Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly as he took in the sight before him.
Masami stood there, tall and poised, her hands resting neatly over her flat stomach as she faced him.
With the black cloak removed and the bandages that had tightly wrapped her slender arms now gone...
Her figure was fully revealed.
Slim yet full in all the right places, with smooth, luminous skin that seemed to catch the fading sunlight streaming into the room.
Under the golden glow of dusk, her pale complexion carried a faint sheen, flawless to the point where even the slightest imperfection was nowhere to be seen.
After removing her mask, her oval face...marked with intricate patterns...didn't diminish her beauty. If anything, it added a striking, almost dangerous allure.
A loose strand of bangs slipped free, falling across one eye and partially obscuring her vision, adding to the mysterious quality of her appearance.
Combined with her naturally gentle demeanor and those markings across her face, she gave off a presence that was both elegant… and captivating.
Her figure was equally impressive.
Even dressed in a modest, form-fitting white underlayer that covered her torso...
The rise and curve of her chest were impossible to ignore.
Ethan swallowed quietly.
He had known Masami was beautiful.
But seeing her like this...
With all the layers gone, standing before him in nothing but simple clothing...
The difference was far greater than he expected.
This was exactly the type of woman he found hardest to deal with.
Masami gave a shy smile and instinctively tilted her head slightly...
Then immediately corrected herself, forcing her posture straight again.
She pushed down the unfamiliar mix of embarrassment, nervousness… and a faint, unexplainable anticipation.
Even as she met his gaze directly, her hands unconsciously intertwined in front of her.
Her fingers lightly brushed against each other without her realizing it.
She became aware of something important.
Just as she had suspected...
There was no discomfort.
In the past, even fully covered, if anyone came within a few meters of her, she would feel an uncontrollable sense of disgust.
If they came closer...
Her temper would flare, and she would lose control.
But now...
She was standing this close.
Even dressed far more lightly than she ever allowed herself to be.
And yet...
There was nothing.
No rejection.
No irritation.
Only a strange sense of ease… and even a hint of excitement.
Her thoughts moved quickly.
Then she forced herself to hold his gaze.
A faint blush appeared across her face without her noticing, her long lashes trembling slightly.
Seeing that Rasa remained silent, simply watching her...
She felt she should say something.
Her lips parted slightly, and before she could stop herself, the words slipped out.
"I… I've never stood like this in front of anyone before."
"Not like this. Even letting someone get within arm's reach usually makes me lose control."
The moment she finished speaking...
She regretted it.
What was that supposed to mean?
That didn't even make sense.
Ethan blinked, then quickly snapped out of it.
"Right… yeah. It's fine. You didn't need to go that far."
"Taking off the mask and cloak would've been enough."
He silently cursed himself.
He had been so focused on observing her that he hadn't realized how inappropriate it might seem.
Hearing that he didn't take issue with her awkward words...
Masami relaxed slightly.
At the same time, a quiet sense of gratitude surfaced.
She had been bracing herself to be reprimanded.
Instead...
He responded calmly.
Her lashes fluttered gently as she smiled, sitting down just like that without any hesitation.
After exchanging a few lines...
.
.
.
Masami suddenly let out a small sound of realization.
"Oh..."
She hurried over to the chair where her cloak had been placed and began searching through it.
Before Ethan could speak...
She had already found what she was looking for.
She ran back toward him, heels tapping lightly against the floor, and handed over a folded document.
Ethan accepted it with both hands.
Before he could ask...
She spoke first, smiling slightly.
"This is a summary of all Guard Platoon members and their basic information."
Ethan's expression tightened.
He immediately folded the paper back and returned it.
"I can't take this."
"The Guard Platoon answers directly to the Kazekage. I'd be overstepping."
There was no benefit to looking at it now.
If word got out that he was already trying to access Guard Platoon information while the Third Kazekage's status was still unclear...
It would only create unnecessary trouble.
Masami paused, clearly surprised.
She hadn't expected him to refuse so cleanly.
Then...
Her eyes lit up.
Her breathing quickened slightly.
So this is the kind of person he is…
Someone who doesn't chase power recklessly.
Her smile brightened as she accepted the document back, then immediately pulled out another.
"Then at least take this."
"Aoki's combat intelligence."
Ethan considered it briefly.
That was reasonable.
He nodded and accepted it.
As he read, his focus sharpened.
The more he went through it, the clearer it became...
Aoki's confidence wasn't baseless.
There were several Jutsus listed that Ethan hadn't seen in his inherited memories.
But that worked in his favor.
Now he could prepare specifically to counter them.
As he continued reading...
A familiar, faint scent drifted closer.
Subtle. Floral.
Then...
He felt something behind his head.
Soft.
Resilient.
At the same time, the light on the page dimmed slightly.
And a pair of slender hands rested gently on his shoulders.
"Masami… what are you doing?"
Her voice came from behind him.
"You looked tense."
"This chair doesn't have back support. Sitting like that for too long will strain you."
"Let me support you… and help you relax."
Though it sounded like a question...
She had already moved into place.
Her hands began pressing lightly into his shoulders.
Masami's face, however, told a different story than her calm voice.
A deep flush had spread across her cheeks.
Even through layers of clothing...
The contact was intense.
That part of her body was far more sensitive than most.
And now...
It was pressed directly against him.
Combined with the motion of her arms as she worked...
The contact shifted slightly with every movement.
Her body reacted instinctively.
A faint tremor ran through her.
She bit down lightly, forcing herself to stay steady.
Suppressing the unfamiliar sensations rising within her.
Ethan, meanwhile, had no idea what was happening behind him.
He simply closed his eyes slightly, focusing on the sensation of the massage.
Her method was clearly untrained.
Simple.
Repetitive.
Just pressing and releasing, without variation.
But even so...
It felt… surprisingly effective.
The subtle scent in the air, combined with the soft, elastic support behind his head...
Created a strangely relaxing effect.
He shifted slightly.
The sensation was even more noticeable.
This was… far beyond what he had expected.
He cleared his throat slightly, bringing himself back under control.
Then spoke
"A little more pressure."
"Your hands are too light."
"Can't you feel how stiff my shoulders are?"
Masami adjusted immediately.
Focusing on his instructions.
And just like that...
The atmosphere deepened.
◉◉◉◉◉
~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
◉◉◉◉◉
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!