Chapter 234: Shino's Resentment (Patreon)

Chapter List: Naruto: Sakura Blizzard

XXX-----XXX-----XXX-----XXX

"Do you think someone who can teach a disciple the trifecta of vice – gambling, prostitution, and drugs – can be a good person?" Sakura had a mysterious look on her face as she approached Temari, ready to enlighten her about the dark side of the Third Hokage. But before she could speak, Hinata and Ino covered her mouth and dragged her away.

"Keep a close eye on her, don't let her talk nonsense again!" Kakashi felt a throbbing headache coming on. "If she continues to blabber, I'm afraid the Third Hokage might resort to silencing her permanently!"

"Understood," Hinata and Ino nodded, their expressions grave as they sat Sakura down, still firmly holding her mouth shut, no matter how much she struggled.

"Sob... Please, let go of me!" Sakura's inner turmoil was evident, she could handle the mouth-covering, but did they have to block her nose too? She was on the verge of suffocating!

"Konoha's Hidden Village Genin, Shino Aburame, and Hidden Cloud Village Genin, Tsubaki, please prepare to enter the arena for the match," came Gekko Hayate's voice from below, sounding weak, giving the impression that he was not in the best of health.

"It's Shino's turn. Huh, where's Shino gone?" Everyone looked up to realize that Shino had somehow descended to the arena without anyone noticing.

"By the time you notice me, it'll probably be the day of my funeral!" Shino exuded an aura of resentment. He knew this would happen, whether it was the will of the universe or something else, his presence was almost nonexistent, and he was always the one overlooked in a crowd.

"Ahaha, sorry about that. We were interrupted by Sakura earlier. Sakura, what's wrong with you?" Ino said somewhat awkwardly, trying to shift the blame onto Sakura. But when she turned to look at Sakura, she saw Sakura with closed eyes, her face pale, collapsing on top of her.

"Sakura seems to be suffocating..." Naruto cautiously tested Sakura's breath by placing his fingers under her nose, and his expression instantly turned to one of horror.

"What? Suffocating?" Ino and Hinata froze, realizing they had inadvertently covered Sakura's nose earlier. Could it be...

"Sakura, wake up, please wake up!" Naruto sobbed as he held Sakura, shaking her continuously.

"Stop it..." Sakura punched Naruto in the head, took a deep breath, and her face regained some color. "If you keep shaking me like that, I might not suffocate, but you'll shake me to death!"

"Oh, sorry, I got scared earlier..." Naruto patted his chest, deeply relieved.

"Kakashi-sensei, you're in big trouble," Sakura glanced at Kakashi with a sidelong look. Then she said to Naruto, "After the match, Naruto, go take a couple of pictures of Kakashi-sensei and Obito Uchiha's bedsheets, and put them in Tenka Kai's bookstore as a gift. Have them printed for free and give them to people who come to buy books!"

"Huh? What does that have to do with me?" Kakashi almost dropped his Icha Icha Paradise book. This wasn't his fault, so why was he being blamed? Moreover, the punishment was so cruel. "It was Hinata and Ino who covered your nose. Why punish me? And how am I supposed to face people in the future?"

"I don't care how you face people!" Sakura chuckled. "As for why I'm punishing you, you were the one who gave orders to Hinata and Ino. It's not your fault, it's my good friends' fault!"

Kakashi muttered to himself, "Damn it, life is getting tough."

Kakashi couldn't figure out how to reason with Sakura. He silently made a decision and clutched the book in his hand. He had to find a way to destroy those photos; I must not let those embarrassing things circulate.

"Where's Shino Aburame? Why hasn't he come down yet?" Gekko Hayate frowned, and Tsubaki looked equally displeased.

"Chunin Examiner, I've been here for a while..." Shino's voice suddenly sounded behind Gekko Hayate, startling him and Tsubaki. They nearly drew their swords.

"I'm not a ghost..." Shino was shrouded in a dark aura, even though he wore sunglasses, his resentful gaze remained visible.

"When did you come down?" Tsubaki patted her chest, still in shock. She had no idea when Shino had arrived.

"..." Shino's black aura intensified, and he clenched his fists inside his pockets. He couldn't get angry; it wasn't their fault.

"Aburame, next time, please announce yourself when you appear behind me. Otherwise, I might attack without control," Gekko Hayate coughed a couple of times, his face still pale from the scare.

"It wasn't me who appeared behind you, Chunin Examiner. It was you who walked in front of me without noticing my presence." Shino's resentful gaze, like two piercing spotlights, made Gekko Hayate uncomfortable.

"Hey, look at Shino now. Doesn't he look like a neglected wife from a noble family?" Sakura and her friends whispered as they watched the scene below.

"He does resemble one a bit!" Hinata said, chin in hand. "It feels like Chunin Examiner and Hidden Cloud Village's Tsubaki are like a pair of unfaithful lovers, and Shino is the suffering party."

"Forgive..." Sakura vaguely heard someone singing, "Of course, you should forgive him."

"Chunin Examiner, please announce the start of the match," Shino directed his attention to Tsubaki after glaring at Gekko Hayate for a while.

"Alright..." Gekko Hayate breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly announcing the start of the match, then disappearing to watch the spectacle with Guy and Zabuza.

"Hidden Cloud Village Genin, Tsubaki..."

Tsubaki formed a hand seal and introduced herself seriously.

"Konoha Genin, Shino Aburame..."

Shino also formed a hand seal and then put his hands back in his pockets.

[Read at www.patreon.com/bokuboku, without ads and support the work.]

XXX-----XXX-----XXX-----XXX

Next Chapter >>Chapter 235: The Evolving Insect [Part 1]