But right now, Temari's lips barely lifted into a knowing smile.
Something's wrong!
Shiki suddenly had a bad feeling.
It wasn't just him—Ryuunosuke, the examiner, had also narrowed his eyes sharply.
Even Ryuunosuke widened his eyes in shock.
Then, Temari exerted force with her arms and threw Tenten's body into the air.
As for herself, she swung her already-closed giant fan—it now resembled some kind of mysterious blunt weapon.
And precisely this kind of crude weapon was about to send Tenten flying!
Instantly, two figures sprang into action.
Yet Shiki moved much earlier.
Because he suddenly remembered this exact moment—he knew Tenten was about to get blasted by Temari and caught by Master Guy.
Although for ninja, injuries like this weren't considered serious at all.
But—
The examiner had already declared Temari the winner!
That meant Tenten's match had ended, and as her most important friend, herself...
Had to step forward!
A triumphant smile appeared on Temari's face, just like how she used to strike down enemies before.
Beside Gaara, the fear of death constantly accompanied her. Only moments like these gave her a chance to let go of the pressure she always carried.
The fan whistled through the air, about to strike Tenten in the next instant.
Boom!!!
An intense, earth-shaking blast rang out—an unexpectedly massive sound from Temari's attack!
"Damn it!!" Lee gritted his teeth, his eyes widening, fists clenched tightly.
He even tried to climb over the railing to give that woman a piece of his mind!
But suddenly, a hand grabbed Lee's shoulder, pressing him firmly in place.
"Tenten is fine." Neji said coolly.
Lee turned around only to find Neji had silently activated his Byakugan.
Stunned, Lee shifted his gaze toward the dust-choked battlefield, unable to see clearly what was happening inside.
But after such an immense explosion, how could Tenten possibly be alright?
The surrounding crowd was confused—how could such a massive boom happen if nothing had occurred? And where did all that dust come from?
"Could it be Guy-sensei?" Lee suddenly noticed one figure missing beside him and asked anxiously.
"No, not Guy-sensei." Neji remained expressionless as always, though his eyes revealed subtle complexity. "Guy-sensei is right below us. He only began preparing to move after that Suna ninja swung her fan."
"Then who is it?"
Lee asked, echoing the thoughts of every other genin around him. Looking around, he noticed none of the jounin were moving either.
"He's one of our own genin—not anywhere near jonin-level speed, yet somehow predicted this and moved ahead of time."
Neji kept staring intently at the battlefield while explaining to Lee.
"A Genin?!!!"
All the hopes of Konoha gasped inwardly—how could such incredible speed possibly belong to a mere genin?
Only Neji, with his observer's eye, had seen everything unfold clearly. The others hadn't even reacted yet.
What terrifying speed!
Arf! Arf!
The sharp bark shattered the silence, but Kiba Inuzuka stood frozen.
"Akamaru, are you saying that person inside is Shiki?"
Hiss!
Another sharp intake of breath echoed.
Yet moments later, everyone wore expressions mixing helplessness and resignation.
"I figured as much. No one else would be this creepy besides Shiki."
The dust began to settle, revealing a shadowy figure emerging from it.
He stood with his back to the Konoha group, clutching Tenten in his arms.
Under his foot was the end of the club-like weapon, crushed into the ground with a massive crack spreading outward—it was terrifying.
So that's where that explosion came from?
"If I've already won, don't you think acting like this isn't very ladylike?" Shiki's cold voice carried forward, filled unmistakably with fury.
Chapter 154: Gaara Acts Strange
Shock didn't even begin to cover how Temari felt right now.
Damn it!
How could he move so fast?
And—
How did he know I'd target her?
Temari's chest heaved violently, though no one noticed this particularly alluring detail right now.
"A lady? That's a laugh!" Temari showed no mercy, sharp as an untamed wild chrysanthemum. "Now then, boy, I'd like to ask—who exactly are you? A gentleman? Or a ninja who must fight tooth and nail on the battlefield?"
Temari despised Shiki completely. To her, anyone who preached 'kindness' like that was absolutely revolting.
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