Regarding This Love Triangle, Did They Get Something Wrong?!

"No..."

Although I'd always known Sasuke wasn't acting like himself,

seeing things get this absurd was still enough to leave Naruto at a loss:

"Sasuke, didn't I tell you not to go saying weird things?

And this is an important selection exam! There's a limit to how much nonsense you can spout!"

"No, Sasuke, if you're going to confess, you should be confessing to me!"

Sakura, standing beside Naruto, let out an incredulous shriek. Then she hurried over to Kazeka, who was standing nearby, and anxiously said:

"Kazeka, Orochimaru must be behind Sasuke turning out like this.

At the very least, it must be because of one of Orochimaru's potions!

Don't you have a whole bunch of ways to deal with Orochimaru? Hurry and help Sasuke!"

Orochimaru, who had been watching from nearby only to suddenly get saddled with the blame: "..."

"Sasuke is fine right now..."

Kazeka replied to Sakura without so much as a blush:

"This is just a tiny price he has to pay to gain tremendous power.

It's just like when I helped Hinata before. The powerful strength one gains so suddenly needs to be matched by a strong personality.

Once Sasuke gets used to his body, he'll naturally return to normal!"

"I knew you were behind Sasuke acting like this. You denied it before..."

Naruto rushed up in front of Kazeka as well:

"But how long will it take for Sasuke to get back to normal? The way he is now gives me the creeps. I've got goosebumps all over!"

"Fool, Sasuke is at a critical stage in improving his strength. The longer this lasts, the better it'll be for his future path to power..."

Kazeka looked at Naruto in displeasure:

"As his teammate, can't you put up with this little bit of awkwardness?"

"I really can't handle it..."

Naruto said miserably, then turned to look at Sakura:

"Actually, I'd much rather have Sakura confess to me!"

"In your dreams! I'd never agree to date you. I'll use my own efforts to bring Sasuke's personality back to normal!"

Sakura glared fiercely at Naruto, then turned to Sasuke below and spoke with deep feeling:

"Sasuke, hurry up and go back to normal. If it's you, I'm willing to wait for you to confess!"

"Sakura..."

After punching Kabuto Yakushi away once more, Sasuke paused as he looked at Sakura gazing at him with such affection.

Just as Sakura began to think that her actions had really brought Sasuke back to normal, his next words shattered all her hopes:

"Sakura, don't stand there. You're blocking my view of Naruto!"

Sakura: "..."

At that moment, Sakura suddenly felt the whole world was full of malice.

She was still a girl, after all, and couldn't bear the pressure all at once.

She walked dejectedly to a corner, collapsed into a chair, covered her face, and sprawled there like a dead fish!

Sakura wasn't the only one who felt that way. Naruto was no better.

Seeing that the girl of his dreams—Sakura—would rather fruitlessly try to win back Sasuke, whose sexual orientation had changed, than accept him, he couldn't help feeling a wave of sorrow.

He walked dejectedly to another corner, collapsed into a chair, covered his face, and sprawled there like a dead fish!

"Naruto, why did you leave? You have to know, I only took part in the Chunin Ninja Exams for you!"

Seeing Naruto leave, Sasuke's words were full of anxiety:

"Did I do something wrong? Taking the Chunin Ninja Exams and growing stronger—that's your dream, isn't it?

I'm helping you in my own way. Why are you leaving? It hurts so much!"

"Yikes..."

At some point, Kiba Inuzuka had come over beside Kazeka. He looked at Kazeka with a complicated expression:

"So this is what they call a love triangle? It's not quite what I imagined!"

"I think this kind of love triangle is pretty good..."

Hinata spoke from Kazeka's other side:

"All three of them love someone they can't have. Add a few misunderstandings, a tortured romance, and someone accidentally hurting someone else, and it'd be perfect!"

"Hey, Hinata, weren't you kind of a tomboy before? How'd you turn into someone who likes gossip and tortured romances..."

Kiba Inuzuka looked at Hinata in disbelief, then said with an exasperated expression:

"The three of them are already absurd enough as it is. Don't go sticking your nose into it, okay?"

"Gossip is a girl's nature. You really—"

"Enough!"

Before Hinata could finish, the Third Hokage finally recovered from his shock. He fixed Kazeka with a fierce stare:

"You little brat, what exactly did you do to Sasuke?!"

In the Hokage's estimation, Sasuke had been calm and powerful since childhood.

Although he was a member of the Uchiha Clan and thus carried certain risks, the Hokage still wanted to put in the effort to cultivate him into a capable, presentable Jonin.

With Itachi as an example, there was no reason Sasuke couldn't be raised into an Uchiha Itachi Plus.

But now, watching Sasuke keep hitting on Naruto in the middle of a fight, the Third Hokage felt as if the sky were about to fall.

He was about to stop Sasuke from saying any more.

"I'd advise you to calm down, Lord Hokage..."

Kazeka seemed to see what the Hokage had in mind:

"Sasuke's words are a kind of self-suggestion. The more he expresses his love for Naruto, the stronger he gets.

If you stop him now, he might lose the selection round!"

"I don't care if he loses! Look at the state he's in!"

Facing a Sasuke like this, the Hokage truly couldn't hold back. He immediately shouted down toward the arena:

"Sasuke, this is an elimination round! Stop going on about all that nonsense, put those thoughts away, and focus on the match!"

"Lord Hokage, how can you say something like that..."

After knocking Kabuto Yakushi away again, Sasuke looked stubborn:

"Since we were little, you've taught us to risk everything for our dreams. So am I wrong to pursue love now?

Don't worry, Naruto..."

Sasuke called toward the direction where Naruto had last disappeared:

"Even the Hokage can't stop me from loving you. I'll use these strong arms of mine to build you a happy haven.

I'll use my strength to create a world where you can be happy;

I'll give everything I have to create a dreamlike paradise for you. I'll use everything I have to love you!"

"Kazeka..."

Seeing a promising youngster he had invested so much hope in twisted like this by Kazeka, the Hokage truly couldn't take it anymore.

But the situation was stacked against him. At that moment, the Hokage suppressed all the anger in his heart and spoke to Kazeka in a stiff voice:

"Name your price. How much do you want to turn Sasuke back to normal?"