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*****
Ximen Zhen was completely confused. When did he put on makeup?
He touched his chin and suddenly realized something.
While finding it amusing, Ximen Zhen beckoned to Sasuke and said, "Come here, little brother. Let me tell you a secret about Itachi."
Sasuke hesitated for a moment but eventually jumped down and approached Ximen Zhen. Just as he was about to say something, Ximen Zhen's large hand pressed him down onto the grass.
Sasuke tried to resist, but Ximen Zhen's strength had significantly increased since receiving the Yin Seal. Compared to yesterday, he had reached a whole new level. Sasuke didn't stand a chance.
"Let me go! What do you want?!"
Seeing Sasuke's angry yet powerless expression, Ximen Zhen finally spoke, "Although teaching you combat techniques was merely a transactional deal, and I never expected your respect..."
"But I hope you understand at least this much—this shinobi world values strength. Not everyone will tolerate your moody and volatile attitude."
"Next time, show some respect to someone stronger than you. Otherwise, I won't go so easy on you."
With that, Ximen Zhen released Sasuke.
Sasuke flipped away and glared angrily at Ximen Zhen, but he didn't dare utter another arrogant word.
He could still listen to reason for now, but if Itachi pushed his buttons again, that might no longer be the case.
"Now tell me, what exactly did you see just now?"
Ximen Zhen asked calmly. Sasuke hesitated for a few seconds before replying, "You look different from yesterday, but I can't explain exactly how."
Ximen Zhen silently thought, Just as I suspected.
While the eternal youth effect of the Yin Seal hadn't kicked in yet, the part that optimized his body's condition was already working.
That meant Ximen Zhen would remain energetic and healthy indefinitely. Though this buff might seem minor, it laid the groundwork for the intense training he was about to undertake.
"Good. Next time you face someone stronger, talk to them like this."
Ximen Zhen straightened his clothes, getting ready to head with Sasuke to the Hokage's office to finish the property transfer process.
At that moment, Tenten jumped in through the window. She was about to say something to Ximen Zhen but then saw Sasuke.
"Huh? Uchiha Sasuke? What are you doing here?"
As a standout at the academy, Sasuke was naturally someone Tenten had heard of.
Sasuke glanced at Tenten, then at Ximen Zhen, that familiar smug, knowing look returning to his face.
Clearly, he believed he had figured out the reason behind Ximen Zhen's transformation.
"Wait, Sasuke! It's not what you think..."
Tenten's face turned red as she tried to explain, but Ximen Zhen simply pulled her aside and gave his own version of an explanation.
A minute later, Sasuke climbed over the wall with dark circles under his eyes and left. He decided to go to the Hokage's office by himself.
As for whether Ximen Zhen would show up or not, Sasuke no longer cared. He could complete the paperwork on his own.
"Pfft! Was that really okay? Sasuke is the academy's heartthrob. His fans will mock him for sure."
"And seriously, how did your strength increase so much in such a short time... I feel like you're catching up to me!"
Tenten had finally come to understand the dynamic between Ximen Zhen and Sasuke.
Although she didn't know why Ximen Zhen had suddenly taken on the role of Sasuke's mentor, seeing someone she cared about surpass Sasuke made her secretly proud.
"Handsome? He's that good-looking? Is he more handsome than me?"
Ximen Zhen grabbed Tenten's hand without hiding his intentions anymore. After all, the system had already confirmed their current relationship.
Tenten instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but after a few struggles, she gave up. She just kept her head down, unable to meet Ximen Zhen's gaze.
"You still haven't answered me, Tenten. If you don't answer, I'm not letting go."
Tenten finally looked up and glared at Ximen Zhen, then poked him in the chest with a finger and said, "You're more handsome, okay? Geez... Why didn't I realize before that you're such a... big jerk!"
"I don't accept that title," Ximen Zhen replied with a smirk. "If I were a real jerk, I wouldn't have just hugged you earlier."
Thinking back to what had just happened, Tenten felt her body grow weak.
She quickly squeezed Ximen Zhen's hand and straightened up, changing the subject, "By the way, what happened to you? And why does your house look like that now?"
"Actually, I was planning to renovate my place... Just kidding."
Ximen Zhen saw her sharp gaze and abandoned the lame excuse. "Honestly, I'm not quite sure myself. Let me study it for a while, and then I'll explain, okay?"
"Don't worry. I'm sure it only brings benefits to me."
Ximen Zhen had decided to use the excuse of awakening some kind of power to eventually share his bloodline abilities with Tenten.
As the person he trusted most, Tenten would be the first to benefit.
"Alright. I trust your judgment, but please take care of your body."
Tenten spoke gently, then changed her tone and said, "Also, I came here to give you this."
She handed him a scroll. When Ximen Zhen opened it, he saw it was a sealing scroll.
"There are five shard kunai inside. These are the first successful prototypes. I brought them for your self-defense."
"Well? Am I thoughtful or what?"
Tenten beamed at Ximen Zhen, clearly fishing for praise.
Although she'd always taken care of him before, it was rare for her to reveal such a soft, girlish side like this.
"So how should I reward you...?"
As he spoke, Ximen Zhen leaned in. Tenten's eyes began to swirl in confusion, and just as she seemed to run out of room to retreat, Ximen Zhen said, "Let's go shopping. You can buy whatever you want."
"Don't try to save me money. That Sasuke brat just saved me fifty million ryo, so now I'm absurdly rich."
The two finally left the house. On the way, Ximen Zhen explained what had happened between him and Sasuke, prompting Tenten to burst into melodic laughter.
Ximen Zhen spent the entire morning happily shopping and exploring the village with Tenten.
Though neither of them explicitly confirmed their relationship, everything between them had already quietly changed.
By the time Ximen Zhen arrived at the Hokage's office in the afternoon, the signed documents from Sasuke were already there waiting.
Ximen Zhen quickly added his signature, completing the entire process. Soon, renovations and expansion work on his house would officially begin.
In addition, he submitted an application to hold a book signing event. Not long after, he received approval from the Hokage, and the date was set for the following weekend.
In the days that followed, Ximen Zhen began a new chapter of life—one that didn't involve writing and was spent waiting for the completion of his expanded estate.
During this time, the renovation work on his old home was incredibly noisy. Using that as an excuse, Ximen Zhen spent most of his time training in the Konoha forest.
After finding out, Ino, Sakura, and even Sasuke occasionally joined him in his training sessions. But when it came to Sasuke, Ximen Zhen showed no mercy at all.
"What's the matter? Haven't eaten? The last remaining heir of the Uchiha clan can't even climb a tree?"
Ino and Sakura, already perched in a nearby tree, were giggling and whispering to each other as they watched Sasuke struggle. Clearly, they no longer saw him as the academy's heartthrob.
Sasuke finally managed to sit up and was about to retort when another round of boisterous laughter rang out—one that sounded all too familiar to him.
"Right, right! The top genius of the academy can't even climb a single tree! How embarrassing!"
(End of Chapter)