Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyūga Neji
From the moment the match was announced, Uzumaki Naruto's expression hardened.
Neji's actions during the preliminaries—especially what he'd done to Hinata—were still burned into his mind. Hinata wasn't just a fellow genin. She was someone who had stood on the same battlefield, someone who had gathered the courage to fight despite her fear.
Naruto couldn't forgive that.
The instant the match began, he charged forward without hesitation.
But the cold, superior gaze of the Hyūga clan and the precision of the Gentle Fist—were not things the current Naruto could confront head-on.
Sure enough, no matter how wildly he attacked, every punch was calmly deflected.
Naruto swung again.
And this time, his entire body was sent flying.
In the stands, Sakura leapt to her feet.
"No! Naruto!"
Neji's palm struck Naruto square in the chest, hitting a chakra point directly.
The impact stole Naruto's breath—his vision went white for a moment, and he nearly blacked out.
This was the terror of the Gentle Fist.
By seeing through the body's chakra network and sealing the tenketsu, the Hyūga could shut down an opponent's chakra flow entirely. Once struck, ninjutsu became impossible.
Naruto knew that.
Even so, he forced his hands together.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Gasps rippled through the viewing stands.
"Shadow Clones?! That's a jōnin-level technique!"
"This fight just got unpredictable…"
Across the arena, Neji activated his Byakugan, observing the battlefield calmly.
Shadow Clones evenly distributed chakra—it made distinguishing the real body difficult.
But Neji wasn't concerned.
"In the end," he said coldly, "there's only one real one."
Dozens of clones rushed forward.
One by one, they were struck down—dispersing in bursts of smoke—only for more to rise again.
Naruto kept pushing himself forward.
Blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.
No one noticed that beside the leader of the Gensokyo Ninja Village stood two masked figures resembling ANBU.
When Naruto formed the hand seals, both of them trembled—just slightly.
Emotion stirred behind those masks.
The battle continued—but it became painfully one-sided.
Neji unleashed the Hyūga clan's secret art—
Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation.
Chakra erupted outward, forming a spinning barrier around his body—absolute offense and defense combined.
Naruto staggered back, eyes wide.
For the first time, despair crept in.
Then—
Something changed.
Under the gaze of thousands, the two began to speak—not with fists, but with hearts laid bare.
Neji spoke of the hatred between the Hyūga main family and the branch family.
Of the Caged Bird Seal.
Of how his father had been sacrificed to the Hidden Cloud to prevent war—offered up in place of Hinata's father.
Every word sent ripples through the crowd.
So this was the truth.
Even among the noble Hyūga… such cruelty existed.
High above, the most mysterious of the Five Kage—Gensokyo—spoke softly.
"So the Third Hokage truly made that choice… trading one of his own for peace with the Cloud."
The implication was sharp.
ANBU behind Sarutobi Hiruzen bristled, but the old Hokage raised a hand, stopping them.
"Heh… Lord Gensokyo jokes," Hiruzen replied calmly.
"These are the decisions a Hokage must bear. Without such sacrifices, how could peace be maintained? The Hyūga understand the Will of Fire."
"I see," Gensokyo said lightly.
"But I heard that during the Fourth Hokage's era… nothing like this ever happened."
At the mention of the Fourth Hokage, Hiruzen fell silent.
His gaze returned to the battlefield.
Gensokyo did not press further.
Now wasn't the time.
Nearby, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, chuckled quietly.
He had already tested Gensokyo's strength—this man was no ordinary figure. His ties to the Fire Country's daimyō were well known.
If someone like that aligned fully with Konoha…
That would not bode well for Sunagakure.
Seeing the subtle tension between Gensokyo and the Hokage, Rasa sensed opportunity.
The battlefield below drew everyone's attention once more.
Naruto clenched his fists.
"I don't know how much pain you went through after your father died," he said firmly.
"But you think everything is decided by fate?"
"That's where you're wrong!"
Neji pulled his forehead protector back into place, covering the Caged Bird Seal.
"What a foolish optimist."
He charged.
A Gentle Fist strike sent Naruto flying once more.
Neji turned toward the referee.
"It's over."
Then—
"The one at the bottom!"
Neji froze.
"You… don't turn your back!"
Naruto forced himself upright, trembling but unyielding.
"I won't run away!"
"I won't break my promise!"
"This is my ninja way!"
Neji scoffed.
"I've heard those words before."
Naruto didn't care.
"You keep talking about fate."
"You're the one running away from reality!"
"I'll never lose to you!"
Something snapped.
"You ignorant brat!" Neji roared.
"From the moment a person is born, they're bound by destiny!"
Naruto smiled.
"So what?"
"Don't act like you're the only one who's special!"
Then—
A red chakra burst from Naruto's body.
The air grew heavy.
Hyūga Hiashi stiffened in horror.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened.
"That chakra… it's the Nine-Tails. When did he—?!"
At the edge of the stands, Namikaze Kirito smiled faintly.
On the battlefield, Neji's brow beaded with sweat.
This chakra… wasn't human.
Naruto surged forward.
His speed exploded.
The fight turned brutal—fists clashing, chakra colliding, dust and debris swallowing the arena.
When the dust settled—
Neji stood tall.
Naruto lay motionless.
Neji relaxed.
Then—
A figure burst from the side.
Naruto's fist smashed into Neji's jaw, sending him flying.
Silence.
Then the referee raised his arm.
"Winner—Uzumaki Naruto!"
The stadium erupted.
People stood, clapping, cheering, shouting his name.
They weren't applauding victory alone—
They were applauding his refusal to give up.
His will.
His way of being a ninja.
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