The Hyuuga’s Rival
Chapter 1: Tsukyuga :( Sorry if my translations suck)
It was an accommodating cloudy day. the work that seemed once to not end was in the middle and it had only been one year since that great attack to Konoha. For this reason the village was greatly weakened. Taking on as many missions as they could leaving barely enough to protect their home. For those same reasons, Tsunade called to one of the oldest clans back to the village. They had left the village so long ago after the dispute between them and the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans. They were smart enough to leave the village when those two clans had untied forces but now there was no Uchiha, only one remained and the Hyuuga was now their only adversary.
The Tsukyuga clan, Hyuuga’s sister clan was back. They were as big as the Hyuuga and maybe as powerful but no one could remember anymore. It had been so long ago when two members of these clans fought each other. Many young had their blood boiling over the thought of finding out their strength, having heard of each other so much and secretly. they passed through the gates, the first of the clan.
It was like a dark parade. All of them, young and old wearing grey, and black, some dark red as they passed though the gates toward the buildings that once had been their own place in the village. Villages tried to stay out of their way. Most wore black hoods and gabardines, not lifting their eyes from the ground. What was to fear of them? At the back two Kunoichis guarded the rest of the clan as they made their way to their new home. Some of the villagers welcomed them from distance, in their opinion the Hyuuga was made of many pompous ninjas so having an opposite clan would be like having opposite Hyuuga, none wondered if that was a bad thing.
Naruto watched from his window. He wondered how Hinata and Neji would take it. He had not seen any of them or any Hyuuga for days. It was then that he saw her running. Hinata, the still shy heir of the Hyuuga ran smiling at the Tsukyuga who seemed surprise to see a Hyuuga for the first time and being nice toward them as she passed with a small package well guarded on her arms.
He had to see this. She was welcoming the rivals of her clan and with no other Hyuuga with her. He ran out and followed her down the long line of dark dressed people. When she had finally stopped, she was facing the last two Kunoichis that were wearing dark hoods and gabardines. One was taller and maybe older, they held posture of strength and order, she felt they held importance.
“Welcome!” Hinata offered them the little package. her arms extended and with a nervous smile. The older Kinoichi just passed her by with a cold shoulder. Naruto was about to scream at her but then he saw the other one take it from Hinata’s hands.
“Thank you Hyuuga-sama and I am sorry for my mother’s attitude” the girl removed the hood. She had middle long black hair that spiked up little outwards and dark red eyes like the Uchiha but no visible pupils like the Hyuuga. Her skin was tan and her smile friendly. She looked about their age if so, younger.
“It’s okay, I am Hinata” Hinata was not as shy as when they were still Genin. She was still worried about saying the wrong thing and hurting others but she could take the heat now. Naruto was surprised she had made such improvement to the point that she didn’t stutter when she saw him, well she blushed but it was not as bad as when she just fainted.
“Hinata, my name is Mina Tsukyuga” said the other girl with a calm smile as she opened the package to find a fine kunai. Mina smiled, her fleshy face rounding softly.
He had jumped into a roof and watched unseen. Naruto could not believe Hinata alone had made friends with a member of her adversary clan. Nevertheless, why in the world not? It was better than see more fighting. They had enough of that the years past. He was glad when he saw them walk and continue talking like friends.
“So that’s them” the only Uchiha said as he watched the Tsukyuga and Hyuuga go. He wore long dark pants, black shirt, and a green Konoha vest
“Ah! Sasuke, when did you get here?” Naruto had been so lost in his thoughts that he had not sensed him arrive.
Sasuke even after so long had remained somehow the same. He still acted cool and had all the girls at his feet. He still wanted to find who was stronger; him or Naruto. Now in a more civilized way, there was no need to rush since his brother had already died. He was not the one to finish him though; he killed himself before Sasuke to try mess up with his head a last time before he could have given the final blow. Sasuke took it better than anyone could have thought. He did not care that much about what his brother had intended him to do. Now he was more sure of he was and not only an avenger.
“Like it matters,” said Sasuke before leaving in a puff of smoke, he had already made it to Chunin, just as Naruto.
“Could you be denser?” said Sakura by Naruto’s side
“Ah! Sakura-chan!” Naruto was surprised again. Was he losing his touch as a Ninja?
“I can’t believe you Naruto. Don’t you see Sasuke-kun is angry at their return? Just imagine how they will bother of him for been the last of his clan,” said Sakura who was kind of over him. He was just another guy, a cool guy but a guy non the less. She was still working as a medic Ninja most of the time unless their team had to leave in a mission. Then she would go with them. She was still trying to make sure they all came back in one piece.
“Yeah I guess but didn’t you see? Hinata made friends with one so they can’t all be bad” said Naruto
“I don’t know” she said before leaving Naruto to his thoughts. He looked at the setting sun wondering how it feels to be the last one of a clan. Well maybe he was the last of one but then again maybe not since he had never heard of other Uzumaki.
“Just a memory” he heard someone name his work next to him
“You too!” asked Naruto, this time falling on his side.
“Hai” said Sai as he continued to draw the sunset. The weird antisocial ninja was still trying to make friends. Some who already were though he was weird but a good guy at least. He had somehow taken a strong effect on the women at Sasuke level, which left Naruto very irritated. So many would make fun of him been the less attractive of Team 7.
Naruto said nothing to Sai. He did not want to start a fight with the annoying Sai that always questioned his manhood. He was thinking, which was odd, why Hinata was the only one to welcome them from the Hyuuga clan. Sai was already readying Naruto’s thoughts by just looking at his face
‘Wonder when will they notice?’ thought Sai before going back to his drawing.
88
“So you met them” said Neji as he found her at the entrance of her room. He was still very cold toward Hinata even more than the year before when it seemed that they had gotten along better. He was bitter and maybe jealous from the year before but still it made no difference. He still thought she did not deserve to be the heir without showing she deserved the title. Well, she had but he was not convinced.
“Eh…Yes” she said with a small smile
“…”Neji gave her a cold look at her indifference on the topic.
“I am meeting with Mina tomorrow to show her around the village,” said Hinata a little more confident. She had done something good. There was no more need to fight. There was the point after all in knowing which clan was the strongest.
Neji turned around with the same look and walked away from her. Like she cared what he thought. She was the heir, she had proven to be stronger than her cousin in the battles of the year before and she was no genius just herself. Now she could even speak up her mind to her team, which had showed how a good of she was as a leader. She could speak to anyone now; well she still had difficulty starting a conversation with Naruto-kun.
She sat on her bed and wondered what she would show Mina first. She was so nice and somewhat timid like her. Still she would not let her guard down. That was another good reason she had gone to welcome them. If they were a threat to her clan, she had to learn their weak points. Not the greatest of strategies but she was just making sure her father did not start pushing everyone to be stronger just because he feared losing the title of the strongest clan.
Hanabi, her sister entered the room. She regarded her sister with almost empty eyes “Father-sama wants to see you”
“Yes, thanks Ha…” she had closed the door before she could finish
Hinata made sure she was presentable, went to the training yard where she found her father awaiting her, and with him were Mina and her mother.
“Hi Hinata-sama” said Mina with a slight bow
“Hi Mina…sama” the look on her father’s eyes told her these were very important people
“So this is your heiress. She is a good girl it seems” said Mina’s mother with a friendly smile that was so fake that Hinata knew it meant no good “Don’t you think is odd that both clans have heiresses”
“Huh?” Hinata looked at Mina who looked kind of embarrassed.
“Sorry, I didn’t think you were…” she tried to say but her mother stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder
“No it’s okay, I made the same mistake” both parents wanted to sigh. Maybe there was blood shared between their clans after all or maybe they were just cursed by the dead Uchihas.
“I guess your daughter made the right decision in welcoming us; maybe this means no more competition between our clans” said Mina’s mother
Hinata began to blush “Thank you”
“Maybe” said her father with a hard look. He was not convinced.
xxxxxxx
“So they have finally meant,” said Tsunade
“Yes Hokage-sama” said Sai that had been spying around
‘Why do I have the feeling that I have made a wrong decision’ she thought looking out at the darkening sky
