Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Yugao Uzuki’s Answer
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[Congratulations! Simulation successful!]
[Calculating the bloodline and talent of Ximen Le. Please wait a moment.]
As he looked at the text before him, Simen Zhen felt a renewed sense of hope—like light breaking through after a dark tunnel.
He had thought this simulation would end in total failure, but after Yugao Uzuki had a sudden moment of insight and he chose to risk his life for her, he unexpectedly carved out a place for himself in the Hidden Sand Village.
At this point, Simen Zhen could only conclude that his current strength and techniques were finally enough to survive in the ninja world with dignity.
The caveat, of course, was that he must stay clear of political strife and the battles of those godlike shinobi.
Soon, the simulation results for Ximen Le's innate talents appeared.
[Congratulations! Simulation successful! Ximen Le has inherited both your and Yugao Uzuki's talents and possesses a minor aptitude for chakra sensory skills, with Jonin-level potential.]
[Detailed stats are as follows:]
[Ninjutsu: 7 | Taijutsu: 8 | Genjutsu: 5 | Intelligence: 7 | Strength: 6 | Speed: 8 | Stamina: 6 | Hand Seals: 6]
[Special Talent: Basic Chakra Sensory Ability]
[Would you like to store this simulation result and accept this bloodline talent as your reward?]
Simen Zhen stared at the simulation results in surprise. He had known a successful simulation would boost his attributes, but he hadn't expected all of them to improve!
Now, his total ninja stat points had reached 53. If he remembered correctly, Neji had a total of 54 points at the time of his death.
Neji was unquestionably a genius of the Leaf Village—a Jonin at the young age of fifteen.
This meant Simen Zhen had now reached a stable threshold for becoming a Jonin. Were it not for his lower Genjutsu aptitude, advancing to Elite Jonin would only be a matter of time.
But that wasn't even the most crucial part.
Yugao Uzuki had granted him a chakra sensory talent!
No wonder she could sense and see through Hayate Gekkō's Transparent Escape technique—so she did have that innate talent.
As for Simen Zhen's initial hope—to use this simulation to master medical ninjutsu—it now seemed entirely within reach.
With Stamina 6 and Hand Seals 6, even if he couldn't match Sakura or Shizune, he would still be more than capable of treating ordinary people.
At this point, Simen Zhen had no complaints whatsoever about this simulation.
He even found himself seeing the once-neutral Yugao Uzuki in a more alluring light. Indeed, she was one of Konoha's most stunning kunoichi.
Without hesitation, Simen Zhen stored the simulation results. He had already digested most of the knowledge and skills gained from the Tenten simulation.
Whatever he hadn't yet fully absorbed could be further explored through the detailed logs of this simulation—he was especially curious to see which jutsu he had obtained.
But before that, he had to endure the pain that came with the infusion of the bloodline talent.
[Ding! Bloodline talent infusion in progress… Estimated duration: 10 minutes.]
This time, Simen Zhen didn't try to suppress it. Instead, he lay on the bed and allowed his painful groans to escape.
Because he knew—Yugao Uzuki would come to help him.
Until Ino finished teaching him proper chakra control, this kind of situation might occur more than once.
As expected, a graceful figure quietly appeared at Simen Zhen's side.
She didn't act immediately. After confirming that Simen Zhen seemed unconscious from the pain, she gently placed her hand on his chest and began treating him.
Having gone through this once before, Yugao's treatment process was noticeably smoother this time.
In reality, this was because Simen Zhen no longer needed to absorb her pheromones, so he wasn't deliberately disrupting his chakra flow.
Now, Yugao was essentially fighting against the strengthening power of Simen Zhen's evolving bloodline—or in other words, resisting the system itself.
Naturally, Yugao was no match for the system. But she only needed to endure for ten minutes.
Everything was proceeding according to Simen Zhen's plan—except for one thing he hadn't anticipated: the evolution of his bloodline was also accelerating the evolution of his chakra.
And chakra wasn't just a source of energy for jutsu—it was also a bridge that connected people on a deeper level.
As a result, faint and hazy illusions began to surface in the depths of Yugao's mind.
Like ripples in a chakra stream, they were so subtle that even Yugao herself didn't consciously notice—but they became deeply imprinted in her chakra.
Ten minutes passed quickly. Once she confirmed that Simen Zhen's condition had stabilized, Yugao silently vanished without a trace.
In his heart, Simen Zhen thanked her—then eagerly immersed himself in the simulation's memory details.
He cared most about two things:
What inventions or techniques had he developed by the end of the simulation? And which chakra-related skills had he mastered?
But more than anything, he was curious about how, on that fateful night, Yugao Uzuki made the decision to betray Konoha and save him.
Flipping through the memory logs, he finally locked onto a specific scene and dove into it.
A cold breeze brushed across his face as Simen Zhen opened his eyes.
He was inside a prison carriage, bound in chains. His skin had been etched with sealing scripts to block chakra flow.
It was clear—they had deemed him a high-level criminal, or more precisely, a bargaining chip to restore diplomatic ties between Konoha and Sunagakure.
Simen Zhen didn't sigh or complain. Instead, he observed the differences between this simulation body and his real one as he quietly waited for Yugao's arrival.
Just after midnight, Yugao arrived with another ANBU to take over the guard shift.
The two were longtime teammates and quickly completed the handover without incident.
As Simen Zhen waited, curious about what she would do, the ANBU next to her suddenly collapsed in a heap.
Clearly, he had unknowingly ingested some kind of drug.
Yugao leapt onto the prison carriage, smashed her own mask, and revealed her pale yet still beautiful face with a long-lost smile that needed no words.
As a member of ANBU, she knew exactly how to disable all the seals and restraints on Simen Zhen. Soon, he was free to move again.
"Come with me. Let's go to a place where no one knows us—and start a new life."
Yugao turned her gaze toward the Land of Rain. That was where Hanzo the Salamander once resided—the only small country the Five Great Nations dared not provoke. It was also nearly the only place where she and Simen Zhen could go.
But Simen Zhen knew that Hanzo was long gone. Now, the Land of Rain belonged to a false god—Tendo Pain.
Still, he didn't resist. He simply followed her, and together they leapt onto the treetops, vanishing into the night.
Perhaps because of the warmth from Simen Zhen's hand, color returned to Yugao's cheeks, and her previously anxious expression gradually calmed.
Finally, Simen Zhen asked the question that had been weighing on his heart:
"Yugao... why did you come to save me?"
Yugao smiled like a crimson iris in full bloom and replied:
"I told you—I agreed to be your girlfriend."
But Simen Zhen shook his head.
"That's not enough. That's not the answer I want."
(End of Chapter)