Chapter 10

Seen a shooting star tonight

And I thought of me

If I was still the same

If I ever became what you wanted me to be

Did I miss the mark or

Over-step the line

That only you could see?

Seen a shooting star tonight

And I thought of me

-Bob Dylan, "Shooting Star"

 Wonder if you can feel strong, but incredibly stupid at the same time? Naruto harbored more than one embarrassed thought as he watched Kiba's charge. Still ready to dodge, he ran through his options.

 I could take the hit; find out for myself how much extra strength Kiba got from that Beast Effect Ninpou. Maybe try to deflect it, like Mom would have done in the training ground, and use the momentum to buy time.

 That wouldn't cut it. One option might kill him, and running away from Kiba would only tire him out.

 Anyway, if you're gonna run, you might as well stay in one piece.

 Just as Naruto was about to make a move, a voice in his ear startled him right out of his planning.

 [Uh, Naruto? Speaker-type person? Are we just gonna stand here and get run over, or what?]

 "Itachi, what are you still doing here? I'm in the middle of a fight!"

 The young Genin's ferret sidekick sounded exasperated.

 [What were ya expecting? Ya got so pumped up about getting to fight ya just jumped over the rail without sayin' anything! It was either hang on to yer shoulder or get turned into a big furry pancake!]

 "I'm sorry! Now get out of here, it's too dangerous!"

 [Too late!]

 Hearing the ferret's last-gasp warning, Naruto looked up, only to see Kiba plow into him, sending him flying towards the wall with a whoosh of expelled breath.

 Where's Itachi? Can't let that poofball get hurt before he talks to the other tribes … 

 Naruto grabbed his furry friend off his shoulder and cradled Itachi to his chest as his back slammed into the wall. Stunned by the impact, the spiky-haired Genin slid down off the wall, landing face-first on the floor as Itachi scrambled out from under him.

 Kiba laughed as he turned to Hayate.

 "Heh! He'll be taking a nice long nap!"

 From above the battlefield, many eyes watched Naruto lie there for a moment, perfectly still, as the ferret nipped cautiously at his ear, trying to awaken its friend. For most of them, their thoughts were the same.

 Man, that was bad. What a loser…

 He's a weakling.

 No way he could beat that other kid.

 Others in the audience knew better. Yamanaka Ino thought back a few weeks, remembering what the Sound-nins had done to Naruto in the Forest of Death.

 If hitting a tree like that couldn't beat him, this won't either.

 Hyuga Hinata hadn't seen that earlier fight, but her opinion was no different.

 Naruto-kun never gives up. If Kiba thinks the fight is over, he's wrong.

 Rock Lee turned to his teammates and sighed.

 "That was so lame. I thought Naruto-kun was strong…"

 His disappointment turned to surprise when he saw Neji and Tenten smile.

 "What's so funny?"

 Tenten couldn't reveal what her father had told her about Naruto, but the battle in the forest would serve just as well as a reminder.

 "You haven't seen Naruto in action like we've seen him. Just watch."

 Sakura couldn't have agreed more. Naruto had once been an idiot, but she'd long since revised that opinion of him.

 The more he fights, the stronger he gets. He never lets anything stop him from looking to his goal. I know he'll show Kiba what a mistake it is to just write him off like that…

 Looking back at her teammate, she saw that Naruto was proving her right.

 He staggered to his feet, voice low but strong nonetheless.

 "Hey, Dog Boy…that all you got?"

 Itachi, reassured that his friend was all right, scurried off to the balcony to watch the rest of the fight.

 [You better win, Speaker! Lose to one of those sellout dogs and his master, and you'll never hear the end of it from the wolves.]

 Kiba's eyes widened as he saw his opponent rise to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, limbs unsteady, but otherwise looking ready to fight.

 "Big words from somebody bleeding all over the place. Stop acting all cocky, you loser!"

 "Cocky? I was just testing how strong you've become. Since you still suck, you might as well start using the puppy too, and even up the odds!"

 If there was one thing Naruto had figured out about Kiba, it was that his opponent had something in common with Akamaru – the animal mind. Provoke an animal beyond a certain limit, and it would inevitably snap. If that happened, Kiba could sink to the level of an animal, attacking blindly and without strategy. It went without saying that Naruto would have a much easier time winning.

 From the look on Kiba's face, the blonde boy figured his plan was working.

 "You asked for it, punk. Akamaru, let's go!"

 Naruto didn't much mind the little dog joining in; a bite here and there wouldn't faze him. Kiba had other things in mind. Grabbing a smoke bomb, he hurled it at Naruto's position.

 "You want two-on-one? You've got it!"

 Okay, that was unexpected. Naruto frowned as the cloud of smoke billowed around him, obscuring his vision and rooting him to the spot. He couldn't dodge, for fear of running into either Kiba or Akamaru. Neither could he attack, if there was no way to see a target. He'd just have to hope his reflexes were good enough to dodge an attack if he somehow saw it coming.

 They weren't. Not with so much weight on his shoulders and legs that he could barely run. Quick, stinging strikes all over his body sent pain shooting through Naruto, staggering him again.

 Time to switch plans. Get out of the smoke and go back to square one. Stay strong until Kiba goes berserk…if that ever happens.

 What other option was there? He plunged forward, feeling a little triumph when he smelled clean air again, free of the blinding cloud. It felt good to be in the clear again…up until Akamaru leaped up at him, latching on to his arm with a deep bite. Startled, in pain, Naruto stumbled back into the smoke and disappeared from view along with Akamaru.

 Kiba watched his opponent's fall and grinned; that smile widened even further when the smoke began to clear. Naruto lay still again, a barking Akamaru next to him.

 "Who's all talk and no fight now, loser? Come on, boy, let's go celebrate!"

 Nobody thought it strange that the little dog leaped in the air and turned a somersault as he approached Kiba; if the fight was over, master and dog could afford to celebrate. The fanged Genin was certainly ready to catch Akamaru, arms held wide open as he laughed in triumph.

 "Keep laughing, funny man…it'll be your last one!"

 Kiba's eyes widened in horror as "Akamaru" exploded into a cloud of smoke. Stunned, he couldn't get out of the way before Naruto whipped his leg around in midair and blasted a foot into his opponent's jaw.

 "Get a clue, Dog Boy. I ain't gonna drop the match just because of a bite or two."

 For once, the weights on the blonde boy's legs had come in handy, knocking Kiba for a loop. The fanged boy went flying, falling to the floor and skidding back to the wall on his side of the room. Naruto landed in a ready position, trying to predict Kiba's response. As he did, the weights in his clothes came together with a soft clanking noise. With the combined noise from Kiba's pained growls, Naruto's labored breathing and the murmuring of the audience, the metal noise nearly went unnoticed…except for one keen set of ears underneath a bowl cut.

 "What are you nodding for, Gai-sensei?"

 Tenten looked over to see her team's teacher looking down at Naruto, an approving gleam in his eye. Maito Gai simply turned to Neji.

 "Neji-kun, why don't you take a peek and tell your teammates whether or not young Naruto has anything hidden in his clothing?"

 A few hand seals later, the pulsating veins on Hyuga Neji's face told his teammates that he was using his birthright, the Byakugan.

 "Are those metal weights?"

 "Indeed," said Gai with a grin and his trademark flashing teeth. "It seems Naruto-kun had the same idea as our Lee, and is using weights to increase his strength and agility. That would explain why his reaction time has been so slow."

 Tenten looked down at Naruto, who did seem to be moving slower than he had been in the forest.

 "But Lee's been using those weights for more than a year, and Naruto was moving much faster in the forest, barely two weeks ago. Nobody gets used to so much extra weight so soon. Isn't he taking too big a risk?"

 Gai nodded sternly, but the approval in his expression hadn't changed.

 "That may well be true. Still, I admire Naruto's spirit and determination. He could have removed those weights and tried to battle normally, once he knew what the test would be. Instead, he chose to fight under that extra burden, accepting adversity to make himself stronger.

 "Now he's risen to meet the difficulty, as you saw. By tricking Kiba into ignoring that somersault, Naruto was able to use momentum and the weight on his leg to add force to his kick. A fine example of the power of youth, that boy, turning adversity into an advantage."

 Rock Lee looked down at the younger Genin, and a little thrill of expectation ran through him. It had happened when Uchiha Sasuke had shown off his skills in the last battle as well. I misjudged him…show me how great a threat you really are, Naruto-kun!

 Kiba scrambled to his feet, swaying a bit as his legs wobbled. Naruto might have gotten one hit in, but he wouldn't get lucky again.

 "If you're there, then where's Akamaru?"

 "Looking for this?"

 He turned to see another Naruto holding the little dog in the air by its two front legs.

 "Come on, Kiba, don't tell me you're only good at running on all fours. Give it all you got, or go home!"

 Naruto's eyes narrowed suspiciously as Kiba drew something out of his pocket, an odd smile spreading slowly across his face.

 "Careful what you wish for, loser…"

 Too busy trying to figure out what Kiba meant by that, Naruto nearly missed the other Genin's fingers flicking something at Akamaru, which the dog swallowed. What's he doing, feeding the dog? Why would he do that now?

 It became clear why Kiba was feeding Akamaru when the little pooch suddenly wasn't so little anymore. His coat turning bright red, the dog lashed out at the Naruto-clone holding him, banishing it.

 "Hey, referee!" Naruto roared, pointing a finger at this new Akamaru as he turned to Hayate. "He just drugged his dog or something! You gonna let that slide?"

 "If I'm not mistaken, that's a Soldier Pill he used; it's a ninja weapon like any old blade or bomb."

 "Aw, screw you anyhow," the blonde boy yelled back. "Not like I was expecting any favors from anybody in this village. I ain't gonna make it so easy for all of you to keep me down!

 "Drug him, clone him, clone yourself, whatever! You think you're so tough, Kiba? Take a pill yourself and come on!"

 Watching Naruto's outburst, the Third Hokage shook his head slowly, thinking back to the last wishes of the boy's father. I've failed, Arashi. Not letting the villagers see him as a hero was one thing, but standing by as they belittled him and ignored him was just as foolish.

 The Third didn't have to be inside Naruto's head to know why the boy had had such a knee-jerk reaction. They've held him down so long he thinks everyone is against him unless they prove otherwise, like Iruka. Even his goal of becoming Hokage isn't really for the good of the village. Naruto just wants to show that everyone was wrong about him. Should he someday be pushed over the edge, anyone in his way might be in serious danger. I'll have to work on that…

 Now and then, when Naruto wasn't acting up, he looked like any normal boy. Right now, he didn't look normal at all. Rage twisted his mouth in a snarl that promised extreme pain for Kiba.

 His opponent wasn't looking, busy meeting up with Akamaru to attack anew. It seemed he'd taken a Soldier Pill like Naruto had predicted, features growing more feral by the minute as the medicine took effect.

 "Akamaru, let's do it! Juujin Bunshin (Beast Human Bunshin)!"

 Smoke billowed again, and when it cleared, two Kibas crouched across from Naruto, ready to attack.

 "What, you're gonna beat me by making me look at your ugly mug twice? Come and get me, you pill-popping junkie!"

 Outwardly angry, Naruto was calmer than ever inside, hoping to make Kiba think he was out of control. Kiba's attacks so far had all been animal-like, and now he looked even less human than before. Apparently, implying that the Soldier Pill was cheating had pushed Kiba closer to the edge. His original plan might be working after all. Now he just had to survive and think of a way to outmaneuver his foe when Kiba lost all rational thought.

 The fanged Genin wasn't going to give him that chance, rushing forward along with the other Kiba (or was it the other way around, with Akamaru was in front?). Naruto dodged one, and then the other Kiba, but with each near miss, his opponent's claws drew closer to ripping him apart. You already know it's not enough to run, and you can't keep this up forever. Try something different!

 Maybe jumping up instead of aside would throw his enemy off. Out of ideas, Naruto tried it out. As soon as he saw the triumphant look on Kiba's face, he knew he'd made a terrible mistake. So much for something different.

 "Juujin Taijutsu Ougi (Beast Human Taijutsu Ultimate Technique)! Gatsuuga (Piercing Fang)!"

 Both Kibas began to spin as they leaped towards him, quickly blurring into twin torpedos of claws and teeth. Naruto barely had time to register the attack before he felt the tearing sensation of his flesh being slashed from head to toe. Leaking blood everywhere, he fell to earth once more, ragged breathing evidence of the damage he'd suffered.

 Kiba taunted Naruto with a derisive laugh as he landed.

 "Some fighter you are! Where's that stupid catchphrase you always use, loser? You think you can still become Hokage with that level of skill? Hell, I'd be a better Hokage than you! Give it up!"

 Yuuhi Kurenai, sensei of Team 8, looked around, startled out of her contemplation of the fight. Had she heard someone scoff at Kiba's taunt?

 "…Fool."

 Kurenai's eyes narrowed as she identified the speaker, chuckling softly to himself. What would Gai know about a Genin who wasn't even under his care?

 "What's so funny, Gai?"

 "Oh, nothing," the taijutsu master replied. "I was just amused at how Kiba keeps sabotaging himself."

 "What're you talking about?"

 Gai nodded down at Naruto, still lying there as Kiba laughed.

 "Naruto-kun has a spirit and will unmatched by any Genin I've seen in this Exam so far, except perhaps our Lee or Neji. The more Kiba-kun insults him, the stronger Naruto's determination becomes, and the harder he'll fight."

 Kurenai shrugged.

 "You talk about willpower, but Naruto's the one lying there all torn up. I'd say our Kiba's progressed far past him."

 "Nothing ever happens without someone's will behind it. If your heart's not in it, if passion is lacking, you'll never be able to accomplish anything. As long as you want it bad enough, you'll find a way to get it. I may not be Naruto-kun's teacher, but from what I've seen and heard of him, I know he's thinking much the same thing.

 "If Kiba were really capable of finishing Naruto off, why would he waste time taunting him? Do you let your Genin gloat over small successes, before their objective is achieved?"

 Kurenai flinched as the other Jounin's reply struck home. Gai was right; Kiba was giving the spiky-haired boy too much time to think of a counter to the Piercing Fang. Against somebody as driven as Naruto seemed to be, that could be a lethal mistake.

 At the railing, Hinata silently agreed with Gai, though she said nothing as usual. Kiba-kun…sure, we're teammates, but you're wrong right now. It's a big mistake to put Naruto's dreams down. He'll only get angrier with you, and want to beat you even more. The real Naruto isn't the loser you say he is…I know it.

 As he had unknowingly proven Sakura right earlier, now Naruto would prove Gai and Hinata right.

 "…you become Hokage? I'd sooner see that jerk Sasuke take the title than have a low-IQ, dog-breath, pill-popping, half-animal jackass like you lord it over this village. Guess I better kick your ass for the good of future shinobi!"

 He staggered to his feet, wiping away the blood that streamed from his head and mouth with one arm. The other, stained dark with drying blood and sweat, hung limply at his side, either broken or useless.

 Kiba laughed again, but there was no mirth in it this time, only cold anger. Launching himself at Naruto again, he beckoned the other Kiba on with a nod of his head.

 "Losers like you just don't know when to quit. I'll do you a favor and shut you down myself!"

 Watching above, Sakura gasped. Naruto had begun running forward, even as the two Kibas started spinning, preparing to use the Piercing Fang. Is he insane? Get out of the way! You can't fight with one arm!

 Shikamaru smirked, seeing the pink-haired girl's distress. Sakura had it all wrong. The faint smile he saw on Naruto's face told the real story. You had a good run, Kiba, but you shoulda finished him off while you had the chance. "That" Naruto isn't standing in front of you anymore.

 The confusion Sakura had felt spread through the audience when Naruto leaped up to meet his opponent's charge, spinning in the opposite direction of the fanged shinobi and his dog-clone. Was Naruto trying to commit suicide? The answer came in the form of a loud, resounding clang.

 "Gatsuuga Hangeki (Piercing Fang Counter)! Henkou Kaiten (Deflection Spin)!"

 "YES!"

 Sakura's exultant shout was just one of the reactions to the sight before everyone's eyes: Kiba and Akamaru's claws had met Naruto's "armor" – the training weights – head on, and been turned aside.

 Neji and Tenten started as their sensei began to clap, applauding the counter move, joined quickly by Lee.

 "Brilliantly done, Naruto-kun!"

 Tenten was in shock. This was the no-account, loser, dead last Naruto she had always heard about?

 "I don't understand…what did he do?"

 Neji answered for Gai and Lee, who were still too busy roaring something about "youth power" to say anything.

 "Naruto must have used the time when Kiba was taunting him to review the Piercing Fang, and figure out where Kiba would try to hit first. When Kiba came at him, he jumped in order to meet the attack. When it came, Naruto positioned one set of weights each to block the first claw or hand attacks from Kiba and Akamaru. The momentum from his counter-spin made the impact even harder on his opponents, like two carts crashing together. Given that it's flesh and bone versus metal, it probably hurts like hell."

 Hyuga Neji wasn't one to look favorably on anybody, least of all a kid who had always been a failure at the Academy. Still, he had to admit Naruto had flair and a good tactical mind…even if his social skills didn't come close to matching his fighting skills. Think I'll have some interesting matches when the real battles begin.

 Kiba wasn't interested in cheering anybody on. He landed gingerly, cradling his right hand and favoring his right leg, Akamaru-Kiba mirroring his actions with opposite limbs.

 "What the hell are you, a robot? Walkin' around with armor all over the place or something…ya loser."

 Naruto ignored the insult and reached up with his left arm, taking off his headband. Tying it slowly to his belt, he threaded his limp right arm through the headband in an improvised sling. When he was done, his reply echoed through the room, and changed more than a few first impressions.

 "LOSER? GIVE UP? Where's the real Kiba and what the #@^#)*% did you do with him?"

 "What're you talking about? I'm as real it gets!"

 "Are you?" Naruto sneered, contempt evident in every word. "I'll tell you what a loser really is, Kiba. A loser bows his head, or bends a knee before the fight's lost or won! A loser gives up when there's still a way to win because he thinks it's impossible, or that he can't do it. A loser taunts his opponent instead of finishing him off because he knows, deep in the back of his mind, that he doesn't have what it takes to win. That's not a shinobi. That's a waste of space!

 "Wanna call me a loser? Kiba, the only way you'll ever earn the right to call Uzumaki Naruto a loser IS IF YOU KILL ME FIRST!"

 Naruto unzipped his jacket slowly, turning to present his undamaged left side to the enemy, and then held his arm out, palm up, unconsciously mimicking Rock Lee's usual stance.

 "You're welcome to try…but don't kid yourself into thinking you can."

* * *

 His original tactic was simple enough, but Naruto had discovered one major flaw in it while he was face down. Say what you like about momentum and using the weights to your advantage. In a straight fight, even if Kiba ain't thinking straight, his reflexes and instincts are still too fast for you to hit him with a knockout blow. At least not without cutting his mobility WAY down.

 His only non-physical weapon was the Naruto Bakudan, but training at home had taught him the bomb jutsu had its limits. The explosion was powerful, but its range was short, perhaps ten feet all around him. Worse, if his opponent had fast enough reflexes, the brief flash and thermal pulse at the beginning of the explosion would be enough warning for them to get clear. If that happens, not only have I not done any damage, I'm running low on chakra.

 How could he do it? With so many distractions during the rest period, he'd had no time to practice better chakra control or modifying the Naruto Bakudan. It's not like I can do the damn thing in steps, or only halfway…

 Or could he? The only thing that came to mind was risky, but he'd be damned if he'd give up just because of a little danger. Not when the prize for winning this fight might be a showdown with Sasuke.

 Who wants to live forever anyway?

* * *

 Ino, silent for most of the fight, was the first to notice it. For something that had looked limp and useless, Naruto's right arm was looking oddly okay, twitching subtly. Is he trying to hide a weapon in there?

 Shikamaru was way ahead of her in his analysis. Couldn't be a throwing weapon; Kiba would just dodge it. And regular weapons wouldn't work either. What's his game?

 Only two people in the room could know for sure, and Rock Lee turned to one of them.

 "Neji, is it just me, or is his arm moving after all?"

 Once more, Hyuga Neji activated his Byakugan, and immediately an unfamiliar look of confusion crossed his face.

 "What's wrong?"

 "He's doing…hand seals? With only one hand?"

 Lee turned to his sensei, the question evident before he even spoke.

 "Gai-sensei, you can't do jutsus with one hand, can you? Every one I've ever seen was with two-handed seals!"

 "That's not necessarily true," the Jounin muttered. Plainly, he too was a little in the dark. "Some advanced bloodlines have inherited techniques that can be done with one hand. I've heard Mist shinobi, for example, have such attacks."

 Tenten silently wondered whether or not blood had anything to do with Naruto's strange behavior. Is this one of the Fourth's jutsus, or something his mother could do?

 Everyone had their theories, but all that mattered was what would happen below, on the field of battle.

 Kiba wasn't going to let Naruto badmouth him forever. Pulling out a handful of shuriken, he and Akamaru charged, intent on planting his opponent six feet under. Sakura, her worries about Naruto forgotten in the heat of this battle, screamed a warning as dog and boy disappeared from view.

 "Naruto! They're going behind you!"

 Kiba, Akamaru and Hayate were the only ones who heard the blonde Genin's quiet reply.

 "Above, below, behind, in front. Makes no difference."

 Charging at full speed, momentum carrying him fully forward, Kiba could only watch in horror as Naruto's "useless" arm whipped out of the headband sling to meet his left hand in a seal.

 Then his vision exploded in a flash of brilliant light, brighter than the sun in the sky, searing one last image of Naruto's back in his mind before his eyesight was replaced by darkness and agonizing pain.

 "AAAARGH!"

 Sakura had seen that final seal before. That meant she was the only one who managed to shield her eyes before the corona of light spread to the rest of the room. As the light faded, she called down to him, voice shaking with uncertainty.

 "Naruto, what was that? That wasn't the bomb you used on the Mist-nins…"

 "Fire Element: Kaitei Naruto Bakudan (Revised Naruto Bomb), Ningen Hoshi no Jutsu (Human Star no Jutsu). Twice the flash, none of the bang."

 "Why is Kiba in so much pain if it's just a big flash bomb?"

 Shikamaru, blinking the afterimages out of his eyes, answered for Naruto.

 "Ever stare straight at the sun? Didn't it make your eyes water if you looked too long? Now imagine looking at light that's ten, maybe a hundred times brighter, directed straight in your eyes at close range. What do you think would happen?"

 Sakura wondered why Naruto hadn't said anything; the reason became clear as she saw her teammate strip off his jacket, winding it around his right hand. His hands came together one more time, in his favorite seal.

 "KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"

 Six Naruto clones emerged, two going to pin down one Kiba and the other four arranging themselves all around the second Kiba.

 "Keep the dog out of this, and send his master my way."

 The first two Naruto clones shoved one Kiba aside, while the other four seized the second Kiba, still stunned from the injury to his eyes, and hurled him toward the real Naruto, who threw a punch as his opponent came near. Naruto's balled-up jacket met Kiba's face with a dull thud, the shoulder weights becoming an impromptu set of brass knuckles. Naruto watched his opponent fall to the ground in a boneless heap.

 "You want to see a loser, Kiba? Just look in the mirror."

 Hayate didn't need to check the fallen Genin to know who'd won.

 "The winner of the second match is Uzumaki Naruto!"

 [You're not one for a quick finish, are you?]

 Naruto looked up to see Itachi scramble up his legs and back onto his shoulder, as he climbed up the stairs.

 "As long as the job gets done, I can take a little pain."

 [I'm sure it had nothing to do with lucking into a stupid opponent who didn't take advantage of your screw-up, right?]

 The spiky-haired Genin stopped dead in his tracks, a big sweatdrop on his head.

 "Har har. Tell anybody about this and I'll never show you to a human girl again, ya mouthy poofball."

 [Hey, I'm just sayin'…]

 He felt, rather than saw, the change in the air, the looks in the eyes that followed him back to the balcony. Some were appreciative, others contemplative. A few might even have been sizing him up for some odd purpose. Naruto had only seen stares like that directed at Sasuke before, and it unnerved him a bit. What, have I turned into a red-eyed jerk?

 Kids will be kids, after all.

* * *

 "Um…Naruto-kun…"

 Pulling his jacket back on, Naruto nearly missed Hinata's soft voice as he passed her. He turned to see the timid girl holding out a tiny jar to him.

 "T-this is for you…"

 "What's in the jar?"

 "It's medicinal cream, Naruto…" Kurenai said slowly. "Just take it."

 "Gee, thanks, Hinata. I'll use it while I'm cheering ya on or something!"

 Naruto sweatdropped again when Hinata went bright red. What'd I say?

 Kurenai watched Naruto and Hinata, going over the fight again in her head. She grudgingly admitted it had been a learning experience. Naruto should have had no chance against Kiba, but he'd proved otherwise. And his last attack…

 For almost any other jutsu, doing half the seals would be useless. But from what I could see, all that technique requires is to focus chakra and then expel it. By only doing seals with one hand, Naruto prevented himself from achieving full power, resulting in a flash, but no explosion. All he had to do was make sure the last seal was two-handed, because it provided the trigger for the technique. By that time, Kiba's momentum was so great he couldn't react to the seal.

 This was not the Naruto she had heard so much about. If anything, this fight struck up a hint of shame in Kurenai. From the start, we're taught never to make assumptions about anything, be it a mission or an opponent. But there I was, assuming Naruto couldn't win. That assumption had cost her student greatly. Kiba would likely be temporarily blind for weeks, maybe months, given his proximity to the flash. Being struck twice in the head with metal-clad kicks and punches might have given him a concussion.

 Kiba had done well against such a strong opponent. Yet he had thrown away every chance Naruto had given him to win, through his overconfidence. That was her fault. I suppose I should thank you, Uzumaki Naruto. Because of you, my Genin will learn not to underestimate anyone or anything…especially someone who's supposed to be "dead last."

 Sometimes the most important lessons are learned from something other than victory. For that, if nothing else, Yuuhi Kurenai would respect the boy she'd been so quick to count out from now on.

 Others felt much the same. The Third Hokage had thought he'd known what to expect from his successor's son, and his surprise was evident. He's got your brains, Arashi, the creativity of a prankster. Goading the enemy into a blind attack, and acting as though he was too unstable to be so cunning. The respect he's dreamed of getting may not be too far off now, eh?

 Sakura had celebrated Naruto's win, but not only because they were teammates. The last taunt that had driven Kiba to attack him only reinforced Setsuna's earlier lesson. As she watched Naruto talk to Hinata, everything Naruto's aunt had said finally clicked.

 Strength without confidence is weakened, like Hinata; confidence without strength will only get you so far, like Kiba. The only way to ever be effective, in battle or otherwise, is to combine the two, as Naruto did.

 Lacking strength and confidence, Sakura's path was clear. Weird or not, lazy or not, taking Uzumaki Setsuna's guidance was probably the only way she would ever become a good shinobi. And if she had to wear some stupid uniform or serve food, well, so be it. Some things you just had to grit your teeth and bear for your own good…a little like having to deal with Naruto, in fact. If she could do that, she could deal with his aunt.

 Being able to deal with her future training was one thing. Sakura's brief moment of determination ended when she heard the sound of the scoreboard above her begin to sort names. To begin training, she had to get through the Chuunin Exam first; no small feat. Would her name come up next?

 Getting things over with wasn't going to be so easy. When the shuffling lights stopped, it was someone else's turn to step up and come to blows.

 Hyuga Neji vs. Hyuga Hinata.

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