The Legendary Ninjutsu Created by the Fourth Hokage

Naruto stepped forward and looked at Neji, who was struggling to push himself to his feet. "Neji, why are you so obsessed with fate?"

"In our Hyuga Clan, the Branch Family is destined to serve the Main Family and pledge their lives to them. I learned that when my father was ordered to die in place of his elder brother, Hiashi." As Neji spoke, he slowly removed his forehead protector. "Every member of the Branch Family has a cursed seal carved into their forehead. Our place in life is fixed forever. You have no idea what it feels like to have your life defined by a cursed seal. Oh, right. You're within my Eight Trigrams field now. Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

Two palms!

Four palms!

Eight palms!

Sixteen palms!

Thirty-two palms!

Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!

Neji's strikes landed, and Naruto coughed up a small mouthful of blood.

The spectator stands

"Ah, he fought so well. Too bad his opponent was Neji." Tenten sighed, genuinely feeling sorry for the blond boy.

"I can't believe it. The first time Neji landed a hit, the match was over," Kiba shouted.

"Come on, Kiba. You didn't seriously think that idiot Naruto had a chance of winning, did you?" Sakura said shrilly.

The Hokage's viewing platform

"What a shame, Lord Hokage. Still, he has demonstrated the skill of a Chunin," the Kazekage said.

"Yes. Naruto-kun displayed outstanding tactical judgment before this. Even if he loses, the Jonin Council will most likely promote him," Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

In the arena

"Referee, you can announce the result now. No one can keep fighting after taking that technique-"

Before Neji could finish, Naruto slowly stood up and suddenly burst into laughter.

"What are you laughing at? I've sealed every chakra point in your body. It's a miracle you can even stand. You have no chance of beating me," Neji said in disbelief.

"I'm laughing at you for thinking I don't know what it's like to have my life defined by a seal I can't control." Smiling, Naruto lifted his shirt and began drawing on the Nine-Tails' chakra.

The Eight Trigrams Seal on his abdomen was clearly revealed to everyone, and the entire crowd erupted into an uproar.

"I know that feeling all too well. You're just like me, fighting against fate your whole life. That's why you went so far to hurt Hinata, even though she only wanted to help your Branch Family. Neither you nor your Byakugan has ever seen the truth."

With that, Naruto let out a primal roar. Red chakra erupted from his body, blasting open every sealed chakra point in an instant.

The rookie Genin's spectator section

"Oh my god, what's that red chakra? It's so evil. It feels nothing like Naruto!" Ino trembled, struggling to breathe under the pressure of the power pouring from him.

"This power... it's terrifying." Choji stopped eating his chips and stared fixedly at the arena.

The other Genin were also dumbstruck, unable to say a word.

The Jonin instructors' spectator section

"This power... is the seal breaking? No, he's controlling it himself. To be able to use so much tailed beast chakra at his age... it's unbelievable." Asuma drew in a sharp breath, while Guy and Kurenai could only nod blankly.

The contestants' waiting area

The reactions here varied. Kankuro and Temari were terrified. They knew all too well what that evil chakra meant. Even Gaara, without entering his complete form, could not compare to this power.

Shikamaru and Shina fell deep into thought. Shikamaru pieced together every clue he had heard, while Shina's insects sent him confirmation. The same word surfaced in both their minds: Jinchūriki.

Gaara, meanwhile, stared intently at the arena with a look of longing, as though he had spotted a feast that would leave him utterly satisfied.

In the arena

The red chakra slowly withdrew into the seal, and the entire crowd finally breathed a collective sigh of relief. But Naruto was still drawing on a small amount of Nine-Tails chakra. His eyes had turned scarlet with slit pupils, and claws had sprouted from his hands.

"All right, Neji. Playtime's over." Naruto raised his hands and formed a sign Neji had never seen before.

"Dispel!"

A faint glow from a seal flashed across Naruto's hands, then faded. The few spectators who understood what had happened looked impressed, and when Naruto charged forward at a whole new speed, the entire crowd was stunned.

Even with his Byakugan active, Neji could not keep up with Naruto's speed. Naruto darted and weaved across the arena, forcing Neji into a corner and leaving him with only one way to respond.

"Rotation!"

The huge, circular chakra shield expanded once more, knocking Naruto away. Neji panted slightly after using Rotation; the technique consumed a considerable amount of chakra.

So he creates a defensive shell through spinning and chakra control. I wonder how it would fare against a more concentrated rotation, Naruto thought. He then created a Shadow Clone. His original body poured chakra into his palm, while the clone controlled its rotation.

Neji watched the spinning chakra sphere with interest and judged that he absolutely could not let it hit him. Preparing to unleash Rotation in advance, he moved to meet Naruto's charge.

The Jonin instructors' spectator section

"What ninjutsu is that? There's no change in chakra nature," Kurenai asked, bewildered.

Asuma and Guy stared blankly at the arena as though they had seen a ghost. In the end, Asuma was the first to draw in a sharp breath. "Rasengan!" he said in a trembling voice.

Kurenai blinked, then abruptly understood and covered her shock at once-this was the legendary ninjutsu created by the Fourth Hokage.

The rookie Genin's spectator section

"What the hell is that thing?" Kiba shouted.

"What's going on? Pure chakra can actually take physical form?" Ino and Sakura asked in unison, but no one could answer them.

"No idea, but it looks really powerful." Choji had picked up his chips again, having recovered from the shock of the red chakra.