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*****
Ximen Zhen immediately selected the guidance option.
He had already suspected that Danzo might target him, but he didn't expect Danzo to act so brazenly, without even bothering to hide his intentions.
So it really was only because Hiruzen Sarutobi had still been alive earlier that Danzo held back?
And this situation wasn't just about Danzo stirring up trouble—there was also the completely broken storyline that Ximen Zhen now needed to untangle.
First and foremost: why wouldn't Danzo let Ximen Zhen go? After all, Ximen Zhen had already become a medical ninja.
Medical ninjas were arguably the most harmless people in the entire shinobi world—wasn't Danzo being a bit too petty by targeting even him?
Then why didn't Danzo strike during the earlier Ino simulation?
Ximen Zhen carefully considered the differences and eventually felt he'd found the answer.
In the previous simulation, Yamanaka Fū had severely injured him. Maybe Danzo had felt that was punishment enough.
But this time, Ximen Zhen had fought back and killed Fū, gaining considerable fame in the process. Perhaps Danzo felt that his authority had been challenged and wanted to use Ximen Zhen as an example?
By this point, Ximen Zhen had little hope left for the current simulation's outcome.
With that in mind, he stopped trying to decipher Danzo's motives.
Since Danzo would come after him no matter what, Ximen Zhen figured he'd just prepare accordingly in the next simulation.
What concerned him most now was whether the original Team 7—now all living separate lives—could still grow to the same heights they once did.
Ximen Zhen decided to focus the simulation on that.
With this goal in mind, he typed out a series of guidance instructions.
Soon, the simulation resumed.
[Before Tsunade's return, Danzo had you and Sunagakure's prisoners sent to the village. Using your past experience, you quickly gained Chiyo's trust and became the second most skilled medical ninja after her.]
[At the same time, you displayed great talent in ninja tool design and puppet crafting. Your status in Sunagakure steadily rose, and your influence nearly rivaled that of Maki.]
So Maki didn't die this time… That meant Ximen Zhen probably wouldn't be able to reach the position of Wind Shadow Advisor like before.
But that didn't matter. Ximen Zhen was more concerned with intel from Konoha.
[Due to your unique relationship with Konoha, Sunagakure's upper ranks often sought your advice on Konoha-related matters. After Tsunade became Hokage, the two villages began collaborating on medical ninjutsu.]
[Through this exchange, you learned that Sasuke continued training under Kakashi, Naruto followed Jiraiya, and Sakura became Tsunade's disciple.]
[But none of that had anything to do with you anymore. Though you held considerable sway in Sunagakure, you were still restricted from leaving the village.]
Reading this, Ximen Zhen's heart sank, and he muttered, "That's it, I'm screwed."
This wasn't just about Naruto and Sasuke lacking the mutual drive to push each other forward. If Sasuke was being trained by Kakashi… could he even reach elite jonin level in three years?
Why hadn't Orochimaru taken Sasuke? Was it because Sasuke hadn't participated in the Chunin Exams, leaving Orochimaru no chance to plant the Cursed Seal?
Originally, after training under Orochimaru for three years, Sasuke became the White-Robed Sasuke. His strong foundational skills, enhanced by the Heaven Cursed Seal, the three-tomoe Sharingan, and absorbing Orochimaru, had given him the strength to rival Kage-level opponents.
But now, under Kakashi's guidance, he'd miss out on all of that. Kakashi didn't even know his eye had evolved into the Mangekyo Sharingan. So… was saving the world now going to fall entirely on Naruto?
Ironically, it was Sakura's situation that confused Ximen Zhen the most. She'd already become Tsunade's apprentice this early?
As for Naruto, Ximen Zhen wasn't too worried.
Naruto's growth path was pretty straightforward: learn Sage Mode, establish communication with Kurama, and he'd have about 99% of his original power restored.
The only real issue was how Naruto would face the major bosses without Sasuke's help.
After pondering this for a while, Ximen Zhen realized there wasn't much point in thinking it over.
This simulation would just serve as pure intel-gathering. Since he had no child, he couldn't save the simulation outcome anyway—it would all have to rely on his memory.
…Wait, should he try that?
Ximen Zhen had always wanted to see if he could have a child with someone outside the predefined simulation targets. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity.
As for the candidate… obviously, it had to be Temari.
Thus, Ximen Zhen issued one final set of simulation instructions.
[In Konoha Year 65, after stabilizing your position in the village, you began pursuing Temari.]
[Temari was in charge of Sunagakure's foreign affairs. At the time, maintaining a strong alliance with Konoha was the village's highest diplomatic priority, and she often sought your advice. Temari deeply valued family, and you weren't afraid of Gaara—in fact, you built a good relationship with him by chatting about Naruto.]
[Your personality aligned closely with Temari's ideal partner. It wasn't long before the two of you grew close.]
Ximen Zhen let out a sigh of relief. Now it all depended on whether he and Temari could have a child and if that would allow him to save the simulation.
Admittedly, trying this with someone he hadn't even met yet was a bit rude… but hey, it was just a simulation.
But just as he resigned himself to a life holed up in Sunagakure, an unexpected twist occurred.
[Chiyo died while searching for her grandson, Sasori of the Red Sand. You became the strongest medical ninja in Sunagakure and were appointed lead coordinator for medical-ninjutsu exchange with Konoha.]
[Upon hearing this, Tsunade sent Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, and Yamato to assist you and extend Konoha's goodwill.]
[Sakura pulled you aside into a secluded corner, hugged you tightly, and whispered in your ear, "Zhen, I'm here to take you home!"]
[It turned out Tsunade, though now Hokage, lacked capable subordinates. You, a genius who should have been serving Konoha, had become one of her most sought-after assets.]
Reading this, Ximen Zhen suddenly understood why Tsunade had accepted Sakura as her student so early.
It wasn't just about training Sakura—it was also a move to use Sakura's emotional connection to bring him, the genius, back to Konoha!
But… should he return?
[Temari soon found out. Known for her fiery temper, she immediately got into an argument with Sakura in front of you, claiming she and you were already a couple. Sakura, however, denied their relationship.]
Uh… Ximen Zhen was completely at a loss. How did this turn into a love triangle drama?
He hadn't meant for any of this to happen! He had honestly thought he wouldn't meet Sakura again until the Kazekage Rescue arc.
Now what should he do? Should he go back to Konoha?
Just as he was wondering, another unexpected development occurred in the simulation.
[In Konoha Year 65, Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki arrived in Sunagakure to capture Sasuke. The entire village mobilized to begin the Sasuke Retrieval Mission.]
Seeing that, Ximen Zhen rolled his eyes.
What kind of retrieval is this supposed to be?
(End of Chapter)