Everyone watched as both candidates faced each other, the intensity rose in the air.

" You got anything to say to me?" Neji asked. Naruto silently held out his fist. His eyes were full of hatred.

" Only what I told you last time," Naruto revealed. " I vow to win." Neji then activated his Byakugan.

" So much the better for me," Neji said as he readied his stance. " I can't wait to see the look of despair on your face when you learn that your foolish vow is impossible to keep."

" Are we going to stand here talking all day?" Naruto asked. Smoke circled around the three, the wind was not playing around. " Let's get going. Show me what you got." The smoke then disappeared.

" All right," Genma breathed. " Now let the first match begin." Everyone cheered, and Aceso clapped on the side. Naruto then released a couple of kunai knives at Neji, he blocked some and caught one that almost hit right between his eyes. Then Naruto took off running towards him.

Naruto threw a punch, Neji blocked it, and Naruto swung up his leg, he got blocked and flip away. He then went right back at Neji throwing a fist, Naruto threw many punches, but Neji blocked them all. The battle rage on, then Neji got his face real close to Naruto and jabbed him in the chest. Neji then raised his hand, pointing two fingers, and jabbed at Naruto in the shoulder. Naruto then tumbled away, backward. He rolled onto his arm, staring at Neji, panting and grabbing his shoulder.

" Do you understand now?" Neji asked. " You have no way of beating me."

" Heh," Naruto smirked. " Get real. I was just checking you out, that's all."

" Huh?" Neji asked as Naruto slowly got back onto his feet.

" Ok, now that we're warmed up, we can get started," Naruto clarified. He put up his hands in a Jutsu sign. " Shadow Clone Jutsu." Four more Naruto's appeared, all reached into their bag and pulled out kunai knives.

" No matter," Neji smirked. " You can't hide for long

" HA!" the Narutos laughed. " Well, we'll just see about that.

" If you're coming, then come on," Neji urged.

" Hey!" Naruto's shouted.

" Don't ever, don't ever, I mean, never count me out," Naruto suggested. Four of them charged at Neji. He put a hand on two and flipped over. He then blocked the two coming at him with kunai knives. Then the main Naruto charged him and kicked Neji up. Neji then flipped backed.

" Not bad," Naruto complimented. " But let's see you do that again." They circled him as Neji put up his hand. " Come on!" They then went toward him. Neji then jumped up spinning, kicked on in the head, and kicked one under the chin. Those two flew and disappeared. Another two came at Neji from behind. He grabbed them and pushed them forward, they stopped turned and Neji shoved his hands into them, they flew back and disappeared as well. Aceso's eyes went wide.

" This guy, he must have eyes in the back of his head," Naruto suspected. He watched Neji walk over, pick up a clone, jab it, and it disappear.

" You thought you could be Hokage?" Neji mocked. " It's absurd. Never. These eyes of mine show me many things. One thing they've shown me, people's limitations are set, fixed, and unchangeable. Only a fool wastes his time trying to become something he can never be."

" A fool, huh?" Naruto grunted as his fists shake. " Not this crap again. Who are you to judge what a person can or can't be."

" Do you think anyone can be Hokage?" Neji asked. " That all it takes is a little hard work?" Naruto gasped, before returning to an angry look. " Open your eyes. Of all the shinobi in all the world, think how few ever become Hokage. They were born destined to be Hokage. It's not something you become merely by trying to become it. They were chosen by destiny. Each person is given his own path to follow. And he must follow it obediently to the end." He closed his eyes for a second. " There is only one destiny we all share equally...Death."

" Yeah?" Naruto asked. " So what? You can think that way if you want." He then put out a fist. " People always tell me I just don't know when to give up." He put his hands in a sign. " Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A ton of Naruto's appeared, all ready to fight Neji. All of them yelled as they charged. Neji blocked every Naruto that threw an attack.

" Hey!" Naruto shouted as Neji was pounding on a clone. They charged and continue on attacking as Neji continued to successfully fight back. " This is ridiculous. We're not even getting close to this guy."

" You think I can be fooled with a trick like that?" Neji asked before charging at Naruto. He ran past all the Narutos and slammed his fingers into Naruto's heart. " You're the one keeping out of range for fear of my striking your chakra points like this. The more the others attack, the more you stand out holding back." Naruto then coughed out blood and all his clones disappeared. " You're the real one, aren't you?" Genma quickly glanced over at Aceso, she pulled out the things she needed. " I told you it was pointless." Then Naruto started laughing.

" Oh, yeah?" Naruto asked as he looked up. " And I told you it was a mistake to count me out." Then it disappeared.

" But how?" Neji gasped. He turned around to see two Naruto's aiming at him from the air.

" You thought I'd be too much of a chicken to attack you myself," Naruto said. " Well, think again!" He threw a bunch and a circle of chakra on Neji formed and stopped the impact. Then a circle of chakra appeared around him, throwing the Naruto's back and Neji spun a circle, making it go faster. One of the Narutos remained as the other disappeared. The circle disappeared, and Neji stood in a small crater as Naruto rolled onto his back.

" What the heck was that?" Naruto demanded.

" Did you really think you'd won?" Neji mocked.

" We'll see about that," Naruto argued as he got back to his feet and created more Shadow Clones, they went and surrounded Neji.

Neji glowed chakra all around and spun as the Naruto tried to attack. The clones all disappeared. " This is the end for you." Naruto got back onto his feet. " You're in range and you can't escape my Eight Trigrams" He put out his hands. " Gentle Fist art." He moved elegantly as he spoke about his attacks and abilities. " Eight Trigrams 64 palms." His arms were spread out, his legs one lowered, and the other straight. He then took over, spinning. " Eight trigrams." He jabbed Naruto. " Four palm." He jabbed faster. " Eight palm." He went even faster. " 16 palm...32 palm." The higher the palm number the faster Neji went. " 64 palm." Naruto screamed as he went flying back.

" Looks like it's over," Genma said after walking over, he waved toward Aceso.

" I have now struck all 64 of your chakra points," Neji said as Aceso began to walk over, taking off the lid to the ointment. " You're lucky to still be breathing."

" Act!" Naruto grunted. " Come on!" He was on this front, struggling to get up.

" Well, must be frustrating to realize how utterly hopeless it all was, this little dream of yours," Neji said. " You think you could succeed through hard work alone. That's only an illusion.

" No way," Naruto grunted as he struggled to move, struggling to get up, panting.

" Impossible," Neji grunted as Genma held up his hand to Aceso, she retreated back to the doorway. " How could he?" Naruto laughed weakly.

" I told you, I just don't know when to give up," Naruto reminded him.

" It can't be!" Neji denied. " Stop this madness. You'll only get more of the same. I have nothing against you personally."

" That touching," Naruto said. " You're going to make me cry. Anyway, I've got plenty against you."

" I don't know what you mean," Neji said.

" You don't?" Naruto asked. " And here I thought you were Mr. Know-It-All. You don't remember what you did to Hinata, huh? The way you worked on her with your mind games, tearing her down when she worked so hard to get here."

" Never mind that," Neji dismissed. " It doesn't concern you."

" You mocked Hinata, calling her a failure, all that stuff about the great Hyuga clan, main household, branch families," Naruto said. " What bunch of crap! It doesn't give you the right to decide who is a failure. That's what I've got against you."

******

Up in the stands, Kiba was beside Hinata with an Anbu member and Akamaru, he saw a green chakra appear, spreading along Hinata's chest.

" Hey!" Kiba exclaimed. " Aceso can do that same!"

" I'm a doctor like her," the Anbu member informed.

****

" Very well," Neji gave in. " As you are so interested in it, I'll tell you about it. The Hyuga clan's heritage of hatred. For generations, the main household of our clan has practiced a secret ninjutsu known as the cursed mark Jutsu."

" Curse mark Jutsu?" Naruto asked.

" The curse mark is the symbol of a bird locked in its cage," Neji explained. " It's the mark of those who are bound to a destiny they cannot escape." He reached up and took off his headband, in the middle of his head were two lines and an x.

" Is, is that?" Naruto asked. " That's the curse mark?"

" I was four years old when the leaders of my clan branded this symbol on my forehead with their cursed mark Jutsu," Neji explained." On that same day, a great celebration took place n the Hidden Leaf Village. After many years of war, a peace agreement had at last been reached with the Land of Lightning and they had sent the Head Cloud Ninja to sign the treaty and join in the celebration. Everyone was there to welcome our old enemies. Every genin and Jonin in the Leaf Village. Only one clan was absent, the Hyuga clan. Because this was the day on which the heir to the main household was to turn three. It was Lady Hinata's third birthday." He turned and look up in a certain direction. " Her father, Lord Hiashi Hyuga, is sitting up there. He and my father, Hizashi, are twin brothers. And yet, he entered into the world first, so he is head of the family, the firstborn. While my father, his twin brother, is banished to a lesser branch of the family. It was then when the main heir to the household turned three that the curse mark was put on me and I was made a bird in a cage by my own uncle."

" You and this clan of yours, what's the point of it all?" Naruto asked. " Why have a main family and a branch family? And this weird curse mark? What's it mean anyway?"

" I can assure you of one thing," Neji informed. " It's not simply for decoration. You see this is more than a mark we wear. It is also the instrument that keeps us in our place. We will live with the fear that they will use this curse mark to turn out brains to jelly any time they wish. Fear, that is what we live with it. and we live with it every day. Only in death are we free of it. This is how the power of Byakugan is kept sealed away. Only the Hyuga possess the secret of this unique form of Kekkei Genkai. And of course, there are many who would steal it from us. That is why we exist. It is the purpose of the branch family to defend that secret and to serve the keepers of the secret--the main household--obediently and without question for eternity. That is our destiny or was until that dreadful night they went too far. When they murdered my father! One night, someone entered the main household and abducted Lady Hinata. Lord Hiashi quickly caught and killed the man. and who was this intruder, stealing through the shadows in the dead of night, wearing a mask over his face? It was none other than the Head Cloud Ninja of the Land of Lightning, the man who had just signed an alliance with us. It was obvious to everyone that he was after the secret of the Bakugan. But the Land of Lightning professed shock at this willful murder of their ninja. They claimed that the Hidden Leaf Village was in violation of the treaty and they demand recompense. Things got worse and worse until it looked like war would break out anew. The Leaf Village wanted above all things to avoid a war, so at last, they made a deal."

" A deal?" Naruto asked.

" A life for a life," Neji answered. " The Land of Lightning demanded the death of the person who had slain their ninja. If there was to be peace Lord Hiashi must die. The Leaf Village accepted their terms. And so to avert a war a man was killed, but not Hiashi." Neji was clenching his headband with anger. " My father, his twin brother, was killed in his place in order to protect the main household." His Byakugan was activated once more. " Only in death was my father finally free of this evil curse mark. They were so much alike--twin brothers--but their destinies had been determined long ago when one was born a few seconds after the other. And this match is the same." He looked at Naruto. Your destiny was decided the moment I was chosen as your opponent. It's your destiny to lose to me. Oh yeah?"

" Oh, yeah?" Naruto asked as he panted. " Well, we won't know that until you beat me, will we?" Neji put his headband back on, over his mark. " Ok, I know your father was killed a long time ago and I know it wasn't fair and maybe you're upset about that, I understand. But that's got nothing to do with destiny. If you think I'm buying that, you're wrong."

" You will never understand," Neji dismissed before charging at Naruto.

" Ah!" Naruto yelled out as he was pushed in the chest and went flying back.

" Proctor, It's over," Neji declared. " Hm. You're a failure." He turned to walk away.

" Wa-wait, don't walk away from me," Naruto pleaded weakly, he struggled to get up. " I'm not done yet. I don't quit, and I don't go back on my word. That's my nindo, my ninja way."

" I heard those words before," Neji scoffed.

" All this destiny crap," Naruto grunted. " Well, if you really believe it, why are you the one walking away?" Aceso gripped the ointment hard, she hasn't turned away or closed her eyes.

" You impudent little brat!" Neji hissed. " Why waste my breath explaining it to you? We are all given a destiny at birth, and it's pointless to fight against it. " He was shaking with anger." You don't know what it's like to be branded with a mark that sets you apart, a mark that can never be wiped away." He was pointing at the blonde spikey kid.

' You're wrong about that, Neji'," Aceso thought to herself.

" Oh, yeah?" Naruto asked. " I know what that's like." He was gripping his chest, right above his heart. " Well, big deal. Who cares?"

" You worthless little..." Neji began as he Byakugan enhanced.

" Man, you think you've got troubles?" Naruto asked. " I've got news for you, Neji, you're not the only special one around here. Did you ever think that Hinata might be suffering as much as you are? It's not her fault that her father was born ahead of yours, but you resent her for it. You disrespect her even when she's trying so hard to improve herself. All she wanted was your respect. That's what she was fighting for even though it almost killed her. And what was that all about, anyway? I thought it was your destiny to serve the main household, not beat it to a bloody pulp. After all, you said about how you can't fight your destiny, you don't really believe in it either, do you?" He started to cough.

" I have blocked all 64 of your chakra points," Neji smirked. " How are you planning to keep fighting when you can't use your chakra against me? It's fitting that you sympathize with Hinata because you're about to share her fate."

" Oh, really?" Naruto asked in disbelief. " You think that Byakugan of yours sees everything? You know everyone's weakness, right?"

" That's right," Neji confirmed. " But if you think you're one who can prove me wrong, well, be my guest."

" You got it," Naruto accepted. " I'm gonna show you're wrong about a lot of things, starting right now." He spread his legs into a new stance.

" Proctor, this has gone on long enough," Neji said. " I suggest you stop the match. If he's foolish enough to continue to fight, I will not be responsible for what happens to him. Nor will Aceso be able to save him."

" Fine," Genma gave in. Naruto scoffed and made a hand sign.

" It's pointless, I told you," Neji said. Naruto was now yelling. " Why bother? You have no chakra to use. Why fight a hopeless battle trying to defy your destiny?"

" Cause people called me a failure," Naruto answered looking up. " I'll prove them wrong. " Neji activated the Byakugan. Naruto started yelling, rocks around him started to rise, as air circled around his feet. A red chakra appeared off his body, in nine lines.

' Yes!' Aceso cheered, he was using the chakra of the nine-tailed fox. Naruto began yelling, the chakra was so powerful that the wind got heavier.

" Here it goes," Naruto said. More lines appeared off his body, twisting, picking up more speed, it then went into Naruto's body and disappeared. It reappeared as a circle around his feet and rose, it covered his whole body, from head to toe. It was coming off him like a small fire. Naruto then jumped up, he flew over Neji with throwing knives, he whipped them, and then Neji started to turn.

" Rotation!" Neji shouted the ball of chakra bounced the knives off of him. Naruto grabbed one and pushed off the wall towards Neji. " Take this." He threw the throwing knives, and Naruto disappeared. " What?" He jumped, barely missing Naruto's fist. The two raised kunai knives at each other, growling, they yelled and bolted toward each other. They bounced off each other and slid back. Then they took off at each other again. They caught their knives and clashed past each other before landing back on the ground.

" Okay, you," Naruto smiled. " So I hear you like close combat, huh?" He growled and ran towards Neji, tearing up the field. " It may be the Hyuga way to cave into destiny. It's not mine! If you think it's futile to fight, then don't. Just stand there and take it!" Neji began to use the rotation move. " I'll change the way of the Hyuga clan..." The two collided, and a blue and a red light shined and started to blind everyone. " After I become Hokage." There was an explosion, everyone's eyes were wide, and bodies flew in two different directions as the arena shook. When the smoke cleared, everyone saw two craters and two holes. Aceso leaned over a little, to see if she could get a glimpse. A hand shot out of one of the holes and Neji climbed out. He was coughing and shaking. With a great struggle, he walked over to the other hole, where Naruto lay. Smoke was rising as he lay there shaking.

" Sorry, but this is reality," Neji apologized. " You're a failure. This match is over." There was a rumbling below Neji and he gasped. Naruto shot up and punched Neji right under the chin. He coughed out blood as he flew up. Naruto landed on his feet as Neji landed on his back not too far away. Blood was dripping from Naruto's fingers, all his nails had broken.

I can't move," Neji groaned in pain. And then the Naruto laying down disappeared. Naruto walked over to Neji and looked down at him, he was panting heavily. " I should've guessed you'd use that shadow clone Jutsu. It's your specialty after all. I was careless.

" For the record, I failed the graduation exam three times..." Naruto brought up. " Cause there was this one Jutsu that was always on the exam. And it tripped me up every time. It was the one Jutsu that I just couldn't master. My clones were pathetic. That's right. I flunked the shadow clone Jutsu every time. So don't come whining to me with this destiny stuff. And stop trying to tell me you can't change what you are. You can do it too. 'Cause, after all, unlike me, you're not a failure."

" Hm," Genma smiled as he raised a hand. " The winner is Naruto Uzumaki. " Aceso ran out and immediately appeared beside Neji. She placed her hands over him, the green appeared around her hands, and she began to heal him. The crowd was cheering for Naruto.

" You two put a great fight," Aceso breathed as Naruto looked up at the crowd with a smile.

" Yay!" Naruto cheered and started to run around. Aceso pulled out healing ointment and put some under Neji's chin before putting a bandage on. The other medics came over with a stretcher.

" Even a caged bird was smart enough and will be able to figure out how to open the door to its cage with its beak," Genma said. " The dream of flying and breaking free is too great to resist. But this time, you lost."

" Take him to room 102," Aceso ordered.

" Yes, ma'am," the two orderlies said before picking up Neji and leaving the field.