"Kazekage-sama." Third Hokage's previously somber expression brightened into a radiant smile the moment he saw the newcomer, as if he were genuinely delighted. "Welcome, welcome. Such a tiring journey. Next time, we really should hold the exams in Sunagakure instead."
"Not at all. It's far better to host the Chunin Exams in Konoha." The Fourth Kazekage's tone was light, but his words carried a pointed edge. "At your age, traveling such a distance would be too much of a strain. It would be best to decide on the Fifth Hokage as soon as possible."
Third Hokage sighed amiably, as if he hadn't caught the implication. "Don't write me off as an old man just yet. I still plan to work for another five years."
After their strained, cordial exchange, the two Kage took their seats. Soon, the various daimyo and nobles began to arrive, settling into loose circles around them. Seated beside Hokage was Hattori, one of the most powerful magnates in the shinobi world.
"I hereby declare the Chunin Selection Exams officially open!" Hokage announced, his voice carrying across the arena. "Everyone, please enjoy the show."
As he finished speaking, the competitors for the first match walked slowly into the arena.
"Neji Hyuga vs. Naruto Uzumaki. Begin!"
"Naruto," Neji began, his voice calm and measured as he settled into his stance. He made no move to attack. "The last time we fought seriously was at the Hyuga main gate. That day, I learned just how wide the gap between us truly was."
'I still don't understand how I lost,' he thought, the memory of that thorough, overwhelming defeat still sharp in his mind. 'It was over before it even began.'
"I need to know," he said, his gaze hardening, "if I've managed to close that distance at all."
"This is your stage," Naruto replied, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Show everyone what you can do. I'll be your sparring partner." He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. "But if you put on a bad show, I'm sending you right back to Super Intense Training."
A faint shiver ran down Neji's spine at the mention of that training.
--**--**
In the stands, Hiashi Hyuga was instructing his daughter. "Neji is the genius who has most perfectly inherited our clan's bloodline. Hanabi, study this match closely. You must observe and surpass him."
Hanabi nodded, her serious gaze fixed on the arena below. "Yes, Father."
Nearby, Might Guy flashed a brilliant smile at his rival. "Kakashi! This is the first true clash between our prized students! Neji is the most gifted taijutsu user I have ever had the pleasure of teaching. Not even one of your students can hope to defeat him!"
"Hm?" Kakashi glanced over, scratching his head. "Were you saying something to me?"
"As expected of my cool eternal rival!" Guy cheered, undeterred.
--**--**
"Byakugan!"
The veins around his eyes bulged as his gaze sharpened, piercing through everything in his field of vision. He raised his arms into his signature stance and, with a single step, vanished, reappearing directly in front of Naruto a moment later. Inside his mind a vast Eight Trigrams pattern seemed to bloom beneath his feet.
The Hyuga clan's signature Gentle Fist.
"Eight Trigrams!"
Neji's hands shot out like lightning, striking rapidly toward Naruto's vital points. The Gentle Fist aimed to drive chakra into the enemy's body to damage internal organs and chakra pathways. A single clean hit could be devastating.
"What incredible speed... what fierce power," Hiashi murmured, unable to hold back his admiration. Neji's skill already surpassed most jonin of the clan. And he was only twelve.
*Smack. Smack. Smack.*
But Neji's opponent was also a taijutsu master. Every one of Neji's precise strikes was parried aside by Naruto's forearms. His attacks were being read perfectly.
"It's only just beginning!" Neji flowed seamlessly into another motion, surging forward at twice his previous speed. His palms sharpened into spear-like fingers.
"Two Palms!"
"Four Palms!"
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
A high-speed barrage of strikes hammered into Naruto, each one landing with pinpoint accuracy, lifting him off his feet and sending him flying through the air.
"What... just happened?" a spectator whispered, stunned.
Neji's hands had moved so quickly that most of the audience hadn't seen a thing. By the time they saw Naruto sailing backward, all sixty-four strikes had already found their mark.
"That... 'Palms' technique... incredible!" a daimyo in the VIP box exclaimed, snapping his fan shut. "It was over in the blink of an eye. Elder Danzo, I thought you said the Uzumaki boy would win for certain."
"Please be patient. The match has only just begun," Danzo said calmly, his confidence in Naruto unshaken. "An attack of that level could never hurt him."
'He is my ultimate weapon,' Danzo thought, his expression unchanging. 'How could he possibly be defeated by the Gentle Fist? I know his true strength better than anyone.'
"Naruto hasn't even used one-fifth of his power. Just keep watching," Danzo assured the daimyo.
In the stands, a shinobi let out a low whistle. "A fight like this is already jonin-level."
"Are the Chunin Exams always this intense?" someone next to him murmured, wide-eyed.
Down below, Neji watched Naruto's body hit the ground. "Drop the act, Naruto. Hits like that don't just fail to hurt you, they're not even enough to scratch an itch."
"Tch."
Naruto clicked his tongue and vanished in a puff of white smoke. It had just been a Shadow Clone.
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
With a rushing sound, a whip-like kick came cracking toward Neji.
'Too close!' Neji realized. 'There's no room to dodge!'
There was only one option.
"Rotation!"
Neji released a torrent of chakra from every chakra point on his body and began to spin, creating a shimmering, rotating dome of pure energy, the Hyuga clan's absolute defense. Naruto's kick slammed into the barrier, and the resulting shockwave threw them both in opposite directions.
"That move..." Hiashi shot to his feet, his composure finally breaking. Rotation was a secret technique, passed down only through the main house. Neji should never have had the chance to even see it performed properly, let alone learn it.
Unless...
Hiashi's heart pounded in his chest as the only possible explanation struck him.
'To master it on his own... his talent is terrifying,' he thought. 'A true prodigy.'
Naruto landed lightly on his feet, casually brushing some nonexistent dust from his shoulder before crooking a finger at his opponent. "Warm-up's over. Now I can get a little serious."
"Let's keep going, Neji."
Neji didn't answer with words. He pushed off the ground, and got into Gentle Fist stance once more, this time expanding his range several times larger than before. That was his answer.
His speed climbed another tier. Now, apart from taijutsu specialists and dojutsu users, no one could hope to follow his movements. If someone could slow his actions down, they would see a motion as smooth as flowing water, graceful as a dance, like a moth fluttering effortlessly through a field of flowers.
"One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms!"
===============
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