~Scroll 41~

Neji sneered at her. He had shown her the unalterable difference in strength between them. He had shown her the distinction that separated the elite from the failure. He had even shown her mercy by demanding her to withdraw, but she refused at each turn. He knew that she was already at her limit; one more attack and she'll…

"Come here…" Neji commanded as he slipped into a Juken stance.

He knew that his strikes to Hinata's Tenketsu chakra points had completely rendered her chakra flow inert, causing her to lose the ability to even perform the Juken attacks. This fight is good as done.

Naruto worried his lips as he watched Hinata struggle to her feet when suddenly he heard an ear-piercing screech. He instinctively clapsed his hands over his ears in attempts to block out the painful sound as he staggered back and whined in distress.

"NARUTO!" "NARUTO!"

Those around him shouted in surprise at the blonde's whine.

"Naruto!" Kakashi immediately dropped to his knee as his hands cupped his blonde's face, "Look at me! That's it; look at me… look at me, focus on me."

"… 'kashi-sensei…" Naruto's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Naruto?! Are you alright? What in blazes happened?!" Shisui questioned in rapid secession.

"That's it, Naruto…" The Jounin whispered as his thumbs caressed small circles on the petite shinobi's cheeks, "What did you hear? Tell me."

"Rage… anger…" Naruto whispered as his wide blue eyes focused on his sensei for a moment. Slowly, he released the hold over his ears.

"Neji?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto shook his head as he began looking at the other applicants in the arena.

"No… his is not like hers…" The blonde muttered when his eyes finally landed on the redhead from Suna. His eyes grew even wider as he sensed a subtle fluctuation of an unknown youki coming from the redhead. "I have to stop him…"

"What? Stop who?" Kakashi questioned but gasped when his blonde disappeared.

"Where did he go?!" Lee gasped in surprise.

"There!" Sakura cried as she pointed across the arena to where the Suna candidates stood.

Hinata coughed as she focused on her aniki. She knew from the beginning that this was a one-sided fight, but this never was a fight for advancement to her. No; this was a fight to free Neji from his hatred that their own kinsmen had ignited and fueled with their archaic beliefs of blood purity and blood supremacy.

She was not going to back down. She was going to break through his hatred that he held onto like a shield.

She was going to get her aniki back, no matter what. Suddenly, she charged.

The look of strength is back in her eyes… Neji was caught off-guard. Subconsciously he blocked each of her feeble attacks and landed half-hearted palm strike to her chin.

She staggered a few paces back then charged again; again catching Neji off-guard by her determination.

Why?! He asked himself as he instinctively used his master stroke, which targeted her heart.

"Call this off." His voice hitched with barely suppressed emotions as he felt her body sag against his own, "You've lost the match."

"Seeing as the match cannot go on, I –" Hayate began.

"D… don't…" Hinata's voice, although barely above a whisper, echoed like thunder in the arena.

A deafening hush encased the arena.

Kankuro and Temari fidgeted nervously as they watched the young redhead's body hum in agitation while small particles of natural sand hovered around his feet. The older Suna siblings did not know why, but they knew Gaara had taken a liking to the Konoha kunoichi. They first assumed it was because the girl was strong, but after watching the girl get thoroughly thrashed by her opponent that assumption was quickly dismissed, which begged the question: what was it about the girl that called to the redhead and more importantly to the demon within the redhead?

The sibling's immediately paled as they heard the deep throaty growl coming from Gaara. Instinctively, they stepped away in fear. The sand became even more agitated; longer the fight progressed. The redhead moved forward as if to join the fight when he suddenly felt an unexpected wave of a cooling balm course through his veins. He could hear Mother whine in the back of his mind before unexpectedly settling into a light slumber.

Gaara blinked as he stared dawn at the small hand resting against his chest. His pale orbs curiously followed the hand that was attached to an arm which was attached to the blonde shinobi, who was able to sense him before… Uzumaki Naruto…

"You cannot interfere." The blonde stated.

Gaara growled.

"Mine."

"Yes, yours, but this is their fight." He sadly replied.

"Mine!" He growled again.

"Not yet."

Although his expression was still menacing, Gaara paused as he looked at the blonde curiously. Suddenly, a voice from the arena caught the redhead's attention, causing him to look down at the arena.

"D… don't…" Hinata's voice seemed to have thundered in the arena.

"… Why are you getting up?" Her opponent gasped; his voice seemed to have cracked with unchecked emotions, "If you push too far you really will die…"

"Th-this isn't over yet!" She said. Her words seemed to cause Gaara to purr in delight to see her so strong even in the face of her own defeat.

"You're not fooling anyone!" The other suddenly lashed out with his words, "It's taking all your strength just to stand!"

"I cannot… stop until…" She panted between breathes, "I free you… you who are torn and suffering… caught between the destinies of the main branch and cadet branch of our clan!"

Suddenly, the arena was filled with an all-consuming killing intent.

"{NOW!}" Naruto shouted; and as one he and Gaara disappeared.

Hayate immediately sensed Neji's killing intent as he was equally startled by the teen's sudden mad charge.

"Neji…" He shouted, "The match is already over!"

Blinded by rage, Neji did not see the four Jounin descend upon him nor did he see the petite blonde and the Suna redhead appear on either side of Lady Hinata. So lost in the fog of his anger and hatred, the young Hyuga had not realized that he was being held captive by the four older shinobi until he heard his sensei's calming voice.

"Enough, Neji!"