Neji soon activates his byakugan while glaring at Naruto while Naruto glares back at Neji "Now then... match one...begin!!" said the Proctor "It's more fun this way anyway...I can't wait to see the despair in your eyes...when the truth finally dawns on you..." said Neji smirking "Quit yapping...let's fight!!" yelled Naruto.

Naruto made a few hand signs and made four shadow clones. Naruto and the clones each grab a kunai "But...in the end, there is only one actual body" said Neji with a smirk "Heh...don't be too confident!" Naruto also said with a smirk "Then come at me...if you dare..." said Neji with a smirk "Hey!" "Don't..." "...underestimate..." "...me, okay?!" yelled each of Naruto's clones as they attacked at the same time.

Neji jumps as he pushes two of Naruto's clones "Over here!!" yelled Neji as he was in the air, two of Naruto's clones ran from each side of Neji. Neji spins around and kicks both of the clones, the other two clones try to attack him but Neji grabs both their arms and hits them both with the back of his elbows quickly turns around and strikes both of them with his palms. One of the clones disappears with a puff of smoke.

  "...you want to be Hokage, huh? I don't think that's gonna happen...I can pretty much tell, with these eyes of mine...abilities, and talent are determined at birth. In other words, your entire destiny is set from the time you're born" said Neji, smirking "Why are you so stubborn?! you're always so sure that the future is full of doom and gloom...why?!" asked Naruto with anger "Well...are you saying that anyone can become Hokage...if they just try hard enough?" asked Neji, Naruto didn't say anything as he glares at Neji "Only a select few shinobi are even considered for Hokage. Wake up and face reality! those who will become Hokage are born with that fate. You can't get there by trying...you have to be preselected. Each person's life consists only of being swept along in the inescapable current of his destiny...all of us...have only one thing in common...one shared fate...death" said Neji as he glared with his byakugan shocking Naruto.

 "Well...so what?! I guess I'm just a sore loser!!" yelled Naruto as he made a few hand signs and made an army of clones "I'm not an idiot, you know. I've seen through your pattern of attack already" said Neji "Hmph! I told you...you shouldn't make assumptions about the future!" yelled Naruto. "That fool...if he keeps making so many shadow clones, he'll run out of chakra in no time..." said Sakura with a worried face.

The army of clones attacked Neji all at once. But Neji dodged all their attacks "Darn! I'm not landing any hits!" yelled all the Naruto clones at once. Neji kept running through the clones dodging all their attacks, he smirks as he then hits Naruto in the chest with two fingers "...the one who hangs back, afraid to get close...fearing any strike on his tenketsu...the more the others attack, the more that one stands out...you're the real one!!" said Neji, Naruto coughed out blood as Neji steps back from him "...I told you it was useless" said Neji "...a-and..." said Naruto chuckling getting Neji's attention "...I told you...not to make so many assumptions!" yelled Naruto with a smirk as he puffs away in smoke "WHAT?!" yelled Neji in shock.

Neji quickly turned around as two clones of Naruto were in the air ready to punch him "...it can't be!!" yelled Neji "From the start...I came into this match fully prepared to lose!!" yelled Naruto as he and the clone both punched Neji.

Naruto and the clone were soon pushed back as Neji was standing in the middle of a crater. Naruto looked at Neji shocked "You thought...you had me beat?" asked Neji with a smirk "What's going on?! I know Naruto landed that punch!" said Sakura shocked "Man!" yelled Naruto as he wiped the dirt off his face "You're finished...you are within the boundaries of my 8 trigrams" said Neji as he closed his eyes.

"Gentle Fist...8 Trigrams, 64 Palms!" said Neji as he got in a stance. In one blink of an eye, Naruto was pushed back to the ground. It was silent as Naruto was still on the ground "I've pressed 64 of the chakra points around your body...you can no longer even stand...it must be frustrating...here, on your knees before my immutable strength...you must finally comprehend your own powerlessness! believing that your dreams will come true if you just try hard enough...it's simply a fantasy" Neji said glaring at Naruto while Naruto was struggling to get back up.

"Oh no...I knew it..." said Ino, everyone watched as Naruto struggled to get back up "What...?!" yelled Neji in shock as he saw Naruto getting up "I told you...I'm a sore loser...!" yelled Naruto with a smirk "Listen, just give up, all right...? if you keep going, it'll only be more of the same. And I don't really have any grudge against you, so..." "Sh-shut up! I...I do, all right?!" asked Naruto "...what are you talking about?" asked Neji.

"...I...I mean...you're so strong, and you...you act like you know everything...and when you were up against Hinata, who was fighting so hard, you played those horrible mind-games with her...!" said Naruto "That's none of your business" said Neji as he glared at Naruto "...you mocked Hinata...calling her a failure and claimed you could see her fate...! "Main Branch''..."Cadet Branch"...I don't know anything about that stuff, but...I could never forgive...a jerk who goes around calling people failures!!" yelled Naruto. "...fine. Alright...since you insist, I'll tell you..." said Neji breaking the silence, Naruto looked at him "...about the hateful legacy of the Hyuga Clan! there's a secret birthright Ninjutsu passed down...in the Hyuga Main Branch. It's...a curse mark jutsu '' said Neji "A curse mark jutsu...?" asked Naruto confused.

"This curse mark represents a "Caged Bird"...and...it is proof that some people are bound to destinies from which they cannot escape!" said Neji as he slowly takes off his black headbands, "Wh-what the...?!" asked Naruto with his eyes widen with shock.

"...th-that's the mark...?!" stuttered Naruto still in his shock state "...one day...when I was four years old...this abominable mark was branded onto my forehead using the curse mark jutsu...that day, a grand celebration was being thrown in Konoha. There was a lavish ceremony in honor of the shinobi ruler of the Land Of Clouds. Konoha had long waged war against his nation, but he had come to sign a pact of alliance. Every shinobi in Konoha, from Genin to Jonin, was in attendance...except for one family...which was noticeably absent! it was the Hyuga Clan! coincidentally, that day was also...the day that the Main Branch's Heir turned three. It was Lady Hinata's third birthday! my father and Lady Hinata's father over there...Hyuga Hizashi and Lord Hyuga Hiashi...were twin brothers. However, Lady Hinata's father--Lord Hiashi--entered the world first, and thus was Eldest Son...and member of the Main Branch. While my father, as the second son, was relegated to the Cadet Branch..." explained Neji.

"Lady Hinata is now three...congratulations," said Hizashi "Thank you..." said Lord Hiashi as young three-year-old Hinata was hiding behind her father. Young Neji looked at young Hinata with a smile "She's a cute kid, father...!" said Neji with a smile with a tint of pink as he looked at his father but his father wasn't smiling but had a worried look on his face "...what's the matter, father?" asked Neji worried.

"Huh...?!...oh, no...it's nothing..." said Hizashi but young Neji looked at his father still worried "Well then...I'll be taking charge of Neji. Hizashi..." said Lord Hiashi, Neji looked at Lord Hiashi confused as his father was silent for a moment "...yes, sir" said Hizashi.

"When the heir of the branch turned three years old...I was branded with the curse mark and became a "Caged Bird"...a member of Hyuga's Cadet Branch!" said Neji "Splitting into Main Branch and Cadet Branch...what is it for? and what does that weird mark mean?" asked Naruto "This mark on my forehead is no decoration..." answered Neji.

"Listen closely, Neji. Your purpose in life...is to protect Lady Hinata...the Blood of the Hyuga Clan" said Hizashi "Yes, father!" said Neji as he and his father watch Lord Hiashi train his daughter "Faster! move your feet!" yelled Lord Hiashi to Hinata.

In one blink of an eye, Lord Hiashi was in front of his daughter as Hizashi started to scream in pain while holding his head "Father! what's wrong?!" asked Neji worried as he tried to go to his father "My head...AAAH!!" screamed Hizashi still holding on to his head as he rips off his headband revealing the curse mark on his forehead "FATHER!!" yelled Neji.

"Go home now. I will not tolerate this foolishness a second time...never forget your place again...!!" said Lord Hiashi while Neji was crying.

"This curse mark signifies an absolute threat of death imposed by the Main Branch upon the Cadet...! the secret techniques of the Main Branch can easily destroy the minds of those of the Cadet Branch...so, of course killing us is a simple task. And this curse mark only fades after death...after the secret of the Byakugan has been sealed away...!!" said Neji, Naruto looked at him wide-eyed with shock "The Hyuga Clan possesses one of the distinguished Kekkei Genkai. Countless numbers of people would do anything to gain the secret of such unique abilities. So...this curse mark was created to ensure that the Cadet Branch would live for one purpose only...to serve and shield the Main Branch...and never disobey them...and to eternally protect the Byakugan...the bloodline trait of the Hyuga Clan. It's a brilliant Efficient set-up" explained Neji, Naruto didn't say a word as Neji closed his eyes.

"...and then...the incident occurred," said Neji as he chuckles, making Naruto's eyes widen "My father was murdered by the Main Branch" said Neji "What?!" asked Naruto shocked "One night...someone tried to kidnap Lady Hinata. Lord Hiashi rushed to the scene immediately...and killed the perpetrator. And whom do you suppose...that masked bandit was...?" asked Neji, Naruto looked at Neji waiting for an answer "It was...the shinobi ruler of the Land of Clouds...with whom we had just signed the Alliance Treaty. It became clear that they had been after the Secret of the Byakugan from the very beginning...however, even though their own ninja got himself caught and killed in their failed plot...the Land of Clouds claimed Konoha had breached the contract and began making unreasonable demands...of course, things fell apart between Konoha and Cloud...the War nearly resumed...but...eager to avoid battle...an agreement was reached. Konoha made a backroom bargain with Cloud" said Neji "Bargain...?" asked Naruto.

"Cloud demanded the corpse of Lord Hiashi, head of the Hyuga Main Branch...and carrier of the Byakugan, the bloodline trait of his clan. And Konoha accepted that condition. War was safely averted...thanks to my father, who was sacrificed to protect the Main Branch...he was murdered to serve as Hyuga Hiashi's body double! the only way to escape this abominable curse mark...is to die. Even though they were identical twins with practically equivalent strength...the difference between being born second...sealed each of their fates forever. And so...in this match, too...the moment I was selected as your opponent, your fate was sealed as well" said Neji smirking.

"You can't know that for sure until we try!" said Naruto as Neji was putting his black headband on "I can't even imagine how much pain you felt when your father was killed, but...I think you're wrong to conclude that everyone's destinies are predetermined!" said Naruto "You're hopeless..." said Neji as he activates his byakugan and leaps for the attack.

Neji makes a claw hand motion hitting Naruto in the chest. Naruto flew to the ground "Proctor...we're finished here" said Neji as he turns his back "What a failure..." said Neji "...d...don't you turn your back..." said Naruto as he slowly got up as Neji watched "I won't run away...I never...go back on my word..." said Naruto "Heh...I think I've heard that line before..." said Neji with a smirk "I refuse to be defeated by a coward like you...I won't lose to someone who believes in resigning himself to fate...!" yelled Naruto as blood was pouring down his mouth "What a joke...stop trying to lecture all of us, as if you know anything! everyone is born shouldering a destiny that cannot be defied" said Neji glaring at him.

Neji...you...more than anyone else, you've been blessed with the Genius of the Hyuga Clan... I wish you could have been born into the Main Branch...

"How could you understand anything about my fate...about bearing an indelible, inescapable curse?!" asked Neji with anger, Naruto looked down remembering how the villagers rejected and avoided him, calling him a demon and a monster, children refusing to play with him when, no one to love him, no one to be his friend, and always being alone.

"Actually...I understand it pretty well..." said Naruto with a smile, Neji glared at him without saying a word "And...? so what? You're the one who needs to quit lecturing...you're not the only one who's "special," you know! even though she's in the Main Branch, Hinata has been suffering just as much as you! she's trying so hard to change herself...to earn respect...that's why she hung in there during that fight with you, even though she was coughing up blood! and you...! the Cadet Branch is supposed to protect the Main Branch, but you used the Exam as an excuse to beat up Hinata...it sure seems like you were trying to defy your fate, too!" yelled Naruto.

"I've blocked 64 of your Tenketsu already...how are you planning to fight? you can't use any chakra. When we're through, you'll end up just like Lady Hinata!" said Neji as he activates his byakugan again "Shut up! stop acting all high and mighty, with your all-seeing byakugan!" yelled Naruto "Well...? are you all talk, or are you going to try to prove your point?" asked Neji "Sure! I'll prove it to you! by kicking your butt!" yelled Naruto.

...crap! I'm talking a big game, but I can't feel my chakra at all...it's just like the times I used up all of my chakra during training...! oh...!!

You've got two different types of chakra...that's why you have to develop the ability to draw on the gigantic other chakra that's been sleeping inside you all your life.

...That's right. The Fox Chakra.

Hey, fox...lend me your strength...!!