Summary: Is there something called Destiny? Was there something called hope? Was there something called fate? Naruto didn't know it, but he didn't care either. He met someone who helped him when no one else would. He would protect those who were precious to him.
"Speech."
'Think.'
Jutsu/Technique
Flashback/Events of the past
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
A lot was going on in Konoha. Everyone in the village had a smile on their faces. Every problem was forgotten, and everyone was happy. It's like Konoha was shining with happiness. Shopkeepers and, generally, people who sell things in Konoha were some of the happiest. During the Chunin exams, many people came from outside and, of course, bought a lot in the village. Whether it was food or clothing. The profit was consistently high during that time.
Many people made bets on who would win today. The final round was just around the corner, and everyone was excited. Many just wanted to eat, drink, and watch the exciting fights. Some also wanted to make money, and that's why bets were made. It's not surprising that something like the fights gets wagered on. That's what the exams were for, besides the other things.
A few hours ago, the streets were pretty crowded as usual, but now, there wasn't a soul seen on the streets of Konoha. Only on the roofs were once in a while shinobi to be seen, who kept watch as usual.
There wasn't a single seat left in the stadium. For some, the stadium was a bit too small because not everyone could get in.
The Daimyō from the Kingdom of Fire and other people with political power were in a particular area specially designed for these VIPs. Even under these people who had a lot of power, bets have been made.
One thing everyone in the stadium agreed on was that the last Uchiha would be the main attraction of the day. That's how everyone in the audience sees it, except for a few who also know about the qualities of the other participants. For example, many knew about Neji Hyūga, and everyone had placed a wager on him as well.
The son of the fourth Kazekage was, of course, also on everyone's lips. After all, he was said to have never been injured. None of the ordinary villagers knew that Lee had injured Gaara. Even most of the shinobi who didn't make it to the prelims didn't know.
Of course, the Jonin Sensei and the Genin, who participated in the final round, were together and looked down at the arena together. Everyone was excited to see how their team members would fare.
One person in particular was worried about Naruto. We're talking about Sakura Haruno, the other person on Team 7 alongside Satsuki and Naruto. She never had a high opinion of Naruto at the academy or later. Naruto had been the class clown and a failure in her eyes. He always screwed up and afterward always had problems because of it.
When she got into a team with him and Satsuki, she quickly realized that there was more to Naruto than someone might suspect. In the beginning, she still saw him with the same eyes as in the academy. Everything changed when they passed Kakashi's test out of sheer luck.
She had accidentally seen Naruto after the fight taking care of some children. She didn't think Naruto had anything else on his mind other than becoming Hokage, ramen, and causing nonsense. It was there that she saw the real Naruto for the first time. This was the very first glimpse of what Naruto could be like. Not that she was aware of it there. She had changed her mind a little bit there, but basically, her mind was still the same.
On the mission where they had to protect Tazuna, Naruto had taken over in a moment and seemed so much more mature and not at all like an idiot. She had the most tremendous respect for him at that moment, but when the dangerous situation was over, he was already arguing with the Uchiha again. The two just got at each other's hair the whole time.
There, she had really realized for the first time that Naruto wasn't just the loser, as everyone thought. Behind this "failure" was someone with strategic thinking and the ability to quickly analyze and react to situations. He was even able to fight Zabuza on his own for a short time so Satsuki could get Kakashi out of that water prison. Naruto didn't fight like a novice; no, he fought with precision and cunning that she had never seen before. He took advantage of every situation Zabuza gave him, and this made Naruto even able to hurt Zabuza.
The next time was in the Forest of Death, where they all met Orochimaru. As with the fight with Zabuza, his nature had changed entirely from there on, and he was able to help Satsuki hurt this snake freak. He'd saved her more than once, too, whether it was from those Chunin, from Zabuza, or a few dangers in the Forest of Death.
She had long since understood that Naruto was not who he claimed to be. He didn't make it easy for Sakura either. Whenever she asked him about something like that, he would make one of his stupid remarks, and Sakura always had to suppress the urge to punch her team member over the head.
She once had a crush on a classmate, like many other girls. However, once she saw his true nature, that crush quickly evaporated. She had started noticing Naruto since the mission with Tazuna, and something has steadily changed in her since then. She felt more and more attracted to Naruto every day.
Sakura also had her beloved long hair, which she treasures so much, thanks to Naruto. In the Forest of Death, he did something that prevented her from losing her long hair. So does Ino, who was next to her and also looked down into the arena. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to have shorter hair.
Sakura could already see everyone except her two teammates. She was worried about Naruto for two reasons. Firstly, he may not arrive on time, and the other reason was Naruto's opponent. Neji Hyūga wasn't considered the strongest genin in the village for nothing. His mastery of the Jūken (Gentle Fist) was frightening. He had never lost a match against a genin, including Lee.
If Neji easily beat someone like Lee 2 months ago, how strong could he have gotten now? She found out that Naruto wasn't trained by her sensei. He disappeared into the mountains with Satsuki, and that's why she wondered how Naruto had trained in the last two months. She had finally understood in the Forest of Death that she had to become stronger. So far, she's always been useless in battles where it really counted. She had an excellent academic background and had perfect control of her chakra, but other than that, she couldn't boast. The little knowledge about genjutsu that her sensei taught her wasn't that special. She could only do one rank E genjutsu; otherwise, she only had the four jutsus from the academy that every shinobi could do. She actually wanted to ask Naruto if she could train with him. She just hasn't found him in 2 months.
She had asked many people if they knew where Naruto was, but nobody knew. Not even Hinata, who also spent a whole day looking for Naruto with her Byakugan. Her injuries almost healed after a month; it was all possible thanks to this genin named Kabuto. He was the chief doctor's adoptive son, and it was through him that the injury from Hinata's heart was treated fairly quickly. Without him, she might still be so weak. She's back to full strength now, and that made Sakura happy.
"I think someone's coming through the gate!" Sakura was snapped out of her thoughts and then looked down at the arena. There, someone with blond hair, an orange jacket with a black fur collar, black pants, and blue eyes walked into the arena. Sakura started smiling. 'Here you are at last!'
Sakura looked closely at Naruto and blushed a bit. Naruto looked so different than before. He looks damn hot, and this new hairstyle suits Naruto perfectly if you ask her. Even when his hair was just slightly longer, with no feature that stood out… these few strands of hair that covered his blue headband a little made him look more mature.
"Is that Naruto? Damn, he's changed!" Kiba leaned forward to get a better look at Naruto. Naruto had changed so much that he didn't even recognize him at first. Only the orange jacket, the marks on his cheeks, and his blond hair made him recognize Naruto.
"Let's hope he's gotten stronger too. Otherwise, Neji will wipe the floor with him." Kiba didn't want to admit it, but he really underestimated Naruto in the preliminary round. He was beaten, and still, he just hoped for Naruto that he would get much stronger. After all, his opponent is none other than Neji.
Naruto walked towards the contestants and saw the person supervising the exam this time. It was someone else than in the preliminary round, wearing the same outfit as most of the Jonin. Also, like the man in the preliminary round, he wore a headband like a headscarf. The metal plate only pointed backward and not forward.
"There you are; I thought you wouldn't come anymore." Shikamaru looked annoyed as usual, and Naruto looked into his eyes for a moment while saying, "I had to do something before I could come."
Then he looked at Gaara, who also looked at him and nodded to him. Naruto also nodded back, and two people in particular looked closely at Naruto. It was Gaara's siblings who wondered what was going on with their brother. He's been acting strange since yesterday. Did that have something to do with Naruto?
Naruto noticed that Satsuki wasn't there. It looked like Kakashi was taking his time again, and that's why Satsuki wasn't here yet. He didn't care if the two thought they were going to be late. They could do whatever they want. Naruto hadn't forgiven his Sensei yet for just throwing him aside like a little doll because he wasn't the damn Uchiha.
He stood next to Shikamaru and looked up once. He saw all the grandstands and all the spectators cheering and shouting. The mood was pretty good.
Everything he knew, he was, and what he became in those last two months were thanks to his new master. He was the one who told him the truth about his true heritage. It was shocking when he heard who his father was. He had such a shitty childhood because of his father. He acknowledges that this man was his father, and that's all there was to say. He didn't love this man and didn't feel any connection to him besides the fact that this man's blood flowed through his veins, and thus, he was part Namikaze. However, he would never recognize or accept this name. He was proud to be a Uzumaki and would never take any other name.
Naruto saw a sort of unique balcony above the middle stand where the two Kage were sitting. In addition to the Hokage, there was also the Kazekage from Sunagakure. 'It looks like things are starting.' Naruto saw the Hokage stand up and announce the start of the final round and then pass the floor to Genma—the man in charge of this round.
"Pay attention." Genma took out a sheet of paper and unfolded it. "Due to some incidents, the participants in each battle have been changed. You have to take a closer look at who your opponent is." Genma's senbon, which he always had between his lips, naturally moved with him when he spoke. It was sort of a trademark of his; everyone knew the habit of the jonin—at least someone who knew him.
Every participant looked at the sheet, and as you could really see, there were changes in the fighters.
The first fight doesn't change; Naruto and Neji still fight there. In the second fight, the first change takes place. Before that, the plan was for Gaara to fight Kankuro. Now Gaara was fighting Satsuki. In the third fight, everything stays the same, with Shikamaru versus Temari. In the end, only Shino remained against Kankuro.
When Genma was sure that everyone had looked at everything, he put the paper away again. "So watch out." Each of the participants present looked at Genma. "You will surely have noticed that this terrain is a bit different than in the preliminary round. The rules are still the same, which means that there aren't any."
"The fight continues until one of the contestants is defeated, and that victory is acknowledged. That is the end of the fight. Any questions?" He waited a bit, and when Genma didn't get any questions, he continued.
"The first match is between Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyūga." As the devil would have it, Neji was standing next to Naruto, and they both looked at each other from the corner of their eyes at the announcement.
"The other participants now go to the waiting area." All participants began to move towards the stairs leading to the lounge.
"Good luck." Naruto smiled when he heard Shikamaru's voice. He just nodded, and he knew precisely that Shikamaru had seen this.
Naruto and Neji took a few steps away from each other and turned around. Now, they both just looked at each other and waited for Genma to start the fight. However, the tension and the mood were not as high as one might expect from the first fight.
Everyone knew Naruto's stories, his pranks, and much more. The majority of the spectators still viewed him as a complete failure, and that's why many looked at the two participants in curiosity. Many were sure that this would be a quick fight. After all, Neji Hyūga was praised as invincible. No Genin shall be able to beat him.
"I wouldn't have thought that this boy would make it to the final round." Kotetsu sat right next to his childhood friend, Izumo, and openly spoke his mind and that of many others as well.
"You're right; it must have been luck. Naruto doesn't stand a chance against Neji." Izumo only confirmed this fact and was curious to see how this fight would go.
"I would not be so sure about that." The two got a little startled when suddenly Hayate appeared next to them in his regular gear and his katana on his back.
"Hayate, what do you mean by that?" Kotetsu was really curious about what Hayate thought.
"Just look at Naruto and tell me what you think of him?" He coughed a little and then looked down at the arena again. 'I will be eternally grateful to you, Naruto Uzumaki.' Hayate has seen what Naruto can do. At least part of it. This is when he was lying on the ground, bleeding and almost dying. He had heard about the invasion and was spotted. Naruto appeared in front of Hayate at that moment and took on 2 Anbus from Otogakure. Hayate's vision was a little blurry, but he could see enough to know that Naruto wasn't a failure. Naruto single-handedly acted as a decoy, brought him to safety, and even informed the Hokage in the process. Naruto didn't fight the two Anbu from Otogakure directly. He used his Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clones), his newly acquired skills, to lock them away from Hayate while a clone brought Hayate to the hospital.
"He looks different, you're right. His haircut looks different now and suits him better, but what are you trying to tell us, Hayate, and why do you have your katana on your back anyway?" Izumo was slightly confused.
"Forget everything you know about this boy and start to marvel when the fight starts." Those were the last words before Hayate disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Kotetsu and Izumo looked at each other in confusion. Neither said a word because they both knew Hayate well. He would never say that without a reason. Both of them just looked down at the arena and tried to watch this fight without prejudice. The interest of the two was definitely aroused.
"Any last words?" Neji smirked. He had no fear or doubt of his victory. He was chosen by fate to win here, and he will. You couldn't change fate; Neji knew that.
"Brace yourself, Neji. The storm that's coming will shake you to your core." Naruto closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes weren't the same as before. Neji noticed the change and immediately activated his Byakugan.
"Then good luck with that. Nice that you have such self-confidence." Neji was still grinning while going into the basic Jūken stance. "You will experience a disappointment today, like so many times before in your life, Naruto."
Naruto himself got into his fighting stance, which was similar to Neji's. Naruto's right foot slid back slightly, and his left foot forward. He made a fist with both hands; one fist was far from the body, and the other was close to the body.
Neji had to say he was a little impressed. This fundamental position left no gaps, and he could only assume that Naruto had now learned the correct style over the two months. He smirked inwardly, thinking that Naruto only trained in taijutsu.
Naruto's hair suddenly started to wiggle back and forth, as did Genma's and Neji's hair. It seemed as if the wind would pick up due to the eye duel between the two opponents. Dust kicked up and seemed to blow around the three people in the center of the arena. It was as if a small mini tornado was being created, and the three people were standing in the middle. The wind also hit the grandstands quickly, and many spectators held something in front of their eyes to avoid getting anything in their eyes.
The wind also reached Sakura and the others. Her long pink hair was blowing in the wind, and so was Ino's long hair, which was sitting next to her. Both have been reminded yet again that they still have their beloved long hair, and both were happy about it. Even Kiba and Choji's shorter hair was blowing.
The wind blew in the face of the Hokage, who was smiling. He looked down at the arena and wondered how far Naruto had come. He knew about the first two weeks of Naruto's training since he trained on an isolated training ground near the Forest of Death. But what came after that was a mystery.
Hiruzen could remember Neko's reports and was glad that he once took 5 minutes to talk to Naruto, even though he actually didn't have time at the time. Naruto seems to have finally dropped his mask after all this time. Hiruzen had often tried to talk to him and tried to convince him that he should drop the mask. Up until two months ago, Naruto had always refused with the same reasoning. The encounter with Orochimaru finally seemed to make Naruto jump over his shadow.
He could still clearly remember when Naruto showed up in his office out of nowhere a month ago. When Naruto said in just a few words what was going on, he immediately yelled his Anbu together and made his way to the hospital. There, he met the real Naruto standing outside a hospital room, waiting. In the room was Hayate, who was being treated. Naruto had described in detail what had happened that night, and Hiruzen had 2 Anbus investigate further. It was only thanks to Naruto that the invasion thing came to light.
Konoha had a month to prepare for this day, and they used that time. He looked back down into the arena and could feel the wind calming down again and the cloud of dust around Genma, Neji, and Naruto slowly disappearing.
"The first fight starts now." When Genma announced the start of the battle, it got loud again. Even with the low expectation of an exciting fight, the spectators cheered loudly, and they looked forward to the fights. The Chunin selection exams were always a highlight, and they took place every six months. The fights were always pure entertainment, whether they were a little fast-paced or a little quieter. The ordinary villager sees such fights only at such significant events.
The stadium went quiet again, waiting for the fight to start finally. Neji and Naruto just looked at each other and didn't move a bit.
Hiashi Hyuga was the head of the Hyuga clan and sat more centrally on one of the stands with his youngest daughter. He was curious to see how strong Neji had become. "Observe Hanabi. No one inherited the Byakugan stronger than Neji. It's even stronger than by your sister."
"Huh?" Hanabi looked at her father. "Stronger than my sisters?" Her father nodded and said, "Maybe it's even stronger than yours."
"Really?" Hanabi looked down to the arena again and didn't just look closely at Neji. She was also interested in the guy her sister was watching. She had often seen her sister with activated Byakugan watching this boy from a distance. She wanted to know what her big sister admires or thinks about this guy.
Naruto jumped back a bit, and out of nowhere, he had four shuriken in his right hand. He threw them and sent the shuriken flying at Neji from multiple directions. Neji saw the action and drew a kunai from a holster. He deflected the shuriken, creating multiple yellow sparks and the familiar sound of metal on metal.
Naruto landed and braced himself as Neji ran towards him. Neji was a specialist in hand-to-hand combat, so why try to keep his distance? This would just be stupid.
When Neji and Naruto collided, with Neji being the one running towards Naruto, a small taijutsu fight started. The good thing was that Neji didn't concentrate chakra into his palm or finger strikes. Should he have filled his attacks with chakra, Naruto could have only dodged them. If he tried to fend off these blows with his chakra, he would suffer internal injuries. That's what Naruto took from the fight between Hinata and Neji.
Naruto jumped back, landing on one hand, then pushed off and then landed safely on his feet again. Neji had gotten faster in the two months; Naruto could tell that much. If Naruto hadn't done this strength training, it might be the end of it now.
Neji went back to a primary position and waited. He almost hit one of Naruto's chakra points, but Naruto managed to dodge it in time. 'Next time.' That was his simple thought.
"Was that all Naruto? Where's the storm?" Neji smirked and looked Naruto straight into his blue eyes. "Admit it, you don't stand a chance against me at all. You are and will always be a failure."
Naruto also went back to his starting position, saying, "Get ready."
The exchange of blows so far has only been brief, but the spectators could see that both opponents have a lot on their plate. At least, that's what ordinary civilians thought. The Chunin and Jonin, also sitting among the civilians, were not impressed yet. They knew precisely that both opponents were testing each other out and that the fight was only beginning.
Both opponents charged at each other again, and this was a bad idea from Naruto in the eyes of the shinobi. They would say he should keep fighting at range. Just like in the beginning, with shuriken.
Kiba got up and yelled slightly, "What is that idiot doing there? Neji can't be beaten in close combat! Why is he attacking him directly?"
"Shut up, Kiba! Naruto knows what he's doing!" Sakura yelled at him slightly and then watched the fight again. She knew that the others had no idea of Naruto's true strength.
"I hate to say it to Sakura, but Kiba is right. Nobody can beat Neji in melee; he's unbeatable in that area, and you'll see that shortly." Tenten knew Neji well; after all, she had been on his team for a whole year. She knows how strong Neji was and why he was the strongest genin ever.
Naruto deflected two punches from Neji and then turned around once. He lifted his leg and let it shoot forward like a spear. Neji, of course, saw everything with his Byakugan and jumped backward. Naruto lowered his leg again and stood ready. Neji landed safely and then pushed off. He charged Naruto again.
Naruto suddenly covered his right eye. 'Ah, damn it. Why is there this pain again?' Neji saw that and grinned slightly. He wanted to take the chance and focus the chakra in his fingertips. He could now decide the fight. Naruto got down on one knee and gasped slightly while still covering his right eye with a hand.
Everything seemed to stop for Naruto. Even though he was looking straight down, he could see everything around him. He saw the leaves just floating around him. He saw Neji trying to attack him.
Time, he seemed to be going back to normal. Neji could see precisely how Naruto took his hand away from his eyes, and when he did this and immediately opened his eyes, he suddenly disappeared. Just a split second before his finger would have hit the first chakra point. 'WHAT?' Neji looked around with his Byakugan and could see Naruto standing 20 meters away from him with his back to him. Neji quickly turned to him.
Naruto's hair cast a shadow over his eyes, and because of that, no one could see what just happened there. Naruto just disappeared out of nowhere and then reappeared somewhere. Genma, seeing this, widened his eyes. He thought beforehand that this would be a fight that would go down in history. He had never noticed Naruto before.
Genma now knew this fight was going to be pretty one-sided. He bit down on his senbon and looked at Naruto, his hair and jacket blowing freely in the wind. Since Naruto wore his jacket open, it also blew more in the wind. If the jacket were a cloak, Naruto would be mistaken for the Fourth Hokage.
Naruto looked up, and now the audience saw for the first time what was different about him. Something was different in his right eye now. The sclera was black, and the otherwise blue eye was shimmering white. The pupil was also white, with a slight hint of a very light blue. Naruto saw everything around him, even Neji's expression.
It was quiet in the stadium; nobody said anything. No one could say anything or rather say; no one wanted to say anything. They wanted to know what was happening there.
Hiashi Hyūga's eyes widened and focused on Naruto's right eye. At first, he thought that this boy had the Byakugan. But this was by no means the Byakugan. Still, that eye looks familiar to him. He was trying to remember where he knew it from.
"The pure eye found in the black. The Jōgan (Pure Eye)." Hiashi could remember a text in an old manuscript. Then it all came back to him.
'That's impossible. How can this brat have this eye?' Hiashi was stunned. The Jōgan was a myth known only to the elders and leader of the Hyūga Clan. The Byakugan was said to have descended from the Jōgan. The founder of the Hyūga Clan is said to have had this remarkable eye. The founder's name was Hamura, although this could not be confirmed 100%.
There was a minimal amount of Hyūga blood running in this boy's veins. How could it be that he didn't know about it? Did the founder of the Hyūga clan leave behind another clan that also had the same blood as the Hyūga? That would be the only possible explanation.
The Kazekage looked down at Naruto with interest. He knew every dōjutsu in this world; he even knew the not widespread Rinnegan. He had never seen this dōjutsu. His eyes shone with excitement, and his body was shaking slightly. This was a natural reaction; after all, a completely new dōjutsu appeared there. One that left this world thousands of years ago.
'Since when do you have that eye, Naruto-kun? Please show me what your eye can do. Maybe I'll take you with me, too.' These were Kazekage's thoughts as he leaned forward, slightly interested.
Naruto turned around, and now Neji saw the Jōgan, which could be seen in Naruto's right eye. 'What is that eye?' Neji has never seen this eye. Of course, he immediately noticed the similarity to the Byakugan, but he also recognized the differences.
Naruto sprinted toward Neji at an incredible speed. To the spectators and the Genin in the stadium, it seemed like Naruto would disappear and reappear somewhere. It was just like Lee did in the prelims. Naruto was just too fast for someone below the rank of chunin. 'He is fast!' Neji saw with his Byakugan how Naruto rushed at him, and when he got to him, he lifted his leg and did a quick twist. Naruto performed a roundhouse kick, and Neji ducked. The foot and leg slid over Neji, and he took the chance to push forward, getting into Naruto's defense.
Naruto couldn't have reacted before, but now he sees everything around and in front of him. Naruto blocked all the punches and even started to launch some counterattacks.
Naruto deflected another blow from Neji and thrust his fist forward. Neji gritted his teeth, but he couldn't fend off this fist in standard ways. Just as Naruto's fist was about to hit Neji, it stopped. Suddenly, a chakra flame could be seen in front of Neji's face, and pretty quickly, chakra could be seen all over Neji's body. Naruto flew backward as Neji began to spin, causing the chakra to expand and swirl around him like a hurricane.
Naruto stabilized in the air and landed safely on both feet. He looked at his fist and saw the scratches that were now there. "Surrender Naruto. Your destiny is to lose; there is nothing you can do about it. No one can escape the destiny placed upon them, and yours is to lose."
Naruto closed both eyes briefly and then clenched a fist with his hand. He dropped his hand to his side again and then looked at Neji. "Fate here, fate there. Have you ever listened to yourself? You're starting to annoy me with your whining."
"You're a nobody with no idea; what do you know about pain?" Neji got a little louder, and the anger in his voice became very clear.
"I'm not supposed to know what pain is?" His head was slightly lowered forward, and thus, a shadow could be seen again, which covered his eyes.
"What do you know about destiny? You have no idea what it means to bear a mark!" Neji began to tell the story of his clan and the division into main and branch families.
Hiashi and Hanabi watched while Hiashi just closed his eyes at times. Hanabi looked at her father and partly couldn't believe what was said there.
Neji had removed his headband, and a seal could be seen on his forehead. The seal was imposed on each member of the sub-family at the age of 4.
"Through my father's sacrifice, a war could be prevented with Kumogakure." Neji looked at his headband in his hand and squeezed it lightly. "All to protect the main family! But the banned family members have no choice." Neji's voice was full of anger, yet it was calm. "They were twins, yet the order of their birth sealed their fate."
Neji tied his headband back around his forehead and then looked Naruto straight into his unique eye. "Your fate was sealed when you came into this arena and competed against me."
"Are you finished?"
Neji's eyebrows pointed inward, and his anger was clearly visible on his face. "You want to tell me about pain? You don't know what it's like to be beaten up by the villagers and wake up in the hospital. You don't know what it's like to have no one and wonder every day what the meaning of your life is."
"Come on, Neji, you're not the only one with a shitty past. Unlike me, you had someone to raise you when you were a kid. I've always been alone in my life and had to see how I survived the next day. Do you think everything is fate? I give a shit about fate and change what I don't like."
Naruto suddenly disappeared and appeared right in front of Neji. Neji's eyes widened, and he barely deflected Naruto's punch. Neji concentrated the chakra into his fingertips and began countering Naruto with it.
Naruto didn't even take his eyes off Neji's. He didn't need it either. He saw everything through his Jōgan. Naruto grabbed Neji's wrist in the air and then rammed his knee into Neji's stomach. Neji grunted in pain, and he also coughed up saliva. Naruto grabbed Neji's arm securely and began spinning around.
Neji's body was lifted off the ground and thrown around by Naruto. Naruto eventually let go of Neji's arm and let him fly. Neji crashed into a tree where a bird had been sitting until now. The bird flew away, and Neji fell out of the tree. He landed on his legs and arms.
He coughed briefly and then got up on one leg. 'I was careless. I should have recognized this knee next time, and I'll activate my technique in time.' Neji got up and got ready. He now knew that without his unique defensive technique, he had no chance against Naruto, as much as it scratched his ego.
Naruto still stood in his position and raised both hands. He made a hand sign, and out of nowhere, his cheeks filled with something. Neji stood ready because he could see precisely the amount of chakra that gathered in Naruto's lung area. Naruto breathed in through his nose, and when he exhaled through his mouth, it wasn't air but a jet of fire. 'Katon: Endan.' (Fire Style: Flame Bombs) thought Naruto and fired his technique at Neji. Neji saw the flames and jumped to the side.
Naruto built on that and disappeared in a burst of speed to the average eye, much like Rock Lee did before him. Neji was still in the air when he could see everything through his Byakugan. Naruto just ran along the wall and charged at Neji. Neji let chakra flow out of all Tenketsu, spinning himself around in the process. 'Kaiten!' (Rotation) Neji thought, and Naruto's punch hit Neji's defensive technique again, causing Naruto to be thrown back. Naruto did a back flip in the air and, out of nowhere, had five kunai in hand with paper bombs attached to them. He threw them all at Neji at once.
When the kunai hit the whirlwind of chakra, the paper bombs detonated, leaving a cloud of black smoke that was blown away by the rotating chakra storm quite quickly. Neji finished his technique and landed safely on the ground without taking a scratch from the attacks. He grinned when he saw Naruto's hand. Naruto's hand had been scratched again from the impact of Neji's chakra storm. What he didn't notice, however, was his other hand. The other hand was already free from the scratches from earlier. Neji thought Naruto hit his technique twice with the same hand.
"That Naruto is excellent." Kotetsu had to admit that he was wrong about Naruto, just like every other Shinobi from Konoha, except for a few exceptions. Everyone was amazed by Naruto's speed, attack maneuvers, and especially Taijutsu. So far, Naruto has been able to keep up with Neji in Taijutsu, which was Neji's specialty.
"I have to agree with you. Naruto is excellent; he has even mastered the manipulation of his fire element, which is normally only done at the Chunin level. Naruto has also shown strategic thinking with his maneuvers." Izumo had only mirrored the thoughts of many, like Kotetsu before him.
Ebisu sat a few rows behind the two and adjusted his glasses. He had really misjudged this brat. He has already reached the level of a chunin; that much is sure for him. He never thought that this boy could change so much. He knew full well that Naruto was a failure before. He still remembers how Naruto taught Konohamaru the Sexy Jutsu.
"Everyone is born with a destiny, and yours is to lose Naruto. You've gotten better; I'll admit that. However, your destiny is to lose here and remain a failure." Neji was back in his basic stance, looking at Naruto, who was also back in his basic stance.
"How much longer do you want to talk?" Naruto is getting really annoyed by all this gibberish from Neji. Even after hearing the story and now knowing everything about the Hyūga Clan, he still didn't understand all this whining about fate.
Before Neji could reply and nag Naruto anymore, Naruto decided to do something. He had long since discovered the weakness of the defensive technique, and he would now teach it to Neji. He disappeared in a body flicker and appeared only a few meters behind Neji. Neji had seen that, of course, and let chakra out of all Tenketsu.
"Katon: Endan!" (Fire Style: Flame Bombs)
"Kaiten!" (Rotation)
Naruto's blast of fire hit Neji's defensive technique and bounced off it. The fire was spread in all directions; now, there was fire all over the ground around Neji. Naruto had already made another series of hand signs and slammed a fist into the ground. "Doton: Yomi Numa!" (Earth Style: Dark Swamp) Beneath Neji, the earth turned into a swamp, and as a result, Neji stopped spinning, and Neji's defensive technique stopped with it.
Without hesitation, Naruto activated his jutsu again, "Katon: Endan!" (Fire Style: Flame Bombs) Naruto took a deep breath and unleashed a stream of fire from his mouth. Neji's eyes widened when he couldn't free himself from the swamp. He gritted his teeth and went through hand signs that a Hyūga would never usually do. Neji activated the kawarimi (Substitution) and changed places with a log. When Neji appeared at a tree, he didn't have time to react anymore. Naruto saw everything with his Jōgan and appeared right in front of Neji in a burst of speed. His fist hit the pit of his stomach, and his other caught Neji's right cheek. Naruto hit Neji several times, and he couldn't concentrate appropriately due to the pain, so that he couldn't activate the Kaiten. Naruto performed a roundhouse kick and hit Neji squarely in the head. Neji flew away, and when he hit the ground, he slid several meters over it. Neji didn't expect Naruto to be so fast. He's faster than Lee. Naruto didn't even use any Jutsu; he just appeared in front of him at raw speed.
Naruto wasn't about to stop after his kick and ran after Neji. When Neji came to a halt on the floor, his eyes widened. He rolled away in time before Naruto's fist hit the ground.
Neji focused the chakra into his fingers and tried to counter Naruto's attack. However, Naruto disappeared in a flicker of his body in front of his eyes and appeared behind Neji. Neji felt a sharp pain in his back and flew forward.
Neji ended up in the swamp created by Naruto earlier. Neji was lucky to fly in there with his legs first. Otherwise, he would have a problem now. Naruto lowered his leg again and just stood there and watched Neji try to get out of the swamp. A hand was already in the swamp, and Neji's body kept sinking.
"Great, Naruto!" Sakura cheered him on as a good team member accepted him. She was so happy seeing how strong Naruto was getting. In her eyes, Naruto was just fantastic. No one but her Naruto-kun could get that strong in 2 months. That was clear to her, and there was nothing to discuss in her mind.
"I just don't believe it." Tenten was utterly speechless. Naruto really did it. He managed to get past this absurd, highly defensive technique. She would never have thought that this technique would have a weak point. It was logical now. Neji gets this strong defensive power by turning. If Neji had just poured his chakra out of everything Tenketsu, nothing would have come of it.
"So what's up Neji now? Are you giving up, or do you want to continue?" Naruto stood at the edge of the swamp and looked at Neji.
Neji was angry. How could he have gotten himself into such a situation? Naruto was a failure, yet he became so strong in just two months! Neji didn't want to believe it. How could he lose despite being chosen by fate? He was, after all, the strongest Genin of his generation. Even the Uchiha was inferior to him.
Naruto raised a hand and made a hand sign with it. Visible chakra appeared around his feet, and with that, he strolled across the swamp. He was now standing over Neji and looking down at him. "Remember one thing, Neji." Naruto crouched down.
Neji looked straight at Naruto and just listened to him. Neji thought that Naruto had forgotten that one of his two hands wasn't trapped in the swamp.
"Never underestimated the Uzumaki Clan." Right after that, Neji palmed Naruto's chest with his free hand. Neji grinned and was sure that he had hit Naruto's heart just like with Hinata. Naruto's figure flew back slightly, and the expression on his face was filled with pain. Neji's grin faded as Naruto went up in smoke, and there was now a log in the air.
"Do you really think I wouldn't have seen this action by now, Neji?" Naruto stood at the swamp's edge again and looked over at Neji. "Give up; there's nothing more you can do." Naruto was telling the hard facts, and every shinobi in the arena knew that. Neji narrowed his eyes and remained calm. He couldn't believe it. How could this happen to him?
…
Neji deactivated his Byakugan. He really wanted to see it! Is it possible to fight against fate and surpass it? Deep down, he already knew that he could change fate. If he were really just part of the side family, he would never have been able to learn the Kaiten. This technique was only passed on in the main family.
"I give up." Neji's voice echoed throughout the stadium. Naruto made a hand sign and crouched down. He touched the swamp with one hand, and right after that, the swamp became hard ground again. Neji was always kept above the surface in the process.
The whole stadium was silent until Genma announced the winner. Genma smiled and then raised his hand. He knew Naruto would win. The Hyūga brat didn't stand a chance in his regard. "The winner is Naruto Uzumaki." At the announcement, Genma raised his hand to Naruto, and the whole stadium erupted in cheers.
Nobody in the stadium expected Naruto to be that good. Nobody would have thought of it in their wildest dreams except for a few.
"YOU ARE THE BEST!" Sakura, of course, cheered for Naruto as well. She knew her Naruto-kun would win, and now the others see it, too. She was so happy at the moment that Naruto won, and she showed it.
"Dad, how did this happen?" Hanabi asked her father while looking at him. Hiashi just closed his eyes. "This is due to the fact that Neji's opponent was stronger than Hanabi. There will always be someone stronger than someone else, and Neji met the person who is stronger than him today." This fact is so simple and yet so accurate that Hanabi could only look into the arena. Everything was logical, and yet she would never have expected Neji to be defeated.
Naruto turned and headed for the stairs. He had already said everything he had to say. He didn't want to deal with Neji any longer. He proved to him that fate never takes hold of anyone. Either you are satisfied and leave everything as it is, or you change something in your situation. Naruto had shown it all how this works. Two months ago, he was known as a loser, but now a lot of people were starting to respect him.
Even if every shinobi in the village eventually respects Naruto, it won't change Naruto's mind. He has a few people he cares about, but he doesn't really care about the others. You have to earn his respect and trust first.
Many Shinobi knew about Naruto's childhood, but very few really intervened when Naruto was beaten up again by a few villagers. Naruto could still clearly remember all the faces that helped him back then and also the ones who ignored him when he called for help. While he thought a bit about it, he became a bit angry, and his Jōgan deactivated, and his right hand twitched slightly. Something inside of him began to change.
This was also the moment Naruto remembered how he met his new master. It was all thanks to his new master that he made so much progress, and he was told the truth.
Naruto was doing his intense full-body workout to train his body before he jumped into a standing position. He looked at the forest because he heard footsteps. He narrowed his eyes when someone with a long black cloak became visible. Naruto could see his outfit under the black cloak with a hood to some extent. The man didn't make a single sound while he walked. Naruto could directly say that this man was strong.
The man stopped a safe distance from Naruto. The distance was enough for Naruto to think he would be safe. It was like this man knew precisely what Naruto was thinking.
"Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meet you; my name is…."
