Sasuke's twin sister, But Neji's first love

Hyuga vs. Hyuga

I woke up in a dimly lit room, the dull ache of my curse mark throbbing under my skin. I reached up and touched it, wincing as pain sparked through my neck. Gritting my teeth, I sat up slowly and glanced across the room.

Sasuke was lying on the bed opposite of mine, still unconscious. I stood and walked over to him, nudging his shoulder gently.

He groaned, then slowly blinked his eyes open, meeting my gaze.

"How's your mark?" I asked, my voice low.

He winced as his hand reached up to touch his neck. "Tch... it's throbbing," he muttered, eyes narrowing.

I nodded and turned toward the door, noticing a Jonin standing just outside in the hallway. Raising a brow, I stepped into the doorway and asked bluntly, "Where are we, exactly?"

"We're in the tower where the preliminary exams are being held," he replied calmly. "I can show you back to the arena if you'd like."

I turned to Sasuke, who gave me a small nod. We followed the Jonin down the hallway. As we entered the arena, a fight had just ended. I spotted Naruto standing in the center of the floor with his fists raised in triumph.

'Looks like Naruto won,' I thought as Sasuke and I made our way to join our team.

"Hey! You guys are back?! Did you see me win? Huh?! Did you?!" Naruto asked excitedly.

"No," I said flatly.

"Shut it, dobe," Sasuke added with a scowl.

"HUH?! WHY YOU—" Naruto began, but Kakashi-sensei cut in smoothly.

"Calm down, Naruto."

Naruto huffed and crossed his arms with a pout, looking away.

Sasuke and I walked to the railing of the upper balcony to get a better view of the arena, but I noticed Sakura sitting against the wall with Ino. Both girls looked disheveled and bruised.

"What happened to you two?" I asked with a raised brow.

They both gave sheepish smiles, rubbing their heads.

"We got paired up to fight each other," Sakura muttered.

"Oh? And by the looks of it, you both lost," I remarked. They turned their heads away in embarrassment. I shrugged and made my way to stand between Sasuke and Neji, who stood a few feet to my left.

I glanced at Sasuke, then took a few steps to stand right next to Neji.

"Anything interesting happen?" I asked.

"Not really. Those kunoichi friends of yours aren't much of a challenge," Neji said bluntly.

"They're not my friends," I replied coldly, narrowing my eyes at him.

He smirked slightly, tilting his head in mock curiosity. "Then who exactly are you friends with?"

"I don't like letting people get close. The only exception is Hinata. She's... like a best friend."

Neji's expression shifted. His features tightened, his eyes darkening with something I couldn't quite place—anger, resentment, pain.

Before I could speak again, the proctor called out, "Neji Hyuga vs. Hinata Hyuga. Step forward!"

I froze.

My eyes immediately found Hinata, standing near her team, trembling. Her eyes wide with fear. I looked back toward Neji, but he was already walking away from me, heading toward the center of the arena.

"I never would've thought we'd face each other, Hinata," Neji said coldly.

"Nor I... brother," Hinata replied softly.