Chapter 242: The Final Scene of a Leisurely Life
Unlike last year's Chunin Exams...
Last year, the invited Sand Ninja, apart from the candidates participating in the exam, only the Kazekage, the team leaders, and two guards were allowed to enter Konoha.
But this year, the invited Konoha had listed a huge entourage for protection.
In addition to the candidates, the team leaders, and the Fifth Hokage, a large number of Anbu were allowed to enter the Land of Wind and the Sand Village, including the medical team, for a total of more than thirty slots.
Nominally, these Anbu were entering the Sand Village to protect the Hokage and the candidates. In reality...
Hn, of course it really was to protect the Hokage and the candidates!
At least this time Sakura was chosen as the Hokage's guard, and her mission was indeed to protect Tsunade 24/7...
Of course, to allow so many Anbu to enter the Sand Village, even if their mission was purely a protection mission, under normal circumstances, this would absolutely not be allowed. For any great nation with a reputation, this was equivalent to letting someone walk into their home with a knife, a very face-losing matter.
However, the Sand Village was currently in its weakest period since its founding.
The Fourth Kazekage had been assassinated by Orochimaru, and a large number of elite ninja had been lost in the Konoha Crush plan. The Sand Village had truly suffered a devastating blow this time.
Their vitality was greatly damaged. The Sand Ninja, who were in an unprecedentedly weak state, could only tearfully agree to Konoha's excessive demands, letting Konoha do as they pleased...
After all, they were counting on this Chunin Exam to boost the village's morale and to show the village's style and strength to the outside world, so that everyone would regain confidence in the Sand Village and thus attract new mission requests!
If Konoha Village did not participate in this exam, the surrounding small countries would only follow Konoha's lead. Then the exam organized by the Sand would become a one-man show, a self-talking joke...
The reason Konoha wanted to send so many Anbu was also out of consideration for the Sand. After all, they had a criminal record and had to be guarded against. Who knew if the Sand Ninja would suddenly have a brain cramp again and do something stupid? The stupid incident of the Sand Ninja shooting themselves in the foot during last year's Chunin Exams, where they had attacked Konoha but had instead suffered heavy casualties, was still fresh in their minds!
Therefore, Konoha was absolutely on its highest alert this time. Not only would they send a large number of Anbu to follow the Hokage, but even the route to and from the Sand Village had to be thoroughly inspected to prevent the Sand Ninja or some other force from setting up an ambush along the way...
The able ones do more work. Such a mission naturally fell on the shoulders of Squad 14.
Near the Anbu building, the old meeting place for Squad 14.
Sakura sat nonchalantly on the edge of the balcony, swinging her little legs without any sense of safety. This height, which would have made her legs go weak in her previous life, was just a piece of cake for the current Haruno Sakura.
The strong wind on the high-rise building blew her hair across her face. Sakura turned her head, tucked her messy, soft hair behind her ears, and asked, "We've been taking such leisurely missions recently. Shino, what's the mission this time?"
After returning from the Land of Snow, Haruno Sakura, who was already a Tokujō, had indeed been relatively idle recently.
There had not been much progress in her training. It was more about continuing to refine her ninjutsu and enrich her combat experience.
As for the recent missions, none of them had been difficult at all. Having lost their challenge, the girl felt that she had become a salted fish again...
"The Hokage's protection mission," Shino said, flipping through the mission brief. "Because our team only has two people left, it's just right for us to protect Lady Tsunade on her left and right."
He told a cold joke.
Shino had not taken a liking to any of the new recruits who had joined the Anbu recently, so Squad 14 had maintained its two-person roster to this day. Sakura had complained to him that he shouldn't be so picky, but Shino wouldn't admit it. He really didn't think his requirements were high—was it too much to want to find a new recruit who was as stunning as Sakura had been?
Hn, it was.
"Is that all the mission content?" Sakura asked. The Hokage's protection duty would only begin when Tsunade left Konoha for the Sand Village, which was basically two or three months later.
"Not just that... we also have to inspect the route to the Sand Village this time and investigate for possible enemies," Shino said, putting away the scroll. "This mission will be completed in coordination with several other squads. Remember to gather on the rooftop of the Hokage Tower the morning after tomorrow!"
"Coordinated completion? What does that mean?" Sakura asked faintly, her eyebrow raised.
"It's about the same as that mission to search for Orochimaru's base before. They'll insert an Anbu with genjutsu abilities into our team to carry out the mission together," Shino explained. "It's considered a mission that might encounter danger."
"Alright, this kind of mission again. That is to say, the leisurely time is over?" she said with a light laugh. She watched as Shino also walked to the edge of the balcony next to her, leaned on the railing, and enjoyed the cool breeze from the high place. She then added, "It's been a long time since I've met an interesting opponent on a mission."
"I'd rather the mission didn't have any interesting opponents," Shino said, shaking his head and glancing at Haruno Sakura. The girl had already turned her head, looking up at the sky, humming an incomprehensible tune in a good mood. Her extended neck was as slender and smooth as a swan's.
Shino followed the girl's line of sight and looked out. It was a clear, sunny day, with a few white clouds hanging leisurely in the sky.
His mood also became leisurely. "Oh right, I heard that Yūgao is recovering well. It's expected that she'll be able to return to her peak state not long after giving birth. Sakura, have you been to see her?"
"Of course..." Speaking of this, Sakura first recalled the scene of the surgery that day. She let out a small, secret laugh. "Yūgao is indeed recovering very quickly. But by the time she returns to the team, I'll probably have left the Anbu!"
Yūgao's official return to the Anbu would be at least a year later.
At that time, Haruno Sakura would have probably already stepped into the Kage-level. To continue to fool around in the Anbu would not be of much benefit to her growth.
Tsunade would also definitely not let her stay in the Anbu and waste her time. After letting Sakura be promoted to Jonin, she could then carry out high-difficulty missions alone.
The girl flipped back from the edge of the balcony onto the rooftop and patted Shino's shoulder. "So, Captain, you should recruit another new person into the team! At the very least, you have to maintain a team of three, right?"
Shino nodded noncommittally. This matter... he had a plan in his heart.
"Let's not talk about this. It just so happens that we don't have a mission this afternoon. Let's go visit Yūgao!" Shino said, turning to leave. "Hn, oh right, I heard that Yūgao has a one-and-a-half-year long vacation. It's so long it makes people jealous."
This was the result of combining her annual leave, marriage leave, honeymoon leave, and maternity leave. "You'll be able to enjoy this kind of leave in the future too!" Shino had said, and had then been given a sharp glare by Sakura.
At Hayate Gekkō's home.
Haruno Sakura saw a Yūgao who was in excellent spirits.
It seemed that there was no problem with the transplanted new heart. The surgery had been very successful... Sakura secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It might have been too successful. Yūgao had really put on some weight recently.
This was because of the lack of training, too much rest, and an unchanged appetite. She was used to a lifestyle of high intake and high consumption. To suddenly switch to a long-term rest and low-exercise vacation mode, if her eating habits remained unchanged, it was very easy for a person to gain weight.
Fortunately, she had been an extremely slender type before. Now, with an extra layer of flesh, she was just a little rounder. It was barely even enough to be called "plump"...
Haruno Sakura really didn't understand why girls wanted to be so thin. From her aesthetic point of view, the type that was so thin they were just skin and bones was actually quite pathetic. Yūgao now was at her peak appearance!
By the way, in sharp contrast to the high-spirited Yūgao was Hayate Gekkō. Sakura remembered that his lung disease had already been cured by Tsunade. Logically speaking, his complexion should be much better than before. But for some reason, when Sakura looked at his face, she always felt that his dark circles were even darker than before, and his figure was a circle thinner...
It's not easy to be a hardworking bull, having to go on missions during the day and take care of his wife at night!
In contrast, Yūgao's complexion was excellent, and she was glowing, giving people the illusion that she had sucked all of her husband's energy. This should be the sign that the new heart was beginning to take effect. She had recently begun to resume light-exercise training.
Declining the invitation to have dinner at Yūgao's house, Shino and Sakura drank a cup of tea. Seeing that Yūgao was in good condition, they left with their minds at ease, so as not to disturb the young couple's private world.
"Shino, when are you getting married!" On the way back, Haruno Sakura asked Shino curiously. "You and your girlfriend should be getting married too, right!"
For some reason, Shino, an older, unmarried youth who was usually very lively during idle chat, suddenly fell silent upon hearing this question.
"Although she's been rushing me, I've already made up my mind..." Shino said with his head down. "I'm going to gain ten pounds first, then get married!"
"Huh? What does that have to do with anything?" Sakura asked, her eyes wide, not understanding.
Shino let out a long sigh.
"She's also a Jonin!" he said, looking at the girl's clear and clean eyes, and patted her on the shoulder helplessly.
With the recent trend of the Fifth Hokage encouraging everyone to fall in love and get married, many people had taken the opportunity to launch their love offenses. Shino's side had also progressed rapidly, and they had reached the point of discussing marriage. It was just that at this step, Shino had become a little hesitant, especially after seeing Hayate's situation. He was a little weak in the knees...
Haruno Sakura, who had been single for decades, adding up her previous life and her current one, felt that she could understand what Shino meant.
However, it seemed it was better not to understand...
When they reached the fork in the road, the two waved goodbye.
"Hmph! Showing off your love in all sorts of ways? Burn, burn!" Looking at Shino's departing figure, the girl, who felt that she had eaten her fill of dog food today, made the curse of the FFF-dan. She pouted with disdain, nibbling her lip and muttering to herself, "Gaining ten pounds or whatever... Although I've already understood, it seems it's best to pretend I don't! Forget it, I'm going to train."
"What 'understood' or 'didn't understand'..." A familiar voice suddenly came from behind. "Is someone getting married?"
She turned her head and saw that the person who had spoken was precisely Shikamaru.
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