95 Late for the show, but ready to go

A few moments before…

"Sasuke!" Naruto called out upon sensing Shikamaru had set the kunai in motion…

"Mm?" Sasuke looked at Naruto.

"Hold my hand quick!" Naruto said.

"Hold your hand?" Sasuke found it a bit weird.

"No time to explain, get your sword ready just in case!" Naruto said as he grabbed Sasuke's right hand.

"What the he-"

(Poof!)

Before Sasuke could complete his words, the duo had teleported.

…..

(POOF!) a huge smoke appeared in place of the kunai in the middle of the field.

"Huh?"

"What is that?" Some people amongst the audience reacted.

(Wheww!) The wind blew slowly with the appearance of leaves.

(WHOOSH!!!!!!) a leaf storm suddenly evolved…

The people covered their eyes a bit to prevent any dust from getting in…

Soon…

The leaf storm slowed down to reveal two figures.

("It's those two brats!") Orochimaru grinned as he watched the scene with keen interest.

Naruto bent down and grabbed his kunai, meanwhile, Sasuke was already armed, just in case, the duo had to deal with ambush attacks…

Soon the duo stared around only to see Genma, Sakura and Shikamaru were on the field, whereas the rest stared at the to who appeared out of nowhere on the field.

"Naruto, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura stared at them with shock.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata, Karin, Rock Lee, Ino, Chouji, Neji, and all the others stared at him.

"Those two are back safely!" Hiruzen sighed from relief.

"Good, that they are back." Rasa nodded.

"HELL YEAHH!!!!" A person from the crowd shouted following which the entire stadium started to cheer.

"We can finally continue the matches!" A voice was heard amongst the cheering.

"Hmph!" Genma smiled.

*Sound of footsteps*

"Are we late for the battle?" Naruto asked as he walked towards Genma.

"You both have barely made it in time, just barely!" Genma said.

"I understand…" Naruto scratched his head.

Genma walked towards Naruto.

"Huh?" Naruto looked towards Genma.

Genma bent down to whisper a few words into Naruto's ears.

*gulp*

A drop of sweat appeared on the side of Naruto's head as he looked towards Sasuke.

"Hmm?" Sasuke stared at Naruto.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

"I'M GLAD!" Sakura ran towards him to hug him.

("What did he say…?") Shikamaru thought as he looked towards Genma.

Genma walked towards Sasuke and Sakura…

"You both, go to the waiting room along with that guy," Genma said as he pointed towards Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru!" Sasuke stared at Shikamaru.

"Mm!" Shikamaru nodded, following which Sasuke and Sakura started to walk towards the staircase.

"Wait!" Sasuke said following which, he turned towards Naruto.

"Yeah!" Naruto gave a thumbs up with a grin on his face…

"Let's go!" Sasuke said, following which, Sasuke, Sakura, and Shikamaru walked towards the staircase.

"Naruto…" Haku and Zabuza stared at Naruto.

Their lives had been changed by the very boy who stood on the stage…

….

As Sasuke, Sakura and Shikamaru walked up the staircase…

"Sakura!" Sasuke called out.

"Mm?" Sakura lifted her head.

"Did you win your match?" Sasuke asked.

*Ugh!* Sakura froze, while Sasuke and Shikamaru proceeded to climb.

"Hmmm?"

"What's the matter, Sakura?" Sasuke asked.

"I….Lost…" Sakura said.

("It doesn't matter, with the upcoming battle, the exam was a setup anyways…") Sasuke thought following which he turned to climb the staircase.

"Sasuke-kun!"

"I am sorry!" Sakura apologized…

"Don't let that match bother you!" Sasuke said as he continued to climb.

"Huh?" Sakura stared at Sasuke with surprise written all across her face.

….

Sasuke and Sakura made it to the meeting room.

Sasuke looked for one figure in particular…

("There he is.") Sasuke found Gaara staring at the battlefield.

("It's my turn…") Neji thought as he looked towards Naruto.

————Flashback————

When Naruto had arrived by Hinata's side…

Kakashi, Gai, and Kurenai stopped Neji including Hayate who held his hand a small distance from Neji's forehead to dispel him if needed.

Kakashi and Kurenai each hell Neji's hand while Gai wrapped his hand around Neji's upper body.

Neji saw Naruto hold on to Hinata while he was being restrained.

"Neji, get a hold of yourself!"

"You had promised me that you wouldn't let the matter between the branch and the head family get to your head, Remember?" Gai asked in a calm voice.

Neji could not take the humiliation of having surrounded by the other jounins; thus he gritted his teeth in anger as he asked…

"Why are all the other jounin butting in?"

"What is Naruto doing here?" Neji asked in a fit of anger.

"Naruto?" Kurenai raised her head, seeing Naruto holding onto Hinata tenderly.

"Naruto?" Ino, Sakura, Chouji, and Shino also stood by the rails seeing a mere Genin making an appearance at a place the concerned jounins had gathered.

Hayate walked towards Hinata and Naruto.

(cough!)

(cough!)

(cough!)

"Uzumaki Naruto….."

"According to the rules of the Chuunin Exams you…."

"Hayate!" Anko interrupted on Hiruzen's behalf.

Hayate turned back to see Hiruzen nodding at him,

Hayate understood tacitly.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you will be excused for your interruption in this particular battle."

"If you are to interfere in any further matches, you will be disqualified."

Naruto frowned but understood the rules of the chuunin exams very well.

Only the jounins could interfere if the situation demanded it Unless the other party had fainted or surrendered the match would continue till the death of either party.

However, Naruto had already done what he needed to…

The only question that remained on his mind was how to prevent Lee from ending up in that situation.

Should he warn Gai or should he warn Lee, both were hot-blooded; thus they would not give up on the fighting even if a single breath remained.

Kurenai walked over to Naruto and Hinata.

Naruto had already healed her heart by 80%, thus leaving the surface injury up to the medics.

"Naruto!" Kurenai called as she raised both her hands towards him.

Naruto understood the gesture and handed Hinata over carefully.

Kurenai placed her hand over the injured area, trying to detect the extent of Hinata's injuries.

("Her heart rate is stable?…") Kurenai was shocked upon examining Hinata's conditions.

…

"Hey you, Failure!" Neji called Naruto, causing Naruto to look towards him

"I have two pieces of advice for you."

"First, if you want to call yourself a ninja stop that revolting cheering of yours."

"And the second…"

"A failure will always be a failure."

"There's no changing that!"

…

Naruto got angry at this moment.

"Do you want to see about that?" Naruto asked…to which Neji smirked.

Clearly, Neji was provoking Naruto.

"Don't do it Naruto!" Kakashi warned Naruto, knowing that Neji would only be picking a fight to flee from a hornet's nest.

"I know sensei…" Naruto replied…after which he started walking away from the battlefield.

"Hmph! Coward!"

Naruto stopped walking away as he looked Neji in the eye.

Naruto reached into his pocket and drew out his Kunai.

Neji smirked upon seeing Naruto take out his kunai.

"Are you really dumb?" Neji asked Naruto in a mocking tone.

Naruto did not pay any heed as he threw the kunai towards Neji.

…

"I don't even need to dodge or block your kunai," Neji said as he raised his palm towards the incoming kunai as he intended to slap it aside.

Other than Kakashi, none of the jounins thought anything of Naruto throwing a kunai, but Kakashi expected otherwise.

The kunai had approached within ten meters of Neji.

Neji aimed as he set his palm on a collision course with the incoming Kunai…

…

As the kunai approached the final two meters…

< Flying Thunder God - Second Stage! >

(BOOM!) Neji was smacked into the ground by Naruto who had appeared out of thin air

…

The whole hall had descended into silence for that moment.

Everyone from the jounins to the genins including the examiners and the Third Hokage himself became silent as they saw the jounins who were supposed to prevent the action from happening were also speechless as well.

"Hmph!" Orochimaru smirked as he saw Naruto take down Neji in one blow.

Naruto looked at Neji and said…

"If a failure like me defeats you, then what does that make you?"

"Worse than failure?"

"People can change Neji…"

"Failure can become genius, through hard work," Naruto said as he left the stage.

——-End of Flashback———-

("I may have underestimated you last time Naruto.")

("You may be stronger than me…")

("However, I have been working my ass off during the holidays!")

("And this time, I will defeat you!") Neji thought as he jumped off the balcony and landed on the ground.

"Neji…" Naruto sighed as he looked towards Neji.

No matter how immature Neji was right now, back then, he was indeed a hero who would die for someone.

Naruto felt complicated upon seeing Neji, especially after how things had ended the last time between them…

Neji stopped opposite to Naruto.

Genma looked towards both of them.

"Are you two ready?" Genma asked.

"Mm!" Naruto and Neji nodded.

"This is just too good…" a man amongst the crowd sighed as he looked at the match that was about to start with keen interest…

meanwhile, Naruto thought back to what Genma whispered.

("This will be your jounin exam, you are to battle with only Taijutsu, and a maximum exception till A-rank jutsus, which means no senjutsu or other forms of battling.") Genma said.

Naruto stared at Neji who activated his Byakugan eyes.

"THEN…"

"THE FOURTH MATCH BETWEEN UZUMAKI NARUTO AND HYŪGA NEJI OF HIDDEN LEAF VILLAGE"