Starring:
Date: March 8, 2012
Summary:
None given.
"What If? Self Insertion - Named after an ancestor"
Unknown location
As Taiki wanders through the hospital, he and his ninken both look around
in silent contemplation. It was only a couple of days since the chuunin
preliminaries, and he still couldn't figure out just what happened. What
was supposed to have been an easy battle was anything but, and because he
underestimated his opponent, he lost. But what hurt more was that he lost
to the class baka, Uzumaki Naruto, of all people! Why couldn't he have
lost to someone cooler like Nara? At least then he could have claimed he
was outsmarted. But no he had to lose to the eternally smiling idiot. But
yet
Every time he went over his battle, he couldn't help but to notice two
things. First, the baka seemed to be fighting himself the entire time. It
was as if there was something holding him back, but for the life of him
Taiki couldn't figure out what. Those clones were far too unpredictable in
strength from what he understood. And given that Uzumaki's stalk er
admirer was one of his teammates, he had heard the orphan's virtues
extoled upon time and time again. In truth, he thought love had made the
Hyuuga blind, not that he would /ever/ say that to her face. Oh no while
she was meek and mild in front of others, her team knew her to be
completely different away from her detractors. Saying anything bad about
Uzumaki Naruto was a one way ticket to a Jyuuken beatdown, the kind that
made you wish she had simply kicked you between the uprights. If only she
could apply that to facing her family or confessing to the idiot.
The second thing that Taiki had to face, was that the idiot was anything
but. Sure, he won on a fluke, and Taiki would proclaim that loud and
clear, but even before then, Uzumaki's tactics were sound, if a little
rough. It was only the fact he /was/ fighting himself that kept those
tactics from working a lot better than they had. And once Taiki's sense of
smell was impared? Well, that was it. Taiki's only real advantage beyond
Shinobu was gone, and the supposed baka quickly turned the tables on the
duo, delivering the mother of all beatdowns. But how was that possible?
Could it be that his fellow classmate had been playing them for fools all
along? Or was the real reason related to what Hana had told him after they
dissected his battle. Was he truly over-focusing on just Taijutsu?
At first Taiki wanted to beat the crap out of Hana for insulting their
clan, but Hana simply punched his head and told him to think for a moment.
She was an Inuzuka too, and there was a reason she was in the running to
be the clan heir. After he thought about it, he sat up and listened
quietly, something others would never think possible where the brash
taijutsuist was concerned. She then gave him a lecture, a brief overview
of an ancestor of theirs, one of the old Founding Clan members, back when
the Inuzuka had actual separate clans. Taiki learned that he was actually
named after this ancestor, but except for one thing that was where the
similarities ended. To be honest, his ancestor sounded a lot like Hinata
than Taiki. But as he listened, he discovered that Hana thought they were
much more alike than their personalities would show. Taiki didn't want to
believe it, for he could never be shy or tolerate what his ancestor had
gone through. He almost gave Hana back the scrolls she handed him, telling
her no thanks, but she insisted that he read them, and so he took them.
Finally he found Hinata's room, only to notice the Hyuugas standing
outside the door. Since it appeared he wouldn't be able to see her for a
while, he sat down on a bench and, having nothing to do for a bit, he
decided to read those scrolls. A half hour later he only managed to get
about halfway through the first, but his opinion of his ancestor had
changed drastically. But reading anymore would have been rude as Hyuuga
Hiashi stepped out of the room and paused to look at Taiki. The Hyuuga
Clan head was an imposing figure on his own, and the scowl he had on his
face was something that could strike shame even into the toughest of
children. Having read the scroll, he was prepared though. He stood up and
bowed toward the Hyuuga clan head, who simply nodded and indicated they
were done before walking away. With the coldness of that voice, Taiki knew
that Hinata would need help, and now armed with the brief description of
his life, he knew what he had to do.
With this in mind he entered the hospital room, barely catching Hinata
actually crying. But given her personality, she would never show that to
anyone, thus even while wiping her tears away she gave him a smile and
greeted him. "Ano Taiki'kun? Wwhawhat are you doing hhere?" she asked all
the while sounding embarrassed at her own stutter. He knew she hated it
with a passion, and that she had been working on reducing it. But one
session with her father, and it was back with a vengeance.
"I came to see how you were doing, but I think I already know," he said,
motioning toward the door. He held up a hand to cut off her protests, and
instead continued on. "But that's really not something you want to talk
about I'll bet. I kinda wish you would, for we could help you, but I
understand a lot more now about how you're feeling than I had before. Say
Hinata, would you mind listening to me for a bit?" With her nod he sat
down and started to talk about first his life, and the insecurities he
experienced being the son of the Inuzuka Clan head, and having an older
sister who was so talented. Taiki didn't realize it at the time, but he
felt rather inadequate next to his sister, something he made Hinata
promise never to divulge.
After revealing that, he talked about Hana's breakdown of their prelim
fights, and finally about what he had read about the Taiki of the past.
"You know I don't believe in re-incarnation or anything like that, but if
I did, I could swear I was Taiki reborn. I guess the main difference
between the two of us is that he was well he was more or less treated by
the Inuzuka pretty much the same as you are, or close to it. Me, I'm just
being pushed to be better, but my direction and my motivation was never
strong enough. Hana'neesan told me something I didn't understand at the
time, but now I do. She said that to have confidence in yourself, you have
to think you're worth something. That was just it, I didn't have too high
of an opinion of myself, so I tried to hide it in bravado. But with what I
know now I think I want to continue my ancestor's work, you know?"
"Ano What are you trying t..to say TTaiki'kun?" Hinata asked confusedly.
Taiki could see that the story struck home in many ways to her, but she
was uncertain what direction to go. "Hinata, I want to make you a deal.
I'm going to improve. I'm going to train and get stronger, to prove them
all wrong. And I'll help you do the same. I'll help you adapt your
taijutsu to something you can use more efficiently, and to dominate the
field with. I'll help you show that your family that you are strong, but
you have to do one thing for me in return."
Hinata looked scared, but managed to squeak out a "What?"
Taiki smirked as he knew he had her. He played on one of her two biggest
wishes, and now it was time to play on the other one. "You can start out
small but give that knucklehead you care for so much some support. I'm
sure how you've seen how he's shunned, and he could use a friend that is
on his side. As I said, you can start out small," he says, heading off her
objection, "But do you really want to continue to watch his pain, and not
do anything to help him? Believe me, I speak from experience when I say a
supporting friend makes a world of difference."
Hinata was silently blushing for a good five minutes before she nodded.
"N..no. I d.don't want to see him in pain like ththat. It hurts. I I'll do
it."
Taiki smiled at her determination, despite her stuttering, and nodded.
They talked for a little while longer before he had to leave, but as he
left the building he stopped and looked up to the sky. Up there was a
cloud, shaped like a young girl he once knew. If she was alive or dead he
didn't know, but he knew she would be proud of him now. "Well Naru'chan
you were right. We all need friends." He smiled softly before turning
toward a whining Shinobu and said, "Okay boy, let's go."
