Tenten suddenly fell into a great surprise.
She couldn't help reaching out, stroking Neji's cheek as big drops of tears fell.
"Neji, you're really alive? I… I can hardly believe it."
"Could this… also be one of the dream world's tricks to deceive me?"
Neji shook his head, looking at Tenten seriously.
"It's me, Tenten. I'm the Neji who's been here all along. The real Neji, no counterfeit." [T/N: Emiya felt offended.]
Tenten felt the sincerity in Neji's eyes and couldn't help but believe everything.
Just as Neji said, the world might be fake, but love is real!
In that moment, nothing else mattered.
She sobbed with joy, "That's great, Neji. I thought I'd never see you again. You don't know how heartbroken I was back then…"
However, as she said this, Tenten suddenly stopped.
She suddenly remembered how, when she treated everything as fake, she had let herself go.
She had confessed, boldly thrown herself into Neji's arms, gr*ped him, and… said a lot of crude things.
Something about a hundred and eight little Gentle Fist techniques, sixteen small tricks of the Byakugan?
'AAAAH!'
Tenten felt utterly mortified.
Her face turned red in an instant; she practically transformed into a steaming princess, almost fainting on the spot in front of Neji.
Luckily Neji was quick-eyed and quick-handed; he caught her as she was about to collapse and pulled her into his arms.
He leaned close to Tenten's ear and continued, "I didn't expect Tenten, you actually think about these things in private. I'm… a little troubled, you know."
Tenten's whole body stiffened; she didn't dare move in Neji's embrace, "No, I… Neji, listen to me explain. I really am not some kind of temptress. Neji, I… I have no improper thoughts about you."
A faint smile appeared on Neji's face, "Really none? If truly none, I'll let go of you."
At that moment, Tenten suddenly realized something.
Although she'd said a lot of random things, Neji, at the end, seemed, probably, to have agreed.
He had even proposed to her right then and there.
Although the two hadn't had a formal wedding, weren't they essentially husband and wife?
Between husband and wife, how could matters be considered too shy?
She suddenly grew bolder. Since Neji hadn't pushed her away when she'd thrown herself into his arms before, then… maybe she could go a bit further now?
With that thought, taking Neji by surprise, she looped her arm around his neck and, pressing her mouth to his, kissed him.
'Whatever, kiss first and worry later!'
The next moment, the two were already locked in a kiss.
Under Tenten's active and passionate invitation, Neji softened bit by bit; then, gradually, he shifted from passive to active.
The world seemed to freeze at that instant; time, too, seemed to stop flowing. Everything around them, every scene, looked as if someone had pressed pause and frozen it.
This is not a figure of speech, but in a physical sense.
Tenten and Neji immediately noticed the change; Tenten even could not continue kissing, and instead exclaimed.
"What is—what's happening?"
Neji's brow furrowed slightly, as if sensing something. He looked up at the sky and said calmly.
"Obito, what are you doing here?"
A figure slowly appeared in the sky.
Six Paths… the twin Rinnegan-wielding Obito, eyes resolute, now floated above the two.
Old Obito drifted down before them and asked, "Do you truly love each other?"
Tenten couldn't help but glance at Neji secretly, feeling both shy and sweet inside.
From the kiss just now, she had fully confirmed Neji's feelings. Neji really, truly had become her husband.
She was no longer so panicked, and a little triumphantly said, "Of course I do."
Neji didn't know what tricks Obito was up to, and instinctively pulled Tenten behind him to shield her.
"Although this all came so suddenly and I was unprepared, of course… love is real."
Old Obito nodded, "Don't worry. I am here only because I have a plan I want to discuss with you."
Neji blinked, "What plan?"
Old Obito said, "Humanity needs to continue in the real world, so I want to invite you to leave a spark for mankind."
"If you agree, I will transfer your real-world bodies into a marriage chamber specially prepared for you."
"Afterwards, your married life can proceed in reality."
"However, once a life is conceived, there's no turning back. Even if your feelings later sour and you separate, the child would be innocent."
Neji and Tenten suddenly felt this was fantastical, magical and yet slightly awkward.
Tenten said, "How could our feelings have problems? I and Neji will never separate in our lifetime!"
Still, Obito's appearance completely dispelled Tenten's last lingering doubts about Neji's reality.
Neji was more composed; he asked, "Why must you come to us for this kind of thing?"
Old Obito said, "Firstly, you are a Six Paths–level powerhouse. Even within the dream, you can clearly perceive that this is a dream. Because of your interference, this lady… Tenten, also awakened."
"Since the boundary between reality and dream becomes blurred for you two, it's only fitting that you be entrusted with this task."
"Secondly, you bear the Hyuga bloodline, one of the top-tier lineages in the ninja world. The original purpose for the new humans is to inherit and preserve the various kekkei genkai of the ninja world; you are naturally the best candidate."
Neji said self-mockingly, "So even after I entered Infinite Tsukuyomi, I still couldn't avoid being made the subject of your experiment?"
Old Obito shook his head, "Everything is voluntary. I've only come to discuss it. If you don't wish to, with your strength I can't force you, can I?"
Neji fell silent. If possible, he too wanted to do something for the ninja world. If humanity could continue in the real world, then Infinite Tsukuyomi truly wouldn't be total annihilation.
He turned to look at Tenten, "Tenten, what do you think?"
Tenten almost didn't hesitate before answering, "Neji, if this is your wish, I agree."
Neji nodded, looking at Old Obito, "But even if a new group of humans is born in the ninja world, won't the world sooner or later return to its old state of endless strife? You initiated Infinite Tsukuyomi, did you only gain this momentary peace? In that case, isn't it still pointless?"
Old Obito shook his head, "If that were so, I wouldn't have done it. The newborn humans will no longer have the shinobi–daimyo system, nor the backward customs like Hyuga main-branch and branch-branch distinctions. People will HAVE TO treat one another equally. Under the ample supplies I provide, they can look forward to a better future."
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