Chapter 60: You Really Need to Be Loved by Me
"Stop! Don't hit me! Ino!"
After being sneak-attacked and punched flying, Shikamaru hugged the book in his arms to protect it and begged Ino for mercy.
"Shikamaru, I never thought that you, of all people, who usually act so proper, would turn out to be this kind of person!"
"Forgetting to save me is one thing, but you're actually sitting here reading this kind of obscene book!"
"After today's exam is over, I'm definitely telling your dad!"
Ino ground her teeth, punching her own palm as she forcibly suppressed her anger.
She knew the Chūnin Exams were still ongoing, she couldn't beat Shikamaru so badly that he lost the ability to fight.
"Ow, Ino, you've misunderstood. Actually, just now…"
Shikamaru covered his swollen face, climbed up from the ground, and briefly explained some of what Shiromo had just talked to him about.
"What? Prevent beautiful women from falling in love with you? Shikamaru, since when did you have narcissistic tendencies?"
"If it were Sasuke, or even that Ame ninja from earlier, fine, but do 'you' really think you qualify?"
Ino was instantly speechless halfway through.
"This isn't about whether I qualify or not. It's like if, during the exam, a Suna ninja suddenly stabbed me to death with a kunai, that's a low-probability event, but it's not impossible. What I'm trying to do is eliminate that low-probability event altogether."
"I don't get it."
"..."
Shikamaru sighed helplessly. Sometimes having an IQ far above your peers wasn't a good thing either.
"Based on what you said earlier, that guy was calmly talking to you the whole time, without showing anything strange at all?"
Ino asked seriously.
"Yeah. Why? Oh right, Ino, your Mind Body Switch failed just now. You weren't hurt, were you?"
"..."
Ino was speechless again.
Only 'now' did he remember to ask if she was hurt. And this was the same guy worrying about girls suddenly falling in love with him, what nonsense.
Still, Shikamaru's affirmative answer made Ino's expression turn grave.
"He was talking to you normally on the outside. That means he broke my Mind Body Switch using nothing but subconscious mental strength and control, and even imprisoned me inside his consciousness."
"You're worried he has some secret technique specifically meant to counter the Yamanaka clan? I think you're overthinking it. He might just be that strong. Remember how he warned you earlier?"
Shikamaru's words reminded Ino that the man had indeed warned her not to make a move, it was she who insisted on charging in.
"How is that possible? So young, yet already… "
"I heard that Kakashi-sensei was already a jōnin at twelve."
"..."
Ino rolled her eyes.
Fine. Every excuse she came up with to patch up her failure was shot down. So she was just weak, okay?
How was she supposed to improve her strength now?
Ino sighed and turned to leave.
"Oh right, just a reminder, the cover of that book would be better hidden. It's kind of disgusting."
She tossed the comment over her shoulder before walking off.
"The cover?"
Shikamaru picked up the book and looked at it.
Two muscular men on the cover, what was wrong with that?
Uh.
The more he stared, the stranger it felt.
Something really did seem off.
After gazing at the cover for a while, Shikamaru flipped through the book rapidly and quickly found the answer.
"Thank you so much, Ino!"
Shikamaru slapped his thigh, the corners of his mouth lifting.
That single word "disgusting" from Ino made him realize a crucial issue he had completely overlooked.
His teammate Ino was also a girl!
Her reaction was extremely valuable as a reference.
If she found the cover disgusting, 'what' exactly made it disgusting?
As long as he extracted the key elements from that feeling, he could obtain the key to his ordinary, peaceful life!
Now, he has found it!
This was it!
—
Half an hour passed, and the spectators gradually returned to the stands.
The second match began.
Temari stood in the arena, holding her massive iron fan.
"There's still a stink lingering around. You Konoha people are disgusting."
She waved her hand in disgust, then looked at Shikamaru as he jumped down into the arena.
"Konoha brat, I'd advise you to forfeit. Otherwise, if I beat the crap out of you and you soil the field again, your Hokage will have to come clean it up."
Sunagakure's objective was the Konoha Crush Plan. Kankurō planned to forfeit later to avoid exposing puppet intelligence.
For the sake of Sunagakure Village's pride, Temari felt it was necessary to make Konoha lose face first.
The moment Shikamaru entered the arena and heard Temari's words, he sucked in a sharp breath.
Another violent dragon lady?
And this one looked even fiercer than the one in his class, almost like his mom.
Thankfully, he had prepared in advance.
"Let me forfeit, and I will, but I hope you can help me with one thing."
Shikamaru pulled a letter from the ninja pouch on his back and walked over as he spoke.
"What's that?"
Temari frowned deeply as she took the letter.
Don't tell me it's some kind of confession…
Perfect.
Seeing her accept the letter and start reading, Shikamaru finally relaxed.
His method feared one thing the most, someone like Naruto, a single-track brain who would just charge at him and fight without giving him a chance.
But now, it seems fine.
And judging from her earlier attitude, she clearly cared a lot about appearances, so he didn't have to worry about the letter being made public.
Perfect!
"..."
Temari stared at the contents of the letter, her hands slowly beginning to tremble.
The shouts from the stands urging them to start the match went unheard.
The letter was addressed to Gaara.
Handed to her, clearly meant for her to pass along.
But the contents…
At first, it praised Gaara as the Sunagakure Village's "Gourd Prince", cold, powerful, and handsome.
That was still somewhat normal.
But then came lines about gloomy eyes hiding a heartbreaking past.
About how his heart had a wall, and how "my love will climb over the windowsill and bloom."
About wanting Gaara to fill every hollow in his body with sand, to feel his sorrow.
That was when something felt seriously wrong.
And yet, at the very end, it said: "I want to become your friend and build Konoha friendship."
'This' is Konoha friendship?
That's… a bit perverted.
Temari felt a chill of fear.
If the Konoha Crush Plan failed, would Gaara be dragged out to "reward the troops"?
This letter absolutely could not be given to Gaara.
If he saw it, Shukaku might erupt ahead of schedule.
Temari pulled out a pen, scribbled a few lines on the back of the letter, stuffed it back into the envelope, snorted coldly, and threw it back at Shikamaru.
"Huh?"
Shikamaru caught the letter, stunned.
What was going on?
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
Why was there a reply?
Did he quote the lines from 'Buff Man Strategy Guide' in the wrong context?
With a worried expression, Shikamaru slowly took the letter out of the envelope.
The first line read: "It seems you really need to be loved by me."
Shikamaru's heart nearly stopped.
No way.
Did it fail?
Mustering his courage, he continued pulling the letter out.
After reading the full contents, he let out a long breath, his face filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.
Turns out it was,
"It seems you really need to be loved by 'Gaara's Sand Coffin' burying you alive."
"Die, you Konoha pervert! Wind Release: Sickle Weasel Technique!"
The hot-tempered Suna girl Temari snapped open her fan and blasted a violent gale at Shikamaru.
With a relaxed, satisfied smile on his face, Shikamaru was blown into the air, then slammed back down onto the ground.
(End of this chapter)