Who wins between Neji and Naruto?

The Chunin Exam arc in Naruto was the first time the audience got to see the rest of Naruto's class in action after Team 7's time in the Land of Waves. Plot-wise, it was the next step in Naruto's path to becoming the Hokage, but in reality, it was to show the unique fighting abilities that the other genin had up their sleeves.

The first two phases of the exam were team-based, but phase three devolved into one-on-one combats. It's obvious that there is a sinister undertone to the exams, but it's easy to forget once the ninja begin to clash. Each fight gave one or both of the contestants a chance to show what they were made of, and introduced the audience to important characters in a fun way. While the exam was interrupted before completion, there were still plenty of fights that were able to show a clear winner.

13 Sasuke Vs Yoroi: Sasuke By Mimicking Rock Lee's Signature Move

The first one-on-one battle to take place was Sasuke vs Yoroi. Yoroi was a fairly forgettable ninja that couldn't stand up to an Uchiha. His ability was stealing strength with a touch, which gave Sasuke a big issue at the start of the fight. However, his Sharingan's ability to learn others' techniques was what gave Sasuke the decisive win. He used an attack that he'd learned from Rock Lee before this fight, and easily put Yoroi down for the count and removed him as a factor in the rest of the exam.

12 Shino Vs Zaku: Shino With Help From His Bugs

This fight featured another one of Orochimaru's spies, Zaku. He fought using holes in his arms that could create sound and wind. Unfortunately for him, this was also the fight where the audience learned just how capable and scary Shino could be. Being a member of the Aburame clan, Shino's body was essentially a giant nest for bugs that he could control. He tricked Zaku and ended up filling the holes in his arms with bugs during a distraction. When Zaku tried to use his ability, he ended up severely injuring himself and ending the fight in a win for Shino.

11 Kankuro Vs Tsurugi: Kankuro & His Puppet Technique

Kankuro is the first fighter from the Village Hidden in the Sand, and goes against another forgettable ninja from Konoha. He seems to be in trouble at the beginning of the fight when Tsurugi coils around him like a snake, but he quickly turns the tables. It's revealed that he is a puppet master, and the body that Tsurugi had attacked was actually a puppet. This allowed him to easily counter and decisively win the match. This is also the first time puppet techniques were introduced, although they would become much more important down the road.

10 Sakura Vs Ino: No Winner

This is the first fight of the Chunin Exam where both combatants have had their backstories and dreams revealed. The audience wasn't sure who to root for, but the girl's previous rivalry led to an intense fight. Ino seemed to show better trickery than Sakura did, but in the end, they both knocked each other unconscious and out of the exam. This helped them to rekindle their friendship and start anew, so it was worth them both failing the exam.

9 Tenten Vs Temari: Temari With Her Fan & Wind Technique

This was the second fight where both characters were important, but it was also one of the most one-sided fights in the entire Chunin Exam. Tenten showed off her massive array of weapons and the ability to send a flurry of them towards her enemy. Unfortunately, Temari was the perfect counter against her. Temari's large fan and control over wind meant that Tenten couldn't land so much as a scratch on her. After toying with Tenten for a bit, Temari easily took the victory.

8 Shikamaru Vs Kin: Shikamaru's Shadow Strategy

Kin was another one of Orochimaru's spies, but unfortunately for her, it was revealed just how intelligent Shikamaru was during their fight. She was very proficient with needles and one of the first people in the show to use a genjutsu against her opponent by utilizing bells.

It seemed that Shikamaru would lose this by a huge margin, but after noticing a string connected to her by a bell, it was all over. He was able to extend his shadow along the bottom of the thread to trap her and the fight was swiftly ended from there. This was a great showing for Shikamaru and stopped another one of the spies.

7 Naruto Vs Kiba: Naruto Accidentally Using Kiba's Keen Sense Of Smell Against Him

Naruto is portrayed as a bit of an idiot throughout the series, but it's hard to deny that he's incredibly intelligent when it comes to combat. He probably could have just rained shadow clones onto Kiba, but instead, he maneuvered in a way to make Kiba defeat himself. He fooled Kiba twice by transforming into his dog, Akamaru. In typical Naruto style, he even farted in Kiba's face which was devastating due to his enhanced sense of smell. Naruto was then able to do his own version of Lee and Sasuke's move, which he labeled the "Uzumaki Barrage." Naruto had to win this for the plot, but Kiba still put on a good showing.

6 Hinata Vs Neji: Neji As The Better Hyuga

Similar to the Ino and Sakura fight, these two had issues before the fight even began. They are both in the Hyuga clan, but Neji is part of the lesser family within the clan. This causes resentment, and he takes it as a personal challenge to become the best to prove he isn't dominated by his blood. While this is a noble endeavor, he goes about it the wrong way. Hinata seeks to prove herself as well, and the two gentle fist users go at each other in an incredible display of skill. Unfortunately, Neji proves to be too much for Hinata and defeats her soundly before being stopped by some of the viewing jonin.

5 Gaara Vs Rock Lee: Gaara & His Sand

This fight was easily one of the best of the Chunin exams, as it pitted two monsters against each other. Lee was easily able to defeat Sasuke before the fights began, and Gaara was hyped up to the point that the audience was worried for Lee's safety. The fight that followed was intense, and Lee removing his weights was an incredible scene. Despite his speed and power able to overwhelm Gaara's defenses, Gaara let loose and almost killed Lee. Despite an incredible performance from Lee, he just couldn't stop Gaara in the end.

4 Choji Vs Dosu: Dosu With His Sound Techniques

The final fight of the second phase involved Dosu who was the third and final spy sent by Orochimaru. The previous two had already been eliminated, so it was no surprise when Dosu ended up beating Choji to continue through the Chunin Exam.

Choji fought valiantly but ended up causing his own undoing. This fight also proved how limited Choji's arsenal was at this time, and led to him learning new abilities and forcing himself to become stronger. Despite moving on past this fight, Dosu ended up being killed by Gaara later on.

3 Naruto Vs Neji: Naruto While Teaching Neji A Life Lesson

The first battle in the final stages of the Chunin exam was also one of the best. Naruto was mad at Neji for going so hard against Hinata when he didn't need to, and Neji thought of Naruto as a failure who could never succeed. It was an intense battle with Naruto having to draw on the nine tails chakra to even compete with Neji, but Naruto ended up winning the battle and proving Neji wrong. This led Neji down a redeeming path that later turned him into one of the more beloved characters. The best part was that Naruto didn't win because of the chakra loan, but by outmaneuvering Neji on his own.

2 Temari Vs Shikamaru: Temari After Shikamaru Forfeited

Originally Shikamaru was supposed to fight Dosu, but Dosu was killed by Gaara before this stage in the exam. The fight between Temari and Shikamaru was a battle between two master strategists, but Shikamaru was the better between them. It seemed like he was on the defensive the entire fight, but it turns out he was just manipulating Temari into a position to catch her with his shadow jutsu. Despite having her completely at his mercy, he shocked everyone by forfeiting the match. This gave Temari the official win, but in reality, Shikamaru was the true winner of this battle.

1 Sasuke Vs Gaara: Unfinished Match

This ended up being the final fight of the Chunin exams due to Orochimaru springing a trap and hijacking the exams. Sasuke had been training diligently and was able to blitz Gaara just like Lee had done. Gaara couldn't handle his speed, so increased his defenses so that Sasuke couldn't reach him. Sasuke then broke out his new technique, the Chidori. He was able to pierce through Gaara's defense and severely injure him with this technique. Sasuke thoroughly won this fight, and his victory only got interrupted by the Sand ninjas and Orochimaru interfering at the last moment.

NEXT: Naruto: Every Arc's Final Battle, Ranked