Shino's words were calm and natural, but they moved Natsuki deeply.
Look at that—this is what a truly dependable comrade looks like!
No one had asked Shino to do any of this. Natsuki had never requested his help, yet he still remembered Natsuki's habit of sleeping at the desk without any defenses. Just because of that, he deliberately came early in the morning to wait and watch over him.
Seriously... I'm crying right now!
Natsuki reached out and patted Shino on the shoulder, speaking solemnly, "Shino, I knew I wasn't wrong about you. You truly are a powerful and trustworthy comrade. It's my honor to be your friend!"
Under his sunglasses, Shino's expression changed slightly, but his tone remained as steady as ever. "Natsuki, you're the same—strong and reliable. I'm truly glad to be your seatmate, your friend, and your comrade. Thank you for trusting me. I will trust you as well."
Natsuki said no more and simply nodded, then fell asleep under Shino's watchful protection.
—That afternoon, after school, at TenTen's small training field—
TenTen looked suspiciously at Natsuki and Shino and couldn't help but ask, "You two don't have... some kind of special relationship, do you?"
Oh no! The spirit of the eternal tsukkomi had possessed her!
Shino, for once, retorted, "TenTen, how could you think that way? Natsuki and I share a bond of mutual trust as friends and comrades. It's only natural that we're close. Besides, the one Natsuki likes is clearly..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but TenTen understood, and her face instantly flushed red.
Natsuki was startled too, but thankfully Shino hadn't said the full thing. Otherwise, when he tried to confess to TenTen in the future, there'd be no surprise left.
He hurriedly changed the topic. "Ahem! Today I wanted to show you both one of my latest research results: the Four Beasts Technique! I'll be teaching it to Shino, and TenTen, if you want to learn it too, you're welcome."
As he spoke, he began to form hand seals slowly. In the next moment, with a poof, a pair of arms sprouted from his shoulder blades.
"Wah! Natsuki turned into a spider!"
TenTen leaned in curiously, poking the extra arms with her finger, fascinated by their structure.
Natsuki straightforwardly grabbed TenTen's hand with one of the extra arms, while the other began to perform a little finger dance, showing it wasn't an illusion and could move freely.
Shino nodded repeatedly. "Looks like your concept worked!"
Natsuki's face showed no surprise at all. "Of course! If I failed, wouldn't that betray your trust?"
As he spoke, the extra arms began forming seals again, and with another poof, a pair of small, delicate hands sprouted from the back of his neck. They were even smaller than a kitten's paws, but they could still perform seals with flexibility.
TenTen and Shino's eyes lit up.
Anyone with a bit of sense could understand the potential of this technique.
Maybe the new arms weren't great for direct combat, but they could be hidden and used for stealthy seals. That way, the user's main arms could be free for taijutsu, while the extra arms secretly activated ninjutsu. What could the enemy do about it?
TenTen immediately said, "Natsuki! Natsuki! I want to learn this technique!"
Shino added, "Let's start the lesson now."
Faced with such eager students, Natsuki couldn't refuse. "Alright, alright. Let's start right now."
And so began a one-versus-two teaching session. Natsuki even took the chance to teach TenTen the Shadow Clone Technique first, since learning that would make the Four Beasts Technique much easier.
But Natsuki wasn't exactly behaving. Using TenTen's unfamiliarity with hand seals as an excuse, he taught her hand-in-hand, openly taking advantage.
Luckily, TenTen only gave him a glare and didn't push him away.
Shino had already memorized the seals and quietly moved to a corner to practice on his own, tactfully leaving space for the future couple. He didn't need to sit there eating dog food.
However, none of the three noticed that the shopkeeper's head was quietly peeking out from the front door.
Seeing his daughter being "taken advantage of" right in front of him, he bit down on his handkerchief in frustration, yet he didn't come out to stop it.
As a doting father, he could tell what was going on. His dear daughter wasn't just dedicated to training—she also had a clear fondness for Natsuki. At this point, Natsuki just had to call him "Father-in-law" and it'd all be official.
But he couldn't interfere. Even if he didn't like Natsuki, he had to respect TenTen's choice.
Besides, after observing over the past few days, he realized Natsuki was indeed exceptionally talented. Even the heir to the Aburame clan trusted and admired him. A prodigy like that taking a liking to his daughter meant TenTen would be well looked after. Once she became a ninja, her safety would be much more assured, and he could finally relax.
Fine, fine. I still don't brat, but I'll just pretend I didn't see anything.
Thinking that, the shopkeeper nearly shredded his handkerchief from biting too hard, but in the end, he went back inside to tend the shop.
Come dinner time, he even prepared a full meal to host them, saying it was to not offend the Aburame heir—but he didn't hold back with Natsuki's portion either, "accidentally" giving him a few extra pieces of meat.
TenTen noticed everything, covering her mouth to stifle her laughter. Deep down, she felt incredibly happy.
Since her father didn't oppose it, she didn't need to hesitate anymore. A good catch like Natsuki was not to be missed!
So she took the initiative. "Natsuki, the Shadow Clone Technique is still a bit hard for me, and I haven't even started on the Four Beasts Technique. Can you come over every day after school to teach me? We'll provide dinner."
Natsuki had no reason to say no. "Of course! As long as you and the shopkeeper don't get tired of me."
The shopkeeper grunted, but didn't object.
Shino, ever perceptive, added, "Natsuki, then after school I won't wait for you. I'll go practice on my own, and once I've got it down, I'll come back and spar with you."
What a bro. Truly dependable.
Natsuki shot him a grateful look, making Shino beam with pride.
TenTen watched it all with a barely concealed smile. She had to keep it in, since someone here still didn't know that she already knew his feelings.
—In the following half month—
Natsuki started going to TenTen's house every day after school, practically treating it like his own home. His relationship with the shopkeeper had also improved significantly—mainly because of one incident where Natsuki cooked and completely won him over. The only downside was the shopkeeper often demanded Natsuki cook again.
What could Natsuki do? When your future father-in-law wants to taste your cooking, can you say no?
Thankfully, TenTen often sided with him, using "training" as an excuse to stop him from cooking, when in reality they were just getting cozy together.
Still, TenTen was serious about her training. Under Natsuki's one-on-one instruction, she successfully mastered the Shadow Clone Technique and the Four Beasts Technique. Combined with her already proficient tree-climbing and water-walking, her chakra control was now incredibly refined. Her current strength was basically on par with a genin.
Sure, being a seven or eight-year-old genin wasn't much in itself, but even a prodigy like Sasuke probably hadn't reached that level yet.
TenTen didn't have much innate talent, so getting this far at her age was already impressive.
Besides Natsuki's dedicated teaching, the biggest reason was TenTen's own determination. A hardworking girl truly is beautiful—and Natsuki was falling for her more and more each day.
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