If this had happened in the past, how would Gaara have reacted? Baki recalled someone who once shouted at Gaara and ended up crushed into pulp by his sand. Suddenly, he felt like slapping himself to check if he was dreaming.
"Well then, looks like our next plan can finally go into action!" Sakura, who had been secretly watching Temari and Gaara closely, felt greatly reassured seeing their current situation—especially the subtle dependency Gaara displayed. All that effort she'd spent persuading Temari with her silver tongue was finally paying off. Everything was now falling perfectly into place.
Meanwhile, inside the arena, hearing Gan Jui say he really liked that gourd, Choji gave it some thought before pulling out another crystal gourd from his ninja tool pouch and handing it over.
"Here, I've got several of these gourds. If you really like it, just take one!"
"T-this is really for me?" Gan Jui happily accepted the gourd, playing with it affectionately in his hands.
"That's right! Consider it a gift for our battle!" Choji quite liked Gan Jui, the big guy with that warm smile. After all, it was just one gourd—no big deal giving it away.
"A gift for our battle, huh?" Gan Jui paused, then finally took out a very smooth, round stone from his ninja artifact pouch and handed it to Choji. "I don't have anything particularly valuable to give you, but this stone was a graduation gift from my teacher, the Third Tsuchikage. Today, I'll pass it on to you!"
Chapter 213: Gourd Warriors vs Stone Man [Part 2]
"Just what exactly are those two doing—fighting, or getting engaged?"
Looking down at the friendly, harmonious scene below, Sakura and her group couldn't help but feel awkward—the whole vibe was just… off.
"They're already exchanging love tokens now!" Ino chimed in sarcastically, but immediately shuddered involuntarily at the mental image of Choji and Gan Jui sharing some unspeakable bond. That picture alone was nightmare-inducing.
"But wait, this guy who looks so honest and simple-faced is actually a student of the Third Tsuchikage?" Hinata, sharp-eared as ever, caught Gan Jui's words and felt somewhat astonished. Judging by appearance alone, Gan Jui didn't seem especially impressive.
"The Third Tsuchikage himself, Onoki, isn't exactly a handsome man either—it makes perfect sense he'd accept an average-looking student!"
Thinking about the Third Tsuchikage's appearance made Sakura struggle to hold back laughter. "Actually, I've always had a deep question on my mind—was the Third Tsuchikage's son really his flesh-and-blood heir?"
"Why would you even ask something like that?" Hearing that, Kakashi twitched slightly beneath his mask—this kind of comment would probably start a fight if Onoki ever got wind of it.
"I'm just curious! Look at the Third Tsuchikage's height—without using his Light-Heavy Rock Technique, he can barely jump high enough to reach our knees when trying to hit someone. Yet his son has a completely opposite build and stature! Honestly, except for the nose, I really don't see any other resemblance between them as father and son."
Sakura seriously explained to Kakashi. The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was just a short old man—especially his height, practically the same as a child's. As for Kitsuchi, he was tall and strong, completely opposite to Onoki's small frame. If it weren't for their similar noses, no one would think they were father and son.
"Well, looks can be deceiving," Kakashi replied. Though he secretly agreed with Sakura's thoughts, he only dared to gossip about it inwardly. Moreover, as a Konoha jounin, for the peace between Konoha and Iwagakure, he had to try his best to talk Sakura out of her wild theories. Otherwise, if this troublesome kid suddenly ran off to Iwagakure one day saying such things, perhaps The Fourth Great Ninja World War would begin.
"For example, look at the Third Hokage and Asuma."
Kakashi mentally reviewed everyone he knew, finally finding a target. "They don't really look like father and son either, but Asuma is indeed the Third's son. Therefore, you cannot judge someone's relationship solely by appearances!"
Unexpectedly dragged into the conversation, Asuma wore an innocent expression—who knew how he got involved again?
"Teacher Kakashi, you don't need to worry so much. I'm not stupid—I won't run off to Iwagakure babbling about that!" Sakura rolled her eyes. She knew exactly what Kakashi was worried about—but she wasn't insane. Running over to Iwagakure spouting such nonsense? Probably the entire Iwagakure would gang up against her.
While the group above chatted, Choji and Gan Jui below had already accepted each other's gifts. Because of this act, their relationship improved significantly.
"Anyway, let's start our match first. Regardless of who wins or loses, after the match I will treat you to a big meal—I promise you'll fall in love with Konoha's delicacies!"
Choji beamed proudly. For him, there was no better way to bond than sharing a meal together.
"Great! When you have time to visit Iwagakure, I'll also treat you to a grand feast!" Gan Jui agreed wholeheartedly, and any tension or seriousness that might have been expected before their match instantly melted away.
Sometimes friendship really was strange—two complete strangers could become good friends quickly, yet people living under the same roof day and night might still become bitter enemies.
"I'm going now."
The two finally remembered they were supposed to be competing. After stepping back some distance from each other, Gan Jui suddenly roared loudly and spat out a stone from his mouth. In midair, the stone rapidly grew larger and flew toward Choji. [Earth Release: Gantetsu Cannon]
[Partial Multi-Size Technique: Hand]
Facing the rushing rock, Choji remained calm. He raised one hand, which began expanding rapidly starting from his shoulder. By the time the rock contacted his palm, Choji's hand had swollen enough to grip the stone entirely.
The impact made Choji's body sway slightly, but he caught the rock steadily without any damage.
"You're pretty strong!" Gan Jui was somewhat amazed by Choji's strength. The Gantetsu Cannon enlarged while flying, naturally increasing its force, yet Choji had actually caught it stably. In their age group, probably very few possessed such strength?
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