Preliminary test over

Chapter 54: Preliminary

Test

Kiba watched Hirohiko climb the

stairs, each step deliberate and heavy. Shinobi standing at the stairs gave

way, their eyes following him, just like Kiba's.

Hirohiko still had a poker face,

but the bright red palm print on his cheek was impossible to miss. Seeing that

mark, everyone could almost hear the sound of that slap again.

Hirohiko really is quite innocent.

Just earlier, he had thrown away his kunai and caught Muzi Kiko—no, it should

be said that Muzi fell into his arms. After using a substitution technique to

get behind her, the distance between them was so close that the hug was just an

instinctive reaction. But Muzi fell unexpectedly, which only added to the

awkward situation.

Hirohiko's hand ended up on Muzi's

slightly developed chest. He didn't expect Muzi's dizziness to be only

momentary; she quickly regained consciousness, felt a strange sensation, and

looked down. Anger flared up in her eyes, and from embarrassment, she slapped

Hirohiko with surprising force. Kiba could tell that Hirohiko's face was

slightly swollen from the impact.

After the slap, Muzi stood up

angrily and stomped off, leaving Hirohiko stunned and the audience completely

silent. However, the Chunin test proctor dutifully announced Hirohiko's

victory.

As Hirohiko approached, Kiba could

still see the confusion in his eyes. It was clear he had no idea what had

triggered Muzi's reaction.

Seeing Hirohiko's nonchalant

expression, it was evident he wasn't too bothered by the slap.

"Let me see." Uzumaki

Kushina pulled Hirohiko closer, examined his face, and with a slight smile,

said, "It's okay. Remember to apply some ointment to reduce the swelling

when you go back."

Kiba couldn't help but chuckle at

the situation. Hirohiko really suffered an unfair blow.

As for Muzi, her emotions were a

mix of anger and panic. Although her face was angry, her eyes kept darting

towards Hyuga Yutaka. The "breast attack" had occurred in front of

the boy she liked, making her even more anxious.

However, Hyuga Yutaka was focused

solely on Hirohiko. When Hirohiko walked to Kiba's side and accepted Uzumaki

Kushina's inspection, Yutaka's eyes turned to Kiba, and uncontrollable anger

flashed in his gaze. Even deeper in his eyes, resentment and hatred simmered.

Taki Kiba!

He seethed inwardly. He didn't pay

any attention to Muzi and stared at Kiba so intently that he didn't notice

Hirohiko's passing glance.

Nozawa Souta, Yutaka's teammate,

tried to comfort Muzi, but she was too lost in her thoughts to respond. The

anger on her face faded, replaced by a look of confusion as she gazed at the

young genius she had slapped. The anger in her heart had evaporated.

"Alright!" Yuriko patted

Kiba's shoulder, signaling he could stand up.

Kiba felt a wave of relief. The

pain was gone, and he was completely recovered. He couldn't help but marvel at

the effectiveness of medical ninjutsu. This injury should have kept him in the

hospital for at least half a month. He didn't expect to recover so quickly.

"Next time, we can't

underestimate the enemy. Those who can take the Chunin exam are not weak,"

Uzumaki Kushina said, walking behind Kiba.

Sensing Uzumaki Kushina's

approach, Kiba instinctively shrank his neck. He felt Uzumaki Kushina raise her

hand behind him, and he expected a punch. Clearly, this was to remind him not

to underestimate the enemy and rely solely on his strength.

Based on his performance, he

expected the punch to land.

But unexpectedly, Uzumaki Kushina

raised her hand and didn't punch. Instead, she pressed Kiba's head, turned him

towards Hyuga Yutaka, bent down, and whispered in his ear, "Your opponent

is this one, you know it."

Kiba was startled, then nodded,

and said, "I know."

"No matter what, you must

defeat him," Uzumaki Kushina said in a low, firm voice.

Kiba was slightly surprised. He

was aware of Hyuga Yutaka's killing intent towards him, so it was natural for

him to pay attention. But why was Kushina so focused on him? He didn't know.

"Before that time..."

Uzumaki Kushina straightened up and murmured, but Kiba only heard the first

half of the sentence, not the rest.

"Next, listen carefully and

observe each of the next opponents. After the first battle, you know there are

no weak players here. You are geniuses who can graduate early, but these people

are also among the best ninjas. Observe carefully. Observing the opponent is

also a necessary quality for a ninja," Uzumaki Kushina said.

"Yes, Sensei Kushina,"

the three responded in unison.

At that moment, the Chunin test

proctor announced the start of the next match...

The first day of the Chunin Exam

concluded with the competition test. Among the participants, Kiba didn't

recognize any familiar characters; they were all new faces.

Sarutobi Asuma, who was similar in

age to Kakashi, Ebisu, and Shiranui Genma, who were in the ninja class with Gai,

did not take the exam. These characters hadn't appeared in the original story.

However, just because they hadn't

appeared didn't mean they weren't strong.

Basically, all the test takers who

appeared, including those before, had unique skills that surpassed the level of

genin, at least at the level of elite chunin.

Uzumaki Kushina was right.

Although these people were unknown in the original story, even Kiba wondered if

they really existed in the Hokage universe. But from what he had seen with his

own eyes, these people, if underestimated, could indeed be formidable

opponents.

Listening to Tsunade announce the

name of the person who would conduct the second test tomorrow, Kiba pondered

silently, then entered a state of deep thought, even ignoring Hyuga Yutaka's

glare.

In this test, he had seen many

fighting styles and techniques. He needed to organize his thoughts, summarize

them, and turn them into valuable experience.

"Okay, tomorrow at nine

o'clock in the morning, at the first practice field, we will conduct the second

trial of the Chunin exam! Get ready!" Tsunade announced.

"Disband!"

Following Tsunade's announcement,

the Sannin left first, followed by the Jonin. Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki

Kushina also departed.

The test participants left the

first indoor practice field with varying feelings of disappointment,

excitement, or nervousness.

"I'll go home and apply the

medicine," Hirohiko said to them as they left the practice field together.

The palm prints on his face were still glowing, clearly causing pain.

"I also want to go back and

report the test results to my father," Hyuga Yukina added.

"Alright, let's go,"

Kiba replied, watching the two leave.

As everyone dispersed, Kiba found

himself standing alone outside the practice field.

"I should go and check on

Gai's condition," Kiba thought. He decided to walk towards Konoha

Hospital, still worried that he might have struck too hard during their fight.