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Inside a cozy hotpot restaurant—
Team 3, newly certified genin, gathered to celebrate.
At Tenten's eager insistence, Guy had agreed to treat the team.
And naturally, instead of a barbecue joint, they found themselves at a hotpot place.
Specifically, one owned by Neji's family.
Guy hadn't hesitated.
Unlike his eternal rival, who had a curious habit of spending money on... questionable reading materials, Guy actually had savings.
Besides, the hotpot wasn't that expensive, and tonight was worth celebrating.
---
Tenten rose from her seat, raising her cup high.
"Hehe, since we all passed Guy-sensei's test, this deserves a real celebration!" she announced brightly. "But more than that, we should thank Guy-sensei for bringing us here!"
Neji and Lee raised their cups in unison, honoring their teacher.
Guy's face lit up like a sunrise, beaming with pride.
He lifted his cup high.
"No, no you don't need to thank ! This is your achievent. Your hard work proved itself!" He slamd his fist over his heart dramatically. "I just hope you keep chasing your dreams, burning brighter, igniting your youthful flas!"
As expected... the speech started seriously, but by the end, he was practically crying tears of passion.
"I promise to work even harder, Guy-sensei!" Lee shouted, his eyes blazing with determination.
Guy wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Ahhh, Lee — that's the spirit! THAT is true YOUTH!"
Neji calmly plucked a slice of at from the pot and ate it without expression.
'So this is my future, huh? Surrounded by two living explosions of enthusiasm...'
Tenten smiled, amused, and turned her attention to Neji.
"Neji, let help you a little," she said sweetly, gathering so at onto his plate. "It's been a long ti since I helped you, don't you dare thank !"
"Mm," Neji replied mildly.
Tenten grinned brightly.
Satisfied with his acceptance, she quickly got to work grabbing another piece, blowing on it, and—
"Here... ahhh~"
She lifted the food toward Neji's mouth, eyes sparkling.
Neji: "..."
Where did you even learn this?!
Was it Sakura? Or Ino?
Who corrupted you?!
He coughed lightly, refusing as politely as possible.
"I can manage myself."
Tenten pouted a little.
'Seriously? After all those tis I took care of you when we were kids?'
Back then, when they first enrolled, she often helped the "blind" Neji.
Now that he refused, she couldn't help feeling a little indignant.
"Back then, you didn't mind when I helped you," she huffed. "Now you're all grown up and you don't need anymore, huh?"
Neji froze for a mont, rembering.
'Yeah... back then, my Observation Haki made eating an absolute nightmare...'
He sighed quietly.
"We're not little kids anymore," he said.
"Exactly!" Tenten bead. "We've graduated! We're real shinobi now!"
Feeling trapped by her sudden surge of enthusiasm, Neji finally relented.
Expression deadpan, he opened his mouth and allowed Tenten to feed him.
'If I don't feel embarrassed, then the awkwardness belongs to soone else' he thought stoically.
anwhile, Tenten practically glowed with joy.
He accepted it! He didn't refuse!
In her heart, she clenched her tiny fists in triumph.
Years of patient effort... finally bearing fruit.
She thought smugly about Sakura and Ino, still fawning over Sasuke
'They can have their ice-cold emo prince. I'll take Neji calm, steady, and ten tis better!'
Her happiness overflowed as she kept sneakily offering him food, ignoring the fact that this was supposed to be a team celebration.
Lee didn't notice anything strange. He was too busy focusing on devouring his YOUTHFUL food with gusto.
Guy simply smiled warmly.
'Ah, youth. So sweet. So pure.'
He didn't find it strange at all.
In the dangerous world of shinobi, where death could co any day, little monts like these were precious.
As long as it didn't interfere with strength or missions he had no complaints.
Neji endured the al with quiet dignity, though internally he was dying of secondhand embarrassnt.
Normal people would just see a kind girl helping a blind boy, he told himself firmly.
There's no problem. None.
To outsiders, Tenten simply looked like a kind-hearted girl offering food to a visually impaired comrade.
Totally normal.
Completely innocent.
---
After the al ended, Guy clapped his hands to gather their attention.
"Listen up! Starting tomorrow, we officially begin our ninja duties."
He smiled broadly.
"Eight o'clock sharp. Training Ground Seven. Be ready for your first real missions!"
Everyone nodded.
Afterward, Guy dismissed them for free ti.
Lee, predictably, ran off shouting about more training, Determined to achieve his first "small goal": defeat Neji in a real fight soday.
Watching him go, Neji couldn't help but admire him.
"Lee's hardworking spirit is sothing even I can't match," he said quietly.
Tenten nodded in agreent.
"Neji," she said a little shyly, "after this, could you teach a bit more about ninja tools? The stuff you showed before... I don't think I really got it yet."
Neji shook his head apologetically.
"Sorry, Tenten. I'm working on sothing important right now. I'll teach you next ti — I promise."
Tenten looked a little disappointed but quickly masked it.
"Alright. I'll practice on my own for now," she said with a determined smile. "But you owe next ti!"
"Of course," Neji said simply.
He watched her leave, letting out a small breath of relief.
Thankfully, Tenten isn't the clingy type.
Turning away, Neji headed back to his real ho the hidden laboratory beneath the surface.
----
Passing through the upper level, nothing more than a carefully crafted facade, he descended to the second floor underground.
Not the real lab.
No, the true heart of his operations lay even deeper.
He continued down to the third underground level.
tallic corridors glead under sterile lighting, polished to a cold, futuristic shine.
This was his real sanctuary.
Years of work.
A fusion of ninja technology and forgotten sciences.
Neji smiled faintly, recalling his ti serving under Vegapunk in another world a place where laser-ard cyborgs coexisted with pirates still using flintlock pistols.
Technology advanced five centuries beyond the norm... yet sohow still anchored in absurd contradictions.
But that world was behind him now.
This was the Shinobi World.
And here he would forge sothing new.
Sothing greater.
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