Naruto had officially given up on puppets.
After his chakra threads nearly turned the ship into a floating fireworks factory (and accidentally gave Lee a second haircut), he decided puppetry just wasn't his thing.
"I'm too awesome for strings anyway," Naruto grinned, stretching on the deck like a lazy cat. "Let's do something cooler. Like monster fishing."
And by monster fishing, he meant hunting kaiju-sized sea beasts with his bare hands.
Because of course he did.
So Naruto dove off the ship, splashed into the endless blue, and mid-air transformed into a massive chakra-reinforced killer whale.
Black-and-white, sleek and deadly, chakra surging from his fins like jetstreams.
"Let's go, Laboon!" he called in a voice that came out like a whale's battle-cry.
The giant whale answered with a deep, booming song that probably translated to: Bring it on, shrimp.
And the hunt was on.
Together, the two black-and-white titans swam like torpedoes through the ocean depths, chasing down beasts the size of warships. Naruto used his water element to shape tidal blades and slicing currents, while Laboon relied on sheer brute force — body slams that made the sea tremble.
Above deck, Choji set up a massive cooking station like he was about to feed an army. He grinned, sharpening a cleaver the size of a car door.
"Bring me something chewy!" he shouted over the waves.
Naruto took that as a challenge.
He created shadow clones in the water — each one sprouting a dorsal fin and zooming off to scout prey. Thanks to clone-training, he had long since mastered every element, but underwater, wind was less useful. So Naruto adapted, blending water chakra with animal instinct, fighting like a shark crossed with a ninja.
Still, the real surprise came when Kiba dove into the action.
"Oi! No fair ganging up on Laboon!" he yelled, hopping onto the whale's back like it was a surfboard.
He pressed a hand to Laboon's skin and channeled chakra directly into him.
Laboon surged forward, eyes gleaming with renewed strength.
Naruto, currently chasing a sea-serpent the size of a bullet train, looked back and grinned. "Oh-ho? You teaming up now?"
"You're not the only sea hunter around!" Kiba smirked. "Let's see who feeds Choji better!"
And for a moment, it was just fun. Whales breaching, chakra splashing, giant seafood being flung onto the ship where Choji whooped with joy and yelled for seasoning.
Then they saw it.
Everything stilled.
Even Laboon stopped moving.
From the shadows of a trench rose a creature straight out of a prehistoric nightmare.
A sea king so big it made Laboon look like a bathtub rubber ducky. Its scales glinted dark green, its mouth packed with serrated fangs the size of spears.
Its eyes — cold, yellow, ancient — locked onto Laboon.
And it licked its lips.
Naruto's whale eyes widened. "Uh-oh."
Kiba cursed. "That's not dinner. That's a boss monster."
The mosasaurus-like behemoth let out a low rumble that shook the ocean floor and slowly, hungrily, began swimming toward them.
The island of Little Garden loomed just over the horizon.
And their appetizer just turned into a final boss.
----------------------
Naruto saw the sea king rise — a wall of wet, prehistoric muscle — and grinned like a kid seeing his birthday cake punch someone in the face.
The thing radiated life force like a forest spirit on steroids. It looked like it could level a mountain just by belly flopping into it. Naruto's inner battle maniac practically clapped.
"Hmm. Nice," he muttered. Then, totally serious, he turned to Kiba.
"You got this, right?"
Kiba blinked. "Wait, what?"
Naruto gave a thumbs-up and a casual backflip into the water, leaving only a splash and the sound of Laboon nervously humming.
Kiba looked at the mosasaurus. It opened its mouth, revealing rows of nightmare-inducing teeth. His nose twitched. His survival instincts yelled RUN.
His ego yelled louder.
"Akamaru!" he shouted.
From the waves, Akamaru sprinted toward him like a white blur on water, chakra holding his paws steady. He skidded to a stop beside Kiba, already glowing with power.
"Buddy," Kiba muttered, "we're either legends or lunch."
Akamaru barked, the kind of bark that translated to Let's make sushi out of that thing.
"Guys, we're jumping the fool," Kiba said, crouching low as claws burst from his fingers, his back hunching, body transforming.
His eyes narrowed into glowing slits. His face shifted into something primal — part man, part beast, all attitude.
Akamaru grew — 12 meters tall, fur glowing crimson, chakra flaring like a bonfire. Even the ocean seemed to back away a little.
And Laboon?
Gentle Laboon — with his singing and ship-pushing and general whale-y innocence — snapped.
A wild glint hit his eye. His mouth stretched into a jagged grin. Rows of sharp teeth unfolded like nature had finally reminded him: oh yeah, you're a whale.
"What did you guys do to Laboon?" Naruto's voice crackled through a water clone that floated nearby, munching on some takoyaki like he was watching a movie.
Kiba didn't answer. His chakra spiked.
All three beasts—Kiba, Akamaru, and Laboon—charged the sea king like a furry torpedo squad.
The mosasaurus let out a guttural roar that turned waves into tsunamis.
But Kiba wasn't scared anymore.
He was Inuzuka.
And this was a pack hunt.
---------------------------
The mosasaurus let out a screech that made the ocean surface ripple like it was afraid. Kiba, Akamaru, and Laboon weren't impressed.
"Alright, big guy," Kiba growled, crouched low on Akamaru's back. "Time to turn you into sashimi."
With a synchronized roar and bark, Kiba and Akamaru launched.
Fang Over Fang—a jutsu so fast it looked like a blender on steroids. The two spun like twin drills, wind chakra wrapped around them in glowing coils, turning them into literal rotating spears of doom. The air whistled as the pressure cut through it like a banshee's scream.
They slammed into the mosasaurus's side, wind-enhanced claws tearing through scales the size of dinner plates.
But the sea king wasn't just a giant fish with an attitude. It was a tank.
It tanked the hit.
With a flick of its massive tail, it sent a shockwave through the ocean. Kiba and Akamaru got launched, their spiraling forms corkscrewing through the sky before crashing into the sea like rogue torpedoes. Kiba barely managed to grab Akamaru mid-air, flipping to protect his partner before splashing into the waves.
Laboon moved.
The once-docile whale dove deep, bubbles boiling around him as chakra churned the water. Then—BOOM!—he rocketed upward, crashing into the mosasaurus from below like a living submarine, sending it lurching into the air.
The beast thrashed, twisting like a monstrous eel. The ship bobbed wildly in the distance, and somewhere Naruto's clone shouted, "HEY! Don't scratch the paint!"
Kiba popped up from the surf, panting, soaked, and with a black eye forming. "Akamaru, round two?"
Akamaru barked, glowing with red chakra.
"Yeah. Me too."
They launched again, their bodies spinning even faster this time, slicing through sea spray and wind. This time, they didn't aim for the same spot—they zigzagged, harassing the creature's underbelly while Laboon circled, shoving the monster back up whenever it tried to dive.
The mosasaurus roared and twisted midair, slamming its tail like a spiked club.
BOOM!
Kiba took the hit, grunted, and went flying. He ricocheted off Laboon's side and then smashed into the ship's deck, leaving a ninja-shaped crater in the wood.
"Ugh…" he groaned. "...Tell my clan I died doing something stupid."
Akamaru swam up beside him, howling defiantly at the monster.
The sea king turned to finish them off—its mouth opened wide, ready to make a Kiba-Akamaru sandwich.
But Laboon wasn't having it.
The whale rose up, chakra spiraling from his blowhole like a geyser, and body slammed the monster mid-lunge, knocking it off-balance and giving Kiba a precious second.
"Round three," Kiba spat, blood running from his lip. "We're not done!"
With another spin, the duo went full throttle, carving an X into the monster's shoulder as it screamed.
The battle raged on — water turned white with foam, the air shook with each impact, and the crew aboard the ship watched with wide eyes and popcorn in hand.
Because honestly?
This was better than anything on the Den Den Mushi broadcast.
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If disappointment had a face, it would've been Naruto's right then—palms glued to his face like he was trying to crush the memory of Kiba's performance out of his skull.
Asuma stood with his arms crossed, a lit cigarette dangling from his lips that somehow hadn't been extinguished despite the sea spray. He watched Kiba and Akamaru bounce off the mosasaurus for the third time like soggy chew toys. Finally, he let out a long, tragic sigh—like the kind a teacher gives when their student shows up to class without pants again.
He walked over to Tenten, who was fidgeting with a rack of gear like a ninja garage sale.
"You got claw gauntlets?" he asked casually.
Tenten blinked. "Yeah, but they're not exactly beginner—"
Asuma was already tossing them. "Perfect."
Kiba caught the gear mid-air, barely avoiding being beaned in the face. "Huh?!"
"Focus the wind on the claws," Asuma said, his voice as flat as Naruto's expression. "Really focus. You've been slapping that wind chakra on like it's butter on toast. You want to cut something tougher than a sandwich? Sharpen it. Condense it."
Kiba blinked, and Akamaru whimpered like even he felt called out.
"Look, your speed is fine. You guys hit harder than most chūnin. But that sea king? It's basically a mountain with teeth. Your chakra output should be ripping steel, not tickling it."
Naruto muttered into his hands, "I told him this three months ago…"
Kiba flushed. The crew was watching. Even Laboon was side-eyeing him. Laboon. A whale.
He grumbled under his breath. "Fine. Time to stop holding back…"
He strapped on the clawed gauntlets. They gleamed in the sun like they were hungry.
For a moment, Kiba considered going full Cerberus Mode—three heads, three mouths, no chill. But honestly? That might have been a little much. They were still within view of the ship's snack bar.
Instead, he took a deep breath, poured more chakra into Akamaru, into his claws, until the gauntlets howled with wind. The air shimmered around them like a heat mirage, vibrating from the sheer pressure. Akamaru barked, his fur crackling with energy, red chakra radiating in waves.
"Alright, Akamaru—storm style!"
They launched like missiles.
Two howling demons made of fur, fangs, and wind chakra. They zipped past each other, their rotations synchronized like twin drills on a warpath. The mosasaurus opened its jaws to roar—
Too slow.
One clawed Kiba carved into its right side.
Akamaru tore through its left.
Wind screamed. Flesh split. Blood sprayed—
EVERYWHERE.
The sea king didn't even have time to process the betrayal by the food chain. Kiba and Akamaru met in the middle, crossing in the air like an "X" made of fury and chakra, and drilled straight through the monster.
It shrieked as it was lifted into the sky, bleeding like a fountain over the deck. The crew screamed and ducked. Naruto made a water clone just to hold up a giant paper umbrella. Choji caught a drop on his tongue and muttered, "Tastes like tuna…"
The mosasaurus hit the water with a splash so big, it could've passed for a tsunami's evil cousin.
Kiba and Akamaru landed on the deck in crouched poses—wind still spiraling around their claws, blood dripping like red paint.
"Barbarian status: confirmed," Asuma muttered, finally cracking a smile. "Good job, dog-boy."
Kiba looked up, panting. "We done?"
Naruto grinned. "Almost. Someone's gotta clean that mess."
Kiba groaned. "Please let that be a clone job."
---------------------
Kiba had barely caught his breath when he heard it—the cold, ominous sound of someone clearing their throat like they were about to deliver judgment from Mount Olympus.
He turned.
Neji stood there, drenched in blood.
Not his blood. Monster blood. Fishy, warm, and absolutely rank. His usually pristine white robes now looked like a Jackson Pollock painting gone horribly wrong. His hair dripped like wet seaweed, and his eyes… oh, they weren't just Byakugan—they were Byaku-gone-murderous.
"Who…" Neji's voice was so calm it was terrifying, "slipped me?"
Kiba opened his mouth.
Neji raised one elegant eyebrow.
Kiba closed it again.
Behind them, Naruto definitely did not whistle innocently while a clone quietly erased a suspicious banana peel off the deck. No one said a word about the suspicious trail of ramen broth leading to the scene.
Neji's eye twitched. Then, without warning, he pressed two fingers against Kiba's shoulder.
"Hey, wait—"
Tap.
The chakra seal hit him like a boulder. Kiba's entire system froze, like someone had just unplugged his battery mid-battle. His arms flailed.
"Hey! I can't move my chakra! What did you—?!"
Neji handed him a mop.
"I sealed your chakra pathways," he said with the emotionless finality of a vending machine refunding your coins out of pity. "You get it back when this ship stops smelling like the inside of a whale's stomach."
"But—!"
"And don't even think about summoning a clone."
Kiba gaped.
Akamaru whimpered and curled under a chair like he didn't want to be next.
Neji turned away, muttering, "White robes. White robes, Naruto."
From the crow's nest, Naruto casually swung a leg and hollered down, "Hey Neji! Love the new 'bloody samurai' look. Real intimidation vibes!"
Neji didn't respond. But Kiba was ninety percent sure the air itself just got colder.
An hour later, Kiba was scrubbing the deck with all the enthusiasm of a grounded teenager cleaning the family garage. His mop clanked against a chakra cannon. His back ached. His soul wept.
"Next time," he muttered, glaring at a seagull, "I'm using Cerberus Mode. And I'm aiming for Naruto."
From below deck, Choji yelled, "Kiba! You missed a scale stuck to the railing!"
Kiba groaned. "I miss when we just did D-rank missions…"
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The sun glistened on the freshly scrubbed deck of the Azure Gale, gleaming like a new blade, thanks to one grumbling Kiba and his chakra-sealed punishment mop. The crew lounged about, enjoying the breeze, blissfully unaware of the rising storm brewing in the form of one very dignified Hyuga.
Neji appeared at the center of the deck like a ghost conjured by rage and too much dignity. His robes were clean again, hair immaculate, posture regal. But his smile—that wide, serene, saintly smile—spelled doom more than any angry shout ever could.
"Captain Naruto," he called out gently, like he was inviting him to a tea ceremony rather than violence.
Naruto, who was busy throwing breadcrumbs at Laboon, turned. "Yo?"
Neji's hands were folded politely behind his back.
"Let's spar."
"Cool, we can do a team battle—me and Shadow Clone no. 3 versus—"
"No." Neji's smile widened.
Naruto blinked. "No…?"
"No jutsu. No clones. No weapons. No seals. Just… fists." He tilted his head like a kindly librarian who was about to throw someone out the window for dog-earing a book. "I believe the crew would appreciate seeing their captain's skills in their purest form."
Hinata gasped softly from the sidelines. Tenten choked on her water. Even Kankuro peeked out from a hammock and muttered, "Oh no. He's pulling the 'gentle monster' act."
Naruto scratched his head, grinning. "You're seriously mad about the fish blood thing?"
Neji just stood there.
Gaara, sipping cactus juice, murmured, "He's not mad. He's… polite."
That scared Naruto more.
"Alright," Naruto said, cracking his knuckles. "No powers. Just good old taijutsu. You sure, Neji? You know I don't hold back, right?"
"I insist." Neji bowed slightly. "And don't worry—I won't break too many bones."
A few of the crew gathered around, whispering like fans watching a live pay-per-view match. Lee had set up a chalkboard with scores for "Neji's Noble Smackdown" vs. "Naruto's Unfair Luck." Bets were being placed. Hinata wasn't sure who to cheer for. Kiba shouted "Kick his teeth in!" while still scrubbing blood off the anchor.
They stepped into the center ring—a drawn circle painted with ramen stains and pride.
Naruto and Neji faced off.
One smiling like a monk.
The other grinning like a prankster who knew he was about to get wrecked and was still excited.
No powers.
No mercy.