DISCLAIMER: Some of the text and characters are from Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto, which I do not own. Only the characters & text that were not in the original manga/anime series are mine.

Recap: The finals have started and no one has seen Kakashi or Sasuke for at least two weeks! Naruto is ready to face Neji! Everyone waits to see how the match will go.

Prepared to Lose…

Sara stood between Shikamaru and Shino as she gazed down at the match. It would be pointless to cheer since they were so high up. Show him Naruto! Show him what you're made of!

Naruto watched Neji for any sign of attack. I have to stay away from him or else he'll hit those tenke-whatever! Either way I can let him hit those points! Since he's not going to make the first move, I'll just attack from a distance! Naruto made a hand sign, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

In the stands, Sakura thought, Shadow clones are ideal for this situation, good thinking, Naruto!

Sara nodded in approval, good! Scatter your chakra and make it difficult for him to figure out which one is really you!

Neji seemed startled at first, but he finally said, "In the end, there is still only one actual body."

One Naruto said, "Don't be too confident!"

"Then come at me," Neji countered. "If you dare."

Since there were five Naruto's total. Four said, "Hey! Don't…underestimate…me, okay?" The same four charged while one hung back. Each of the four had a kunai and two tried to slash Neji.

Neji leaped into the air and knocked their heads together, throwing them forward. As he landed he taunted, "Over here!"

Two more rushed in only to be kicked. Neji pulled out two kunai and hit the previous two. As the ones that had been kicked recovered, Neji hit them with his Gentle Fist.

Naruto muttered, since he had hung back, "Does he have eyes in the back of his head?"

Neji smirked, "You want to be Hokage? I doubt that will ever happen. I can pretty much tell with these eyes abilities and talent are determined at birth. In other words, our destinies are set from the time we're born!"

"Why are you so stubborn?" Naruto shouted, "You're always so sure that the future is full of doom and gloom…why?"

"Well," Neji began. "Do you really think anyone can become Hokage if the just try hard enough? Only a few shinobi are even considered for Hokage. Wake up! Those who will become Hokage are born with that destiny…"

Sara glared down at Neji her Devil's Eyes having been up for awhile now, if you believe that, than perhaps it's Naruto's fate to become Hokage… Ever think of that, genius?

"…Each person's life consists of being swept along in the inescapable currents of destiny…all of us have only one thing in common…one shared fate…death."

Naruto snapped, "Well so what? I guess I'm just a sore loser!" Naruto made multiple Shadow clones.

"I'm not an idiot you know," Neji snapped. "I've seen through your pattern of attack."

Naruto snorted, "I told you…you shouldn't make assumptions!" He charged forward. Neji easily dodged all the blows from the clones and headed towards one that was hanging back.

Neji smiled satisfied, "The one who hangs back…afraid to get close…fearing any strikes on their chakra points. That one stands out the most. You're the real one."

Naruto coughed up blood and began to laugh, "I told you not to make assumptions!" It dissolved.

"What?" Neji shouted looking around. "It can't be!"

Naruto shouted as he rushed forward to slug Neji, "From the start… I came into this match fully prepared to lose!" It looked like Naruto had hit Neji, but Naruto and his clone were propelled back by chakra as Neji spun.

Naruto muttered, "What the heck just happened?"

"You thought you had me beat?" Neji said smirking.

Naruto staggered onto his feet and said, "Man!"

Neji said, "You're finished, you are within the boundaries of my eight trigrams." He crouched low to the ground and said, "Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams: Sixty-four Palms!" Naruto had no time to react as Neji charged in for every hit he shouted, "Eight Trigrams: Two Palms! Four Palms! Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms! Thirty-two Palms! Sixty-four Palms!"

Naruto went flying and landed with a thud on the ground. Neji said, "I've pressed sixty-four of your chakra points. You can't even stand…" He continued as Naruto tried to get up, "It must be frustrating. Here on your knees before my strength… You must finally comprehend your own powerlessness! Believing that your dreams will come true if you just try hard enough…pathetic!"

Naruto thought in frustration, darn it…darn it…! He heaved himself up.

Neji was startled, "What?"

Naruto was practically wheezing as he said, "I told you…I'm a sore loser…!"

Neji was virtually flabbergasted, "He…no way…!" Neji soon found his voice again and snapped, "You just give up, all right? If you keep going I'll be forced to kill you! And I really don't have a grudge against you so…"

"Sh-shut up! I-I do, all right?" Naruto snapped.

Neji asked, "What are you talking about?"

Naruto said, "I mean…you're so strong, and you…you act like you know everything. When you fought Hinata…you played those horrible mind games against her when she was fighting so hard!"

"That's none of your business," Neji snapped, glaring at Naruto.

Naruto ignored him, "You mocked Hinata…calling her a failure… Main branch…cadet branch…I don't know anything about that stuff but… I could never forgive a jerk who goes around calling people failures!"

Neji was silent for a few seconds before he finally said, "Fine… All right... I'll tell you about the hateful legacy of the Hyuga clan!"

The Power to Change!

Sara tuned out, as Neji talked about how he had a curse mark on his forehead, and how his father was murdered in the stead of Hinata's. Something had caught her eye. Something that shouldn't have been in the arena…

She stared across the arena at the mask of an Anbu Black Op. What the-? What's an Anbu doing here? How many others are there…? One…two…three…four…four on the one side… I'm assuming that there are four on our side also. Eight total…there must be something going on if they have any Anbus here no matter how few… Is it because of that Orochimaru guy? We'll have to keep our guard up!

Shikamaru looked away from the match to look at Sara. She hadn't said a word about Neji or Naruto, so he wondered what was wrong. He noticed her gaze was in the stands and followed it. He stared in shock, an Anbu Black Op? What would they be doing here?

Back in the arena, Neji said to Naruto, "Your fate is to lose to me. That's just a fact."

"You can't know that for sure until we try!" Naruto shouted.

Neji tied his headband back onto his forehead, since he had taken it off to show Naruto his curse mark.

Naruto continued, "I can't even imagine how much pain you felt when they killed your father but…I think you're wrong about everyone's destinies being predetermined!"

"You're hopeless," Neji said in a superior tone. He reactivated his Byakugan (turned to off when talking about his past) and lunged at Naruto. He slammed his palm against Naruto's chest and sent Naruto flying. Naruto landed on the ground and grunted in pain. "Proctor, we're finished here." He turned his back on Naruto, "What a failure…"

Naruto staggered onto his feet, "Don't…turn your back…on me!" Neji turned around to face him. "I won't run away… I never to back on my word…"

"I think I've heard that before…" Neji said as he laughed slightly.

Naruto said, "I refuse to be beaten by a coward like you… I won't lose to someone who believes in resigning himself to fate!"

Neji had a nasty look in his eyes, "What a joke! Stop trying to lecture me… as if you knew anything! Everyone is born shouldering a destiny that they cannot defy! How could you understand anything about my fate! About bearing an inescapable curse?"

"Actually," Naruto said thinking of the Nine-tailed fox. "I understand pretty well…and so what?" Neji gave Naruto a death glare. "You're the one who needs to quit lecturing! You're not the only one who's 'special' you know!" Neji looked slightly startled. "Even though she's in the main branch, Hinata has been suffering just as much as you! She's trying so hard to change herself…to earn respect… That's why she hung in there during that fight with you, even though she was coughing up blood! And you…! The cadet branch is supposed to protect the main branch, but you used the exam as an excuse to hurt her! It sure seems like you were trying to defy your fate too!"

A nerve twitched on Neji's forehead, and he was quiet for a few seconds, "I've blocked sixty-four of your chakra points… How are you planning to fight? You can't use any chakra. When we're through, you'll end up just like Lady Hinata!"

Naruto snapped, "Shut up! Stop acting all superior!"

"Well? Are you all talk or are you going to try and prove your point?" Neji taunted.

"Sure!" Naruto said, "I'll prove it to you! By kicking your butt!" He then thought, crap! I'm talking big, but I can't feel my chakra at all… It's just like the times I used up all my chakra in training…! He remembered his training with Lord Jiraiya, when he had learned to do the summoning jutsu. That's right! The fox chakra… He addressed the fox, hey, fox! Lend me your strength!

Neji said, "I'm done talking. Proctor, I'm moving in for the kill! Feel free to stop me if you have to." The proctor gave him an annoyed look.

Naruto began to focus, right now I can't bear to lose!

"I've told you it's useless. I've pressed your chakra points…"

Naruto ignored him, I've got to!

Neji suddenly said, "Can I ask you something?" Naruto was startled. "Why do you keep trying so hard to defy your destiny?"

"Because someone told me I was a failure!" Naruto said.

Up where the other candidates were waiting, Sara thought, you tell him, Naruto!

Everyone in the stands watched as Naruto unleashed powerful chakra, healing his wounds.

Neji's eyes widened in shock, he actually flinched away from Naruto.

Naruto said as he prepared to lunge, "Here I come!" Naruto's chakra was encircling him, resembling nine tails.

Sara heard Phoenix shriek in fury. She wondered, what the heck is with him? He seems to want to rip Naruto to shreds! I'm kind of glad he's sealed away now!

I heard that! Phoenix said. If you had ever crossed paths with the Nine-tailed fox, you'd feel rage at the sight of its chakra too!

Sara turned her gaze back to the match. Naruto had disappeared. He was in the air, having moved quickly.

Naruto threw shuriken at Neji. Neji spun around emitting chakra from all parts of his body. He caught the shuriken and threw them back at Naruto, who was still in midair. Naruto just managed to land on the wall and dodged the shuriken at the last second.

Sara wondered as she watched, when did he get so fast?

Neji and Naruto threw kunai at each other. Mimicking the other's movements they lunged at each other with kunai drawn as their first kunai hit each other. Neji and Naruto clashed together then separated.

Naruto said as he slid to a stop, "You like close combat, right?" He charged at Neji who was still recovering. All the words that Neji had said came back into his mind as he charged, as he drew back his right fist to punch Neji he said, "Look, I may not understand the tragic destiny of the Hyuga clan or whatever, but if you think it's inescapable, fine! Then stop fighting it already!" Neji had only just started to use his Rotation technique. "When I become Hokage…I'll change the Hyuga clan!"

Both Naruto's fox chakra and Neji's Rotation collided, creating a huge explosion that sent rocks flying along with Naruto and Neji, each of them landing with a resounding thud.

Sara looked between the two smoking craters in the ground, which one is Naruto? I hope that last attack didn't finish him!

Sakura shouted next to Ino, "Which one's Naruto?"

"How should I know?" Ino replied.

As the dust settled, Neji managed to drag himself out of the crater, coughing as he did so. Naruto was lying unconscious in his own crater. Neji looked down at Naruto and said, "Sorry, failure…it's too bad, but this is reality." He looked down in shock at the ground as he heard it crack. Naruto leaped out of the ground looking triumphant, knocking Neji for a loop.

Neji tried to get up, "Uhhn! My body…"

Naruto's clone disappeared in the crater, showing where Naruto had escaped. Naruto was breathing heavily.

"In the middle of all that…" Neji said. "You managed to create a clone? Your signature move…that was careless of me…"

Naruto stared down at him, "I…I failed the academy graduation exam three times…" Neji looked confused. "…Because unlucky for me, the exam always tested the same ninjutsu…my absolute weakest ninjutsu…" Naruto paused before he continued, "And my weakest ninjutsu was the Clone Jutsu." Neji looked startled. "So shut up about 'destiny' and 'fate' you shouldn't whine about such stupid stuff! 'Cause unlike me…you're not a 'failure'."

Sara smiled down at her friend, you sure told him, Naruto!

The proctor said, "The winner is Naruto Uzamaki!"

The crowd erupted into applause. Sakura cheered, "Yes! Naruto won!" She laughed as she heard the crowd.

Sara smiled from her position above the stands with Shikamaru, you showed everyone Naruto! I'll congratulate you when you get up here!

Naruto looked around, startled, at first by the applause. Soon he was laughing and giving them the victory sign, before he began leaping with joy.

Sara turned towards Shikamaru as he said, "Wow! He actually won! I can't believe it…I always thought that Naruto was one of those unslick guys…just like me…"

Shino asked before Sara could, "Unslick guys?"

"You know," Shikamaru replied. "The opposite of the cool guys who always have girls going gaga over them. But now…I think he's got me beat. This is bad…it's depressing!"

Sara asked, "Why are you complaining, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru looked at her, "I just don't think I'm in the same league as them."

Sara's eyes sparked, "I'm pretty sure you're in a higher class than the 'cool guys'!"

Shikamaru sighed, "No point in arguing since you have that spark in your eyes. It's like an inferno…"

"I'm just saying, with your intellect you're at a higher level than they are," Sara said.

"Again, I'm not going to bother arguing, too much hassle, especially against you," Shikamaru said in a joking tone. Sara smiled with him.

The Guy With Cloud Envy

The crowd was still cheering as Naruto came up to stand next to Shikamaru. Sara said, "Great job, Naruto! You showed him!"

Naruto laughed, "Yeah! But what could that idiot, Sasuke be doing?

Shikamaru asked, "Is he not coming at all?"

"I doubt that," Sara said. "Nothing could keep Sasuke away from this match."

"But his match is now," Shikamaru said. "'The wise man does not court danger'…he may have chickened out."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked. "Of course he'll come… No doubt about it!"Naruto shot a glare towards Gaara. But where the heck are you? If you don't show up soon…you'll be disqualified!

After several intense minutes, with the crowd getting rowdier and rowdier, the proctor finally said, after someone other ninja talked to him, "Everyone! One of the contenders for the match has not arrived yet. So, the match will be postponed and we will proceed with the next scheduled match."

Sara tried not to laugh as Naruto let out a huge sigh beside Shikamaru. He wasn't worried…hah!

Shikamaru exclaimed, "Hey! You mean my match has been moved up?"

The proctor said, "The next match is between Shino Aburame and Kankuro. Please come down!"

A boy next to Gaara with the puppet on his back said, "I withdraw!"

Sara, Naruto, and Shikamaru all stared at Kankuro wide eyed. The girl beside him, Temari, snorted with disgust. She opened up a large fan and glided down to the arena floor on it.

The proctor commented, "Well, at least you seem willing to fight! Hey! Other candidate, Shikamaru Nara, get down here!"

Sara glanced at Shikamaru and saw his panicked look. Naruto was oblivious as he said, slapping Shikamaru on the back, "All right! Go get'em, Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru tried to keep his balance but failed as he cried out from shock as he fell into the main part of the arena. He glared up at Naruto. Naruto you jerk…

He looked around at the crowd as they shouted, "Hey! Start the match already! Just get it over with!"

Shikamaru lay still as Temari said, "How long are you gonna lie there? Get up, kid!"

Shikamaru sighed and muttered, "Everybody was looking forward to Sasuke's match… And now they're being offered a poor substitute for the main attraction…everyone's annoyed. No one cares about the outcome of my match…except a few Leaf Village genin…is there any point in fighting?"

Temari said, "What you're gonna give up too?"

Shikamaru shifted his gaze to Temari, I'm up against a girl again…?

"Hey, Shikamaru!" Naruto shouted, scaring the living daylight out of Sara. "Get up and fight!"

Temari finally snapped, "If you won't come to me, I'm gonna go to you!" She rushed forward.

The proctor exclaimed, "Hey! I haven't told you to start yet…" He realized his words were falling on deaf ears.

Shikamaru pulled out two kunai, "Man this chick really wants to fight."

Temari swung her fan high into the air and brought it crashing down. She looked around wildly for Shikamaru.

Shikamaru said, as he perched on the wall using two kunai, "I don't really care whether I become a chûnin or not, but I can't stand the idea of losing to a girl…" He added silently, not unless it's my girlfriend. "…So I guess I'm in!"

Temari smirked and opened up her fan and swung it hard, creating a nasty wind gust. Shikamaru quickly dodged the cutting wind. Temari looked around for Shikamaru and spotted him behind a tree.

Shikamaru thought, but…it's not like a guy can just clobber a girl, either. Temari moved her fan in front of her in a threatening position. Shikamaru muttered, "Man…why do I always end up fighting girls…?" He turned his gaze to the clouds, oh…how I envy the clouds…they're so free… I have absolutely no desire to fight…the whole reason I became a ninja was so I could live my life the way I wanted… He examined the hole Naruto had made earlier. But…it looks like it won't be that easy…

Sara watched Shikamaru, he's thinking…of what…no clue.

Naruto startled her again as he shouted, "C'mon, Shikamaru!"

Temari wasn't in a waiting mood, she swung her fan, creating nasty winds that ripped at the trees' trunks.

Shikamaru braced himself, but he was still startled by the force of the winds.

Temari watched as the dust created by her winds settled. She stared in horror as Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Jutsu came at her. She leaped out of range and slid her fan across the ground, creating a line. She smirked, "The Shadow Possession Jutsu, revealed! It seems there are some limits to how much you can manipulate the size and shape of your shadow, hmm?" Shikamaru held her gaze. "Even though you can stretch your shadow at will you can't increase its overall size past its normal surface area right?" Shikamaru remained silent. Temari laughed, "Right!"

Shikamaru gazed up at the clouds again and then back to the hole in the arena. He placed his hands together, thumbs touching over his fingers.

Sara laughed, "That girl is toast!"

"What are you talking about, Bright Eyes?" Naruto asked.

"I'm saying," Sara said pointing towards Shikamaru. "That hand sign he's making is one he uses when he's thinking of how to defeat an opponent. Normally, he beats an opponent a few minutes later. Granted, he and I usually end up in a stalemate."

Shikamaru finally moved from his pose, and reached back towards his pouch for a kunai knife.

"Looks like you finally mustered some fighting spirit!" Temari said. She swung her fan and created the slashing winds again. Shikamaru darted behind a tree quickly. "You can't hide from me!" Temari stated as her winds gouged the tree.

Shikamaru slipped off his shirt, and waited for Temari to create her winds again. Temari didn't keep him waiting.

She swung her fan again as she shouted, "How long are you going to keep running around? Will you quit it already!"

Shikamaru threw a kunai at her and sent his shadow after her. Temari leapt behind her line thinking she was safe, but Shikamaru's shadow kept coming. She barely managed to stay out of his shadow's reach.

"Nicely done," Shikamaru said as he leaned against the arena wall.

"I get it," Temari stated. "You were buying time waiting for the sun to drop so that the area of the wall's shadow and of your own shadow would increase! Besides, as the day lengthens so do shadows."

Sara glanced around the arena, which was amazingly quiet. Suddenly, they're not so anxious for Sasuke's match. Shikamaru and Temari have them watching with baited breath.

Naruto and Sara turned quickly as Kankuro shouted, "Temari! Look up!"

Sara glanced at the sky and smiled, Brilliant, Shikamaru!"

Floating in the arena was Shikamaru's shirt tied to a kunai, creating a parachute and an extra shadow. Temari leaped away from the shadow as it tried to catch her. She was panic stricken.

Shikamaru said as Temari leaped away, "I won't let you get away!"

She slid to a stop when Shikamaru's shadow could go no further. She opened up her fan and stood behind it.

Sara paid no attention to Temari as she hid behind her fan. She was more interested in Shikamaru's shadow, which was moving towards the hole that Naruto had hidden with his Shadow clone in his battle against Neji. She knew where it led to. She tried to hide her smile as Shikamaru's shadow slipped into the hole and came out at the other end, behind Temari.

Shikamaru moved his hands, once he had caught Temari. "Ah…finally… The Shadow Possession Jutsu is a success!"

"What?" Temari gasped. She than asked, "Why can't I move? Your shadow shouldn't be able to reach this far!"

Shikamaru turned his head as he said, "I'll let you look behind you." Shikamaru waited until after he saw Temari's reaction. "You saw it, didn't you? In the last battle, Naruto burst out of that hole to attack Neji! He tunneled under the ground from that bigger hole between us…so they're connected."

Temari asked, "Don't tell me you used the shadow inside the tunnel between the two holes?"

"Bingo." Shikamaru said as he began to walk forward, forcing Temari to walk forward as well. Shikamaru raised his right hand and said, "That's it. I'm done… I give up!"

"WHAT?" Naruto shouted, enraged, while Sara tried to figure out if she still had hearing in her left ear.

Temari was just as shocked as Naruto, "Wh-what?"

Shikamaru explained, "I used up too much chakra doing all those Shadow Possessions in succession. I won't be able to hold you for more than ten more seconds. So even though I've planned out the next two hundred moves…I think I'm out of time. And this fighting junk is beginning to be a drag… One match is enough for me."

The proctor smirked slightly as he said, "The winner is, Temari."