Author's Notes: Hey there! This is the first chapter of Naruto: An Alternate Direction and it is the sequel to Naruto: A Look at the New Era. If you haven't read the first one you can find it on my profile page. Now, on to the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters

The eight genin were in the middle of the arena. Thousands of people from the Leaf and other villages were watching them. It was time for the Third and Final Round of the Chunin Selection Exams.

Shino, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, Gaara, Kankuro and Temari, in that order, all stayed silent and observed the crowd all around them.

"So Sasuke is gonna fight Gaara... I hope he can win and fast!" Naruto thought as he turned to look at Gaara. He then turned to Sasuke.

"Are you nervous?" Naruto asked.

"Nervous, no. I'm excited." Sasuke replied with a smirk.

"Figures." Naruto snorted.

"How about you?" Sasuke asked.

"Me? Please... I'll mop the floor with him." Naruto exclaimed.

"Candidates," Genma, the exam's proctor called to them. "The Third Stage of the exam is about to begin so be quiet."

Naruto and Sasuke nodded and did as told.

Genma turned around and called out to the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming to the Hidden Leaf's Chunin Selection Exam."

The people errupted into cheers and applause.

"We will now begin with the main tournament matches between the eight candidates that made it past the preliminaries of the second round."

Genma turned to look at the eight genin. "There's something I'd like to tell you before the matches begin. Look at this." he held out a paper with fight matchups.

Naruto Uzumaki vs Neji Hyuga

Gaara vs Sasuke Uchiha

Kankuro vs Shino Aburame

Temari vs Shikamaru Nara

The genins all raised an eyebrow at the changes. Well, everyone with the exception of Gaara.

There have been some minor changes to the tournament. Check once again to see who you'll be fighting." Genma said with a bored expression on his face.

"I was supposed to fight twice. Did that Dosu guy forfeit?" Shikamaru wondered.

"Anyway, let's begin." Genma called out again. "This is the final test you guys. The arena may be diffirent but the rules are the same as the prelims. No rules. You fight until one of you dies or acknowledges defeat. But, if I determine that I fight is over, I'll step in and stop it, got it?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good. The first fight is Naruto Uzumaki versus Neji Hyuga. Those two stay here and the rest of you go to the waiting room." Genma pointed to said room and everyone did as told. Now, only Naruto and Neji remained.

XXXXXXXX

Hinata and Kiba were seated right next to each other. Hinata still a little flushed from her previous encounter with Naruto, observed the arena carefully.

"This will be good..." Kiba said grinning.

"Naruto-kun, be careful..." Hinata thought.

Right next to Hinata sat Izumo and Kotetsu, they seemed to be talking about Naruto.

"For that kid to go that far..."

"Yeah, for guys that got here on luck, this is the end of the line."

"That Naruto kid's opponent is just too tough."

"The brat can't beat a member of the Hyuga Clan."

All around Hinata, similar conversation was occuring. She focused on the arena once more and blocked out everything.

"Huh? What is it boy?" Kiba asked Akamaru after he yipped.

Akamaru yipped once more. "What? Where?" Kiba turned to look around. He spotted an Anbu behind the back-row seats, hiding in the shadows.

"What are the ANBU doing here? Is something going on?

XXXXXXXX

Naruto and Neji stood against each other, neither one speaking, both studying the other.

"You're being awfully silent. Is there something you want to say but you're to afraid to do so?" Neji asked with a smirk.

"I'm not afraid to speak my mind Neji-teme. I'm not saying anything because I don't need to..." Naruto replied as he raised his fist. "You are going down."

Neji activated his Byakugan and studied Naruto carefully.

"His eyes, the ones of a person completely sure of himself. There's no doubt inside him, there's rage and... is that hurt?" Neji thought to himself. He shook his head and got into his Gentle Fist stance.

"Now... let the first fight begin!" Genma called and jumped back.

Naruto reached into his pouch and grabbed some smoke bombs.

"Smoke bombs? Really? I expected more." Neji told him with a smug look on his face.

"Hehe... these are not for you jackass." Naruto grinned and created two clones.

"So you're going to attack from a distance with your clones under the cover of the smoke, is that it?"

"Pretty much..." Naruto shrugged

"Please... my Byakugan can see through the smoke. Everything you try is futile."

Naruto grinned wide. "See if you can keep up then..."

"What are you-"

Without warning, Naruto threw the smoke bombs and reached for his new kunai. He created another clone and made him transform into one of the kunai. He threw the tranformed clone at Neji fast.

"Pathetic..." Neji called as he sidestepped and dodged the kunai.

Naruto then threw the original kunai at Neji's left, making him sidestep to the right. Now the two kunai were behind Neji.

"Perfect." Naruto thought. Everything was going according to plan.

Neji charged into the cloud of smoke, finding the three Naruto's hidden inside. He attacked with ferocity and speed but the Naruto's somehow managed to keep up with him and dodge every attack. The smoke cleared after a few seconds and Naruto forced Neji back to where the clone and the kunai were, now on the offensive. Naruto jumped back, gaining some distance between him and Neji. Neji's eyes focused on Naruto and the kunai behind him transformed into a clone and sweep kicked Neji's feet. He fell on his back, hard.

"What the hell! How did he find the Byakugan's blind spot?" Neji thought before his eyes widened at the clone charging at him. He had picked up the kunai next to him.

"What's wrong Neji?" Naruto mocked as he slashed at Neji with his tri-pronged kunai.

Neji barely managed to get out of the way and get to his feet. He jumped to gain some distance, the kunai now infront of him.

"You're... good." Neji managed to say.

Naruto grinned.

"But still... your destiny is to lose here no matter how much you've improved."

Naruto frowned.

"And you wanted to become Hokage too? Don't make me laugh."

"What the hell is wrong with you huh? You think you can judge everyone and decide their fate?"

"No, fate is something unavoidable and can't be 'decided' by anyone but fate. The only thing I can do is see it with my eyes." Neji answered calmly.

"I don't believe that. I don't need to see fate to know that I have to try harder."

"Harder? For what? For your dream? You think you can become Hokage simply through hard work? Only a handful of shinobi are chosen to be Hokage. It is their own fate, one that is decided at their birth."

"No. I have to try harder to change and control my fate." Naruto replied.

"C-Control? CONTROL?! Who are YOU to control fate?! Fate is unchangeable and everyone is bound to live by it. And the one fate that I guarantee you is not avoidable and is shared by everyone is DEATH!" Neji shouted and charged at Naruto with rage. Naruto instantly created 10 clones that attacked Neji. Unfortunately, Neji's speed and reflexes were beyond that of the clones and he easily decimated them.

"I can see through your attack patern. Your clones will not help you anymore." Neji said as he finished the last clone.

"I've got more than clones y'know." Naruto made three hand-signs and called out his technique.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" he shot out a huge tornado that kicked up dust and leaves from the surrounding trees.

"I-I can't dodge that! Fine, since I have no choice..."

"Rotation!"

Neji spinned like a top at high speed, the chakra released from his body took the shape of a dome around him and deflected the attack with ease.

"Damn, he blocked it." Naruto growled.

Neji looked up with a smirk and said. "I'm surprised. You even managed to get me to use the Hyuga Clan's Ultimate defence. But it ends here."

"Huh?"

Neji got into a much diffirent stance from before and he looked up to Naruto's confused face.

"You're within range of my Eight Trigrams."

"Crap..."

He lunged at Naruto and got two palm strikes on his chest.

"Eight Trigrams: Two Palms..."

Naruto staggered back from the attack and coughed. Neji continued the assault.

"...Four Palms..."

Four more palm strikes landed and Naruto hacked and coughed again.

"...Eight Palms... Sixteen Palms... Thirty-two Palms..."

"This isn't good, my chakra system is getting blocked and I can't escape..." Naruto thought as Neji kept striking his chakra points with swiftness and precision.

"This is what happens to fools like you. Fate is something you simply cannot change and if you try you will fall..."

"Sixty-four Palms!"

Neji delivered the final strike that pushed Naruto back and made him cough blood. Naruto stood on his feet but doubled over in pain.

"It's over. I have blocked Sixty-four of your chakra points. You cannot move."

XXXXXXXX

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata gasped when she saw him double over and cough blood. Just then, she started coughing too. Shd coughed and hacked but it wouldn't stop.

"Hinata are you okay?" Kiba asked worried.

"Having your dreams come true through hard work is an illusion." Neji said.

Naruto looked up to the crowd and he found who he was looking for.

"Hinata..."

She was coughing horribly and everyone around her was worried.

"Because of him."

Neji raised an eye brow.

"Bushy Brows, Hinata..."

"What's wrong now? Still trying to defy fate?"

"They both worked so hard and they've come so far and you..."

"Hm?"

"Someone like you... dosen't get the right to tell them that they can't and won't change!"

Naruto finally got up and clenched his teeth.

"Nine-Tails, can you open my chakra points? I don't wanna use your chakra, I just need you to help me... just this once."

"Why should I 'help' you? Just give up and forfeit, I mean, no need to go to such extremes to-"

"Just do it! It's not a waste and I'm not giving up, not now, not ever!" Naruto told the Nine-Tails through his seal.

Instantly, chakra shot out like a flare from Naruto and forced all of his chakra points to open, also restoring his reserves. But damn... it hurt!

Neji's eyes widened in disbelief. "How did you do that?!"

Naruto chuckled. "I'll never give up. And I never, ever go back on my word! That's my nindo, my Ninja Way! And I've made a promise, a promise to beat you. That's why..."

"A promise? Please... continuing won't change anything. Just give up now. I have no grudge against yo-"

"Shut up! I do!" Naruto cut him off.

"What do you mean?"

"Hinata." Naruto answered simply.

"I... I see."

"You say you're so strong and you have those eyes of yours that can see fate... But mentally attacking Hinata, someome who tried so hard to be acknowledged, someone I really care about... I'll never forgive you!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs.

"If only you knew..." Neji said in a low voice.

"No wait, don't tell me... The Hyuga Clan's destiny of Hatred. Is that right?"

Neji's eyes glared at Naruto. "You know nothing!"

"Actually, I know everything. The Main and Side Branch, it's leaders, even your Cursed Seal."

"Hinata did tell me everything when we were there..."

Neji looked down. "So you know of the fate of my father too?"

Naruto nodded.

"I see. You've done your research, Uzumaki. You even found the Byakugan's blind spot earlier."

"That still doesen't give you the right to put down others just because you think their destined to fail. That doesn't mean they can't try to change their destiny. Even you..."

"Hm?"

"Even you... I think, in your own way, you're trying to change your destiny too."

Neji's eyes widened.

"So I'll give you a promise." Naruto smiled.

"What are you... What do you think you understand to promise me anything? Do you think you know what it's like to be burdened with a symbol you cannot get rid of?!"

Naruto looked down and spoke softly. "Yes... Yes I know what that's like.

He took out another tri-pronged kunai and stared at it.

"Dad... Mom..."

"Fine then. If you insist on continuing this fight..."

"Stop it with your warnings and crap. I know what I'm getting into. But that's the point about destiny. If you want to change it you have to take risks."

"What do you mean?"

Naruto grinned.

"I was called a loser. I've tried and I've changed. So... If you want to just stand there and do nothing to change your fate that's fine." he said as he grabbed the rest of his kunai.

"But when I become Hokage... I'll change the Hyuga Clan for you.

And then he threw them.

Dozens of kunai were spread around the arena, leaving Neji no place of escape.

Not that he knew that

"This will be over in a flash."

I hope you enjoyed the chapter :)

As always...

Andrew... out!