Next came Ino's fight against Misumi Tsurugi, Kabuto's other teammate. An easy win for the Yamanaka, with the most notable thing from the fight being Ino cutting her hair and using it to immobilise her opponent long enough to use the Mind Transfer Jutsu. ("Ha! Now we match Ino-pig!" "Sh- Shut it forehead, mind your business.") And with that out of the way, it was time for shitshow bloody match number 1.
Hinata Hyūga vs Neji Hyūga
Sakura cringed, she was hoping that since she got a different opponent, then maybe Hinata will too. But no dice. Shikamaru whistled. "Battle of the Hyūga...That's gonna be something." Understatement of the year. Naruto wished Hinata good luck while the pinkette flashed a thumbs up in the girls direction, Ino merely pat her back. You didn't need to be a genius or know the future to see the bad blood between the two Hyūga.(Naruto doesn't count.)
Once the 2 cousins stepped down, Neji started talking about how he did not expect to have to fight Hinata. After Hayate said start, Neji immediately activated his Byakugan, and poor Hinata, was shaking in her boots. Neji started a very dramatic monologue about destiny and Hinata never changing, but that quickly got shut down by Naruto, who told the Hyūga princess to "beat him up". After this, Hinata managed to compose herself and activated her Byakugan. And thus, the battle between the Hyūga officially began.
At first it was going rather well, with the 2 of them going into a dance like stace of striking and dodging. The Hyūga style of fighting being the perfect combination of and deadliness and elegance. Strike. Block. Dodge. Strike. Block. It was like a beautiful dance of death. But eventually the difference in skill has been seen, as Neji sent a Gentle Fist right to Hinata's heart (though it is notable to say that Hinata also managed to hit him at the same time, even if her strike was on the shoulder), making the girl spit out blood. Hinata slapped his hand away before going for another strike aimed a his face, but Neji caught her hand.
"My eyes can see the tenketsu." said Neji as he rolled up her sleeve to reveal several red dots made by the Gentle Fist throughout the battle. Then, just like that, he struck her in the chest again and made fall a few meters backwards. Then Hinata got back up, spitting more blood as she did so, before rushing again towards Neji. Naruto screamed at her to do her best, but the rest of the platform wasn't as positive as the blonde.
"Sheesh, I always knew the Hyūga were more hardcore, but even this seems a bit excessive for a win in a preliminary match." said Ino.
"Except he's not just trying to win..." said Sakura, a hand covering her mouth, as the sight of Hinata spitting blood was way too similar to the one against Pain (but never mind that, she can go and cry about her inner demons in a pillow at home, now she needs to stay focused so she can heal Hinata once the battle is over). "...he's trying to kill her."
"What?! No way! He wouldn't go that far, now would he?" exclaimed Ino, but one look at Sakura's green eyes was all the answer she needed. The blonde frowned as she returned her gaze to the arena. "...not Hinata."
And again, the girl rushed forward in an attempt to hit her opponent, but Neji merely struck another in her chest, the blow making her spit more blood as she fell forward, face first on the floor.
Just as Hayate was about to call the match, Naruto screamed "Don't stop the match!" And whaddayaknow, the stubborn Hyūga princess rose up again on shaking legs and looked back at Neji determined.
"Moron...If you continue this you really will die. Are you suicidal?" said Neji. "I can tell you're barely standing. There's no reason for you to keep on suffering. Just accept it, it's your destiny..."
"You're wrong Neji...I can tell you're suffering much more...than me." said Hinata. And just like that, Neji snapped. Any kind of sanity he might have had just went out the window as he rushed at Hinata while screaming. Just as he was about to reach her, Hayate and 3 of the Jōnin senseis, Kakashi, Guy & Kurenai, suddenly encircled him and restrained him before he reached the girl.
"Neji! Get a hold of yourself." said Guy.
"Why are all the other Jōnin butting in?" said Neji. But he never got the answer to that, because just then Hinata collapsed.
And that was Sakura's que to jump down and start healing. "Hinata! Hang in there!" said the pinkette as she kneeled in front of the injured girl. Her hands glowed green as she used her healing chakra to stop the internal bleeding and heal the damage done to her atria and ventricles.
"I'll help you!" yelled Ino as she also kneeled next to Hinata, hands green and ready. "What do you need me to do?"
"Focus on stopping the internal bleeding and see if you can get the blood out of her lungs. I'll try to stop her ventricular fibrillation from evolving into a heart attack."
The 2 girls immediately got to work and started healing the Hinata. Sakura was pouring as much chakra as she could into the heart chambers, directing the excessive blood towards the lungs, where Ino took it out through her mouth. The Yamanaka didn't have Sakura's chakra control to get all of it out, but she still managed to guide a big portion of it out. The two girls were working tirelessly to keep their friend alive.
Meanwhile Naruto, Sasuke and Lee also reached the group, the blonde yelling at Hinata to hang in there. And Neji, being well Neji, attempted to mock Hinata for her failure. He didn't get very far...
"Do you wanna see about that?" asked a fuming Naruto. And as Neji smirked, Naruto started charging towards the Hyūga.
"Dobe!" yelled Sasuke as he reached for Naruto, but barely missed his back.
Luckily Naruto didn't reached Neji, as Lee stopped him. "The failure beats the gifted genius through sheer effort..." said Lee. "Wouldn't that make for an exciting battle?"
Naruto huffed, before turning away. "Alright then..." and he stepped back next to Sasuke, behind Sakura.
Back to Sakura, she and Ino were still working on a now unconscious Hinata. The pinkette frowned as she worked before suddenly gasping. "She's not breathing! Kurenai-sensei, I need you to administer CPR, now! Ino stop working on her lungs and stop the bleeding, if we don't stabilize her then all the work I did on her ventricles will be for nothing. Uhh! Where are those stupid medics?"
Kurenai immediately started chest compressions, before she started exhaling air into Hinata's lungs. Ino immediately started working on the internal bleeding while Sakura continued stabilizing the heart rate. Everyone watched with bated breaths as the 3 women worked to save the Hyūga princess.
'Sakura Haruno...She seems to be a natural at this, commanding both Ino and Kurenai with the finesse of a skilled medical ninja... a true medical prodigy...but-' thought the Hokage.
'Sakura...you have always been a kind heart...working hard to save even Zabuza...your skill has improved greatly since working at the hospital...but-' thought Kakashi.
A close shot of Sakura wiping sweat off of her forehead.
Another one of Kurenai doing chest compressions.
Ino was shown frowning and biting her lip.
'will it be enough?' thought Kakashi & the Hokage at the same time.
And yet, against all odds, the makeshift medical team managed to get Hinata breathing again and stabilize her. "Alright, she's stable for now but that won't last long! She needs professional treatment, NOW!" Just then the medics entered the arena with a stretcher.
"Finally!" groaned Kurenai.
The medics carefully picked the girl up and loaded her onto the stretcher. "Di-did this girl just stop a heart attack all on her own?" said a very surprised med nin, before leaving to treat Hinata.
Sakura watched worriedly from her place on the floor as Hinata got taken away before she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Kakashi-sensei, his eye squinted as if he were smiling. "You did good Sakura, now it's time to leave it to the professionals..." The pinkette smiled tiredly before letting the offered hand help her up.
Just then, a very shaken Naruto snapped out of his shock and glared at Neji before going to the puddle of blood that Ino threw out. He kneeled and drew some of the blood into his hand before showing the now bloodied fist to Neji. "I promise you." said the blonde seriously, as he thought of Hinata.
"I will win no matter what!"