Hinata ultimately could not resist Hanabi's stubbornness, and accompanied her via Spatial Teleportation to Immortal Village for training.
The departure of the two sisters gave Shun, who usually had to deal with numerous trivial matters, a rare period of free time.
Inside the Ninja World Royal Palace's Hall, he sat languidly upon the high main seat.
His expression held a hint of deep contemplation, and his gaze passed through the curling incense smoke.
A moment later, he slowly withdrew his gaze and murmured softly, "Twenty-four Royal Consorts... Gathering them will make my luck flourish."
This was not a vain fantasy, but a conclusion he reached after countless repeated deductions using his dojutsu, and it was a crucial plan for strengthening his luck and stabilizing his rule over the Ninja World.
He slowly ran his hand over the scroll spread out on the desk, his fingertips tracing the names that had already been marked, his gaze lingering on each character for a moment as he silently counted the candidates whose fates were sealed.
Hinata, Ino, Yakumo, Kurotsuchi, Pakura.
Counting these five women who were about to be brought under his banner one by one and adding Hanabi, who insisted on going to Immortal Village and clearly wanted to marry him, that makes six people.
He was still short one Royal Consort to reach the number twenty-four.
Remembering Hanabi, he lightly clicked his tongue, a smile curving at the corner of his lips. "That little girl certainly has some guts. She knows the path ahead is difficult, yet she still insists on joining in the fun. Interesting. But right now, I'm still short one Royal Consort candidate."
He quickly scanned the many suitable young women of the Ninja World in his mind.
Just as he was pondering, a name popped out.
Tenten!
He softly spoke the name, his finger pausing slightly, then a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Tenten... she's a year older than Hinata, a suitable age, and still single. She would be a fitting candidate."
As his thoughts became clearer, he used the authority of a superior and spoke softly, "Someone, bring me Tenten's detailed information report."
After he finished speaking, hurried yet unhurried footsteps came from outside the hall. A black-clad guard, holding a neatly bound Intel Booklet, quickly walked into the hall.
He bowed and presented it on the desk, then silently withdrew, not daring to cast a single extra glance.
Shun casually opened the booklet, his gaze falling upon the pages as he carefully studied them.
The information on the pages was detailed: Tenten, originally from Konoha, trained under Guy since childhood, and was close friends with Neji and Lee. She especially loved fortune-telling, and studying ancient Ninja Tool Texts, possessing countless rare Ninja Tools and Original versions of books in her home.
Her disposition was exceptionally gentle and kind, always proactively caring for those around her, especially Neji and Lee, whom she looked after with great care.
Her zodiac sign was Pisces, she was optimistic and cheerful, and sincere to others, but poor at managing money, spending lavishly, and habitually relying on those close to her, easily panicking when encountering sudden situations and lacking adaptability.
"Fortune-telling? That's a somewhat interesting hobby." Shun murmured to himself, a glint flashing in his eyes, as a plan quietly took shape in his heart.
At this moment.
In Konoha, the sunlight was just right in an elegant courtyard.
The courtyard walls were covered in emerald green vines, dotted with a few unknown small flowers, appearing vibrant and full of life.
Tenten was sitting at a wooden table by the window, with Tarot Cards and an Astrological Chart spread out before her. A cup of steaming clear tea sat on the table, its aroma mingling with the floral scent in the air, making it especially pleasant.
A golden ray of light shone through the carved window lattice into the room, landing precisely on the Tarot Cards, making the patterns on the cards appear even clearer.
She lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath her eyelids.
Tenten sighed, concentrating as she gently flipped the cards, her movements extremely soft.
Ever since she woke up this morning, she had felt restless and uneasy, so she decided to perform a divination for herself to check her recent fortune and put her mind at ease.
The cards gently flipped under her fingertips, and a "Lovers" Card, representing strong romantic luck, appeared before her. The man and woman on the card stood embracing, their eyes gentle and full of affection.
Tenten's eyes instantly lit up, and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks, as if stained with rouge. Unable to suppress the joy in her heart, she lightly tapped the card face with her fingertip, the corners of her lips unconsciously turning up.
Several familiar figures involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
Neji, serious and reserved, yet always silently helping her when she faced difficulties, especially protective of her.
Lee, passionate like fire, full of energy, always inviting her to train together, and bringing her immense vitality, like a small sun.
And... Shun?
Thinking of that name, Tenten shook her head abruptly, as if trying to shake off the sudden thought.
She was secretly confused.
Why would she think of Shun? Was it because outsiders constantly rumored he was lustful and surrounded by many women, causing her subconscious to consider him?
It wasn't that she was unaware of the outside rumors.
Since Shun unified the Ninja World, he had become the idol in the hearts of countless women, thanks to his handsome appearance, formidable strength, and supreme power.
Crucially, he was very lustful and never concealed his fondness for beautiful women. Thus, novels, comics, movies, and TV series about him emerged endlessly, and there were even many indecent fan books circulating privately. She had inadvertently seen a few herself and had blushed fiercely at the time.
'Or perhaps I've read too many books featuring Shun-sama, which is why I'm having such ridiculous thoughts.'
The moment this thought appeared, her cheeks grew even redder, her breathing became slightly erratic, and her heart was thrown into chaos.
To soothe this sudden flurry of panic, Tenten simply put away the Tarot Cards and Astrological Chart, grabbed the neatly arranged Kunai nearby, and quickly walked toward the training field behind the courtyard.
She took a deep breath, trying to cast all the chaotic thoughts aside. Holding three Kunai in each hand, she flung her arms, and the Kunai were thrown out one after another with sharp whistling sounds, silver arcs slicing through the air and accurately hitting the bullseye in the distance.
The 'thudding' sounds of the Kunai hitting the wooden targets rose and fell, exceptionally clear in the quiet training field.
Even so, the turmoil in her heart was only slightly eased, not completely dispersed. The card representing romantic luck and the image of Shun, which she had unintentionally recalled, constantly lingered in her mind.
Meanwhile, inside the Royal Palace, Shun had finished reading Tenten's intel report, clearly understanding her preferences, personality, and even her flaws.
He put down the booklet, his fingertips lightly tapping the desktop. He was pondering how to subtly approach Tenten and make her willingly fall for him, when his senses inadvertently swept toward Konoha.
This sweep allowed him to sense Tenten, who was alone in the training field throwing Kunai, her expression showing a hint of distraction.
A plan instantly flashed in his eyes, and a meaningful smile formed on his lips. "Ask and you shall receive. Tenten, hurry and fall into my hands."
Shun immediately stood up, his figure flickering as he turned into an afterimage, silently leaving the hall.
Relying on his mastery of Space-Time Jutsu, he appeared on a large tree near the training field in the blink of an eye.
He deliberately slowed his pace and leaped down from the tree, pretending to be just passing by. His hands were clasped behind his back, but his gaze was secretly fixed on Tenten in the training field.
He saw her focused on throwing Kunai, yet her breathing was somewhat erratic, clearly indicating her mind was elsewhere.
Shun's fingertips moved slightly, and an extremely faint, almost imperceptible thread of Chakra quietly leaked out. Like invisible silk threads, it precisely wrapped around two Kunai that were about to hit the bullseye, and with a gentle tug, caused them to collide in mid-air.
Clink... Clink...
A series of crisp collision sounds rang out, breaking the tranquility of the Training Field.
One of the Kunai was deflected by the force, changing its trajectory, and shot straight toward the head of a certain person who was "just passing by".
This scene happened so suddenly that Tenten didn't even react. She could only watch helplessly as the Kunai changed direction and flew toward the figure not far away, causing her face to instantly turn pale and her heart to jump into her throat.
Just as the Kunai was about to reach him, Shun remained composed, as if he had expected it all along. He slowly extended two fingers and firmly pinched the flying Kunai. The tip of the Kunai was only an inch away from his glabella, yet his expression didn't change, and his eyes didn't even flicker.
Then he slowly turned his head, his gaze accurately landing on Tenten in the Training Field, a gentle smile on his lips.
When Tenten saw the sudden appearance of Shun and witnessed him easily catching the Kunai she threw with just two fingers, her mind instantly went blank. All her movements froze, and she even forgot to breathe.
Shun-sama? Why is he here?
After realizing what had happened, Tenten hastily dropped the Kunai in her hands and quickly stepped forward, her cheeks flushed red.
She stood there flustered, waving her hands continuously, unsure of what to do. "Shun-sama! I... I didn't mean to! I had no idea you were here, please forgive me!"
Shun released his fingers, allowing the Kunai to fall into his palm, and then slowly walked toward Tenten. His steps were calm, his aura powerful yet not oppressive.
He smiled and said, "Tenten, you don't need to be nervous. I know you didn't do it on purpose."
He paused, his gaze resting on her flushed cheeks. "I noticed your breathing was erratic when you were throwing Kunai, as if something was on your mind. Have you run into some trouble? Why don't you tell me about it? Perhaps I can help you."