Chapter 212: The Battle of the Hu Lu Brothers vs. Stone Golems [中] (Patreon)

Chapter List: Naruto: Sakura Blizzard

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"Both sides are ready; the match begins..."

Gekko Hayate's voice was faint as he had been hosting the match for a long time, causing his face to flush unnaturally. Fortunately, Ninja's physical condition was far from ordinary, so despite Gekko Hayate appearing on the verge of passing out, there was no real danger to his life, just an increased frequency of coughing.

"Hidden Rock Village Genin Ganjuu..." Ganjuu respectfully formed a hand seal and revealed a warm smile on his face.

"Konoha Hidden Village Genin Choji Akimichi..." Choji also formed a hand seal, his plump appearance giving off a friendly vibe.

"Choji Akimichi? The Akimichi clan, famous in the ninja world as part of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio?" Ganjuu asked curiously. The Akimichi clan had a significant reputation, especially within the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, which was renowned throughout the ninja world.

"It's not that well-known in the ninja world," Choji replied modestly. His personality was kind and gentle, and he disliked hurting others.

"Um, may I ask where you got that gourd on your head?" Ganjuu suddenly focused on the gourd atop Choji's head and nervously inquired. He had been captivated by the gourd from the moment he saw it, but he didn't know if he could find one like it elsewhere. If it couldn't be bought elsewhere, it would be a great disappointment.

"Do you mean this?" Choji touched the gourd on his head, which seemed to be made of crystal, and said, "Sakura designed this for me, saying it matches well with me!"

Under the sunlight, the small gourd on Choji's head sparkled with a rainbow of colors, looking dazzling.

"Specifically designed?" Ganjuu sounded a bit disappointed. "So, you can't buy this anywhere else?"

"Do you really like this gourd?" Choji asked.

"Yes, this gourd is really beautiful, much better than the one the Hidden Sand Village carries on its back!" Ganjuu pointed in the direction of Gaara and continued, "I was thinking that if this is a specialty of Konoha, I would buy one to carry with me!"

Gaara, who had been unexpectedly singled out, turned black in the face. The sand inside the gourd on his back seemed restless.

"Gaara, stay calm," Temari, who had just returned from Sakura's, where she had been thoroughly convinced, was fearful but determined to have a gentle little brother. She walked over, held Gaara's hand, and whispered, "..."

Gaara's body quivered. He was both puzzled as to why the sand hadn't attacked Temari and how he could pull his hand away. However, he found that Temari was holding his hand tightly. When he turned his head, he saw the concern in her eyes.

"Gaara..." Temari's heart was racing, but she breathed a sigh of relief deep down. She had expected Gaara's sand to block her, but to her surprise, the sand seemed completely indifferent, as if it hadn't even noticed her. This made Temari believe even more in Sakura's words.

"Let go of my hand," Gaara said expressionlessly. The concerned look in Temari's eyes reminded him of the way Yashamaru used to look at him when he didn't feel well. But in the end, he had killed Yashamaru with his own hands.

"Listen to your sister, okay?" Temari gently touched the word 'love' on Gaara's forehead with her hand, suddenly feeling a deep sympathy. As his older sister, she realized she had never really looked at her younger brother all these years.

Gaara's muscles tensed for a moment, then relaxed quickly. This feeling was like something he had experienced in his dreams. Since he could remember, he had never had a good night's sleep, but in his hazy childhood memories, he seemed to recall someone gently touching his face. He couldn't remember the person's appearance, but he remembered the same warmth he felt from the sand that automatically protected him.

With his mind in turmoil, Gaara didn't resist Temari's request and quietly retrieved the sand. It was just sparing one person, and it wasn't a big deal.

Temari saw a hint of panic and hope in Gaara's eyes. She wore a gentle smile on her face and began to talk to Gaara, sharing embarrassing stories from their childhood and some from Gaara's infancy. Most importantly, she talked about their gentle mother based on Sakura's instructions.

Listening to Temari's chatter in his ear, Gaara, for the first time in his life, didn't feel annoyed. Even the strange creature that had always tried to take control of his body seemed to have disappeared.

In reality, at this moment, the One-Tail Shukaku was trembling inside the seal, despite its seemingly fearless attitude. When faced with the Six Paths Sage, it dared not act recklessly. Just a moment ago, it had sensed the power emanating from the Six Paths Sage, and believing itself to be clever, Zetsu's Shukaku naturally chose to cower silently.

Baki, who witnessed Gaara about to lose control, had his heart in his throat. However, he was stunned when he saw Temari boldly taking Gaara's hand and Gaara obediently retrieving his sand. There was no sign of impatience, and Gaara even seemed somewhat happy. This cognitive dissonance made Baki clutch his chest.

What would Gaara have done in the past? Baki recalled a time when he had shouted at Gaara and ended up being turned into minced meat by Gaara's sand. He suddenly felt the urge to slap himself to see if he was dreaming.

"Well, it looks like the next phase of the plan can be put into action!" Sakura, who had been secretly observing Temari and Gaara, saw their current situation, especially Gaara's apparent dependency, and felt confident. Her efforts in convincing Temari had not been in vain, and things were proceeding according to her plan.

Meanwhile, in the arena, after hearing Ganjuu express his fondness for the gourd, Choji thought for a moment and took out another crystal gourd from his ninja pouch, handing it to Ganjuu.

"Here, I have several more gourds. If you like it, consider it a gift from our battle!"

"Really? You're giving this to me?" Ganjuu accepted the gourd and held it lovingly in his hands.

"Yes, consider it a gift for our battle!" Choji replied, quite fond of the good-natured Ganjuu. After all, it was just a gourd, so he didn't mind giving it away.

"A gift for our battle, huh?" Ganjuu pondered for a moment, then took out a round and polished stone from his ninja pouch. "I don't have anything particularly valuable to give you, but this stone was a graduation gift from my Sensei, the Third Tsuchikage. Today, I'm passing it on to you!"

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 213: The Battle of the Huluba Brothers Against the Stone Men (Part 2)