Unbalanced (2)

"Alright, now keep your left foot firm and steady. There are many descriptions of fighting in accordance with the wind, but in reality, losing your own stability for momentary flexibility is the most useless action in a battle."

Standing in front of Hinata, Eio crouched slightly, his right foot forward, touching Hinata's right foot while he placed most of his body's weight on his left foot. Hinata nodded as her heart could barely keep together when she saw Eio up close. His serious expression gave her goosebumps.

Their upper-body straight and their right fists crossing each other.

"Hinata, look at me."

Seeing her anxiety, Eio spoke once again. Off to their side, Kurenai was calmly gazing at the duo while Shino slowly went through the info that his jounin sensei presented and matched it according to his own collected information.

Looking up, Hinata's pale white, almost pale violet eyes met with Eio's deep violet. Her gaze was instantly attracted to his angular jaws, but Eio's words snapped her out of her stupor.

"In a battle... at least, in a spar, you need to show respect to your opponent."

She blinked in confusion while Eio continued, his fist grew dangerously close to her face.

"Hinata, if you think that I am a worthy opponent and worthy for your respect, then you will throw your useless thoughts away.

Bring your fist closer to mine."

Hesitant, Hinata still followed his directions. Without her gentle fists, it was hard to match up against Eio and deep down, she held the feeling that Eio could still trump her after she activated all her cards.

Just like Eio's, Hinata's fist grew closer to Eio's, his warm breaths could be felt on her knuckles, almost making her heart leap.

"We will punch each other."

"Eh?"

Hinata snapped out of her reverie only to see Eio smiling at her.

"My fist at your face, your fist at mine."

"B-b-but Eio-kun?! If we—"

"You are a kunoichi, aren't you? Then do it at my 3.

1... 2... 3—"

Eio's eyes immediately widened as his fist grew closer to Hinata's nose, almost smashing it into a bloody pulp.

***

'Eh?'

Hinata's breath quickened as she matched Eio's violet pupils. He looked so domineering. Though his face remained without any particular expression, just that natural smile and gentle look on his face, Hinata could always feel a certain air around him.

Almost like a crazed beast being suppressed.

The moment he asked Hinata to focus on the battle, her heart clenched. She always respected Eio. In fact, he may be the only person she respected after her late mother. She did respect her father, of course. But that respect grew out of fear, not inspiration.

Always sitting close to Eio and chatting with the lazy kid was a new breath of life for Hinata. Even now, when her Byakugan was sealed, she kept on repeating Eio's words. No bird is caged!

Even when she felt disheartened by the cruel and cold gazes of her clansmen, Eio's and even Shino's presence remained a change of pace for Hinata.

But now, Eio wanted to hit him in the face. Even if they weren't a team, she didn't think that it was something she could do. To hit your only friend, when other shunned you out, is not Hinata Hyuuga.

"You're a Kunoichi, aren't you?"

His words somehow matched her father's, Hiashi Hyuuga's words. Those words contained so much burden that she wasn't willing to bear. Her consciousness felt dizzy while she looked at the fist up close her face. The surroundings morphed into a disciplined, wooden dojo. Her legs faltered, her base felt crumbling when she saw the huge fist smashing towards her face.

'I am sorry... I disappointed you once again!'

Whoosh

***

"What is he doing?"

After giving the task to Shino, Kurenai observed Hinata and Eio. Whenever her gaze landed on Hinata's covered forehead, her mood would sour again and again. Damn those Hyuuga bastards!

Constricting your own clansmen! But deep down, the rational part of her body always justified their actions as the protective measures to ensure the clan's longevity. After all, there have been cases of their Byakugan getting stolen. The recent one being the loss of Byakugan of Hiashi's father, the clan elder.

Reading Eio's lips, Kurenai nodded slightly. Instead of a regular spar, Eio might just want to train Hinata's confidence, something she sorely needed. But once again, the rational part within her poured a bucket of cold water on her thoughts.

Can confidence be gained so easily?

Especially in Hinata Hyuuga's case?

The female girl who had to train the moment her mother passed away. The girl who wasn't even given the right to grieve over her mother's loss as her body was subjected to cold abuse in the name of training. The girl who lost her title and footing in her clan while her own you ger sister, that was brought up by Hinata and a Hyuuga maid, defeated Hinata and took her title.

Is this type of girl really capable of gaining her confidence back?

This was something that even Kurenai couldn't answer.

As expected, her expert eyes felt Hinata's hips trembling, affecting her footing while her fist lowered ever so slightly. Her eyes widened when Eio said he wanted to smash his fist and asked Hinata to do the same.

"Wai—"

Before she could even stop the exercise, Eio's fist moved momentarily and then stopped at the tip of Hinata's face. A gust of wind picked up with just this slight movement, evidencing the power-packed within the so-called one-inch punch.

Seeing that no physical harm was done to Hinata, a relieved sigh escaped her lips but then, she couldn't help but think what would happen to Hinata's psychology.

Before she could make her way towards the duo and berate the fool of a genin Eio turned out to be, a voice suddenly stopped Kurenai in her tracks.

"Sensei, why don't you spectate for now. " Even the usually silent Shino spoke up and stopped her while continuing.

"Eio is a member of Team Kurenai. His actions have already shown his sincerity towards the team. So I think we should put our trust in him."

Looking back, Kurenai sighed before speaking and explaining to Shino.

"I understand that his actions are committed with good and sincere thoughts for the team. But it is important that he understands how his actions are perceived by his teammates and how his goodwill will affect them. After all, he is a child and so are you."

Nodding, Shino didn't deny her statement. But this is one of the rare moments where he actually outspoke and argued with his senior.

"This may sound a bit... brash, sensei. But from the starting, I observed Eio. I have observed how Hinata looks up to him and hold various other feelings for him while Eio himself has shown emotional maturity greater than a kid's, like me, many times.

Please look at them. I don't think you need to be worried."

Shino finally spoke and pointed behind her.

Looking back, she saw Hinata standing up and entering into a basic fighting stance once again. Her fist up close to Eio's, too.

'What the hell?'

Kurenai frowned and then looked back at Shino, whose expression remained a mystery, just like the rest of his clan.

***

'I am sorry, I disappointed you once again.'

Hinata closed her eyes when suddenly, a wild gust blew at her face, her tears forming at the corner of her eyes blew back, just like her hair. Her eyes widened as the reflection of a fist, far smaller than her own imagination, could be seen within her pale violet pupils.

'Eh?'

The fist receded, and as expected, a disappointed expression and cold eyes gazed at her.

"Are you alright?"

'Surely, he doesn't want to have anything to do with me.'

Hinata thought in her mind as Eio's concerned expression coincided with her father's cold and ruthless one.

Eh? Concerned?

She finally gazed at Eio, his hands resting on her shoulders as a clear, refreshing energy started to clear her thoughts. She found herself back in the training ground, Hiashi was replaced by Eio and the cold look was replaced by a gentle, warm one.

"Are you ok?"

She wanted to nod. She wanted to speak, yes. But after disappointing his expectations, can she really speak that she is alright with a straight expression? Her spirit grew restless only to have the refreshing energy calming her down once again.

The bottled-up frustration that almost broke out of her body into a teary mess vanished at a rapid pace. Her thoughts grew clearer. He is worried? Why is he worried?

Didn't I disappoint you? Why aren't you disappointed?

"Didn't I disappoint you? Why aren't you disappointed?"

Unconsciously, she spoke out her concerns.

"Eh? Of course, not! Hinata, I am the one who should be asking you the same thing after doing something so stupid."

He isn't.... disappointed?

Not yet... but he will get disappointed, right?

"Hinata, if you don't want to do this training, then we can shift into a different one."

No, I don't want that. I don't want to disappoint you. I don't want to be a failure!

Please! Please, give me one more chance!

Her pleas moved her body, her body crouched, her footing grew stable and finally, her fist grew closer to Eio's, who entered into a stance once again.

Please! I don't want to be a failure again! Not for Eio, at least!

Her desperate cries remained unheard, but her emotions were genuinely conveyed to a strange entity.

***

Shino and Hinata gave their answers and their own tactics weren't bad. Shino's use of bugs to sting and drain out Shikamaru's and Sasuke's chakra was in fact, quite practical.

Gazing at the setting sun, Kurenai finally looked at the tired Hinata, her breaths ragged as she stood up once again and entered into the same position while Eio looked as helpless as Kurenai.

At this point of time, Kurenai felt a bit of resentment for Eio that he even introduced such a strange training. Maybe, she shouldn't have completely believed a kid. But gazing at Hinata, he desperate eyes, she couldn't help but feel a sting in her heart.

What could drive a girl to this extent? Even though Kurenai knew the answer, it made the whole thing even more depressing. Beside her, Shino stood calmly, waiting for their training to be over before leaving together.

It was at this moment, Kurenai realised that her team wasn't exactly as balanced as she thought. Not mention so surprisingly stubborn.

***

"This is our last chance! We can't become genins if we don't survive as a team!

Don't you get it! Annoying!"

Sasuke yelled at the beaten up Sakura whose expression remained pathetic.

"Oi, enough, Sasuke!"

Naruto immediately shouted in a frustrated manner and pushed Sasuke away. Gazing back at Sakura, Naruto couldn't help but frown.

"You should've trained more in the academy!"

He snorted. It wasn't out of goodwill that he made Sasuke lay off her back. No, he was frustrated that Sasuke wasn't training himself and simply tormenting Sakura, wasting both of their times.

Before Shisui could put the arrogant duo in their place, Sakura immediately shouted.

"You know what! Screw you! Naruto and Sasuke, you think that you are all that stuff, huh? Let me tell you, one day, I'll beat you both to the ground!

Better yet, I'll stomp on your bloodied face again and again!"

Saying that, Sakura ran away from the training ground with tears in her eyes.

"Hah?"

"Don't "hah?" me!"

Shisui immediately smacked Sasuke and then gazed at Naruto, making his head lower in fear.

"You know what, let's change your exam? If you cannot survive the mock trial even after Sakura gets eliminated, I'll see to it that you guys never become a Shinobi."