The Chunin Exam preliminaries were in full swing. While the duel between Sakura and Ino wasn't as flashy as Kanon or Sasuke's matches, their display of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and chakra control earned a nod of approval from Kakashi and the other Jonin.
"Kanon, where do you think Sakura's advantage lies?" Kakashi asked.
"Her chakra control is superior to both mine and my brother's," Kanon answered bluntly.
"Indeed. If Sakura can evade the Yamanaka clan's signature Mind Transfer Jutsu, her chances of winning are high," Kakashi observed.
The battle that followed was a grueling, neck-and-neck struggle. However, the fight dragged on so long that both girls were eventually caught in the Mind Transfer Jutsu's aftermath. Both lost consciousness simultaneously and were double-disqualified.
The next match saw Temari face Tenten. Although Tenten was a master of ninja tools, Temari's Giant Folding Fan and large-scale Wind Release jutsu gave her a total advantage, securing her victory.
Immediately after, Shikamaru outsmarted the Sound Ninja Kin Tsuchi to claim his win. As Kin and Shikamaru's match concluded, the name on the electronic board made Kanon look at Naruto with nervous anticipation.
The next contenders were: Naruto Uzumaki vs. Kiba Inuzuka!
"It's me! Finally! Sorry to keep you waiting, everybody!" Naruto shouted, practically vibrating with excitement.
Kiba was equally fired up. He gave Akamaru's head a rough rub and laughed loudly. "Talk about luck! We've got a guaranteed win against this guy! Right, Akamaru?"
"Kanon, Sakura, I'm going in!" Naruto yelled to the girls.
"Good luck, Naruto!" Sakura cheered as he prepared to head down.
Kanon stepped in front of him and raised her slender hand, clenched into a fist. Naruto grinned and met her gesture, bumping his fist against hers.
"Show me what you've got, future Hokage," Kanon said with a radiant smile.
"Leave it to me! Here I go!" Naruto gave a loud shout and leaped into the arena, landing in front of Kiba.
For many in the room, their perception of Naruto was still stuck on the "dead last" from the Academy, the boy who couldn't even perform a basic Transformation Jutsu. But Kanon, Kakashi, and Sakura knew better. They knew Naruto had grown significantly stronger; he was no longer the failure of the past.
Even Iruka, watching from the stands, shook his head helplessly.
"Look at how excited he is..." Sakura laughed softly, turning to Kanon. "Kanon, why are you so sure he's going to win?"
Kanon tilted her head slightly at Sakura's question, then answered softly, "There is no 'why.' He's my best friend."
The answer clearly stunned Sakura. She turned back to the arena and screamed, "Naruto! Don't you dare lose to him!"
Kakashi's gaze was also fixed on the boy below. He's finally up...
Kurenai Yuhi watched Kiba and Naruto, thinking to herself, Naruto, huh? I'm sorry, Kakashi, but he can't beat Kiba.
Hinata desperately wanted to cheer for Naruto, but being on the same team as Kiba put her in an agonizing position. Ultimately, she chose to stay silent.
Kakashi walked over to Kanon and asked casually, "Kanon, how do you think Naruto should win this fight? Or rather, if you were in his place, how would you win?"
"The Inuzuka clan's hearing and sense of smell are far superior to the average person, basically canine-level. Their instincts are also higher than normal," Kanon analyzed seriously. "To beat an Inuzuka, you have to suppress them with Genjutsu or Taijutsu, or target their sense of smell. If it were me, I could end this in an instant."
Sakura barely understood the analysis, but Guy and Kakashi leaned in with interest.
"End it in an instant? How?" Guy asked.
Kanon flashed a peace sign and whispered to the two Jonin, "Use the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu to force him into a central position, then finish it with the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu."
The two men froze. Imagining dozens of Kanons surrounding Kiba and pelting him with a lethal storm of shuriken made their mouths twitch. That was brutal; he'd be turned into a pincushion.
While they discussed tactics, the fight in the arena reached a fever pitch. Both Naruto and Kiba were spitting blood. Naruto took a heavy hit from Kiba's Fang Over Fang and collapsed to the ground.
Sakura's heart sank, fearing the worst. Kakashi shook his head, prepared to accept Naruto's defeat. He fought hard, but he still needs more training.
Only Kanon remained calm, staring down at the fallen Naruto. Sakura and Kakashi looked at her in confusion, seeing a look of "expectation" on her face. In fact, she was actually smiling.
"Naruto! Get up!" Kanon roared.
At the sound of her voice, Naruto's mind flashed to his dream of becoming Hokage, and to Kanon, the one person who truly believed in him. He gritted his teeth, his fists trembling as his body fought to rise.
"I'm the man who's gonna be Hokage... I won't fall here!!!"
"You, Hokage? You're weaker than I am! If anyone's gonna be Hokage, it's gonna be me!" Kiba mocked, looking down at the boy on the floor.
As Kiba laughed, Naruto remembered everyone at the Academy who had ridiculed him. He remembered the one girl who believed in him, the first person to ever acknowledge him.
Kiba stood with hands on his hips, scoffing, "You know you'll never make it, you're just acting tough! Hahaha!"
As he laughed, Naruto forced his body up.
"I won't fall... until I become Hokage!!!"
Seeing him stand, Sakura leaped up in joy. Even Kakashi felt a surge of pride. Is this your willpower, Naruto?
In the center of the arena, seeing Kiba's mocking posture, Naruto decided to unleash his new secret move.
"Kiba, come at me! I'm gonna show you my new jutsu!" Naruto shouted, as much to bolster his own spirit as to challenge his opponent.
"Oh? Sounds interesting. Not gonna happen!" Kiba coated himself in chakra and lunged forward like a wild beast.
As Naruto prepared his move, Kiba closed the distance instantly, circling around to Naruto's blind spot.
"Take this!"
In the ninja world, exposing your back to an opponent usually meant the end. Everyone held their breath. Naruto thought he was finished—Kiba appearing behind him was a total surprise.
In a moment of pure desperation, Naruto accidentally let out a massive fart.
Kiba, currently using his Beast Human Clone techniques, had concentrated chakra in his nose to heighten his sense of smell to an extreme degree. The sudden, concentrated stench hit him like a physical blow. His face twisted in agony, and he collapsed, clutching his nose.
Kanon turned red and lowered her head. She had expected a powerful new technique, and instead... this.
Sakura and the others were dumbfounded. Kakashi offered a dry analysis: "High speed, sensitive smell... his feral fighting style actually backfired on him. It was an accident, but he truly is the No. 1 Unpredictable Ninja."
Kanon and Sakura snapped out of it and screamed, "Naruto, now's your chance!" "Go, Naruto!"
Kiba was defenseless. Naruto wasn't about to waste the opening.
"Time for you to taste my new special move!"
Naruto performed his signature Shadow Clone Jutsu, creating four clones. The five Narutos surrounded the pained Kiba. One Naruto stepped forward, punching Kiba into the air.
The original Naruto used one of the clones as a springboard, launching himself skyward. The other three clones kicked the flying Kiba even higher.
"U... Zu... Ma... Ki..."
Kiba's body soared helplessly, where the original Naruto was already waiting! He spun in mid-air and used the momentum to deliver a crushing downward heel-drop.
The heavy blow drove Kiba into the ground. Kiba spat a mouthful of blood and lost consciousness.
"Naruto Barrage!"
Shikamaru and the others were speechless. Kanon wore a triumphant smile; she had never doubted him.
Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle as he deconstructed Naruto's "new" move. "A new jutsu, huh? It's basically the move Sasuke just used... he even copied the name."
Standing over the unconscious Kiba, Naruto felt a wave of complex emotions. Hayate Gekko moved in quickly to declare the result.
"The winner: Naruto Uzumaki!"