In the desolate wilderness, on a freezing winter night, within the confines of a small, low-ceilinged earthen cabin, no one knew what was transpiring. After the madness reached its crescendo and finally subsided, all that remained was heavy, ragged breathing and two bodies locked in a desperate, clinging embrace.
Within the fully flooded "garden," excess "spring water" seeped from the crevices, dripping onto the mattress below with a faint, rhythmic drip... drop...
Holding his teacher's soft, scalding body—now slick with fragrant sweat—Saiki couldn't suppress a full-body shiver. After catching his breath, he finally spoke. "Sensei... are you happy?"
"Mm... nngh!" Perhaps having never experienced such intense stimulation and physical exertion in her life, her consciousness was still hazy. She let out a muffled, incoherent murmur, leaving it ambiguous whether she was confirming his question or simply letting out an involuntary, instinctive moan.
"Sensei Tsume... you are amazing," Saiki whispered. He rested his chin against the base of her ear, his hot breath ghosting over her skin as he murmured intimately.
"Nngh!" Tsume let out a highly seductive, breathy moan, her head tossing weakly to the side in an attempt to dodge him. She whispered so quietly it was barely audible, "It tickles!"
It seemed that after ascending to "heaven," her body wasn't just burning up; it had become hyper-sensitive.
Seeing this, Saiki began nuzzling his cheek affectionately against hers. Keeping his lips near the base of her ear, he continued to tease her, slowly and deliberately exhaling hot breaths against her sensitive skin.
"Stop... it tickles..." she whispered again, radiating an aura of helpless, delicate femininity.
Seeing her like this only made Saiki want to bully her more. He extended the tip of his tongue and lightly traced the base of her ear, teasingly asking, "Sensei, you still haven't answered me! Are you happy when you're with me?"
Though her head was spinning, without the active use of dual cultivation Qi, Saiki wasn't quite powerful enough to stimulate her into passing out from pure ecstasy. As Saiki relentlessly pressed the question, Tsume's body stiffened. Finally, with a soft tremor, she pleaded, "Saiki... please, can we not talk about this anymore?"
"Sensei, I just want you to accept me!" Saiki continued, pressing kisses to her cheek and whispering into her ear.
Tsume chose to remain silent. Knowing he couldn't rush the process, Saiki accepted that this would be a long game and relented.
A surge of chakra flared outward, instantly evaporating the sweat from both of their bodies. Saki's chakra, flowing like a gentle tide, quickly cleansed them both perfectly.
Several arms sprouted from the earthen bed, pulling the thick quilt over their naked bodies.
Realizing Saiki intended to sleep while still fully draped over her and buried inside her, she finally couldn't hold back. "Saiki... can you get off me now?"
She didn't mind being held by him; she could handle his weight easily. But the "seeds" he had pumped deep inside her hadn't been cleaned out yet!
"No. Not unless you answer my question, Sensei Tsume," Saiki replied with shameless stubbornness.
Knowing exactly what answer he wanted, Tsume could only sigh internally and chose to remain silent once more.
Although being unable to clean herself made her feel slightly uncomfortable, as a ninja possessing the physical energy of chakra, she knew how to control her body to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Seeing his threat had failed, after blowing out the candle, Saiki shifted his weight, moving from lying on top of her to simply holding her tightly against his side as they prepared to sleep.
The first time they did it, they had gone multiple rounds. But tonight, once was enough. After all, they still had a multi-day journey ahead of them to get from the Land of Iron back to the front lines. He would have plenty of opportunities later; preserving their stamina for travel was the priority right now.
The next morning, Saiki opened his eyes.
"Mm?" He reached out, only to find the warm, soft body he'd been holding was gone. He snapped fully awake in an instant.
He sat up in a panic and instantly expanded his sensory perception. He let out a massive sigh of relief when he detected Tsume in the adjacent room.
"Phew! Scared the hell out of me!" He flopped back down and pulled the quilt over his head, taking a deep breath of the lingering, feminine scent on the fabric. Only then did he truly relax.
Thinking back to his battle with his teacher last night, even though she hadn't given him a verbal answer, her final silence was a tacit acceptance. Saiki felt a surge of pure excitement.
He mentally reminded himself that he still had a long way to go. After the last traces of sleep vanished, Saiki got out of bed.
"Good morning, Sensei Tsume!" Saiki greeted her with a bright smile.
Tsume was currently tending the fire in the earthen stove, preparing breakfast. Seeing Saiki emerge, she paused for a second before offering a smile. "Good morning, Saiki. Go wash up. Once we finish breakfast, we need to hit the road."
After experiencing another intense session of "hand-to-hand combat" the night before, she had deliberately woken up earlier than Saiki this morning to avoid any initial awkwardness. However, seeing him now, and remembering his relentless, embarrassing questions from last night, she still felt a bit lightheaded and unsure of herself.
"Okay!" Saiki nodded, pushing the door open to step outside the earthen cabin.
He looked up at the sky. It was still dark and overcast; the sun hadn't fully risen. While he didn't know Tsume's exact daily routine, compared to the two days they had spent in Furuki Town, she had woken up exceptionally early today.
Saiki could easily detect her slight nervousness. This made him wonder if he had pushed her too hard; he needed to be patient.
He let out a breath, which instantly crystallized into a plume of white mist in the freezing air. Based on her reaction, Saiki realized he needed to adjust his strategy.
After washing up, eating breakfast, and using Earth Style to dismantle the cabin back into flat ground, Saiki and Tsume resumed their journey.
While Saiki was carefreely plotting how to fully conquer Tsume and make her his exclusive "private car," many people back at the camp were worried sick about him.
Land of Fire Border, Leaf-Cloud Front, Konoha Rest Area!
After waking up and washing, Genhai and Kurenai were currently eating their meager breakfast.
The conflicts between the Great Nations were escalating wildly. Konoha was already being tag-teamed by the major villages of the Cloud and the Stone, and now even the Hidden Mist was showing signs of mobilizing. The Leaf's situation was catastrophic.
Saiki and Tsume had only been missing for a few days, but to prepare for the worst, the front lines had already implemented strict rationing. The camp's meals had devolved from a hot breakfast to cold water and compressed dry rations.
It wasn't that Konoha was out of food; the village itself had plenty. The problem was that the supply convoys were constantly being ambushed and slaughtered by enemy interception squads. A massive percentage of their supplies simply weren't reaching the front.
The terrible food was one thing, but the disappearance of Saiki and Tsume had left both Genhai and Kurenai deeply depressed.
Just as the two were finishing the last bites of their dry rations, Shinku Yuhi returned to the tent.
"Dad!" Kurenai greeted him.
"Captain Shinku!" Genhai added. The usually energetic, spiky-haired boy sounded utterly drained of life.
With Saiki and Tsume missing, Genhai and Kurenai had been temporarily placed under Shinku's command.
Shinku nodded in acknowledgment. "Mm. Finish eating quickly and rest for a bit. We have training exercises today."
"Yes, Sir," Genhai agreed listlessly.
Kurenai nodded as well, but then looked up at her father. "Dad, is there still no news about Saiki or Sensei Tsume?"
Genhai immediately looked up, his eyes fixed on Shinku.
Seeing his daughter looking like she'd lost her soul, Shinku could only sigh internally, lamenting the reality that daughters eventually grow up and give their hearts away. However, he offered a reassuring reply. "Don't worry! Saiki is fine. Tsume and Kuromaru share a blood-contract link. When Saiki took Tsume and teleported away, Kuromaru confirmed that Tsume isn't in any life-threatening danger. If she's safe, Saiki is definitely safe too."
Nearby, the massive ninken Kuromaru, currently separated from his master, didn't share the children's overt depression. Through their unique bond, he knew Tsume was physically safe. However, for some inexplicable reason, the dog had a very, very bad feeling about what she was currently doing.