*Naruto: The Dragonoid's Legacy*
---
*Two Weeks Later - Konoha Stadium*
The Chunin Exam finals arena buzzed with excitement as thousands of spectators filled the stands. Nobles, civilians, and shinobi from various villages gathered to witness the next generation of ninja compete. The Hokage sat in his booth alongside the Kazekage, while in the arena below, Genin participants began to gather.
Sakura Haruno stood nervously near Kakashi, her eyes scanning the entrance for any sign of her blonde teammate. "Kakashi-sensei, where IS he? The matches are about to start!"
"Maa, you know Naruto," Kakashi said with his signature eye-smile, though internally he was wondering the same thing. Jiraiya had been radio silent about their training, which was unusual even for the Toad Sage.
"He's probably still training with that pervert," Sasuke commented, hands in his pockets, though his eyes also flickered toward the entrance. After his own month of training with Kakashi, he was curious to see what the dead-last had learned.
Neji Hyuga stood apart from the others, his Byakugan deactivated but his expression supremely confident. "It matters not whether the failure shows up or not. Fate has already determined the outcome of our match."
"Don't count Naruto out so easily," a voice called out.
Everyone turned to see Jiraiya walking into the arena, his typical grin in place. But he was alone.
"Jiraiya-sama!" Sakura rushed over. "Where's Naruto? Is he coming?"
"Oh, he's coming alright," Jiraiya chuckled, though there was something odd in his expression—a mixture of amusement and concern. "He's just... had to make a quick stop. He'll be here before his match, don't worry."
What Jiraiya didn't mention was that Naruto was currently perched on top of the Hokage Monument, practicing maintaining his human appearance.
---
**Atop the Hokage Monument - Minutes Earlier**
Naruto sat cross-legged on top of the Fourth Hokage's head, his eyes closed in concentration. His dragon wings were fully manifested, spread wide to catch the morning sun, and his horns gleamed with pink-and-gold energy.
"Okay, focus," he muttered to himself. "Pervy Sage said it should be instinctive. Just... will them away. Think human thoughts. No wings, no horns, no golden eyes..."
Over the past two weeks, his training with Jiraiya had been intense. Not just learning to use his new dragonoid abilities, but learning to *suppress* them. The power that Milim had granted him was vast—almost overwhelming—and it wanted to be expressed. His body naturally wanted to manifest the wings, the horns, the eyes. It took active concentration to appear fully human.
But he was getting better at it.
Slowly, the wings began to fade, becoming translucent before disappearing entirely into his back. The horns receded into his temples. And his eyes... he opened them to reveal his natural blue, though occasionally flecks of gold would flash through them.
"There we go!" Naruto grinned, examining his reflection in a kunai. He looked completely normal—same blonde hair, same blue eyes, same orange jumpsuit (though Jiraiya had tried and failed to get him to change outfits). "Heh, no one will even know!"
Well, mostly normal. His senses were still far sharper than any human's. He could hear conversations from the arena nearly a mile away. He could feel the magical energy—magicules, the Kyuubi had called them—flowing through the air. And there was this constant urge to just let loose, to fight, to test his strength against worthy opponents.
*"Remember what we discussed,"* the Kyuubi's voice rumbled in his mind. *"You're keeping this transformation secret for now. Use only what you need to win. Don't reveal your full power unless absolutely necessary."*
"I know, I know," Naruto said aloud. "Stay undercover, don't go overboard, try not to accidentally destroy the arena. Got it."
*"I'm serious, boy. If you reveal what you've become, every village will either want to capture you or kill you. You're not just a Jinchuuriki anymore—you're something that shouldn't exist in this world."*
Naruto's expression sobered. The Kyuubi was right. Even Jiraiya had spent hours explaining the potential consequences if the wrong people learned about his dragonoid nature. For now, it was better to appear as just a stronger, better-trained Naruto.
He stood up, stretched, and felt his body humming with restrained power. "Alright! Time to show everyone how much I've improved! Neji won't know what hit him!"
With a running start, he leaped off the monument—then caught himself. Right. No flying in public. He quickly formed hand seals.
"**Shadow Clone Jutsu!**"
A single clone appeared, caught him mid-air, and threw him toward a rooftop. Naruto dismissed it and parkoured his way toward the arena the old-fashioned way, though even his basic movements were now superhuman. He had to consciously slow himself down to avoid drawing attention.
---
**Chunin Exam Arena**
"The first match will begin shortly," Genma Shiranui, the proctor, announced. "Naruto Uzumaki versus Neji Hyuga. Will both participants—"
"WAIT!"
Everyone's heads turned toward the arena entrance as a familiar figure came sprinting in, waving his arms.
"I'M HERE! I'M HERE! Don't start without me!"
"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled, relief flooding her features. Then her expression shifted to anger. "YOU'RE LATE!"
Naruto skidded to a stop in the arena, grinning widely. "Sorry, sorry! I was just—whoa."
He stopped mid-sentence as he took in the massive crowd. Thousands of eyes were on him. And more importantly, he could *feel* them—every heartbeat, every breath, every flicker of chakra. His new senses were almost overwhelming.
"You okay there, Naruto?" Kakashi called out, noticing his student's momentary disorientation.
"Yeah! Never better!" Naruto gave a thumbs up, forcing himself to filter out the sensory overload. "Just taking it all in, you know?"
Sakura gasped as she got a closer look at him. "Naruto... did you get taller?"
She was right. Naruto had grown at least two inches during his training. His frame was slightly more filled out, more defined. And there was something different about the way he carried himself—more confident, more... dangerous?
"Growing boy!" Naruto laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Pervy Sage's training was intense!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he activated his Sharingan to examine Naruto. Something was definitely different. The chakra network was similar, but there was something else—another energy flowing through him that the Sharingan couldn't quite identify. "What exactly did you do for a month?"
"Lots of stuff! Tree climbing, water walking, summoning jutsu—" Naruto was interrupted by Genma.
"As touching as this reunion is, we have matches to conduct. Everyone except Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga, please clear the arena."
The others retreated to the upper level as Naruto and Neji faced each other in the center of the arena.
Neji's Byakugan activated immediately, veins bulging around his eyes. "I see you haven't run away, failure. Though you should have. Your fate was sealed the moment this match was—"
He stopped mid-speech, his Byakugan-enhanced vision focusing on Naruto's chakra network. What he saw made no sense. The network was normal, but surrounding it was something else—an energy that his Byakugan could barely perceive, like trying to see through dense fog. And at certain points, particularly around Naruto's shoulder blades and temples, there seemed to be... concentrated masses of this unknown energy, suppressed and hidden.
"What... what is that?" Neji muttered.
"Hm? What's what?" Naruto tilted his head, genuinely confused.
Neji shook it off. Whatever trick or seal Jiraiya had placed on the boy, it wouldn't matter. "Nothing. It changes nothing. You cannot defeat fate, Naruto Uzumaki. You are a failure, and you will always be a failure. That is your destiny."
Something flashed in Naruto's eyes—a brief glimmer of gold that Neji almost missed.
"Fate, huh?" Naruto's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that hadn't been there before. "You know what, Neji? I'm sick of people telling me what I can and can't do. What I'm destined to be." His grin was sharp. "So I'm gonna prove you wrong. I'm gonna show you that hard work beats destiny. And I'm gonna do it while barely trying!"
That last part just slipped out—a bit of Milim's confidence bleeding through. Naruto mentally kicked himself. *Stay humble, stay humble...*
"Barely trying?" Neji's expression darkened. "You dare mock me?"
"Nope! Just stating facts!" Naruto dropped into a fighting stance, and those watching noticed it was much more refined than his usual sloppy form. "Come on, let's make this interesting!"
In the stands, Hiashi Hyuga leaned forward with interest. There was something different about the Uzumaki boy. Something that made his instincts scream danger.
In the Hokage's booth, Sarutobi puffed on his pipe thoughtfully. Jiraiya had sent a coded message about Naruto's training but had been frustratingly vague about the details. Whatever had happened, he'd know soon enough.
And in Naruto's mindscape, the Kyuubi chuckled darkly.
*"Try not to have too much fun, boy. Remember—you're supposed to be a normal Genin."*
Naruto's grin widened as Genma raised his hand.
"First Match: Naruto Uzumaki versus Neji Hyuga... BEGIN!"
Neji immediately rushed forward, his Gentle Fist technique ready to shut down Naruto's chakra points. But as his palm thrust toward Naruto's shoulder, something unexpected happened.
Naruto's hand moved—fast, impossibly fast for a Genin—and caught Neji's wrist mid-strike.
The entire arena went silent.
Neji's eyes widened in shock. "Impossible..."
Naruto's grin was all teeth. "What's wrong, Neji? I thought this was my destiny?"
Then, with strength that shocked everyone watching, Naruto *threw* Neji backward. The Hyuga prodigy flipped in mid-air and landed in a crouch, his mind racing.
*His speed... his strength... what happened to him in one month?!*
"Come on!" Naruto beckoned with one hand, his blue eyes gleaming with barely restrained excitement. "I've been waiting two weeks for a good fight! Don't disappoint me!"
In the stands, Sakura's jaw dropped. "Is that really Naruto?"
Kakashi's visible eye was wide. "Jiraiya... what did you do to my student?"
And on the battlefield, Neji Hyuga realized with growing dread that perhaps fate wasn't as certain as he'd believed.
---
**To Be Continued...**
---
*Author's Note: The match begins! Can Naruto keep his dragonoid powers under control? Or will his battle-hungry instincts take over? Find out next chapter!*
*Don't forget to comment and add to your library! Your support means everything!*