Neji Hyuga didn't realize how dangerous this battle truly was. Or rather, he thought the fight was already intense enough.
Only Sasuke Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake, who were watching from the sidelines, knew that the Reaper's scythe was hovering over Neji's head, ready to fall at any moment. If Naruto slipped up even a little, the Byakugan prodigy would have been sent to the next life long ago.
"Boring."
Sasuke glanced at the state of the battle, his eyes moving from Neji's defensive stance to Naruto, who had just landed. He couldn't help but frown. "That guy... why won't he just give up? What a waste of time."
"Isn't Neji in the lead right now?" Rock Lee countered in a low voice. "Guy-sensei mentioned that the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven is the ultimate technique of the Gentle Fist style. No one can break through its defense..."
"It's just taijutsu," Sasuke said, tapping his arm. "I can think of a dozen ways for Naruto to break through Revolving Heaven right now... Besides, he has more jutsu than I've ever seen."
"Tch, he's hiding way too much, isn't he?" Shikamaru Nara muttered, holding his head with a bored expression. "The jutsu he used in the preliminaries would be enough to break this stalemate."
"Not necessarily..." Rock Lee seemed about to argue, but then he remembered the jutsu that had shattered the Four Violet Flames Formation and obliterated the arena, and he quickly shut his mouth.
Shino Aburame extended his palm, watching an insect timidly shrink away. He remained silent. The parasitic insects inside his body were terrified of Naruto's presence.
On the examination field, Neji Hyuga stood with his hand raised, ready.
Naruto Uzumaki faced him from a distance, slowly extending his own hand as chakra flowed from his body and gathered in his palm. "Hey, Neji, got any other moves?"
Neji was silent. "..."
The Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven was a technique he had perfected after years of practicing the Gentle Fist. And this guy, Naruto Uzumaki, was looking down on it?
Of course, Naruto could look down on it.
Neji's expression grew more tense. In his Byakugan's vision, the chakra in Naruto's body was converging into his palm at an alarming rate. Was he going to use that Spiral Wheel?
Even so, Neji felt a spark of confidence. He believed that his Revolving Heaven could at least withstand the impact of the Spiral Wheel. It was the pinnacle of the Gentle Fist. So far, Neji had never heard of anyone breaking through its defense.
A blackish-purple sphere of chakra materialized in Naruto's palm as Yin and Yang chakra flowed into it in a precise ratio. The sphere was tiny—about the size of a small dumpling—but the power emanating from it was chilling.
On the highest stand, the Third Hokage couldn't sit still. The old man sensed the chakra, and it felt unnervingly familiar. "That jutsu is..."
"A Tailed Beast Bomb," the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, stated calmly from his chair. His composure was far better than the Hokage's. He just tapped his fingers on the armrest. "Although the size is a bit different, the chakra signature is the same."
As veterans of the Great Ninja Wars, they had all witnessed the power of a Tailed Beast Bomb. It was a jutsu capable of changing the course of a battle with a single strike. A destructive ninjutsu like that belonged on a dangerous battlefield. Seeing it appear in the Chunin Exams... the style didn't quite match.
Naruto held the Tailed Beast Bomb in his palm and looked at Neji. "First time using one of these, so don't mind me..."
"..."
Sweat dripped from Neji's brow. His nerves were stretched thin. He had to find the perfect moment to release his Revolving Heaven to counter Naruto's attack. In a situation like this, how could he possibly have the energy to talk?
"Let's give it a try. Let's see if your Revolving Heaven can stop a Tailed Beast Bomb..." Naruto raised an eyebrow, looking at the Byakugan user with some hesitation. "If you block it, I might have to try that other jutsu—the one that could destroy the entire arena..."
That jutsu could probably destroy half of Konoha, Naruto thought. Now that he could use all of the Nine-Tails' chakra, he had perfected the Spiral Wheel, giving it enough power to level the land with one blow.
After hearing Naruto's casual threat, the veins on Neji's face twitched. Is this guy for real?
"Brace for impact!"
Naruto didn't fly up to attack. Instead, he pressed the Tailed Beast Bomb in his palm directly into the ground. He had no intention of killing Neji.
"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"
Neji instantly unleashed his ultimate defense. A swirling wall of chakra and air erupted around him, trying to intercept the blast. But his strength and speed weren't enough. The shockwave sent him flying, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood in mid-air.
BOOM!
The earth trembled violently. The entire stadium shook as if a mountain were collapsing.
"What's going on?!"
"Are you kidding me? What kind of jutsu is that?"
"It's just the Chunin Exams! This is too dangerous, isn't it? Why did the Hokage let such a dangerous ninja participate?"
Spectators in the stands tumbled over each other as the violent tremor sent massive cracks through the stadium walls. This historic competition ground was about to need a major overhaul.
A huge section of the arena floor instantly collapsed. The chakra in that small Tailed Beast Bomb was measured perfectly—just enough to destroy the stage without being excessive, turning it into a massive crater.
A powerful shockwave blasted soil and debris outward.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
Several jonin responsible for security leaped forward, forming hand seals to erect a defensive wall, trying to block the surging impact.
Obviously, it wasn't enough.
The special sealing team, arranged long ago for a certain genin, stood at their posts. They each bent down, slapped the ground, and roared in unison.
"Ninja Art: Four Violet Flames Formation!"
A purple barrier sprung up, blocking the rushing earth and rock. Perhaps because the attack's power was contained, the Four Violet Flames Formation finally did its job.
As the spectators gradually calmed down and looked into the field, a collective gasp went through the crowd.
Naruto Uzumaki stood proudly in the center of the deep crater, his golden chakra cloak swaying in the wind. He was completely unharmed.
As for his opponent...
Neji Hyuga lay slumped against the edge of the Four Violet Flames Formation, covered in blood. He had been severely injured by the shockwave alone.
"Thank goodness..." On the highest stand, Hiruzen Sarutobi wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling a wave of relief. At least this time, the barrier had blocked the aftershock and hadn't scared the daimyo.
While some were concerned about the VIPs, others were concerned about the injured.
"Sixth Gate: Gate of Joy, Open!"
A green figure leaped down from the stands and kicked the Four Violet Flames Formation to pieces. Might Guy landed beside Neji, bending down to check on the boy's injuries. "Hey, Neji, are you okay?"
Neji spat out another mouthful of blood and forced his eyes open. "Sorry, Guy-sensei... I lost, didn't I?"
"Yeah..." Guy nodded, his voice deep. "You lost this one. But I've lost to Kakashi countless times over the years. Sooner or later, we will defeat them."
Rock Lee jumped down beside them, waving his fist. "Neji, don't worry! I will carry on your will and defeat Sasuke!"
"..."
Naruto, who had originally started forward to offer some healing, heard the words of Guy and Lee and stopped in his tracks.
-----
Bonus:
Neji Hyuga: I'm reporting someone for hacking in the Chunin Exams.
Sasuke Uchiha: The admins already banned his Sage Mode plug-in. What more do you want?
Hiruzen Sarutobi: Stop reporting him. We can't ban his account anyway...
Might Guy: Fine, so the admins don't care, huh? Lee, you're hacking next match!
Rock Lee: You got it!