The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window into the room, gently brushing across Karin's face.
She slowly woke up, opening her eyes little by little, as if she were still immersed in that beautiful dream.
In the dream, her master's warm embrace had made her feel incredibly safe and happy.
Karin instinctively reached out and felt around beside her, a trace of confusion rising in her heart.
When she finally fully opened her eyes, the sight before her both startled and delighted her. Rengoku was actually sleeping in the same bed with her.
'This isn't a dream!'
In an instant, a blush spread across Karin's cheeks. Shyness surged up like a tide, yet at the same time, her heart was filled with an indescribable sense of happiness.
Looking at her still-sleeping master, Karin simply couldn't bear to get up and leave.
So she gently lay against Rengoku's chest, feeling his strong heartbeat.
Thump! Thump!
The steady, rhythmic sound echoed by her ear, and she couldn't help but smile sweetly.
Karin carefully reached out a finger and lightly poked Rengoku's cheek. Seeing that he didn't wake up, she pressed her whole body closer.
But the next moment, she seemed to bump into something. Her expression froze, and then her cheeks instantly flushed a deeper red.
After that, unable to suppress her curiosity, she reached her hand out.
And then…
A large hand tightly grasped her small one.
"Karin, what are you doing?"
The sudden question struck like a bolt of thunder, startling Karin.
She looked like a child caught doing something wrong, her face completely red, not knowing what to do.
"Ah… Shishou, you're awake?"
Rengoku gave a soft grunt and replied somewhat irritably, "I've been awake the whole time."
After all, his body was at an age full of vitality, and Karin's unrestrained groping like that could easily lead to trouble.
Thinking of this, Rengoku couldn't help but put on a stern face and scold her slightly, "Don't you know that messing around like that can cause problems?"
Hearing this, Karin's cheeks instantly burned red with embarrassment.
She quickly buried her head deep into Rengoku's broad, warm chest, not daring to make a sound for a long time.
Just as Rengoku was about to get up, Karin's soft body pressed tightly against him once again.
She shifted slowly, like a well-behaved little cat, and gradually leaned onto Rengoku's shoulder.
Then, a faint whisper, as soft as a mosquito's buzz, reached his ears, "If Shishou wants… that's okay too…"
In an instant, countless vivid and enticing images surged through Rengoku's mind, stirring his thoughts.
He couldn't help but reach out, gently placing his hands on Karin's graceful body, carefully feeling her soft, curved figure.
For a moment, his throat went dry, heat rising within him.
However, reason ultimately overcame desire.
Rengoku took a deep breath, trying to calm the surging impulses in his heart, then gently raised his hand and softly patted Karin's back.
Seeing that Rengoku didn't make any further move, Karin lifted her head and looked at him with watery eyes, speaking a little louder than before, "Shishou… don't you want to… eat me?"
There was both a girl's shyness in her words and a hint of irresistible allure.
Rengoku reached out and lightly tapped her silky hair, saying with a doting tone, "Oh? You sure know quite a lot."
As soon as he finished speaking, Karin tilted her head slightly and gave a playful, cute smile, letting out a soft giggle, like a little cat that had successfully stolen some cream.
Then she quietly edged even closer to him, pressing herself tightly against him.
Seeing this, Rengoku shook his head helplessly, then slowly raised his hand and gently brushed the loose strands of hair by her ear behind it. Leaning close to her ear, he said softly, "These kinds of things… wouldn't they be more meaningful if we leave them for the day you become my bride?" [T/N: —_— ]
Rengoku gazed at Karin tenderly, his eyes full of affection and care.
Hearing this, Karin's playful expression instantly turned serious. It was as if ripples spread through her heart, and her feelings of being moved showed plainly on her face.
She nodded obediently, no longer as mischievous as before, and replied softly, "Mm, I'll listen to you, Shishou."
At this moment, Karin was like a gentle little deer, docile and adorable.
After a while, Rengoku glanced at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, then turned to Karin, who was still lying in bed and refusing to get up, and said, "Get up now. It's getting late."
However, Karin rejected his suggestion without hesitation. She tightly hugged Rengoku's arm and said in a spoiled tone, "No way. It's not easy to get a chance like this, being so close to Shishou!"
After saying that, she went even further, wrapping her whole body around him like an octopus, clinging tightly and even rubbing against him from time to time, as if trying to get even closer.
Feeling such strong attachment from her, Rengoku couldn't help but feel a warm, gentle emotion rise in his heart.
He sighed helplessly. Since he couldn't win against this little one, he might as well let her have her way.
So Rengoku simply closed his eyes and began checking the golden finger he possessed, the Bond Star.
After saving Sasori yesterday, the bond between Sasori and Rengoku had reached four stars.
In contrast, Gaara's bond with him was still stuck at three stars.
It was obvious that Gaara's current strength was still lacking, so he couldn't unlock the fourth star.
But Karin's situation was more interesting. A fifth star had already appeared on the Bond Star.
It was just that going from the fourth star to the fifth required a massive amount of bond value, and it hadn't filled up yet.
Rengoku only glanced at it briefly before no longer paying it much attention.
After all, Karin was already awake now, but she was extremely restless.
Her whole body was like a mischievous kitten, constantly wriggling and rubbing around in Rengoku's warm embrace.
Faced with this, Rengoku had no choice but to reach out his right hand and lightly smack Karin's firm, rounded backside, "When you were drinking the Water of Life yesterday… was this what you had in mind?"
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