[OPEN] A Genius Without a Purpose

[onefate]

The Hyuuga genius was good at many things. Taijutsu, ninjutsu, insight and analyzation -- he could do it all and then some.

Adapting to changes in battle situations or simulations was one thing. Adapting to the fact that he was trapped in this nowhere village without a single member of his clan, his team, or anything even remotely close to what he was used to? Something else entirely. Suffice to say Neji wasn't taking it as well as he could have been.

Presently, he was sitting in the middle of a nearby park fuming to himself, trying to discern just what to do from here. Arms crossed over his chest, he didn't even bother to attempt meditation, just glowered at his surroundings at large.

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[beforethedarkness]

... He was younger.

Sasuke paused, frowning thoughtfully at the Hyuuga Prodigy before him and gently fingering the wallet in his pocket. He had to head to the market to pick up food for the house, but seeing Neji there at that age was distracting. His clothes were different too... They reminded him of the Chuunin exams.

Granted, Neji wasn't supposed to be that much older than him in the first place, but his skepticism was valid.

[onefate]

"You're staring."

Neji didn't need to open his eyes to see the younger Genin watching him, but he gave him the courtesy of doing so. No Byakugan needed now that he'd identified him, he stands in a single, smooth motion, studying the other's face without moving his eyes, before a small smirk quirks his lips. The Uchiha's physical strength appeared to have increased somewhat, but his eyes had changed the most. They didn't hold quite the same amount of coldness that he'd seen in their first meeting.

[beforethedarkness]

"You're not the same Neji who was here before," He answered plainly, looking over the boy before him. Still older than him, but definitely not the same one. This one looked like he hadn't aged a day beyond Sarutobi's funeral. One Sasuke was more used to seeing, even if something seemed... Off.

"You just arrived?"

[onefate]

The corners of his eyes narrow as he crosses his arms over his chest, waiting for the other to elaborate on what he meant for that first statement... though he didn't feel as though he needed it. Neji could see everything with his Byakugan; the precise number of shinobi and Chakra signatures were laid bare before his eyes. Thus, it was impossible for him not to note that there were Chakra signatures that were the same, completely the same, down to the position of the tenketsu.

The same Neji, then...? Curious. A question for later, however. No reason to volunteer information that there was something he couldn't see, after all.

"So it would seem. Given the lack of examiners, I take it this is no surprise level of the Chuunin exams."

[beforethedarkness]

He shook his head to confirm what Neji was saying, his eyes opening to the elder genin again when he responded, "It isn't. For me, those ended a while ago."

[onefate]

That got the other a sharp look, the corner's of Neji's eyes narrowing as he continues to study the other's face without moving his eyes. From the way the other spoke of that exam, it made it more than likely that,

"You did not win the final rounds." A shift in times would make sense, if there were multiple similar Chakra signatures. Not that he was as unflappable as he projected; inwardly, his mind was racing, trying to come up with a solution to this. "I guess that's as far as the Uchiha can go."

[beforethedarkness]

"Wrong. They got interrupted in the middle of my battle with Gaara, just as I pierced his sand armor. Something you couldn't hope to be able to do."

He narrowed his eyes a little and smirked at him, shaking his head, "And you couldn't beat Naruto. He officially made it to round two."

[onefate]

"What?!" Never mind that the other had pieced Gaara's armor, Neji's eyes narrow as his lips curl into a sneer. It was obvious the other wasn't lying, at least not that he knew, but it didn't make sense. "That's impossible. That dropout doesn't stand a chance against me."

[beforethedarkness]

He shook his head at Neji, smirking and crossing his arms over his chest as he affirmed what he had been saying, "Naruto found a way. He isn't as weak as you seem to think he is, and he promised that he would face me during the exams."

If there was a thing the knuckle-head could do better than anyone else, it was keep a promise like that. Especially after he had seen that disturbing burst of strength from Naruto when they were fighting the One-Tailed Beast...

[onefate]

"Hmph." It's with clear disdain that Neji snorts, letting his arms uncross as he stares at the other. Be beaten by the likes of Naruto? He would not be beaten while on display before the Head Family and all the other countries. Or would fate not allow him to prove himself?

It's with that in mind that he takes a step to the side so the bench isn't at his back any longer, feet shifting as he starts to lower his weight. "Prove it. If you can fight on equal footing with that dropout, then I will defeat you to prove I can beat him."

[beforethedarkness]

"Are you challenging me, Neji?" Questioning the pose, Sasuke fell into a more relaxed and battle-ready stance while watching the other. He hadn't activated his Sharingan just yet -- there was no need -- but he would wait for the other boy to confirm whether or not he was going to attack.

Fighting Neji wasn't something he had really considered, if only because of how certain he was of Naruto's victory. But that didn't mean he didn't have his ways to try and counter the gentle hand techniques he knew the other had.

[onefate]

"You're welcome to run away." His hands weave through the thoroughly-practiced seals to activate his Byakugan, smirking as he feels the veins in his temples swell, eyes sharpening until he could see ever muscle twitch and involuntary gesture, reading it all.

He'd prepared to fight the Uchiha in these exams; it looked as though the match would be happening sooner than he expected.

[beforethedarkness]

His smirk only grew at the words, "From you, I won't need to."

That was all the warning would get before his hands flew into familiar seals at lightning speed, Sasuke taking a deep breath before a huge ball of fire formed from his blowing. Neji was worth his family's signature technique right off the bat, at least.

[onefate]

Fireball. His hands weave through his own series of seals, the fireball scorching piece of log as Neji escapes safely to a tree, only the end of his bandages singed. A contemptuous snort, and he leaps down, intending to close the distance and engage in range to start sealing off the other's Chakra. The Uchiha had been defeated by Lee, meaning his strengths could hardly lie in taijutsu.

[beforethedarkness]

It doesn't take long for several smaller fire balls to follow him, Sasuke having activated his Sharingan when he noticed that Neji was trying to escape. And, even if he was prepared to counter the fire... Neji likely didn't know about the shuriken within those fireballs.

The dull, painful throb of his curse mark was distracting, but engaging Neji in hand-to-hand was dangerous, almost unnecessarily so. He'd work with his distance attacks first.

[onefate]

Tch! Neji continues to dodge the best he can, taking full advantage of whatever cover he could find. There's too many to run from, though, and his gaze sharpens, focusing his Chakra as he starts the Kaiten. To defeat fire... He pours more Chakra than usual into it, increasing the speed to the point like he did to defeat Tenten's paper bombs.

A strange, decidedly unflame-like clang catches his attention, though he can't focus quite right until his spin slows and he reaches out to catch the cooled shuriken, hurling them straight back to the other as a distraction, charging in.

[beforethedarkness]

For an instant, it seemed like the shuriken bit into his skin and left him lifeless, staring at Neji. But, an instant was all it lasted for; in a burst of smoke, it showed that there was a log in place of Sasuke. He was in the trees behind Neji as he moved away from him, throwing some Kunai to him as he moved. He didn't think he was aiming at a blind spot, but if he can keep the Hyuuga's attention on the projectiles, he can possibly come up with a way to get around Neji's supposedly perfect defenses.

[onefate]

He knew something as basic as that wouldn't be enough to take down Uchiha. With his Byakugan, he can spot the incoming kunai without bothering to look straight at them; as they approach, again, he spins into the Kaiten, letting them deflect as he charges forward again, snatching his kunai and adding his own from his holster, crossing both arms and hurling them forward again.

"I thought you didn't have to run, Uchiha." It's a taunt, lips curved into a wide smirk. If he thought a few kunai were enough to get through his defense, he'd be sorely mistaken.

[beforethedarkness]

"Who said I'm running?"

That time, he threw Kunai, giving the appearance that he was rattled. But, once they hit their targets, he was wearing a smirk.

He hadn't been aiming for Neji at all, but at the ground near his feet with the intent of trapping him. The reason? Each one of those kunai had an activated paper bomb reaching closer to explosion at their ends.

[onefate]

He only starts to charge in faster when the other looks rattled, realizing with his eyes too late that it was a false expression. Instead, his gaze drops to the kunai; he's trained with Tenten too long not to know the range of those, and lets out a hiss of annoyance, immediately propelling himself backward out of range and covering his face, both hands in a guarding X position as they detonate.

Shaking a few burning embers from his arms, he only smirks. "You just know that to engage in close combat with me is your ruin."

[beforethedarkness]

Sasuke seemed just a little bit too smug then, already having several shuriken in his fingers again as he spoke, "Is there a problem with knowing my opponent?"

[onefate]

The corners of his eyes narrow as his teeth bare in a snarl. He doesn't bother to hurl shuriken this time, leaping up into the trees and dashing forward, more than ready to dodge no matter what the other threw.

Against Sharingan, he doesn't expect it to hold for long, but he weaves a quick hand sign as he runs, summoning a clone on the branch beside Sasuke to launch a false Juuken strike to the Uchiha brat.

[beforethedarkness]

The instant he saw the clone, he dodged directly into it and hit nothing. Foolish; only Kage Bunshins were capable of fooling his eyes. Still, he was a little surprised at just how agile Neji was turning out to be. He dropped to the ground then, throwing more trap kunai up towards the branches Neji was on and darting back towards the training field. Yes, trees were blowing up, but if it knocked out Neji (or forced him to admit defeat) then it would be worth it.

[onefate]

The clone was meant to distract him from Neji's approach, nothing more. He might not have Lee's speed or Tenten's finesse, but they didn't call him the genius of the Hyuuga Clan for nothing. Using the trees for cover, he continues his approach, determined to get the other within his range. It's a slow process, but finally, he's close enough that as a kunai whistles past, he ignores it, dropping into a lower stance before springing forward with a yell, dozens of times faster than before as he aims for each tenketsu, intending to seal off all sixty-four necessary to halt the flow of Chakra. The Uchiha brat might be fast, but now that he was within his range, there'd be no escape.

[beforethedarkness]

He wasn't fast enough to get away, and he paid the price for it; he felt his chakra become more and more limited before it felt like he couldn't access it at all, and the small finger-tip sized bruises across his visible skin - along with his sharingan having been deactivated - was proof of it. Damn...!

Still, it meant he didn't have to worry about that anymore. Without relenting he darted forward, sweeping his leg to try and knock Neji off of his feet. He still had his weapons and his taijutsu. He could still win this.