"Secret Technique: Mind Body Switch Jutsu!"
Naruko's Mindscape
Ino woke up in a dark forest of gigantic trees beneath a full moon. She was surprised, though she knew that some people outside her clan could access their mindscapes through meditation—and even reshape them.
"Well, I should be careful. Daddy said that people with reshaped mindscapes can sometimes resist our jutsu... There's light in that direction—the memory and control areas must be there."
Ino reached the edge of the forest and stepped into a meadow dotted with several bonfires and a wooden house near a river.
"There! That must be the control area of this body!"
Suddenly, Naruko appeared beside her. But this Naruko had long ears and a bright yellow tail the same color as her hair, glowing with a golden hue. The newly arrived girl narrowed the slits of her azure eyes dangerously, locking her gaze on Ino.
"You shouldn't be here. Leave. This place is dangerous," Naruko said, her voice low and threatening.
Ino recalled that it was dangerous to mind-walk into people with split personalities or other mental conditions. She was about to ask how Naruko was still conscious—since her jutsu should have suppressed her target's mind—when a thunderous sound echoed from the mountain-high trees.
"TRESPASSER! BETRAYER! SCUM! I'LL DEVOUR YOUR FILTHY SOUL FOR THIS TRANSGRESSION! HOW DARE YOU ENTER THIS SACRED PLACE?! HAVE YOUR KIN LEARNED NOTHING FROM THOSE WHO TRIED BEFORE YOU?! YOU'RE DOOMED!"
A deep, murderous voice bellowed from the forest as the trees parted for whatever horror was coming.
"Shit! You better run!" the tailed girl shouted, grabbing Ino's hand. She bolted across the meadow, dragging the Yamanaka behind her. "Don't look back—just focus on running! We need to reach the house if you want to survive my mother!"
Ino did her best not to trip as the bizarre-looking Naruko hauled her at incredible speed. She could hear their pursuer's heavy steps and dared not glance back—even when the bonfires around them began exploding. In a final sprint, Naruko yanked them into the house and slammed the door shut behind them.
"Whew..." Naruko exhaled. "We made it."
The jinchūriki turned to her uninvited guest.
"You're lucky I found you before Momma. She would've eaten you alive. Ne? If you died inside my mind, would that kill you in the real world too?"
"Y-Yes," Ino stammered as a deep, dark growl shook the house.
"What the hell is that?!" Ino cried, taking cover behind the sofa.
"Jajajaja, that's my Ka-san. She's pissed because you forced your way into my mindscape. She hates genjutsu and mind-walkers. Tell me... is there any reason you haven't released your jutsu yet? You do know my mind is dangerous for you."
"Uh... yeah. My dad told me that, even if it's rare, some minds can be dangerous for us if we're not properly trained. I guess I was too scared to realize I could cancel the jutsu..." Ino replied, beginning the hand sign to cancel her Mind Body Switch Jutsu—but Naruko stopped her.
"I'll give you one piece of advice before you leave. Don't ever try this on that redhead from Suna. That boy is completely nuts. He'd rather kill everyone around him than sit down for a decent meal. Totally bananas, I assure you."
Real World
Only twenty seconds had passed in the real world from the moment Ino and Naruko went still to when they both moved again. Naruko stretched and walked over to Ino, whose legs were still paralyzed.
"Well, will you surrender now?"
Ino nodded weakly.
"Don't feel bad—you're really skilled. But like Tenten, you just had the bad luck of being paired with me."
Naruko offered her a hand and helped her back upstairs, where Hayate proclaimed her the winner.
Both girls were praised by their teams, and Asuma even approached Naruko to thank her for not going too hard on his student.
Naruko just smiled and replied,
"It's fine. We're not at war—every loss is just a chance to grow stronger."
Kiba Inuzuka vs. Haku Momochi
"Just my luck. Come on, Akamaru," growled the frustrated Inuzuka, jumping into the arena. Haku shunshined in calmly, his expression serene.
"Hey, Haku-san. I know I don't stand a chance against you, but I've trained really hard since the last time we fought. I'll surrender now, but... would you still spar with me? I want to see if I've really improved."
"It would be my pleasure, Kiba-san. Akamaru-kun. I accept your challenge. But please don't officially forfeit—we might get interrupted and removed from the arena. Come at me with everything you've got."
"Proctor?" Kiba asked.
"Proctor," Haku added, "Kiba-san and I have fought before. He thinks he has no chance against me, but I'd like to fight him anyway—to see how much he's grown. After all, no one has a 100% chance of winning."
"Very well. Begin!"
Kiba activated his Secret Technique: Four Legs Jutsu, gaining a more feral appearance.
"Come on, Akamaru! Let's do this! Secret Technique: Human Beast Clone!"
Akamaru transformed into a copy of feral Kiba, and the two rushed at Haku with claws bared.
"We'll do our best! Brace yourself, Haku-san!" Akamaru barked in support. The duo unleashed a flurry of slashes and kicks in perfect sync, but Haku blocked and dodged with graceful ease. A sharp kick sent Kiba—and by extension, Akamaru—sprawling.
"Tunneling Fang!" Both Inuzuka spun into twin tornados, attempting to drill into Haku, but he rolled clear.
"Ice Release: One Thousand Needles," Haku whispered. Hundreds of senbon formed and launched toward the duo. Kiba pushed Akamaru aside and dodged most of them. He shed his jacket mid-spin, using it to block the rest.
"Impressive. Never seen that before," Haku commented. "But now your jacket's a strainer."
Kiba got into a new stance and winked at Akamaru. The two leapt back.
"Take this! My new, original jutsu! They say we Inuzuka are all brawn and no brains—well, we can be sneaky too! Secret Technique: Hidden Tunneling Fang!"
Twin spirals tore through the smoke bomb haze, dragging the smoke behind them and cloaking the field. They tried to tear the Kumo ninja apart, but Haku kept dodging—until even he lost sight of the spinning tornados.
"Ice Release: Mirror Shield." A single ice mirror appeared, shielding Haku as he danced from side to side, evading the vicious barrage.
When the smoke cleared, Kiba and Akamaru were panting heavily but still standing.
Up on the balcony, Sakura scoffed that it wasn't that original.
Kakashi smirked.
"Kiba's learning," he murmured.
Kiba and Akamaru charged again, throwing fast claw jabs and kicks. Haku dodged them with ease—until suddenly, a tornado burst from beneath the arena floor, ripping through Haku's flesh and hurling him several meters away. Despite the gruesome wounds, Haku staggered to his feet, but as the blood turned transparent, he shattered like glass.
"You knew it, right? From the start? You knew," Kiba breathed, as the clone beside him faded. Akamaru stood ready to continue.
Haku rematerialized from the ice fragments. "That was an unexpected strategy. I didn't suspect a thing—I was just lucky. While avoiding your trap, I laid mine. You shattered my ice clone, which mimicked my entire physique. Had it been me, you'd've struck my back before I could escape. Now, let's see your true progress!"
His eyes gleamed with excitement. "Ice Release: Demonic Mirrors!"
A dome of mirrored ice surrounded the fighters. Haku stepped back into a mirror, preparing a rainfall of senbon.
"Tell me, Kiba—have you found a way past my jutsu?" he chuckled.
On the upper floor, everyone tensed. The real battle had begun.
In the balcony:
Shino studied the scene. "Those Kumo nin are intense. Haku's toying with Kiba—but Kiba's no pushover, especially given his bloodline."
Asuma nodded. "Kakashi, what's the history here? Kiba hasn't seemed this suppressed in a fight before."
Kakashi's remaining eye darkened. "On our first C-rank mission, Haku opposed us, using that crystal dome and senbon to incapacitate Sasuke and the rest without killing—Sasuke then turned on Kiba. For an Inuzuka, betrayal from the pack cuts deep. I plan to disband this team after the exams. I can't lose the council's approval, but I'll do everything I can to get Kiba into an environment that supports his recovery."
Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but Kakashi turned sharply, warning, "If you open your mouth, you'll regret it."
Kurenai, sensing the tension, stepped forward. "If you want to trade Kiba for Sai, I'd support that. Sai's easy to work with, and my team's sensitive to emotional healing—Kiba would thrive there."
"Thank you, Kurenai-san."
Back in the arena:
Kiba barked, "Haku-san, prepare yourself—here comes my jutsu!" He bit his thumb and formed seals. "Summoning Jutsu! Help me, Pakun!"
A puff of smoke and a small dog appeared. "Here we go—Akamaru, Secret Jutsu: Accelerated Piercing Fang!"
Kiba and dog form Akamaru began a spiraling attack within the mirror dome, guided by Pakun's barks. Each spiral grew faster. Finally, Pakun barked, Kiba caught him, and Akamaru's spiral pierced through a mirror. Kiba leaped out after him.
"We did it! I can't believe it, Akamaru—we actually did it! Yeah, take that, Sharingan!" They howled triumphantly as Pakun vanished in a puff.
Haku's reflection reappeared. "Well done, Kiba-san—but you haven't beaten me yet."
Kiba straightened. "I forfeit. But I've earned something more: honor, respect in my clan, and a boost to our legacy. Thanks for the chance."
He strode off, Akamaru trailing.
Gaara vs. Rock Lee (Canon-style)
Rock Lee's performance left the crowd spellbound. Murmurs spread: Lee, despite not being able to mold chakra, had matched Gaara—nobody had ever touched the Suna Jinchūriki.
At Lee's teacher's command, Lee removed his weighted cuffs, creating craters on the battlefield.
"Wow! What a madman! I want to train with him!" Naruko whispered. Hinata and Haku watched with admiration.
"Lee! Let your youth explode!" called Gai.
Kakashi watched worried. "You taught him the Eight Gates?"
"Yes!" Gai beamed. "He's the only Genin capable."
Naruko's eyes followed every movement with a smile. "Such unyielding spirit... I need him as a rival."
Haku agreed: "A worthy opponent."
Lee unleashed Reverse Lotus—but Gaara blocked it and countered with sand. Hayate prepared to intervene—but suddenly, clang! A metallic sound echoed: Gaara's sand halted, the sword clattered across the floor.
Lee collapsed as Gai caught him. Naruko leaped forward. "Oh—sorry! The sword slipped from my greasy hands! Both of you okay?" she pleaded, scratching her head. "It buried itself—I swear it wasn't deliberate!" She popped the Kubikiribocho back into its seal with a flourish.
Hayate hesitated—then the Hokage gave a tiny nod.
Gaara snarled at the blonde, rage flashing. "Why help him? Why deny me my victory?"
Naruko smiled innocently. "Relax—he's a strong ninja; we'll spar again when he's healed. Besides, killing isn't the only proof of existence."
Gaara paused, senses reeling. For a moment, the beast inside him silenced.
Naruko chirped, "How about lunch sometime? Just rivals getting to know each other!"
Gai nodded in bewildered approval, Lee safe in his arms.
Final Matches Announced by Hokage Sarutobi
H Uzumaki vs. Neji Hyūga
Gaara vs. Sasuke Uchiha
Shino Aburame vs. Kankurō
Shikamaru Nara vs. Temari
N Uzumaki vs. Haku Momochi vs. Dōsu