Things are certainly heating up for our boys aren't they? Here's hoping they make a killing!
Kakashi: (stamping on Alessi's corpse) Bastard, who the hell do you think you are?
Kyugan: Back to normal are we?
Kakashi: And not in the mood for you. (reches for his porn)
Kyugan: I wouldn't touch that if I were you, (points over at Yoshikage Kira, who is trimming his nails) my friend here just turned your precious porn into a bomb, touch it and you die.
Kakashi: (Scoffs) Yeah right, (touches the book and explodes.)
Josuke: CRAZY DIAMOND!
CD: DORARARARARARA!
Kakashi: (Reforms looking traumatized) Wha-what just happened?!
Kyugan: You are hereby forbidden to read porn in my presence, now go scrub the toilets like a good helper monkey. (turns to Camera) The hell you all looking at?! Roll the tape!
First round; Naruto versus Neji!
Genma didn't know whether to moan, cry, or burst into peals of laughter.
The trio certainly did live up to their title; making a dramatic entry like that before the judges, where the hell they got the background music he'd never know.
'Though judging from the looks of the crowd,' Genma noticed with a nod, 'they certainly enjoyed that little stunt.' He smirked to himself, hoping to see more from the trio as the finals rolled on.
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Kagero covered her face, trying to suppress the laughter that was building in her chest and failing admirably.
"Gotta say…that was quite the entrance." Kotetsu chuckled, shaking his head bemusedly, "The only one that compares was when Jiraiya of the Sannin first competed."
Izumo moaned, covering his face at the memory. "The idiot actually had Gamabunta appear in the middle of the stadium," he recalled, "almost squashed the fire Daimyo in the process." He winced suddenly, "Leveled half the stadium too." He muttered.
Kotetsu smirked, patting his partner on the back. "He claimed it was, 'pre-emptive thinking', that by beating them when they weren't expecting it, he'd followed the shinobi directive flawlessly."
Izumo shook his head, eyeing the pranksters in the arena in amusement. "Don't think that'll work twice…" he snorted.
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Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the trio's dramatics, taking in their new appearance as he did so.
Domon still wore the brown Shinobi outfit, but the sleeves looked ripped, and his arms had bandages on them that covered his hands and half of his upper arms. The symbol for 'Oni' remained on his back like a badge of honour, matched only by the hokage clan tattoo on his right arm.
Recca was dressed in an outfit similar to what he wore at the Urabatosatsujin, a tight sleeveless shirt over black pants, bandaged at the ankles. The Hokage crest was stitched over the right breast of the shirt in red thread, an image of a dragon on the back of his top.
Naruto's hair had grown out over the course of the month, not enough to tie back, but it looked noticeably longer. He wore the same bottoms as before, but his top was more like a sleeveless gi, and like Recca, bore an image on the back. The difference being, this image was of a fox with nine tails.
'That's not going to go down well…' the lazy genius predicted, hearing the mutters from the crowd that backed up his hypothesis. Turning back to Genma as he held out a sheet of paper, the group listened in as the chunin cleared his throat.
"First up:" the jounin read aloud, "Uzumaki Naruto versus Hyuuga Neji."
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Recca and Domon marched up to the fighter's booth, where Fuko promptly greeted them with her usual tact and grace. "WHERE WERE YOU?!" the Fuujin mistress yelled, hands on her hips, "YOU DISSAPEARED FOR A WHOLE MONTH!"
Domon grinned stupidly, and skipped forwards with his arms wide, ready to embrace the love of his life as sparkles filled the air. "Fuko!" he wept, "You care!"
The girl kicked him in the nuts, causing the collective male populace to flinch. "Course I care!" She yelled, grinding her foot into the stricken giant's skull, "I had to put up with Mikagami and Haku making kissy face for the whole damn month!"
Recca blinked and eyed the annoyed swordsman, pointing at him in bewilderment. "You and Haku hooked up?" he muttered, causing his one time rival to flush and look away.
"Don't get the wrong idea," Mikagami muttered, "I still don't like the idea of you and Yanagi being together," he coughed into his fist, "I just won't interfere with her decision." He glared at the enjutsu-shi, showing him Ensui clutched between his delicate fingers. "But if you hurt her…" he trailed off menacingly.
Recca smirked, waving offhandedly at the barely concealed threat. "Yeah, yeah, just try not to pop a rod when you're cutting my head off." He mocked, causing Mikagami to growl and look to the side in distaste.
"Vulgar ape…"
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Neji smirked, eyeing his opponent with the typical Hyuuga superiority. "You have something to say to me?" he asked, noting the anger on the blonde's face.
Naruto scowled, causing the older genin to shiver as he clenched his katana sheathe tightly. "You're going down." The blonde replied, eyes narrowing.
Neji activated his byakugan and looked into the blonde's eyes, frowning at the complete lack of fear he'd been half expecting to find. 'Absolute resolve,' the prodigy deduced, 'he's ready to fight to the death…'
"Match one:" Genma called out, "Begin!"
Naruto stepped to the side, eying the Hyuuga cautiously, earning a snort of amusement from the older genin. "What's the matter? Scared?" Neji taunted, arms loose at his sides, mocking the blonde.
Abruptly, a wall of pressure washed over him, making his eyes, and those of the jounin in the stadium, widen in shock, even as his hair trailed behind him.
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"What the heck?!" Kotetsu muttered, "What the hell was that?!"
Kagero smiled, not looking at the startled chunin at all. "By directing his ki towards his opponent, a master can determine their emotional state, and better assess the situation, like pushing off against a curtain." She looked down, smiling at her adopted son in approval. "Naruto is trying to decided how to tackle this opponent; he's using his head, before his sword."
Kurenai nodded, sending an impressed glance down at the object of Hinata's affections. "It's like the old saying:" she noted, "Swords can only kill one, but tactics can kill a thousand."
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'His stance is light, ready to dodge at a moment's notice," Naruto muttered, eyeing the older genin cautiously, 'I can't attack him blatantly, and getting in close puts me in range of his Jyuken strikes…' He gripped the sword tightly, eyes setting with resolve.
'I have to make him come to me.'
Neji blinked as the blonde made a seal, smirking as ten Naruto's appeared in the arena. "Kage bunshin," he muttered, "I heard of this at the start, you mastered this to pass the genin exam." He eyed them confidently, shaking his head in amusement. "It's your trademark jutsu."
The clones launched forward, swords drawn and crying for blood; the prodigy easily dodged and batted them away, causing them to erupt into smoke with each strike. "You've even managed to evenly distribute your chakra evenly between each clone, making it difficult to tell which is which." Neji noted, "I'll commend you on that at least…however!"
The genius dashed forwards towards one Naruto in particular, a grim expression on his pale features. "You give yourself away by not attacking!"
Jabbing his fingers into the blonde's shoulder the Hyuuga smirked, deeming the match over. "You are foolish." He mocked.
Naruto coughed out blood, then smirked, gazing into the older genin's byakugan mockingly.
"Then what does that make you?"
Neji's confused face changed to one of shock as the blonde disappeared in a puff of smoke. "I've been attacking you from the start!" came two voices behind him, causing the Hyuuga to spin round in surprise, arms half raised in defense.
"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu: Doryusen!" the two blondes yelled, slamming the ground and sending a hail of earth and stone at the Hyuuga, who leapt back, blocking with his arms.
'Such strength!' Neji thought, eyeing the gouges in the ground from the sword, 'and he's no slouch in the speed department either, taking my back like that!' He landed on his feet and leapt out of the way of one of the blonde's swipes, jabbing him in the head, destroying the clone in a plume of smoke.
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The Sandaime smiled down at the arena; duly impressed with the progress of the two combatants, one in particular catching his eye. 'Naruto-kun,' the aged shinobi noted, 'you've grown into a strong young man…'
He smiled over at the Kazekage, who looked only mildly interested. "Enjoying the show?" Sarutobi asked, ever the gracious host, "Hyuuga Neji was last years top Rookie, and Uzumaki Naruto is this year's number two."
The Kazekage smiled behind his veil, eyes glinting in a knowing manner. "I suppose the Uchiha was first of course?" he assumed, blinking as Sarutobi chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.
"Unfortunately for his admirers, no, I think he ranked sixth." He nodded at the fighters' booth, "Mikagami Tokiya is this years number one, quite a sharp young lad too."
The Kazekage scowled slightly and looked away, muttering behind his veil about faulty information.
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Neji glared at the blonde and stepped to the side, blocking another strike with his Jyuken. 'I can't let him take the rear again.' He muttered, watching the blonde's movements carefully.
Naruto returned the glare, eyes never leaving the Hyuuga's; abruptly, several more clones appeared amidst clouds of smoke, swarming the Hyuuga from all sides.
'Where are they all coming from?' Neji cursed, as he swatted them aside, wondering if the blonde was using some sort of genjutsu before noticing something strange about his surroundings.
'The sakura petals,' Neji wondered, dodging a strike to the neck, 'weren't there more earlier?' He smirked in realization, eyeing the surrounding clones in appreciation. 'I see…'
Abruptly, the Hyuuga prodigy spun rapidly, forming a dome of chakra that lifted the clones and the remaining petals into the air.
"KAITEN!"
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Hyuuga Hiashi sat up straight in shock as Neji pulled off the main house's technique flawlessly.
'No one in the main branch would have taught him that,' the patriarch of the clan muttered, frowning down at his twin's sole offspring, 'did he develop the secret on his own?'
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"I'll admit that was clever," Neji admitted, as the last of the petals disappeared in a puff of smoke, "using your entrance to hide the fact you were filling the arena with kage bunshin disguised as petals." He smirked at the scowling blonde, confidence restored tenfold at the discovery. "But you underestimated the strength of the Byakugan."
"Hardly." Naruto muttered in the teen's ear, causing the Hyuuga to leap back to avoid a diagonal slash to the neck.
'He sped up!' the genius wondered, feeling blood trail off his cheek from the near miss.
"I figured you had more up your sleeves than simple Jyuken," Naruto muttered dashing forwards with his sword in one hand, "so I kept attacking until I saw it!"
Using his free hand, the blonde reached into his gi, before hurling shuriken at the genius as he sheathed his sword with the other. The blonde clapped his together in a set of seals, eyes like flints.
'Ram, bird, boar, tiger.' Naruto chanted mentally, as chakra surrounded the projectiles, "Shuriken Kage bunshin no jutsu!"
Neji's eyes widened as he was forced to use the Kaiten to deflect the veritable wall of projectiles that the blonde summoned to attack him. As he slowed down however, he frowned at the smug look on his opponents face.
"That move of yours has to eat up a lot of chakra." Naruto deduced, smirking as Neji came to a stop, "How many more times can you use it without exhausting yourself?"
Neji panted and glared at his opponent, obviously annoyed at being cornered again so quickly. "Kisama," he muttered, glaring defiantly at the blond upstart, "you think you can defy destiny?"
Naruto smirked, pointing at his face with his thumb as he placed his sword on his shoulder. "Your talking to the kid that spent every waking moment, heck every moment PERIOD, fearing for his life as a child." He shot the Hyuuga a self-confidant look, "I don't believe in destiny."
Neji blinked, then laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "Every moment?" he asked, sounding oddly amused, "Then perhaps you can be made to understand why you can't fight the destiny of your birth."
Naruto frowned, and then blinked as Neji pulled off his Hitai-ate, revealing a mark on his forehead shaped like a Manji, or Buddhist cross.
(Looks something like a swastika, which is why the Anime version had to be edited.)
"What the…?" Naruto muttered, caught off guard, before his eyes narrowed in realization. "A seal." The blonde hissed, his hackles rising and teeth bared in anger.
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Neji smirked, grim humor on his face at the blonde's reaction. "You seem familiar with them." He acknowledged, nodding slightly, "This is the fate of all born into the branch house of the Hyuuga clan, a cursed seal that keeps us under the thumb of the main family."
Neji looked up at the stands, frowning slightly. "Hinata-sama is in the stands watching us," he instructed, "and so is her father, the clan head, Hyuuga Hiashi." The older genin scowled, looking up at his uncle in distaste. "Hiashi-sama, and my father, Hyuuga Hizashi, were twin brothers."
Naruto's eyes snapped open in surprise, looking from the stands to the teen before him. "He's your uncle?"
Neji snorted derisively, closing his eyes as he shrugged. "Yes, but because Hiashi-sama was born a few seconds earlier, he was made a member of the main house," he frowned, "whereas my father, Hizashi, was sentenced to be a branch house member." His fist tightened around his Hitai-ate, anger from the humility that his next words reminded him off resurfacing.
"Then, when Lady Hinata turned three, the curse mark was placed on my head, as it was my father before me." Neji eyed Naruto carefully to see if he was paying attention. "This mark is the symbol of a caged bird," he explained, "and it is the fear of death that keeps the branch house subservient to the main one."
Naruto raised an eyebrow and the Hyuuga elaborated, nodding his head slightly. "The seal is designed so that should a member of the main family desire, he need only make a hand-seal and the mark will destroy the branch member's brain."
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Hinata trembled, fear and sadness emanating from the girl at the revelation of the source of her cousin's hatred. Kagero placed an arm around the girl, trying to comfort her, whilst feeling the bile rise in her throat at the genin's words.
'How can they do this to their own family?' the immortal kunoichi wondered, sending a look of pity towards Naruto's opponent.
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"The mark serves a dual purpose," Neji continued, watching the blonde's eyes to gauge his reaction, "should a branch member die, it seals the byakugan ability off, protecting the Hyuuga Kekkei Genkai from spies and thieves."
He snorted, looking up at the stands mockingly. "Naturally, this is why the branch house exists, as shields for the members of the main branch."
The teen glared at the Hyuuga head, face twisting in to a defiant scowl. "But on that day…!" He clenched his hand around his Hitai-ate, "They went too far!"
Naruto frowned, watching the Hyuuga carefully, "That day?" he stated, intrigued at what could get under the normally stoic Hyuuga's skin.
When Neji calmed down enough, he continued his tale, still glaring up at his uncle in the stands.
"The war with Rai no kuni, the lightning country, had ended, and Kumogakure sent it's top ninja to handle the proceedings," The Hyuuga stated, "it was the same day I received the mark on my head, and learned what it meant." He scowled, remembering that dark day all too well, particularly the pain he'd had to endure.
"That night, someone stole into the main house, and kidnapped Hinata-sama…only to be caught and swiftly killed by Hiashi-sama." Neji smirked mockingly, eyeing his opponent in a sickly amused manner. "And who was this masked kidnapper? The Representative from Kumogakure!"
Naruto's eyes widened in shock, before narrowing in realization as all the pieces came together. "The treaty was a sham," the blonde muttered, "an attempt to secure the secrets of the byakugan for themselves."
Neji nodded, impressed by the blonde's deductions. "Correct, but Kumogakure expressed surprise at this, 'Blatant Assault', and there were fears of another war breaking out." His face grew cold as he glared at the stands again.
"Finally, the village council made a backroom bargain with kumogakure; A life for a life in exchange for peace." Neji scowled, looking the blonde in the eyes as he continued. "They wanted the body of Hyuuga Hiashi…and they got it."
Naruto blinked, looking thoroughly confused. "But…didn't you say he was sitting in the…?" He stopped, struck dumb by the implications of Neji's words as his eyes widened in realization.
"No," the blonde muttered, looking up at the stands in horror, "they didn't…"
Neji's face twisted in anger as he glared venomously at the Hyuuga head. "They did," he assured the blonde, "a man WAS killed, and to all appearances he was Hyuuga Hiashi…" He grit his teeth as his grip on his Hitai-ate tightened.
"In truth, it was his twin, Hyuuga Hizashi!"
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Recca's fist's tightened at the Hyuuga's words, face etched in a scowl. "Kagemusha," he muttered bitterly, "man, I really hit the nail on the head back at the tower."
Domon spat, disgusted at what he'd just heard. "The way I see it, Freaky eyes has a damn good reason to hate the main branch." The giant muttered, causing Fuko to nod, feeling sick to her stomach, whilst Mikagami kept his own council.
The representatives from Suna merely shrugged it off, being used to bastards that used their own family for their own gain.
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Naruto lowered his eyes, as the Hyuuga continued his explanation.
"That is what I mean when I speak of destiny;" Neji claimed, "Twin brothers, alike in every way, yet their destinies differed because one was born a few seconds before the other." The elder genin scowled, pointing at his opponent in a superior manner. "That is why you should accept your destiny," he preached, "those who become Hokage, were born to be Hokage, all this nonsense about hard work paying off, and changing yourself, it's all pointless!"
Naruto stood still, not moving a single muscle, before eyeing the Hyuuga with sad, yet calm eyes. "We're the same…you and I." He claimed.
Neji blinked in confusion, not expecting such a reaction from his opponent. "What do you mean?" he demanded, a little shaken at the blonde's tone.
Naruto gripped the front of his shirt, wincing slightly at the sudden weight that filled his stomach. "When I was born," the blonde began, "a seal was placed on me, against my wishes, by a man I respected, no, worshipped, until a short while ago."
Neji's eyes widened as Naruto undid his sash and revealed his navel, the seal appearing there for all to see for the first time.
"Because of this curse," Naruto continued, "I spent every waking moment praying that someone would even look at me, or just have something nice to say." He scowled, biting back the memories as they crowded round him. "Only to get kicked in the teeth and be called 'Demon' and 'monster'."
He looked up at the stands, where he could just make out the grim appearance of his adoptive mother. "Then Kagero Kaa-chan showed up and adopted me." He closed his eyes and smiled gratefully, "It was only a few months ago, but it feels like years after being alone for so long, and thanks to Recca, Domon and the others, I proved to everyone I wasn't the idiot they wanted me to be."
He fastened his clothes back on and smiled at the older teen, the gravity of the situation apparently gone. "I realized then that destiny isn't something that's predetermined," he explained, "but something you claimed with your own two hands."
Neji scowled, disbelief clouding his features as he pointed at the blonde in anger. "You talk nonsense, what proof do you have?" the genius growled, "Just what does that seal signify?"
Naruto sighed, closing his eyes as he braced himself for the worst, when he opened them again the light in those blue orbs was deadly serious.
"This is the seal…"
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Sarutobi's eyes widened as he gripped the sides of his seat in horror. 'What is he doing!?' The Hokage yelled mentally, 'And in public no less!'
The elderly Hokage moved as if to leap out of his chair, the whole arena apparently leaning forwards to listen to the blonde's words.
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"That imprisons the Kyuubi no Youko." Naruto muttered, eyeing the expectant Hyuuga carefully.
Neji's eyes bulged, as he took a step back defensively. "The…Kyuubi?" he gasped, arms raised as if to ward the name away.
Naruto smiled sadly, gripping the front of his gi again. "Scary huh? The fox that almost destroyed the village, now sealed inside one little boy, who had to grow up alone, shunned by everyone." He snorted, a look of mild annoyance crossing his features as he tapped the handle of his sword.
"When I found out, I really thought of getting back at everyone in this village for what they put me through." His smirk grew more vicious as the collective populace of Konoha held their breath in horror, knowing full well what they had done and what the implications could lead to. "I think I'd be well within my rights to, oh say…" the grin took on a distinctly vulpine leer, "BUTCHER a few here and there…"
Neji shivered at the look on the blondes face, killing intent wafting off him in waves, wishing he were anywhere else in the world than in the arena right now, as the blonde's leer grew particularly sadistic.
"In fact," Naruto added, looking over his shoulder, "I've got something to say to them right now…" He turned his head in a semicircle, leering at the audience and causing many to either wet themselves in terror or make a dash for the exits, before making a silly face and giving them the finger. "PSYCHE!"
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Sarutobi sweatdropped as the residents of Konoha, as one, face faulted, causing the stadium to shake. 'He certainly is a strange one.' The elder muttered, falling back into his chair with a relieved groan.
Heart attacks can be a bitch, can't they?
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"You bastards aren't worth the effort it would take for me to actually GET that angry." Naruto chuckled, "Besides, I can't become Hokage if I kill off the people I'm supposed to protect."
He smiled at Neji, all the malice from before apparently evaporating without a trace. "Leading by fear is for cowards," he bragged, "I'll EARN my way to being Hokage, even if I have to prove it to the entire world!"
Neji blinked, completely caught off guard by the blonde's statement. "Naruto…"
The Hanyou moved into a stance, smile changing to a smirk as he gripped his sword in readiness. "Don't get me wrong," he assured the prodigy, "I'm still gonna kick your ass for what you did to Hinata." He grinned, humor filling every line of his face, "After that though…what say we grab a bowl of Ramen at Ichiraku's?"
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Kotetsu whistled, sweating slightly as he convinced his heart to drop from mach five to something a little more comfortable. "Kid's got guts," he complimented weakly, "breaking the vow in front of lord Hokage like that."
"Technically it only ever applied to adults." Izumo muttered, grinning wryly, "Besides, look at the Hyuuga, he looks like he saw a ghost!"
Kurenai smirked, recognizing this tactic and applauding the blonde on his deviousness. 'Psychological warfare' she muttered, smiling, 'he used Neji's own tactic against him.'
The genjutsu specialist flinched and looked down at Hinata, whose eyes were wide with shock. 'Though in breaking the Sandaime's law, he also revealed his secret to his peers.' She sighed as she looked down at the blonde Jinchuuriki with concern. 'Will he accepted by them? Or reviled?'
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Neji, for once in his life, found himself questioning his own beliefs.
'This guy,' he wondered, 'from the moment of his birth has had to suffer for another person's crimes, and because of an event that had nothing to do with him at the time…' He stared at the smiling blonde in wonder, not a hint of pain showed in those blue eyes, ringed with a red halo.
'And yet, he bears no ill will towards his one time persecutors,' the Hyuuga wondered, 'he still desires to become the village's champion, though he would most likely have to do it come hell and high water.'
The Hyuuga prodigy gazed at his hands, as if seeing them for the first time in his life.
'Just…what have I…been fighting for…?'
"Oi," Naruto called out, looking annoyed, "earth to the Hyuuga branch house member!"
Neji blinked and looked up, into Naruto's smirking face. "Don't zone out on me now," the blonde mocked, "we gotta finish this and make it look good for the old guys at the top." He moved into the battojutsu stance, face becoming serious. "So why don't you quit holding back, and show me everything you got?"
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Kotetsu blinked, utterly bamboozled at the blonde's demand. "The Hyuuga was holding back?" he muttered, looking at his partner in crime, who shrugged.
"Don't look at me," Izumo retorted, "I'm as confused as you are!"
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Neji blinked, staring at the blonde in wonder. "Uzumaki…Naruto…" He smirked, his old confidence returning somewhat, before moving into a completely different stance.
"Very well," the genius responded, "I shall honour you with my greatest Taijutsu technique!"
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Hiashi stared in shock at his estranged Nephew, actually leaning forwards in his surprise to get a better look.
'Masaka! That's-!"
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"Jyuken-ryu!" Neji called out, "Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou!"
He dashed forwards and hit the blonde on the chest with his extended fingers.
"Hakke Nishou!"
Naruto stumbled back, spitting out blood, caught off guard by the older genin's speed.
"Yonshou!" Neji called out, landing blows continuously at close quarters. "Hachishou!"
Naruto stumbled back as the onslaught continued.
"Jyuurokushou!"
Neji seemed to go up a gear as the myriad of Jyuken strikes actually produced visible chakra spikes as they impacted with the blonde.
"Sanjyuunishou!"
The older genin spun once, then landed the final blows, sending the blonde flying backwards.
"Rokujyuuyonshou!"
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Hiashi stared down at the young man that resembled a younger version of himself and sighed, gazing heavenwards.
'Have we been surpassed, by this member of the branch family?' he wondered, before closing his eyes, 'Hizashi…were you truly the true heir to the Hyuuga family?'
Hyuuga Hanabi looked from her father to her cousin and frowned, not liking the fact that the teen had surpassed everything the main house stood for.
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Neji looked towards Genma, nodding respectfully. "Proctor, call the match;" He pointed towards the limp form of Naruto, "He can't move or summon Chakra, this match is-what?!"
The Naruto on the floor disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing itself as a bunshin. "Where is he?" Neji thought out loud, bewildered, "Above? Behind me?!"
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"Below." Domon muttered, grinning like a shark at a nudist beach, just as his blonde teammate launched out of the ground like a jet propelled gopher.
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"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu!" Naruto roared, grabbing his sword, "Ryushosen!"
Neji felt his teeth clack together as the flat of Naruto's sword rammed into his jaw, sending him flying upwards along with the blonde's momentum. The older Genin soared limply upwards, curving slightly in mid-air before falling onto a mob of waiting kage bunshin, who lowered him to the ground.
Neji coughed, feeling his teeth rattle as he tried to focus on the blonde. "I should have known." He muttered, "Kage bunshin…your trademark after all."
Naruto sheathed his sword slowly, looking down at his opponent almost reverently. "I failed the genin exam at the academy three times," he explained, "because there was always a jutsu on the damn thing I couldn't do." He scowled up at the stands, as if hoping to set the perpetrators alight. "Never mind the teachers rigging the written papers."
Neji blinked as the blonde sheathed his word with a snap.
"Bunshin no jutsu" Naruto said, smirking at the Hyuuga, "that one always got me good."
The fallen prodigy felt his eyes widen as the blonde smiled at him. "You can do the same," Naruto urged, a ray of sunshine behind him, "forget the past and clutch the future with your own hands…"
Neji stared in wonder, as the blonde watched a bird fly out of a tree. "Even a caged bird can be free, if it picks the lock with its beak." Genma muttered, "That's what Naruto's telling you."
As the shocked Hyuuga stared at the birds flying away, the senbon chewing Jounin announced Naruto as the victor of the match.
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Sarutobi smiled at the blonde as he helped escort his former opponent out of the arena with the Kage bunshin jutsu.
'Kushina,' the elderly shinobi noted, 'your son has inherited your warm heart, along with his father's frightening strength.' He chuckled, tilting his hat slightly in amusement. 'If this keeps up, I may have to fight him to kept my position as Hokage…and I'm not so sure I could win!'
Beside the venerable elder, the Kazekage was drilling holes into the blonde with his eyes, clutching the edge of his seat in agitation.
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In the stands, Hyuuga Suzuka watched her son be escorted of the field by his onetime opponent, smiling at the look of contentment that was on his face. 'You have finally discovered that destiny is not cast in stone.' She muttered, 'and now you walk upon the path that few dare to tread: your own.'
She looked up as she spotted Hiashi stand up and make his way to the stairs, deciding to follow him. She blinked as she saw him enter the medic room, before leaning against the door to listen in.
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"This is the true tale of what happened." Hiashi muttered, placing a scroll next to his wary nephew. Neji scowled at it before recognizing the handwriting on the side. Opening the scroll and running his eyes over the contents, he scowled and glared at his uncle.
"You expect me to believe this?!" he yelled, throwing the scroll at the shocked man's feet, "You sold out your own brother just to save your own hide!"
"That is not true!"
The two Hyuuga's blinked as Suzuka entered the room, looking breathless and angry. "Hahaue?" Neji wondered aloud, "What are you-?"
SLAP!
Neji blinked, holding a hand to his cheek as he stared at his mother in confusion.
"It isn't a lie." Suzuka chastised, "I remember that day like it was yesterday…"
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"Where is the strong, aggressive lord Hiashi I know?" Hizashi mocked, grinning slightly at his brother's hesitation.
"I-I've never faced anything this huge before!" Hiashi countered, gazing at his twin emotionally, "It's not that easy-!"
WHAK!
Everyone assembled watched in amazement as Hizashi broke clan taboo and struck his twin and leader in the stomach. Suzuka winced, looking between her beloved and his twin as Hiashi fell to the floor.
"But-you still have Neji to live for!" Hiashi begged, trying to make his sibling see reason, "Why choose death?!"
"You misunderstand." Hizashi countered, "I have always resented the main house…to be honest, I abhor it still."
The assorted Hyuuga grimaced, several preparing to silence the man if he moved to strike the leader, only to blink at his next words.
"And that is why…I chose to die protecting my older brother, NOT the head of the MAIN branch."
Suzuka placed a hand to her mouth, tears running down her cheeks as her husband finished his explanation and walked past her, smiling sadly. "Forgive me, Suzuka." He begged, "I wanted to show Neji more of the world…I only pray, that he sees the light this world has to offer, rather than the darkness that almost claimed me."
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"He died within the hour." Suzuka wept, "He drank the poison of his own accord, a special draft that granted a swift, painless death, as simple as falling asleep."
Neji stared at his mother in shock, before looking towards his uncle for confirmation, blinking in shock at the sight of the Hyuuga head bowing before him, head on the floor.
"Please believe me," Hiashi begged, "Given the chance, I would have gladly accepted death."
Neji stared at his uncle in awe, before turning aside, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Please…raise your head…Uncle."
Suzuka smiled as Hiashi stared up at his nephew, as if for the first time. 'Kushina-san,' she wept, 'even in death your influence carries on in your son.'
The Woman smiled as she recalled her teammate fondly, and the many times they had pummeled their sensei and teammate for spying on them at the onsen.
'I wonder if Sensei still has that limp from when she stabbed him in the rear?' Suzuka wondered, before shivering, not wanting to dwell on THAT area for reasons she'd rather not explain. 'No matter,' she reasoned, 'my family is together again, for the first time in almost ten years.' She gazed out the window and smiled as she watched the birds fly heavenward, where she could almost make out the faces of her husband and teammate gazing down at her.
'Arigato…Naruto-kun.'
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And thus, the first round comes to a close.
Suzuka was merely an OC used to move the plot forward, she'll probably not appear again, but I figured Neji's acceptance of Hiashi's words seemed a little too easy, so I fleshed it out.
How will the rest of the fights go? Tune in next time to find out!
Kakashi: (pressed in apron and hair net) Toilets are clean.
Kyugan: Good, now you can read your porn.
Kakashi: (Chibified) YAY! (Grabs porn, Explodes)
CD: DORARARARARARARA!
Kyugan: (Eyes the twitching form in amusement) They never learn do they?