One month had passed, and the day of the third Chunin Exam had finally arrived.
The arena was packed with spectators, and at the top seats sat the Fifth Hokage — Tsunade — and the Fourth Kazekage.
Ten candidates arrived at the venue.
Tsunade stood up and said loudly,
"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you who came to Konoha to watch the Chunin Selection Exam. Now, let the ten candidates who passed the preliminaries proceed to the official matches. Please enjoy the battles to your heart's content."
When she finished, Shiranui Genma, today's examiner, pulled out a new match list and said,
"I'd like to make an announcement before we begin. The match lineup has changed slightly. Please confirm your opponents once again."
New Battle Order:
First Match: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyuga Neji
Second Match: Yamanaka Ino vs. Uchiha Sasuke
Third Match: Nara Shikamaru vs. Temari
Fourth Match: Gaara vs. Uzumaki Menma
Fifth Match: Aburame Shino vs. Kankuro
Except for Kankuro and Shino's match, everything remained the same.
Genma tucked the list away and continued,
"Although the arena is different, the rules are the same as the preliminaries: there are no rules. The battle continues until one side dies or admits defeat. If the examiner determines that the fight is over, you must immediately stop. No resistance will be tolerated. Understood?"
When he said this, Genma's gaze briefly rested on Menma.
He added deliberately,
"Candidates will not interfere with the examiner's duties. You must trust the examiner's judgment."
Menma sighed internally. Got it, got it. You're clearly talking to me…
"Then, the first round — Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyuga Neji!"
The two called stayed in the arena while the others stepped out.
As Sasuke walked past Naruto, he said, "Naruto, don't you dare lose."
"Understood, Sasuke. I won't lose!" Naruto replied confidently, glancing at his brother, who didn't look back but raised a fist in silent encouragement.
Because Menma knew — Naruto would not lose. If the original Naruto could win, the current one certainly could.
Even with the Byakugan, Neji couldn't match him.
The two took their stances.
"Begin!" Genma announced.
Naruto charged first, throwing two kunai straight at Neji.
Clang!Clang!
Neji deflected both instantly. At that moment, Naruto was already in front of him, launching a right-handed punch.
I see you! Neji thought, raising his left arm to block, releasing a burst of force that knocked Naruto off balance.
But Naruto didn't panic. He swung a leg to feint a kick, preventing Neji from counterattacking, then used the motion to leap back with a 720-degree spin, widening the distance.
A smirk tugged at Naruto's lips.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
"Wind Style: Air Bullets!"
A whirlwind and a sphere of compressed wind rushed at Neji from both sides.
"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!"
Releasing chakra from all his tenketsu points, Neji spun rapidly, creating a barrier that deflected both attacks.
Neji exhaled slightly, confident. But the next moment—
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
"Wind Style: Air Bullets!"
The same attacks again — faster, stronger.
"What?!" Neji reacted too late to use Rotation again. He stomped hard and jumped sideways, barely evading the twin wind blasts.
The two wind attacks collided midair, causing a violent explosion that sent dust flying.
"N-Neji!" Rock Lee shouted from the stands.
"It's fine. Neji's the strongest," TenTen said, though worry crept into her tone.
When the dust cleared, Neji stood unscathed — but barely. Naruto's relentless attacks had shaken even the audience.
Naruto retrieved his kunai and created four shadow clones, using his real body as bait.
The clones split into two pairs, attacking from different angles. The first forced Neji to use Rotation again.
Menma had taught Naruto this much: although Neji could use the technique multiple times, there was a brief pause afterward — just long enough for Naruto to strike again.
But even so, Neji narrowly avoided the follow-up.
The back-and-forth drew cheers from the crowd.
"Go, Naruto!"
"Don't lose, Neji!"
Naruto grinned. "You're strong," he admitted.
Neji didn't answer. Naruto remembered what his brother always said:
Don't waste time talking. Just keep pressing the attack.
For Menma and Naruto, their chakra reserves were overwhelming. A battle of endurance was one they could easily win.
Naruto threw more kunai.
Clang!Clang! Neji blocked again, frowning. The same trick?
Naruto seized the moment to summon eight shadow clones.
They rushed Neji from all sides.
Neji's eyes tracked them easily. I can see through everything. He began countering smoothly.
"I see it," Shikamaru muttered from the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Naruto gathered chakra. This time, it was far denser — not a C-rank technique, but something stronger.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"
With a deep breath, he unleashed dozens of razor-sharp wind blasts like bullets.
Neji tried to dodge, but two of Naruto's remaining clones grabbed him tightly.
"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!"
The attacks collided with a deafening boom. Explosions rippled across the arena floor.
"N-Neji!" Rock Lee shouted again.
"Neji, hang in there!" TenTen cried, worried. The power was far beyond what Naruto had used earlier.
Naruto panted, watching through the rising smoke.
As it cleared, Neji emerged — his clothes torn, blood on his arm. Naruto's attack had definitely hit home.
Neji's face twisted in frustration. He'd been defending the whole time — and now, injured. Unacceptable.
But then he noticed Naruto breathing heavily. He's used up most of his chakra… now's my chance.
Just as Neji prepared to counter, Naruto's chakra suddenly surged again. An orange aura cloaked his body, swirling violently.
Menma smiled from the stands. "The winner's already decided."
(End of Chapter)
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