Who would Win Gaara Or Neji?

[Afro Thunda]

Neji would face the same disadvantage Lee had when he faced Gaara (before Lee took the weights off). Neji won't be able to get close enough to hit Gaara because of his automatic defense. Its kind of a no-brainer matchup here. Gaara's sand makes him a close, mid, and long range fighter. Neji is a close range fighter. Unless there were some situational circumstances involved, I don't really see how Neji could come out on top in a head on battle. I'm certain Neji could figure some stuff out to help him out, but in the end, its too much sand and too much defense. And I'm a Neji fan, so it pains me to say that he probably wouldn't win because he's at too much of a disadvantage.

[Immortal-JyNxX]

Neji is my fav and I have to admit Garra trumps him. I find it stupid when people make VS threads when the match-up is so lopsided.. Garra's style directly counters Neji's so entertaining the thought of this fight doesn't make much sense.

[artifice]

At any point in the series I would say Gaara, now more than ever. Gaara has always been among the top of the younger characters. In the Chuunin exam he was the strongest. When it came to the rescue Sasuke arch, Gaara was the only one who stood a ghost of a chance against Kimimarro. He was the first one to put up a good fight against an Akatsuki, one on one. From what we saw from Gaara at the Kage summit he seems to have improved yet again. Gaara has always been ahead of the curve I really don't think Neji would stand a chance against Gaara as he is now. Neji is among my favorites and I think he is definitely the strongest of the Konoha kids aside from Naruto and Sasuke but Gaara is the only one of the kids who is still on that level. Gaara is a kage for a reason.

Gaara is also a mid-long range fighter and he has an absolute defense. Neji's strength lies primarily in his ability to get up close and destroy his opponent with his superior Tai-jutsu. Against Gaara he would have an extremely difficult time doing that, just as Kimimarro did. Gaara's defense was able to protect him from Lee with gates, even way back in the Chuunin exam and Gaara has shown that he has vastly improved upon his defense since then. I really don't see any way that Neji would be able to win this unless he has made some massive modifications to his fighting style since we last saw him in action.

[drgnx]

Naruto had to use the 9-tails power to barley beat Neji (mainly outsmarting him at the end), but not phase one Gara (or whatever). Naruto is not a ranged fighter either nor does he have lee's speed.
His normal clones worked against Gara but not Neji.
Neji's shield could protect him from the desert coffin or not...
Its really hard to tell, because we don't know enough about his new abilities, if he has any.

[merciless]

who cares about gaara or neji >.>

[Hand Banana]

Naruto had to use the 9-tails power to barley beat Neji (mainly outsmarting him at the end), but not phase one Gara (or whatever). Naruto is not a ranged fighter either nor does he have lee's speed.
His normal clones worked against Gara but not Neji.
Neji's shield could protect him from the desert coffin or not...
Its really hard to tell, because we don't know enough about his new abilities, if he has any.

Naruto has access to range moves if needed so your statement is incorrect.

[QXY]

whoa... this is such an unfair match up.

Gaara would win this easily because of the reasons that most people have already posted here. Even if you compare the "naruto vs neji" and the "naruto vs gaara" fight, you can see that naruto had one hell of a harder time fighting gaara than beating neji. Naruto needs to summon that giant toad to beat gaara but naruto can just scrape through neji. Also, neji's spinning defense technique pales in comparison to gaara's defenses. Neji can only do his technique for a short period of time (he has to stop spiining shortly after) and it was even destroyed single handedly by naruto, while gaara's absolute defense can do so much more.

[drgnx]

Naruto has access to range moves if needed so your statement is incorrect.

Well now he does. I meant during their fights (Neji and Gara) (pre-time skip). I don't recall him using range moves, besides ranged weapons (which Neji can also throw).

The point I was trying to make is you don't have to have ranged moves to beat Gara, cause Naruto did it without using them. Having access to them, or not, does not make my point wrong because he didn't use them in those fights.

[Hand Banana]

Well now he does. I meant during their fights (Neji and Gara) (pre-time skip). I don't recall him using range moves, besides ranged weapons (which Neji can also throw).

The point I was trying to make is you don't have to have ranged moves to beat Gara, cause Naruto did it without using them.

His fight with Sasuke he had ranged moves. His main focus is just melee.

[drgnx]

His fight with Sasuke he had ranged moves. His main focus is just melee.

Oh I get that, I'll admit I did forget about his stretching and stuff fighting Sasuke...

All I am saying is: People think Neji will lose cause he has not shown an ability to use ranged, but since Naruto beat Gara without using (as opposed to having) ranged attacks, its possible Neji can do the same.

Naruto barely beat Neji with the Kubi powers (on top of that had to use some tricks) and beat Gara (before his major transformation) without the kubi powers, and without using ranged attacks. All I'm saying is don't count Neji out. I'm sure he is much stronger now as is Gara and Naruto.