The matches that followed progressed smoothly, each battle showcasing the unique abilities of the young shinobi.
Without the limitation of the Cursed Seal suppressing his power, Sasuke easily overwhelmed his opponent from the Sound Village. It was less of a battle and more of a one-sided beatdown. If Naruto didn't exist, Sasuke would undoubtedly be hailed as the top genius of this new generation of Genin.
The next match: Yamanaka Ino vs. Haruno Sakura.
Even before the fight began, the atmosphere was electric. Tension crackled in the air, and to everyone's shock, the match had a personal wager—Naruto! Whoever lost this fight was banned from approaching him!
The battle commenced, and it quickly became clear that Sakura, now strengthened both physically and mentally, had the upper hand. Her training under Naruto had paid off, and her strikes carried a power Ino had never experienced before.
Faced with Sakura's overwhelming physical strength, Ino could do little more than dodge and retreat. If Sakura had kept pushing her advantage, she could have easily forced Ino into a corner and ended the match decisively.
But then… Sakura hesitated.
She remembered those days when she was bullied, when she had no strength, when it was Ino who stood up for her. Now, because of Naruto, she had grown stronger. But what if it were Ino who trained with Naruto instead of her? Would she have been the one fleeing and taking hits?
A wave of conflicting emotions rushed through Sakura.
With a deep breath, she stepped back and made a decision. She suppressed her unnatural strength and chose to face Ino with her own, unenhanced power. The result?
A draw.
The match ended without a winner, but perhaps, in a way, both of them had won something more valuable than victory.
The following battles unfolded in similar fashion, with a few surprises sprinkled in. One notable upset: Yakushi Kabuto defeated Akimichi Chōji.
That result shocked the audience. After all, Chōji hailed from a respected ninja clan, while Kabuto had failed to pass the Chūnin Exams several times before. No one expected the supposed underdog to win.
And then, the most anticipated match of the round began.
Hyūga Hinata vs. Hyūga Neji.
As Hinata stepped forward, her hands trembling slightly, all eyes turned to the battlefield. Her cousin, Neji, stood across from her, arms crossed, cold eyes glaring. A glint of hostility shone in his gaze.
"Caged Bird's shame…" Neji muttered under his breath. "Today, I'll let your precious clan taste my resentment."
His hatred for the Hyūga main family had always simmered beneath the surface, unspoken but undeniable. If not for the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead, who knows—Neji may have become another Uchiha Itachi in spirit, if not in strength.
"Neji seems to hold a serious grudge against Hinata," Naruto observed.
Because of his link to the Nine Tails, Naruto could clearly sense the chakra fluctuations of everyone in the arena. When Neji laid eyes on Hinata, his chakra turned wild and violent.
Naruto didn't know the full story, but one thing was clear—he couldn't let Neji hurt Hinata.
"Hey, big fox, can you do me a favor?" Naruto whispered mentally.
"???"
Kurama, the Nine Tails, groggily opened one eye. These childish matches didn't interest him at all. He was eager to clash with One-Tail someday. Still, Naruto was persistent.
"What is it now, brat?"
Naruto quickly explained his plan.
With a smile, he approached Hinata, who was visibly nervous. Her hands were shaking, her breathing was uneven, and she avoided eye contact. She was clearly overwhelmed. After all, her opponent was Neji, the Hyūga clan's acknowledged prodigy.
Seeing her state, Naruto gently took Hinata's hand.
"Na-Naruto-kun's hands… are so big… and warm…" Hinata thought, her cheeks flushing.
In that moment, something changed inside her. A warm, powerful energy began to stir within her body.
Was this… the power of Naruto-kun's love?
"Come on, Hinata," Naruto said with a bright smile, giving her a thumbs-up. "If you win… go out with me!"
Hinata's face turned crimson. "D-dating Naruto-kun…?"
She took a deep breath, her body still tingling from the warmth of Naruto's touch.
"I'll do my best!" she shouted, voice clear and resolute.
With renewed determination, Hinata stepped into the arena. The warmth from Naruto's palm still lingered, giving her strength. Was it really just warmth… or something more?
"Contestants, are you ready?" the proctor asked. "Begin!"
Neji stepped forward, arms relaxed but eyes sharp. "You should know, Miss Hinata," he said coldly, "you're no match for me. If you value your life, you'd best surrender."
But Hinata didn't flinch. For once, she didn't lower her gaze.
"I won't give up," she declared.
"Because… Naruto-kun is watching me."
Gasps echoed from the audience as Hinata rushed forward to strike.
Neji sneered. "I understand your feelings, but genius and mediocrity are decided from birth."
He prepared to counter with a standard Gentle Fist maneuver, fully expecting to parry and end the match in one smooth move.
But—
BANG!
"Wh-what?!"
To everyone's utter shock, Hinata's strike landed, sending Neji flying like a cannonball into the arena wall!
Even Hyūga Hiashi, her father, was completely dumbfounded.
"Is this… the Gentle Fist I taught her?"
From the stands:
Tenten shouted, "What the hell just happened? How can Hinata beat Neji?!"
Lee's eyes sparkled. "Could it be… that someone like me… a so-called loser… can surpass a genius through sheer effort?! This is so inspiring!"
Might Guy burst into dramatic tears. "Yes, Lee! Youth must be unleashed! Burn, Hinata, burn with the flames of youth!"
Kakashi calmly interrupted, "Hate to rain on your parade, but... that wasn't just effort. Hinata used Nine Tails' chakra."
Tenten blinked. "Wait… isn't that Naruto's power?"
Tsunade folded her arms, analyzing the situation. "Naruto transferred a bit of the Nine Tails' chakra into Hinata's body. It's still a Gentle Fist technique—but now it's charged with tailed beast power. The effect is… explosive."
The Fourth Raikage grunted in approval. "Hmph. Never thought the Nine Tails brat from Konoha could manipulate his tailed beast to this extent."
Killer Bee joined in, rapping: "When it comes to syncing with a beast, Hachi and me—we never cease!"
Naruto grinned. "I wanna be like you too! Right, Nine Tails?"
Kurama huffed. "You wish! Even if the Uchiha controlled me again, even if I died on some battlefield—I'd still never be friends with you!"
Back in the arena, Neji slowly rose to his feet, bruised and stunned.
"Am I… going to lose… to Miss Hinata?"
He had long since cast off the shadow of the Caged Bird Seal that once haunted him. But still, losing to Hinata—someone he had always looked down upon—was hard to accept.
Neji was older than the rest of his peers, and his "genius" reputation came from excelling early at the Academy. But the others—Ino, Shikamaru, Chōji—only began their real training after becoming official Genin.
And then they caught up.
By the time of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Neji's so-called "genius" had faded into the background. The real stars were the children of famous clans—those with inherited strength and legacy.
In the end, Neji Hyūga was just one small thread in the fabric of the ninja world.
No matter how hard he tried, one person alone couldn't change the system.
But perhaps… just one spark—like Hinata's defiant stand today—was enough to light a fire in the hearts of those who dared to challenge fate.