Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Seven: The Trio Who Got Instantly Wrecked [Part One]
"You guys just keep pushing your luck. Sooner or later, something's gonna happen!"
Kakashi let out a sigh. At this rate, he'd probably turn gray from stress—if he wasn't already white-haired to begin with.
"In a way, isn't this outcome pretty good too? Subduing enemies without fighting, resolving their love affairs in the process—even if it means enduring a few harsh glares."
Sakura turned her head toward the Cloud Village. Predictably, Shuo, the Fourth Raikage's apprentice, and Xi Chuo, Killer Bee's apprentice, were glaring at them furiously. Their eyes blazed with fury, as if they were about to unleash a Fire Release technique at any moment.
"Shameless! Disgusting! Bastards!"
Shuo and Xi Chuo were furious. Takaya Rain had been seen as one of the top beauties among their group of students, yet in the end, her heart had gone to someone from Konoha. They were so enraged they felt like blowing all those shameless Leaf ninjas to bits.
"I still don't get it. How exactly did they even hit it off?" Hinata frowned slightly as she asked.
"That girl Takaya has a fear of clusters, so naturally she pays extra attention to Shino to prevent him from suddenly turning into a swarm of bugs. And Shino, who usually goes completely unnoticed, has finally found someone who pays constant attention to him. Don't you think that makes his heart flutter?"
Sakura accurately captured both of their inner emotions with perfect clarity.
"So, basically, their whole thing was actually a beautiful misunderstanding?" Ino's jaw nearly dropped. Was such a sneaky maneuver even possible? Yet shortly afterward, she grew a bit gloomy again. "Ugh… Even someone like Shino—who practically has zero presence—is finding a partner already. Then why haven't I met my true prince charming yet?"
"Be patient. There's definitely someone waiting for you somewhere along your journey ahead!" Sakura comforted, gently patting Ino's shoulder. She wondered if Sai—the pale-skinned boy—would ever get another chance to make an appearance?
"Do you mean King of Hell?" Ino stared back at Sakura with an expression full of despair. It felt like she'd probably spend her entire life alone.
As they were chatting, Shino approached, radiating a vibe so cheerful it almost overflowed. His lips were curved upward so much, they nearly touched the collar of his high-necked jacket.
"Shino, would you please tone down that overly happy aura of yours a little? You're practically bubbling with pink sparkles now!"
Hinata wrinkled her brow and rubbed her arm. Shino's overwhelming happiness was giving her chills.
"I'm happy," Shino pushed his sunglasses up, unable to hide the joy in his voice. "If I must explain..."
"—It's because you've found someone who watches you closely all the time, right?" Sakura cut him off mid-sentence and immediately poured cold water on his mood. "Please, the girl simply has trypophobia (a fear of clusters), and coincidentally you're a bug user. Seeing all those bugs together scared her half to death. Of course she's going to watch you more carefully to prevent you from pulling out another swarm of insects again!"
"I don't care about the exact reason anymore. I've already promised her we'll travel all over the shinobi world together, record everything we do, and turn them into books to sell in stores so more people can read about our adventures."
Shino was in a good mood and didn't mind being interrupted. If he weren't naturally calm, he might have burst out laughing by now.
"If you're happy, that's all that matters," Sakura replied with a wry smile, deciding not to press further. As far as she could remember, Shino remained a lonely bachelor even in the Boruto series. Naruto and Sasuke's kids were already saving the world, Orochimaru had created a human clone, even Akamaru had offspring, yet middle-aged Shino was still alone—almost like he had inherited Kakashi and Guy's legacy of staying single.
In high spirits, Shino hummed a tune while walking toward a corner, quietly calculating his next travel destination in his mind.
Compared to Shino and Takaya Rain's cheerful moods, Haku and Zabuza waiting below weren't very pleased at all. They had been standing there for ages, yet neither side had even lifted a hand against each other. Without injuries, there would be no patients to haul back to the hospital, no chance to rip off unsuspecting clients, no income for the hospital, and thus fewer rewards from the Third Hokage. This left them feeling quite unhappy.
"What's with these kids growing up so fast anyway? And getting into romantic relationships at such a young age?" Zabuza grumbled, even developing the urge to go break them apart.
"Love at their age—who knows if they'll last? Maybe they'll argue and split up later. Then we can bet they'll fight hard, giving us a perfect excuse to bring the injured back and fleece them like fat sheep." Haku said with a smile, but his chilling tone sent a shiver down Zabuza's spine. Ever since joining Konoha with Sakura, Haku seemed to be getting creepier by the day.
Hayate Gekko glanced at the arena and nodded slightly, feeling somewhat satisfied. Fortunately, the venue wasn't destroyed—only a large hole had been drilled by some kind of bug, which didn't interfere with anything and didn't require unnecessary repairs.
"The next match will be between Shuo from Cloud Village and Sakon from Sound Village."
Hayate briefly looked at the electronic screen before waiting for the competitors to step onto the stage.
"Hmph, didn't expect it would come to me this time."
Dressed in a dull yellow coat, with a spiky punk hairstyle and wearing a jacket emblazoned with three large characters that read "death," Sakon entered the battlefield arrogantly shouting.
Originally, Orochimaru had given them a mission to test Sasuke's strength in the Forest of Death, but unfortunately, plans changed faster than expected—they never encountered Sasuke at all.
Sakon, however, was quite displeased with his opponent—a complete nobody from Cloud Village. In Sakon's eyes, this kid wouldn't last more than a second against him.
"I originally hoped to perform as the final act, but it's unfortunate my timing got moved up earlier than planned."
Sakon sneered disdainfully at the cold-faced Shuo. "Hey, brat from Cloud! Lucky for you, I'm in a decent mood today. Surrender now and maybe I'll spare your life. Don't push me, or I won't show any mercy!"
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>