Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

Smack, smack, smack!

With her Byakugan activated, Hinata launched a flurry of attacks. She knew well enough that if she held back even a little, she wouldn't last long against Naruto.

Naruto, on the other hand, didn't strike back. He'd told her he'd let her have the first three moves, after all. Now that her three strikes were over, he finally started stretching and loosening up, warming up for the fight.

It wasn't that Naruto was underestimating Hinata… it's just that Hinata's strength was too weak.

Her Gentle Fist focused on blocking Tenketsu, but Naruto had two sources of Chakra within him. Even if she blocked his Chakra, he could still draw from Chakra from Kyubi. Though, of course, that'd be completely unfair to Hinata.

"Come on, keep going and show me the results of your training!" Naruto encouraged, but still refrained from taking action.

Hinata's attacks so far hadn't even managed to breach Naruto's defenses. Despite his fair skin, Naruto's body was resilient, and ever since he'd learned the Eight Gates, his physical durability was on par with wearing armor.

To him, Hinata's blows felt no different than a light tickle.

"Naruto-kun, why aren't you defending yourself?"

Hinata frowned. With her Byakugan, she could see that she'd already sealed over half of Naruto's Tenketsu, but he remained unfazed and calm.

'Was he holding back on purpose?'

While she was secretly happy about Naruto's gentleness, she couldn't help but feel a little irritated.

She wouldn't be happy if she defeated Naruto because of this.

She knew Naruto's real strength went far beyond what he was showing. If he let her win like this, it would only make her feel more like the 'lucky contestant' everyone thought she was!

"Please, Naruto-kun, take the match seriously. I won't mind losing if it's an honest fight."

Seeing her expression, Naruto sighed and shook his head, "Alright, since you put it that way… I'll show you my real strength."

In an instant, Naruto stepped forward, and his figure vanished from sight. Not even her Byakugan could track him.

'How come he's so fast? Where is he?'

"Don't look for me, I'm right here!"

Before she could react, Naruto was suddenly in front of her.

"Boo~"

With a gentle flick to her forehead, Naruto landed a playful tap, a 'forehead flick' attack, the lightest of touches.

"Well? You saw my strength, right? Pretty impressive, huh?"

Naruto grinned with pride.

Hinata nodded without saying anything, but her face became even redder.

Indeed, through that single move, she understood just how vast the gap between them was. If Naruto had used a kunai instead of a flick, her head would have been pierced right then.

"I didn't expect that there is such a huge gap in our strength, sigh..."

Hinata murmured, a bit dejected.

"Why do you look so down?" Naruto asked puzzledly, 'I didn't even go all out.'

"It's just… you mentioned that if I earned your recognition, you might like me." Hinata said softly, "But I did so poorly… there's no way I deserve your admiration."

"Oh, so that's what you were worried about? Don't sweat it… I was only joking earlier."

Naruto said, waving it off.

Hearing this, Hinata's face fell even more.

'It turned out that Naruto-kun was just joking with me… but I actually took it seriously.'

'How could I be so stupid? How could someone as good as Naruto be interested in me?'

Seeing this, Naruto knew he had misspoken and quickly changed his words, "No, that's not what I meant. What I mean is… I already recognize you. Sure, your talent may not be on the same level as Hanabi's or Neji's, but I've seen how hard you work. Do you really think you're the only one watching me secretly? I've been watching you too. I've seen you stay late punching the training dummies and pushing yourself even when you're hurt. I actually noticed you a long time ago, Hinata!"

"You're a diligent, thoughtful person, Hinata. Don't worry about other people's opinions or judgments, and just focus on being yourself. As long as you're stronger today than you were yesterday, that's enough. Keep that drive to improve, and you'll be fine. And if all else fails, remember that you have me by your side. You didn't forget what I said earlier, did you?"

"No, I didn't forget. You said you're working hard to be strong so you can protect your future wife and children. Naruto-kun, are you saying…?"

Hinata's eyes sparkled with hope.

Naruto nodded slightly and said, "Yes, just as you think. I really do admire you. But I also want you to be brave and open up a little more, don't be so shy. Though I said I could protect you, if you only rely on me, it won't make you stronger..."

Before Naruto could finish his words, Hinata shook her head and quickly assured him, "Naruto-kun, I will work hard!"

Naruto chuckled and said, "You don't need to be nervous. I've noticed all your efforts, and I'm proud of you. That's why I'm sharing my thoughts with you. From what I see, you're already a qualified Genin, but you still have a long way to go before becoming a Chunin."

"I'm friends with Neji now, and we've worked out the conflicts between you two. I hope you can approach him and share your true thoughts. He could even guide you on using the Byakugan, which would put my mind at ease too."

"I'll do my best. I won't let you down, Naruto-kun."

Hinata nodded resolutely, then raised her hand and said, "Referee, I concede this match."

After saying that, she rushed out of the arena like the wind. Judging from the direction she was running, she should be heading to the medical room.

The arena fell silent, with only Naruto left standing. Hayate looked momentarily speechless but raised Naruto's hand and announced, "The champion of Group A is born, congratulations to Uzumaki Naruto!"

Upon hearing this, there were immediate complaints of dissatisfaction from the audience.

Who would have thought that the Group A finals would end with a simple forehead flick?

And the opponent still gave up the match, so they wondered if Naruto is really a 'lucky contestant'.

However, only a few people were dissatisfied. Most realized that if Naruto had used a kunai just now, Hinata wouldn't have been able to defend herself and would have faced certain defeat.

The forehead flick was a show of mercy.

Naruto's impressive strength, paired with his gentleness, instantly won him the admiration of the female audience.

However, overall, the Group A's final felt more like a friendly spar, which left Hayate feeling somewhat dissatisfied. He had high hopes for this year's Chunin Exams to be memorable, and he couldn't let a few lackluster matches lower the standards.

Taking out the roster, he announced, "Next is the Group B's final. Will Gaara and Aburame Shino please enter the arena."

When both parties came to the arena, Hayate intended to encourage them to put on a thrilling display of Ninjutsu.

However, before he could say anything, he caught the fierce gleam in Gaara's eyes.

Recalling Gaara's previous matches, he realized with certainty, 'If Gaara was involved, the match would be anything but boring.'

'Moreover, after two rounds of pent-up frustration, Gaara likely had a lot of rage to unleash.'

With that in mind, Hayate wasted no time and quickly declared: "Group B's final… Begins!"

The moment he spoke, before Hayate could even step back, Gaara waved his hand, and the entire arena was instantly transformed into a rugged landscape as sand surged, engulfing the area.

Naruto, who had just returned to the stands, couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.

'After the last two rounds, Gaara seemed to have learned his lesson. This time he was starting with his strongest move.'

'It seems that Shino and Hayate are in trouble...'