That day when her father called her to the dojo, Hinata expected the usual sparring session.
She did not expect coming face to face with her cousin, while her father told her to fight him.
"I want Hanabi to see with her own eyes a spar between two people closer to her fighting level" he offered as an explanation when she looked at him questioningly, almost supplicating. Hinata bit her lip, turning her eyes towards Neji, who only looked at her impassively, expertly hiding any emotions from her and her father.
Closer to Hanabi's fighting level… that wouldn't be completely accurate. Neji was renowned as a genius within their clan, with his ability far exceeding anyone his age, being able to fight and win even among genin. She, on the other hand, while relatively good, was nowhere near being a genius; regardless she was still advanced in comparison to Hanabi, and so Hinata didn't understand what her father meant by two people closer to her fighting level. They were not closer to her fighting level. There surely should be others…
"Begin" her father announced, not allowing her to think further about it. Neji started immediately, lunging at her with speed and precision, and it was only because of Hinata's constant night training that she managed to activate her Byakugan just in time to block him, preventing that way that the match ended as soon as it begun.
They exchanged blows, but it was pretty obvious pretty soon that Neji wasn't holding back at all. Hinata was always on the defensive, not being able to find an opening in the slightest. Even with her father she found better opportunities, what did that mean?
However, and even if she couldn't find the opportunity to attack back, she continued searching, not wanting to give up. She was getting tired though, her arms feeling as if covered with lead after a while of this. Neji must have seen it, because he got even faster, if that was possible, and before she could stop it, he hit her in the right arm, below the shoulder, causing it to go slack.
He didn't stop there. He continued hitting her, on the other arm, on the chest, and he looked like he wouldn't stop until her father's voice cut through the fight.
"Enough" he ordered. Neji halted, his hand just centimeters from a point below her left shoulder. He stood like that for another second, before pulling his arm back and going back to a standing position.
"I thought you wanted us to fight" he said, his voice carrying with a monotone. Hiashi nodded, before walking towards them and kneeling in front of her.
"I did, and you fought. You may take your leave now" he ordered, not looking at him. Neji didn't move, and his expression didn't change, but something about his posture was slightly different. A little more stiff. Regardless, he nodded after a while, giving her father a bow and then exiting the dojo without looking back.
Hinata watched him as her father examined her arms.
"We'll have to wait a few hours until the feeling comes back to your arms" he told her, and she turned to him, raising her eyebrows with surprise. "I did not know he could already seal tenketsu. It was a mistake on my part" he admitted, an anomaly.
"Father" she called, and he looked at her. Kneeling in front of her, his face was level with hers, and she gulped at the closeness, something that didn't go unnoticed by him. "I didn't hold back" she said, perhaps afraid he would think she did as never once she managed to even come close to touching Neji. She had been learning not to, after all, still afraid Sasuke would get angry with her and abandon her if she did.
"I know, Hinata" he sighed, standing up, and something in his tone didn't sound reassuring at all. "That was what I was afraid of" he finally said, and his words felt like a blow to the chest. "Go rest. Don't force yourself to use your arms, or you could get hurt."
And with that he turned to Hanabi and ordered her to get on position, which she did not before sending her older sister a reassuring smile. Hinata smiled back, though with less enthusiasm, and left the dojo, making her way to her bedroom.
She had been surprised at Neji's ferocity. She knew he was good but, being the very first time she had ever sparred with him in years, she was also surprised. And a little afraid, if she was being honest. Even her father didn't come at her like that. She wondered for a moment how far he might have gone if her father hadn't stopped him.
The answer sent a chill down her spine.
Neji finally makes his first real appearance! And he's not really nice to Hinata. Well, that's to be expected. It's still four whole years before Naruto beats him into changing for the better. So sad.