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*****
By habit, the ninja who always perched on rooftops was undoubtedly Tiantian.
She had just finished her mission yesterday and received exciting news from her parents this morning. At first light, she gobbled down breakfast and couldn't wait to share the good news with Ximen Zhen.
When she arrived atop his house, though, she froze in horror: there was a gaping hole in the roof, and her face went deathly pale.
Her heart nearly stopped when she spotted Ximen Zhen lying weakly on the bed—she thought he'd been attacked.
Without a second thought, Tiantian flipped over the edge and dove straight into his bedroom. She threw herself onto him, hands probing over his body to check for injuries.
Ximen Zhen only felt a tickle and, half-asleep, casually scooped her into his arms. In a voice tinged with authority he murmured, "Don't move. I'm fine."
"Ah—!" Tiantian's head snapped up in confusion. She tried to wriggle free, but to her surprise, her strength drained away as though his warm chest were mesmerically sapping her will. She found herself pressed against him, unable to pull away.
Slowly, Ximen Zhen realized the girl in his arms was growing hotter—literally.
Startled awake, he released Tiantian's arms. Yet she didn't budge; instead, she shifted her legs so her ankles crossed and settled more comfortably across his chest.
In that instant, Ximen Zhen sensed something fundamental had changed.
[Ding!] Affinity Deepening with Ninja Tiantian: Simulation Count +3
Ximen Zhen's eyes lit up. At last, he'd reached this stage!
Normally, the system grants extra simulation opportunities not only by spending an hour alone with a Chūnin—or higher—female ninja, but also by deepening emotional bonds with them.
Previously, he had doubted himself—after all, in the shinobi world, strength speaks louder than sentiment. And if he became too close to any one female shinobi, he risked complications when dealing with others. That was why he'd adopted a "cast a wide net" approach rather than lingering with anyone.
But now, as his own power grew and his interactions with Tiantian and the others deepened, a new tier of simulation opportunities had finally been unlocked.
Just this first deepening of feeling had granted him three additional simulation counts.
Did this mean that with each further increase in contact level, he would gain five, ten, or more simulations?
It seemed this path—deep connections rather than shallow encounters—was far from trivial. It was simply a matter of depth versus breadth.
Meanwhile, Ximen Zhen now understood exactly what "deepening contact level" entailed: any physical interaction more intimate than holding hands, provided the mutual affinity was sufficient.
The only remaining question was whether, now that he'd unlocked the simulation result with Tiantian, he could gift her those benefits—and if she would accept. Would doing so expose his own hidden power?
He still needed to ponder that. Crucially, his spiritual realm did not yet store the simulation result for Tiantian, so to bestow it upon her he would have to run the simulation again—though with six simulation counts at his disposal, that was a trivial matter.
What truly occupied his mind, however, was how to conclude this unexpected embrace, since Tiantian's body temperature had climbed even higher. Her breathing had grown heavy—what would happen next? Would they progress to an even more intimate contact level? Or would she lose control, strike him, and hurl him out of the room?
An idea suddenly struck him. With that, he turned his head and feigned sleep.
Tiantian, on the verge of losing control, was clutching the bare-chested Ximen Zhen. Feeling his warm heat and masculine aura—especially her ear pressed against his racing heartbeat—she felt as though she were about to cross the threshold into adulthood.
"Am I really going to become a mother in ten months?" she panicked inwardly. "No—absolutely not! I'm still a Genin, and this is far too soon. Maybe in ten years…no, even five years would be better."
Her chakra raced from the mental turbulence, and she clenched her fists, preparing to break free from his embrace. If he dared hold her further, she would teach him what it truly meant to be a shinobi.
But when she braced herself on his shoulders to pull away, she realized with shock that Ximen Zhen had indeed fallen into a deep slumber.
"Was it all just my imagination?" she whispered. "Ah… I can't even face him now!"
Burying her face in her hands, Tiantian's mind whirled in embarrassment. Thankfully, Ximen Zhen was still asleep—otherwise, she might have acted on impulse.
Little by little, as time passed, her racing heart calmed. She exhaled, then surveyed her surroundings.
Though Ximen Zhen's home looked battered, there was no sign of a battle, and he bore no wounds—perhaps he'd been conducting some special training?
As she glanced at his chest, she noticed for the first time a diamond-shaped mark etched on his skin.
"What is this…?" she wondered, curiously reaching out to poke it, only to find it was merely painted on—no physical form.
Of course—she'd never had the opportunity to notice it before!
Could Ximen Zhen hide some secret bloodline limit? Or had he awakened some unique kekkei genkai?
Her curiosity piqued, Tiantian bit her lip, ready to wake him and demand answers.
But in the end, she restrained herself.
She fetched his blanket from the bedside, gently covered him, and then sat watch on the edge of the bed, awaiting his awakening.
Gradually, though, she felt an irresistible pull from the bed; her posture slackened, and she dozed off right beside him.
A while later, Ximen Zhen opened his eyes. He saw Tiantian had stolen his blanket and wrapped herself like a little ball under the covers. He couldn't help but smile.
Fortunate that his improved constitution no longer suffered from simple temperature changes—otherwise, Tiantian's blanket theft would have given him a serious chill.
Seeing her asleep so soundly, he quietly changed his clothes, then slipped out through the window into the courtyard.
Bathed in morning sunlight, Ximen Zhen felt the flow of his Yin Seal within, warming his body.
Just as he was about to test the seal's release…
A familiar chakra signature caught his attention.
Sasuke flipped himself atop the wall and glared at him. "You forgot something, didn't you?"
Ximen Zhen glanced at the sun. "It's not even 8:30 yet. What's the rush?"
"I have to get to the Ninja Academy! You lazy jerk!" Sasuke snapped.
"Not everyone can live as carefreely as you do. And why are you—a guy—wearing makeup? It's just disgusting."
(End of Chapter)