"There will be some changes to the roster for the finals," a Leaf jonin announced as the finals had arrived. All nine contestants were as prepared as they could be. The jonin showed them the updated matchups:
1. Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyuga Neji
2. Gaara vs. Sasuke
3. Aburame Shino
4. Kankuro vs. Mohale Daniel
5. Temari vs. Nara Shikamaru
With Shino seeded to fight the winner of the battle between Daniel and Kankuro.
"Hey! Wait. Sasuke's not here yet, what about him?" Naruto asked, seeing the roster.
"If he doesn't show up, then he'll forfeit the match," the jonin answered. Naruto was concerned, but there wasn't anything he could do.
"Now, the rules are the same as before. You fight until the other can't, and unless I determine a clear winner, the match will continue," the jonin said. He then called for the first contestants to stay in the battleground and the rest to go to the waiting room outside the arena.
Now, Neji and Naruto stood facing each other in the arena. Naruto made a vow to win the match. "Now then, match one, begin!" the jonin declared, starting the match. Neji adjusted his stance.
"Watch closely, Hanabi. Let this be a learning moment for you," Hiashi said to his daughter.
"I wonder if he applied the fighting style I referred to him, using his shadow clones more effectively," Daniel muttered to himself.
Veins bulged on Neji's eyes as Naruto made four shadow clones. "I see, with their chakra evenly distributed, I can't tell which one's the real one," Neji analyzed. "Doesn't matter," he said out loud with confidence.
"He, It doesn't matter, Neji's defence is perfect" Tenten mused
Naruto's clones went on the offensive, Neji moved with precision striking the clones with heavy blows. Naruto observed as his clones faced Neji, being overwhelmed by his speed. A few well-placed strikes later, Naruto's clones puffed into smooe after taking too much damage.
"Give up, Naruto. You can't win," Neji said, his tone almost pitying.
But Naruto wasn't one to back down. Drawing more chakra, he summoned a multitude of shadow clones. The arena filled with identical Narutos, each one ready to fight. "Alright! Let's try that again", leveraging the number of his clones Naruto attacked more unifiedly making it difficult for Neji to keep track.
The clones attacked from all directions, forcing Neji to use his Rotation technique, a defensive move that created a protective sphere of chakra around him. The clones were dispelled one by one, but Naruto used the chaos to his advantage. He burrowed underground.
As Neji finished his rotation, he sensed something amiss. Too late, he realized Naruto's plan. The real Naruto burst from the ground beneath him, landing a powerful uppercut that sent Neji flying, this time the punch had more kick to it, using the same technique he used on Kiba the force of the punch had more impact Neji.
The crowd gasped as Neji hit the ground, they couldn't believe Naruto would land such a blow, after a while Neji regained his footing. "Impressive, *Cough* but futile," he said, coughing some blood. He activated his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, a technique designed to shut down an opponent's chakra network completely.
Naruto braced himself as Neji's strikes came fast and relentless. Catching him off gaurd with each hit feeling like a hammer blow, but Naruto's resolve never wavered. With each strike, he felt the Kyuubi's chakra stirring within him, healing his injuries and giving him strength.
As Neji delivered the final blow, Naruto collapsed, seemingly defeated. Neji turned to walk away, confident in his victory. But then, a surge of chakra erupted from Naruto. His eyes glowing with the power of the Nine-Tails.
"Fate? I'll show you what I think of fate!" Naruto roared, his voice echoing through the arena. He charged at Neji with renewed vigor, his movements a blur. Neji tried to defend, but Naruto's speed and power were overwhelming he quickly weaved a hand sign making one shadow clone as they jumped Neji with a barrage of combo attacks, with more chakra centred in their fists Naruto striked relentlessly.
"He used it" Daniel muttered smiling a little. A technique he recreated from JJK that would suit Naruto and his taijistu 'Divergent Fist' he figured making this technique and teaching Naruto would be fun to see.
With a final, devastating punch, Naruto sent Neji crashing to the ground. The arena fell silent as the dust settled. Neji lay there, unable to move, his Byakugan deactivated.
Naruto stood over him, breathing heavily with the nine-tails chakra dissipated. "You see, Neji, it's not about fate. It's about never giving up," he said, extending a hand to his fallen opponent.
Neji looked up at Naruto, his expression a mix of shock and respect, the unseemly rowdy brat had bested him. He took Naruto's hand and allowed himself to be helped up. "Perhaps... I was wrong," he admitted quietly.
The crowd erupted into cheers as the proctor declared Naruto the winner. Tenten couldn't believe it. "Using shadow clones to jump Neji. I'm a little bit proud" Daniel mused as the arena was being cleared.
The arena was bustling with anticipation as the crowd eagerly awaited Sasuke and Gaara's match. "Hey, what's taking so long?" some spectators started to complain. The Hokage debated whether to disqualify Sasuke, with some proposing otherwise as they waited. Finally, they decided to postpone Sasuke's match.
The proctor announced, "Sasuke and Gaara's match will be on hold, and the others will continue."
"Damn it, if I reveal Karasu's hidden mechanisms, it might jeopardize the plan," Kankuro thought. "... I withdraw," he declared, an unexpected turn of events.
"Well then, guess it's my turn," Daniel smiled.
"Well then, with Kankuro forfeiting, Aburame Shino and Mohale Daniel will take to the stage," the proctor announced. Daniel hopped down to the arena as Shino walked in, both ready for their match.
The atmosphere in the arena was electric as Daniel and Shino faced each other. The crowd, still buzzing from the unexpected turn of events with Kankuro's withdrawal, now shifted their focus to the upcoming match. Excitement and curiosity filled the air, with spectators eagerly discussing the potential outcomes.
Daniel stood confidently, a slight smile playing on his lips, while Shino remained calm and composed, his eyes hidden behind his dark glasses. The contrast between their demeanors only added to the anticipation.
Whispers and murmurs spread through the audience as they speculated about the strategies each fighter might use. The proctor's voice cut through the noise, announcing the start of the match. The crowd fell silent, their eyes glued to the two figures in the center of the arena.
Shino adjusted his stance, his expression unreadable. The tension was palpable, and the arena seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the first move.