Various POVs (Team Nine's Training Ground - Hidden Leaf Village)
X-X
Naruto's POV
Naruto could feel the tension fill the air around him. Neji's dull and cold eyes met his own, and Naruto wasn't surprised to see he was confident. As Naruto dropped into a stance, one hand toward Riptide on his back, and the other cautiously in front of him. Neji merely smiled, standing casually.
"The hell?" Naruto asked with a raised brow. "If you want to do this, let's get it over already."
"There's no need for me to be tense, nor even cautious. Someone like you, Naruto Uzumaki, could never beat me…" Neji replied calmly. Naruto growled, his hand twitching towards Riptide, but Naruto stopped himself as he dropped lower, prepared to charge. "Ah, cute, you intended to not use your blade against me. But that would be a dire mistake, you'll need every advantage you can get for this…"
"There it is again!" Naruto roared, refusing to draw his blade against his own comrade. "You go around treating everyone like dirt, like you're better than me, but you know nothing about me…"
"I know more than enough Uzumaki," Neji replied evenly. "A consistent slacker in academics, a clumsy, slow learner with practical skills. You're the kind of man who gets by on little more than guts and luck. But those two things are limited, they'll never be enough to change what you are…"
Naruto nearly charged the man, but over the years, he had dealt with this before. People within the Leaf sometimes simply didn't like him outright. That came with the advantage of learning how to deal with someone who irrationally hates you. Casual indifference!
"That's big talk coming from you. You talk about fate, order, and reality. But they are nothing more than excuses for you, something to pin your hatred on. But the truth of the matter is you're the one to blame!" Naruto countered passionately. "Maybe get off your ass instead of-"
Naruto would've loved to finish, but flinched as Neji blurred forward. Naruto attempted to raise his guard, but Neji blitzed past it, slugging Naruto directly in the face. The blonde was stunned as the blow sent him reeling back, nearly falling flat on his ass. Naruto spat out a wad of blood and offered Neji a wild smile. The guy packed some strength under that frame. Naruto took the lead this time, leaping forward as he threw two kunai at Neji. It was meant to buy time as Naruto closed the distance, but Neji caught the first one and deflected the second, slashing with a kunai as Naruto came close. Naruto abandoned his charge, backing up to block the attack, before tackling Neji to the ground.
Naruto smiled as he managed to drag Neji to the ground. While it was simple and indeed not pretty, it worked like a charm. Naruto straddled him in an instant before unleashing a punch, two, the third was stopped as Neji showed impressive flexibility, hooking his legs in Naruto's arms and flinging him back with ease.
Naruto hauled himself back to his feet as soon as he hit the ground. Only to be perfectly placed to eat a roundhouse to the head. Naruto stumbled back, and Neji followed up with a palm to his gut and a slap to the face. Naruto grit his teeth, throwing a wild haymaker to stop the assault, but Neji caught the arm and wrenched it to the side, slamming an elbow into it as he did. Naruto howled in pain and kicked him away.
However, it only bought him a moment as Neji blurred forward again, jabbing him in the nose. Naruto flinched from the blow, taking a right hook to his face, and a poke on his leg that made his leg collapse. As Naruto was kneeling, Neji mercilessly kneed him in the face, sending him skidding back.
"It's ironic hearing you mention reality," Neji said, charging forward again. Naruto ducked a punch, but his return blow was caught; the Hyuga tripped him with ease as he continued. "You yourself are blind to it. You are not a true shinobi, you were a chronic failure during the Academy, a social outcast to much of the populace, and you dare mention reality?"
"That might be true!" Naruto howled as he caught Neji's attempted stomp and flung him back with pure strength. Naruto rolled forward and grabbed Neji's legs and ripped them from the ground. Using his absurd strength, he lifted the man by his legs and spun him with his power. Naruto twirled three times before hurling Neji across the field with a heave. "But that doesn't mean anything! Maybe I'm not in the best position now, but I'll fight like hell not to stay there!"
Neji skillfully twirled through the air, somehow landing on his feet with a skid and a smirk. "Ah, yes, that blind optimism of yours. You may be a loser here and now, but you intend to be more… you'll try your best and through your efforts achieve more… I've heard it all before. Those words I once said, words another even wiser than had taught me."
Naruto launched on the offensive now. Neji deftly dodged Naruto's flying kick, follow-up spinning backfist, and his flashy flip kick. Tripping him one again and kicking Naruto away with contemptuous ease. Naruto barely felt the blows, more of the embarrassment of the moment as he rolled to his feet. "If you know the feeling-"
"It's because, like you said, Naruto Uzumaki, this is about me more than you," Neji said with a scowl. "I find you iterating, foolish, and foolhardy. But that's not why I oppose you so openly. It comes from a place of caring."
"You have a damn funny way of showing you care!"
"It's because what I'm doing is necessary, Naruto," Neji replied evenly. "There was a time, like you, I thought I had a choice in life. I thought our circumstances and position in the world were nothing more than variables. That with time and dedication, one could overcome them."
"What changed Neji…" Naruto asked with a frown. What Neji was saying spoke to him on a deep level; he had nearly thought those exact same words on the occasion. "What made you into this…"
"You know of the way of the Hyuga, do you not?"
"Some of you are forced to be… servants to the others," Naruto said uncomfortably. He may have disliked Neji in the present moment, but the reminder of what pressure had formed the man around him left him confused.
"The Main House is treated as a true and righteous Hyuga." Neji began bitterly. "They are selected from birth; those of direct lineage to the Main are inducted within their ranks. While those born "late" or by "lesser blood" are inducted into the Branch House. While members of the Main House enjoy the full benefits and rights afforded to a Hyuga, those of the Branch House are considered secondary servants to those of the Main. From the moment I was born, and even before that, the moment my father was born after his brother, my life had already been decided. But as a youth and during my years at the Academy, my father and I were hopeful. We had assumed that if I proved my skill and power beyond equal in both the Branch and Main House, I'd have to be accepted. I trained day and night with my father, all in the vain hope of change… but my father's life was sacrificed to save his brother. And with his death so did my only hope. I will never escape the Branch House… that discovery nearly crushed me… still threatens to do so to this very day. But that failure created clarity. I saw the world for what it was, I for what I was, and through it found the closest thing those born inferior can hope for… You can't change fate, Uzumaki. And I will help you accept that fact, perhaps then we can finally see eye to eye…"
"I won't lose, I won't accept fate or anything being impossible, and I damn sure will never understand that!" Naruto replied, incensed. It helped him understand Neji; in fact, Naruto felt less angry with him already. From what he heard the man was misguided, this was Naruto's chance to prove himself and help his teammate.
However, as soon as Naruto finished, Neji appeared before him, Byakugan blazing. Naruto couldn't react as Neji struck forth with much more power and weight into the blow. Naruto was forced to spit out blood as Neji struck his palm into his ribs, the pain stabbing deep within him. And sending Naruto sliding back. "This farce is over now… Palm Bottom!"
"That's the problem…" Naruto said as he suddenly stopped his slide as his hand grabbed onto Neji's wrist. He smiled as Neji attempted to reel his hand back and snapped out with the other. However, Naruto ate the punch, using the moment to form his signature hand sign. "People like you think you know everything, you have talent and intelligence, but all that does is blind you to possibilities… me, I've never had much luck in anything… made me resourceful… and aware of the power of not quitting! It'll take more than that to finish me off! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"How could you?!" Neji asked, alarmed, as two clouds of smoke burst into life at the sides of Naruto. The blonde smirked as both drew their own Riptides and struck out wildly for Neji's head. The bound Hyuga couldn't escape Naruto's grasp, forcing him to duck the blows. However, the clones didn't seem surprised at all, swinging two uppercuts in sync with their free hands and catching Neji flat in the stomach. The power of their blows sends him flying up into the air.
"Now that I know why we're fighting!" Naruto roared and leapt on top of the waiting arms of his clones. "Naruto Launcher!" He cried as they flung him into the air after Neji. "I won't be holding back!" He roared as he drew his own Riptide and slashed for Neji, who was oddly spinning through the air. Naruto slashed for Neji's back as he drew close; it would cut somewhat deeply, but be nowhere near lethal. However, just as he drew close, an annoyed Neji sounded out.
"Kaiten!"
A glowing blue blur suddenly shot out around Neji, the approaching Naruto having no recourse but to slam into it painfully. The force of the swelling object sent Naruto careening into the ground, denting the packed mud below with a crash as Naruto groaned in pain.
Naruto watched bleary-eyed as Neji landed in front of him smoothly. "You truly intend to win this? I truly do admire your tenacity, but you're out of your weight class here. I am more skilled and quicker than you, and now you've seen my ultimate defense. It feels absurd to resort to such a thing against you, Naruto Uzumaki. So, I consider myself impressed."
"Heh, don't really care about all that," Naruto said as he stood and cracked his neck with a pained grunt. He had known this was never going to be a smooth fight, but would readily admit to being shocked by just how strong Neji was. Naruto, thus far, had been beaten around and barely been able to hang on to it with his odd tactics. But that was about to change now; he just had to watch out for the damn Kaiten. "All I care about is kicking your ass at the moment. Besides, someone has already lost against me once. Thought you didn't need to even try against me?"
"I was wrong… you'll regret that being the case from here on, Naruto…"
X-X
Kakashi's POV
"I never met him, let alone seen Blondie fight," Yuno said, amused as she sat on a large log the group of spectators used as their viewing stand. "For someone who's considered near dead last, he's holding his own."
"One Blondie is my nickname for him, but ya. Naruto is surprisingly tough when the time calls for it… are we sure this is a good idea, Kakashi?" Ino asked nervously.
"I'm kinda with her on this one." Choji agreed. "That fight is getting nasty. Neji has beaten Naruto around a lot, and while I wouldn't count him out. Someone could get hurt."
"Come on Cho," Yuno said with an amused roll of her eyes. "We've seen nothing yet. Regardless of what they think of each other, they both seem to be taking this seriously. They claimed they were holding back, but only Neji really was. Naruto was testing him out. That being said, so far the edge is decidedly on Neji's side, though things are about to intensify. Shame Sasuke always wanted to test his mettle against Neji, at the very least, he would've loved to watch this."
"There's no need for any of you to worry," Kurenai assured the group with a nod. "While the two of them are fighting in earnest, either Kakashi or I will interfere if things get out of hand… that isn't likely, is it, Kakashi?"
"Nah," Kakashi said while literally waving off their concerns. "The two of them will beat each other senselessly, but I'm confident neither will take it much further. They wouldn't admit it to one another plainly, but they have a slowly growing, begrudging respect for one another."
"Hmm, is this truly a good idea though? From my own estimations, the best outcome for the team here would be an upset from Naruto." Shino chimed in. "And while I consider the man a friend, I am confident he is outmatched here. Neji has outpaced him thus far and is still holding back."
"Naruto is holding back, too." Yuno chimed in. Her Sharingan was active as she watched the two prepare for another clash. "The real fight hasn't seemed to begin."
"Naruto showed more during our training," Ino confirmed, feeling oddly proud of her doubted teammate.
"I mean, I doubt it." Choji agreed. "But I talked to someone who fought Neji a lot, and they were pretty strong themselves…"
"Who?" Yuno and Ino asked curiously.
"A friend of Naruto and mine named Rock Lee, quite possibly the only match to Neji, hand-to-hand wise. But the guy claimed despite fighting Neji nearly ten times during the Academy he never came close to beating him." Choji offered worriedly. "I'm not sure Naruto can win… I want to stop this."
"I hate it too," Ino admitted. "But it seems to be for the best for now. The two have spent the entire time we have been a team, raring to go. Naruto even snuck Neji, and Neji nearly attacked me before, too. Whatever this is needs to be settled…"
"Agreed," Kakashi said. "However, I suspect this fight will be anything but predictable."
X-X
Kushina's POV
Kushina was a mother, which meant she was naturally noisy. She had noticed this past week that Naruto had been incredibly busy. On top of the team training and his regular exercises, Naruto had been doing even more training late into the night. It was clear her son was practicing his use of Riptide, Kushina having gifted him a Kenjutsu Practice Scroll to use it effectively.
It was odd; Naruto had always been a workaholic, regardless of what his son gave it his all. But this level of training reminded her of the Academy; Naruto felt inadequate to someone…
A little investigation and theorizing had allowed her to figure out the rest. It was common for newly formed Genin teams to have "teething issues". The hope had been that their raised age would allow them to avoid such, but it clearly had no luck. From there, she had to narrow it down to the teammate, and while Kakashi was a legend, she doubted he lit the fire within Naruto. No, she had expected the genius of the team, Neji Hyuga, to be the perpetrator.
So Kushina, after Naruto had left this morning, tailed her son. While it was undoubtedly a little overbearing, and would almost certainly piss him off if he learned. She was simply too curious and worried to let the matter be, wanting to ensure her son wasn't in trouble. She had been surprised they hadn't gone to their regular training ground, but when they arrived at another team's, she had felt better, only for things to take an ugly twist.
The Hyuga and her son seemed to be not allies but a mere step behind enemies. At first Kushina had been relaxed and the two seemed prime to fight, but to her dismay it seemed the Sensei were allowing it. The worried mother had nearly stormed the field, but the look on her son's face when she saw it stopped her. For whatever reason Naruto needed this fight, to beat his own teammate, there was some point to prove. And just like his father, the man would not back down till then…
X-X
Neji's POV
Neji felt a steady growing pool of frustration building within him. This fight so far had been absurd, he had outpaced and out maneuvered the idiot. Yet the bastard just kept eating his blows and continuing forth. Combine that with his monstrous strength and odd style, and Neji was struggling to finish him off.
Palm Bottom was a basic but effective Gentle Fist strike. While not the most powerful or lethal it was a strong strike, combined with a spike of chakra striking from within. The Kaiten, while a defensive technique, was one capable of tanking powerful attacks and crushing concrete. Yet the fool had tanked both of them, both techniques usually considered somewhat dangerous to land on someone, certainly a finishing blow within a spar.
Yet Naruto smiled back at him happily, crouched low to prepare for their next bout of combat. "Are you ready for me to show you what I really got?" Naruto snarked at Neji.
The cavalier attitude from Naruto was annoying. "Do you even know how to use that blade?" Neji countered. "I never remember seeing it in the Academy, a recent choice? You can't truly believe a novice swordsman will let you close the edge?"
"Nope." Naruto replied in his infuriating simple and confident way. "Just part of it."
The two then charged, Neji drew a kunai to deflect a probing strike from Naruto's blade, ducked an elbow from the blonde's free arm and attempted to trip the blonde. However Naruto stabbed Riptide into the ground using it to dodge Neji's sweep attempt. Naruto then launched himself back, only to leap forward just as Neji rose. The two met bodily, yet Naruto smiled, hugging Neji tightly to himself and lifting him into the air. Neji attempted to free himself only to be slammed into the ground bodily. Naruto attempted to point his blade under Neji's chin, but the Hyuga kicked it away with one foot, and landed a surprise kick to Naruto's face with the other. Rolling through as Naruto stumbled back, Neji stood and elbowed Naruto in the face without turning. Neji attempted to spin for Kaiten, but a whistle of air alerted him. Neji trusted his instincts ducking to see Riptide fly by. The Hyuga smirked before he looked up to see both of Naruto's feet inches away.
Neji went skidding back from the powerful blow seeing stars. Stunned and desperate, Neji spun as he stood initiating a Kaiten, only to see a smiling but bloodied Naruto waiting calmly for him to regroup. The idiot was taking him lightly…
"I'm not some chump, you think a street rat like me could never beat you." Naruto declared. "But I'm slowly proving you wrong bastard. Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Neji flinched as a dozen Naruto's spawned blades ready. He inhaled deeply as the thirteen Nartuo's closed in, his eyes couldn't tell the real from the fake. But this tactic of the blonde was a foolish one, Neji would merely treat each of the Naruto's as if they were real.
The first Naruto swung downward with his blade, Neji swiped it away with one hand and smashed the face of the clone with the other. An instant later Neji leapt over another clone and landed on a third. The fourth and fifth both swatted away with ease, however the sixth landed a haymaker which allowed the seventh to do the same. Neji's patience snapped from the two blows spinning into a massive Kaiten crushing the clones and the real Naruto in a single go.
Neji watched satisfied as Naruto smashed into the ground brutally again. He smirked at the still blonde and turned to walk away. Before he heard the scratching of dirt, turning to a raised brow he saw Naruto standing and glaring at him. Naruto simply pointed Riptide as if to continue the fight. "You surely recognize this is foolish right? I have beaten you into the dirt repeatedly in this battle, yet here you are crawling back out of it."
"I don't always get things right on the first try." Naruto admitted with ease. "However I've found being relentless makes up for that. It'll take a whole lot more than you're capable of to put me down."
Neji snarled at that comment. Did Naruto truly believe he could win? Did he not see that calling out such a thing put Neji down? He was called arrogant yet here this man was boasting emptily!
"Round Two! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto declared thrusting his blade into the ground as he formed four clones around him. "Naruto Shells!"
Neji watched in fury as the ridiculous spectacle of clones lined up before him. This idiot expected these parlor tricks to work on someone of his caliber? Neji allowed his muscles to loosen, he would show him… Neji would go all out for just a burst, he couldn't keep it up long, but Naruto would surely be near dead by then.
He charged forward, indignant as he watched Naruto rip a clone from his feet and hurl it head first at Neji. The Hyuga twirled around the first clone jabbing it lightly as he did. He kicked away the second, ducked the third, and leapt over the forth attempting to kick Naruto in the face.
However the Hyuga flinched as instead of popping or flying away the Naruto began to swell. An instant later it erupted in a miniature explosion, minorly burning Neji's foot and sending him skidding back.
"Like my Shadow Clone: Walking Landmine Jutsu?!" Naruto roared as he closed in near the Hyuga swinging down with an axe kick. However Neji rolled to avoid this attack and faced Naruto dropping into a very low stance.
The blonde flinched realizing Neji was going for something, Neji blurring forward in a furious charge. Naruto grinned, meeting the charge and summoning six clones to back him.
The real Naruto slashed Riptide from above at Neji, who sidestepped him and poked the next closest clone into smoke. The next Naruto slash at his hip and Neji skillfully caught the blade between his hands, and kicked that Naruto into another making both stumble back. Neji leapt on top of them both, using them to launch himself backwards, the force of the leap drove both clones into the ground destroying them. Neji used to leap to attack the real Naruto again, landing a poke on the real Naruto making him drop Riptide, before he could finish him off however his legs were taken out from beneath him. Before he could recover a second clone stomped on his chest, Neji kicked it back and spun on the ground, activating Kaiten and sending the three clones flying and destroying them, he watched the real Naruto collect Riptide as he narrowly avoided the blow, chuckling as he did.
"What's so funny?!" Neji demanded, this fight was no small matter. Naruto himself had spoken of the importance of this fight. Neji was slowly winning this brawl, and furthermore it felt like Naruto was treating this all as a game. "Do you truly find this amusing?!"
"Come on now Neji." Naruto said with a satisfied smirk. "You're gonna tell me you don't love a close fight like this? I can't help but have fun when going against someone like this. Don't you?"
Neji had reached his limits. Naruto refused to give up, taking a beating as if it barely bothered him. Somehow the fool was actually holding his own, Neji body ached in the few places Naruto had landed solidly. Now this fool wasn't even taking this seriously? "Maybe an equal Naruto, and while you have surpassed what I thought you capable of, prepare for my true power. I'll show you just how infallible destiny is. This is the power of the Hyuga! The power that cripples me… the same that will cripple you… you refuse to lose! Then I'll take that choice from you!" Neji dropped into an even lower stance, eyes focused on the ground. While Naruto doubtlessly was unsure of what he was doing he seemed wise enough to recognize it wouldn't be good. He summoned two clones and sheathed his blade to his own low stance. But it mattered not to Neji could already see the Eight Trigrams beneath them, Naruto was within range…
The two clones charged first howling as their blades began to glow with chakra. Neji however launched forward with a roar of effort, he allowed chakra to flow through his body enhancing his speed and strength in an instant. The clones before him cackled with excitement, one leaping over his head and the other leaping back, then the two struck, their blades cutting through the air in front of him and behind. "Clashing Waves!" Neji however had already begun his own technique, an attack that defended as well as destroyed. 'Two Palms!' Neji thought as he attacked in front of him and behind him at once. He heard the pop of the clones, saw his attacks catch them off guard and destroy them before they could unleash their own attacks. He saw the real Naruto's grin only widened as he began to draw his blade and call out his own technique, but Neji raced forward closing the gap between them to a near two feet. Naruto slashed his blade which was coated in so much chakra it was a blob around it, Naruto slash horizontally unleashing a powerful line of racing chakra mere feet away. "Slash of the Riptide, don't worry I pulled my punch!"
Neji however casually flipped over the attack, enjoying the stunned expression and reaction of Naruto as he landed mere inches away. "Four Palms!" Neji finger jabbed at Naruto at speeds the blonde seemed helpless to track yet alone defend himself from. Two along both arms made them fall uselessly, and made Naruto step backwards with a cry of pain. Neji smirked, this fight was over, the rest of this would merely be to crush his spirit…
X-X
Kakashi's POV
"They're tearing each other apart…" Ino said worriedly.
"I never realized just how powerful they both were…" Shino added. "To think they both are at this level…"
"They'd wipe the floor with me!" Choji agreed with a chuckle before frowning sadly. "But I think it's over…"
Kakashi didn't bother to respond or listen to the others. While he wasn't a user of Gentle Fist, one couldn't be an experienced Leaf shinobi without seeing this very technique at least once. The Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms was a potentially lethal technique, used exclusively by Hyuga to disable or even kill their opponents. He needed to stop this!
Kurenai was clever, seeing his concern and moving with him at once. However, they were both stopped as glowing scarlet chains suddenly formed and held them in place. The group of spectators flinched, turning to see one Kushina Uzumaki standing before them.
"Kushina!" Kakashi barked, turning worriedly. "We need to stop this now!"
"I won't," Kushina said through gritted teeth.
"This spar has gone much too far." Kurenai agreed with Kakashi, raising a brow at the mother. "Naruto has performed admirably and should feel no shame in losing-"
"It's not over… he's not done."
"Whoever you are!" Ino yelled. "Let them stop this already!"
"That's my damn son down there! You think it doesn't kill me to watch?! But he wanted this… made me promise to not get involved… to not let anyone get involved…"
"Guys, look!" Choji interrupted the argument, the group turning to see Neji finish off his combo.
X-X
Naruto's POV
Naruto had to admit the bastard was tough. With a cry of "Sixteen Palms!" Naruto was hit with a barrage of blows; they made his arms numb and still, and each touch on his body caused a pulse of agony from within. Naruto could barely keep up with it all, by the time he tracked a blow, it had landed and the next was on the way. The barrage stopped with two jabs to his legs, making them buckle for a moment. "Thirty Two Palms!" The next barrage was blindingly fast; Naruto could scarcely tell where he was hit, his body sliding back at speed as he was stunned, the pain overwhelming him. "This is finished, Sixty Four Palms!" Naruto felt none of the blows, only the force of them driving him off his feet and through the air. His entire body was aching with pain, a cold numbness dulled it, yet it echoed throughout him. He blacked out for a moment, the air driven from his lungs as he impacted something brutal and unforgiving. The shower of bark as he bounced off it and fell face-first on the ground.
"That is the difference between you and I." Neji sounded off as Naruto groaned into the dirt. "I am a genius, one of a kind, the sort of man you could never hope to best. I will admit this was… fun, you were much more capable than I had thought… And I'm sorry this is the case. I, too, once bemoaned the way of the world; that is why this was so important… I wanted to show you the truth for myself…"
Naruto felt truly angry for the first time in the fight. Neji had been arrogant and dismissive of his abilities, sure, but many had to Naruto before. No, it was the pity laced in Neji's tone… Naruto did not need his pity! He required his damn respect!
He clutched at the dirt, clawing it as he forced himself up on all fours. With a roar of effort, Naruto rose to his feet. Seeing a shocked Neji turn around to face a panting, bloodied Naruto glaring at him. "This isn't over. If that's all you got, you can't beat me." Naruto declared passionately. "I won't lose to you, or anyone like you!"
"I have shut down nearly every chakra point within your body," Neji replied evenly. "I am impressed you're somehow standing, even more so willing to keep going. But continuing this fight at this point would be a farce. Without chakra, you're left to Kenjutsu and Taijutsu, both of which I think this battle has shown I have a decisive edge in. Combine that with my ultimate defense and you have no chance of standing before me."
"I already survived your biggest attack," Naruto said with a bloody smile. "And with this next attack, I'll shatter that defense and end this fight too."
"You're right in one sense, this fight has gone on long enough," Neji replied with a smile. "You wish to end this in a test of strength? Do you truly believe you can swing that sword hard enough to break my Kaiten? Do you truly believe you could ever beat me?!"
"One way to find out right!" Naruto roared as he charged forward. collecting Riptide from the ground and rearing it back for a two-handed swing. "Besides,
"KAITEN!" Neji howled as he spun, and a giant orb of chakra, the largest yet formed, surrounded him.
Naruto smirked. He had wanted this, but he wasn't sure it would work. But nothing else he had tried had thus far. If he could punch through this and land it clean on Neji this fight was over. He leapt into the air. Riptide reared over his head as he fell toward the rotating orb of chakra. Neji was right, Naruto could barely channel his chakra. He couldn't even summon a shadow clone, and in most cases, this would be the end of it. But his mom had shown him the true power of Riptide the night before. It seemed the blade was capable of storing chakra over time, meaning when Naruto had spent an hour the night before pouring his full chakra into it, it stayed within. Surely a blow containing most of his power would be enough?
Naruto didn't bother thinking it over; however, with a roar, he unleashed his newest and hopefully strongest technique. "Riptide: Unleashed!" The blade began to grow a brilliant blue, growing slightly in length and mass as Naruto swung it mere feet away from the Kaiten.
As he did the chakra raced from the blade in a beam colliding with the Kaiten with an unearthly screech of grinding chakra. However, the orb of Neji's collapsed in, dispersing as the beam punched its way through and engulfed Neji for an instant. Naruto ended the attack as soon as it did. Smoke rising from the now flattened and scorched training ground, revealing a burnt-up and exhausted Neji lying below him.
Naruto stomped forward, tiredly. He had never been pushed like this before, but assuming the Hyuga wasn't somehow even more badass, this was over.
Neji lay flat on his back, still as a statue. It was clear he was exhausted from his deactivated Byakugan and his gaze fixed the sky. The two of them were silent, an exhausted Naruto staring down at a defeated Neji. "Can I ask you something, Naruto? How do you dare dream so high? How can you surpass… yourself? Is the goal of becoming Hokage motivating to you?"
Naruto collapsed to his knees with a chuckle next to Neji. "I can answer that if you can keep a secret?" The downed Hyuga nodded; it seemed the audience recognized the fight was over and the two were having a moment. "Hokage, well, it is part of my dream… but it goes deeper than that. I have lived my life hated by some for reasons I cannot control. And have met so many people suffering in their own ways, including you. I just don't get the point of becoming these powerful and wise shinobi and not fixing anything!"
"Fixing?"
"This world, Neji, while we disagree on the influence we have over it. We do agree it is a dark and hard one." Naruto replied with a sigh. "I've learned we can make it a lot better, but you gotta put the work in. But no one is doing that; we're all too focused on power or survival, probably both. So I will become Hokage, the most influential shinobi within the village, and in the process make the Leaf different. Make it a place where everyone can have a fair shot… a place we're all given a chance to live a great life… to do what we want…"
Neji chuckled dryly at him. Naruto frowned but realized for the first time it wasn't mocking. "It's funny, Uzumaki. Normally, such a dream would seem impossible, yet right now… forget it."
"Wait, what?!"
"I said forget it!"
"What were you gonna say?!"
"That you're an idiot!"
"Bullshit!"