Feeling that piercing gaze, Chizhao awkwardly turned her head away, her eyes flitting around, trying to avoid meeting those sharp eyes.
After all, there were still some not-so-pleasant memories between the two of them.
If Sasuke started to hate her, it would be very troublesome.
The other party's deliberate disregard made Sasuke even more annoyed.
Today, his older brother happened to be here, so he would let him be the judge and decide who was better between them.
"Hey! You, Shiratori Chichao." Sasuke's voice rang out in the crowd, like a declaration of war.
Chizhao, whose name was called, looked around, and after confirming that no one else named "Shiratori Chichao" was there, she frowned.
"Me?"
"Yes, you." Sasuke's tone was unquestionable: "Compete with me. If you win, all these dolls are yours." Then he looked up at Itachi, who had a bewildered expression.
"Brother, you be the judge this time and decide the winner between us from all aspects."
Itachi looked at Sasuke with a little confusion, unsure if it was his sudden whim or if he had some special feelings for this girl.
His probing gaze then turned to the girl, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"Chizhao can definitely do it!" Sakura cheered for Chizhao from the side, her eyes full of encouragement.
"Mm-hmm! She drew with Sasuke in the school test, so she can definitely do it this time too!"
She was indeed very touched by the support from her two friends.
But the opponent was Sasuke, the person Naruto chased for hundreds of episodes. If he hated her, there would definitely be no good outcome later on.
"Are you Shiratori Chichao? Although I'm not very clear about your strength, since my brother has issued a challenge, do you want to accept it?"
Facing the doting brother's gentle smile, Chizhao still felt a slight trepidation in her heart.
Finally, under everyone's expectant gaze, she reluctantly accepted the challenge.
"Alright, then I'll give it a try." She took a deep breath, trying to appear calmer.
"This time, a winner will definitely be decided."
Sasuke in front of her was full of confidence, as if winning against her was a very meaningful thing.
She couldn't help but want to tease him again.
"I didn't realize you liked those dolls so much. You must be very lonely sleeping at night..."
Sasuke, who was once again caught off guard, was speechless with embarrassment.
Itachi looked at his brother, who had been teased, and couldn't help but let out a low chuckle, but was glared back by Sasuke with a dissatisfied look.
The stall owner, seeing business coming, also seized the opportunity to ring the bell and attract the crowd.
"Next, two challengers will compete for the ultimate prize."
"The rule is to accurately hit all targets with Shuriken. The one with the higher score wins and gets all the giant dolls as prizes! I declare, the competition begins!"
The two stood in front of the stall in their respective stances. As soon as a bell rang, they swiftly threw their Shuriken.
Everyone watched the two rapidly flashing scores above, their mouths agape.
"This... is this still elementary school level?"
"This kind of skill is almost Chunin level."
The stall owner, looking at the targets instantly riddled with Shuriken, was also too astonished to speak.
Itachi silently observed their movements, his gaze focused on Chizhao's face.
He had initially thought this girl would be easily crushed, but he didn't expect her to be able to compete with Sasuke to this extent, which truly made him look at her in a new light.
I remember, her name is Shiratori Chichao.
Could she be the girl Shisui mentioned about monitoring?
Just as Itachi was momentarily lost in thought, the two scoreboards above the stall suddenly emitted black smoke.
Sparks flew simultaneously, and the numbers on them disappeared at the same time.
"What? They even broke the machines?!"
"Too... too amazing."
"Tonight is truly full of talented people. That big eater kid just now was also... It seems I need to go home and tutor the one at home!"
Chizhao and Sasuke were slightly out of breath, the seriousness in their eyes showing respect for each other.
Chizhao looked at the Shuriken stuck in the opponent's targets, a smile playing on her lips.
"It seems we can't decide a winner this time either."
Sasuke seemed to have already guessed the outcome and looked up at Itachi, who had been standing by the side.
"Brother, you've been watching, haven't you?"
"Of course, I watched very carefully."
Oh no, this is it. Itachi, that doting brother, definitely won't let his brother lose.
Itachi was silent for a moment, then said in a very fair tone: "Both of your abilities are outstanding. In my opinion, it's hard to tell who's better, so it's a draw."
"What?!"
"What?!"
Chizhao and Sasuke were both a little surprised by this result, but Sasuke was the one who couldn't accept it the most.
He didn't expect that in his brother's evaluation, he was at the same level as a girl, and his own brother didn't even favor him.
At this moment, Ino and Sakura excitedly came to Chizhao's side, celebrating happily.
Chizhao's peripheral vision caught Sasuke's face, buried in shadow, and she couldn't help but feel a little worried—she was probably going to be blacklisted by Sasuke.
The stall owner helplessly looked at the broken machines above, and as if resigned to fate, picked up the only three large dolls left behind him and brought them to the two.
"A bet is a bet! Both of you little ones are truly amazing. These are your prizes, see which ones you like!"
Sasuke looked up, his delicate face full of impatience. He pushed away the doll the owner offered, his tone dissatisfied, and his voice rose a few octaves:
"I don't need them!"
With that, he pushed through the crowd and ran out.
"Sasuke!"
Itachi sighed, looking apologetically at Chizhao:
"I'm sorry, my brother's temper is just like that. You can take all these dolls. I've put all the money for the owner here. I'm sorry for the trouble."
As soon as he finished speaking, Itachi quickly left, chasing after Sasuke's figure.
He really is an Erzhuzi who doesn't let his brother rest easy.
Chizhao looked at the dolls in front of her with a headache. So many, so big, she couldn't carry them all.
I've got it!
"Sakura! Ino, you each pick one! Sasuke doesn't want them anyway, and I can't carry them all by myself!"
"Really? Thank you, Chizhao! Then I'll take this one, it's so cute!"
"I'll take this one then! Thank you, Chizhao!"
After distributing them, Chizhao, holding a large white rabbit, walked out with Sakura and Ino.
Seeing the three boys waiting for them in the distance, they happily ran over.
"Wow, such big dolls! Why do you all have them?"
Naruto, with an envious look, clenched his fists, his gaze constantly lingering on the three plush dolls.
Sakura happily rubbed the fluffy doll in her hands, looking triumphant.
"Of course, Chizhao won the competition and gave them to us!"
"Really? Did you win against Sasuke again? That's awesome!"
Chizhao didn't speak. Seeing Naruto so excited, she couldn't help but inwardly grumble.
The happier you are laughing now, the more painful your chase will be later.
The practical Shikamaru naturally didn't forget today's ultimate goal. He pointed towards the bustling riverbank, kindly reminding them.
"The fireworks festival over there is about to start. Are you sure you don't want to go?"
"It seems so! Chizhao, Sakura, let's go quickly!"
Ino, behind her plush doll, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. The three girls, each holding a doll and flowers, exchanged smiles and walked forward.
As everyone walked towards their destination amidst laughter and chatter, Chizhao's gaze inadvertently caught a lonely little figure.
It was a girl sitting on a stone bench, alone, looking a bit forlorn.
That hair color, upon closer inspection, looked a little familiar.
Could it be Hinata? Why is she there alone?