In the Naruto manga, every named young female ninja is good-looking. Ayato wasn't some playboy, nor did he have ambitions to collect every named character or revive the Senju clan.
If Tsunade wasn't worried about the clan's legacy, why should he, a distant relative, care?
His plan was simple: find a normal, pretty woman, marry, have kids, and live a quiet life. Just survive—that was enough. Bringing peace to the world? That wasn't his burden.
Naruto was doing fine. When he got old, he'd have his son and adopted son to carry on. The protagonist's legacy would continue, and there'd always be a strong ally to lean on. No need to stress.
But after starting school, Ayato realized the world's education system was lacking. The war had just ended, and only ninja academies offered formal education in the Leaf Village. There were no schools for regular people.
That meant he'd likely end up meeting uneducated village women. The Leaf Village was just that—a village.
He owned a street full of tenants, and he often saw non-ninja families where women nagged their husbands to earn more. The thought of that life was unbearable.
He hadn't met Tenten before today, but now, seeing her, he found her quite appealing. She checked all the boxes—most importantly, she felt familiar and approachable with her style.
According to Boruto, Tenten never married. In Ayato's memory, she and Neji didn't seem particularly close, despite fans pairing them. Neji died, but Ayato saw their bond as more teammate-like than romantic.
Pursuing Tenten wouldn't mean stealing anyone's partner or disrupting the plot. Ayato nodded to himself—this could work. The more he looked at her, the more charming she seemed, and the more her qualities stood out.
She was attractive, had good values, was hardworking, and had strong determination. Her chest wasn't exactly impressive, but it was better than Sakura's—good enough. Her figure would only get better as she grew, and in Boruto, she looked even more stunning. Most importantly, she was rich—filthy rich, the kind where no one could guess her family's wealth!
While lost in these less-than-pure thoughts, Ayato kept stealing glances at Tenten. She noticed, feeling the same scrutiny she'd given him earlier.
"Why do you keep staring at me?" Tenten asked directly, sensing something off in his gaze.
"I think you're great. Please marry me," Ayato said softly but firmly, his tone dead serious despite the low volume. The other three members of Team Gai, a bit farther away, didn't hear.
Tenten's face turned bright red. In a flash, she darted to the other side of the group, not responding.
Ayato scratched his head. Was that not the right move?
He recalled anime scenes where characters boldly proposed like that: a hand extended, a heartfelt "Please marry me!" Wasn't that how it worked?
Sure, he hadn't knelt or bowed like in those shows, but he'd been sincere!
"Ugh, proposing at our first meeting? What kind of guy does that? Total sleaze. No warning at all," Tenten muttered to herself on the other side of the group.
"And so little sincerity!"
"We barely know each other. Proposing on the first meeting? He's got to be shallow."
"Wait, I don't even know his name."
"But… he's kind of handsome. No, wait! Sunglasses? Total poser, trying to look cool."
"A genin who didn't even get a team—what's he acting cool for?"
"I don't mind if a girl's stronger than a guy. I could handle missions while he stays home as a househusband."
"Ugh, what am I thinking? I'm going to be a great ninja like Lady Tsunade. I can't let marriage hold me back!"
"One-sided love at first sight? No way! What if he only wants to train as an excuse to get close to me?"
"When did he start liking me? Maybe back at the academy?"
"No wonder I always felt someone watching me. Was it him, sitting by the training field after class?"
"One more look… yeah, it's him. But he wasn't wearing sunglasses back then."
"Where's his forehead protector? Not on his head, arm, waist, or leg. Hmm, his build's pretty good, and he's tall enough."
"Damn it, what am I thinking? Not at this age! No way!"
The more Tenten thought, the redder her face got, and the lower her head dipped. She occasionally stole glances at Ayato.
Girls her age naturally paid more attention to someone who liked them. She wouldn't fall for someone just because they liked her, but she couldn't help noticing him more.
Unlike Sakura or Ino, who were popular and chased at school, Tenten wasn't used to sudden confessions. It threw her off.
Her peers were either emotionless training machines or loud, hot-blooded idiots. The rest had faded into obscurity as genin, barely memorable after a year.
All these years, she'd focused on her dream, training in every spare moment, never considering romance.
"Tenten, we're at the mission site. Why're you still walking?" Neji's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Tenten looked up, flustered, realizing everyone was staring at her. Her face burned—she'd been so lost in thought, following the group's shadows in her peripheral vision, that she forgot about the mission.
"Why's your face so red? Are you sick?" Neji asked, frowning, noticing her odd state.
With only Tenten as the reliable one on the team, if she was off her game, who knew how long it'd take to deal with this boar.
"No, I'll be fine in a bit," Tenten mumbled. "It won't affect the mission."
Neji nodded, then turned to Ayato. "Just stick with Lee. He's a hot-blooded idiot, but his combat skills are strong enough to protect you."
Ayato nodded, sneaking a glance at Tenten. Her flustered state gave him hope. No rejection means she's considering it! Silence is consent!
"Let's split up now. The boar's around this hill. Signal when you find it, and the others will rush over. We'll take it down together. Don't get hurt."
With that, Neji activated his Byakugan and darted into the forest.
His Byakugan had a one-kilometer range, but the hill was larger than that. Even with his vision, it'd take time to scout.
Scouting was usually left to Neji. Based on past missions, he'd likely spot the boar first.