Konoha: I Have a Gravity Training Room

Xia Mu reassured her, "Don't be afraid. The Aburame Clan excels at the Insect Control Technique. Shino is a powerful and trustworthy companion."

Tenten glanced curiously at Shino. She was no longer quite so afraid. When she saw his Insect Clone signal for her to attack, she raised a Poison Shuriken and flung it out.

The Insect Clone raised a kunai to block it, but with a bang, the Poison Shuriken exploded, engulfing the clone in poison.

Afterward, Tenten threw several Steel Wire Shuriken, embedding them precisely around the Insect Clone. As their mechanisms activated automatically, strands of steel wire shot out and successfully hooked onto the clone's clothes.

"Just as I imagined, these two types of shuriken are perfect for sneak attacks and restraining enemies. They'll be my exclusive weapons from now on."

Tenten was clearly satisfied, a smile on her face.

Shino recalled the Insect Clone and commented, "The designs of these two shuriken are indeed ingenious. When enemies are unaware of them, they can produce remarkable results. Tenten's throwing technique is also excellent. Her control over the Steel Wire Shuriken in particular is extremely precise; practically none of the wires that sprang out were wasted."

Tenten put her hands on her hips, the little girl's pride written all over her face. "Hehe, I can't say much about anything else, but Ninja Tool Throwing is my specialty!"

"Yes, yes, our Tenten is a Ninja Tool Master!" Xia Mu followed up with praise.

Who's 'our Tenten'?!

Tenten blushed, unbearably shy.

For a moment, Xia Mu did not know what to say. After all, this was his first time pursuing a girl across both his lives. More importantly, she was still so young. At seven years old, he really could not bring himself to make a move. Even if this world did not prohibit puppy love, she was still far too young.

Fortunately, Shino knew how to set him up. "By the way, Tenten, you're in second year, right? Do you know someone named Neji Hyuga?"

"Hyuga? He's in my class."

Tenten was full of curiosity. "Why are you suddenly asking about him? From your tone, don't tell me you have a conflict with him?"

Shino's sunglasses turned toward Xia Mu, as if saying, I've opened the topic for you. Handle the rest yourself.

Xia Mu hurriedly said, "There's no conflict. But wasn't there a big fight at school a few days ago? A friend of mine and Shino's was bullied by some second-years, so Shino and I got into a fight too. Later, we learned those second-years had lost to Neji Hyuga during a spar, then took their anger out on passersby. Our friend just happened to be one of them."

Tenten immediately grew angry. "So that's what happened! Those people came back to class whining and claiming they were wronged. Turns out they were the ones at fault! Hmph! They couldn't beat Hyuga's Gentle Fist, so they went and bullied younger students. That's really beneath contempt!"

"Exactly! Still, they really were mediocre. They couldn't even beat Shino and me. So we wanted to ask—how strong is Neji Hyuga?"

"Hyuga? He's very strong..."

As she spoke, Tenten led the two of them into the living room and thoughtfully prepared drinks and snacks.

Perhaps because it was rare for friends to visit, she seemed especially happy and eagerly discussed Neji Hyuga. However, Tenten did not know much about the Byakugan or Gentle Fist, so she could not explain much.

Still, she had a very high opinion of Neji: aloof, handsome, and powerful.

Neji received treatment in class similar to Sasuke's. He was popular with the girls and envied by the boys. But unlike Sasuke's smugness, Neji was genuinely cold, naturally because of the Caged Bird Seal.

As for Tenten, she was unlike those girls whose heads were full of romance. What she felt toward Neji was mainly envy.

She envied Neji's strength, envied his powerful inherited ninjutsu and bloodline, envied his popularity, and so on.

"Actually, my dream is to become a female ninja as amazing as Lady Tsunade. But after two years at the Academy, my talent is really quite ordinary. Throwing techniques are the only thing I'm any good at. I don't even know how I should become stronger. Sigh."

Tenten could not help sighing as she spoke. At such a young age, she was thinking far too much.

Girls her age usually thought about how to play with friends, how to dress prettily, or which boys were handsome—like Sakura and Ino.

But after deciding on her dream, Tenten had always worked hard.

It was simply that her talent was limited and she had no famous teacher to guide her. Her strength improved slowly, which was why she was so troubled.

When it came to this, Xia Mu had plenty to say. He casually patted Tenten's shoulder and said, "Tenten, talent is important, and hard work is important too, but choosing the right direction and method is even more important!"

Tenten was a little dazed. "Direction and method?"

"That's right. Let me explain it properly."

Xia Mu sat beside Tenten, his expression serious. "First is direction. You need to identify your strengths and weaknesses, then move forward in a direction that develops your strengths and overcomes your weaknesses. For example, Jiraiya, who was one of the Three Sannin alongside Lady Tsunade, was a complete idiot when he was young. He could not learn any ninjutsu, and even with throwing techniques, he only knew the Throw All Shuriken Outward Technique."

The Throw All Shuriken Outward Technique?

What kind of technique was that?!

Tenten smiled despite herself. She had not expected Jiraiya, one of the Three Sannin, to be so amusing.

Even Shino was surprised. "Xia Mu, is it true that Lord Jiraiya was a complete idiot as a child?"

Xia Mu nodded solemnly. "Of course it's true. You can ask around and find out. Lord Jiraiya was the Third Hokage's disciple. They say the Third Hokage tried every possible method but still could not teach him properly. Later, Lord Jiraiya learned the Summoning Jutsu and accidentally summoned himself to Mount Myōboku, one of the Three Great Sage Regions. He trained under the Great Toad Sage, then returned with immense strength and proved himself on the battlefield!"

Tenten listened, utterly absorbed.

When she was little, she had only heard about how amazing and legendary Tsunade was. That was why she wanted to become someone like Tsunade.

She had never expected Jiraiya, another of the Three Sannin, to have such a legendary story as well. He was practically the classic example of an idiot's rise to greatness.

Xia Mu was right. It seemed she truly needed to choose the right direction first.

Lord Jiraiya had been foolish at first, so bad that even the Hokage could not teach him, yet he eventually found success at Mount Myōboku.

What about her? Where was her direction? Who should she learn from?

Tenten could not figure it out for the moment, so she simply asked Xia Mu, "Xia Mu, what do you think my strengths and weaknesses are? And how should I become stronger? Please, Xia Mu, tell me quickly! I'll treat you to a big meal!"

Chapter 22: Advice for Tenten

When she said she would treat them to a big meal, she really did!

At Q Meat BBQ, Xia Mu, Shino, and Tenten—the three little kids—were grilling meat.

Shino was very considerate. He claimed a seat all to himself, letting Xia Mu and Tenten sit together. As for the bill, Tenten naturally paid it. Her family was not short on money.

Tenten eagerly placed grilled meat onto Xia Mu's plate, awaiting his helpful advice.

Xia Mu could not let Tenten go hungry, so he served some meat back to her. Meeting her expectant gaze, he gathered his thoughts and said:

"Tenten, we've only known each other for two days, so I don't know your specific circumstances. But based on what you've said about your performance at the Academy, I can roughly identify two of your strengths."

"Two strengths? What are they?" Tenten pressed.

"Your talent for controlling ninja tools, and the fact that you're rich!"

"...R-rich?"

Tenten was dumbfounded. "I understand the talent for controlling ninja tools, but does being rich count as a strength?"

Xia Mu answered firmly, "Of course it does, and it's a major strength. Don't rush. Listen while I explain it slowly. Let's start with your weaknesses. First, your Chakra reserves are low. Second, the fact that you learned the Three Basic Jutsu relatively slowly shows that your talent for ninjutsu is not very good, and your Chakra control still needs improvement. Third, when it comes to taijutsu, your physical stamina and strength are lacking. Those urgently need to be improved."

Tenten nodded. Those were facts, and she could not deny them.

Thinking about how little Chakra she had and how low her talent for ninjutsu was, she suddenly felt that her dream of becoming a powerful woman like Tsunade was very far away.

Maybe I'm not suited to be a ninja?

Fortunately, Xia Mu continued, "Now, for your strengths. Your talent for controlling ninja tools is very high, which means you have a good chance of mastering any ninja tool that ends up in your hands. So you can seek out powerful ninja tools and make those powerful tools your strength. Wouldn't that raise your combat ability?"

Tenten pouted. "Xia Mu, it's not like I haven't thought of that. But powerful ninja tools should all be in the hands of powerful people, right? Could I even get them?"

Seeing how cute she looked, Xia Mu could not resist poking her cheek with his index finger. "That brings us to your second strength: your family is rich. You can issue missions and have powerful ninja search for clues about powerful ninja tools, or even bring the tools back for you. As long as you pay enough, plenty of ninja will be willing to do it."

Paying money to issue missions?

That was possible?

Not only Tenten, but even Shino was stunned.

In truth, they had fallen into a mental trap. They all believed they would become ninja in the future, and ninja earned money by accepting missions. Yet they had never considered that they themselves could issue missions.

Another reason was that they were still too young to think of it.

Being rich really was a major strength. It allowed people to easily accomplish many things, including obtaining powerful ninja tools.

Seeing Tenten's dazed expression, Xia Mu smiled. "So, is being rich a strength or not? Even if you wanted to know the whereabouts of the Six Paths Tools, as long as you could offer enough money, someone would get it done no matter how difficult it was. Do you believe me?"

"I-I-I believe you."

Tenten felt that she could believe him, because it sounded so reasonable.

Now that she thought about it carefully, perhaps she had lived too comfortably and forgotten the powerful force money itself possessed.

Ninja accepted missions to earn money. Since her family had money, was it not only natural for her to issue missions? Even if the mission was difficult, she could simply spend more money, right?

In an instant, Tenten felt as though her mind had been opened to a new path. Her excited little face flushed red.

She quickly put more grilled meat onto Xia Mu's plate and praised him sweetly, "Xia Mu, you're so smart!"

Xia Mu happily devoured the grilled meat. After eating for a while, he continued, "Besides that, Tenten, there are still many unknown areas for you, such as genjutsu, Medical Ninjutsu, and Space-Time Ninjutsu. If you have talent for genjutsu, you should seize it. Then, genjutsu combined with your exceptional Ninja Tool Throwing would make fighting enemies much easier. As for Medical Ninjutsu, Lady Tsunade is the finest medical ninja. If you have talent for it, you should study it properly. When you get the chance in the future, seek her out as your teacher."

Tenten nodded repeatedly, committing it all to memory.

Xia Mu's advice was practical, so she naturally trusted it.

"But how do I know whether I have talent in those areas?" Tenten quickly asked.

"You can ask your teachers and see how to test for it. Otherwise, spend money to buy some simple genjutsu from ninja in the village. For Medical Ninjutsu, you would need to study at Konoha Hospital."

"Mhm, mhm. And what is this Space-Time Ninjutsu?"

"Simply put, Space-Time Ninjutsu includes the Summoning Jutsu. It allows you to summon ninja tools and Summoning Beasts. Lady Tsunade's Summoning Beast is the Great Slug Sage from Shikkotsu Forest, one of the Three Great Sage Regions. Lord Jiraiya's Summoning Beasts are the various toads of Mount Myōboku, also one of the Three Great Sage Regions. They are renowned throughout the Shinobi World and are one reason those two are so powerful. If you have talent in this area and contract a powerful Summoning Beast in the future, your combat strength will increase dramatically."

"Mhm, mhm, mhm. Then how do I test whether I have talent?"

"Well, it would be great if we had a Summoning Scroll..."

"I have one." Shino suddenly spoke and took out a scroll.

Xia Mu and Tenten both stared blankly at Shino. The two had become so absorbed in their exchange that they had nearly forgotten he was there, and they certainly had not expected him to pull out a scroll just like that.

This friend was truly dependable!

Tenten hesitated. "Shino, Summoning Scrolls are precious, right? Would it really be okay to use yours?"

Shino directly tossed the scroll to Xia Mu. "It's fine. This kind of scroll is not as expensive as you think. It only contains some ninja tools, and you're merely borrowing it for a test."

Tenten relaxed and thanked him sincerely. "Thank you, Shino. Xia Mu was right—you really are a powerful and trustworthy companion!"

Shino nodded without expression, though his sunglasses seemed to glint with a hint of pride.

Moreover, the light from his sunglasses shone directly at Xia Mu, as if saying, Brother, I've sacrificed a lot to help you court a girl. Don't forget this favor.

Xia Mu gave him a grateful look and hurriedly said, "Then let's finish eating and go try it right away."

After that, Xia Mu and Tenten enthusiastically grilled meat and served it to Shino. This man had helped them immensely, so they had to treat him well.

Once they finished the grilled meat, Tenten calmly handed over a thick stack of banknotes to settle the bill, her movements sharp and stylish.

Sure enough, being rich was truly enviable!

The three of them returned to the small training ground at Tenten's home. Somewhat nervous, Tenten unrolled the Summoning Scroll, revealing a circular symbol with the character "blade" in its center.

"Tenten, the hand seals are like this." Shino demonstrated the hand seals for the Summoning Jutsu, then motioned for Tenten to begin the test.

Chapter 23: Discovery

Tenten took a deep breath, formed the hand seals slowly with her small hands, then pressed a palm onto the symbol. The next second, there was a bang, and a shuriken appeared on the scroll.

"I-I did it! I have talent for Space-Time Ninjutsu!"

Tenten jumped excitedly, her face blooming with a smile. Her previous worries about her weak strength and confusion over the future seemed to have been swept away in that moment.

It was as though she had found her direction.

Yes, perhaps she had found it!

Seeing Tenten's happiness, Xia Mu felt genuinely happy for her as well.

He had long known that Tenten possessed talent for Space-Time Ninjutsu, but knowing it from the story and learning it in person were two different things. The smile of a cute girl was contagious.

As for the genjutsu and Medical Ninjutsu he had mentioned earlier, Tenten had no talent for either. Still, he had advised her to try them one by one. Otherwise, how could Tenten have believed him? Fortunately, she was still young. As long as she tested her talents early, she could determine her direction early and focus on working toward it in the future.

Since Xia Mu had decided to stick close to this little rich girl, he naturally intended to help whenever he could. It would be best if they grew stronger together.

Tenten put the shuriken back into the scroll, solemnly returned it to Shino, then gave both Shino and Xia Mu a deep bow, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Xia Mu, Shino, thank you so much!"

"You're welcome." Shino's expression shifted slightly. Perhaps at that moment, he was no longer helping for Xia Mu's romance, but was happy because he had helped a friend.

"Shino's right. Tenten, don't be so formal."

Xia Mu helped Tenten up and naturally rested his hands on her shoulders. "We haven't known each other long, but we're already friends. Isn't it only right that we help you? In the future, if Shino and I need your help, you'll definitely help us too, right?"

Tenten nodded earnestly. "Right! We're friends. If you need help in the future, don't be embarrassed to ask me!"

As she spoke, her smile became even more sincere.