Following the discovery of the grave robbery, Kakashi threw himself into intensive training, doing as much as he could to achieve the Conqueror's Haki coating, which he subconsciously did in his rage.
While Kakashi wasn't able to achieve this in the eight days leading up to the finals, the training allowed him better control over his Conqueror's Haki as a whole.
- Chunin Exam Arena -
Arriving in the stands, Kakashi stayed out of sight, using his observation to feel the aura of everyone in the arena.
'It all appears how I remember this going. Sound ninja dressed as Anbu scattered among the crowd, Orochimaru up with the Third Hokage, but that's Jiraiya hiding in the stands, using the camouflage technique to blind into a wall. That's different.'
Kakashi didn't step out, thinking about the role Jiraiya played in dealing with the summons of Orochimaru's snakes on the village walls during the invasion.
Kakashi thought about what to do before silently creating four shadow clones, which disappeared to observe the village once the invasion started, giving the original the information needed and enough time to decide on a plan upon their dispersal.
As for Orochimaru, Kakashi wanted to take a wait-and-see approach. If the snake put himself behind a barrier, Kakashi would just wait to slaughter him once he was out or break through it before the fight with the Third Hokage.
The Third Hokage was another person he pondered on, and Kakashi was admittedly lost on whether he should save him or not. Kakashi didn't hate the man, but he wasn't blind to his leniency toward the village elders and traitor student. But Kakashi will admit that he wasn't a fan of his in any way. The majority of ninja problems today can be traced back to Danzo, Orochimaru, or Obito, and Kakashi planned to see to their deaths. Having Hiruzen alive might complicate matters regarding Danzo's death; Kakashi wasn't confident he could accomplish his goals with Hiruzen alive, but he'd rather not unnecessarily complicate things if he didn't have to. And Hiruzen would be seen as a true Hokage if he went out today, instead of dying of old age in retirement.
Kakashi sighed, feeling like he was picking and choosing who should live or not, not something that tore him up inside, as he himself had mercilessly snuffed out many lives, but that little part of him whispered, 'What about Asuma?' 'What about Konohamaru?'
'Me and my bleeding heart.'
Kakashi sighed, creating another clone and having it transform into an Anbu before telling it to relay a message to Jiraiya discreetly.
Kakashi watched the clone disappear in a body flicker before looking to the stands, where all the contestants but Neji and Naruto stood facing each other.
Genma observed the two, looking to the Hokage and receiving a nod, thinking to himself.
'I hope you're ready for what this is going to cause, Naruto.'
Genma sighed, raising a hand, ready to chop it and begin the first fight.
"Alright. Let the first fight of the Chunin Exam Finals between Neji Hyuga and Naruto Namikaze begin!"
Genma shouted, stunning many; even those who knew of Naruto's parentage were stunned that it had just been announced to the whole stadium.
Even Naruto and Neji were stunned briefly, Neji looking at Naruto with even more wariness than he previously felt.
'Sure enough, he was fated to be strong, but I know fate is on my side in this battle.'
Neji thought as he shifted into his gentle fist stance.
Naruto quickly followed, getting into his own stance, ready for Neji's inevitable charge.
- Stands -
"Did he just say Namikaze? Like the Fourth?"
Ino gapped like a fish out of water before she really looked at Naruto and wanted to slap herself in the face.
'It was so obvious, why did no one put that together? Why didn't I?'
"When you think the guy couldn't get any more troublesome."
Shikamaru drawled in his ever-lazy tone, eyes half open as if he just woke up from a nap, but if one knew him well, they'd notice the way his eyes locked onto the stadium below with interest.
Choji's right hand stilled in the chip bag, looking to his friend and following his lead as he too looked down to the arena.
- Back to the fight -
"Fourth Hokage's son or not, I am fated to win today; you might as well give up."
Naruto didn't look impressed in the slightest.
"If that were true, why are you sweating?"
Veins bulged out at the sides of Neji's eyes, and he charged with the intent to close off Naruto's chakra points at the start of sight.
"The Byakugan, dojutsu of the Hyuga family. Allows you to see chakra points and 360 degrees around you."
Naruto commented casually, pivoting to dodge a palm strike from Neji's left hand.
"But it doesn't make you invincible."
Naruto added, dodging faster strikes from Neju as his anger rose in response to the casualness of Naruto.
"You can see me, but that doesn't help you land a hit."
Naruto parried each palm strike and finger jab of Neji, using chakra in his arms to disrupt the closing of his chakra points upon contact.
"If you truly believed in fate, you wouldn't hide behind that headband."
Neji lowered into a stance once he was close to Naruto, eyes blazing with anger.
"8-Trigrams-64 palms!"
Neji roared as his strikes blurred.
Naruto watched each strike come at him, able to read them without much issue, always staying a step too far for Neji to strike, not letting him get too close.
"I'm getting tired of this, Neji. I'm going to defeat you and your ridiculous fate soon. I really only allowed this fight to continue so the judges could see your ability. You can thank me later after you wake up."
"Shut up! What do you know?! You know nothing about my life."
If looks could kill, Naruto would've been long dead. Neji's strikes came in faster waves, but no matter what Neji did, Naruto was just faster.
"I won't put much power into it, but I do hope you dodge."
Naruto replied, an orb of spiraling blue chakra forming in his right hand in under a second.
Neji, feeling and seeing the power of the jutsu, quickly spun in place and created a dome of chakra.
"Rotation!"
The two spiraling techniques met, the ultimate Hyuga defense vs the creation of the Hokage, the sound of the clash was akin to metal scraping.
"Not bad, but can you maintain that when I push more power?"
Naruto didn't give Neji the time to comprehend, pushing more chakra into it and breaking through the chakra dome.
With the mass of chakra closing in, that was the only thing that registered to Neji, not seeing the fist until it was in his face, and by then it was too late.
*Crunch*
Falling to the ground, Neji grasped his nose, not able to recover in time as four clones of Naruto appeared and pinned a limb each, the real one holding the Rasengan mere inches from his face.
"You used all your tricks and exhausted your chakra when I touched on a sensitive topic. The fate you spoke of is worthless. Before I met someone who believed in me wholeheartedly, I was dead last in my academy class."
Naruto watched his words sink in before continuing.
"He saw me. He was the first teacher who actually took the time to teach me. The first one that told me I was talented. He showed me not with words but through his teachings. And for the record, I do know how you feel. I, too, have had a burden forced upon me when I was young. I was even younger than you were when you received that cursed seal, so don't spout excuses."
Naruto finished, looking to the proctor.
"Winner, Naruto Namikaze!"
The stadium roared to life, clapping loudly, many with guilty looks on their faces, feeling the sting of their past actions.
Naruto's clones dispelled, the original walking away from the boy that had still yet to move, gazing at the birds in the sky as medics loaded him up on a stretcher and carried him away.
Naruto waved at the rookie genin as he got up there, scanning the Jonin and not seeing Kakashi, going to ask where his Sensei was, before a hand landed on his head from behind.
"Nicely done, Naruto."
Kakashi ruffled his hair with an eye-smile.
"Sensei."
Naruto looked over his shoulder with his own smile.
"The Rasengan, and you've managed to not only master it for instant use, but learned to control the power."
"Sasuke Uchiha and Garra, report to the stadium to begin your match!"
Genma shouted over the mild buzz of the crowd, turning his head as a swirl of leaves announced Sasuke's arrival, Garra walking down the stairs and up to Sasuke, his barely controlled blood lust emanating from him.
Genma raised his hand and chopped it down.
"Begin!"
- Chapter End -
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. And I'd like to take this time to address something I got in one of the latest chapters. If you don't like the fic, then feel free not to read. You're free not to like it; that's your right, and I respect it. But if you comment that my fanfic isn't good and don't give me anything to work on, I'll ignore you, as it's my right. That is all. Hope you're all having a blessed night or day when you read this chapter.