Chapter 274: Watching the Fun
Konoha Main Gate.
Naruto followed behind Jiraiya, gazing at the great gates of Konoha with eyes full of memories.
"Hey, Izumo! Why do you and Kotetsu look so dejected?"
They walked to the registration desk and saw Izumo and Kotetsu. Both had expressions of intense anxiety on their faces.
Jiraiya noticed it too. With his vast experience, he could tell at a glance that they weren't anxious because something was wrong with the village, but rather the kind of anxiety one feels when they are missing out on a spectacular show.
Kotetsu sighed. "A woman came to Konoha. She's the head of a certain village and is currently challenging Kakashi and Guy. She says she wants them to marry into her village. We have to guard the gate! Dammit!"
"Yeah, it's such a pity. Why did it have to be our shift right now? Lady Tsunade is really something else," Izumo complained.
For these two to complain about the Hokage, one could imagine how enticing the "fun" must be. After all, it was Kakashi and Might Guy. If either of them lost, the gossip in Konoha would be legendary. The key was that the challenge was perfectly above-board, officially approved by the Hokage.
"Oh? A pretty lady?"
"Oh? Are Kakashi-sensei and Bushy-brow-sensei finally going to find partners?"
Naruto and Jiraiya had completely different focus points. One was interested in the lady; the other was interested in the prospect of their teachers getting married.
"Let's go, Pervy Sage! Let's hurry and see!"
Naruto couldn't wait. His heart for gossip was burning as brightly as the day he tried to see what was under Kakashi-sensei's mask.
"Right. I want to see the lady too," Jiraiya said with a grin.
Then, under the resentful glares of the "Gatekeeper Duo," they finished their registration and hurried off.
Konoha Plains Training Ground.
This was an ultra-large training field. Currently, a crowd of people was watching the spectacle with great interest.
"Go for it, Village Head Shizuka! You must defeat Kakashi and the others!"
Tsunade was acting like a cheerleader, pumping her fists to encourage Shizuka. The smile on her face hadn't faded for a second.
Watching from behind, Shizune wondered if she had been nagging Tsunade too much lately. It had been a long time since she had seen her lady smile like this. At the same time, Shizune felt she should perhaps let go of some work and find a partner of her own. She was the same age as Kakashi—they had been classmates. But it seemed no one was pursuing her. How rude.
Shizune glanced at Tsunade's "two great papayas." Could that be the reason? she wondered.
Inside the arena, Kakashi and Might Guy looked utterly speechless.
"That fellow Tonbo Tobitake... he really knows how to find trouble for us," Kakashi grumbled.
This sudden duel had left them completely bewildered. It was that damn Tonbo again, acting as a matchmaker from the shadows.
Guy shouted, "A woman who wishes to conquer the strong? I won't just fail like that! I will definitely defeat you!"
In the distance, Tonbo Tobitake appeared with Keigo by his side. They were there to watch the fun today.
Keigo stared at the group opposite them. "Dad, instead of wasting time watching this, we should go back and research more ninjutsu or study other knowledge. It's better than wasting time here. Besides, you could have come alone; you didn't have to bring me."
"Seeing more and accumulating experience is also knowledge. It's not just things found in books. The things in books were summarized by people after they experienced them," Tonbo said, finally feeling like he was actually parenting for once.
"But the knowledge I accumulate through my own experiences doesn't reach one percent of the efficiency of absorbing book knowledge. From an efficiency standpoint, I should learn the book knowledge first and then use experience to consolidate it, rather than experiencing first and summarizing it myself. I'm only a three-year-old; shouldn't I learn in the most effective way?" Keigo argued back, his logic perfectly sound.
"...Should I send you back then?" Tonbo produced a soft bamboo whip and swished it through the air.
"No need. Since we're already here," Keigo said, turning his small face back toward the people in the distance with a serious expression.
"This is the place."
Naruto and Jiraiya appeared at the edge of the training ground just as the battle in the center had begun. Jiraiya immediately pulled out his telescope.
"Amazing!"
Naruto watched the fighters. Both Kakashi-sensei and that woman seemed very strong. However, he soon saw that Kakashi-sensei showed zero chivalry, landing a direct punch that sent the woman face-first into the dirt.
After the woman rested, "Bushy-brow-sensei" stepped up. Naruto could tell Guy was quite eager for the fight.
But the woman looked at Guy and seemed to fall into deep thought. After muttering a few words, she turned and left with her guard. Guy was left standing there, jaw dropped in confusion.
"What happened? Why did they stop?" Naruto was puzzled.
"Judging by her lip movements, it looks like Guy was rejected because of his looks. Seems I have a chance!" Jiraiya started drooling. The woman was exactly his type—only slightly behind Tsunade.
"Pervy Sage! You know lip-reading? Why didn't you teach me?" Naruto said angrily.
"Lip-reading is part of the espionage curriculum. You just didn't study hard enough," Jiraiya said dismissively.
"..."
"Village Head Shizuka, don't be discouraged! Next time I'll knock Kakashi out so you can win," Tsunade called out, catching up to Shizuka to comfort her.
"But won't you reconsider Guy? He's also an excellent man," she added.
Personally, Tsunade wasn't a fan of Guy's aesthetic either, but if this beauty could take him, it would gain Konoha another ally. Nadeshiko was an all-female ninja village; they were worth befriending. As the Hokage, she had to think of Konoha's future.
"No. I've made up my mind. After failing this challenge, I will return to my village and prepare to abolish our outdated customs. My travels through the ninja world have taught me a lot. Thank you for your guidance, Lord Hokage. I will manage Nadeshiko Village well."
Shizuka hadn't expected Might Guy's appearance to be... like that. She refused to even mention him. That "old man" on the road told her both were excellent and handsome men, second only to himself. If the men of Konoha were all below that bowl-cut in looks, they'd all be bridge trolls. She just wanted to escape before the bowl-cut man noticed her.
"Why did she leave? I was looking forward to a duel of youth!"
Guy was still fired up, but the woman had run off the moment it was his turn. Truly, how was a beast like him supposed to handle this?
"With that look of yours, it's indeed hard to find a partner," Kakashi teased from the side.
Guy pouted. "Heh. You didn't find one either. We're in the same boat—both single being teased by Tonbo."
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