Chapter 14: A Glimmer of Insight: Begin the Final Round
The moon hung high in the night sky, its silver light filtering through the canopy of trees as Naruto made his way home. The forest was quiet except for the occasional rustle of leaves beneath his feet. Despite the cool night air, he was lost in thought, his mind replaying the intense training session with Sakura and Lee.
Tomorrow's the big day, he thought, clenching his fists. I'll show everyone just how strong I've become. And I'll teach that prick a lesson about fate.
Suddenly, the soft crunch of leaves nearby snapped him out of his thoughts. Naruto froze, his senses on high alert. "Who's there?" he called, scanning the shadows.
A faint shuffle followed, and then, stepping hesitantly into the moonlight, was Hinata Hyūga. Her pale lavender eyes widened, her face a vivid shade of red as she met his gaze.
"Hey, Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed, waving enthusiastically. "What are you doing out here?"
Hinata's blush deepened, spreading to the tips of her ears. She stammered, her hands fidgeting nervously. "I—oh—no, I'm not s–spying on you. I p–promise!" She squeezed her eyes shut as if expecting some kind of reprimand.
Naruto tilted his head, frowning slightly. Her nervousness reminded him of her fight with Neji during the preliminaries—the way he had taunted her, belittled her, and hurt her. His frown deepened.
"I'm sorry for the way he treats you, Hinata," Naruto said softly. "You don't deserve that. You didn't choose to be born different than him."
Hinata's eyes flew open, her breath hitching. Her mind reeled at the protective tone in Naruto's voice, and her heart raced. He's... defending me?
"I'm going to beat him tomorrow," Naruto continued, his fists clenched with determination. "I'll prove that his idea of fate is a load of shit. I'll make him pay for hurting you."
Hinata's vision blurred, and for a moment, she thought she might faint. She tried to steady herself, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. "N–Naruto," she managed, her voice barely above a whisper. "P–please don't hurt him. Not badly. I... I care about him. He's had a rough life."
Naruto blinked in surprise, her compassion catching him off guard. He grinned, a genuine smile that reached his eyes. "You're amazing, you know that? Even after everything, you still care about him."
Hinata felt her heart swell at his words. His grin was infectious, and she couldn't help but smile back, though her face was still burning with embarrassment.
Naruto scratched the back of his head, his grin turning mischievous. "If only those crazy eyes of yours—no offense—had some sort of weakness. A blind spot or something. Then I'd really have the upper hand tomorrow."
Hinata made a soft noise of surprise. She wasn't offended—she couldn't possibly be offended by Naruto. His earnestness and determination were far too endearing. Her lips parted, and before she could stop herself, she spoke, her words feeling almost treasonous. "If only there were..." she murmured, her voice barely audible. "But as heir of the clan, I would never be allowed to share such a thing. If it existed."
She tapped the back of her head in an exaggerated way, as if to punctuate her words. Her heart pounded, and she couldn't believe how bold she was being. Her face felt like it was on fire. She was all but betraying clan secrets.
Naruto's eyes widened. "Huh?" He grinned even wider, leaning forward slightly. "Wait... are you giving me a hint, Hinata?"
Hinata's blush deepened, and she made a soft, nervous laugh. "G–good luck tomorrow, Naruto," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She turned to leave but paused, glancing over her shoulder. "Remember... even the s–sharpest eyes can't see everything."
Naruto blinked, her words bouncing around in his head. Was that...? Nah, couldn't be.
"Thanks, Hinata!" he called after her, waving. "I'll do my best!"
Hinata nodded shyly and disappeared into the shadows, her heart still racing. As she walked away, she couldn't help but feel a tiny spark of pride. She hadn't stuttered nearly as much as usual—and maybe, just maybe, she'd helped Naruto in her own way.
Naruto stood in the clearing for a moment longer, watching the spot where Hinata had vanished. He smiled to himself, his resolve only growing stronger. Tomorrow's the day. Watch out, Neji—I'm coming for you.
The arena was silent as Naruto and Neji faced each other, the tension palpable. Naruto's fists clenched at his sides, his blue eyes blazing with determination. Across from him, Neji stood calm and collected, his pale lavender Byakugan eyes unblinking as he gazed at his opponent.
"You should give up now, Naruto," Neji said coolly, his voice carrying an air of finality. "Fate has already decided the outcome. A failure like you has no chance of defeating me."
Naruto's glare hardened. "Fate, huh? You keep talking like everything's set in stone. Like people can't change. That's crap! I'm going to prove you wrong, right here, right now!"
Neji's expression didn't waver. "You speak like someone who has never known true hardship. Your ignorance is as pitiful as your resolve."
Naruto's jaw tightened. "What about Hinata? You call her weak, but she stood up to you. She fought with everything she had! You don't get to talk about her like that!"
"Hinata was a fool, just like you are now. The weak should accept their place and stop pretending they can change their destiny." Neji's eyes narrowed.
Naruto's fury erupted. "I'm going to wipe that smug look off your face!"
The fight began with a blur of motion. Naruto charged forward, launching a flurry of surprising sharp punches and kicks that Neji effortlessly dodged and deflected. Neji retaliated with a precise strike, aiming for Naruto's chakra points, but Naruto leapt back just in time.
"Your Taijutsu has improved," Neji admitted, his tone still calm. "But it's not enough."
Naruto grinned, forming his signature cross-seal. "Then how about this? Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Dozens of Narutos appeared in a puff of smoke, surrounding Neji in an instant. The clones rushed forward, attacking from every angle. Neji moved like water, weaving through their strikes with practiced ease. His Gentle Fist strikes sent clone after clone disappearing in bursts of smoke.
"You're stalling," Neji said, his tone even. "Prolonging the inevitable."
The midday sun bore down on the Chūnin Exam arena, casting stark shadows over the battlefield. The crowd watched with bated breath as Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga squared off in a clash of wills and philosophies.
Naruto, his orange jumpsuit already scuffed and dirtied, stood at the edge of the arena, his fists clenched and his face set in determination. "You think you've got me figured out, huh? Well, we'll see about that!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the arena.
Neji, calm and composed, stood in the center of the battlefield. His pristine white Hyuga robes fluttered slightly in the breeze, his Byakugan activated and the surrounding veins pulsing faintly. His voice was cold, almost dismissive. "Fate has already decided the outcome of this match, Naruto. You can send as many clones as you wish, but they will all fall before me. You cannot change destiny."
"We'll see about that, Neji! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto grit his teeth, his scowl deepening. In an instant, the arena was flooded with copies of Naruto, the battlefield becoming a sea of orange and yellow. The clones surged forward, a chaotic wave of fists and shouts, each one determined to overwhelm Neji.
Neji's Byakugan flared, his field of vision expanding in every direction. To him, the chaos was anything but random. Each clone was a flicker of chakra, a beacon easily distinguishable from the panoramic backdrop his eyes provided him. He stepped forward, calm and deliberate, and unleashed a flurry of strikes.
"Twenty times zero is still zero. You will all fall before my Gentle Fist," Neji whispered as his fingertips were enveloped in chakra. The first clone burst into smoke with a single, precise strike to its chest. Another clone lunged from behind, but Neji twisted effortlessly, delivering a jab to its midsection, dispelling it in an instant.
Clone after clone charged at him, and with each attack, Neji responded with surgical precision. His movements were fluid, almost like a dance, as he weaved between strikes, countering every blow with pinpoint accuracy. Each clone fell, reduced to harmless puffs of smoke, the battlefield momentarily clouded with the remnants of Naruto's failed assault.
From the stands, Lee leaned forward, his fists clenched in excitement. "Neji's control over his Gentle Fist is flawless! His strikes are so precise, he's neutralizing Naruto-kun's clones without breaking a sweat!"
Tenten nodded, though her eyes were wide with disbelief. "But look at Naruto... He's not stopping. How much chakra can he possibly have left?"
"You can't win, Naruto. No matter how many times you try, your clone's efforts are futile. They lack the resolve and strength to break through my defenses." Neji's voice cut through the chaos as he struck down another wave of clones.
But Naruto's grin widened, even as his clones fell one by one. "Yeah, maybe… but there's more where that came from!"
Once again, Naruto summoned more clones, the arena filled with a fresh army of orange-clad attackers. This time, the clones came at Neji from every direction, their movements faster and more coordinated. A group charged him head-on, while others leapt into the air, descending upon him like a rain of fists.
Neji spun on his heel, his arms outstretched, and unleashed his ultimate defensive technique. "Eight Trigrams: Rotation!"
A dome of spinning chakra erupted around him, blasting the clones away in every direction. The sheer force of the technique sent waves of dust and smoke into the air, momentarily obscuring the battlefield.
When the dust cleared, Neji stood alone, unharmed, while Naruto's clones had been completely obliterated. The real Naruto, crouched low at the edge of the arena, was panting heavily, sweat dripping from his brow.
"Is that all?" Neji asked, his voice calm but laced with condescension. "No matter how much effort you put in, the outcome will not change. I am the genius of the Hyuga Clan, and you... are a failure."
Naruto's fists tightened, his nails digging into his palms. He stood slowly, his breathing ragged, but his grin never faltered. "Yeah, you've got all the fancy moves. You're perfect, Neji. But you're missing something. I've got something you'll never understand... and that's the will to never give up!"
Neji's eyes narrowed slightly, his Byakugan focusing on Naruto. "Empty words from someone who doesn't know his place. You've seen the difference in our strength. Why do you persist?"
Naruto chuckled weakly and raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "Because I've got something to prove—to you, to everyone watching, and to myself. I'm gonna win this fight, Neji, no matter what it takes."
From the stands, Hinata watched intently, her hands clenched in front of her chest. "Naruto-kun..." she whispered, her voice filled with quiet hope.
The battle wasn't over yet, and as the crowd erupted into cheers, the arena became a stage for Naruto's unyielding determination and Neji's impeccable precision. The clash between hard work and natural talent was far from decided.
Naruto gritted his teeth, his mind racing. He knew Neji was better in hand-to-hand combat—there was no denying it. That Gentle Fist of his was anything but gentle. Every palm strike felt like the flat of a sledgehammer, and. so Naruto couldn't afford to get caught in a direct Naruto wasn't stalling for no reason.
As the waves of clones converged and engaged, he observed Neji closely, watching the subtle movements of his Byakugan. Each kunai thrown by a clone, each strike aimed at Neji's back, gave Naruto more information. He began to notice a pattern: kunai aimed near the back of Neji's skull were always deflected at the last moment.
There it is, Naruto thought, his eyes narrowing. His blind spot.
He sent another wave of clones to mask his realization, forcing Neji to activate his ultimate defense.
"Eight Trigrams: Rotation!" Neji shouted, spinning rapidly as his chakra flared outward. The clones were obliterated in an instant, leaving Naruto alone once more.
Neji stood tall, not a hair out of place. "You cannot overcome my defenses. Your continued effort despite your obvious disadvantage is not admirable, it is folly. This fight is over."
Naruto didn't respond, his mind working furiously. He couldn't afford to let Neji see his plan coming.
The fight continued, with Neji pressing the advantage. His speed and precision were unmatched, and Naruto struggled to keep up. With a flash of motion, Neji closed the distance between them, landing a devastating series of strikes.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!" Neji declared, his hands moving faster than the eye could follow. Naruto's body stiffened as Neji struck his chakra points, sealing them off with methodological finger jabs.
Naruto collapsed to the ground, his breaths ragged. His vision swam, but he refused to give up. Through gritted teeth, he forced his chakra to flow, his body trembling with the effort. The crowd gasped as Naruto screamed, his chakra bursting forth in a sudden surge.
In the stands, the Third Hokage's eyes widened, a flicker of recognition passing over his face. This chakra... it feels faintly like Hashirama's...
Naruto stood, his body trembling but his resolve unshaken. "I told you... I'm not giving up! I'll prove you wrong!"
Naruto summoned one final wave of clones, each armed with a pair of glistening kunai. They surrounded Neji, hurling the projectiles in perfect synchronization. Neji scoffed, his Byakugan tracking each one.
"You think this will work?" Neji said, easily deflecting each kunai with minimal effort. The futile effort wasn't even worth using his Rotation. "This is pointless."
But then, one of the kunai transformed midair, revealing itself to be the real Naruto.
"What—?!" Neji exclaimed, his Byakugan momentarily unable to adjust to the sudden appearance of vibrant orange and blue.
Naruto's fist connected with Neji's jaw, the blow enhanced by his chakra. At the apex of his third knuckle he felt his accumulated chakra erupt outward in a concussive blast. The sheer force sent Neji flying backward, skidding across the ground. The strength of the punch was reminiscent of Tsunade herself.
Neji lay on the ground, coughing as he tried to rise. His Byakugan faded, and he looked up at Naruto, his expression unreadable. His body collapsed into its shadow, and he felt an agonizing pain in his mandible
Naruto stood tall, his chest heaving as he grinned. "I told you, Neji. Fate doesn't decide who wins. We do."
The proctor stepped forward, raising his hand. "Winner: Naruto Uzumaki!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, and Naruto looked up to see Hinata smiling softly, her hands clasped together. He gave her a thumbs-up before turning back to Neji, who was still sitting on the ground.
Neji stared at Naruto for a long moment before lowering his head. "Maybe... you're right," he murmured through his fixed jaw.
Naruto extended a hand to him, his grin never fading. "Come on. Let's prove it together."