How Kurama Leads Naruto Astray-Chapter 485 : Plan success!

The bandits in the Land of Hot Water were easily dealt with, so easily that Neji even suspected they were plotting something.

But later he found out there was nothing, they were just weak.

It took two days to travel from Konoha to the Land of Hot Water, two minutes to deal with the bandits, and then they went back to the Land of Hot Water to tell the leaders the news. After that, they found a place to rest, like Tenten said, to rest well for three days.

Soaking in the hot spring, Neji leaned against the edge with his eyes closed, enjoying the peace brought by the natural hot spring water.

He was indeed very tired. To catch up with Shikamaru, who became a Chunin first, to catch up with the strongest Team 7, and to not bring shame to the Konoha 12, he had used all his strength, training and doing missions non-stop.

From the end of the war until now, he hadn’t stopped for a moment.

Letting out a long breath, Neji opened his eyes and a smile appeared on his lips again.

Tenten’s idea was right, this rest allowed Neji to see himself more clearly.

"But a private bath is still too luxurious." Neji looked at the bath that could hold dozens of people, but only he was in it, and he felt it was a little strange.

Originally, he was thinking of finding a well-reviewed place and going to the public men’s bath, but Tenten suddenly took out her savings and proudly booked a private bath.

Public and private baths are separate. A private bath is like renting a room, but this room is connected to a bath that only you can use. The size of the bath depends on how much money you pay.

Looking at the bath that could hold dozens of people, Neji guessed that Tenten had spent a lot.

"Oh well, I’ll pay her back later." Neji lay in the bath and closed his eyes again.

Tenten was rich. Neji, as the son of the former leader of the Hyuga clan branch family, also had a lot of money. Plus his Jounin income, it wouldn’t be a problem to book a bath or buy the whole place.

Knock, knock, knock...

A knock on the door sounded.

"Sir, we’ve brought you some tea."

Neji opened his eyes and subconsciously looked back, but didn’t see anything. There was a screen between the room and the bath, and there were no gaps in the screen, so no one could see through.

"Please just put it on the table." Neji replied and closed his eyes again.

The door opened and closed very quietly, the footsteps were also very light, and the sound of the tea being placed down was very gentle, even the approaching footsteps were...

Approaching?

Neji suddenly opened his eyes, his Byakugan almost activating. Chakra caused the water in the bath to splash, as if a large stone had been thrown into the pond.

Then he turned around and saw Tenten standing at the edge of the screen, smiling.

Neji: "..."

Turning around quickly and crouching down in the bath, Neji covered his forehead with his hand. "Tenten... what are you trying to do, dressing up as a worker and coming here?"

Although it was brief, the Byakugan had indeed been activated for a moment. He could tell that Tenten in front of him wasn’t a transformation technique.

Tenten wrapped in a bath towel walked out from behind the screen, without saying anything, just walking barefoot to Neji’s back.

Now Neji was even more uneasy. He wasn’t wearing anything right now. "Tenten, there’s a limit to pranks."

"It’s not a prank." Tenten took off her bathrobe and stepped into the bath with a flushed face. "It’s not a prank..."

She... was still shy.

Neji took a deep breath and turned around to climb out, away from Tenten, but before he could move, Tenten’s hand grabbed his wrist. "Neji, If you run away now, I’ll never have the courage to confess to you again."

Neji froze completely, stunned in place.

Tenten’s grip on Neji’s hand wasn’t strong, or rather, it was very light. Even her voice was very soft, completely different from her usual boisterous self.

Behind him, Tenten lowered her head, one hand covering her chest, the other holding Neji’s wrist. "I like you, Neji. Not the kind of liking between teammates, but the kind of liking a girl has for a boy, like Hinata likes Naruto."

She wasn’t good at saying touching words, so she could only express her feelings directly.

She stepped forward gently, but didn’t dare to touch him. In the end, she could only turn around and lean her bare back against Neji’s back, like leaning against a wall.

The two of them... were back-to-back, pressed close to each other.

Tenten switched from holding Neji’s wrist to holding Neji’s hand, holding it gently.

She took a deep breath, her cheeks flushed, and looked up at the sky. "When we were in the Ninja Academy, I always liked you, but I didn’t dare to tell you. Because you were a genius of the Hyuga clan, destined to become a ninja, but I was a commoner, and I might fail under the team leader’s exam."

"So I didn’t dare to say it."

Tenten smiled. "But when I found out we were assigned to the same team, I was so happy, because it seemed I could become a ninja because of you... Although I didn’t become a ninja because of you."

"It’s because Guy-sensei is too lax." Feeling that Tenten wouldn’t do anything drastic, Neji didn’t think about leaving. Instead, he relaxed and leaned his back against Tenten. "If the team leader is Guy-sensei, anyone can pass."

"Are you saying it’s not okay?" Tenten clenched Neji’s hand angrily, and said in a threatening tone, "Are you not afraid that I’ll turn around and hug you right now?"

Neji: "..."

Sorry, I was wrong.

"Anyway, I’ve said everything I need to say. What do you think?" Tenten tilted her head slightly, resting the back of her head on Neji’s shoulder. "Do you like me, or not?"

Neji was silent, not saying a word.

Tenten wasn’t in a hurry, waiting for Neji to speak.

After a while, Neji suddenly shook his head. "Sorry Tenten, I... don’t know."

"Then it’s not ’dislike’?" Tenten turned slightly, resting her cheek against Neji’s.

Right now, the two of them were naked.

Neji was helpless. "You’re right... Also, Tenten, don’t turn around anymore. If you turn again, you’ll really be facing me."

"Facing... wouldn’t be so bad." Tenten happily held Neji’s hand. "Hey, Neji... do you have a girl you like?"

"No." Neji’s answer was without hesitation.

"Then if, in the future, the Hyuga clan arranges a marriage for you, would you accept?" Tenten asked again.

This time, Neji was silent for a moment. "Probably... I would."

"Then... between me and the marriage partner the Hyuga clan arranges for you, if you had to choose, who would you choose?" Tenten’s voice became very soft, as if she was afraid of hearing the answer to this question.

Neji... didn’t answer.

After a while, Tenten raised her head, stopped leaning on Neji, and turned to face him.

She didn’t get close, or grab Neji’s hand again, but just looked at Neji’s back. "Neji, if you answer now that you’d choose the partner the Hyuga clan arranged, or if you leave this bath using Body Flicker Technique..."

"Like before... I’ll never confess to you again... I’ll never make things difficult for you like this again..."

She let go.

Just like she said, as long as Neji

Said the words that would make her give up, or simply ran away, then in the future, Neji would just be her teammate.

Neji closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened his mouth with his eyes closed. "I’d choose you."

Just... that simple.

Yes, he wouldn’t say much, he would just tell Tenten his answer.

If there really was such a future, then even if he was tortured to death by the Main family using the Caged Bird seal, he would still choose Tenten.

Tenten lowered her head, making her expression unreadable. "I understand."

Neji breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Tenten speak again. "In my original plan, I should jump on you now, then you would say I’m not acting right, push me away, let me put on my clothes, and then leave using Body Flicker Technique."

"I would happily chase after you, and then you’d yell at me, and then drink the tea I brought in... and then, the long night would begin." Tenten raised the corners of her mouth and smiled at Neji’s stiff back. "But now I’ve changed my mind."

Neji felt that something was wrong. "What... do you mean?"

Tenten: "Neji, I like you, so I’m saying this in advance, don’t dodge! Don’t push me away! Don’t yell at me! And don’t run away!"

Neji: "What! You..."

A soft body hugged him from behind. The indescribable feeling made Neji freeze in place.

Subconsciously, he wanted to push Tenten away, wanted to scold Tenten, wanted to run away using Body Flicker Technique, but before he could finish the hand signs, he stopped completely. He still heard Tenten’s words, ’Don’t push me away! Don’t yell at me! And don’t run away!’

His body as stiff as wood, Neji’s face flushed. "Tenten, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Tenten hugged Neji tightly, burying her head in Neji’s neck and smiling as she replied, "I put a drug in that water. It’s a strong... aphrodisiac that Sakura helped me prepare. Just one bottle is enough to keep two adult boars going non-stop for a day and a night... and I poured the whole thing in."

Neji’s lips twitched.

You didn’t put the drug in the tea, you mixed tea into the drug.

Luckily, Tenten told him the rest of the plan, or else, with his personality, he really would have run away, scolded Tenten, and then drunk that drugged tea—oh, no, that drug with tea mixed in.

Secretly feeling lucky, Neji asked again, "Since that’s the case, you can just give up on the plan. Let go of me first. Later, if there’s anything..."

"When did I say I gave up?" Tenten smiled and leaned forward, pressing her entire body against Neji’s back, her mouth close to Neji’s ear. "I just didn’t expect you to be so honest, which ruined all the plans I made to use force. So now... it’s consensual."

"When did I consent?" Neji was starting to lose it.

He’ll be eighteen next year. As a young man, as a young ninja man, even if he didn’t deliberately try to understand, he would know a lot about some things from various sources. And there are some things that boys just can’t control!

Neji bent over, with Tenten draped across his back.

Looking at Neji’s uncomfortable appearance, Tenten blushed and ran her hand down Neji’s chest... and then... the Grip of Doom!

Neji: "..."

I think I should run away.

Wait... where’s my Chakra? Why is my Chakra...

He saw the piece of paper stuck to his chest, a Chakra seal.

Oh no.

Tenten: "Um... Neji... let’s spar a little... like we usually do... although... this is the first time we’re sparring like this..."

Neji: "...Tenten, calm down."

Tenten: "No~"