?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter Twenty-six — Branches of Fate ~ ?￢ﾜ ?
Ryuchi Cave smoldered. Skin cracked and burned from the chakra—an intense ache overtook his head all over. His very spirit and will was shattered and put back together dozens upon dozens of times.
Ryujin had only been there for a day, and yet, it felt like years already. Everything before was non-existent, it didn't matter. Not at all… He clenched his fists, crimson eyes glowing with Kyuubi's hate.
One tail burst from his cloak—then three—then—"I was aware of a disturbance in Ryuchi Cave… but I didn't think it'd be you."
That voice. Bloody light illuminated the dark as Ryujin growled, snapping his head toward Orochimaru. "YOU—!" He sneered, pouncing toward him.
Orochimaru remained unphased, even while Ryujin landed in front of him. "You and I both know that summon arenas are neutral ground… The Snakes, Toads, Slugs, all of them, they despise when human conflict is brought to their home.
"Break that neutrality, and your contract with them will be severed forever."
Putrid loathing seeped from Ryujin's very presence, it just made Orochimaru laugh. "You've improved… but it won't be enough."
"So, that's what you think?!" snarled Ryujin, cloak bubbling. "If that's what you chose to believe, then you're guaranteed to lose for underestimating me!"
"Oh, Ryu… tsk, tsk, tsk." Orochimaru shook his head, ending it with tilt as the snake's eyes peered into that of the fox's. "When have you ever been enough?"
Ryujin bared his fangs with the Kyuubi's chakra boiling over—his skin began to melt.
"You weren't enough to save your teammates, your sensei. You weren't enough to surpass Miya. You weren't enough to save Minato or Kushina… you weren't enough to stop me." Orochimaru grinned with his fangs glinted with delight as he saw the effect it had on Ryujin.
Each sentence—each truth made his skin peel off more and more. His mind was overtaken with fury and thoughts of destruction. The fourth tail sprouted from his cloak. Ryujin roared—Orochimaru's hair was blown back by the force of air pressure in the attack.
Orochimaru himself just stood directly in front of Ryujin, unphased.
The Kyuubi's second skin of chakra hissed and churned the color of a scab. Soulless white eyes with the teeth of a demon clawed onto an expressionless face.
"Is that supposed to scare me?"
"What the hell are you planning?!"
"So, it's only now you decide to ask me that?" Orochimaru turned his back to walk off. "For the countless time, Ryujin, you've disappointed me. Your fate is to be nothing but a failure, and every day you prove that more and more—with every action you take."
Yet another person to prove wrong… The Kyuubi laughed. Summon more of my chakra and—
"—I'll tear you apart," spat Ryujin, finishing the Kyuubi's thought.
The demon was pleased. Orochimaru… didn't even respond to the threat as he disappeared into the darkness. With additional ire and frustration ripping his mind apart at the seams, he rounded on the snakes with unrivaled force.
Ryujin was the unstoppable force.
—⊱✿⊰—
It was a shame that she couldn't abuse her Blessing. The Senjutsu was something her body wasn't used to… it'd kill her. Hinata had to be careful when she used it, overdoing it would be terrible. She discovered that the hard way when her hand nearly turned to stone because she used it too much when trying to heal herself…
If Miya-sensei wasn't there… it would've ended terribly.
At least she knew now.
That was besides the point, there were other things she had to worry about; namely, her father. She knew him well enough to gauge his reaction already; nothing terrible would happen. Especially because she would not tell him how badly Kusari truly beat her. Hinata didn't feel bad lying in defense of others… there was little she wouldn't do for Kusari, despite how much she irked her.
She just couldn't stop herself. Sometimes, she wished she could.
The moment Hinata opened the door to her home, two little arms wrapped around her stomach in a hug. "Big sis! It's been too long—I've missed you too much!"
Hinata laughed and hugged Hanabi—her world as tightly as she could. "I missed you as well, little sister. How were you these past few days?"
"Father seemed stressed about something…" Hanabi then pouted. "He won't tell me."
Is it about Orochimaru? Hinata's eyes narrowed for a second. She shook off her suspicion. "It's definitely something important then, you'll get to know stuff like this when you're a Shinobi."
"Ugh!" the girl groaned, her pout becoming increasingly more obvious. "I need to graduate soon."
"...It's your first year in the academy, Hanabi," Hinata said, her smile dropping.
Hanabi didn't seem to care. "But, if I'm going to be Clan Head, then I need to be prepared as early as possible! How can I get promoted to Genin soon?!"
"They won't let you, you're too inexperienced," Hinata reasoned, her smile dropping to a serious expression. "There's no war going on, you don't need to rush through life, take your time." Hinata put on her smile, putting her forehead on Hanabi's to look her deep in the eyes. "Enjoy your childhood, Hanabi… don't let it get taken away from you." Like mine was.
"Okay?" Hinata asked, making sure she got it.
Hanabi pursed her lips with a nod.
Pulling back, Hinata kissed her sister on the forehead. "I need to go talk with father, I'll be back to play with you!"
"For five days! Since that was how long you were gone!" demanded Hanabi.
Hinata chuckled. "We'll see." Their house barely changed throughout the years. It was the same as it was when she was a child. There were times where she could still see her mother holding Hanabi as an infant on the couch. Her father would join them, and lastly she would as well.
It pained her heart a bit, thinking about how it would never happen again. She shook the thoughts out of her head and walked to her father's study.
"You may enter," he said the moment Hinata walked in front of the door. She opened the door, walking in front of his desk and bowing.
"Hello, father," she greeted before standing to her full height. "How have you been?"
"I heard that Orochimaru infiltrated the Chunin Exams," said Hiashi, cutting to the chase. "Did he do anything to you?"
Without words, Hinata allowed her Blessing to spread across her face. Hiashi's eyes widened with shock. The euphoric feeling of peace spread throughout her body; of course she couldn't help but smile.
"He marked you?!"
"Indeed," Hinata confirmed. "He wanted to curse me, but Bontena didn't let that happen. Look at my eyes, father."
Hiashi barely held back his gasp. The Head of the Hyuuga Clan, he was speechless.
"Orochimaru was eliminated, there's not a trace of him in the Mark anymore. With this, I believe any… doubts you had about me are gone."
"You passed, right?" he asked, still gathering himself. It was rare to see him so… knocked off kilter.
"Unfortunately, no," admitted Hinata. His eyes narrowed on her. Hinata didn't much care. "I was quite injured after I was attacked by Orochimaru. Team 8 barely passed the Forest of Death because of it. Luck didn't favor us, as there were preliminary matches before the final tournament.
"I was matched up against Kusari, and I had little control over my Mark at that time. In the same way I had Bontena… she had Shivua." Saying that name made Bontena's chakra flare. Fear, sadness, anger, betrayal… all in one. "Halfway through, Bontena granted me her assistance, but it was too late by then. I lost."
"I… see…" muttered Hiashi, looking down to consider everything. "What did Kusari do exactly?"
"Fight me, nothing more, nothing less," downplayed Hinata. "It was competitive, a bit resentful… but nobody was close to death afterward."
"So… Shivua's influence isn't too powerful." Not yet, went unsaid, but Hinata heard it nonetheless.
"Do not worry about Kusari. I will handle her myself if the need arises," Hinata assured. Hiashi looked at her in the eyes, pure white reflected deep lavender.
"Alright…" he conceded, shaking his head. "What will you do now?"
"Well, first I must keep my promise to Hanabi," she said, letting out a chuckle. "Please tell the elders of the good news, I will be busy."
"You say that as if I won't be busy myself," Hiashi pointed out, narrowing his eyes.
Hinata tilted her head. "I only told you to because I knew you were going to do it regardless." Then she bowed to him. "Now, if you excuse me, Hanabi has been waiting outside for the duration of our conversation and she's been growing quite impatient."
The girl yelped from outside the door.
Hiashi sighed. "You're dismissed…"
"Thank you, father. I wish you good luck with tracking Orochimaru," said Hinata before standing upright and walking out the door. When she looked down at Hanabi with her smile, the girl stammered back.
"What's wrong?" she asked, kneeling down.
"There's white stuff all over you!"
"Oh—" Hinata realized, looking at the Blessed Marks on her hand. "It's beautiful, right?"
"It's scary…"
"Is it?" asked Hinata, a bit confused. What about Bontena could be scary…? Of course, she deactivated her Mark, feeling the serenity slip out of her hands.
Hanabi giggled, hugging her. "Now you're back to normal!"
Slowly, Hinata chuckled, hugging her sister back. Out of all the things that happened in the past few days, that little interaction was the most outlandish to her.
—⊱✿⊰—
Kusari wasn't home… she wasn't here… did he scare her off?! No, she was too prideful for that. Only… The Main Branch. Neji cursed and slammed his fist into the wall. His headband was off, his hair disheveled atop his head as he growled. Why, why just WHY?!
Why did she have to try and kill the heiress? He hated her too, but it was foolish to go so far. Now, and now, the consequences were going to roll in and there was nothing he could do about it. He was powerless to protect her at every turn.
On that mission to the Land of Grass, from the elder who attempted to assassinate her, from her own hatred and vengeance. His father's last words to him told him that he needed to protect his sister. He was seemingly incapable of doing so.
He was a failure—he was pathetic in the face of his own fate.
Powerless in the face of all.
His match… that Jinchuriki.
Maybe it was a fitting end for—NO! He slammed his fist into the wall—harder. What could he do?! There was nothing against the Main Branch, nothing against that Jinchuriki. Neji collapsed to the floor, sitting down with his back on the wall. Head in hands, he cursed himself over and over.
There was nothing he could do but curse the cruel fate forced onto him. Curse and curse, loathe and loathe, and yet nothing could actually be done. He was nothing but a slave, a slave to his fate, a slave to the Main Branch.
Nothing nothing nothing. No power. He was but a speck on the horizon, utterly inconsequential. He was powerless to stop Tenten from dying. He was powerless to protect Lee from being hurt.
Kumo and Ka'rai, just additional progenitors to make each cruel step on this painful path agonize every part of him. What even mattered anymore… all he was capable of doing was watch his world fall apart around him.
He wasn't even trapped in a cage, he wasn't chained down; he had power, it just wasn't enough.
There was a knock on the door. His Byakugan flared alongside his chakra.
The heiress.
Ignoring her would be foolish. Why was she even here?! To gloat? To gloat and jeer that Kusari would die for daring to slight her?! Growling, he got himself up and nearly pulled his own door of the hinges. "What…" he rasped. "Have you come to gloat, Hinata?"
"No," she said, unphased at his utterly tattered state. "I have come to tell you that no ill fate will befall Kusari. I downplayed the intensity of the match to my father. Kusari will be fine."
Neji froze.
He blinked.
She… she covered for the one who attempted to kill her?!
All Neji did was tremble, cold and hot made him feel like he was coming apart at the seams. "Why?"
"I would not be pleased if Kusari was punished harshly. We were in an exam where killing was permitted, so why should she be punished for doing something within her rights? If she really did want to end me, then the Chunin Exams were the right place," explained the heiress, with her eternally composed smile present.
Neji clenched his fists. "What… are—" He let out a frustrated growl. Out of all people to envy, how could it be her. She was weak, so weak—but her power… the Heiress of the Hyuuga Clan. He couldn't even call her weak anymore. That Mark…
"You do not need to say anything, Neji," assured the heiress.
He shook his head. "You know as well as I that this isn't the end of things! She will try again, and I can't stop her."
"...But I can."
Neji's gaze sharpened. "Of course…" The Caged Bird Seal.
"Oh no, not that," the heiress responded, Neji's face contorted with confusion.
How did she—?
"If I wanted to, I could've used the Caged Bird to subdue Kusari during our match, and won that way. But, no, I didn't. Relying on the seal is cowardly, I believe. If you want to be the Main Branch of the Hyuuga Clan, then it must be your own power that puts you in that position.
"Anyone who doesn't have the power, doesn't deserve that position."
"But you lost anyway," snarled Neji. "What makes you so sure that you're able to defeat her?!"
"It wouldn't be the first time," said the heiress, her tone vague—it made Neji's blood boil.
"The hell are you talking about?! You've never beaten her or I in a spar before!"
"That is not what I'm referring to."
"Then what?!"
"I will not rely on the Main Branch, my father, or the seal. As you would say, it's fate for Kusari and I to battle," the heiress explained, keeping her eyes on Neji's, her smile still ever-present. "If it comes down to it, if the two of us need to come to blows for the sake of the Hyuuga Clan…
"Then I will kill her, because it wouldn't be the first time."
Even as she threatened death upon her cousin, her smile remained.
Shivers went down Neji's spine as he stepped back. There was not an ounce of lie or deceit in her tone, sheer truth wracked Neji's brain, he couldn't make sense of it at all. "Don't…" was all he managed to say, shaking to himself with anger and most of all fear.
"I won't if I don't have to," she assured, turning to walk away. "Goodbye, Neji. Good luck on your match, you seem to need it more than most."
Neji didn't say a word to her as she walked off. He slammed his door and stumbled back into his home, falling on the couch, still trembling, shaking. Fear and anger overtook it all but even through all of that, he couldn't help but feel grateful.
He was grateful to the heiress for allowing his sister to live another day.
Not like Tenten… another person he couldn't protect.
It all came to a head—his breaths were sliced to bits by the overwhelming emotion.
Neji let out a scream. He grabbed his headband and tied it around his head. Up the stairs he went like a missile, to wash his face. He needed to get his sister back.
Now.
—⊱✿⊰—
Naruto really was scared of her… he froze the moment he laid eyes on her. Kusari chuckled at that. Shivua… seemed to be satisfied. "Hello, Naruto."
"HI!" he responded nervously. "Is there anything you need? Because there is nothing that I won't do to keep you happy!"
"I'm fine, Naruto. You don't need to worry about me hurting you. The heiress… she's… somebody I particularly hate," explained Kusari, putting on a smile to soothe him. She had to fight the shift of Shivua's anger—it was angry at her. All because of Naruto… Kusari tried her best to ignore it.
He let out a breath. "Oh, okay, that's a relief."
From there, he scurried off to his bathroom. Kusari went back to what she was doing previously… meditating on the carpet. The sooner she got Shivua under control, the sooner she could fully focus on her actual training. There was really nobody willing to train her… she was on her own.
At least she was off of Naruto's list.
Shinrai went to seek out teachers for his match. She presumed that Naruto got back from his own training. The sun just began to tilt past noon, on the second day of the month break. Kusari still didn't know exactly who she wanted to be. At least, suicide for the sake of the world was seeming less viable. She wanted—needed to be alive, but for what? Of course, to liberate the Hyuuga Clan, but how?
Would she eradicate all that stood in her path or take on a different approach?
No matter what she did, there was one terrifying constant.
Shivua.
On the command of her breath, the stray thoughts were banished. She harnessed her chakra and summoned Shivua. It took every ounce of focus to handle her furious tremble, to cease her chakra from spiking outward. Each time she came under control, she forced more rage, more focus, more rage, more focus, rage and focus rage and focus, rage focus, rage, focus—broken.
Her chakra erupted and utterly destroyed the coffee table she sat by.
Oh no.
The ebony dark wood was shattered, the vase on top was in a million pieces.
Kusari's heart dropped to her gut. Shinrai is going to kill me.
Finally, she registered what broke her focus. A knock on the door. With a simple Byakugan activation she saw that it was Neji. It made her happy just as much as it terrified her. The way he was dressed looked like he didn't spend more than five minutes getting ready.
She looked guiltily at the destroyed coffee table.
Well, now he's going to murder me!
Kusari rushed out the door to meet her brother. "Hello, Neji."
"Kusari…" he said breathily. The pain in his eyes was obvious. Her heart raced as he opened his mouth, fearing the worst from his words. "The heiress spared you. She decided to lie about the match you two had… home is safe for you."
For now… she muttered. Outwardly, she nodded with a sigh. It was so disgustingly like her to do that. "I see."
They walked home, silent the entire time.
The tension spewing from Neji had Kusari worried deeply… it made her so uneasy. Even after she came back from Grass, even after she was nearly killed… he was never like this. It made her feel like she was standing next to an imminent eruption.
They entered their home, still in silence.
Neji threw his headband to the floor and sat on the couch. Kusari felt inclined to sit down herself.
"Kusari," Neji finally said. "Please… stop."
Her posture stiffened alongside the hitch of her breath.
He looked toward her, grabbed her hand with both of his and bowed. "Please, Kusari. I cannot lose you—I… you're the most important thing to me. If you continue your crusade against the Main Branch, you'll be gone. You would've thrown your life away, made mother's sacrifice meaningless."
That made Kusari's eyes widen. A stab of cold right to her heart.
"You can't go on like this. This isn't what mother, father, or anybody would've wanted. Just live and follow the fate laid out for you. You know that those who fight against what's destined to them are punished—" The own chop of his breath interrupted him. He tried to continue but just gasped for air. Her hands were wet… with tears.
Neji was crying.
It was only as she began shaking, that she noticed that Neji was doing so long ago—much more than her.
Seeing him nearly brought tears to her eyes.
He looked up, the white of his eyes bloodshot and pouring with tears. One overwhelming emotion was clear to her—it was fear.
Neji was terrified of what the Main Branch could do to her.
The thought brought him grief.
Seeing the results of those thoughts brought her to anger.
She didn't let it show.
"The Main Branch will never take me away from you, Neji," assured Kusari as she pulled him into a hug. She felt him stiffen but she just held on tighter. "I won't let that happen."
"But the fate—"
"They're wrong about my fate, Neji. My fate is to free Hyuuga Clan from the Main Branch's tyranny. They will all die by my hand."
"Kusari—!"
She ignored him and hugged him tighter as tears spilled from her own eyes. "You'll never have to fear for me again. Our generation will be the last generation of slaves. That's fate, Neji. I can guarantee it. You can help—you can help me save us all."
Kusari pulled back from the hug, shaking and crying just like her brother. Even still, she made herself smile, really trying her best. "Fight with me, and you'll never fear again."
Neji's face was pained even more—tears poured. "The heiress said that she'll kill you!"
"And you believe that?"
"I—I don't know!" Neji screamed. "I don't know…"
"I didn't either. That was until I talked to you…" Kusari let out a breath. "I hate the way I'm treated as a Branch Member. You hate it too. Damn near every Branch Member hates it. I'll harness the hatred of every Branch Family Member and it will lead to freedom.
"I have a power… it's something called Shivua. That name is forbidden in the Hyuuga Clan… because just as you're scared of the Main Branch, they're scared of me. That's why there was an assassination attempt on my life. The white of my hair comes from the influence of the power, the rage of it."
The tears stopped on Kusari's face. "I was scared of it myself. It made me into something I wasn't… a monster. You saw it for yourself."
Neji nodded slowly, his own tears coming out slower.
"I decided to take control of that power. Make it my own… to fulfill my destiny of becoming the one to free the Hyuuga Clan, to shatter the fate of slavery cursed upon us. Do you get it now… Neji?"
He just blinked, wiping away the remainder of his tears. "I do… But, my fate…"
"Not everybody knows their fate, Neji. That is something I've learned… once you figure out who you are, what your fate is, you'll unlock power unrivaled."
Neji didn't have anything to say. He sighed, then he pulled her into another hug. Of course, Kusari hugged him back.
Now that she thought about it… she barely ever hugged Neji.
She hugged Neji tighter.
He did so as well.
Kusari couldn't help the smile that came across her face.
—⊱✿⊰—
Training ground eight. The team designated to that team sat with their sensei standing over them. A tight smile was on her face. It made Hinata a bit sad to see Team 8 like this. Miya-sensei was stressed, Kiba was still injured, and Shino was… well he was Shino, as fine and as stoic as always.
"I really need to apologize to you guys," said Miya, bowing to her team. Kiba seemed shocked, even Shino showed a bit of expression. Hinata felt the melancholy hold onto her, it took a lot not for her to activate her Mark.
Miya continued with a sigh. "Not all of you passed to the final exams—I know you guys had terrible luck… with Orochimaru. But, I can't help but feel like I should've prepared you all better for the exams, y'know."
"Sensei," Kiba spattered. "You could've prepare us more?! I already feel half dead after every training session—"
"I agree," said Shino tersely, before continuing. "You need not to blame yourself, but circumstance. Your job as a sensei is one you do well, and the fact that all of us managed to get as far as we did despite the circumstance, goes to prove that fact."
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Hinata agreed with a smile. "You are the best teacher I have ever had the pleasure of training under."
"Guys—" Miya said, shaking her head. She let out a sigh. "What am I going to do with you three?"
"Kill us every training exercise," quipped Kiba.
Miya chuckled. "That doesn't seem like a bad idea… but you're still injured."
"I can help with that!" said Hinata, a bit more excitedly than she intended. It was nice being around Team 8… she didn't have to be the master of control she pretended to be in front of everyone else.
"You already tried to heal me, 'Nata," muttered Kiba with the shake of his head. He was obviously tired of her. "I'll be fine."
"I have something different to try…" Angels' wings flew across her skin with pure white. His eyes widened.
"Hey—what are you—?"
"The Senjutsu in the Mark heals me when I activate it," Hinata began, allowing the Mystic Palm to glow around her palms. It was green, but the white of Bontena faded the intensity of the color. "So, if I apply it to my medical ninjutsu…"
She hovered her hands over Kiba's still injured back. "I should be able to heal you even more than I could previously."
Kiba groaned as the Senjutsu-enhanced healing repaired his body. "This feels nice."
"Be careful, Hinata," Miya warned. "You almost turned to stone last time."
"I know, sensei," she assured with her smile. Her white Byakugan came to life. Hinata couldn't see far, but she saw with such detail and precision that it made up for it ten-fold. Each individual cell, muscle fiber, bone, and blood vessel in Kiba's body was clear to her, as if it was right in front of her face.
She threaded the healing chakra into each and every injury she saw. In about five minutes, it was repaired in nearly its entirety. Her smile grew once she deactivated her healing palm. "You're good to go, Kiba!"
Slowly, he stretched, moving his body in positions that were once painful, only to find that they felt as normal as ever. With a laugh he put on a wicked grin. "Thanks 'Nata! You're the fucking best!"
"You're welcome, Kiba," she said with a giggle.
Shino fixed his glasses, the white of her chakra reflecting on the lenses. "That power of yours… It's truly fascinating. Do you mind explaining what exactly it is?"
"I do, actually," she responded. "It's a Hyuuga Clan secret."
"Ah," he responded. "Can I at least study the Senjutsu inside of it… I might be able to teach it to my hive."
Hinata pondered for a second. "Yes, go ahead."
"Thank you," he said with a nod.
Hinata nodded in kind. "You're welcome, Shino."
It surprised her how used to the feeling of insects crawling on her she was. Hanabi would've squealed at the sight of Shino's swarm.
"I really do love you guys," Miya admitted, almost like an impulse. The sights of all three Genin were set on her. An endearing smile was on her face, her beautiful amber-adamantine eyes shimmered with adoration. Miya didn't say a word afterward, neither did the Genin.
Hinata was particularly speechless, she could barely process the words spoken. Shino grunted in response. "I appreciate you as well, Sensei." He got up. "Now, if you excuse me, I will go to my family for training in my Aburame techniques."
With that, he walked away.
Miya chuckled awkwardly.
Kiba just smiled at her. "Yeah! You're really great, too!" Akamaru yelped in agreement.
Still in silence, Hinata blinked—her sensei's statement was out of nowhere. "I…"
"MS. MIYA!"
The three remaining Team 8 members looked toward the fourth voice that entered. Shinrai Uzumaki had a grin as he danced through the grassy forest toward Miya.
Kiba groaned outwardly and even Hinata felt a wave of irritation flow over her. She did not particularly like him, not at all. During the academy, his behavior was utterly unacceptable. He bothered many innocent girls with his romantic advances, and ran a cheating ring upheld by violence. Kiba had the misfortune of being on the receiving end of that.
It wasn't like he changed since then, he heard rumors that he betrayed his own teammate during a training exercise. Not for a second would she doubt that he had encouraged Kusari to indulge in Shivua's influence.
He didn't deserve someone like Miya-sensei.
"I was wondering when you'd come to me," Miya said with a chuckle.
Shinrai nodded. "Yeah! Since I'm fighting a Jinchuriki, my first instinct was to go to Ryu, but he's on a mission or something."
Miya's brows furrowed, but she didn't say a word. "And then," continued Shinrai. "I was thinking, I should go to you anyway! Because, like, since you have to fight Ryu and beat 'em up whenever he goes crazy with Kyuubi Chakra, you should be an expert at taking on Jinchuriki!
"It's in our Uzumaki blood since we helped with defeating the Nibi like a hundred years ago!" His eyes widened. "OH SHIT! THAT'S PERFECT! I'M LIKE THE BEST PERSON TO BEAT KA'RAI'S ASS!"
"Man, what the fuck are you doing here?!" Kiba questioned with Akamaru growling.
Shinrai grinned at him. "Oh, I'm stealing your sensei! You two don't have Chunin Exams to worry about! I'm fighting Ka'rai Uzumaki! I feel like I should take priority." He smirked. "I'm her favorite child, anyway."
"Stop it," ordered Miya with an unamused glare.
His smirk grew. "See, I'm the favorite."
She flicked him in the head and he yelped. As Shinrai gathered his bearings, he landed his eyes on Hinata. Her head tilted and she put on her smile. "Is there a problem, Shinrai?" she asked, conveying exactly none of the disdain she had for him.
Despite that, a shiver went down his spine. "No, ma'am," he said after clearing his throat. Shinrai turned his back to her and Kiba. "So, train me please so I don't die?" he pleaded.
"Yeah, of course!" Miya responded.
Kiba gasped with betrayal. "So you're not going to train us?!"
"Of course I will!" she yelled back with a scoff. In a puff, two clones of Miya stood ahead of Team 8. "Sorry, he gets the real me since he is still in the Chunin Exams and is facing a very powerful opponent."
Shinrai stuck his tongue out at Kiba. Miya flicked him again.
Hinata's feathers were ruffled by the interaction for sure. It was like Shinrai was tailor made to get under her skin.
She just couldn't wait for him to leave.
—⊱✿⊰—
After recovering from the… prior events of the day, Neji washed his face, gathered himself, and set out to begin training. There wasn't any more time he could waste, he was fighting a Jinchuriki. She was able to utterly fodderize a relatively powerful Genin in a single jutsu. Such power… and he had to face it.
Frankly, he had no idea how.
The idea he had for his fate was terrible. A quick death. Kusari would be pushed into unimaginable grief and anger… and without him there, that Shivua thing would overtake her. She would turn unrecognizable from the sister he loved for so long. He couldn't let that come to pass—but again he couldn't help the gripping powerlessness.
What was his fate?! He had no idea anymore. Kusari's words made sense, but it didn't at the same time. Fate couldn't be changed, yes. But could fate be predicted?! If only there was a way to know. To see fate like he could see through walls, the chakra system and organs of all. The Byakugan was no true all seeing eye.
If that was true, then he would be able to see fate as he saw all else.
For once, he truly felt blind.
Neji barked out a sigh as he walked to training ground fifteen, where Gai-sensei and Lee… were not. His Byakugan flared to life, he tracked throughout the village… the Memorial Stone, he noted.
He balled his fists. I don't need to cry for a second time today.
Against his better judgment, he walked off to join them.
It was a surprisingly long walk to the Memorial Stone. Once he reached it, the overcast wind picked up. Rock Lee and Gai-sensei stood over it with the expression of mourning. "We were waiting for you, Neji."
His sensei's voice had none of the enthusiastic luster it usually had. It made Neji's eyes narrow more than they did already. "I apologize for making you do so."
"It is okay, Neji," Lee assured, looking down at the stone.
Neji walked beside his teammate and sensei.
With a sigh, Gai walked forward, standing ahead of his students. Neji stood with his shoulder to the memorial stone, while Lee stood beside Neji.
"I need to apologize to you three Lee, Neji, Tenten." Gai bowed to both his students and the memorial stone beside him.
Neji couldn't hold back his pained wince.
With a shaky breath, Gai spoke. "It is my fault that Tenten lost her life."
"It is not," denied Neji. "It was fate. There was nothing any of us could've done—"
"Quiet, Neji," ordered Gai, looking up to look Neji in the eye. "Now is not the time for your misbelief."
Narrowing his eyes, Neji complied.
Gai looked back down to the floor, clenching his fists. "I neglected to train you and Tenten as much as I should have. Lee, to me, is someone I see myself in like nobody else. I knew that if I trained him, that if I brought him to his fullest potential that he would become a splendid Shinobi."
Gai smiled a bit. "You did become a splendid Shinobi, Lee. I'm the proudest sensei in the world for that."
Lee nodded, sniffling as tears formed in his eyes.
"But, I can't help but feel that if I trained Tenten and you, Neji, just like I trained Lee… then I'd have three students still here. Tenten's death was no cog in the wheel of fate, Neji. It was a tragedy. A tragedy that I indirectly caused." Gai stood up straight, tears flowing freely down his face. "I can't help but feel that I'm the worst sensei in the world for that."
Guilt seeped into Neji's veins like venom. Again—again the idea of fate became muddier and muddier to him. What did anybody know? Could Tenten's death have been prevented, if he was stronger? If Lee was stronger? There was no tragedy when it came to destiny. It was all written out beforehand and there was nothing anybody could do.
That was how it was.
That was how it worked.
That was why Tenten died.
Even still… he couldn't let her unfortunate fate mean nothing.
Before he could speak, Lee did so. "If that is the case, then I equally share the burden of Tenten's death! I refuse to lose my match in the Chunin Exam finals, not against Natsuyo Senju, not against whoever I fight next, or after that!"
"I share that sentiment," Neji declared, clenching his fists. "Jinchuriki or not, I refuse to lose. For Tenten's sake. For Kusari's sake. For my sake…" Neji turned his head to meet Lee's tearful face. "We will meet in the final match, no matter what."
"We will," agreed Lee, both of them bathed in the unobstructed sun's light.
Wait, the sun? All three looked up to the source of the heat. In streaks and waves, the everlasting overcast of the past few months was banished by something. Neji's Byakugan zoomed in.
It was the Nanabi's Jinchuriki, his opponent. She had a single tail with two wings, her arms were armored like an insect. She alone controlled the state of the weather around her.
With Tenten's spirit, he didn't feel an ounce of fear even in the face of power he couldn't match… power he couldn't match yet.
"Gai-sensei," began Neji, looking toward the man. "You will hold nothing back on us."
Rock Lee's intense gaze spoke enough for his agreement.
"I will not."
—⊱✿⊰—
When her mother told her that she would have to meditate while enveloped in flames, she was scared. Once she tried it, Natsuyo came to find out that it wasn't as terrible as she thought. It was still hot. Her chakra control was pushed to the limits to keep the fire from burning her. Well, that was what it took to unlock her Godai.
Gosei unlocked his a while ago. He was always better suited to those types of things. When she was a ball of energy, he was always calm. That was why his meditation was more effective… why she was still left in the dust at every turn.
Godai required a deep connection to the elements, to one's self, to combine the two and become one.
Well, if Gosei could do it, then so could she! It was her who managed to get an early graduation during peacetime, not him. It was her who passed to the final round of the Chunin Exams, not him. All she had to do was be calm. That was easy.
She focused on the heat, the way it licked at her skin with a sear, the way it was held back by her chakra—how she was the only thing keeping it from burning her alive. Gosei almost drowned unlocking his… maybe she could afford to be burned alive just a bit.
Natsuyo giggled at her own joke, the burn of flames took off the top layer of skin on her arm. Fire burned hotter and away from her as she yelped.
Okay, maybe not.
She barely had the focus to image train… she didn't want to do things in her mind, she wanted—needed action. Resting in fire was boring, she wanted to fight fire. Her fists clenched and the fire around her hissed.
But, if she couldn't do this, then she couldn't win against Rock Lee. Even with his Godai, Gosei was beaten badly by him. Without one of her own at least, she didn't stand a chance. She couldn't leave mother with another failure.
No, she had to win, get promoted, do the Senju proud—do herself proud. She needed to surpass Gosei, and beating Rock Lee would be the undeniable proof that she had. Natsuyo laughed at the prospect, her fire whirled around her.
Her energy went up and up—she was getting excited.
She imagined the cheering crowds, her mother's proud smile, the way a Chunin Vest would fit around her torso, how Gosei would finally have to admit that she had surpassed him. But most of all, she'd feel the swell of pride in her chest, she wouldn't be able to stop smiling for days.
Natsuyo grinned just thinking about it—her focus slipped.
Everything burned.
"OW!" she squealed, burning in the flames. With a half seal, she extinguished them and she was only left with the burns on her body. Just moving made her wince. "Oww!" she whined.
"And that, my daughter, is why you must keep your focus," said Yosei, sitting down a bit of a ways away from her.
Natusyo sighed. "I know…"
Gosei was able to manage meditating under a waterfall, while image training for hours straight. She couldn't stay in her mother's fire for more than thirty minutes without getting burned. Was she just going to lose again?
Her goal of surpassing Gosei was looking more and more like a hopeless pipe dream.
Maybe he was right… all those times he dismissed her. Just thinking about it made her fists clenched, she felt the heat of blaze within them.
No.
She matched him before—even if it was just once. That meant she could leap past him.
Natsuyo dropped down back into her sitting position, legs crossed. "Start up the flames, please!"
With nothing but a nod of her head, fire erupted around Natsuyo—hotter than anything she was capable of putting out. Quickly, she held the element at bay, getting used to the searing of her skin once again.
That time, she stayed in the flames for thirty-five minutes.
She really was pulling teeth.
Well, she'd pull until she didn't have anymore teeth to pull.
—⊱✿⊰—
The wind wasn't an element he was used to, and yet, it was the one he was forced to deal with the most. It made sense, Gosei had been meditating atop the Shodai's stone face… for he didn't even know how long. Ignoring the wind, he connected with the stone he sat on—connected with his ancestor.
What part of him made him want to surpass the Shodai?
Truly.
Why?
Where was his drive to complete this goal? His goal, what did it truly entail? What was the legend of Hashirama Senju?
That was something he knew like the back of his hand.
The Warring States, he survived the carnage of that era alongside his brother, Tobirama Senju, the Nidaime. It was against the Uchiha, the only clan to match the Senju. He became the leader, fought against Madara Uchiha constantly, then defeated him, founded Konoha and started the trend of uniting clans to make hidden villages worldwide.
After that, with the aid of the Uzumaki, he captured the Nibi. Mere days afterward, Madara Uchiha came to destroy Konoha with the Kyuubi in tow. He battled both and won. Barely any time after that, he had to face the Yonbi, Gobi, Rokubi, Nanabi, and Hachibi simultaneously and succeeded.
It was only then, after fighting seven out of the nine Bijuu, as well as a man with power that surpassed a Bijuu, that he began his decline. The stress of limit-breaking battles brought him to his breaking point, and he died shortly afterward.
That was the legend he was supposed to surpass. There was no way he could even fathom matching it. It was true that he was able to match Sasuke, yes, but those Jinchuriki. They used scraps of their Bijuu's power, and yet each of those Genin individually could take down a Jonin.
What was he to them?
Nothing.
Why did he even want this legend for himself? Because of his blood? Rock Lee showed quite clearly that his blood meant quite little in the grand scheme of things. Anybody could surpass him, especially Natsuyo… which she was surely on the fast track to do.
Naruto, well, he had the strongest of the Bijuu inside of him. Natsuyo was lucky Naruto lacked the capability to access it.
His sensei did, however… no wonder he was spoken of in the same vein as his mother.
Naruto…
He wanted to be the Hokage, just as he did. Perhaps, asking him why would stoke some inspiration. Gosei's eyes opened, he looked upon Konoha, the village he loved, his home. For the first time in his life, the view with him above, matching the Hokage… it felt wrong.
He hadn't earned the right to admire this view.
Gosei clenched his fists as he walked down the monument… he knew he wouldn't return for a long while. It took him surprisingly long to find Naruto, his rival. Of course, he was eating ramen at that stand. He took a seat next to him, and Naruto was visibly surprised.
"Gosei?!" he sputtered with a mouth full of noodles. Quickly, he swallowed them.
How did he not choke?!
"What are you doing here?!" asked Naruto with a suspicious glance.
Gosei cleared his throat. "I need to ask you a question."
"Wait, you're not going to order?" asked the old man running the stand. Gosei didn't particularly fancy ramen, but it'd be rude to show up to someone's establishment and not order something.
"Of course I will," Gosei said. "I would like your finest bowl, whatever variety you feel the most confident in making."
"On it!" said the man before turning his back to make the ramen.
Naruto looked at Gosei. "So, what do you want to ask?"
"Why do you want to become Hokage?"
"So people like you will stop looking down on me!" Naruto answered with no hesitation. "My whole life, everybody always treated me badly and like I was nothing. Well, if I became strong, the strongest, the Hokage. Then everyone's not gonna have a choice but to give me the respect I deserve!"
There wasn't even a moment's hesitation, no time to think… that answer was from his heart. Gosei narrowed his eyes and nodded. "I see… I can respect that reasoning."
"Why'd you ask me? I never would've thought…"
"Because I know that if I'm not careful, you're going to leave me far in the dust. I need to understand my rivals if I am to defeat them."
Naruto's eyes widened, then they closed as he laughed to himself. A competitive smirk was what remained after the laughter. "Fair game, why do you want to become Hokage?"
Dammit, Gosei cursed. He was hoping he didn't ask in return… the shame of admitting that… "I don't know," was unbearable. But Gosei Senju was no liar.
"You… don't know? But, what happened to all of that—"He paused to fix his face into a mocking expression—"I aM tHe SHodAI's DesCeNdaNT! iT'S mY DeSTinY tO Be HoKAge!"
Gosei sucked his teeth at the mockery. "After my defeat, I've realized that all of my bravado was meaningless."
Naruto hummed curiously in response. "Huh, alright… Are you okay, though? Dunno, you really seem… not yourself."
"I'm fine," dismissed Gosei with a huff. Right after, his ramen was served.
"That'll be a thousand Ryo!" said the old man with a smile.
Gosei paid, then ate his ramen. It was by far the best bowl he ever had in his life. Naruto had finished his already, and even still, he stayed. They talked for a while longer, it was quite a pleasant interaction. When they weren't having a battle of destiny, it was quite easy to get along with him.
Once Gosei finished his ramen, he said his goodbyes to Naruto and set off. To gain one's rightful respect is a worthy aspiration. I admire that he aims straight for the top, settling for nothing less than the best.
Gosei smirked. Naruto will be a worthy rival indeed.
Now, how could he apply that to himself. Naruto set his goal to be Hokage out of an innate desire within himself. Before, Gosei had something similar. He believed he had a destiny to set out by virtue of who he was. Perhaps he still did… perhaps not.
With Naruto's ideals, now he knew that desire needed to come from within him, nowhere else was acceptable.
There were many people with an innate desire, an innate drive that he knew, namely his sister. But something within him suspected that there was somebody with a stronger drive.
It was somebody he faced and lost to.
It was the same Shinobi who Natsuyo would have a contest of will against during the final exams.
Rock Lee, the Shinobi incapable of using Ninjutsu or Genjutsu.
He was his next target.
It was easier to find him, it took less time. At training ground fifteen, he saw Might Gai and his two students training vigorously. Neji looked to be the most worn out of the three. He must not have been used to such a strenuous regiment. It made sense that he would train so hard… he was fighting one of those Jinchuriki.
Gosei didn't want to interrupt their training, so he decided to hang back until they stopped, even for a little bit. Before that happened, however, he was noticed. Of course he was, there was no hiding from the Byakugan.
He was signaled to come over, and that he did.
"What brings you here, Gosei?" asked Might Gai, seemingly unphased by the brutal physical training.
Gosei nodded his head. "I apologize for my interruption, but I wish to speak with you, Rock Lee."
"You're not a spy for your sister, are you?" asked Neji suspiciously.
Gosei shook his head. "No, not at all."
Rock Lee stood straight and looked toward Gosei. "I am open to conversation, but please make it quick! I do not wish to stop for too long!"
"Alright," agreed Gosei before taking in a deep breath. "Why did you become a Shinobi? What drives you to fight and train so hard despite being incapable of using Ninjutsu or Genjutsu?" And how did this drive make you so powerful?
"To prove people such as you wrong!" he answered, again without hesitation. "I set out to prove that a Shinobi without Ninjutsu or Genjutsu can still be a splendid ninja! I may be but a Genin now, but I will be Chunin soon and I will make Jonin as well!"
It seems that I'm the commonality… Natsuyo, Naruto, and now Rock Lee. They want to take down people who think like me… people who look down upon them… I create powerful Shinobi through my ideology… Shinobi who are destined to leave me in the dust.
"I see," responded Gosei, nodding along. "I have one more thing to ask, all three of you."
Neji's eyes narrowed, Might Gai raised his chin in pondering. "Ask away, Gosei."
"May I join you? As a Senju, I have spent my entire life above everybody else… I looked down on them. I looked so far down that I was blind to see them rising up to match me. My mother told me that I should never underestimate those with drive, people like you, Rock Lee. That drive has pushed you far beyond anybody's natural talent could provide…
"I wish to learn that drive for myself."
Gosei shut his eyes like a wince, bowing fully to the three. "What other place to learn it than where those who have it the most are? Please allow me to train with you."
"Training with such a worthy opponent would be splendid!" Lee exclaimed with a thumbs up. "I am happy to have you."
"Don't say a word of his training to your sister," Neji warned with a Byakugan glare.
Gosei nodded, still bowing. "You have my word."
"Since both of my students agree, I guess I have little choice but to allow us a third member!" said Might Gai enthusiastically. "The Power of Youth is best grown together!"
With that, Gosei joined up with the three, making it four.
It only took about a hundred one handed pushups for him to regret his decision.
—⊱✿⊰—
Dark and candlelight. His Curse Mark training with Kakashi was… semi-successful. He was able to use it. The malice was still overpowering. There were still weeks left for him to get it under control. Night fell, and Sasuke was underground, in a secret Uchiha Hideout built beneath the compound. It was large enough to fit the entire Uchiha Clan.
Well, it still was.
Even when the clan was just him.
His double-tomoe Sharingan glowed in the fiery ambiance. They were set on a stone in front of him. It had text, most of it unreadable. The Uchiha fan was carved and painted into all four corners. The stone was small, only reaching to half his height, and yet the five sentences on it were the treasure of the Uchiha.
Only those with a Sharingan could only begin to comprehend the text—the word of Indra himself. Indra was the progenitor of the Uchiha… his spirit blessed the most powerful Uchiha of each generation. Madara Uchiha was the previous blessed one, no Uchiha since or before even began to rival him.
The current blessed one.
Well, it was obvious. Who other than Itachi Uchiha?
With Indra's blessing, the very concept of fate was against him in his own destiny. No matter. He would eradicate fate just as he would anyone or anything else that stood in his way.
The way his father explained The Uchiha Stone Tablet to him went as followed: each time one's Sharingan evolved, they would be able to read more and more of the tablet.
That meant in total, there were five evolutions to the Sharingan.
He only had two, barely halfway there. The first two tomoe. It was far from enough… his brother was in possession of the Mangekyou Sharingan. To unlock those eyes, Itachi instructed him to kill his closest friend.
Naruto crossed his mind for a bit… he dismissed him.
There was nobody in mind. Even if there was, why would he do what Itachi instructed him to do? Sasuke would gain power his way, the right way. The way written on the tablet in front of him.
His first tomoe allowed him to read, Eyes of Indra, reflect your soul into the crimson glow.
Yin, the spiritual energy of the soul itself reflected in the eyes. As an Uchiha, his Yin was powerful, it manifested as the Sharingan. To develop his Yin would be to strengthen his Sharingan. That he did, that he always did, since he came back from the Land of Waves.
His Genjutsu was more powerful, the will of his mind was strengthened and layered like a force unmatched.
The second tomoe of his eyes allowed him to read, Crimson soul overtakes the golden body; fight for that which you love.
It was the second sentence that caught him off guard. The Uchiha Stone Tablet was a guide to power, so of course it meant that. The golden body… he had little idea what that referred to. But, to fight for that which he loved…
What did he even love anymore?
It was all stolen from him.
That damned tablet was some sort of cruel joke. Was he even capable of loving again? Did Itachi take that from him too?! Sasuke seethed as his Sharingan glowed the crimson of blood in the darkness.
No… nothing would stop him.
If anything, finding love flew in the face of everything Itachi wanted for him.
This… love.
If it was powerful enough for Indra to note down, then it was worth pursuing. Naruto was the only one to even begin to cross his mind, maybe he was worth talking to.
Those bonds he forsook for so long, maybe they were worth something after all.
—⊱✿⊰—
Kusari Hyuuga, observed Orochimaru, narrowing his golden eyes on the girl in front of him. They glowed in the pitch blackness of night, matching the moonlight. All he did was stand, watching over Kusari as she slept.
Clowui informed him that she was as exceptional as her other targets, Gosei, Sasuke, and Hinata… she was not someone to write off. A sick grin slithered its way across his face. In her match with Hinata, she displayed some of that… it intrigued him to no end.
Unlike any Hyuuga her age, there was a streak of white in the dark of her hair. The only other Hyuuga with white hair—not an elder—was Shiroida. The Main Branch of the Hyuuga came from his bloodline. She was directly related to the Main Branch. Perhaps, there was some sort of ancient awakening within her blood.
Orochimaru's pale hand slid into the white of her hair as she slept. He plucked out a couple of strands—the girl barely noticed, she didn't even shift. Of course she didn't… he knew to be gentle with her. Even as he moved his hand down to her neck, feeling for the beat of her blood vessels.
With a delicate amount of chakra, he siphoned blood from her. It oozed into a hollow space inside his elongated—sharp nail… where he would store it for later. Now, he saved his favorite for last. Orochimaru took his hand off of her neck and up to her forehead. He swayed his hand, getting her bangs out of the way to gaze upon her Caged Bird Seal.
It was written in an entirely different language than the common form of seals, frontier'd by the Uzumaki. Far from an issue… because he knew that language. One sharp finger to the swastika at the center of the seal.
The seal was connected to her eyes, her brain, her very nervous system… and now he was as well. Orochimaru's eyes widened at the knowledge he obtained. It surprised him so much that he almost didn't notice the pair of horrified lavender eyes staring at him.
Orochimaru grinned at her. "Hello, Shivua."
Kusari screamed—guttural and piercing with terror. She struck at him—she struck at nothing. A simple Genjutsu would make her forget the encounter, he made sure of that.
But of course, she'd recall the fear.
Each and every time.
?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter End ~ ?￢ﾜ ?