If you haven't read the latest chapters of the manga, do not read further, SPOILERS! Please tell me what you think of this.

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The Hinata Chronicles

The Hinata Chronicles is a series of stories about Hinata, all forming over a few chapters. They often associate with each other and encounter different problems that still have common traits. They analyze characters and their relationships with each other. Most of them also develops on a special power of Hinata's.

The Hinata Chronicles can be read separately.

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Hinata's gentle fist

It was quiet in the yard except for the soft, yet fierce, Hai's that echoed to the stairs of the Hyuuga Clan's Main Branch's residence. The sun was starting to set, leaving long, crooked shadows on its way.

The teenage girl standing in the middle of the yard didn't notice that. She was too concentrated about her training.

Usually she had to train inside, in one of the Dojos. But it had been good weather – it still was, the air was hot and the wind refreshing – so Hyuuga Hinata had left the Dojo. She was lucky that she could get to train there, but Neji was hurt in a mission, so the training ground was free for her to take. His wound did not part him from his training – being a former student of Gai Sensei and being who he was, Neji would never allow such a thing. But he could not train as intense and as much as usual. That didn't mean Hiashi took the remaining time as prudent to use on Hinata. Instead, he used it on paperwork.

Hinata was used to her way of living, and she was over complaining about it, starting to change it. She had tried many times – during the academy, when becoming a genin, during the chunin exams, anytime she got the chance. Latest had been her try to help Naruto-kun, when she told him she loved him. It hadn't gone well, and it was only days since she came out of Konoha's hospital and Sakura's careful healing sessions.

She hadn't seen or spoken to Naruto-kun since then, and she was sad, though not surprised, that he did not have the same feelings as her. Still, a part of her had always hoped. Hoped for more. But how could he feel more? She had never been worth noticing.

Many times had she wanted to change herself, but maybe never as much as now. She wanted to be worth noticing.

She was not enough. She was not strong enough to come even near equalizing Sakura, not strong enough to stand even thirty seconds against Pain.

She remembered when she'd laid in the hospital, often talking with Sakura. It was as if the healer had gotten a new interest in her, and she found that Sakura was very kind. Not that she had ever thought that she wasn't. Sakura was truly worthy of being called Naruto-kun's comrade. She'd just always been intimidated by the wild Sakura, but now she saw that she also had a gentle side.

She hadn't spoken to Naruto-kun since her confession, and she didn't know how to ever face him again. But she knew that the next time he needed her help, she would be there.

She would be strong. And not only for Naruto. For her father and her sister, for Neji, for her clan, for the future Hyuuga, for Konoha. For everyone that mattered to her. For Kiba and for Shino.

She was panting and felt her muscles ache, but she didn't stop, not even to breathe. She remembered the breathing exercises Kurenai-sensei had once taught her. With proper breathing, you could endure anything.

She jumped from one stance to another, imagining she was standing in front of another Shinobi. The little yard had she turned into a playground, placing all kinds of dummies and gymnastic training stuff around there. She jumped from one thing to another, placing fatal hits on the dummies while looking out for her imaginative foe. She had practiced for so many hours, she was starting to believe she was not just imagining. She was thinking she could almost see the chakra system in her opponent.

"Ha!" she screamed, not even thinking about it, when she destroyed another dummy. Her chakra control was growing by the minute. She had watched Sakura's ridiculous strength many times, and she had been inspired to become stronger herself. She had worked on her chakra control for many reasons, but mainly because it would make her gentle fist stronger, and because she knew that was how Sakura got that strength.

She had become better, and she had become stronger. She could use less chakra for more now, and she was a bit proud of herself, though she would never admit it to herself.

She watched the ground under her hand, smiling a little. It had gone right through the dummy, and there were crunches in the ground.

She grimaced.

For a short moment, she remembered the power she'd put into the hit that had been meant for Pain. She hadn't even touched him, but the ground had looked as if a minor earthquake passed by afterwards.

At least I got him away from Naruto-kun.

Thinking of the one she loved only gave her new powers, and she continued her endless fight with herself.

"Hinata-neesan," a voice called out, not catching her attention enough to stop her doings. She simply continued fighting with the dummies and avoiding the invisible attacks. Since she was standing with her back to the voice, she used her Byakugan to look. It was Hanabi.

"Yes, what is it, Hanabi-san?" she asked, panting. She made a flick backwards, into the air, before she landed elegantly before her little sister, kicking a dummy down, raising one she'd already knocked down with her right hand, and then throwing herself over a log with her hands.

She could see Hanabi watching her silently, and she saw her activate her Byakugan.

"What is it?" she asked again. She made a fatal hit for her opponents heart, watching her chakra form in the air in the imaginative circulatory systems. She stopped for a moment to observe. She'd formed the chakra.

She gasped in air and forced herself to go on. If she stood still for too long, her feet would tell her to stop entirely, and that was too early.

Hanabi watched her a few moments more. Then she de-activated her Byakugan, turned and walked away.

-

Hyuuga Neji was wandering through the Hyuuga Main Branch estate. He had been living there for many years now, as one of the only Side Branch members. He knew he should feel honored, but he had always felt utterly bitter about the subject. After he met Uzumaki Naruto, he had been able to feel thankful for Hyuuga Hiashi's deed. Hiashi taught him many things, and Neji was able to grow as both a person and as a shinobi under his wings.

Since his fight with Uzumaki Naruto, he had realized things he did not see before. Like the lack of attention Hyuuga Hiashi gave to his first born, Hinata, the heiress, and the growing pressure on the young girl.

Neji knew that Hiashi wasn't careless when it came to Hinata – he just had another way of parenting than most people. After he'd seen Hinata's lacking powers, he'd decided to try other methods to awaken her strength, meaning her getting by on her own. If not, the heiress could be changed.

Neji sighed. Sometimes he was just a little bit grateful that he was born in the Side Branch. There was just a little bit more politics in the Main Branch. He still hated the seal on his forehead more than anything. More than death. Death was the only salvation from that seal.

He sighed and looked down into his arms where he held so many scrolls he had a bit of a problem holding on to them. He'd been in the Hyuuga's personal library, picking up a few things that he could read while still having to wear that ridiculous bandage around his shoulder. At least it wasn't anything really serious – nothing like when Gaara had turned Lee into a wreck. He wondered if Lee could still feel those wounds, or if they were totally gone.

In that same moment, Hanabi came walking around the corner. He raised his eyebrows at her expression. So she was still wearing that look.

The day before, he'd seen her looking just the slightest bit worried, very confused, and there was a little hint of smugness in her Hyuuga-eyes.

"Hanabi-san," he greeted as they walked past each other. She didn't respond, and he continued till she called his name: "Neji."

"Huh?" he breathed, turning around to look at her back. She didn't bother to look at him. She probably had her Byakugan activated or didn't care. Having such skill with the Byakugan eyes as he had, he could almost see such things without it activated.

"Neji … Is it … Possible …" she mumbled, not stuttering, more trying to find her way in the words.

"What is it, Hanabi-san?"

"Never mind," she answered.

She walked away, leaving Neji a bit curious. He quickly shot it out of his mind, though, not thinking further about it.

-

Is it possible to control the chakra circulatory system?

Those were the thoughts of Hyuuga Hanabi as she sat in her room. She had often been told the powers of the Byakugan; she could stop the chakra's flow by hitting the body's Tenketsu, but it took very much skill; she could also strengthen the flow, and open one or more of the eight gates, like Neji's comrade, Lee, could do for himself, because he was trained in it.

All this required perfect chakra-control and a good Byakugan.

Her father didn't often speak of Hinata-neesan in her presence, but when he did, he mostly spoke of her lacking skills. She had always wished to show her father that she had the power to do what her sister had not been able to do.

But now she had seen something that told her, that her father had completely mistaken her sister – and so had everyone else. Not only the Hyuuga clan, everyone. Oh, maybe not Kiba and Shino, Hinata-neesan's comrades, but they were supposed to trust in her. But though they may have believed in her, they couldn't possibly have known of her true strength.

Hinata-neesan …

She squeezed her eyes, rubbing her temples. What was it that she had seen? Hinata-neesan's chakra had … Done something. It was as if it had been creating its own chakra circulatory system from nothing. As if a person was standing there. Hanabi had never seen or heard of anything like that.

What else have you hidden from us?

-

It didn't take long before Neji was able to train as before again. Hinata had to move inside again, and she started to think about asking Kiba and Shino to go training with her in the woods. They'd always been willing to help her. She smiled. She loved them both. They were both so special and strong.

Even though Kiba couldn't read minds, she knew what he'd say if he read hers, so she quickly added Akamaru to her calculations.

She sometimes took a break to go watch Neji and her father train. Sometimes she'd make tea for them to enjoy. She wanted to learn as much as she could, and even though Hiashi didn't train her, listening to what he told Neji gave her a little.

But the warmth in Konoha grew by the minute, and she was exhausted faster than before. She found herself gasping on the floor of the dojo within minutes. She wondered why she was so weak, and why her cousin so strong.

The Dojo had a way of gathering the warmth like black steel, and sometimes she would go to the yard before Neji and her father. It was still hot, but here there came a wind when she moved.

She danced lightly around the yard, throwing her hands in all directions, looking with her Byakugan. She forced herself to see details, forced herself to see long; see outside the village.

Then she saw Neji, who had arrived and now stood at the one end of the yard.

She stopped, gasping for air, and turned to face him. A deep blush went over her face.

"Ano, Neji-kun," she gasped and quickly bowed. "I forgot the time. Please excuse me."

Neji watched her silently, walking over the yard to her. She flinched and turned to hurry away.

"Wait, Hinata-sama," Neji called, and she froze. "What were you just doing?"

She turned slowly to face him. "I … I was training. It's so hot in the dojo, I figured I could go here before you arrived."

Neji stared at her. She was such a weird girl. He had never understood her, and he was pretty sure not even her teammates understood her. Maybe nobody did.

A quick sadness rolled over him as he thought that.

"Hinata-sama … I was thinking … Your father will be delayed today, and I came to train a bit by myself. Would you mind sparring with me till he arrives?" he asked her.

She looked at him with wondering eyes, but she nodded. The blush was still faintly on her cheeks.

They took their stances in each their end of the yard. Then, as if agreeing at the moment, they ran for each other on the same time, both yelling: "Byakugan!"

Hinata still remembered the humiliation of her first chunin exam clearly. She wanted badly to be better, but she knew she didn't stand a chance against Neji.

But she was glad to find that her Byakugan was better. She could see them now – she could see his Tenketsues. Not all of them, but the most fatal of them.

Then his flat hand, filled with chakra, came for her, and she deliberately answered it with her own, causing a minor explosion of chakra.

The next hand was coming, and while she blocked it, she tried to get her left hand through his defenses, but he quickly moved his own hand just as quickly.

Their hands moved in a dance, and she was happy that she could dodge his attacks, happy that she was faster. But she was also mad that she couldn't get a hit on him.

"Hai! Hei! Hai!" she yelled for each throw she made for him. It seemed that time evaporated in the yard while their fight went on. They barely moved out of their stances, only using their hands, but they both knew that taking in one hit could be fatal.

Then she decided to do something totally out of place for a Hyuuga. She pushed herself back from him, falling to the ground, where she lifted herself up on her hands to kick backwards toward him. It caught him off guard, and she punched him in the guts.

She jumped to her feet, taking her stance again. He blinked a few times, and she used his confusion to attack again, this time with her gentle fist.

He caught her hand with his own and swung her around. She gasped and tried to hit his arm with her other hand, but he responded likewise to this one.

Their hands were glowing with chakra, and they were staring into each other's Byakugans, searching their Tenketsu and chakra circulatory systems.

Her kick hadn't done much, since it hadn't had any chakra, but she had hit him. She had showed him that she was not just a weakling.

She loosened her little finger from his grasp and poked it as hard as she could into his hand. If it had just been a simple poke, he probably wouldn't have given it any attention, but it was a chakra poke, and he quickly withdrew.

He clenched his teeth, looking at her with searching eyes. She smiled back at him.

Then he came for her, and she could see that he was coming for her with all his strength. She jumped out of the way, blocking with her own hands, trying hard to protect herself from the many punches that he threw. Not a simple flicker crossed his face. She danced away from him, and though she was avoiding – for now – she knew that he had the upper hand. He was moving her backwards. In the battlefield, this could not be allowed.

She decided to do something risky. Instead of blocking him, she moved her hand for his shoulder, focusing on the Tenketsu there.

She felt her chakra whirl around, being disturbed by the new chakra that was pushed into her. Her whole system was changed.

She jumped back immediately, watching him quietly. She'd almost hit his shoulder Tenketsu. Almost …

She looked at the place he'd hit her; a Tenketsu in her right arm. Trying to move her arm, she found that it was not as serious as she had feared.

She looked up, only to found him attacking her again.

Knowing she didn't have the time to hit, she quickly calculated where he'd punch and forged her chakra there.

She gasped when he hit her. Her gathering of chakra had helped, but not enough. She could feel her chakra system falter.

She straightened up, holding he hands out toward him. He wouldn't get another chance to hit her.

"Hai!" she yelled as she hit for his arms. He blocked, of course, but instead of removing her hands, she locked her own with his and punched herself into him. He gasped, and she swiftly removed her hand, placing it to his rib.

He stumbled back, his hand at his side, when they parted. They were both panting furiously.

After a few seconds, he lifted his hands once more, and they ran for each other.

None of them gave as much as a whisper as they fought; only the sound of chakra was to hear.

She felt herself freeze when his index and middle finger forced itself into her stomach, and she tasted blood in her mouth. He'd caught a very important Tenketsu.

He smiled, tasting victory.

He formed his other hand and send it for her, but she forced herself to grab it with her left hand, and then she pointed her hand towards his heart.

He was gone before she got that far, but she hit his side once again.

She fell to the ground, gasping for air. She wasn't sure it would be safe using her chakra again, but she'd have to.

His brows increased as he looked at her, and she frowned. If she couldn't fight Neji properly she'd have no chance at helping Naruto-kun with Sasuke.

"Attack!" she ordered, straight again. It hurt, but she held it down.

He nodded, and their fight somehow increased. She was looking for an opening while at the same time trying to protect herself. She was mad because there were two openings that she could have used, if she'd not been so busy with protecting herself.

She didn't let him get any hit in, but it was hard when she was already weakened.

They were so engaged in their fighting, they did not notice that Hyuuga Hiashi had arrived. The head of the clan watched with interest as his eldest daughter and his brothers prodigy of a son fought each other. He'd never imagined Hinata could get so fatal wounds on Neji, or withhold him for so long.

The fight prolonged, and there went several minutes between each hit, until, at last, Hinata lay beaten on the ground. It was what was to be expected, Hiashi thought, but what wasn't to be expected was that Neji was supporting himself on his knees, gasping for his breath, flickers of pain crossing his face. He held one of his hands to his one side, where Hinata had hit him several times. Hiashi hoped Neji wasn't hurt too much again.

"Are you finished?" he called out, and the two teens both froze shortly before turning toward him – Hinata with bigger effort. She fought to get herself up on her feet, where she swayed unsteadily.

"Y-y-yes, f-father," she stuttered. Hiashi frowned. She'd stuttered a bit when she was younger, but it had gone away as she'd grown. What had triggered it now?

"I hope you haven't waited too long, Hiashi-sama," Neji apologized, bowing.

Hiashi nodded to them both. "You are forgiven," he stated. He didn't say anymore, and after a few seconds, Hinata began dragging herself away from the yard.

"Why were you fighting with my daughter?" Hiashi asked. "Did something happen?"

"We were simply training, Hiashi-sama," Neji answered.

"She's better, is she not?"

"Definitely, Hiashi-sama."

Hiashi turned his head at the sound of his nephew's voice. Neji was staring after Hinata, looking almost … proud.

"Hmm … Well, let's get to training."

"Hai, Hiashi-sama."

-

Even though she'd trained her entire day, and even though she'd been beaten by Neji, she couldn't sleep. She stood on the terrace, looking at the moon and the stars above her. She'd been exhausted till the moment she fell on her bed. She'd felt like she needed to only close her eyes and then she'd be asleep.

But as soon as she lay with her head on that pillow, she was far awake. She'd gone out to get some fresh air, and she found herself even more awake. Sour, but awake.

"Hinata-sama."

She looked to her left, finding Neji there. She smiled weakly, not finding the strength to be polite. She wanted to sleep, but she couldn't. It was one of the worst feelings.

"Neji-kun," she answered, sighing deeply at her low voice.

He came to stand beside her, and he scrutinized her face. She blushed. Had it been anyone else, she could have hoped that the dark would cover this, but with a Hyuuga, that was impossibility, especially when it was someone as skilled as Neji.

"Why aren't you asleep?" he asked, clearly making small-talk.

"I can't sleep."

He smiled. "After that fight?" She flinched. "I can't sleep, either," he said then. "I keep thinking about how things have turned out."

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking at him with wonder deep in her eyes.

"I always thought that … That it was wrong that I was in the Side Branch and you in the Main branch." An uncomfortable silence fell upon them, and Hinata bit her lip. "But now I think that there was a reason. You were never really strong, Hinata, yet you never gave up. In your own way, you were strong. You are, still. And that strength made you even stronger. That's the strength that's going to make you a great clan head." She stared at him, not believing her own ears. He smiled at her. "I'm not really suited for that title."

She shook her head, trying to get out of the dream she was captured in. "Neji, the seal –"

"With the proper leader, what does the seal matter?" he asked, but his eyes were sad. "Listen, Hinata-san." She felt jumpy when he didn't call her sama but san. "You're going to meet many other difficulties in the future, but that strength you carry inside is going to get you through it. Your true enemy is your shyness. Put that behind you. You're strong. Your strength will save you, and that strength is also what's going to make Naruto-kun acknowledge you." He smiled at her deep blush. "Not that he hasn't already."

"Th-th-th-thank y-you Neji," she stuttered.

"And don't begin with the stuttering thing again. I know you still do it mainly in front of Naruto-kun, but you've worked so hard to get over it."

She couldn't help laughing, and she looked at him with gratitude. "Thank you, Neji-kun. You're very kind."

He smiled back. "Promise me one thing, though, Hinata-sama." He was serious now. She nodded, waiting for him to continue. "Become a good clan leader. And don't misuse the caged bird seal."

She nodded, just as serious as he was. "I promise, Neji-kun. I'll do my best."

He smiled and turned around. She watched him with wonder. How strange it was to have him being the person who understood her the best. Not even Shino and Kiba-kun understood her half as well – when it came to Naruto, at least. They always asked her why she acted like that around Naruto. Sakura said they were ignorant, and TenTen agreed. But Neji understood.

She smiled, feeling that she would be able to sleep again.

It's impossible to hide anything from a Hyuuga.

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So, yea, just an idea-bunny. I've got two additional chapters to this, in my head, but I don't know if I'll write them. I really should be writing on Newborn.

Tell me what you think, please.