"Ahem, cough, cough..." Gekko Hayate covered his mouth, stifling a string of coughs as his slender frame swayed slightly.
He drew a deep breath and tried to straighten up. Though his voice sounded a little weak, it still carried clearly across the Arena. "The result has been confirmed! Konoha ninja Inuzuka Kiba has defeated Cloud Village ninja Atsui with his ninjutsu, 'Fang Over Fang'!"
"The winner of this match—Inuzuka Kiba!"
He paused, as though something had suddenly occurred to him, then added quietly, "Um... if either contestant is injured or feeling unwell, please contact the medical team at any time."
Good-natured chuckles rose from the stands. Gekko Hayate waved a hand. "Cough, cough, cough~ I'm fine."
Everyone was speechless (ー_ー)!!. Aren't you the one who most needs a doctor, Mr. Examiner?
"Kiba! Akamaru! You guys are so strong! That Two-Headed Wolf thing was awesome!" Naruto leaped up in the stands, waving both arms and shouting. His blond hair stood out in the sunlight, making him look every bit the diehard fan cheering from the front row.
Beside him, Choji swayed along with his excitement, still stuffing potato chips into his mouth.
Kurenai Yuhi leaned against the railing of the stands,
slowly nudging the forehead protector on her brow. A hint of amusement and satisfaction flashed in her exposed eyes.
"That boy Kiba finally put all that practice with 'Two-Headed Wolf' to good use. He fought well this time. Looks like his teamwork with Akamaru has improved again. He hasn't let Qingwu and me down."
Who called me?! Qingwu turned his head. Oh, my darling Kurenai.
He exchanged a smile with her.
Over in the Cloud Village stands, Darui patted Samui's shoulder. He sounded somewhat resigned, but not particularly worried. "Relax. Atsui's a tough little bastard. Those injuries are nothing. Give