Chapter 124: Sasuke vs. Gaara

"Examiner, I forfeit."

The lively audience fell into stunned silence at Shikamaru's unexpected words.

Even Genma Shiranui, who had been watching with interest, blinked in surprise. "You… What did you just say?"

Shikamaru nodded and raised both hands. "I forfeit."

The spectators on the stands were momentarily unable to process what had just happened.

Even Cynthia furrowed her brows in confusion. "Wait… He's giving up? Just like that?"

Ryo shook his head. "There's no point in continuing. At this point, Shikamaru has no real way to win against Temari. Rather than dragging it out and getting injured, it's smarter to just forfeit."

"Ryo, Ryo! Hoopa wants to go down there and play too, like them!"

Before Cynthia could respond, Hoopa suddenly floated in front of Ryo, pointing at the battlefield where Shikamaru and Temari stood.

Hearing this, Ryo's mouth twitched as he grabbed Hoopa by the arm. "They're not playing, this is an exam. Be quiet, and you can play later."

Hoopa pouted, puffing out its cheeks. "Fine, but you promised! If not, Diancie and I will ignore you!"

Diancie, who was resting in Cynthia's arms, turned her head and glared at Hoopa. "I never said that! You're making things up!"

"Bleh, bleh, bleh~"

Hoopa made a silly face before quickly hiding in Ryo's embrace.

Diancie clenched her fists in frustration, grinding her teeth.

"Alright, calm down."

Ryo patted Hoopa lightly before stroking Diancie's head. Ignoring the playful Pokémon, he refocused on the battlefield, watching Shikamaru and Temari's match come to a close.

This fight had genuinely piqued his interest, making him look forward to the rest of the exams.

Thinking back to Naruto's earlier performance, he couldn't help but sigh. "That guy is just… something else."

Back at the battle arena, Genma Shiranui confirmed Shikamaru's forfeit and leaped down to stop Temari's next attack.

"Winner: Sand Ninja—Temari!"

Shikamaru exhaled in relief as he saw Genma intervene.

Temari, on the other hand, stood frozen, glaring at Shikamaru in disbelief.

"Are you even a man?!" she shouted, her voice filled with frustration.

He had been moments away from getting hit, yet he simply gave up?

Did that mean she had taken that earlier hit for nothing? And now she couldn't even get her revenge?

Shikamaru, as lazy as ever, scratched his head and yawned. "If that makes me not a man, then so be it. This is just too much trouble."

Without another word, he turned and started walking toward the exit tunnel.

All he wanted now was a quiet place to sleep.

Temari's fury only grew as she watched his indifferent retreat.

It felt like punching a pillow—her anger had nowhere to go. And to make it worse, he didn't even care!

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, she stomped her foot in frustration. "I'll make you regret this one day."

Then, she too turned and left the battlefield.

With both of them gone, the next match was set to begin.

But this time, for some reason, neither of the participants had any Pokémon with them.

It was going to be a pure ninja battle.

While the crowd's excitement visibly waned, Ryo watched attentively.

To him, this was what the exam should truly be about.

Even Cynthia seemed uninterested, still talking to Ryo about the previous match.

"Ryo, Shikamaru is smart, but don't you think he's way too lazy? If he keeps this up, he might never find a wife. Who'd want a partner like that?"

Ryo gave her a strange look.

Noticing his expression, Cynthia tilted her head. "What? Am I wrong?"

Ryo smirked and nodded. "No, no, you're absolutely right."

But deep inside, he was holding back a chuckle.

"No wife? That's ironic. This guy's future wife is literally Temari."

Thinking about how Shikamaru and Temari eventually ended up together, Ryo couldn't help but be curious.

"How did that even happen? Given how temperamental she is, was this match part of the reason?"

His gaze softened with sympathy as he looked toward Shikamaru.

"Poor guy. He probably has no idea how much trouble he's setting himself up for in the future."

"Ryo, what are you looking at?"

Cynthia followed his gaze toward the waiting area, puzzled.

Ryo shook his head. "Nothing. Let's just keep watching."

"You're acting weird."

Cynthia frowned but didn't press further, shifting her attention back to the arena.

Though it wasn't as exciting as the last fight, a ninja battle was still interesting in its own way.

Meanwhile, back in the waiting area, Shikamaru suddenly shivered, feeling an inexplicable chill down his spine.

Beside him, Choji munched on a bag of chips, raising an eyebrow. "Shikamaru, what's up? Are you sick?"

Shikamaru rubbed his arms, confused. "I dunno… Just got this weird feeling."

He shook it off. "Maybe I just didn't get enough sleep."

Choji nodded and continued eating. "Makes sense. You do sleep like half the day."

Ino, sitting nearby, rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh please. You sleep for at least twelve hours a day, and you're still complaining?"

Shikamaru didn't bother answering, simply watching the fight unfold.

Ino scoffed but didn't press him further. Instead, she turned toward another part of the room where Sakura and Naruto were looking anxious.

Curious, she walked over. "What's with you two? Why do you look so nervous?"

Sakura sighed. "It's almost Sasuke's turn, but we don't know where Kakashi-sensei took him. He's still not here!"

"Huh?"

Ino frowned, glancing around. "He really hasn't shown up?"

Sakura nodded, then shot Naruto a glare.

This idiot was late today too, nearly missing his own match.

Thinking about it, she felt utterly helpless.

What kind of team was this?

She was the only one who had actually arrived on time!

"What do we do if he doesn't make it?"

Ino scanned the waiting area, then looked back at Sakura. Seeing her nod in frustration, Ino also started getting worried.

At that moment, Genma Shiranui's voice rang out across the stadium.

"Next match: Sand Ninja Gaara vs. Leaf Ninja Uchiha Sasuke!"

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