𝙇𝘼𝙑𝙀𝙉𝘿𝙀𝙍. | 𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗢

XXIII

"SAKURA, do you how many matches have happened since I left?" Riki asked quietly, turning to her pink haired teammate.

Riki had came back after about twelve minutes after her match, her arm partially healed by the medics and wrapped up with bandages. She had just arrived back beside her team and Guy's team that lingered beside Kakashi. In the arena stood a slightly scared looking Hinata and a confident Neji.

When she had seen them standing in front of each other, her first thought was 'where was the popcorn?'

The match up was foul and Riki was on the verge of thinking that it was set up on purpose. It was too bad to true. Considering the beef between the branch and head family, specifically the whole ordeal with Neji's father, the twin brother to the Head of the clan (yes she knew about it, most Hyugas did) made Riki feel a little uncertain. From what she had heard, Neji was a genius, the strongest genin that had ever come out the Hyuga clan in a long while.

If that was Riki fighting Neji, Riki would've given up the second she read her name off the screen.

The pinkette cleared her throat, stopping Riki's train of thought. "After you left Naruto and Kabuto had a match but Kabuto gave up. Shikamaru beat that one Sound Ninja girl and Tenten lost to the Sand kunoichi too. That's it for now."

"You were gone for a while, believe it! I feel bad for Kabuto but I really wanted a fight," Naruto grumbled. "And you totally beat Kiba's ass out there, I knew you could do it!"

Before Riki could even mutter her thanks Lee had interrupted her before she had even spoken. "I totally understand how you feel, Naruto! I'm pumped up for my own match too!" Lee said, winking.

"Shh, children of youth! The match will start soon!"

"Yes sir! I will watch intently!"

"That's the spirit, Lee!" Guy cheered.

"I never thought I'd have to fight you, Lady Hinata," Neji said.

"Brother Neji . . ." Hinata trailed off, unsure of herself.

"Brother? They're related?" Sakura asked.

"Those two are siblings?!" Naruto questioned, looking between the two.

"They're descended from one of the most honorable old families in the Hidden Leaf, the Hyuga clan," Kakashi told them. "But they aren't siblings."

"Then how are they related?" Sakura inquired again

"A relationship between a main family and branch family . . . is probably the most appropriate way to explain it."

As they spoke amongst themselves Riki stared at the arena, watching Neji and Hinata. She puffed up her left cheek before deflating it. She was way too interested in their fight and the outcome, and odd thing for her because she didn't deem herself as a particularly nosy person. Would Neji give up the match in favour of the main house or not?

"Head and branch family?" Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes!" Lee began. "Hinata is from the head family, and Neji is from the branch family that descended from them. In other words, it's a fight between relatives . . ."

"That must be hard on them," Sakura said.

"I don't think so. I have heard that from long ago, there have been various incidents between the head and branch family, and that their relationship isn't so good," Lee further explained.