[Naruto] Things that could have happened had Hizashi been the older son - 3

[runespoor]

Title: Things that could have happened had Hizashi been the older son (or: a cage is a cage is a curse, dammit.)
Author: runespoor7
Rating: PG-13
Summary: series of unrelated drabbles/ficlets. So far, drabbles include various flavours of implied Neji-Hina-Naru combinations , but it's really Hyuuga-centered gen with occasional cameos of other characters.
Notes: just so you know, this was born out of my getting infuriated whenever it starts being said that Hinata would be happier in the Branch House. Rather than risking incoherence before my screen every time I came across the idea, I thought I'd play with it. :p

I wrote a dvd commentary of this fic here.

previous bunks of drabbles: 1 2


6. chuunin exam – take 2

When the time for the chuunin exam came, Gai-sensei didn't nominate his team, though the three rookie teams all entered. Lee was distressed and swore he'd work harder, Tenten broke half a dozen training dummies in combined anger and resolve to prove she'd been totally ready; Neji accepted it with the thought that Gai-sensei, for all his Passionate Caps of Youth, knew better.

He couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment, though, when he learnt that his one-year-younger cousin had made it to the finals; but he quickly stifled his envy as unbefitting of a clan heir, and he attended her fight with his father, inwardly wishing her the best luck.

She likely didn't need it; she was a strong fighter, and her opponent was none other than Uzumaki Naruto, but still. Naruto too had made it to the finals, Neji thought as he caught a glimpse of Hinata's teammate Kiba only a few seats away, with the other Konoha genins who hadn't made it past the prelims, and Kiba wasn't a washout. Then again, Hinata was probably a lot stronger than Kiba.

Hinata, as Neji was all too aware, was probably stronger than him too; it was one of the reasons Neji understood Gai-sensei had rather let them train one more year. He was okay with it, mostly; it wasn't like there was any urgency to the matter.

Down in the arena, the two opponents were facing one another. They looked a bit lost, as if they weren't entirely sure of why they were here.

Neji looked at the other genins, hoping that they'd comment so he'd understand what it was about. Luckily he didn't have to strain his hearing too much.

"That's harsh for a match," Kiba judged.

"Why that?" asked a blond girl when her pink-haired friend grimly nodded. "Sakura? I mean, it's not like they're teammates or anything. I mean, even it was like, say, Sasuke and I, I'd certainly try my best shot. Of course I'd never be able to beat him in a thousand years, but I'd still give him hell."

The other girl, Sakura, gestured to the arena, where the signal to start had just been given. "See them? They're not fighting the people they want to be fighting. At least, Naruto isn't."

"Hinata isn't either," Kiba commented. "Weird as it sounds, Hinata respects Naruto." He sounded like he couldn't for the life of him venture a guess why his teammate would arbour such outlandish feelings for the village clown.

"It sounds very weird," the blond deadpanned.

"But it makes sense," Sakura said decisively.

"Guys, they're starting," a chubby boy reminded.

Hinata's hands were half-raised in a defensive position. So far as Neji could analyse, her stance wasn't very self-assured. She was waiting for an attack. Neji wondered if it was because she was sure that Naruto's style would bring him at Jyuuken range, or for some other reason.

Naruto had crossed his hands behind his neck and was looking at her with his head tilted back, with a frowning, pouting expression. He was barely taller than she was, Neji noted with some amusement.

"Hey, Hinata," Naruto suddenly started. "Before I kick– before we fight. You know, your fight with Kabuto, what he said about spoiled children and all – well, I don't know if you were spoiled as a kid or something, but you don't fight that way, so… I don't think he really thought what he said. Kabuto's an okay guy. He helped us in the forest, he wanted to know where you were, with your team, 'cuz you were Konoha rookies too an' he said he thought you deserved to make it through the Forest." He paused. "Of course you were already out of the Forest, so it wasn't like you could've used his help anyway.

"So… yeah. Just thought I should, yanno, clear that up, cuz I don't think spoiled kids make good ninjas and you're good – even if I'd rather be fighting the bastard and everything, but never mind that."

As Naruto fumbled with his apology, Neji's father tensed. Three meters away, Sakura was elbowing her friend. "See, I told you it's not Hinata he wanted to fight."

Neji activated his Byakugan. If he wanted to see his cousin's expression, he'd need as much focus as possible.

She acquiesced. "Thank you for your confidence, Naruto-kun, I appreciate it. But Kabuto-san wasn't talking about me."

"HA!" Naruto gloated. "I knew he was a good guy!" Then he frowned. "Hey, if he didn't mean you, then why did you get mad?"

Hinata straightened, lowering her hands. "Mad, Naruto-kun?"

She had a very careful, soft voice. Neji barely needed to make an effort to register his father's reaction – a sudden blankness in his body language that had to mean he kept himself in tight check – and the loud snort coming from one of the genins. Apparently not everyone agreed with Naruto's interpretation of the Hinata/Kabuto fight.

Naruto made an impatient gesture. "Like the bastard. The times he gets real quiet and everything just becomes this straight path he's trying to blow up."

"He's got a point there," Sakura muttered – Neji could read her lips.

"She's sure done a number on Kabuto before he forfeited. He was still at the hospital when I left, and he's a medic-nin in training." The chubby boy looked grave. Neji recalled an Akimichi genin had been taken to the hospital after being left half-dead by one of the visiting nins – Sabaku no Gaara.

"Why'd you get like that if he didn't mean you – and who did he mean anyway? What d'you care about random lucky kids?"

Hinata was twirling a lock of hair between her fingers. Then she let it go. "Do you remember the rest of what he said?"

The blond didn't hesitate. "Yeah, he was speaking about choices. Children spoiled with choices don't deserve them. And he also said that freedom doesn't need to be painful."

Neji looked at his father. He knew what that other genin, Kabuto, had spoken about, then. Him and the Main House. No wonder Hinata had got mad at that man. Still, surely his father wouldn't punish her for that.

She was a better ninja than Neji was, and so long as she didn't actually act above her position – but even allowing her to get angry at the mention of the heir and the Main House was letting her take liberties.

Neji knew that. It didn't mean he didn't have a nasty taste in his mouth at the thought of her punishment. What she lacked by birth, she earned by her strength – by her insane training - and she was still coming short.

He resolved to speak up for her to his father. As the heir, it was his duty.

Hinata was drumming her fingers together. "…It doesn't matter. I will tell you after the fight, if you want; the people it concerns are probably watching us now. It was about my clan's customs."

"The spoiled child thing, it was about an important person?"

Hinata slowly nodded. "It's someone I am sworn to protect – he didn't have any more of a choice about it than I did, but - it's – it's complicated."

Naruto's eyes crinkled. "Hey, you chose to take his defence then. T's a choice enough for me," he pointed out.

She smiled. "Yes." Then she shifted, bending forward, her palms turned upwards. It reminded Neji of something, but what - "Let us fight," she announced.

The blond grinned with a wild, jagged expression. "I'm gonna kick your ass."

"You will try," Hinata answered without looking up.

Kiba shook his head. "Unless he's got ten times better than he was a month ago, he's never even gonna touch her."

"I wouldn't put it past Naruto," Sakura retorted without taking her eyes away from the arena. "How I wish Sasuke was here…"

Down there, thirty Narutos were suddenly leaping forward. Neji started; mere bunshins, or?... (Kiba whistled.) Hinata stayed unmoving, and Neji watched with growing nervousness as Naruto came closer and Hinata made no move to dodge – maybe she intended to use his momentum against him.

He was only three meters away when Hinata tore into a blur – raw chakra spinning.

Neji's breath caught in his throat.

Next to him, a muffled protest escaped his father's lips.

Hizashi had never taught Kaiten to Neji; Neji thought his father knew best, and if he said that there was time – that no thirteen-year-old could correctly learn the divine whirlwind – then there had been no reason for Neji to insist.

But Hinata had done it, without anyone to guide her, she'd managed to learn the clan head's technique on her own.

("This is what she's capable of," Kiba commented. "Hinata's own impenetrable defence. In a fight, it's as effective as Gaara's Sand Shield.")

Naruto had been sent twenty meters away, but he was now back on his feet, and still grinning. "Neat jutsu," he called. "But I'm gonna break through it anyway!"

"I know," Hinata answered. She was still smiling too, a bit more widely than before; her long hair was falling haphazardly around her face. There was a certain glint in her eyes.

She's pretty.

Neji was surprised by the thought, but less than by the second.

I want to fight her.

But he wouldn't be able to; he wasn't as strong a ninja. He wasn't a genius, who could catch up with the training Hinata had imposed upon herself since she was – how old, anyway?

I want to fight her.

("Just you watch. Naruto'll surprise you," Sakura promised. Then, frowning: "Provided he doesn't lose his head and starts showing off.")


Justification for this: here, Neji-as-a-member-of-the-Main-House never had to push himself to insane lengths, whereas Branch House Hinata had of course every motivation to prove herself. As the heir, he's way too sensible to even think about learning Kaiten by himself at age thirteen, while Hinata… well, sanity never has been the defining trait of her personality – and I tried to hint that the results she got and how good she is didn't come half as easily to her as they did to Neji in canon. Here she's a genius of hard work, not a genius.

Also, re: Kabuto, because otherwise I know someone will ask; he took part in the tournament because Orochimaru-sama had ordered him to keep an eye on the most promising elements out of the youngsters, and Kabs had noted Hinata as being a)one of the strongest genins b)filled to the brim with issues that could be used to Orochimaru's advantage. He tried to watch her during the second test, but of course, as Naruto commented, Team Eight was already out of the Forest… So he stayed in hopes he'd be able to manipulate either her or her opponent in the prelims to see if she'd be a good recruit for Sound. When he had his answer, and so he wouldn't blow his cover/attract too much attention, he forfeited.

Usually I try to avoid explanatory notes like the plague, 'cause it's my belief the challenge in an AU is to make is self-contained and self-explanatory – stating the premise doesn't count – but here I thought it'd be pushing it not to make notes. Not the least because of Kabuto's presence.

Comments

[outlawpoet.livejournal.com]

mm. It's very affecting, but I don't know that Hizashi is so nice as to let his son be surpassed by a branch member without comment. In the anime flashbacks, it looks like Hizashi was training his son really hard, even when he was super young. When Hizashi sacrifices himself, he says something like "I've only shown my harsh side to Neji, thus far, but I want to show him something else".

It was my impression that part of why Neji is so into harsh self-training is that it's likely the largest part of his memories with his dad. Unless you think Hizashi's harsh lessons for his 3 year old son were part of being Branch House? It's possible. Hizashi has a lot to prove too. Neji is a true son, and if Hizashi had it easier, perhaps Neji would too.

In re: to being a Genius of Hard Work. A lot of the reason Lee is the way he is, stems from him being such a late bloomer. He graduated late, and didn't really find his 'train harder than everyone else' shtick until late in life(certainly compared to people like Neji, who was recognized as a genius when his father was still alive, likely before he even started going to the academy). Being good at something takes a lot of practice. A lot of what makes experts in real life is just having spent more time on it than anyone else.

Interesting issues.

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

It's true that I didn't go into Hizashi's motivations here... Maybe he did comment. Maybe he tormented himself over that issue. Maybe he hadn't realised how far ahead of Neji Hinata was. Maybe he decided that it'd be far better for the Hyuuga if its heir became a chuunin on his first try, effortlessly, rather than enter at a more uncertain level.

And of course, all this is entirely Neji's perspective, who may perfectly well be trying to find excuses for authority figures not to enter his team in the exam and to justify that of course Hinata would enter and of course he likely wouldn't be able to defeat her.

(The decision not to enter the team makes sense re:Gai's character, who didn't enter them when they were rookies; he'd probably wait longer if he thought they weren't ready. Unlike other senseis, he never thought during the exam that the exam made any of his students grow, or anything like that. Or maybe in this verse, he thought their teamwork was lacking yet. Neji doesn't even look for his teammates, here.)

I'm... a bad fangirl, I can't remember where in the manga Hizashi is shown as training Neji?... (I remember the scene where Hiashi is sparring with/training Hinata in flashbacks, and Hizashi and Neji are watching, though.)

I agree with what you said about the Genius of Hard Work thing. But part of the reason why I think Neji was as good as he was in canon was because he was forbidden from learning some things, which he mastered on his own. We'll never know how much stems from his or Hinata's abilities and how much comes from their circumstances. (re: Lee, I didn't remember he graduated late. I think he's the same age as others in his team, isn't he?)

In this particular verse, I do believe Hinata spent more time training than she did anything else, and that since she was... er... small. ^_^; In Naruto verse, this seems to account for a lot of things. (In the name of verisimilitude - Kaiten was the least justifiable move I did. I'll blame partly Neji, who hasn't studied it/seen it many times himself, and thus isn't able to comment on the flaws of Hinata's Kaiten, and my unability to pass it up. But mostly Neji being shocked, 'cause I'm still trying to sell the concept!)

On the other hand, Neji, because he had a right to it, didn't have to push himself to Kaiten-level when he was thirteen.

Mostly, I wanted to play with role-reversal, and I tried my very best to make it... not completely unbelievable. Well, I mean I tried to justify/hint at my justifications in the fic itself, because the very nature of role-reversal generates OOC aspects.

Yeah, I tried. ;) Other ficlets won't be so Pseudo-Sue!Hinata and Unconfident!Neji, but... role-reversal. I am defenceless against that kind of possibilities.

That was certainly a tl;dr response if I ever wrote one. Sorry?

Commenting on all three sets in one...

[vindiya.livejournal.com]

Wow. The idea of Hinata being so good is an intriguing one. But at the same time its one that some people might not be able to see as a possiblity. I like the idea of "What it would be like had Hizashi been the older son" It puts a new perspective on both Hinata and Neji's lives that I've never seen before.

I mean yes there has been plenty of fanfiction where Hinata gets placed in the branch house in exchange for Neji to become a Main House member. But those are usually poorly written. And these are just so well written that you could almost fool yourself into believing that they're canon and canon is fanon.

Although I must say the idea of Hinata and Neji's role reversal in strength is a bit on the awkward side. I can't see Hizashi or even Neji himself allowing that to happen. He strikes me as the kind of person who must always be the best. And will work his hardest no matter what to attain that goal. But maybe it was just the fact that he didn't have any reason to work so hard in this that makes it so plausible. *shrugs* I'm starting to confuse myself now. So I'll say they were all very good and entertaining and that I hope to see more to this whole idea in the future. ^.^

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your compliments!

Yeah, the idea for this bit was role-reversal, for which I'd gladly bend over a desk anytime as a concept. I know it's, jarring may be too strong a word, but basically that's that, to see Neji thus lacking in drive, but... Even in canon, to me he read as more passive than Hinata; and here he is already accepted. He only starts questioning things when he realises the extent of Hinata's skill (which is, after all, subjective; this is Neji's PoV. He's not a master of Kaiten and won't have seen flaws in it, especially since he was in shock).

Gah, I'll link you to the answer (http://runespoor7.livejournal.com/27212.html?thread=77900#t77900) I made to outlawpoet. Which is long, but I think covers most of the shaky grounds.

I like MainHouse!Neji and BranchHouse!Hinata because I can make puppets out of clichés! (or, alternatively, branch out. *has several more 'exotic' ideas*) Thanks again for leaving a review! *waves*

[riah-chan.livejournal.com]

Reading this made me wonder how the dynamics of Team Gai would have changed with Neji being so different. A lot of Lee's motivation was to become strong enough to beat Neji so if Neji wasn't quite so strong (and jerky) would Lee be training that hard? Anyway, I enjoyed this chapter.

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Canonically, we know of Lee's motivation even before he was on a team with Neji and Neji was a jerk, so that'd probably stay about the same. But I imagine Neji wouldn't be the be-all and end-all of Lee's ambitions, or his measuring stick, or his Eternal-Rival-In-The-Making either. Most of the Lee-Neji dynamic would be gone.

I think in this verse, Tenten is considered as the strongest of the team, because she's more polyvalent than either of the boys as this stage, and because here I do think she thinks more out-of-the-box than either of them (Neji's a conformist and Lee's too black-and-white). Or at any rate Lee's as good as Neji, thus making Neji aware of the power of hard work and the needed efforts.

But Lee seems to me the sort of person who'll go looking for a rival elsewhere if need be - in canon we saw him challenging Sasuke, who was 'the strongest genin of his year', so... I think it's fair to assume he'd just have found himself another person to surpass.

That said, I don't think Lee and Neji are close even in this verse. Their values and tempers are too different. But hey! They have a healthy, mostly-non-aggressive relation! And Lee probably sees training as training with Neji instead of against him, so that's a plus! *bright*

[mariagoner.livejournal.com]

OH GOD, I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH. And I am so, so, so happy you didn't break my heart with this drabble as you did in the last set! ::is still a bit traumatized over that one::

And I guess I'll be the requisite one to stand up for the Hinata-becoming-stronger-than-Neji theme in this series! I actually think it's wicked plausible, since I don't particularly think Hinata was an awful ninja in terms of pure skill as a member of the Rookie 9. In fact, out of all of them, her data books shows she's the one with the highest skills as taijutsu! But she seemed to be crippled with fears and doubts placed on her by her father and the impossibly high standards given for a heir. And I think that, if she were given both a stirring motivation to suceed and low expectations to fulfill, she'd actually do damn brilliantly as a ninja. A genius of hard work indeed!

(And ditto to 'sanity' not quite being part of Hinata's genetic make-up. Hell, it's not part of any Hyuga's, is it? But Christ, her putting Kabuto in the hospital is somehow hella sexy regardless. And Orochimaru!Container!Hinata is astonishingly plausible and interesting in this world...)

I love the stirrings of hyugacest throughout the piece as well, needless to say! You make me almost want to convert to Naruhina... but Neji thinking she's pretty? Neji wanting to fight her? Hinata standing up for Neji, because she's sensible enough to realize that being in the main house isn't his choice? Damn, you've got my heart all a-pounding for these two crazy kids to come to some sort of truce together. &hearts

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

This is likely as close to straight-forward, angst-free, no-twist-involved fluff as I'll ever go. (*fluff-writing can't hold my interest for more than two days before I try to break it down*) *toothy griiiiiiiin* But otoh, angsty death-fics writing get boring almost as fast.

I'm glad you think it's believable. :) I'm aware I'm pushing the envelope with Kaiten, but honestly, how could I resist? if she were given both a stirring motivation to suceed and low expectations to fulfill Oh dear god yes. That's exactly what I've been wanting to say/show with this ficlet.

The only sort of interesting sane characters are characters who are a bit too sane. Kabuto comes to mind. (Team Ten is the exception.) I think Hinata didn't like the fact that a random outsider would try and pass judgements. And she may, in fact, have come to the realisation that she wanted to defend Neji then, and so she went slightly over-enthusiastic.

But I don't see why Hinata would join Orochimaru - provided you mean Willing!OroContainer!Hinata - when she's decided to defend Neji? Unless Neji dies and he pulls a Tsunade-offer on her and she accepts. Which... for now... I can't see happening. Now... If the situation was reversed and Orochimaru made that same offer to Neji...

Neji was so cute in this I was almost choking on his I'm-so-conformist-I-can't-possibly-oh-wait-heeeeeeeey. Not sure if Hinata's sensible or possessive in this, though. A bit of both, I think.(They're going to train together after the chuunin exam. ...and I'm not going to write it because omgtehfluff.)

And the lack of NaruHina vibes in this when they're both there and fighting each other vaguely reassured me. okay, so there might be a few sprinkles of I'm-going-to-win/I-know-what-you-feel things, but they're just so minor compared to the Neji->Hina and NaruSasu(Saku) that it doesn't count.

[mariagoner.livejournal.com]

Nah, I totally wouldn't call this fluff! I mean, there's elements of sweetness in the interaction between Naruto and Hinata and a lot of joy inherant in the idea of an ass-kicking AU Hinata (and I do mean A LOT) but... fluff? With not one but TWO people almost being beaten half to death even before the fic starts? ;)

And as for Au!Hinata learning Kaiten... well, why not? It doesn't need to be a kaiten as powerful as the one Neji mastered, but if Hinata was pushed to her limits... And Orochimaru!Container!Hinata would probably indeed be quite unwilling, unless Neji really fucks things up with her... but who's to say that Orochimaru and Kabuto won't try more things with her in the future? O.o

(They're going to train together after the chuunin exam. ...and I'm not going to write it because omgtehfluff.)

::bats eyelashes:: O'cmon, why ever not? It'll be fun and, if I know you the way I think I do, I'm sure you'll sneak a bit of darkness in afterwards. After all, in this uni, it's Hinata who'll probably almost die (if not ACTUALLY die) fighting that spider freak of Orochimaru's, right?

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

What? But - look! No one's dead! And *gasps* no-one's angsting or repressing or Doing Their Duty! (And hey, Chouji's totally sitting with his friends and note how no badage is mentioned, so I think it's fair to say that he wasn't sandpuréed. And Kabuto's only milking it for all that's worth - boy's got better regenerative powers than Naruto, what with his being conscious and consistent.)

I definitely agree with the level of Hinata's Kaiten. (That's my excuse.) I think Orochimaru would prefer his container to be willing. Less problems with the container's body later on, perhaps?

I don't know what Neji possibly could do to fuck things up with Hinata here. Except maybe if she realises that he genuinely condones the Main House/Branch House division, and that he thinks 'it's really for everyone's good', and he absolutely doesn't realise what it makes her feel. That might prove sufficiently mind-breaky to make her snap. (But what of Naruto.)

but who's to say that Orochimaru and Kabuto won't try more things with her in the future? O.o [...] in this uni, it's Hinata who'll probably almost die (if not ACTUALLY die) fighting that spider freak of Orochimaru's, right?

I AM NOT HEARING YOU. it doesn't need to be Kidoumarou. With Hinata in that team - provided Shikamaru picks her, as she is a girl and therefore in A Different Category according to Shika's world - the fights may have changed.

[mariagoner.livejournal.com]

Hah, I should have known that bastard Kabuto still had a few tricks up his sleeve. It'd be interesting to see him interact more with the Hinata of this world. Would he heal her this time around if she needed it... O.o

And yeah, I think you probably put enough barriers-- Naruto's regard, the other genin's good opinion, even Hizashi's and Neji's clueless kindness-- that going permanently over to the dark side probably wouldn't occur. And ooooh... I so want to see a Sasuke retrieval arc go on in this universe! I have a feeling if Shikamaru is sexist enough to insist on Neji instead of Hinata going, she'd following them all in anyway, ala Rock Lee. Seeing the two of them kick Kidimarou's arse = ♥

Also, small nitpick: I think I found an error in your story.

He sounded like he couldn't for the life of him venture a guess why his teammate would arbour [maybe harbor instead?] such outlandish feelings for the village clown.

Hope that helped!