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Naruto: New Adventures (Web Novel) - Chapter 136 Kurama’s Misadventures, Fox in a Ninja’s Body: 9 The Festival Debacle
Chapter 136 Kurama’s Misadventures, Fox in a Ninja’s Body: 9 The Festival Debacle
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
Kurama was beginning to think that the universe had it out for him. After barely surviving the mission with Team 7, he thought he might get a moment’s peace to recharge. Instead, the next morning brought yet another unwelcome surprise.“Naruto!” Sakura’s voice rang out, accompanied by an insistent pounding on the door.
Kurama, who had been lying in bed with his face buried in a pillow, groaned loudly. What now? He reluctantly dragged himself up, rubbed his tired eyes, and stumbled to the door.
Sakura stood outside, looking uncharacteristically excited. “Hurry up! You’re going to be late!”
“Late for what?” Kurama grumbled, still half-asleep.
“The festival, duh!” Sakura said, giving him a strange look. “You’ve been talking about it all week.”
Kurama’s heart sank. Not another social event!
“Oh... right. The festival,” Kurama mumbled, forcing a smile. “Can’t wait.”
Sakura frowned slightly, her brow furrowing. “Are you okay? You’ve been acting weird lately.”
Kurama straightened up, trying to sound like his usual, upbeat self. “Nah, I’m fine! Just... uh, tired from all the missions.”
Sakura seemed to buy it, though her concerned expression lingered. “Well, hurry up and get ready. Hinata’s waiting for you.”
Kurama felt a jolt of panic. Hinata? Why is she waiting for me?
As if reading his mind, Sakura grinned mischievously. “You promised her you’d go with her, remember? Don’t even think about bailing.”
Kurama’s mind raced. Great. Another promise I don’t remember Naruto making.
But he didn’t have much of a choice. If he tried to back out now, Sakura—and worse, Hinata—would definitely know something was wrong.
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The festival was already in full swing by the time Kurama arrived, trailing behind Sakura like a condemned man. The streets of Konoha were decorated with colorful lanterns, stalls lined the roads selling food and trinkets, and the air buzzed with excitement.
Hinata was waiting near the entrance, her eyes lighting up when she spotted Kurama—Naruto. She gave him a shy smile, her hands nervously fiddling with the hem of her yukata.
“Hi, Naruto,” she said softly.
Kurama forced another smile, trying not to let his inner panic show. “Hey, Hinata! Ready for the festival?”
Hinata nodded, blushing slightly. “I’m really glad you could come.”
Kurama felt a pang of guilt. He knew how much Hinata liked Naruto, and he hated the idea of leading her on, even if it was unintentional. But he had no idea how to handle this situation without blowing his cover.
As they walked through the festival, Kurama did his best to act like Naruto. He smiled, laughed, and pointed out random stalls, all while trying to avoid any situations that might reveal the truth.
But, of course, things didn’t go smoothly for long.
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The first problem came when they ran into Kiba and Shino. Kiba, ever the energetic loudmouth, immediately bounded over, slapping Kurama on the back.
“Naruto! About time you showed up!” Kiba grinned, his fangs gleaming. “You ready for the eating contest?”
Kurama blinked. “Eating contest?”
Kiba gave him a confused look. “Yeah, the one you said you were going to win this year. Don’t tell me you forgot?”
Kurama’s mind raced. Of course Naruto signed up for an eating contest. Why wouldn’t he?
Hinata looked at Kurama with wide eyes, clearly expecting him to participate. Shino, who had been standing quietly nearby, raised an eyebrow behind his dark glasses. “Are you sure Naruto should be in a contest after the last mission? He seems... off.”
Kurama froze. He couldn’t back out of the contest now—it would only raise more suspicion. But at the same time, there was no way he could compete without making a fool of himself. He wasn’t used to Naruto’s appetite or stamina.
“I’m fine!” Kurama said quickly, forcing another grin. “Let’s do this!”
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The contest turned out to be a complete disaster.
Kurama barely made it through the first few bowls of ramen before he started feeling nauseous. The crowd cheered as Naruto—the legendary ramen lover—was expected to dominate the competition. But instead, Kurama struggled to keep up with Kiba, who was devouring bowl after bowl with alarming speed.
Hinata watched from the sidelines, her hands clasped nervously in front of her. Kiba was too caught up in the contest to notice anything strange, but Shino’s expression remained unreadable behind his glasses.
Kurama forced down another bowl, feeling like he was about to burst. How does Naruto eat this much?! he thought, his stomach churning.
After what felt like an eternity, Kiba finally slammed down his last bowl, grinning victoriously. “Ha! I win, Naruto! Looks like you’re losing your touch!”
Kurama barely managed to smile through his discomfort. “Yeah, you got me this time.”
As the crowd dispersed, Kurama staggered away from the stall, clutching his stomach. He felt terrible—both physically and mentally. Not only had he failed miserably at the contest, but he was sure Hinata had noticed something was off.
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The second problem came later that evening, when they ran into Sasuke.
Kurama had been trying to avoid Sasuke all day, but fate had other plans. As they were walking through one of the quieter streets of the festival, Sasuke appeared out of nowhere, his arms crossed and his expression as unreadable as ever.
“Naruto,” he said, his voice low. “We need to talk.”
Kurama tensed, feeling a cold sweat forming on the back of his neck. Not now. Not here.
Hinata glanced between them, sensing the tension. “I-I’ll give you two some space,” she said quietly, stepping away to give them privacy.
Kurama watched her go, feeling guilty all over again. But when he turned back to Sasuke, the cold, calculating look in his eyes sent a chill down Kurama’s spine.
“What is it, Sasuke?” Kurama asked, trying to sound casual.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his voice barely above a whisper. “You’re not Naruto, are you?”
Kurama’s heart nearly stopped. He knows!
For a moment, Kurama didn’t know what to say. He could feel the weight of Sasuke’s gaze, piercing through the flimsy facade he had been struggling to maintain.
But then, something strange happened. Sasuke sighed and shook his head, a rare look of sympathy crossing his face. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but if you need time to figure it out, I won’t press you.”
Kurama blinked in confusion. What?
Sasuke gave him one last glance before walking away, his usual stoic demeanor returning. “Just... don’t make a habit of acting like an idiot.”
Kurama stared after him, stunned. Did... did Sasuke just let me off the hook?
For the first time in days, Kurama felt a wave of relief wash over him. Sasuke hadn’t figured out the truth—at least, not yet. But the pressure was mounting, and Kurama knew he couldn’t keep this up much longer.
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As the night wore on, Kurama rejoined Hinata, who was still waiting patiently near one of the food stalls. She gave him a gentle smile, her eyes full of understanding.
“Is everything okay?” she asked softly.
Kurama hesitated, feeling another pang of guilt. He wanted to tell her the truth, to explain everything that had been going on. But he knew he couldn’t. Not yet.
“Yeah,” he said, forcing a smile. “Everything’s fine.”
Hinata seemed to sense that something was still wrong, but she didn’t push him. Instead, she simply smiled and took his hand, leading him toward one of the festival games.
Kurama followed her, trying to push the guilt and the stress to the back of his mind. For now, at least, he had managed to avoid disaster. But with Sasuke’s suspicions growing and his facade beginning to crack, Kurama knew it was only a matter of time before everything came crashing down.
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***
Kurama narrowly escapes discovery once again, but Sasuke’s suspicions are becoming harder to deflect, and even Hinata seems to sense that something is off. With the festival ending and the pressure mounting, how long can Kurama keep up the act before the truth is finally revealed?
