"Looks like Konoha has at least one capable Genin kunoichi in their ranks," Temari (age 16) said smugly, "Her skills were that of a true ninja."
"I have to say she gave a good fight," Kankuro (age 15) added.
With the Konoha nins…
"This can't be the same Hinata we went to the academy with," Sakura said in disbelief, "I mean…That speed…her strength…her agility…"
"It was uncanny," Ino added.
"Yes," Lee cheered enthusiastically, "Hinata's flames have reached peaks I myself will train hard to reach. She's radiating with the brightness of her youthfulness."
"Troublesome," Shikamaru said, "She's really becoming more and more like Naruto."
"Well I told Naruto earlier that Hinata is very much like him," Lee added, "And her youthful display against Neji only served to prove my point."
"I wonder what kind of training regimen Kurenai-sensei put her though," Ino said, "It must have been harsh if it got Hinata to come this far."
"Hinata's moves, timing and judgment in tactics against Neji were incredible," Asuma commented, "She's truly improved a great deal from how she used to be from what I've heard."
"Hinata surprised us indeed," Shino said, "I had no idea she was capable of such feats at her current level."
"Nor did I," Kurenai admitted catching everyone's attention, even Kakashi's and the Hokage's.
"What do you mean," Kakashi asked, "Wasn't Hinata's display against Neji the results of the training you gave her?"
"I trained her," Kurenai said, "That I did. But during those times she looked like she was having much difficulty reaching her goals of improvement despite her best effort. But what I saw just moments ago went beyond any kind of training I put her through and everything I thought I knew about her. I always thought I knew everything there was to Hinata. How could I have missed this?"
It was no secret that Kurenai was always like a mother figure to Hinata. The thing that bothered Kurenai was that the match clearly showed her that she didn't know Hinata as well as she thought. And that could be said of many others who were inside the building.
Things just keep getting interesting, Hiruzen thought to himself, Hinata is more deceptive and cunning than she lets on; a true ninja indeed.
Hinata, with her Byakugan deactivated, went over to Neji who was being placed on a carrying cot. As he was being raised up to be taken away, Hinata stood next to him and said, "Your paralysis isn't permanent. It'll wear off after you've been given healing and medical attention."
Neji felt totally numb as he couldn't use a muscle in his body to raise even a finger.
"This can't be," Neji said, "Fate had this fight decided. It had your future as an unchanging failure decided."
"We're responsible for our own futures and the decisions we make in life niisan," Hinata said, "It's time you start understanding that and start taking charge of your own future and free yourself of the hold the idea of fate has on you."
Saying nothing more, Hinata stood there as Neji was taken away. Hinata, however, was caught by surprise when a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind in a tight hug.
"You did it Hinata-chan," Naruto cheered, "I knew you could win! No doubt about that! Dattebayo!"
"Thank you Naruto-kun," Hinata said with her blush growing darker from the close contact with Naruto.
In life, people often believe they know something if not everything about a person. But in the world of ninjas, that isn't always the case. And often times, one act can change what people think they know about others…
(Four Years Earlier)
Jiraiya was walking through the remains of the once famed Uzu No Kuni. The country was once governed by the now nearly deceased Uzumaki clan. It was the very clan that was once known and feared for bringing forth powerful seal masters like no other. The Uzumakis were also known for many things besides seals. They were also known for having massive amounts of chakra and longevity, out living most and seeing many years. They even created seals that were powerful enough to contain Kyuubi, the strongest of the nine Bijuus. In fact, many of the seals the ninjas in Konoha used were designed by the Uzumaki clan.
Very few knew the history between the Senju and Uzumaki clans. They both descended from a common ancestor who in fact was the younger son of the Rikudō Sennin and the two clans shared close ties with each other. So much so that Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama, married Uzumaki Mito and thus united the two clans by marriage. Also, the Shodaime decreed and made it law that all of ninjas of Konoha were to wear the familial crest of the Uzumaki clan on their uniforms.
Despite their prestige, the Uzumaki clan had many enemies from other nations that feared them and sought their destruction. Most of the Uzumaki clan members were killed while the few that survived scattered to other parts of the world with their locality being unknown. Uzumaki Kushina was brought to Konoha before the destruction of her clan to become the next Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi since Mito, the first Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi, was reaching the end of her life. Kushina took up residence in that village and became a kunoichi of Konoha. She later found love with Namikaze Minato, the man who later became known as Yondaime Hokage.
Sadly their lives were cut short due to an unforeseen occurrence involving Madara's attack on Konoha. The villagers were told by Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime, that Yondaime defeated the Kyuubi by imprisoning and sealing it into a newly born child named Uzumaki Naruto, the child Sandaime knew was the son of Minato and Kushina. Over the years the villagers made Naruto's life bitter and lonesome. It boiled down to the point that even the children of the villagers were influenced by the grown ups' mistreatment of Naruto and joined in adding to Naruto's grief and loneliness.
Despite knowing the truth, Hiruzen never told Naruto the truth about his parents or heritage from the Uzumaki clan. The aged Hokage always thought it would cause too much trouble for Naruto if the truth was to come out. It was rather hypocritical considering the fact that Naruto's life was already filled with a great deal of trauma than it was worth.