Chunin Exam Finals; Part I

Genma's senbon twitched between his teeth as he observed the group of genins assembled before him, each one carrying the weight of a reputation that could make any seasoned shinobi wary. His eyes scanned the faces, ticking off each name in his head like an unspoken roll call.

Gaara of the Sand: a known killer with an appetite for destruction.

Shino Aburame: the heir to the mysterious and aloof Aburame clan, with insects constantly buzzing beneath the surface of his skin.

Kin Tsuchi from the Sound: a wildcard in her own right, her unreadable face offering no hints as to what she was capable of.

Kankuro of the Sand had forfeited earlier, something about him being 'sick.' Genma doubted it. The puppet master always looked sick to him.

Neji Hyuga: the prodigy of the Hyuga clan, who had inherited more than just the eyes of his bloodline.

Temari of the Sand: cold, calculating, and never without her massive fan.

Dosu Kinuta from the Sound was absent, his body found lifeless the day before, the cause of death still a mystery shrouded in whispers.

Sasuke Uchiha: the last loyal Uchiha, the one who carried both the pride and the burden of his clan on his young shoulders.

And then... Naruto Uzumaki.

"Dattebayo," she chirped robotically, almost out of place, as Genma's eyes settled on her. Oh, right. The rumors were true. Naruto Uzumaki, once the loudmouthed prankster of Konoha, had somehow transformed into this android-like girl with an unsettling lack of expression. Her white hair, unnaturally perfect and shoulder-length, framed her glowing sapphire eyes, eyes that didn't seem entirely… human.

Genma blinked slowly. His senbon wobbled between his teeth as his gaze shifted downward. What was she wearing?

Naruto stood there, completely deadpan, wearing a frilly black dress that wouldn't look out of place in a fancy tea party for dolls. The hem of the dress was adorned with small white and red flowers—because, why not? Her fingerless, elbow-length black gloves shimmered in the sunlight like something straight out of an avant-garde fashion show that no shinobi should ever be caught dead at. And the high heels—those ridiculous black high heels—clicked against the ground with an eerie precision.

Genma shook his head slightly. Nope. He wasn't going to question his dead boss's daughter's sense of fashion. That way lay madness.

Meanwhile, Gaara, the Ichibi Jinchuriki, was glaring daggers—or more accurately, glaring entire arsenals—at Naruto. His pale face twisted in anticipation, the gourd strapped to his back nearly trembling with his thirst for blood. The intensity in Gaara's eyes would have sent most shinobi into an immediate panic attack. But Naruto, with her eerily calm posture, seemed more confused than anything else.

"Mother wants your blood," Gaara whispered, his voice low and throaty, like a serpent ready to strike.

Naruto blinked, her glowing sapphire eyes focusing blankly on him. She slowly raised a single finger, pointing it at herself with robotic precision. "Me?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed even further, if that was even possible. "Your blood will validate my existence."

Naruto tilted her head to one side, as though the concept of needing blood for validation was the most alien thing she had ever heard of. "If your mother needs blood, you should go to the blood bank in the hospital. They have lots of it. Organized too. Different types, even. Very convenient."

Gaara's lip curled in frustration. "I want your blood."

Naruto's head remained tilted, her voice as emotionless as ever. "But I don't have blood. I have ink." She paused, blinking a few times as if considering something deeply. "Even if I did have blood, it might not match. What if you're AB negative and I'm... type, I don't know, Dattebayo? Also, is that gourd on your back for blood? Seems too big for that. You could fit at least four gallons in there. Dattebayo."

For a moment, Gaara's ever-creepy, murderous expression faltered, as if Naruto's sheer weirdness had thrown off his entire serial-killer-in-training vibe. The words hung awkwardly in the air between them.

Genma, meanwhile, was visibly trying to hold it together. He bit down harder on the senbon, his eyebrows twitching slightly. This girl—this android girl—was going to be the end of him. He needed to get the Chunin Exams moving before Naruto somehow derailed the entire structure of shinobi society with her bizarre, logic-defying antics.

Clearing his throat loudly, Genma stepped forward, putting an end to the odd exchange. "Alright! Enough chitchat. The final stage of the Chunin Exams begins now." His voice was firm, though there was a slight edge of exasperation. He pointed toward the center of the arena. "Sasuke Uchiha and Neji Hyuga, take your positions."

As the announcement rang through the arena, the crowd erupted into deafening cheers. The noise surged like a wave as spectators leaned forward in their seats, excitement buzzing in the air. This was the match people had come for—two of Konoha's top prodigies, the last loyal Uchiha versus the Hyuga genius. People from neighboring villages, dignitaries, even travelers from distant lands had filled the stands, eagerly anticipating the battle. Bets were placed. Rivalries reignited. This was about to be the fight of the century, and the crowd could barely contain themselves.

Neji Hyuga stepped forward calmly, his Byakugan already activated, veins bulging around his pale, pupil-less eyes. Sasuke Uchiha, meanwhile, stood with his hands casually in his pockets, his new attire—dark blue shirt with the Uchiha symbol on the back, white shorts, and arm guards—contrasting sharply against Neji's traditional Hyuga robes.

"Loser," Sasuke muttered under his breath as he brushed past Naruto, giving her a dismissive glance. "I want to fight you, deal?"

Naruto, in her ever-unfazed robotic tone, responded with a flat, "Noted. For now, good luck, Dattebayo."

Û~Û

For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Neither Neji nor Sasuke moved, the arena thick with anticipation. Their eyes locked, both of them calculating, measuring, testing the air between them. The crowd leaned forward, the tension palpable as if the entire stadium was waiting for an explosion. Then, like a crack of lightning, both fighters dashed towards each other.

Neji, his pale Byakugan eyes glowing with intensity, moved with the kind of speed that seemed impossible for a human. His strikes were precise, aimed at Sasuke's vital points, his chakra points. His hands moved like blurs, each strike faster than the last, an unrelenting storm of perfectly placed blows.

But Sasuke, with his Sharingan spinning in his eyes, dodged each attack by the narrowest of margins. His movements were graceful yet sharp, like a well-honed blade slicing through the air. Neji's strikes came close—too close—but Sasuke's body twisted and turned, avoiding them just in time, the faint flicker of his two-tomoe Sharingan giving him the edge.

Sasuke realized quickly that Neji wasn't just fast—he was deadly. Every move Neji made had purpose, every strike was aimed at a weak point, designed to cripple his opponent. But Sasuke was no ordinary opponent. His Sharingan allowed him to read Neji's movements, to predict the next attack just before it happened. Still, Neji's speed and precision were formidable, and Sasuke had to push himself to his limits to keep up.

Neji, on the other hand, could see the fire burning in Sasuke's eyes. The Uchiha was more than just tough; he was determined, driven. Each dodge, each counter, was executed with a calm fury. Neji could see the resolve in Sasuke, the desperation to prove himself. The Hyuga prodigy knew that Sasuke, despite losing his entire family, still had great potential.

They both leapt back, putting distance between them, panting lightly but maintaining their intense stares.

Neji, his voice even and calm, spoke, "Despite losing your family, you have great potential, Sasuke Uchiha." His tone wasn't mocking, but there was a subtle edge to it. "The Uchiha clan was quite formidable. You are a prime example of that strength."

Sasuke didn't flinch, but something in his eyes shifted. The words hung in the air like a challenge, and Sasuke took them personally. His jaw clenched, his Sharingan glowing a deeper red. "Everything I've learned," he said, his voice low and tight, "I learned on my own. Don't think for a second I rely on anyone else's strength."

But before Sasuke could continue, a flat, robotic voice interrupted from the genin gallery. "I thought he learned a lot from the academy. Dattebayo," Naruto chirped, her tone completely devoid of emotion. She sat with her chin resting on her hand, her sapphire eyes glowing eerily as she observed the match. "Maybe Iruka-sensei was slacking off? And Kakashi-sensei, didn't you say you taught the Bastard a new jutsu?"

Kakashi, sitting lazily next to her, let out a soft chuckle under his mask.

Sasuke's eye twitched violently. 'That idiot…' he thought, biting back the urge to snap at Naruto.

Neji, sensing the brief distraction, seized the opportunity. With speed that was almost invisible to the naked eye, he dashed forward, his fingers raised and ready to strike. Sasuke, barely catching the movement with his Sharingan, twisted his body at the last second, avoiding a direct hit but losing his balance.

Neji's expression darkened as he activated his clan's signature technique. "Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"

The crowd gasped as Neji's arms moved in a blur, his strikes a flawless display of Hyuga precision. His hands moved in rapid succession, jabbing at Sasuke's chakra points, sealing them off with terrifying speed.

"Two palms!" Neji's voice rang out, his strikes landing on Sasuke's torso.

"Four palms!"

Sasuke's arms flailed as he tried to dodge, but Neji's speed was too much.

"Eight palms!"

The force of Neji's strikes sent Sasuke stumbling backward, pain shooting through his body.

"Sixteen palms!" Neji's strikes became even faster, more relentless.

"Thirty-two palms!"

Sasuke's knees buckled, his Sharingan flickering as his chakra pathways were being blocked one after another.

"Sixty-four palms!" Neji finished, landing the final blow with a force that sent Sasuke crashing to the ground, his body completely still.

The crowd held its breath, a stunned silence falling over the arena. Sasuke lay on the ground, unmoving, his face hidden beneath his bangs.

"It seems you are not as talented as I thought you were," Neji said coldly, standing over Sasuke's still form, his Byakugan deactivated. He was about to turn away when—

Sasuke's body disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"A clone?!" Neji's eyes widened in shock.

From the gallery, Naruto raised a hand lazily and called out, "Shadow Clone, Dattebayo. And for the record, I taught him that."

Before Neji could react, Sasuke appeared behind him, his body low and coiled like a predator ready to strike. Sasuke's fists clenched as he prepared his signature move—the Lion's Barrage.

But Neji was fast. In an instant, he spun in place, a vortex of chakra erupting around him. "Heavenly Rotation!"

The swirling chakra deflected Sasuke's attack with a violent force, sending him flying through the air like a ragdoll. He crashed into the ground with a heavy thud, groaning from the impact.

From the stands, Hiashi Hyuga's eyes widened in shock. 'The main family technique… how?'

Sasuke rolled painfully to his feet, clutching his side, his face twisted in anger and frustration. Neji, standing tall and unscathed, looked down at him with a cold, detached expression.

"I learned the technique by watching the main family," Neji said evenly, his voice laced with envy. "Unlike you, Sasuke, I don't have the luxury of an illustrious bloodline to shield me. Everything I've learned, I've had to take for myself. I don't have the privilege of being born with a destiny."

Sasuke's eyes burned with fury. "You don't know a thing about me!"

Neji raised an eyebrow. "Don't I? You've never had to suffer the way I have—"

"Yes," Naruto's robotic voice interrupted again, "On our third D-rank mission—"

Sakura, sitting beside Naruto, quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, cutting her off before she could spill more embarrassing details. Sasuke shot a deadly glare in their direction, clearly reaching the limit of his patience with his teammate.

Suddenly, a strange noise filled the arena. It started off faint, like the chirping of a bird, but it grew louder, more intense. Everyone's attention snapped back to the center of the field, eyes widening as they saw the source of the sound.

Sasuke's hand was crackling with lightning, the bright blue energy pulsating and sparking wildly around his palm. The crowd gasped in awe, their eyes glued to the sight.

"Kakashi…" Gai whispered in disbelief, his face pale with shock. "You taught him the Chidori?!"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

Sasuke, his face twisted in determination, charged forward, the Chidori blazing in his hand like a lightning spear. Neji, seeing the attack coming, immediately spun into his Heavenly Rotation, his chakra forming a protective dome around him. The two techniques clashed in an explosion of energy, the arena shaking with the force of the impact.

But Sasuke's Chidori was relentless. It pierced through Neji's defense, the lightning crackling as it struck Neji square in the chest, sending him flying across the arena. Neji hit the ground hard, skidding to a stop as the crowd watched in stunned silence.

Sasuke stood over him, breathing heavily, his hand still sparking with the remnants of the Chidori. "I was orphaned by my own brother," Sasuke said through gritted teeth. "Your lineage doesn't matter. We create our own destinies."

Neji, barely conscious, looked up at Sasuke, shock and disbelief clouding his pale eyes. He had never expected to be defeated, not like this.

Genma, chewing his senbon casually despite the gravity of the moment, raised his hand. "Winner: Sasuke Uchiha!"

The stadium erupted into wild cheers, the noise deafening. Sakura and Ino screamed in excitement, practically losing their minds as they jumped up and down in the stands. Gai, meanwhile, was already lecturing Kakashi about the dangers of teaching such powerful techniques to genin, though Kakashi seemed utterly uninterested in the scolding.

Naruto, still sitting calmly, nodded to herself. "Dattebayo." She glanced sideways at Gaara, who was glaring at her with murderous intent. A chill ran down her…eh…spine? 'Oh… I'm next.'

TBC