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*****
Ximen Zhen rubbed the corners of his mouth, which had nearly curled into an uncontrollable grin, trying to calm himself from the memory he had just recalled.
Before transmigrating, Ximen Zhen had dated—more than one girl, in fact.
Unfortunately, none of those girls had ever made him feel as relaxed and at ease in moments of intimacy.
The only regret was that all of this had merely been simulated data, not real life.
Ximen Zhen turned to the final photo.
In it, Tenten held Ximen Tiantian in her arms, leaning against Ximen Zhen's chest, her face filled with a blissful smile.
He instinctively wanted to tap the image to open it, but after hesitating for a long time, he ultimately chose not to.
At least Tenten still existed in the real world. As for Ximen Tiantian… it was better to treat her as nothing more than simulated data.
Reviewing simulation details was a process of mental immersion that happened at lightning speed, so it didn't take much of his time.
Over the next few days, besides digesting the simulated information, Ximen Zhen also focused on refining chakra and formulating his upcoming plans.
Once all the details were finalized, he opted for an early discharge from the hospital.
Thanks to his latent ninja talent and the chakra he now possessed, his recovery was far faster than a regular person's. In just five days, he was moving freely again.
After completing the discharge procedures, he retrieved the leftover funds Tenten had deposited for his treatment. With that, he now had over 6,000 ryō in liquid funds.
6,000 ryō wasn't much for a ninja—but for Ximen Zhen, it was enough to live on for two months.
Still, he immediately spent 5,000 ryō on paper, ink, and a new set of clothes, then returned home carrying a hefty pile of supplies.
As he arrived back at his street, the elderly residents warmly greeted him.
Among them were both ordinary villagers and elderly retired ninjas. But now, they all shared a common identity—Ximen Zhen's neighbors.
As an orphan, Ximen Zhen had grown up safely not just thanks to Konoha's survivor benefits, but also due to the care and support of these kind-hearted neighbors.
Along the way, he exchanged greetings and received words of concern from the elderly folks.
By the time he reached the entrance to his shabby little courtyard, it was already noon.
The warped wooden door, barely standing upright with the help of some straw rope, toppled backward the moment he pushed it gently.
Though this made the door seem rather pathetic, the old Ximen Zhen truly hadn't had the money or strength to replace the hinges.
Fortunately, there was nothing worth stealing in his home—be it pots and pans or tables and chairs, everything was worn out and patched.
After placing his paper and ink on the desk, the contrast between Ximen Zhen and his surroundings became all the more stark.
But he had long grown used to this life and knew he would eventually rise above it. With that conviction in his heart, he immersed himself fully in his writing.
He didn't even notice that someone had appeared on his roof at some point.
It was Tenten—just back from leave and preparing for her next mission.
She had originally planned to check in on Ximen Zhen discreetly, only to be surprised to hear he'd already been discharged.
Fortunately, the hospital records listed his home address, allowing her to find him without difficulty.
Peeling back a tile, Tenten watched his every move with curiosity.
With her sharp eyesight, she could easily see what he was writing, and before long, she became captivated.
It wasn't until dusk that she realized she had been lying on the rooftop, staring at Ximen Zhen all afternoon.
Her face flushed involuntarily.
As Ximen Zhen began chopping cabbage and radish for dinner, the now-relaxed Tenten silently withdrew. She told herself she would put this matter behind her.
After all, she had helped many people before—Ximen Zhen was no different. Other than being a little handsome, he wasn't anything special.
What she didn't expect, however, was the dream that came to her that night.
What was it about? By the time she woke the next morning, she couldn't remember.
All she knew was that, somehow, it seemed related to Ximen Zhen.
As she stared at herself in the mirror, lost in thought, she wondered: Could I really have taken Ximen Zhen to heart?
In the blink of an eye, a week passed.
As for Ximen Zhen, although he was still far from finishing The Legend of Uchiha Madara, the first volume was polished enough to share.
Not only that, he had also sketched out his first ninja tool design—the Fragment Kunai—which he had developed through simulations.
As the name implied, the Fragment Kunai was inspired by the concept of a fragmentation grenade.
A regular kunai could only cause harm upon hitting a target.
Wrapping a kunai with an explosive tag significantly increased its power, but its damage radius remained limited.
Ximen Zhen's Fragment Kunai, on the other hand, used two core innovations: an embedded explosive tag and a specialized carved texture.
This allowed it to function as a standard kunai most of the time, but when infused with chakra at the right moment, it could be detonated on a timer—shattering into deadly fragments that struck all enemies within range.
Its lethal radius was around five meters, with an injury radius of up to fifteen.
Because the explosive tag was internal, those unfamiliar with the weapon might miss the critical moment to dodge.
And if the user coated the fragments with poison, it wouldn't be impossible to kill someone dozens of meters away.
Overall, the weapon could significantly enhance the combat capabilities of Genin and ninjas who lacked long-range attack skills.
When wielded by specialists in ninja tools—such as Uchiha clan members or someone like Tenten—it could even enable one person to suppress an entire group.
That was precisely why Ximen Zhen was confident Tenten would come to love it.
That morning, Ximen Zhen carefully groomed himself and changed into his newly purchased white outfit.
Though the fabric wasn't particularly high-end, Ximen Zhen—now infused with chakra and brimming with energy—already radiated an aura of elegance, his white robes gleaming brighter than snow.
His makeover drew gasps of surprise from his neighbors. Many even teased him, asking whether he had found a girlfriend.
In the ninja world, early maturity and settling down young were seen as honorable. So Ximen Zhen took the teasing in stride, responding with a few lighthearted remarks.
Leaving his familiar street, Ximen Zhen made his way toward the Hokage's office.
On the way, he continued drawing attention from passersby, indicating that his current presence was indeed charming.
He even spotted a familiar figure on the road—but dared not stare, as the person was a high-ranking ninja.
Once at his destination, Ximen Zhen took the civilian entrance to the first-floor clerical division and filled out a Petition for Audience.
He was requesting a direct meeting with the Third Hokage.
(End of Chapter)