Chapter Text
Two pillars of hope, standing up to their lifelong tormentor...
Hinata and Neji, now having freshly awakened to the evolution of their trusty Kekkei Genkai, the Bankakyō Byakugan, are standing tall, facing the plague upon their and Hanabi's lives, Hiashi, who was more than ready to show off, why he was appointed the main spokesperson of the Hyuga council.
His gaze, now glowing in all ominous, sky blue glory...
...clashing gazes with the lime green of his nephew, and the violet of his eldest daughter. No words needed. The intensity of their stares spoke a language louder than any words could ever express, on how much they all wanted to tear each other a new one.
But surprising to Neji, as he and Hinata get into a fighting position, he can hear a voice in his head. The voice belonged to his cousin, and she gently told him:
"Big Brother Neji... Can you hear me? It's me, Hinata."
And for whatever reason, Neji could respond to the voice. He had no idea how this worked, but he was going to take advantage of it, if it meant he could stay in contact with her, without having Hiashi eavesdropping on them...
...but unbeknownst to them, he was listening. Almost like an enemy radio operator, intercepting their frequency, and keeping tabs on their inward conversations.
"Hinata... Yes, I can hear you. How are you doing this? You couldn't read my mind before, could you? ...Don't tell me, may this have something to do with our newly attained eyes?"
"I don't know. It just came naturally to me, but if I were to follow the chronology of the events here, and it only came to me, the moment I got those strange "Bankakyō", or however you call them, eyes... I am going to take a wild guess, and say... Yes, very likely."
"Heh, since when have you developed so much sass, Hinata? Have these eyes also unlocked your sense of humor, or something?"
He asked, smugly, beginning to enjoy this sass she was bringing to the table. She was no longer hiding herself, in what she wanted to say. And that filled him with pride.
But Hinata told him, being surprisingly serious about this:
"Neji, this is no time for jokes. We are in serious trouble here. Now we two, have to go up against my father, and if our previous encounters with him were already painful enough, now that he revealed himself to also have those eyes, and you only managed to save Hanabi, by a hair... Then I am afraid, letting our guards down now, at this point, might as well involve us signing our death warrants. And he is already out for blood."
He had to agree. Getting right into the zone, telling her:
"...Now you're starting to speak my language. I like that. I don't know about you, but right now, I am just itching to give your old man what-for."
"Let's do this, Neji."
Hanabi could only stand on the sidelines, and watch her family duking it out, unable to participate, knowing this was suicide at this point. And she could only stare in pure anxiety, praying that no one will have to die today.
And meanwhile, Hiashi has been eavesdropping on their internal conversation, which only made him think to himself:
"Telepathic Communication, through the eyes. Impressive, they mastered that within minutes. But what they don't know, as long as my Bankakyō is active, nothing they share will be a secret to me. A valiant effort. Unfortunately, all for naught. I will just have to teach them the errors of their way..."
Within the blink of an eye, all three combatants sped into one another, causing a big shockwave of chakra and pressure to escape from the sheer impact of their frontal palms, clashing into Hiashi's hands. Thanks to the telepathy, they were able to share strategies, and eventually, even Neji and Hinata caught on to what was happening.
And that battle was lengthy and rough, and from the perspective of someone like Hanabi, it looked like a neon-light show, trails of green, violet and blue, being the only thing that her Byakugan could visually latch on to. The three were so fast now, she couldn't possibly catch up with them in her current state. Cold sweat of fear was running down her forehead, as she talked to herself, stating, her Byakugan still active:
"What in the world is happening...? This is unreal... I have never seen my family fight like this before... Even with my Byakugan, I cannot track them down fast enough to form any cohesive strategies... What was it that father said earlier...? "Bankakyō Byakugan"...? Is this... What he was talking about...?"
This is when she knew, once this battle is over and done with, she needs to look into this. She had no idea, it would ever get to this point. That the mere prospect of an evolutionary state of the Byakugan, would ever become a reality, and not a mere legend. She had to find out more. If neither she, nor Neji, or Hinata have ever been made aware of this, then it raises an interesting question: ...What else could have Hiashi kept under lock from them?
But more importantly, why would he keep this a secret from them? Hanabi has heard him speaking, repeatedly, in her and Hinata's favor, yet he would purposely omit to bring up that, eventually, like the Sharingan, even the Byakugan can grow and evolve?
"Father... What is going on...? You picked ME to be your successor, and yet... You could never bring yourself to tell me that the Byakugan can evolve, like any other Dojutsu? What was your plan? I don't get it. If you were truly desiring me to be entering in your footsteps, such vital information shouldn't be written in fine print... What is your plan...?"
But she decides to save this for later, as right now, this familial conflict was escalating by the minute. And what shocks her the most, she was bearing witness to her father being given quite the hard time. Two against one. He is the more experienced and seasoned fighter among them, yet he was obviously struggling to keep up with them. And that terrified Hanabi, because that meant:
This Bankakyō Byakugan may bear a power far beyond their current understanding. And if it was enough to force someone like Hiashi, one of the strongest shinobi in the village to go for a more defensive play between the two, to Hanabi, this spells trouble.
And for one brief moment, it seemed like Hinata was losing a bit of steam, or so it appeared, as she had been busy trading Gentle Fist blows with her father, which emanated purple and blue chakra upon impact, to the best of her ability. But unfortunately, she didn't get a proper read on her own abilities just yet, causing her to come off as sloppy. Giving Hiashi all the chances in the world to get in, and deliver one fatal shoulder hit, causing her to fly back, knowing that her defense mechanism from the Bankakyō has a delay, when she is actively focusing it on her target, which she didn't do. And there he was, stabbing two double dashing palms against her chest, causing her to fly back.
"Ha! Is this all? I was expecting more from someone who previously giving me lip! I did NOT raise you like this, Hinata... ...or did you want to apply that streetwise "wisdom" from your blondie, the Nine Tails?"
Getting shakily back on her feet, bruised and exhausted, with blood running down her forehead, and gushing from out of her mouth, she stood tall, raising her voice at him, saying:
"Don't call him that! He has a name, and you know that! If you already plan on humiliating me further, like you have thoughtfully provided so for the last twelve years of my life, I will gladly do the honors for you to remind you, who let the dominoes fall...! And his name was... Naruto Uzumaki!"
Scoffing at her, the middle-aged Hyuga felt his blood simmer, feeling more than insulted at how his daughter was honoring that fox brat more, than her own flesh and blood...
"Well, I never... You are seriously starting to get on my nerves... What exactly do you see in that failure of a shinobi that makes you want to side with him...? There is nothing honorable about staying on the side of the losers, if it means to succeed...!"
...but he was so focused on her, he didn't even realize what was going on within Neji. For one brief moment, he froze in fear, his Bankakyō glowing green, resonating, as he saw something that made his blood run cold.
Through his green-tinted vision -- through his Bankakyō -- we see a terrifying imagery, that hasn't even taken place yet, but is about to, according to what he sees. And needless to say, it made Neji enter complete and utter panic mode, since he thinks this is actually happening, when it isn't. And yet, it felt so real and in-character for his uncle. He saw...
...Hiashi drawing a dagger from the back of his yukata, dashing at Hinata, who was trying her best to avoid get slashed, but due to the lack of focus and grip on her Bankakyō, she ended up falling victim to a fatal wound, across her throat. And just the mere sound and sight of blood made the poor Neji scream in panic, calling out to him:
"No...! Where is that dagger coming from...?! Is he planning to-- No! Hiashi! Don't do this! This is your own daughter-- NOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Everything was in slow motion to him, but in real-time, he was moving at the speed of light, reappearing right behind Hiashi, which shocked the daylights out of him, as he was just about to grab inside his yukata to grab the dagger. Hinata and Hanabi felt their eyes widen in pure shock as well, not just from how fast Neji moved just now, but how he was targeting something oddly specific, that their father was about to grab on to. And it struck them with raw, unfiltered fear, with Hinata asking:
"N-Neji... Y-You just teleported... Father, what... What were you about to do...?!"
Now, Hiashi had every reason to be more than terrified. Cold sweat running down his calloused forehead, asking himself:
"Wha-- It can't be...! That technique just now...! That wasn't just mere teleporting...! This is not even CLOSE to how fast I was just now, in fact, it was even faster than that...! It was so fast, I didn't even see, or feel it coming...! And more importantly... ...How did he know about the dagger?! Sure, he could have used his Byakugan to catch a glimpse of it, but my dagger is laced with a chakra-subverting liquid that makes it almost untraceable for any dojutsu to be seen, or so much as sensed...! So how...?! How did he do that...?! Is that... Is that an ability that the Bankakyō had granted him...?"
But to make matters worse, Neji was just as shocked as them. He knew, however, this was no time to be dawdling. Whatever vision he had just borne witness to, he can't allow it to happen. And to make sure of it, he coldly asked his uncle:
"...What were you about to do, Hiashi? Drawing a dagger on your own daughter? How low can you go? Forget about it, I am not going to let it happen."
With his patience gradually dwindling, forehead veins pumping, and barely contained anger in his voice, he fires back:
"Well, try me, you cocky little brat--"
As he drew the dagger to target Neji instead, he immediately caught his wrist, before he had any chance to slice at him like a deranged serial killer in a horror film. Shooting on terrifyingly intense glare at the representative of the Hyuga council, warning him with:
"I frankly have no idea how I managed to do that just now... Predicting you to be sinking to all new lows, but I will save that up for another time...! Right now, allow me to remind you of one very basic principle, when you face someone in CQC, with a melee weapon like this... In many cases, it can provide you with mental advantages, but for the most part..."
His grip around his dagger-holding wrist tightening, blocking his incoming knee strike, by heaving his own to counter it, and his voice growing ever colder:
"...that being said, bringing a knife to a brawl, can also heavily backfire on you... like, right now!"
Almost like on cue, with Hinata having understood the memo, now that her father's back was turned to face hers, she got in from behind, forcing Hiashi to drop the weapon, needing to turn around and protect his blindspot, realizing too late what the real plan was: A diversion. Because, every seasoned shinobi knows that the Byakugan has a blind spot, and that was on their backside.
"Damn it! I need to turn around--"
"Hinata, now!"
But it was too late. Hiashi was too stunned to react properly, causing both of the young Hyuga to land two gnarly two-finger jabs, Neji from the front, and Hinata in the neck, from behind. That made Hiashi's eyes roll back into his head, hacking up blood from that two-timed sneak attack. And in perfect synchronization, both of the young Hyuga gracefully sweep-kicked at Hiashi's ankles to make him lose more of his defenses, before sending him flying away with a perfectly timed frontal palm strike, right to the gut.
But naturally being made of sterner stuff, the older Hyuga wiped his mouth, slammed his right knuckle into the wooden carpet beneath him, before coughing, and returning back on his legs, growling at them with:
"So be it, then...! I was planning on solving this without any blood needing to be shed! But it would seem, you choose the path of strife. Very well. I will gladly prepare the arrangements for both of your funerals!"
Standing tall, shoulder-to-shoulder, Neji and Hinata went ahead to face this demon of a man, one more time. Only this time, due to them having hit important chakra network lines within Hiashi, causing him to be significantly weaker than before, and them growing increasingly exhausted, trying to uphold the Bankakyō Byakugan, it remained anybody's game.
The back and forth was still horrific, however. Traded blow, after traded blow. Neji would land a hit, breaking a bone inside Hiashi's ribcage, via a twirling corkscrew kick. But he would immediately pay it back, by breaking Neji's nose, with a frontal punch, right in the front, and roundhouse kick him into a wooden pillar. But Hinata wasn't too far behind to immediately avenge him without hesitation. Calling out, as she rushed straight for her father:
"Hey...! Try that with me, you coward!"
And there, he would just remove all stops, going for any means to win, but like before, Hinata would utterly humiliate him, as she would end up injuring him in a way that was both demeaning, but mostly insanely painful. She would start, by baiting a reaction from him, taking Neji's lessons to heart about trying out more diverse combat strategies, involving her acrobatics and her back turned stance. From there, she began by elbowing Hiashi, right in the gut to stun him, performing a barrage of pinwheel-esque open palm strikes, switching back and forth between her normal and back turned stance, with all of those hits landing beneath his chin, and to add the cherry on top of the cake...
...she performed a Gentle Fist strike, with both her index- and middle finger, not targeting the chakra network per se, but a more... Intimate area. Letting that chakra-infused strike connect with his testicular region.
Reaction was almost immediate. The very instant that hit connected, comically caused Hiashi's eyes to widen, squealing several metronomes higher, out loud in pure agony, clutching his groin region instinctively and protectively. Groaning and twitching. The pain was not from this world. Made even worse by how that was a hit from the Gentle Fist, causing the pain to come ten times as hard.
Witnessing this, both Neji and Hanabi cartoonishly stared at this unfolding scenery with eyes wide open, almost feeling bad for Hiashi, because that singular hit looked more painful than anything he has ever dished out to them. That one was personal, and they knew it. And Neji himself, that was the point where, he realized, he really was lucky to not be on the receiving end of this crotch shot, it almost made him speak his sympathies for his uncle.
"Oh god... What was that...? How come I had never thought of this? It was a cheap shot... Now I understand why one of the clan's training policies involved us never hitting the intimate areas of our opponents... ...and now I know why. ...I am so lucky, Hinata is on my side...! If she weren't, and she came out with this idea, I would... I would have no idea what to do..."
And Hanabi had to seriously question if her sister was just having a phase now, or if this entire situation had given her one major 180 turn on her morals and respect for the rules...
...but deep down, she was inclined to agree with her, just this once. If Neji's predictive move from earlier had truly prevented their father from killing her sister, then her sympathies for Hiashi was being held at arm's length.
Hinata, on the other hand, felt nothing. No sympathy, no hesitation or guilt, nothing. She truthfully felt so empowered in that moment, as she tells him bluntly:
"This is what you get when you decide to play dirty. Don't blame me, when you were literally asking for it, the moment you were planning to pull a fast one on me with a dagger."
But Hiashi, despite the soul-crunching pains he was going through, holding on to his abdomen region, just serving to remind us in how much agony he truly was, he somehow manages to fight through the injury, proving that he was carved out of different wood than his opponents, telling them, with barely contained fury:
"You... little...! You... You...! I will make you pay for this... You hear me, you little brats...?! Heh...! You shouldn't have done that, you know that, Hinata...? I WILL MAKE YOUR LAST MOMENTS ON EARTH ITS MOST AGONIZING AND PAINFUL!"
He swiftly regained grasp on his own Bankakyō, speeding forward to kick Hinata away, and this time, it was so quick, she couldn't react with her chakra armor on time. But now, getting a bit more used to these newly attained powers of hers, she lets her feet rub against the wooden carpet to break her fall, and now, she felt like throwing a little sass in his direction, telling him:
"What's the matter, father? You don't look so good... Don't tell me, age is already catching up to you, oh dear. Oh my. Whatever will I do now? Oh, right. Refusing to lose here. All my life, you have been doing nothing but sabotaging me, while in the same breath treating my cousin, or my sister, like, "they are better than me". Fair enough, you want to keep humiliating yourself more than you have already done thus far? Be my guest. But from now on..."
Her violet eyes gleam in a threatening fashion, coldly telling him:
"...I am done playing the nice-obedient-daughter act with you."
Taking huge insult to how big her talk was to him, he shouted, as he charges in, biting through the pain like a trooper:
"...Since when have you started talking so BIG, Hinata?! I will beat that attitude right out of you!"
Now, despite exhaustion kicking in, and their chakra heavily depleted, soon...
...with Hinata barely holding on, but Hiashi losing his Bankakyō in the midst of their struggle, with both father and daughter becoming drained of stamina and strength to continue, and Hiashi proving that, even without Bankakyō, he was still one hell of a juggernaut...
Neji, observing closely, feeling his Bankakyō fading as well, as that last teleportation move of his had costed him a lot of chakra and nerves, realized...
...He wanted to test something. He recalled how, in flashbacks, the moment Hiashi began attacking Hinata, while her Bankakyō was active, these hits ended up not hitting her, but himself. Almost like, her eyes might have given her the ability of a living Moon Mirror shield. Deflecting anything thrown at her, automatically. A smirk formed on his lips, thinking to himself, as he takes off in a sprint, re-activating his "Foresight" ability, how he calls it:
"Well, well... I have to say. I was initially scared of how this power of mine developed, but now... I am starting to take a serious liking to it. If I can predict his next move, I can bait a reaction from him, and just let him hit Hinata instead, so that anything he throws at me, will be thrown back at him by her... Time to push my luck, a little...! Hinata... Do you copy?"
Telepathically, they communicated, knowing full well that Hiashi could no longer eavesdrop on their conversation, since his Bankakyō isn't active anymore, and thus, a plan was formed between them...
So now, wanting to see for himself, if his theory is correct, he allows himself to be left wide open, using the remainder of his chakra to teleport right between his cousin and uncle, wanting to bait Hiashi into reacting to his bluff, with his depraved uncle stating, having grown sick of this entire farce:
"You fool! With my level of speed, stopping dead in your tracks leaves you only wide open! BON VOYAGE!"
"I wouldn't be so sure..."
"Neji, I am coming!"
And as expected, the moment Hiashi came into contact with his nephew, unleashing a barrage of lightning quick 128 Palm strikes, believing himself to have won...
...Hinata, having heard what Neji told her in their telepathic codec call, and wanting to replicate what happened the first time around, the moment she awakened her new powers, her violet Bankakyō glowing ominously, one last time, speeding right in, jumping in-between them, taking all the hits head on, and for a short moment, it appeared like, Hiashi won that struggle...
...but then, Hinata's violet chakra armor resonated, with her father's eyes widening in shock, realizing too late, what Neji's plan really was. And it was no use to read their minds, as he had lost a hold of his own Bankakyō Byakugan due to sheer exhaustion and depleted chakra, and now...
"No...! It can't be...! WHYYYYYYY?!?!?!"
...he screamed in rage, frustration and agonizing pains, as he felt his body getting mercilessly bombarded with the exact same 128 palm strikes, that were aimed at his nephew, hacking up blood and bile in raw suffrage, and in that moment, with his daughter, he shall see, what kind of monster he created with her.
Usually, Hinata would show mercy, and hold back, the moment the family gets involved...
...but he was clearly being denied this privilege in that very moment, as she would use that moment of opportunity to get in, and double-team him, with Neji's assistance, and in flawless synch...
...both end up doing the 8 Trigrams stance, now using their base Byakugan to scrape together every last ounce of strength they had left, to finish this fight. As a team.
"Neji, let's finish this!"
"At your service!"
Synchronized, their souls now unified as one, we see some truly magical imagery, as we see their souls blending into one another. One body. One soul. The duality of Hyuga. Now deciding to come together and take Might Guy's lesson to heart:
I am stronger than yesterday.
And now, it was on. Their Byakugan resonating in-synch, they sped in, with Hinata allowing Neji to strike first, bombarding the "minister" of the Hyuga council with his trusted 64 Palms attack, hitting a huge chunk of Hiashi's chakra network...
"2 Palms. 4 Palms. 8 Palms. 16 Palms. 32 Palms!"
...but then, Neji and Hinata's backs touched, with his beloved cousin telling him:
"Let me take over now, too! I will not get in the way."
"Go ahead."
Then, Hiashi groaned loudly in torment, as now he now felt more hands hitting him, and all this came from Hinata, who had firmly positioned herself behind Neji, to now perform her specialty, the 64 Palms Guard technique. But to avoid Neji getting hit in the process, she pressed her back against his, doing her graceful movement with her arms to extend the 8 Trigrams, with her back turned. Causing her father to be hit with not ONE 64 Palms barrage, but TWO of them. And as the electrical sparks from her 64 Palms Guard extends beyond Neji's 8 Trigrams, it was nothing short of ruthless what they pulled off here...
"Hinata, NOW!"
In-synch, they call out:
"8 TRIGRAMS..."
...and now in perfect unison, almost in slow motion, Hinata twirled and backflipped elegantly, with the grace of a figure skater over Neji's head, returning back to her own spot, as both now focused all their remaining chakra in their forearms, amassing all of it into their hands, with Hinata growing, what looked like violet-glowing lion heads around her knuckles, and Neji growing light green glowing tiger heads, with the two hitting Hiashi from both sides, sandwiching him right in-between them, shouting together:
"...LION-TIGER RESURGENCE!"
An explosion of violet and lime-green, mixing into one another to become metallic blue, made the middle-aged Hyuga scream out in affliction, causing him to crash through several pillars of wood, causing the entire main temple grounds to shake upon impact, with him landing just outside of the building, covered in blood, looking charred, twitching in unfiltered suffering, and his eyes having rolled back into his head...
But being completely drained of all chakra, stamina and strength, both Neji and Hinata fell to one knee, with him proudly patting her on the shoulder, saying, knowing that sad look all too well from her, as she is very likely back to beating herself up over this victory:
"Hehe... Hey, don't you be giving me that self-pity routine... You did amazing back there, Hinata. It doesn't matter what your family thinks, your performance today has made you soar to new heights. And if this is what you are capable of showing me, then I will look more than forward to fighting you, head-on."
But what he didn't see coming...
...Hinata's response was colder and more on the indifferent side, her gaze being empty and expressing an ache in her chest so deep, she couldn't even feel joy, even if she tried. Because everything that took place today will change everything.
Her gut and heart just warned her: From now on, this orchestrated rematch with Neji will no longer be fun and games. Not that it ever was to begin with, but now, the stakes have risen even higher. They rebelled against the Hyuga council, and now they dared to attack the spokesperson of the council. And Neji, deep down knew what she was talking about. Because he and Tenten have been prematurely marked for death, for her Byakugan visor. And he didn't even tell her about this, as he really didn't want to pile on more pressure for her...
"Neji... You DO realize what just happened, don't you? You and I, we attacked my father, the main spokesperson for the Hyuga council. And this will most definitely not bode well with either him, or our grandfather. I am sorry, but... My ability to feel joy is running on fumes, right now... And even if I do bear the desire of winning, I shall never, and I mean, NEVER, take pleasure in whatever is awaiting us both. I stopped daring to hope... And now, I have more than one reason to. So, please, just... Don't, OK?"
Neji could only sympathize with her line of thinking. This must be really hard for her, either way, considering, for her, there is far more at stake than just his life, and that of Naruto's. The Side Branch will be facing repercussions, one way or the other, no matter who is going to win...
...and yet, somehow, Neji wanted to feel optimistic. Just this once. Because he cannot lie, beating the ever-living daylights out of Hiashi felt satisfying in a way, it also felt oddly illuminating. He had never felt this liberated in forever. So, with a genuine smile, he tells her:
"I know, don't worry... But for the time-being, I say, we should relish in what we have accomplished together today, you and I. We defeated your father. Let that sink in. We didn't just land a few hits on him, we beat him. Fair and square. And come on, don't lie now, I saw that sadistic gleam in your eyes, you enjoyed that. Didn't you?"
That caused Hinata to look away, blushing somewhat, as she didn't even realize how much she was enjoying herself, paying back her father for all that he had done to her.
"I-I mean... I can't I ENJOYED it, but... I felt like, I HAD to do it... There is a clear difference between wanting and needing to do something... I just couldn't take it anymore. All that disrespect he was throwing at you, Hanabi's and Hizashi's way... My pot, metaphorically boiled over."
"I get that, trust me, I..."
A guilt-ridden gleam came from his eyes for one brief moment, reminding himself he was no different from her back then, especially at the Chunin exams. But he continues with a knowing smirk, telling her:
"...I get it. Trust me. I do. And seriously..."
His gaze grows vastly more sincere and soft, as he puts both hands on her shoulders, signalizing her to look at him and listen.
"...Thank you. For standing up for me back there. You may not see it yet, Hinata, but... You have made progress, that is nothing to scoff at. Not just as a fighter, but a person, too. You could have just cowered in fear, and refused to step in for me, and even if I would have more than understood your decision to not fight... You, heh..."
He couldn't lie, that realization made him more emotional than originally intended. He never saw her ever having had the courage to stand up for him like this, and taking the hits for him. Sure, it was planned out to a degree, but Hinata made that decision of her own volition. Even protecting the honor on his father's grave. Which is more than he could have ever asked for from her. Two huge tears escaping his eyelids, as his voice grows shaky, warmly embracing her to say, in-between his messy whirlpool of emotions:
"You... Oh, Hinata, I...! Thank you... Seriously... It... It was all thanks to you, that... I had managed to garner the strength to stand up for myself, too... Don't you ever forget... How important you are to some people... Don't think about what your depraved father tells you, you, Hinata... Will always be a diamond... Not just to Naruto... But for me, too... I cannot... Thank you enough... Lady Hinata..."
It was habit, but, that made Hinata break down in his arms too, as she starts sobbing, running her petite hands through his long hair, choking on her sobs and words:
"N-No, Neji... I told you to stop calling me that... I wouldn't have made it far without you... And I swear on my name... No matter what happens, I will be working extra hard... Not just for myself, or you, Hanabi's, Tenten's, or Naruto's freedom, but for the entirety of the Hyuga clan... I, too, now, have a dream of my own..."
Her tear-stained gaze becoming serious and sincere, telling her cousin firmly:
"...To reform the Hyuga clan, and unite the families. There will be no branches under MY rule. You and I. We will be fighting. As equals. Not bound by any clan norms or traditions. We are... All the same."
Wiping his eyes dry, he tells her, a smirk forming:
"Hmph. I will be holding you to it."
Then, Hanabi came rushing in, tearfully embracing the two, as she was still a child after all, compared to them, so, overwhelmed with emotions and being so relieved that it was long over, she cries into the shoulders of her sister and cousin, who are very quick to comfort her without hesitation, as they knew: Her innocence shouldn't have gotten soiled with what she saw today. She deserved to live peacefully, empowering and motivating Hinata even further to stick to her plan...
LATER...
With the sun beginning to set, after having taken quick showers, now covered in bruises, dried blood, bandages and bandaids, and going back to their normal wardrobe, Neji in his usual white shirt and shorts, and Hinata to her indigo t-shirt, they just met, by total coincidence, just outside the compound's gates.
But to Hinata, this was a perfect time to bring up something substantial. Firmly telling Neji:
"One more thing, Neji... Everything that took place in the main hall between you, me, Hanabi and my father... Firmly stays between us, alright? I already told Hanabi to not ever speak up about whatever this whole Bankakyō Byakugan business was all about. And neither of us should, as well. If only Hiashi and the Hyuga elders knew about it, and neither of us had any prior clue about the Byakugan possibly evolving, I really would hate myself if you and Tenten, or anyone else were to get into any more trouble, because of information like this slipping out into the open. I know it sounds ridiculous, and I hate keeping secrets, but the issue is... We are stepping into untreated territory here. And until we know more, once this whole mess is over, I would prefer keeping this all under locket. I hope you understand. I really don't feel like dancing with fate a second time here."
Neji firmly nodded, because she was right. This power they attained was still largely foreign to them, and until they can grab further information about it, this has to stay firmly between the ones, who were involved in that scuffle, today.
"Roger that."
However, she had some more important words to share, as she is already stepping to the right to head in that direction, turning her head, stuffing her hands into her pockets, to tell her cousin:
"From this point on, once we face each other in the frey, you and I, will be enemies. Treat me as such, just like you did before in the Chunin exams. I didn't train this hard, only for you to start chickening out, because you are scared to hurt me. No matter which one of us wins, one way or the other, I doubt my father or grandfather will be making it easy for either of us. So... Take this seriously, because so will I."
"...Hmph. ...Don't you tempt the tiger."
"And don't you tempt the lion."
Then, as a sign of respect and kinship, which was a tradition to the Hyuga, to signal that they, in spite of their position as opponents, will be expecting a clean fight, they did a unified hand sign. Hinata formed a circle with her hand, pressing her index- and middle finger against her thumb to represent the yin, and Neji did the same to represent the yang. They pressed their circular handshapes against one another's hands to form the ying-yang symbol, before each doing a one-inch punch into their quickly opened palms to seal the deal, ending by interlocking their fingers and holding them up to firmly grasp and say: To a good fight.
And from there, they went their separate ways, Neji going left, and Hinata going right. But both of them are not leaving as arch-rivals, but as family, heading for those they deeply missed during all this...
Hinata hadn't walked very far, when she already saw Naruto in the distance, who cheerfully waved, before heading right towards her, wanting to invite her for some Ichiraku ramen... ...and then he realized she was covered in bandages and bruises.
"Hey, Hinata! Where were you for so long? I was starting to get worried. ...What, did you and Neji train too roughly again, today?"
"I would say so. You get caught up in the moment, when you get the chance to train with your future opponent. Don't worry about these, it's just passing pains. Nothing to waste any thoughts on."
The blond shinobi smiled at her, nodding in a cheerful way, a wicked smirk forming on his lips, as he reminds her:
"Well, that's good... Because tomorrow, our training will resume like normal. We got one more week left to train together. I'd make the best of it."
She gently smiled at him, as he never fails to bring out her doting side for him.
"I am looking forward to it, Naruto."
"Now..."
He grabs her by the wrist and comically drags her to Ichiraku's place, her heels rubbing against the pavement and leaving dust clouds behind, going:
"...Let's just go already, before Ichiraku closes on us early, again! Today's my treat! You can't sleep on an empty stomach."
"N-Naruto, stop dragging me--"
Meanwhile with Neji...
Tenten was just about to close up her workshop, rolling down the covers over her windows, calling it a day, as she really needs to get some shut-eye, with the keys in-hand to shut the gate, too.
But then, she quickly turned her head, once a playful, oh so familiar, but endearingly nerdy, "know-it-all" voice came in asking:
???: "...Closing up already? Would you mind if I rent the guest room for now?"
And there he stood. That damned, smug Hyuga, otherwise known as Neji, arms folded, gazing at her with eyes that to her, might as well shine like diamonds in the golden hue of the setting sun. She felt so cartoonishly annoyed, puffing her cheeks at him, folding her arms as well, imitating his pose, going all:
"...Hmph! What do I look like? A hotel owner to you, or something? This is a workshop, not a holiday inn. You won't be getting any hot springs around here."
Neji scoffed, needing to add that, maybe so, but she was the one to let him in, first. She might as well open this place up as a hotel, for real.
"I concede on that, but you didn't exactly hesitate letting me in, too. You could have shoo-ed me away, but you never did, not even once. ...Is the hammock still free? I just realized, I really enjoy sleeping in hammocks. Call me old-fashioned, but a bed, hovering above the ground, that is more to my liking than a futon in a musky compound, which might as well be a barrack. How about it...?"
Then...
...Tenten, with a loving smile, her hazel eyes growing shiny, with cheeks all pink, she wordlessly tossed him the keys, as if to signal something. Gently letting him know:
"...I kid, alright? You will always be welcome to sleep here, Neji. Say no more. I get it. I will give you spare keys, if you ever feel like you need some time away from the compound. To me... You will always be welcome here."
That made Neji's pale lavender eyes widen, and grow watery, his breath hitching, all at the same time. With Tenten even getting in, unapologetically telling him, as she snakes her arms around him, pressing her front against his to provide him warmth that he so desperately needed, without daring to spell it out, after everything that had transpired at the compound today:
"...Welcome home, Neji."
His arms began shakily lifting, as he began wrapping his arms around her strong backside as well, pressing his face into her upper shoulder plate, telling her, his voice muffled against her shoulder:
"...I'm home... Tenten..."
They stayed like this for a while longer, the leaves gently rustling and dancing in the late night gusts, this moment of pure serenity going uninterrupted...
...
...But as both young Hyuga warriors were busy enjoying themselves, badly needing this kind of distraction...
...One of the later nights, Guy, who was casually strolling down the village aisle, still feeling really troubled about this entire situation with Neji's and Hinata's family, and feeling like absolute crap for not being allowed to tell the kids the truth about what really happened to Neji and Tenten...
...He stopped dead in his tracks, as he could have sworn, he heard something. He was absolutely certain, he heard something. He jumped on the tree branch, looking around, as he could have sworn, it came from that tree he was standing on top of now...
"Show yourself, you coward. You think I don't know what's going on within your family? When will you ever learn that cheap shots aren't going to work on me? You can't hide from me..."
...and his glare grew more intense, once he felt a cold, threatening presence behind him.
"...Hiashi Hyuga."
THE END…?