Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

"Naruto" – Talking

'Naruto' – Thoughts

Naruto – Flashback

Naruto – Jutsu

Cracking Gaps: Sins of a Family

The Shell is No More, Only Hinata

Previously on Cracking Gaps: Sins of a Family,

Team Seven grew silent as they thought hard on it. Then a fourth voice joined them, "That is true guys. Every single one of those foolish enough to challenge the unknown lacked one thing." Turning around, they saw their teacher smiling while being grim serious. Apparently, he finished talking with Kakashi about teaching the Chidori to Sasuke; any complaints he has with Team Seven over Keiji's derived technique from one of his own.

"They lacked the patience to wait until they can find the right evidence to support their distrust, the power to survive their own trying to kill them and to fully understand the picture."

"And since we are the children of the Hokage, they are expecting one of us to succeed the Yellow Flash." Mito spoke up. The messenger was starting to be clear. "We should wait. Not just for days or weeks, months perhaps. Maybe even years so that we can figure out what is really Konoha."

Team Seven took every word to heart and nodded. Who knows, maybe this will the start of something much bigger in the future to come? But right now, the Preliminary Matches are far from over.

And just when the room couldn't be filled with nervousness, fear and bloodthirst, the blackboard broke the silence with its mechanical humming. And it stopped at the last two names to be placed together,

Hinata Hyuga versus Neji Hyuga

"It would seem that fate has chosen for you to fail before your timely death, princess." Neji spoke cruelly towards his opponent, only for him to hide his anger that Hinata never even batted an eye. All she did was speak a few words with her teammate, specially Naruto.

"Will both fighters please appear on the battlefield!?" Hayate shouted, coughing afterwards. And the two Hyugas promptly dropped down from the bleachers. "Are you both ready?"

"Yes."

"Whatever."

Hayate nodded, made a quick clear of the throat, "Hajime!" With that said, with the swipe of his hand, Hayate vanished. And right before,

"Hakke Kūshō (Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm)!" Hinata shouted, with her eyes already surrounded by bulging veins, and out came from her right palm was a strong gust of wind. Neji was able to move out of the way but felt something claw at his leg, and heard a stone wall receive a crash. "Nice reflexes, but you could use more speed, Nii-san."

Neji ignored that and had to hide a sneer to see a trench dug on the ground and a web of cracks on the wall where the trench ends. "Don't think that with power that you got your hands on will change anything. You are still too weak to rule."

"That is the best part about us." Hinata responded cryptically. After a brief moment of silence that felt like an eternity, Hinata continued. "We all the look different, from the smallest to the largest, but all Shinobi are born the same: from the womb of a mother, helpless and in need of any care that comes our way."

"Trying to bore me to death? Truly pathetic." Neji was not going to even his cousin the time of day. Hinata only twitched her lip,

"I mean that as we are born the same, we are born to succeed. It is just that success is not a one-way road." Hinata finished off where her cousin rudely interrupted. "So, while you may have succeeded in your way, I will do it in my own and not yours."

"There is nothing wrong with our clan's way! It is perfect!" Neji was clearly delusional which was only made worse by his undeniable skill. It is, as the saying goes, adding fuel to the fire.

"Perfect for what?" Hinata asked simply with a big grin on her face. (I always wanted to ask that to people who talk about being perfect.) "For being invincible? Being a Kage? To take over the world? Sounds too boring." For being an 'innocent harmless princess', Hinata was enjoying the mockery.

"Shut up!" Neji lost what little patience he had left and went for a palm attack that Hinata deflected. "I see that your pathetic loser has gotten you influenced. A pity that you could have chosen anyone else who can give you better-!" Neji halted in his taunting when he felt a strong jab in the stomach followed by a leg sweep and a palm to the cheek, sending him down to the ground in the span of a second.

"Nice one, brother. You finally got a rise out of me when you made me look like a runaway whore." Hinata said coldly to her fallen foe. "And Naruto-kun has been nothing but the best thing that ever happened to me. And you can't have him, homo-bro~!" Hinata smirked with a tongue sticking out, almost like a hyena.

Neji had no words left either. He just got to his feet with a shiver and yet he still got into the stance of the Juken (Gentle Fist). Hinata got into a similar stance that promised flexibility and speed as well as strength; this time, Neji didn't sneer at it like always.

Hinata then reeled in for another Hakke Kūshō attack, one that Neji couldn't bring himself to match with so he went in for a close quarters approach. Hinata blocked that attack with the other hand just before launching that attack on the ground to Neji's right. The floor was only cracked yet both fighters felt the impact force; Hinata was able to anchor herself while Neji was blown like a piece of paper in the wind.

"Wow, you must love to be blown away." Hinata was seriously having too much fun and the crowds were snickering at the additional meaning. "Too bad for you, I already have been done in by Naruto-kun." Surprisingly, Hinata spoke that with a straight face; she has come a real long way from fainting every five minutes.

Neji just got back to his feet yet again and charged for his foe, this time with a surprise. When Hinata blocked another frontal thrust, Neji pulled a Hakke Kūshō right into her stomach. A solid tactic, the only thing wrong was that Hinata was substituted in for the iconic log of wood that took the damage. Then Neji froze, unable to move while seeing the Yin-Yang icon on the ground with him in the center.

"To quote someone I know; 'you are in my view of divination'." Hinata spoke out and gave a name that made the Hyuga clan a bit infamous. "Hakke Hyaku Nijūhasshō (Eight Trigrams: One hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms)!"

And yet, Neji pulled out something that no one saw coming. "Kaiten (Revolving Heaven)!" And a dome of pure energy took Hinata's consecutive attack head on. The sight was like a machine gun trying to attack a solid steel dome.

XXXXX

Back in the stands, the entire Hyuga Clan present were in shock while the other Shinobi were curious. Naruto rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "That should be the secret technique that was extrusive to the Hyuga Clan, the 'Main House' to be precise. It's more likely that this jerk was able to figure it out rather than stealing it." That bit of respect in that sentence was the only thing that the blonde will ever have of his girlfriend's opponent.

"So why is he hating on Hinata-nee-san?" Mito asked Naruto while her twin brother looked down with equal disappointment. "She was always so nice…" Naruto rubbed her on the head as if a puppy, not that she minded.

"I know and I am sure that Hinata-chan will appreciate what you both are doing." Naruto told his little twin siblings, who tried their best to contain the praise they were feeling. They were Shinobi, not children anymore. "But Neji-teme is one of many people who love to pick on what they see to be smaller then they think they are. He is also a coward who knows what or who really did the injustice but isn't brave enough to admit it, so he chose the next best thing."

The twins knew what their big brother was saying. And all they could do was stare at Neji, a little hoping that they get heat vision and burn holes in the monumental jerk who hated their big sister for such selfish reasons.

XXXXX

Back to the match,

Hinata stopped her barrage so Neji lowered the dome. "You can't look down on me anymore, Hinata-sama. I have mastered a technique that was supposedly only done by the Main House!" Hinata was not amused, one bit.

"You don't know me as much as the twins do, Nee-san. You are a shinobi, only a thief will be so arrogant." Hinata retorted and Neji growled. "Besides, you can't talk tough since I can see your heavy breathing while I am only annoyed."

"Shut up!" Neji could only say. "If you are going to insult me and my injustice then you…" Neji stopped in his breath when he felt a palm hitting him in the chest, taking his breath away rather painfully.

"If you want to know anything about what happened to your father then speak with mine." Hinata whispered in Neji's ear, the latter could only shake in the pain. "My father had to choose between the clan, his brother and the war that could happen between us and them. I suggest you get your facts straight!" Hinata shouted that last sentence for all to hear, with another hit that sent Neji skidding back a bit.

Released from the pain, Neji charged again with the intent to fight to the bitter end. And Hinata parried every strike and dodged when she couldn't. This kept up until Hinata struck the ground with a fierce wind that gave some more distance between the two fighters. "It is time. Let me show you what my boyfriend has taught me, and he has come a long way in perfecting it."

Hinata positioned her right palm into view and every Shinobi present noticed something building up until a spiral of water was seen, which turned into a sphere. The Hokage and his wife couldn't believe what they were seeing and when they glanced towards their wayward eldest, he sent them a look; one that said 'we can talk later'. They turned their attention back to the match when, "Suiton: Rasengan!"

It happened in an instant. Neji felt like a rapid had suddenly hit him in the stomach, while feeling the excess water slicing at his limbs and face. He couldn't anchor himself still and was sent into the wall his back was facing. Yet there was still some impact left to glue Neji to the wall and the excess water droplets actually weakened the foundation. Portions of the wall above and around fell off, trapping Neji in a pile of stones while his arms and head were still visible.

This prompted Hayate to appear. With a quick check, he cleared his scratchy throat to announce that, "Neji Hyuga is unable to battle! Hinata Hyuga is the winner!" After a brief moment, the crowds started to cheer on while the victor left the field to the stands. Once Hinata got to her spot, the twins crowded her with sparkles in their eyes; she knew that they loved the show. And her boyfriend, he gave her a kiss that took away the strength in her legs.

"Be glad that I love you, or else I will make you sleep on the couch for that last move." Naruto spoke with a smile that was thought to be only done by an angry wife, and Hinata was in the shoes of the husband in trouble. "Then again, if you work harder tonight then I may reconsider." That flew over the youngins' heads but Hinata got the message and with a heavy blush, she nodded. All the other girls of her age who heard it wished for a boyfriend of their own to offer a good night for their hard work. But they all directed their attention to the giant electronic board.

The screens started to turn once again to reveal two more names for the next match;

Mito Namikaze versus Temari

End of Chapter 16.

*Hello, and I am afraid that I have been away for a bit too long. I apologize if the fight scenes have lost their flame a little. I am deciding to cut it here just to try to get back into the swing of things. Flamers will be ignored and some CC will be appreciated.*