"If you don't come over, I'll come to you!"
Naruto, with the Chakra of the Nine - Tailed Fox surging within him, was now incredibly fast.
Neji was certain that his gaze never left Naruto for a second, yet he still struggled to keep up with that astonishing speed and could barely dodge.
A searing pain shot through his cheek as it grazed the red Chakra. Naruto's figure darted rapidly across the vast arena, leaving only a faint red line in his wake.
Neji strained his Byakugan to track that superhuman speed, doing his best to keep Naruto within his field of vision.
After several rounds of intense exchanges, his own Chakra was nearly depleted. This match couldn't drag on any longer.
The next move would decide the outcome!
Red Chakra gradually gathered in Naruto's hand. The ground where he raced on was left with deep indentations.
Now was the time! He poured all his remaining Chakra into this final move.
"Rotation!"
"Rasengan!"
Another fierce clash took place. This time, Neji was clearly at a disadvantage. The speed of his Rotation visibly slowed down, but he still gritted his teeth and held on desperately.
"Bang!"
A massive explosion erupted in the center of the arena. Dust and debris shot towards the spectator stands.
The Anbu members in the stands immediately intervened to prevent the debris from hurting the onlookers, while the spectators in the stands stared intently at the center of the arena.
Who would be the winner of this match?
A young boy's black hair fluttered in the swirling dust. The Forehead Protector on his forehead slowly loosened. He knelt on the ground, gasping for air. Only after the dust settled did he slowly raise his head.
"Look, what's that on his head?"
"Dumbass, don't you even know this basic stuff? That's the seal branded on the Hyuga branch family members. It's said that this seal can never be removed, except by death!"
"How the hell could this happen?"
The onlookers in the stands looked at the young boy with pity. Such a talented young man was suffering such unfair treatment.
Neji ignored the commotion in the stands. His eyes searched for Naruto's figure. The seal that he once regarded as a disgrace meant nothing to him, even though everyone was talking about it.
All he could think about now was finding Naruto. He dared not slack off even for a moment.
Where was that guy? He mustn't have been defeated by the previous move. He tried to force open his Byakugan again, but the stabbing pain in his eyes blurred his vision.
Without his vision, Neji's senses seemed to become even more acute. He felt the tremors in the soil and leaped backward with his last bit of strength.
Naruto's carefully - planned attack missed its mark. Just as Neji was about to deliver the final blow with his Gentle Fist, he suddenly sensed the movement of air and Chakra behind him.
A gentle breeze in the arena blew through his hair. Neji turned his head, only to find that Naruto had somehow appeared behind him and landed a powerful punch, knocking him to the ground, where he lay motionless.
Neji's hair was in disarray as he lay on the ground. He looked up at the blue sky. Instead of the expected disappointment, he had a big smile on his face.
Ah, he had lost. So this was what it felt like to lose a match?
To be honest, it was quite heart - breaking.
"The winner is Naruto!"
As Shisui announced the final result of the match, thunderous cheers erupted from the stage one by one.
"Damn, this is actually a match between Genin. It's incredibly exciting!"
Rock Lee watched the two on the field excitedly and couldn't help but wonder how he would handle it if he were in that situation.
"Ah, I didn't expect that the last attack was actually a trick within a trick. He first used the clone hidden in the soil to launch an attack, attracting Neji's attention. At the end of the match, he didn't even have the strength to activate his Byakugan."
Gai analyzed the reason for Neji's defeat beside him.
"Well, you can't say that. Who would have thought that Naruto was so crafty? We thought the underground attack was already a great idea, but who knew his true form was hiding behind?"
Kakashi rarely gave his own comment. These kids nowadays are really amazing. He even felt that in a couple of years, these kids could catch up with him.
It seems they're really getting old...
"But I have to say, this was really an exciting match."
................
"Judging from this, Konoha's methods of training Genin are really brilliant. No wonder in recent years, a continuous stream of young and talented Ninja have emerged, making the other major countries wary."
"Ah, I wonder if this is a good thing or not for the ninja world..."
...............
Naruto was a bit exhausted after that powerful strike. His own Chakra had long been sealed, and now it was just a little bit of the Nine - Tails' Power leaking from his body. He staggered over to Neji.
He reached out to Neji, who was lying on the ground.
"Let me give you a hand!"
( ′^` )
"Don't..."
Neji turned his head away awkwardly, ignoring Naruto.
Looking at Neji, who was being coy and refused to reach out, Naruto thought helplessly that these pretty boys were so stubborn. Wasn't it just one lost match? Did he really have to throw a fit?
He rushed forward and yanked Neji up. Since he had also exhausted a lot of energy and his legs were weak, the two of them fell in the middle of the field and were tightly pressed together.
"Hey! Naruto, did you not eat enough? You're so heavy lying on me. You stink of sweat. Get away from me quickly!"
Neji's disgust was obvious. If he could still move, he would have jumped away immediately.
Their seemingly affectionate actions made the onlookers around them start to tease.
"Ooh~ They have such a good relationship..."
"Is Neji Hyuga really not a female? He has such long hair and a fair face."
"Hey! Don't make such jokes lightly. Their clan is known for having long hair and fair skin."
Hiashi looked at Neji, who was lying on the ground, and felt a bit sorry. Although Neji had tried his best, it was obvious that at this moment, Naruto was better!
Neji, it seems that no matter who it is, the path to their dream won't be smooth...
...............
Feeling the scorching gazes of the surrounding Onlookers as if they could roast him, Neji somehow found a surge of powerful strength and managed to stand up. He grabbed Naruto by the head with one hand and dragged him off the field angrily.
"Ouch! What are you doing? Be gentle! You're gonna pull all my hair out!"
Shisui looked at the scene in front of him and couldn't help but sigh.
Wasn't he unable to move just now? How did he suddenly get so much strength?
................
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