Naruto: Clan Simulation and Bloodline Evolution from Scratch

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*****

Seeing the tension rise, Ximen Zhen decided to change the subject.

He had already expressed his position to Ino, but he had no intention of truly angering Yamanaka Haiichi.

So he opened his mouth and said, "Ino, didn't you say you wanted to sell me some flowers from your shop? You still have some in stock, right?"

Just as Ximen Zhen had expected, Ino was a perceptive girl.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she immediately noticed that her father seemed on the verge of getting angry. She quickly switched gears and pulled Ximen Zhen toward the flower shop.

"Don't worry—our Yamanaka flower shop never runs out of stock," she said cheerfully.

"Come on, I'll personally help you pick something."

"Dad, are you coming too? You can help us with the packaging!"

Haiichi was momentarily stunned by the sudden shift in atmosphere. He hesitated.

He didn't know a thing about flower arrangements, so he simply shook his head and declined. "You're much better at this sort of thing. Just make sure to lock up the shop properly after you're done."

"Of course. Don't worry, Dad!"

Ino dragged Ximen Zhen along quickly, and once the two of them were inside the now-darkened flower shop, she let out a long breath.

"His expression just now was so scary! Weren't you afraid he'd hit you?" Ino asked in a deliberately deep and dramatic voice in the dark.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" Ximen Zhen replied with a touch of mock annoyance. "What, were you hoping your dad would smack me?"

Ino turned on the lights and stuck out her tongue playfully.

"I never thought you'd actually take my side in front of him... You've got some guts, I'll give you that."

Ximen Zhen looked around at the dazzling array of flowers in the Yamanaka shop and gently inhaled the fragrance in the air. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"You're my friend, Ino. Of course I'm going to stand by my friend."

Ino gave him a thumbs-up. "Today, I feel like I've really gotten to know you, Ximen-kun."

"Since you've supported me so much, I'll give you a 20% discount. So, what flowers do you like?"

Ximen Zhen took a tour of the Yamanaka shop's main offerings under Ino's guidance. He already had a plan in mind.

But he decided to let Ino work her magic. "You pick for me. One for the living room, one for the bedroom."

"Alright then, leave it to me!"

Ino pulled out two vases and began arranging the flowers.

The larger vase centered around sunflowers, complemented by bright, colorful blossoms—like a miniature sun meant to light up the entire living room.

The smaller one was filled with lavender and white roses, providing a calming fragrance and creating a pure, peaceful atmosphere for the bedroom.

"How's that? Not bad, right?"

Ino smiled proudly, waiting for the praise she knew she deserved.

Naturally, Ximen Zhen wasn't stingy with compliments. "Perfect. The most beautiful arrangements I've ever seen."

"Hmph, you say that, but how many arrangements have you even seen in your life?"

Ino said with a hint of tsundere pride. "It's like earlier, when you said I was the most delicate girl you've ever met... What, have you met a lot of girls?"

"No," Ximen Zhen answered honestly.

But he added, "Still, I doubt I'll ever meet another girl more thoughtful than you."

He wasn't just saying that—it was backed by three rounds of simulated experience.

Ino had originally meant to defuse the strange atmosphere between them, but instead, Ximen Zhen's comment only deepened the tension.

Covering her face with her hands, Ino peeked at Ximen Zhen through her fingers, a helpless expression on her face. She had a feeling she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

"Oh, right. Ino, could you grab me a tulip?"

"Huh? Sure."

Ino didn't think too much of it, assuming he just liked tulips. "I'll gift it to you."

"See you tomorrow then, Ino."

"See you tomorrow."

Ino replied softly, staring dazedly at Ximen Zhen's back as he disappeared into the shadows. She didn't snap out of it until her mother called for her.

"Coming, Mom! I'll lock up the shop now!"

Meanwhile, Ximen Zhen walked home at a steady pace, though his eyes remained fixed on the tulip in his hand.

This tulip wasn't for himself.

Now that he had learned chakra control from Ino, it was time to say goodbye to someone else.

But as he walked, Ximen Zhen suddenly frowned.

He could feel someone following him through the darkness.

Just as he debated whether or not to react, the distant shadow trailing him vanished without a trace.

Ximen Zhen exhaled slowly. Who could it have been?

He had developed some basic sensing abilities—but they were still rudimentary and not yet refined through proper training.

So, he couldn't identify who it was.

Three suspects came to mind.

First was Yamanaka Haiichi—perhaps he had come to investigate the boy bold enough to flirt with his daughter.

Second was Danzo, who might have taken interest in Ximen Zhen's book if it ended up boosting the Third Hokage's popularity.

Third were people entirely outside his expectations—like someone curious about the design he'd given to Tenten's family.

Regardless of who it was, Ximen Zhen realized one thing: it was time to increase his strength quickly.

After all, he now had a legitimate reason to train openly.

A while later, Ximen Zhen returned home.

He couldn't see her, but he could sense the presence of Uzuki Yugao's silhouette hidden in the shadows of the backyard.

She had originally come to monitor him, but now her presence made him feel oddly secure.

It just went to show—human bonds could be unexpectedly strange and profound.

Ximen Zhen placed the two flower arrangements in their respective spots, then walked over to the window and rested the tulip on the wooden sill outside.

In the darkness, his gaze seemed to pierce through the night and meet Yugao's eyes.

He could feel her watching him too—her face briefly revealing surprise.

They stared at each other silently. For Ximen Zhen, this was a bit of a gamble—it meant exposing some of his abilities.

But it was all part of his plan.

Next year, the Third Hokage would most likely die in the Konoha Crush. Ximen Zhen intended to take this opportunity to gain as much influence and benefit from him as possible.

Otherwise, once the Hokage was gone, Ximen Zhen might find himself in the same helpless, falsely accused situation he had experienced in the third simulation.

The old Ximen Zhen hadn't dared to act proactively—his only goal had been to survive.

But now, with an escape route to Sunagakure in place, he could afford to take risks.

Especially with the simulator in hand... Ximen Zhen had long thought about using it to predict the future.

His meeting with Ino had already proven this idea feasible.

Which meant he now possessed a kind of foresight—and that only strengthened his confidence to strike first.

All that remained was for Uzuki Yugao to report this to the Third Hokage.

With everything now in place, Ximen Zhen went to bed.

The next morning, when he woke up, the tulip on the windowsill was gone.

(End of Chapter)