The Hyuuga have a special area in the rear of the compound for spars of a 'private nature.' It's essentially so they can get out arguments without it being easily seen from far away. Generally you would need to pass most of the compound to get to the location and it is indoors on top of that. It's also utterly massive. No one walks with us. Kou stayed behind but I'm under no illusions. Every pair of active eyes will be observing and it feels like I am walking into a court room.

Unprepared.

My nerves are making me feel sick but I'm still holding to this. For Kou, and Neiji. To be honest also for me because I've seen it all the time in the show and heard of it when my parents talk. You have to be pushed, really pushed by someone or some situation that you cannot hold back to start to find your limits. Until now all the training, even though it hurt and has been irritating and exhausting, has been that. Spars. Lessons.

I remember the fact Neiji nearly killed Hinata in the Chunin exams and while it was a long festering anger..and I am so thankful for whatever reason that his father has not died this time though I have no idea what changed. He's hurt and furious now and while we are both kids, he is the real prodigy.

I flinch and feel a twitching from my right shoulder blade, the muscle down below it. Yeah. I'm scared.

One fight, nothing held back though may make the difference between surviving in a few years or becoming a footnote. I've already died once, thanks.

The quiet of the arena, for that is what this is, makes the sound of our shoes echo.

"Just concede before we start. Save yourself the embarrassment." Neiji says and his sneer is livid, so different than usual. This Neiji is cruel because he's been wounded, for all the wrappings on his forehead hide the gaping maw of his seal it's a very real injury in many ways. This is not the cool and disdainful Hyuuga I usually know him as. With any luck, the anger won't fester.

"I've given my word." Is all I say as I go to my side of the room, slipping into the fighting stance I've been taught by my mother and grandmother. My feet apart, loose limbed not tight, loose muscles can flow better. My hands are slightly curled to grab and push not just strike. My left arm is held slightly away from me, arched, to swing and provide counterbalance. My right is ready to guard. I'm right handed but I also know these strange positions are to prepare me for in the future when I have real weapons. Ones that are too heavy for me right now.

I'm not surprised that there's a few elders that showed up before us, though no one says anything. That the entire clan would be watching in some way is just a given. Many think I should never be here, training. A waste of time.

Lots of others I know like the break in the monotony, that I seek them out. Also my comments about the Uchiha are well known and it makes them smug.

My stomach is coiled around my backbone now letting me know it does not like this choice of action at all.

"Begin."

I'm not sure what elder called it out so calmly but in a moment we are both moving. I'm fast, Neiji is faster. Neiji is stronger, I'm more agile. There's no testing of blows here we are kicking and punching and blocking and twisting and no leaping because every bit of energy is needed to thrust and dodge. This is not a fancy battle this is two kids fighting because there's a reason.

The first real hit comes at my elbow and I yelp without shame as I feel one of the chakra points collapse inward.

It's like hitting your funny bone all directed to one tiny little space.

Blowing out I take the second while Neiji is focusing, using his little bit of chakra to seal that point to strike at his ear. Hard. How grandma taught me. Chakra crackling inside the cells of my palm it seems a stupid move, to essentially box his ear. But there's chakra and it snaps and Neiji flinches back. There's a trickle of blood and I don't hesitate to dive backwards as he snarls and rushes towards me.

I've yanked the tiger's tail now. I ruptured his eardrum, threw off his balance and he's going to do his best to make me suffer for it.

I dodge. Everywhere I go there he is again, faster as he whirls, the ear strike barely slowing him. The genius that Neiji is he's already figured out how to counter it. The next punch is to my jaw even as I'm blocking a kick that came from no where.

It hurts and I feel it pop slightly. That'll bruise badly.

I twist as he kicks at me again, every time I punch or strike he manages to pull off four. I'm so badly out classed it's pathetic. Thank gods for learning to enforce my muscles with chakra!

"Hyaaa!" Neiji slams into another chakra point, this one at my shoulder and my arm goes entirely numb. He barely gets out of the way of the kick I sent towards his knee cap and I hop back, the pain seems to exponentially increase where he'd already hit my elbow earlier.

Noted. Each point blocks chakra and it builds up becoming worse. No wonder it is so effective.

I breathe out and as I focus on dodging physically part of me coils up and humms. Not yet.

There's a particularly brutal round house that sends me skidding on the floor but I scramble up, throwing myself back at him even though I'm down an arm.

"You can't win" Neiji sneers and blocks another point, on the wrist of my good arm, the one that doesn't feel numb. "Yield."

"You haven't had enough yet!" I snarl back and slam my numb arm into a blow that almost hit his side. That's gonna hurt later using my limbs though I can't really feel them. That's three points closed off..

"I'll show you!"

Four..ten...okay he doesn't have the full rotation down but he is fast.

Now is good.

I slam my head into his and he gets out of the way clutching his bleeding nose even as I see stars. I hiss out and want! The pain and the knowledge Neiji is going to come back even faster and it's going to hurt more seems to do it.

I feel my limbs again.

Somewhere I hear gasps even as they feel numb, the chakra pooling at certain parts of my arm and hand that should be numbed, my hip that shouldn't be responding, let me move anyways and I block his blow and retaliate with a kick that he catches.

Pale eyes surprised then furious, thinking it's a last ditch effort he actually uses my leg to toss me the jerk!

"Yield."

The pain is incredible and I don't want, I don't think I practically demand of myself as I force my aching body up. "You haven't had enough yet!" Blast it I'm not sure who in my family I'm channeling but I force myself up and I'm determined that his blocking my chakra flow is not going to work and I will get this done.

Several more times, though as we are tiring it takes longer to be sent to the floor. I get up each time and Neiji finally pins me, his forearm across my windpipe and annoyed but no longer livid.

"Yield!"

I hurt so badly I know I have tears that are sneaking out. Thankfully it's bruises and strains and that I can handle but oof Neiji is heavy and I gasp for air. My gray eyes meet his pale ones.

"...had..enough?"

"You're the idiot on the ground."

I feel myself getting lightheaded. Yeah that fight used up all my chakra. Neiji hits hard but I blink and manage to shudder a bit and force the words out. "Look better. Not..so mad?..enough?"

Neiji's eyes widen and I see him mouth what I kept saying earlier.

The Hyuuga genius gets off me and looks down. My vision is a little foggy but I did hit my head a few times and used a lot of chakra.

"..you..haven't..had ..enough..." he repeats slowly as he looks at me and finally the anger and hurt and disgust at himself and his life has faded. I must look a sight, the way he keeps staring at me. I know my hair buns have fallen out and I'm probably mottled and bruising already.

"Neiji.." I'm not sure if it's Hizashi or Hiashi that seems to move towards him as my sight is blurry.

"...she needs to be healed." Neiji says and I'm aware of being propped up and the soothing chakra that is gentling the bruises and I can't help but moan.

"Oh that's better than an ice pack.."

"...Hiashi-sama.." the person who is so carefully controlling exactly how much healing chakra they use calls. I'm aware there is hushed whispering but frankly my skull hurts and..oh. That's better.

I re-open my eyes to realize I'm surrounded by quite a few matchy matchy Hyuuga.

Neiji is right in front of me, looking as though I'm the strangest thing he's ever seen. Then ever so slightly, he nods.

"I'd like to work on improving the speed I use close your chakra points. Next time."

I just know this is where I should have a cool saying or a dopey grin but instead I groan and fully aware I am whining.

"You hit hard!"

Several Hyuuga do that extremely soft laughter thing and Neiji's brows are furrowed. "Yet you still hit me with chakra despite my closing off your channels.."

I blink at him. Did he really not... I look around, sitting up better as the one healing me finishes. They always leave the pain a little to help remind us.

"You're all looking at me weird. I'm used to your special eyes so I know you really are.."

"Neiji blocked your chakra points off. A few even multiple times. You should not have been able to reopen them." Hizashi – yeah he's got the headband- states as he moves beside his son. "they were sealed flawlessly." Aww Neiji just puffed out his chest a little.

"...seriously." I'm aware my tone is not very nice but I feel like hitting them all right now. Well not Kou and his dad but they're special.

"I've been coming here for how long now, specifically because I have weird chakra and you guys are always watching me with your Byuakugan and you've never realized I don't use 'channels'?"

"Ziwei-san everyone uses channels.." One of the nicer guards begins and I sigh.

"Nopes. Not me. That's part of what makes my chakra weird."

"They haven't watched like we have." Kou states, he's standing beside his brother and father and at the sudden attention he stiffens. No one makes a move and I realize they're making him present his findings since he spoke out of turn. Poor guy.

"Ziwei-chan in all the time we have trained together has not been trying to learn to use her chakra, proceeding at a swift rate, but to find its limitations. As to now the only one found is her small reserves."

"that's not.."

"No, really." I interrupt and sigh because yeah I know this is weird. "Tou-san tried to explain it but even when my Kaa-san and grandparents tried it doesn't work. I never felt it 'moving' through pathways. I want it to do something, it does it." I blink as I realize that the Hyuuga around me are now looking puzzled.

Surprisingly it's Neiji who is standing in front of me, arms crossed who frowns. "The last time you were trying to balance a feather while in an inverted pose.."

"No. The last time I was trying to enhance my muscles with chakra after exhausting them first so it was up to chakra alone to keep my muscles solid and hold me in that position. The feather was more so Kou-kun would know if I fell versus passing out. Again."

The silence is really kind of eerie. Even if this is what I wanted.

"You do not manifest in channels...as..everyone does." Someone stated and I groan.

"Yeah that's basically my problem.."

Needless to say somehow I end up bundled up in warm blankets and sipping miso soup and tea because keeping warm is good for wearing out ones chakra. It's not really proper exhaustion at the level I am right now but just shy of it. I was sort of turned over to the women of the clan while the rest went into a sudden meeting and dragged Kou and Neiji along to discuss. Luckily Hinata at least is there for company and a few of her cousins and so we are all content to sit in comfortable silence.

I'm under the medic nin's orders to rest for a while and they've promised to let me go before dinner to go home so I don't bother to worry about it. Besides, ninja kid. We kinda can come and go at all hours. Even though I am six.

God this place is weird.

It feels more normal with every day though which is saying something.

Finally I am allowed to leave and informed that after a few days of rest I am able to continue more training but until then avoid using chakra. The Hyuuga are all eying me now with no small bit of bewilderment. Well I guess I did just throw a fit, challenge the head's nephew and local genius. Get him to kick my butt and revealed they can't really use the technique that is a clan secret fighting style against me.

Neiji is the one to see me off at the gate. He stops before we get there and puts his hand out, blocking me from going forward. For the longest time he says nothing before finally he drops his hand.

"...you can return."

He doesn't say anything else and I feel relief.

"thank you."

I'm two steps from the gate when I hear "Ziwei-san.."

"Hm?" I look back, and pale eyes in a too serious face lock on to mine.

"You said "You haven't had enough.""

"Yes."

Neiji nods. I want to smile but I am just so tired.

"Thank you."

"Next time, let me know in advance that you hit harder than a tree landing on me." Hyuuga's don't do grateful well and so I see him smirk a bit at my offering him a way out of the awkward conversation. I'm no Naruto, I'm not trying to change his life but he was suffering. As unhealthy as it is (to me especially!) taking that out physically on someone clearly helped him feel better. That it proved to me my chakra control is scary weird..and now there's no way the Hyuuga don't realize just how much so is just as important.

"You'll get used to it."

I'll... oh. Oh great. I'm gonna be Neiji's new test dummy. I totally don't miss the wicked smirk he gets at my pathetic whimper.