High above the arena, the wind shifted.
Banners snapped.
The roaring crowd gradually sank into a restless hush as a lone figure stepped into the center of the ring, boots crunching lightly against the sand.
A tall man in a Konoha flak jacket, senbon tilted lazily at the corner of his mouth. Sunlight caught the hitai-ate on his forehead as he glanced up at the VIP stand, then swept his gaze over the arena with a bored, sharp-eyed look.
On the VIP platform, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, watched calmly, fingers loosely folded in his sleeves.
Beside him, beneath the Kazekage's hat and veil, the "Kazekage" smiled faintly, golden eyes narrowing just slightly.
Down below, the man in the ring rolled his shoulders once, the senbon shifting neatly to the other side of his mouth.
"Shiranui Genma," he said around it, voice carrying easily through the stadium. "I'll be serving as proctor for the final matches of this Chūnin Exam."
From the competitor balcony, Naruto squinted down at him.
"…Who's this guy?" he muttered under his breath.
Kankurō snorted softly from the Suna side, while Temari simply folded her fan and watched, eyes flicking briefly up toward where the Kazekage sat beside the Hokage.
Genma let the noise settle, then raised a hand.
"Alright," he drawled, tone turning crisp. "The final stage of the Chūnin Exams will now begin."
A ripple moved through the audience.
"These matches are not merely about victory," Genma continued, gaze sweeping over the genin.
"They're an evaluation of your growth, your composure, and your ability to perform under pressure."
He let that hang for a heartbeat, then shifted the senbon again.
"From here on out, every match is one-on-one," he said. "Victory is decided when your opponent dies, surrenders, is knocked unconscious, or I personally judge them unable to continue fighting."
A slight pause.
"And just so we're clear," he added dryly, "if I say it's over and you keep going, I'll disqualify you on the spot."
A ripple of laughter rolled through the stands, mixed with a few nervous shifts from the genin below.
Genma's lips quirked.
"…But let's be honest," he said, almost lazily. "Everyone here just wants to see a good fight."
This time, the crowd burst into full laughter and applause, the tension in the air sharpening into excitement as, from the competitor balcony, the genin looked down at the arena one by one.
Naruto leaned forward over the railing, eyes blazing.
"Finally…"
"About time."
Beside him, Sasuke remained silent, arms crossed, expression unreadable, but his gaze held clear anticipation.
Across the balcony, the Snow team stood together.
Karin rested one elbow on the railing, red hair swaying lazily in the breeze.
"Heh. Look at them," she said under her breath. "So hyped up. Like fireworks waiting for someone to light the fuse."
Haku smiled faintly.
"It is a festival, after all," he said softly.
Kimimaro stood straight and still, pale eyes calm.
Hinata, blindfold back in place, tilted her head slightly as the roar of the crowd vibrated faintly through the air.
Yugao stood behind them, arms folded, posture relaxed.
Down below, Genma raised one hand.
"For the first match of the finals—"
He paused deliberately.
A drumroll from somewhere in the stands picked up almost instinctively.
"—Uzumaki Naruto versus Hyūga Neji."
The arena erupted.
Naruto's grin stretched wide.
"Yes!"
Neji, already standing near the stairs, simply adjusted the bandages around his forearms.
His expression was composed, almost detached.
"…So it's finally time, huh," he murmured softly to himself. "Talent is something you're born with… I'll show you that."
Naruto vaulted over the railing before anyone could stop him.
"Oi! I'm not done explaining the rules!" Genma called lazily.
Too late.
Naruto hit the sand with a thud, straightening instantly and pointing up toward Neji.
"Get down here already!" he shouted. "I've been waiting for this!"
On the platform above, Hiruzen allowed himself a small smile.
"The Hyūga heir… against Naruto," Hiruzen murmured, pipe-less for once, but his eyes softened a fraction as they followed the blond boy below. "He's never been the type to stay down."
The Kazekage's veiled head angled slightly.
"A spirited child," Orochimaru said smoothly, voice courteous and measured—exactly what a visiting Kage would say in public. "Your village produces interesting shinobi, Hokage-dono."
Hiruzen's mouth curved into the faintest smile.
"He's a good child," he said, almost fond, then added with a helpless sigh, "but that stubbornness… is very real."
--
Neji descended the steps calmly, each footfall precise.
He stepped into the arena and faced Naruto across the sand.
For a brief moment, neither moved.
The wind passed between them.
High above, clouds drifted lazily across the blue sky.
Genma raised his hand.
"You know the rules. Fight until one of you is unable to continue… or I call it."
His eyes shifted between them.
"Begin!"
Before either of them could so much as move, a loud voice cut across the arena.
"Naruto!!!"
"If you lose… then… hehe, you already know what's coming, dattebane!"
Hearing that, Naruto visibly flinched. He jerked his head toward the stands and saw his mom leaning over the railing, swinging her fist with a 'kind' smile that was anything but reassuring.
"H–Hahaha, don't worry, Mom… I'll win, dattebayo!"
Naruto threw her a thumbs-up and shouted back just as loudly.
Kushina nodded, satisfied. "You'd better," she huffed, then sat down with her arms crossed, completely ignoring the odd looks around her.
'That red hair… an Uzumaki just like me and Mom. Is she that blondie's mom? The one Mom used to talk about…'
Uzumaki Karin narrowed her eyes thoughtfully at the red-haired woman now sitting calmly in the stands.
Up in the jōnin section, Kakashi let out a tiny cough into his hand.
"As expected of Kushina-san,"
"Her support is… intense."
On the competitor balcony, Sakura gripped the railing a little tighter as the cheers swelled.
"Naruto…"
Her eyes followed the blond idiot bouncing on his toes down below, then shifted to Neji's composed, almost serene expression.
She swallowed, then glanced sideways.
"Sasuke-kun," she asked quietly, "who… who do you think will win?"
Sasuke didn't answer right away.
His gaze stayed locked on the arena, on Naruto's wide grin, on Neji's calm stance. The wind tugged at his hair, carrying Kushina's lingering shout and the crowd's noise like a distant echo.
"…If you're asking who should win," he said at last, tone flat, "it's Hyūga Neji."
Sakura's expression changed into something that wanted to say 'I thought so too.'
"But," Sasuke added, eyes narrowing, "that idiot down there… he never stays where he's 'supposed' to be."
"...I see." Sakura nodded as if she understood something, but whether she did was only known to her.
--
Naruto exhaled once, shoulders rolling back.
"Yosh," he muttered, eyes widening. "Let's do this."
His hands snapped into a familiar cross-shaped seal.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Chakra burst out of him like a dam breaking.
With a series of sharp bangs, Narutos exploded into existence around him—five, ten, fifteen, twenty—orange jackets flickering into place as the empty arena floor turned into a ring of grinning blonds.
The first wave of Narutos rushed in with battle cries echoing in almost perfect unison.
"Oraaah!"
"Try and block this, eyes freak!"
"Let's go, Neji!"
To someone who didn't know better, it would look like a swarm of idiots piling in without a plan.
To someone who knew Naruto?
This was the plan.
For Uzumaki Naruto, abusing this technique had basically become a lifestyle.
Neji's eyes constricted.
"…Byakugan."
The veins around his temples bulged as his vision shifted. The world snapped into sharp relief—chakra coils, tenketsu, every thread of Naruto's chakra radiating through the clones like a living storm.
So many… but all of them carry chakra. He's splitting it evenly. Wasteful… but dangerous if left alone.
The clones arrived Infront of him as he wasted time thinking like an idiot.
"Let's go!"
"Don't underestimate me!"
"Come on, genius!"
Their footsteps thundered across the sand, angles overlapping, some fanning left and right, others cutting in straight. To anyone else, it would've looked like a chaotic swarm.
Neji stepped in.
His right foot slid forward, right palm opening.
The first clone reached him with a yell, fist swinging.
Neji's arm moved in a clean, precise arc.
"Gentle Fist."
His fingertips brushed the clone's chest, chakra snapping into its system.
Bang.
Smoke exploded, the punch disappearing with it.
Another clone slid in from the side, aiming a kick at his ribs.
Bang.
The third came from behind, jumping high with a downward heel.
Neji didn't even look back; a twist of his hips, a shift in his stance, and his left hand shot up, two fingers brushing the clone's leg.
Bang.
Within seconds, the first wave of Narutos had turned into pure smoke, sand swirling in the aftershock of their disappearance.
Their timing is off, Neji thought, already stepping into the next gap. Their lines of attack are too loud.
Another clone rushed him with a wild punch.
Neji slid inside the arc, palm striking the arm cleanly near the shoulder.
"Your movements are full of openings," he said quietly as the clone erupted into smoke. "Even with this many bodies… you won't land a meaningful strike.
In the circle of orange, the real Naruto skidded back a step, lungs drawing a sharp breath.
Damn… he's really hitting the tenketsu even on clones, he thought, watching Neji carve through another two with almost lazy precision.
Kakashi-sensei was right. Those eyes are a pain.
Another pair of clones rushed in to cover his hesitation, buying him a second.
Naruto's face turned serious, his usually grinning expression shifting.
This isn't like the prelims anymore. I've got Mom's training. I've got the Rasengan more stronger then before. I'm not the same idiot who only knows how to charge in and yell.
He slammed his hands together again.
"Don't think I'll just stand here and watch!"
More clones puffed into existence around him, tightening the circle. This time, instead of all rushing at once, they shifted positions—two feinted forward and skidded back, three moved to Neji's left, one circled wide.
It was still Naruto's brand of "strategy," but the movement had rhythm now. Deliberate spacing. Angles Kushina had forced into his head again and again.
[Use the clones as eyes. As shields. As hands. Don't just throw them away, brat. Make them work for you.]
Naruto's gaze followed Neji carefully.
He steps in only when he's sure… his footwork is too relaxed. Looks like he's not even trying hard yet… Damnit.
Neji caught the shift instantly.
'He's not just charging recklessly anymore.'
A clone darted in, then veered away at the last second, drawing his eye for a heartbeat while another tried to slip in low.
He turned his weight, palm cutting down.
"Too shallow."
Bang.
The low clone vanished, but another was already flying in from above, aiming at his back.
Neji's heel dug into the sand, body rolling with controlled momentum as he spun, hand snapping up.
Bang.
Thin beads of sweat began to form at his temple.
Annoying… he adapts quickly. Even if each move is simple, he keeps changing the pattern. And that chakra… it still hasn't dropped much…
He shifted back a step, letting two clones pass in front of him before dismantling them with precise, economical strikes.
He already had an idea of what Naruto was trying to accomplish here...
Still trying to find a opening, Uzumaki Naruto? I won't give you one.
Neji's gaze hardened.
I'll shut you down before you even get close.
He inhaled slowly.
"If this is all," he said, voice calm, "then your struggle is pointless."
"Like hell it is," Naruto snapped.
He broke from the outer ring of clones in a blur, racing forward with three Narutos at his side.
One clone sprinted ahead of him.
Cover.
Another took his right flank.
Decoy.
The third kept half a step behind.
Support.
As they closed the distance, Naruto's hand shot out behind him without looking.
"Let's go!"
The clone behind him slapped its palm into Naruto's.
Chakra surged.
A tight, violent sphere began to form—spinning so fast the air around it warped, a high, keening whine cutting through the noise of the crowd.
Neji's Byakugan locked on it instantly.
That chakra… it's compressing? No, not just compressing—grinding. A spiraling mass meant to tear through whatever it hits.
"That jutsu," he realized, eyes narrowing as the pieces fell into place. "So that's your trump card. It's powerful… but not without a flaw. You need to make direct contact."
Naruto's teeth flashed in a fierce grin.
"Damn right!"
"Rasengan!"
He drove forward.
The lead clone jumped first, throwing a wild punch.
Neji slipped past, palm ready to strike his chest.
Bang.
Smoke flashed in front of his eyes—just enough to blur his vision for half a breath.
Naruto burst out of it, Rasengan screaming in his palm, closing the last few meters in an instant.
So fast—!
Neji's body moved before thought.
He dropped his stance low, chakra surging from every tenketsu.
"Rotation."
His body spun.
Chakra erupted outward in a perfect, whirling dome, sand and smoke blasting away as the Hyūga's absolute defense came to life.
Rasengan met Rotation head-on.
The impact shook the entire arena.
The grinding orb smashed against the spinning barrier, chakra howling as the two forces tore at each other—one trying to drill inward, the other deflecting, redirecting, refusing to let anything pass.
Naruto's muscles screamed as he leaned into it, arm straining from the backlash.
There's no way I'm losing to that same spin attack, temee…!
"I told you," Neji's voice came from within the spinning shield, strained but steady. "Fate decided this long ago. No matter what you do—"
"Shut up!"
Naruto roared, pushing more chakra into the Rasengan, feet digging furrows in the sand.
"I'm so sick of that word!"
The air where they clashed crackled, pressure waves bending the dust around them. For a moment, the surface of Neji's chakra dome warped, dipping under the Rasengan's force.
Neji felt it... a stabbing warning in his instincts.
He's forcing it in…? With this much raw chakra…
He grit his teeth.
No. I won't be pushed back. I won't lose to someone who doesn't understand what it means to be a genius.
He poured more chakra into his Rotation, spin speeding up, redirecting more of the Rasengan's force sideways, letting it bleed off into the air.
The two forces slammed into each other one last time... grinding sphere against spinning dome, before finally canceling out, chakra tearing itself apart and dispersing into the air.
Dust and wind rippled across the arena.
'I have to admit… the battle was closer than I expected,' Neji thought calmly, feet digging into the scarred sand as the last traces of Rotation faded from around him. 'But… it's still my victory, Naruto Uzumaki.'
Naruto's form was right in front of him, guard wide open, footing unsteady.
Neji's eyes sharpened.
His palm shot forward, straight toward Naruto's chest, aiming cleanly for his tenketsu.
"Gentle Fist."
"Na–Naruto-kun…!"
Sakura's breath hitched as she covered her mouth, already picturing the moment Naruto collapsed in defeat.
Beside her, Sasuke's eyes spun scarlet, three tomoe whirling as he tracked every motion below. Unlike Sakura's tension, there was a faint glint of amusement and a thin sliver of acknowledgement in his gaze.
Down on the sand—
"Gah—!"
Naruto's body jerked as Neji's palm struck him square in the chest.
Neji's expression didn't change.
With this, your chakra flow is—
He shifted his weight, other hand already rising to follow up, to shut down more tenketsu and end the match decisively.
And then...
Boom.
The "Naruto" in front of him exploded into smoke.
"…!"
A sharp rush of wind brushed past his ear from behind.
No… when—?!
Neji tried to twist, Byakugan flaring as he forced his body to turn, shoulders tensing to snap into a defensive posture.
But as he turned, what filled his vision wasn't an opening.
It was Naruto's grin.
Up close.
And in his hand—
A tightly spinning mass of chakra, shrieking as it tore at the very air around it.
"Take this—Rasengan!!"
"—!?"
Bam!
"Argh—!!"
The Rasengan slammed straight into Neji's stomach.
White-hot pain exploded through him, the breath in his lungs torn out in a raw, ugly sound as spittle flew from his mouth.
He… slipped the real body underground me… using the clash as cover…?
The thought barely formed before the world blurred.
Whoosh.
Neji's body shot backwards like a fired cannonball, smashing into the arena wall with a bone-deep boom.
Cracks spiderwebbed through the stone.
He hung there for a moment, half-embedded in the rock, head drooping forward, eyes closed as dust drifted down around him.
Complete silence fell over the place.
For a heartbeat, Konoha forgot how much it "hated" Uzumaki Naruto.
Then the noise crashed back in all at once.
"Wh… what the hell— that was insane!!"
"I got goosebumps… did you see that? He turned it around in an instant!"
"Unbelievable… that Hyūga kid actually lost…? Naruto really won!?"
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