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In a specific corner of the Art Store in Ohara, Kizashi Haruno was staring at the manga pages with intense tension.
"Come on, Sakura… you can fight too, for the sake of protecting your comrades…"
Kizashi had breathed a sigh of relief moments ago after seeing Rock Lee's heroic intervention. However, even for a boy as strong as Lee, fighting three opponents alone was an uphill battle. For that reason, he felt Sakura had to step up.
"Her chakra must be completely exhausted…" Mebuki said, sitting beside him as usual.
"It looks like Rock Lee is going to use that technique he was about to use on Sasuke in the previous chapters… Is it really as powerful as Gai-sensei describes?" Kizashi wondered, a questioning expression mirrored on Mebuki's face.
As they progressed through the chapter, it became harder for them to pull their eyes away from the pages to discuss the events.
"It's so annoying to see that Yamanaka girl mocking Sakura all the time!" Mebuki added, her temper fraying as she spoke with a hint of spite toward certain scenes.
...
In the section where the clans gathered, specifically where the Nara clan sat, Hekitsu Nara, the clan head, wore a speechless expression as he looked at a particular scene in the manga.
...
..
[— Manga Scene —]
"Ahh!! We can't find any weak-looking guys!!" Ino said with a frustrated expression, clutching her head.
"As I said… The only guys weaker than us would probably be the Naruto team," Shikamaru remarked sarcastically.
"Idiot!! What are you saying?!!" For some reason, his words made Ino furious.
"What?"
"Sakura and Naruto are losers, of course, but… They have the super-genius Sasuke-kun!!" she exclaimed.
"Bah, I don't know about that… Geniuses can quickly crumble under the pressure of the real world," Shikamaru said, rolling his eyes.
But his words only seemed to make Ino angrier.
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry that I upset you."
'Geez… This sucks… You say one bad thing about Sasuke, and she flies off the handle… always…' Shikamaru expressed his internal annoyance.
"There's no way Sasuke-kun would lose! Hah!! It's a different story with Sakura, though." Just as Ino finished speaking, their teammate Choji pointed nearby:
"Oh!! Sasuke's knocked out cold!! And Sakura is fighting."
"Huh!?" Ino gasped in shock.
[— End Scene —]
"Admitting weakness… What is it with this child of my clan?"
'But... Why do I feel like I'm looking at Shikaku from a few years ago..."
Whenever Hekitsu looked at Shikamaru, he felt he was looking at his own son. The resemblance was uncanny, not just in appearance, but in personality as well.
"Hah! Oyaji? Why are you comparing me to him? I can't admit I'm weaker than anyone!" said Shikaku Nara, who was annoyed by the idea of being likened to the rookie in the manga.
But Hekitsu didn't take his son's words seriously. After all, he wasn't the only one in the clan who could see the resemblance.
Everyone shared a firm belief: Shikaku would father Shikamaru at some point in the future.
...
Not far from the Nara clan gathering, members of the Yamanaka clan, including clan head Yamanaka Inwi, were quite annoyed by Ino's personality so far.
"What a weak team… Is this the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho?"
"This time, we even seem to be the weakest link…"
Since neither Shikamaru nor Choji had shown any real combat stance yet, they remained mysterious to readers who weren't quick to judge.
However, because Ino seemed like a second version of Sakura, whom many readers found annoying, Ino's popularity was already suffering.
In other words, all of Sasuke's fangirls were disliked within the "shinobi readers community!"
As a Kunoichi, you should focus on improving your skills, not chasing handsome boys!
Why not chase this handsome guy right here?
Why does it have to be Sasuke?!
Is it because he's more handsome than me?!
Damn you! I'm much more handsome and cooler! Take this 'dislike' for yourself!
Sakura? Big forehead! Why do Naruto and Rock Lee like such an annoying girl?
Ino? Well, she's pretty… a little… but she's annoying! Even more annoying than Sakura!
These were the thoughts of the shinobi readers' community, a group of bachelors who were, in short, jealous of fictional characters!
"..." Inoichi Yamanaka, the son of the clan head and future father of Ino, looked at the loud noise being made by the haters of the "Sasuke-obsessed" female characters.
"Sigh… she really isn't very popular…" Inoichi sighed as he said it.
At that moment, his gaze fell upon a civilian woman.
She carried a disappointed expression while listening to the reactions of the Ino and Sakura haters. For the first time, his teenage heart skipped a beat, as if he had just seen the woman he was destined to marry.
She had light brown eyes without pupils, long brown hair, fair skin, and slight wrinkles visible near her mouth.
'If her hair were blonde and her eyes green, she would definitely be a replica of Ino…' Inoichi thought, his eyes still fixed on her.
Suddenly, the woman turned around as if sensing his gaze. Their eyes met for the first time. Then, she smiled at him.
His heart fluttered even more, beating continuously.
This small scene did not escape the notice of Inwi Yamanaka, the clan head, who smiled quietly.
...
"Burp! It seems Choji is the calmest of the trio. He's the only one who noticed what's happening nearby," said Houzhou Akimichi, the clan head, after a satisfied belch.
No one knew if his satisfaction came from the delicious ramen he had just eaten or from his approval of Choji's character in the manga.
In the Akimichi gathering area, all sorts of different burping sounds could be heard. Without exception, they were all eating and drinking while reading; after all, they were sitting right in front of the automatic food vending machines!
"Hahaha! The expression on Ino's face is hilarious. Choji's response was perfectly timed to crush her unrealistic fantasies." Choza Akimichi laughed happily, tossing more spicy chips into his mouth.
...
In the subsequent scenes, the manga pages witnessed an unequal battle that Rock Lee entered with great resolve. One against three.
At this moment, Maito Dai and little Gai were completely silent, staring with intense focus at the pages, their eyes locked on the battle details.
As Hyuga Neji recalled a flashback to their teacher, Gai-sensei, calming the excited Lee after he learned a powerful technique, both father and son smiled instinctively. They could feel the wonderful bond between Lee and the future Gai-sensei.
'Could Lee be my grandson?' Dai wondered, wishing for it in his heart.
His eyes twitched when he saw the scene where Gai punched Lee, who was jumping with excitement after mastering the technique.
"What a powerful punch..." Even little Gai felt his cheek ache as if he were the one who had just been hit.
"As expected… he taught him the Initial Lotus technique…!" Dai's eyes widened as he looked at the chapter pages.
"What technique is this, Dad?" Little Gai's eyes widened in awe.
At this age, he didn't know any combat techniques, let alone forbidden ones.
"See for yourself… keep reading, don't lose focus. You'll see Lee actually perform it," Dai pointed for him to continue.
[— Manga Scene —]
'Gai-sensei… I'm going to use this technique without reservations… because right now is the time to protect a precious person!!' Rock Lee began unwrapping the bandages on his wrists.
"He vanished!!" shocked Dosu.
Because of Lee's extreme speed, he seemed to disappear from his enemy's sight, but soon Dosu felt his jaw shatter under the force of an upward kick that sent his body flying into the air.
"It's not over." Lee appeared behind his opponent, and the bandages began to surround and bind him.
"He can't protect himself like that! He's in trouble!!" Zaku intervened to save his comrade.
"Take this!!!"
'Initial Lotus!!!' Lee's body turned into a human tornado, and with immense speed, he slammed his opponent head-first into the ground, burying him.
[— End Scene —]
"This power!" little Gai shouted with excitement.
He couldn't believe the skill Lee was going to use on Sasuke earlier was this brutal!
"It looks like this ninja named Dosu is dead… Wait—what happened?" His expression darkened upon seeing the next scene.
"Well, it seems his comrade intervened to save him by softening the ground with sonic vibrations… these Sound shinobi are truly annoying…" Dai said regretfully.
Rock Lee's execution of the Initial Lotus was flawless.
Unfortunately, he wasn't fighting a single individual, but a team of three. Otherwise, Dosu would be buried in the ground right now, as a corpse.
...
"What a pity..."
Even the Third Hokage felt regret seeing Lee's opponent emerge alive.
"A talented child… unfortunately, he is impulsive," Uzumaki Mito commented with a smile, thoroughly enjoying the manga events.
"..." As for Hiruzen and Danzo, they were speechless once again.
Another month had passed, and this woman was still alive!
'Just when will she die!?'
The thought crossed both of their minds simultaneously.
As if sensing their thoughts, she looked at them with a helpless smile.
'I also don't know when I will die. Sigh… Hashirama… my dear… I don't know when I will see you again,' she thought sadly.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 139: The Moment a True Ninja is Born.
Chapter 140: Reactions from the Great Villages. The End of Volume Six.
Chapter 141: The Sixth Level of the System! Another Art Store opened!
Chapter 142: Is Orochimaru the True Source of Concern?
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