At this moment, Kirigakure couldn't endure any more turmoil.
Ameyuri was a powerful ninja, and at the very least, Mei didn't want her to die now.
Genji furrowed his brow, and after a good while, he spoke, "We can't worry about that much right now."
"This alliance is meant to resolve the Akatsuki, and it is also a mutual temptation between Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Konoha."
"If we appear weak, then even if we truly resolve the Akatsuki later, not to mention taking a dominant position, we might not even have a say."
Mei was considering the village's talent issues, while Genji was considering Kirigakure's status as one of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
This status represented Kirigakure's future mission share, as well as the Land of Water's Daimyo's financial support for Kirigakure.
Mei was stunned, she hadn't considered this issue.
No matter how reluctant she was, Mei could only nod in agreement. "I understand."
Currently, Kirigakure had no other candidates.
—
"Next up, Karin versus Kiba!"
As the two students from the previous match stepped down, Shinji read out the names for the next match from his notebook.
Karin was startled, then immediately stepped onto the stage.
Kiba was a bit displeased. After all, no matter how weak he might be, he shouldn't have to compete against a girl who had just transferred in this year.
'However, I can defeat her and get to know her in the process.'
Kiba smugly rubbed the tip of his nose. Karin could be considered a pretty girl. But since the beginning of the school year, Kiba had barely had a chance to talk to her.
"Hehe."
Thinking of this, Kiba was no longer displeased, this was an opportunity handed to him.
Shikamaru, standing nearby, twitched his lips. He wasn't sure whether to tell Kiba that Karin was not a weak, delicate girl.
Before he could warn him, Kiba had already leaped onto the combat stage, a smug expression on his face as he said, "Karin, I'll be careful later. If you can't handle it, you can surrender."
Karin frowned upon hearing this.
This guy was so annoying!
"Hey, Shikamaru, is Kiba really not going to get beaten badly later?" Naruto asked, somewhat speechless, seeing Kiba being so brave.
Others might not know Karin, but how could they, who spent every day with her, not know?
Shikamaru shrugged, a helpless expression on his face. "I don't know. If he gets beaten, he deserves it."
"Begin!"
Shinji, on the other hand, wore a smile and had no intention of warning Kiba.
Hearing Shinji's words, Karin immediately took action, Chakra gushing from her feet as she swiftly charged towards Kiba.
Facing Karin's speed and the incoming punch, Kiba's mind was left with only one thought: What's going on?!
Bang!
Karin's punch came down. Kiba reacted at the last moment, raising his arm to block.
'This guy's pretty quick on his feet.' Karin thought to herself.
'No, why is a girl so strong?!' Kiba gritted his teeth, struggling to hold on. Karin's punch almost broke his arm.
"Hehe, Kiba's in for it." Naruto grinned, looking at Kiba on the stage.
Recently Karin wasn't just training Nature Transformation. She had even started training in Taijutsu, and with her extremely high Chakra control, she would certainly not be weak in terms of explosive power.
Shikamaru shook his head and said, "Don't underestimate Kiba. The Inuzuka clan is famous for their techniques that combine their bodies with their ninja dogs."
He would never underestimate anyone. Especially the Inuzuka clan, who held a prominent position in Konoha.
Sure enough, Karin, who had been suppressing Kiba, immediately sensed something was wrong and flipped over to dodge.
Looking up, she saw Kiba concentrating Chakra in his limbs, his entire body like a wild beast.
Karin looked at the claw marks on the ground and Kiba's form, frowning. 'His Chakra has changed, becoming a bit wild.'
In Karin's perception, Kiba was no longer in his previous state.
Four Legs Technique!
Kiba had a provocative smile, his eyes fixed on Karin in front of him.
"I learned this from my older sister. I originally wanted to use it on Naruto, but I didn't expect you to be the first."
"This guy is so full of himself." Naruto grumbled.
Fight is a fight, why drag him into it?
"Interesting," Sasuke said, activating his Sharingan with interest as he watched Kiba in the arena.
Although this Chakra application technique wasn't particularly profound, it was enough to give Sasuke a direction for reference.
Karin pouted upon hearing this, swiftly forming hand seals. Talking more was not as good as just fighting.
Water Release: Water Whip!
A stream of water converged into a whip-like shape. Karin swung it, charging towards Kiba.
Shinji nodded secretly. Not bad, she even had a knack for shape transformation.
Before Kiba could react, Karin whipped Kiba.
"So amazing."
The students watching were amazed, looking at Karin. This cool Ninjutsu, at least for now, they hadn't seen much of.
Kiba, on the other hand, awkwardly avoided the water whip. His Four Legs Technique wasn't that proficient yet. Moreover, no matter which direction he attacked from, Karin always managed to attack him first.
Helpless, Kiba could only create distance, while looking for an opportune moment to launch another attack.
"Hey, how long are you going to hide? Are you even a man anymore?"
Seeing Kiba's wary expression, Karin became displeased.
This guy kept stalling for time, which would affect her score.
Hearing this, Kiba immediately got angry.
This was a tactical retreat, how did it become hiding in her eyes?
Infuriated, Kiba charged forward without a second thought. The next instant, Karin dodged, then raised her hand.
Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu!
Water streams immediately emerged from the ground, completely enclosing Kiba's figure in mid-air.
"That's it, the winner is decided." Shikamaru shook his head helplessly.
"Poor Kiba."
If Kiba had stalled a bit longer and engaged Karin on the terrain of the arena, he might have had a chance to win.
After all, Karin only had a few Water Release Ninjutsu at the moment, and her Taijutsu strength was, at most, comparable to Kiba using the Four Legs Technique.
But he couldn't stand Karin's sharp tongue and charged forward recklessly. In a team battle, he might have been able to rely on teammates for rescue, but now, it would be better to just surrender directly.
After all, the Water Prison Jutsu was a bit unsettling.
Sure enough, as Shikamaru's words fell, Kiba, trapped in the water prison, struggled desperately. His mouth opened and closed, blowing bubbles, unable to even surrender.
Seeing this, Shinji could only shake his head, raising his hand to declare Karin the winner.