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The Art Store in Konoha witnessed unprecedented crowds today.
The fifth volume wasn't merely a continuation of the story, it was a comprehensive reveal of the heirs of the great ninja families of the village in the future… or at least those presumed to be.
(Author's thoughts: Until proven otherwise.)
As the pages turned, the young faces destined to carry Konoha's legacy began to appear, stirring a storm of mixed reactions throughout the store.
In the section reserved for the Hyuga clan, a strange silence prevailed as eyes focused on that shy girl.
[— Manga Scene —]
"H-hello…" Hyuga Hinata greeted in a timid voice.
"My my, every-one is here." From the other side, Kiba Inuzuka's voice rang sharp and sarcastic.
"Man… you guys too?" Shikamaru Nara spoke lazily, annoyed.
"Ha~! I see… this means all 9 genin rookies are taking the exams, eh…!"
"I wonder how far we'll all get… eh, Sasuke-kun?" Kiba said again.
"Hmph… you are mighty confident, Kiba." Mocked Sasuke Uchiha, having freed himself from Ino Yamanaka's clingy grip.
"We trained a great deal so… we won't be losing to you guys. Hehehe!!" Kiba laughed confidently.
"Shut up!! You guys won't even beat me, much less Sasuke!!" At that moment, Naruto Uzumaki, shouted loudly.
"S-Sorry… Naruto-kun… Kiba-kun didn't mean it that way…" Hinata said shyly, fiddling with her fingers.
'Akamaru looks tasty…' Meanwhile, Choji Akimichi, was thinking with his stomach as usual.
"Huh?" Naruto blinked in confusion.
[Kurenai Team #8: Hyuga Hinata. A weird girl who always looks away whenever I look at her. A shy and strange girl.] That was Naruto's impression of Hinata.
[Kurenai Team #8: Inuzuka Kiba & Akamaru. He's even louder than me!! He loves acting like a boss. An annoying bastard.] That was how he viewed Kiba.
[Kurenai Team #8: Aburame Shino. I don't know much about him. He's someone I wouldn't like to talk with.] That was what he thought about Shino Aburame.
"Hey, you guys! You should all be a little quieter."
At that moment, someone spoke in a serious tone.
[— End Scene —]
Hyuga Masanori's expression tightened as he watched the scene intently.
"This girl from my clan… does she have feelings for that Nine-Tailed Fox boy?" he wondered with a strange look.
"Haha! How adorable! I want to hug her!"
His wife laughed warmly as she gazed at "cute" Hinata from her perspective.
"So, what do you think? Am I right?"
The Hyuga leader asked without looking at his wife.
"Well… perhaps you are, dear…"
She replied with a smile, keeping her current thoughts to herself.
At that moment, the clan leader's wife had no idea that she would one day become the grandmother of that adorable girl.
…
Elsewhere, the twin brothers Hiashi Hyuga and Hizashi Hyuga exchanged complicated glances.
'Is that your daughter?'
'No, she'll definitely be yours…'
'Well… it seems she likes Naruto…'
'Thank goodness. Finally, a female character who likes someone other than Sasuke…'
Such were the thoughts seemingly translating between the twins at that moment.
…
Not far from the Hyuga, the Yamanaka clan gathering buzzed with whispers.
Eyes turned with mixed feelings and varied reactions toward Ino Yamanaka clinging to Sasuke's arm in the manga pages.
"Damn it, another Sakura!"
"Seriously… how embarrassing… why is it always Sasuke…"
"Hahaha! You're just jealous because Sasuke is handsome!"
"I'm handsome too, hmph!"
"But he's taller than you! And he has the Sharingan!"
"Bullshit!"
Loud arguments broke out among the Yamanaka clan members.
Inwi Yamanaka, the clan head, placed a hand on his forehead, overwhelmed with embarrassment.
"Whose daughter will that be? Is she yours, Inoichi?"
He glanced at his son, who avoided his gaze awkwardly.
"Father… she may not be. I'm not even married yet, as you know…" Inoichi replied.
"Then don't get married. That would be for the best," his father retorted sarcastically.
Hearing the sarcastic comments from their own clan, and the other clans, made both father and son's brows twitch.
"Fighting Sakura over a Uchiha boy?" someone muttered.
Another laughed mockingly, "Looks like the clan's 'Mind Transfer' technique was used on Ino herself for her to be this obsessed!"
A woman from the clan added, "How embarrassing… where is the pride of Yamanaka girls? She's chasing him like his shadow!"
(Though inside, she was screaming: Sasuke-kun! So handsome!! Ah~)
…
On the other side, fierce eyes focused on a new character…
Kiba Inuzuka.
Most members of the Inuzuka clan gathered together, staring at the manga page where Kiba appeared with a puzzled expression.
Many of them bore red fang-shaped markings on their cheeks, just like him. They were somewhat proud of Kiba's character.
"Heh~ as expected from our clan member. He fears neither Sasuke nor anyone else."
"I wonder how skilled he'll be…"
"This Chunin Exam is a real test to see the boy's abilities."
"Not just him, we'll see the abilities of the entire next generation… how exciting!"
"Strange… will the Hokage really allow this to be appear?"
"If this is the future… doesn't seeing it now practically make it impossible to happen?"
"Man, enough philosophy! I just want to enjoy more chapters!"
"Come on, Kiba! Show me how you'll surpass Sasuke Uchiha!"
"Will you be like that strange thick-browed boy?"
"Man, Rock Lee's performance really shocked me! He's incredible."
…
In a quiet corner of the shop, away from the clans' uproar, Shikaku Nara sat with his father, watching Shikamaru's appearance in silence, eyes full of intelligence.
"He resembles you in a ridiculously striking way…"
His father said with narrowed eyes.
"I can't disagree with that."
Shikaku replied with a helpless smile.
"So… who will you marry to give birth to Shikamaru, I wonder?"
"Who knows…"
"Perhaps we'll find out in this manga…"
"Everyone has begun seeing themselves in the future…"
"First Hokage-sama, then that Kakashi, and now that child Gai… nothing prevents your appearance…"
"Even the Hokage's son Asuma and Shinku's daughter Kurenai have appeared…"
"I see that, Oyaji… The future must be vibrant. Characters like us appearing might not necessarily make it lively, haha!"
"You're joking, right? Hahaha!"
"I'm truly looking forward to seeing your counterpart appear, my son."
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 124: Kabuto.
Chapter 125: The First Exam!
Chapter 126: Cheating Is Required to Pass the Exam, but It's Forbidden.
Chapter 127: Passing the Test with Courage!
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