You're not the only one.... ×Book 1×

69. Chūnin exams: The middle of the end

'People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die'

-Plato
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The match between Naruto and Neji was not looking good.
Neji contiuned to use his technique, Gentle fist, to sap away all of Naruto's Chakra. Naruto tried many different techniques: he threw Kunai, used shadow clones, and even tried fist to fist.
Yet, no matter what he did) nothing seemed to work.

"Just give up" Neji remarked after having hit one of Naruto's fatal points "accept your defeat now and you won't suffer anymore damage, that was in your destiny."

Naruto coughed up blood and glared up at Neji angrily, frustration clear in his eyes.

"You're really pissing me off with all this destiny and fate crap!" He growled angrily "I make my own fate! No one can decide that for me!"

"I tried to save you" Neji said, frowning "just know that your stubbornness will be the death of you."

Naruto smirked and didn't reply. I watched in fear as Neji activated his: 8 trigrams 64 palms. Naruto stared up at the sky for a moment then sighed deeply.

"This is gonna suck."

Naruto then took out a Kunai and charged directly at Neji.

"BAKA!" I heard Sakura yell "THAT'S SUICIDE!"

Naruto ignored her and charged directly at Neji. Time seemed to slow down after that. I watched in disbelief as Neji easily knocked the Kunai from Naruto's hand then began violently hitting every last Chakra point he had, until he ended it by palming him hard in his chest where his heart was. Naruto was still for a moment, then he coughed up a large amount of blood and slumped to the ground, unmoving.

N-Naruto.....? I contiuned to stare at him, on the ground as still as a rock.

N-No....that's impossible!

Tears began to stream heavily down my cheeks and I clutched the railing so tightly my knuckles turned white. Neji smirked and turned towards Genma, and I wanted nothing more then to wipe that stupid smirk from his face. I wanted to run down there and beat Neji until he was a bleeding, quivering mess on the ground!

Genma exhaled deeply and said "the winner of this match is Ne-"

"NO!"

Everyone gasped and turned towards me surprised at my sudden outburst. I couldn't help it. I felt angry, and not entirely at Neji, but at Naruto as well.

"NARUTO UZAMAKI!" I yelled angrily "YOU GET UP RIGHT NOW! HOW DARE YOU TRY AND GIVE UP! YOU DAMN COWARD! GET UP!"

Neji turned towards me and rolled his eyes in anoyannce, shaking his head in the process.

"That's pointless" he said calmly "he's unconscious, Ruka. He won't wa-"

"Shut up Neji."

Everyone gasped and turned towards the stadium again. I watched as Naruto, who was unmoving at first, slowly picked himself up off the ground, clenching his hands tightly into fist.

"Don't you try and act like you're better then me!" Naruto said angrily as red Chakra began to swirl around him "I won't lose to you, because I don't give up that easily!"

Neji frowned and got into an attack position as the two engaged in battle once more. I watched as Naruto used his demons Chakra to move at an incredible speed that Neji couldn't keep up with. In the end, the two had created a large explosion and Naruto had knocked Neji out by punching him hard in the jaw from underground.