The classroom had gone completely silent after Kiba's explanation.
Even the normally lazy Shikamaru, who always had that half-asleep, "too troublesome" expression on his face, had begun to think seriously.
His eyes were no longer drooping, and his fingers absentmindedly tapped the desk as he processed Kiba's words. The silence was heavy, lingering in the air like a pause before a storm.
At that exact moment, Gojo suddenly leaned forward with a confident smile. His golden Sharingan eyes gleamed faintly, catching everyone's attention. His voice broke through the silence.
"Then let's do this," Gojo said firmly. "We'll find that dog today. Not tomorrow. Not later. Today. All of us will help you, Kiba. We'll definitely find it together."
The words carried an unusual weight. Everyone in the classroom turned to look at him, their faces reflecting different emotions.
Naruto, who had been restless in his seat, almost leaped up in excitement. He grinned widely and nodded furiously.
"Yeah! Let's do it! If Gojo's saying it, then I'm in for sure! Believe it!"
Ino, Hinata, and Sakura—who had been quiet until now—also exchanged glances. But the moment they remembered that it was Gojo who gave the idea, their hesitation vanished like mist in the morning sun.
"I'll help too," Sakura said, her voice firm but her eyes subtly soft as she glanced at Gojo.
"Of course, I'll join," Ino added immediately, trying to appear confident, but her gaze also lingered a second longer on Gojo than on anyone else.
Hinata's face turned pink, but she gathered courage. "I'll… I'll help too."
Karin adjusted her glasses with a small smile, clearly swayed more by Gojo's presence than Kiba's situation. "If Gojo thinks it's worth doing, then I'll help as well."
Choji, sitting nearby, had been quietly munching on his snacks. But he swallowed, nodded, and said, "I'll join too."
Shikamaru sighed deeply, but in the end, he gave a nod as well. "Troublesome… but fine. I'll help."
Shizuka Uchiha, graceful and sharp, folded her arms. "If Gojo's going, then I'll go too." She then turned and grabbed her reluctant brother by the arm. Sasuke frowned, clearly uninterested, but Shizuka dragged him anyway.
"Tch. Fine," Sasuke muttered, clearly unwilling but unable to shake off his sister's grip.
As everyone began standing up, there was one figure left behind, stunned. Shino sat in silence, his expression hidden behind his glasses and collar.
"…Again?" he thought to himself bitterly. "Did everyone forget me… again? I was sitting right here… but nobody even asked…"
He sighed helplessly, pushing his glasses back up.
"At least… remember me now…" he muttered under his breath.
But nobody heard him. And so, with another deep sigh, Shino quietly stood up and followed behind the group.
Gojo, however, was smiling faintly. To him, this wasn't about helping Kiba. He wasn't truly interested in chasing after some missing dog pup. What he wanted was simple—an excuse to escape Iruka-sensei's class. Something fun, something adventurous.
As the group left the classroom and stepped into the warm sunlight of Konoha, they made their way down the small streets and corners of the village. The chatter of merchants and shinobi filled the air, the sounds of the marketplace surrounding them.
Gojo then turned to the group with a mischievous grin.
"Before we start searching… how about we eat first?"
The suggestion immediately lit up Naruto's face.
"Yes! Ramen time! That's what I'm talking about!" Naruto cheered, pumping his fist into the air.
The girls—Ino, Sakura, Hinata, Karin, and Shizuka—surprisingly didn't complain. Since it was Gojo's idea, they all agreed without hesitation.
Choji's eyes practically sparkled. "Finally! Someone who understands. Let's eat first!"
Kiba blinked in confusion at first. He had been so focused on his missing pup. But after a moment, he nodded seriously. "Yes… that's right. We should gather energy by consuming food before starting the search. That way we'll have enough stamina to find the pup."
Shikamaru stared at them all, speechless. His hand dragged down his face.
"…Seriously? A moment ago, everyone was so eager to help Kiba… and now it's just about food. They're hopeless."
Still, when the group started walking toward the nearest ramen shop, Shikamaru found himself following them too. He shook his head in defeat. "They're just kids after all…"
From the side, Shino observed the scene silently.
"…Even you, Shikamaru? You too?" he muttered in disbelief. "Unbelievable…"
But despite his inner complaints, Shino followed behind as well.
The group gathered around bowls of steaming ramen, dumplings, and other food. Naruto slurped loudly, Ino and Sakura tried to act ladylike but still enjoyed their food, Hinata nibbled quietly, and Choji ate with unmatched enthusiasm. Even Kiba, who had initially been stressed, seemed calmer now, thinking of it as preparation.
Gojo leaned back slightly, letting the chatter wash over him. He wasn't focused on the food—it was the lively atmosphere that entertained him. For once, Iruka's dull lessons were far away.
After finishing their meal together, everyone left the ramen shop with full stomachs. Naruto rubbed his belly with satisfaction, grinning ear to ear as if he had just achieved one of the greatest victories of his life.
Kiba, meanwhile, kept glancing around every corner of the street, sniffing faintly, still worried about his missing dog pup.
His excitement had not gone down, but the weight of responsibility as a partner to his ninken pressed on him. He muttered softly, "We need to hurry. That pup could be in trouble somewhere…"
The group of young students—Gojo, Naruto, Kiba, Hinata, Ino, Sakura, Karin, Choji, Shikamaru, Shizuka, Sasuke, and even the quiet Shino trailing behind—walked through the village streets.
They moved from one alley to another, turning at small corners, searching near the markets, stopping at busy crossroads, peeking into open yards, and even questioning a few villagers who were nearby. But the result was always the same.
No trace of the missing dog pup.
Hours seemed to pass as they traveled from street to street, their enthusiasm from earlier gradually fading away. At first, everyone was confident that with so many people helping, they would surely find the dog quickly. But reality was much harsher.
Every corner they searched turned out empty, every small sound of barking they heard was only from another dog in the village, not Kiba's lost pup.
The group's energy began to drop. Ino sighed loudly and complained, "We've looked everywhere, and still nothing… Are we even close?"
Sakura frowned, her eyes showing frustration. Hinata fidgeted nervously with her fingers, glancing once at Naruto who was still trying to stay positive but was clearly growing tired.
Choji, who had stuffed himself earlier, was now sluggish, holding his stomach as he walked with slower steps. Even Shikamaru, who usually kept his complaints inside his mind, showed a helpless expression, thinking, This is such a drag… wandering around aimlessly like this won't get us anywhere.
Karin's red hair glimmered slightly in the sunlight as she looked toward Gojo. Unlike the others, she wasn't losing confidence. Deep down she trusted that if Gojo was here, there was no way they would fail. Her lips curved into a small smile as she quietly followed his lead.
Gojo, of course, had been calm all along. While the rest of the group struggled with hopelessness, Gojo already knew the truth. From the very beginning, he had used Kagura's Mind Eye to sense the location of the missing dog pup. For others, finding a small animal hidden somewhere in the massive village was an impossible task, like searching for a single leaf in a forest of thousands. But for Gojo, with his unique sensory ability, it was nothing more than a simple matter.
Still, he didn't reveal it at once. Instead, he waited patiently, letting the others try and fail, letting their hope diminish bit by bit. Only when the time was right, only when everyone was nearly about to give up, did Gojo finally decide to step forward.
He stopped walking, turned his head slightly, and spoke with a steady tone.
"Enough searching randomly," Gojo declared. "I know where the dog pup is. Follow me."
The moment those words left his lips, the mood of the entire group changed.
Naruto's eyes immediately widened with excitement. "Really, Gojo?! You know where it is? That's awesome, let's go!"
Kiba was stunned for a moment before his heart jumped with relief. He almost shouted in happiness, "You… you do?! Then lead the way! Please, Gojo, take us there!" His earlier exhaustion and worry transformed into pure determination.
The girls—Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and Karin—exchanged glances with each other, their expressions softening. If it had been anyone else claiming they knew, they might have doubted. But since it was Gojo, not one of them questioned it. They all nodded immediately, their faith placed completely on his shoulders.
Choji scratched the back of his head, still chewing the last snack he had bought from a nearby stall, but he too nodded. "If Gojo says so, then I'm in."
Even Shikamaru, who always doubted and thought lazily about everything, was silent for a few seconds. Then he exhaled slowly and muttered, "Troublesome… but if it's you, then I guess it's worth following."
Shizuka agreed instantly, holding Sasuke by the sleeve and dragging him forward despite his reluctance. "You're coming too, brother. No excuses."
Sasuke clicked his tongue but didn't resist too much. Deep inside, he was curious about where Gojo was going to take them.
At the very back, Shino's face darkened with silent disbelief. He thought to himself, Again… nobody asked me, nobody looked at me, nobody even remembered I was here. Why does this always happen? With a heavy sigh that almost went unnoticed, he followed them as well.
And so, under Gojo's lead, the group moved out of the village streets and began heading toward the outskirts. The air gradually changed as they walked. The lively sounds of the village faded behind them, replaced by the quiet rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds.
Finally, after some time, they arrived at a place none of them expected.
Standing before them was a massive forest. The towering trees blocked out much of the sunlight, casting deep shadows over the entrance. The air here was thick and heavy, filled with the smell of damp earth and wild plants. Strange cries of unseen creatures echoed from within, sending shivers down the spine.
The group froze.
"This…" Shikamaru's eyes narrowed as he recognized the place. He had read about it before, memorized details, and collected bits of information even as a child. "This isn't just any forest. This is the Forest of Death."
His words struck everyone like a hammer.
Ino gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Sakura's eyes went wide, filled with unease. Hinata's knees trembled slightly, her fear surfacing in her expression. Karin bit her lip nervously, her earlier confidence momentarily shaken.
The atmosphere became heavy.
Shikamaru's tone was serious now, far different from his usual lazy drawl. "This forest isn't an ordinary place. It's used during the Chunin Exams… it's filled with deadly traps and dangerous animals. Going inside recklessly could cost us our lives."
The warning sent chills through everyone's hearts.
But before anyone could back away, Naruto and Kiba stepped forward almost simultaneously. Their eyes burned with determination.
"Why are you all scared?!" Naruto shouted. "We can't give up just because it's dangerous. That pup is waiting for us. If we're shinobi, then we can't run away from this!"
Kiba clenched his fists tightly, his voice firm. "Naruto's right! That pup is my partner, and I'll rescue it no matter what! If you're scared, then just stay here, but I'm going inside!"
Their passionate words struck everyone, stirring their hearts despite their fear.
Even so, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata shuddered, hesitating on the spot. They weren't trained for such danger yet, and the idea of stepping into a place known as the "Forest of Death" chilled them to the core.
At that moment, Sasuke smirked and walked past them. His eyes gleamed with arrogance as he declared loudly, "What cowards you all are. I, Uchiha Sasuke, will go inside and prove my strength today. Watch closely, because this will be the moment I show you my true skills."
He tilted his head slightly, speaking with exaggerated coolness, clearly trying to impress.
But what he didn't notice was that this time, his words had no effect.
In the original story, whenever Sasuke acted like this, Ino and Sakura would look at him with admiration, stars shining in their eyes. But now, things had changed. Both girls glanced at him only briefly, then their gazes drifted back to Gojo, their admiration and trust belonging to him instead.
Sasuke's attempt at showing off fell flat, leaving him feeling secretly frustrated.
And so, the chapter ended here—suspended in tension, fear, and determination as the group stood before the Forest of Death, ready to face the unknown.
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Author's Note — From Kiba Inuzuka
At the very end, Kiba suddenly turned toward the readers, bowing deeply. His expression was serious yet desperate.
"Please, readers! In the next chapter, I'll finally get a chance to shine! Please send your power stones to support the author so I can become the MVP! I beg you all!"
Even his loyal dog barked beside him, wagging its tail as if echoing the plea.
"Woof! Woof!"
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End of Chapter
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