Kakashi quickly snatched up that stack of manuscripts, retreating to a corner and flipping through them at high speed, his face lit with an excited smile.
As for Jiraiya being beaten up, he didn't care in the slightest.
Not very qualified as a fan, was he?
Natsuki couldn't be bothered with the office chaos. He vanished with Flying Thunder God and reappeared at home—only to find TenTen absent. Immediately, he locked onto the Flying Thunder God seal he'd placed on her and warped again.
Swish! Natsuki appeared right behind TenTen.
"You're back, Natsuki." TenTen looked up with a smile, then lowered her head again to fiddle with the item in her hands.
It was the core energy from the Wind Shadow Puppet, now heavily modified—TenTen had turned it into an external organ. In battle, it could channel Magnet Release (Jiton) chakra, granting her the ability to wield Magnet Release.
Perhaps weaker than the actual bloodline limit, but undeniably Magnet Release nonetheless. If developed properly, it could be formidable.
Natsuki's gaze drifted further away, spotting Fū playing with bugs. Though daytime posed little danger, TenTen still faithfully stayed close to protect her. To keep herself from boredom, she brought these components along to research.
Natsuki didn't disturb her, simply sat quietly at her side, eyes fixed on her as though he could never look enough.
TenTen felt uneasy under his gaze.
"Natsuki, don't stare at me like that—it's embarrassing."
Natsuki replied matter-of-factly, "What's wrong with looking at my wife? We've been together so long—we've done everything there is to do, so why are you still shy?"
"Ahh! Just—don't stare like that. I can't concentrate!"
She reached out a hand to cover his eyes.
"Not now. Tonight, when I'm on watch outside Fū's place, then you can look as much as you want. We'll watch the stars together."
"Fine, fine. Hah, these days a man can't even look at his wife for a while without her refusing."
Natsuki sighed dramatically, making TenTen chuckle despite herself.
Thankfully, he stopped staring and instead kept an eye on Fū, letting TenTen focus fully on her project.
Meanwhile, Natsuki used Water Release: Telescope Jutsu to check in on Naruto and Gaara's training.
Naruto seemed to have completed his waterfall-splitting exercise and was now attempting to merge shape transformation and nature transformation. It looked like his Wind Release: Rasenshuriken was nearly complete.
Gaara, on the other hand, was progressing even faster.
He raised his hand, forming a wind disc about the size of a plate, and hurled it forward. Though small, its destructive power was considerable—cutting through countless trees before finally dissipating.
It was still unstable, unable to form a larger, thinner, and faster-spinning disc. The wind's cutting force wasn't sufficient yet, otherwise its power would be far greater.
Still, for just a few days of training, his progress was impressive.
Just then, TenTen exclaimed, "Done! My external Magnet Release heart is complete!"
She strapped the device onto her arm. At first glance, it resembled a chakra battery, but its essence was entirely different.
TenTen pulled out a kunai, channeling Magnet Release chakra. To Natsuki's delight, the kunai floated into the air. She continued manipulating it, moving it smoothly through the air.
Her testing wasn't finished. Soon, she brought out dozens more kunai—over a hundred in total.
All hovered in the air under her control, arranging into various formations at her command.
Natsuki grinned.
"It worked! TenTen, congratulations—you've grown stronger again!"
TenTen puffed up proudly.
"Hehe, impressive, right? Now you can use Magnet Release, and so can I. From here, we can explore and develop new techniques together."
"On that note, I have an idea."
Natsuki leaned closer, his voice thoughtful.
"Electricity and magnetism—they're interconnected, two sides of the same coin. For example, there's something called a railgun. Under the combined force of electricity and magnetism, it generates thrust in a single direction. The stronger the current and magnetic field, the greater the thrust—capable of pushing small objects to speeds approaching light. Its destructive power is immense. Using this principle, we can create an electromagnetic cannon. Imagine it as a high-energy gun."
TenTen's eyes gleamed, though she struggled to visualize it.
"An electromagnetic cannon? How powerful would it be?"
Natsuki gave her an example.
"Take Sasori's puppet, Hiruko—that thing is sturdy, right? If struck by an electromagnetic cannon, it would be pierced instantly. And the energy would keep traveling, smashing through mountains and rock with ease."
TenTen gasped.
"That strong?! But surely it's hard to develop?"
"Heh, don't you know me by now?"
Natsuki ruffled her twin buns.
"If I said it, then I already have confidence in it. Of course, an electromagnetic cannon is dangerous. So we'll start small—create an electromagnetic gun first. Less power, but enough speed and range for instant kills at any distance. Once that design is perfected, double the output—and there's your cannon."
TenTen nodded eagerly.
"My husband is brilliant—I believe in you!"
Natsuki's smile widened.
"Then you'll need to deepen your mastery of both Lightning Release and Magnet Release. The better your control over electricity and magnetism, the smoother the path to developing electromagnetic guns and cannons."
TenTen agreed wholeheartedly. Even without the Six Paths Tools, she had advanced again, and her heart soared with joy.
Those tools were trump cards—never to be used lightly.
Which was why, despite possessing them, TenTen still pursued her own growth. A true legendary kunoichi wasn't defined by tools alone, but by many powerful techniques of her own.
That was her dream—and she would never slacken.
Thankfully, she had Natsuki's unwavering support, helping her avoid countless detours and making her path to strength all the smoother.
"Hey, you two!"
Fū's voice rang out as she buzzed over on insect wings.
"TenTen was supposed to keep me company! How'd it turn into you two showing off your love? And Natsuki—you didn't even say anything when you got here. When did you arrive?"
Natsuki answered seriously, "Just a little while ago. I saw you training hard, so I didn't want to interrupt."
Of course Fū knew that wasn't true, but she didn't call him out. Instead, she chirped excitedly,
"Anyway, Natsuki—did you see my move earlier? Wasn't I amazing?"
(End of Chapter)
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