Team Badass (A Naruto Fanfiction)

Hinata Hyuugs VS Neji Hyuuga

"Why, this will be interesting. Watch closely, you three. A hyuuga's taijutsu is one of the most coveted styles in the ninja world. It'll be very educational to study the style now, as the two cousins fight." Kakashi flipped a page in his book.

Hinata heard what was being said, and flinched. She was scared. She didn't want to face her cousin. He was scary and he was angry with her, for some reason. He was full of anger and bitterness and sadness and hate and it was all directed at her. His pale, byakugan eyes were trained on her frightened ones. From behind, she felt the gentle hand of her sensei urging her downstairs.
"Come on, Hinata. It'll be alright. Just do your best." Kurenai encouraged her most insecure student. "He can't hurt you if you don't allow him to."

"Yeah, go for it Hinata!" Naruto cheered. "Beat that other guy -who looks like you- so that he never wants to fight you again!"

Emblazoned by naruto's cheer, but still somewhat unsure, hinata made her way down to the first floor. Neji was already waiting for her. Impatient, he twitched a brow at her slow descent.

When she approached, he said, "Why do you look so fearful hinata-sama? Why is it that you tremble? A pitiful excuse of a hyuuga you are."

"Oi! Stop talking to her like that you prat!" Naruto yelled. "I don't know you but I know hinata well enough to know she doesn't deserve to hear any of that crap! Hinata, beat his ass to next week!"

"GO Hinata!" Sakura screamed. "Come on Sasuke, yell! Hinata!"

"Yay Hinata," Sasuke called. He looked skeptically at his friends. "Do I have to do this?"

If looks could kill. At the glares his teammates sent him, sasuke turned right back around and clapped his hands together and whooted with all his might. "Whoo! Go Hinata! Go go go! Yeah!"

Emboldened by her friends' cheers, hinata activated her byakugan and faced her cousin. "Cousin Neji. It's true that I am afraid. But I don't believe that fear is a sufficient reason for you to call me a failure. Everyone is afraid. I respect you and understand your strength, so it's only natural that I'm awed and fearful of you."

Hinata's sincere words had neji scowling. What was the heiress playing at? She didn't understand. He was branch family, and was forever destined to be caged inside the clan, forced to do the main family's bidding. She had such freedom and she didn't know how to properly appreciate it. "Enough talk. Let's fight."

Eyes narrowed. Hinata and neji slid into their stances as tension gathered into thick veiny strands around their white eyes.

Somewhere in the dojo, Hayate called out "begin!" but no one paid him any notice. Then, Hinata moved.

She moved with speed and grace, her knees bending and her palms pulsing with chakra as she made a jab for neji's abdomen.

Neji danced out of the way and retaliated with a strike of his own.

Soon both were fighting and wisps of chakra floated in the air, the audience enraptured by their flowing dance and burning determination.

However, despite hinata's iron will to prove herself, neji was too strong to be beaten by a girl who was, at best, minimally talented. neji's juuken sent her flying across the floor and she landed with a painful thump, not getting up again.

Neji wiped off his hands and calmly walked back up to the viewers' floor, where naruto and sakura glared at him balefully. "Presumptuous jerk," Naruto muttered darkly. "I swear I'll repay what he did to hinata tenfold in the finals."

Kurenai watched neji with a dark and disapproving eye. The boy didn't seem fazed at all. Well, it was a ninja battle, and although she might feel that hinata didn't have to be roughed up that badly, hinata was a kunoichi. It's a part of ninja life. She supposed she couldn't hold that against him.

But at least the brat could act a little sympathetic towards his younger cousin.

The computer flickered again and lit up with new names.