Naruto had already jumped down into the arena. Seeing Kiba Inuzuka waiting for him with a disgruntled expression, he cheerfully greeted him:
"Kiba, long time no see! How did things go in the Forest of Death?"
Kiba Inuzuka still looked thoroughly annoyed. He folded his arms and looked at Naruto, complaining:
"Tch, I never thought I'd end up facing you at the very end. Just my luck!"
Naruto had long since changed. With Aunt Kōrei Uzumaki looking after him and Shin Uchiha quietly guiding his training,
he had been able to keep pace with Sasuke even at the Ninja Academy, putting him far ahead of his other classmates.
As Naruto's classmate, Kiba Inuzuka naturally knew how strong he was. They had sparred many times at the Ninja Academy, and Kiba had always been at a disadvantage.
After overcoming one challenge after another and finally making it this far, Kiba Inuzuka had never expected to run into Naruto again. He knew he probably couldn't win this match. Although they got along well, he couldn't bring himself to look pleased to see Naruto right now.
Naruto naturally understood how Kiba Inuzuka felt. He scratched his head sheepishly and said to him:
"Kiba, your family's ninjutsu is really powerful too. Sometimes I have a hard time dealing with it. If I let my guard down, you could knock me out.
"So let's both give this match everything we've got. That way, whoever gets eliminated won't have any regrets."
Hearing Naruto's words, Kiba Inuzuka gave an irritable grin. He rubbed his nose and said:
"Tch, who needs you to comfort me? I've learned a new move lately, and I've been itching to try it against you. Today's my chance.
"This time, I'll beat you until you're picking your teeth off the floor! Right, Akamaru?"