He Said She Said

Chapter 20 should be up tonight

Chapter 20

Hinata Hyuga spent the remaining time up to the Third Exam thinking deeply what happened to her and what she had nearly done.

She had approached Sakura a couple days later and under the eyes of Anko and Kurenai apologized.

Both Jonin had explained to Sakura that Hinata had been under a seal.

Now as she sat in the packed stadium, next to Sakura, both wondering about Naruto as she had left the hospital that night and had vanished with Jiraiya.

“Anko-sensei was pissed.” Sakura said to Hinata as she explained Naruto had left a note at their apartment as she had stopped to get Eureka as well as clothes and weapons.

Hinata was worried about Naruto facing Neji. Since the removal of the seals she moved out of her family home and in with Kurenai-sensei. Hiashi had not been pleased. Kurenai served him with restraining orders and said if he or any Hyuga approached her outside of official ninja related business they would be incarcerated, and Hiashi would be fined.

“You know Hinata, when you were under that seal…” Sakura began and the pale-eyed girl blushed at how she had behaved. “That was funny seeing you drop Jiraiya-sama with a shut to the nuts like that.”

Behind them Kurenai and Anko laughed. “Aren’t you two supposed to be with your students in the competitors box?” Sakura asked turning to look at the older women.

“Nah. The pervert will be with Naruto.”

“And Shino asked me to stay with Hinata in case her father and the other members of the Hyuga fail to listen again.”

The Hyuga clan had made one attempt after the restraining order to get to Hinata. Sadly they provided practice for Shino in his training. Kiba had laughed himself sick, and nearly pulled his surgically repaired balls.

Anko put a hand on Sakura’s shoulder. “She’s fine. I spoke with Jiraiya this morning.” After threatening him for taking Naruto without my approval. Anko mentally added.

The stadium was getting loud and Hinata activated her Bykugan and sighed. “Naruto is here. She is with Jiraiya-sama in the tunnel.”

Sakura turned and moments later she smiled seeing Naruto arrive, her blond hair in a topknot. She was wearing a cloak that covered her body and at her side Eureka walked, the dog’s eyes scanning the area.

“Where’s Jiraiya?” Anko hissed.

Hinata looked around. “He shunshined to the competitors box. He’s talking with Asuma-sensei.”

“And no Uchiha or Hatake yet.” Anko said.

“Also that sound nin is missing.” Kurenai noted.

Sakura shook her head, Anko had told her about the double murder several nights ago. The sound nin was found, or his pieces were found on a roof near the south wall. The other was a Jonin, Hayate. Anko knew him and hadn’t been pleased. She wondered why Kurenai didn’t know this.

Because she’s been guarding Hinata. Sakura realized.

“Looks like Genma’s taking over things.” Anko noted. She had just finished whispering to Kurenai what she’d missed and the red-eyed Jonin did not look happy.

Genma gave them the rules and Sakura saw Naruto ask him something. The blond didn’t look pleased.

The other participants left Naruto and Neji alone with Genma.

Sakura tensed as did Hinata. this was a fight that neither girl wanted to see, as both were afraid for a certain blond.

XX

“Fate has decreed you shall lose.” Neji said in his monotone voice.

“Fate? Fate’s for losers and bitches.” Naruto said staying in her relaxed stance. Eureka was sitting on her haunches and yawned.

“You blame Hinata for things, tell me Neji can a five year old take on and beat a trained Jonin?”

Neji was about to speak, but Naruto cut him off. “I know you, I know what happened that night. You see, I was there the night Hinata was kidnapped.”

Neji frowned. “I was there the night Hiashi killed the Cloud nin. I was in the old man’s office when your elders came up with the order of your father to replace your uncle.”

“You lie.”

Naruto snorted. “No. You see, the reason your uncle caught up with the Cloud nin was because the bastard tripped over me as I was digging through the garbage for something to eat. I was taken to the Hokage’s office and sat and listened. I didn’t understand everything at the time, but I’ve had time to go over all my memories. I’m no longer the naïve child I was when I was a boy. If anyone has a right to scream about fate it’s me, but I don’t. so suck it up and get over it. But until then, I’ll kick your ass for what you did to Hinata. I might not know her very well, but she was always nice to me at the academy.”

Neji snorted. “You know nothing.”

“Are you two going to fight or debate?” Genma asked.

Naruto shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose I’ll fight the stuck up bastard. Ready?”

Neji took the Gentle Fist stance and activated his Byakugan. “You will lose.”

Naruto flipped out of the way of the palm strike from Neji and while in the air managed to kick him in the chin knocking him back.

Naruto kept her cloak close and spoke to Eureka. “Girl, go find Sakura-chan. I’ve got this.”

The dog gave a bark and to the shock of many watched as the dog ran up the wall and stopped on the wall. She gave a bark seeing Sakura and ran over several people who protested it.

“That was foolish sending your partner away.” Neji said.

Naruto shrugged a slender shoulder. “Maybe, but I don’t need her help to beat you.”

Neji attacked and Naruto managed to dodge and ducked her head. Neji’s strike hit the topknot and destroyed the band holding her hair in place.

Naruto spun and sighed. Her hair was hanging loose.

Looks like ero-sannin is right. She mentally sighed.

Neji was on the attack, his hits missing, but Naruto could nearly taste the chakra the Hyuga prodigy was pumping out.

She used her feet to kick him back and she cocked her head to the side, her hair hiding her face.

Neji came in again and Naruto used Jiraiya’s Needle Guardian jutsu and smirked as Neji yelled and leapt back, his hands bleeding from hitting the spiked hair.

Naruto sent a trio of shuriken and smirked as Neji had to reveal his defense. Jiraiya had warned him about it. The Heavenly Spin was something that would need to be handled carefully. Naruto had spent time with the toad sage and came up with ways around it. Under the cloak she made the sign and a dozen shadow clones formed.

“Get him.” She ordered.

Thus far she was studying Neji. His buttons are easy to push. His constant abuse of Hinata has given him a swelled head. She thought.

She watched as her clones attacked and Neji destroyed them. She wasn’t having them use the taijutsu Anko or Jiraiya had taught her. She wanted to see what he could do before she did that.

I wasn’t kidding about being smarter. Pervy Sage thinks that with the Kyuubi leaving it removed blocks that built up since I was little. Of course that also brought memories of the beatings. She had woken several times in the arms of Anko crying as she remembered the beatings. Good thing I wasn’t a girl then, I bet the bastards would have raped me.

Naruto since the end of the second exam had been forced to reevaluate her life and the changes. It had been a month of crash courses and lessons as well as hard training with Jiraiya who taught her the first levels of her fathers style. And she had a style she didn’t know where it came from, Jiraiya said it might have come from the fox, an instinctual style.

Naruto learned with Jiraiya that she was faster, smarter, her healing factor worked a hundred times faster.

I lost some physical strength but my stamina’s increased since then and my chakra control is perfect and my reserves are endless. She thought as the last clone was destroyed.

She created twenty more and sent them in.

My senses are sharper as well. Naruto watched as one of her clones nearly got Neji and he had to use the heavenly spin again, this time destroying half the clones.

Pulling out smoke bombs she lobbed them around and used the cover to implement the next part of her plan.

XX

Neji was getting mad as the blond sent more clones and forced him to reveal his ultimate defense far too early in the tournament. The smoke he found was laced with chakra preventing him from seeing through it. I will beat her black and blue. He mentally snarled as a clone tagged him on the arm, he spun through it and connected with a juken strike to the clone’s throat.

“You know you’re lucky we’re not the real Naruto.” A clone said.

“Because that would have killed her.” Another said.

Neji snarled and he attacked. He didn’t understand why, but something about the blond angered him.

The clones used a bastardized version of the Gentle Fist as they fought him off. He was surprised they were doing so well with it and his shock became more so as a pair of hands came out of the ground and pulled him under.

The real Naruto appeared where he’d been.

“That should hold you.” She said dusting off her cloak. She started walking away with the clones forming up behind her. The smoke was clearing and she thought she won.

The ground exploded and Neji was leaping into the air, the rage on his face evident.

I think this is going to be harder than I thought. Naruto thought as Neji descended like an avenging angel.

In the stands Hinata clasped a hand to her chest and Sakura looked worried.

In the Kage’s box one was watching in concern, the other boredom until plans came to fruition. Something about the girl. Perhaps she’s related to the Kyuubi brat? A pair of serpent eyes watched with boredom, like so many in the arena believing the Hyuga was going to win.

AN: The conclusion of the fight, the rest of the tournament and the start of the invasion.

Sorry for the long wait