blue: I disagree! Simply because of how she handles herself during the fight with Pein(in the manga it is so amazing!) her strength is amazing! Her and Neji even have a combination attack that they used while they fought back to back. Neji trusts Hinata to watch his back, to protect him from harm during this time. Hinata, of course, trusts Neji with the same. Neji, himself, came to respect Hinata, and her abilities! Hinata's definitely mousey, but she is not afraid to kill.

Like Naruto, she gives people a chance. Naruto doesn't just kill, he talks to people, try to make them see reason: Hinata does as well. Hinata's strength is in the fact that she over came her fears of conflict, and she embraced the fighter deep inside of her. Her shy attitude has nothing to do with battle, it is socially awkward, but nothing to do with battle at all. Her ability to protect rival's Kagome's—especially when it comes to Naruto. Hinata probably actually died in that fight, by the amount of blood shown, she most likely did. Pein gave everyone back once Naruto talked to him. Hinata is a true warrior, able to use her feelings to her advantage, fighting for all she's worth.

There is a common mistake made by many people about Hinata. She's weak? Please. She can go toe to toe with Neji now days. She's shy? What does that have to do with her fighting skills? Nothing. She's weak willed? NO. If she was she would have never ran in and not only fought Pein, but did so with the intention of breaking Naruto free KNOWING she could not win—most likely knowing she would die.

Hinata Hyuuga is one of the strongest characters growth wise I have seen in a long time. Her heart, her soul, her everything goes into what she does. She is stronger than I can ever be, not that I can't try. She does her best, and in the end, she manages to grow because of it.

ON WITH THE STORY

The exchange of blows was fast and hard to follow, for anyone who didn't know about the Gentle Fist technique. They had to counter each other constantly, throwing the chakra blows away from themselves.

This technique didn't even have to hit to injure.

Kagome knew that well, watching as Hinata grazed Neji's stomach. They used no special techniques, simply using the Gentle Fist Technique on each other—which could very well prove more deadly than using random Jutsus as it damaged organs rather than skin and bone. It went for the chakra paths inside one's body, and said paths intricately wound themselves around the organs.

Hyuuga were very picky on who within each generation would learn this art.

And it was almost beautiful to watch.

"There, kid, did you see her blow to his stomach?" Kagome said, leaning on the railing.

Naruto blinked. "Eh? She missed."

Lee shook his head. "Even that is just enough." Lee began explaining, but Kagome tuned the two out, watching the fight. She cursed, leaning over the railing as Neji and Hinata both hit each other at the same time.

"Shit. I wasn't able to see if they got each other from this angle!" She said before leaping onto the railing and running a little to the left. "Fuck."

Lee, who had followed her, nodded. "Neji wins..."

Hinata suddenly coughed, blood coming forth and running down her chin, staining her jacket.

"As I thought, this is the extent of it..." Neji said, watching as her blood fell onto his hand. Kagome was not going to be happy with him. "The head family's power." One hand had cut off the chakra to the attacking arm, the other had laid a direct attack to her front...right over her heart.

"What the-? But Hinata laid a perfect strike!" Naruto exclaimed.

Hinata suddenly moved, attempting to strike again, it was in vain, however, as Neji simply adjusted and blocked that arm's chakra pathways as well. Slowly, he showed her her arm. Over the body there are 361 chakra points, Neji had hit several with deadly accuracy. Hitting one just right could stop the flow of chakra all together, or increase it.

Neji wasn't called a Natural Genius for nothing.

Kagome gasped as Neji hit her once again. "I-I have to stop him!" Kagome said, but Lee grabbed her around the middle. Kagome hissed, claws growing and she sliced open one of his cheeks. "Let me go, Rock Lee, or I will do some serious damage." She snarled.

"No, Kagome-san! This needs to happen!" Lee said, though he smiled at her. "Everything will be alright, Kagome-san!"

"Like I'm going to trust you!" Kagome hissed out raising her hand again. Another caught her wrist, and she looked over to see Sasuke Uchiha. "Let me go, Uchiha."

"No. You're causing trouble, I thought you said you were to be my betrothed, I don't see how. You're causing more of a scene than the dobe." Sasuke said and Kagome's pupils became pin points.

Was she causing trouble for Neji?

The feral features disappeared and Lee slowly let her down. Her face fell into a passive expression and she faced the fight. "You are right, Uchiha-san. I will apologize to Neji-sama directly later." She said, though her fists clenched tightly around the railing. "I apologize to you, as well, Lee-san, for raising my hand against you. And thank you, Uchiha-san, I was out of line."

Lee sighed. "Kagome-san, you worry too much, Neji-san is not going to do anything that will hurt you." Lee said, smiling as he placed an affectionate hand on her head. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Baka onna." He said, leaning against the railing. "I don't see why you're so upset."

"That is why I could never marry you now, Uchiha." She said, though she did not turn her eyes to him. "You hold no love, and so now you are nothing more than a bitter shell. A shadow of what you could have been." Her eyes turned to him then, and watched as he glared at her in anger. "Before me I see no one. You've let revenge become who you are. Who are you after your revenge is complete, Uchiha?"

"How do you know?" He whispered, angry. He watched as she ignored him for a moment as the Hyuuga boy walked over to his cousin.

"Hinata-sama. Here we have the unchangeable difference in our abilities, this is what separates the elites from the failures. This is our unchangeable fate. It is a brutal, unalterable fact. You were destined to regret having said you won't run anymore from the moment you said it. And now, you must have abandoned yourself to despair! This is your ultimatum: withdraw!" Neji said, stopping just feet away from her, looking down at her with angry eyes.

"At this moment, my husband to be is fighting for who he is." Kagome said, suddenly, not even turning from the fight. "He fights because our fate hurts us. Fate is a cruel mistress, and you can either give up and become something horrible, or, you can stand and walk with her and find your reward."

"I-I" Hinata said and Kagome's eyes widened in shock, just as Neji's did. "I-I meant it!"

They watched, amazed as her blood flowed, yet she still struggled to stand. "And...I am sticking by...every word...I said! Because...that's my ninja way!" She stood then, shaky on her feet, but she was standing.

"Sugoi!" Kagome said, leaning over the railing a bit. "Hinata-chan's still going to try to fight. See? That's the kind of attitude I'm talking about!" Kagome said with a smile, looking at the angry Uchiha.

"I know everything about you, I was trained to become your wife, I kept up with everything about you for years until I finally gave up." She didn't reveal the truth of it—that she knew who her actual father was. It would only drive him to a conclusion she was not ready to face. "Answer me, Uchiha, who are you?"

Sasuke scowled. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke." He said simply. She shook her head.

"Right now, you are Revenge." Kagome said, looking him in the eye. "Until you gain the standing I would expect of you, you are not fit to even be eligible as my husband."

Lee frowned. "Kagome-san, that's enough." He said and Kagome, again, shook her head.

"I am happy you did not know about the engagement, Uchiha. I am much happier knowing that he will care about my well being." Her eyes narrowed. "And not as a breeder for his line." With that she turned her back to him, walking back over to her former place, Lee followed.

"Kagome-san..."

"Lee, I had to...for myself." She said quietly, and he nodded.

"I do not understand, but, if you feel that way..."

"Hai."

"I...had no idea Hinata was this tough." Naruto said softly as Kagome stood there. "It's...amazing."

"Yes, it is." Kagome murmured.

Lee turned to him. "She's a lot like you."

Sakura nodded. "Come to think of it, she's always watching you." She said, her eyes never leaving the scene in front of her.

"Huh?" Naruto said and looked at Sakura.

Hinata seemed to look straight at Naruto for a moment, a small smile visible on her face, then, she turned her eyes back to her opponent. Both Byakugans were activated.

"Bring it." Neji said, glaring at her with undisguised hatred.

"Ah!" Hinata grabbed her chest, coughing up more blood as pain ran through her body.

Nearby, Ino watched in horror. "Look at those eyes...Is he going to try to kill her? No...No that's absurd..."

Sakura frowned. "Doesn't it seem that...Neji's strength is somehow against the rules?" She asked no one in particular. "He's just too powerful."

Kagome nodded. "He's called a Natural Genius for a reason."

Naruto gripped the medical salve tighter before leaning forward. "Hinata! Go!"

Kagome smiled. "Hinata! We're here for you!" Kagome shouted, smiling the best she could towards the girl.

Naruto. She charged forward, knowing this would be her last chance. I've been watching you for many years now. I don't know why, but for some reason, while I'm watching you...I can feel courage welling up. I feel that I can hang on, that I can do it! That maybe, just maybe, that I, too, am worth something!

Kagome winced as he caught her in the throat, causing her to fall back and cough up more blood.

Naruto-kun. Up until now I've been the one to do the watching. But now...finally...I am the one...Naruto!

Kagome could visibly see the chakra that went through her and she was horrified.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Neji asked, looking down at Hinata as she collapsed to the ground. "Your strikes were ineffective from the beginning. It's over."

Genma walked over, a hand in his pocket. "The combatant is unable to fight any longer in these conditions."

"Don't end it!" Naruto's voice echoed, angry tears in his eyes. "Don't stop the match, dattebayo!"

Sakura turned to him. "Naruto!"

Kagome turned to Naruto, her pupils narrowing to slits.

"She's had enough! Can't you see she's unconscious?" Sakura continued, but a smile on Naruto's face brought both womens' attentions back to the arena.

Everyone was shocked to see her stand.

Neji was the first to speak. "Why do you do this? If you keep this up you'll die!"

For the very first time, his eyes are truly on me. He is watching me. Naruto. I will not look bad in his eyes! I will not give up in front of the one I admire the most! "I-I am far from finished!" She said, stepping forward with wobbly steps.

"Give up the bravado." Neji says, Byakugan already activated and ready. "You're barely standing! You've shouldered a lot, since you were born into the head family line of the Hyuuga. And cursed and blamed yourself for being weak...But, people can not change their fate, that's just the way it is. There is no need for you to suffer any longer! Surrender to your fate!"

She shook her head. "You're wrong...Neji-san...because I can tell, that you are suffering much more than I."

"What?" He murmured.

"You're the one who is torn up over the fate of the head and branch families." She said, and something in Neji snapped, he rushed forward, even as Genma called out to him that the match had been called.

Soon, four adults and his wife to be were on him. Kakashi held his right arm, Kurenai his left, Gai had his head and shoulders, where Genma was ready to strike him from the side if he dared move.

In front of him was Kagome, eyes dark with anger. "That is enough." She growled out, her voice low and absolutely feral.

"Neji, get a hold of yourself!" Gai said, having not expected his student to react as he did. "You promised me you wouldn't let the head family thing get you riled up!"

Kagome bared her fangs at him, beyond pissed. "You and I will have words, Neji Hyuuga."

Neji turned his eyes to the Jonin around him. "Butting in for the head family, huh? I understand. They get special treatment!"

Kagome felt angry tears well up as she heard Hinata collapse behind her.

"Naruto..." She whispered, and couldn't voice the rest as she blacked out. Do you think...that I changed...even a little bit?

Kagome watched as they released Neji, and strode forward, slapping him hard, leaving claw marks across both of his cheeks. "We will talk, Hyuuga." She snapped, grabbing his shirt and pulling his face close to hers. "Because I doubt I want to marry you now."

Neji looked away, hurt and ashamed.

"Oi! Why the hell?" Naruto snapped, causing Kagome to temporarily release Neji. Neji lifted his nose at the boy.

"I only have two pieces of advice for you. One, stop your revolting cheering if you want to be a true shinobi. Two, a failure will always be a failure."

Naruto rushed forward, but Lee blocked him as Kagome's claws dug into Neji's shoulder, drawing blood. "Revolting cheering, Hyuuga? I seem to remember cheering myself." He didn't even look at her, causing her to get angrier.

Tears began to run down her face, and she turned tail and ran.

Neji was about to follow her when Naruto spoke up. Neji looked over to see him, hand dripping with Hinata's blood. "I will win, no matter what!"

Neji didn't acknowledge him as he ran to catch up with Kagome.