Chapter 112 Affection Turns Bad and Dies in the Wax
"To be honest, I'm not entirely clear on the specific circumstances at the time, and the final exam was forced to be interrupted, so we should assume that no one passed the exam."
Tsunade sat solemnly in the Hokage's seat, propping her hand up as she looked at them.
"However, I heard that the Third Hokage gave your exams high praise before he fell into a coma, and the daimyo and proctors who were watching also thought so, so..."
The Jonin standing around all looked at the two outstanding students in the middle with admiration.
"Congratulations! From today onwards, you two are Chunin!"
As soon as Tsunade finished speaking, she started clapping first, and the other Jonin, after a moment of surprise, also began to clap for them.
Sure enough, Tsunade couldn't stay serious for more than three seconds...
Haruko Hayama still smiled, while Shikamaru Nara next to her also put on a serious expression, which was quite rare for him.
However, no one knows what he's really thinking.
Haruko Hayama: How embarrassing! Tsunade, stop it!
Nara Shikamaru: This is so troublesome, let's finish this quickly.
Tsunade: Woohoo! I'm witnessing my Haruko's promotion to Chunin once again! Drum! Everyone, drum up!
Inside a barbecue restaurant.
"Huh—"
"You seem much more serious than before, which is something I've always lacked motivation for," Yamanaka Ino teased Nara Shikamaru.
"Hahaha, this really doesn't suit you!" Choji Akimichi chimed in.
"Don't laugh." Nara Shikamaru covered his head with one hand, not wanting them to see his embarrassment.
Haruko Hayama kindly said, "But I think Shikamaru is actually a very mature guy. His lack of motivation is just a facade."
Everyone was stunned for a few seconds after hearing her words, then burst into laughter as Nara Shikamaru's face turned even redder with embarrassment.
Yamanaka Ino was laughing so hard her stomach hurt. "Shikamaru? Pretending to be unmotivated? Hahahaha!"
Sitting next to Haruko, Sasuke Uchiha sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation, "Just how strong is your bias towards him?"
Haruko Hayama hadn't realized she'd said anything wrong. "Isn't that right?"
Sitting on her other side, Naruto Uzumaki chimed in, "Haruko is right!"
Then he received a sarcastic remark from Sasuke Uchiha: "Idiot."
Haruko Hayama: ...I feel like I got scolded too.
Sarutobi Asuma smiled and came to her rescue, "Anyway, let's toast to Shikamaru and Haruko's promotion to Chunin!"
The pork belly sizzled on the grill, and in the instant it turned a dark, cooked color, Choji Akimichi swiftly grabbed the whole thing.
"I'm starting!" Choji Akimichi stuffed a mouthful into his mouth in one gulp.
"Choji, I told you not to eat meat before you drink!" Yamanaka Ino yelled angrily at him.
Choji Akimichi said innocently, "But it won't taste good if it's burnt."
Sarutobi Asuma readily agreed, "There's plenty of meat, eat as much as you want."
"Great!" ×2
Choji Akimichi and Naruto Uzumaki were immediately excited upon hearing this, determined to bankrupt Asuma Sarutobi today.
Yamanaka Ino was speechless at the sight of the two of them; talking to Hayama Haruko was much more pleasant.
"Haruko, didn't your teacher come?"
"Kakashi-sensei, he..." Haruko stammered, she couldn't very well say that he was faking illness to slack off, could she?
While they're celebrating with barbecue, Kakashi is probably still happily reading a romance novel in bed.
Naruto Uzumaki, disregarding her concerns, directly exposed Kakashi Hatake, saying, "Kakashi-sensei is still faking illness."
"Pretending to be sick?" Yamanaka Ino's lips twitched. "Haruko was right when she said his teaching ethics were questionable."
Haruko Hayama, suddenly under the curious gazes of everyone, said, "...Hahaha, just kidding, everyone, eat up, eat up."
Ino! Don't tell everyone everything!
Sensing Haruko's resentful gaze earlier that morning, Yamanaka Ino realized what was happening and guiltily placed a few slices of grilled meat into Haruko's bowl. "Haruko, you eat!"
Haruko sighed and reluctantly forgave her.
Thanks to Sarutobi Asuma's generous hospitality, everyone ate without ceremony, and after a toast, they began to devour the barbecue at lightning speed.
"Naruto, uh... eat more."
Seeing Naruto wolfing down his food as if he had no next meal in sight, Haruko quietly changed what she was going to say and considerately added a few more pieces of grilled meat to his almost empty bowl.
Her family doesn't provide Naruto with harsh meals, so why does he look so pitiful eating like this?
Naruto, oblivious to her expression, said with a mouthful of grilled meat in his mouth, "Mmm, thank you Haruko! You're the best!"
"It's alright, eat more." Haruko patted his golden retriever affectionately.
Naruto Uzumaki, who was being teased: Haruko is the best person in the world!
An annoyed Sasuke Uchiha put a few pieces of grilled meat into Haruko Hayama's bowl, saying, "Ignore that idiot, just eat."
Haruko also passed around a few roasted tomatoes to him in the morning, saying, "Sasuke, you can have some too."
"..."
Am I not worthy of having barbecue?
Are you trying to marinate me in tomatoes?!
Uchiha Sasuke remembered the big bag of tomatoes she brought last time, which he still hadn't finished eating. Although he liked tomatoes, he couldn't possibly eat tomatoes for every meal!
Watching the interaction between the three people opposite him, Nara Shikamaru absentmindedly poked at the only piece of grilled meat in his bowl with his chopsticks.
Noticing his low spirits, Yamanaka Ino followed his gaze to the three people interacting opposite her and immediately understood the truth.
Ino Yamanaka leaned closer and teased, "If you like someone, you have to take the initiative, or someone else might get them first!"
Nara Shikamaru froze, then moved a little further away from her in annoyance. "What do you mean by 'like' or 'dislike'!"
"Still pretending? Even a fool can see that you treat Haruko differently." Yamanaka Ino showed no leniency towards his shame, shaking her head and saying, "When dealing with Haruko, you have to be straightforward, you know?"
"...I can't reason with you, this is so troublesome." Nara Shikamaru got up and left the group chat.
Seeing him hurriedly run away as if he had been caught out, Yamanaka Ino secretly chuckled.
After finishing her meal, Haruko went to wash her hands. Just as she was about to leave the restroom, she heard Ino Yamanaka and Choji Akimichi talking outside.
"Choji, I really envy you. You can eat as much as you want without worrying." Yamanaka Ino touched her waist. "Me? It's so hard to lose weight."
"Why does Ino need to lose weight?" Choji Akimichi asked, puzzled.
"Girls all want to show their cutest side to the person they like!"
Seeing Ino Yamanaka's shy expression, Choji Akimichi knew she was talking about Sasuke Uchiha, and said disapprovingly, "But that guy might not necessarily like skinny girls, right?"
"Most boys like slim girls," Yamanaka Ino said helplessly. "And girls are the same."
Choji Akimichi narrowed his eyes and didn't answer after being given a teasing look.
"Choji, you need to watch your figure too, or you won't be popular with women."
Haruko came out in the morning, "But I really like chubby people."
"Haruko?" Yamanaka Ino asked in confusion.
When Choji Akimichi saw Haruko Hayama smile at him, she said, "Being chubby gives people a sense of security, doesn't it? And seeing how happy they are when they eat makes me feel hungry too."
Yamanaka Ino helplessly put her arm around her shoulder, "If you say that, countless boys will be heartbroken."
Haruko found it amusing and continued, "So Choji can just be whoever he likes. No matter what body shape he has, as long as he's happy, that's the most important thing, isn't it?"
Choji Akimichi stared blankly into her gentle gaze, scratching his head a little embarrassedly, "Yeah, you're right..."
After Ino Yamanaka pulled Haruko Hayama away, Choji Akimichi remained in the same spot, watching their figures disappear.
At that moment, Nara Shikamaru suddenly appeared next to him and patted him on the shoulder, speaking to Choji Akimichi in surprise.
"Hey, whether it's a man or a woman, they definitely all like the voluptuous type." Nara Shikamaru pouted like Yamanaka Ino. "If Ino got this fat, she would definitely be more popular."
Choji Akimichi chuckled, "Shikamaru, you're really funny, and you're quite clever too."
Nara Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "But we're still so young, what's the point of talking about popularity with men and women?"
“That’s true…” Choji Akimichi nodded in agreement.
Nara Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he had tricked him.
That idiot, he's so attractive everywhere he goes...
Nara Shikamaru has once again nipped a restless heart in the bud.
******
The list of recipients of gratitude as of March 3, 2024:
grateful--
Easyzo sent me a bubble tea, inspiration capsules, and a reminder to update my work.
Shen Qingfeng's Inspiration Capsule
K, the one who sent the update reminder charm
A novel enthusiast named XiXi sent a reminder to update the novel.
Reminder talisman given by Mado Shohei
Chuya also gave me a thumbs up.
Xuan Chun, Kuisen-chan A, no love letter sent hahaha
Zero the Working Emperor, Three Good Squirrel, Yi Hui, Flowers sent by Sunny Mio
Yun Cheyun from Gumo Island, Jin Xiula from Nanning, Yin Chen is not funny (small account), Babuzeer, wanting alpacas to travel all over the books they like, Sanhao Squirrel, Feng Qin who loves spicy chicken noodles, Lin Laoji, Qi You, Wang Fahui who is invulnerable to knives and spears, early summer. starry sky, Tang Xiaoyu from the North, Henghengte, Sun Ao who loves bayberry distilled liquor, Tianying Deacon, Moji is a bit slow, Aozhi Sicheng, User 11152674, purple sweet potato porridge, Xingchen is boring, Gu who likes jade Indefinite term, scumbag will not change 2.5, porcelain Buddha Bo Donglv, green and blue invincible, honey glass loves to eat knives, Aoi Mori sauce A, bitter quills flew all over my face, Mu Lu, Jie Nai, Nightmare, Lin Weiyang of Long Island, Man1, coffin ghost, summer night and fireworks, Chichun, I am "difficult" to name, Ma Xiaobao who loves to eat purple sweet potato and white fungus, pure beauty and truth do not conflict, Mo Wentian who loves to eat red bean jelly, Zhu Jiajia who likes bookworms, no hahaha sent for love
Thank you so much for the gifts! The author is so touched! Shikamaru is forced to perform for you all (*￣3￣)╭
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