Confrontation - 7

"This is pointless." Neji said at length, staring down the blonde boy across from him, "All you have to show for yourself are some big words and a few tricks…not unlike Hinata-sama. The only way I'll ever be defeated is by a truly skilled ninja."

"You're wrong!" Naruto's voice was a snarl, "You had no right to treat Hinata the way you did! Even if you think you can pass judgment on others, that doesn't mean that you're right about other people all the time!"

"Believe what you like."

"She's strong! She's worth it!" Naruto found himself a bit incoherent in his anger, as if he was affirming himself, "You just want an excuse to make it alright to hurt Hinata the way you did! The things you did…and said! You've got it all wrong!"

"You have no understanding of the Hyuga Clan at all." Neji's temper was flaring. Naruto was treading treacherous waters.

"Sure I understand them!" Naruto wasn't backing down, "They're all a bunch of tight-asses who put others down to protect themselves!"

From the stands, Hanabi flinched at the sight of her father's furious face. Naruto was brazenly insulting the Hyuga even if he had been telling the truth. It would not bode well in terms of him defending the Clan Head's daughter. At that point Neji looked more respectable than Hiashi had ever seen him, but the guilt was still present in his mind while he watched his nephew begin to drown in his anger.

"You have no reason to be involved. You'd never understand!" Neji's eyes were narrowed, "Everything I do is necessary if the Hyuga Clan is to be changed. The hardships of the Branch Family are ongoing and no one is inclined to end their pain."

Naruto recalled the day he had been at the Hyuga compound and witnessed a Branch family member attack Neji. He hadn't known why it had happened. Even stranger, he found, was that he was curious enough to hear more.

The crowd grew restless in the stands, wanting the action to commence. From the balcony, Haku and Gaara paid close attention to the words exchanged.

"Before my father's life was sacrificed in place of my uncle's, I was spared the seal of the Branch Family," Neji reiterated, "It had made no difference when I was adopted into the Main Family. I am not blind. It is all a ploy to make it so the suffering in my clan will continue."

"A ploy?" Naruto didn't know a conspiracy was involved.

"The Main Family will no longer use the Branch Family as scapegoats," Neji declared, "The Hyuga clan must change and I will be the one to do it!"

"So what if you want to fix things? Is it worth hurting people? People who only want to help you like Hinata?" Naruto bit back, his knuckles turning white.

From above, Tenten had her eyes fixed on Naruto. She wondered how he had taken the words right out of her mouth.

"She chose to fight me. It is her own fault and not mine for what happened to her." Neji dismissed the idea, "She did not know her place and chose not to back down."

"For someone who wants his clan to be equal you sure have a superiority complex!" Naruto roared, undeterred, "I'll prove that Hinata's better than you!"

Neji's anger cracked through the façade on his face. It was an expression Lee and Tenten had only seen when he was ending a fight; more recently, if they recalled, in his quarrel with Tenten.

It was a rare moment when both Hinata and her father shared the same feeling: disbelief. It was the first time Hiashi had had a glimpse of his nephew's motives for replacing Hinata as clan heir.

Haku blinked and found he had nearly missed Naruto's burst of speed as he leapt for Neji, only to be knocked away by a rotation.

The golden haired ninja ground his teeth, 'This is it! It's now or never!'

He created a shadow clone and gathered an enormous amount of chakra into his right hand, his blue eyes focused on the Hyuga who had already anticipated another attack. Naruto and his assistant charged and Hinata closed her eyes, fearful of what would happen.

"Kaiten!" Neji countered the assault with faultless timing.

It destroyed Naruto's shadow clone with ease, but the blonde boy thrust his hand forward recklessly, howling, "Rasengan!"

The raw amount of chakra in the attack briefly disrupted the shield surrounding Neji, before interrupting it completely with a terrible shudder that shook the ground violently and sent the two flying apart.

Hayate leapt away with wide eyes to avoid the tremendous wave of recoil and excess chakra.

"Yeah! Naruto-kun!" Hinata opened her eyes to see Sakura a short distance away cheering, standing up beside the equally excited Kiba, Ino and Chouji, "Show him who's boss!"

Hinata returned her attention to the fight, deafened by the enthused roar of the crowd. On the balcony, Haku and Gaara noted the astounded looks on Lee and Tenten's faces.

Naruto and a new batch of shadow clones wasted no time and charged Neji while he was still regaining his footing. The Hyuga glared in outrage, 'There's no way I can be beaten by someone as frivolous as this!'

With far more chakra than was safe, Neji unleashed another fierce rotation, blowing apart the oncoming crowd. Once the dust settled again he smirked at the sight of his opponent lying in a heap in a crater from an earlier rotation.

"You may have more ability than you've led most to believe," Neji commented, "But as far as I can see you haven't proven anything. Stop trying to be a hero and just accept things as they are. You are too weak to defeat me."

On a silent cue, Naruto erupted from the ground beneath Neji's feet with the remnants of a Rasengan he had used to burrow, and slammed into him full-force. Neji's eyes watered in pain for a moment before he tumbled back, crashing to the ground.

For a long, dizzying moment, Naruto stood panting, waiting for the Hyuga prodigy to stand up. Behind him, his shadow clone that had distracted Neji long enough for him to land a solid blow dematerialized, revealing a hole beneath it.

He found it strange and relieving to see Neji unable to fight any longer, laying on the ground with eyes wide in incredulity.

"Maybe…your eyes don't see as much as you think they do," Naruto managed a shaky breath, "I know what it's like when you have to prove yourself to others. The only way you really succeed is when you don't knock other people down…"

Hayate cleared his throat after glancing down at Neji, "The winner of the first match is Uzumaki Naruto."

The crowd increased its volume even further.

Haku exchanged a brief glance with Gaara, one that surprisingly held no contempt. It was always great to see Naruto teach valuable lessons to his peers.

Hinata sat up very straight, staring at Naruto and unable to suppress her wide smile, 'Oh Naruto-kun! You did so well!'

Lee and Tenten watched in confounded silence as medic-nin placed Neji on a stretcher and escorted him out of the arena.

Naruto balled his hands into fists, listening to the hollering audience, 'I'm strong! This victory is definitely going to help Hinata-chan!' After receiving an approving nod from Hayate he returned to the balcony, still ecstatic over his triumph.

After reuniting with the waiting genin on the balcony, Naruto received very animated congratulations from both Haku and Sato. Gaara had a horrible headache, but still made an effort to congratulate his friend, "Well done, Naruto-kun."

Naruto slapped the red haired boy on the back, grinning widely, "Aw thanks, Gaara! But you knew I was gonna kick Neji's ass!"

Haku chuckled quietly while Gaara massaged his throbbing temples. It was too loud.

The Kazekage glanced over to the Hokage who was seated a short distance away from him, "My…what an exciting first match, don't you think?"

Hiruzen nodded absently while watching the blonde boy celebrate his victory from across the way, "Indeed, Kazekage-sama. You can always count on Naruto to keep things lively."

With no further preamble Hayate announced the next battle, "Er-hem! The second match will be between Nara Shikamaru and Tenten."

Lee had recovered rather quickly from Neji's loss after hearing it was Tenten's turn to fight, "Woo hoo! You can do this Tenten! Make Gai-sensei proud!"

She gave him a sheepish look, wondering if that alone was enough motivation.

From his place beside Sato, Shikamaru groaned in annoyance, lacking any and all conviction, "I really don't feel like fighting…much less a girl…"

Naruto, still a tad over-enthusiastic, walloped Shikamaru on the back, "Get down there you bum! Just try to not lose!" The Nara fell ass-over-teakettle over the side of the railing with a cry and into the arena. Sato held his shaking sides while he cackled in laughter.

The Hokage merely sighed at the sight.

Sakura smirked at Ino beside her, "Is he always this graceful, Ino-pig?"

"Can it, Sakura!"

Once on the ground level of the arena, Tenten still didn't have her full concentration, 'Neji...how could you have lost? Is that even possible?' Shikamaru didn't meet her eyes when they faced off, 'You had it coming though! Maybe it's enough to deflate that ego of yours…but still, I'm going to win this match for you!'