"Hmph, that idiot Naruto just wants to look cool. If Sasuke-kun were fighting, he could easily beat both of them," Sakura said indignantly. The other rookies around her gave her looks that said, "Are you serious?"
In the arena
"Rotation!"
"Rasengan!"
The two techniques collided with a thunderous crash, fiercely vying for the upper hand. But the Rasengan in Naruto's hand was slowly cutting through Rotation's defenses. At last, Rotation shattered completely, and the Rasengan slammed into the usually unflappable Neji's stomach. Neji was sent flying, smashed into the wall, and crumpled to the ground.
Neji struggled to stand, but he simply couldn't. How could this happen? He was the dead last in his class, and I'm the Hyuga Clan's genius. How could I lose? Is this fate? No, he didn't believe in fate. He defeated it.
As his consciousness began to fade, he heard Naruto's voice. "Don't think I won because I was born better, or because of fate. I failed the graduation exam three times, all because of the Clone Technique. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't learn it. But I never gave up. So don't admit defeat so easily, either. You're not worthless. Once you get past what's holding you back inside, you can do anything."
Neji lost consciousness completely.
"Neji Hyuga is unable to continue! The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!"
The referee announced the result at the top of his lungs, and deafening cheers erupted throughout the stands. Naruto himself was stunned. He had never imagined that the entire village would cheer for him like this. Unable to contain himself, he started running around the arena, cheering along with the spectators.
"Ahem. The next match is Sasuke Uchiha versus Gaara of the Sand Waterfall. However, Sasuke Uchiha has yet to arrive, so we will await Lord Hokage's instructions," the referee announced again.
In the Hokage's viewing box
"Lord Hokage, you must disqualify him. Otherwise, you would be showing favoritism," said an Anbu wearing a sparrow mask.
"You're right. I have no choice but to disqualify Uchiha," Hiruzen Sarutobi said.
"Please reconsider, Lord Hokage. Many spectators came specifically to see the match between Uchiha and my son, Gaara," the Kazekage said with a hint of pleading. "Why don't we postpone Uchiha's match until the end of this round and hold the other matches first?"
"Hmm, all right. We'll postpone this match until the end of the round," the Hokage said.
Meanwhile, with Jiraiya
"Heh heh, I knew you could win, kid. I never doubted you," Jiraiya said with a grin. He had watched the entire match from a tree outside a nearby hot spring while conducting his "research."
In the arena
"Since Sasuke Uchiha has not arrived, we will move the following matches forward, with Gaara's match rescheduled as the fourth bout. The next match is Kankuro of Sunagakure versus Shina Aburame. Both contestants, please-"
Before Genma could finish, Kankuro announced his withdrawal, and boos immediately rang out from the stands.
"All right, then. Next, Temari of Sunagakure and Shikamaru Nara, please enter the arena."
As soon as Genma finished speaking, Temari leaped down, using the Folding Fan to glide to a landing beside the referee.
It took quite a while before Shikamaru finally made his leisurely way down into the arena, muttering, "What a pain that blonde is." He straightened up and ambled over to stand opposite Temari.
If the previous match had been for spectators who loved flashy fights, this one was a feast for tactics enthusiasts. Through a series of brilliant maneuvers, Shikamaru eventually trapped Temari with the Shadow Imitation Technique. Yet just when he could have forced his opponent to surrender, he announced his own withdrawal instead.
In the rookie Genin spectator stands
Before you continue