36 Difference between failure and genius

When Naruto had arrived by Hinata's side…

Kakashi, Gai, and Kurenai stopped Neji including Hayate who held his hand a small distance from Neji's forehead to dispel him if needed.

Kakashi and Kurenai each hell Neji's hand while Gai wrapped his hand around Neji's upper body.

Neji saw Naruto hold on to Hinata while he was being restrained.

…

"Neji, get a hold of yourself!"

"You had promised me that you wouldn't let the matter between the branch and the head family get to your head, Remember?" Gai asked in a calm voice.

Neji could not take the humiliation of having surrounded by the other jounins; thus he gritted his teeth in anger as he asked…

"Why are all the other jounin butting in?"

"What is Naruto doing here?" Neji asked in a fit of anger.

"Naruto?" Kurenai raised her head, seeing Naruto holding onto Hinata tenderly.

…

"Naruto?" Ino, Sakura, Chouji, and Shino also stood by the rails seeing a mere Genin making an appearance at a place the concerned jounins had gathered.

Hayate walked towards Hinata and Naruto.

(cough!)

(cough!)

(cough!)

"Uzumaki Naruto….."

"According to the rules of the Chuunin Exams you…."

"Hayate!" Anko interrupted on Hiruzen's behalf.

Hayate turned back to see Hiruzen nodding at him,

..

Hayate understood tacitly.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you will be excused for your interruption in this particular battle."

"If you are to interfere in any further matches, you will be disqualified."

Naruto frowned but understood the rules of the chuunin exams very well.

Only the jounins could interfere if the situation demanded it Unless the other party had fainted or surrendered the match would continue till the death of either party.

However, Naruto had already done what he needed to…

The only question that remained on his mind was how to prevent Lee from ending up in that situation.

Should he warn Gai or should he warn Lee, both were hot-blooded; thus they would not give up on the fighting even if a single breath remained.

Kurenai walked over to Naruto and Hinata.

Naruto had already healed her heart by 80%, thus leaving the surface injury up to the medics.

"Naruto!" Kurenai called as she raised both her hands towards him.

Naruto understood the gesture and handed Hinata over carefully.

..

Kurenai placed her hand over the injured area, trying to detect the extent of Hinata's injuries.

("Her heart rate is stable?…") Kurenai was shocked upon examining Hinata's conditions.

…

…

"Hey you, Failure!" Neji called Naruto, causing Naruto to look towards him

(author's note - Naruto passed only on his third try, so it remains that he had failed the test 2 times.)

"First, if you want to call yourself a ninja stop that revolting cheering of yours."

"And the second…a failure will always be a failure."

"There's no changing that!"

…

Naruto got angry at this moment.

"Do you want to see about that?" Naruto asked…to which Neji smirked.

Clearly, Neji was provoking Naruto.

"Don't do it Naruto!" Kakashi warned Naruto, knowing that Neji would only be picking a fight to flee from a hornet's nest.

"I know sensei…" Naruto replied…after which he started walking away from the battlefield.

…

"Hmph! Coward!"

Naruto stopped walking away as he looked Neji in the eye.

Naruto reached into his pocket and drew out his Kunai.

…

Neji smirked upon seeing Naruto take out his kunai.

"Are you really dumb?" Neji asked Naruto in a mocking tone.

Naruto did not pay any heed as he threw the kunai towards Neji.

…

"I don't even need to dodge or block your kunai," Neji said as he raised his palm towards the incoming kunai as he intended to slap it aside.

Other than Kakashi, none of the jounins thought anything of Naruto throwing a kunai, but Kakashi expected otherwise.

The kunai had approached within ten metres of Neji.

Neji aimed as he set his palm on a collision course with the incoming Kunai…

…

As the kunai approached the final two metres…

< Flying Raijin Level 1 >

(BOOM!) Neji was smacked into the ground by Naruto who had appeared out of thin air

…

The whole hall had descended into silence for that moment.

Everyone from the jounins to the genins including the examiners and the Third Hokage himself became silent as they saw the jounins who were supposed to prevent the action from happening were also speechless as well.

"Hmph!" Orochimaru smirked as he saw Naruto take down Neji in one blow.

Naruto looked at Neji and said…

"If a failure like me defeats you, then what does that make you?"

"Worse than failure?"

"People can change Neji…"

"Failure can become genius, through hard work," Naruto said as he left the stage.

Hayate was stunned as he announced…

"Winner of the match…"

"Uzu…"

"HAYATE!" Anko screamed again.

(cough!)

(cough!)

"Winner of the match."

"Hyuuga Neji" Hayate announced.

…

…

Naruto calmly left the battle floor while everyone looked at him.

("That's the Fourth's technique, the Flying Thunder God's Flying Raijin") Hiruzen thought.

However, the most surprised were Gai and Lee.

Especially Lee as he saw Naruto walking towards him.

Naruto stood in front of Lee who still had his mouth open.

"What is it bushy brows?" Naruto asked.

"You…"

"just…"

"defeated…"

"Neji!" Lee uttered the words one by one unable to believe the fact that it had happened in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, Sasuke's expression was grim…

He was surprised but extremely grim.

("Naruto is already extremely fast if he removes his weight, but that technique…")

("He is still fast, even if he does not remove his weight.")

("just how strong is he?") Sasuke thought as he looked towards Naruto again.

Shikamaru was also surprised, but his thoughts were only positive as he planned to incorporate it against the sound and the sand ninjas.

Kankuro was speechless and so was Temari while Gaara stared at Naruto with even more interest as he placed his hand over his widely opened eye.

("Please calm down mother….There will be delicious food…") Gaara thought as he licked his lips.

….

"Neji!" Gai called out as he helped lift Neji up.

Neji's anger had subsided replaced by humiliation and repentance as he thought back to Naruto's words.

…

"If a failure like me defeats you, then what does that make you?"

"Worse than failure?"

"People can change Neji…"

"Failure can become genius, through hard work," Naruto said as he left the stage.

…

Gai and Kurenai looked towards Kakashi, as though they expected some explanation from him but were interrupted by the board which had started its name randomizer.

Naruto put his hand over Lee's shoulder and said

"Do you remember what I said to you back in the forest after we finished training?" Naruto asked

"After training?" Lee thought hard.

Naruto smiled towards Lee.

"I told you that someday you will defeat Neji!"

(BEEP!)

<.Gaara Vs. Rock Lee >

Lee turned towards the board.

"It's my turn Naruto-kun!" Lee said as he climbed up the rail to jump.

"Wait!" Naruto exclaimed as he grabbed Lee.

"Before, you go, I want to tell you something…"

"The guy you are going to fight…"

Lee looked towards Naruto as he completed his words... "He uses sand clones."

"Sand clones?"

"I got it Naruto-kun," Lee said as he looked towards Gai who had arrived.

"Lee! Come here. I want to give you some advice" Gai said as he beckoned Lee to come.

Meanwhile, Gaara was already waiting for him on the battle floor.

"Lee!" Gai pulled him closer.

"Probably no one has noticed this yet, but…"

"That gourd of his is really suspicious!" Gai said as he stressed the fact.

"I see!" Lee approved of his teacher's statement.

Naruto who watched the interaction slapped his head.

("I forgot… Lee and Gai were always simple-minded")

Lee started jotting down on a pocket memo in a serious manner.

Gai shouted, "Quit with the notes!"

"You're not going to have time to read them during the match! Fool!"

"I see!" Lee said as he jotted down the point Gai just said.

"All right!"

"Go! Lee!"

"Let the power of youth explode!" Gai said with extreme enthusiasm to which Lee reacted by howling as he landed on the floor.

Lee got into his battle stance as he faced Gaara.

"I am pleased to be squaring off with you so early in the match."

Gaara stared at Lee with no interest whatsoever.

…

"I don't know what kind of moves that bowl cut guy has…"

"But he will never beat Gaara…"

"That's for sure" Kankuro murmured.

("He's fast, to be sure, but his kick is not all that great") Temari thought.

Meanwhile, Naruto also saw the battle floor where Lee stood on anxiously as he thought.

("Bushy brows, I can only warn you…")

("It all depends on how you face him at that moment…")

..

Sasuke saw Lee after which he turned towards Gaara and thought back to the information Kabuto had given out before entering the exam hall.

…

"Next is Gaara of the sand."

"His mission experience is eight C-Ranks, and ONE B-Rank as a Genin wow eh!"

"He is a. Ninja from the sand village in the wind nation and is a rookie, so there is no further information on him…"

"But there is one thing…."

"It seems he has returned from all of his mission uninjured" Kabuto concluded.

"B-Rank as a Genin…. But uninjured?!" Shikamaru was shocked

While Sasuke asked Sakura "who is this Gaara that you asked about, he seems to be no ordinary genin?"

Sakura replied, "Me and Naruto came across him, and his teammates is all….."

…

("Hopefully Lee should be able to make the guy use all his trump cards.") Sasuke thought.

(Tap!) Lee caught something in his hand. He opened it only to see the cork from Gaara's huge gourd.

"Please don't be in such a hurry' Lee said as he dropped the cork.

Gaara kept staring at Lee intent on finishing the battle in one shot.

Hayate stepped in and announced.

"Now then…"

"The Ninth match…"