Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he saw his name appear on the screen alongside Hinata's. His jaw dropped, and he let out an overdramatic cry of despair.

  "Nooooo!" he wailed, his hands clutching at his spiky blonde hair.

  Sakura and Sasuke, standing on either side of their teammate, exchanged a glance before patting Naruto sympathetically on the back. Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes a little at his theatrics, while Sasuke just grunted, his expression a mix of amusement and exasperation.

  Across the room, Kiba and Shino were offering similar comfort to a visibly despondent Hinata. The Hyuga heiress was poking her fingers together nervously, her pale eyes darting between Naruto and the floor.

  Kankuro, watching the scene unfold from where he stood with his siblings, couldn't resist the urge to snark. "What's the matter, blondie?" he called out, his painted face twisted in a mocking grin. "Got to fight your girlfriend or something?"

  To his surprise, Naruto spun around and emphatically shouted, "Yes!"

  Kankuro blinked, taken aback by the honest response. He hadn't actually expected that to be the case. "Huh," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "I knew Leaf was the lovey-dovey village, but I didn't think they started it that early."

  Temari elbowed her brother, shooting him a warning glance. Gaara, as usual, remained impassive, his arms crossed as he observed the commotion with detached interest.

  Several of the Leaf proctors, including Anko and Ibiki, were struggling to maintain their professional demeanor. Chuckles and poorly concealed smirks could be seen among them. Even the Hokage, standing at the front of the room with Jiraiya, had an amused twinkle in his eye.

  Kurenai, Hinata's sensei, looked torn between pride in her student and concern for the situation. Kakashi, on the other hand, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his student's predicament, his visible eye curved in what was unmistakably a smile beneath his mask.

  As the initial shock began to wear off, Hinata timidly approached Naruto. Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, as she spoke. "N-Naruto-kun... if you want, I could... I could forfeit. You usually win when we spar, so..."

  Naruto's head snapped up, his blue eyes wide with surprise. "What? No way, Hinata-chan! You can't forfeit!"

  He grabbed her hands, causing her face to flush a deep red. "This is our chance to show off everything we've learned in front of the old man Hokage and everyone else! We've both gotten so much stronger, ya know?"

  Hinata's blush deepened, but a small smile began to form on her lips. "You... you really think so, Naruto-kun?"

  "Of course I do!" Naruto grinned, giving her hands a squeeze. "You're amazing, Hinata-chan! Your Byakugan is super cool, and your Gentle Fist style is awesome!"

  From the sidelines, Neji watched the exchange with narrowed eyes. His earlier conversation with Naruto during the Forest of Death had left him conflicted about his feelings towards his cousin, but old habits died hard. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment at the praise being heaped upon the main branch heiress.

  Tenten noticed Neji's expression and nudged him gently. "Hey, you okay?" she asked quietly.

  Neji blinked, as if coming out of a trance, and shook his head slightly. "It's nothing," he muttered, but his eyes remained fixed on Hinata and Naruto.

  Meanwhile, Rock Lee was practically vibrating with excitement. "Gai-sensei!" he exclaimed, turning to his mentor with fire in his eyes. "Do you see how youthful their spirits are? To face each other with such passion and determination despite their feelings! It's so inspiring!"

  Gai struck his signature pose, flashing a blindingly white smile and a thumbs up. "Indeed, Lee! Their flames of youth burn brightly! We must watch closely and learn from their example!"

  Nearby, Sakura and Tenten shared a look of exasperated fondness for their eccentric teammates.

  Back in the center of the arena, Naruto was still holding Hinata's hands, his enthusiasm infectious. "So what do you say, Hinata-chan? Let's give it our all and show everyone how awesome we are!"

  Hinata took a deep breath, drawing strength from Naruto's unwavering belief in her. She nodded, her earlier nervousness giving way to determination. "You're right, Naruto-kun. We've both worked hard to get here. I... I won't hold back!"

  With that declaration, Hinata gently pulled her hands from Naruto's grasp and took a step back. She reached for the zipper of her oversized jacket, surprising many of the onlookers as she shrugged it off. Underneath, she wore a form-fitting black shirt that revealed a physique far more toned than most would have expected.

  Kiba let out a low whistle. "Whoa, Hinata! When did you get so buff?"

  Shino adjusted his sunglasses. "Hinata has been training diligently. Why? Because she wishes to prove herself worthy of her goals."

  Hinata's face was still flushed, but there was a new confidence in her stance as she settled into the traditional Gentle Fist pose. Her hands were held out in front of her, palms open and fingers slightly curved. "Byakugan!" she called out, activating her bloodline limit. The veins around her eyes bulged as her vision sharpened, allowing her to see Naruto's chakra network in perfect detail.

  Naruto's grin widened at the sight. "Alright! Now we're talking!" He bounced on the balls of his feet, his own excitement building. "I'm not gonna go easy on you either, Hinata-chan! Let's show everyone what we can do!"

  He brought his hands together in his favorite hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" With a puff of smoke, three more Narutos appeared beside the original, each wearing the same determined grin.

  Up in the viewing area, Sasuke leaned against the railing, his eyes fixed on the two combatants below. "This should be interesting," he murmured.

  Sakura nodded in agreement. "They've both improved a lot since the academy. I wonder how much they've been holding back in their spars?"

  Ino, overhearing their conversation, couldn't resist chiming in. "My money's on Naruto," she said with a smirk. "No offense to Hinata, but that knucklehead's got some crazy stamina."

  Shikamaru, standing nearby with Choji, sighed. "Troublesome. They're both going to go all out, aren't they? This could take a while."

  Down in the arena, Hayate stepped forward, looking between Naruto and Hinata. "Are both combatants ready?" he asked, his voice slightly raspy.

  Naruto and Hinata nodded in unison, their eyes locked on each other.

  Hayate raised his hand, then brought it down sharply. "Then let the first match of the preliminary round... begin!"

  The Hokage watched with pride as Naruto and Hinata faced each other in the arena. Their determination and mutual respect were evident, a testament to the Will of Fire burning brightly in the younger generation. He couldn't help but feel a swell of anticipation for the great things these young shinobi would accomplish in the future.

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  His thoughts drifted to Naruto's recent assistance with paperwork. The boy's ability to use multiple shadow clones without confusion was both impressive and, if he was honest with himself, slightly irritating. Hiruzen grumbled under his breath, recalling how he could only manage two clones before things became muddled in his mind. It was a bit petty, he knew, but he had restricted Naruto to using just two clones as well. Fair was fair, after all.

  As the match began, Naruto summoned several clones, surrounding Hinata in a circle of orange-clad doppelgangers. They charged in, but Hinata's Gentle Fist style proved its worth. With precise, light taps, she dispelled each clone that came within range.

  The Hokage's experienced eyes picked up on the subtle interplay between the two combatants. It was clear they were intimately familiar with each other's fighting styles, anticipating moves and reacting to the smallest of tells. Despite their claims of not holding back, he noted that both were carefully avoiding any techniques that might cause serious harm.

  Around the arena, the various Leaf genin teams cheered enthusiastically for their friends. The Hokage's gaze was drawn to the Uzumaki girl from Kusa, whose presence in the village was already giving him a headache. She was cheering for Naruto with particular vigor from her spot next to Kakashi. Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, noting the obvious infatuation in her eyes.

  A quick glance at Jiraiya revealed the Sannin furiously scribbling notes, no doubt gathering material for his next literary endeavor. The Hokage suppressed a chuckle, turning his attention back to the match.

  Naruto's strategy became apparent as the fight progressed. He was clearly aiming to wear Hinata down, using his superior stamina and endless supply of clones to keep her on the defensive. However, it seemed he had miscalculated. Hinata suddenly shifted from defense to offense, her Byakugan active and focused intently on one particular Naruto.

  "Sorry, Naruto-kun," she called out, her voice filled with determination, "but you are in the range of my divination."

  The Hokage's eyes widened slightly. Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms at such a young age? Hiashi's eldest daughter was indeed impressive. He noticed Neji's disgruntled expression from the sidelines, clearly unhappy to see his cousin performing such an advanced technique.

  "Two strikes, Four strikes, Eight Strikes, Sixteen Strikes, Thirty-two strikes, Sixty-four strikes!" Hinata's hands moved in a blur, striking Naruto's tenketsu points with pinpoint accuracy. The boy was driven back by the onslaught, his chakra network systematically sealed off.

  The Hokage couldn't help but feel a surge of pride in the Hyuga clan's prowess. Their Gentle Fist style was perfect for capturing enemy ninja alive and relatively unharmed, a fact that made them greatly feared among other nations. It was one thing to face death in battle, but quite another to be taken alive and forced to reveal village secrets.

  As Naruto stumbled back, his chakra sealed, the Hokage noticed a smirk playing across the boy's face. It was then that he realized the mistake young Hinata had made. While she had successfully sealed the real Naruto's chakra, the clones he had already created remained active.

  Four of Naruto's clones leapt into the air, their hands rapidly forming seals. In unison, they called out, "Gamayudan!" Four glob-like projectiles of toad oil shot towards Hinata, whose eyes widened as she realized her vulnerable position, overextended from her final series of strikes.

  With impressive reflexes, Hinata managed to deflect one of the oil bullets, but the other three struck true. The sticky substance pinned her to the floor, effectively immobilizing her.

  The remaining clones gathered around the original Naruto, supporting him as he grinned and complimented Hinata on how close she had come to defeating him. Other clones knelt beside the trapped girl, kunai drawn but held at a safe distance, looking to the proctor for the final call.

  Hayate coughed, then announced, "Hyuga Hinata is unable to continue. Uzumaki Naruto advances to the next round."

  Cheers erupted from the Leaf genin, celebrating both competitors for their excellent match. There was a moment of awkwardness as Naruto's clones worked to scrape away enough of the oil to free Hinata. Once released, she immediately set about reopening Naruto's tenketsu points.

  In a surprising display of affection, Naruto planted a quick peck on Hinata's cheek, causing her face to turn a brilliant shade of red. She swayed slightly, nearly fainting from the public display.

  The Hokage smiled to himself. Yes, the Will of Fire would indeed continue strongly in the next generation. He gave a subtle nod to Hayate, signaling for the proctor to begin the selection for the next match.

  As the names flickered across the screen, the Hokage's thoughts turned to the broader implications of the exam. The presence of genin from Suna and the newly reformed Mist village added an interesting dynamic to the proceedings. He was particularly curious about the Mist team, given the recent changes in leadership there.

  The screen finally settled on two names: Temari vs Zaku.

  A tall blonde girl with a large fan strapped to her back made her way down to the arena floor. The Hokage recognized her as the Kazekage's daughter, a fact that added extra weight to her performance here. From the other side, one of the Sound ninja stepped forward, his arms held at an odd angle that suggested some form of modification.

  As the two genin faced each other, the Hokage couldn't help but wonder about the hidden agendas at play. The Sand village had been acting strangely of late, and Orochimaru's infiltration of the exams was deeply troubling. He made a mental note to discuss the matter further with Jiraiya once the preliminaries were concluded.

  Hayate raised his hand, preparing to start the match. "Are both combatants ready?" he asked, receiving nods from both Temari and Zaku. "Then let the second match of the preliminary round... begin!"

  Orochimaru, disguised as a Sound jonin, watched with keen interest as his minion Zaku made his way to the arena floor. The Sannin's eyes narrowed, curious to see how the boy would fare against the Kazekage's daughter, Temari. During the first exam, Temari hadn't struck him as particularly creative, but he was eager to see how Zaku might adapt to the challenge before him.

  As the two genin faced each other, Zaku immediately launched into a barrage of taunts and dismissals. Orochimaru could see through the act easily enough; the boy was trying to provoke Temari into anger, hoping to cloud her judgment. However, the Sand kunoichi merely smirked in response, clearly unaffected by Zaku's attempts at psychological warfare.

  The moment Hayate signaled for the match to begin, Zaku unleashed a full-power attack from both of his modified arms. The blast of compressed air roared towards Temari, but she countered effortlessly with a single sweep of her fan. The wind techniques clashed, canceling each other out, and Orochimaru noted that Temari's fan wasn't even fully opened.

  "This match will be over in three moves," Temari declared confidently, tapping her partially closed fan against her shoulder. "When you see all three moons, you're finished."

  Orochimaru leaned forward slightly, his disguised features betraying nothing of his inner thoughts. 'Now, what will you do, Zaku?' he mused. 'You've seen that you're outpowered. Will you use your arms to rapidly redirect your movement and close in quickly? Perhaps kick up debris from the previous fight as a smokescreen? Or maybe try to maneuver her towards one of those sticky patches left on the floor?'

  Instead, Zaku's face contorted with anger. "Surpass this!" he shouted, channeling chakra into both arms once more. Another blast of pressurized air erupted from his palms, this time sustained rather than a single burst.

  'Ah, I see,' Orochimaru thought, a hint of disappointment coloring his internal monologue. 'He's hoping to outlast her gust with a continuous attack. Foolish boy. The girl wasn't even using her full power to begin with.'

  Sure enough, Temari's expression shifted from mild amusement to irritation. With a flick of her wrist, she opened her fan slightly wider, revealing a second purple moon. The gust she produced easily overpowered Zaku's attack, sending the Sound ninja crashing into the wall behind him.

  The impact left Zaku dazed, his movements becoming sluggish and uncoordinated as he struggled to his feet. Finally seeming to grasp the severity of his situation, he attempted to vary his tactics. Blasting the ground, he kicked up a cloud of dust and debris, likely hoping to obscure Temari's vision and buy himself some time to regroup.

  But it was too little, too late. Zaku had allowed himself to be pushed too far away, and his reactions were far too slow to capitalize on what little advantage the smokescreen might have provided. Temari, clearly done toying with her opponent, fully unfurled her fan. All three moons gleamed ominously as she swung the massive weapon in a wide arc.

  "Wind Scythe Jutsu!" she called out, her voice barely audible over the howling gale she produced.

  The attack slammed into Zaku with devastating force, lifting him off his feet and slamming him once more into the concrete wall. This time, he didn't get up. Hayate quickly moved to check on the fallen genin before calling the match.

  "Winner: Temari of the Sand," the proctor announced, his voice slightly muffled by another small cough.

  As medical ninja rushed forward with a stretcher to transport Zaku to the infirmary, Orochimaru found himself reevaluating the boy's potential. 'Not a great showing,' he mused, 'but not the worst either. I'll have to consider whether cultivating Zaku further is worth the effort.'

  His gaze shifted to Temari, who was practically strutting as she made her way back to her siblings. Orochimaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the display. 'It would have been far more interesting to see her pitted against either the much more intelligent Dosu or my special project,' he thought. 'Oh well. Nothing of value lost or at risk in this particular match.'

  As the medical team carried Zaku away, the screen above the arena flickered to life once more, cycling through names before settling on the next pair of combatants. Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly, a spark of genuine interest igniting within him.

  'Oh... now this should be entertaining,' he thought, a slow smile spreading across his disguised features. 'Hōzuki Suigetsu vs Gaara of the Desert.'