A/N: On a roll... that last chapter actually took 3 and a half hours. Bye bye day XD I still have so much to update. Oh well. Enjoy!
Song: It's My Turn Now by Keke Palmer
"I give up," Shikamaru finally said after a moment's pause. "The continuous use of the shadow copy no jutsu has used up all of my chakra. I can barely bind you for more than 10 seconds. I had thought up about 200 more moves but.. it looks like I'm out of time. I'm getting tired of this... one match is enough for me."
"Weird fellow.." Genma smirked. "WINNER.. TEMARI!"
"Ugh.." Temari growled to herself, not exactly the way she had wanted that to go.
"Man! I'm tired!" Shikamaru groaned popping his shoulder.
"Ahh! What a waste! It was his chance to become a chunin!" Ino growled, choking an invisible person in front of her.
"That's just who he is." Choji smiled.
"Geez.. is he motivated or not?" Kurenai said in awed shock.
"I don't really know either." Asuma smirked.
"But that child's intellect and strategy is beyond the level of a genin. If this was an actual mission with a 4 member team, Shikamaru's victory would have been definitive the moment he caught her. Well.. it's like he won the battle but lost the match."
"It's true that it's unfortunate that he doesn't seem to have an motivation, but you could also say that allows him to have calm and collective decision making skills. Because he knows his own strengths and skills, he doesn't panic in battle and he doesn't lose his cool. So even in the worst conditions, he can act calmly." Asuma explained. "When you talk about the mental make up necessary for a chunin.. Shikamaru has the most important abilities.. that would make for a good leader."
"I have to apologize but we're still waiting for a participant. So for now, one of the battles you've all been waiting for. Uchiha Shinobu and Hyuuga Neji!" Genma's voice echoed over the stands for a brief second before the roar of the audience eliminated his voice altogether.
"My turn now." Shinobu bluffed with a grin, nodding to her teammates before standing, earning a few glances from near by spectators. Neji was already down there waiting for her.
Biting her lip she let the genjutsu drop and let her expression fade into a typical emotionless smirk. Maybe now he'll see the resemblance when he shows up. Taking an invisible but deep breath she ran down the aisle and jumped from the railing, soaring several feet through the air before twirling and landing smoothly on her feet beside Neji.
"You're going to fight in that form?" He scoffed.
"Your going to fight in that one?" She countered. "To the audience it still looks like a boy and a girl fighting.. just a little backwards. What's the harm in that." She smirked, straightening to nod towards Genma who, thought confused, nodded back.
"Let the third match begin!"
"Are you going to make the first move or not..?" Neji asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Oh sorry, I thought it was ladies first." Shinobu scoffed before quickly engaging Neji in a battle of simple taijutsu as she continued the conversation. "I was actually just wondering how your leg muscles were doing since our last little training incident."
Genma watched the two talk in confusion, he would admit it was amusing to see the Hyuuga turn such a brilliant shade of red but how had these two previously interacted. Did they know each other already? And if so, how?
"I'm fine.." Neji gritted out. "But where's your dog?" He asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"On the sidelines unless I need her.. which I won't." Shinobu explained, nodding to the nearby trees which were missing a few leaves from the last battle.
"Why do you pretend to be something.. someone.. you're not?" Neji asked, dodging a swift kick towards his head.
"What do you mean?" Shinobu asked, using Neji's kick as a step to propel her backwards into the safety zone for his techniques. She fought Hinata enough to know she needed distance if she wanted to talk without fear of losing her ability to use chakra.
"You pretend to be a boy, you pretend to be a Hyuuga, you pretend to be a branch member, you pretend to have ninken and be a part of the Inuzuka, you pretend that you have family." Neji rattled on, eyeing her carefully and ignoring the jeers from the audience ushering them to continue fighting.
"My gender is irrelevant, I don't pretend to be a Hyuuga though I was accepted into the clan, I have a seal to prove my loyalty though I am no branch member and Hitami is my ninken.. I have never claimed to be with the Inuzuka clan. I have no clue what you're talking about with that last one though.." Shinobu growled, trying not to take the question personally.
"Naruto isn't your family.. it is his as is yours to be alone. We, as Hyuuga's are not your family.. so why do you treat us as such?" He asked. Shinobu instead of answering straight away charged into a series of flips and twists till she was back in adrenaline pumping close combat.
She could hear her heart pounding in her chest, blood rushing past her ears both of which were combining to block out the gasps of the audience as she adopted the Hyuuga stance.
"For someone who has such a big plan you sure know jack shit about family." Shinobu growled as she fell backwards matrix style to avoid a hit to the points near her respiratory system.
"For someone who is not an actual Hyuuga clan member you sure talk like you know about us." He responded simply. She froze staring at him in shock for a moment, just long enough to take a hit that sent her sprawling backwards.
"You actually have the nerve to speak as if I don't? I'm so sorry that I'm the same as you Neji but guess, what, that's the difference too! We may both have this damn seal but you let it trap you. It helps make me free. You take what's handed to you and complain and whine only to yourself. Get a clue, there's a fork in the road. It's your decision. Take which fork you want but stop standing at the intersection with your damned Byakugan and pretending you see all and know all!"
"What..?"
"Just because you see doesn't mean you know. Your seal and eyes are making you blind to the possibilities, Neji!" She growled before attacking him again. Using her blend of styles she attacked primarily with her feet to get the wire in her hands ready before quickly weaving him into her trap, pulling the metal rope tight and binding him to the tree.
"The one who sets your fate is not that clan. The one who sets your fate is you! Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" She shouted letting the flames run along the wire towards a wide eyed Neji before a faint shout filled the air.
"Kaiten!" The smoke slowly left in spirals to reveal a completely unharmed Neji standing in a small crater in the ground.
"I can see everything.. don't underestimate me!" He growled.
"No, you can't! It's that attitude, that right there that proves it!" Shinobu cried out in anger.
"Explain then.. explain what I can't see!"
"You have a family right in front of you that you refuse to see because of the damned seal on your forehead. Hinata cares about you and treats you as if you are her brother yet you constantly tear her down while she does nothing but help raise you up."
"She is weak, I am simply stating the truth." Neji sighed in slight annoyance.
"No, she's strong. You just want so badly to rebel against the main branch that you do everything you can that technically doesn't break rules. Your so set on going against your so called fate that you're trying to break down the walls that trap you.. how can you not see the open window?" Shinobu asked.
"You don't know anything! It's not that easy! Everyone has a different destiny at birth.. there is only one we all share.. and that.. is death!" Neji shouted, his eyes narrowing.
"Then tell me, when will you die? How will you die? Who will you die beside? Who will remember you when you are gone?"
"That is unknown to nobody but the god's of fate."
"No! Those are things you can change, control. When I die, it will be protecting those I care about. I will not die until I have made sure they are safe. I will die along side my comrades, who will live. Those who remember me will be the loved ones I protected, the people I've taken the time to become close to during my life."
"That's pathetic.."
"You have a person like that.. you have six people who would remember you if you die right now. Is that how you want to go out?"
"Oh really? Who, then."
"Hinata.. the girl who looks up to you as one of her role models and as her family. Hiashi, who despite your cold demeanor cares for you. Tenten who you treat as nothing more than dirt yet she would give your life for you as a comrade, Lee who treats you as a worthy opponent, rival and friend and Gai who treats you as a pupil and someone who he can take under his wing to protect and better and even learn from." Shinobu explained.
"That's only five people."
"Me.. the stupid idiot who thought she could change you and may very well die trying." Shinobu shouted, charging again and hitting several pressure points in his legs and shoulders before she found herself eating the dirt once again.
"Some things are set in stone.. why can't you accept that?" He asked watching her.
"Because.. that would require me giving up and Naruto nii-chan would have me with all the chores in the entire house if I did that." Shinobu grinned wiping some of the blood from her mouth before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
"What?"
"I'm coming at you.. with everything I've got and already prepared to die if means showing you the true light those eyes of yours can't see!" Shinobu shouted as she ran at a much which speed from the other side "Konoha gōriki senpū!"
"Lee's..? Kaiten!" Neji shouted catching her off guard and sending her flying. That would have hit.. damn it.
"That's Lee and Gai's move.." Neji muttered.
"I've been training under Gai-sensei too.. did you expect me to do nothing for this past month?"
"It doesn't matter.. this is over. You are within the field of my Hakke." Neji smirked slightly.
"I.. shit." Shinobu's eyes widened as she quickly took in her surroundings. She'd have to either do one hell of a job dodging or she'd be toast.
"Gentle fist style, 64 hands of hakke!" Neji shouted sliding into a stance Shinobu had only seen Hiashi use.
"Hakke two hands, four hands! Eight hands!" Neji shouted as he moved through the hits Shinobu managing to dodge a fair number of them and block others but it was obvious to anyone watching that she was taking too many hits. "Sixteen hands! Thirty-two hands! Sixty-four hands!"
"Guh!" Shinobu coughed groaning as the chakra holes stopped the chakra from reaching her limbs. I don't have the chakra for this.. damn it. She rolled to spit up some blood as her genjutsu dropped revealing a girl with short spiked hair, fish nets and shorts in the place of the Sasuke look a like.
"I have almost hit 64 points on your body and you can no longer stand." Neji sighed, dropping his stance.
"Ugh..."
"Is it painful?"
"..y..you.." Shinobu whimpered carefully getting back to her feet.
"What?"
"You still don't get it... I.. I'm never g-going to give up." Shinobu gritted her teeth before moving to face him ignoring the gasps of shock and shouts.
"S-SHINOBU'S A GIRL?" Ino shouted in pure shock, earning a laugh from Kiba a couple of rows over.
"S-she'll have to deal with all the fangirls now." Hinata giggled, despite the situation she couldn't help but smile slightly. Even Neji looked shell shocked at the reaction of the people around them.
"OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A GIRL!" Shinobu turned to shout at the audience for a moment when she heard a ridiculous accusation of her getting a sex change.
"Heh.. as amusing as that is.. you should quit already. I have no grudge against you.. this won't change anything."
"Ya.. well.. maybe you should.. because I'm going to change your so called fate. Until you can see everything I do.. I will never give up!"
"The Hyuuga's destiny of hatred.. I'll tell you about our fate.. The Hyuuga main family has a special ninjutsu that's been passed down. As you should know.. it's a curse seal jutsu." He started to explain.
"You think I don't know about that..?" Shinobu questioned, wondering what he was getting at but hoping he would keep going this would give her a chance to attack again.
"The curse of the mark represents a "bird in a cage".. it is a symbol of being tied down to an inescapable destiny." Neji spoke, untying his forehead protector and letting it drop to his side to reveal a curse seal not all that different from her own besides the symbol laying on his forehead.
"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 shinobi leader from the cloud country which had been at war with the leaf for many years, had arrived to sign an alliance treaty. But at this ceremony which everyone attended from jonin to genin, there was one clan missing." Neji spoke, ignoring Shinobu's confusion.
"That was the Hyuuga clan, because that was the important day that the Hyuuga heir turned three. Hinata-sama's third birthday. My father, Hyuuga Hizashi and Hinata-sama's father over there Hyuuga Hiashi were twins. But Hinata-sama's father, Hiashi-sama, was born to this world first... a member of the main family and my father, as second son, became a member of the branch family."
"Neji.. would you please get to the point." Shinobu sighed, having given up on attacking as there was obviously a point to be made here.
"When the Hyuuga daughter grew and turned three.. I was turned into the "bird in the cage", through this curse.. as a Hyuuga branch family member. This mark not only distinguishes the differences between the branches but also gives control and power to the main house members."
"Neji.. I have a seal.. I know this. What are you getting at."
"Did Hiashi explain to you? That this seal is the absolute fear of death given to the branch families by the main family. With a simple secret hand seal, the branch member's mind can easily be destroyed. Death is just as easy.. of course.. And this curse will only disappear after death. Sealing up the ability of the Byakugan and all the member's knowledge with it.
"He did explain.. I accepted the contract of the bird.. but I have no cage. That cage is a choice of your own." Shinobu whispered.
"Then you are disillusioned. A branch member is allowed to live only to protect the main family. No disobedience is allowed by the main family.. surely you know this because of Mika. It's an effective system, created to eternally protect the advanced blood line of the Hyuuga.. and.. that incident occurred."
"What incident..?"
"Heh. My father.. was killed by main family." Neji hissed.
"Huh..?" Shinobu gasped, taking a small step backwards.
"One night Hinata-sama was taken by someone. Then Hiashi-sama quickly took care of it and killed the man. It was dark and he was wearing a mask. Who do you think it was?" Neji asked with a small smirk.
"Who..?"
"He was.. He was the cloud country shinobi leader.. who had just signed the alliance treaty. It became clear that he had only been after the Hyuuga secrets from the beginning. But the cloud country, with one of their leaders killed in the failed plan, made demands of the leaf for breaking the alliance." Neji whispered. "Of course the leaf and the cloud bickered back and forth and it almost came to war."
"But there hasn't been a war in our time." Shinobu whispered more to herself than Neji, knowing he would soon explain.
"The leaf, wanting to avoid war, made a back door deal with the cloud." Neji explained.
"Deal?"
"The cloud wanted the Hyuuga main family's advanced blood line and the Byakugan. They demanded the corpse of Hiashi-sama.. and the leaf agreed to their wishes, so the war was safely avoided." Neji gritted.
"Then why isn't Hiashi dead?" Shinobu countered.
"The war was safely avoided.. thanks to my dad. Who was killed by the main family to replace Hiashi-sama's corpse. To escape this curse.. there is no method but death." Neji finished leaving not only Shinobu, but the majority of the audience in shock. "You can't possibly understand.. there is no way out of this fate! You're wasting your time!"
"You're wrong.. I understand." Shinobu whispered. "You and I both know we share this curse."
"But you could never understand what it's like to be burdened with a symbol you could never rid yourself of. You can leave!" Neji shouted.
"I can't leave.. I made that oath when I was accepted into the Hyuuga.. and even if I could.. I would never abandon Hinata. I.. would go through that horrible pain tenfold to protect the Hyuuga." Shinobu shouted growling as she brought her hands up into a seal.
"What are you doing? You have no chakra."
"I'm not.. I'm showing you.. my seal." Shinobu growled whispering to herself before the seal and the wounds gained form it began to glow a faint blue. Lighting up you could see burns running from her collar down to the edge of her shorts. "But I have more than a seal.. you asked why I pretend to be a boy?"
"What does that even have to do with this..?" Neji asked, voice shaking.
"Being female.. is my seal.. that is the seal I fear. It is what cost me my clan. You are so ignorant to the family right in front of you.. so I what? I happily bear your seal for my clan. I may not have been born into it.. but I am a Hyuuga clan member. This seal.. gives me family.. my seal.. cost me everything." She growled.
"What do you mean.."
"I was forced out of my clan.. because I am female and my father had no desire for someone as weak as I to be in his family. Not until I was old enough to join the academy did anyone know I even existed. I lived on the streets passed by my own brother on a daily basis and he didn't even know I was his family! To live on the streets.. all alone.. that's a pain you will never understand." She bit out.
"Shinobu..I.."
"Naruto understands that pain. Others.. the people of Konoha are so ignorant. But guess what, ignorance and cages... they don't matter these people will always be my family and I will protect them whether they like it or not! Don't you dare tell me about destiny.. because I've already changed mine!" She shouted.
"Even so.. how do you possibly plan to fight me without chakra. In the end you and Hinata share the same destiny."
"Shut up! Stop using that Byakugan to decide and act like you know everyone's destiny!"
"Then prove to me that what you're saying is correct." Neji challenged.
"Hiashi.. forgive me for this." Shinobu shouted, turning to face where he sat shocked in the crowd and bowing slightly before holding a familiar hand sign.
"You can't possibly activate my seal.. you shouldn't know that." Neji growled wide eyed before taking a step away.
"It's not yours I'm activating.. It's mine." She grinned with a small laugh before her seal began to glow again, this time her eyes with it. "If it's a battle of the eyes the audience wants they'll get it. Let's see how your Byakugan holds up against my Sharingan!" She shouted.
"You use the seal to activate your Sharingan?" Neji asked, awestruck.
"You have no time for questions, Neji!" Shinobu shouted moving at blurring speeds and attacking Neji at what appeared to be all sides. Every move he made she could see it. It was as if she could see what he was going to do before he did it and plan accordingly.
The crowd cheered as the two were left panting, neither causing more damage than the other. Both in slight awe of the other's abilities.
"You.. blocked my chakra.. but you can't see my points without the Byakugan." Neji wheezed.
"Nope.. but I can guess. It doesn't take a genius to poke in a general area." Shinobu grinned, the clarity of her vision leaving her as Neji's left him.
"Looks like we're fighting without the eyes then."
"Yup.. but one of these times.. I'll show you the true power of the Sharingan." Shinobu challenged.
"Hn.." I'll look forward to it. "Just worry about defeating me now."
"This is a long battle.. you have two minutes left." Genma interrupted earning matching scowls.
"This ends now, Hyuuga." Shinobu said before rushing forward and dropping to knee level, sweep her leg around and taking Neji down before flipping over and landing on his back quickly pulling a kunai to his neck.
"Winner.. UCHIHA SHINOBU!" Genma called out, the response was deafening. The crowd roared and Shinobu let a small chuckle out before rolling off Neji in hysterical laughter.
"Uh.. we might need a medic.. she seems to have lost a few too many brain cells." Neji muttered only causing Shinobu to keep laughing before promptly passing out.
"Can we get medics for these two, please?" Genma called out, Neji unable to protest due to his injuries.
"Next... Subaku no Gaara and Uchiha Sasuke!"
A/N: That has got to be one of my longest chapters yet :D Chyaaah! Hope you're enjoying.
GaarasMyBoyzz: Wheaties? lmfao :D I do have short chapters.. for the most part... some can be quite long O.o like the above. It depends. I definitely don't TRY to rush chapters. I cannot guarantee not dropping off the face of the earth as I'm a klutz. But I'll try to at least have a harness or something so I come back eventually :D It sounds like a good story but as hypocritical as I know this is.. I tend to avoid OC stories. especially abandoned ones :P I still may check it out at some point. Itachi fan girl? I will attempt to do some Itachi soon. Thanks for the review and cookie :D
Alpenwolf: He does have an important part of the invasion so he pretty much had his fun and left.. and that also gave Naruto the chance to live! Yay! I need to get some good quotes in my room.. right now I just have lots of white. That may very well have an effect should they end up fighting again (who knows the fight may not happen? XD wink lol) but Naruto is known for his tricks so we'll see. Thanks for the review :D
