The Third Exam Officially Begins (Tips Appreciated)

Ever since Naruto had mastered the Summoning Technique, Jiraiya had become convinced of his talent and devoted even more care to teaching him.

Jiraiya had wanted Naruto to learn to draw out the Nine-Tails Chakra and use the Tailed Beast's power like other Jinchūriki, but Naruto flatly refused, saying he couldn't do it.

So Jiraiya let the matter drop for now and decided to help Naruto prepare for the Chunin Ninja Exams in a month. Naruto already had an enormous amount of Chakra of his own, after all.

The second Ninjutsu he taught Naruto was not the Rasengan, but a range of Wind Release Ninjutsu.

As Jiraiya had said before, Naruto needed to make full use of his vast Chakra reserves. What could suit him better than unleashing powerful Ninjutsu without holding back?

Naruto naturally agreed. He had been doing exactly that, with his sights set on Kisame, the "Tailless Tailed Beast"!

That Great Water Sphere was absurdly powerful!

But Naruto wanted a style of his own. An endless gale, perhaps? Like the typhoons in disaster movies!

Surely that could take on Kisame's Great Water Sphere?

Over the next month, Naruto created thirty Shadow Clones each day to practice B-rank Wind Release Ninjutsu and twenty more to study Taijutsu with Might Guy, while he trained his body himself.

This Taijutsu training covered moves and techniques for applying force, which Shadow Clones could learn just as well. When they vanished, their experience and memories returned to Naruto, who needed only a little practice to absorb what they had learned.

By the end of the month, Naruto had brought all ten commonly known B-rank and A-rank Wind Release Ninjutsu to Minor Accomplishment.

To strengthen his Wind Release Ninjutsu, he raised both Wind Release: Hurricane and Wind Release: Gale Palm from Proficient to Masterclass.

He exchanged for two Skill Upgrade Scrolls, spending 200 points and leaving himself with 48.

It was now clear that Masterclass skills gained a tremendous boost in power. Hand Seals became much faster too; he could even cast them quickly with one hand.

"Naruto, your talent amazes me!"

Jiraiya stared in shock as Naruto formed Hand Seals with one hand and unleashed a powerful hurricane in less than a second.

Only the Child of Prophecy could pull that off, he thought.

Naruto's Taijutsu had also improved greatly, though his physical conditioning had yet to catch up, so its full power had not emerged.

During that month of training, Naruto's red-haired, masked Female Avatar had been busy too.

Created by combining an Explosion Release Clay Clone with a Shadow Clone, she possessed not only the God-Tier Bloodline-level Explosion Release Clay Kekkei Genkai, but also the abilities of the Uzumaki Clan Sage Body. Her Chakra reserves were just as astonishing.

She spent the month making Explosion Release clay day and night. The day before the exam, she buried countless Clay Animals around the Exam Venue and in the areas where the forces of Sunagakure and Otogakure would likely be intercepted after attacking Konoha.

Oh, and she had also planted a hidden move on the high rooftop where Orochimaru and the Third Hokage had fought in the original story.

All she had to do was wait for the Konoha Crush Plan to begin...

Heh, heh, heh!

Today was the day the Third Exam officially began.

The Land of Fire's daimyo, important figures from various countries, and Konoha Villagers filled the entire venue.

Outside Konoha, large numbers of elite Ninja from Sunagakure and Otogakure were already lying in ambush.

One of Naruto's Shadow Clones found Hinata and brought her to the Training Ground.

"N-Naruto-kun, don't you need to take the exam? It's about to start!"

Blushing, Hinata looked timidly at Naruto as she asked. She wanted to pull her small hand free of his, but her whole body felt weak.

"I'm a Shadow Clone of the original. I wanted to talk with you, because after the exam, I'll face another choice in my life."

The Shadow Clone led Hinata to a seat in the Training Ground and gazed toward the distant Exam Venue, speaking calmly.

But that was not his only reason. He also wanted Hinata far from the danger that was about to come.

Naruto could not bear to see a girl as sweet as Hinata get hurt, especially by one of his own stray attacks.

While Naruto's Shadow Clone settled Hinata there, Naruto himself was already standing inside the Exam Venue.

Gaara, Neji Hyuga, Shikamaru, Temari, Shino Aburame, and Kankuro stood beside him in that order.

All eyes were on them, and the venue buzzed with noise. Yet two people with no sense of time still had not arrived.

Genma Shiranui, a Senbon dangling from his mouth as he tried to quit smoking, had no choice but to announce the start of the exam.

"As in the Preliminaries, there are no rules. The fight continues until one side surrenders, loses consciousness, or dies!"

"First Match: Naruto Uzumaki versus Neji Hyuga."

"Everyone else, head to the waiting room."

As the proctor Genma Shiranui announced the match, discussion broke out across the stands.

Most Konoha Villagers knew who Naruto was.

Naruto was now a full-fledged Ninja, and after the impact of the two bombing incidents, hardly anyone dared insult him to his face. But no one thought he was especially strong, either.

To many of them, he was still the brat who played pranks on Hokage Rock.

Neji Hyuga, on the other hand, came from one of Konoha's great clans and was the top rookie of his class. Many believed Naruto's fate had been sealed the moment he drew Neji.

They were all waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

"The match begins now!"

With that, Genma Shiranui stepped aside and watched the two of them without expression.

Naruto faced Neji and smiled at his Byakugan. "I told you I'd give you a beating and shut that mouth of yours that never stops complaining. And I haven't forgotten how you hurt Hinata in the Preliminaries. I'm settling that today too."

Neji looked at Naruto with disdain. "Don't worry. I'll make you face reality! I'd love to see the panic on your face when you do!"

"Hah! Then quit talking. Let's go!"

At Naruto's thought, fifty Shadow Clones appeared around him. They spread out rapidly, gradually surrounding Neji.

All fifty began forming Hand Seals in unison, ready to cast Ninjutsu.

Even Rock Lee admitted he was no match for Neji in Taijutsu. Naruto was not foolish enough to fight Neji up close, despite his month of Taijutsu training and his Flash Step Divine Power.

For now, Naruto was best at using his enormous Chakra reserves to fight from a distance, not relying on Flash Step to engage an enemy in close combat.

Neji clearly saw what Naruto intended. He rushed forward and dispersed one Shadow Clone.

But his Byakugan could not tell which Naruto was the original, and Naruto needed less than a second to complete his Hand Seals!

In less than a second, even with his formidable Taijutsu, Neji managed to disperse only one more Shadow Clone. Then he could only watch as the remaining forty-nine Narutos each unleashed a rapidly swelling hurricane toward him!

Forty-nine hurricanes!

Neji's face grew grave. He swept his Byakugan from side to side, found a weak point in the hurricanes, and charged toward it. He planned to circle behind the Narutos and eliminate the Shadow Clones one by one.

But would things really go his way?