The Cycle of Hatred: A Naruto Insert

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"Where are we headed?" Choji asked, following behind her as she guided them through the forest.

Hinata looked over her shoulder. "I need to go and talk to someone before we go hunting for scrolls. Naruto said we're going straight to the tower after we rendezvous."

"Can't you just talk to them after the exam?"

Hinata frowned—she could have done it between the first and second tests but baulked at the task. She didn't know how to approach it, let alone against the backdrop of the exam and so she stopped thinking.

"When we get there, don't interfere," she said. Predictably, he frowned at that, which softened the taut set of her jaw just a little. "Please?"

"What if it turns into a fight? You never know—"

"At that point, yes, you can interfere," Hinata interrupted, "but unless it turns into a fight, let me handle things. It has to do with my clan."

"Your clan?" Choji echoed. "Does it have to do with Neji Hyuuga?"

At that, Hinata could only heave out a sigh.

She was no stranger to the Hyuuga's ills, namely the Caged Bird Seal granting the Main House pre-eminence over the Branch House. However, safeguarding the Byakugan was a legitimate issue. The Uchiha's Sharigan was both a blessing and a curse; it required the would-be plunderer to activate it permanently, unlike the Byakugan, meaning its constant activity rendered it a chakra parasite.

The Byakugan had no such issue and required a conscious rather than constant supply of chakra. When inactive, it provided slightly sharper vision than the norm with no downsides. There was no difference between a Byakugan wielded by a non-Hyuuga and a Hyuuga, which was precisely why her clan's eyes were so sought after.

In that sense, Hinata understood the need to safeguard their clan's eye. She was the victim of an attempted kidnapping before she'd developed conscious recall, but that was as far as her understanding extended and she lacked the power to change anything.

 It was a fact that followed her throughout her life; its weight made it difficult to advance and Hinata had never been more aware of it than when her father saw fit to enlighten her on the truth, as he called it.

It was an afternoon no different to any other. She and her father were seated over a low table, attended to by a servant from the Branch House with her head bent low as she poured them their tea before exiting with the same silence that she served them with.

"As I understand," her father had begun, considering her down the bridge of his nose, "Asuma Sarutobi has seen fit to enter your team into the coming Chunin Exams."

She had nodded at the time. "Yes, he has, father."

"And to my knowledge, Maito Gai has also deemed Neji's team fit to take these exams."

"He has?"

"What have I told you about asking nonsensical questions?"

Hinata had resisted the urge to frown, though part of her wished now that she had. "Apologies, father."

He had neither accepted nor rebuked her apology, instead fixing her with a stare different to any other she could remember him levelling at her—and what he proceeded to reveal that day infuriated her to her core.

Every explanation he then uttered damned the Main House ten times over and only proved why the clan had to change. Her father, Hiashi Hyuuga, head of the Hyuuga clan; revealed the truth to her, not out of guilt or a desire to change the clan. No, he had revealed the truth to warn her so she could be aware of her cousin's completely justified hatred against their clan in case he did something rash.

Something in her snapped that day. She couldn't sit by and watch things any longer—but realistically, there was little she could do to change the clan at the moment. There was, however, somewhere she could start—someone she could start with.

"...What did you say?" Neji uttered, his raised guard hovering between action and inaction.

Choji stiffened, shuffling up to her right. The gesture only made Neji more agitated, which in turn only made her even more nervous than she already was. But Hinata met his gaze without flinching. Her chest felt tight, her heart thudded in her ears, but she stood her ground. "I said I want to change the clan, starting with you."

Neji's eyes narrowed. There was a long pause, the kind that preceded a storm. Rock Lee and Tenten stood quietly at his side and observed the tension with cautious eyes.

"You want to change the clan? Do you even understand what you're saying?" Neji asked.

Hinata swallowed. She had prepared for this reaction, knowing full well how her words would be received… but she also knew that if she didn't say them, no one would and nothing would change.

Neji's voice grew colder as he continued and his words came out faster. "You'll become the Main House's heir soon. Your sister will be branded and sent to the Branch House. You are—and will become—the symbol of everything wrong with this accursed clan. And what, you think you can just walk up to me and say you're going to fix things? Wave a hand and make it all disappear—are you delusional?"

Each word struck like a hammer, but Hinata didn't flinch. She had thought about this confrontation for days, going over what she would say, and how she would handle Neji's anger.

His pain was justified, but that didn't make her words any less important. "I didn't know the truth about what happened to Uncle Hizashi until recently," she said quietly, "but now I do and I can't just naively sit back and accept things as they are... not anymore"

For a moment, Neji said nothing. His gaze bored into her, his pale eyes a stark reminder of their shared bloodline.

Then his lips curled into a sneer.

"And what exactly is it you think you can change?" His fists clenched at his sides, having long since abandoned his ready stance, with strained white knuckles. "You're wandering these exams in over your head, as always. Weak and naive; thinking you can make a difference when you can barely stand up to your father. Don't insult me with your empty promises."

"Hey!" Choji lunged but Hinata grabbed his arm. He struggled out of her grip until he turned and saw her. His face twisted, flushed with anger, and he trudged back with a low exhale.

The sting behind Neji's words punctured and pierced the resolve she'd hardened during the journey to find him, but she refused to let it show. Choji's indignation on her behalf was heartwarming enough that it numbed Neji's words a little.

She knew what he thought of her—what most of the Hyuuga clan thought of her—until she chose to change all those years ago. 

Weak. Unworthy. A failure to the clan.

Tenten exchanged a glance with Lee, uncertainty flashing across her face. She shifted her weight as if debating whether to step in, but Lee subtly shook his head, indicating that they should let the confrontation play out.

Hinata met his gaze and saw curiosity there. She took a step closer to Neji. "I'm not asking for your forgiveness and I'm not asking you to trust me either. But I'm not going to stand by and let Hanabi go through the same thing you did. She's my sister, and I won't let our clan ruin her life like they did yours."

Neji's eyes widened, caught between disbelief and anger. He tried to respond though no words came out, so he looked at her like she had grown two heads instead. As though the idea that she, of all people, was standing up for anything was utterly absurd.

She didn't blame him.

"...You have no idea what you're talking about," he managed to say, quivering under heavy anger. "If you think you can change the clan by making speeches and promises then you don't understand a thing! You were always fated for a life presiding over the Branch House. It defines your life just as my cage defines mine, Lady Hinata."

He turned on his heel, his back rigid with fury as he stormed away from her.

Tenten hesitated for a moment, casting a sympathetic glance in Hinata's direction, but followed him at a brisk pace.

Choji laid a hand on her shoulder. "If you think you can change the Hyuuga, then I believe you can do it."

"Thanks, Choji," she said, smiling briefly.

Hinata stood still, watching Neji's retreating figure. She had known this wouldn't be easy—had known Neji would reject her outright—but seeing the depth of his hatred still stung more than anticipated.

She felt a presence beside her and turned to see Rock Lee watching her closely, his expression thoughtful. "You know, Neji can be difficult to reach. He's very… set in his ways, I suppose, but I respect what you're trying to do."

Hinata blinked, surprised by the unexpected support. "You do?"

"Of course." Lee nodded firmly, his eyes shining with the characteristic optimism she'd heard from Naruto and Choji. "I've always believed that hard work and determination can overcome anything—even fate. Like Choji said: if you truly believe that you can change the clan, then you'll do it."

Hinata looked down at her hands, her fingers curling into fists. She wanted to believe that. She wanted to believe she could change things, but Neji's words lingered. Words barked and grunted over the years at her lack of resolve that never quite left her despite the elders' disappointed stares quickly turning into approval.

"Neji is strong," she said softly, almost to herself, "much stronger than me, and I've never been able to…" She trailed off, unsure how to finish the thought.

Lee smiled at her, his bright smile beating back the hesitance. "He's stronger than me too—but strength isn't everything. Determination counts for just as much. Maybe even more." His smile widened as he gestured broadly. "I thought you were like Neji in that regard; you know, looking down on effort because you skipped our morning training. But you proved me wrong, Hinata, and I think you'll prove Neji wrong too."

Lee's optimism was infectious. It banished Choji's sour mood and momentarily brought a halt to the self-doubt that prevented Hinata from making a difference. She straightened her posture with a slow nod. Lee was right. This was her chance to prove that she could stand up to her clan, the elders, and her father.

To change the clan's fate and thereby change Hanabi's—but none of that mattered if she couldn't prove her resolve to Neji.

"Choji?" she called out once Lee had left.

He looked back at her. "Yeah? Are we heading out?"

With a determined nod, she turned on her heel, her focus sharper than it had ever been. "And we're going to grab as many scrolls as possible before sunset."

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Choji crouched low behind the thick underbrush, his pulse racing in time with the fading daylight. Sweat gathered at his temples but he kept quiet and composed by way of his training. They'd been tracking one of the teams from the Hidden Grass for what felt like hours—each painstaking movement requiring precision.

Hinata's Byakugan was all well and good for locating enemies, but taking them out required stealth and a mountain's worth of patience. The Hidden Grass team moved just beyond the treeline, barely visible in the low light. They were close now, their chatter faint and guards lowered.

Choji's chakra buzzed faintly through his arms and legs. They could catch them by surprise if he timed this right—strike fast, take their scroll, and disappear into the woods before they even realised what had happened.

Minimal risk, no unnecessary death.

He leaned forward, ready to make his move, when the stillness of the forest was broken by Hinata's sharp hiss from beside him. "...We need to go, now!"

He was about to ask why, but she darted off, forcing him to follow her. They stayed close to the ground, using the shadows cast by the forest's massive trees to stay out of sight. Choji heard a faint rustle from above but thought nothing of it until Hinata pulled him behind the cover of the undergrowth.

"What is it?" he asked, but she put a finger to her lips and tapped her ear.

"Why can't I find it?" The words fell over him, faint, but unshakable fog. He shifted lower, careful not to rustle the bushes in his efforts to hide despite his body aching with tension.

"Maybe it was nothing," a female voice followed, cautious, though there was something guarded in her tone. Choji couldn't see her clearly through the trees, but the urgency in her voice was unmistakable.

The wind barely stirred the trees, yet the quiet was unsettling, as though the forest itself held its breath to see who had come.

The other voice's response was laced with venom. "It's not enough," he hissed, frustration simmering. "I felt it earlier. Someone out there... their killing intent was... tantalising, but now?" There was a long pause. "Now it's gone. They're hiding from me."

Choji clenched his fists. He didn't dare move now that he could see them. Gaara of the Sand—the red-haired boy with the forehead tattoo; the same one Naruto had warned him about—was out there hunting for something more than scrolls.

There was another voice, a gruff male this time, though Choji couldn't see him or the girl who'd spoken earlier. "Maybe we should leave it, yeah? They're gone and if they're really as powerful as you say, we'll find them near the tower. We still don't have our second scroll, Gaara."

Gaara remained unyielding. "I'm not leaving until I find them," he said, his voice low and dark. "I'll tear apart every team that crosses my path if I have to."

Choji stayed still, not even daring to shift his weight. Gaara's presence brought with it an overwhelming sense of danger—and Naruto's warning replayed itself in his mind. Stay away from Gaara and Fuu—both were Jinchuriki. But Gaara, Naruto had said, was way worse, and Choji instinctively knew it.

Just by the seconds of overhead conversation, he was more than a ruthless competitor in this exam—he was a killer, the kind that wouldn't hesitate to indulge his bloodthirst. Choji was closer to him than he ever wanted to be with nothing but a few bushes and trees separating them.

The Sand trio eventually moved on, their footsteps fading into the distance. The forest exhaled in their absence, but the dread within him lingered. Choji's heart continued to pound as the tension refused to leave his body. His and Hinata's quarry had long since vanished, nor could he stay still… but he couldn't move too quickly either.

Not with Gaara still close enough to hear a snapped twig or the rustling of leaves.

He remained low, breathing through his nose as quietly as he could, forcing himself to wait. Every second stretched painfully long, but when he felt it was safe, Choji rose with a tentative half-step.

"Here," he said, offering Hinata a hand.

He watched her dust herself off; her face was tired, not that it surprised him. Two hours of journeying, sometimes fighting, and constantly using her Byakugan wasn't exactly easy. If she used it too much, she'd be blind to incoming threats, as well as exhausted—and that would be bad, to say the least.

She sighed explosively. "...I shouldn't have let them get that close."

"You didn't 'let' them do anything," he replied. "Things just happen. Where's the Grass team?"

"Gone," Hinata said. "Just give me a moment to… focus. I'll find them."

Choji stepped back, taking that moment to calm himself down. Gaara was gone, but the encounter had left its mark. Reminded Choji that this exam was more than a test of skill. Some people weren't playing by the same rules as him. Some were in it for blood, not scrolls. 

He tried to shake off the feeling that every shadow held a threat. He couldn't afford to lose focus, but the encounter had rattled him. The near brush with Gaara had stirred a deep, gnawing unease that made every rustle in the trees sound far too close.

"Incoming," said Hinata. "I can't find the Grass team we were following, but another three chakra signatures are closing in."

Around him, the woods grew darker, with its trees casting long shadows that tangled with his own, trapping him in the darkness. The sun was steadily dipping below the horizon. With the afternoon's battles slowly winding down, lingering too long without shelter was dangerous.

The faint whistle of a kunai sliced through the air, embedding itself in the tree beside him with a dull thunk. Choji stiffened, instinctively stepping back, but before he could retreat any further, three ninja emerged from the cover of the trees, their Hidden Rain forehead protectors catching the last of the forest's dimming light.

Choji sighed. "There any chance we can walk our separate ways?" He looked back at Hinata, who was noticeably tired. She could fight, but he didn't want her using her Byakugan for longer than necessary. He raised an Earth scroll. "Let's negotiate."

"Choji, what are you doing?" Hinata whispered. 

The leader of the group, taller than the others shook his head. His kunai twirled lazily between his fingers as he took a step forward, smirking. "We don't care about your scroll."

This wasn't about the exam—this was something else, something worse. Choji could see it in the coldness of their eyes, in the way they stood, tension coiled in their bodies and bloodthirst slicing their faces.

He hated it.

"After the last few hours, we just need to let off some steam before turning in for the night," the Rain ninja added, his smile widening. "And what better way to do so than beating around some kid from the Great Five—and one of our hosts to boot?"

There was no reasoning with them. They weren't here to trade blows over some prize—they wanted a fight, and they wouldn't stop until they had it. The first ninja rushed him with a flash of steel, kunai aimed for his throat.

Choji dodged, but the blade grazed his arm, spurring Hinata to attack. The second Rain ninja was already closing in from the side along with the third. Choji blocked what he could, parried when necessary, but their attacks were coming at him faster than he would've liked.

Across from him, Hinata fought her opponent with a viciousness that belied her fatigue. Choji winced, stumbling forward; his breath caught as blood began to soak his shirt. His opponents were moving in again, so he coated his fists in hardened earth and expanded his arms, sending chakra flooding through his muscles.

His limbs swelled with power and size as he swung in wide arcs—far enough that Hinata wouldn't be caught in the attack. One fist caught one of the attackers dead-on, sending him crashing into the ground with a bone-rattling thud. The other didn't hesitate despite their fallen comrade. Choji moved slower than them, weighed down by the sheer bulk of his jutsu. 

A kunai flashed through the dark, and Choji caught the blade on his guarded forearm, sparks flying. Planting his feet, he swung through the attack and pivoted. There was a sickening crack, followed by silence—he didn't look back. 

Hinata slammed a palm into the final Rain ninja's chest. The impact saw the Rain ninja collide with a tree and before he could look up, Choji was on him, planting his head deep into the ground.

Finally, the forest was quiet again—no noises, no whispers, just the steady heave of his laboured breaths. He stood still, panting, blood dripping from his wounds. He hadn't wanted this. The fight, the deaths—none of it had been part of their plan.

His gaze fell on the leader's body.

"Now we know what likely happened to the Grass team were following," said Hinata with a long sigh.

Two scrolls lay there in the dirt, tied to Rain ninja's belt—Earth and Heaven. Slowly, Choji reached down and unhooked it, the weight of it unfamiliar in his hand.

He stood there for a long moment, the forest around him dark and still. The Rain ninja's final breaths echoed in his ears, but thankfully even that was already fading.

Watching their dimming eyes, he couldn't help but burn with anger. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, but as the last light drained from the sky, Choji knew that regret was a fool's game.

"It didn't have to come to this," he muttered, not at all to Hinata.

She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Come on. Let's head back to the cave. Naruto will have faced better luck than us, I'm sure."

Even as the words left his mouth, Choji understood that in their world, it always came to this.