Naruto groaned as he got to his feet. Neji-niisan had suckered the blond with a kick. Gentle Fist style relied almost completely on punches. Kicks were almost never expected from a Hyūga. The Jinchūriki knew he was beat. He had the stamina to keep up with Neji over long sparring matches, but couldn't match Neji's skill.
Yet! Naruto thought as he ritually bowed to Neji after their match. Truthfully, Naruto hadn't done badly at all. He had landed several strikes on the prodigy. The only other child in the compound who would even enter the sparring circle with Neji was Hinata. Neji always won, but there were no hard feelings.
"You are getting better, Naruto." Neji sipped at his water.
Naruto grinned. "Heck yeah! I've been training hard, Neji-niisan. When I get to the Academy, you better look over your shoulder. I'm going to be pushing you for the top spot the moment I get there!"
"If it's fate." The genius shrugged.
Naruto stretched. "What is it with you and that fate stuff?"
"We all have a destiny, Naruto."
The blond mimicked Neji's previous action. "I guess so. What's your destiny?"
Neji took a deep breath. "I don't know. Fate isn't something that runs at you screaming that its coming. It reveals itself to you."
"That's deep, Neji-niisan. I'm impressed."
Neji smirked. "Well, it's easy for geniuses to impress simpletons like you."
"Oi! You want to go another round?" Naruto huffed indignantly.
Neji always knew how to get a rise out of his younger friend. "I have homework for the Academy to do. We'll spar again tomorrow. Why don't you check on Hinata-sama?"
"Yeah, yeah. You know I'm going to beat you tomorrow."
"You said that yesterday, the day before…"
"Shove it Neji!" Naruto laughed and Neji half-chuckled. Naruto swore that he would get Neji to really laugh almost as much as he swore he was going to beat Neji in a match one day.
Naruto had been spending more time at the Hyūga compound lately. It had been two weeks since the fight in the woods and Hiashi wanted Hinata and Naruto to step up their training. Naruto loved training, but he knew he was being run ragged. He was the only non-Jukken user available and was always being asked to spar by the other Hyūga children. Naruto was more than happy to help, but not right now. His spars with Neji always took a lot out of him. He entered the Main Branch Dojo and looked around for Hinata. The blond didn't really understand, or like, the concept of Main and Branch families. Thus, he always tried to switch between the two dojos. Hiashi and Hizashi evidently liked Naruto's idea and began encouraging the children of both families to switch between the two training areas.
The Hyūga Council didn't like it, but Naruto didn't care about them. The Council always looked down their noses at Hinata, Neji and was even whispering bad things about Hiashi and Hizashi. The boy couldn't understand how anyone could say anything bad against his friends like that.
Naruto finally found Hinata. She was about to start a match against an older Branch Family boy. He was due to enter the Academy next semester. Hinata and Naruto were still a year away. Hajime-sensei gave the signal to begin.
Hinata and Ichiro circled each other for a moment before the attack began. Ichiro entered into a standard combination. Naruto knew from painful experience that blocking was foolish against a Jukken user. Blocks simply gave a Hyūga more opportunities to shut your chakra down. Hinata had an advantage over most Jukken users. She was a natural at dodging even without her Byakugan. Hinata dodged a pair of attacks and launched into her favorite combo. Naruto always smiled when she used it. The blond hadn't seen his best friend drop the lanky bully with it, but he knew it was effective. The combo shut down the shoulder's chakra and disrupted chakra flow to the upper leg near the hip. The victim often lost balance after the combo and was wide open.
Ichiro, to his credit, didn't fall over like most people. He did stumble, but remained on his feet. The Branch member even landed a glancing blow on Hinata's right arm. Hinata remembered Naruto's fight with the three punks and lashed out with her right leg. There was a solid hit and Ichiro exhaled sharply and fell to his side.
"Winner, Hinata!" Hajime-sensei shouted proudly. Hinata helped Ichiro to his feet and apologized for hitting him so hard. Ichiro assured Hinata he was fine and thanked her for the match before leaving.
"Great job, Hinata-sama!" Naruto fell back on the 'proper' honorific because Hajime-sensei and a few other adults were around.
Hinata was winded from the spar. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."
"That's smoke!" Hyūga Izumi cried out. The best friends whirled around.
Hizashi ran out of his office. Hiashi soon appeared as well with his Byakugan active. "That's the Uchiha district! Hajime-sensei, make sure the children remain inside the compound. Hizashi, gather a few of our people. I want those with basic first aid and strong Byakugan. That fire is nearly out of control!"
Hizashi rushed to gather the best the compound had to offer. Hinata chewed her lip. "I hope no one is hurt."
The Uchiha District Fire was a major event. Tensions ran high in the village due to the location of the Fire's origin. The fire started near the debtor's prison and spread towards the economic heart of the Uchiha Clan. Hiashi, Hizashi and the other Hyūga's timely arrival did not help matters. The prestige of the Hyūga clan was rising while the Uchiha had taken a serious blow.
The shifting political situation did not directly affect Naruto. He was sad that several people had died but their deaths did not hurt as deeply as Hiromi's death.
A few weeks later, Naruto had his second encounter with Uchiha Sauske. Naruto was waiting for Neji to get out his classes at the Academy. Hinata wasn't with him because her father had begun her education for running the clan. Sasuke was throwing kunai at some training dummies.
"Nice throw!" Naruto didn't immediately recognize Sasuke from his encounter nearly a year ago. The Uchiha, however, recognized Naruto instantly.
"What do you want?" Sasuke was trying his best to avoid a conversation. His father hadn't told Sasuke much about Naruto other than the boy had a dangerous secret that even Naruto wasn't aware of.
The Uchiha's tone wasn't lost on Naruto. "Just trying to be nice. I'm sorry for the loss of your clansmen."
Sasuke shot Naruto a venomous glance. "Why would you care? You all benefited from it!"
"How would I benefit? I'm six!"
"I meant the Hyūga." Sasuke returned to his practice.
"But I'm not Hyūga. I don't have the Byakugan." Naruto tried not to take it personally. Sasuke was probably still upset about his clan tragedy.
"No, you're their lapdog." Sasuke was angry. One of his favorite cousins had died in the fire. The quick arrival of the Hyūga seemed incredibly convenient to the young Uchiha. "Are you going to go to the Academy next year?"
Personal tragedy or not, Naruto was not amused by the tone. He chose to ignore Sasuke's barb. Kō-niisan and Hinata had attempted to teach him to be diplomatic. He'd much rather leave that stuff to Hinata or Hiashi and simply be a Ninja.
"I will be going to the Academy."
Sasuke stopped his practice and smirked. "I'm going to beat you."
Naruto smirked back. "So, we're rivals?"
"Hn. I guess."
Naruto's smirk became a full on smile. "I'm looking forward to it. We'll keep each other on our toes and we'll both get stronger."
The bell rang and Naruto's goodbye was completely ignored by the Uchiha. Naruto found Neji talking with a group that included a girl that reminded the blond of a panda for some reason.
"Hey! Neji!" Naruto waved as he ran over.
"Naruto!" Neji shouted back and said a quick goodbye to the group. "What brings you here?"
"Nii-san is training to start going on real missions again." Naruto shrugged.
"And Hinata-sama?"
"Some boring lessons on dealing with money."
Neji almost laughed at Naruto's expression. "Hinata-sama is the heiress."
Naruto continued to pout. "Would it kill you to laugh, Neji?"
"It actually would. My Caged Bird Seal would erupt like a volcano."
"Oh no!" Naruto actually squeaked.
Neji suddenly realized that deadpan humor was completely lost on Naruto. "Are you heading back to the compound with me?"
"I was thinking food."
"You're always thinking food!" Neji shot back.
In spite of Neji's gift with the Byakugan and Naruto's naturally inquisitive nature, neither saw the glare of utter contempt from one of the newest teachers.
"Nii-san! The sun's up! Come on! Today's the day!" Kō glared hatefully at the clock that was cruelly blinking 5:45am.
"Troublesome." Kō grumbled into his pillow. Maybe my mother actually was a Nara… "I'll be there in a second."
He sat up in his bed and then suddenly laughed. He and Naruto had almost the exact same conversation the first time Kō mentioned he would tech Naruto. The reactivated Hyūga Chunin emerged a few minutes later to Naruto frying eggs.
Naruto had also elevated himself to sainthood. If the Hokage, god forbid, dropped dead today Kō would have nominated his adopted little brother in a second. There was a pot of coffee already made.
Kō poured a cup and sat down. Naruto truly was his little brother, but damn it, Kō liked to sleep. The young blond really had to stop waking him up so early whenever a big day came along.
"Naruto, do you have everything you need for today?" Kō sipped at his coffee.
"I do, nii-san." Naruto slid the eggs onto a plate and walked to the table.
The pair ate their breakfast quickly. Naruto because he was Naruto and Kō ate quickly because he had a full day of reactivation exams.
"I almost forgot something." Kō rummaged around in his Flak jacket. "You need your own key to the apartment. I'll be going back on missions soon and you'll need to get into the house."
"Thanks nii-san!" Naruto finished eating and washed his dishes. Kō and the Hyūgas had spent three years desperately teaching Naruto manners and proper behavior. The boy, to the dismay of the Hyūga Council, would never reach the lofty standards of the clan. Naruto was leaps and bounds above most children his age.
Kō got up from the table. "Well, we both have a lot to do. You have to sit through lectures and deal with your 'rival' while I get to spend ten hours at Training Ground 44."
Naruto noticed that his big brother shuddered when he mentioned Training Ground 44. The child realized it was likely one of those things he shouldn't ask about. Like the Land of Noodles. Naruto had once asked if there was a land where ramen noodles came from and had become very confused when Kō nearly choked.
The pair of brothers parted as they left the apartment complex. The older brother headed towards the Hokage's tower to meet with the proctor for his reactivation exams. Naruto headed towards the Hyūga compound to meet with Hinata and Neji. The last Uzumaki didn't really like the civilian areas of Konoha. The villagers weren't mean or threatening to him. They simply pretended he didn't exist. Occasionally, he would overhear whispers about 'it'. Naruto wasn't sure what 'it' was, but the villagers were uncomfortable talking about 'it'.
Naruto simply shrugged his shoulders and hurried to the Hyūga compound. The Branch Family guards noticed the blond running down the street and waved. Hinata and Neji were leaving as Naruto came to a skidding stop. Hinata was giggling and teasing Neji about 'his eternal rival'. The older Hyūga was clearly flustered.
Naruto smirked. "So, you've got a rival too?"
Neji knew exactly what was about to happen. They were getting him back for all the sparring matches. "Yes, Naruto I have an 'Eternal Rival'. His name is Rock Lee."
"My rival is some Uchiha that will be in our class. I don't remember his name."
Hinata leaned her head to the side a bit. "Ano… Naruto-kun, I think that's the younger son of the Uchiha clan head."
"Really?" Naruto was excited about having an 'epic' rival.
"Yes… I think so. Father and Hizashi-ojisan were talking about our class last night. A lot of children of the major clans are going to be in our class."
Naruto put his arm around Hinata's shoulder and smiled. Hinata immediately went bright red. "You know what that means, Hinata-chan? When the two of us finish at the top of the class people will have to acknowledge how crazy awesome we are!"
Hinata 'eeped' and nodded slowly in agreement. She was too shocked to trust her voice.
And then it happened. A moment Naruto had dreamed of for years. It was the culmination of many of the child's hopes and dreams. Neji finally laughed out loud.
Truly, today was going to be awesome.
Sasuke hugged his mother and accepted his bento. She couldn't accompany him to his first day of school because of her responsibilities. Mikoto had tried everything she could think of to get off today. Even Fugaku had tried to help reschedule her remedial training. It hurt her that she couldn't see Sasuke off to the first day of school. She considered it one more injustice forced upon the clan.
Sasuke was just as hurt as his mother, but he still had a single bright spot. His father was going with him!
Uchiha Fugaku was waiting on his son. Sasuke ran up and bowed. "Thank you, otou-san."
"You must never forget that you represent the Uchiha Clan. There are expectations for your performance."
Sasuke looked at his father for any signs of approval. There were none. He brutally suppressed his disappointment. "I understand, Father. I have to be like Itachi and be top of my class."
Sasuke loved his brother dearly, but the weight of being compared to Itachi seemed like it was crushing him. His father nodded. The young Uchiha realized he wasn't going to speak and the pair walked towards the Academy.
"There is a personal goal that I will accomplish." Fugaku hear the steel in his son's voice and felt pride swell up within him.
"What is that, Sasuke?"
Sasuke took a deep breath to prepare himself. "Uzumaki Naruto will be attending the Academy as well. I want to beat him in everything. I want him to realize that he is simply the Hyūga lapdog and that he could never dream of comparing himself to our clan."
Fugaku stopped walking and put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "I would expect nothing less from my child."
Sasuke looked into his father's smiling eyes. He was proud of him! It was everything he had ever dreamed about. Sasuke swore that he wouldn't simply beat Naruto. He would defeat him completely. Sasuke would continue to make his father proud.
The crowd in front of the Academy was growing by the minute. Hiashi had joined his daughter and the boy his clan had claimed as a ward. The Uchiha head and his second son were also there. The Ino-Shika-Chō trio and their children were present as well. The Inuzuka matron was there with her youngest child. Naruto noticed that the only family to stand in-between the Hyūga and the Uchiha was the mysterious Aburame clan. Every other person present acted as though the air between the two rival Dojutsu clans was ten degrees colder than it actually was.
After a few minutes of small talk and politicking, the Hokage and two of the instructors emerged from the Academy. The Hokage greeted everyone warmly. Hiruzen made a special effort to acknowledge the major clans and their children. He also smiled at Naruto. The show of affection was not lost on Sasuke who fought to control his annoyance. The Hokage gave a quick speech which was mostly for the few civilian families present.
Naruto recognized one of the instructors. It was Iruka. The young boy hadn't seen the teacher since the fight in the woods. He spoke quickly about helping the children reach their potential as ninja. The second instructor, Mizu spoke of duty and sacrifice.
Parents were given a short time to say goodbyes and good lucks to their children.
Hiashi knelt so that he was eye level with Hinata. "Do your best, I believe in you and I am very proud." He hugged his daughter before turning to Naruto.
"Uzumaki-san. I expect you to do your best."
Naruto bowed. "I promise, Hiashi-sama."
Fugaku was a few feet away speaking with Sasuke. "Never forget that you are Uchiha, Sasuke. Make the clan proud."
The students followed their teachers into the classroom. Naruto sat next to Hinata and was completely oblivious to her blush.
"Good morning everyone! My name is Umino Iruka and this is Uraki Mizuki. We will be your teachers during your time at the Academy."
"Good morning Sensei!" The class chorused.
Mizuki smiled warmly at the class. "We will begin with introductions before taking the rest of the day to get a feel for your abilities."
The class was introduced in alphabetical order. Naruto only recognized a few people. He recognized the two girls, Ino and Sakura, from the day at the park. The blond had also smiled broadly at his best friend's shy greeting. Sasuke had just finished his introduction which centered on how awesome his clan was when it was Naruto's turn.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! My dream is to become a great ninja and protect Konoha!"
Iruka smiled at the class. "Thank you everyone. Now, follow Mizuki-sensei and myself to the training area. We're going to see about your physical and ninja abilities. For those of you who don't have a Bloodline Limit or Clan techniques, don't worry. Not having these will not detract from your scores or standing."
The first test was simply four laps around the track. The class was split into boys and girls. The girls went first. Naruto spent the entire time loudly cheering for Hinata to do her best. The Hyūga heiress focused everything on her laps to keep from fainting. She was so focused that she missed the tense exchange from the male half of the class.
"Hoping that by flattering the Hyūga you'll get more scraps at the table, lapdog?" Sasuke taunted.
Naruto stopped his cheering and glared at the Uchiha. "Seriously, what is your problem?"
"You being such a lap dog." Uzumaki didn't understand! Sasuke needed this confrontation. He had to make his father recognize him!
"Oi! What's wrong with dogs, ya jerk!" One of the other boys stormed over. He was wearing a hoodie with faux fur and had two red tattoos on his face.
"This doesn't concern you, Inuzuka."
The Inuzuka snarled. "Don't be such a pompous ass." He decided that getting into a brawl with the Uchiha on the first day would get him in hot water with his mom. He'd wait at least a week.
"You're Kiba right?" Naruto was just as eager to give Sasuke some space as the Inuzuka.
"That's me! Don't let the Uchiha comparing you to a dog get you down. Dogs are awesome." Kiba smiled showing off his elongated canines.
"Hiashi-sama mentioned your clan's connection with your nin-dogs." Naruto smiled back showing off his own fang-like canines. He didn't know why he had some of his more pronounced features like whisker marks and fangs. Naruto thought they looked cool. Hinata had even called his whiskers 'cute' before turning beet red and covering her mouth with both hands.
Naruto had no idea why she did that. It was probably some Hyūga girl thing.
The girls of the class finished their laps. Hinata came in third behind Ino and some girl named Mayumi. Naruto saw that his best friend was disappointed and tried his best to cheer her up. He didn't have the time he really wanted as Mizuki-sensei ordered the boys to get ready. Naruto was standing next to Sasuke as each boy wanted desperately to outdo each other. A boy with hair like a pineapple grumbled that running laps was far too troublesome.
The blond and the Uchiha promptly tuned him out. All that mattered was beating their rival. Mizuki signaled the run to begin. Sasuke and Naruto bolted from the starting line and left everyone else far behind. Most were pacing themselves.
The two rivals would have none of that! They were going to beat each other and everyone else! Naruto and Sasuke's rampage had them halfway through their second lap before most had finished their first.
Their lungs burned and their muscles were crying out in agony. However, their pride wouldn't allow them to give in to exhaustion. Naruto couldn't believe he was doing this. He was going to be sore as all hell tomorrow. Sasuke was thinking the exact same thing.
Mizuki leaned close to Iruka. "I've never seen two kids go at it like that. They are going to crush the first year record."
Iruka snorted. "And they're going to try to crush each other when they spar at the end of the week."
The teachers rolled their eyes as a strolling Nara Shikamaru finally finished his first lap. Seconds later, the Uzumaki vs Uchiha dust cloud roared by. The two boys had clearly slowed but weren't going to give in or show any sign of weakness. They lapped a few more of their fellows before beginning the last lap. Naruto saw the last corner and dug deep.
I'm going to beat you Sasuke!
The young Uchiha saw his rival's renewed effort and cursed in between labored breaths.
Oh no you don't! Sasuke's determination gave him a second wind and he drew even with Naruto.
They were feet away from the finish line. Each boy dove for the line determined to defeat the other.
Iruka and Mizuki had both been timing the race when they noticed the brewing confrontation between Sasuke and Naruto.
"Six Minutes, twenty four seconds and 41 milliseconds!" Both instructors shouted at the exact same time.
The two boys skidded across the blacktop and scrapped up their arms pretty badly.
"Oh no! N… naruto-kun!" Hinata gasped and ran towards her best friend.
"Sasuke-kun!" A horde of fangirls yelled and ran to their obsession.
Hinata reached Naruto first. The boy was facing away and unfortunately, had dry heaves. He quickly composed himself.
"Ano… are you alright, Naruto-kun?" Hinata's concern was evident. She shakily held out a bottle of water.
She's still flushed. I guess that run winded her more than I thought. Naruto smiled as he took the water.
"Thanks Hinata-chan!" The pale-eyed girl was about to ask Naruto if he was hurt, but to her shock and amazement his wounds were already healed. "Hey, Hinata-chan… Did I win?"
"Mizuki-sensei and Iruka-sensei say it's a tie, but…" She leaned in close. Naruto all of the sudden felt a bit warmer. It was probably because the sun wasn't blocked by clouds now. "I think you won."
Kiba stumbled over. The Inuzuka keeled over and rested his hands on his knees. "How the hell are you two so fast?"
The practice ring had quickly been surrounded by the remaining students. It was the match everyone had been waiting for all week. Naruto and Sasuke had drawn each other for their first sparring match of the year. Iruka groaned at the amount of paperwork this fight was going to cause. Mizuki, on the other hand, was clearly looking forward to the fight.
The class had quickly divided into two main camps and a neutral camp. "Team Sasuke" and "Team Naruto" were generally competing in everything. There was also a small neutral group, but that was mainly Chouji, Shikamaru and Shino. Chouji stayed neutral because he was one of the nicest people in the class. Shikamaru thought everything about the competition was far too troublesome. Shino was simply maintaining the Aburame neutrality.
Iruka entered the ring. He generally didn't need to repeat the rules and restrictions of basic spars. These two needed to be reminded that the goal wasn't to kill or maim their opponent. The last thing Konoha needed was the Hyūga and Uchiha going at it in the streets.
"Alright you two, this fight is taijutsu only! You will earn points for solid blows. Victory will be determined by points, ring out or knock out. I don't want either of you aiming your attacks between the waist and the knee. No eye gouges or biting either. Finally, for the love of god I know you two probably want to, but you can't kill each other."
Naruto bowed "Very well, Iruka-sensei."
Sasuke merely shrugged. "So be it."
"Begin!"
Naruto and Sasuke circled each other for a moment. The raven haired Uchiha made the first move. He feinted with a punch and spun away from Naruto's block. Sasuke struck out with a backfist. Naruto barely blocked the attack. The blond shifted his weight and pushed his rival away. Each boy switched stances and redoubled their efforts. Naruto launched his attack with an unconventional jump kick-to-crouch-to-uppercut combo. Sasuke easily dodged the jump kick but the punch hit him hard on the underside of his right arm.
Sasuke shifted uncomfortably and was suddenly struck by inspiration. He launched a combo that forced Naruto to react. The blond was good and blocked every strike. Sasuke then began another feint. Naruto clearly saw the false attack and moved to counter what he believed to be the real attack.
Then Sasuke revealed that it was a double feint. The punch hit Naruto in the left side of the chest. The blond gasped for air and fell back for a moment to reassess the situation.
"Sasuke-kun! Show that worthless loser how much better you are than him!" Hinata recognized the voice. It was Haruno Sakura. She had been nothing but rude to Naruto-kun since she founded 'Team Sasuke". The Hyūga heiress wished she hadn't sworn on her clan name that the pink haired fangirl didn't have a big forehead.
Hinata couldn't really pull off the 'Hyūga Ice Glare' like her father or Neji, but even a basic Hyūga glare put most people in their place. The shy girl didn't realize she had shot off a glare.
"G… Go Naruto-kun!"
Hinata 'eeped' and turned bright red. She had just yelled out! Hinata never yelled! Kiba turned and laughed at her.
"Man, Hinata! I didn't think it was possible for you to shout!" He smiled and added his two ryo to Naruto's cause. "Wail on the jerk, Naruto!"
The support of his two friends gave Naruto hope. He lunged at Sasuke knowing the Uchiha was expecting a hot blooded attack. The blond stopped his charge and was rewarded by narrowly dodging a vicious kick. Naruto countered by slugging Sasuke in the face. Unfortunately, it was a glancing blow. Sasuke drop kicked Naruto as he fell. The hit connected and Naruto skidded several feet.
Both boys were winded and bruised. Both utterly refused to give in. They rose shakily to their feet but were shocked when Mizuki called the fight off.
"Naruto Uzumaki left the ring!" Naruto shouted in disbelief and Sasuke pumped his fist.
"He's lying…." Hinata spoke so softly that Kiba didn't hear her. Naruto looked crestfallen when Iruka agreed and silently rejoined his friends.
"I… I'm sorry Naruto-kun. The fight really wasn't over. You didn't fully live the ring. I was proud of you."
Naruto visibly brightened at Hinata's praise. "Thanks, Hinata-chan!"
Kiba slapped his 'pack-mate' on the shoulder. "Honestly, buddy you were kicking his ass!"
Naruto was about to respond when Iruka called out the next fight. "Haruno Sakura and Hyūga Hinata please step into the ring!"
The two girls stepped into the ring. They politely bowed to each other. Internally, each girl wanted to crush her rival.
Cha! We're going to knock this stuck up princess out of the ring like Sasuke-kun did to blondie! 'Inner' Sakura shrieked.
Defeat her in a manner befitting a proper Hyūga! 'Inner' Hinata ordered harshly.
"KICK HER ASS HINATA-CHAN!" Naruto screamed before getting chewed out by Iruka for his language. Hinata and her 'Inner' personality both blushed furiously at Naruto's loud support. 'Inner' Hinata didn't need to be overly emotional. Naruto provided all the outward emotional expression Hinata could ever want or need.
"Ano… Iruka-sensei… Is my Byakugan allowed? I know you said taijutsu only…"
The two teachers nodded at each other. Iruka scratched the back of his head. "I'll allow it."
Sakura entered into a basic stance. Alarm bells started blaring when Hinata flashed a series of hand seals "Byakugan!"
The veins around Hinata's eyes bulged and the faint outline of pupils appeared. The Hyūga heiress flowed into a Jukken stance. Mizuki gave the signal to begin. Sakura leapt at Hinata shrieking like a banshee. The pink haired student slashed with a knife hand strike. The girl with lavender eyes side stepped and hit both of her opponent's arms in a flurry of punches. Sakura gasped when her arms went numb. In desperation, she tried to kick Hinata. Sakura was wide open and Hinata ducked and shut down the chakra in Sakura's left leg.
Mizuki ended the match the second Sakura hit the floor. The fight lasted less than two minutes.
"That's cheating! You could have really hurt me!" Sakura growled as Ino helped her to her feet.
"N..not really… I held, held back a lot. I put m… more chakra into my strikes when I s… spar my three year old sister. S..sorry if you were h…hurt Sakura-san." Hinata confessed quietly. The attention was bringing out her nervous stutter in full force.
"OOOOH! ICEBURN!" Naruto and Kiba shouted. The two boys were obviously hamming it up. Hinata 'eeped' again as she hid her mouth behind her fists.
The day ended with Iruka and Mizuki handing out report cards. Iruka announced the top three kunoichi and top three ninja. Hinata was the top ranked kunoichi followed by Sakura and Ino. The Hyūga wished she knew a doton so she could sink into the ground when Naruto cheered loudly. She was thankful for her best friend's vocal support, but she was a very shy person naturally.
Naruto's loud theatrics continued when the boys' rankings were announced. Aburame Shino was in third place. Naruto was second and pleased with himself. The last Uzumaki knew who was in first and he was grumbling.
"It'll be ok, Naruto-kun." Hinata tried to both comfort her friend while trying desperately not to giggle at how cute his pouting face was.
Iruka smiled. "First place Uchiha Sasuke! Congratulations Sasuke you are also first overall. Congratulations are due as well to Naruto-kun and Hinata-sama as they finished second and third overall respectively."
Class was dismissed and the children scattered. Some ran straight home to show their parents. Others lingered behind in order to figure out how they would explain their grades. Naruto followed Hinata back to the Hyūga Compound. Kō had told Naruto he would not be back until at least tomorrow morning due to his reactivation training.
They met Hizashi at the gates. The Branch head was congratulating Neji on being top of his class again.
"Hizashi-sama! Neji-niisan!" Naruto greeted warmly.
"Oji-san, nii-san." Hinata was polite as always.
Hizashi nodded. "Welcome home. Hiashi-niisan wants to see you too as soon as possible. How were your marks?"
Naruto spoke first and gestured wildly with his hands. "Awesome, of course! Hinata-chan was ranked first of all the girls. She demolished the number two in their spar today! Hanabi-imoutochan puts up more of a fight. I doubt any of the teme's fangirls will even want to get in the practice ring with Hinata-chan by the end of the term!"
Hinata blushed under Naruto's praise, but there was a part of her that was worried. He had called Hanabi his little sister. Was that how he thought about her too?
"Excellent work, Hinata. But who is the 'teme'?" Hizashi asked with an amused gleam in his eyes.
Naruto crossed his arms and tried to look angry. "That teme showoff, Uchiha Sasuke."
Neji flashed a knowing smirk. "Your 'epic' rival?"
Naruto growled. "How can the rivalry be epic when Mizuki-sensei is obviously favoring the teme?"
Hizashi narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, Naruto-kun?"
Hinata raised her hand. "Ano… Mizuki-sensei made a questionable call today in the spar. He claimed that Naruto left the ring and gave Sasuke-san the win. It was wrong! Naruto-kun had most of his body in the ring!"
Neji's smirk widened. "Hinata-imouto, did you just use exclamation points?"
Naruto was glad that his best friend was so adamant that he had gotten screwed by Mizuki. On the other hand, he was confused about why she was embarrassed by talking at a volume considered normal by most people.
It was another thing Naruto filed in the 'Hyūga Girl Stuff Hinata Does' folder in the back of his brain.
Hinata and Naruto made their way to Hiashi's office. They arrived as a pair of councilors exited the office. Naruto noticed the two councilors were annoyed. The Uzumaki would never be as good as reading people as Hinata or Neji. However, living with Hyūga for practically his entire life had made him better than most at gauging people's moods and intentions. Granted, it was Hideko and Akihito and they always were annoyed with Hiashi. Naruto secretly called them Teme Number Two and Teme Number Three. Those two were always trying to block Hiashi and Hizashi's attempts to reconcile the two Branches.
Screw 'em! Naruto thought proudly.
"Enter." Hiashi commanded in his 'Clan Head' voice.
Naruto followed his best friend into Hiashi's office.
"Good afternoon, father." Hinata bowed gracefully.
"I hope you shot down, Hideko-sama and Akihito-sama again." Naruto grinned even if calling Teme Number Two and Teme Number Three sama was almost painful.
Hiashi was thankful that his daughter and Naruto had arrived. He had, in fact, just rejected the two councilor's request to end the cross training between Main and Branch children. They had been adamant that Naruto cease his training with the Hyūga as well. The discussion ended when Hiashi 'gently' reminded them of Hideo's similar 'requests'.
"We had a productive discussion. I convinced them to reconsider their position. Enough of unpleasant talk. Tell me of your report cards."
Hinata steeled herself. "We both were successful this semester, otou-san. I was, was, the highest ranked kunoichi and ranked third highest overall. M… mizuki-sensei and Iruka-sensei also commented on my 's… superior chakra control'. I am l…lacking in chakra capacity and my physical endurance isn't to the level it needs to be…"
Hiashi smiled at his daughter. She was becoming far more self-confident with each passing day, but sadly still doubted herself. He supposed that Naruto needed to be thanked for her improvement. Hiashi wanted to cheer for his daughter as loudly as the Yondaime's secret son, but decorum demanded he be restrained.
"I am very proud of you, my daughter. Do not worry; you have plenty of time to work on chakra and physical endurance. I will help you turn those weaknesses into strengths."
The heiress felt light headed. Her father wasn't angry or embarrassed that she wasn't first. He was proud of her grades! "Thank you, otou-san."
Naruto smiled along with his best friend. Hiashi interlocked his fingers and turned his gaze to Naruto. The Clan head was looking forward to Naruto's explanation of his performance. The language was sure to be colorful. Also, he wanted to see what Hinata hadn't mentioned. Naruto could never be accused of holding back his feelings.
"And you, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto's smile broadened to the point his eyes actually closed. "I did great! Not as great as Hinata-chan, though! I mean, she didn't even mention the spar today!"
Hiashi activated the 'Hyūga Superiority Smirk' as Naruto called it. "Do tell."
Naruto had reached an understanding with Hiashi-sama over the past year. Hiashi was fine with Naruto referring to Hinata as 'chan' in private settings. Naruto had at first protested. He claimed that he had to show Hinata the proper respect, especially around her father. Hiashi assured Naruto that he knew how much Naruto respected his daughter. The Clan Head told Naruto 'the simplest action speaks with more clarity than the mightiest shout.' Naruto relented much to the relief of all involved. Though, Naruto insisted on continuing to call Hiashi sama.
"Yeah, Hiashi-sama! Hinata-chan fought Haruno Sakura; the distant number two Kunoichi and number one Sasuke-teme fangirl! Sakura-san looked like she wanted to run and hide when Hinata-chan activated her Byakugan! The match wasn't even a contest! Not only did the fangirl fail to hit Hinata-chan, the fight lasted, like, two minutes tops!"
Hiashi cast a quick glance to his daughter. "Well done, Hinata. You should have told me, that is a worthy accomplishment. I will be sure to bring that up at the council meeting tonight."
Hiashi didn't mention that he was planning on rubbing Hinata's accomplishment into the faces of any fool who dared to consider his daughter weak or not worthy of her position.
"Continue, Naruto."
Naruto nodded and recounted his own spar with Sasuke. The excitable blond spent a good five minutes complaining about how Mizuki-sensei obviously favored the teme and ignored Naruto at every available opportunity. He proudly reported his own position in the class. Naruto was loath to admit that Sasuke beat him however.
Hiashi was smiling warmly at the two children. "I am proud of both of you. I do believe your achievements have earned you the rest of the day off. Enjoy yourselves."
Hinata and Naruto smiled and thanked Hiashi before running to find Neji. The leader of the Hyūga leaned back in his chair and imagined the fun he was going to have rubbing Naruto and Hinata's amazing marks in the faces of the opposition on the council.
Sasuke had run the entire way home. He was beaming as he made his way through the Uchiha District. Several of his clansmen had asked why he was so excited. Sasuke smiled broadly when a few actually cheered when he told them of his accomplishment. He knew his father wouldn't show such outward praise. He could hope, but he had realistic expectations.
Nothing could dampen his mood, today! He had beaten that lapdog!
Sasuke arrived at his house to a confusing scene. Three of his cousins were in uniform and talking quietly with Fugaku. Itachi was also there, but something was off with Sasuke's beloved older brother.
"The ANBU are under the Hokage's direct command. Even I lack the authority to issue a warrant to one of their number. Itachi has been on missions nonstop for weeks. He is exhausted. I shall ensure he is held responsible for his actions."
The three officers nodded and spoke softly to the Captain before leaving. Itachi cast a harsh glance at Sasuke as he walked off.
That! That wasn't a normal Sharingan! Sasuke's mind reeled at the strange Sharingan his brother possessed.
"Father!" Sasuke called out. Fugaku turned and appraised his second son indifferently.
"What is it Sasuke?"
Sasuke ran up to his father and politely handed his report card over. He was first in his class and top overall in his year. "I also beat Uzumaki in the spar today!"
Fugaku read over the report. The paper blocked his smile. "Why are you so determined to defeat this Uzumaki orphan?"
Sasuke huffed. There was something about Naruto that grated on him. "He's a clanless showoff that deludes himself into thinking he's on the level of an Uchiha infant much less me!"
Fugaku was stunned yet again. Sasuke, you are a true Uchiha. "As expected of my child. Come, Sasuke. It is time you learned Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu."
Today was the best day of Sasuke's life. He eagerly followed to the pond on the family ground. His father created a huge fireball with the Jutsu. "You know the seals already, Sasuke. Attempt the Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu."
Sasuke ran through the seals and breathed deep. He exhaled and a fireball erupted from his lips. It was nowhere near the size of his fathers.
"Perphaps it was too soon after all." Fugaku sighed and walked off. Sasuke watched the retreating form of his father and his eyes hardened.
I will prove myself to you, father!
Fugaku walked past a grove of trees when a shadowed figure called out to him. "Your methods are harsh, Fugaku."
The current clan head never turned around. He smiled at the flashes from Sasuke's determined practice. "It is the best way to reach my son."
The figure grinned. "Do you now understand why I chose him? Itachi is now lost to the Will of Fire. Sasuke is the true heir to our clan's legacy."
Fugaku walked to his waiting wife. She was concerned about her son, but Fugaku's praise silenced her doubts. Father and son barely saw each other over the passing week. Fugaku was absorbed in his own works and Sasuke poured himself into his Academy studies and personal training. The Uchiha head was walking away from another disagreement with Itachi when Sasuke rushed around a corner.
"Please come with me, Father!"
Fugaku turned around. "Even if we trained everyday for a week, I am not confident you could master the jutsu."
"I worked it out Father!"
The steel was back in Sasuke's voice. Fugaku followed his son to the dock and waited eagerly.
Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu! Sasuke thought as he signed the hand seals. I cannot fail!
Fugaku's mouth dropped at the sight. His second son had just created one of the largest Grand Fireballs he had ever seen.
He turned and walked away. Sasuke couldn't see the pride in his face. Fugaku had to remain a distant dream for his beloved child. The Path demanded nothing less. The leader of the Uchiha could feel his son's heart sink. It was time to stoke the fires that would hone Sasuke into an Avenger.
"As expected of my child. You are now an adult in the eyes of our clan, Sasuke. Wear our crest proudly and with dignity. I give you my blessing."
Sasuke couldn't cry. Tears were not befitting an adult Uchiha! "Thank you, Father."
"And Sasuke, do not follow your brother's path."
Fugaku walked away from his confused son. He loved the boy dearly and his deepest regret was that he would never see his son restore the Uchiha to their rightful position of glory. But…
Fugaku had achieved some measure of immortality in this moment. He would live forever in the memory of his son. Fugaku just wished he could openly show Sasuke the love he deserved. However, he had to make sure Sasuke's hate was pure.
Sasuke's elation blinded him to his father's inner pain.
Tears are not befitting an adult Uchiha.
Author's Notes: Wow, I wasn't expecting this chapter to be so long. The Uchiha scene was actually going to be much shorter, but I hit a stride and couldn't stop myself.
I hope you enjoy it! Please Review!