Meeting Yondaime

Chapter 38

Genma looked around the arena, before the candidates for chunin in front of him. The matches were on the board so everyone in the stands could see. He could feel multiple pairs of eyes staring at him, trying to dissect him piece by piece.

"I thought Hayate said he was going to proctor this..." Genma looked at the voice. Naruto.

"He died during a mission, I'm his replacement." He shifted around slightly, waiting for the last few souls to drift in. 

"Alright, listen up!" All is darted to him, conversations dying out in excitement. "The rules are the same as the preliminary. The fight goes on until one dies, forfeits, is unable to fight, or I say so."

Naruto smirked, looking at Neji in the corner of his eye. "I'm going to win..." 

"Neji Hyuuga and Uzumaki Naruto, please stay in your place. All other participants, to the waiting box!" 

Naruto

Shuffling his feet to face Neji, he remained a blank face. 

"Begin."

Naruto formed a familiar cross seal in front of his chest, as he watched Neji activate his byakugan. Shadow clones popped into existence, and he began to walk towards Neji. "Sure you wish to fight me, Hyuuga?" He poured chakra into his eyes, rinnegan activating. 

"I'm not going to back down," Neji spoke, adjusting into the clan battle stance. 

Naruto then began to rush towards him, Neji waiting in silence until he Naruto was in his range.  He smirked as soon as he stepped in it. Dashing to Naruto, he aimed for his vital chakra points first; faster than he knew Naruto could evade. 

Or at least, he should have. Naruto seemed to sway with ease, and grab onto his wrists. Neji's eye's widened. Jumping upward, he kicked Neji in the stomach, before letting go of his wrists and aiming a punch at his face and gravity began to pull him downwards. Neji caught his fist, and Naruto aimed another at him. Neji grabbed that one as well. 

Using his knee to attack, and got Neji's stomach, and pushed away from him. Neji glared at him, slightly holding his stomach from the pain. 

Naruto grabbed Kunai and Shuriken in opposite and, jumping upwards and threw that at him. Neji began to rotate his body, chakra forming a shield in all directions; even below. 

Hiashi stared from the stands, pondering how a boy could learn from only observation. 

Naruto sent a clone to climb above the stands, and to sit on the roof until he wanted to attack. 

Neji began to dart towards him again, trying to land a hit. Naruto sighed, and extended his hand and muttered: "Shinra Tensei..." 

Neji was pushed into the arena wall, his head bleeding slightly. He coughed. 

Many in the audience stood up in shock, wondering what in the world had happened. He walked towards his opponent as he struggled upwards. "You... You cannot defy fate, Uzumaki..."

Naruto growled hungrily for vengeance on what he'd done to Hinata. "I will, and I will make you that you pay for what you did to her! She's your family!" 

"She's weak. Even Lord Hiashi wants either me or Hanabi to be the new head of the clan..." 

"You're wrong!" Naruto sprinted to him, jumping and aiming a kick to his face. Neji caught it. He punched. It was also caught. Twisting his body, he tried to punch one more time. Neji avoided it with his elbow and shoulder. "Auggh!" Using the momentum he had, he flipped himself over Neji and brought him down with him, leg pressed against his leg. 

"Dang it, you cheater!"

"I'm not cheating and you know it." Naruto ground his teeth together. 

"Oh, then what about your rinnegan!" Neji spoke through clenched teeth. 

"What about your all-seeing eyes?" Naruto grabbed Neji's hair and pulled on it hard.

Looking at Naruto, Neji smirked and flipped over Naruto. Holding him down with his feet, he struck the chakra points as fast as he could. Naruto gasped in pain, unable to move.

Getting up, Neji glared at him. Before starting to make his way to the staircase. 

"The winner is Hyu-"

"Bansho Ten'in!" 

Neji's eyes widened as he could feel his body plummet to the ground and be dragged through it threw stones and dirt all the way back to Naruto. Soon; he felt hands around his neck, squeezing tightly. Naruto shifted his body so he was on top of Neji's knees on top of his arms so he couldn't use Justu. Taking one hand off, he continued to squeeze Neji's neck, but not as hard. A sphere of chakra began to spiral into his hand, strands of the fabricated spiritual energy spinning in every direction possible. Naruto pressed it close to Neji's face. "You wouldn't..." 

"I would," Naruto glowered down at him, pressing it even closer still. "Give up."

"Never, I have honor, what do you have?"

Naruto's eyes flashed orangeish red, and for a split second Neji swore they had slits for pupils. Slamming the Rasengan into the ground, he discarded it and punched Neji in the nose, and the head hard enough to knock him unconscious. 

Genma stared at him. He'd almost awarded the wrong person... He watched as Naruto staggered upwards slowly and wobbled to the stairs. Sasuke and Sakura had rushed down to help him up the stairs. 

"The winner is Uzumaki Naruto!"

Neji

A knock on the door alerted Neji as he sat on the bed in the medical ward. "Come in." 

A tall figure walked in, and Neji's eyes widened. "Uncle Hiashi."

"Neji... I should have told you sooner..." The man placed a hand on his head. 

"Tell me what?" Neji looked at him, but Hiashi didn't say a thing. He only held a letter, and handed it to Neji, before walking to the door. 

"Forgive me, Nephew."

Neji didn't respond but stared at the letter addressed to him. It was his father's handwriting. Hesitantly opening it, he began to read. 

As he read, tears rolled down his eyes, crying. The letter explained how his father truly died. He'd wanted to die... He chose it... He had explained to Neji that there was no such thing as fate or destiny, but the last four words struck him the most.  'I love you, son. ~Hizashi(dad).'

Weeping into his hand, he folded the letter and tucked it into his kunai pouch for safekeeping until he got home.

"Neji..." Tenten opened the door slightly and looked at him. Rushing in, she embraced him in a hug. "It's okay... It's okay..." 

Neji looked at her, a fear tears still leaking out of his eyes. Placing a hand under her chin, he drew closer to her and kissed her.

Suprise! Two chapters in just a few hours! I'm sorry, I do suck at battle scenes... But I hope you liked the end!