aircannonsinc Page 124
Page 124
Uchiha Kakuyama had already finished breakfast when he arrived, but upon seeing Karin's expectant gaze, Kakuyama hesitated for a moment before taking the lunchbox from her and smiling as he said:
"Perfect timing, I haven't eaten yet. Thank you, Karin. It's no wonder you still remember me after I've watched you grow up."
Originally, when Karin received her lunchbox from Okayama-kun, an undisguised smile appeared on her face.
However, after hearing the last sentence from Qiushan-jun, Karin's face immediately fell. She thought with a hint of resentment, "What do you mean by 'watching me grow up'? Is there really that big an age gap between us?"
Chapter 380 Ino's Invitation
Chapter 380 Ino's Invitation
Because there were too many people watching, especially most of them were her classmates, Karin returned to the group after handing the lunchbox to Ooyama-kun.
After receiving the lunchbox, Uchiha Kakuzan carefully tucked it into his arms, for here he was merely a wood clone.
Although this wooden clone can simulate eating, that would betray Karin's feelings. It's better to wait for the main body to arrive and then hand it over to the main body.
After this incident, the group returned to normal and continued on their journey.
Meanwhile, Ino, who was next to Shikamaru, noticed Karin's performance and her eyes darted around before she stealthily moved toward her.
Shikamaru, who was perfectly aware of the situation, wasn't surprised at all by Ino's actions. He simply sighed helplessly and muttered under his breath, "Women are such a hassle!"
Meanwhile, Choji, who was happily munching on potato chips nearby, seemed to hear something and turned around to ask:
"Shikamaru, what's wrong?"
Shikamaru glanced at Choji, waved his hand weakly, and said, "It's okay, it's okay, you eat quickly."
At this moment, Choji noticed that Ino had moved closer to Karin and asked, somewhat puzzled:
"Huh? When did Ino and Karin become so close? Isn't she only with Sakura?"
When Shikamaru heard Choji's words, he replied casually, "Who knows? Girls are always weird."
Choji nodded in agreement upon hearing Shikamaru's words and remained silent.
Karin was still feeling down because of what had just happened, and she was lost in thought, not even noticing the figure that had suddenly appeared beside her.
Just then, Ino, who had just come to her side, spoke quietly.
"Karin, Karin"
Karin, who was still lost in thought, was startled. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was Ino, and said in an annoyed tone:
"What are you doing? What do you want?"
Because they were still on their way, their voices were not loud.
Ino had anticipated Karin's less-than-friendly attitude, but she didn't care and simply said:
"I know what you're thinking. We share the same goal, so let's form an alliance!"
Karin was startled by Ino's words, her face immediately turning red, and she stammered:
"What goals do I have? How could they possibly be the same as yours? Don't joke around."
Karin and Ino have a casual relationship, and they each have their own small circle of friends, so Karin isn't particularly fond of Ino.
Ino didn't say anything when she heard Karin's words, but chuckled and then gestured towards the direction of the hill-dwelling boy, and winked at Karin.
Seeing Ino's actions, Karin immediately understood her meaning, her face darkening further as she whispered:
"Aren't you and Sakura both aiming for Sasuke? And besides, isn't Uncle Qiushan your teacher?"
Ino and Sakura had a falling out over Sasuke, and even Karin had heard about it.
Hearing Karin's words, Ino waved her hand dismissively and said:
"Sakura's personality is too timid. If I didn't use Sasuke to provoke her, I don't know when she would be able to grow up."
Furthermore, I prefer mature, strong men. Sasuke is alright, but he's not my type.
At this point, Ino cautiously glanced around, and seeing that no one was paying attention to them, she continued in a low voice:
"And did you know? Professor Qiu's fiancée is Hinata, and she's the same age as us."
So, you shouldn't worry about the age difference; I certainly don't.
When Karin heard Ino's words, she almost blurted out what she really thought: "Of course I don't care about age, otherwise I would have let go of Uncle Okayama a long time ago."
Ino waited a while, and seeing that Karin didn't speak, she urged:
"Karin, what are you thinking? Do you want to form an alliance with me? You know, I'm Professor Qiu Shan's student, so I have a lot of advantages."
Karin swallowed hard and said nervously:
"But, but, Uncle Qiu already has Hinata, I, I don't want to make Hinata sad."
When Karin first arrived at the Ninja Academy, she had no friends except Naruto. It was Hinata who accepted her first, which allowed her to integrate into the group.
Ino covered her forehead in exasperation and said with a hint of amusement:
"Who said you were going to compete with Hinata? You know, Hinata is the young lady of the Hyuga clan. How could we possibly compete with her?"
Then, Ino looked intently at Karin and said:
"Karin, you're still too naive. Do you even know what the world outside the village is like?"
Putting aside everything else, just look at the daimyo of the Land of Fire and the shogun who frequently visit our Konoha Village. They must have countless women and mistresses they keep outside.
Moreover, after each major war, in order to replenish the population lost in the war, people were encouraged to have multiple wives and concubines in order to quickly restore the population.
You need to understand, Professor Qiu is the head of the Uchiha clan. Putting aside his extraordinary strength, his status alone is equivalent to that of a daimyo in a small country. Isn't it normal for him to have multiple women?
Karin was hearing about this for the first time. Ino's words seemed to open the door to a new world for her, and she was stunned for a moment, forgetting to continue on her way.
Ino noticed Karin's unusual behavior and suddenly felt like she had the wrong teammate, but she quickly grabbed Karin to keep her from getting separated from the group.
Karin was pulled and came to her senses. At this moment, an excited blush appeared on her face, and her eyes lit up.
Indeed, given Uncle Qiu's status, it's perfectly normal for him to have multiple women. I'm really overthinking it.
However, Karin immediately realized what was happening, looked at Ino who was holding her, and asked in confusion:
"Ino, you know so much, why did you still come to me? Aren't you afraid of having another competitor?"
Seeing that Karin had come to her senses, Ino didn't let go of her hand. Instead, she glanced at Mr. Okayama walking ahead and said somewhat angrily:
"There's nothing I can do. I've received definite information that Teacher Qiu Shan isn't the type to be faithful. He has several women in the village, and, and..."
At this point, Ino lowered her voice even further:
"Furthermore, even the teacher leading Hinata's team, the one named Kurenai Yuhi, is one of Okayama-sensei's people."
Many people witnessed Mr. Qiu accompanying her to the night market. Their relationship was very close; it was definitely that kind of relationship.
Chapter 381 Naruto's Shadow Clone Technique
Chapter 381 Naruto's Shadow Clone Technique
Karin's eyes widened upon hearing Ino's words, and she instinctively covered her mouth with her hand, her heart churning with emotions.
Ino had anticipated Karin's reaction, and after she calmed down a bit, she said with a hint of helplessness:
"Now you know why, right? Teacher Qiu Shan's women are mostly older than us, they don't have anything in common with us, and they're very likely to reject us."
Hinata, who is the same age as us, is Kurenai Yuhi's student. The two of them are natural allies.
Moreover, Hinata is engaged to Mr. Okayama, and if nothing unexpected happens, she will become the legitimate wife of the Uchiha clan leader in the future.
Therefore, those of us who remain are the right allies, so we can support each other in the future and avoid being isolated and helpless, vulnerable to their bullying.
Ino paused here, glanced at Karin who seemed lost in thought, and continued:
"Besides, both of us have some advantages. I'm the teacher's student, and you have a good relationship with the teacher, which is why I came to you. How about we form an alliance?"
When Ino said this, her eyes shone with a determined light, which invigorated Karin, who was initially a little timid, and she couldn't help but agree.
Karin already had this idea, and Ino's appearance was an unexpected surprise for her, so of course she would agree.
After making a promise with Karin, Ino was very happy and strolled back to her team with a joyful heart.
Because Ino and Karin spoke very softly and were some distance from the group, apart from Shikamaru who vaguely guessed what they were saying, the rest of the people present were mostly rough-around-the-edges men and didn't pay any attention to their conversation.
After Ino returned, Shikamaru glanced at her and said with some concern:
“Ino, is it worth it for you to do this? You should know that once you take this step, you're leaving the Ino-Shika-Cho family.”
Shikamaru was well aware that the Ino-Shika-Cho trio would select a representative from each generation to cultivate their bond and understanding from a young age. This would not only benefit the Ino-Shika-Cho team in the future, but also ensure the close relationship between the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans.
Therefore, among the three clans of Ino, Deer, and Butterfly, there is an unwritten rule that their core members (those who will inherit the position of clan head) are not allowed to marry each other or marry outside the clan.
At Ino and Shikamaru's age, they already know these things very well. If Ino were to become the Uchiha clan leader's woman, although it would be of many benefits to the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, the Yamanaka clan would have to choose another core member.
Ino straightened her pale yellow ponytail, glanced at Shikamaru, and said in a calm but firm tone:
"Of course I know the consequences, but since I have chosen to take action, I am prepared to bear the consequences. In this life, everyone has to do some crazy things. Fortunately, my goal is still somewhat beneficial to the family. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have made this decision. I'm just a little sorry for you and Choji. If I really succeed, you may have to find new teammates."
Both were raised in ninja clans. Ino's maturity level is actually no less than Shikamaru's; she just doesn't have the same level of intelligence.
Upon hearing Ino's words, Shikamaru rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on, and groaned helplessly:
"Women are such a hassle."
Given Shikamaru's aversion to trouble, the reason he reminded Ino was because the friendship between the three of them was truly genuine. So, seeing that Ino was already mentally prepared, Shikamaru didn't try to persuade her any further. After sighing inwardly, he fell silent.
As everyone silently continued on their way, Qiu Shanjun, whose senses were too sharp, was the first to notice the anomaly before anyone else did.
However, after carefully sensing it, Qiu Shanjun silently thought to himself:
"Those two cannon fodder Chunin? It seems the plot's momentum is still there. But seeing so many of us, I wonder if they'll still have the guts to jump out."
Thinking of this, Uchiha Kakuyama raised an eyebrow with interest, then quietly concealed his aura, becoming an easily overlooked presence.
After a while, when Kakashi and his group were about to reach the two pools of water under the bright sunlight, Karin, who had a talent for sensing, also noticed something was wrong. She quietly came to Kakashi's side and was about to speak when she suddenly noticed Kakashi subtly giving her a hand gesture. She swallowed what she was about to say and secretly became more vigilant.
And so, Kakashi and his group passed by the two puddles on the road as if they were completely unaware, and just after Kakashi walked past them...
Suddenly, two ninjas wielding enormous claw-like weapons burst out of the two unremarkable puddles and attacked Kakashi. Before anyone could react, they used their tooth-like chains to finish him off.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Kakashi, watching Kakashi's clumsy acting, slapped his forehead in exasperation.
Not to mention that Sasuke, who was standing nearby, had already activated his Sharingan when the incident occurred and saw through Kakashi's little tricks perfectly. Even Karin's gaze seemed to drift towards where Kakashi was hiding, and then she looked at Qiushan-kun with some helplessness. Kakashi-sensei is unreliable, so let's ask Uncle Qiushan.
However, the rest of the people seemed to have been fooled by Kakashi's acting skills. When the two Chunin rushed towards them again, Shikamaru called out nervously, "Choji, Ino."
The two, alerted, quickly reacted and huddled together, standing in front of the panicked Kazna.
Naruto, however, seemed stunned, watching helplessly as one of them charged towards him. But just as the person was about to reach him, Naruto seemed to be stimulated by something, and his hands formed hand seals.
"The Art of Shadow Clone"
As Naruto used Shadow Clone Jutsu, hundreds of shadow clones of Naruto appeared centered on him, startling the Chunin who was rushing towards him, who immediately stopped.
Seeing Naruto's reaction, Sasuke's lips twitched involuntarily, and he stopped abruptly, halting his charge.
Chapter 382 Sasuke's First Battle
Chapter 382 Sasuke's First Battle
Because Naruto was provoked, he used the Shadow Clone Technique at full power, causing the situation to spiral out of control. In an instant, the entire scene was filled with countless shadow clones of Naruto.
This sudden turn of events caused the two Hidden Mist Village ninjas, who were only at the Chunin level, to hesitate and remain locked in a stalemate.
At this moment, Naruto's mindset was changed by the large number of shadow clones. He was bursting with confidence, and hundreds of shadow clones looked at the two lonely Chunin with ill intent, eager to teach them a lesson.
However, these two ninjas from Kirigakure were, after all, ninjas who came from the Village of the Bloody Mist. Although their strength wasn't very high, their mentality was much stronger than that of Mizuki back then.
So, after seeing that things had taken a turn for the worse, the two exchanged a glance and decided to back off, and complete the mission after figuring out the situation.
Just as Naruto's shadow clone was rubbing his hands together, yelling and charging forward, two Hidden Mist ninja pulled out two smoke bombs and threw them on the ground.
"bang"
As the sound rang out, a large amount of smoke appeared on the ground, enveloping everyone present. This made Shikamaru and the others even more nervous, and also caused Naruto's shadow clones to lose their target. They confusedly rushed to the location where the Chunin had been standing and started fighting each other in the smoke.
However, just as the two Chunin were about to leave quietly, a shuriken suddenly flew from the side and rushed towards them, startling one of them. He immediately stopped and used his iron claw to block the shuriken.
This sudden turn of events caused the two to stop immediately and look in the direction from which the shuriken had come.
What came into their view was Sasuke, his body crackling with bright blue lightning, his Sharingan activated with three tomoe. This discovery made their hearts sink, and they said in strained voices:
"The Sharingan with three tomoe marks the person as a member of the Uchiha clan."
Although the boy in front of them was not very old, the Hidden Mist ninja knew very well that these ninjas with bloodline limits were unreasonable. Even though he was young, since he had already awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan, his strength was definitely not bad.
After hearing what the other party said, Sasuke felt no pride. Ever since his brother Itachi Uchiha defected, Sasuke had suffered a great blow and his temperament had become much calmer. He would no longer be complacent because of the enemy's awe.