Chapter 24: Shackles!

Chapter 24

HINATA HYUGA

Hinata watched as her teammate took his seat. She was happy for him. She had been present for the engagement. It was a private affair with only a handful of people. Though he had promised that there would be celebrations after the exams.

But then she focused on the person in front of her. Some time ago she saw her cousin as an impregnable fortress. She considered him to be part of a group of people she could never touch. Genius.

Yet here she stood. She stood against everything he stood for. She was going to break her clan's horrid traditions.

"We have not sparred for some time Hinata-sama," Neji spoke first.

"Yes, it has been some time. Let us have a good match," she said but her cousin just scoffed at her. His eyes gained that defiant and haughty glint that would have cowed her a year ago. But she had changed and now she just wanted to get rid of all that despair and desolation behind her cousin's eyes.

She wanted to protect her sister. She wanted to protect her clan. And to do that she would have to win.

"You really have changed! but no matter the outcome of this match was decided years ago. Our fates sealed as each of us took our first breath. You and I may struggle against fate's tumultuous waves, yet it shall always be futile because, in the end, it will just flow in its predetermined direction."

Neji-san got into his stance. Byakugan activated, veins bulging around his eyes. Chakra brimming through his fingers.

She took a deep breath. Coursing chakra through the coils beneath her skin. She got into her own stance. Slightly different from her cousin's her form was less fluid and seemed a lot more rigid. She closed her eyes, pushed chakra through the special coils, and then the world around her shifted. The colors of the world dulled to a monotone black and white, yet she also saw more. She saw the chakra brimming beneath the skin.

"You may have given up on your struggle and decided to follow your destined path."

Her cousin scoffed at her words. But she continued, undeterred by the malice or the hate in his eyes.

"But I will stand against it. I will stand against the tide and destroy whatever plans fate may have made for us. I will snuff them out, all these traditions and cruelty, I shall destroy them all."

She then pushed chakra into her feat, eyes sharp and focused.

"And right now, you are standing in my way to make that happen. So I am going to get past you. No matter what."

And she rushed towards him. Appearing right in front of him, he was a little startled at her speed. But his body reacted and his hands were attacking her position instantly, yet she did not try and block them as she pushed more chakra to her feat. This time pushing against the ground and she stopped immediately. His attacks went wide and then she aimed right at his solar plexus.

Her palm struck him in the gut and he flew backward. Though it seems the damage was not very severe as he just rolled on the ground and got up once more. His eyes narrow.

"It seems to me you have learned a few new tricks. But they shall be futile." And then Hinata could not react in time as he appeared right Infront of her.

Hyuga taijutsu: eight trigrams sixty-four palms

And then the barrage came. Hinata had to defend yet as the speed of the attacks increased she could feel it overwhelm her. Yet she did not relent. She pushed the chakra to her foot and instead of avoiding the next attack, she took it. Pain radiated through her shoulder.

She struck her foot on the ground destabilizing his footing and giving her a chance to counterattack. She saw the surprised expression on her cousin's face and then pushed chakra to her palm striking it directly at his extended arm.

He tried to avoid it yet the attack still grazed his forearm, making him hiss in pain as he jumped back. But Hinata did not relent. She pushed the chakra through the blockade and removed it. This was immensely painful. But she had prepared for this. She had known that against her cousin it was impossible to avoid or dodge all of the attacks.

Chakra coated her hands, but this time it was not regular chakra. It was lightning-natured chakra.

Ninpo: Lightning palms.

And she attacked him he jumped back trying to avoid it. But she smiled as the attack did not relent and lightning left her hand hitting his body.

"Ahhhhh," he hissed in pain as the lightning struck him. Though he did not fall unconscious, still he remained defiant as he still stood standing, despite taking her attack.

"Ninjutsu, well that was a surprise. But it won't be enough." And he got into his stance once more.

And she molded her chakra, changing its nature once more. But this time both lightning danced on both her hands and both of them rushed toward each other.

Neji attacks were just like they had always been. Precise and destructive. These attacks would have felled her some time ago, yet she was determined as she evaded them and disrupted his rhythm using the lightning.

Her cousin had to be extremely careful as this was both a contact and a short-range attack. The exchange continued but then she saw him slip as she found an opening. She pushed the chakra to her feet and jumped as her cousin overreached and now she was on top of him. Her palm ready to strike!

Lightning Strike

Yet she could not feel it connect. He had let his attack continue, hitting the ground and using the momentum to escape her attack.

Hinata rushed towards him once more. Her feet pushing her forward but this time countered, as he just ducked, and then she was struck in the gut. Pain arched through her body. She was pushed back, her feet scraping the ground.

She ignored the pain and struck her hand on the ground. The earth cracked as her body halted. She did not give him time to move forward, hitting the ground once more as various broken rocks moved upwards into the air. She then began supplying chakra to her hands. Spinning as she struck them all, propelling them in her cousin's direction.

Eight trigrams. Vacuum palm.

Large chunks of rock rushed toward him. He could not dodge them all, she concluded yet instead of trying to dodge he just changed his stance. His new stance, of a move he would never have been taught.

"You have improved Hinata-sama. But there is still a large gap between us!"

Eight trigrams: Rotation.

And then she saw a dorm of chakra surround her cousin as he vanished under all that smoke. This move was a move exclusive to the main family. For him, a member of the branch family to use this was a slap against all the traditions their elder boast about.

The smoke cleared and her cousin stood at the center of it. Looking her straight in the eye.

Hinata chewed her lips as she thought about her next move. Yet her cousin did not give her the chance as he rushed towards her.

His assault, much more brutal. Hinata tried to combat him, yet the attacks were fast. Faster than they had been. He hit her on the thigh blocking her tenketsu and then his attack connected with her gut and she was pushed off the ground. Blood spilled from her mouth. And then he just struck her once more and she was pushed upwards.

Hinata knew that she needed to do something so she took out the scroll from her pocket. Smeared some blood on her thumb to unlock it and then she made several hand signs.

Summoning technique.

And a huge recurve bow appeared in her hand she immediately caught one of the arrows and molded her chakra. Lightning arched through the bow.

Ninpo: Narukami's Arrow

She was pushed back because of the recoil. The muscles in her arms ached as if they had been shredded. She could feel blood dripping down them. She could not see clearly but she did hear the next words.

Eight trigrams: Rotation

BOOM.BOOM

And there was a huge explosion and Hinata was pushed back with a huge force. She struck the wall and hit her head. Blood dripped from her face. One of her legs had been injured yet she stood. She had not fallen.

As the dust cleared she saw her cousin standing as well. Staring at her wide-eyed, as he cradled his bleeding arm. Hinata tried to push chakra into her feet, yet she could not. She looked down and noticed blood dripping from her thigh.

Her cousin seemed to have noticed her dilemma as he smiled and rushed towards her. Yet Hinata did not relent she picked up her last remaining two arrows. She struck the bow on the ground because she could not provide enough pulling force for the draw with her injured leg. She notched the arrow and as she pulled back the string she could feel her arms protesting they ached and blood was dripping down her arms But she did not relent.

Ninpo: Narukami's Arrow

The arrow left the bow and Hinata hissed in pain tears appeared in her eyes as her arms hung by her side powerless, painless, and bleeding. Yet the attack had been useless as her cousin had somehow dodged it at the last second. She tried to get her arms up to notch the last arrow. Yet they would not move despite all her effort she could not move them.

This was it. She had given it everything she had. She had devastated her clan's greatest technique by a move of her own making. This was enough, a small part of her conscience said.

NO! NEVER! SHE REFUSED TO ACCEPT THIS!

And with her last healthy leg, she kicked up the last arrow. The arrow flew into the air. Her cousin rushed towards her and Hinata pushed chakra into her functioning leg and pushed herself off the ground. Molding her chakra to the lightning nature, she felt lightning racing through her body and she felt everything around her slow down.

She could make out each and every detail. Neji was now only a couple of meters away and the arrow was dangling between them. She rotated in the air, noticing how her cousin's eyes went wide, and then her feet connected with the arrow. Lightning crashed around me. As she shouted the name of her move.

"Ninpo: Narukami's Arrow!"

Her cousin was too close to dodge it now. So, she saw him push chakra to her feet and his sole arm got up and he tried in a last-ditch effort.

"Eight trigrams: Rotation."

BOOOOOOOM.

0000

KAKASHI HATAKE

Kakashi Hatake watched as smoke and debris covered the arena floor. With his Sharingan uncovered he had been able to make out each and every move in detail. The match had been an eye-opener for him. The Hyuga Girl's use of lightning nature and her overall technique and battle senses were impeccable. From a sideway glance, he saw his colleague Kurenai looking down on the arena nervously.

The smoke began to clear and Kakashi saw the proctor descend to the arena. Two bodies were strewn on the floor. Both seemed unmoving, at first glance. Gai's student had been sent flying back and was lying on the ground. Unconscious. His clothes were burnt and red marks of blood spread over various areas.

On the other side of the ground, Kurenai's student was lying against the wall. Her arms hung powerless, by her side, and covered with blood. One of her sandals had melted somewhat, and there was a blood stain on one of her thighs. But she was awake. Barely, but awake still.

"Neji Hyuga is unable to continue the winner of the match is Hinata Hyuga!"

And there was a loud cheer around the arena. Kakashi saw medics rush to the ground. His colleague also vanished in a blur as she appeared next to her student. From his experience, he could tell that both of them were going to be fine, yet the match had been more than just a qualification match.

His eyes moved to the VIP booth, settling on the Hyuga patriarch sitting there with the clans' elders. And even without his Sharingan, he could make out the frown on the face of the elder.

The girl from the main branch had spit on their traditions with her fighting style. Using ninjutsu and then a long-range bow, went against all that traditional bullshit those elders must have tried to spout.

And the boy, his eyes shifted to Gai's young prodigy. The boy was from the branch family but was more skilled and talented than most of the head family. His eyes narrowed as he considered the implications of this match.

It seems that things are going to change. Drastically. Quickly.

Kakashi's eyes landed on his own two students. Sakura was white as a sheet after seeing the match. She had been working hard, but this match had shown her the difference between herself and those that stood near the pinnacle.

Naruto, on the other hand, was just looking strangely at the Hyuga girl. His fists clenched, as he stared at the destruction left over the arena. Both the contestants were rushed off the ground and the announcer took the stage.

"THE SECOND MATCH IS BETWEEN GAARA FROM SUNAGAKURE VS SHINSO KEN!"

And the arena broke into cheer once more. Kakashi saw the red-haired kid jump down to the floor. His gourd, tied to his back, and a feral smile on his face. But unlike him, Kurenai's student did not rush.

He simply got up. Started walking slowly as if to irritate the boy from Suna. He made his way to the arena floor after some time. His back, straight, and a very haughty appearance on his face.

He was making a spectacle.

And Kakashi's eyes went to the Hokage booth. Was it on order! He saw Kurenai appear on his side once more.

"BEGIN." The proctor shouted.

And immediately sand spread through the arena. Enveloping everything and the kid from Suna smiled ferally and shouted.

'Sand coffin.'

And sand began to close up on Kurenai's student who was still standing. Kakashi frowned. What was the kid thinking?

BOOM. SHRING.CHING.

And the whole stadium was covered with debris once more. Kakashi uncovered his Sharingan to make sense of things. Yet his eyes widened and a small smile appeared on his face as he saw through the smoke.

The boy still stood at his initial place, but now there was his signature sword in his hand as lightning arched around him. The sand around him was no more. now it was all just glistening glass. He still had not moved. And he saw the smile shift on the face of the red-haired kid from Kusa.

This was going to be interesting, he thought.

0000

Hinata brings an upset with her sheer will. But in doing so, she shatters her clan's traditions. Shinso is facing Gaara of the sand. How will he face one of the few genin who could perhaps rival him?

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