Naruto: Clan Simulation and Bloodline Evolution from Scratch

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With Tenten leading the way, the two chatted as they walked and soon arrived outside the Hidden Leaf Village.

Ximen Zhen looked around with curiosity—this was the first time he had left the village since transmigrating.

Although he had seen the scenery beyond the village many times in his simulations, this was reality. His movements were no longer limited by simulation boundaries.

Before even entering the training grounds, Tenten began stretching her arms.

"Just a heads-up—my training is going to be intense."

"We'll start with exercises that don't require chakra. I'll first teach you some warm-up routines, followed by basic martial arts forms."

Tenten switched into her teacher mode—she seemed genuinely interested in coaching Ximen Zhen.

Whether it was out of gratitude for his concern or just an excuse to spend time alone with him, only Tenten herself knew the answer.

"Then I'm in your hands, Teacher Tenten."

"Stop right there! Don't call me 'Teacher.' Just call me Tenten," she said, hurriedly waving her hands in refusal.

Curious, Ximen Zhen asked why. Tenten explained,

"If Guy-sensei finds out I've taken on a student, he'll double my training."

"I can't keep up with those two monsters on my team as it is… Oh, right—you haven't met Lee and Neji yet, have you?"

She then began introducing the two, explaining their fighting styles in detail.

"You should model yourself after Lee's direction, but don't imitate him or Guy-sensei's over-the-top antics. Just keep your current physique and posture—that's enough."

Tenten patted Ximen Zhen's shoulder earnestly, but he tilted his head and teased,

"Of course I can. Could it be that you like this style?"

A blush immediately crept onto Tenten's cheeks, but this wasn't the time to be shy.

Clenching her fists, she made a few sharp gestures in front of him.

"Daring to tease your teacher already? Looks like you really don't know how tough training can get!"

"Start warming up—then run fifteen kilometers!"

Under Tenten's guidance, Ximen Zhen began training with full seriousness.

An hour later, his performance left even Tenten a bit surprised.

"I thought you were physically weak, but you're not bad at all."

"Ever since that incident, I've been working on my physical fitness," Ximen Zhen replied, opening up a little.

"If something like that happens again, I won't allow myself to be so helpless."

Tenten seemed to recall that day as well—the day their paths first crossed and they became friends.

Almost involuntarily, she blurted out,

"From now on, I'll protect you."

Ximen Zhen turned to look at her. After the exercise, Tenten's face was flushed, giving her a soft, endearing charm—masking her awkward expression.

But this time, she didn't avert her eyes. She met his gaze directly, gave him a big thumbs-up, and said confidently,

"Believe me, I'm a strong ninja."

"Okay," Ximen Zhen responded without hesitation. He wasn't embarrassed just because Tenten was a girl.

At least for now, that promise she made meant the world to him.

"But I also want to grow stronger," he added. "So I don't hold you back when you're protecting me."

"Of course! Come on, I'll teach you the basic forms!"

Tenten was fired up again. Beneath the shade of a tree, she began teaching him every movement in meticulous detail.

While they were engrossed in training, two people silently observed them from afar.

"Is there something my student has done wrong? If she's made a mistake, I'll personally apologize to the Third Hokage."

Guy had appeared behind Yugao Uzuki without a sound, startling her.

She reached for the hilt of her sword, but upon seeing who it was, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Hello, Lord Guy. I'm a direct ANBU operative under the Hokage's orders. I'm here to observe Ximen Zhen. This has nothing to do with your student, Tenten."

"Oh? Ximen Zhen? Has he done something unusual?" Guy asked with cheerful confusion.

His carefree demeanor was completely in character, so Yugao didn't question it.

"Not really. The Hokage simply values him and wants to ensure he's recovering well."

"Ah, I see. Then I'm relieved."

Guy gave a big grin, waved, and disappeared in an instant, as if he'd just been casually passing by.

But only he knew the truth—he had been shadowing Tenten and Ximen Zhen the entire way.

After all, from the look on Tenten's face, it didn't seem like she saw Ximen Zhen as just a friend.

Meanwhile, after Guy's departure, Yugao quietly took out a tulip from her ninja pouch.

It was the one Ximen Zhen had given her.

Contrary to what Ximen Zhen had expected, she had no intention of handing it over to the Hokage. She hadn't even reported the fact that he'd awakened a sensory talent.

Why?

Because Yugao had had a long, vivid dream.

In that dream, she and the last person who truly loved her defected to Sunagakure. There, they lived a peaceful, loving life together.

The details were so lifelike that sometimes she questioned whether this was the real dream.

Maybe when she woke up, Ximen Zhen—and their child, Ximen Le—would be lying beside her.

Such a strange situation made her suspect she'd been caught in some sort of genjutsu.

But no matter how carefully she observed Ximen Zhen, she always came to the same conclusion—this had nothing to do with him.

If anything, he was likely a victim too.

This tulip was his way of reaching out—his proof that he was searching for someone who could understand him.

But Yugao… couldn't give him an answer.

She wasn't the same person from that dream. The Konoha Collapse Plan hadn't happened. Moonlight Gai hadn't died. In fact, she couldn't even tell if those things were real or illusions.

Two choices lay before her:

One, report everything to the Hokage and let him—or worse, Root—investigate. That could implicate both Ximen Zhen and Moonlight Gai.

Two, pretend none of this ever happened. Let the tulip serve as the final chapter of her and Ximen Zhen's shared dream—and cut off all contact.

The old Yugao would've chosen the first path without hesitation. She had once held unwavering loyalty to the Third Hokage, who had raised her—she was willing to die for him.

But now… she hesitated.

Everything in the dream had taught her: even if the Third Hokage was upright, as long as Danzo was involved, their future would never be in their own hands.

And so she remained undecided.

Perhaps she didn't even realize that the longer she hesitated, the further she drifted from choosing the first path.

Meanwhile, Ximen Zhen remained completely unaware of all this.

He was fully immersed in the joy of training with Tenten.

What could be better than spending every second watching a cute girl's smiling face?

(End of Chapter)