"Aika!" Haruto shouts from the living room "Aika come on!"
"Aika" Haruto knocks on her door "Naruto's already left! We're gonna be late to the Finals!"
Haruto reaches for the handle when the door opens, revealing Aika in her new clothes. Haruto blinks surprised, he expected her to be in bed.
"What?" Aika questions
"You're awake.." Haruto says putting his hand on his neck
"Yeah" Aika looks up at him "what of it?"
"Your hair, you're not wearing pig tails" Haruto points out
"Haru stop acting weird" she walks past him and grabs pocky from the cabinet "what's wrong with changing my look?"
Haruto smiles "nothing, I think you look nice, little sis"
"Who's your sis?" Aika looks at him strangely
"You of course" Haruto rubs her head "don't you think we're close enough, you're like a little sister to me"
"I suppose" Aika puts a pocky in her mouth "I'll grant you the title of brother"
"You suppose" Haruto chuckles
"I did so much training this month" Aika crunches the box in her hand "their's no way I can lose.. not to Gaara"
"You've done all you could" Haruto pats her on the back "even if you lose be sure to put up a good fight and give everyone a good show"
"right" Aika walks to the door "let's go, big bro"
"Coming" Haruto puts his hands in his pockets and walks to the door
Everyone stands in a line as spectators gathered, everyone was there except for Sasuke. The crowd cheered as they stood facing them.
"Welcome all." Lord Hokage addresses the audience "And all our deepest thanks for coming here to the village hidden in the leaves for this year's Chunin Selection. We have come to the final competition between 10 candidates that made it through the preliminaries. We ask no one leaves until all the matches have been completed. Now everyone, enjoy."
"There's one more thing before we get started." Genma speaks to the contestants "Look it over." He took out a paper showing the matches. "There has been a slight change in the match ups but now its set so everyone take one last look on who you'll be facing."
Naruto vs Neji, Haruto vs Shino, Temari vs Shikamaru, Dosu Vs Sasuke, Gaara vs Aika.
'I'm still facing Gaara after Sasuke's fight with Dosu'
"Uh" Naruto rose his hand "question"
"what is it?" Genma asks
"I was just wondering what will happen to Sasuke if he doesn't show up?" Naruto asks
"and he was worried about my training" Aika mumbles
"He was probably worried that you wouldn't train at all" Haruto snickers
"shut it" Aika says
"Alright, listen up. The terrain is different but the rules are the same as before. That is that there are no rules. The match continues until one candidate acknowledges defeat or dies. That being said, if I determine that a match is over, no arguments are permitted, understood? These are the opponents for the first match: Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga. Those two stay, the rest of you go to the waiting area."
With that, everyone started to walk out.
"Naruto" Aika faces him
"yeah yeah I know" Naruto grins "I'll be careful don't you worry little sis, I will win!"
"You better" Aika turns away from him "Because I'll be the one to beat you"
Naruto looks shocked before smiling again "right right, that is if you beat Gaara, cause even if you do I'll win"
"hmph" Aika smirks playfully "we'll see about that"
Aika walks up to the stands with Haruto.
"Think he'll win?" Haruto asks
"Of course he will, he's Naruto" Aika leans against the rail "he's more powerful when fighting for others, and this battle is for Hinata"
The match began.
"You've got something to say to me?" Neji asks Naruto who's glaring at him
Naruto held out his fist "Only what I told you the last time...I vow to win!"
Neji activated his Byakugan and glared at Naruto "I can't wait to see the look of despair on your face when you learn that your foolish vow is impossible to keep!"
"Are we going to stand here talking all day...? Let's get going! Show me what you got!" The two of them stood looking at each other for a while, not making a move. "Alright!"
Naruto threw kunai before trying to punch him but Neji dodged each one or blocked them. Neji then threw a hit, striking him. He struck him again but on the shoulder.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Hey! Don't ever.. don't ever.. I mean never... .Out!" The clones headed towards Neji and one kicked near his face.
"This guy..!" Neji began to beat all the Shadow Clones.
"You thought you could become Hokage? It's absurd.. Never! These eyes of mine show me many things. One thing they've shown me.. people's limitations are set, fixed and unchangeable. Only a fool wastes his time trying to be something he can never be." Neji spat.
"A fool, huh? Not this crap again! Who are you to judge what a person can or can't do?!" Naruto shouts
"Do you think anyone can be Hokage?" Neji asks "..That all it takes is a little hard work? Open your eyes! Of all the shinobi in the world, think how few ever become Hokage. They were born destined to become Hokage! You are chosen by destiny. Each person is given his own path to follow and he must follow it. There is only one destiny we all share equally.. Death."
"Yeah? So what?!" You can think that way if you want. People always tell me I just don't know when to give up!" Naruto makes hand signs "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
They all charged at Neji but he either blocked, hit or dodged each one of them. They attacked Neji from behind but chakra surrounded him and he bounced off Naruto's attacks. Naruto kept trying but Neji always repelled him.
"This is the end for you."Neji declared. "You're in my range and you can't escape my eight trigrams. Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams, Sixty Four Palms!" He went into a stance. "EIGHT TRIGRAMS! TWO PALMS! FOUR PALMS! EIGHT PALMS! SIXTEEN PALMS!" He hit Naruto all over his body.
Naruto fell onto his back before slowing standing up "I told you.. I.. Just don't know when to give up"
'that stubborn idiot'
"It can't be... Stop this madness! You'll only get more of the same" Neji cautions "I have nothing against you personally."
"That's touching! You're going to make me cry!" Naruto mocks "I got plenty against you!"
"I don't know what you mean" Neji claims
"You don't? You remember what you did to Hinata? You teared her down when she worked so hard to get here," Naruto answered angrily.
"It doesn't concern you" Neji says
"You mocked Hinata!" Naruto continues "You called her a failure! All that stuff about the Great Hyuga Clan, main household, branch families...what a bunch of crap! It doesn't give you the right to decide who's a failure, that's what I got against you!"
Up on the stands Aika was growing bored of the match "they're just shouting at each other" she yawns
"You're one of the weirdest ninja I know" Haruto chuckles "a ninja who only likes pocky, changes her mood constantly, acts like a little kid, and refuses to train"
"well I never saw a point in training and I still really don't" Aika looks at him "remember ever since I was a little girl their was always people saying that me and Naruto were horrible, even now their are people that don't believe we'll become anything. Naruto fights every step of the way and wants to make his own destiny" Aika looks down "I'm just not the same, if i'm really not going to become anything then why bother trying"
Haruto looks sad "Aika-"
"but that's not the case anymore" Aika cuts him off and looks him in the eyes "I'm going to become strong, stronger then everyone, then nobody can ever look down on me. Not even Naruto thinks I'll become strong" she tightens her fist angrily "but i'll show him and everyone else"
"...that's a little dark" Haruto chuckles and pats her head "i'm not certain you'll beat Gaara kiddo because of your late determination for training, but after the Chunin exams all you have to do is work your ass off, and surely.. you'll become strong, stronger then anyone you want"
"I won't lose.. I don't wanna" Aika looks angry
Haruto stares at her looking a bit worried, their was a change in the cute little girl he knew months ago.. and he might have just been the one that awoken the deep anger inside her that's been building for years. At that moment he knew, he should've never started her training.
The two look back at Naruto's fight.
"If you think it's futile to fight, then just stand there and take it!" Naruto yelled. "I'll change the way of the Hyuga Clan.." Neji then began his rotation once again so Naruto struck at it. "After I become Hokage!"
The area filled with dust but soon cleared out. Neji was there by himself while Naruto was no where in sight.
"Sorry" Neji says "But this is reality. You're a failure. This match is over-" An arm went up from the ground and punched Neji who fell to the ground ! "I...can't move! I should of guessed you would use that shadow clone jutsu! It's your specialty after all. I was careless.."
"For the record, I failed the graduation exam three times. There was this one jutsu that always on the exam and it tripped me up every time. It was the one jutsu I just couldn't master. My clones were pathetic. That's right, I flunked the shadow clone jutsu every time so don't come whining to me with this destiny stuff and stop telling me that you can't change what you are! You can do it too 'cause after all, unlike me, you're not a failure" Naruto stated.
"The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!" the proctor declared and the stadium erupted in cheers.
"Of course he won" Aika crosses her arms "as expected of that idiot, he'd never lose to Neji"
Naruto runs up to the stands "Aika! Aika! Did you see that I totally kicked ass!"
"I saw, you were amazing as always big brother" Aika smiles
Haruto shakes his head 'that personality switch again'
"I'd never lose to that guy!" Naruto points to himself "believe it!"