Impossible is Nothing

Part Two: Two Invitations to One Uchiha Sasuke

The appearance of the Legendary Tsunade meant three things: Firstly that Tenten was ecstatic for a reason and not suffering from temporary insanity; second that Rock Lee's body would be recovered from its destructions; third that Uchiha Sasuke would be a complicated player amongst the living in the near future. Neji had discovered all these things when Tenten announced that The Tsunade was again in Konoha, but another discovery prevented him from making immediate note on the progress of the Uchiha and Lee.

It was eight birds?

Neji knew how to count and he knew what birds were and he lacked error in his judgment. How can this be? He wondered. He hadn't been distracted by Tenten, he hadn't been distracted by anything… but he had missed a single bird.

"Byakugan!"

He stared as far as he could with his eyes that could see through and at a great distance. Behind his back in three targeted directions he could see…

But I missed… what is going on?

Neji spent the two days contemplating this discovery before Tenten dragged him to the Godaime Hokage inauguration. By then he had already developed a reliable compensation, but it did not appease his anxiety. It was not such a handicap that he could discuss with others. It was another struggle he'd have to suppress on his own.

While standing beside Tenten and his clan mates, Hyuuga Neji could clearly see past the crowds of Konoha's shinobi and civilians to the eastern edge of the gathering where Uchiha Sasuke and that Hatake Kakashi were standing and observing as well. But something was different in the gaze of Uchiha Sasuke than Hatake Kakashi, and for that matter, the gaze of Uchiha Sasuke was different than all of those who were spectating. Uchiha Sasuke wasn't looking at the Godaime. He was looking at Hyuuga Neji.

Konoha had an incredibly array of Kekkei Genkai. There were vast records of great geniuses in the art of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. There were legends of those with skills and attributes that could make the strongest in other Gakure quake with fear. Of Konoha's shinobi strength, there were two without parallel: the strength of Hyuuga and the strength of Uchiha. These clans produced the widest breadth of genius and held Konoha's trump cards: Sharingan and Byakugan. Those that could control the true strength of these Kekkei Genkai were considered the truly strong.

Of Uchiha there were only two as far as Hyuuga Neji was concerned.

In Hyuuga, as far as Uchiha Sasuke was concerned, there was only one.

Hyuuga Neji knew nothing of the battle between Uchiha Sasuke and that Uzumaki Naruto, nor of the conversation Sasuke had with the Copy Ninja. It was totally coincidence that Neji happened upon Sasuke sitting by himself in the tree at that day, at that time.

Neji had spent the past few days of his life trying to increase the range of his vision. He had studied in the Hyuuga Archives and there had been no record, as expected, of blind spots in the Byakugan. It was difficult to tell if that blind spot had always been there and never exploited…

Or if it is a developing blind spot that could become larger? This Byakugan could be destroying itself and me… no genius can sustain as mekura (blind)… if such a thing can exist as a mekura Hyuuga… what cruelty from the heavens… This thing… I must overcome…

The moon was high and foreboding and Hyuuga Neji was particularly superstitious. That was why he stopped beneath that tree after seeing Uchiha Sasuke's distinct profile. Something was going to happen this night and Neji had two options: watch whatever it was unfold or become active. As great an observer as Neji was, he hated spectating.

Sasuke turned fast enough over his left shoulder to catch the rock hurled at him with his right hand. His face twisted in a sneer, exceptionally frustrated that he couldn't see who had tried to attack him. He moved to his feet, his toes bunched as he slid into an offensive stance as Neji landed on the branch before him.

"Hyuuga Neji." Sasuke snarled out between his gritted teeth.

Neji nodded simply. The simplicity of Neji's response and the lack of explanation on top of his already infuriated disposition twisted shadows against Sasuke's face. If Neji could liken him to anything, he'd call him a bakamono.

"Aren't you old for throwing rocks?" He kept his offensive stance, that wire tight in one hand, the rock in the other.

"I didn't throw a rock at you." Neji responded. He wasn't in a defensive stance or an offensive. He stood straight up with his arms crossed over his chest. It pissed Sasuke off to no end.

"Don't lie to me, bastard. I'm in a foul mood."

"That doesn't change the fact that I didn't throw a rock at you."

Sasuke clenched his right hand tightly. The rock in his hand was reduced to individual minerals. He unfurled his fingers and let the particles become lost in the wind. Hyuuga Neji was not impressed. They were only about three feet between them. The pair could see every harsh line in the other's face. They were both beautiful, but the hours of hatred that fueled their training were apparent in the edges and age in the corner of their eyes. Uchiha Sasuke appeared to a million years older than Hyuuga Neji…

But still possessed the impatience of his age.

Sasuke took one step forward and extending his arm to grab Neji's jacket. Neji blocked him cleanly. The other arm pressed into his hip. He looked thoroughly unimpressed. Sasuke could barely contain his rage. Everything about Hyuuga Neji pissed Sasuke off royally and he so hated being pissed. It took up too much time.

"You're telling me that you didn't try to hit me with a rock."

Neji shook his head in the negative. "I didn't say that."

Sasuke leaned forward aggressively. "Then you did throw the rock at me!"

"Iie."

"If you want me to get pissed, I can do this easily!" Sasuke shouted.

Neji shook his head, mocking Sasuke's rage. "Here I was thinking Uchiha Sasuke was a genius. Your talent is overstated."

"Didn't you lose to Naruto in the Chuunin exam?" Sasuke shouted, wishing he had a rock to throw at Neji or any idea of Neji's battle style. He could go for a fight… and a bloody one at that.

Neji remained impossibly cool. He looked Sasuke square in the eye and nodded. His gaze gave him the perfect view to watch Uchiha Sasuke's face twist up in a mixture of self-righteousness, hatred, anger, and something Neji couldn't qualify. It was intriguing if he could call it anything.

"And you're talking about my talent?" Sasuke asked.

Neji tilted his head to the side. "So you are an idiot then?"

And that was enough.

"Sharingan!"

"Byakugan!"

Konoha's most powerful doujutsu stared at each other for the first time in that generation. Sasuke moved first, fast, predictably, with a finger tip first strike, aimed at Neji's throat. The Byakugan perceived it and Neji pivoted on his left foot and evaded. As Sasuke's momentum pulled him forward, Neji raised his right knee to strike Sasuke in the chest. The Sharingan saw that intent and Sasuke quickly pivoted; he thrust his right palm down to stop the blow. He used Neji's knee as a pivot and spun his body to ram his shin into Neji's head. Neji ducked and pivoted as Sasuke's fist shot out at his chest. Neji grabbed Sasuke's wrist turning the other genius upside down. Sasuke's red eyes widened as Neji smirked and pulled his right palm back.

Sasuke's eyes widened as blood stormed from his mouth as Neji's palm struck his chest. Neji let go of Sasuke's arm and let momentum hurl Sasuke into the trunk of the tree. Sasuke pulled himself to his feet and realized that Neji wasn't going to pursue Sasuke. If they were going to fight, Sasuke would have to be the aggressor.

With this, Sasuke had no problem.

Sasuke roared as he dashed in with his finely tuned martial arts. He was fast, faster than Neji, but Neji knew how to keep up and beat Lee who was faster than Sasuke. So they moved and parried. Sasuke became satisfied when Neji showed signs of fatigue before he did. Neji had to admit, this Uchiha Sasuke was damn good.

Sasuke retaliated quickly after Neji slammed his open palm into his cheek, pulling his body into a tight roll to explode out and kick Neji in the stomach. He had expected the Hyuuga to fall over or at least need to reset his body. His Sharingan saw it, but his body's momentum into his raising uppercut prevented him from responding. As Sasuke raised his arm, Neji grabbed the wire wrapped around Sasuke's left hand and pulled Sasuke back to the branch. Sasuke turned his body swiftly and kicked at Neji again, forcing Neji to let go of his wrist and grab his ankle. He intended to strike back but found that Neji predicted that attack and ducked low. As Sasuke's hands touched the ground as Neji's palm landed on his stomach.

"I could release one third of my chakra into your inner coil system right now and make it so that whatever your great ambition is, will never come true. Next time you come at me, you'd better do it seriously or I'll kill you."

"What a coincidence."

Neji and Sasuke turned their attention to the east and saw four menacing figures leering down at them. The pale haired one with green stained lips smirked confidently before he continued his sentence.

"That's what we were planning to do."

The four leapt down and surrounded the doujutsu great clan heirs. Neji scanned between the four bodies and found nothing impressive about their chakra levels.

"Friends of yours?" Neji asked, looking down at Sasuke.

"Iie." The Uchiha responded.

Neji choose then to let go of Sasuke's ankle so the Uchiha could roll onto his feet and slide back into an offensive position, nearly back to back with Neji. Neji dropped into his Hakke stance.

"For the record," Neji said as the four assailants stalked closer, "I didn't throw the rock at you. I kicked it."

"Bastard. Why?"

"You'll forgive me if I answer that at another time?"

The Sound Four moved and became aware that handling Uchiha Sasuke wasn't too difficult, but handling Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Neji was annoying.

"Kidoumaru." Sakon muttered. "Handle the weird eyed freak."

"Hehe, which one?"

Tayuya rolled her eyes. "The one that Orochimaru-sama doesn't want, you inferior dickhead octopus!"

"Tayuya, that isn't good language for a lady." Jirobou commented steadily.

"Shut the hell up you gluttonous dirty fatass!"

"Enough, Kidoumaru, handle it."

Kidoumaru found that Hyuuga Neji was annoyingly good at evasion, but he was only so good. Those powerful eyes widened at the same time a web grabbed his body and hurled him into the tree trunk past Uchiha Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke wasn't contemplating rescuing the Hyuuga, but any opportunity of such was ruined when the massive one, Jiroubu, slammed his shoulder into Sasuke's back. Over his head the spider freak was chewing deeply, preparing something else, something that wasn't going to trap, something that was going to kill.

"Kidoumaru, don't waste time killing that shithead. Killing a Konoha ninja will make a ruckus." Tayuya warned.

"So?" Kidoumaru slurred over the forming mass in his mouth.

"You stupid fuck; we're not here to play games. If you ruin this mission because you want to play, I'll kill you."

"Tayuya is right," Jiroubu stated. "We can't kill him here. Wrap him up and keep him for later if you want to take him with us."

"Fine." Kidoumaru swallowed whatever technique he was preparing and let his fingers walk. Threads soared over Sasuke's head as the Uchiha turned and watched Hyuuga Neji disappear behind of a blanket of wicked white web.

Kidoumaru bit firmly, cutting the web off, leaving trails of it to disintegrate in the air without his chakra network. It seemed that he couldn't make a face that wasn't cocky. The Sound Four made their assault and Uchiha Sasuke learned something clearly: he wasn't stronger; there were simply too many people who were stronger than he was. The cursed seal was leaking across his face, his skin burned with the fire printed across his body.

"Hah, why would Orochimaru-sama want some weak-ass like him? Kimimaro had much more potential than this one."

Uchiha Sasuke didn't understand.

Why wasn't he strong enough yet?

What is wrong here, with this, with everything?

Tayuya stared with disgust at the defeated Uchiha she was sent to fetch. "What is your purpose in life? Will you forget that and continue to live in this simple village, where you and your loser friends can gather to cry on each other's shoulders? What about Uchiha Itachi?"

Fire returned to Sasuke face. The monster in his memory made the fire in his skin seem like nothing. Uchiha Itachi was the fever he couldn't sweat out; the memory that couldn't simply be forgotten, it had to be destroyed.

Sakon could barely hide the amusement in his voice. "Don't forget your purpose. This village will only become shackles that bind you. It's best to cut those worthless connections. In doing so, you'll be able to obtain a greater power."

The Sound Four moved forward and backwards, their shadows taunting Sasuke's vision. Sasuke wouldn't remember who said those final words. But he would remember those words. "Don't forget your purpose."

Sasuke watched the way those four sowed the wind. They were strong, stronger than him. They who were underlings, they who were messengers… he felt sick to his stomach.

He knew they were right.

He wanted to hit something; he wanted to hate everything so the rage he felt towards his brother was constant so his blood wouldn't go cold. He couldn't use a level head. It would cloud his ambition.

The sense of unity with the leaf was cold. He didn't want that. When the leaves landed on his hand, the burn that was hatred struck and he crushed that leaf. There was no such thing as a true bond of camaraderie. There was only hatred.

Uchiha Sasuke knew the truth.

Sasuke paused after he turned, his eyes locking on the white web. He had forgotten all about Hyuuga Neji… just like he planned to forget all of it. Sasuke planned to turn from that tree, at that time, at that place. The wind moved leaves from the branches and brought Sasuke's attention to the web that held Hyuuga Neji. It was strange, his Sharingan could see chakra moving through it. What he failed to see was Hyuuga Neji trapped behind it. Depth of insight was a trait lost in the evolution of the Sharingan from the Byakugan, so Sasuke thought nothing of it.

Until he saw the hole in the side of the cocoon and felt the murderous intent beneath his feet.

He didn't have to look down to see that Neji was hanging by his feet, clinging to the branch with chakra, the way Sabaku no Gaara had. He didn't have to see him to know that the Hyuuga's arms were crossed over his chest and that his face was expressionless. Their toes lined up, Sasuke's on top of the branch, Neji's beneath it. Neji's stance was like a twisted reflection in water.

Or maybe it was the other way around.

"How much did you hear?" Sasuke asked simply.

"Depending on your decision, I have grounds to kill you." Neji responded, just as simply.

"That sounds like a threat."

Neither of them moved, their toes lined up, the wind pushed Sasuke's hair to the left, Neji's to the right.

"A rather good one. Orochimaru is the one who killed the Sandaime. If your ambition becomes wicked, you will never beat Uchiha Itachi. If you attempt to align yourself with Orochimaru, my team will find you… and this time we'll let Tenten beat you. She loves bruising pretty, weak things."

The snarl on Sasuke's face would terrify anyone who would see it, but Neji showed nothing. Sasuke acted in the rashness of his fury, shooting a great amount of chakra from his feet and breaking the branch beneath him. Sasuke's body dropped. As his feet lined with Neji's stomach, he turned a spin kick. At that moment Neji released his chakra and allowed himself to drop as well, raising his knee to his chest and blocking the blow.

They used each other's bodies as they fell, turning and trading blows as they plummeted towards the earth. Sasuke swung his heel to drop on Neji's right shoulder just before their feet touched the ground. Neji raised his right palm and caught Sasuke's ankle, the force of the blow forced his feet to hit the ground hard. He kept his setting and locked both hands around Sasuke's leg. Sasuke's face twisted into a snarl as Neji turned his body in a fashion worthy of his name and threw Sasuke to strike at the building that stood as the only spectator of their fight. Sasuke twisted his body mid-flight, turning full rotations to align his body perfectly. Neji watched as Sasuke connected with the wall, his feet first, his chakra sticking him to the wall as his position absorbed the blow: the clean cat stretch preventing injury.1

Sasuke stared down coldly at Neji with his Sharingan as Neji stared up fiercely with his Byakugan watching every twist and turn in Sasuke's chakra system. He could see Sasuke was planning something. Neji gathered a huge amount of chakra to his right foot before slamming it into the ground. Rocks flared up into the air, some small, the important one large. A rock the size of Neji's head rose past his shoulder and with perfect motion; Neji turned a spin kick and hurled the rock at one Uchiha Sasuke. The Uchiha sneered before punching the incoming rock, shattering into small pieces that fell back to the earth. Neji watched the Uchiha create a string of seals.

"Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu! (Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Technique)"

Neji watched the flame blossoms swarm from Sasuke's mouth and circle in a destructive pass to strike him. Sasuke's eyes would widen in shock and fury as Neji set his feet to spin.

"Hakkesho: Kaiten!"

Each of flame blossoms were repelled in a random fashion, disappearing into the air. Neji stopped his spin and locked his Kekkei Genkai with Sasuke's Kekkei Genkai. Sasuke slammed his fist angrily into the wall beneath his feet, splintering the surface with the force. Neji's eyes widened as Sasuke executed another seal sequence.

His confusion didn't settle when the air filled with the call of one thousand birds.

Neji watched as Sasuke rocketed at him, catapulting himself from the wall and leaving two massive imprints to mark his wake.

"Chidori!"

Sasuke wouldn't see how it happened. His jutsu blinded him to movement faster than his own. It was incomplete, especially if someone like Hyuuga Neji could counter it. Sasuke felt the burn of his chakra whizzing over his hand as shreds of bark were torn of the tree. His fingers were buried inches deep into the trunk of the tree, his chakra disrupting the nature of its system. His red eyes were wide and confused and more than those things, they were angry.

Hyuuga Neji stood behind Uchiha Sasuke in profile, able to see through him, to the fiery expression in the younger genius' face, through his ambition and his dark will. He crossed his arms over his chest as Sasuke released his jutsu, Neji's counter and Sasuke's chakra effectively obliterated the tree.

"How?" Sasuke asked.

"Intercepting technique. I developed it from months of sparring with Lee, who is much faster than you. The technique is designed to crush bones, but I see no point in breaking that wrist again… that was the one that Itachi broke, wasn't it?"

Sasuke turned and successfully grabbed the collar of Neji's jacket. He made no move to strike him or throw him aside.

"Don't ever say his name like you know him or you know what I've been through!" Sasuke ground out between his teeth.

"Your team needs to improve its teamwork. There are too many obvious secrets between you." Neji replied.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know, but it certainly sounds poetic doesn't it?" Neji forced Sasuke to remove his grip and Sasuke didn't fight it. Neji adjusted his forehead protector, of which Sasuke was bare. "The truth is, all the most talented persons are born together in a single generation… it appears that ours is a traumatic one. There is something that Uzumaki Naruto doesn't understand. He doesn't comprehend loss. Creating new bonds doesn't erase old bonds that were thieved."

"Nani?"

"To lose one parent seems like misfortune, to lose both seems careless. We're born in a span of an exceptional boom, Sasuke. Our circumstance is frighteningly similar, but between us, you have more reason to be afraid."

"I don't need you telling me what I already know." Sasuke responded, ready to turn and leave at that moment.

Neji shook his head in the negative. "I know something that you aren't aware yet, Sasuke and the things I know can get you killed… or they could help you reach your goal… to kill Uchiha Itachi."

Neji watched Sasuke's face twist up. I see, Neji thought, the hatred in his heart isn't tamable, not yet. To have such a fire dedicated to revenge…

"You want to get stronger," Neji said. "And you will. There is no doubt you will get stronger… but you will never get strong enough if you leave Konoha to stand beneath Orochimaru. You will fail… but that won't happen, my team won't let it happen."

"What do you care?" Sasuke shouted. He swore he hated everything about this Hyuuga Neji. The way he talked, the way he moved, the way he looked, every part of Neji made Sasuke see red.

"…"

"Don't you '. . .' at me, Hyuuga. Tell me."

Neji crossed his arms over his chest. "If you're curious, meet my team tomorrow morning one hour after daybreak at the training grounds by the small river. There is something you should see before you attempt your treason and try to leave Konoha."

"There's nothing you can show me---"

"But you'll be there," Neji cut him off. "And it's best if you come on your own free will. I'll be watching you, Sasuke. You will not leave the village tonight. You'll come tomorrow and learn how to gain a great enough strength."

"You're not stronger than---"

"But you'll be there. Almost every person you've ever met has made you a target, Sasuke. Of that group Orochimaru, Uchiha Itachi, and myself are guilty. However, I'm different from them in a simple regard. I want you stronger; I want you to complete your ambition."

"Why?"

"You'll forgive me if I answer that another time?"

Neji turned his back and walked away then. He didn't say goodbye. He never said goodbye. Neji never said goodbye when he left people behind, even with Sasuke who he intended to see catch up. Neji stuck his hands into his shorts and turned his back to Uchiha Sasuke who stood straight up with his head tilted to watch Neji's exit.

Originally their clans lived on two different sides of Konoha. The Hyuuga was the east and the Uchiha was the west. Hyuuga Neji lived in the Bunke compound, which was more north than anything, and Uchiha Sasuke lived by himself in a place that wasn't home. It was simply the place where his worthless things were; where he let his anger breathe by destroy anything that reminded him of Itachi: pens like the one's Itachi wrote with, those specific scrolls Itachi wrote in and no others.

Sasuke knew he was fooling himself to think he could destroy everything that reminded him of his brother and the truly wicked thing he had done, because Sasuke saw Itachi in himself. He saw wicked intentions, strength, anger and the twisted call for power. And like Itachi, Sasuke didn't understand himself. Why he wasn't strong enough, why he wasn't good enough, why he couldn't breathe when he thought of his lack of progress.

As Sasuke raged internally, unable to sleep, unable to move or even breathe, Tenten stood outside his ledge, holding her newest jutsu scrolls ready to intercept movement by the Uchiha. She had volunteered first shift to watch Sasuke, because for Neji intended, she had to understand this wicked Uchiha as well. Neji would relieve her just before one and take the remainder of the night to watch him.

For several hours Haruno Sakura waited at the exit of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Naruto slept.

Sasuke didn't.

Tenten and Neji switched. Tenten stood side by side with Neji after she gave her observations and assessments to her team leader. "Do you really think it will work?"

"We'll be able to distract him long enough at least for the Godaime to arrange ANBU to watch him, if he doesn't see things my way."

"Do you really think he'll stay… for this… for what we can do? We're all defeatable."

"Not to him yet. It will be a long time before he will reach our level. Hopefully so long that whatever that Orochimaru wants him for, the opportunity will have passed."

"I'm still researching that seal and everything about Konoha's most wicked leaves."

"Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi don't belong to Konoha anymore… but Sasuke does. We cannot allow another leaf to break the cover of our village. Never, as long as there is something we can do."

Tenten nodded and left Neji and Sasuke-kun behind.

Neji sat down in the lotus position. His Byakugan was activated, his eyes were closed, his hands wove perfectly in his seal sequence. Saru (monkey), Ousu-buta (boar), Inu (dog), Saru (monkey), Usagi (rabbit), Hebi (serpent)

Neji observed his chakra system as the green mystical palm chakra wove over his fingertips. It still wasn't anywhere near as strong as his Haha's.

Sasuke seemed to disappear from Neji's Byakugan's vision, only to reappear a second later, four inches to the left of where he had been a few minutes ago. With the wall between them, Neji couldn't use his Chakra Sense compensation. He took no chances and turned his position so the strength of his eyes were always facing Uchiha Sasuke.

This, too, shall improve…

End of Two Invitations to One Uchiha Sasuke

1 Think Tifa vs Loz in Advent Children.