After Guy carried Rock Lee off the arena floor, Gekko Hayate hurriedly announced the result.
"Sandstorm Gaara wins this match."
Once Gekko Hayate finished announcing the result, Youth Bro carried Youth Bro away.
Rock Lee's injuries were severe. Gaara's sand had crushed his arm and leg out of shape, and the sight made Guy's heart ache.
And so, Youth Bro began his journey toward having his account suspended.
The next match was Sakura Haruno versus Ino Yamanaka.
Seeing that it was her turn, Sakura walked over to Sasuke.
"Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry about what happened last time. I've thought things through these past few days. I think I must be sick. No matter what I do, I can't sleep. I wake with a start in the middle of the night and open my notebook, only to find your name covering every page. Maybe I just miss you too much. Please give me a chance, okay?"
Sakura went on talking without waiting for Sasuke to agree. She completely failed to notice that Ino was already in the arena, glaring angrily as Sakura laughed and chatted with him.
As for Sasuke, he was already numb to it all and wanted nothing to do with her. But who could say what he was really thinking?
Jealousy hung in the air, prompting Gekko Hayate to hurry and put a stop to the two girls' antics.
"Would both contestants please enter the arena?" Gekko Hayate urged.
At last, the two girls were about to fight. There was bound to be a surprise in store.
Meihui couldn't help looking forward to the match as he watched the two girls trade blows in the arena.
He clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Little bro, let me tell you something. Remember this: where there are lots of women, there's lots of drama."
"Big bro? What does that mean?" Naruto looked puzzled. With his current level of understanding, he still couldn't grasp what Meihui meant.
The focus shifted to the two girls, who were locked in a fierce battle.
One cut her hair, while the other showed off her genjutsu.
Finally, Ino seized an opening and used the hair she had cut off to activate the Mind Body Switch Technique.
She took control of Sakura and was just about to make her surrender when she discovered that Sakura had a second personality. It kicked Ino straight out, leaving her suffering the backlash of her own Ninjutsu.
Both girls were injured. They readied themselves to throw one last punch with their remaining strength, only to run out of stamina at the same time and collapse together.
Seeing them both pass out, Gekko Hayate hurried over to check on them. He found that they were merely exhausted and their lives were not in danger.
"This match is a draw."
After announcing the result, he had people carry both girls away.
Meihui left after seeing that. He could no longer muster any interest in the matches that followed.
He headed straight out, planning to return when Sasuke fought Gaara again.
He didn't bother staying for Naruto's upcoming match against Neji, either.
All he wanted now was to go home and lie down.
"System, claim my reward."
[Ding! Congratulations, host. You have obtained the Perfect Ice-Ice Fruit.]
"Huh?" Meihui was baffled. Had the system malfunctioned?
How did it bring something over from the series next door? Did it steal it or rob someone?
"Inspect the Perfect Ice-Ice Fruit."
[Perfect Ice-Ice Fruit: As the name suggests, a perfect version of the ice-ice fruit. It is perfect and has no flaws.]
Uh... that's pretty much the same as saying nothing.
Meihui was at a loss for words. Why had the system been acting up so often lately? Sometimes he couldn't retrieve his rewards, and even after triggering them, he couldn't claim them. It was downright bizarre.
And now it had given him an explanation like this.
But Meihui didn't dwell on it. He took out the Perfect Ice-Ice Fruit and bit straight into it.
The sensation was smooth without being greasy as it first entered his mouth, soft and pleasantly chewy. As he chewed, it didn't stick to his teeth. A flowerlike warmth enveloped all his taste buds. He swallowed slowly. Ah, the fragrance lingered on his lips and tongue, leaving an endless aftertaste, with a faint tartness like lemon, yet also like olives. When savored carefully, it was sweet as fresh dew.
Meihui forced himself to endure it. Why did this feel like eating shit?
After a few bites, Meihui had already gained the ice-ice fruit's powers.
He held out a hand, briefly felt out his new ability, and formed a chunk of ice in his palm.
He simply wasn't very proficient yet. Calculating the time, he realized there was still a while before Orochimaru carried out the Konoha Crush Plan, so he decided to train in seclusion and practice his ice-ice fruit powers.
He left Naruto a note, created a Shadow Clone, and departed using Flying Thunder God.
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