run out of stamina, he'd set his own victory condition. By adding a pair of chopsticks to the mix, he had to finish the ramen before Jiraiya managed to make him drop it.
At least Jiraiya had prevented him from eating in ramen so far, not that he'd made the blonde drop the bowl. Even when he tried to get the blonde to lose his cool by made lewd comments, all he got from the blonde was baleful looks, and the occasional fireball.
Although, the most skilled return came when Naruto had spun the bowl into the air like a pizza, using the pair of chopsticks to catch several kunai and fling them back with better accuracy than Jiraiya was having so far.
Eventually, they called it a tie, as Jiraiya simply couldn't force Naruto to relinquish his heavenly treat, and Naruto actually refused to eat the ramen once it got cold. Although, the fact that the game was over didn't stop Naruto from showing off as he balanced the two chopsticks end-on-end, with the bowl twirling on the top, held up purely by his chakra. The toad Sennin was actually impressed by the boy's control, while it wasn't as good as say, Tsunade, or just about any medic-nin, for the boy with chakra reserves to rival the Hokage, it was impressive.
"So, how goes your progress with the Summoning Jutsu? And the other jutsu I taught you?" Jiraiya questioned as Naruto looked at his half-partner, half-sensei incredulously.
"I'm Naruto fricking Uzumaki, and you think I'm having trouble getting some toads to help me? I'm not you, Ero-Gama." Naruto said; smiling a second later as the accusation held no malice. "I'm able to summon up to Gamashi at will, if you exclude the fact that I can summon Gamabunta simply by pouring in as much chakra as possible. As for the Toad Oil Flame Jutsu, progress has been made, although very little. I can summon the higher-level toads that can use the oil, but I'm not familiar with them enough yet to use it. Other than Bunta, I haven't used it with any others yet. As for that other jutsu, lands have fallen with more ease. So what are going to teach me today?" Naruto questioned, smirking at Jiraiya who opened his mouth to answer only for an ANBU to appear suddenly, not surprising either of the two toad summoners, although Naruto looked annoyed by the interruption of his training.
"Lord Jiraiya, Lord Hokage has requested your immediate assistance." The Bear-masked ANBU droned.
"*sigh* Well, I guess today's lesson will be a bit short Naruto. I'll see you later." Jiraiya said; leaping away as the ANBU followed him closely.
"Silly Jiraiya, thinking he could teach me anything of value. Although, the Summoning Jutsu will come in handy should I require assistance on the field." Naruto said, walking away from the training grounds, only to hear a familiar grunting sound.
"It's three days until the Finals now, and she's still going at it." Naruto thought, smiling as he headed over to find his female teammate, and girlfriend training diligently. Her appearance had changed very little since he had seen her last at the Prelims. Not that he was avoiding her; on the contrary, he had tried to find her several times but kept missing her.
"Hey Hina-chan. Naruto said, whispered into her ear as she spun around slamming a chakra-infused palm into him as he doubled over in pain. Seeing who it was, Hinata immediately fell to her knee in front of him, checking on him as she opened his chakra points again.
"I'm so sorry Naruto-kun. I didn't notice you, and you surprised me. Are you alright?" She worried as Naruto smiled at her, stroking her cheek as she blushed crimson.
"I'm fine Hina-chan, just a little surprised. All the same, you look so cute when you're concerned." Naruto mumbled, lightly running his knuckles over her cheek as her blush spread, and she fainted into Naruto's arms, who shared her blush, although he stayed conscious. "Yep, I still got it."
Once Hinata had awoken from her fainting spell, she noticed Naruto leaned against a tree, using a kunai to peel and section an apple. Putting a piece into his mouth, he cut off another piece, offering it to her, which she took, clambering to her feet as she looked at Naruto in confusion.
"You're wondering why I'm here, right?" Naruto asked, continuing on as she nodded. "I want you to spar with me, Taijutsu only. I know it may seem like a strange request, but I need to put the finishing touches on a Taijutsu style, and I need your help. Just come at me, no holds barred, do whatever you can to beat me, just use only Taijutsu, kay?" Naruto asked, standing there as he awaited her answer.
"Okay, I'll do it, for you, Naruto-kun." Hinata said confidently, and Naruto smiled, throwing the apple aside, along with the kunai as it pierced the apple completely, skewering it against a tree trunk which was covered in small palm prints, along with one pitch black palm mark in the center as Hinata took her stance, activating her glowing Dojutsu.
With a soundless word, the couple charged at each other, each smirking in there own way.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya was sitting on his sensei's windowsill, listening to the aged Hokage tell him why he was called.
"So, you want me to track down Tsunade." Jiraiya summed up the last fifteen minutes of rambling in eight words. When Hiruzen nodded, the toad Sennin sweat dropped.
"Fine, I was looking forwards to seeing Naruto's Chunnin Finals, but I guess this takes precedence?" Another nod. "Welp, guess I better hurry up then if I want to see just how much the gaki is holding out on me." A final nod, and Jiraiya was gone.
Naruto breathed heavily. The past two days had been intense, non-stop sparring between him and Hinata, who was mirroring his erratic breathing. As he grabbed at the tree to pull himself up, his fingers went over the familiar scars, carved into the tree.
Hinata 102. Naruto 1.
"It's done, my Taijutsu style, I did it. Welcome to my battleground, where I opened my eyes, and perfected my sight." Naruto smiled deviously.
A/N: I originally stopped the chapter here, but decided to add in one final scene that was going to be at the start of the next chapter. I decided that this would be a more fitting place. It is familiar, and I'm sorry if you don't like the song, but this is a warning so read if you want to, it won't affect the plot in any way.
Naruto sighed as he leaned back on his mottled roof. Looking down over the village, he recalled how his birthday was coming up soon, and remembered how each and every one of his birthday's had gone to date. As he closed his eyes, and leaned back against the cool clay, a tune began running through his head as he began to sing.
Torches lit in the village tonight,
Nowhere can I hide.
Only cower in fear,
And pray I don't die.
To them I am little more than nothing,
Persecuted,
As the demon king.
Lock me out,
Don't let me in,
Like I'm some black sin.
They think they,
Can play me?
Well they'll soon see.
Let it burn
Let it burn
Let my fires burn evermore!
Let it burn
Let it burn
Let the ashes coat the floor!
I don't know
Why they're afraid
Let the fires rage on
They never burned me anyway!
It's funny how a little power,
Makes everything so small.
The fear that once scarred me,
Doesn't hurt me at all.
It's time for my light to shine,
So bright it can blind.
No black, no white
No more childish fears for me,
I'm free!
Let em burn
Let em burn
I'm one with the wind and fire!
Let em burn
Let em burn
You'll see me atop the pyre!
Oh, here I'll exist
And here I'll play.
Let the fires rage on.
My power devours all things unbound.
My soul is dancing in glowing embers all around!
One thought implodes like a fiery blast.
Oh, I'm never looking back,
My pain is in the past!
Let it burn
Let it burn
I'll rise like the crimson dawn!
Let it burn
Let it burn
That broken boy is gone!
Cause here I'll stand
In the fiery wake
Let my rage burn on
Oh, it never burned me anyway.
A/N: Hey guys, I finished another training chapter, along with some hints of what to expect during the Finals. Speaking of which, they will begin next chapter and probably continue for quite some time since, I'm dong them a bit differently. I hope you guys enjoy the twists I have in store for you. Now then, I have a pet project for someone.
Sword techniques= Kenjutsu
Staff/Spear techniques= Bojutsu
Whip techniques=?
Extra: Hey guys, I wanted to make this announcement before I uploaded today. All of my stories will be taking a temporary one-month hiatus. I want to have good content for you guys, but my schedule is packed this month. I'm a senior in high school, and have my SATs, college trips, applications to fill out for scholarships, etc. Also, don't think this a spur of the moment thing. I intended to pause this story for a short time while I write out the entirety of the Finals, but I'm going to extend it across the board, so I'll see you guys in February.