"Won't lose?"
It wasn't just Sasuke—Kimimaro and Deidara also turned to look.
They all stared strangely at Inuzuka Kiba, who was spouting such grandiose claims.
How many Tailed Beasts did he have at home to dare say something like that?
"W-What are those looks supposed to mean?"
Inuzuka Kiba immediately felt embarrassed under their gazes. Though they hadn't said anything, he could tell they were looking down on him.
"You bunch of jerks, quit looking down on me!"
Their stares made him snap in anger and embarrassment.
Yet Sasuke and the others continued looking at him as if he were an idiot.
Inuzuka Kiba was about to lose his temper again when a cool voice brought him back to his senses.
"Kiba, quiet down!"
Hinata, her expression cold, stepped out from the crowd and looked at them indifferently.
"Hinata..."
Inuzuka Kiba wanted to explain himself.
But he found himself facing Hinata's icy, snow-cold eyes.
The words lodged straight in his throat.
He didn't dare say another word.
Hinata's reputation in Konoha hadn't come from being Tsunade's disciple. She had earned it through real fights.
The genin from the other ninja villages watched the scene with curious expressions.
An unusual thought couldn't help surfacing in their minds.
That girl was clearly a Konoha ninja, yet she seemed to be taking the side of ninjas from another country. Wasn't that a little disloyal?
But when Hinata looked at Sasuke and the others, her gaze remained as sharp as a winter chill.
Only then did they realize that the little girl's indifference wasn't aimed at either side. It was directed equally at everyone present.
When Sasuke and the others saw Hinata's gaze, they instinctively looked away as well.
In Konoha, they could refuse to give anyone face, but they absolutely couldn't disrespect Big