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Tsunade Can Hear My Inner Voice-Chapter 111: Team Gai vs. Ino-Shika-Cho
Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Team Gai vs. Ino-Shika-Cho
"Yo, Hikari! Long time no see!"
Around eleven in the morning, Maito Gai strutted toward Kamizuki Hikari with his signature over-the-top stride.
"Yeah, long time..." Hikari replied half-heartedly. From yesterday afternoon until now, barely twenty-four hours had passed. He had no idea how Gai could call that a "long time".
Unless...
Does he mean that "a day apart feels like three autumns"?
If that was the case, Hikari couldn’t help but take two cautious steps back.
A handsome guy like Gai should be left for someone like Kakashi—his destined rival, after all. Hikari had no intention of walking down that forbidden path.
As a guy with perfectly normal tastes, he’d much rather spend the rest of his life with one (or several) beautiful kunoichi by his side.
"Hikari, seeing you so lazy today, I’ve decided—we’re going to make a bet today!" Gai declared boldly, completely forgetting whatever script he’d prepared beforehand.
"And?" Hikari dug a pinky finger into his ear. "If it’s a match between the two of us, then you’d win. No argument there."
Gai shook his head. "You always say that, but we’ve never actually fought, so I can’t be sure I’d win. But today, I don’t want to fight you — I want my three precious students to fight your three precious students! What do you say?"
"Hold up, let’s clear something up first." Hikari pointed at the three kids gathering nearby. "Those three are your precious students — sure, I’ll give you that."
Then he pointed at the trio approaching behind him. "But calling these three my precious students? Nah, let’s not go that far."
Shikamaru and Ino: ???
Was this guy even human?
Even Choji, with his easygoing nature, stared at Hikari with wide eyes, hoping he’d take back his words.
No such luck.
Kamizuki Hikari wasn’t the type to backtrack.
"Don’t look at me like that. You three are gonna lose today, no question. I’m just saving you the embarrassment of dragging my name down with you. Got it?"
Shikamaru and Ino’s resentment radiated off them in waves.
Does this guy even have any dignity left to lose?
"Hikari! I knew I was right about you!" Gai’s eyes sparkled with fiery passion. "You’re trying to motivate your students by provoking them! Just like Kakashi... you truly are my destined rival!"
Hearing this, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio glanced at Hikari’s face, searching for even a hint of such noble intentions.
But...
Nope.
Absolutely nothing.
Infuriating, isn’t it?
Hikari cracked his neck and turned to Shikamaru. "You’re a chunin now, so you’ve got the authority to make decisions for your team. These three are your opponents. Fight or flee—it’s your call."
"But let me be clear: win, and there’s no reward. Lose, and starting tomorrow, you three train from seven in the morning to seven at night. Any objections?"
Seeing the trio about to protest, Hikari cut them off. "Don’t argue. I’m being generous just by giving you the choice."
Shikamaru, Chōji, Ino: ...
Yep. Kamizuki Hikari was back to being insufferable.
Shikamaru took a deep breath and looked at his teammates.
"Ino, Chōji... do you want to fight, or...?"
Seeing the determination in their eyes, Shikamaru knew the answer.
"Hikari-senpai, we choose to fight. We might lose today, but it’ll help us see our strengths clearly and improve in the future."
Hikari waved a hand dismissively. "Big words, but talk is cheap. Actually doing it is a different story. Honestly? Out of all six of you, I think Lee has the most potential for the future."
Shikamaru: ’Bro. My dude. I was trying to hype us up, and you just deflated the whole thing.’
"Hikari-senpai! I knew you believed in me, but I never realized just how much!" Lee’s eyes welled up with tears. "I’ve decided—tonight, I’ll run around Konoha until I drop dead!"
Hikari nodded approvingly.
Ah, the joys of manipulating enthusiastic youths.
Guys like Shikamaru, with their overthinking and scheming, were such a pain sometimes.
"Lee! As your teacher, I’ll run with you!" Gai flashed his brilliant smile, nearly blinding everyone in the vicinity. Hikari, however, had anticipated this and turned away just in time.
"Gai-sensei...!" Lee’s eyes shimmered as he moved in for a heartfelt embrace.
"Alright, alright, it’s getting late. Hurry up and fight so we can all go eat." Hikari interrupted, physically separating the two before their antics could further assault his senses.
"Lee, give it your all and defeat them! Youth must never be sullied!" Gai cheered.
"You’re right, Gai-sensei! Youth must not be sullied!" Lee, fueled by Gai’s encouragement, practically radiated energy. If his hair had straightened and turned golden, he could’ve passed for a discount Super Saiyan.
"Fine, we accept your challenge. Now for the location—do you want to fight in the forest, or use the training grounds? We’ll let you decide." Shikamaru said, a subtle smirk playing on his lips.
This was a small trick.
For the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, an open battlefield was ideal.
If Team Gai arrogantly picked the training grounds, they’d get the optimal terrain. If they chose the forest, it still worked in their favor—after days of training here, they knew the area well.
Either way, they couldn’t lose.
As for Team Gai, Neji was the de facto leader when it came to tactics, with Lee and Tenten following his lead.
Neji might not have been able to unravel Shikamaru’s full plan, but his instincts told him the Nara heir was up to something.
Trying to outthink a member of Konoha’s smartest clan? Not worth the effort.
"Lee, Tenten, where do you want to fight?" Neji deferred to his teammates.
"Training grounds. If they try to run in the forest, it’ll just be annoying." Tenten said bluntly, her tone dripping with casual dismissal.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio bristled but held their tongues.
"Then I’ll pick the training grounds too!" Lee said, unfazed. For him, the location didn’t matter—only the fight itself.
"Then it’s settled. Training grounds." Neji declared to Shikamaru.
Shikamaru nodded. "Fine. Let’s start over there."
An open battle on the training grounds?
Shikamaru was confident in his team’s strength.
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