"Kiba, come here and give me a hand!"
When Itsuki saw Kiba's expression, a thought suddenly came to him.
"What's up?" Kiba didn't understand, but still reached out his hand.
Itsuki high-fived him, and when their palms touched, he transferred his Wood Release chakra infused with vitality directly into Kiba.
"Huh?" Kiba blinked, sensing something.
A moment later, warmth spread through his whole body as the chakra surged into his cells, making his blood rush with life energy.
The sharp sting from moving too much earlier faded instantly.
He could even feel his wounds knitting themselves together at high speed.
If this continued, he'd be fully healed in minutes.
"What… is going on?" Shock replaced Kiba's confusion.
Medical ninjutsu? No… this was different.
A secret technique? A kekkei genkai?
Whatever it was, it worked.
Kiba had heard about yesterday's mission—how Itsuki had stepped up in the crucial moment and saved them.
Now it turned out he could heal too? Among their class, this guy was a hidden boss.
By the time Kiba was done thinking, Itsuki had already pulled his hand back.
"Just as I thought." Itsuki smiled in satisfaction. "Since your injuries are only external, stimulating your cells with vitality chakra speeds up recovery. But if you'd taken internal damage or mental trauma, it wouldn't be so easy."
"It's… really healed!"
Kiba tugged at his bandages, ripping them all off. Sure enough, he was completely fine.
Then he turned toward Itsuki, almost pleading: "Um, Itsuki… could you treat Akamaru too? Please. He's my most important partner!"
Itsuki shrugged. Not a big deal, and a favor earned was always useful.
"No problem." He waved. "Akamaru, give me your paw."
The wording was… questionable. But Akamaru wasn't smart enough to take it the wrong way.
"Woof!"
Tail wagging, he bounded over and placed his little paw against Itsuki's hand.
With a clap, Itsuki transferred chakra again.
Sure enough, the vitality worked just as well on him.
"So amazing!" Hinata whispered, her Byakugan activated as she watched every detail.
She'd already admired Itsuki, but now her feelings deepened even further.
Meanwhile, Shino lingered in the shadows, half his face hidden by his high-collared jacket, the rest by his sunglasses and forehead protector. His aura was gloomy.
"Why am I the only one excluded? Even the dog gets it, but not me…" he muttered like a man under a raincloud.
"Woof! Woof!" Moments later, Akamaru was fully healed.
He barked happily, circling Itsuki, rubbing against him, licking his hands, his tail wagging like a fan.
Itsuki chuckled, removing the dog's bandages. "Be more careful next time, alright? Go on."
Cute, yes—but Itsuki hadn't done this out of affection. He'd only wanted to test the scope of his ability.
Better to spend his energy training Hinata.
"Thank you, Itsuki!"
Kiba was even happier for Akamaru than himself. "And also, thanks for yesterday. If you ever need anything, just call me!"
Itsuki waved it off casually. "Don't mention it. And trust me—if I ever need your help, I won't hesitate."
"Hell yeah. I'll protect this part of Konoha myself!" Kiba pounded his chest proudly.
But then his eyes narrowed in curiosity. "So… what exactly were you and Hinata doing just now? I thought I saw you holding her hand. Don't tell me you two were—"
Hinata's entire face went crimson. Steam practically rose from her head.
She stared at Kiba's stomach, torn between fainting and blasting him with a Gentle Fist strike to shut him up forever.
Before she could decide, the atmosphere was broken.
"WHY!!"
A massive shadow surged across the ground. Akamaru yelped in panic, leaping into Kiba's arms and scrambling inside his jacket.
Itsuki's eyes sharpened as he instinctively activated his Sharingan and raised his hand to strike.
"Shino! What the hell are you doing? You scared Akamaru!" Kiba barked, furious.
At that, Itsuki froze mid-strike and stopped himself just in time.
The huge shadow was Shino himself. He stood there, muttering, his aura so oppressive it chilled the air.
He drifted closer, his sunglasses gleaming faintly.
"Why? Why?!"
Itsuki frowned. "You're gonna have to be a little clearer than that. What did I even do to piss you off?"
"Why am I the only one who didn't get it? Even a dog got it!" Shino kept mumbling.
Itsuki blinked. Still no clue.
"Hey, hey, what's your problem?" Kiba bared his teeth. "Itsuki just healed me and Akamaru a little. If you're injured too, just say it, don't sulk like some ghost!"
"That…" Hinata suddenly realized what Shino meant. She opened her mouth—then remembered Itsuki's lesson.
So instead of whispering, she shouted clearly:
"Shino, you mean the high-five, right?!"
She clapped her own hands together for emphasis.
"Yesterday after the mission, Itsuki high-fived Shikamaru and Choji. Just now he did the same with Kiba and Akamaru. That's why you're upset, isn't it?"
Hinata's sudden loud voice shocked Kiba so much he almost missed her actual words.
Her cheeks reddened immediately, but she felt strangely light afterward.
Itsuki's method was working—she did feel braver.
"High five?" Itsuki muttered, finally catching on. Considering Shino's character, it did make sense…
In that moment, he felt his brain short-circuit.
"Why… why am I the only one left out?"
Shino leaned in closer, face practically touching Itsuki's, repeating his question.
Itsuki snapped. He shoved him back and roared:
"You fucking idiot! Your hands have been in your pockets this whole damn time! What the hell do you expect me to high-five, your ghost arms?!"
"You want one? Take your hands out! If you don't, what am I supposed to do—smack you on the head? Or right across the face?!"
Everyone froze. Even Shino.
The silence lasted all of three seconds before Kiba doubled over, clutching his stomach, howling with laughter.
Tears streamed down his face. Akamaru collapsed beside him, rolling on the ground, yapping in delight.
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Konoha Harem Chat Group: I Can Fabricate the Future (Completed) is now on Patreon!
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you for your support! 💙