Chapter 93 - Doubt of the Lowest Level

Naruto sat quietly at the end of a long table, idly poking at his food, his mind elsewhere. Around him, the rest of his friends were caught up in conversation, but his attention was half-focused on Kiba's animated voice as he recounted his latest exploits.

"—and then, bam! I sent that guy flying right out of the ring! Didn't even break a sweat," Kiba said, leaning back with a smug grin, arms crossed over his chest. Akamaru, perched on his shoulder, barked in agreement.

Naruto glanced up, his gaze shifting to Kiba, who seemed to be enjoying the attention from the small crowd gathered around him. "Seriously, undefeated in the fight club. No one there can touch me."

"Who exactly have you been fighting?" Shikamaru's voice cut through the conversation, his tone dry and uninterested. He was leaning back in his seat, arms crossed, his head propped against one hand, eyes half-lidded as if he'd rather be anywhere else.

Kiba frowned, his confident demeanor faltering slightly. "What do you mean? I've been fighting anyone who steps up."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, his expression flat. "Yeah, but it's all underclassmen, right? I mean, the whole club is just a bunch of kids looking to show off. You're basically just beating up academy students who can barely hold their own in a spar."

Kiba's jaw tightened. "Hey, it's not like that! Some of those guys are actually pretty tough. I'm just better."

Shikamaru sighed, looking up at the ceiling as if he could find patience there. "What a drag… You're going around acting like a big shot because you can knock around some kids who don't know better. You're not proving anything."

The table quieted, a few students nearby turning to listen as Kiba's frustration grew. His hands clenched into fists on the table. "If you think it's so easy, why don't you come down there tonight and fight me, huh?"

Shikamaru snorted, shaking his head slowly. "No thanks. Waste of time. I've got better things to do than getting dragged into some pointless brawl just to boost your ego."

Kiba's face reddened, his eyes flashing with irritation. "You scared or something? Come on, Shikamaru. Show up and let's see what you've got."

Shikamaru shrugged lazily. "Not scared. Just don't see the point in going to prove something I don't care about."

Kiba opened his mouth to retort, but then his gaze shifted to Naruto, sitting quietly at the end of the table. "Naruto was there. He knows what it's like. Right, Naruto?"

Naruto looked up, blinking as the sudden attention turned to him. He hesitated, glancing between Kiba and Shikamaru. "Uh, yeah… I was there."

Kiba leaned forward, a gleam in his eyes. "You've seen the kind of fights I've had. Tell Shikamaru how good it is down there. The guy who gave me the toughest fight—who was he again?"

Naruto's grip tightened around his chopsticks. For a moment, he thought about brushing it off, about saying something vague, but Kiba's expectant look, the curiosity in the eyes of the others around the table, pushed him to answer honestly.

"It was Tanjiro's younger brother. Kenjiro."

The words seemed to hang in the air, the chatter around them fading into a strange, sudden silence. Kiba's grin slipped, his expression shifting to something more serious, more thoughtful.

Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly, his lazy demeanor tightening as he straightened in his seat, studying Naruto carefully.

"Tanjiro's brother?" Shikamaru repeated, his voice low, almost questioning.

Naruto nodded slowly, his gaze dropping back to his plate. "Yeah. He's been fighting there a lot. I didn't realize who he was at first."

The table remained quiet, the weight of the revelation settling over them. Even Kiba, usually so quick to speak, seemed at a loss for words. 

Before anyone could say more, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. The students around them began to gather their things, the noise level rising again as everyone prepared to head to their next class.

...

Naruto moved around his small apartment, packing gear into a plain, worn backpack. His movements were quick, methodical—kunai, a few ration bars, extra shuriken, all disappearing into the pack. Finally, he pulled on a dark jacket, slipping the backpack over his shoulder, and took a deep breath.

The village was quiet as he slipped out of his building and onto the streets. Above him, cars glided silently through the sky, their lights cutting through the night like moving stars. The faint hum of their engines blended with the distant murmur of the village, the occasional neon sign flickering softly against the shadows.

Naruto kept his head low, his steps quick and light as he moved through the alleys, avoiding the main roads. He passed under the elevated highways where vehicles zipped by, casting brief flashes of light and shadow over the rooftops. The air was crisp, a cool breeze carrying the faint scent of rain.

He left the village outskirts behind, the glow of the city fading as he ventured deeper into the forest that stretched beyond Konoha's borders. The trees loomed tall and dark around him, their branches swaying gently overhead. The only sounds were his own footsteps and the rustling of leaves, the quiet of the woods enveloping him as he pressed on.

After a while, he spotted them—a group gathered in a small clearing, their shapes barely visible in the shadows. As he drew closer, he could make out the figures more clearly. They were covered in dark cloaks, hoods pulled low, but even from a distance, Naruto could see the uneven outlines beneath the fabric, the way some limbs twisted unnaturally.

He approached cautiously, his eyes scanning the group. Some of them had their faces partially exposed, and what he saw made his stomach tighten. Skin marred by dark, bulbous growths, eyes too large or too small, fingers elongated and thin like claws. Disfigurements that marked them as something beyond human.

The short leader of the mutants stepped forward, his silhouette unmistakable even in the gloom. His cloak hung loosely around his hunched frame, his face mostly hidden by shadows, but there was a sharpness to his movements that gave away his keen attention.

"Naruto," the leader greeted, his voice smooth but with a forced cheerfulness, a veneer of politeness that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You made it. I was beginning to wonder if you'd show."

Naruto nodded curtly, his expression neutral. "I said I would, didn't I?"

The leader's smile widened, though it looked more like a baring of teeth. "Of course. We're glad to have you with us tonight. It's not often we get... visitors." His eyes flicked over Naruto, appraising. "It's a big step, joining us out here. I'm sure it took some courage."

Naruto met his gaze steadily, not rising to the bait. "What's the plan?"

The leader tilted his head slightly, his smile never wavering. "Straight to business. I can respect that." He gestured to the group behind him. "We're just waiting for a few more... preparations to be made. Then we'll head out. I'll explain everything once we're ready."

Naruto gave a short nod, his eyes flicking over the mutants gathered around. He could feel their stares, some curious, others wary. The air was thick, the kind that sat heavy in the chest. But he kept his face impassive, refusing to let anything show.

"Until then," the leader continued, his voice taking on a faintly condescending tone, "why don't you make yourself comfortable? It's going to be a long night."

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