hi! English isn't my first language. thought in italic , dialogue in " ", POV alterning, flashback between . Italic . and Naruto's still not mine.
WARNING: violence, some gore and death but not too much. Read it anyway.
Also, I recommend reading it with an epic fighting playlist. (anything by Tommee Profitt should work)
Chapter 21
Hinata winced as she cut Matsuri down from her restrains, she'll have to apologize once the tournament was over.
Assessing the kunoichi's injuries, she released a relieved sigh when she concluded there was no internal damage. She really didn't want to hurt her but well she hadn't been an easy opponent, and Hinata wasn't going to hold back just because she liked her.
She promised Kiba to do her best and Sasuke to stop holding back.
The Hyuuga's Byakugan activated again and she was alarmed to see the person who was trailing her make their way to her location at an alarmingly fast rate.
Once she identified her next opponent, she couldn't waste any time. Her hands glowed green with healing chakra as she applied them to Matsuri to ease away her pain before depositing her at the base of a tree. She knew that an Anbu would be nearby to pick her up.
However if a new battle started, they wouldn't intervene. She couldn't risk leaving Matsuri defenseless, especially with the one she'll be facing; the mist shinobi who took out his own comrades first. That he would have no qualm about injuring a third party was a certainty.
Hinata jumped to the nearest branch and veered right. She watched with bated breath as her next adversary arrive where the previous fight took place. And immediately follow the trail of small droplets of blood she left behind.
Good.
When she felt she was far enough she jumped down to a clearing, waiting patiently for the other Shinobi to arrive.
"Are you done running little mouse?" A voice said from the trees.
"That depends, are you done hiding?" Hinata's eyebrows twitched.
"Ah. So, you knew I was trailing you." The shinobi landed on a branch not that far away from her.
He had silver hair that reached the nape of his neck, it was tied in a low ponytail. He was probably close to Kakashi Hatake's age and was built the same. His eyes were a deep purple that gleamed with the type of excitement of someone who was enjoying playing a game.
She guessed from the ridiculous nickname that he fancied himself the cat ready to play with its dinner.
"Nothing can hide from the Byakugan." The Hyuuga stalled trying to catch her breath. She was starting to get tired and she had an inkling she'll be needing all her strength for this fight.
"Is that so?" He grinned lopsidedly "I've been watching you for a while. So why didn't you call me out on it sooner?"
"I like to do things on my terms." She said her hand nearing her weapon pouch.
"Oh, I know." His voice was playful "I saw the way you carefully chose your battles, where and when you conduct them. You're certainly an interesting one."
She kept quiet.
"You miscalculated by running away. Not that I'd blame a prey's instincts" He regarded her with that gleam again. She did not like it "You could've rested a bit until I arrived instead of resorting to sneaking in shallow breaths now."
Not good.
"Unless you wanted me to follow you here" He shook his head once realization dawned on him "You disappoint me little mouse. To put yourself at a disadvantage to protect someone else. That's called stupidity."
"It's called loyalty." The kunoichi tried not to grit her teeth, she was starting to feel the sting of Matsuri's bullets.
"You Konoha Shinobis and your delusions of friendships" He rolled his purple eyes "Didn't that mentor of yours teach you that it was every man for himself? I thought a traitor to his village would've at least understood that."
"I know all about how you treat your comrades." She ignored his jab at Sasuke as she recalled seeing the fight between all the Mist shinobi, their philosophy was certainly different.
"Have you been watching me too?" His eyes filled with excitement "You'll make for an interesting toy indeed, considering who's been training you. I always wanted to fight the Uchiha you know, I guess you'll do for now."
I didn't think I would meet another fangirl or fanboy so soon.
Hinata took her stance now that she felt her breath even out.
"Oh. You want to play with me too?" He took his own stance when veins popped on her temples "This is going to be fun."
He started weaving hand signs at a fast pace. Her eyes narrowed as a thick fog filled the clearing obscuring visibility.
Sasuke watched Hinata deposit the other kunoichi gently on the ground. He kept an eye on another section of the screen where he could see a shinobi running at top speed. The changing scenery suggested he was heading straight to Hinata.
The way she instantly took to the trees suggested she was aware of him.
"Why is she smearing her blood on the trees?" Temari frowned, she wasn't pleased that Matsuri was beaten but she couldn't exactly resent the other kunoichi especially since she took the time to cut her down and treat some of her injuries.
"She's leaving a trail." Kakashi answered. "Someone was obviously coming."
"Wouldn't it have been more strategic to hide and rest a bit?" The sand kunoichi asked "The last fight was grueling."
"She's using herself as bait" Gaara answered as he spotted the Mist nin completely ignore his unconscious student and pursue the Hyuuga "To get him away from Matsuri so she doesn't end up being collateral damage."
Temari felt her respect for the other kunoichi rise even more.
They watched as the mist shinobi stop and start conversing with the Hyuuga. Naruto looked at Neji and saw him tense.
"Well, what is he saying to her?" The Hokage asked.
"Nothing that sounds good." The Byakugan user answered clenching his fist.
Sasuke himself wasn't liking this very much. From what he can read of the body language, the shinobi reminded him of the type of crowd he used to run around with when he was rogue.
"Shikamaru. Who is he?" he asked knowing that the Nara probably had intelligence about all the participants files.
"Zeda Usui, also known as Z. He's a Kiri Jonin. Went rogue for a couple of years in his Chunin days and was granted a pardon by the Mizukage. Was initially up to be a Hunter-nin in Kiri's Anbu Ops but was deemed unfit for the position." Shikamaru hesitated "He's been known to like playing with his prey a little too much."
Sasuke observed as Hinata remained calm in the face of what was clearly an unnerving adversary. He felt that twinge of concern slowly ebbing away.
She can take him.
"How was someone like that granted access to the tournament?" Neji asked as he confirmed what the Nara said by the words the shinobi used while addressing his cousin.
"Oh! I remember." Naruto cringed at the glares he received from the two Dojutsu users "The Mizukage sent a special request. This event was to be a trial run for him, to see if he can withstand the temptation of well…losing himself in the high of the hunt in such an environment."
"Well, he is tempted." Neji sighed reminding himself that murdering the Hokage in front of thousands of witnesses was a bad idea. "He's been referring to Hinata-sama as little mouse that he's eager to play with!?"
Naruto cringed again.
"Now that's just creepy." Temari said.
"I do understand the temptation." The Kazekage stated receiving a glare from the Hyuuga male "If what Nara-san's saying is accurate, Hyuuga-san must have piqued his interest."
"That makes sense." The Nara contemplated "Hinata-san is a tracker herself and a damn good one at that. She is very hard to track and wouldn't be easy to capture. Add to it that she possesses a kekkei genkai designed to see him coming. And I'm guessing that the fact she was trained by a former missing-nin who was never captured must add to the appeal."
"So, what you're saying is that she is a worthy challenge in a neat little package." Genma exclaimed.
"Are we done talking about my cousin like she's someone's next meal?" Neji's icy glare was chilling.
They all directed their attention to as fog obscuring the screen.
" Well, that's not good. Hidden Mist Jutsu." Kakashi observed "Do you remember Team 7's first C-rank outside the village to the Land of Waves."
"Yes. We fought Zabuza Momochi and Haku." Naruto looked at the silver-haired Jonin.
"That Jutsu was capable of impairing my Sharingan and would probably be able to do the same for the Rinnegan." The Copycat ninja glanced at his dark-haired student.
"Maybe." Neji crossed his arms "but the Byakugan sees all."
"And even if he did find a way to neutralize it." Genma said addressing the Hyuuga "We know she's ready for that."
" What do you mean?" Naruto inquired.
"Let's just say we play in the dark regularly." The Uchiha answered as he observed the fog thicken on the screen.
"Is that a sexual euphemism?" Kakashi asked. "Not very creative Sasuke-kun."
"That is not what I meant." Sasuke growled.
"Kakashi- sensei you're such a pervert!" Naruto exclaimed red faced.
"Well, what was I supposed to think?" The silver haired Jonin shrugged.
"It's a game that involves a kunai and a blindfold." The ex-avenger glared at his sensei.
"Kinky."
His crimson eyes did nothing to distract from the crimson shade that graced the top of his ears.
"How about we go back to watching the match." Temari suggested "before Hyuuga-san starts foaming at the mouth."
When they looked back at Neji, he really did seem about to have some type of fit. And although Sasuke was usually quite happy to reduce him to a blundering mess. Something he also enjoyed doing to Hinata but differently. Must be a Hyuuga thing. He was not at all pleased with being on the receiving end of Kakashi's public teasing.
With that he returned his focus to the screen.
Hinata moved to the left avoiding another icicle.
After being submerged in the thickest fog she's ever encountered, her adversary who she surmised was in the midst of some type of mental breakdown started using an Ice Jutsu.
Now that was a rare affinity.
The fog certainly wasn't helping, and although she was able to pinpoint his direction by the sound of his what-she'll-refer-to-as villain monologue. A cliche if she's ever seen one. It was hard for her to launch an attack, as his kept her on the defensive.
"You know little mouse. I had my eyes on you for a while now. In fact, I perfected my Mist Jutsu just for you and the other Hyuuga."
It was indeed very ingenious.
The fog wasn't just ordinary and thick, it was saturated with chakra. Overwhelming her Byakugan and making the whole terrain look like one big chakra blob, rendering it useless.
Which was why she turned it off and opted to use the skill she acquired from the many blindfolded training sessions with Sasuke.
She sensed another chakra peak which meant an attack. Soon after, sharp ice spears tried to impale her from both sides.
"Let me tell you what I learned about you little mouse."
Eghh she was really hating this nickname. She knew that if Sasuke was able to see the grimace on her face every time it was uttered, he would've looked at her with that gleam of amusement that she knew meant he must be laughing at her internally.
"Pay attention little mouse." Another icicle was launched her way seemingly out of nowhere.
Right. Not the time to be daydreaming about Sasuke's mesmerizing eyes.
A thing she was denying doing.
She retaliated with a bolt of lightning. It wasn't very effective judging by that maniacal laugh.
"That will not work" Z singsong "I know your technique requires a closer approach. Nice try though little mouse."
This is really getting annoying.
Probably the nickname rubbing her wrong.
" As I was saying, dear prey before you so rudely interrupted." This time kunais headed her way " I know all about you lightning tricks. The way a touch from those delicate hands can bring a grown man to his knees."
Accurate. However not doable at the moment.
"And how you like laying your wires and traps to use as a conduit when you can't get your way. Very clever." Was it necessary to be subjected to this tedious one-sided conversation? "However seeing as you're caught in my own trap that'll be hard to do."
Again. Frustrating in its accuracy.
"So while you were watching everyone else I was watching you." Creepy "and so now you are my perfect prey, completely at my mercy."
Just her luck to face some type of obsessed stalker.
"You are of course a delicious snack." Just lovely. " And I must confess you surprised me with your ability to dodge blindly, although I am enjoying our game little mouse it must come to an end."
Hinata's eyes widened as she felt a gush of ice-cold air under her feet that stuck to the ground.
Damn it.
She hadn't noticed he had been pushing her to a certain direction. He must've performed this jutsu in conjecture with his other attacks so she didn't detect it.
"Game over. Little mouse."
'WATER STYLE JUTSU: ICE PRISON!'
The fog cleared as jagged ice incased all her body turning her into some type of conserved specimen in a crystal.
"Shit." Naruto mumbled as they watched Hinata get immobilized by a powerful Ice Jutsu.
Everyone held their breath. That everyone glanced at Neji in a plea for him to transmit what the Kiri nin was still mumbling shouldn't have been surprising. Sasuke had activated his own Sharingan so he could also read his lips.
"I did consider just killing you, you know." Z said "But I did promise to be on my best behavior, however that water affinity you all Hyuuga possess render you more likely to freeze to death. It's not exactly my fault."
"Kakashi." Sasuke's voice was calm and collected "How high are the chances of this guy belonging to the Yuki clan?"
"How is this relevant right now?!" Naruto really wished for Hinata to beat this guy and he was concerned that she was in genuine danger.
The Uchiha remembered well Haku Yuki. The first opponent he faced that almost killed him with his fire resisting Ice mirror prison.
"Kakashi."
"Close to none" The silver haired jonin was perplexed by his student's random question "As far as I'm aware the bloodline died with Haku in the Land of Waves twelve years ago."
A smirk appeared on Sasuke's lips.
Go ahead princess. Light it up.
Z was walking away, musing about his next prey. Maybe the second Hyuuga, he doubted he'd pose a better challenge than this one who wasn't that easy to capture.
Hinata watched the back of her opponent getting away through the distorted shards of her Ice prison.
No. This is not over.
She took a big shuddering breath; the cold air would have frozen her lungs if it weren't for the special way, she was breathing in.
.
"Remember, it comes from the breath not the muscle" Sasuke was rubbing a soothing ointment on the corner of her lips after they finished training for the day "The breath becomes chakra in the body. The chakra extends past your lips and becomes..."
.
Fire!
Shards of ice flew everywhere.
Z turned around at the sound of cracking. A silhouette rose from the destroyed ice prison, the residual fog gave her an eerie aura, so did that calm look etched on her face as she stepped out of her previous confinement.
"How in the hell?" The Kiri nin was bewildered. " That trap was unescapable, made specifically for you. I made sure of taking everything into account. I studied you thoroughly!"
"You talk too much." The kunoichi dusted the ice from her shoulder ignoring the spiraling shinobi in front of her who kept ranting. In any other situation the heiress would've been appalled by her own rude behavior. But frankly she was annoyed. She was freezing and starting to get a serious headache from overusing her Byakugan for hours and she was about done with this whole situation.
She frowned at the tear in her outfit. Now she was beyond annoyed. She really liked this new ninja attire that Sasuke obviously put a lot of effort in.
"Am I finally seeing that famous Hyuuga arrogance and pride?!" A more maniac gleam filled his eyes as a spear made of hardened Ice formed in his hand. "Don't underestimate me! You are the prey! I eat Hyuugas like you."
.
"Burn bright Hinata Hyuuga."
.
Hinata glanced at her hand as a flickering flame appeared in it. Its soft blue glow cast shadows on her face. A small smile graced her lips.
"There is no Hyuuga like me."
.
"Light it up."
.
Light it up.
Light it up.
Light it up!
And all hell broke loose.
For a moment time stopped. Something that seemed improbable became tangible.
Different people from different nations bore witness to one small delicate looking girl bend reality to her will. Gasps and exclamations of shock filled the stands.
More than half the Hyuuga section bolted up, floored by the display on the screen. Because right there in front of their all-seeing eyes, was their timid harmless heiress shooting destructive blue flames out of her limbs.
Those who had no idea how much of a rarity it was to see someone of the Hyuuga bloodline even possessing such an affinity were still awestruck by the way she wielded that unusual blue fire. Expressions of wonder and veneration filled many faces, a reverence he hadn't seen since the first-time shinobi laid eyes on the black flames of his Amaterasu.
She was simply divine.
"How is that possible?" Neji staggered his eyes wide, completely thunderstruck. "Uchiha, what did you do to her?!"
He didn't know.
Her clan had kept it a secret even from the closest people to her.
Their secret shame. Their disgraceful heiress.
Their loss. His gain. A rare priceless jewel to be cherished.
Sasuke looked at Hiashi Hyuuga who looked right back at him, knowing that he could read his lips.
"I set her free."
No matter how many times she's done this before, she was always a little surprised when her chakra would obey her command and transform into flames.
She's been taught it was unnatural and learned to suppress it so much it became second nature to keep her chakra flow a little slower. A bit lighter. Flowing not racing. Cooling not scorching. She never knew how stifling that was until the day Sasuke had her copy a series of hand signs and breathe life to her first fireball. But it was the opposite really it breathed life back into her.
It was exhilarating. It was why in this moment even though she was battling a dangerous foe she couldn't help but smile slightly whenever another blue flame left her palm.
Unlike her lighting attack, those few bolts of electricity that coiled around her fingers were subtle. Her flames were anything but.
They were destructive. Wild. Untamed.
"What fresh hell is this?!" Z screamed as he barely got out of the way of a blazing attack. He couldn't touch her. Every attack of his evaporated instantly when they touched those freakish flames.
They went from a defense against his icicle into offence the second he stopped; he could feel several burns already littering his body. But he had a feeling she was just warming up.
Z watched as the Hyuuga jumped high over her own rising pyres and shoot of another burst of blinding fire in his direction. He could see in her eyes that she was done playing.
"I've never seen anything like this." Kakashi's visible eye widened "She's not even using hand signs between her attacks."
"She doesn't need to." Sasuke's eyes didn't leave her spinning form "That's how absolute her control is."
"emm. No offense but that doesn't look very controlled." Naruto said watching a column of fire erupting.
"Oh trust me it is." The Uchiha smirked remembering all the instances she almost started a wildfire in the forest. "Look again. She's trying not to burn him badly. She's just neutralizing his attacks for now."
The Konoha shinobis came to the conclusion that Sasuke was indeed right. Although the attack seemed relentless, they were causing minimal damage and had for intent to disarm and overwhelm.
"So she's…toying with him?" Genma's sebon was on the edge of his mouth about to fall off. He knew the Hyuuga heiress must be exceptional to have caught the Commander's eye but he had no idea how much she was.
A bit. Sasuke smirked. Maybe his vindictiveness has rubbed off on her.
"No, Hinata-sama just doesn't believe in unnecessary bloodshed." Neji watched as his cousin spun as if to perform a rotation but saw a circular ring of fire protect her instead. That's when he figured it out. "She's using the elemental chakra almost the same way we use the Vacuum Palm! That's why the flames are literally shooting from her palms."
"Incredible." Kakashi breathed "That level of mastery and control. How did you help her gain it in such little time Sasuke?"
"I didn't. The control was already there." The Uchiha's gaze left his apprentice to glare down at her father who seemed to sense his gaze "When you spend your whole life being forced to suppress a natural instinct, you learn to detangle the elemental energy and only use chakra in its raw form while repressing the rest."
"So Hinata-sama can call on which ever chakra form she pleases directly from her core."Sasuke could see Neji's fist clenching, he was familiar with the ways of his clan and what they might have thought of small sweet soft spoken Hinata having a different chakra affinity "Because she didn't have a choice but to learn how to."
"It is probably also why the flames are blue." Kakashi ignored the puzzled looks around him " It's taking the tint of her own chakra being stocked in her core for what I'm assuming is a long time." His one visible eye narrowed, Kurenai had told him of the restriction imposed by the Hyuuga clan on Hinata but he didn't think it ran this deep. She's lucky no irreparable damage was done to her chakra pathways.
"All she needed was a spark to ignite." The Uchiha smirked widely as he watched her shoot one last burst of flames.
As it got closer to the Kiri nin who dodged, it suddenly opened in a circle and Hinata's lightning charged leg shot out colliding with the side of his head sending him barreling towards a tree.
Hinata stood chest heaving as she watched her opponent's unmoving form. He was out like a light. She definitely gave him a concussion with that last blow to the head.
Pearly eyes blinked as they stayed fixed on the fallen Kiri shinobi waiting for him to stand up again.
But no such thing happened.
The sound of the crackling fire was soothing in the silence.
It didn't really register until now. Maybe it was because she has been training exclusively with Sasuke so she didn't get the chance to measure her skills against someone else. She knew that the Kiri shinobi was going to be a tough opponent. Not that her previous ones were easy but Z was on a higher caliber; the type of adversary she would've dreaded facing a year ago and would have paralyzed her with fear at twelve. And yet she beat him.
She had gotten stronger.
"That felt so good." The Hyuuga felt a smile stretching her lips. Maybe Sasuke was right, she was an adrenaline junkie.
The kunoichi took a few paces toward the nearest tree and sat down to recuperate after making sure there was no immediate danger around her.
Ten minutes.
She'll rest for ten minutes before resuming. She closed her eye enjoying the breeze playing with her bangs, paying no mind to the sound of rustling near her.
The masked Anbu looked at the girl sitting in the midst of a burning clearing calmly meditating. As he hoisted up the unconscious but very much alive ninja her soft voice halted him.
"Anbu-san?" her eyes were still closed "When you get him back to the hospital, do you mind telling them to use Medic Hyuuga's special burn ointment so they don't scar."
"Of course, Hyuuga-san." The masked man answered before jumping away.
What a strange kunoichi worried about scaring her enemies.
Once she got over her initial shock. Hanabi glanced to her father who sat rigidly ignoring the outrage around him. She was sure he was aware of the hissing of the elders about how Hinata had once again ruined the Hyuuga image.
The younger heiress felt her anger mounting, she was about to reprimand the overzealous elder, who seemed to have forgotten that official heir or not Hinata is the eldest daughter of the head of the clan, a direct descendant from the first main family and that no matter how much he wanted it to be otherwise her station still demanded respect. But her father beat her to the punch.
"That is enough elder Hijo." Hiashi said sternly "I indulged your request of banning Hinata from using Hyuuga techniques when officially representing another clan. However, you can hardly expect her to just stay helpless and not use her other talents to defend herself."
"Talents?! That barbaric display is not the way of the Hyuuga. It's disgraceful." Hijo continued " I implore you Hiashi-sama reconsider my early proposal. If we can seal…"
"I do hope you are not implying what I think you are implying." Hanabi growled "Because if you are..."
"Hanabi. That's enough. Control your emotions." Her father reprimanded "Elder Hijo you've made your case in front of the council and was refused. Hinata technically didn't commit any afront that is ground for a punishment that severe and she was simply better prepared. As expected from my daughter."
Hanabi could hear the note of pride in her father's voice.
"That was before seeing this…"
"Hanabi." The Hyuuga clan leader cut him off "As a future head of the clan how would you respond to elder Hijo's request?"
"Well, I'd first remind him that just because my sister refused his suit, rightfully so might I add. He's like a hundred" She ignored her father's warning look "doesn't mean we need to be subjected to his bruised ego every two seconds."
"Hanabi."
"I'd also would like to remind all of you." Hanabi's voice rose so that the rest of elders could hear her "That it is not in our best interest to start a war with the Uchiha clan. Just because Uchiha-san had the tact of not intervening in internal clan matters doesn't mean he won't if you decide to overstep your bound and try to permanently affect a member of his household."
"Well said daughter." Hiashi inclined his head "Your diplomacy is improving."
"Thank you, father. Hinata is an excellent teacher." Hanabi grinned.
"You are too soft Hiashi." A voice said.
The youngest Hyuuga shivered at her grandfather's voice. He still made her feel nervous until this day, she was glad she didn't spend a lot of time with him when she was little. She wasn't the heir at the time. Only the heir got to be trained by the former clan head, she wondered how her sister managed to survive being around the heartless man who sentenced his own youngest son to die for the sake of the clan. Hanabi might've not been born yet at the time but she still heard of the whispers of what happened to her uncle Hizashi, Neji's father.
The young kunoichi shook herself out of her dreary thoughts and went back to watching the big screen. Now that the number of participants has dwindled it was only divided in four small images.
One had her sister who stopped resting and was apparently making her way towards the opposite side of the Forest.
Another had Hiroji Hyuuga fighting three cloud ninja.
That's weird.
Hanabi frowned as she watched two screen merge into one as two additional cloud ninja met halfway. Without engaging in a fight, they headed together towards the Hyuuga champion.
Her blood ran cold.
She whipped her head up towards the Hokage's entourage and found Neji's tense form. He seemed to have reached the same conclusion she had.
Sasuke teared his eyes from Hinata's moving form on the screen as he felt the spike of chakra near him.
"What is it Hyuuga?" The Uchiha asked the paling man.
"They're surrounding Hiroji-san." Neji answered his gaze fixed on his fellow branch member trying to fend off five opponents, he glanced at the sixth who was also making his way there.
"There's no rule that says they can't team up." The raven-haired also watched the Hyuuga get struck down by a kunai to the side and get up barely dodging a sword to the head.
"They're Kumo nin." The Byakugan user answered as if that should've cleared everything up "The Hyuuga clan has a history with them."
"The Hyuuga affair." Shikamaru murmured near him, at his raised eyebrow he continued "The attempt of Dojutsu theft by Kumo at the signing of the peace treaty between our two villages."
"A nice third birthday present for the Hyuuga heiress." Neji's fist clenched.
"You think they are using the tournament to settle the score." Naruto's blue eyes gained that sharp quality that reminded everyone why he was elected their leader.
"The score has already been unjustly settled." The Hyuuga gritted his teeth "My father paid the price to preserve the peace at the third Hokage's behest."
Another dark Konoha secret? The last Uchiha frowned.
"Hinata was kidnapped by the cloud representative on her third birthday probably to extract her Byakugan" Shikamaru filled the rest in "Her father apprehended the intruder and killed him, but Kumo denied it and claimed it was in violation of the treaty demanding a life for a life otherwise the war would restart."
"My father sacrificed himself instead of his twin brother knowing that with his death not only will the village be safe but the Byakugan's secrets too being from the branch family." Neji continued glaring at the screen.
That might explain the rift between Hinata and Neji when they were younger.
Sasuke now understood the cause of her heart injury, Neji used to blame her for his father's death. He glanced once again at the Hyuuga near him noting his widening eyes and blanching complexion.
"Don't." Neji said under his breath, horrified silver eyes fixed on the screen. "Don't be an idiot."
Sasuke turned his own eyes to the screen. He spotted Hinata suddenly stop, veins protruding at her temple. One moment she was still and the next she was running at top speed into a different direction.
Straight to the clearing where Hiroji Hyuuga was being surrounded by six cloud shinobi whose aim to kill was made abundantly clear.
Hiroji never paid much thought to the way he would die. He assumed it will be on a mission for his village. Or maybe if he was lucky, he'll die at the age of eighty in his lover's embrace.
She'll sure be pissed. She was against him participating in the tournament, but he wanted that place of honor as a personal guard to one of the elders and when he has been presented with the opportunity, he couldn't refuse not that he could anyway. All his life he's been taught to obey and be ready to die for the main branch and he accepted that.
She had said that the main branch never cared for any of them anyway, specifically that elder he was supposed to be a guard for, he shrugged her off. She wasn't a shinobi so she didn't understand that this was a sacred duty.
And because it was his sacred duty, when he saw the Heiress suddenly appear in his range, he frantically fought harder disabling one opponent and trying to get to the next even though he was bleeding profusely.
His direct order from elder Hijo was to beat the 'Uchiha representative' in a very humiliating manner. But this was beyond inner clan games. These Kumo ninja were after the secrets of the Byakugan and it was his duty to protect them.
Why was she even coming here instead of fleeing the other direction? It didn't make sense. She must've understood the danger posed.
Hiroji screamed as his hand was crushed in his opponent's grip. The pain made his Byakugan falter which allowed the cloud nin to hit him from behind and force him to his knees. He felt a grip on his hair making him look up at the grinning shinobi.
"Don't worry. We'll make good use of those eyes." He said as he pressed a kunai at his throat.
Hiroji sucked in a breath when another kunai flew cutting the cloud shinobi at his temple near his right eye.
"Let him go." A feminine voice said from the depth of the forest "There's no need for bloodshed, you won."
"Who's there?!" Shouted one of the shinobi.
"Go away." The Hyuuga male's voice was shaking "This doesn't concern you."
"I will not repeat myself" She said coming to the light, the shades of the trees were obscuring her face but her womanly body was visible to the eyes of the five standing shinobi.
"Listen to the man little lady." Said the one gripping his hair "This does not concern you."
"I believe it does." Hiroji closed his eyes knowing what was about to happen "You're threatening a member of my family and that I cannot allow."
He had heard about the kind weak heiress. He had never personally interacted with her before but he knew what most of the branch member thought of her. They said that she treated all Hyuugas equally, that she abhorred the way they were treated. And that she'll do anything in her power to help them. Pretty empty words he had thought at the time, yet here she was defending him.
"My Lady please." He murmured "Run."
He shouldn't have used that honorific.
"Look alive boys" The hulky man resting against the tree and their leader said "We got ourselves one high-class Hyuuga lady."
Hiroji watched in horror as the kunoichi took another step further into the clearing making her identity known.
"Six against one, really? How noble." Hinata said nonchalantly glancing at each one and taking note of their build and weapons.
"We can't all be heirs to noble clans." The same one answered "yes I remember you, that distinct hair shade. You're the heiress my brother was supposed to kidnap twenty years ago. You grew up."
"Then you know what happened." Her voice didn't waver but there was a hint of suppressed anger "Let's not make the same mistakes again, this is a peace tournament."
"That's the beauty of this lovely tournament" Said another shinobi "We all signed the waiver, there will be no consequences to what happens in here."
"And if a couple body parts were to go missing who'd notice anyway." Finished the other smirking.
"You really believe the Hyuuga clan will let you leave with the most guarded secret in its history." Hiroji hissed trying to turn the attention back to him.
"They did before, didn't they?" Their leader spoke his eyes not wavering from the heiress's tense form "Although that corpse was absolutely useless." Hiroji could see her hands clenching "Oh? did I hit a nerve? Was the Hyuuga that was killed twenty years ago someone dear to you?"
The Uchiha was watching the conversation, his Sharingan allowed him to know what was being said. He already knew that these cloud shinobi were possibly here for the sole purpose of obtaining the Byakugan, but knowing that there was also a personal history only seemed to increase the stakes.
"Commander." Neji's professional tone snapped him out of his thoughts "Permission to approach."
Sasuke glanced at the Hyuuga who held his gaze to convey the seriousness of his request.
"Denied."
"Uchiha!" the brown-haired man hissed "She is outnumbered."
Sasuke ignored him, focusing his attention on Hinata's face. He could see the simmering anger, the stormbrewing in the depth of those mesmerizing eyes. But he could also see a sharpness, a moment the label changed from simple opponent to enemy in her mind.
Good.
Hinata appeared to grasp the situation perfectly. It was kill or be killed.
"Hokage-sama." Neji tried again "Permission to engage."
"I'm sorry Neji. She signed the waver." Naruto's voice was firm but compassionate "you can't intervene."
"You and I both know this is beyond normal circumstances." The Hyuuga was frantic "I know her, she won't use Hyuuga techniques. That'll cripple her. We can't just watch her get…."
"Hyuuga." His voice was stern "Do you truly believe I would let her die?"
"Sasuke." Naruto reprimanded.
Azure blue clashed with obsidian in a battle of wills. Sasuke's gaze left no doubt that if he truly thought that her life was in danger he would intervene and there was nothing the blond could do to stop him. To hell with the consequences. However, he will not rob her of this opportunity to seek justice for her kin.
Neji nodded stiffly to the Uchiha. It was hard to watch the possible killers of his father attempt to take away his cousin too, his sister in everything but blood.
"Dai!" The shinobi that was paralyzed by Hiroji's gentle fist spoke with a shaky voice. "You heard the boss, we get the Hyuuga champion and steer clear of the Uchiha one."
"Well, the boss is not here. I'm not afraid of the last Uchiha's possible retribution." Dai answered "He's another one I have a score to settle with. I say we hit two birds with one stone."
"This is a bad idea." The incapacitated shinobi spoke again.
"Shut up Kenji!" He screamed "You didn't answer me girl. Was that Hyuuga someone close to you?"
"My uncle." Hinata's eyes were two chipped ice shards. Hiroji glanced at her hands that relaxed and started to tap on her right leg. The Hyuuga male frowned before realization struck him.
Standard Konoha shinobi morse code.
Determination filled him as he understood what his heiress was asking him to do. There was no escaping this fight anyway now.
"Do you want to know what we did to him?" Dai taunted, the kunoichi's eyes hardened "Don't worry. We gave him one quick death."
Hiroji discreetly gathered chakra to the palm of his hand that was positioned near his captor's leg. He didn't move as the kunai against his neck was still a very real threat.
"Your death however will not be quick." The Cloud nin grinned maliciously "after I'm done with you, I'm going to pluck your pretty little eyes out of your skull and send your severed head as a gift to the Uchiha."
Now!
Hiroji released chakra from his palm prompting his captor to falter momentarily.
CRACK!
All the cloud shinobi blinked in shock at the girl holding the neck of their comrade at an unnatural angle. They didn't expect her to move that fast or that suddenly. They didn't expect her to snap his neck with such brutality, with no hesitation.
"One quick death." Hinata said watching the corpse of the shinobi hit the ground with resounding finality.
"GET HER!" Dai roared.
She jumped in front of the other Hyuuga and unleashed herself with all her might.
"This is just wrong." Temari winced "watching someone as kind as Hinata-san take a life."
"Why?" Kakashi answered "She's a kunoichi same as you. She fought in the war same as you."
"I know it's just.." the sand nin was interrupted .
"You all constantly forget." Sasuke watched as two kunai slash the neck of a second shinobi, painting her face red with blood "That under that princess exterior beats the heart of a warrior."
"That is the woman who faced Pein bravely to save my life." Naruto smiled " Hinata will always do what is necessary to protect those who need it. That's her ninja way."
The Uchiha agreed with his friend, but still understood where Temari was coming from. Hinata was displaying a ruthlessness most weren't accustomed to seeing. Maybe because they were used to her stopping a heart with a few taps of her fingers, but she didn't have the luxury of being delicate about it especially with an injured comrade.
And the fact that she's using all that was at her disposal proved she intends to survive this encounter.
Absolute chaos. And in the eye of the storm Hinata spun on the ball of her feet dodging and attacking with accuracy.
Jab. Jump. Jab. Bend. Shunshin away. Fire. Repeat.
It was a deadly dance that she only perfected more with the hours she spent in a training ground learning from an exceptional teacher.
.
"As a devout feminist I refuse to say that you hit like a girl." Sasuke said grasping her palm. They started training together two weeks ago and Hinata was starting to get fed up with his level of sarcasm.
"Fighting is a rhythm. There is a meter, there's a pattern. Let that rhythm beat within you." He said batting her next attack away.
"Like a dance." Hinata spun.
"Sure, Let's go with that. Again." She obliged trying to attack faster but he grasped her hands and leg over and over " And then once you established a cadence…"
The kunoichi swiped at him from a different direction, pushing him against a tree her chakra infused palm rested on his chest.
"You change the key." She smiled up at him.
"Very good." He positioned her hand on the center of his chest "Now, the head or the heart? None of this means anything if you cannot make the kill."
"I don't like ending a life." The blue haired kunoichi murmured.
"Sometimes it is necessary to survive." Sasuke pressed her palm more firmly on his beating heart "So Hyuuga what will it be, the head or the heart?"
.
The head.
The shinobi only had a second to be surprised when the Konoha kunoichi spun around with two kunais grasped in her hands instead of materializing behind him and launching another fire Jutsu.
He gurgled, chocking on his own blood as she unsheathed his own sword from his waist before turning to stop his comrade's blade that was aimed at her back.
He was on the ground bleeding to death in the span of three seconds.
Two down. Three to go.
Hinata could feel the blade she borrowed straining under the much more solid sword of her enemy, she improvised by swiping her leg up trying to release fire from the sole of her feet. It worked. The small flame startled him which made him rear back giving her an opportunity to retreat but not before he left a deep gash on her arm.
The second shinobi launched a kunai at her back before she could gain her momentum. The sound of clinging of metal on metal reached her ears as Hiroji let his own weapon fly to protect her from the attack. He still couldn't fight at all capacity with his bleeding abdomen and broken wrist but he could guard her back from his position.
The Hyuuga heiress sped towards her next opponent, finger laced with lightning. One, two, three jabs. Shocking his nervous system, she kicked him towards the other Hyuuga .That's bound to slow him down enough for Hiroji to take him on. She watched with her Byakugan to make sure he had a handle on the situation which proved to be the case.
She spun around again this time ready for Dai and the other nin. Both were weapon users Dai with a naginata and the second with a big sword. Hinata grasped the disregarded katana from the ground and jumped ahead. She wasn't very good with a blade, Sasuke had only taught her the basics. But it'll have to do for now.
The fight was displayed on the whole screen and the whole crowd was watching with batted breath. There were no more participants other than the one fighting in the clearing.
Most had no idea how high the stakes were. But the higher-level officers and the Hyuuga clan member knew exactly what was going on.
Sasuke watched as Hinata rolled out of the way of the gigantic sword that was going to take her head off. A lightening infused naginata followed her, she barely dodged.
"She's getting tired." Neji was rigid, reflecting an uneasiness he's never seen before in the usually stoic Anbu.
The Uchiha knew he was right, he noticed how she wasn't using anymore fire jutsu. She stuck to Taijutsu and the katana she swiped off of a dead enemy.
She's low on chakra.
That was to be expected, she's been fighting for hours using her Byakugan and she used quite a lot of chakra fighting the previous battle against the Mist shinobi.
Hiroji Hyuuga was in no shape to help her up close as he was fending off the third ninja, preventing him from joining the fray. He did however throw a kunai or two every time the shinobi named Dai was about to strike her from behind when she was busy with the sword wielding one.
"Come on Hinata." Naruto spoke as she was launched a few feet away by a fist to the stomach.
Dai was once again heading her way when the Hyuuga male intercepted him with a Vaccum Palm launching him away from the heiress who was on the ground on her back, before turning back to his own opponent ready to finish him off.
Hinata was gritting her teeth using both hands to hold the katana and push away the sharp blade of the sword pressing closer to her neck.
She was also aware of Dai running towards her, thanks to Hiroji's well timed Vaccum Palm he was derailed and went crashing into a tree.
She turned back her focus on her own adversary. His blade was getting too close for comfort. He unfortunately was physically stronger and the kunoichi was straining, her own katana was cutting her palms.
Just a little bit more.
She suddenly stopped resisting making him stagger forward. Using his momentum against him, her foot connected with his groin. He screamed as lightning burned a very sensitive area.
Now!
Hinata kicked the hand using his sword, and drove hers into his heart.
She didn't have time to register his death before she heard Dai's shout of outrage, but he wasn't coming at her. He was running towards Hiroji who just finished off his own opponent with one last gentle fist to the heart.
He wouldn't be able to dodge.
Her body reacted on its own. Teleporting using Shunshin.
Neji watched horrified as his cousin used her own body to block the attack. The blade went through her, missing her lung by a small margin.
Blood soaked the ground, as Hinata grimaced.
"Uchiha." The Hyuuga's voice trembled in a plea for him to put a stop to the battle.
But Sasuke wasn't moving.
"My lady!" Hiroji screamed as his feet collapsed from the strain. His chakra was depleted completely.
Hinata hissed as Dai vindictively pushed the blade in more deeply. Lightning crackled and gathered at the tip of his naginata.
"UCHIHA!" Neji screamed at the raven-haired man who's Rinnegan still didn't make an appearance.
"Wait."
.
"So far my concern are Cloud shinobis. I know nothing about them." Hinata said
"Their primary Jutsu are lightning based." The Uchiha recalled his many opponents in his rogue days.
"That's bad." Her shoulders slumped. Having the same affinity put her at a disadvantage.
"Not necessarily." Her head snapped to him. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve I can teach you.
.
Hinata seized the naginata with both hands as the immense amount of lightning traversed along the handle.
.
"Precise. Controlled. That is your advantage against those with the same affinity, because no one has the same level of mastery as you do. And so, no matter how strong someone else's technique is, you should be able to tame it and redirect it easily"
.
"UCHIHA DO SOMETHING!" Neji bellowed
"Wait."
"SASUKE!"
"Any last words?" Dai said as his lightning Jutsu coated his weapon.
"Yes." Bolts of electricity enveloped her arms charring them as Hiroji watched helplessly.
A harrowing scream filled the clearing.
But it wasn't hers.
Dai's entire body was convulsing as she used his own weapon to turn his attack against him. He didn't understand what was happening. He staggered as he let go of the handle when she jumped away. Wires encircled his body, tying him firmly to the bark of a big tree.
He followed the trail of the threads with his eyes. They ended between clenched pearly white teeth, that moved uttering the last words he'll ever hear on this earth.
"Burn in hell."
'FIRE STYLE: DRAGON FLAME JUTSU'
A blazing blue inferno traversed from her mouth along the strings setting the tree with the attached body aflame like a pyre.
Hinata pulled the blade still protruding from her shoulder as she watched the fire consume the ancient tree. When the screams of her enemy ceased, she untied her obi from her waist and retied it as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.
She walked past Hiroji who was watching her in awe, toward the last cowering Cloud shinobi.
"Please. I didn't want to do it" He tried to move back but couldn't since the Hyuuga male had completely locked up all his chakra point at the beginning of the battle. "Please don't kill me."
Kenji watched terrified as she crouched to his eye level. Those sinister unblinking diamond orbs innerved him more than the hand reaching to rip off his forehead protector.
"When they ask you what happened here tell them the Hyuuga clan remembers." Her voice was soft but still threatening "Tell them our will of fire burned so bright that the clouds fell from the sky."
Hiroji's head touched the ground as his heiress passed before him holding the naginata in one hand and the cloud forehead protector in the other.
"I am forever in your service my Lady. My life is yours."
"Arise cousin." Her back was to him but her whispered words still reached him "One day you won't have to find yourself in that position ever again."
Hiroji Hyuuga kept watching her back get further away into the heart of the forest, even when the Anbu landed near him to transport him to the hospital.
The haunting image she made will forever be carved in his memory.
The strand of indigo hair wildly in disarray out of her braid swishing like a pendulum over the Uchiha fan, blazing hellfire burning in the background.
An omen of death and rebirth.
A phoenix rising from its ashes.
AN: ok so that happened. Did you get chills? I hope you did.
Sorry for the delay, life kept getting in the way and I really wanted to take my time writing this chapter. Hope you're not disappointed.
All your reviews from the previous chapters absolutely delighted me. I'm so glad that you liked the different reactions of all the characters to Hinata's first performance.
I am also very glad that what I'm trying to do is translating well, the fact that the readers can pick up on how different characters are viewed from different perspective makes me really happy. I want you to see each character through the eyes of another.
Ps: I'm not posting on AO3 since as you said it's not very user friendly plus this is like my first acceptable fanfic so I wanna test the water first, I feel AO3 is way more professional.
Also a gift for ul-him
BONUS SCENE FROM CHAPTER 20 (What Sasuke whispered to Hinata while training at the anbu pit)
A slow smirk curved the Uchiha's lips as he felt her kunai positioned on his inner thigh, close to a place no man wants a sharp object to be.
"Are we getting bold now princess?" His smirk widened before he pressed his lips to her ear and whispered in a low timber that sent shivers down her spine "If you want to explore that area all you have to do is ask. There's no need to threaten me."
"N-not f-funny." Hinata stuttered jumping out of his hold, her face a shade of red he never saw before.
"Not a joke." The Uchiha took off the blindfold, a gleam of amusement in his eyes as he regarded the kunoichi who somehow reddened even more under his scrutiny.
End of bonus scene.
Now PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS. They sustain me. Stay tuned for the next chapter that may or may not contain two more epic scenes.
-Your totally-inspired-by-the-latest-romantacy-books writer
Lady Thunder Storm.