Smiling with growing relief, he confidently tells her, "I wouldn''t dream of it." Her cheeks redden and even her neck grows passionately colorful when he''s further surprised by a blushing Hinata-chan slowly, yet bravely, taking the space at his other side and shyly tells him, "Co-Congrattions, Naruto-kun."


    "Thanks, Hinata-chan," he happily replies, overjoyed she doesn''t seem afraid to be near him. Sakura stands next to Ino-chan and watches the match below before Kurenai-chan leans against the wall behind him. Shino stands beside Hinata-chan but Naruto assumes it''s to stand beside his team.


    Twisting his body to see the sexy Jnin, Naruto ignores the beautiful mask of her impassive face for the arduous soul behind her ruby-red eyes and effortlessly recognizes longing just below the surface. He was right to be concerned about those close to him.


    He feels she was indeed scared for him, and oddly enough, that makes him happy; so happy he couldn''t help expressing to her his own feelings with an uncharacteristically tranquil and grateful smile.


    ''I''ll make it up to you too,'' his mind promises and effortlesslymunicates with his confident blue eyes. With her slight ruby-red smirk, Naruto returns his attention to the pair down below.


    Asuma stands beside Kurenai, followed by his genin, Rock Lee, Tenten, and Guy-sensei. Neji was the furthest away but he still moved closer, and Naruto couldn''t believe how surrounded he is by friends and fellow ninja.


    It made him happy, grateful, and giddy; so much so, he eyes Gaara at the very opposite end of the battleground before them, staring right back at him, and Naruto makes a promise to help him.


    "Umm Now, we will begin the second match," Hayate eventually says through his coughing. "Please begin."


    Though Naruto had been told of the matches, it was interesting to see Kiba best Yoroi, Shino best the sound nin Zaku, and Gaara''s brother, Kankur best Misumi.


    HINATA


    For the fifth match, the scoreboard matched Hyga Hinata versus Haruno Sakura, and Hinata could only be happier if her opponent was Uchiha Sasuke himself; not that she expected to win against the raven-haired geniusshe wasn''t so confident in her skills.


    Simply put, Hinata was aching for an outlet to vent her frustrations, and the only way the opportunity to do just that could''ve been more proper is if it was with the Uchiha himself.


    Venting isn''t like her. Hinata is not an angry person. Even after her dearly beloved mother passed away, Hinata has never wished ill-will on others or sought to assault anyone out in anger or retribution.


    The only resentment Hinata could ever im to feel was in herself, for her many weaknesses, her meekness, and the shame she burdens upon everyone around her.


    More than anything, Hinata wants for everyone to understand and love one another amidst asting life of peace andughter for all she holds dearher hurting cousin, Neji, her beautiful sister, Hanabi, her strong father, Hiashi, but, none more than Naruto-kun, her north star


    And only minutes ago, Hinata witnessed, with her hyper perceptive eyes, her most cherished person nearly die very nearly murdered in the most horrific way at the bloody hand of his teammate for no other reason than refusing to be a stepping stone for the very person Hinata knows, for a fact, Sakura-chan has loved since their Academy days: Uchiha Sasuke.


    ''Sakura-chan loves Sasuke-kun,''Hinata''s mind res, clearing from coast-to-coast any other thought in her mind. The sight of Naruto''s blood still staining the stone floor below made her feel anger unlike anything she''s ever experienced.


    It made her chest tighten every time she recalled the raven-haired Uchiha burying his arm to the elbow inside of Naruto''s torso it made her heart beat furiously when her eyes focused in on Sasuke-kun''s satisfied grin it made her blood rush hot when her omnidirectional vision closed-in on the horrid pain on Naruto-kun''s screaming face and turning her pale eyes usingly at Sakura-chan, her mind screamed, ''she loves the shinobi that nearly killed the person I admire most in the world!''


    After Naruto''s victory, Hinata hadn''t known what to do with her horribly discing, irritatingly dark, and fear-inducing memories of Naruto nearly dying at Sasuke''s handeven seeing Naruto miraculously well didn''t alleviate this tsunami of energyuntil she saw her name match up with Haruno Sakura.


    All her cherished memories of dinners with Naruto, sparring with Naruto, talking to Haku-san about Naruto to so nearly lose all that, the Hyga heiress'' Byakugan activated on its own and her only target was Sakura.


    When Sakura joins her in the stage below, Hinata drops in her gentle fist stance, absolutely eager for the proctor to begin their match.


    ''Sakura-chan loves Sasuke-kun, and Sasuke-kun nearly killed the love of my life,'' Hinata''s pained and angered mind yells right before Hayate coughs, then says, "please begin."


    SAKURA


    Sakura may have been stronger, sturdier, and more intelligent than the indigo-haired heiress, but after one painful bout of close-quarter taijutsu, her strategy quickly shifted to doing everything in her power to keep her internal organs away from Hinata''s Gentle Fist.


    Without the ability to set traps, Sakura''s ranged attacks were as ineffective against the Byakugan as her close-range attacks.


    Ultimately, the frightfully angry Hyga heiress closed the distance, and though Sakura''s taijutsu could block or evade the indigo-haired girl, she couldn''t safeguard her internal organs or her chakra circtory system from Hinata''srge and imposing veined eyes coupled with superior taijutsu.


    With every painful strike, Sakura felt herself bing weaker and slower until she took a palm to the liver, the electric shock, of which, dropped the bruised pinkette to her knees.


    Worse than being unable to think of a strategy through the suffocating pain, Sakura couldn''t even get up. Fighting back embarrassing tears, Sakura couldn''t help but once again, acutely feel the harshness of her grand weaknesses.


    This quite heiress isn''t anywhere near Orochimaru''s league, yet Sakura is still losing to her, embarrassingly bad.


    It spoke volumes about herck of significant training, herck of grit herck of heart; the fighting spirit she''s heard of that keep a ninja going when everything says the battle is lost. Weakly, with tears flooding her green eyes, her thoughts weep, ''Naruto has it Sasuke has it Why don''t I?''


    When she hears, "COME ON SAKURA-CHAN," yelled from the pathways above, Sakura struggles to tilt her head enough to see an angry Naruto gripping the rails as he yells, "GET UP!"


    For no reason that mattered, it pissed her off that Naruto would yell for her to try harder. ''Of course I want to get up, you idiot!'' And with that anger, she slowly struggles to her feet, not that it mattered to the match.


    In the end, she may have stood when she thought she couldn''t, but the match was over. Mercifully, Hinata avoided her torso and attacked her legs to bring her down before a perfect aimed fist knocking her out.


    Sakura couldn''t hear the proctor call, "winner, Hyga Hinata."


    NARUTO


    Naruto rushes to the stairs as Hinata takes the final step, calling out, "I didn''t want you to lose!" Hinata only has time enough to blush and express surprise before Naruto continues. "I didn''t want either of you to lose which I get isn''t possible.


    I guess I mean, it didn''t matter who won as long as you both did your best."


    To his joy, she smiles her sweet, red-cheeked smile and softly exins, "I know, Naruto-kun. I- I know you''re" her blush doubles as she takes a deep breath. "I know you''re a ca-caring person. I know, more than anything you would''ve done the same for me, if I was in the same position."


    "Damn right I would," Naruto assures her with a clenched fist. Confident in his friend''s words, Naruto smiles as he congrattes her. "You were awesome! Your taijutsu was as devastating as ever- Oh!


    Did you see when I used some of the techniques you taught me? Speaking of, do you think we can talkter. I''m hoping you can help me with some chakra control training."


    "Excuse me," Tenten calls from behind them.


    Naruto and Hinata allow her to pass, wishing her luck before they return to the others. Tenten lost to Temari nearly exactly as Naru-nii had described, however, Tenten had managed to unseal electricity from a scroll and connect it to wired weapons as she attacked from a distance.


    It surprised Temari, however, not enough to affect the oue.


    Naruto was amused watching Shikamaru best Kin, however, no matter how much he screamed from the rafters, Ino had lost to Neji. Though Neji didn''t appreciate all his yelling, but Naruto expressed his mind by saluting the Hyga his stiff middle finger.


    When the next match is announced, a resolute Naruto walks over to Guy-sensei and sternly whispers in the man''s ear, "Gaara is like me.


    Lee could open five gates and it wouldn''t be enough to beat Gaara." Fortunately the man was too shocked about the threat to his student to ask how Naruto might know of the inner gates.