Naruto: GAME OVER... Starting New Game (OC SI in Suna)

Chapter 7.2:

....

Chiyo, for her part, watched from a corner of the council chamber with her brows slightly furrowed.

Not out of anger, but due to the conflict bubbling within her.

Kiba's talent was undeniable. His fighting style wasn't just effective—it was... innovative. Unique. Strange. Almost absurd in its logic: pure taijutsu using only his legs combined with chakra threads, puppet control, and now Iron Sand.

It was madness.

And a spectacle...

A raw gem.

The part of her that had trained many of the village's best puppeteers desperately wanted that boy under her wing.

But she also understood how the invisible threads of power worked.

Now, the Third Kazekage would not let Kiba slip from his side for anything in the world.

He was likely already positioning pieces to ensure the boy grew under his strict supervision, even if it went against the wishes of the Jiki clan leader… and yes, the Third Kazekage himself was a Jiki. Of course, he now assumed a much greater responsibility as the leader of Suna, so his attention extended over the entire village... above clan politics.

And if that required conflict with the Jiki clan and its head… he would not hesitate.

Next to her, Ebizō had been watching quietly. Until now.

"A real problem…" he finally remarked, adjusting his scarf.

Chiyo didn't reply immediately.

"Busy times are coming," she said at last, folding her arms.

"If only he were an orphan…" Ebizō murmured, half joking, but with a contemplative look.

Chiyo turned her head slightly toward him.

"Even if he were, the Kazekage wouldn't allow him under our tutelage—not after witnessing that."

Ebizō let out a brief laugh.

"True. But you forget one thing, dear sister: if he were an orphan, he likely would've been in our dojo years ago. As soon as he showed interest in puppetry, we would have taken him in… Actually, I'd argue that the moment he exhibited that unique hybrid style of puppet control and taijutsu, we would've welcomed him immediately. Or am I wrong?"

Chiyo exhaled sharply.

"You're right. Probably all it would've taken was someone sending him to one of our community classes... and then the rest would follow. A boy with that style doesn't go unnoticed by me."

"Or by me," Ebizō added with a smile. "Even without the unique style, seeing his more-than-adequate puppet talent, someone from the family would have trained him—and seen all that latent potential…"

"And after that, we would've inducted him into our family immediately," Chiyo agreed, fully aware that this was common practice for them.... taking in talented unaffiliated youth or orphans from Suna.

Had he been an orphan, things would have played out very differently.... even if Kiba did have family ties to the Jiki. Nothing would've truly prevented him from joining the Chikamatsu family if he wished. That had happened before: orphans with distant relatives in other Suna families, but no real connection...and thus free to choose.

And the Chikamatsu clan was too significant and large to be prevented from taking these individuals.

"Yes… We could've had the first puppeteer who also uses taijutsu with his puppets. Oh—and now toss in the fact that he can pulverize iron with a gesture," Ebizō sighed..... a resonant sigh over all they missed simply because the boy still had his grandfather after losing his parents.

Chiyo narrowed her eyes, watching Kiba in the distance as the council members' murmurs swirled like distant buzzing—some, like them, keeping their words soft, almost silent.

"But he isn't ours. He's bound to the Jiki. And that complicates everything."

"His grandfather never came near us. He's barely been to our meetings."

"Technically…" Chiyo hesitated for a second, "if he hasn't been officially integrated by Shima into the clan's core, the boy still has the freedom to choose."

Ebizō settled into his seat, intrigued.

"Are you thinking about…?"

"I'm not thinking anything. I'm just… observing."

They both knew that trying to approach directly could be seen as provocation. Especially now when so many eyes were on the boy. Especially with the obvious interest of the Third Kazekage. But Chiyo understood that in Suna, the threads move well before anyone sees the puppet spin.

And she was good at moving threads. Very good.

For now, she would let the Kazekage make his moves. But if there was even the smallest crack, the Chikamatsu would know how to slip through. The question was whether Kiba would ever be willing to form a close relationship with them—a cooperative bond—despite his likely future alignment with the Kazekage and his current status as a member of the Jiki clan.

Time would reveal that answer.

...

...

Down in the dusty streets and alleyways of Suna, people were talking.

Many didn't follow politics. Nor hierarchies. Nor the silent plans woven by council members. But they understood what they had just witnessed:

A blind boy.

A genius… a prodigy.

An Iron Sand user.

A fight that many, who weren't ninjas, would later describe as "the most impressive thing I've ever seen in my life."

That simple. That clear.

Kiba already had the favor of the people.

And that… was kinda more dangerous than some might imagine.

"Did you say that boy is blind?" asked a spice vendor, wiping his counter with a rough cloth.

"That's what they're saying. But did you see how he fought? How he controlled those puppets and moved all that iron… he seemed to have eyes everywhere," replied his neighbor, a baker with a raspy voice, her hands still dusted in flour.

"I thought they'd have to carry him out on a stretcher, but in the end, he was the one who crushed that experienced ninja," added a young messenger, eyes fixed on the academy building as the crowd began to disperse.

Nearby, down a side street, Karura couldn't stop smiling.

She had watched the fight with her heart in her throat, and still felt excitement thumping in her chest like a drum she couldn't silence. She felt as though she had fought herself.... such was how intensely she lived each of Kiba's movements from where she stood.

But no. It had all been his doing. Only his. Kiba.

Her Kiba.

He had been incredible.

Not that he hadn't always been. Or that she didn't know he had always been exceptional. In her eyes, he was Kiba… always equivalent to impressive, in her vocabulary.

But today, he took the word to a whole new level.... he left her speechless. And that was no small feat, since she knew Kiba better than almost anyone else.

Even though she felt euphoric about what she had just witnessed and was unbelievably happy for him… beneath it all was a tiny wedge of anger. A little thorn in her side.

"How could you not tell me?" she whispered to herself, pouting as she searched for him in the crowd.

It wasn't betrayal. But it was omission. A big one!

And that sting burned. Because if anyone knew him—that was her. She had been his shadow, his partner in every prank and crazy project as long as she could remember.

"Idiot," she muttered quietly, clenching her fists.

So yes.... she was a bit mad at him. Well... angry might be too strong a word. Frustrated, maybe. She wasn't sure. But she wasn't happy that he'd kept something like this from her as if it were nothing.

And Karura intended to let him know it. She would say it the minute she saw him face to face.

She was going to confront him.

Make him account for it.

No grins, no jokes. That's right! No letting him off with a smile or quip.

He had to apologize. And after that… yes. She'd forgive him.

Because he was her friend.

Because he was Kiba.

And that's what mattered most to her.

Oh.... but without a doubt, before forgiving him, she would make him suffer a little. Just a bit. Fairly. That was only right.

"Tsk. Unbelievable," muttered Pakura, arms crossed, one eyebrow twitching.

Karura couldn't help but grin at hearing that. She knew her sister was replaying every second of the fight in her head, trying to make sense of it. Now Pakura wouldn't be able to belittle Kiba as much as she used to at every opportunity.

"But he is," Karura replied, grinning even wider, provoking Pakura to roll her eyes at her sister's obvious joy.

Still, Pakura was genuinely impressed... that she could not deny.

But no, she wouldn't admit it. Not yet.

Kiba was already annoying enough on his own.

And now everyone would treat him like a reincarnation of the Third Kazekage himself.... if that rumor got out it wouldn't make any sense.... but she was sure they'd say it anyway.

"He may still be an idiot," she muttered.

Yashamaru, standing just behind them, crossed his arms, maintaining his usual calm expression.

"I don't disagree. But if you're going to think that, at least now you'd have to say he's a genius idiot," he replied in his trademark calm, though his voice had a playful edge to it.

Karura laughed, enthusiastically nodding in full agreement with her brother.

Pakura, on the other hand, spun around to glare at him.

"Don't encourage her," she growled.

"Oh come on, I'm just saying the truth. I'd even say Kiba could be the next Kazekage, Pakura, so you'll just have to start accepting it," Karura commented, nearly causing Pakura to choke on her words.... and shudder at the thought of Kiba, of all people, becoming the next Kazekage.

"K-Kiba? Kazekage? That will never happen. He doesn't have even a hint of leadership—much less Kazekage material. He's a disaster."

"You'd be surprised how well suited he is for the role," Karura said with conviction, further irritating Pakura. "If he really wanted it, I'm sure he could do it."

"W-Wait—just a minute… you really believe that?!" Pakura asked, sounding incredulous that anyone could even think such a thing.

"You shouldn't think of Kiba as a normal boy, or you might be surprised," Karura said confidently. "If he set his mind to it, I'm positive he could become the strongest Kazekage ever… even the strongest Kage of all."

"Pff, yeah right. Ha ha… don't make me laugh," Pakura said, dismissing her sister's comment completely.

Karura narrowed her eyes, thoughtful.

"Now that I think about it… didn't you say once that if you ever got married, it would be only to someone as strong as the Kazekage?" she teased with a smile.

Pakura turned instantly red.

"I only said that to shut Dad up with those super boring, pointless conversations about boys! It wasn't literal!"

"Hmmm... sure, sure. Still—if he does become Kazekage, just know you can't keep him," Karura said suddenly.... sending Pakura nearly stumbling in shock at the crazy suggestion.

"Tch, for Kami's sake, stop messing with me with your nonsense!" Pakura scoffed, collecting herself and turning abruptly away with exaggerated steps.

Karura watched her go and then burst into laughter... nearly crying with amusement.

"You crossed the line," Yashamaru told her, though he couldn't help but smile.

"It was necessary. She needs to know she can't keep tormenting Kiba for free heh"

After that, Karura remained silent, looking toward where her best friend had been. She knew complicated times were coming for him. But for now, she felt pride. A kind of pride that needed no explanation.

Because he was Kiba. And for her, that said it all.

Meanwhile, Yashamaru kept his eyes on the crowd. Kiba was no longer center stage. Unlike Pakura or Karura, he only felt pride.

Kiba was his friend. That didn't mean he expected Kiba to share his personal thoughts.

And even though he didn't fully understand the mess Kiba was about to get into—because if there was one thing he could be sure of, it was that Kiba was walking into a whirlwind.... he understood that it was no accident that Kiba made it this far.

Kiba wasn't just a genin now. He was more. Something bigger.

Someone Yashamaru would always respect. And he was sure the whole village would eventually feel the same respect he had for him.