Naruto: Clan Simulation and Bloodline Evolution from Scratch

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*****

The two of them trained all morning, and only when Simen Zhen was utterly exhausted did Tenten finally declare the session over.

Watching Simen Zhen stagger as he walked, while she herself only had a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead, Tenten smiled and said teasingly,

"Well? Do you need me to hold you up?"

Tenten originally thought Simen Zhen would refuse. To her surprise, he simply replied,

"Sure,"

and leaned toward her.

Startled, Tenten let out a little yelp and quickly reached out to support his arm and waist. Once he regained his balance, she scolded gently,

"Honestly… if you were this tired, you should've told me earlier."

"Training needs a balance between effort and rest. We'll scale it down a bit tomorrow."

Simen Zhen nodded. He'd actually intended to use this session to figure out the limits of his current body.

Based on fitness theories from his previous life, the fastest way to build physical strength is to push past your limits, then rest and let the body recover and grow—repeating this cycle.

If he were alone, he wouldn't have dared to push himself this hard.

"Alright, let's go."

Tenten supported Simen Zhen as they headed toward the Konoha gates. With her current strength, carrying his weight wasn't a problem at all.

After all, she had once carried him bridal style all the way to the Konoha hospital—which was much more effort than today.

Yet as she felt the burning heat radiating from Simen Zhen's chest and abdomen against her shoulder and listened to his slightly heavy breathing, Tenten began to feel warm herself.

From Simen Zhen's vantage point, when he looked down, he could even see a faint pink blush creeping up Tenten's earlobes.

He couldn't help but smile.

Tenten was too focused on watching the road, completely forgetting how unguarded she looked to Simen Zhen after working up a sweat.

If he didn't already know her well, he might have thought she was doing it on purpose.

As they neared the Konoha gates, Simen Zhen suddenly stopped, prompting a confused glance from Tenten.

He gave a light cough and quickly looked away.

Tenten seemed to realize something. She looked down—and instantly shoved him away, her face turning bright red like a tomato.

Silence fell between them.

Judging it was the right moment, Simen Zhen said,

"Um… let me treat you to a meal—as an apology."

Tenten's expression settled somewhat. She shot him a glare that suggested she was tempted to just walk away.

But in the end, she saw the guilty, apologetic smile on his face and couldn't stay mad.

"Fine! But I want a feast!"

"Sure. Let's get some barbecue."

"Really? Do you even have enough money?"

Simen Zhen's cheerful response made Tenten hesitate.

He quickly explained,

"It's the same barbecue shop I used to work at. I haven't been back since I was discharged from the hospital, and I want to check on how things are going."

"The owner gave me a job back then—even though I never got to collect my first paycheck. I just want to make sure she's safe."

Tenten gave Simen Zhen a long look, clearly moved by his sense of loyalty and gratitude.

But then she thought about her own situation.

Was Simen Zhen treating her kindly just out of gratitude too?

That thought made her heart skip.

Ten minutes ago, such a question might've troubled her for days.

But remembering the way Simen Zhen had just looked away in such awkward embarrassment, Tenten couldn't help but smile bashfully.

At the very least, she was sure now—Simen Zhen had noticed her charm.

And besides, she still had a lot of room to grow. Maybe someday, she could become someone as strong and captivating as Kurenai-sensei!

"Let's go then! Barbecue time!"

She led the way enthusiastically, surprising Simen Zhen.

He knew her well and was certain she wouldn't stay mad for long, which was why he had taken this small step to get closer to her.

But he had also prepared himself to apologize multiple times if needed.

So why was she suddenly so cheerful?

Maybe barbecue was just that irresistible to someone like her, a taijutsu specialist?

They entered the village and headed toward the restaurant.

Along the way, Tenten explained some training precautions to help Simen Zhen avoid injuries in future sessions.

But when they finally reached the barbecue shop, they both froze.

The shop's sign, which had once proudly read "Yakiniku Kazune", was now taken down and tossed carelessly in the courtyard.

The place didn't look like it was serving any customers at all.

Simen Zhen and Tenten exchanged a glance, their expressions serious.

Tenten stepped forward protectively, placing herself in front of Simen Zhen as she called out,

"Anyone here?"

"Coming!"

A woman's voice responded, and soon the shop owner—Kawakami Kazune—appeared.

Her face lit up with surprise when she saw Tenten.

But when she noticed Simen Zhen, her expression quickly turned fearful.

Tenten frowned and asked,

"What's going on, Boss? You're closing down the shop?"

The owner avoided eye contact with Simen Zhen, bowing repeatedly as she apologized to Tenten.

"I'm sorry, ninja-sama. Business hasn't been good, and I'm preparing to shut down. Could I ask you to dine elsewhere?"

Tenten turned to Simen Zhen. This was his matter to handle.

He stepped forward and said plainly:

"You poured your heart into this place. If you shut down now, you won't even be able to pay off your debts, right?"

"What's your plan? Sell your house? Your land?"

The owner's face turned pale, but she remained silent.

"I worked here long enough to know your cooking. It might not become wildly popular, but you could definitely keep the business running."

"So what made you suddenly decide to shut it all down?"

Tenten pointed to her forehead protector and said,

"Don't worry. I can help you. And if I can't, my teacher definitely can."

The shop owner thought of Might Guy, and a glimmer of hope returned to her eyes.

Timidly, she said:

"It was… a chunin… I only know his last name: Shimura."

Tenten tilted her head, trying to recall who that might be.

But Simen Zhen frowned deeply… Could it be that man?

Shimura Danzo certainly wasn't alone. He had his own clan behind him.

Though Danzo didn't focus on building up his clan's influence, the Shimura name still held weight in the village—albeit less than the Sarutobi.

But anyone who was well-informed in Konoha knew this much:

You could offend the Hokage and get away with it—but never offend the one they called the "Darkness of the Leaf."

Just as Simen Zhen was debating whether to press further, a deep voice rang out.

"Boss, I'm back to support your business again."

"Put it on my tab, just like before. I'll settle with the Shimura clan at the end of the month."

(End of Chapter)