Chapter 83: The Gathering
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff of his pipe, looked at the ten winners, and said, "Since none of you have any objections, let Gaara and Naruto face each other!"
The pairings for the remaining eight participants were: Sasuke versus Hinata, Naruto versus Gaara, Kankuro versus Shino, Shikamaru versus Temari, and Dosu versus Ino.
After the match schedule was announced, everyone disbanded.
Kakashi led Naruto and the other two back to the Village.
Naruto looked at Kakashi and said, "Teach Sasukeyour ultimate hidden technique! Stop being lazy. If there comes a day when even Sasuke and Sakuracan defeat you, it'll be quite embarrassing for you as a teacher. I need to go buy some ingredients; let's meet at the hut later!"
After saying that, Naruto performed the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu and then the Transformation Jutsu, sending his Shadow Clones out to do the shopping.
Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke watched Naruto's departing back, feeling that Naruto was up to something big, yet he simply wouldn't tell them.
Kakashi looked at Sasuke and Sakura and said, "You two should go get ready as well! Meet at the Wooden Hut by the river later."
After Kakashi finished speaking, he also left, leaving Sakura and Sasuke alone.
After glancing at each other, the two lowered their heads and silently headed towards the Wooden Hut by the river.
The two walked in silence for a long time until finally, there was no one else around.
Sakura kept her head down and asked Sasuke, "After the Chunin Exams are over, are you going to leave the Village?"
"That is none of your business!"
Although Sasuke didn't give Sakura a precise answer, it was as good as a confirmation.
"Can you take me with you?"
Sasuke glanced at Sakura, and after a long silence, he said, "The path I must take is not one you should walk. You still have parents in the Village."
After saying that, Sasuke quickened his pace. Sakura stood there in a daze, watching Sasuke's departing back, but eventually, she silently followed him.
When Sakura and Sasuke reached the Wooden Hut by the river, one of Naruto's Shadow Clones was already waiting.
"Why did you two arrive so early? Didn't you go home to wash up?"
Sasuke and Sakura were stunned for a moment before realizing they had just returned from the Forest of Death and hadn't properly washed for five consecutive days. They lowered their heads in embarrassment, saying nothing.
Naruto sighed, pointed at the Wooden Hut, and said, "You can go wash up. As for clothes... forget it, I'll dispel this Shadow Clone and have my original self bring two sets back."
After saying that, Naruto dispelled the Shadow Clone.
The reason Naruto had sent a Shadow Clone to wait at the Wooden Hut by the river so early was that there was a Genjutsu Barrier there. If he didn't deactivate it, no one would be able to enter.
Seeing the Shadow Clone dispel, Sakura and Sasuke both rushed into the Wooden Hut.
Sakura, in particular, was dying of embarrassment. On the third day in the Forest of Death, Naruto had already said she was starting to smell, and now it was even worse.
Naruto felt a bit awkward after receiving the memories from the Shadow Clone.
"Why are those two acting like children right now? They don't even understand such simple things."
Naruto sped up his shopping for ingredients and seasonings, then went to a Clothing Store to buy a set of clothes for both Sakura and Sasuke.
As Naruto's large group of Shadow Clones headed back to the Wooden Hut by the river in a grand procession, they happened to run into Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Shino, and their team leader, Kurenai Yuhi.
Seeing the spectacle of Naruto's Shadow Clones, Inuzuka Kiba shouted rowdily, "Isn't this a bit too much? You actually bought so many things!"
Naruto shrugged helplessly and said, "Don't you realize how many people are coming today? Just our four classes alone make twelve people, plus the four team leaders, that's already sixteen. I suspect this won't even be enough; I'll have to go catch some game and fish later."
After hearing this, Inuzuka Kiba did the math and said with a slight twitch of his mouth, "That really is quite a lot of people! Can you handle it all by yourself?"
Naruto smiled and said, "Of course I can't handle it alone, but don't I have my Shadow Clones here?"
Kiba's mouth twitched as he said, "You've got a point there! Having a lot of Chakra must be nice!"
Naruto said with a chuckle, "Let's go, I still need to deliver clothes to Sasuke and Sakura!"
Kiba was a bit surprised to hear about clothes but didn't press further.
Hinata blushed and said timidly, "Naruto-kun, I can help too!"
"Oh! Then thank you, Hinata-chan!"
"You're... you're welcome! Uh... no, no, no! It's we who should be sorry for intruding."
Naruto laughed and said, "It's all the same, it's all the same!"
Hinata's behavior not only made Naruto laugh, but even Kurenai Yuhi was stifling a laugh. She could see that Hinata was completely smitten by Naruto.
As dusk approached, the Konoha 12 and the four team leaders had basically all arrived. Except for Neji, who had been beaten by Hinata, everyone else was there.
Even Rock Lee, who had nearly been beaten to death, was carried over.
Asuma originally wanted to find some alcohol to drink, but a single sentence from Naruto left him speechless.
"It was hard enough just buying these ingredients, where would I buy alcohol? We're not eighteen yet; which tavern would sell alcohol to us?"
Well! Naruto's words pierced Asuma's heart again. If even as the Son of the Yondaime, buying daily necessities was difficult, let alone asking a child under eighteen to buy alcohol. You, the Son of the Sandaime, shouldn't be so picky.
Asuma Sarutobi also felt Naruto's hostility towards him, but he never understood why Naruto was so hostile.
In fact, Naruto was slightly unfair to Asuma Sarutobi. Asuma had gone to serve as a guardian for the Daimyo long ago, so he really didn't know what had happened to Naruto.
Just as Asuma Sarutobi was about to light a cigarette...
Ino, fearing Naruto would make more sarcastic remarks at Asuma, slammed the table angrily and looked at Asuma, saying, "Sensei, we are all minors here, can't you refrain from smoking?"
Asuma had no choice but to put down his cigarette pack and said, "Alright, alright! Why do I feel like I can't do anything right?"
Shikamaru knew Ino was trying to bail Asuma out, so he immediately looked at Naruto and said, "Didn't you say you made a feast? How much longer? I'm starving to death."
"It's almost ready! Kakashi-sensei, how about making a table?"
Kakashi looked at Naruto with dead-fish eyes and said, "I don't know Wood Release! How am I supposed to make a table for you?"
"You don't know Wood Release, but you know Earth Release, right? Use an Earth Platform Technique, then a Petrification Jutsu, and finally spread that tablecloth over there. You're really quite slow."
Kakashi rubbed his head awkwardly and did as Naruto said.
After Kakashi set up the table, Naruto created more Shadow Clones. Once the plates and drinks were set, he had everyone wait around.