It Didn't Have to Be This Way

  With nothing to gain and even less to lose Hinata Hyuga ran directly at her opponent, all her strength harnessed and will ready, prepared to win or die trying. She had never felt much significance and believed she had little worth to those around her. Her father has thrown her asckew as a child does and old toy, the people of the leaf village mocked her as a burden more than assistance and the only place she had really felt accepted was in the confined circle of her friends. But even that now appeared as nothing more that a dreamy fanatsy made up by a lonely girl's vulnurable heart.If she could not depend on the people that she trusted most than there was nothing to fear in death anymore and that made the plain, innocnt girl a wild and dangerous adversary. This could be her last battle pehaps, but it was certain to be her most important. She would prove them wrong, she would prove them all wrong.

It was right after they'd graduated from the academy and been put into Kuranai's squad that her and the mysteriousm coat cladden boy had met, and in through the years they had grown closer and closer, the squad becoming a team, friends and then a family. Through that period of time and all the things the'y been through she thought she had seen the real him. The true self that he chose to hide from the world was a sweet and sensitive character with a golden heart and a smile that could make your heart melt. Now the reality of the matter flashed before her pale lavender eyes something even the power of byakugan could not see through. She had somehow missed it among the mists of trust and belonging she felt whenever he had been around.

  His mask was flawless, disguised perfectly by a cool attitude and covert appeance. She never would have suspected the boy she had grown to love so much could have been such a demon this whole time. Was every moment they had shared just a ploy to end up in this? Had it not meant a thing; their priavate talks, inside jokes and and passionate glarnces all just a feign to get deeper into the village. And the deeper he had gotten to the village the deeper in Hinata's heart he dwelled.

  Shino looked at her through darkened goggles, an expression of exasperation hidden by his large coat. He shouldn't care so much. The whole time he knew his true mission, he had been placed in this position from birth and now was finally the time to show his true colours. He could quit pretending, throw away this part he had been playing, the act that somehow everyone belived without question. With a deep breath and a sly smile he tore away at the robes that had brandishe him for so long, a muscular body, whiter than the first day of winter shone against the sun-stained sky.He slowly removed his eyewear and  with that darted his eyes directly towards the blue-haired girl charging valiantly in his direction.

  She stopped just short of striking, but became dazzled by the sapphire eyes that all the sudden held her focus in a vicegrip. She could no longer move nor look away, the ashen beauty of the boy before her prevented her from any further action. Shino...she had known him so long and yet never really knew him at all. She realized then that she had never really even seen his face so clearly before...or his inviting body...NO! She mustn't be thinking this way, not now, not after the betrayal, the tears and the lies that this man had corrupted her into falling into. Not today, today was the end  for someone, either her or him. She had to get a grip on herself.

  He was startled by her reaction. Hoping to simply catch her attention for an instant, Shino revealed his true form but didn't expect that look in her eyes that nearly binded him from his own intentions. That deep longing that she held for him when things were so simple glimmered again as she stared with an arcane intensity into his eyes. He felt as if her all-seeing eyes had pierced through him and was unveiling all the secrets his soul was trying to keep locked away. No ths can't be happening to him! Thses feeling he would not unbleash for if he did his goal was failed and hid destruction was eminant. His emotions made him weak and so he had chosen long ago to tune them out. But why was it then that everytime she met his eyes he felt weaker than he ever had before? For the time being he would have to continue his emotionless fasade or else she had already won and there was nothing else to it.

  With feverished magnitude Hinata and Shino went into combat, partner againt partner, friend against friend. Except this time it was not a friendly training session. This was a mission, live or die, one of them would suceed the other would remain here to live with the consequences of whatever the turnout might be. They had to be strong-willed, forcefull, stratigic and most of all focussed or else they might fall once again into one anothers eyes....With this much at stake neither could risk the chance of falling in love...or at least admitting to have already taken the plunge.

...too be continued...???