As Naruto stepped out of the bookstore, he let out a quiet sigh and stretched his arms high above his head, the book he'd just bought tucked snugly under one arm.
The afternoon sun was warm on his skin, and for once, the village felt calm. Peaceful.
Just as he was about to head home, he spotted three familiar figures walking toward him.
A wide grin spread across his face. "Oi! Kiba!" he called out, waving enthusiastically.
Kiba turned his head, hands shoved casually into his pockets, with Akamaru resting atop his head like a fluffy crown.
His brows furrowed when he saw the masked figure waving at him.
"Who… are you?" Kiba asked, blinking.
Naruto's arm slowly dropped. His grin faltered. "Seriously? Kiba, you don't recognize me?"
Shino tilted his head slightly, his pale lenses glinting under the sun as he inspected Naruto silently. His silence spoke volumes: he didn't know either.
'Who the heck is this guy?' both Kiba and Shino thought.
Just before the awkward silence could stretch further, Hinata stepped forward hesitantly. Her cheeks were tinged pink as she glanced toward Naruto.
"K-Kiba… that's Naruto-kun," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Naruto's grin exploded back onto his face. "See? Hinata knows what's up! You two are fake friends. Can't even recognize your own classmate!"
Kiba sputtered. "F-Fake friend?! You're wearing a mask! And—wait, are those normal clothes?!"
It was true. Naruto wasn't wearing his signature orange jumpsuit.
Instead, he wore a plain dark-blue shirt, loose black pants, and open sandals.
He looked… like a regular villager. And with the black mask covering his face, he was almost unrecognizable.
"Heh… yeah," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head. "I just bought these yesterday. Figured it was time for a change. As for the mask… well, I thought it looked kinda cool."
Kiba crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. "You just felt like it? You're not secretly hiding a giant pimple or something, are you?"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "No! I'm just keeping a low profile lately."
Kiba raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you keep a low profile?"
Before Naruto could respond, Shino finally spoke. "It's… unexpected. But not illogical. Altering appearance can provide strategic advantage."
Naruto blinked. "Uh… thanks? I think?"
Kiba then noticed the book tucked under Naruto's arm and pointed at it. "Okay, but seriously—what's with that? Since when do you carry books around?"
Naruto puffed up his chest dramatically. "Hmph! What do you know? Sages like me love to study. For me, learning is infinite and boundless! Knowledge is power!"
A long, awkward silence followed.
Kiba and Shino stared at him, dumbfounded. They genuinely wondered if Naruto had been hit in the head… hard.
Kiba was even starting to suspect that this was an imposter.
But then Naruto deflated slightly, looking away. "Well… I read something cool at the library the other day. Got me curious."
"So when I passed by the bookstore, I thought I'd check it out… and I found something interesting," he added, patting the cover of the book with a small smile.
Kiba's face relaxed. Now that sounded more like the Naruto he knew. And judging by the book cover, it looked more like a story than some deep academic text.
"Okay, that's fair," Kiba said, nodding. "I was about to lose my mind imagining you studying math or something."
He stepped closer and lowered his voice, glancing over his shoulder. "Hey… does it have romance?"
Shino's mouth twitched slightly, though he pretended not to listen.
Naruto blinked. "Romance? What's that?"
Kiba stared. "…Is this guy real?"
He clutched his head dramatically. You shameless idiot—you used the Harem Jutsu on Iruka-sensei! And now you're asking me what romance is?!
"Forget it, Naruto," Kiba said flatly, turning away. "You've ruined the mood."
Naruto tilted his head, clearly still confused. "Huh? Did I say something weird?"
Kiba quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, hey—wanna head to the training ground? We were about to get some practice in."
Naruto lit up. "Yeah! For sure! But I need to drop this book off at home first."
"Fine, fine. Just don't take forever," Kiba said, already thinking of sparring drills they could try.
Five minutes later, Naruto returned, still in his new clothes but empty-handed now.
"Whoa, that was fast."
"Told you I'd be quick," Naruto said proudly. "Let's go!"
After Naruto returned, the group made their way through the village streets, chatting casually as they headed toward one of the nearby training grounds.
Training Ground 26.
It was quiet and empty today, the breeze gently rustling the grass and trees at the edge of the open field.
The sun hung high, casting warm light over the wide clearing—perfect for a spar.
"Looks like we got lucky," Kiba said, stretching his arms with a grin. "No one else here today."
Naruto looked around with wide eyes, then turned to Kiba. "So what are we gonna train in?"
Kiba tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Let's go with taijutsu. We haven't brawled in a while, and I could use the practice."
"Nice!" Naruto said, pumping a fist. "I've been itching for a good fight."
As the two of them moved to the center of the field, Shino and Hinata silently separated, heading to the far sides of the ground to begin their own individual training.
Naruto and Kiba took their positions across from each other, a few meters apart. The air between them felt still now, charged with the excitement of an oncoming clash.
Akamaru barked softly from the sidelines, watching his partner with an eager gaze.
Both boys lowered their stances, feet steady, fists raised.
They might not be masters, but they knew each other's moves from all their scuffles during academy days.
This wasn't just a spar—it was a friendly rivalry.
Naruto narrowed his eyes, a grin spreading behind the mask. "Ready when you are."
Kiba smirked. "Don't hold back now."
The wind blew between them once more, marking the start of the fight.