Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
A water dragon over ten meters long charged straight at them. Tenten, Ino, and Hinata had nowhere to dodge. With a chorus of cries, all three were swept off their feet almost simultaneously.
The four had agreed to meet at the training ground. At first, Tenten really had fought Mo Chen while Hinata and Ino watched from the sidelines.
But soon, the scene from the future video had been perfectly recreated.
Tenten's attack was blocked by Mo Chen's Earth-Style Rampart, and then he counterattacked with the Water Dragon Bullet. Tenten was defeated.
Only then did Tenten become certain of one thing: whether or not she had a boost, the result was exactly the same when she faced Mo Chen.
Unwilling to give up, Tenten immediately called Ino and Hinata over to team up against Mo Chen.
Unfortunately, even working together, the three of them managed to last only two more rounds before the Water Dragon Bullet sent them flying.
Looking at the three girls, completely drenched, Mo Chen couldn't help chuckling to himself.
Though Ino and Hinata had both received boosts, they were only at the level of Ninja Academy graduates. They had just become Genin and still lacked combat experience.
The boosts had improved their attributes, but in practice, they hadn't done much to increase their ability to fight on the spot.
With the two of them alongside her, Tenten couldn't exactly say they were holding her back, but they had helped only a little.
"Mo Chen, you're really strong. Did you only learn that jutsu today?"
With Mo Chen's help, Ino got to her feet in the water. She didn't seem to care that her clothes had slipped halfway off as she praised him.
Mo Chen had used several Earth Release and Water Release techniques with incredible skill. You'd never have guessed he'd only just learned them.
"I feel like even if I were twice as strong, I'd still be powerless against you. The gap is so huge, it's honestly a little discouraging!" Tenten said as Mo Chen pulled her up next.
The fact that her clothes had slipped halfway off made her feel awkward and shy. But seeing that Ino didn't seem to care, she decided she couldn't be outdone, so she didn't cover herself like she had in the future video.
Hinata, the last to be pulled up, wasn't nearly so open. The moment she stood, she ducked behind Tenten and Ino, her face bright red with embarrassment—she was practically steaming.
"I'm just a little more talented, that's all," Mo Chen said with a smile. "I'm sure if you keep working hard, you'll catch up with me soon."
If they hadn't seen the later part of the future video, Ino and the others might really have believed him.
Ino rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't dare hope to catch up with you in strength, but I'm pretty confident when it comes to love!"
As she spoke, Ino sidled up to Mo Chen with a teasing look and said with a grin, "So, what do you think? Don't I have a great figure? Does it tempt you at all?"
Mo Chen froze, looking a little embarrassed. "Ino, why are you suddenly saying that..."
Tenten's mouth twitched. She hurriedly squeezed between Ino and Mo Chen, cutting in. "Hey, hey, don't take advantage of every opening! We're talking about training here. Focus!"
Tenten shot Ino a warning look. They weren't close enough to Mo Chen yet for jokes like that; teasing him so freely could easily set their relationship back instead of moving it forward.
Ino realized she'd gotten a little carried away and stuck out her tongue. "I was only joking. Mo Chen won't mind, right?"
Mo Chen cleared his throat twice and didn't answer, only looking a little ill at ease.
Of course, he was only putting on an act for the three girls.
Right now, he was playing the innocent young man: not making the first move, not turning them down, but keeping things at a controlled pace so they wouldn't get too close too quickly.
Seeing this, Tenten glared at Ino again, feeling a little helpless. Then she said, "We're all soaked through. We need to hurry home and change, and it's getting late anyway, so let's call it a day!"
They could have chatted a little longer, but the mood had been ruined.
Tenten could only say goodbye to Mo Chen before dragging Ino and Hinata away.
Mo Chen didn't say anything more. After the three girls left, he went home alone.
[Beep! Group member capacity +1. Randomly selecting a new member. Please wait...]
Mo Chen had just finished showering and lain down in bed when the system notification sounded.
"A new member? Why is there suddenly a new member? Who could it be?" A hint of anticipation rose in Mo Chen's heart.
He hoped it would be someone a little more mature. Then, when she tried to raise the group's level and get a boost, wouldn't that be a real treat?
[Beep! Selection complete. The new member is 'Karin Uzumaki.' Adding member to the group.]
[Beep! Karin Uzumaki has joined the Chat Group!]
"Karin?" Mo Chen paused, a little disappointed. Another little bud!
But seeing the name suddenly reminded Mo Chen that, at this point in time, Karin was probably going through hell.
At the thought, his expression turned serious.
At the same time, the Four Flowers of Konoha, each back at home, also received the group system's latest notification.
[Ino Yamanaka: Huh? A new member? I thought this Chat Group was just for us. So new people can join after all!]
[Tenten: Uzumaki? Is she from our village?]
[Hinata Hyuga: I've never heard that name before.]
[Ino Yamanaka: @Karin Uzumaki, new member, introduce yourself!]
Kusagakure, at the edge of the village, inside a dilapidated wooden shack.
In a shadowy corner, a red-haired little girl huddled on the floor beside the bed. She wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her face deep against them.
"Mom..." the red-haired girl murmured, tears spilling uncontrollably from her eyes.
Suddenly, her vision blurred, and she seemed to see a strange image.
The red-haired girl quickly took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, then shook her head.
When she looked again, the strange image was still there.
[Beep! Karin Uzumaki has successfully joined Mo Chen's Female Lead Group. Congratulations, you are now a member of Mo Chen's Heroine Group. Please follow these rules:]
[1. Mo Chen is the Group Leader. The Group Leader's interests come above all else. Group members are absolutely forbidden from doing anything that could harm the Group Leader!]
[2...]
"What... is this?" Hearing the notification by her ear and realizing it wasn't a hallucination, the red-haired girl couldn't help feeling frightened.
She was extremely timid and sensitive right now.
This unknown thing had appeared out of nowhere, and she was so scared that she hurriedly shut her eyes and buried her face between her knees again.
But even so, the strange image remained perfectly clear.
She could also see the group chat history, where someone was asking her to say something.
[Karin Uzumaki: I... I'm Karin...]
[Ino Yamanaka: I know your name is Karin Uzumaki. It's right there above your message, isn't it? I meant, who are you?]
[Tenten: Don't be nervous. We're not bad people, and we won't do anything to you. If you have questions, we can answer them. Actually, I'll explain how this Chat Group works first!]
[Tenten: ￥%#@#￥%...%!@~!@...&]
[Tenten: So, do you understand now?]
[Ino Yamanaka: You'll be punished if you break the group rules. Someone broke them before, and they got a really nasty electric shock. I definitely don't want to experience that, so don't worry, Karin. We won't hurt you.]
[Hinata Hyuga: Mm-hmm. Only a few people can join this Chat Group, so anyone who gets in is one of us.]
[Karin Uzumaki: I-is that so? Are you Konoha Ninja? But I... I'm in Kusagakure...]
[Beep! Group member count has reached 5. The Chat Group has unlocked a new feature!]
Before you continue