Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

After answering a few questions regarding the facilities he would like included with his estate, Nobu had Chikako take Midori to the bath before gathering all three of the girls together in his room.Seeing the trio lined up in front of him, each demonstrating varying degrees of nervousness, Nobu honestly didn't know what he was going to do. He had considered asking the Matriarch to let them back into the kunoichi program but that wasn't exactly doing them any favors. They were already considered to be failures, so, even if they were to join their original generational group, they would undoubtedly find themselves ostracized while forced to undergo training that no girls their age should have to experience.As this and several other thoughts crossed his mind, Nobu passed his gaze over each of the girls in turn. The tallest, a girl named Yoshitsune Sachiko, possessed ruby-red eyes and raven black hair that flowed past her shoulders. She still had chubby cheeks and an immature physique that lacked even a hint of feminine charm, yet, had they been back on Earth, Nobu could easily picture her in movies or commercials.Shifting his attention away from the ridiculously photogenic young girl, Nobu set his sights on the only person within the group that didn't appear afraid, a tomboyish girl with pale-blonde hair and honey-colored eyes. Her name was Yoshitsune Nariko, and, though she was clearly nervous, there wasn't even a hint of fear in her eyes. In fact, much like the girls who had swarmed him during his journey up the mountain, she appeared more excited and curious than anything else...After instinctually classifying the pale-haired girl as the most troublesome among the trio, Nobu shifted his attention to the smallest girl within the group, the teal-haired Midori. He wasn't quite sure, but Nobu believed Midori literally translated to 'green'. As for the girl in question, she had darker skin than the other girls, natural green hair that could never be found back on Earth, and, most notably, pupilless orange eyes that resembled crystal clear amber.Tensing up the moment Nobu looked towards her, the only thing preventing Midori from looking away was the fear that she would be discarded. She, like the other girls, knew nothing about Nobu, so, the longer the awkward silence continued, the more nervous she felt.Noticing the teal-haired girl's considerable fear, an exhausted sigh escaped Nobu's throat as he shook his head and said, "Just relax...I'm not going to do anything bad to you. I can't really blame you for having doubts, but I was serious when I asked the three of you to be my friends. For now, just pay attention and tell me if you notice anything strange..."Having said that, Nobu bit the bullet and invested 1362 Aura into adding Sachiko, the raven-haired girl, to his Friends List. To his surprise, the stone tablet briefly flashed before an exact copy plopped down onto the ground. Nobody else seemed to notice this but Sachiko's eyes immediately followed the device, confusion appearing in her ruby-red eyes as she tilted her head to the side.Picking up the second tablet, Nobu asked, "Can you see this...?" while tapping the screen with his thumb.Though everyone else present seemed more than a little confused, Sachiko invariably nodded her head before meekly replying, "Y-Yes...it looks like a thin piece of river rock that has been polished into the shape of a rectangle...?" while following the device with her eyes.Nodding his head, Nobu ignored the inquisitive looks he was receiving as he attempted to activate the secondary stone tablet. Truth be told, he wasn't all that comfortable with handing out his cheat to others. This was undoubtedly selfish of him, but, considering it was the only thing that made him special in this world, he was reluctant to hand out copies...Unfortunately, even after several minutes of awkwardly fumbling around with something only he and Sachiko could see, Nobu was unable to awaken the second tablet. Thus, after a considerable amount of hesitation, he gestured for Sachiko to come closer, his tone audibly helpless as he said, "Take this tablet and press your thumb to the polished side..."Though she was nervous about approaching anywhere near Nobu, Sachiko swallowed hard before obeying his instructions. This caused her to feel a tremendous amount of pressure, not from Nobu himself, but the kunoichi closely monitoring her every movement.Noticing the tense atmosphere, Nobu adopted a serious expression as he said, "Y'all need to chill the fuck out. She is just an eight-year-old brat. Stop glaring when she is literally just following my instructions..."As if someone had just opened several windows, the tense atmosphere in the room immediately vanished as the kunoichi present resisted the urge to lower their heads and apologize. Kumiko had advised them against overly formal behavior when they were alone with their Lord, so, while it was remarkably stressful, they did their best to appear calm.Shaking his head, Nobu gestured for Sachiko to come even closer, basically forcing her to sit right next to him so he could see what she was doing after receiving the tablet.Unsurprisingly, the surface of the tablet immediately lit up the moment Sachiko placed her thumb against the surface. This startled her quite a bit, but, believing the object was something invaluably precious, she held onto it with both hands so she wouldn't drop it.After an annoyingly long boot process, a frown appeared on Nobu's face as he saw the apps that had appeared on Sachiko's tablet. They appeared functionally identical to his own, so, unless there was some kind of restriction in place, this meant her tablet had the same functions as the original."Click on the little icon that looks like a sphere..."Though she was mesmerized by the glowing screen and strange symbols, Sachiko immediately obeyed Nobu's words. This caused the same series of logos Nobu had seen previously to flash across the screen, but, once the app had fully loaded, he immediately noticed a few differences in the UI and layout of Sachiko's cultivation app compared to his own.While there was a slightly luminescent sphere showing her current cultivation base, the number representing stockpiled clicks had a maximum value of 100. The left side of the screen also had a blue silhouette that vaguely resembled a transparent Sachiko sitting in a lotus position. Inside of this were various nodes linked together, each representing one of the various meridians within a person's body.Since it didn't work when he tried to interact with the screen, Nobu had Sachiko navigate through each of her tabs. One showed a similar status to the one that had appeared when he performed a comprehensive analysis of Midori while another included upgrades ranging from bone and muscle density to troubling values such as breast sensitivity. As for the final tab, it was functionally identical to his own cultivation tab, but, at the present moment, everything but the Metal Infusion Technique was locked.Seeing this, a feeling of dread swelled within Nobu's heart as he picked up his own stone tablet and noticed a new tab called Units and Upgrades. When opened, it showed a chibi version of Sachiko in her current outfit striking a battle-ready pose. Next to this was a [+] sign, and, once clicked, each of the tabs that appeared on Sachiko's tablet now appeared on his. In other words, she didn't upgrade herself using her own Aura. He had to use his own to make her stronger...Taking an inordinately long and deep breath, Nobu ran his fingers through his hair in a desperate attempt to keep himself from completely losing his shit. Then, in a voice that sounded more like a threat than the casual suggestion he intended it to be, Nobu stared at the trembling Sachiko and said, "Try tapping the glowing sphere on your screen..."After swallowing the lump in her throat, Sachiko nodded her head before proceeding to tap the screen with her tiny thumbs. This caused a 1.362 to appear on her screen, a value that made Nobu's eye twitch since his high click thus far had netted him a whopping 0.006 Aura. If not for the fact her Aura value hadn't increased in the slightest, he might have directly confiscated the tablet then and there.Returning his attention to his own tablet, Nobu's expression visibly relaxed as he muttered, "Keep going..." in a much gentler tone. Sachiko immediately obeyed this order, and, as could be expected, each of her clicks caused the value of his own Aura to increase by 1.362.As if his previous anger had been an illusion, a massive grin appeared on Nobu's face as he began to laugh like a mental patient. He suspected that she would only be able to click a maximum of 100 times a day, but, even then, that was a free 136.2 Aura per day. In other words, he earned 1/1000th of Sachiko's Aura each time she clicked. If this trend continued as she increased her base, she might very well become the primary source of his earnings in the near future."So that's how it's going to be...I see...hahahahahahahaha~!"Though Sachiko was terrified by Nobu's sudden behavior, she continued to click tirelessly until her stockpile had completely depleted. This caused the value to turn from white to red as a timer that displayed the remaining time until midnight appeared. From this, Nobu could extrapolate that the stockpile of his "units" would reset every day at midnight, but, considering he could earn back his investment after a mere ten days, he didn't care about such minor inconveniences in the slightest.Surprising the raven-haired girl quite a bit, Nobu ruffled her hair with the same massive grin on his face as he said, "Good job, kid. There are still a few things we need to test but you can't even begin to imagine how fucking stoked I am about this development. Just make sure you continue to tap on the screen whenever that counter at the bottom turns white, okay? So long as you remember that, I promise to help you become super strong. Deal?"Despite her tremendous confusion, Sachiko nodded her head as an excited smile blossomed across her face. She wasn't quite sure what was going on, but it felt good to be praised. It had been years since anyone told her she had done a good job, so, even if she was still concerned about her future, such thoughts seemed to evaporate the moment she had her head pat by her Lord.........After a series of experiments, Nobu confirmed that Sachiko's cultivation app was basically a human-powered auto-clicker. Her clicks increased his own Aura value, and, by investing in her growth, the value of her clicks would increase exponentially. As for her other two apps, the messenger app was basically just a chat room that allowed him to literally gift Aura while the camera app was just that, a camera. They could take as many pictures as they, but, if they wanted to know the specifics about any specific object, he would need to spend points to identify them.Simply put, the duplicate tablets served as extensions of the original, not standalone devices that would allow others to receive the same benefits. The only way they could benefit from them at all was if Nobu invested additional Aura into them. In exchange, they contributed to his strength and allowed him to passively stockpile Aura without needing to click. In other words, it was a mutualistic relationship that prioritized his growth since he was singularly responsible for enhancing everything from their potential to their physical appearances...("Things just got a whole lot more interesting...")......(A/N: That...that's overpowered as fuck...! Someone call the Developers! They done fucked up big time with this shady ass harem-building system...!)

Though it knocked him down to Rank 2 Mortal Breath, Nobu didn't regret investing his Aura into Sachiko, Nariko, and Midori. The maximum amount of Aura he was able to accumulate in a single day was around 432 at Rank 5. With the trio of girls contributing to his base, he was earning approximately 427 without any additional effort. More importantly, the amount they could contribute wasn't affected by his Rank, so, even if his system did have a 'reset' function, he could drastically reduce the amount of time it took to recoup his losses.When broken down to its most fundamental level, the stone tablet basically allowed Nobu to grow exponentially stronger based on the number and strength of people following him. Had he allowed himself to be reincarnated naturally, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that he would be earning upwards of a million Aura every single day from Yui alone. Instead, he now had to play catch up by quite literally relying on children, but, seeing how happy the trio was as they familiarized themselves with their stone tablets, Nobu couldn't help smiling until Kumiko took it upon herself to ask, "My Lord...it may be imprudent of me to ask, but can you please explain the current situation...?"Having just spent the last two hours watching her Lord advise the three trainees in the use of an invisible device, Kumiko could no longer restrain her curiosity. She was a kunoichi who had been specifically trained to collect information in order to help her Lord make more informed decisions so it made her feel indescribably uncomfortable having no idea what was going on.Shifting his attention away from the trio experimenting with their camera app, Nobu noticed the uncertainly visible in the face of Kumiko and several others. This caused his smile to turn slightly wry, but, having already decided there was no sense in doubting people who would readily lay down their lives to preserve his, he explained, "You'll have to wait until I'm stronger to experience it for yourself, but I basically have the ability to duplicate a stone tablet that has a variety of useful functions. For now, I'm trusting you girls with watching over and protecting these three squirts. They might not look like it, but they're the key to helping me grow strong in a short period of time."Hearing their Master's remark, Sachiko and Midori appeared equal parts excited and nervous. Nariko, however, adopted a massive grin on her face as she enthusiastically exclaimed, "Just leave it to me, Nobunaga-sama! Nariko won't let you down~!"Though it still felt awkward to hear a little girl address him with honorifics, Nobu managed to nod his head approvingly before returning his attention to Kumiko and saying, "If you can find me some paper and something to draw with, I'll make a user manual for you and the others to memorize I also want to draw up some clothing designs. Based on how complex some of your outfits are, I assume the village has its own tailors and artisans, correct?"Nodding her head, Kumiko answered, "Though most of our cold weapons are manufactured within the Oda Clan, the majority of our clothes and ninja tools are produced by specialists within the village.""Nice..."Since it would be a pain in the ass to think about external trade at this point, Nobu was happy to hear he could rely on the clan's experts. He would still need to find a way to pay them, but, since Hitomi had basically gifted him the trio of Midori, Sachiko, and Nariko, he still had a fair amount of money. It would probably cost him an arm and a leg to have all his clothes custom tailored, but there was no way in hell he was going to spend the rest of his life walking around in traditional Nianese clothing...As that thought crossed his mind, Nobu looked down at his lanky frame with a frown. He was practically just skin and bones right now, and, were it not for his unique cultivation technique, his stamina would be complete shit. This was unacceptable, so, while it would ultimately have to wait until later, he began to think about methods to improve his physique as Kumiko sent Chikako off to retrieve the supplies he had requested.........After spending much of the morning uninstalling traps and gathering her things, Yui returned to Nobu's room to find that there was a considerable amount of noise emanating from within. This made it difficult to announce her presence, so, after flaring her aura, she waited until Aiko opened the door before peering inside to find three young girls gathered around her Lord as he hunched over a drawing table.Frowning slightly, Yui made her way over to Kumiko before asking, "What happened while I was gone? Where did these three children come from...?" in a soft tone of voice.Handing over the 'manual' their Lord had prepared, Kumiko began explaining everything that had transpired since Yui's departure. This left her feeling more than a little exasperated, but, at the very least, she had now confirmed that Nobu did, indeed, possess a Heavenly Treasure.Heavenly Treasures came in all shapes and sizes, but, no matter what form they took, the one thing they had in common was that they allowed their users to achieve great things. It was the type of thing everyone coveted, but, unless you were chosen by the Heavens, even stealing a Heavenly Treasure was remarkably difficult. Their recipients were protected by fate, and, even if you did manage to kill or capture them, there was no guarantee you would be able to steal their treasure.Though Nobu's was unlike anything she had ever seen or heard of, Yui was absolutely certain it was a Heavenly Treasure of the highest grade. The ability to empower themselves was quite common among Heavenly Treasures. Nobu's, however, allowed him to empower both himself and others. This made it exponentially more valuable than the majority of Heavenly Treasures, as, throughout history, nations had been built and brought to ruin by people possessing such objects.Noticing Yui approaching, Nobu raised his hand in a casual manner, saying, "Yo. Welcome back." in a relaxed tone of voice. This caused the trio crowding around him to startle slightly, as, even among the younger generations, Yui was quite famous as an 'outcast' within the village. It didn't even cross their minds that they were technically outcasts themselves, but, fortunately for all parties involved, the trio had enough wherewithal to hold their tongues as Yui approached.After waving the girls away, Yui took a seat next to Nobu before looking down to see what he was working on. It wasn't the best drawing she had ever seen but it was far from the worst. As for what the image contained, it appeared to depict a rather muscular man with a short-sleeved shirt, pants, greaves, gauntlets, and several other items of clothing that had been meticulously drawn to include details such as metal fasteners and how the pockets should be arranged.Surprised by the amount of detail present within the image, Yui's brows perked up as she remarked, "This is remarkable. I don't think I've ever seen a belt quite like this one. My Lord appears to possess a talent for tailoring..."Laughing dryly in response to Yui's remark, Nobu resisted the urge to explain how his mother tried to ease the tensions between him and his father by teaching him how to design cosplay props and costumes. He was remarkably bad at sewing and cutting fabrics but he enjoyed the design process more than he ever let on. He had even considered cosplaying as one of his favorite characters from a game called Drakengard, but, fearing it would be a gateway to becoming an Otaku, he ultimately scrapped the idea after producing a replica of the main character's sword from foam and acrylic.Though the notion was a bit cringe, Nobu couldn't deny that the prospect of roaming around as a mysterious swordsman was a little enticing to him. He was a young man, and, while it was bound to bring him all kinds of troubles, who wouldn't want to be a badass if given the chance? At the very least, he didn't want to become some pansy-ass bitch who only sits around and gives orders. Sure, he would prefer a slow and easy life, but, knowing there were people whose lives depended on him, Nobu couldn't tolerate being a burden.With that in mind, Nobu began to doodle the outline of an ax as he stated, "I don't like how baggy the clothes of Nian are. They're uncomfortable and they shift around too much when I'm trying to move around and exercise. Something more form-fitting and elastic like this would be much better. Besides, I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm not particularly fond of the culture and traditions of Nian. This should make it pretty clear I'm not like other Nobles..."Seeing the ax her Lord was outlining, a thoughtful glimmer flickered across Yui's eyes. The majority of Nobles used ceremonial swords such as katanas, and, though they were equally proficient in the use of polearms, spears, and bows, most duels were settled using the traditional Nianese weapon. It wouldn't be a problem if he was a simple soldier, but, as someone with the potential to become the next Daimyo, Nobu was bound to receive substantial criticism if he endeavored to walk around with such a 'barbaric' weapon in hand.Though she wanted to caution him against such a thing, Yui ultimately just nodded her head with a supportive smile on her face. She could tell he was genuinely enjoying himself, perhaps for the first time since they met. Thus, rather than risk upsetting him, she just continued silently observing from the side until Cho arrived with lunch.........Immediately following Nobu's departure, Hitomi retreated to the innermost chamber of the main estate to find five inordinately beautiful women waiting for her. This included the perennially pink Suzune, a fierce-looking warrior with gold and black horns protruding from her head, a woman with vaguely snake-like features, an overtly seductive beauty with tattoos covering much of her exposed flesh, and a deceptively youthful-looking girl with inordinately large vulpine ears and six black tails framing her petite figure.In order, the women were Suzune, the Information Elder, Fumetsu, the Security Elder, Yumie, the Poison Elder, Koharu, the Torture and Interrogation Elder, and, last but not least, Inami, the High Priestess, Guardian, and Elder representing Inari Okami-sama. The latter was inarguably the oldest and most powerful member of the Yoshitsune Clan, but, due to her contract with the Goddess Inari, she was unable to become Matriarch and could never, ever, leave the mountain.Wearing her characteristic smile, Hitomi made her way to the seat at the very head of the assembly before sitting down and saying, "I'm glad you were all able to attend on such short notice. I wonder if the arrival of our Young Lord has anything to do with your sudden availability~?"Before any of the other Elders could speak, Inami took it upon herself to state, "Hitomi-sama. Why did you agree to let the Young Lord of the Oda Clan stay within the main estate without conferring with us? Do you truly believe it wise to allow a man to live within a domain blessed by Inari Okami-sama? If any of our people were to fall in love with him, the Goddess will not remain just sit idly by. You should be well aware of this. The Yoshitsune Clan is not allowed to love freely."Though she wanted nothing more than to flick or pull Inami's inordinately large ears, Hitomi just nodded her head in understanding before proceeding to explain, "I have gathered everyone with the intent of informing you about certain truths regarding the Young Lord. Once you hear what I have to say, I believe most of your concerns will be allayed. Now, listen closely...the very survival of the Yoshitsune Clan may hinge upon the decisions we make today..."......(A/N: Massive ears and six tails...that's a lot of fluff (O w O)...)

Adhering to Hitomi's orders, it took less than three minutes for a pair of kunoichi to arrive with both Midori and 100kgs of pure copper in tow.Though she did her best to appear calm, Midori required the assistance of the blonde-haired kunoichi just to enter the room. She was in a state where she could only follow orders, and, for a brief moment, she didn't even register Nobu's presence as her hazy orange eyes fixed firmly on the silver-haired woman seated across from him.Returning what could best be described as a grandmotherly smile, Hitomi surprised Midori by remarking, "Ah, Midori-chan. Your Master has reported that you possess quite the rare ability. I hope to confirm this by having you absorb the essence from this copper. Do your best, okay?"Confused by the Matriarch's words, Midori meekly replied, "Master...?" before shifting her gaze towards Nobu.With the corners of her smile curling upward, Hitomi nodded her head in affirmation before saying, "Of course. I don't believe you need a reminder regarding what might have happened if Nobunaga-sama hadn't come to your rescue. Do you mean to tell me you are apprehensive about serving him...?"Shaking her head with enough force to smack herself in the face with her fringe bangs, Midori nervously exclaimed, "O-Of course not! It would be my honor to serve N-Nobunaga-sama...!"Covering her mouth with her sleeve, Hitomi giggled in an ostensibly playful manner before adopting a marginally more serious expression and saying, "Good girl. Now, take a seat and prepare for the infusion process. Nobunaga-sama will be quite inconvenienced if you were to fail. Do not disappoint him."After nodding her head like a frenzied chicken, Midori began to strip away her clothes with a fervor akin to someone who had just been set aflame. This caused Nobu's expression to sour until Hitomi dutifully explained, "The infusion process requires the user to take in the essence of metal through the pores. It is possible to do so whilst clothed, but it is far more efficient to remove your clothes.""Whatever..."Though he would be lying if he said he wasn't curious about the infusion process, Nobu had no desire to watch a little girl sit naked atop a slab of copper. Instead, he shifted his attention to the stone tablet, an action that caused Hitomi to squint, the red of her heterochromatic eyes glistening for a brief moment as she attempted to ascertain if there was something in his hand.........After more than half an hour had passed, a subtle copper glow had begun to suffuse through Midori's previously transparent aura. This was an extremely good sign, yet, in spite of this, the look on Nobu's face had morphed into a discontent deadpan as the sound of the little girl's panting moans continued to echo throughout the room. The infusion process was apparently quite painful yet paradoxically relieving, so, after the first few minutes had passed, Midori had begun to writhe about on top of the copper slab, her face crimson as copper tendrils invaded her body through every available entrance...Noticing Hitomi's amused smile, Nobu's expression morphed into a glare as he said, "I didn't need to be here for this..."With the corners of her smile curling upward, Hitomi nodded her head before musing, "That may be. However, this kind of experience has its merits. Waka-sama is far too easily flustered in his current state. If an enemy state learned of this particular weakness of yours, they would specifically trait a group of kunoichi to exploit it. You should be able to-""You can take your advice and shove it up your ass..."Tensing in response to Nobu's words, the two kunoichi watching over Midori motioned to grasp the hilts of their weapons before Hitomi raised her hand, stopping them mid-draw as she said, "This young man is our Lord Senken's first son, Oda Nobunaga-sama. The moment you draw your weapons, I'll be forced to either cut you down or punish you..."Sheathing their weapons in an instant, both kunoichi immediately dropped into a dogeza, but, before either could apologize, Nobu preempted them, saying, "Just hurry up and fuck off. You aren't needed here."Raising their heads, the two kunoichi looked towards Hitomi only to see her nod in return. This situation made them feel more than a little uncomfortable, but, without any obvious hesitation in their gazes, they quickly departed the room through the ceiling.Waiting until she could no longer sense anyone, the obvious exception being Midori, Hitomi looked towards Nobu and said, "This is the last time I will show mercy. If you can't control your words and actions-"Interrupting before Hitomi could finish, Nobu adopted a mocking smile as he asked, "What? You'll kill me?"Without any change in expression whatsoever, Hitomi immediately replied, "No. I will kill the people around you. I'm sure Suzune-dono mentioned it, but hierarchies within the clans are regarded with the utmost importance. Behaving like that in front of my subordinates puts me in a position where the only solution is returning you to the Oda Clan and eliminating anyone who has been infected by your insubordinate behavior. That, however, is only a last resort. You have proven yourself to be invaluable to the clan's interests. Thus, for the time being, my only real option is to proactively eliminate those you have offended or been offended by..."Though he wanted to call Hitomi out and say she was bullshitting him, the serious look in the woman's eyes compelled Nobu to remain silent. Even Yui, Yuriko, and Suzune had warned him about saying or doing anything that might compromise the existing status quo so it was pretty they were serious about adhering to their cultures and traditions..."Fine...I get it, okay? Jeez..."Shaking her head, Hitomi resisted the urge to say he clearly didn't get it. Were that the case, he wouldn't speak in such a roundabout or deflective manner. Now, she would either have to follow through on her threat or orchestrate a situation where a kunoichi who was already close to death was sacrificed to teach him a lesson.........After a full hour of absorbing the copper's metal essence, Midori could be seen panting atop a pale of inert black ash that was once a metal slab. This caused her to become dirty beyond compare, but, after several minutes of regulating her breathing, tears began to pour from the teal-haired girl's eyes as she happily exhaled, "I did it..." in an audibly relieved tone.Since Nobu kept his eyes firmly everywhere else, it was Hitomi who answered, "Indeed. Good job, Midori-chan. Now, put on your clothes and go wait outside. Your Master and I have a few things to discuss before you accompany him back to his room. After that, you will obediently follow his orders until he has either dismissed or discarded you. Understood?"Though a fair amount of fear returned to her expression, Midori managed to push herself to a seated position before performing a naked dogeza and saying, "Yes. I understand. Thank you for this opportunity, Chōjo-sama, Nobunaga-sama..."Waiting until Hitomi had given her permission, Midori gathered her clothes before dragging her feet towards the room's entrance. The excitement from her successful breakthrough was quickly wearing off, and, though she was sincerely grateful, she couldn't help fearing for her future. She hadn't heard Hitomi mentioning his true identity, so, from her perspective, he was a strange giant that had purchased her and two others after arbitrarily asking them to become his friends...After watching Midori's departure with a ruminating gaze, Hitomi returned her attention to Nobu the moment the teal-haired girl had departed, asking, "What are your intentions with the girls you purchased? You don't have to tell me, but the more I know about your situation and your abilities, the more I can help. You clearly didn't know anything about them before heading down the mountain so there must have been some other reason behind your sudden interest in our clan's younger generation..."Recalling Nobu's disgust from the previous day, combined with the fact he wouldn't even look towards the naked Midori, Hitomi doubted he had spontaneously overcome his aversions and developed a taste for unripe flesh. He wouldn't even lay hands on a girl as ripe for the picking as Shizune so he clearly had something else in mind when he decided to acquire the trio they were preparing to discard.Since he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret once his cultivation base began fluctuating up and down, Nobu adopted a serious expression as he said, "Truth be told, I honestly have no fucking idea what's going to happen. All I know is that I can invest my aura into people who are weaker than me. I'm not really sure what'll happen after that, but I believe it will make me stronger in the long run. Other than that, I wanted to teach those girls something other than the Metal Infusion Technique. It isn't complete, but I have knowledge pertaining to a number of different cultivation techniques. Since metals are so hard to come by, I figured I might be able to contribute to the clan if I could teach cost-effective techniques to people who either lack talent or are incompatible with the Metal Infusion Technique..."Genuinely surprised by Nobu's words, Hitomi found herself replaying his words in her mind for the better part of a minute before exhaling a sigh and muttering, "You really are cut from a different cloth than other people..."Raising his brows, Nobu was about to ask what she meant when Hitomi adopted a strangely affectionate smile and said, "I will need to convene with the other Elders but I believe we can make arrangements to convert one of our fallback facilities into a reeducation center. It would have caused problems if I gave Yui permission to expand your room so we'll renovate one of our older facilities to serve as your private residence. A member of the Elder Council will need to watch over you, but, so long as you deliver the results you've promised, you'll have free rein to act at your discretion."Contrary to Hitomi's expectations, Nobu didn't seem all that satisfied with the arrangement she was proposing. Fortunately, he was the type to speak his thoughts aloud so she didn't need to ask before he revealed, "It's going to be that Suzune woman, isn't it...?"Understanding what he must be thinking, a light chuckle emanated from Hitomi's throat as she nodded her head and answered, "Most likely. She is, after all, the Information Elder. The only alternative would be the Elder in charge of interrogation and torture. I can't imagine you getting along particularly well with them so Suzune-dono is the best option."Restraining the urge to massage his forehead, Nobu just released a sigh before shaking his head and muttering, "Whatever..." in an exasperated tone.While giggling a second time, Hitomi began flaring her aura with the intent of informing the other Elders of an emergency meeting. There were only thirteen days remaining until Nobu's meeting with his parents so they needed to act quickly if they wanted to tie him to the clan. If he changed his mind and decided to return home now, they would lose one of the greatest assets the Yoshitsune Clan had ever acquired. Thus, while it had always been her intention to support him, Hitomi was currently thinking of ways to convince Nobu to stay even a few days longer. After all, it was only a matter of time before he spread his wings and soared to greater heights. The only question now was whether or not he would remember them fondly when he came into power.........(A/N: At this rate, Hitomi is either going to give Yui a push or start targeting Nobu herself xD...)

Chapter 57: Revelations