Central Tower Arena
"Heh heh, bring it on. This match is mine," Kiba declared, striking a pose with Akamaru opposite Naruto.
"Hey, is that dog allowed to participate too?" Naruto complained, noticing Akamaru also getting into a fighting stance.
"It's permitted. Animals are included as ninja tools... cough cough..." Hayate Gekko replied.
"Hmph... Fine! I'll just... consider it a handicap I'm giving you!" Naruto said, looking disgruntled.
"Round Seven, begin," Hayate announced.
"Beast Human Clone: Four-Legged Technique!" Kiba was the first to attack, using his ninjutsu to rush at Naruto.
Sakura observed Kiba's Beast Human Clone: Four-Legged Technique, noting the instant and significant increase in his agility. This ninjutsu was similar to her own chakra activation technique, both using chakra to enhance physical capabilities.
Naruto, caught off guard, was sent flying by the impact and didn't get up for a while.
"Proctor, he won't be waking up anytime soon!" Kiba said flippantly, looking at Naruto sprawled on the ground.
When did Naruto become such a prankster? Sakura didn't believe for a second that Naruto had been knocked out so easily. With his greatly enhanced sensory abilities, he wouldn't have been unable to dodge such an attack. The only explanation was that Naruto was playing with Kiba.
Sakura glanced at Hinata and found her looking conflicted, probably unsure of who to cheer for. Kiba was her teammate, and Naruto was the person she liked. It must be a tough dilemma, Sakura thought. She quietly approached.
"If you don't take the initiative with the person you like, you'll be seen as a weirdo!" Sakura whispered close to Hinata's ear, her warm breath grazing her skin, her voice low and slow.
"S-Sakura..." Hinata was startled, her lowered head snapping up, her pupils constricting slightly. Her cheeks instantly flushed crimson. "H-huh... S-Sakura, I don't know what you're talking about..."
Hinata, her secret thoughts exposed by Sakura, was overwhelmed with embarrassment, resorting to playing dumb.
If only Hinata were a bit bolder, the original Naruto might not have been so lonely. But if Hinata wasn't shy, she wouldn't be Hinata. Perhaps that was what made her so endearing.
"Cheer for Naruto boldly. With your encouragement, he'll win this match," Sakura continued to tease.
"B-but... t-that... w-what about... Kiba and Shino? They'll be upset," Hinata stammered, flustered by Sakura's words, finally managing to come up with a reason.
"Shino, would you be upset if Hinata cheered for Naruto?" Sakura asked, turning to Shino with a menacing expression, as if she were about to devour him.
"..." Shino, taken aback by Sakura's fierce look, was momentarily speechless. "I believe it doesn't matter who Hinata cheers for. Of course, I still hope..." He quickly swallowed the words "that Kiba will win." Sakura, even though she had lost, had displayed an undeniable strength. Besides perhaps that Genin from the Sand Village, no one else seemed capable of exchanging more than a few blows with her.
Shino was certain that he wouldn't stand a chance against Sakura. Her swirling Water Encampment Wall alone would render his insects useless.
"See, Hinata? Shino doesn't mind. Follow your heart," Sakura encouraged, giving Hinata a fist pump.
"O-okay... t-then..." Hinata, having run out of excuses, took a deep breath, held it for two seconds, mustered all her courage, and weakly whispered, "Naruto-kun~~~~~ do your best~~~~~"
"..."
"..."
Shino and Sakura were speechless. Who could possibly hear her at that volume?
However, at that very moment, Naruto stood up in the arena. Hinata, seeing Naruto rise, blushed again. "That's great, Naruto!"
Sakura felt a surge of self-satisfaction. Her timing was impeccable. If she had waited any longer, it wouldn't have had the same effect.
"Hinata, see? Naruto heard your encouragement and stood up. He'll definitely win this match," Sakura said with a mischievous grin.
Shino, slightly exasperated by Sakura's blatant lies, decided to ignore the two of them. Hinata, believing that Naruto had heard her encouragement, was in a daze, completely oblivious to the fact that her voice had been barely audible even to those nearby.
Sakura decided to stop teasing Hinata for now. Ultimately, this young girl needed to grow on her own, to overcome her inner obstacles. External forces could only do so much; otherwise, it would hinder Hinata's personal growth. Some things required personal resolve.
The battle between Naruto and Kiba in the arena was heating up, reaching a climax. They were evenly matched. In reality, Naruto's current raw power definitely surpassed Kiba's. What Naruto lacked was experience facing different opponents and adapting his strategies accordingly – something that came with time and practice.
Attrition warfare was always Naruto's forte. Once a battle became a war of attrition, Naruto's vast chakra reserves gave him a significant advantage. As expected, Kiba, after failing to land a decisive blow on Naruto, began to show signs of fatigue, while Naruto remained as energetic as ever.
Naruto, likely sensing that Kiba's chakra was nearing its limit, used his "Multiple Shadow Clone Technique."
It seemed Naruto possessed a natural talent for combat. Sakura watched as the arena filled with Naruto's clones. He had first used his superior stamina and sensory abilities to engage Kiba in a war of attrition, and then, once Kiba's chakra was significantly depleted, he unleashed his shadow clones to secure victory.
Kiba's only chance of defeating Naruto was a quick victory. But with Naruto's enhanced senses, he wasn't an easy target to catch. Naruto consistently employed a hit-and-run strategy, and Kiba, unable to land a solid hit, was helpless as his chakra was drained.
"Round Seven, Uzumaki Naruto wins!" Hayate announced.
"That's great, Naruto won!" Hinata exclaimed, her face beaming with joy.
Naruto clenched his fist, feeling the pain in his hand. I've also... gotten stronger... Sakura-chan, this is my first step towards becoming Hokage! he thought silently.
Naruto climbed the stairs to the stands and, seeing Sakura with Team 8, said, "Sakura-chan, did you see? I won!"
Sakura was happy for Naruto's success, but she was still feeling down about being eliminated, and here was Naruto, flaunting his victory in front of her. She gave him a dismissive eye roll.
"N-Naruto-kun, congratulations," Hinata said, pulling a small wooden box from her pouch and handing it to Naruto.
"W-what's this? For me?" Naruto asked, looking at the box Hinata offered. Hinata simply blushed and remained silent.
"It's an ointment, a topical medicine. It's a Hyuga clan secret medicine. But Hinata, Sakura is a medical ninja, you know," Kurenai said, noticing Hinata's reddened cheeks and understanding her intentions perfectly. She had been a young girl once, too.
"Kurenai-sensei, I just finished a fight. I haven't even had a chance to rest, and you want me to work? My chakra is severely depleted," Sakura protested, unhappy that she was being asked to do work before her chakra had recovered.
"Hey, Naruto, take it. It's Hinata's kind gesture. Don't let it go to waste," Sakura turned to Naruto and said.
"Oh... is that so? Thank you, Hinata. You're so nice!" Naruto took the ointment from Hinata and started applying it.
The names on the large screen began to scroll again.
"The next match will be..."
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