Naruto : I Aspire To Become Hokage Man

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Inside the arena.

"First of all, congratulations to everyone who passed the second exam!" Anko said with a grin.

Of the 78 people who took the exam, only 21 remained. The goal was to eliminate half, but Anko had expected far fewer to make it through.

The Third Hokage, along with the other examiners, stood on the stage as the candidates who passed gathered below.

"I'm so hungry~" Chōji complained, clutching his stomach.

"There's still so many people. This is a pain," Shikamaru muttered, barely holding back his annoyance.

"Ah~ Mr. Naruto is here too!" Ino said, pointing to Naruto, who waved back with a cheerful grin.

"Isn't this ridiculous?" Shikamaru remarked, recalling the scene when Naruto had thrown Sasuke onto the ground during their previous encounter. "Who would've thought that the most unexpected person would be the 'dead last.'"

"Good job, you guys," Guy said enthusiastically to Kakashi. "But don't get too cocky, because the next level will test your real skills. Youth is sometimes sour and sometimes harsh, Kakashi!"

"??" Kakashi looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

Guy didn't respond, and instead just gave a thumbs-up.

Naruto looked over at a Jōnin standing across from him, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Orochimaru says he has no relationship with the Third Hokage. I actually don't believe that. It's all too suspicious. His motives are far too obvious."

"Now, Master Hokage, please explain the rules for the third exam!" Anko announced to the crowd, turning toward the Third Hokage with a grin. "It's your time now."

Third Hokage stepped forward, clearing his throat before speaking into the microphone. "Next, blah, blah, blah..." He continued, but the general idea was to show the powerful shinobi clans the true test of the ninja world, and to secure more commissions for the village.

"Now, let me explain the rules for the competition," Third Hokage began, but before he could finish, a sickly figure appeared in front of him with a dramatic whoosh.

"Master Hokage, let me take over as the referee. Hayate Gekkō, at your service," Hayate said with a cough.

Third Hokage blinked in surprise, but nodded. "Alright."

Hayate Gekkō stood firm. "Before we start the third exam, we need to have a preliminary selection."

"With so many of you still here, we need to cut down the number of participants," Hayate explained, sounding a little sick as he spoke. "We can't have the 'golden families' watching their kids fight all day long."

The audience exchanged confused glances, unsure of what he meant by the 'golden families.'

"So, does anyone want to quit?" Hayate asked.

The room was silent.

At that moment, a hand shot up in the air.

"Yes?" Hayate asked, narrowing his eyes.

It was Kabuto, who stepped forward. "I—I've had some stomach issues after eating in the forest and feel unwell. I would like to withdraw," he said, pretending to look helpless.

The room was still, and everyone stared.

"Kabuto...?" Hayate glanced toward the him, who was watching with an unreadable expression.

"Ahem. No one else? Good. Then we'll proceed to the one-on-one qualifiers. The matchups will be displayed on the big screen shortly," Hayate announced, clearly eager to get this over with.

The big screen flickered, and the names of the first match appeared: Inuzuka Kiba vs. Yoroi Akadō!

Naruto's eyes widened. Wait a minute. Did the plot just change?

Kiba and Yoroi stepped onto the stage.

"Hmph, unlucky for you, Naruto," Kiba said, rolling his eyes. "But hey, the qualifiers are about strength, after all."

"Imitation Beast Ninja: Four-Legged Technique!" Kiba called out, slamming his hands onto the ground like an animal. He shot toward Yoroi, ready to engage in battle.

Before Kiba could even make his move, he threw down two smoke bombs, and the arena was plunged into darkness.

"Nani?!" Yoroi was caught off guard. He barely had time to react before Kiba struck with sharp, precise attacks from all directions.

The crowd gasped. "I didn't know Kiba was this strong!"

But Yoroi, being a skilled warrior under Orochimaru's command, soon adapted to Kiba's attacks. He was better in close-quarters combat and quickly regained his composure.

"Hmph, not bad, for a Genin," Yoroi scoffed. "But, Akamaru!" Kiba barked.

"Beast Ninja: Beast Clone!" Kiba shouted. Akamaru transformed into a much larger version of himself and stood on Kiba's shoulders.

The two of them charged again, spinning rapidly, attacking with ferocity like two wild beasts in the dark smoke.

But just as it seemed like Kiba's attack would land, Yoroi seized the opportunity, catching Kiba's leg. With a surge of Chakra, he absorbed Kiba's energy, draining him.

"Chakra Absorption Technique!" Yoroi sneered. "You're out of gas now, brat."

With a swift kick, he sent Kiba sprawling across the arena.

Akamaru returned to his normal form with a small bark, looking confused at Kiba's weakened state.

"Hmph. You can declare me victorious now," Yoroi said confidently, his chest puffed out as he stared down at Kiba.

Kiba's team was in shock, while even Jōnin Hong looked concerned. "It seems like Kiba's technique was countered by Yoroi's Chakra absorption," she remarked.

Naruto, however, was chuckling. "It's not over yet."

Just when everyone thought the match was done, a loud roar echoed from behind.

Everyone turned to see Akamaru, once small and harmless, expanding rapidly. He grew larger, his body morphing until two extra heads sprouted from his neck.

The crowd gasped. "What the hell?!"

It was none other than Akamaru's new form: the Phantom Beast - Cerberus Three-Headed Dog !

In a flash, one of Akamaru's heads shot out a massive pillar of fire, while another expelled a freezing gust of wind, combining into an unstoppable force. The third head barked furiously.

Yoroi barely had time to react as he was roasted alive by the intense flames from Akamaru's new abilities.

"What—what just happened?!" Third Hokage thought, his eyes widening in shock.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, clearly intrigued by the strange power Akamaru had displayed.

Kiba, still recovering from the shock, looked at Akamaru in disbelief. "Is this... is this really you, Akamaru?"

The dog barked twice, wagging his tail in satisfaction.

Hayate finally came back to his senses and, staring at the scorched Yoroi, called out loudly: "Winner! Inuzuka Kiba!"

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Author's Note:

Third Hokage: "Hayate, are you stealing my lines? You're making me lose face here! 555"

Hayate: "Not at all, just doing my job. By the way, take your time, Hokage-sama. I'll leave a moment for you."

Third Hokage: "Fine, fine... Hayate, take a cigarette, would you?"

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