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Chapter 13: The Hyuga's Challenge
The sun had barely peeked over the horizon when Sora made his way to his favourite training ground. The early morning air was crisp and cool, carrying the scent of dew-covered grass and distant pine forests. As he walked, he couldn't help but smirk at the memory of the "Great Hyuga Hullabaloo" from a few weeks ago. The image of the entire clan walking around like human-sized tomatoes still brought a chuckle to his lips.
Sora's mind wandered to the events that had led to that particular prank. It had been a stroke of genius if he did say so himself. He and Naruto had spent weeks planning it, carefully calculating the exact amount of harmless red dye needed to turn the Hyuga compound's water supply into a veritable fruit punch. The looks on their faces when they'd emerged from their homes, skin tinged a brilliant shade of crimson, had been priceless.
Of course, the aftermath hadn't been quite as amusing. The lecture they'd received from Iruka-sensei had lasted for hours, and they'd been assigned D-rank missions for a month as punishment. But in Sora's opinion, it had been worth it. The village had been talking about it for weeks, and he'd even overheard some of the younger shinobi trying to recreate the prank on a smaller scale.
Reaching his destination, Sora settled into a cross-legged position, closed his eyes, and began to regulate his breathing. To any passerby, he would have appeared to be deep in meditation. In reality, he was plotting his next village-wide prank.
'Maybe I could dye all the Inuzuka dogs purple?' he mused. 'Or replace all the Akimichi clan's food with diet pills?' He chuckled at the mental image of Choji's face upon biting into a rice ball only to find it was made of celery and tofu.
His scheming was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Light, determined, and slightly annoyed. Sora's eyes snapped open, his hand instinctively reaching for a kunai. But instead of an enemy ninja, he found himself face-to-face with a pair of stern white eyes.
Hanabi Hyuga stood before him, her small frame radiating an aura of determination that would have made her father proud. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, and her miniature version of traditional Hyuga robes gave her the appearance of a very serious, very tiny adult.
Sora blinked, momentarily taken aback. He knew Hanabi, of course. They were in the same year at the Academy, though they rarely interacted. She was known for her prodigious talent and serious demeanour, a stark contrast to Sora's prankster reputation.
"Uh, can I help you, Hanabi?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hanabi's eyes narrowed. "Sora Uzumaki," she said, her voice carrying a formality that seemed at odds with her young age, "I challenge you to a duel!"
For a moment, Sora just stared at her, then burst out laughing. "A duel? What is this, some kind of samurai drama?"
Hanabi's face flushed with anger. "This is not a joke! I have come to defeat you so that you won't target the Hyuga clan again!"
Sora's laughter subsided, replaced by a mix of amusement and curiosity. "Oh? And what makes you think you can defeat me, Hanabi?"
"I am the daughter of Hiashi Hyuga, leader of the Hyuga clan," Hanabi declared proudly. "I have been training since I could walk. I will not let you dishonour our clan again!"
Sora couldn't help but be impressed by the girl's spirit. He stood up, brushing off his pants, and gave her a considering look. "Alright, Hanabi Hyuga. I accept your challenge. But we'll need a referee. Any preferences?"
Hanabi thought for a moment, then said, "Anyone is fine, as long as it's not Naruto. I hate him."
Sora raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh? And why do you hate Naruto?"
Hanabi's cheeks puffed out in annoyance, and she looked away. "I just do. He's loud and annoying and... and..." She trailed off, seemingly unable to come up with more reasons.
Sora's lips twitched in amusement. He had a pretty good idea why Hanabi might dislike Naruto, and it probably had something to do with a certain shy, stuttering older sister. Hinata's crush on Naruto was one of the worst-kept secrets in Naruto's class, and it seemed little Hanabi wasn't too thrilled about it.
"Alright, no Naruto," he agreed, deciding not to push the issue. "I think I know just the person for the job. Follow me."
As they made their way through the village, Sora couldn't help but notice the curious glances they were attracting. It wasn't every day that people saw one of Konoha's most notorious pranksters walking side by side with the Hyuga clan's youngest prodigy. He could almost hear the rumours starting already.
"So," Sora said, attempting to break the awkward silence, "how's life in the Hyuga compound? Still as stuffy as ever?"
Hanabi shot him a glare. "Our compound is not 'stuffy.' It is dignified and traditional."
Sora snorted. "Right, because nothing says 'fun' like a bunch of people with stick-up-their-"
"Finish that sentence, and I'll use my Gentle Fist to seal your mouth shut," Hanabi threatened, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
Sora held up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. No need to get violent. We're saving that for the duel, remember?"
They continued their walk in silence, though Sora could swear he saw Hanabi's lips twitch in amusement a couple of times. Maybe there was hope for her sense of humour yet.
They arrived at a training ground on the outskirts of the village, where a familiar raven-haired boy was going through a series of complex shuriken throws.
Sasuke Uchiha paused mid-throw, his dark eyes narrowing as he spotted the unlikely pair approaching. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice carrying its usual blend of disinterest and mild annoyance.
Sora grinned, unfazed by Sasuke's less-than-warm welcome. "Good morning to you too, sunshine. We need a favor."
Sasuke's eyes flickered between Sora and Hanabi, a hint of curiosity breaking through his stoic facade. "A favour?"
"We need a referee for our duel," Hanabi piped up, her chin lifted high.
Sasuke snorted. "A duel? Between you two? What's next, Naruto challenging the Hokage for his hat?"
Hanabi's face flushed with indignation. "This is a serious matter of clan honour!"
"Now, now," Sora interrupted, placing a hand on Hanabi's shoulder. "Don't underestimate her, Sasuke. She's a Hyuga, after all. Besides," he added with a sly grin, "I hear they make excellent tomato salad at the Hyuga compound. It would be a shame if something were to... happen to their tomato supply."
Sasuke's eyes widened fractionally, and Sora knew he had him. The Uchiha's love for tomatoes was legendary, and the thought of losing access to a prime source was clearly causing an internal struggle.
After a moment of silence, Sasuke sighed. "Fine. I'll referee your stupid duel. But this better be quick. I have the training to do."
Sora's grin widened. "Excellent! Now, let's set some ground rules..."
As Sora and Hanabi discussed the terms of their duel with Sasuke, neither of them noticed two figures watching from the shadows of nearby trees.
Hiashi Hyuga's face was a mask of stern disapproval as he observed his younger daughter prepare for battle. Beside him, Kakashi Hatake leaned casually against a tree trunk, his visible eye curved in what might have been amusement.
"You know," Kakashi drawled, flipping a page in his ever-present orange book, "most fathers would be trying to stop their daughter from duelling the village prankster."
Hiashi's frown deepened. "Hanabi is not most children. She is a Hyuga. This will be an excellent opportunity to assess her progress."
Kakashi hummed noncommittally. "And it has nothing to do with wanting to see Sora get his comeuppance for that little... incident a few weeks ago?"
For a moment, Hiashi's composed facade cracked a flicker of irritation passing over his features. "That... prank was a disgrace to the entire Hyuga clan. If Hanabi can teach that boy a lesson, so be it."
Kakashi chuckled softly. "Well, this should be interesting at least. Though I do hope you're prepared for the possibility that your daughter might lose."
Hiashi's eyes narrowed. "A Hyuga does not lose.... and if she loses, then be it"
"If you say so," Kakashi replied, his tone making it clear he was unconvinced. "Shall we watch and see?"
Back in the clearing, Sora and Hanabi had taken their positions on opposite sides of the makeshift arena. Sasuke stood between them, looking as though he'd rather be anywhere else.
"Alright," Sasuke said, his voice carrying a hint of boredom. "The rules are simple. No lethal techniques, no permanent maiming, and the match ends when one of you surrenders or is unable to continue. Any questions?"
Both combatants shook their heads, their eyes locked on each other with fierce determination.
Sasuke sighed. "Fine. On my mark... begin!"