Hinata remembered what Shika told her before he left the hall. There was no sound from him; he just whispered while looking her way, but she understood what he was saying. She didn't need his voice to know what he was telling her.
"That's the last help I could do for you, Hinata.
Win."
Hinata recalled those words. When she was getting pushed back, she remembered them and looked down.
Others might think that her motivation was breaking, but to Hinata, what she saw was giving her the motivation.
"Thank you, Shika-kun. I promise that I won't lose, no matter what." Hinata saw the water-filled floor of the fighting ring left behind by Shika when he fought with Sasuke and smiled.
She saw Neji's attack coming towards her and took a very particular stance, which made Neji's eyes widen.
'Water Style: Revolving Heaven,' Hinata muttered to herself as Shika had drilled into her that calling out one's move is stupid.
The next second, the water around her started to ripple, and as she began rotating, the water gravitated towards her and formed a dome.
Before Neji's attack even reached her, the water dome was created and rotating around her to protect her.
Neji saw the familiar water dome that Nara used and sneered. Earlier, he had only suspected, but now he knew for sure that Hinata was responsible for Shika learning that technique.
He wanted to reprimand Hinata, but before that could even happen, the water dome stopped rotating, and Hinata took another stance that took Neji aback.
Neji saw that this technique resembled a technique passed down in the main line of the clan. He knew because he had learned this technique himself, even though there was no one to teach him. But the stance was slightly different.
'Sorry, Shika-kun, but just this time, I want others to know what I'm going to do. I want to show them all that I am no failure.' Hinata internally muttered and then called out the technique, which Shika told her not to, because calling out one's technique is also considered stupid in a fight.
"Elemental Juken: Water Style, Rising Water Goddess." Hinata's eyes shone when she called out her move, and her Byakugan activated with more power than ever.
From where she was standing, all the water rippled out as the water and chakra started to dance around her. Her shoulder-length hair flowed up as her chakra exploded out.
The water started to float and gather near her hands, while a thin line of water was connected at the tips of her fingers.
This was what she had been learning under Shika—a technique they developed in the last three months, with one motive alone:
To beat Neji. To beat the traditional Juken of the Hyuga clan.
[Flashback]
"Hinata, what are your thoughts about having children?" Shika asked with a teasing tone. As expected, Hinata's face immediately turned red.
"What… Wh… Shika-kun, you are teasing me again."
Hinata, by now, wasn't as shy around Shika, but the topic made her stutter.
"Not at all. I honestly am asking. What are your thoughts about starting a family?" Shika asked with a serious face, making Hinata blush again.
"Hmm, yes, I want to be a housewife." Hinata replied with a little difficulty. By now, she didn't feel that strange talking about these kinds of things with Shika.
"I see. Man, I am jealous of Hinata's future husband already. Lucky bastard he would be," Shika smirked, now purposely teasing Hinata, making her pout and glare at him.
But when the girl's face was getting too red for comfort, he turned serious.
"You do know that if things continue as they are, even your children won't be spared by the fate of the side family." Shika's words immediately took the joking tone out of the air and made the situation serious.
Hinata knew that, the way she was, she would sooner or later be marked with the cage bird seal. But when Shika put it like this, telling her about the fate of any children she might have in the future, she paused, and her face turned pale.
She actually had never thought about it like that, but only when Shika put it did she realize what it really meant to be born with such a fate.
"I won't…
I won't let them." Maybe this was the first time Shika had seen Hinata like this. There were already tears in her eyes for children she had never seen or known whether she would have or not, or if so, with whom. But that voice.
That voice had a lingering threat. When Hinata looked at him, he felt something different. She no longer even looked like the shy girl he was trying to help but an angry goddess who had finally snapped.
"Good…
Remember this feeling…
Now you know why you need to get stronger." Shika replied as he took out a handkerchief and got closer to Hinata.
By now they were close enough that he could wipe away her tears, and it was totally fine. She didn't even bat an eye at that.
"Remember, Hinata, power is the most important if you want your voice to be heard. So get strong and show others that you are not a pushover.
To save our loved ones, the ones you know right now and the ones you will eventually have later, you have to get stronger…
" Shika replied and saw Hinata moving her head. He realized that this time his words really struck her at the core. Hinata was ready to endure the cage bird seal if that meant that her little sister wouldn't have to.
Shika changed her perspective altogether. Now the stakes were her future children.
Hinata felt a heaviness in her heart when she heard Shika. This heaviness started to eat at her internally.
"I won't let that happen…
"Good, then let's start the real training, shall we, so that ill-fated future never happens." Shika smiled and rubbed her back, seeing the girl wasn't just crying but shaking while standing in place.
'To some degree, I understand. If someone told me that they would enslave my future kids…
Yeah… over my dead body. What happened to the Uchiha will look restrained compared to what I will do to those who look at my children with malicious eyes.' Shika couldn't help but look at the girl with a little pity on his face.
"Hai… I'll let you train me, Shika-kun." Hinata finally had that fire burning in her eyes.
Shika couldn't help but smile seeing this.
[Flashback End]
'I'd rather die here and now than lose.' Hinata roared out after remembering that feeling.
"Rising Water Goddess," Hinata shouted, and then the deadly dance of the shy girl fighting for her future and the future of her future family began.
xxx
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