# Chapter 39: Naruto vs. Neji
The Konoha arena was packed with spectators. Sunlight beat down on the massive circular stands, and the air buzzed with tension and anticipation. After an intense month of special training, the final round of the Chunin Exams was finally about to begin.
Rubik hadn't chosen to sit in the crowded general seating. Instead, he leaned against a relatively secluded spot high up in the arena's shadows, looking down at the field below from his elevated vantage point.
Standing beside him was Jiraiya, who for once wasn't off peeping at the women's bathhouse. He held a pipe between his teeth, watching the impending battle below with a somewhat grave expression.
"First match: Uzumaki Naruto versus Hyuga Neji!"
The referee's voice boomed through the amplification system, echoing throughout the arena.
Rubik raised an eyebrow as he watched the blonde figure in orange—bouncing excitedly as he entered the field—come into view.
"Looks like his month with you wasn't wasted."
"Hmph, of course not!"
Jiraiya stroked his white hair with satisfaction.
"I'm the great Lord Jiraiya, after all! After this month of training, Naruto can use the Rasengan proficiently. This match... hmm?"
He trailed off mid-sentence, his brow furrowing.
From the other side of the field, Hyuga Neji walked out slowly. His face was cold and stern, his pure white eyes showing no emotional fluctuation whatsoever. He radiated an icy, unapproachable aura that stood in stark contrast to Naruto's energetic demeanor. The moment the referee announced "Begin," Neji shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, charging straight at Naruto!
From the very start, the battle was completely one-sided.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Neji's Byakugan saw through everything. His movements were swift as wind and incredibly precise. His palms, infused with sharp chakra, rained down on Naruto like a storm, each strike landing exactly on critical points in his chakra pathway system!
"Ugh!"
Naruto felt his chakra flow become sluggish instantly. Sharp, stabbing pain shot through various parts of his body, his movements growing more and more stiff, his counterattacks clumsy and powerless. The Shadow Clone Jutsu he'd just summoned was easily seen through by Neji and destroyed.
"As expected, his fundamentals are just too weak."
Rubik couldn't help but shake his head. Fundamentals were incredibly important. While in the early stages Naruto might not seem too far behind in raw stats, the gap between Naruto and Sasuke's abilities at the start of Shippuden in the original timeline made it clear. The time Jiraiya spent training him was probably largely wasted just trying to patch up his basics.
You could say that Sasuke's childhood efforts hadn't been in vain, while all of Naruto's childhood slacking had become obstacles on his "wife-chasing" journey.
"It's useless, dead-last."
Neji's voice was ice-cold, carrying a condescending indifference.
"Your movements, your chakra flow—under my Byakugan, they're like reading the lines on my palm. This is the absolute difference in our strength, and it's also... fate."
"Fate? Don't make me laugh!"
Naruto gritted his teeth, enduring the intense pain as he tried to gather chakra for another counterattack, only to have Neji easily dodge and land another precise strike that left half his body numb.
Up on the high platform, Rubik narrowed his eyes, his golden Kagura Mind's Eye flickering slightly:
"Tsk, the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist pressure points... This kid's fundamentals are solid, and he's using his Byakugan very skillfully."
He offered his objective assessment, not showing any favoritism just because Naruto was his fellow student.
In the arena, Neji continued to suppress Naruto while coldly expounding his theory of fate—the shackles between the main and branch families, the tragedy of his father sacrificing himself for the main family. He was trying to use his own cold and cruel experiences to crush Naruto's fighting spirit.
"Shut up! I don't believe in any of that fate bullshit!"
Naruto was knocked to the ground, his face bruised and swollen, but he still stubbornly lifted his head. His blue eyes burned with an unyielding fire.
"I'm going to become Hokage! I'll surpass everyone! That's my ninja way!"
"Hokage? Heh... You can't even change your own fate, and you talk about changing the village?"
Neji's tone was full of mockery. He approached again, preparing to deliver the final blow.
"Naruto!"
From the stands, Sakura, Iruka, and others shouted anxiously.
"AAAHHHH—!!"
Naruto, lying on the ground, suddenly erupted with violent, sinister crimson chakra! It rose like tangible flames, and its immense pressure instantly swept across the entire arena! The wounds on his body healed at a visible rate, and the chakra sealed by the pressure point strikes was forcibly broken through by this violent power!
"This... what is this?!"
"It's his cheat ability."
Rubik answered for Neji.
Neji's pupils contracted sharply. Through his Byakugan, he could clearly see the terrifying, vast source of chakra within Naruto—like staring into an abyss! That power was filled with violence and ominousness!
"Kurama's power... has been drawn out, huh?"
High above, Rubik's eyes sharpened as he clearly captured the source and nature of that violent chakra.
"Though it's chaotic and violent, the sheer quantity is truly massive..."
"Bastard! Break for me!"
Naruto roared. Bolstered by the Nine-Tails' chakra, his strength and speed surged dramatically! He forcefully broke free from his restraints and launched a ferocious counterattack against the shocked Neji!
Though Neji was shocked, his foundation in Byakugan and Gentle Fist remained. He immediately steadied himself and went all out with Rotation to defend!
The high-speed spinning chakra sphere deflected all of Naruto's attacks! However, Naruto's assault didn't end there!
"Rasengan!"
Just as the Rotation's spinning force was exhausted, Naruto had already prepared—the high-speed rotating blue chakra sphere in his hand, accompanied by a piercing shriek, slammed hard into the side of Neji's Rotation!
BOOM—!!
A massive explosion rang out! Dust filled the air!
When the dust cleared, Neji lay sprawled on the ground in a disheveled state. His Rotation had been forcibly broken through, and his body bore the wounds inflicted by the Rasengan. His eyes were filled with disbelief and confusion. Meanwhile, Naruto—though the Nine-Tails' chakra had already receded and he looked somewhat drained—still stood stubbornly, fist raised high!
"I... won!"
Naruto panted heavily as he proclaimed his victory.
The entire arena fell silent for a moment, then erupted in deafening cheers! Even those genin and civilians who had previously looked down on Naruto were now cheering for him!
"Well done, Naruto!"
Sakura jumped up excitedly.
"That kid..."
A relieved smile crossed Jiraiya's face as he let out a long breath.
Rubik looked at Neji lying on the ground, clearly having an existential crisis, with sympathetic eyes. In his mind, he pondered the matter of the Caged Bird seal.
The next match was about to begin.
The following bout was Shikamaru versus Temari—a match that could arguably be called the highest quality of the competition. Shikamaru, with his superior intellect, practically toyed with Temari throughout the entire match, despite her being far stronger than him.
The rhythm of the entire battle was completely in his control. If this were a mobile game, Shikamaru would easily be rated at least 3000 points. But in the end, he voluntarily forfeited, giving up the points. What was Shikamaru trying to do—play a best-of-three series?
Rubik joked to himself, noticing the eyes of the jonin instructors around him as they looked at Shikamaru. He knew that Shikamaru's promotion was guaranteed.
Finally, the last match was about to begin.
Gaara and Sasuke both entered the arena, but Rubik's attention was drawn to the "Fourth Kazekage" wearing a white mask in the stands.
No, he couldn't laugh yet. He had to hold it in. Orochimaru, you'd better put on a good show...