The Chunin Exams stadium was alive with activity. Over the month-long break, respected individuals and civilians alike gathered in Konoha to watch the final tournament. The arena was a barren landscape made up of grass and dirt with a few trees in a single location along the wall that encircled the arena.
The watchers placed bets on the participants, hoping to make some money from these exams. Across the stadium, thunderous applause went out to the participants. The people in the stands were hoping for a great show. Overseeing all of this was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, an older man with lightly tanned skin with a grey goatee with his spiky hair receding part way up his head. He has pronounced wrinkles around his eyes as well as two liver spots on the left side of his face.
Hiruzen was situated in an isolated area that over saw the entire stadium. Next to him was a vacant seat, reserved for his special guest. That person was Rasa, the Yondaime Kazekage. When his counterpart from Sunagakure arrived, Hiruzen stood to greet the man. "Ah, Kazekage-dono. It is good of you to come."
"It's my pleasure Hokage-dono" responded the vailed man. While Hiruzen was wearing a red robe with a white haori over it and his diamond hat that had the symbol for fire at the front, Rasa was wearing a blue version of the same robe. Rasa also wore a vail that covered everything below his eyes to mask his face. He was accompanied by two guards, both dressed in long, sandy brown ponchos with hoods that obscure their faces and bodies.
After they exchanged pleasantries, both men took their respective seats with the guards of both Kages taking positions behind their leaders seats. "You must be tired from your long journey" stated Hiruzen. "Oh no . I'm happy to make the trip. Of course you're still hale and hearty, but the voyage might have been a bit harder on you, Hokage-dono. Perhaps you ought to choose a successor soon" responded the Kazekage.
"Ha ha, well don't bury me yet! I hope to continue for another five years at least" replied the age leader. The Kazekage made no mention or motion toward the Hokage's Jonin bodyguard as the man was giving the Suna leader a side long glance that seemed to be sending kunai at the man for his disrespectful statement towards the Hokage.
Throughout the seating of the arena, most of the Genin of teams 7, 8, 9, and 10, that had not advanced, along with some of their Jonin sensei were seated together to watch the coming matches. The most active of these spectators was the one member of team 7 that didn't advance, Sakura Haruno, teammate of Naruto and Sauske.
Sakura is a fair skin girl, who is the same age as Naruto, who has light green eyes and pink hair reminiscent of her name's sake. She was wearing a red qipao dress, which has slits running up both sides of the dress, which has a zipper going up the center to her left hip with white embroidery along the length and the sleeves along with a white liner. On the sleeves and the bottom front and back of the dress are white circles. Underneath she was wearing knee length, dark green biking shorts. On her right thigh she had her kunai holster while her utility pouch was over the back of the right side of her hip. She was wearing blue shinobi sandals.
She was a nervous wreck. One of her teammates and sensei have yet to arrive while her other teammate, Naruto was going to fight someone who showed they would have no regrets if they killed a comrade. She must have been wearing her worry on her face as her best friend spoke up. "Chill out Forehead. Sasuke-kun will be here on time" said her best friend, Ino Yamanaka.
Ino was also a fair skinned girl that was the same height as Sakura. She has pupilless, sky blue eyes and platinum blond hair with a long bang that fell over her right eye while the rest was tied into a light-yellow bun holder. She was wearing a burnt orange shirt with a thick black stripe that ran from the collar to the sleeve over the shoulder with forest green shorts along with blue shinobi sandals.
"I know Sasuke-kun will be here. I'm worried if he will be here on time. Kakashi-sensei has a habit of arriving late and I'm worried he will make Sasuke-kun late." Hearing this, Ino and the other Genin grew a little concerned as well. While they weren't as equally concerned as the two girls, none of them wanted to see a comrade be punished for someone else's actions. The Jonin on the other hand, were not surprised to hear this. Having worked with Kakashi before, they knew of his tardy habits and were hoping he would not make one of his students late, as well not miss his other student's match. Down in the arena however, were the remaining participants, among them was Naruto.
All of the remaining participants were standing in a line with the proctor of this portion of the exam, Genma Shiranui, standing in front of them with everyone facing the Kage box. Has shoulder-length brown hair tied out of his eyes by his bandanna style hitai-ate, which was reversed for the knot to be on his forehead. He wore the standard Jonin outfit made up of dark blue turtleneck with matching pants. On the shoulders of his shirt were the red spirals of the Uzumaki Clan. He had bandages wrapped around his ankles and lower shin, as well as the green flack jacket of his rank. Genma carried a senbon in his mouth with a utility pouch on the back right of his hip with a shuriken holster on his right leg.
Though Naruto should have been facing forward, he was discreetly looking around trying to see if he could spot Sasuke, Kakashi, Tsunade, or Shizune. He would use his sensory ability, however it required him to close his eyes. If he looked like he was sleeping during such an important event, it could get him in trouble with the exam board, then he wouldn't make Chunin and he would let down Tsu-chan and Shizune.
What he didn't know was in the stands were the very individuals he was looking for, though they were under a henge. Tsunade wore the henge she used when she and Naruto went on their date, Shizune had changed to look like a brown-haired woman with narrow eyes, and Tonton was henged to look like a black pig vs her normal pink self. They were looking down in the arena, their eyes on the young blonde. "He seems to be searching for someone" commented a nearly giggling Shizune while holding a smiling Tonton. Tsunade, with a light dusting of pink on her cheeks, said "He shouldn't be worried about that. He should be focused on the upcoming match."
"Oh but 'Mito-san' he has a great bit of care for the person he is searching for. Maybe he wants them to see his win with all the training he has gone through" teased a giggling Shizune.
By this point "Mito's" eyebrow was twitching. Ever since she gave Naruto that kiss, "Kato" had been going on and on about how much happier she was and how much more lively she had been acting. Not being able to take it, "Mito" pulled out a container of sake to ignore her friends taunting. "'Mito-san'! You are drinking again!"
"Shut up! This is happy drinking not depressed drinking!" she claimed, trying to justify picking up the bottle once again. While not entirely wrong, she was drinking again as a result of the joy she felt with being around Naruto. In fact, the last night before the finals, Tsunade had gotten drunk and became a lot more clingy to the younger blonde to the point she walked with him around their room like she was a little girl holding her teddy bear by the waist. Right now however, she just wanted to not be teased for attempting to surprise Naruto here with her presence in the stands of the arena. It would be another five minutes before the Hokage would make his announcement.
"Well then, we ought to begin" stated Hiruzen. Standing from his seat, Hiruzen made his way to the balcony of the Kage booth to address the crowd. Clearing his throat, he began his speech "LADIES, GENTLEMEN, AND ESTEEMED GUESTS … WELCOME AND HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR GATHERING HER IN KONOHAGAKURE FOR THE CHUNIN SELECTION EXAMS. WE WILL NOW BEGIN THE MATCHES OF THE FINAL EVENT BETWEEN THE EIGHT CANDIDATES WHO ADVANCED IN THE PRELIMINARIES! PLEASE SIT BACK AND ENJOY!"
The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers and applause as the Hokage returned to his seat. Once he took his seat, the Kazekage asked, "Eight candidates? You seem to be missing one." Hiruzen chose not to answer the other Kage, instead focusing on the arena.
With the announcement concluded, Genma turned to address the participants. "Alright there have been some minor changes so listen up." Genma brought out a piece of paper from his equipment pouch. "I am showing you the matches once more so there is no confusion on who your opponent is." To the surprise of everyone, though few showed it, the brackets had a minor change. 'I was down for an extra match. Did that Dosu guy withdraw?' questioned Shikamaru.
Worried for his teammate, Naruto decided to ask a question. Raising his hand he asked the proctor, "Hey hey. Sasuke's not here yet so what's gonna happen?" as he put the paper away, Genma answered him. "If he doesn't arrive on time by the start of his match hell lose by forfeit." The answered shocked Naruto. Now he was really hoping that his teammate got to the arena and quickly.
"Alright can Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga remain for the first match while the rest of you go to the participants box" ordered Genma. Neji was a fair skinned boy who was a year older than Naruto. He has long black chair tied into a low ponytail. He was wearing a beige-colored shirt, layered over a dull blue shirt and mesh armor. He was wearing dark brown shorts with blue shinobi sandals. He had bandages wrapped around his right arm, leg, and head. His hitai-ate was on a black cloth that had two straps that framed his face. His most stand out feature was byakugan which are pupilless white eyes.
When the rest of the contestants left, Neji began to taunt Naruto. With an arrogant smirk, Neji asked, "You got something to say?" With determination schooling his features, Naruto responded. "I've said this once before." He raised his fist, like how he did when he swore on Hinata's blood. "I vow to win." Neji scoffed at Naruto's declaration. "Ho ho … good. It's more fun that you didn't surrender. I can't wait to see the despair in your eyes when the truth of fate finally dawns on you." At this, Naruto's anger rose. "If you're so confident in that than I have a bet for you." This intrigued Neji and Genma. Motioning with his hand, Neji urged him to continue. "If you're so confident, then I bet I can beat you in one punch. If you can take it then you can hit me. I won't block it or dodge. So, what do you say?"
"Tch. Fine I'll humor you. Proctor start the match, I wish to show this nobody what fate has decreed." With a sigh, and a wish of luck to the orange clad blonde, Genma prepared to start the match.
Back in the stands, Hiashi Hyuga, uncle to Neji and father to Hinata and Hanabi, addressed his youngest. "Watch closely Hanabi. The Hyuga blood flows thicker in his veins than anyone else's."
"Yes father."
Hiashi has tan skin along with long black hair that falls to his upper back with the white pupilless eyes of the byakugan. He was wearing traditional, loose-fitting robes with a long-sleeved, brown haori.
Hanabi is a young girl with the same skin tone as her father. She too has long brown hair that reaches her mid back with long parted bangs complimented by a single lock that fall into her face. She was wearing a sleeveless, blue V-neck shirt with mesh armor underneath with blue capri pants and brown sandals. She also has the white pupilless eyes of the byakugan.
During the banter between the two fighters, Neji's remaining teammate and sensei, Might Guy arrived to the stands. The two managed to hear Neji's taunt and the bet put forward by Naruto. Guy frowned at his student's attitude. 'Neji, have I failed you to so much that you can't see anyone's hard work?' questioned Guy. "Do not worry Guy sensei" Lee said, getting his mentors attention and by extension the other Genin and Jonin. "I think Naruto can open Neji's eyes and show him that things are not set in stone" stated a confident Lee.
The others turned to see who was talking. Seeing their remaining friend. "Lee! Guy sensei!" stated an excited Sakura. Lee was a fair skinned boy, the same age as Neji, with shiny black hair cut into a bowl cut. He has rounded eyes with very thick eyebrows. Lee traded out his usual green spandex for a blue kimono top that has a white collar and blue sweats. His arms were bandaged while a brace was behind his leg to allow it to support his weight while holding a single crutch in his right hand. Sadly, due to his injuries from facing Gaara, he was forced to stand as he watched the matches.
Might Guy, Lee and Neji's Jonin-sensei, was a tall, well-toned man with a strong jawline and pronounced cheek bones. His shiny black hair was also styled into a bowl cut while having thicker eyebrows than Lee. Instead of the usual dark blue turtleneck and pants that a Jonin or Chunin of Konoha would wear, he wore a green jumpsuit complimented by orange-stripped leg warmers. He also wore the green Konoha flack jacket. His hitai-ate was attached to red fabric which he wore as a belt.
All attention was brought back to the arena, when they all heard Genma speak, "LET THE FIRST MATCH OF THE CHUNIN SELECTION EXAMS BEGIN!" he shouted as he brought his hand down. "Well" said Neji after a while of nothing happening. "I'm waiting." Naruto merely gave a confident smile in response. "Sorry. I just wanted to let you keep breathing so when I hit you, you remember what stable breathing feels like." Neji scowled at this proclamation. "You could never do such harm to me. Fate has decided it" taunted Neji. "Get on with it so I may show you what your place is." With a shrug, Naruto walked forward.
Almost immediately the Jonin became anxious. They were nervous at what Naruto had planned due to how subdued his pace was and relaxed he seemed. As Naruto got closer, the Jonin got even more on edge, especially Guy and Hiashi. The rest of the audience held their breath, curious to outcome of this bet would be.
As Naruto got closer, he was slowly pushing chakra to his right fist like Tsunade taught him. It was building to a point where it would feel like Neji would be struck by the beautiful blonde herself when she sent that white haired man to the sky. He was now close enough to strike Neji with his arm fully extended but Naruto wanted to be closer. He wanted to use a move that Shizune had taught him between lessons. Naruto slowly brought his fist up to strike. The moved involved keeping one's muscles loose until they were needed to strike, where the person would tighten them to their max, increasing one's striking power.
When he reached his target distance, Naruto brought his right arm up with his fist clenched but loose. Neji still wore his arrogant smirk, believing he could not be harmed by whatever trick the "failure" before him was going to employ. As Naruto sent his fist forward, the Jonin and Kage in the arena sensed the danger that his attack posed to the arrogant Hyuga.
With speed befitting their station as Jonin, Guy, Asuma, Kurenai, Genma, Hiashi and Ensui Nara sprang into action. Genma carried Neji out of the path of the strike, Asuma, in a shoulder tackle position, was rammed into Naruto with his shoulder buried in the blonde's diaphragm while Kurenai was on his back with her right index and middle fingers pointed outward making contact with Naruto's forehead and her left in a half ram seal. Guy wrapped his arms around Naruto's left shoulder and his chest. Ensui, while at a good distance, used his clan's Kagemane no Jutsu to further restrain Naruto's movements. Hiashi had grabbed onto Naruto's right wrist with his left hand and using his masterful chakra control, brought Naruto's chakra through his own chakra network before stretching out his right index and middle fingers out, in a position reminiscent of a forward lunge, and discharging the channeled chakra into the air, inadvertently forming a pressurized projectile that nearly destroyed the wall he was pointing at.
Hiashi would not show or admit it, but he was in intense pain as his chakra coils were stretched and strained to funnel the chakra Naruto had channeled into his fist through his own coils to render the attack inert. The action he preformed was to take another person's chakra, channel it into their own coils using their own chakra as a means to guide the foreign chakra, then discharge it through a different tenketsu. This is a technique that only the most skilled of the Hyuga could use as any mistake could permanently scar the Hyuga's chakra network. Or if channeling as much chakra as Naruto put into his attack, could rupture their chakra coils.
Most of the audience was left stunned by this outcome as well as Neji himself, save two and a piglet. Naruto on the other hand had the biggest smile ever seen in Konoha. The Jonin restraining him were all glaring daggers at the bound blonde. "That was rather dangerous gaki" chastised Asuma. "I would prefer it if you didn't kill my student Naruto-san" stated Guy. Naruto used his eyes to look the Jonin he could see. Taking in their heated expressions, smiling all the while he was restrained. As if what they were doing was of no concern to him.
Just then, a woman with red hair and the largest bust many of the men had ever seen dropped into the arena.
"Hey Naruto-kun! That was an impressive match."
Hearing who it was that called out to him, Naruto further surprised the Jonin. The next thing any of them knew, they were no longer holding him. Instead, he was happily jogging over to the mysterious red head. "Tsu-chan!" he proclaimed excitedly jumped into her arms where he was wrapped up in a hug.
"Ne ne Tsu-chan! Did you see? I won!"
"Yes I did Naru! That was amazing!" Naruto gave a wide smile to the woman. Sakura and the other Genin were in shock. Not only did the Jonin interfere in the match by holding Naruto back from striking Neji, but the proctor moved Neji out of the direct path of Naruto's strike.
Now Naruto was hugging some red head in the center of the arena. "Who is that?" asked a surprised Sakura. "I don't know. I've never seen her before but whoever she is, she certainly is beautiful" replied Ino. Hinata was in shock. Naruto was hugging an older woman affectionately. For all the times she has followed him around, she had never seen him associate with such a person.
Hiruzen was also shocked. Not only had Naruto won due to Genma and the other Jonin's interfering, but he was also hugging a woman he doesn't recall him interacting with or mentioning before. This disturbed him. He needed to find out who she was immediately after the tournament concluded.
"Ne let's go Tsu-chan I wanna see the other matches!" said an excited Naruto as he began to pull Tsunade along who just went with it as she smiled down at him.
"Wait! Where do you think you are going? Our match isn't over!" shouted Neji as he pushed passed Genma. Naruto looked back at him confused. "Yeah it is. When all those guys had to save you from my attack…" he pointed at the group of Jonin in the arena "you lost. Especially since the proctor and your sensei are part of the group" replied Naruto. Neji was seething in anger. Fate said he would win. He was to be victorious and now this … this… nobody was claiming he lost. Absurd.
As Naruto spoke, Genma was reminded of his duties. "DUE TO INTERFERENCE AND THE SAFETLY FOR A COMPETITOR! THE WINNER OF THE FIRST MATCH OF THE FIRST ROUND IS … NARUTO UZUMAKI!" shouted Genma. The audience was left speechless. No one save the more skilled Chunin and Jonin knew what Naruto was about to do, so they weren't surprised by the outcome.
The rest of the audience however …. "HE WON?!" shouted Sakura. With her declaration, the audience clapped. Though they were hoping for a more exciting match. You know something with action. All they got was the Hyuga Clan Head doing something resulting in a crater in the arena wall. Only one person in the audience was cheering wildly for the victor, a brown-haired woman with a pet pig, who said victor acknowledge with a wave and a large smile while his other hand still held Tsunade's.