Chapter 211: The Battle of the Huluba Brothers Against the Stone Men [Part 1] (Patreon)

Chapter List: Naruto: Sakura Blizzard

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"Is... is this for me?" Temari exclaimed in surprise as she hastily accepted the sealing scroll that Shikamaru had thrown her way. Her face was filled with confusion. "Why would you give me something so valuable?"

Temari examined the sealing scroll in her hands; it was a deluxe collector's edition, rumored to be rare even in the entire ninja world. She couldn't help but wonder why Shikamaru had chosen to give it to her. "I've heard that there are very few sets of these scrolls in existence. Even my father, the Kazekage, would struggle to afford one with all the embezzlement he does in a year."

Shikamaru casually replied as he walked away, seemingly oblivious to Temari's reddening face and the intrigued gaze she cast his way. "I noticed you seemed to really like this novel, so I thought I'd just give it to you."

"I can't believe it. Shikamaru is quite the sly one. His flirting skills are on point!" Sakura and her friends were all taken aback. "He may have lost the match on the surface, but he's won himself a girlfriend!"

"Plus, he didn't even exert much effort in the match!" Hinata added, her tone disapproving. "He was so cunning, setting traps right from the start. This lazy guy is as annoying as ever."

"I knew this guy had ulterior motives. He claims not to like girls on the surface, but secretly he's charming them!" Ino joined in, voicing her disapproval of Shikamaru. "You can't judge a book by its cover!"

"He's always been so crafty. Now it looks like he's become a master manipulator!" Tenten chimed in, also condemning Shikamaru's strategy of wooing girls through the match.

Shikamaru couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. He felt like he was on the verge of becoming a cunning antagonist in a dramatic plot. "Geez..." A group of them simultaneously threw white eyes at him. "Multiple times? It seems like we've been outsmarted every single time."

Meanwhile, a visibly excited Zabuza rushed into the arena, only to find that there were no injured participants in need of his help.

"Huh? No injured participants this time?" Zabuza asked in confusion.

"If there are no injured participants, let's head back for now. We'll see if there are any later..." Haku interrupted gently and pulled Zabuza down with a smile.

"Ah, with one less injured participant, we'll be earning less money!" Zabuza lamented. Previously, all the injured participants had been from other villages, and he didn't feel guilty about exploiting them. But now, these foreign ninja were like golden geese to him. They were a source of income, and it pained him to see that no one was injured this time.

"No worries. We can make up for it by taking a larger share from the previous three rounds. Use more expensive medicine and charge higher. We won't lose money." Haku smiled and said with a hint of coldness in her eyes. She had to maintain her comfortable lifestyle, even if it meant being unfair to those foreign ninja.

"Alright..." Zabuza didn't hesitate at all. Since they weren't from his own village, he had no qualms about exploiting them.

Watching the two conscientious doctors discussing how to make money, Gekko Hayate sighed with a troubled expression. He felt that the atmosphere in Konohagakure had changed since the old days. He remembered when Tsunade was still around, the hospital never charged exorbitant fees. However, Tsunade's fiery temper often unintentionally affected the patients and sometimes worsened their conditions.

Clearing his mind of those thoughts, Gekko Hayate looked at the electronic screen and announced, "Choji Akimichi from Konoha and Ganjuu from Hidden Rock Village, please enter the arena."

"Oh, is it my turn?" Choji, who was leisurely munching on snacks, raised his head in surprise when he saw his name on the electronic screen. His eyes sparkled. "Well then, if I win the match later, I'll treat myself to a big meal!"

Ino couldn't help but roll her eyes at Choji. "Does it make any difference whether you say that or not? With your strength, this match will be a walk in the park for you. You don't need excuses to go eat a big meal, right?"

"I need to set a goal for myself, so I'll be more motivated!" Choji said earnestly, but given his personality, it was hard for anyone to take him seriously.

"That Ganjuu isn't an ordinary opponent..." Hinata, who had retracted her Byakugan, reminded him. She could see chakra, and in her eyes, Ganjuu's chakra was far from what a Genin should possess.

"This year's Chunin Exam is really lively. Almost everyone who made it here is exceptional!" Sakura looked around, realizing that none of the participants were ordinary. Each one had abilities that surpassed those of Genin.

"It'll get even more exciting a month from now!" Kakashi commented casually while reading a book. "But I think it might be quite frightening for many."

"That name 'Yellow Flash' is a lifelong shadow for many people!" Sakura chuckled. A month from now, during the Konoha Crush Plan, Naruto's parents would officially return to the scene. Obito Uchiha would probably start questioning his life choices then.

"It's just Obito Uchiha left..." Kakashi's eyes filled with sorrow. Sensei had been resurrected, Rin too, but Obito Uchiha remained trapped in darkness. He wondered when they would all be able to stand together again.

"Kakashi-sensei, you don't need to be so sad. With Rin around, Obito Uchiha will surely come around!" Sakura knew just how deep Obito's feelings for Rin ran. During the battle for control with the Ten-Tails, he had suppressed its will with his love for Rin. Later, using the Reanimation Jutsu, he had been revived again, driven solely by his memories of Rin.

"Rin has been training hard lately!" Kakashi sighed, thinking about how Obito's actions had deeply affected Rin. "Obito Uchiha's situation has been a significant blow to her."

"Everything will turn out well, won't it?" Sakura said optimistically, shifting her gaze to the two participants in the arena below.

Ganjuu was a sturdy-looking individual, with a seemingly simple and friendly face. He wore the distinctive Hidden Rock Village ninja attire and didn't carry any obvious weapons. At a glance, he appeared to be an ordinary ninja who relied on kunai and shuriken for combat. However, the occasional glint in his eyes couldn't be ignored, hinting at his true prowess.

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 212: The Battle of the Hu Lu Brothers vs. Stone Golems [中]