New self

Sweat clung to him like a second skin, drenching his clothes and making them stick to his frame. Every muscle throbbed in protest, a symphony of pain playing throughout his being. The strain in Naruto's eyes was palpable, a testament to the relentless hours he had poured into his training. Even as every fibre of his being cried out from the additional regime he had designed atop Jiraiya's rigorous teachings, there was a glint of triumph in his azure eyes.

The fruits of his labour were unmistakable. His once-fragile physique now felt like forged steel, resilient and toughened. His chakra, once turbulent and erratic, now flowed with an ease he'd never felt before. It was like an expansive ocean—deep, calm, yet brimming with immense power beneath its serene surface.

But what delighted Naruto the most was the newfound clarity in his vision. It was as if the world had been reborn, each detail sharper and more vivid. While he didn't possess the keen eyesight of the Byakugan, Naruto was determined to harness the full extent of his natural peripheral vision. Maximising his 170-degree field of view would allow him to read his surroundings with unparalleled precision. It wasn't just about the breadth of what he could see, but the depth as well. Minute details, previously blurred or distant, now stood out in striking clarity. It was as though he could discern distant objects with the precision of a telescope, a capability that had been beyond his reach before this rigorous training.

Every time Naruto thought of his new found skill set, a wide, infectious grin plastered his face, a beacon of his most recent achievements. While most days were consumed with rigorous training, he had devoted a significant chunk of time to deciphering and practising the revered Hyuga technique. True, the Gentle Fist wasn't innately tailored to Naruto's brash and energetic fighting style, but that didn't deter him. He had ingeniously woven it into his own combat methodology, mastering the art of attacking an opponent's vital points from within. By meticulously studying the anatomy and understanding the most vulnerable spots, he had concocted a strategy that inflicted both external and internal damage in one seamless move.

His foundation in taijutsu was solid and diversified. Drawing inspiration from Wing Chun, Jiu Jitsu, Karate, and Taekwondo, Naruto had forged a unique base for his personal combat style, one he was eager to refine and elevate as he progressed in his journey.

Although medical ninjutsu didn't ignite the same passion in Naruto as combat did, he recognized its crucial importance. To be a Hokage meant mastering every ninja art, not just the ones that thrilled him. Weeks turned into a blur of relentless practice and learning. Now, he could confidently neutralise simple poisons, concoct antidotes, and treat flesh wounds and minor fractures with ease. His grasp of human anatomy had deepened considerably. Yet, he was humbly aware of his limitations, knowing full well he wasn't equipped to handle grave injuries like severely damaged organs or completely shattered bones.

Genjutsu, the art of illusion, was yet another realm he had dipped his toes into. While he wasn't a natural, his tenacity was evident. He could now ward off many genjutsu techniques and cast elementary illusions. However, there was a vast ocean of knowledge yet to be traversed. To assume the mantle of Hokage, to bear the responsibility of safeguarding an entire village, he needed unparalleled strength and a diverse skill set. And for the radiant smiles of his villagers, Naruto was resolute in doing whatever it took, pushing his limits every single day.

Tomorrow held a promise that would redefine Naruto's destiny. It wasn't merely about the title, it was about validation, a mark of his growth. As the dawn of the Final exam loomed closer, Naruto's spirit was unyielding, his aspirations unambiguous, and every sinew in his body screamed readiness. However, Jiraiya's sudden departure earlier in the day under the guise of a "research project" had added an unexpected twist.

Naruto's footsteps echoed subtly as he ambled back to his modest apartment. The cool evening breeze whispered stories of battles past, and the setting sun cast an amber glow on Konoha's rooftops. Yet, Naruto's internal tempest threatened to overshadow the serenity outside. The name 'Neji Hyuga' echoed in his mind, reverberating with a mix of anticipation and resentment. Memories of Hinata, the soft-spoken rookie with earnest eyes, flashed before him. As a member of the Hidden Leaf Village, she was kin. The vivid image of her defeated, bruised, and on the verge of receiving Neji's final blow stoked the embers of his fury.

crack

The sharp, jarring sound of splintered glass punctuated the silence, dragging Naruto back to reality. His grip had inadvertently tightened around the glass, causing it to shatter. Yet, in that moment, the fragments on the floor mirrored his own tumultuous emotions.

Shaking his head in an attempt to dispel the rush of anger, he reminded himself of his ultimate ambition: to be Hokage. Such an impulsive surge of rage was beneath him. He needed to approach this with rationale and maturity. As he carefully picked up the shards, nursing his slightly bleeding hand, Naruto's thought process evolved. Neji, for all his actions, was still a leaf ninja – a comrade. Their bout had to be more than just personal vendetta; it should exemplify the spirit of competition and camaraderie. Naruto was determined to rise above pettiness and face Neji with honour, as a true Hokage would.

The sudden knock on the door tore Naruto from his thoughts, making him momentarily disoriented. The stillness of the evening made such an intrusion seem all the more out of place. His initial guess was Kakashi, but he quickly dismissed the thought, knowing that Kakashi would be engrossed in training Sasuke.

As he slowly pulled open the door, Naruto was met with an unexpected sight. Two pale, almost ethereal eyes, devoid of pupils, met his gaze. And as he trailed his gaze upward, another identical set of eyes, slightly more authoritative, stared back at him. He blinked, processing the moment before managing to articulate his surprise, "Hinata?"

Their interactions had always been fleeting, almost ephemeral. The fact that she was here, on his doorstep, was baffling. How did she even know where he lived? While he was aware of her esteemed status as the Hyuga clan heir, the presence of a bodyguard elevated the gravity of the situation.

Hinata, for her part, looked like a cornered deer. Her soft voice barely crossed the threshold, "N-Naruto." Her pronounced stutter and the evasive tilt of her head indicated her acute discomfort.

Evaluating the situation, Naruto cleared his throat, flashing a genuine, reassuring smile, a stark contrast to the impulsive boy many in the village perceived him to be. "Would you like to come in?" The warmth in his voice seemed to comfort Hinata, who, despite her flushed cheeks, managed a nod in affirmation.

As she stepped inside, Naruto shot a questioning glance towards the stoic bodyguard, motioning for him to enter. The bodyguard's rigid posture didn't waver, but his eyes, filled with an implicit scepticism, bore into Naruto.

After shutting the door, Naruto moved with an air of unexpected hospitality. The soft clinks of porcelain and the gentle hiss of brewing tea soon filled the apartment. Setting the kettle down, Naruto poured the fragrant tea into cups, offering a moment of tranquillity to his unexpected guests.

The evening's quietude was abruptly disrupted as Hinata's soft cough resonated in the apartment. When she withdrew her hand, it was tainted with a deep crimson, her face reflecting the sudden fear and discomfort. The bodyguard, reacting immediately, called out in alarm, "Lady Hinata!" He hastened to her side, a protector's instinct on full display.

Naruto, although not an adept medic, was familiar with the basics. He could discern the gravity of Hinata's condition. Moving closer with a determined resolve, he extended his hand to soothe her pain, only to be met with a swift rebuke. The hand of the bodyguard struck him away, his face contorted in a mix of fear and disdain.

"What do you think you're doing, demon?" The bodyguard's voice dripped with scorn.

Naruto's gaze hardened, his pupils narrowing into slits. "I'm helping her. How dare you enter my home and strike me, especially when I'm extending help?" A tangible aura of intimidating bloodlust radiated from Naruto, forcing the bodyguard to momentarily retreat.

As Naruto reached out once more, his hand emanated a calming green hue. The therapeutic energy flowed from his palm, alleviating some of Hinata's distress. Her pallor faded slightly, replaced by a more neutral hue indicative of her pre-exhausted state.

"Are you okay?" Naruto inquired, genuine concern lacing each word.

Hinata's pearl-like eyes met his, and she nodded affirmatively, her gaze lingering on Naruto for a moment longer than necessary. Registering her intent gaze, Naruto sought to understand her unexpected visit.

After Naruto ensured Hinata was okay he spoke, "Why are you here, Hinata? Not that I mind your company." A blush swiftly coated her cheeks, but she held her ground, summoning a strength he hadn't seen before.

"I wanted to express my gratitude. You've always been my anchor, Naruto. Your resilience, your unyielding spirit, and your words of encouragement have been a beacon for me. You've been my inspiration to defy expectations, to prove my worth. I owe you so much, Naruto." As she spoke, their eyes locked, and in the depths of Naruto's cerulean gaze, she perceived the multifaceted emotions and experiences that had shaped him. But above all, she recognized the compassion that lay therein. "I also wanted to wish you luck." Hinata's usually reserved expression transformed into a radiant smile, one Naruto had never witnessed before.

His heart warmed, and he responded with equal sincerity. "Hinata, your bravery against Neji was inspiring. I'll give it my all. I hope you'll be there, cheering." Her head bobbed in an eager affirmation, her determination evident.

As the evening waned, Naruto and Hinata found themselves immersed in a series of light-hearted discussions, bridging the distance between them. But, eventually, the Hyuga guard reminded Hinata of the ticking clock. The momentary camaraderie dissolved, leaving Naruto, once again, ensconced in a world of his own.

Naruto inhaled deeply, the memory of Hinata's eyes lingering in his mind like a whispered secret. Her words had been a soothing balm, yet they now danced at the edges of his consciousness, a gentle distraction that he needed to put away. With the chunin exams looming like an ominous mountain on his horizon, gratitude had to give way to determination.

There was a skill, an art, that he had yet to master. Something he wanted to teach himself, a final triumph he sought before stepping into the arena. The very idea of it sent a thrilling chill down his spine, invigorating his very soul. Time was of the essence, and he had no room for distractions.

The day broke with an energy that could only be explained as something grand, and as the sun reached its zenith, Naruto stood at the centre of a coliseum pulsing with anticipation. The very walls seemed to throb with the collective excitement of ninjas and civilians alike, gathered from the farthest corners of the world, their eyes fixed on the arena. The magnitude of the event was breathtaking, and Naruto's heart quivered with awe.

Above him, in the Hokage's box, the leader of the sand village, the Kazekage, sat alongside the dignified Hokage. Naruto's gaze snagged on the two, but quickly snapped back to the proctor as a nagging irritation bubbled up within him. Sasuke and Kakashi were absent. The sting of Kakashi's preference for Sasuke over him still pricked at Naruto's pride, and though that chafed, he couldn't quash the longing for his teammate's presence.

Tension was brewing in the Hokage's box as well, as a jounin elite delivered the alarming news to Hiruzen that Sasuke was missing. Despite the efforts of multiple anbu black ops teams, there was no trace. Hiruzen's face remained stoic, but his next words, resonating through the stadium, were tinged with a controlled urgency.

"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests... welcome and thank you for gathering here today in the hidden leaf village for the chunin selection examination." He paused, allowing the words to echo before continuing, "We will now begin the matches of the final round between eight candidates who advanced in the preliminaries."

The arena fell into a hushed murmur. There were nine participants, weren't there? The sudden revelation of Dosu's forfeiture, confirmed by Genma, sent a ripple of surprise through the crowd.

Naruto's mind, however, was consumed with concern for Sasuke. Where could he be? A surge of conflicting emotions swirled within him, annoyance, anger, disappointment. He wasn't quite sure what to feel.

"What will happen if Sasuke doesn't show up in time?" Naruto blurted, unable to contain his curiosity.

Genma's answer was chillingly matter-of-fact. "If he doesn't arrive at the start of his own match he will lose the match by forfeit."

The finality of those words hung in the air as a ninja approached Genma, whispered instructions, and vanished. The proctor's eyes swept over the participants as he explained the merciless rules of the final exam. There would be no mercy, no quarter given.

It was the announcement of the first match, though, that stunned Naruto: "Match one: Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga. You two stay down here, the rest of you, proceed to the waiting room outside of the arena."

Sasuke's match was first. Had they postponed it? Naruto's chest tightened, not with resentment over the obvious favouritism, but with the realisation that none of that mattered now. Only winning did.

The stadium held its breath, the anticipation reaching a fevered pitch. Naruto squared his shoulders, his eyes locking with Neji's.

In the bustling stands of the arena, a stir of activity marked Hinata's arrival. Amid the sea of faces, Kiba's enthusiastic call cut through the noise as he waved her over, a broad grin on his face. "Hey Hinata, I saved you a seat!" As Hinata gracefully took her place next to him, Kiba's grin faltered, his keen senses catching the presence of an Anbu black ops member lurking in their shadows.

But before curiosity could become an inquiry, the proctor's voice boomed across the stadium. "Now let the match begin." The words sent a shiver down the spine of every spectator, and all eyes were drawn to the battleground.

Naruto faced Neji, his gaze fixed on the pale, pupil less eyes that seemed to reflect no light, no emotion. But beneath that icy surface, Naruto sensed something more. He looked at Neji with a profound sense of pity, a connection that went deeper than just the match.

Neji's voice rang out, cold and derisive, a verbal blade aimed at Naruto's heart. "I can't wait to see the despair in your eyes when the truth finally dawns on you. You're a failure, and you always will be."

The words hung in the air, a challenge, a gauntlet thrown down. Naruto's response was immediate, his hands moving in a familiar dance as he summoned shadow clones that charged at Neji. They were not meant to harm, not meant to do anything but test and probe. Neji's response was predictably effortless, his body moving in fluid, deadly grace as he dispatched the clones.

A scoff, a taunt, and Neji was readying himself to resume his gentle fist stance. But then something shifted. The ground beneath him cracked, a fault line in his defence. Before he could react, a shadow clone was there, right in front of him. Neji's strike was quick, but Naruto's move was quicker. The clone rotated, caught Neji's extended arm, and used it as a lever. The audience gasped as Neji's body was lifted helplessly into the air and slammed into the ground.

It was a breathtaking move, a display of skill and precision. The clone was not done; in one fluid motion, it pulled out a kunai and swung it down at a recovering Neji. But then, something extraordinary happened. A blue sphere of chakra exploded around Neji, and the clone vanished in a cloud of smoke.

The audience murmured, and a knowing look crossed the face of the Hyuga clan head. 'Rotation,' he thought. The Hyuga's ultimate defence. Naruto's eyes widened at the spectacle. He needed to see it again, understand its mechanism, and feel its rhythm.

But then, something astonishing occurred. Naruto, the real Naruto, adopted Neji's stance. The audacity of it twisted Neji's expression into one of outrage. "Are you mocking me?" he spat.

Naruto's face broke into a sly, knowing smile. The air between them crackled with tension, charged with an electric thrill. "Why don't you come and find out?"