Blah, blah, blah, lame excuse for being so late and a warning that my finals are coming up.
"Just how did you provoke the Elder?"
I looked to my door and saw Neji standing in the doorway. He walked in and stood beside my bed. His brow was slightly furrowed.
"If you had been disrespecting him in your usual manner he would have assigned you a genin to spar. Why did he make you face a chunin?"
I sighed and looked back up at the ceiling.
"Do we really have to talk about this now nii-san?" I asked.
"Yes. You're lucky that you got off with just a broken nose. Act that foolishly again and you might find yourself in a full body cast."
"Heh, that was almost a joke."
"I was being completely serious."
"I know, that's why I said 'almost'."
"You're trying irritate me into leaving, it won't work. What did you do?"
I looked back at him, thinking over my answer. Neji could be very stubborn when he wanted to be. How else would he be able to have a sensei like Gai yet keep his beliefs about fate? And from the look on his face, this was gonna be one of those issues he was going to be stubborn on.
I sighed.
"I was mad that the clan encourages you to beat Hinata-NEE-SAN shitless, I let the Elder know in a rather loud manner," I said.
The effect was instant. Neji's face snapped from determined concern to disgusted anger. He slowly raised his right hand and pinched between his eyes.
"So, you were defending Hinata-sama," he said.
"Don't bother pretending Neji; I know what you think of her."
He ignored me.
"When the Elder stated the very obvious fact that she is a failure, you began shouting at him until he forced you to face Junichi. Is this correct?" He released his hold and looked at me, stone faced as ever.
"Nope. I was shouting about the bullshit training program before that old geezer came in, then I insulted him when he barged in the training hall, then the match."
Neji sighed angrily.
"Why do you continue to support Hinata-sama? She is weak, she is a coward. She. Is. A. Failure. And that's not even getting into her role in-"
"Oh no. You can't possibly be THAT stupid Neji," I sat up and looked Neji straight in the face, "Hinata was three, she had barely learned how to walk, and you expect her to handle an enemy jonin? Blame our uncle and the Elders all you want but don't you FUCKING DARE blame Hinata for our Dad's death."
"Fair enough, but our Father was sacrificed for her. The least she could do is make his sacrifice worthwhile," said Neji.
"So you would have less resentment toward the Main family if Hinata was the typical emotionless, robotic, prodigy?"
"Perhaps."
"Neji, Hinata has repeatedly apologized to me for both our Father's death. Something she had nothing to do with. She feels sympathy and wants to help, your ideal, sacrifice worthy Hinata wouldn't do that."
"Her kindness makes her weak and can't bring him back."
"Your stone faced superiority complex isn't doing much either. And Hinata's kindness does NOT make her weak!" I shouted.
Neji opened his mouth but before he could say anything:
"ENOUGH!"
Neji and I jumped and looked back to the door. Hikari was there, holding a container of ointment in one hand and looking rather annoyed. She closed her eyes, sucked in a deep breath through her nose and let it out through her mouth.
"It hasn't even been ten minutes since Hizashi was injured and the two of you are already at each other's throats?" she opened her eyes and glared at us.
"Mother, I was simply-."
"Neji, I will talk with you later. Go to your room and I'll be with you in ten minutes," said Hikari.
Neji pursed his lips, but nodded and left the room. Hikari let him pass then walked in and sat beside me.
"Ma, I-,"
"First I take care of your injury, then we talk. Now this is going to sting a little," she grabbed my nose and wretched it back into its normal position with a loud 'KRTSH'.
"OW!" I leaned away and held my hand over my nose.
"Jesus. I thought you said it'd only hurt a little!"
"I meant the salve," said Hikari as she unscrewed the cap to the container. Once she opened it she placed two fingers in it and took out some semi-clear cream. She then looked at me expectantly. I sighed then lowered my hand. She then rubbed the ointment on my nose. It did sting for a few moments but then subsided to a dull throbbing.
"Alright, now don't let anything touch the injured area for five minutes and in the morning you'll be all healed up," said Hikari, rescrewing the lid.
"Got it."
Hikari finished closing the container and put it in her pocket. She turned to face me.
"I heard what you and Neji were shouting about, and I do agree with you, but try not to lose your temper like that. I'm not asking you to become an Aburame, but shouting at Neji or anyone like him won't help you get your point across. If anything it makes them take you less seriously," said Hikari.
I nodded.
"That's not what I came to talk about though. Do you know what elemental chakra is?" she asked.
My eyes widened. Was this going where I think it was going? But I'm only four for crying out loud!
"Uh, I read a few books that mentioned it. That and something about chakra affinity?" I pretended to struggle coming up with something by scratching my head and squeezing my eyes shut. I wasn't technically lying because I did read a lot, but the I had written down the anime's explanation of chakra in my notebook so I knew exactly what it was.
"But from what I've read it seems to be advanced jutsu. Don't Hyuugas only learn D-rank jutsu?"
"Well a few have at least one C-rank but that's not the point," said Hikari, "The point is people have different affinities for a reason. A person with an Earth affinity will act differently than someone with Wind affinity and the same goes for all the other chakra natures. They might handle stress differently or find different things amusing, etc.," she gave me a small smile, "They might also gravitate towards certain taijutsu styles."
My eyes widened. So that's what she was getting at.
Hikari pulled out a small paper square and held it between her fingers.
"This is chakra paper. We use it to test our affinities," she said. She closed her eyes for a moment then the paper crinkled. She placed it in the palm of her hand and held it out for me to see.
"I, like most Hyuugas, have a Lightning affinity. This transitions into our taijutsu because Gentle fist is all about quick and precise strikes," Hikari set the paper down, then reached back into her pocket and gave me one. I held in my fingers the way she had.
"You think I have a different affinity?" I asked.
"No Lightning style user could ever fight the way you did so naturally. Now channel your chakra into the paper. If it splits you have Wind, if it soaks you have Water, if it burns you have Fire, if it crumbles you have Earth," said Hikari.
I looked at the paper between my fingers then closed my eyes. I focused on the energy I had inside me, then pushed it toward my hand then onto the paper.
When I opened my eyes I let out a yelp. My paper was on fire. It burned quickly, so fast in fact, that I barely felt anything when the paper touching my fingers turned to ash. It was still a bit shocking though. I rubbed my hand on the bed to clean it off.
"So, I have a Fire affinity," I said, still reeling slightly in shock. Hikari nodded.
"So I was right then. I thought you'd either be a Fire or Wind style user as they tend to be the brash types," she said.
"How does it affect my taijutsu?"
"Well from what I saw you wanted to do as much damage as you could to any part of Junichi you could reach. A fast barrage of punches meant to prevent any counter-attack."
"So I just run in without thinking?" I asked, a bit disappointed.
"No, you had some strategy," said Hikari, rubbing the bottom of her nose, "You ducked down and got inside Junichi's guard. If you had been mindless you would've just attacked head on. If Junichi had been a defensive fighter you most likely would have tried to break through with that barrage then attack him."
"So I'm all about damaging my opponent as fast as I can?"
"That's my theory at least."
I nodded. It was good to know.
"Uh, out of curiosity how do think it would've happened if I had a Wind affinity?" I asked.
Hikari sighed.
"I'm really not sure. Wind style users are pretty rare in Konoha. If I had to guess though I'd say you'd focus on fast counter attacks, it's only a guess though."
"Alright, so what now?"
"Now, you rest. No more training today. In fact I'd prefer it if you didn't leave bed."
"Ah, come on Ma! It's just a broken nose," I protested.
"I'll bring you a book after I talk to Neji and you can come out for dinner. Okay?"
I sighed.
"Alright, can you bring me Tales of A Gutsy Ninja?"
"You're reading that again? This is what the third time?"
"It's a good book," I said, shrugging.
"Alright then. Just let me talk to Neji about leaving you alone about Hinata-sama then I'll bring it alright?"
"'Kay."
Hikari left the room and I laid back down. It was a bit disappointing that I wasn't going to get anymore training in today but I was still pretty tired. How could I not be? So much stuff had happened. First the whole ordeal of teaching Boar, then the training, then watching Neji's match, then my match.
And now I know that I'm not like other Hyuugas. That I'm probably gonna be training in a different style. Hoh man, I can't wait to see the look on Hiashi's face when I manage to win a match using what will no doubt be regarded as 'inferior'.
Maybe if I do well enough I might convince Hiashi to test Hinata's chakra affinity and help her make her own style like I'm doing. She does talk about how most of the Gentle Fist stances feel really unnatural to her. I wouldn't be surprised if she had a different affinity.
Wait, Hinata.
I bolted upright.
Where was she? Was she alright? Where did she run off to?
I swung my legs over the side of the bed then paused.
Something in the back of my mind was telling me she was fine. I racked my brains to try and figure out why but I came up empty. I growled with frustration and pulled out my notebook. I opened it up and flipped to my notes on everything I remembered from the anime.
Then I saw it, written in black and white.
Hinata met Naruto after she ran away crying from a sparing match. Naruto saved her from bullies and even when Hinata was so young she was amazed by his determination never to give up.
I closed the notebook and laid back down. Hinata was going to be fine, better than fine. She was about to find the thing that made her determined to become a great kunoichi. I let out a sigh of relief. Yes, parts of this experience were going to be painful for her, but now that I knew she was going to be fine I could relax.
The rest of the day was uneventful. Hikari eventually came back to give me my book. I read until dinner, then came out to eat. Neji apologized for trying to influence my friendships, we ate, I asked about Hinata, Mom said she was fine. Then we cleaned the table, I washed up then crawled back into bed, closed my eyes and fell asleep.
In case anyone's wondering Hizashi flips between thinking of Hikari as Hikari or Mom because I know from experience that it's hard to accept a new mother figure. No my Ma didn't die but I have a step mom that I need to treat with respect. I stay with my ma half the week and my dad the other half so for half the week my step mom has to act like my mother figure. I'll never think of her as Mom because she just isn't. Hizashi's situation is different. Hikari is his literal mother but he knows the mother in his previous life is still alive so at first he feels weird about thinking about Hikari as Mom.