Chapter 42: Chunin Exam
Kiba followed Hirohiko and Yukina up the stairs, while Hyuga Yutaka walked to the auditorium from the other end. Yutaka's eyes were fixed on Kiba, his murderous intent barely concealed. Kiba noticed it clearly.
This guy wants to use the competition to kill me!
Kiba remained calm on the surface, pretending not to notice as he concentrated on eating his steamed bun. But inside, his thoughts swirled with a determination to survive.
Before killing that Iwagakure Jonin, Kiba would have been wary of Hyuga Yutaka, but not murderous. However, after taking a life, Kiba realized that killing wasn't as daunting as he once thought. This was the world of Naruto, and his sense of guilt for killing was much smaller than in his previous life.
In his past life, he lived in a peaceful era and didn't even dare to kill a chicken. But here, with blood already on his hands, Kiba wasn't afraid of killing. He might hesitate to kill someone unprovoked, but if someone wanted to kill him, he could make up his mind to strike first.
Regardless of whether Hyuga Yutaka was a genius, if he truly wanted to kill Kiba, Kiba wouldn't hesitate to defend himself.
Thinking this, Kiba, Hirohiko, and Yukina found a place to stand and watched the two eleven or twelve-year-old ninjas already fighting in the field.
"Hirohiko, if I play later, can you lend me your ninja bag?" Kiba asked suddenly.
"Sure," Hirohiko agreed readily. He thought for a moment, then took off his ninja bag and said, "Check it. I changed it."
Kiba understood immediately. Hirohiko had changed the ninja tools in the bag for the exam and wanted Kiba to check for any issues. Nodding, Kiba inspected the bag carefully.
Though small, the ninja bag made good use of space, holding eight to ten shurikens, three kunai, smoke bombs, and detonating charms, among other tools.
As Kiba inspected the bag, Yukina glanced at him quietly. Seeing his concentration, a faint smile appeared on her lips before she restrained it.
Hirohiko noticed this, his poker face unchanged, but a flash of clarity in his eyes.
So... Yukina...
Hirohiko nodded to himself, feeling his thoughts were correct.
"What are you doing?" Kiba asked, handing the ninja bag back to Hirohiko and noticing his repeated nodding.
"Nothing," Hirohiko replied, still poker-faced. Inside, he was shocked.
Kiba frowned suspiciously but didn't press further. He looked down at the two ninjas fighting.
To be honest, the fight was a bit... boring.
Compared to Kakashi, these two were far behind. They relied mostly on taijutsu, and their ninjutsu hand seals were slow. Their use of basic techniques was skillful but full of flaws.
In terms of chakra, they could only manage one or two D to C-rank ninjutsu before exhausting themselves.
Their movements were smooth, showing solid basic skills, but limited by their chakra and ninjutsu. Their strength was at the level of elite Genin, approaching Chunin. From a ninja's perspective, they were not bad, even outstanding. But from a Chunin's perspective, they were slightly lacking.
The Jonin watching had similar thoughts. One secretly took out a small scroll, wrote something, and put it away.
Kiba noticed this action.
Sure enough, these Jonin aren't just watching. Are they scoring? But this is an elimination system, so why score?
What is it for?
Kiba ate his steamed bun, almost finishing it.
Meanwhile, Uzumaki Kushina looked at the field and then turned to Namikaze Minato. "Minato, let's make another bet?"
"A bet? Kushina, you like betting a lot lately... Last time you won a special Flying Thunder God Kunai from me. What do you want this time?" Minato, ever the attentive lover, realized Kushina wanted something again.
If Kushina wants something, she should just tell me. But she likes to make it a challenge.
Minato smiled, perhaps liking this about Kushina.
"Hey..." Uzumaki Kushina smiled coquettishly and whispered something in Minato's ear.
Minato was visibly surprised. "This... bet on Hyuga Yutaka and Kiba, who will win?"
"Yes," Uzumaki Kushina looked at Minato seriously.
"The condition is..." Minato glanced at Kiba, then at Kushina.
Kushina... do you like him that much?
No, it's about her disciples. She isn't just optimistic about Kiba but all three of them!
However, Hyuga Yutaka's strength is not inferior to Kakashi's on the surface, and he likely has hidden strength. He took Iwaki to lead them on a mission back then, and this Hyuga Yutaka is truly impressive.
Well, there's no harm in it, and Kushina will be happy, so let's agree.
Minato nodded. "If Kiba loses, you have to promise me a condition."
"What condition?" Uzumaki Kushina asked, joy on her face at Minato's agreement.
"Hmm... you have to promise me one thing in the future," Minato smiled softly.
"What?" Uzumaki Kushina asked, confused.
"We'll talk about it when the time comes," Minato replied.
"Well, Kiba won't lose anyway," Uzumaki Kushina said confidently.
Minato just smiled slightly.
At that moment, the fight in the field ended. The loser returned to the team, while the winner was out of breath. They were evenly matched.
"This time, Nanmu wins, victory!" the test officer announced, settling the first match.
The Sannin watched silently, occasionally discussing.
"Normal," Orochimaru concluded.
Jiraiya nodded. "But the basic skills are very solid."
"Let's make a note," Tsunade said, taking out a scroll and writing something.
"Let's hurry up for the second game," Jiraiya said.
"The second battle..." the Chunin test officer shouted.
The names danced on the big screen.
Hyuga Yukina VS Yuhi Kurenai!
The words stopped, displaying the match-up.
Yukina and Kurenai?
Has Kurenai already qualified for the Chunin Exam?
Kiba stopped eating his steamed bun, looking at the red-eyed girl walking to the center of the field in surprise