Hinata is first introduced gazing at Naruto, making it known she looks at him with admiration but is too shy to say anything. This becomes a running joke later on, where the mere sight of Naruto can cause her to become paralyzed or faint. Hinata was successfully entered into and participated in the Chuunin Exam, proceeding to the preliminaries for the third round. During their time in the forest of death, she and her team had a near miss with Gaara’s team, witnessing the terrifying power he commanded. It was during the preliminaries that she took her time in the spotlight as the random matches pitted her against her cousin, Neji.
Neji more proficient at using the Byakugan and the Hyuuga-developed fighting style that used it. Before the match began, he noticed her body language and encouraged her to give up, telling her she wasn’t fit to be a ninja. The two engaged in a stunning hand-to-hand battle of the Juuken Ryuu (Gentle Fist) style, channelling chakra into their hands and along the body’s inner chakra pathways, causing internal damage. Despite their impressive fight, Neji was clearly the better fighter. During the battle, Neji expressed his contempt for the main house, due to him being a branch house member and considered inferior despite his skill. He also declared that Hinata’s inferiority was destined and that a loser would always be such, angering Naruto. Hinata was knocked down multiple times, but each time, thanks to Naruto’s encouragement to beat Neji and make him eat his words, she got back up. Her sensei Kurenai was surprised by Hinata's drive, thinking over how she lacked self-worth and how her lack of confidence led her to fail missions in the past.
The final straw came when Neji decided to put Hinata down for good with a blow that would have certainly been fatal. Before he could strike, most of the sensei jumped in to stop him. Outraged, Neji further taunted Hinata about how she was receiving mercy because of the preferential treatment the main house received. Despite his attack being stopped, Hinata collapsed anyway, coughing up blood and needing medical attention. It was on her blood that Naruto swore to defeat Neji for his attitude on "dropouts".
Hinata recovered over the following month. Shortly before the start of the third Chuunin test, she went to the Genin training area to think over her past and her self worth. There she met Naruto, who was unsure of himself before his upcoming battle with Neji. Hinata reassured Naruto that even though he made mistakes he never let them get the better of him. He always pushed to make himself better and he inspired her to never give up as well. This heartened Naruto and he let her know that though he thought she was weird before, he now knows he likes someone like her. Hinata was stunned by the news and stared blankly into space where Naruto had once been. She then left to watch the finals of the exam with Kiba. Hinata was still not fully healed and she began coughing again when Neji began to tell Naruto of their family's past. Kabuto, posing as an ANBU member offered to help her. He used his medical techniques to heal her, why he offered this help is unknown.
It was during this time we learned of the history of the Hyuuga and how the branch house members are branded with the sealing mark on their foreheads. It was the attempted kidnapping of Hinata by a Cloud ninja which lead to the eventual death of Neji's father Hizashi. Hinata's father Hiashi saved her by killing the Cloud ninja, and Cloud sought recompense for their dead ninja by asking for Hiashi's dead body in return. Hizashi chose to volunteer instead, much to his brother's dismay, all to go against the fate of the branch family. Back at the Chuunin Exam, Hinata remained unconscious during the invasion and from this point onwards, became less involved into the story to the point that her appearances were usually watching Naruto while hidden and silently supporting him.
Hinata enjoyed a much bigger role in the anime-only episodes, where she invented a new jutsu which combined the techniques Neji knew that she lacked, pioneering the Shugo Hakke Rokujyuyonshou, or Guardian Eight Divination Signs, Sixty-Four Palms of the Hand. Often paired up with and put in embarrassing situations with Naruto yet never developing their relationship, it was mostly fanservice for the popular coupling. She briefly returned in the manga, but only for a moment where upon catching sight of Naruto, she performed her signature fainting.
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