On the street, Kiba looked at Hinata illuminated by the streetlights.
Having been interrupted, he felt deeply dejected.
“You know, I’m the best candidate to become Hokage.” He muttered under his breath before turning his head away, trying to keep his indignant gaze from being noticed.
Naruto looked at Kiba Inuzuka speechlessly.
‘Could you say that a little louder?
Who wouldn’t be able to hear you?’
“Alright!
Looks like my goal really is quite inspiring.
From now on, we’re rivals, then.
Just don’t let me leave you too far behind, or I’ll be sad.” Naruto teased.
Watching Naruto’s sharp tongue, Hinata felt that Naruto had changed so much.
‘Did becoming a ninja really change him this much?’
“You’ve got some nerve saying that!
Don’t forget, you’re still the dead-last.” Kiba Inuzuka angrily retorted.
“Then how about we have a little competition?” Naruto said, taking advantage of Kiba’s anger.
“Don’t…” “No…” Shino and Hinata had just begun speaking when Kiba’s voice drowned them out.
“Bring it on!
Let’s see how much you’ve improved over the past few days.”
“Then let’s go!” Naruto headed toward the training ground first, with Kiba hurriedly following behind.
Hinata had no choice but to go with them.
Shino helplessly pushed up his sunglasses.
‘Did they forget I exist?’ He glanced in the direction Naruto and the others had gone.
Unable to suppress his curiosity, Shino followed them as well.
‘Naruto, the only one who remembered me!
Let’s see what you’re so confident about.’
At the training ground, the dim yellow light illuminated the earth.
Naruto and Kiba stood on opposite sides and simultaneously formed the opposing-hand seal.
“Begin!” With Hinata’s announcement, Kiba, who was crouching on the ground with Akamaru perched on his head, formed a series of hand seals before saying, “Beast Ninja Art: Four Legs Technique!”
After performing the technique, Kiba dropped onto all fours.
His fingernails and teeth began to grow rapidly.
“Here I go!” He then charged toward Naruto, intending to engage him in close combat.
“So fast!” Hinata said, her Byakugan activated as she watched from the side.
“Whoosh, whoosh…” Several sounds of wind cut through Kiba’s momentum.
Three kunai bearing smiling fox pendants flew toward him from the darkness.
With a clang, Kiba knocked one kunai away with his hand and dodged the other two. Find the original chapter at g.com.
‘His throwing technique is a little better than before, but once I get in close, you’re finished.’ Before Kiba could recover from the thought, a small cloud of smoke appeared, and a kunai was already pressed against his neck.
“Don’t try using a jutsu.
The moment I sense your chakra fluctuate, my hand might slip.” Naruto’s voice came from behind him.
‘How can he be this fast?!’ Kiba’s body stiffened, and a wave of fear washed over him.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
Akamaru anxiously barked, but didn’t dare make a reckless move.
‘Is that…
a tangible clone?’ Hinata activated her Byakugan and looked at Naruto standing behind Kiba.
‘Naruto-kun…
he’s amazing.’
Shino pushed up the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose and analyzed, “That kunai should have been a tangible clone in disguise.
The moment Kiba dodged, the clone reverted to its original form and pinned the kunai against his neck!”
Hinata turned to look at Shino in confusion.
‘When did Shino get here?’ She didn’t argue with his analysis and turned her attention back to Naruto and Kiba.
“I lost this time, but I just wasn’t prepared for it.
Next time, I’ll definitely dodge it.” Kiba reluctantly admitted defeat.
The kunai left Kiba’s neck, and Naruto behind him turned into smoke.
“Since you think so, then let’s do it again!” the Naruto in front of him said.
“Again?” ×2 Kiba and Hinata exclaimed in surprise, while Shino couldn’t help but push up his sunglasses as well.
“Fine!” Kiba gritted his teeth.
Feeling his teammates’ gazes on him, his face burned with embarrassment.
But if he backed down this easily, he would never forgive himself.
“If I lose this time, I’ll give up on becoming Hokage!” Kiba declared loudly, feeling that this would give him at least a little confidence.
“You don’t have to go that far.
I think having a rival on the path to becoming Hokage is a great thing.
And you, Kiba Inuzuka, I think you have that potential!” Naruto poured out the motivational speech, feeling like he was about to throw up, but he still had to maintain a warm smile.
“Alright!” Kiba’s gaze changed.
He looked at Naruto with a trace of respect, as though he had found a true hero worthy of admiration.
‘Naruto-kun…’ Hinata blushed, her fingers fidgeting restlessly.
Shino continued pushing up his sunglasses.
“Begin!” At Shino’s command, Kiba and Akamaru swallowed Soldier Pills and began stacking themselves on top of each other.
“Beast Ninja Art: Beast Man Clone!”
The crimson-colored Akamaru transformed into a copy of Kiba.
Two ferocious-looking Kiba now stood on the field.
“Naruto, be careful! Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Four Legs Technique!” With that, they charged toward Naruto once again.
This time, Naruto threw six kunai with both hands.
Kiba and Akamaru increased their speed once again, then drew kunai from their pouches and knocked away every incoming projectile.
Before the kunai could even hit the ground, they transformed into Naruto clones holding kunai.
‘Seven Narutos?’ Hinata looked at the scene before her and thought for a moment.
‘They’re all tangible?
Shadow Clone Technique!’
“The shadow clones didn’t disappear?
I see!” Shino pushed up the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose and analyzed, “The tangible clones aren’t the kunai.
They’re the pendants!
Looks like Naruto is going to lose this time.”
Kiba and Akamaru landed on the ground after breaking through the encirclement, panting heavily as they looked at Naruto, who stood there completely at ease.
Instead, they remained at a distance and launched ninja tools, countless kunai and shuriken surrounding Kiba from every direction.
Seeing that there was nowhere to dodge, Kiba gritted his teeth and immediately used a jutsu.
“Beast Human Taijutsu Ultimate Technique: Fang Over Fang!”
Two white whirlwinds rampaged across the field, deflecting most of the incoming ninja tools.
“By rapidly rotating their bodies, they’re using the air around them to create turbulent currents and break through the barrage of ninja tools?” Shino analyzed.
Kiba and Akamaru landed on the ground after breaking through the encirclement, panting heavily as they looked at Naruto, who stood there completely at ease.
‘Naruto, are you controlling the ninja tools to avoid hitting me?’ Recalling the sensation of every weapon being pulled away by an invisible force just before reaching him, Kiba was certain that his guess was correct.
Naruto looked at Kiba as he landed and was about to launch his next combination of attacks when he saw Kiba disperse the chakra he had gathered.
Akamaru also returned to his original white color.
“I surrender.
You win, Naruto!” Kiba willingly admitted defeat, looking at Naruto with admiration.
“Naruto, I’ll catch up to you soon.
After all, I’m the rival you acknowledged.
How could I let you down?”
“Keep it up, Kiba.
I’m always looking forward to seeing what you’ll become in the future.
Let’s train together when you have time!
When it comes to taijutsu, I feel like there’s still a lot I need to learn from you.
That’s actually the main reason I came looking for Hinata.” Naruto spoke sincerely.
“Alright!
Then it’s a promise!” Kiba extended his fist.
Seeing the gesture, Naruto extended his own fist and bumped it against Kiba’s.
Under the streetlights, Hinata and Shino stood nearby, witnessing the moment.