Cheating Destiny

7;Training

The sun shone lightly through the wispy curtains, making me get up from my bed. I haven't really been able to sleep much since the Ten Tails Attack. I stretched my arms back, small pops followed along due to the fact that this was probably the softest bed I've slept in for the past two months. I changed out of my pajamas and into my ninja gear and made he bed. The room looked like no one had been living here at all. Again, like the day before, I slung my back pack over my shoulder and tied it tight. I left my tiny apartment, and decided to head out to the training grounds. The town was quiet, almost dead silent. It was still the early morning, the sun just barley peaking over the mountains. The walk to the training grounds was beautiful and serene, but what caught me off guard was the fact that someone else was there. I turned the corner to see the three post of the training ground and Neji training. He seemed so concentrated in his training, but soon he stopped and looked up. I felt flustered, I wasn't doing anything bad but just the thought that saw me made me feel nervous. "What are you doing up at this hour?" He said not having the slightest waver in his voice. He's been training pretty hard, shouldn't he be some what winded?
"Uh.. I came here to train."
"At this hour? Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"Look who's talking." I said with the slightest bite of sass. He began to re-rap his hand, keeping his focus on the task but not making any eye contact.
"So why are you awake?" He said, walking closer.
"Why are you awake?" I said, almost mocking him. He stopped and looked up, looking almost surprised.
"Are you copying me?"
"No."
"Is there a reason you can't sleep?"
"Is there a reason that You're not asleep?" He stared at me, trying to his the slightest bit a smile.
"So you are copying me?"
"No, I'm not, Didn't copy your exact words." I said. His face was so still, almost mute.
"I'm here because someone was already using my training grounds."
"Who else is training this early in the mornin- wait, you have your own training grounds?"
"Yes, the Hyuga clan had their own training grounds inside their house."
"Boy is that fancy."
"So why are you here?"
"I couldn't sleep." This time he stopped and looked up.
"Any reason In particular?"
"Uh.." Yeah because I'm Harboring a Ten tailed demon inside me and sometimes he gets cranky. "The bed in my new apartment isn't the comfiest." I said with an awkward smile. He looked back down at his hand, almost like he couldn't be bothered to look at me.
"Do you want to train together?" His question caught me off guard.
"What?"
"Do you want to train together?" He said, this time slightly spacing the words out.
"Uh, Sure." He tied the last of the wrappings then turned and walked towards the field. It took me a minute to process what he was doing, but then followed him. So we were standing face to face in the center of the battle field.
"So... Is there a magic word, or do we count to three, or does the first one to blink loose..."
"What" He seemed genuinely confused. "How do you start battles?"
"I don't really know? I don't think I have before." He seemed half surprised but still half his normal blank expression. "Well, I hope you know how to fight." And with that he ran off into the trees. "So... are we starting?" I Asked loudly. there was a pause "Yes." I heard Neji say from somewhere in the forest. Alright. Where to start... I jumped into the forest on the opposite side of the forest Neji was in. I sat in a tree and used some disguise Jutsu as I decided to plot out my way of attack. Before a moment's notice, A kunai came whizzing by. I sat completely still, barley breathing, but another came by even closer than last time. I got up and jumped to another tree, looking as if I was trying to hid but really was trying to figure out where my follower was. A final Kunai was thrown an I knew where Neji was I turned and threw three Kunai. I paused for a second, waiting for some form of conformation that I didn't, in fact, just kill Neji. "Neji..." i asked warily. Without any warning, there was a kunai to my neck nd Neji was behind me. "You should know not to call out to your opponent." Said Neji. He lowerede his Kunai amd took a step back. "Win." He said in his, not hoarse but deeper voice. I chuckeled. "You should know not to just let go of you opponent." Within seconds he was disarmed. He looked a me almost as if he was pissed off but happy at the same time. We both bared out kunai and began to fight, clashing kunai against each other It was almost like a dance. Back and forth, offence and defense, before I lost my footing on a tree and fell back. My first instinct was to drop the Kunai and reach for Neji but sadly I wasn't fast enough. I fell down and it almost seemed like a joke. As I braced for impact, I felt a thousand things rushing by and soon I stopped. I opened one of my eyes to see that I was suspended upside down by a bunch of tree vines. I moved my head to see how caught up I was and realized it was gonna take a while to get down. I tried to wiggle my way out but somehow couldn't move. I felt my backpack slowly slipping off. I froze, not wanting it to fall the last 15 feet till the ground. I looked forward and saw Neji walking over but he was upside down. "When did you learn how to walk in the sky?" I asked jokingly. His face didn't change. He just scoffed.
"I win." He said as he turned heel and left.
"Wait, aren't you going to help me down?" I asked. He turned to look at me.
"Why would I do that?"
"Because I can't move." I felt my backpack began to slip. He began to turn again.
"Well, If you're not gonna help me down could my make sure my backpack doesn't break from the fall?" This time he took a step closer.
"Backpacks don't break. They're made of cloth." He said looking up towards me.
"Yeah but the stuff inside-" The backpack slipped forward and i tried to reach for it> "Shit!" I couldn't reach it but within seconds, Neji was there, holding the back pack.
"You know you look pretty stupid." By now my shirt had fallen forward, covering half my face. Luckily for me I always wear and undershirt of wrappings.
"Why do you have an ANBU mask?" Asked Neji.
"Why are you going through my stuff?" I tried to worm my way out of the vines but all I was able to do was loosen my ankle.
"Are you just gonna sit there and be useless?" I asked out loud. There was no response.
"Well, guess he left. He better have not took my backpack."
"Now why would I take your Backpack." I jumped, well, more like jolted at the sudden sound and closeness of Neji's voice.
"Jeeze, couldn't you have said something." Again, nothing. I tried to loosen my leg bet then Neji spoke again.
"Hold still and stop squirming." He said flatly.
"Where are you?" I asked. I felt something snap an one of the vines was cut. Not to long passed and my leg was almost free.
"How did you get so stuck?" Asked Neji, seeming almost agitated.
"I don't know, ask the tree." I said snapping back. He sighed.
"You do know how to test someone's- Wait a second..." He trailed off.
"What Neji?" I suddenly felt a cold hand on my back and Flinched.
"Do you have a tattoo?" He asked. this time his words weren't flat or irritated, they were more content full.
"No, I don-" Shit. The Seal. "Neji can you just finish cutting me down?" I became anxious and almost impatient.
"Is that a jinchūriki seal?" His voice grew almost soft.
"No, Neji, Just cut me down." By now I was getting angry.
"Wait... Was that what happened to the ten tai-"
"Neji!" I yelled. He dropped the topic and began cutting the Vines. He cut one of my hands free and I began cutting as well., and soon there was only a few vines left.
"Here, Hold on." He said reaching out his hand.
"What?"
"Hold on." I reached forward and held onto his hand. He leaned forward and cut the last vine. My body dropped but I clung onto his arm. There was an audible thud as I hit the tree branch "That's gonna leave a bruise" I whined. Neji Hoisted me up onto the tree branch and I got the proper footing. "Here's your bag" He said, holding out the bag. At first I was relived but noticed something was missing. "Where's the mask?" I began looking around. As if it's on the tree branch.
"I left it on the ground so-"
"Thank you" I cut him off, already halfway down the tree. I go to the bottom of the tree and practically dove for it. I picked it up delicately, making sure it wasn't more broken than it already was, and then gently strapped it to my bag. By the time I looked up Neji was their, but he was silent. I slowly stood up and looked over at him.
"Yeah.." I felt extremely nervous and panicked that he would see me as a monster but he had already seen the seal so there was no point in lying.

"It is..."

I turned to leave the training ground and got about halfway across it before there was a hand on my shoulder.