Chapter 278 What Can’t Be Taken Away

"Sister Shizune? Why are you so anxious?"

In the morning, Haruko saw Shizune running on the street, and she took a few steps towards her and stopped.

Shizune took a moment to catch her breath before answering her, "I...I'll go pick up my junior sister!"

"Junior sister?"

"Oh yeah, you probably haven't seen it yet."

Shizune glanced in the direction of the village entrance, calculated the time, and became more and more anxious.

She waved her hand, "I'll introduce them to you later when I get back. Lady Tsunade is anxious to see her now!"

Sensing that something was wrong from her anxious attitude, Haruko asked, "What happened?"

"Hokage-sama said that the Jinchuriki of Sunagakure was abducted, and it just so happened that Lady Tsunade had an urgent mission, so she decided to let her go since her junior sister had returned."

"No more talking, I'm leaving first!" Jingyin ran out before she finished speaking.

Looking at her hurriedly leaving figure, Haruko Zao thought carefully.

Sand Village Jinchūriki? Isn't that Gaara?

Haruko's eyes narrowed in the morning and she immediately ran towards the direction where Shizune came from. She had to ask Tsunade.

……

In the Hokage's office, Minato Namikaze, wearing a pure white cloak with red dots that symbolized the Hokage, stood up behind the desk.

I looked around at the people present: the third class, the eighth class, and the tenth class.

Very good, everyone is here.

"Gaara, the Jinchuriki of Sunagakure, was abducted by an organization called Akatsuki. We in Konoha have more information about Akatsuki, so Sunagakure has sent us a request for help."

"The situation is urgent, and Akatsuki's strength is unpredictable. You three teams should put down your tasks and prepare to go to the Sand Village."

"Get the information, report it back to Konoha, and then follow the instructions of Sunagakure and support them."

After Minato Namikaze gave the order, everyone answered yes in unison.

Rock Lee looked around and raised his hand to ask, "Aren't Haruko and the others going to be involved in this mission?"

Namikaze Minato nodded, "According to intelligence from various places, the Akatsuki organization may be aiming to collect the tailed beasts. Naruto's best not to get involved."

They all knew about Uzumaki Naruto's peculiarities, so they didn't ask any further questions.

After leaving the Hokage's office, everyone's seriousness faded and they started to chatter.

Yamanaka Ino looked around and said, "Everyone is here for this mission except Team 7."

Akimichi Choji's chubby cheeks wrinkled, "The thing I least wanted to encounter has happened. More people means the mission will be particularly difficult."

Nara Shikamaru still lazily put his hands in his pockets, "Luckily Naruto is not here, otherwise it would be a lot of trouble."

"It's such a shame that I can't go on a mission with Haruko!"

The passionate and aggrieved voice was out of tune with the others. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Rock Lee's depressed face, which looked like an eggplant hit by frost.

"Huh? Why do you have to be with her?"

Inuzuka Kiba expressed his confusion, but when he thought of Rock Lee's unconcealed behavior, he suddenly understood.

"Yeah, you like her."

Rock Lee's obvious little trick was exposed in public, especially with three instructors present, Rock Lee's face suddenly turned red.

He did not refute, but clenched his fists to encourage himself.

"I will definitely work hard to improve myself and use my strength to attract Haruko's attention!"

While the other teachers smiled, Might Guy showed his eight shining teeth and gave a thumbs up to his proud disciple.

"You should strive hard for the one you love! Go all out to write the song of youth, Li!"

"Yes! Teacher Kai!"

The sight of two men in tights with thick eyebrows giving each other a thumbs-up is really disgusting.

The corner of Yamanaka Ino's mouth twitched, and she nudged Nara Shikamaru next to her with her elbow and whispered to him in a low voice.

"Hey, he's like this, don't you have any reaction?"

"What should I say?" Nara Shikamaru looked at her strangely.

Thinking that he really had no sense of crisis at all, Yamanaka Ino speechlessly straightened her mouth.

"Don't you like Haruko? You are such a trouble-maker. If you don't cheer up, Haruko will be snatched away by someone else!"

In contrast to Yamanaka Ino's disappointed expression, Nara Shikamaru looked relaxed, even calm and expectant.

He snorted and laughed, "It can't be taken away."

His leisurely words were full of confidence, as if he had planned a brilliant strategy that was sure to lead to victory.

Different from pretending to be calm when he was a child, he has a strong self-confidence as he has recorded the accumulation of time.

Trust cannot be taken away by others, but trust in him can definitely be obtained.

Yamanaka Ino was stunned, feeling somewhat unfamiliar with the high-spirited and arrogant Nara Shikamaru in front of her.

Akimichi Choji, who was eating snacks nearby, said, "Don't worry, Ino, Shikamaru's brain has never been defeated."

Even after getting the answer she wanted, Yamanaka Ino didn't seem relieved.

Her heart was in a complicated mess, with all kinds of inexplicable emotions boiling up, but in the end she could only attribute it to the fact that she was surprised by the change in Nara Shikamaru.

"But... Shikamaru, you've really changed a lot."

"Ok?"

"If I had teased you like this before, you would have definitely retorted loudly in shame and anger."

It is precisely because of Nara Shikamaru's denial that Yamanaka Ino can derive secret and unnoticed satisfaction from it.

But things are different now...

Nara Shikamaru raised his eyebrows and said casually: "I didn't admit it."

"what?"

Bewildered, Yamanaka Ino watched him walk away. Thinking about his words carefully, she realized belatedly that he meant that she had not admitted that she liked Hayama Haruko.

He certainly didn't admit it, but his attitude didn't seem like a refutation, right?

After the other two classes had left, Tiantian, full of arrogance, rushed over in a few steps.

"You guys, can't you just chase girls by working hard?"

Might Guy, who only had eyes for training, and Rock Lee, who was equally skilled but a little bit in love, both looked at her and blinked.

Tiantian held his forehead with a frown, "It's because of your weird behavior that even Qingzi's eyes look at me strangely!"

Not resonating with her accusation, Rock Lee humbly sought advice from the only girl on the team.

"Tiantian, what should I do to make Haruko like me?"

I looked him up and down every day. He had a bowl-cut haircut, thick eyebrows, a stern and boring face, and the same green tights that he always wore.

Not to mention Haruko, no normal girl would like Li...

Unable to bear to disappoint his teammates, Tiantian coughed twice and put on a serious face.

"Most girls like handsome and capable boys. Even though Li's outfit is strange and his abilities are all based on his passion, but..."

Facing Rock Lee's sparkling, expectant gaze, Tiantian said the rest of the words tactfully.

"But maybe Haruko will break away from being a member of the masses one day."

Rock Lee looked at Might Guy in confusion, as if he couldn't figure out what she meant.

Not as kind as Might Guy, only pity was revealed in his eyes.

Hyuga Neji, expressionless, answered him directly: "It means that dreaming is faster."

Rock Lee, who was already in a bad mood, turned into a stone sculpture and shattered on the spot with a frozen face that looked like he wanted to cry but had no tears.