(...)
Impressed, yet still disappointed
That was the only way she could think to describe her feelings on the fight that had just played out in front of her.
Admittedly she hadn't expected much from either of her former classmates, of their year the two were arguably the weakest out of the batch, and nothing she had seen recently convinced her that fact had changed. On paper this shouldn't really have been a close fight at all really… the heiress to be of one of the most prominent shinobi clans within the village set up against a slightly better than average civilian. If she were the gambling type she would have put all her money on Ino in a heartbeat.
Which made the fact the two managed a draw all the more embarrassing
She wasn't heartless, generally speaking, she could grudgingly admit that both Sakura and Ino had made some improvements… just not nearly enough for her to feel any sense of pride in either of their performances. Sakura had displayed a surprising amount of mental fortitude shaking off the Yamanaka clan's mind possession while Ino showcased that she had outgrown some of her childish vanity, but neither revealed any substantial growth. At least in her opinion.
If nothing else it was the first time she'd witnessed a double knock out with her own eyes. With the both girls returned to their respective teams the board flashed again.
"Kankuro Sabaku vs. Mitsumi Tsurugi"
…
Natsumi narrowed her eyes at the strange cat-suit wearing genin as he made his way down into the arena. She recalled her brief exchange with the odd boy before the exams, back then she'd written him off as nothing more than a showboat… A cocky foreigner that preferred to solve his problems just by hitting them rather than thinking his actions through.
That belief had not changed, but she supposed she would soon discover if there was more to him than just his ridiculous outfit, or if he was simply riding on the coattails of Gaara's strength.
Kiba frowned as he looked between the two fighters. "This is gonna sound a bit rude but… does anyone else think that these two look pretty weak? I mean one of them is wearing cat ears and makeup."
Hinata looked down, pressing her fingers together nervously. "Y-You shouldn't judge s-so early…"
Kurenai sighed and shook her head. "You should already know that appearances are often deceiving in our line of work. A good shinobi does not telegraph how strong they are, but instead allows their opponents to underestimate their true strength." She eyed the two fighters carefully. "Take Lord Third for example… Do you think you could defeat him in a fight? He is just an old man after all so it should be easy for you, right?"
Kiba paled at the thought and immediately bowed his head in surrender. "M-My bad…"
…
Ultimately Kurenai's wisdom would ring true
While it was certainly the least visibly flashy match so far, both contenders had proved themselves to be capable, if somewhat unorthodox fighters. Mitsuri displayed the same arrogance as his teammate, mocking his opponent at every turn and taking an almost perverse pleasure in causing pain. It also appeared that he too possessed a rather unique ability that made him equally dangerous in close quarters.
The medic in her couldn't help but take an interest in this particular skill, the ability to essentially rubberize one's body had a multitude of uses both in and out of combat. She wondered if it was possible to recreate it in some capacity... It was certainly worth looking into if nothing else, though she imagined there would be quite a few hurdles in trying to manipulate one's own bone structure and organ integrity but that didn't mean it was impossible.
For most of the fight, Kankuro had not shown any skill of note and before long found himself in a constricting chokehold that all but spelled the end of his run in these exams. It was a rather poor showing on the sand genin's part especially given his attitude…
More the fool she was for calling a fight before it was over
She recalled her readings on Suna's puppetry arts, what little information she could glean about a practice kept steeped in secrecy. However what she did recall was that the true strength of the art stemmed from trickery and deception, not necessarily raw power. Now seeing it in action first hand… Well, she was inclined to agree. The "Kankuro" Mitsumi had incapacitated was nothing more than a well disguised puppet, the real Kankuro having switched places with it sometime during, or perhaps even before the match had begun. The puppeteer was quick to return the same courtesy his opponent had given, that was to say none, and those in attendance were forced to watch as the Suna genin took notable satisfaction in breaking what sounded like every bone in his foe's body.
Overkill didn't even begin to describe it.
If the Suna genin felt any degree of remorse for essentially ending his opponents career he certainly didn't show it. Instead, he returned to the stands with a smug smirk and air of confidence.
It seemed as if Gaara's bloodthirst wasn't unique to him alone…
…
"W-Was the r-really necessary?" Hinata shivered as they watched Mitsumi's body be carted away by medics, his once proud expression now twisted and frozen into a silent scream of agony. She understood that victory was the aim here, but to go so far just to inflict more suffering…
It was barbaric in her eyes.
"Cruelty is a part of human nature." Natsumi muttered softly. "Power and strength are two sides of one coin, both will corrupt you over time."
Nakamura-sensei taught all his students that, but he stressed it most to those enrolled within the shinobi program.
"Geez, as if this whole thing wasn't gloomy enough as is." Kiba sighed, glancing over at the Suna team that didn't even seem phased by the events. If anything it looked as if they were more annoyed at having drawn attention to themselves. "Not sure I'd want to face any of them."
Akamaru whimpered in agreement.
"Look alive." Kurenai's voice brought all three to attention. "The next fighters are about to be chosen."
The trio looked up, watching as the remaining names flashed across the board before spitting out the next match up.
"Neji Hyuga vs. Hinata Hyuga"
"Talk about a mirror match…." Kiba whistled at the match listing. "Putting you up against family like that doesn't seem fair at all."
The heiress didn't respond to his words, pale eyes fixed firmly ahead in disbelief. "N-Neji-niisan?…"
There was fear in that name…
Natsumi felt an unfamiliar tightness begin twisting in her gut, a foreign and sickening sensation that only grew stronger the longer she stared at Hinata's borderline despondent expression. In all the months they'd been a team, not once had she seen Hinata react this poorly to anything. This went beyond just timidness… Hinata was genuinely terrified. Her breathing was becoming erratic, her hands were shaking… it if she was on the brink of a panic attack.
For all her training, she knew at her core she wasn't a people person. She faked it well enough, read enough books and observed enough to integrate in society but there were gaps that only experience could really fill… experience she didn't have. Comforting others was not something she had a great deal of practice in, she preferred to deal in facts not feelings but that wouldn't work here…
So she did the first thing that came to mind
"Hinata!"
Frightful lavender orbs met her own for the first time in days. "Y-Yes-!?"
Hinata felt her breathing hitch, a long forgotten warmth enveloping her in a way she hadn't experienced in… she wasn't sure how long. Slender arms clutched her awkwardly, slowly pulling her close until she was near enough to catch the scent of sweat, antiseptic, and the smallest hint of fresh flowers. It was such a strange combination and yet…
She found it strangely… reassuring
"You're stronger than you think." Natsumi whispered softly, gently running her hand along her teammates back just as she'd seen parents do to comfort fussing children. She'd never given anyone a hug before, it was… strange, yet it seemed to be working. "You aren't the same person you were before… You do not need to be afraid"
She inwardly smirked as Hinata's breathing leveled out, frantic huffing dying down into steady breaths.
Kiba grinned and without missing a beat joined in, trapping the heiress between them in an increasingly awkward layered sandwich of a hug much to her annoyance and embarrassment as the commotion caused the other teams to turn to them. "You so got this, just give it everything you've got!"
Kurenai smiled at the sight, pleased to see the strength of their bond hadn't withered nearly as much as feared and gently rustled her student's hair as well. "Remember, win or lose we're proud of you no matter what."
Hinata hiccupped, fighting down the urge to sob.
"I…I won't l-let you down!" She stood tall and wiped her eyes, regarding them with rekindled fire in heart. "I-I'll give it my best!"
These three… They were just as much her family as any of her kin, maybe even more so.
She'd do anything to make them proud
…
"It would be in your best interest to forfeit now, Lady Hinata."
Her cousin never was one to mince words, but even so she didn't really believe that he would disregard her so blatantly. Telling her to give up after coming this far… that would be spitting in the face of not only her efforts, but the efforts of her comrades who had endured all the trials up to this point.
"I-I can't d-do that." She frowned and shook her head, meeting his impassive glare with as much confidence as she could muster. "I made a promise t-to the people important to m-me… I won't b-back down again!"
Neji's stone facade didn't crack in the slightest. "Fate is not kind to those who attempt to defy her. Walking this path will only bring you pain, it would be easier if you simply accepted that fact."
"Nothing in life worth doing is ever easy… Progress requires overcoming challenges, opposition, and self-doubt. If you wish to carve your name into the pages of history and leave your mark, you can not afford to allow fear to constrain you."
Those had been Natsumi's words to her. The strength she had imparted onto her when she couldn't find her own…
Hinata breathed in and stilled her beating heart… then slipped into her stance, surprising the older Hyuga who at last was forced to show a bit of emotion in the face of her quiet resistance. Indifference gave way to anger, a cold rage left to fester emerged behind glacial white eyes. She knew his pain… She knew the hatred he harbored in his heart and knew that in this moment he would unleash it upon her without hesitation.
He mirrored her stance and a tense silence filled the space between them.
"Begin!"
…
There was nothing "gentle" about the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist fighting style
It was far more graceful than most fighting styles certainly, but it was no less effective at causing pain in the hands of even a novice practitioner.
And Neji Hyuga was clearly anything but a novice.
Unconsciously her grip tightened around the railing as she watched the furious exchange of palms taking place. The sharp thud of each blow rang loud in her ears and she found that same gnawing feeling of unease she'd felt earlier continuing to grow the longer the match stretched on. It wasn't that she believed Hinata weak, but there was a near tangible sense of maliciousness radiating off her opponent.
Where Hinata fought to disable, it almost seemed as if Neji sought to inflict pain.
More than once she'd witnessed the older Hyuga overlook an opening to land a decisive blow, choosing instead to prolong the engagement for whatever reason. The only reason she could think he'd do so is to drag the fight out… a fight that was progressively taking its toll on her teammate…
…
Hinata winced as she stumbled back, narrowly avoiding a jab that would have disabled her left arm. Her whole body felt heavy, like she was moving through water rather than air.
Still, she refused to surrender.
Neji grunted in annoyance as chakra surged through his leg, a pulse just a fraction of an inch away from his tenketsu. Had he been any slower that blow would likely have given her an opening to counter attack and perhaps change the tides of this fight…
The thought infuriated him all the more.
All this pointless struggling, and for what!? Hinata was weak, such was her fate… and yet she refused to fall and accept that for all her privilege she would never amount to anything more than a failed heiress!
His anger manifested itself fully into his attacks, the pace of battle increasing quickly and to a level he knew his cousin could never hope to maintain. He could see her fatigue, now just physically, but in the way her chakra flowled. The very energy that granted them life moved like sludge crawling through her pathways. The fact that she could still fight at all was impressive, she should have given up long before now.
He'd reminder her of that shortly
Hinata gagged as a vicious palm strike struck her chest, a dry heave forced from her lips before she was sent sprawling back by a backhand that left her seeing stars. She barely managed to gather enough strength to roll away from the stomp that followed, weakly springing back to her feet only for a brutal kick to send her crashing back down to earth. Her back hit the ground with a quiet thud and for a moment there was a dreadful deafening ringing in her ears and awful twisting somewhere in her breast. Her vision went fuzzy, Neji's scowling visage shifting in and out of focus.
His lips were moving but she couldn't hear the words, not that it mattered. The Hyuga clan possessed quite the talent for lip reading, not that she needed it for this. There was only one thing he could possibly seek from her now…
"Give up."
That would be the smart thing to do, wouldn't it? She held no illusions that she could win this fight, not as she was. Neji was the pride of the Hyuga clan, its future if the words of the elders ran true. A prodigy unmatched by all but the most experienced practitioners of the Gentle Fist…
And what was she? The heiresses without a spine, a disgrace. A daughter that not even a father could love…
"...You are not the same person you were before…"
"...Just give it everything you've got!..."
"...Win or lose, we're here for you…"
…
"That bastard!" Kiba snarled, barely holding himself back from leaping down into the arena. "Who the fuck does he think he is!?"
Kurenai chewed her lip, her calm facade pushed to the brink as she watched Hinata crawl back onto her knees only to be kicked down once again. It painted her to watch her student so defeated, Hinata especially given her gentle soul, but to turn her eyes away would be to disrespect her resolve. Everyone lost eventually, but that didn't make witnessing it any easier.
Natsumi said nothing, but had anyone been paying attention they might have noticed flecks of red bleeding into her sapphire eyes.
…
"Again?" Neji all but snarled as he watched Hinata rise, her breathing haggard and her cheek an ugly shade of red from where he struck her. She looked moments away from collapsing… and yet still she refused to fall. "Why do you insist on prolonging this? If you continue like this, you will die. Do you not see that?"
Hinata swayed on her feet as she slowly fell back into her stance. It was pathetic really, her knees shook and she barely had the strength to raise her arms, not to mention her chakra circulation was all but at a standstill.
"I-I told y-you…" She met his gaze still with the same defiance she'd had from the outset of their match. "I-I won't r-run away anymore, f-failure or not!"
Neji's expression darkened and wisps of chakra began to bleed from the tips of his fingers. "No one can hope to defy fate, you can not change who you are. Why do you not understand that?"
She stayed silent for a long moment, then to everyone's surprise…
Hinata smiled
"Y-You say that, b-but-" She coughed and stumbled slightly, clearly running on the very last dregs of her strength. "-B-But you know if t-that was true… I w-wouldn't be standing right now."
Neji didn't dignify her words with a rebuttal. Whether because he had none or he was simply too angry to bother she wasn't sure. All the same she caught the briefest glimpse of doubt flickering behind the rage, a fleeting moment of self-reflection.
Hayate looked between the two and raised an arm. "The match is over, Hinata Hyuga is no longer fit to fight-"
"N-Neji-niisan…" Her expression softened. "Y-You've been suffering for s-so long, I-I can't help but f-feel responsible. The f-future of the branch f-family and the head branch… Those weigh heavily on you. I-I can see it."
"I'm sorry…"
…
She always thought she knew hatred
She knew what it was to be hated, and in turn she knew what it was to hate another. At least so she had believed.
Time seemed to slow as she watched Hinata freeze. Neji's outstretched palm only inches away from her heart, stopped only by the interference of the Jonin in attendance descending to restrain the enraged genin. In the commotion, none noticed the demure Hyuga abruptly clutching her chest nor witnessed the sudden well of blood that poured from her mouth as her body crumbled to the ground.
Before she could think she had already lept from her perch, practically materializing at her side fingers probing for a pulse…
Faint and falling…
"Don't you dare…" Natsumi growled and lightning crackled to light between palms. "Don't you even dare, Hinata!"
The air came alive with the sound electricity
Hinata's body shook but otherwise remained unresponsive.
"Hinata!"
Another jolt
"You aren't this weak! Wake up and fight!"
Another flash of electricity, another failure
She felt hands grip at her shoulders, fools trying to pull her away from her work. Didn't they see the girl was dying!? Her teammate was dying and they were trying to get in her way!
Roiling arcs of lightning sparked angrily around her, shocking everything that dared to stray too close before coalescing around her palms. "Don't you die on me…" Her eyes burned as tears clawed at the edges of her vision as hues of emerald and azure danced between her fingers. "You can't… You just can't…"
If this didn't work
...
If she failed
...
If she felt Hinata's heartbeat stop for even a second
...
She'd put Neji Hyuga in a coffin
.
AN. Chapter Complete
Well isn't this just a depressing way to end Christmas (if you celebrate) but I suppose it would be wrong of me not to make use of the time I do have to get a little something done.
Will Hinata survive, or will she pass? I've fully storyboarded two endings for this scenario so both are VERY much on the table but I've not yet committed to one, I guess part of me just wanted to get to this point to finally make a decision, or see if my mind changed at all after writing it all out. Either way the next chapter will wrap up the prelims because I am over them and damn it I need one story that gets past this damn exam!
As always, let me know what you think, any theories you have, or questions. Obviously I won't give story spoilers but I'm always happy to offer clarification if something is confusing. Hope you all are staying safe and enjoying the holidays!