"Forget it. You wouldn't understand even if I explained." Naruto stretched lazily. "By the way, Kurama, do tailed beasts have genders?"
"Why are you asking that?" Nine-Tails shot Naruto a sidelong glance.
"Just curious."
Nine-Tails had originally disdained talking to Naruto, but remembering that this human had just wanted to improve its living conditions, it gave him an extra explanation.
"We are manifestations of chakra. Strictly speaking, we have no gender."
"Then why are you a male fox?"
"This old man..." Nine-Tails was rendered speechless and no longer wanted to deal with Naruto.
"Then why don't you turn into a cute fox girl with animal ears?" Naruto's curiosity exploded as he proposed a path Nine-Tails had never considered.
"ROAR—!!!! GET LOST!"
"Damn! Nine-Tails is so fierce!" Naruto opened his eyes on the cool, moss-covered stone steps and sat up abruptly, fuming. "I was just curious! If it doesn't want to transform, it's not like I want to see it anyway!"
"Pah!"
With a faintly regretful sigh, Naruto stood and looked toward the central tower.
I should still go in and take a look. Even if I'm not participating, I'm still worried. This additional exam seems to be a one-on-one combat selection, and the opponents aren't chosen randomly at all—it's completely opaque, decided behind closed doors.
But since I've withdrawn, those brain-dead higher-ups wouldn't pair Hinata with Neji, would they?
A match between the Branch Family genius and the main family's young lady? That would just be a one-sided beating.
Unable to put his mind at ease, Naruto hesitated where he stood for a while before deciding to go inside and have a look. If things looked bad, he could just tell Hinata to surrender early. There was no point enduring a match where she would just get beaten up.
With