Kiba's Dream of Becoming Hokage

Three days after Tenten returned to Konoha after completing her mission, the ninja tool shop regained its usual vitality. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the shop window, dancing on the gleaming Kunai and Shuriken. Tenten was checking accounts behind the counter, while Neji was organizing newly arrived ninja tool bags beside her. A natural and comfortable understanding permeated the two of them.

"These new roll storage bags are selling well," Tenten said without looking up, her pen moving quickly across the ledger. "Especially the waterproof ones; we've already restocked twice this month."

Neji grunted and placed the last ninja tool pouch on the shelf. He paused for a moment, his Tenseigan catching two familiar Chakra fluctuations approaching from outside the store.

Almost simultaneously, the wind chimes at the shop door rang out crisply.

"Tenten! Neji! Long time no see!" Inuzuka Kiba's loud voice rang out before the figure even appeared. He pushed open the door and entered, with Shino Aburame beside him, and Akamaru on his head barking excitedly twice.

Kiba still looked incredibly energetic, his sunglasses pushed up to his forehead, a bright smile on his face. Shino, on the other hand, remained as quiet as ever, his high-necked jacket covering half his face, his eyes behind his sunglasses revealing no emotion, he simply nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Tenten looked up from the ledger, her eyes lighting up. "Kiba, Shino! Hello!"

She walked around the counter to greet her, Neji also put down his work and came over to stand beside Tenten.

"Where's Hinata?" Tenten asked naturally, her gaze searching behind them for the always quiet and shy figure.

She was unaware that Hinata's daily task was to tutor Naruto — Neji hadn't had a chance to tell her yet.

Sitting atop Kiba's head, Akamaru seemed to know the answer and barked again, gesturing with its front paws. Kiba affectionately patted Akamaru's head. "I know, I know, I'll tell you for you."

He turned to Tenten and Neji: "At Neji's insistence, Hinata now has to help Naruto with his studies every day, spending all her time in the library from morning till night. She doesn't even have time to hang out with our Team 8 anymore, sigh."

Upon hearing Tenten, Neji with some surprise. Neji nodded, confirming Kiba's statement.

Tenten's expression became somewhat subtle—on one hand, she understood that this was to help Hinata and Naruto, but on the other hand, she was a little resentful that Neji hadn't told her sooner. She gently nudged Neji with her arm, her eyes saying, "I'll settle the score with you later."

"So, what brings you two here?" Tenten turned her attention back to Kiba and Shino.

Ya rubbed his hands together, a rare, slightly embarrassed expression on his face. "I have a question I'd like to ask Neji."

Shino spoke up, her voice calm and even. "Me too."

Tenten looked at Neji again, Neji gave her a look that said, "I don't know what they're up to either." The two exchanged a glance and tacitly decided to find another place to talk.

"Business isn't good at the shop right now," Tenten said. "Let's go to the tea room in the backyard to chat."

She walked to the shop entrance, hung up a wooden sign that read "The shop owner is busy and will be back later," and then locked the door. Neji then led Kiba and Shino through the curtain behind the counter to the tea room in the backyard.

The tea room was as quiet as ever. The paper door was half open, and the startled deer in the courtyard made rhythmic "thump" sounds. The four of them walked in. Neji and Tenten sat down on one side of the tea table, while Kiba and Shino sat opposite them.

No one spoke immediately. The only sounds in the tea room were the water and the wind coming from the courtyard.

Neji began preparing the tea set. His movements were so practiced that they had become instinctive: taking tea leaves, boiling water, warming the teapot and cups... each step was smooth and natural, with an almost Zen-like focus.

She sat quietly beside him Tenten, watching him make tea. Her gaze lingered on Neji's fingers and profile, her eyes filled with gentle appreciation—this once aloof and arrogant Hyuga Clan genius could now sit so calmly in the backyard of the ninja tool shop, making tea for a group of friends.

Kiba seemed restless, tapping his fingers lightly on his knees. Shino, on the other hand, remained motionless, his eyes behind his sunglasses observing every detail of Neji's tea-making process, as if studying some rare Ninjutsu.

Only after Neji placed the brewed tea in front of the four of them, and the aroma filled the air, did he finally speak, his voice calm:

"Have some tea."

As if granted permission, Ya immediately picked up his teacup—but didn't drink. Instead, he took a deep breath and asked the question he'd been holding back for so long:

"Neji, was it really you who proposed that reform of the Hokage system?"

Neji paused slightly in his teacup. He hadn't expected that the news had spread to Kiba. But then he thought, Konoha doesn't really have any secrets, especially not such a significant change.

He didn't deny it, but calmly replied, "It was Lady Tsunade who sought my advice, and I offered some ideas."

He looked up at Ya: "What's the problem?"

Sitting next to Neji, Tenten stared at him with wide eyes, a mixture of surprise and pride in her gaze. She had long known that Neji was no ordinary man, that he possessed Six Paths Tier power, and that he secretly influenced many things—but to personally push for reform of the Hokage system? This was even more... impressive than she had imagined.

Tenten's eyes lit up, filled with understanding, admiration, and a sweet pride that said, "I knew my man was special."

Upon hearing Neji's positive response, Kiba became excited. "No problem! No problem! Excellent!"

His voice was an octave higher than usual, and Akamaru barked twice, wagging his tail like a propeller.

Shino pushed up his sunglasses, thinking to himself: As expected, this guy is unfathomable. From the series of changes after he returned to the village to his current push for institutional reform... Neji Hyuga's influence is far greater than it appears on the surface.

Neji put down his teacup and looked at Kiba: "Kiba, you didn't come all this way just to confirm this, did you?"

"Of course not!" Ya said matter-of-factly. "Didn't you ask us about our goals at our last gathering? Do you remember?"

Neji remembered. At the last gathering of the Konoha 12 he organized, he had indeed asked his companions about their future plans. Kiba had said at the time...

"You want to become Hokage?" Neji asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

He remembered Kiba's wish at the time—to become Hokage and then have everyone in Konoha keep a dog. At the time, he thought it was just a teenager's wild fantasy, but he never expected that Kiba would actually take it to heart.

"That's right, Neji!" Kiba immediately responded excitedly, radiating an energetic aura. "Before, I thought becoming Hokage was incredibly difficult, after all, you need exceptional strength and the approval of the higher-ups... but now the Hokage election system has changed! I think my chance has come!"

Neji looked at Kiba, somewhat bewildered by this fellow student. Even with the change in the election system, had the requirements for Hokage candidates been lowered? How far was Chunin from Hokage Position? Did Kiba have no idea?

Kiba was completely oblivious to the increasingly strange looks he was receiving from Neji, Tenten, and Shino. Lost in his own daydreams, his eyes sparkled:

"I already have a plan! I'm going to set up an Animal Lovers Association in the village, and invite all animal lovers to join. As the president, everyone will know me and understand me."

He became more and more excited as he spoke, gesturing in the air. "When I participate in the Hokage election, all the members of these associations will vote for me! That way, becoming Hokage won't be far off..."

His voice grew increasingly excited, his face flushed with elation. Akamaru barked at the opportune moment, as if to say: Kiba's right! I support you!

The air in the tea room seemed to freeze.

Neji, Tenten, and Shino stared at Kiba with remarkably similar expressions—a complex mix of shock, speechlessness, and "I don't know this idiot."

Tenten nudged Neji lightly with her elbow, her eyes asking, "Is he serious?"

Although Shino's sunglasses covered his eyes, his slightly backward body language said it all—if the eyes behind the sunglasses could express emotions, they would definitely be eyes that said, "Oh God, how did I end up in the same class as this guy? I really want to escape."

Neji maintained a calm demeanor, but a fleeting, almost imperceptible smile flashed in his Tenseigan —not mockery, but rather a realization that the matter was indeed... quite interesting.

"Kiba," Shino finally spoke, her voice tinged with a helpless struggle to maintain her composure, "I heard you. You... calm down."

But Kiba wouldn't listen anymore. He picked up the tea Neji had poured, drank it all in one gulp, then slammed the teacup down and stood up.

"Excuse me, everyone! I'm going to start working on establishing Animal Lovers Association right now! Goodbye!"

He dashed out of the tea room like a gust of wind, with Akamaru barking above his head. The figures of the man and the dog quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor.

The tea room fell silent.

The startled deer in the courtyard cried out again, its clear "thud" standing out starkly in the silence.

Neji, Tenten, and Shino looked at each other, and no one spoke for a long time.

Finally, Neji picked up his teacup, gently blew on it to cool it, and spoke first:

"Has Ya... always been this crazy?"

His tone was calm, but his words carried a clear sense of helplessness.

Shino a wry smile and pushed up his sunglasses, "Kiba was provoked by Naruto. Before, he knew there was a world of difference between his strength and Naruto's, so he didn't have such unrealistic thoughts. But now that Naruto has been promoted to Chunin, plus the news of the Hokage system reform..."

He paused, then continued, "Kiba might think that since the Hokage isn't solely based on strength anymore, he might have a better chance than Naruto? After all, the whole village knows about Naruto's terrible performance on the theory exam."

Tenten interjected, "But Kiba is still only Chunin. Shouldn't the Hokage be at least Jonin?"

"Yeah," Shino shook his head helplessly, "But Naruto is also Chunin. Kiba probably thinks he'll definitely reach Jonin faster than Naruto. And..."

He paused, then lowered his voice. "Our Team 8 doesn't have Jonin instructor to lead us, so we can't take on missions higher than Rank B. There aren't many high-level missions in the village these days either. Kiba might be... too idle."

Neji slowly sipped his tea, glancing in the direction Kiba had left, and said softly:

"I never imagined that Ya would have such lofty ambitions."

These words were spoken softly, making it impossible to tell whether they were praise or mockery. Upon hearing Tenten, Neji, her eyes clearly saying, "Isn't this all the fault of your reforms?!"

Shino lowered his head awkwardly, staring at the teacup in front of him, as if he could see the answer in the tea.

The tea room fell silent once more. In the courtyard, the setting sun began to cast a pale gold glow on the white sand of the dry landscape garden.

Neji poured himself another cup of tea, thinking to himself: How many "accidents" like Ivory will occur in Konoha's future because of this reform?