Just as Mamoru was lost in his fantasies, almost constructing his 'Hokage Empire,' a slightly cute and naive voice suddenly pulled him back to reality.
"Eh? Mamoru?"
Mamoru snapped out of it and looked closely. Tenten was standing not far away, holding a bulging bag in each hand, her head tilted as she looked at him curiously.
"Ten... Tenten, what are you doing here?" Mamoru asked instinctively.
"What do you mean 'what'?"
Tenten turned her head toward a large detached house by the road and spoke as if it were obvious, "This is my home, so of course I'm here."
Mamoru followed her gaze. It was a comfortable and spacious-looking residence. Although there were a few repair marks on the outer walls, it was overall well-preserved, with several pots of lush green plants on the windowsill.
"Oh." Mamoru shrugged, indicating he understood.
"Oh? What kind of attitude is that?" Tenten narrowed her eyes, pretending to be unhappy as she puffed out her cheeks.
She walked forward with her bags and deliberately bumped him lightly with her shoulder.
Mamoru was slightly stunned by this sudden intimate gesture, then laughed at the girl's childish behavior.
Shaking his head, he asked, "What are you holding? It's so heavy."
"This?"
Tenten shook the heavy bags in her hands, the rustling sound of ingredients colliding coming from within. "It's all groceries. My mom asked me to help buy them."
She suddenly thought of something and paused. She peeked at Mamoru, her tone becoming a bit hesitant. "Um... have you eaten lunch yet?"
"Not yet." Mamoru sighed with a bit of a complaint.
"I don't know where Sasuke went, and there's no one at home to cook, so I had to come out and find something to eat."
"Then... then do you want to come to my house for lunch?" Tenten's eyes lit up, and her tone became lighthearted, carrying a hint of expectation.
"We're having hot pot today."
Mamoru was originally hesitating, considering whether it would be inconvenient with the girl's family there. But as soon as he heard the words 'Hot pot,' his eyes lit up, and his stomach let out a cooperative "growl."
He replied frankly, "Sure."
"Eh? Eeeeeeeh!?"
Tenten hadn't expected him to agree so readily. She was stunned for a moment, then her eyes widened, and she let out a series of incredulous exclamations, her cheeks turning red at a visible speed.
"Why such a big reaction?"
Mamoru found it amusing and teased her on purpose, "If you don't want me to, then forget it. I'm leaving."
He turned around as if to leave, but just as he lifted his leg, his wrist was tightly grabbed by a hand.
"Don't go!" Tenten's voice was more urgent than before.
Perhaps because she moved too quickly, the two heavy bags in her hands fell to the ground with a thud. Several round little potatoes rolled out of the bags, bouncing lightly on the road.
"Come... home with me." She didn't let go of his wrist, her voice dropping slightly but still clearly audible.
"Okay." Mamoru answered briefly, a trace of a smile on his lips.
He crouched down, picked up the scattered potatoes one by one, threw them back into the bag, and then easily lifted the two heavy shopping bags with one hand.
He looked at Tenten, who was still dazed and said, "Lead the way. I want to eat Hot pot."
Tenten finally snapped out of it and burst into laughter. She let go of his wrist and turned toward her front door with a light step.
Mamoru followed her with the bags. The previous fantasies about being Hokage quietly dissipated, leaving only the weight of the ingredients in his hand and the girl's joyful back ahead.
...
At the doorstep, Tenten hesitated, her fingers resting on the doorknob.
Now that it was actually happening, she felt a wave of embarrassment. This was the first time she was bringing a friend home, and he was the boy she liked.
Mamoru stood quietly behind her, but his heart was full of anticipation.
Since transmigrating into this world, this was the first time he had heard the word 'Hot pot.'
The ones he had tried in shops before were all sweet Sukiyaki, which he had long grown tired of. It really didn't suit his taste.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva quietly.
Tenten had an internal struggle, but finally steeled herself, turned the doorknob, and pushed the door open.
As soon as the two stepped into the entryway, a gentle and soft voice sounded from inside the house. "Are you back, Tenten?"
Accompanied by light footsteps, a woman walked over gracefully.
Her hair was styled in exquisite buns with a pearl hairpin, and her appearance was seventy to eighty percent similar to Tenten's, only with a more mature charm.
The woman saw the unfamiliar boy following Tenten and widened her eyes slightly. "Oh my..."
Mamoru's eyes lit up when he saw the beautiful woman. He leaned into Tenten's ear and whispered, "Is this your sister?"
Tenten was bending over to take off her shoes. Hearing this, she paused and turned her head in confusion. "Sister?"
Mamoru's whisper reached the ears of the woman.
"This child is quite the smooth talker." She covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Hello, I am Tenten's mother."
"Huh?!" Mamoru was stunned.
The woman before him had a lovely face and an elegant temperament, looking like she was only in her early twenties.
Tenten stepped onto the entryway platform, her bare feet landing on the floor, and introduced him with slightly red cheeks, "Mom, this is my friend, Mamoru. I happened to run into him on the way, so I invited him home for Hot pot."
"So you're Mamoru."
Tenten's mom leaned down slightly to examine Mamoru's face, then nodded in satisfaction. "Just like the rumors say, you really are very pretty."
Ma'am, using the word 'pretty' here is a bit offensive.
Mamoru's lips twitched imperceptibly, but he remained polite on the surface. "You know me?"
Tenten's mom's eyes curved into crescents, her words full of praise. "The hero who repelled the invaders and protected the village recently, that's you, right? The story has spread all over the neighborhood."
"I've always wanted to meet you, and today I finally have."
"Mom, stop it." Tenten lightly pulled her mother's arm. "It's not good to keep someone standing here."
"That's true." Tenten's mother realized and stepped aside to clear the way. "Mom was being impolite. Please, come in."
"Pardon the intrusion."
Mamoru took off his shoes and stepped onto the entryway platform, his movements unusually proper and upright.
Tenten watched him from the side, a confused look appearing in her eyes.
Facing her searching gaze, Mamoru acted as if he didn't see it. He had a set of 'acting rules for different targets'—in front of certain elders, he couldn't lack any proper etiquette.
The three went to the living room, and Mamoru looked around, secretly marveling.
As expected of a wealthy family. The sheer size of this living room was almost as large as his entire house.
The interior was elegantly furnished, with wooden furniture gleaming with a warm luster, and several ink wash paintings with profound artistic conceptions hung on the walls.
Tenten's mother warmly said, "Don't be a stranger. Just treat it like your own home. This is the first time Tenten has brought a friend home, and I didn't expect it to be a boy. You two aren't dating, are you?"
"Mom!" Tenten's face turned completely red instantly, and she covered her burning cheeks with her hands. "What nonsense are you saying?"
Mamoru didn't feel embarrassed. Instead, he found the interaction between the mother and daughter quite interesting, a trace of a smile appearing in his eyes.
Tenten's mother said with a smile, "Don't be shy, mom won't object. It's just that your father's side might be a bit more troublesome."
Tenten quickly changed the subject, "Is dad not back yet?"
"The village just went through such a major event, so there are many customers buying ninja tools. The pre-ordered goods won't be fully delivered until next month, and your father has been extremely busy these past few days."
Tenten's mother looked at the wall clock. "But judging by the time, he should be back around now."