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Kiba Inuzuka is a loud and head-strong Chunin member of Kurenai Yuhi's Team 8. He's from Konohagakure's Inuzuka family, known for their use of Nin-dogs (忍犬, Ninken?) in battle, and has an almost symbiotic relation with his nin-dog Akamaru – they are even able to communicate with each other, allowing Kiba to gain information from Akamaru's heightened senses of smell and hearing. The two also perform many jutsu together, such as Beast Human Clone so that they both look like a beastlike Kiba. Afterward they can use Double Piercing Fang to spin towards the opponent at high speed, causing great damage on impact. By gathering chakra to his nose, Kiba can also increase his own sense of smell a thousand-fold.
Kiba and his team members, Hinata Hyuga and Shino Aburame, are highly specialized in tracking and survival; Kiba's and Akamaru's heightened senses, combined with Hinata's Byakugan and Shino's Destruction Bug Host Technique, make their team exceptional at this. Compared to Team 7, Team 8 appears to be on very good terms with one another, although Kiba proclaims his dislike for Shino's bossy attitude during the second part of the Chunin exam and Shino seems to think Kiba should be more serious and less goofy. The three spend time together as they pursue their hobbies (Kiba training Akamaru, Hinata picking flowers, and Shino collecting bugs).
According to the official databook, Kiba's favorite foods are beef jerky and gristle. His least favorite foods are anything that he can't chew. His hobby is walking with Akamaru, which rarely involves simple walking. His favorite phrase is "Akamaru".
[edit] Part I
[edit] Chunin Exam Arc
During the first part of the Chunin exam, a written test, Akamaru is sitting on Kiba's head, thus being able to look at the other examinees' papers. Since Kiba is the only one in the classroom able to understand Akamaru's barking and growling, Akamaru can easily pass the answers through to Kiba.
In the third stage preliminaries, Kiba is set up against Naruto Uzumaki. Although Kiba has the upper hand for most of the battle, Naruto manages to turn the tables for a while through his use of surprisingly clever strategy, as well as some luck. While everyone is amazed by Naruto's growth, Kiba gives Akamaru a food pill, increasing his chakra. This turns Akamaru's fur red, revealing the true reason for Akamaru's name ("aka" meaning "red" in Japanese). Once again having the upper hand, Kiba and Akamaru attack Naruto. However, Naruto, with his determination, and a clever use of the Transformation Technique, manages to eliminate Akamaru from the fight. While Kiba is down, Naruto attempts to debut his Uzumaki Naruto Combo, but Kiba gets up and tries to prevent this, eventually ending up behind Naruto. Having his concentration disrupted by Kiba, Naruto farts, turning Kiba's own heightened sense of smell against him. This distraction allows Naruto to finish the Uzumaki Naruto Combo, thus finally defeating Kiba. As Kiba is being carried to the emergency room, Hinata comes and offers him the same ointment that she gave Naruto. Concerned, he tells her to forfeit if she is placed with Gaara or Neji.
Though during the fight Kiba taunted Naruto about his inferior strength and mocked his dream to be Hokage, by defeating him Naruto earns his respect and Kiba cheers for him with Hinata in the third stage main matches. Kiba has realized that Naruto has changed and is one of the few viewers that believe that Naruto has a chance in beating Neji. When Hinata begins coughing up blood and is taken by the medics, Kiba follows them, thus missing Naruto's fight. He is knocked out by Kabuto after returning, since Akamaru recognized Kabuto's smell.
[edit] Sasuke Retrieval arc
Kiba is a part of the team sent to retrieve the renegade Sasuke Uchiha, together with Naruto, Neji, Choji Akimichi and their leader Shikamaru Nara. Kiba's attempt to rescue Akamaru brought them into a fight against Sound Four's Sakon and Ukon, claiming that they are the strongest among the four. He and Akamaru successfully kept Sakon and his twin brother Ukon occupied, allowing the rest to move on and continue the mission. The fight is a close one, with Sakon and Ukon having to resort to using Orochimaru's last defense to protect themselves from Kiba and Akamaru's powerful Double Wolf Fang. He shows amazing intelligence during the fight which impresses even Ukon who tells Kiba, while fused into his body, that his nose and brains won't help in this situation. The anime also expands on how he was first paired with Akamaru, which goes some way to explain how incredibly close the two are.
The twins are ultimately stronger, and almost kill Akamaru, so Kiba decides to withdraw and hide with Akamaru from the brothers. They eventually find him, but Kankuro intervenes at the last second – saving Kiba from certain death and killing Sakon and Ukon – as a part of a joint effort by him, Gaara, and Temari to aid the Leaf-ninja on their mission.
[edit] Filler arcs
Like Neji, Kiba is teamed up with Naruto numerous times on other missions in the anime after the failed Sasuke retrieval mission. During the episode "Kiba's Long Day," more of the connection between Kiba and Akamaru is seen while Akamaru is infected with a biological weapon. It also takes an in-depth look at Kiba's family life. We also see that Kiba has very good hospitality. When Kiba finds Naruto trespassing in the Inuzuka's garden, he is not angered, but instead invites him to come into the house.
In the Treasure Hunt arc, Kiba sees the error of his and Naruto's ways of wanting leadership. When he points out that the team of Naruto, Hinata, and himself has a weakness, Naruto and Hinata think he is talking about Hinata because she has an injured leg. Kiba then tells them that Hinata is the strong part of the group since she worries about everyone and that he and Naruto are the weakness because they always argue. Kiba makes the point that they will be a better team if they work together.
In the Konoha 11 arc, Kiba and Shino unsuccessfully attempt to search the village for the missing blueprints, only to find that a smoke bomb set off the previous night also had a scent-neutralizing agent. Later on in the arc, Kiba is teamed up with Neji while searching the school. Kiba proves that he can easily lose his temper when he is angered by a group of children taking part in a kunai throwing practice. The reasoning for this is because if a kunai hit the bulls-eye, the academy would be blown up. While Kiba does lose his temper, it is simply because he doesn't want to hear the kids complain.
During the Kurama Clan arc, Kiba is enraged to hear that Kurenai is leaving Team 8. However, having Kurenai leave team 8 makes Kiba realize and show how much respect he has for her. When Kurenai tells Team 8 to search the village, Shino and Hinata leave but Kiba stays behind for a little while and seems rather fidgety. When Kurenai asks Kiba what's wrong, he says that if anyone is going to give orders than it should be Kurenai. He then leaves to catch up to Shino and Hinata, and Kurenai smiles, happy that someone like Kiba who doesn't like being told what to do is telling her that she should be giving orders. In the end, Kiba is extremely happy when Kurenai says that she will continue as Team 8's leader.
[edit] Part II
Kiba & Akamaru in Part IIDuring Naruto's two-and-a-half-year absence from Konohagakure, Kiba passes the Chunin exam and is promoted to Chunin level. He has largely remained true to his loud, joking personality. He has exchanged his fur coat for what appears to be a leather jacket. Akamaru also grew so much that Kiba can ride on his back. When Naruto commented on Akamaru's growth, Kiba said he hadn't noticed since he had been around him the entire time
 wolf of the dark moon · Wed Dec 06, 2006 @ 11:50pm · 3 Comments |
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