READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 32: Chapter 32
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After everything that had happened, Ikeno found a chance to explain things to Hinata. Thankfully, she was understanding and appreciated that he had acted out of necessity to save Ino. Ikeno breathed a sigh of relief.
The group—five boys and girls—chatted and laughed as they made their way back to the village. Along the way, they encountered Sakura, who was just coming out of the Anko store.
"Sasuke-kun! Where did you come from?" she called out.
Sasuke said nothing and, hands in his pockets, walked away on his own. Naruto, on the other hand, happily pulled Ikeno along, saying, "Let's go grab some ramen!"
Hinata, in a soft voice, mentioned, "We went to the sea of flowers..."
Hearing this, Sakura's heart filled with irritation. "The sea of flowers? They went to play together and didn't even invite me! And Sasuke-kun was with them too!" She was fuming inside, feeling left out and betrayed.
But then Ino, smiling cheerfully, made an announcement: "Sakura-chan, I've decided—I won't compete with you for Sasuke anymore!"
Sakura was completely baffled, not understanding what had happened. Meanwhile, Ino's feelings for Ikeno had deepened after today, and she had decided that she would be his from now on.
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That evening, after returning home, Ikeno couldn't wait to head into his personal training space to test out the newly acquired Konoha Dragon God technique. The sheer beauty and power of the move left him stunned. The swirling vortex of high-speed Taijutsu was unlike anything he had ever seen.
He mused over how such a secret technique, said to be passed down only to descendants, could end up with him. His ancestors weren't ninjas—at least none he knew of. Could they be related to the legendary Teacher fujin, the original master of the Konoha Dragon God?
The system, ever mysterious, simply responded: [Produced by the system, anything is possible].
Satisfied with his practice, Ikeno then set to work on making a special gift for Naruto's birthday—using his tailoring skills, he started knitting with some wool and needles, smiling at the thought of his friend's reaction.
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The next day, at the Konoha Mission Distribution Office, the air was filled with a high-pitched, obnoxious voice.
"My little tiger, I got you back! Mommy was worried sick!"
It was none other than Mrs. Shijimi, the famously rotund and loud wife of the Daimyo of the Fire Country. Her voice, sharp enough to cut through steel, echoed painfully throughout the office, leaving even Kakashi reeling.
In the afternoon, Ikeno and his team were assigned a rather peculiar D-rank mission: to retrieve a shirt that had blown up a cliff. The tall woman who had requested their help explained, "This shirt was a gift from my boyfriend, and the wind blew it up there."
Kakashi, leading the mission, took the opportunity to train his team in chakra control, particularly climbing without using their hands.
Naruto, ever the complainer, exclaimed, "What? No hands? How are we supposed to climb a cliff like that?"
Sasuke, intrigued, smirked, finding the challenge appealing. Sakura, as usual, was close by Sasuke's side, cheering him on.
"Everyone needs to climb," Kakashi explained. "This will help improve your chakra control."
Five minutes into the climb, Sakura had already fallen, her face swollen and bruised. Sasuke was halfway up the cliff, but struggling. Naruto, on the other hand, had managed to surpass them, but only because of sheer determination and loud complaints.
Ikeno, however, gathered chakra at the soles of his feet and effortlessly walked up the cliff, retrieving the shirt with ease.
Naruto, looking up at him in awe, shouted, "Wow, Ikeno, you're amazing! How did you do that?"
Even though Sasuke kept his usual calm demeanor, internally he was shocked. "He climbed up so effortlessly..."
Kakashi, unsurprised by Ikeno's ability, smiled under his mask. He was already aware of Ikeno's impressive chakra control, but this mission gave the rest of the team a glimpse of it.
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Later that evening, in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage spoke with Kakashi.
"Kakashi, I agree with your assessment. Toshi Ikeno has the strength of a Jōnin," said the Third Hokage, gazing out the window as he exhaled a puff of smoke. "But there are many unknowns about him."
Kakashi shared his concerns. "He killed two Cloud Shinobi recently... and it reminded me of what happened with Hyuga Hizashi..." He couldn't help but think back to Hizashi's sacrifice.
The Third Hokage paced the room, deep in thought, before continuing. "The Chūnin Exams are in just over a month. This time, we're hosting the exams here in Konoha, and all the other villages will gather."
Kakashi was puzzled by the change in topic. "What about Ikeno?"
The Third Hokage's next words took him by surprise. "We'll let him shine during the exams. I want the other villages to witness Konoha's strength."
Kakashi hadn't expected Ikeno to be positioned as one of Konoha's trump cards, but it made sense. The Chūnin Exams were a chance to showcase strength and remind other villages of the Will of Fire.
"We'll also need to increase security," the Third Hokage added. "With the Cloud Shinobi causing trouble, we can't afford to relax."
Kakashi nodded and left the office.
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Meanwhile, back at Ikeno's home, Naruto sat excitedly on the couch, eager to see what Ikeno had prepared for his birthday. Even Sasuke, who had been invited to the dinner, was curious to know what gift Ikeno would give.
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