Sakura and Ino fought to a tie. Temari and Tenten fought, Naruto believed Tenten was strong and that was just a terrible matchup. Shikamaru easily outsmarted Kin.

--

The rest of the genin watched with bated breath. The screen flickered yellow, then went dark, before revealing the first contender's slot, a "vs" space, and the second contender's name. It cycled through names until it stopped on "Naruto Uzumaki vs. Kiba Inuzuka."

Naruto's smile was so wide it bordered on malevolent.

"Yes! We're in luck! Akamaru, it looks like we've hit the jackpot!" Kiba shouted, Akamaru responded with an excited bark.

--

"Now for the seventh match, Naruto Uzumaki versus Kiba Inuzuka."

"It's honestly a shame," Naruto began. "The Leaf Village would have been thrilled to see the dog boy in the finals." He smirked. "I bet you could wow them with your dog breeding skills."

"Keep talking, dead last. I'm going to send you to the infirmary! Right, Akamaru?" Kiba placed his puppy on the ground.

"Sorry, Kakashi. Your boy doesn't stand a chance against Kiba, not a single chance," Kurenai asserted.

Kakashi chuckled. "Enough from you, just watch the fight."

Sakura leaned on the railing, watching with keen interest. There was a time she would have thought Naruto was doomed, but having seen everything, she doubted Kiba would maintain his confident demeanor.

'Naruto...' thought Lee.

"Kiba's lucky." Choji whined.

"Look, I feel sorry for you, so I'm gonna finish you off with one shot." Kiba spoke.

Naruto looked into the stand at Kurenai and smirked. "You should teach your doggy to be humble like Shino and Hinata, it won't serve him well."

"Enough!" Kiba shouted. "Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All-Four Jutsu!" Blue chakra surged around Kiba. Naruto dropped his katana to the ground, he didn't want to kill the dog.

Kiba's hands touched the ground, his nails elongated, and his voice deepened. "Here I come!" he declared, lunging towards Naruto. Kiba aimed an elbow at Naruto's stomach, but Naruto dodged, sending Kiba crashing into the wall. Kiba rebounded and charged again, slashing at Naruto's face. Naruto caught Kiba's hand, then the other as Kiba attempted another punch.

"Pathetic dog," Naruto taunted, kneeing Kiba in the chin and kicking him in the stomach, sending him flying. As Kiba landed, he retrieved something from his pouch beside Akamaru.

Akamaru morphed into a clone of Kiba. "Two pathetic dog boys?" Naruto mocked.

"I'll shut that mouth of yours!" Kiba and Akamaru leaped, shouting, "Fang over Fang!" They spun towards Naruto, who jumped up, blocking their attack and was sent crashing down. He rolled away as they descended upon him.

Kiba aimed a punch at the back of Naruto's head, but Naruto parried and countered with a punch to Kiba's nose. He ducked under Akamaru, uppercut Kiba, swept his legs, and floored him. Naruto aimed an elbow at Kiba's nose, but Akamaru intercepted. Naruto responded with a back fist to Akamaru.

"Akamaru! You'll pay for this!" Kiba yelled, swinging at Naruto, who dodged by tilting his head and then leaped away, waiting.

'This seal, I need to stop playing around,' Naruto thought.

Naruto picked up his katana and walked towards Kiba. "I bet you don't even know how to use that thing," Kiba taunted. Sakura laughed audibly from her spot, and even Kakashi chuckled a little. The surrounding people looked at them, confused.

"Actually... Maybe Kiba's not so lucky," Choji remarked to Shikamaru.

Akamaru attacked Naruto from behind, but Naruto dodged, grabbed him, and pointed his sword at his throat. Kiba tried to intervene. "Don't move," Naruto commanded, and Kiba halted. "Forfeit or your dog dies," Naruto declared.

"You won't," Kiba declared, sweat streaming down his face as Naruto's murderous aura filled the room. "Never!"

Naruto regarded Kiba with disdain, raised his katana, and brought it down towards Akamaru. The blade halted mid-air, blocked by Kurenai's kunai. "This match is over; Kiba forfeits," she stated, locking eyes with Kiba.

Naruto retracted his sword. "Your dog's pride nearly cost this pup its life," he remarked, releasing the puppy and sheathing his blade.

Hayate cleared his throat. "Alright... Naruto Uzumaki advances to the finals."

As Naruto strode past Kiba towards the stairs, he smirked at Kiba's astonished expression. "M-Monster..."

"You're the dog, I'm the fox," Naruto whispered, audible only to Kiba, the Jonin, and naturally, Gaara. At these words, Gaara's sand demon shifted restlessly.

"Kurama..."

Kiba's hate for Naruto surged to the roof, he was humiliated by the dead last, what does that make him? And what the hell is the fox?

Kurenai had much to ponder; her student's arrogance could have been the cause of his demise, and even her own arrogance nearly led to the same fate.

Lee offered Naruto a smile, which was reciprocated. Despite not favoring the negative tension between Naruto and Kiba, the intimidation of the puppy, the unsettling aura of malice emanating from Naruto, or the impression that Naruto was hardly trying, Lee acknowledged it was a good fight and he admired Naruto's strength.