With Tenten leading the way, the two of them chatted as they walked, quickly arriving outside Konoha Village.
Ryun looked curiously at the surrounding environment. This was his first time leaving the village since he transmigrated.
Although he had already seen the scenery outside the village in the simulations, that was, after all, a simulation. In reality, his movements were not limited by the simulated scenes.
Before even entering the training ground, Tenten began to move her arms. "Let me state upfront, my training will be very strict."
"We'll start with exercises that don't require chakra. First, I'll teach you warm-up movements, then some basic martial arts routines."
Tenten entered a good teacher and friend mode. She was very interested in teaching Ryun.
As for whether doing this was to thank Ryun for his concern, or to spend time alone with Ryun, only Tenten herself knew.
"Then please instruct me more, Tenten-sensei."
"Stop, you must not call me sensei. Just call me Tenten."
Hearing Ryun's address, Tenten quickly waved her hands in refusal.
Ryun was curious about the reason, so Tenten explained, "If Guy-sensei finds out I've taken on a disciple, he will definitely double the intensity of my training."
"I can't keep up with those two monsters in the team... Oh right, you don't know Lee and Neji yet, do you?"
Tenten then introduced the situations of the two, explaining their fighting styles.
"You can lean towards Lee's direction, but definitely don't learn his and Guy-sensei's crazy, wild manner. Just maintain your current physique and appearance."
Tenten patted Ryun's shoulder with deep feeling. Ryun tilted his head and teased, asking, "Of course I can. So, Tenten, do you like this style?"
A hint of pink immediately appeared on Tenten's face, but now was not the occasion for shyness.
She clenched her fist and gestured in front of Ryun, saying, "You dare to tease your teacher? Looks like you really don't know how tough training can be!"
"Follow me for warm-up exercises, then run ten... five kilometers first!"
Afterwards, Ryun began meticulous training under Tenten's guidance.
An hour later, the results Ryun displayed even surprised Tenten a little. "I thought your body was very weak, but it seems pretty good?"
"Ever since that incident last time, I've been exercising regularly."
Facing Tenten, Ryun could always open his heart a little. "If I face that kind of situation again in the future, I won't allow myself to be powerless to resist again."
Tenten also seemed to remember everything from that day. It was that chance encounter that made the two become friends.
She couldn't help but blurt out, "I'll protect you in the future."
Ryun turned to look. Tenten's face, flushed from the exercise, looked cute and rosy, masking her unnatural expression at the moment.
Moreover, this time Tenten did not avoid Ryun's gaze. She gave Ryun a thumbs-up, saying, "Believe me, I am a very powerful ninja."
"Okay."
Ryun agreed almost without hesitation, not feeling ashamed just because Tenten was a girl.
At least for now, the sincerity with which Tenten made this promise was the most precious thing to Ryun.
"However, I also need to keep getting stronger, so I don't hold you back when you're protecting me."
"Of course! Come on, I'll teach you martial arts routines!"
Tenten's enthusiasm burst forth again. Under the shade of the trees, she taught Ryun every detail of each movement, hands-on.
Just as they were focused on training, two observers stood together.
"May I ask if my student has done something wrong? If she has made a mistake, I will apologize to the Third Hokage on her behalf."
Guy stood silently behind Uzuki Yugao, startling her.
She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, relaxing only after turning around and seeing it was Guy.
"Greetings, Guy-sama. I am a member of the Hokage's direct Anbu, ordered to observe Nojuro Ryun. This matter has nothing to do with your student Tenten."
"Oh, Nojuro Ryun. Is there something strange about him?"
Guy looked puzzled and asked straightforwardly.
This behavior seemed to fit his style, so Yugao didn't think much of it and said, "Not at all. The Hokage-sama thinks highly of him and wants to ensure he recovers his health."
"I see. That puts me at ease."
Guy grinned, then waved and shunshined away, as if he really was just passing by and casually asking.
But only he himself knew. He was screening Tenten's social contacts, having followed Tenten and Ryun the entire way.
After all, judging by Tenten's happy appearance, she didn't seem to regard Ryun as just an ordinary friend.
As for Yugao, after Guy left, she actually took out the tulip Ryun gave her from her ninja tool pouch.
Contrary to what Ryun expected, she had absolutely no intention of handing this tulip over to the Hokage. She hadn't even reported the matter of Ryun awakening his perception talent to the Hokage.
The reason for this was because Uzuki Yugao had had a long dream.
In the dream, she and the last person who loved her defected from Sunagakure and lived a peaceful, loving life in the Sand Village.
Every time she thought of those incredibly vivid details, Yugao even began to suspect that her current self was the one dreaming.
When she woke up, Nojuro Ryun and their child, Nojuro Raku, would be lying beside her pillow.
This bizarre situation made Yugao once suspect that she was under some kind of mental genjutsu.
But no matter how she observed Ryun, she could only conclude that all this had nothing to do with Ryun.
She even felt that Ryun was also a victim.
This tulip was proof that Ryun was trying to find someone who understood him, someone who could respond to him.
However, Yugao could not respond to Ryun.
After all, she was not her dream self. The Konoha Crush plan and Gekkō Hayate's death hadn't happened. She couldn't even tell if these events were real or false.
Only two paths lay before her.
One was to tell everything to the Hokage, await investigation by the Hokage or even Root, whereupon both Ryun and Gekkō Hayate might be implicated.
The other was to pretend these things never existed, treat this tulip as proof that the dream between her and Ryun had ended, and from then on have no further contact.
The Yugao of the past would have undoubtedly chosen the first path without hesitation. Because for the Third Hokage, who nurtured her, Yugao held a reverence so deep she would die for him.
But now, Yugao hesitated.
Everything in the dream told her that even if the Third Hokage was upright and impartial, once Danzo was involved, the future of her and her friends would no longer be in their own hands.
Therefore, Yugao was still hesitating.
Perhaps she herself didn't realize it. The more she hesitated, the further she strayed from choosing the first path.
At this moment, Ryun was still completely unaware of all this. He was already immersed in the joy of training with Tenten.
What could be more delightful than seeing a cute girl's smiling face every single minute and second?
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