Hinata: You're wrong, Neji-nii-san. I can see that you are hurting worse than I am. You hate yourself even more than you hate me.
Short version
Naruto gives Kiba the scroll and sends him off with Team 7 to have Sasuke's Cursed Seal treated. Team 8 defeats a Hidden Mist team and takes their scroll, and make it to the tower, passing the test. Preliminary matches are held to narrow the competition. Yoroi, Tenten, Kiba, Misumi, Hinata, Sasuke, and Lee are respectively eliminated by Chouji, Temari, Shino, Shikamaru, Neji, Naruto, and Gaara, while Ino and Sakura are both eliminated in a double knockout. Hinata is badly injured and hospitalized by Neji, enraging Naruto and Shino. Lee is rescued from serious injury by Gai. Naruto is matched against Neji in the final round of the exam.
Longer version
After the fight with Dosu, Kin and Zaku, Teams 7 and 8 reconvene. Kiba picks up the Earth Scroll left behind by Kin and Zaku, noting that Team 7 has a Heaven Scroll. Naruto tells them they have an Earth Scroll. He taunts Kiba and his team, and the two start wrestling. Their teammates are aggravated, and a few minutes later the two return, with both teams taking their own paths.
Naruto explains to Hinata and Shino that after he learned about the Cursed Seal from the Nine-Tails, he knew Sasuke needed a medic-nin quick, before the seal does irreparable damage, and secretly told Kiba during their wrestle. He made Sasuke think Team 8 had an Earth scroll because otherwise the Uchiha wouldn't have accepted it out of pride. Hinata and Shino commend his reasoning.
Team 8 encounters a group of Hidden Mist genin using a genjutsu, which Naruto dispels with his Chakra Pulse. He sends a dozen shadow clones against them, half of which are countered by four clones that burst into acid. Another in the group throws acid spheres at Team 8. Naruto bursts most of them, but one hits Hinata and Shino... who are revealed to be henged clones. Hinata uses two intangible clones as a diversion and knocks one Hidden Mist genin out with a Jyuuken strike. Shino uses his kikai to distract another genin before kneeing him, and Naruto punches out the leader.
They claim the team's Earth scroll, and Naruto joyfully embraces Hinata. As they approach the tower, Shino speculates that other teams may be staking out to steal scrolls. Naruto creates a horde of clones, some disguised as Shino and Hinata, and uses them to conceal the team as they rush the tower. Two-thirds of the clones are destroyed, and Naruto gets headaches from the sheer number of memories sent by destroyed clones, such as those taunting Gaara and Neji. When they arrive, they summon Iruka with their scrolls, who sees Hinata's injuries.
The team report their ordeals in the forest. Kurenai reveals the powerful snake-ninja was likely Orochimaru, one of the Hokage's former students turned traitor to Konoha. Naruto mentions his encounter with the Kyuubi, and Kurenai decides to ask the Hokage about the seal of the Nine-Tailed Fox. She tells Naruto to be cautious of the beast. Naruto silently agrees.
Elsewhere, Iruka instinctively senses a "violation of the natural order." He then gets back to work.
After being checked up by the medic-nins (who only help Naruto at the insistence of his teammates), and resting, Team 8 joins the teams who have passed the exam: Teams 7 and 10, Gai's students, Kabuto's team, and Gaara's team. The Hokage congratulates the teams for passing and introduces the last test, officiated by Gekkou Hayate. Hayate reveals the third exam is a tournament, but before then a preliminary round will reduce the numbers. Kabuto forfeits, leaving seventeen people in the preliminaries.
When Naruto is surprised that all Konoha's rookies succeeded, Shino fears people may see it as collusion. Kurenai reminds Naruto that the exams showcase each villages' strengths, but the Hokage disapproves of cheating, partly due to threat of war. First round, Chouji fights one of Kabuto's teammates, Yoroi, who attacks with chakra absorption. When Yoroi calls him fat, Chouji furiously crush Yoroi with the Multi-Size jutsu.
Tenten then faces off against Temari. The latter easily counters and defeats Tenten's use of weapons with her Wind Release techniques. Naruto realizes the one-on-one matches can put ninja at a disadvantage against opponents they lack the proper means to fight.
Next comes Shino against Kiba. Kiba and Akamaru attack together, but Shino uses his kamas to hold them off. Kikai bugs drain them of their chakra, winning Shino the match. Nara Shikamaru fights Tsurugi Misumi, who wraps himself around the Konoha genin with his rubber-like limbs, only for Shikamaru to bluff him about having a poisoned kunai in hand. This distracts Misumi long enough to allow Shikamaru to catch Misumi with his shadow jutsu and force him to strike his own head against the ground, knocking the elder genin out.
After that, Hinata is matched against Neji. Neji tries to make Hinata surrender, but she refuses, and the fight begins. The fight between the two Jyuuken users is quick, and Naruto realizes that most of Neji's strikes are made with the intent to maim or kill. Neji cuts off Hinata's chakra in her arms, but she refuses to give up, managing to injure Neji by throwing her weights at him. However, Neji gets over the surprise and continues to fight, heavily injuring Hinata, who keeps standing up in spite of her injuries. Neji mocks her resolve as futile, but Hinata points out his hatred of his own situation. Neji tries to hit her with deadly intent, but Naruto swaps himself with Hinata and takes the strike for her. Medic-nins hastily take Hinata away, and Naruto is enraged at Neji. As Gai tells Neji off, Kurenai convinces Naruto to follow Hinata. Shino asks Lee and Tenten which flowers would be appropriate for Neji's funeral.
Naruto and Kurenai follow Hinata to the hospital wing until their way is blocked, and Naruto mentally swears to destroy Neji if they fight. Kurenai tells Naruto to return to the auditorium, pointing out that staying would disqualify him and prevent him from fighting Neji, and that Hinata would also feel ashamed if Naruto were disqualified. He arrives just in time to see Ino and Sakura being taken away after they knocked each other out, and is matched against Sasuke.
Sasuke tries to get under Naruto's skin, calling Hinata pathetic in the process. Naruto swiftly breaks Sasuke's jaw and knocks him out with one punch.
Naruto returns to Kurenai at the waiting room and nervously awaits news on Hinata. Gai, Lee (who lost to Gaara) and Shino arrive. Gai thanks Kurenai for the info on Gaara; since Lee did not have the means to defeat the Sand genin, Gai ended the match early for his safety. Kankuro gets a bye into the tournament. Shino tells Naruto his next fight will be against Neji.
Tropes:
- Acid Attack: The Hidden Mist genin are capable of acid-based attacks. Manabu creates clones made out of acid to clash with Naruto's, another throws spherical containers of acid, and the leader can materialize a staff made of acid.
- Armor-Piercing Response: When Neji asks why Hinata keeps trying and declares her destined for failure, Hinata points out how he loathes his own "destiny" more. Neji takes it badly.
- Berserk Button:
- Don't call Chouji fat. Seriously.
- As in canon, Neji is furious when Hinata points out his own hypocrisy in fighting his destiny.
- Also, don't insult Hinata in front of Naruto.
- Blow You Away: Temari's winning move consists of her using her fan to blow Tenten away.
- Breaking Speech: Like in canon, Neji tries this on Hinata. Unlike in canon, it doesn't work on Hinata at all.
- The Chessmaster: Shikamaru, as usual. He defeats his elastic opponent by scaring him off with a venom bluff, then snaring and knocking him out with his Shadow Imitation technique. He doesn't even move from his starting position.
- Curb-Stomp Battle:
- Tenten loses to Temari just as badly as in canon.
- Naruto vs Sasuke. After the latter sees fit to stomp on the former's Berserk Button, Naruto sees fit to break Sasuke's jaw a second into the fight.
- Determinator: Hinata during her fight against Neji. It is a Deconstruction, though, as she gets so heavily injured she has to be taken into surgery.
- Flash Step: During his "fight" against Sasuke, Naruto needs less than a second to go from his position to right next to Sasuke.
- Honor Before Reason: Hinata is so obsessed with honoring her clan with victory that she keeps fighting a losing, nearly lethal fight with Neji.
- I Shall Taunt You: Various preliminary matches have variations of this, but Sasuke's attempt against Naruto, an insult about Hinata's abilities, is an especially noteworthy failure. Naruto's building rage regarding Hinata and Sasuke's exhaustion result in a quick One-Hit KO.
- In Spite of a Nail: Although many of the matchups are different from canon, Temari vs. Tenten, Hinata vs. Neji, Sakura vs. Ino, & Rock Lee vs Gaara still occur, in broadly similar fashion. Hinata's battle has some key differences, however, and Gai ends Lee's match earlier due to warnings about Gaara, sparing Lee from disability. Naruto is also matched against Neji for the tournament once again.
- It's Personal: Naruto swears to pummel Neji after he nearly kills Hinata.
- Know When to Fold Them: Gai intervenes to prevent Lee from being gravely injured by Gaara when it becomes clear that Lee's techniques won't be enough against Gaara's own.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Neji nearly kills Hinata during their fight.
- Not So Stoic: Shino screams for medic-nins to treat Hinata.
- Punched Across the Room: Sasuke is sent flying three meters away from his starting position by Naruto's punch.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Downplayed. During the Naruto vs Sasuke fight, Naruto's eyes start to turn from blue to purple (= blue + red).
- Ship Tease: After Team 8 collects an Earth Scroll, Naruto excitedly lifts and twirls Hinata, to her embarrassment. Later on, when Hinata is gravely injured by Neji, Naruto furiously thinks no one should hurt his friends especially Hinata. He then puzzles at his last thought.
- Taking the Bullet: Naruto uses the Substitution Jutsu to save Hinata by taking Neji's last punch instead of her.
- This Is Gonna Suck: Shikamaru's reaction when Chouji's opponent calls him fat.
- Tranquil Fury: Shino's reaction to Neji's No-Holds-Barred Beatdown of Hinata is to calmly ask Lee and Tenten what flowers would be appropiate for Neji's funeral.
- Worf Had the Flu: A subtle one, but Hinata wore her weights in her Gentle Fist clash with Neji.
