Konoha's No. 1 Most Unpredictable Ninja

[CHAPTER 35]

The intense brightness of sunlight made Naruto wince in pain as he opened his eyes. He could feel the familiar bed beneath him and blankets piled on top of him, his heartbeat slowing once he realized he was home.

"So, you decided to wake up huh?" A male voice said.

Naruto grinned, turning his head and facing Shikamaru. "What are you doing here Nara?"

"One of your little fox friends gave me a message." He explained. "Said you got hurt and needed help... don't you remember? It was in your handwriting."

"Oh yea... I guess I'm still a little fuzzy." The Uzumaki excused, although he had no recollection of doing that. "Can I ask? How long have I been sleeping?"

"Well I got the message three days ago but you were already sleeping by the time I got here so maybe longer." Shikamaru said. "I noticed you didn't have much food so I usually came around mealtimes with extras, in case you did wake up."

Naruto sat up in bed, still feeling a bit sore. "Thanks Nara, what a friend."

"You don't gotta praise me Uzumaki, you're such a drag." Shikamaru rolled his eyes at his bedridden friend.

"You'd rather me compliment your incredible godliness of feeding the poor and looking out for a dear old companion that doesn't deserve your kindness?" Naruto laughed, finally pushing himself up from his bed and patting the obviously angry Shikamaru on the shoulder. "So what do we have for breakfast this morning?"

"Nothing if you don't shut your mouth." The black haired boy grumbled. "You give me such a headache... I like coma Naruto more than you."

"Rice! Fish! Is that watermelon?!" a voice exclaimed from the kitchen.

"Ugh, what a drag."

The first day of the last portion of the chunin exams finally came. The final fighters of the chunin exams gathered in the arena, cheered on by the crowd. 

Naruto took a glance at the competition, knowing that none of them stood a real chance of winning if he cared enough to actually fight until the end. He also noticed the odd number of fighters, a certain Uchiha was missing. 

"The layout may look different but these matches hold the same rules as before: there are no rules. Fights will end when your opponent either admits defeat or dies. Than being said, if I determine a match is over I can step in and stop it at any time. My word is law and there will be no arguments." Genma, the proctor, said. "These are the opponents for the first match: Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga."

The two genin paused and looked at each other, when their eyes met it was as if they came to an agreement. This would be like any other practice fight they held, nothing would be hidden even though they had thousands of people watching.

"All other competitors may go take their place in the stands." Genma instructed. "We will begin shortly."

Despite the crowd, Naruto's head was silent. It was as if his ears had stopped working. All his others senses responded to the shift, his sight getting sharper and smell more precise. 

If you go full power the Hyuga will not survive. The nine tails warned, the fox's voice being the only thing in Naruto's head.

I know but I won't be holding back like I do around others. The Uzumaki thought. If she's going full power I'll respect that by keeping up with her.

"Alright," Genma said, looking to both of the shinobi as a final check. "Let the first match begin."

Cheers erupted from the crowd and yet Naruto heard nothing.

Hinata wasted not a single second. Her byakugan activated as she ran towards Naruto with incredible speed. Her palms immediately went to strike his body, at those weak points where the chakra would be disrupted and render him useless. 

Her first two hits were aimed to his shoulders. By bending his knees one at a time and taking a step back, his upper body swerved around the hits like they were preforming a hostile dance. She recovered quickly, resetting her hands in an instant and attacking again. Her right hand went for his chest while her left flew towards his stomach. Naruto wrapped his right arm on hers and his left arm on hers, moving them in a circular motion, both pushing her arms away from him and making her chest open to attack. With the palm of his hand he struck her in the center of her chest, the impact pushed her back and forced all the air in her lungs to escape.

While she coughed and was fazed by the hit, Naruto went for her again. He attempted to block her chakra by hitting her pressure points but just as his fingertips were about to touch her body he couldn't move.

Fell right into that one idiot. The demon fox laughed.

By applying chakra to his eyes Naruto could clearly see the chakra strings she had placed along his arms and legs. However, she was extremely cautious with his hands, binding them in a multitude of strings, allowing her to control even the tiniest of movement. 

Naruto could move his head, she had let him do this exact movement, let him move his head up to look her in the eye. She had a grin on her face, a tease. 

Her fingers moved like that of a puppeteer, compelling his body to kneel at her feet, arms bound behind his back. His face showed his struggle to break free but he had no chance. 

Hey fox I could use some intervention here. Naruto complained. 

He got no response, like the fox was enjoying this. 

Hinata moved her fingers some more and his upper body began to lower. She was trying to make him bow, a clear show of surrender.

FOX NOW WOULD BE A GREAT TIME TO WAKE UP! Naruto internally screamed.

Seconds before his forehead met the floor, Naruto felt that burning surge of red chakra flow through him. It singed through the chakra strings, freeing him but only just. 

Immediately he used the substitution jutsu and reappeared in a tree on the other side of the arena. She saw him of course, never missing anything with the byakugan. 

Her hands began to move again but Naruto saw them now, the chakra strings. He performed the hands signs for a wind jutsu and immediately extremely sharp blades of air grew from his hands. In fast, precise slices he was able to cut all the chakra strings she was sending his way.

To the crowd it looked like he was just slicing air, but to the trained few in the crowd the power that both these genin possessed horrified them.

Now Naruto jumped to the ground, his hands preforming another justsu but earth style this time. By the time he made it to the floor his signs were done and his hands slammed into the ground. Immediately walls of dirt erupted around Hinata. The four walls began to close in on her at a fast pace, giving Naruto enough time to sprint towards her without facing any counterattacks. 

Although he didn't want to use them, he took out one of his fathers kunai and threw it over the wall. He teleported inside faster than anyone could see, even Hinata. He had the kunai in his hand before she could react and it was at her neck before her body could move.

When the walls of earth crumbled back into dirt the crowd saw Naruto holding a kunai to the Hyuga princess's neck. 

"This match is over." Genma announced. "The winner is Naruto Uzumaki."

There was a moment of silence, a moment of confusion because no one understood what just happened. Some of the jonin of the leaf village recognized the kunai in Naruto's hand, surprised to see the Fourth Hokage's prized possession in his hand. Soon a few hands clapped which set off the crazy cheers to the first victor. 

The two genin bow to the crowd and walked off the field, retreating back into the intricate building that surrounded the arena. They could faintly hear what was happening outside but it was hard to make out any clear words except two: Sasuke Uchiha.