A/N: Longest chapter yet!

The next day, Hanara was in the fighting arena that the third exam was going to take place in. She was standing in a line and was in-between Shino and Shikamaru, just to be able to say she wasn't avoiding him. Hanara looked through all the examinees and narrowed her eyes.

'Naruto, Sasuke, and Dosu aren't here. I wonder what happened.'

"Your opponent isn't here," Shino commented.

"Mn," Hanara nodded, "If he doesn't come here soon I may be given an automa-"

There was a huge thud that made Hanara cut herself off. She turned to see what caused it and saw Naruto face-planted in front of the entrance.

"What the heck did he get into this time?" she mumbled under her breath.

"Oh man, what a drag," Shikamaru sighed.

"Ahhh! Guys, run! You won't believe this, but there's a huge herd of stampeding bulls coming this way!" Naruto yelled as he forced himself onto his feet.

"Yeah, you're right, Naruto. I don't believe it," Shikamaru said.

"Naruto, think for a second," Hanara told him, "Do you hear them? No. They might have been chasing you but the ninjas at the front would've taken care of them."

"Oh that's true," Naruto said before his eyes took in the other competitors, "Hey, where's Sasuke?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "No clue."

"Yeah, that Sound ninja, Dosu, is missing too," Hanara informed them.

"Hey, quit the fidgeting, you three," the proctor (Hey, where's that Hayate dude?) demanded, "Stand up straight and present yourselves proudly to the spectators."

Hanara straightened herself up after checking herself over. She had decided to ditch the bandages on her forehead today, instead opting to tie her forehead protector there. It made her feel a bit different but was overall more comfortable. She didn't have to deal with the metal bouncing on her collarbone every time she ran.

"Welcome to all!" the Hokage announced, standing up from his seat at the top of the stadium, "Our deepest thanks to you for coming to the Village Hidden in the Leaves for this year's Chunin Exams. We have reached the final competition which will be between the nine candidates that have made it this far. We ask that no one leaves until the competition is complete. Now, everyone enjoy!"

'Nine competitors? Is it Dosu or Sasuke that won't make it?'

The proctor turns to face the competitors and pulls out a slip of paper, "I'm Genma. I'll be your proctor today. Look over this piece of paper, there's been a slight change in the matchups. It's set now, though, so take one last look at the matchups."

'Everything's the same except I'm fighting whoever wins Shikamaru's match first instead of fighting Dosu. What happened to him?'

"Uh, Mr. Genma, question," Naruto said, raising his hand.

"What is it?" Genma asked.

"I was wondering, what will happen to Sasuke if he doesn't show up?" Naruto questioned.

"If a candidate is not here by the time their match comes up, they forfeit the match," Genma responded.

You could hear Naruto's gulp.

Genma then addressed all the contestants, "Listen up! The terrain is different but the rules are the same as the preliminaries'. That is, that there are no rules. The match will continue until one of the candidates acknowledges defeat or dies. That being said, if I think a match is over, I will step in and end it. No arguments allowed, understood?"

They all nod in affirmation.

"Okay, the two contestants for the first match, please stay here. The rest of you may go to the waiting area," Genma said.

Hanara nodded again and made her way up to the waiting area.

"Do you have something to say?" Neji asked, seeing Naruto's glare.

"I already told you before," Naruto growled, "I'm going to win, so just give up!"

"It's more worthwhile to fight you and see your face of defeat once you lose," Neji smirked.

"Stop talking so much. Let's begin already!" Naruto yelled.

Seeing that as his cue, the proctor announced, "Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga. Your match will begin now!"

Naruto immediately shot three kunai at Neji but after seeing that he caught them all, engaged Neji in a taijutsu match.

'I would say that's useless but taijutsu is all that Naruto's got,' Hanara thought, sighing as she watched Neji defending against Naruto's assault with ease.

Neji struck two of Naruto's chakra points and sent Naruto flying back.

'Isn't that a bad tactic, Neji? You thrive in close-range combat.'

Naruto jumped back onto his feet and said, "I was just testing your abilities! The real match starts now! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Naruto created 4 copies of himself and used them to attack Neji.

"Is that all he has?" Temari asked from behind Hanara, "Those clones?"

'When did she get there?'

"No, he has some other stuff but those aren't going to help against Neji. Shadow Clones are a Jonin-level skill and are good at lots of things because they're solid. To use them, you have to distribute chakra evenly, so Neji won't be able to tell easily which one is which. It's actually an extremely useful technique," Hanara told her, "With Naruto's creative mind, he may come up with a way to beat Neji."

She turned her attention back on the match just in time to see Neji dispelling the last clone.

"You'll become Hokage, eh?" Neji sneered, "That won't be possible if this is the extent of your skills. I can tell most things with these eyes. Talent is decided when one is born. In other words, one's destiny is decided when one is born. One's limitations and skills are set and unchangeable. Only a fool wastes their time trying to become something that they can never be."

Hanara narrowed her eyes, 'Sometimes I wonder how I managed to not go insane with him in the same house as me.'

"A fool, huh? Not that crap again. Who are you to judge what a person can or cannot be?" Naruto growled.

"Do you think that just anyone can be Hokage? That all it takes is a little hard work?" Neji mocked, "Open your eyes! Of all the shinobi in the Leaf, think how few ever become Hokage. They were born destined to be Hokage. It's not something you become merely by trying to become it. They were chosen by destiny. Each person has been given their own path to follow and they must follow it obediently to the end. The only destiny that we all share equally is... death."

'Then why did you bother looking through the scrolls I sneaked out of the Main House's library when I left? Whether you like it or not, you're going against your own beliefs, Neji.'

Hiashi's Perspective:

'Those eyes are filled with hatred. He still holds a grudge against the Main Family as I expected. If Neji is like this, how must Hanara feel, I wonder?'

Hanara's Perspective:

"So?" Naruto asked defiantly, "So what? You can believe that all you want, but I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I just don't know when to give up! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

This time, Naruto created enough clones for a miniature army and they all charged at Neji.

'Naruto would be a good Academy teacher. He could just spam a bunch of clones and give all the students one-on-one time.'

Neji forced over half of them to dispel, and when there were only seven left, he said, "I already told you, I'm not that stupid."

He ran past six of them and hit the seventh one in the chest, "This one is the real you. The one that attacks less because it's afraid that its chakra points will be pressed. The more the rest of you attack me, the easier it is to find the real body."

Naruto forced the rest of his clones to disappear as he spat out blood, "This is why I told you to stop jumping to conclusions."

Neji's body tensed up and the 'real' Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke. When Neji turned he saw two Narutos attacking him. Neji smirked and built up chakra in preparation for Rotation, stopping Naruto's attacks. He spun and Naruto was sent flying back.

'Like I thought. You learned a Main Branch technique and yet you still preach about 'fate' and 'destiny'. When will you realize that only you can choose your destiny.'

"W-What was that?" Naruto asked, looking afraid.

Neji gave a mocking smile, "Did you think you'd won? You must be an even bigger fool than I thought."

"Don't underestimate me!" Naruto exclaimed, creating six more clones and attempting to make them circle Neji.

With one Rotation he sent them flying, causing all the clones to disappear in a puff of smoke.

"Shit," Naruto swore as he pushed himself up.

"This is the end," Neji said slipping into his Gentle Fist stance, "You are within my field of divination. Gentle Fist Art: 8 Trigrams, 64 Palms!"

'You do realize that could kill someone, don't you, Neji. If I didn't know Naruto could take that and then some, I would be ashamed to even be related to you.'

"64 Palms!" Shikamaru exclaimed, "When I took 32, I couldn't move! At least not until you undid the effects. Is he trying to kill Naruto?"

"Like I said, Naruto has a ton of chakra, and it's different from normal people's. Neither of them knows it, but the Gentle Fist style won't work on him," Hanara told Shikamaru.

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed, "This has something to do with what happened yesterday, doesn't it? Something about how he was saying he has a demon inside him."

"Yes. No. Maybe? You take your pick. I'm not allowed to say, but I'm sure you'll figure it out soon," Hanara said.

There was a thud and when Hanara looked at the arena again, she saw Naruto lying on the ground and Neji panting heavily.

Genma muttered something under his breath.

'He's not going to call the match, is he?'

"I pressed 64 of your chakra points," Neji informed a shaking Naruto, "You won't be able to stand up anymore. I'm honestly surprised you're still moving. Vexed? You're kneeled down in front of a fate that can't be changed and you finally realize you're powerless. Proctor, call the match."

Genma opened his mouth to say something but saw Naruto staggering to his feet.

Neji stared at Naruto incredulously, "You- impossible!

Hanara snorted, "It's just his fate to get the one ninja that Gentle Fist won't work on."

'I told him to try some ninjutsu or genjutsu but he didn't listen. Look where that got him.'

"I told you," Naruto forced out, "I'm not good at giving up.

"Just stop. It's going to be the same result even if we fight again. I don't have anything against you personally, anyway," Neji sighed.

'Hm. Could've fooled me.'

"Heh. That's touching," Naruto smirked, "Because I've got plenty against you."

Neji stared at Naruto looking genuinely confused, "I don't understand what you mean."

"You don't? And here I thought you were Mr. Know-It-All. You don't remember what you did to Hinata?" Naruto spat, "How you tore her up with those mind games of yours even after someone who considered you a brother told you to stop? How even though Hinata worked so damn hard to get here, you made her think that she wasn't worth a thing?"

"Never mind that," Neji said, "None of those things concern you."

"It does concern me when you hurt my friends!" Naruto exclaimed, "You mocked Hinata, calling her a failure. All that stuff about the main and branch families are a load of crap! It doesn't give you a right to decide who's a failure and who isn't! That's what I've got against you!"

"Fine. If you're so interested, I'll tell you all about the Hyuga Clan's heritage of hatred," Neji said, taking off his Leaf forehead protector and revealing his seal, "For generations, the Main Household of our clan practiced a secret ninjutsu known as the Curse Seal Jutsu."

Hanara squeezed her hands into fists and shut her eyes, 'Why? Why is he telling his life story to Naruto in front of nobles and all sorts of important people? Am I the only person that finds this weird? Honestly, why is he telling anyone at all? Does he hope to make Naruto go easy on him or even give up?'

"Curse Seal Jutsu?" Naruto echoed.

"The Curse Seal symbolizes a bird locked in its cage. It's the mark of those bound to a destiny they cannot escape, no matter how big its wings grow. I was four when the leader of my clan put this symbol on my forehead using the Curse Seal Jutsu. On the same day, a great celebration took place. After many years of war, the Hidden Cloud Village signed a peace treaty with the Leaf. Everyone was there to greet our old enemies, everyone but the Hyuga Clan. That day was the third birthday of the heir to the clan and her twin, Hinata and Hanara."

Hanara could feel the eyes of all the contestants on her and determinedly avoided eye contact with everyone, instead focusing on the match, 'Neji, shut up. That's my story to tell, not yours. You can tell him all about your father, but I'm the only one who should be able to tell my fate.'

"Their father, Lord Hiashi Hyuga, is sitting up there," Neji said, looking at the spectator's area, "He had a twin too, my father. But, because he entered the world first, he is the Clan Head while my father was banished to a lesser branch."

"Then, Hanara?" Naruto asked, eyes wide.

'Neji you better stop talking right now,' Hanara thought, glaring at her cousin, 'It's my story to tell, dammit! You have no right to announce it to the world!'

"The same thing happened to her." Neji said before continuing with his story, "It was the day of their third birthday that my uncle branded me with this seal, but not before he did it to Hanara, and disowned her, too."

'Why the heck are you dragging me into your sob story, Neji? Do you understand what respecting privacy means?'

"You and this clan of yours," Naruto started, "What's the point of it all? Why have a main family and a branch family? And this weird curse seal, what's that mean anyway?"

"You see, this is more than some decorative mark that we wear," Neji explained, "It is also the tool they use to keep us in place. We live in fear that the Main Family will use the seal to turn our brains to jelly anytime they wish. Fear is what we live with, and we live with it every day. Only in death are we free of it. This is how they keep the power of the Byakugan sealed away. The Hyuga are the only ones who have this power and so, of course, many wish to steal it from us. That is the reason we, the Branch Family, exist. It is the purpose of the Branch Family to defend the secret and serve the secret keepers, the Main Household, obediently and without question for eternity. That was my destiny, and I was okay with it until they went too far and murdered my father."

'He did it by choice, or that's what I remember. I'm forgetting a lot of things... I should've written up that list when I had a chance. It wasn't murder, it was suicide.'

"It's not right, what he's doing," Hanara muttered bitterly, "He's revealing village secrets to paint himself as the good guy."

"Someone should tell him to stop," Shikamaru's voice said from beside her.

Hanara jumped in surprise and let out an 'eep!'.

She sighed, "If I do it, they'll chalk it up to brainwashing or something..."

"Is he what's been bothering you this month? You still live together, right?" Shikamaru asked.

'Well, you're not wrong. Neji has been bothering me this month, but that's not the reason I was avoiding you. If I nod, I'm not lying...'

Hanara sighed and stared at her feet, "Well, he was being a bit of a jerk to me this month."

"Why were you avoiding me and Choji then? You could've just stayed with one of us or Ino this month." Shikamaru said.

'You'd think interrogating me would be too troublesome, wouldn't you.'

"I didn't want to be a burden," Hanara mumbled. And it was true, that was the reason she didn't go straight to Ino's house after seeing that Hikaru was unavailable.

Shikamaru sighed, "Troublesome woman. You're our teammate, you'll never be a burden."

Hanara's eyes widened and she blushed, 'That's so sweet! I want to hug him so badly right now...'

But she didn't, because Naruto's groan of pain caught her attention.

'So Neji finished telling everyone his sob story, huh?'

"Proctor, call the match. It's over," Neji said.

"Loser," Neji spat at Naruto, turning away from him.

"I won't... run away," Naruto forced out clutching his left shoulder, "I never go back on my word. That's my nindo."

"I've heard that before," Neji scoffed, "And look where that got her."

"I won't lose to a guy like you," Naruto declared, "You're just running away from your fate or whatever."

"Everybody is born with a fate that can't be refused," Neji said, glaring at Naruto, "A guy like you won't ever understand what it's like to have a seal that you can't get rid of for the rest of your life!"

Hanara scoffed, 'Oh, Naruto understands that better than you'd imagine.'

"Yeah, I do," Naruto replied, "And I'll say it again. So what? It's only going to define you if you let it. Don't act so 'cool', you're not special. Hinata has been suffering just like you've been. And whether you know it or not, you've been defying your fate. Even if this is just an exam, you're still the Branch member that's supposed to be defending the Main Family. Yet, you still nearly killed Hinata. You were trying so hard to escape your fate-" Naruto got cut off as he spat out some blood.

"64 of your chakra points are closed." Neji told Naruto, smirking, "How are you going to fight? In that condition, you won't be able to channel chakra in a while. Even after all your talk, you still are going to suffer the same fate as Lady Hinata."

Naruto glared at Neji and put his hands in the Tiger seal.

"I told you, that's useless. Your chakra points are blocked off," Neji said, "Why are you trying so hard to go against your fate?"

"Because I was called a loser!" Naruto yelled as he finally started to channel the Nine-Tails' chakra.

Something within Shikamaru's mind must have clicked, "That's what he meant by, 'I'm the one with the real thing inside me'. He has a tailed beast inside him, so blocking off his chakra points were no use. If I had to guess, it would be the Nine-Tails. The Fourth was known around the world as a sealing master and the Nine-Tails is made of pure chakra. Him sealing it in a baby makes more sense than it being defeated. His birthday is the day of the attack. It all fits! I'm right, aren't I?"

"Well, whatever it is," Hanara started, "There's a law in place that stops people from talking about it. You're going to have to take it up with him or the Hokage."

Shikamaru sighed, "Basically, I'm right and you can't say so."

"Maybe?" Hanara tried.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.

The Nine-Tails' chakra started to affect the environment around Naruto, making the wind howl.

"I'm coming!" Naruto yelled.

Naruto started throwing shuriken at Neji but one Rotation was enough to stop them all.

'Naruto's finally using his head, but he's using it at the wrong time. If I remember correctly, if someone touches the Nine-Tails' chakra, it burns them. Close-range combat is the best thing for him right now.'

After a good minute of shuriken throwing from both sides, Naruto stopped and pulled out a kunai, running towards Neji.

"Once I become Hokage, I'll change the Hyuga for you!" he declared as his kunai met Neji's.

The whole stadium started to shake and a dust cloud enveloped the fighting arena

'Is that the result of the Nine-Tails' chakra meeting normal chakra?'

The cloud cleared to reveal to smoking holes. One had a conscious Neji, staggering to his feet on it while the other had a knocked out Naruto lying on it.

Neji walked up to the unconscious Naruto, "Loser, sorry, but this is reality. This truly proves-"

Everyone gasped.

Naruto jumped out from below Neji, uppercutting him. Neji was sent flying and the 'knocked out' Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I can't move my body," Neji choked out.

"In that situation, you quickly did the Shadow Clone Jutsu. It is your favourite jutsu. Ultimately it was my carelessness that led to my downfall," Neji said when Naruto walked up to him.

"You know," Naruto said, "I failed the Academy Graduation Test three times, and it was all because of this one jutsu I just couldn't do. It was the Clone Jutsu," Naruto laughed, "Clone Jutsu was my worst skill but now look where I am. All I'm saying is, don't whine about how fate is unchangeable or stupid stuff like that. You're not a loser, unlike me."

"Winner of the first match is Naruto Uzumaki," the proctor announced.