Barbecue Q.
Today's treat was on Tenten.
"Congratulations on graduating and becoming real ninjas!" Tenten grinned as she picked up a piece of grilled meat and placed it in the plates of Natsuki and Shino.
"Then I won't hold back," Shino responded calmly. He had known this couple for so long that politeness had long been discarded. He quietly devoured the food on his plate, though he seemed distracted, clearly preoccupied.
Tenten noticed and gave her boyfriend a questioning glance.
Natsuki tried to reassure him, "Shino, don't worry. Whatever's going on with Naruto, it's not something we can interfere with. The Third Hokage likely has his own plans."
Tenten tilted her head curiously. "What happened to Naruto? Did he fail the exam?"
Shino nodded. "Yeah. For some reason, Naruto suddenly lost control over his chakra. Today's test was the Transformation Technique—he used to be able to do it smoothly, but today it was a total mess. No one knows what went wrong. Iruka-sensei went to talk to the Hokage, and he said he'd handle it quickly, but it looks like Naruto will have to wait until next year to take the exam again."
Just talking about it brought Shino's mood down again.
Though he wasn't as close to Naruto as he was with Natsuki, Shino was the kind of guy who took his friendships seriously.
"Poor Naruto... He's always shouting about becoming Hokage. Now he can't even become a genin..."
Tenten looked surprised. She hadn't expected something like this to happen.
Natsuki didn't know what to say either. He couldn't exactly tell them that he suspected this was some scheme cooked up by the old geezer, Hiruzen, or something even deeper. Plus, the plot had already shifted so much—who knew if things would continue following the original story?
But seeing his friend so down wasn't good. He had to change the subject somehow.
So, he gave his future wife a subtle look.
Tenten immediately got the message and shifted topics. "Speaking of which, do you know which team you'll be assigned to yet?"
Natsuki shrugged. "I'd like to be in the same team as Shino, honestly. He's strong and reliable."
Shino, pulled out of his thoughts, nodded. "Being on the same team with Natsuki would definitely be ideal. Shikamaru and Chōji wouldn't be bad either. They're lazy and love to eat, but when it counts, they come through."
"No way those two are getting split up," Tenten said, clearly familiar with the situation. "The Ino-Shika-Chō trio is inseparable. Shikamaru, Chōji, and Ino are definitely going to be assigned together."
Natsuki mentally nodded.
Not only was the Ino-Shika-Chō trio unbreakable, but they were also arranged close to the Hokage's line. That team would be led by Hiruzen's son, Sarutobi Asuma.
Likewise, the team of Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyūga Hinata would be led by Asuma's girlfriend, Yūhi Kurenai.
This way, the major clans—Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Aburame, Inuzuka, Hyūga—were all being drawn into the Hokage's circle. It was a pretty masterful setup.
As for the other teams? Kakashi was a direct subordinate of the Hokage, and Gai was someone fiercely loyal to the village.
Almost every promising young ninja was already being pulled into the Hokage's sphere of influence. No wonder Danzo couldn't outmaneuver his old comrade. If it weren't for Orochimaru's Konoha Crush later on, Hiruzen probably would've held onto power until the day he died.
"But what about me?" Natsuki muttered. That was his current worry.
He'd chosen to reveal part of his strength a year before graduation. He had trained in Gai's Hachimon Tonkō (Eight Gates Release) and even learned Hatake Swordsmanship from Kakashi. There was no way Hiruzen hadn't noticed, not when Natsuki hadn't gone out of his way to hide any of it.
So how would Hiruzen handle this genius?
Was it possible that Naruto had failed on purpose just so Natsuki could be placed on Team 7?
Didn't seem likely.
But Konoha didn't exactly have a surplus of elite jōnin right now. So who would Hiruzen appoint to teach him?
Natsuki shook off the messy thoughts.
No point overthinking. He'd find out the answer tomorrow anyway when he went to school.
After finishing the meal, Natsuki and Tenten walked Shino home, then headed back to the ninja tool shop. When the shop owner saw his future son-in-law, he only gave a small nod without offering congratulations.
It wasn't until he noticed his daughter glaring at him that he reluctantly muttered, "Congrats on becoming a real ninja."
Natsuki grinned wide. "Thanks, Father-in-law."
He'd long since gotten used to calling him that, and the shop owner had long since stopped arguing. Tenten had gone from blushing over it to acting like it was completely natural. Everyone pretty much assumed the two were already family. Once they came of age, it'd be time to discuss marriage.
Tenten pulled him over to a pile of ninja tools. "I've noticed you don't use tools much in battle, but you're a ninja now—you should always carry more. Let's go with fifty kunai and shuriken each. I've packed them all into a summoning scroll. Oh! Since you learned Hatake Swordsmanship, you'll need a short sword. That demon blade, Thousand Edge, is too long. You should take three short swords—what if you break one?"
Natsuki let her do her thing, his eyes glued to her the whole time.
Tenten seemed extra talkative today—but clearly enjoying herself. She looked like she wanted to pack the entire shop into his scroll.
The shop owner was all smiles at first, but his face gradually darkened.
His sweet little daughter had become a money-burning machine! Those chakra-forged short swords were ridiculously expensive, and she gave Natsuki three without even blinking! Why not just take his whole shop?
Natsuki noticed and tugged at Tenten. "Ahem! Tenten, maybe that's enough. Otherwise, our old man's gonna start crying."
Tenten looked back at her dad and casually said, "Dad, this is about your daughter's happiness. Don't be stingy. If Natsuki runs into danger out there, how are you gonna get a grandkid later?"
"Fine, fine! Just pack up the whole damn shop!" the shop owner shouted, stomping his feet.
Of course, he didn't mean it. The shop would be Tenten's eventually anyway. She could do whatever she wanted with it. He was just having a heart attack watching his life's work get handed over to some guy.
Natsuki couldn't help but laugh at the heartwarming scene.
"Stop laughing and help! You'll be doing missions soon, camping outdoors and all that. You need to be ready, or you'll be running around like a headless chicken."
"Yes, ma'am. Whatever the wife says goes."
"Who's your—ahem! Fine! Then listen to your dear wife's orders!"
Hands on her hips, Tenten wore a bright smile as she bossed Natsuki around. She had long since gotten used to him calling her his wife. Not only did it not make her blush anymore, she even shot back with jokes.
After all, they'd been dating for years. Might as well act like an old married couple already.
The only regret? They were still too young… so some things had to wait.
(End of Chapter)
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