Chapter 153: I Want to Brag
"Inuzuka Kiba wins."
Seeing this, Iruka announced that Sasuke Uchiha had once again failed in practical combat. After Kiba released him, Sasuke used the Body Flickering Technique to free himself, looking at Kiba with a hint of indignation.
Just a little bit more. I was just a little bit short.
He hadn't expected Kiba to use the Clone Jutsu not to deceive him, but simply to block his vision. The Sharingan grants dynamic vision, but it isn't an X-ray eye; if something obstructs the line of sight, one naturally cannot see what is behind it. He noted this weakness. Having gained experience this time, he was determined not to be defeated by such a small trick again.
"Ah~ Sasuke lost again! Kiba, you jerk, couldn't you have gone easy on him?"
"Exactly! You've already won so many times."
Ino, Sakura, and the other girls shouted at Kiba. Seeing their "male god" lose yet again made them gnash their teeth at Inuzuka Kiba. Of course, there were those who liked Kiba as well, and they quickly got into an argument with the Sasuke fans.
Inuzuka Kiba retreated from the combat field and landed next to Hinata, avoiding the crowd of infatuated women. At the same time, he felt a sense of pressure. Since awakening the Sharingan, Sasuke's progress had been incredibly fast—especially in taijutsu and his ability to absorb combat experience. With those eyes, his ability to track movements was terrifyingly strong; it was almost absurd. It was much more effective than Kiba's own nose.
If this keeps up, won't Sasuke overtake me? Kiba thought to himself. He couldn't let that happen; otherwise, wouldn't all his years of hard work be for nothing? He was a man who intended to become Hokage.
Woof!
Looking at Akamaru at his feet, Kiba picked him up and placed him on his head. That was just a sparring match, so there was no need for Akamaru to join in; it was just a way to test the waters.
"Damn it, Kiba, you stole the spotlight again." Naruto walked up to him, clenching his fists with a look of dissatisfaction. Every time, the glory was snatched away by Sasuke and Kiba, which made him feel like his head was going to explode.
"Spotlight? That's earned through hard work. If you aren't working hard enough, you naturally won't get any spotlight," Kiba provoked. In his eyes, Naruto was the synonym for laziness. After studying for so long, Naruto couldn't even release a proper Clone Jutsu; there was no reason for it other than being lazy. After all, the teachers at the Ninja Academy had no issues with their teaching methods.
"Kiba... Naruto-kun... is working... very hard..." Hinata, hearing Kiba speak of Naruto this way, couldn't help but whisper with a blush. Only she, who always watched him, knew how hard Naruto worked. Aside from being mischievous, he often practiced taijutsu and ninjutsu late into the evening.
"Exactly! How could I be lazy?" Naruto gritted his teeth. To improve, he had even consulted Grandpa Third, but for some reason, basic techniques like the Clone Jutsu were just difficult for him. He practiced every single day. "Besides, I've already developed a new ninjutsu. When you face me, I'll definitely show you how powerful I am!"
Under the pressure from Kiba and Sasuke, everyone—including Naruto—had started to push themselves harder. Recently, his new ninjutsu was finally complete; he was sure it could defeat both Sasuke and Kiba. He had already used this move to defeat several adults.
"Is that so? And you still say you aren't lazy? You want to be Hokage, but while ninjutsu can be called a talent, theory classes aren't based on talent. Those are just simple things," Kiba teased Naruto.
At this, neither Naruto nor Hinata beside him had anything to say. Naruto truly did not enjoy studying theory.
"What does theory matter? Even if my theory isn't good, I can still become very strong," Naruto muttered, pouting.
"Don't you know? Being the Hokage doesn't just require combat power; theory is a must," Inuzuka Kiba said unceremoniously, crushing Naruto's idea of slacking off.
"Impossible!" Naruto was shocked.
"This is what the Jonin say. Aside from the First, the Second, Third, and Fourth were all kings of theoretical knowledge. Each of them was a wise man with vast knowledge; that's why they could become Hokage," Kiba continued. He intended to become just like them: a wise man with profound knowledge.
"Che, I don't believe you. As long as I become strong enough, I can still be Hokage." Naruto didn't believe it at all. In his heart, the Hokage was the strongest person in the village. Furthermore, since Kiba was his rival for the position of Hokage, he figured Kiba was just trying to discourage him.
"Next, Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi."
"I forfeit."
"Eh?"
"No way! Shikamaru, you fight him, or I'll hit you myself!" Iruka watched Shikamaru's laziness and felt his temper rising. It seemed he needed to consult his own teacher; the "Eight Scents of Fire" technique was no longer working on these kids. It was now only being used to train the children's throat-protection techniques and wasn't practical for discipline anymore.
Ninja Academy, Second Floor.
"Yo, that boy looks a lot like you, Guy," Tonbo Tobitake said, looking out the window at a youth on the training ground. The boy had already finished the teacher's exercises but was still adding extra training for himself.
"He's a hardworking kid. But I'm still a bit more handsome," Guy said, looking down at the child training diligently. He admired him greatly. However, in terms of style, he felt he possessed more charm. Still, he thought if he gave the boy a set of thin, breathable, and elastic green spandex, it would surely suit him.
"You were just like that back then, always training hard while the other classmates were resting. I really admired you then—except for your taste in clothes. You were a man overflowing with masculine charm," Tonbo chuckled, thinking back to the "acorn" incident.
"You bastard! Only your taste in clothes is bad. My outfit is the most charming attire in the history of Konoha. It even provides excellent support for training; it's practically the essential clothing for a ninja!" Guy did not agree with his view and held firm to his philosophy.
"You guys are so boring. You invited me here just to talk about this?" Kakashi said with his hands in his pockets, looking down at the energetic youths. He didn't have many memories of his time at the academy; with his outstanding talent, he had only bothered to remember his classmates' names—except for Guy. But looking at the situation now, it seemed his youthful mindset had indeed caused him to miss out on much.
"Otherwise, let's talk about your marriage problems. You're both twenty-four and still haven't found girlfriends. I'm worried for you! My kids are almost ready to start school next year, and I wanted to arrange a marriage connection with your children. Seems there's no chance now, sigh!" Tonbo said, sounding like he was disappointed in them, but the curl of his lips betrayed his bragging.
Crunch.
"Guy, how about we team up and give him a beating?"
"I think that's a great idea, Kakashi. It's been a long time since we fought side-by-side."
The two of them looked at Tonbo with gleaming eyes.
"Forget it, forget it, I won't talk about you guys anymore. It's so lonely at the top. If Konoha declines in the future, it will surely be because of your inaction," Tonbo sighed.
Crunch.
"Haha, never mind. I suddenly feel like giving a lecture to the students. I'll go apply for it now." Tonbo laughed. He suddenly felt the urge to brag.
Whoosh!
"A lecture?" Guy scratched his head.
"Yeah. I heard that when the whim strikes him, he likes to educate children. I guess it's his way of relieving the pressure from missions," Kakashi said. He didn't quite understand why Tonbo liked doing it, but he surmised it was for psychological relief—much like how he read Icha Icha Paradise.
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