Chapter 25: Don't Guess a Mature Woman's Mind
"So this is the Forest of Death... feels much cooler than outside."
Naruto looked relaxed, as if he were here for a picnic.
Standing behind him, Sakura's palms were sweaty with nerves. Seeing Naruto's carefree attitude, she felt a bit annoyed but also inexplicably reassured. For some reason, as long as she saw this blonde idiot's confident face, her fear of death lessened significantly.
"Idiot, don't take things too lightly." Sasuke stood to the side with his arms crossed, giving a cold snort, though his eyes warily scanned the surrounding opponents.
Naruto ignored Sasuke's posturing; his gaze had already begun searching through the crowd.
[No need to look at those freaks from the Grass Ninja, especially that cross-dressing boss Orochimaru. One look is enough to lose my appetite.]
[Those three from Otogakure also have fodder faces. Skip.]
[Let me see... Ah, found her! Besides Anko-sensei, she's the best-looking one in the Chunin Exams!]
Naruto's gaze pierced through the crowd and locked precisely onto the Sunagakure trio not far away.
To be precise, it locked onto Temari of the Desert.
She was impatiently twirling a strand of hair by her ear, seemingly disdainful of the surrounding candidates. Her light purple short kimono was very form-fitting, and the red belt around her waist accentuated an amazingly slender waist. What Naruto couldn't take his eyes off of most were the thigh-high fishnet stockings on her legs.
In this world full of bandages and ninja tools, such fishnet elements were practically a devastating weapon in the fashion world.
Naruto appeared to be dazing out on the surface, but he was already whistling in his mind.
[Whoa—! Now this is true onee-san style!]
[Look at that giant Three-Star Fan, look at that disdainful little gaze. The Three-Star Fan boss lady really lives up to her reputation. Compared to Hinata's softness and Anko's wildness, Temari's pride, full of violent beauty, is just too exciting.]
[Especially those fishnet stockings on her legs... Tsk tsk, the person who designed this outfit really knows their stuff. Those tight thigh muscle lines are full of explosive power. If I were caught by these legs... cough cough!]
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly, and the images in his mind began to spiral out of control.
[Even though she looks fierce now, always ready to serve up a "Great Sickle Weasel," the contrast after she gets pursued and won over by that "troublesome" guy Shikamaru in the original story is just too huge.]
[A woman with such a strong personality, once completely conquered, that contrast of being tough on the outside but soft on the inside is the most lethal. Imagine if that big fan was thrown aside, and she was pinned against a corner, seeing that always proudly raised chin forced to lower, eyes reddening, crying and begging for mercy in that raspy voice...]
[Ah, Shikamaru really hit the jackpot, being able to pick up such a top-tier wife for nothing. Truly, all the good cabbages are rooted by lazy pigs.]
Just as Naruto was happily fantasizing, Temari, who was wiping her Three-Star Fan, suddenly stopped her movements.
No one was speaking to her, but a voice full of masculine aggression sounded in the depths of her mind without warning. Along with it, a translucent screen appeared, like a "heavenly curtain" that wouldn't disappear no matter how much she blinked, live-broadcasting some evaluations that made her face flush.
Violent beauty? Fishnet stockings are exciting?
And what else... pinned against a corner? Crying and begging for mercy?!
Even more outrageous, it actually said she would be "handled" in the future by that lazy Konoha bum with the pineapple hair?
"Who is it?!"
Temari whipped her head around, her sharp gaze scanning the surroundings. Her pretty face, which was originally full of pride, instantly turned red, filled with the shame and fury of being offended.
Kankuro, beside her, was startled: "What's wrong, Temari? Did you see someone you know?"
"Shut up!" Temari growled, her hand already gripping the handle of the Three-Star Fan on her back. An inexplicable fire flared up within her. As the eldest daughter of the Fourth Kazekage, when had she ever suffered such humiliation?
She was going to find that reckless fool and use Wind Release to blow him into the desert to eat dust!
Following the direction indicated by the voice in her mind, her gaze passed through the crowd and finally landed on a short blonde boy in an orange tracksuit with a brand-new forehead protector.
The kid had his hands in his pockets, looking up and whistling. Although his blue eyes were looking elsewhere, his peripheral vision was clearly peeking lecherously at her legs.
[Oh, the boss lady looked over? This gaze is fierce enough, I like it. As expected of the future Kazekage Assistant, this vibe is really spicy.]
It's confirmed! It's this guy!
A vein throbbed on Temari's temple. It was actually a brat who looked like he hadn't even grown hair yet? Are Konoha's Genin all this precocious and perverted nowadays?
Just as she was about to pull out her fan and give this kid a "Wind Release: Net Casting" regardless of the exam rules, a line of golden text suddenly popped up on that strange light screen in her mind.
[Ding!]
[Detected that the key figure Uzumaki Naruto has generated highly dominant fantasies about you and accurately predicted your originally mediocre fate in choosing a spouse.]
[Evaluation: This crude commentary, while making you feel ashamed, also stings your pride as the "Desert Flower." Are you willing to be arranged for a man who only shouts "how troublesome"?]
[Reward issued!]
[Obtained Kekkei Genkai development right: Wind Release: Infinite Wind Pressure.]
[Description: Your Three-Star Fan will receive the blessing of the Wind God. No hand signs required; just by waving the fan, you can generate the terrifying pressure of S-rank Wind Release, enough to instantly crush a Jonin's defense system. Wind will no longer be your weapon, but your servant.]
Hum—
Temari only felt the heavy iron fan in her hand suddenly become light. An unprecedentedly violent airflow surged through the fan handle into her meridians, and the Chakra in her body instantly boiled. That sense of control, as if she could tear everything apart, made her clenched fingers tremble slightly.
This wasn't Genjutsu.
As an elite of a puppeteer family, she knew very well how real the increase in power within her body was. Just because that brat was having lewd thoughts about her in his head, and even spoiled her future—which sounded very frustrating—the heavens gave her such a divine technique?
After obtaining this power, her anger was instantly replaced by a complex emotion.
Temari took a deep breath and released her hand that was prepared to form signs.
She looked at Naruto again, but this time, the killing intent in her eyes faded, replaced by a playful, dangerous glint.
Want to conquer me? Want to make me cry and beg for mercy?
Little brat, since you dare to think such things, you'd better be prepared to pay the price.
A wild cold smile curled at the corner of her mouth. She lightly brushed her fingers over the fishnet stockings on her thigh and even deliberately adjusted her stance, allowing the curves of her side to be more breathtakingly displayed in the direction of his gaze.
"Hmph, interesting."
This momentary change in expression was caught by Naruto, who had been secretly observing.
[What the? What's going on? She had a murderous look just now, why did she suddenly smile?]
[Hiss... and that chest-puffing move, is she showing off her assets to me? Or is this a silent provocation?]
[As expected, don't guess a mature woman's mind. But she looks better smiling than scowling; this is probably the legendary femme fatale.]
Just as Naruto was puzzled, his own system panel suddenly popped up.
[Ding!]
[Your bold gaze and inner monologue have successfully caught the attention of the foreign kunoichi Temari.]
[Illustration Unlocked: Sunagakure - Desert Wild Flower.]
[Obtained System Reward: Wind Style Ninjutsu - Wind Release: Great Breakthrough (Perfect Grade).]
Naruto paused for a moment, then bloomed with joy in his heart.
[Ha? A reward just for looking? Great Breakthrough? This is a wide-range Wind Release, perfect for my Wind-natured Chakra.]
[It seems I should look more when I meet beauties in the future. This isn't being perverted; this is necessary observation for the sake of getting stronger!]
Just then, as the iron-barred gate made a piercing sound of metal friction, the proctor for the second exam, Anko, checked her watch and waved her hand:
"Time's up! All you pieces of trash, the gates of hell are open! The second exam officially begins!"
Dozens of teams instantly turned into afterimages, rushing into the deep, dark interior of the forest.
"Naruto, Sasuke, let's go!" Sakura barked and followed closely.
Naruto took one last look back towards Sunagakure and happened to meet Temari's emerald green eyes, which were full of deep meaning.
He gave a "hehe" laugh, held up two fingers, and coolly blew a kiss before disappearing into the shadows of the entrance with a Body Flicker Technique.
Temari, left behind, was stunned for a moment, and then her cheeks flushed even deeper as she gritted her teeth and cursed in a low voice:
"Smooth-talking little brat... Just you wait, I'll let you know who the prey really is."
She violently swung her Three-Star Fan. Even though it wasn't fully unfolded, the sudden burst of wind pressure ground the fallen leaves on the ground into powder.
"Gaara, Kankuro, let's go in too. I'm going to meet Konoha's'surprise'."