Koharu groaned in annoyance and opened her eyes just as the second match after she had sat down was completed.
"I thought you were taking a nap?" Sasuke asked.
"How could I when body parts are going flying and bones are getting crushed?" She asked in annoyance, "What kind of sensory ninja could possibly sleep through that?" She looked up in annoyance at Team 3 and Guy, "And seriously? How could you guys not know about the kind of jutsu Shino-san uses? The Aburame are one of the noble clans of Konoha. They're not exactly low-key."
"Noble clans?" Naruto asked in confusion.
"You seriously haven't taught him about this?" She asked Sasuke before turning back to her brother, "There are four clans in Konoha that are believed to be the most powerful and are therefore known as the noble clans. They are the Hyuuga, the Aburame, the Akimichi, and the Uchiha. Really, it's kind of strange that the Rookie Nine contains a member from all four of these clans. That's not something you see very often from any graduating class of the Academy. At least from what I've been told." She sighed as she sat back, "The Hyuuga and the Uchiha are both famous for their powerful visual prowess, while the Aburame and Akimichi are known for their powerful Hiden techniques."
"Neechan, how do you know all of this?" Naruto asked.
"Um, for one thing, the fact that we've been friends with Hinata-chan since we were toddlers?" She pointed out bluntly, "Besides, since Papa and I were the only other members of the village to have a visual prowess, we had a fair amount of contact with both clans. In particular, Papa was the preferred medic of the Uchiha and Hyuuga because he was skilled at treating ailments of the eyes. Well, that, and the fact that the Mayonaka descended from the Hyuuga and our visual prowess is related to theirs." She blinked as she turned her head toward Naruto, who was gazing at her in amazement. "Why am I bothering to tell you this? You're just going to forget. Again. Because I've explained this before. But you've never done well with things that involve lots of words."
"Give me a break, Neechan." Naruto said with a sweat-drop. He and everyone else turned as the board sounded to announce the next match.
Yamanaka Ino vs Haruno Sakura. Both girls were shocked to say the least. Koharu sighed as she watched them head downstairs. "Well this will either be really interesting or really boring..." She muttered.
"So, Sakura..." Ino said after the two had faced each other for a moment, "It's you and me... ...going head to head. I never saw it coming."
"The statistical likelihood increased with each passing match." Koharu muttered, watching as Sakura reached up and removed her Konoha headband.
"Wh-what the?!" Naruto exclaimed in confusion.
"Of all the people for Ino to go up against, it would have to be Sakura! How troublesome!" Shikamaru complained.
"Do you think Ino will be all right?" Chouji worried.
"Aren't they always going at each other's throats anyway?" Sasuke asked Koharu.
"They bicker a lot, but they never mean any harm." She told him, "Generally speaking, girls don't get into fights for kicks like guys tend to. And they're much less likely to actually come to blows, even when they quarrel."
"Understand this... I'm never letting you anywhere near Sasuke-kun." Sakura said to Ino.
"What?!"Ino exclaimed.
"You're not even his type." Sakura told her, "And I'm not the weak, needy little girl I used to be. You're not even on my radar now."
"Sakura... I think you've forgotten who you're talking to." Ino told her rival, "Don't cop an attitude with me, you little crybaby."
"Aw, man!" Naruto exclaimed, "Sakura just crossed the line. That Ino chick scares me silly!"
"Why are they even arguing about this now?" Sasuke asked in annoyance.
"Sakura-chan knows what she's doing, but I'll explain it to you later." Koharu told him.
"What are they getting so intense about?!" Naruto asked in confusion.
Koharu snorted, "Please. Like you don't pick fights with Sasuke almost daily. I'm amazed your apartment building hasn't blown up yet."
"Living with him is a chore within itself." Sasuke told her.
"Well, Naruto..." Kakashi interrupted, "Rivalry is a tricky business... not that I would know."
"Hunh?" Guy said, only half-catching Kakashi's statement.
Suddenly Ino also removed her headband from around her waist, and both girls tied them to their foreheads properly before charging at each other. Sakura wove a few signs and produced a few bunshin.
"This isn't an Academy Graduation Exam, you know." Ino told her, "You can't beat me with classic, textbook moves."
Sakura smirked and then suddenly flew into the air before appearing in front of Ino and punching her. "I may have been a crybaby back in the day... but who's crying now? Come on, Ino... Stop holding back. I know you can do better than this!"
"If that's the way you want it, fine by me!" Ino said as she wiped her mouth, "The gloves are off!"
"Look at Sakura-chan go! She's awesome!" Naruto exclaimed.
"She should be after that training Chino-neechan put her through last week." Koharu remarked.
"Sakura is a solid contender." Kakashi agreed, "Her mastery of the fundamental techniques for the utilization of chakra is definitely the best among the rookies."
"Even better than me?" Naruto asked.
"Uh... yeah." Kakashi said bluntly.
"Naruto, please, your chakra control stinks." Koharu told him. "It pretty much always has."
"Gee, thanks." Naruto said in annoyance.
"Hey, just be glad that I corrected what Orochimaru did to you in the forest, or it would be even harder for you to control." She told him, "He seriously messed with your chakra flow. Poor Sakura would've been totally on her own if my teammates and I hadn't been there to help her."
"At any rate..." Kakashi interrupted, "The technical art of circulating chakra to every nook and cranny of the body and deploying it with precise timing... ...Is an area in which Sakura has even surpassed Sasuke. From the beginning, her master of chakra manipulation... ... has been superb."
"Um, duh." Koharu told him, "I could've told you that when they were in their first year of the Academy, Kakashi-sensei."
Sakura and Ino were matching each other blow for blow, in a rather literal sense, both launching the exact same moves at the exact same time. About ten minutes into the fight, both girls were knocked to the floor by each other.
"Whoa!" Naruto exclaimed, but Koharu just sighed.
"Yep. This is really boring."
"You can't be my equal! It's unthinkable!" Ino exclaimed in frustration.
"Hmph..." Sakura said with contempt, "You're right. The magnitude of your obsession with your long, flowing hair and superficial appearances is peerless... I'm just no match for you."
"She wasn't exactly someone to talk until three days ago..." Koharu muttered.
"Making fun of me?!" Ino exclaimed, "You've gone too far!"
"Ino's an idiot, letting Sakura's words get to her like that!" Shikamaru exclaimed, "She's falling right into Sakura's trap."
"I don't like seeing Ino this way!" Chouji whimpered.
"Would you two relax?" Koharu said, "I think Sakura-chan is actually the one who's in trouble this time."
To the surprise of everyone—except Koharu—Ino reached back and slashed off the length of her ponytail.
"Ha, ha... you fool!" Sakura remarked.
"Watch your step, Sakura-chan..." Koharu mumbled.
"This is nothing!" Ino exclaimed as she threw her hair to the ground.
"Sh-she's scary..." Naruto mumbled.
"This ends now." Ino stated as she formed a seal with her hands, "I'm gonna make your lips say, 'I give up'!"
Shikamaru's eyes widened in alarm, "Don't tell me... she couldn't mean..."
"She's thinking about it..." Chouji confirmed.
"She's long past thinking about it." Koharu told them.
Ino essentially formed a crosshairs with her hands and aimed at Sakura.
"Just as I thought..." Shikamaru muttered, "It's her signature Shintenshin no jutsu!"
"That idiot!" Exclaimed Asuma. Koharu sighed again.
"I understand your impatience, but... ...You're wasting your time!" Sakura told Ino.
"Hmph!" Ino exclaimed, "We'll see about that!"
"I see what you're planning..." Sakura said, "Shintenshin no jutsu, where all of your mental energy is projected, and you take control of your opponent's mind, leaving her helpless while you control her body. But that formidable art has a few inherent flaws. First of all... ...That bolt of mental energy can only move along a direct path... ...and it moves very slowly. Secondly, even if the packet of mental energy should miss its target... ...It is still unable to return to the attacker's body for several minutes... And during that time, your own body remains limp, helpless... vulnerable as a rag doll."
"I really don't think you need to school Ino-chan on the weakness of her own Hiden jutsu." Koharu muttered.
"What of it?!" Ino exclaimed, "No one knows what will happen here until I give it a try!" Koharu sighed again.
"You'll only get one chance. If you miss, it's over. You know it as well as I do." Sakura remarked.
"No, you fool!" Shikamaru exclaimed as Sakura moved to dodge the technique.
"Ninpou! Shintenshin no jutsu!"
Suddenly Ino and Sakura both slumped over.
"...Who's who?" Shikamaru asked nervously.
"Heh..." Came Sakura's voice, "You lose... ...Ino!"
"I guess it's all over now..." Shikamaru lamented.
"I can't believe she actually tried it!" Chouji exclaimed.
"I can't believe how unobservant you two are." Koharu remarked.
"Guess you're done... Huh?!" Sakura exclaimed when she realized that she couldn't move her feet, "Th-This is...!"
"Gotcha, Sakura!" Ino exclaimed. She was kneeling on the ground, her hands planted firmly and a smirk on her face. "Heh, I set a trap, and you fell for it!"
Sakura's eyes widened, "You don't mean—!"
"Yep. The hand signs I made earlier were just a distraction... to keep you from seeing the real trap." Ino told her, "You zigged, you zagged... and you fell right into it! Can't move at all, can you? I made a living rope by running chakra through my own cut hair."
"Ah...!" Sakura exclaimed in alarm.
Ino stood up, "And now that I've got you where I want you... ...I can take up occupancy... and make you surrender!" She aimed at Sakura with her hands again, "I think the odds are 100% I'm gonna hit my target, don't you?"
"Looks like it!" Kakashi exclaimed.
"That nut..." Shikamaru groaned, "Making herself look like a loser so she could win!"
"You don't have very much faith in your teammate, do you?" Koharu remarked. "Besides, deflecting your opponent's attention from the actual truth is the essence of a Shinobi, especially in combat. I mean, when you think about it, that's literally all that genjutsu is, and it's powerful enough to be deadly entirely on its own! A skilled enough caster can easily kill their enemy without ever using ninjutsu or taijutsu."
"And so..." Ino began, ignorant of the discussion above, "Shintenshin no jutsu!" The blonde slumped over, and Sakura's head lifted. "Heh, too bad... Sakura!" Although it was Sakura's body, it was clearly Ino speaking.
"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed in shock.
"Sakura-san..." Lee said with worry.
"She underestimated her opponent..." Sasuke said.
"That's certainly true..." Koharu began, "Huh?"
"What is it?" Sasuke asked.
"What? What just happened to Ino?" Naruto asked, "And... And... What's gotten into Sakura-chan to make her act so weird?! Doesn't she see...? This is her chance?! Get her, Sakura-chan! Go!"
"Have you been listening to anything that's been said in the last five minutes?" Fuushin asked in blunt astonishment.
"The mental energy from the Mind-Transfer Technique struck her head-on. She's finished!" Kakashi said just as bluntly.
"Mind-Transfer?" Lee asked in confusion. "Then... Sakura-san's not even..."
"You're as dense as Naruto-chan..." Chino muttered.
"Exactly." Kakashi said to both boys, "Sakura's psyche has been overtaken and supplanted by that of Ino. Right now, Ino is inside Sakura. So... ...her goal is probably to..."
Naruto gulped.
"No. Something's not right." Koharu said suddenly.
"Huh?" Came several confused voices as everyone looked at the Mayonaka girl.
"I've seen Shintenshin in action any number of times, including a few days ago during the Written Exam." Koharu explained, "Usually, the victim's mental energy is suppressed almost to the point of being absent. That's not the case this time. Sakura-chan's mental energy is still active, albeit, it's weaker than normal."
At that, Naruto narrowed his eyes and turned back just as Ino began speaking. "I, Haruno Sakura... Wish to withdraw... from this match..."
"Don't do it!" Naruto exclaimed, "Come on, Sakura-chan! You've come so far...! If you let yourself lose now to that crazy Sasuke-chaser... You'll be a disgrace to all women!"
"He knows that Sakura can't hear him, right?" Sasuke asked.
"Don't be too sure." Koharu said with a smirk.
"Huh?" Sasuke asked, watching as the girl stood up and gestured for him to do the same.
"Take a look." Koharu said as she pointed to where Sakura was sitting on the ground, trembling and clutching her head. "Sakura-chan's mental energy has gotten much stronger!"
"What's wrong?" Hayate asked, "Are you withdrawing from the match?"
"Are you kidding me?! I'm staying in!" Sakura suddenly exclaimed.
"What's going on?!" Shikamaru exclaimed, "What's up with Ino?!"
"I told you, Sakura-chan's mental energy is much stronger than normal." Koharu told him. 'Actually, it's almost like she has a second mind! This peculiarity in her chakra reminds me of... Naruto and Sasuke's? Yes, it's the same trait. But why? Sensei never mentioned a third-party in the legend of the Uchiha...'
Suddenly Sakura formed the seal to release the jutsu, and Ino was back in her own body.
"There were two different psyches inside you before I got there!" Ino exclaimed in shock, "What... what on earth are you?!"
"Heh... don't you know?" Sakura asked, "Even the sweetest girl needs a hard center, or she's not gonna make it out there!"
Koharu's eyes widened, "She's actually aware of it...?"
Sakura and Ino both charged at each other and tried to punch each other. However, it was only a feint on Sakura's part. Rather than matching Ino's blow yet again, she instead dodged and countered by grabbing the other girl's arm, flipping her over shoulder and restraining her. However, Ino was pretty much knocked out by the impact of hitting the ground.
"Heh, nice to know all that training we put her through was worth it!" Koharu remarked.
"Yamanaka Ino has lost consciousness. Therefore, the winner is Haruno Sakura!" Hayate declared.
"Shannaro!" Sakura exclaimed happily... before promptly passing out herself.
"I think she ran out of steam..." Koharu remarked as Kakashi and Asuma both moved down to retrieve the girls.
"Hey, Ino!" Shikamaru exclaimed.
"Are you all right, Sakura-chan?!" Naruto yelled.
"Shh..." Kakashi told them.
"Neither one is hurt badly enough to need treatment from the medical corps..." Asuma began as he stood up, "They should both regain consciousness within the next half-hour. But... I'm impressed by both of them."
"Yeah." Kakashi agreed, "Naruto and Sasuke were both doing well... and now, even fragile little Sakura... Has shown amazing growth."
"Heh, you should've seen her in the forest." Koharu remarked.
Kakashi nodded to her before looking back at Naruto and Sasuke, "I know you've all been through a lot, but... I'm glad I enrolled you all in the Chuunin Exam. I mean that from the bottom of my heart!"
病
The next match was Temari of the Hidden Sand versus Tenten from Team Three. About the time that Sakura and Ino came to, it was already over.
"The winner of the fifth round match... is Temari!" Hayate announced.
Suddenly Temari sneered and flung the unconscious Tenten across the room, although she was caught by Lee.
"Nice catch!" Temari remarked with a wicked grin.
"What's wrong with you?!" Lee demanded, "That's not how you treat a worthy opponent... especially one you've just defeated!"
"Oh shut up!" Temari replied, "Get yourself and that loser out of my way!"
Lee growled in irritation.
"No, Lee—!" Neji called.
"Konoha Senpuu!" To everyone's surprise, Lee's attack was easily blocked by Temari's fan.
"Hah! Just as I thought!" Temari said, "You're not so fast after all."
"What...?!" Lee asked.
"That's enough, Lee!" Guy said as he jumped down.
"Guy-sensei..." Lee practically whimpered, looking like a puppy who'd been scolded.
"Temari... Get back up here!" Gaara called, "You've already been declared the winner... How long do you plan to trifle with that homely Prince Charming?"
"What...?!" Lee exclaimed again.
"Had enough now, Lee?" Guy asked, but upon noticing his trembling fists, he sighed and placed a hand on his student's shoulder, "My dear friends from the Sand... If you don't mind, I'd like to offer a word of advice... Be prepared. You have no idea... ...How strong this boy really is."
"He actually picked a fight with those freaks from the Sand..." Kiba exclaimed, "In his place, I'd have run for cover!"
"Th-They really creep me out!" Hinata agreed.
"Rightfully so." Koharu told her, "He's way too hot-blooded for his own good!" She jumped down into the arena. "Guy-sensei, let me treat Tenten-san. She's been knocked around a bit, but she should have a chance to see her teammates' matches.
"Yeah." Guy said, helping to bring Tenten to the upper level.
Tenten groaned and opened her eyes after a few moments, looking at Koharu.
"Welcome back, Tenten-san." The young medic said.
The other kunoichi sighed, "I lost, didn't I?"
"Don't let it bother you." Koharu said, "Sometimes you just wind up with an opponent whose abilities make you unsuited to fight them. Quite frankly, if I had been your opponent, I think you would've won."
"Huh?" Tenten said in confusion, "But your victory against that Kabuto guy was flawless."
"I've faced Kabuto in the past and knew his abilities, so I had a strategy ahead of time. But the fact of the matter is, my blindness does leave me with limitations that normal Shinobi don't have." Koharu told her, "I've been trained to defend against ninja tools by watching my opponent's body movements, but since you summon things from a scroll, I would be at a severe disadvantage. Sure, I could use Fuuton like she did to a point, but Fuuton is much more chakra-intensive than your summoning scrolls. Given the strain on my chakra that the Shinjitsugan already causes, I'd probably hit my limit before I could defeat you."
"Ehh..." Tenten said in surprise.
病
Shikamaru was the next to fight, facing off against Kin, the kunoichi from the Hidden Sound, but their battle was over almost as quickly as Koharu's battle against Kabuto had been. Like Koharu, Shikamaru had deftly outsmarted his opponent and trapped her before swiftly knocking her out.
"Nicely done." Koharu said, "You can adapt to things pretty instantaneously, can't you?"
"You're one to talk." Shikamaru replied, "Your opponent never even got close to hitting you."
"I had prior battle experience against him." She said bluntly, "You didn't have that advantage." She looked up as the board rang. "Who's up now?"
"It looks like your teammates are facing each other." Sasuke told her.
"Huh?" Koharu said in confusion, her attention immediately focused on Chino and Fuushin as they both faced each other in the arena.
"The next match is Chino versus Fuushin. You can both start now." Hayate said.
To everyone's surprise, Chino only looked at Fuushin for a moment before she put her arms behind her head with a whine, "This reminds me too much of the Coliseum. I can't get into this. Fuushin, I'm going to let you have this one."
"Huh?!" Everyone said in confusion, aside from Fuushin and Koharu.
Chino ignored the onlookers and turned to Hayate, "Sensei, I'm withdrawing from the match."
"Uhh... okay..." Hayate replied, seeming slightly flummoxed, "In that case, Fuushin moves on to the Third Exam."
"What was that all about?" Sasuke asked before looking at Koharu, "What's the Coliseum?"
"It was an illegal gambling venue where the wealthy would pit enslaved shinobi against each other." Koharu explained, "Many of the combatants had Kekkei Genkai and had been enslaved since they were very young. That includes Chino-neechan and Fuushin-niichan. The man they were enslaved by was a collector of Kekkei Genkai." She turned toward Sasuke, "You're extremely lucky. Because you live here in Konoha, he never attempted to target you, but if you'd been living out in the sticks like Fuushin-niichan used to, or unable to put down roots like me, he would've loved to get ahold of you. The more rare the ability, the more it interested him. That was why he targeted me in one of the rare moments when I had been left on my own for a while."
"Neechan, why did Chino-Neechan just give up without even trying?" Naruto asked.
"That's not it." Fuushin said as he walked up behind Naruto. "If Chino wanted to, she could beat me easily. She's done it before."
"He's right." Koharu said, "In truth, Chino-neechan didn't want to openly display her abilities in front of so many people, so she just let Fuushin-niichan take the win."
"Huh?" Naruto said, obviously further confused.
"Well then," Hayate began, "The next match is..." He looked at the board as it rang.
"It's here! It's here, it's here, it's here, it's here!" Naruto exclaimed, obviously forgetting about his confusion regarding Chino. "What I've been waiting for! It's finally my turn!"
"I don't know how you can get so excited about beating somebody up." Koharu remarked.
"Yeah, lucky!" Kiba exclaimed, "If it's that guy, we'll absolutely win, Akamaru!" Akamaru yipped in agreement.
Koharu snorted, "Please... I'd like to see you two rescue yourselves from the belly of a 50 meter snake."
"Naruto did what now?" Sasuke asked in shock.
"Hey! He's actually pretty smart you know! He's just not good with words." Koharu replied.
Naruto, not paying attention to either of them, clenched his fist, "I'll do it-ttebayo!"
"The ninth battle." Hayate announced quietly once the two boys were facing each other, "Naruto Uzumaki versus Inuzuka Kiba."
"I got sick of waiting!" Naruto exclaimed. "It's finally time for me to shine-ttebayo!"
Kiba suddenly looked annoyed, "That's my line! With you as my opponent, I've as good as won! Right, Akamaru?"
Akamaru barked in agreement.
"Presumptuous, isn't he?" Koharu remarked in annoyance, "And what's sad is his dog is just as bad..."
Now Naruto was just as annoyed, "Don't get excited-ttebayo! You won't be able to be able to beat me, dattebayo!"
"Why you little...!"
"Oh just get on with it already!" Koharu yelled at them. Kiba responded by taking Akamaru out of his jacket and setting him on the ground.
"Hey! Don't bring your puppy!" Naruto exclaimed. "He'll get in the way during the match!"
"You idiot!" Kiba replied, "Akamaru's going to fight with me."
"Hey, hey! Is that okay?" Naruto asked Hayate.
"Yes." The proctor replied, "Animals and insects are treated the same as ninja tools. There's no problem."
Naruto seemed momentarily stunned, but he quickly recovered, "Well, that's fine! It's a perfect handicap!"
"Why does he bother speaking when he has no idea what's going on...?" His sister muttered.
"Talking tough!" Kiba exclaimed, "Then..." He stood up and looked at his dog, "Akamaru, don't put a paw in this. It'll be just me."
Akamaru whined at Kiba and Koharu pinched the bridge of her nose, "They're both idiots..."
"Naruto! Don't lose to a guy like this!" Sakura exclaimed, not even noticing Koharu's muttering.
"Naruto! You'd better take this seriously or I'm going to make you do Taijutsu drills with me for a week!" The blue-haired girl yelled.
At that, Naruto visibly shivered.
"Kiba's lucky, huh?" Chouji remarked.
"Tch..." Shikamaru said.
"Some sympathy at the very least..." Kiba told Naruto, "I'll do you in, in one clean blow!"
"That moron... He hasn't done any research at all, has he?" Koharu muttered while resting her chin in her hand.
"What do you mean?" Fuushin asked.
"Out of all of the rookies here, only the members of Team 7 have been on an A rank mission. Actually, they're the only Genin here excluding myself to have taken on that level." Koharu told him. "Even Jonin don't go on missions of that level without backup, which means that there's no way the team survived on Kakashi-sensei's skills alone. That all four members came back alive is a testament to their skills."
Sasuke looked at her in confusion, "You said you've taken on A-ranks too?"
"Actually, I've taken on S-ranks, but I've never been involved in combat for any of those." She said while turning toward him. "I just serve as a support medic and a scout who avoids the actual battlefield by at least half a kilometer. I can do that only because of my sensory abilities, so my mission data may not accurately reflect my battle prowess."
"Is the Hidden Rain that desperate?" Kurenai asked.
"I've told the others this before, but a small village like ours that's prone to getting swept up in conflict can't afford to be as picky." Koharu told her. "That said, my mentor is skilled. I've only faced actual danger once while on a mission. It's mostly just a good opportunity for me to literally watch and learn."
"Oh? Is that so? But you can't beat me-ttebayo!" Naruto replied to Kiba, unaware of the conversation overhead.
"Like I said, don't act tough!" Kiba exclaimed, and both boys narrowed their eyes at each other.
"Moron." Koharu muttered again while crossing her arms, "Naruto isn't the type to put up a front except when he's feeling stupid. He's probably the most sincere and honest person I know. That part of his personality is refreshing to me."
"Well then, please begin!" Hayate told the boys.
Kiba crouched down and wove a sign before placing his hands on the ground, crouching on all fours as his nails grew and sharpened as if they were claws. "Let's go!" He exclaimed, suddenly charging at Naruto with speed that the blond hadn't been expecting. Before he even knew what was happening, Kiba slammed his elbow into Naruto's solar plexus.
"Fast!" Sakura gasped in surprise as Naruto was sent flying backwards.
Koharu snorted. "It's amazing to me how easily impressed you guys are when it comes to speed." She muttered while resting her chin in her hand again.
Kiba stood back up, grinning confidently. "It'll be a while before he opens his eyes, Shikenkan-san." He said to Hayate.
"Just as I thought." Shikamaru remarked.
"That Naruto can't be equal to Kiba." Ino agreed.
"Naruto-kun..." Lee said sadly. "That was too uncool."
"See?" Kurenai said to Kakashi.
"Just how bad did he do in the Academy that you guys think so little of him?" Koharu asked in annoyance, crossing her arms once more.
"Hmph." Sasuke said beside her with a smirk, "I'll give him this much. For one reason or another, the Academy somehow managed to obscure his actual ability."
Koharu snorted again, "Of course it did. He was giving the Chuunin of the village the runaround when he was seven. A talentless child wouldn't be capable of something like that."
Kiba had been walking back to Akamaru, but he stopped and looked over his shoulder, only to see Naruto getting to his feet.
"Don't... Don't... Underestimate me!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Ohhh!" Lee exclaimed with excitement.
"Go! Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed.
"What are you talking about, bleeding like that?" Kiba asked in annoyance. "Your tough talk has gone too far!"
Naruto laughed, "I didn't use my power fully... to observe your strength first!"
"Ohh..." Koharu said with interest, leaning on the railing and placing her chin in her hand again with an interested grin, "His ability to strategize has improved, although it would be more efficient if he could find a way to measure his opponent's strength without getting hit." Kurenai idly wondered if the young girl had any idea that the way she was standing made her look far older than thirteen.
"You too!" Naruto replied to Kiba, "Cut the tough talk and use the dog or whatever you want!"
Kiba gritted his teeth, "You'll regret this...! Let's go, Akamaru!"
"You say all that, but... exactly how is it smart to goad his opponent like that?" Shikamaru asked Koharu.
"That particular matter has nothing to do with strategy." The blue-haired girl replied, "Naruto simply doesn't want to fight an opponent who isn't giving it everything he has. He'd feel like it was unfair if he won under those circumstances. Well, it's true that there may be a certain danger to his thinking that way, but as the Hokage explained earlier, the entire point of this part of the exams is for us to display what we're capable of. If either of them hold back, neither of them will be able to display their full potential here."
Kiba charged at Naruto and threw a smoke bomb, obscuring the blond's field of vision. Koharu winced as she watched her brother getting smacked around within the smoke.
"What's going on?" She asked, unaware of the smoke from Kiba's smoke bomb.
"Kiba threw a smoke bomb to conceal his movements." Sasuke answered.
"Not good..." She muttered, "Kiba can move around in that smoke by using his nose and ears. Naruto doesn't know how to use his own sensory abilities, and he hasn't been trained to rely on his ears when his eyes can't track the enemy."
"Sensory abilities?" Sasuke asked, and Koharu turned her head toward him.
"Naruto is a sensory type by nature. That's common in the Uzumaki Clan. However, his abilities aren't passive. They require a conscious infusion of chakra. He hasn't learned how to do that on purpose yet. Sometimes, when he's stressed or excited by something, he'll tap into them instinctively, but he doesn't actually know that they're there, let alone how to use them on purpose." She turned her head back toward the arena below, "I can't teach him how to use them either, since they aren't related to my abilities per se. Even though they're from the same clan, his sensory abilities are different from those of Karin-chan. Actually, her abilities are rare, even among the Uzumaki."
"Oh!" Sakura said in realization, "So that's how he sensed that rabbit that he found in the forest in the Land of Waves!"
"Precisely." Koharu said with a nod, "If his mother were still alive, she could've helped him to hone those abilities."
Naruto dashed out of the smoke, only to be met by Akamaru, who jumped up, biting the boy's hand and knocking him back into the cloud.
"What...?" Ino asked in confusion.
"Darn! I can't see anything!" Shikamaru muttered.
Koharu just smirked.
Kiba jumped back and the smoke cleared to show Naruto lying on the ground and Akamaru sitting next to him. The little dog wagged his tail and yipped happily at his owner.
"Yeah! We did it!" Kiba exclaimed. Akamaru yipped in excitement as he ran back over to Kiba, and Kiba held his arms out to welcome him. "Good job, Akama—" He stopped mid-sentence, looking confused as Akamaru suddenly growled and jumped up, biting onto Kiba's forearm. Everyone, Kiba included and Koharu excepting, looked on in shock. "A... Akamaru... Why?" Kiba asked. Koharu snorted and put a hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she struggled to avoid bursting with laughter, earning a weird look from Sakura, although Sasuke had guessed by now what she had already been aware of. Akamaru continued growling as he clamped down on Kiba's arm, dangling from it. "Why?" Kiba asked again.
"You took the bait!" Came the muffled voice of Naruto from Akamaru. Kiba's eyes widened and in a puff of smoke, Naruto suddenly resumed his true form, grinning as he continued biting down on the other boy's arm.
"What?! Henge no jutsu!" Kiba exclaimed. "Ouch! Shoot! Let go!" He demanded, shoving Naruto away.
Naruto backed away, blue in the face, and quickly spit in an attempt to cleanse his palette. "You smell like a dog-ttebayo!"
"Where... Where's Akamaru?!" Kiba exclaimed in alarm.
"Right here!" Naruto's shadow clone said as he held the little dog up by his forelegs and Akamaru whined.
"Akamaru!" Kiba exclaimed in surprise before glowering at Naruto, "Darn!"
"No way!" Ino exclaimed. "That's Naruto?! An equal match with Kiba... No, it may be more than equal!"
"Combining Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and Henge no Jutsu, that's a clever trick." Shikamaru admitted. "That Naruto shouldn't be able to do that."
Sakura smirked over at the Nara boy, "He's come up with even better strategies than that in the past."
Unable to take it anymore, Koharu finally burst out laughing, holding her stomach and falling onto her back as she busted a gut. "You failed to tell the difference between Naruto and your own dog!" She exclaimed between giggles, "So much for your sense of smell, Kiba!" She continued laughing, unable to stop, "Serves you all right for thinking so little of my brother!"
Sasuke and Sakura stared at the convulsing girl in utter shock, thinking that it wasn't quite that funny.
"...How long do you think she's going to keep laughing?" Sakura asked of nobody in particular.
"Who knows?" Chino replied, "I've never seen her laugh like this before, so I have no idea."
"Come to think of it, she's been practically beaming like the sun since we arrived here for the exams." Fuushin remarked, "Usually she's a little more sombre, like she's always got something on her mind."
A vague expression of guilt crossed Kakashi's face, "Perhaps this is what she'd always be like if she'd had a normal childhood." He lamented. In the back of his mind, Sasuke wondered if he too would laugh more freely if that night had never happened.
Naruto chuckled and Kiba, who was somehow unaware of the way that Koharu was laughing at him, grinned.
"You've gotten a little bit stronger." He admitted. "But it's already over. Next, I'll attack you seriously."
"Oh really?" Naruto asked with a grin, "But you absolutely will not beat me-ttebayo!"
Although she had calmed down a little, at least enough to sit up, Koharu was still laughing as she said, "Kiba's such an idiot! A shinobi can't afford to take any opponent lightly. On a mission, that's a good way to get killed."
Kurenai sweat-dropped, "Even though she's right, I can't take her seriously when she says that while laughing her head off..."
"I suspect part of it is just happiness from being with Naruto again, even if it's just for a little while." Kakashi told her.
"Evidently, it's no longer 'that' Naruto." Shikamaru remarked to his teammates.
"Yeah." Ino said with a nod.
Suddenly Koharu, having finally gotten control over her laughter, turned and looked over at Asuma, "It's nothing that Kakashi-sensei did, Asuma-sensei."
"Huh?" Asuma said in confusion, looking over at the young girl as she smiled at him.
Koharu tilted her head in amusement, "Kakashi-sensei didn't do anything in particular to improve my brother's potential. Naruto has always been talented, especially when it comes to forming strategies at the drop of a hat. How do you think he gave the village chuunin the run around for all these years?" She shook her head and turned back toward the arena as she stood up, "Because he's not particularly good at studying or understanding verbal explanations, people have always assumed that Naruto was unintelligent and lacking in talent, but that's not the case. He's the type of person who learns by doing. However, his immense chakra reserves are difficult for him to control, so he has some difficulty with more basic jutsu, especially anything that requires Yin chakra, of which he has almost none. But things that are usually more difficult for somebody his age are also possible for him because he has so much chakra. If it requires an immense amount, its actually easier for him to pull off. That's why he's able to use the Shadow Clone jutsu to an extent that not even Jounin can manage." She leaned on the railing again with a smile, "The talent, the potential, the intelligence... it was always there. It just wasn't something that he could utilize within the setting of the Academy. There's a reason that he had a B in taijutsu, the one thing that doesn't require chakra control. Well, unless you're from the Hyuuga or Mayonaka anyway."
Kiba straightened up and breathed in deeply, appearing to become more focused and Koharu redirected her attention to the two boys as Kiba reached into his pouch. "Naruto... Akamaru... Return him to me." He said with a grin while flicking a small pellet toward Akamaru. The small dog yipped and caught the pellet in his mouth, quickly consuming it.
"Huh?" Naruto said in confusion.
Koharu frowned. "A food pill, huh? Speaking of which, I should probably eat one myself. No telling when I might need to use my chakra for something other than observation." She reached into her own pouch and pulled a food pill out, quickly popping the small ball into her mouth to refresh herself.
Sakura raised a brow, "Just how many of those do you carry?" She asked.
"I try to carry enough to last a month." The blue-haired girl answered, "But sometimes I run out faster, depending on how much I have to exert myself, which is a matter of how much my scouting abilities are needed and how much time I have to spend tending to injuries."
Akamaru growled, his fur bristling and turning a reddish-brown color as Naruto watched in surprise and confusion. Kiba smirked as Akamaru suddenly let out something of a roar and kicked free of the Kage Bunshin.
"What?" Naruto asked in confusion as Akamaru landed beside his master, "What just happened? His fur turned red!"
"That's why he's called 'Akamaru'." Kiba remarked before swallowing a food pill of his own. Koharu frowned in confusion.
"Is Akamaru-chan not normally red?" She asked.
"No, he's white." Sasuke said simply.
"Let's go, Akamaru!" Kiba said as he formed a seal and crouched down. Akamaru replied by barking strangely as he jumped onto Kiba's back. "Gijuu Ninpo! Juujin Bunshin!" As the burst of smoke from the jutsu cleared, it seemed as though there were two of Kiba stacked on top of another.
"T-There's something wrong with their eyes-ttebayo!" Naruto said nervously, "He's using some weird drug! Isn't this doping?! Is this okay?!" He demanded of Hayate.
"Yes." Hayate replied calmly, "Food pills are one of his ninja tools." He coughed quietly and Naruto glared while pointing a finger at the proctor.
"What?! That's all you have to say?!" The blond exclaimed.
Koharu let her head drop onto the railing in exasperation. "I need to school my brother on the various clan's Hiden Techniques..."
"What the?" Shikamaru muttered. "What did that guy eat?"
"They're food pills." Chouji said matter-of-factly, causing his teammates to look at him.
"Food pills?" Ino asked.
"Food pills are a secret medicine that people in the military take and fight for three days and three nights without a break..." The Akimichi boy explained. "They're high in protein, easily absorbed, and sometimes have some kind of component that induces agitation or sedation..." Shikamaru and Ino both looked back at the arena as they understood and Chouji continued. "Kiba and Akamaru's chakra must be doubled right now..."
"There are two main types of food pills." Koharu added, causing the others to look at her, "Soldier pills, which are high in nutrition and enable a person to go for longer periods without eating. These are frequently used in situations where the circumstances don't allow for the luxury of a meal break. The second type are usually made from secret recipes that are passed down within a clan, similar to hiden jutsu, that have special effects on the body, usually for the purpose of enabling the user to use a special kind of jutsu."
Sakura looked over at her. "Which are the kind that you carry with you, Koharu?"
"Mine are somewhere in between." She answered, "Because my Shinjitsugan is constantly active, it constantly consumes my chakra. The food pills that I eat were developed by my father and are designed to help counteract that. Without them, I would suffer chakra depletion on a regular basis. That said, although they do allow my body to produce chakra at a higher rate than normal, they don't have any other kind of special effect. Kiba's food pills are designed to not only increase his chakra, but also increase his feral instincts and improve his ability to mimic an animal. In case you're wondering, the food pills that I gave to all of you before this exam were just soldier pills that had been modified to suit your tastes. Hinata-chan helped me to make them. More accurately, I developed the recipes and she actually made the pills."
"It's over with this..." Kiba declared. "Let's go!" He and Akamaru both jumped into the air and charged at Naruto. "Shikyaku no jutsu!"
Despite their speed, Naruto quickly leaned back and backflipped away just before the two could collide with him. He was almost instantly on the defensive, being forced to dodge the speedy attacks of his opponent. Or was it opponents?
"Naruto!" Sakura screamed.
"Naruto is in trouble..." Asuma remarked, causing Ino to look at him. "Kiba's the gung-ho fighter type who will attack like a beast with chakra wired throughout his body. And the food pills that double one's chakra are quite simply... the perfect pill for Kiba."
Koharu resisted the urge to snort again, thinking that Kisame made Kiba's "beast-like" fighting style look like a flopping fish. Since mentioning Kisame was obviously not an option right now, she decided to switch her train of thought to a different rail to avoid giving herself away. "You forget, Asuma-sensei, that Naruto is a 'beast' in his own way. Well, not that I expect he'll end up fighting that way right now. At any rate, while it's true that that food pill has increased Kiba and Akamaru's chakra, even combined, at best, it's only made them an even match for Naruto's inherently large reserves. Plus, right now, Kiba is running on pure instinct. Naruto's still able to make use of his brain, and as I've already said, he's smarter than everyone gives him credit for. Brains will triumph over instinct every time."
"Ho..." Asuma said with interest, "What makes you so sure of that?"
"Because I've seen it before."
"Huh?" Sakura asked.
"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked.
Koharu hesitated. "...Are you sure you want me to say? It might be painful for you."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly, "It involves Itachi?"
"Yes, although what I'm thinking of was a few years before..."
"Go on." Sasuke told her, "It's possible I don't even remember."
The blue-haired girl nodded. "It was the third round of his Chuunin Exam. At that time, my father was the head of the medical corps and was on duty at the stadium. I was with him as part of my medical training. Itachi-san's opponent was a shinobi of the Hidden Cloud called Nemui. True to his name, he literally fought while sleeping. You see, Nemui was a coward who was too scared of dying to even look his opponent in the eye. He relied entirely on instinct to fight. Strategy wasn't even in the picture, and that's the primary reason that he got crushed into the ground. Every time Nemui would stop to open his eyes, however briefly, Itachi-san would catch him in a genjutsu with his Sharingan. I don't know what exactly happened in those illusions, but by the time the match was over, Nemui was in complete hysterics and had to be literally carried out of the stadium." She sweat-dropped.
"That's... disturbing." Sakura said.
"I suppose it is, in a way, but Itachi-san actually did that boy a favor." Koharu said with a shrug, "If he had continued as a shinobi, Nemui's efforts to avoid facing his fear of death would've eventually led him to the very fate that he was so afraid of. As it was, after receiving treatment from my father, he gave up on his career as a ninja."
"Are you saying Itachi did that to be kind?" Sasuke asked incredulously.
"I never said anything about your brother's intentions." Koharu replied bluntly, "I know what they were, of course, but that's kind of a moot point by now, don't you think?"
"Hn." Sasuke relented, turning his attention back to the fight.
"The point is, Nemui fought using instinct alone. Itachi-san fought using an actual strategy." Koharu stated as she turned her face back to the arena below them, "Strategy and analysis are superior to instinct. Even a weak opponent can overcome a powerful one if they stay calm and use their head." She watched as Naruto gathered chakra into his legs and jumped into the air. 'His chakra control has improved greatly.' She mused silently.
"Here's my chance!" Kiba exclaimed as he rushed toward the airborne Naruto. "Take this!" He exclaimed. "Juujin taijutsu oogi!" He began to spin around rapidly, like a drill, with Akamaru following suit. "Gatsuuga!"
Naruto cried out as he flew through the air and promptly landed on his head, coughing out blood in response, and for the first time since the fight began, Koharu actually seemed a bit worried about her little brother.
"This is the true difference in our powers." Kiba said as he stood back up from where he had landed in a crouch.
Naruto's hand twitched, as if to show he was still conscious, and he spoke in a raspy voice. "I'm going... to become... the Hokage... In this place, I can't..." He began struggling to get up.
"You? Hokage?!" Kiba asked with a smirk. "When you're weaker than me?" He chuckled. "I'll become Hokage for you!"
Suddenly Koharu slammed her hands down on the railing, "Don't you dare try to steal his dream, Inuzuka Kiba! You don't know anything about Naruto or what he's capable of!"
"Koharu?" Sakura asked in confusion, and Koharu lowered her head.
"Everyone always said that Naruto and I were complete opposites... Naruto's parents were both highly skilled, but he was considered talentless. I, on the other hand, was said to be a 'hawk born from a kite', an exceptionally talented child born to ordinary people." She gripped the railing with her hands, "But the people who said that didn't understand anything. Naruto's clumsy and he struggles more than most... but because of that, he never looks down on others. He has an incredibly kind heart. He always looks out for others. In my mind, that, more than anything, is what a Hokage should be." She smiled sadly and closed her eyes as a tear flowed down her cheek, "And Papa always said that he got that from his father." She opened her eyes again, staring blankly down toward the arena as she continued. "Naruto's chakra is warm and comforting, like the flames of a campfire. He's like the very embodiment of the Will of Fire. He's the brightest spark in all of Konoha."
Kiba was apparently deaf to anything Koharu said as he continued looking down at Naruto, who was struggling to get back up. "You know deep down inside that you can't become the Hokage. So quit acting tough."
Koharu began to shake and closed her eyes again, gritting her teeth as tears flowed down her cheeks. "How many times do I have to tell him that Naruto doesn't put on airs like he does...? Why do people think that they can just say whatever they want...?" Suddenly Hinata hugged her friend in an attempt to comfort her, and Koharu turned toward her in surprise. "Huh? Hinata-chan...?" The Hyuuga girl didn't say anything, but she didn't need to. She knew that Koharu could sense what she felt, what she wanted to convey. That she, just like Koharu, believed that Naruto was truly much stronger than Kiba.
"Stand up, Naruto!" Sakura suddenly exclaimed as Naruto pulled himself back to his feet.
"Look, Koharu-chan..." Hinata said softly as she smiled, "I know you can see it. Everyone is acknowledging Naruto-kun now."
Koharu sniffled and smiled softly. "Yeah..."
"If you... compete with me for the name of Hokage, then..." Naruto boldly met Kiba's gaze, "You... will be the loser!"
Kiba pointed at the other boy. "Geez, saying the same thing over and over. You're persistent."
The blond only smirked at him. "Heh."
Kiba's eyes widened as he realized that Naruto wasn't going to back down.
"Well fine. In that case, I'll make it so you won't stand up again!" He rushed at Naruto with a still transformed Akamaru. "Let's go, Akamaru!
This time, rather than the little yip, Akamaru let out a deep bark.
"You think you can get me with that same technique again?" Naruto asked.
Kiba ignored his taunt. "Take this!" He exclaimed before once again launching into Gatsuuga. Naruto jumped in order to avoid the attack, but ended up getting hit in the air before landing face first on the ground. Kiba and Akamaru both landed in a crouch and skidded to a halt as they slid back. Naruto pulled himself back into a sitting position and looked between them before Kiba threw another smoke bomb at the blond. "Gatsuuga!" The Inuzuka boy exclaimed as he and Akamaru leapt into the cloud again. The moment they came back out of said cloud, they once again skidded backwards and Kiba smirked. "Heh! Looks like you've got nothing left!"
"I've got a lot left!" Naruto replied, "Even if you increased yourself by three or four, I'd still have a lot left."
"That's certainly true." Koharu remarked, "Naruto's chakra exceeds that of most Jounin, and he's scarcely even tapped into it, whereas Kiba's is steadily dropping."
"Even so... with the amount of damage he's taken... can he really keep this up?" Sakura asked with concern.
"Don't underestimate his regenerative abilities." Koharu replied, "He is an Uzumaki. You can't see it from here, I'm guessing, but his smaller injuries have been rapidly healing even as he keeps getting knocked around."
"Ha! You've got a comeback for everything!" Kiba remarked, "Let's finish him with the next, Akamaru!"
"Good luck with that..." Koharu said as Akamaru snarled in agreement with his master. She could see her brother shaking, but whereas most might've thought that he was at his wits end, Koharu could see that he was formulating a plan. Kiba through yet another smoke bomb before he and Akamaru attacked again.
"What will you do, Naruto?" Sakura worried.
Naruto quickly formed a hand seal in the midst of the smoke. "Henge!"
"It's over!" Kiba exclaimed before suddenly coming to a halt alongside Akamaru and...
"So that's how it is, huh?" Kakashi asked.
"Huh?" Sakura asked in confusion.
"There, look closely." Her sensei told her.
Sakura did as he said and quickly saw what Kakashi meant. "Oh!"
As the smoke in the arena below cleared away, everyone—save for Koharu—realized that the three figures within all looked like Kiba.
"You did it! That's a clever move, Naruto!" Sakura cheered.
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed softly, a small smile blossoming on her face.
"If he transforms into Kiba, the real Kiba doesn't know which is Akamaru and which is Naruto... he can't attack carelessly." Sakura surmised.
"However, it's okay for Naruto-kun to attack either one! Ohhh!" Lee exclaimed with excitement, causing Koharu and her teammates to sweat-drop.
"He's created a chance opening... good work!" Sakura added.
"You're overestimating the usefulness of this tactic." Koharu told them bluntly, "It's true that he's created an opening, but if he makes a move to attack, Kiba will instantly know which one is him. Furthermore, there are numerous ways for Kiba to overcome this."
"Up until now, you've been saying that we've been underestimating Naruto." Shikamaru remarked, "Now you're saying we're overestimating him?"
"Not at all." Koharu replied, "I said you're overestimating the tactic of making himself look like Kiba."
"Huh?" Shikamaru said in confusion.
"Well, you'll understand soon enough." Koharu remarked.
"I'll give you a piece of advice!" Kiba said without moving, "I was careless before and a little late to realize it... But the Transformation Technique isn't effective anymore! Why, you ask?" Suddenly he whooped with excitement as he punched one of the two duplicates. "I can smell you. Don't underestimate our sense of smell, Naruto!" He taunted.
"Yeah, because it worked so well earlier." Koharu smirked.
"Heh, I won!" Kiba exclaimed.
"Wrong again, Kiba." The blue-haired girl said as a puff of smoke appeared around the downed duplicate.
"Wh-What?!" Kiba exclaimed in confusion and alarm as he took in the sight of Akamaru lying on the ground. He stared in shock for a moment before shifting his attention to the double behind him. "Then you're Naruto!" He exclaimed while punching the second duplicate, "Messing with me!" To his surprise, this duplicate also turned into Akamaru. He turned back around as the first one suddenly turned into Naruto, who charged at him and kicked him to the ground. Koharu grinned.
"The art of misdirection is Naruto's strong suit." She said cooly, "It's something he's honed as a result of years of playing pranks."
"Naruto-kun... amazing!" Hinata exclaimed in her soft-spoken manner.
Kiba wiped his mouth with his arm and looked at the real Akamaru, his hand trembling with anger before he clenched it. "Darn it!"
Naruto just chuckled, grinning wildly.
"Was Naruto ever that smart...?" Ino asked.
"Naruto was always that smart." Koharu replied. "He's been playing pranks on the village since we were little. Do you think it's easy for a five-year-old to shake off a bunch of Chuunin?"
"You little...!" Kiba exclaimed, and Naruto laughed at him.
"Think hard about your jutsu before you use them! Because they'll be used against you, idiot!" The blond taunted.
Kakashi laughed nervously, "He's using my line, word for word..."
"At least you know he was listening to you." Koharu remarked. A moment later, she gagged slightly with surprise. "Did Kiba just bite his own hand?!" She exclaimed, "Is that some kind of habit used for grounding among the Inuzuka?!" She could obviously tell that Kiba was beginning to get flustered, but the fact that the boy had bitten himself to the point of drawing blood utterly astounded her. When he had managed to calm himself, Kiba pulled out four shuriken in each hand. "Sasuke, is Kiba-san good at shuriken?" Koharu asked.
"He's decent I guess, why?" Sasuke replied.
"This is the first time I've seen someone besides you and myself intend to wield multiple shuriken since I came back." Koharu explained, "The most I've seen anyone else use at a time is two."
"Heh! So you've finally gotten serious, Kiba?" Naruto asked, "Well then," he formed a sign with his hands, "I'll end this... with my new special jutsu I've been saving up!"
"What?!" Kiba exclaimed with a growl, "A new trick?!"
"Huh? When did he...?!" Sakura gasped.
"Leave it to Naruto-kun to hide a new technique!" Lee exclaimed with excitement.
"Heh! What new jutsu? It's obviously a bluff!" Kiba said.
"You can test out whether it's a bluff or not-ttebayo!"
"Tch..." Kiba said, feeling both frustrated and anxious.
"He hasn't actually been hiding it, Lee-san, and to answer your question, Sakura-chan, I suspect that he came up with it on the fly." Koharu told the others, "Naruto is the type who thinks on his feet rather than planning ahead. It's part of why he's so unpredictable. He really does have a new jutsu in mind, but he hasn't actually tried it out yet."
"He's not seriously going to attempt a brand new ninjutsu at the drop of a hat?!" Fuushin asked in surprise, but Koharu shook her head.
"More likely a combination technique." She said, "In addition to the art of misdirection, one of Naruto's specialties is combining ninjutsu and Taijutsu. It's a talent that helps him overcome his lack of ability for genjutsu, as well as his general lack of Yin chakra."
"Lack of Yin chakra?" Chino asked in surprise, "Do you mean he doesn't have Yin chakra at all?"
"Of course he does, everybody does." Koharu replied, "It's just that he has vastly more Yang chakra and that difference throws him off. The reason why is... something I can't really go into."
"Let's go-ttebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, and as if in response, Kiba charged forward.
"Since I don't know what kind of new trick it is, I just won't let you use it!" The Inuzuka boy exclaimed as he began hurling the shuriken at Naruto, two at a time, forcing the other boy to dodge.
"Oh... his shuriken jutsu is better than I expected." Koharu remarked with interest, "And here I thought he was basically a three-trick pony with basically no ability to strategize."
"What do you mean?" Tenten asked.
"For all the time that this match has been taking, Kiba-san has been essentially using the same jutsu as a starting point and building on it." Koharu began.
"Ninjuu Ninpou: Shikyaku no jutsu!" Kiba exclaimed below them.
"See?" She emphasized, "Both the Juujin Bunshin and Gatsuuga use Shikyaku no jutsu as a starting point. Kiba's essentially been using the same jutsu to knock my brother around this entire time, and the only reason that has worked is because he's faster than Naruto." She frowned, "That's a problem, really. I need to try to work with him on his speed while I'm here. If his movement speed and reaction time don't improve, it will only be a matter of time before..." She sighed and shook her head, "I'm getting off subject. The point is that Kiba has shown very little in the way of actual strategy up until now. Overwhelming Naruto so that he can't even begin his new technique isn't much of a strategy, but it's a strategy nonetheless." She smirked in amusement as she noticed something, "Although I suspect it's only a matter of time before it fails." She watched as Naruto was knocked back by Kiba, but at least managed to stay on his feet.
"Why are you stopping?!" Kiba taunted before punching Naruto.
"Naruto!" Cried Sakura.
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed with worry. The loud mouthed blond could be seen lying on the ground as the dust settled around him.
"Stand up! Naruto!" Sakura called.
"D-Darn! I don't even have time to build up my chakra!" Naruto muttered as he got up.
"Hey, hey! What's wrong?! Naruto!" Kiba taunted as he ran around Naruto before charging forward and slashing him with his claw like nails. The blond yelled as he was sent flying back.
"He's fast!" Chouji exclaimed, earning another scoff from Koharu.
"It's useless. He doesn't have time to form hand signs!" Ino exclaimed.
"That's something else I'll have to work on with him..." Koharu remarked, crossing her arms as she observed the battle.
"That's all you have to say?!" Ino exclaimed, "Aren't you the least bit worried about him?!"
"Sure." Koharu said, "I'm worried about how slow he is. But this match? Not really. You'd be surprised just how much of a beating my brother can take. I've healed him from way worse than this. The fact is, Kiba's window to take my brother down is closing."
"Geez, you really are blind." Shikamaru muttered. Koharu glared in his general direction, but said nothing, only observing her brother as he began to get back up.
"Take this!" Kiba exclaimed as he lunged at Naruto. However, the Uzumaki boy caught him off guard by grabbing Kiba's forearm after he'd been struck and throwing him over his shoulder.
"Take that!" Naruto returned.
Koharu smirked, "Well, I guess I won't have to make him run Taijutsu drills at the very least."
Kiba skidded to a stop as he managed to land in all fours. Naruto panted and looked at him. "I'm going to be Hokage!" He insisted, "I won't lose in this place!" He formed a sign with his hands again.
"Whatever! You can't keep up with my speed at all!" Kiba exclaimed as he charged at Naruto, yelling as he lunged at the smaller boy again. Naruto dashed forward to avoid Kiba, managing to only get scratched by him. He grunted as he landed and breathed heavily. "Hey, hey, hey-hey-hey-hey-hey!" Kiba exclaimed as he charged at Naruto and slashed his back. Naruto yelled as he skidded face first across the floor, causing Koharu to wince a little.
"Naruto!" Sakura screamed, and Koharu winced again.
"Sakura-chan... please stop screaming in my ear." She said plaintively.
Kiba panted from the exertion of his efforts and straightened up. "This what it's like when I'm serious." He told Naruto, "You understand, don't you? To me, you're merely...!" He stopped as he saw Naruto struggling to get back to his feet yet again.
"I definitely will not lose!" The blond insisted.
"That Naruto... he's trying hard, huh?" Chouji remarked, and Ino nodded.
"If I were Kiba, I'd be sick of this already." Shikamaru remarked.
"Shikamaru-san," Koharu began in a warning voice, "Shut your mouth before I decide to knock you out. You're getting on my nerves." She turned her face toward the arena again, "Kiba-san's just talking tough. This isn't the result of him being serious, he's actually more like a cornered animal at this point. His desperate efforts to prevent Naruto from using his new technique indicate that he's scared of what Naruto is capable of. He knows he'll lose if he gives Naruto an opening. Don't you think so... Shino-san?"
"Yes." Shino confirmed quietly, secretly amazed that Koharu had not forgotten his presence like everyone else seemed to have done.
Koharu sighed as she turned back to the arena again, placing her hands on the railing. "Putting on airs and talking down to my brother when he's actually the one backed into a corner... I don't know why you think so highly of him, Kurenai-sensei. He's mostly just an arrogant fool. And seriously, he's not that fast. That you guys are impressed by his speed just shows how inexperienced you all are."
"Naruto!" Sakura called, "Use the new technique or whatever! Just settle it!"
"Naruto-kun! Go for it!" Lee encouraged.
"They realize that he would if he could, right?" Sasuke asked of nobody in particular.
"Don't worry." Koharu told him, "I have a feeling he's about to get his chance."
Sasuke scoffed. "I'm not worried." He insisted before looking back at the fight, "...If anything, I know even better than you do what that guy is capable of." Koharu smirked at the Uchiha's begrudging acknowledgement of her brother.
"Ha! You've got no effect on me!" Naruto taunted.
"You've got spirit, I'll give you that!" Kiba replied.
"I'll make the new technique explode no matter what!" The blond insisted.
"Well, something's about to explode anyway." Koharu remarked, earning confused glances from those around her.
"I won't let you!" Kiba exclaimed as he charged forward on all fours.
"Three..." Koharu began.
Naruto yelled with effort to improve his chakra infusion.
"Two..."
"You're slow! Take this!" Kiba exclaimed as he circled around Naruto to attack him from behind.
"One."
"Oops!" Naruto exclaimed as he felt himself passing gas by mistake, just as Kiba's nose was level with his rear. The Inuzuka boy screamed in agony as he held his nose, due to his currently enhanced sense of smell.
Sakura stared in mortified shock while Hinata blushed in embarrassment.
"You knew that was going to happen?" Sasuke asked incredulously as he looked at Koharu.
"I could see the way that his chakra was moving inside of his digestive tract." The girl explained calmly before turning her head toward Sakura and Hinata. "I don't know why you two are so embarrassed. It's a perfectly normal bodily function. Merely the result of a healthy intestinal tract combined with Naruto's high daily intake of soy, albeit, the stress he's been under since Kiba began circling him like a mosquito did make him a little more gassy than usual, but that's also perfectly normal. The smell assaulting Kiba's senses is likely the result of Naruto's frequent pork intake. Frankly speaking, pork smells awful."
"How can you talk about this as if you're discussing the weather?!" Sakura asked in astonishment.
"I'm a medic." The blue haired girl said flatly, "Bodily functions don't faze me, regardless of the type."
Sakura blinked before nodding in understanding and looking back at the arena. "Naruto! Now's your chance!"
"Darn! I was straining too much!" Naruto muttered with slight embarrassment, "But now's the time to show my new technique!" He formed a different sign with his hands, "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" Four Shadow Clones appeared, two on either side of the boy, and the five Naruto's spread out and surrounded Kiba. "All right! The way you've torn me apart, I'll give it back all at once!" He exclaimed.
"D-Darn it!" Kiba exclaimed, seeing that he had no means of getting out of the circle.
One of the Shadow Clones charged forward and struck Kiba with his fist. "U-!" The real Naruto used the clone's back as a spring board and launched himself into the air. The other three clones gathered around Kiba and hit him with three successive back updrafts into the air. "Zu-! Ma-! Ki-!" They exclaimed in time with their kicks. The original Naruto then hit Kiba square in the head with a heel drop. "Naruto rendan!" He exclaimed.
Kiba landed face first on the ground and coughed up a bit of blood before becoming still. Naruto landed and stood over him, panting lightly. Hayate walked over to the pair and checked to see whether or not Kiba was conscious. Upon finding that he was not, he coughed twice before speaking.
"The winner is Uzumaki Naruto."
"Ohhh!" Lee exclaimed with excitement.
"Shannaro!" Sakura exclaimed happily, "Nice one! You did it!"
"That Naruto beat Kiba!" Shikamaru said in surprise, causing Koharu to roll her eyes.
"It's a major upset..." Chouji remarked.
"Yup!" Ino said happily.
Naruto laughed as he ran up the stairs, "That was easy!" He exclaimed.
"Idiot!" Koharu exclaimed, whacking her brother none-too-gently over the back of the head.
"Ow! What the heck, Neechan?" He whined.
"If it was easy, then why did it take you so long?!" Koharu demanded, "What the heck were you doing for the past five years that everyone except your teammates thought you were completely incapable? Your lack of speed is cringeworthy, and could you be any slower at weaving signs?! How do you expect to survive against enemies like Orochimaru at this level?!"
"Don't you think bringing in someone at the level of the Sannin is a little extreme?" Kurenai asked.
"Kurenai-sensei..." Koharu began slowly, "That guy has been targeting me since I was two, and between Naruto and myself... Are you really bothering to ask? My brother has got to be one of the only people I know of who could leave the village for the first time in his life, only for his first C-rank mission to turn into an A-rank."
Kurenai sweat-dropped.
"N-Naruto-kun..." Hinata stammered quietly.
"Huh?" Naruto said in confusion, his ears just barely catching the sound of her voice, "Did you say something, Hinata?"
Hinata gripped something in her hands, twiddling her thumbs nervously atop it as she stammered, "Ah, ah, ah... anoo..." She gulped nervously before finally turning to face Naruto and walking forward, finally holding a jar out to him, a nervous blush on her face.
"Huh? What's this?" Naruto asked.
"It's an ointment." Kurenai explained.
"Why for me?" Naruto asked in confusion, and Koharu face-palmed.
"Take it for her, Naruto." Kurenai encouraged.
"Hm... Okay!" Naruto agreed, "Thank you! You're a good person, Hinata!"
Koharu had been about to apologize to her friend for her brother's thickness, but upon sensing Hinata's great pleasure at the small interaction, she decided against it. Sensing the mood of Hyūga Neji as he watched the two rookies, she turned toward him. The Jounin all tensed as they sensed the killing intent surging between the two teenagers.
Oh my gosh, I finally finished this darned chapter. It took forever! I didn't expect that writing Naruto and Kiba's battle would take so LONG! It's probably got some errors as I didn't properly proofread it yet, but I hope it's still good.