Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

After one of the most exhausting bathing experiences of his life, Nobu was lying face-down in his room with a listless expression as Kazue demonstrated the Ashiatsu Technique for Nariko.Ashiatsu, meaning foot pressure, was a type of massage where the practitioner removed their foot coverings in order to walk barefoot on the client's back. It was a deep tissue massage that helped relieve stress by targeting the joints.In the hands, or, more specifically, the feet of an inexperienced practitioner, ashiatsu was a dangerous technique that could cause permanent harm.Kazue, despite dropping out of the kunoichi program, had shown considerable promise in the therapeutic arts when she was still just a trainee. Now, while she might not be able to compete with a genuine medical kunoichi, she could still demonstrate a reasonable degree of mastery in the basics.After having his back and body thoroughly cleansed by Midori and Sachiko, Nobu had lost all motivation. He didn't even feel like talking right now, so, when Kazue suggested giving him a massage, he just nodded his head and allowed her to do whatever she wanted."You have to carefully consider how you distribute your weight. If you put too much pressure on a single spot, you could end up cracking a rib or making it difficult to breathe.""I understand, Kazue-nee. Can I try?"Though she appreciated Nariko's eagerness to learn, a tired sigh escaped Kazue's lips as she said, "Not today. Our Lord is clearly fatigued after a long day. We'll try-""Just let her..."Hearing Nobu's remark, Kazue quickly stepped from his back, asking, "Are you sure? I-""And go back to the way you used to talk. This formal crap doesn't suit you..."Smiling wryly in response to Nobu's words, Kazue did her best not to take his comment personally. She had made a concerted effort to clean herself up after the absolute failure of their first meeting. Hearing him say formalities didn't suit her was surprisingly painful..."Well, you heard 'em, brat. Try not to screw it up."Thumping her virtually non-existent chest, Nariko replied, "Just leave it to me! My cultivation base might not be that great, but I'm a lot smarter than most other girls my age. I'll master ashiatsu in an instant...!"Though her words sounded like bravado, Kazue was pleasantly surprised to see Nariko emulate her exact same procedure without any discernible difficulty. This made her believe she might have been better suited for Kumiko's training. Fortunately, memorization was equally important if you wanted to be a skilled medical kunoichi."Not bad..."Since there was a drastic difference between Kazue's and Nariko's weight, Nobu felt that having the latter walk on his back was marginally more comfortable than the former. She also managed to hit a lot of the same spots so he couldn't help offering a comment.Smiling enthusiastically in response to her Lord's words, Nariko attempted to dig her toes into one of the nerve clusters near his shoulder. She managed to find it without any particular difficulty, but, in the process, she ended up shifting most of her weight to her left foot."Kuh..."The moment she heard Nobu groan, Kazue moved to support Nariko's body so that she wouldn't lose her balance and make an even greater mistake. The latter's small size allowed her to stand with her feet flanking Nobu's sides, supporting Nariko's body as she patiently advised, "Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. Even if you're treating a hemorrhage, it is most important to stay calm..."Smiling apologetically in turn, Nariko became uncharacteristically meek as she said, "Sorry..." in a slightly nervous tone of voice.Instead of responding to the young girl's words, Nobu just closed his eyes as if it wasn't a big deal. If anything, he was more surprised by the sudden pressure on his lung than anything else. It wasn't like he was upset. Rather, it was unsurprisingly pleasant to receive a prologue massage...Interpreting Nobu's silence as consent, Kazue walked Nariko through the rest of the procedure by guiding and supporting the young girl's body directly. This reduced a lot of the risks as she could, quite literally, just pick Nariko up whenever it looked like she was about to make a mistake. It didn't happen often, but it was better to be safe than sorry.........After nearly two hours of massaging, Nobu was feeling a lot better. Thus, after rising to a seated position, he looked around the room to see that Yui had gathered nearly everyone. The only person absent, excluding the people he had yet to meet, was Kiku. She had been guarding him throughout most of the day so she was currently resting in preparation for her next shift."Good. I'm glad everyone could come. Now that we have our own place, there are a few things we needed to discuss. First and foremost is the personnel issue..."Though most of the details would need to be sorted out by Kumiko and Yui, Nobu had spent a fair amount of time thinking about Hitomi's advice. She suggested having 2-3 people in charge of each room so they could rotate duties and keep each other from slacking off. If he went with this advice, he would need, at the very least, 34 people in charge of maintaining the main house.This was where the main issue arose, as, even if they did accept the dregs of the Yosthisune Clan, it would take years to fill their quota. Each generation had between 1-3 useless members who would either die during the training or be filtered out around the time of their graduation. This meant they could only recruit between 2-6 people per year. To further complicate things, the people they would be recruiting were children.Simply put, even though there were dangers involved with doing so, they had little choice but to recruit fully-fledged kunoichi. More specifically, they needed to recruit those like Rukia, people who were fully indoctrinated into the system but desired something 'more' for the kunoichi they were in charge of training.Hitomi had mentioned that Suzune was going to help him pick and choose retired kunoichi to help look after the children. Unfortunately, even though the penultimate decision was his to make, this implied that Nobu would be surrounding himself with people who owed Suzune a favor. Even the thought of this made Nobu's skin crawl, so, before screening any additional candidates, he wanted to know if the girls had anyone in mind for recruitment.Unsurprisingly, most of the girls recommended the mentors who had assisted in their training. The problem with this was that most of their instructors had a relatively high status within the Clan. The odds of them actually accepting were slim."Why not recruit Shizune and Rynka? They were originally from your younger brother's generation, but they ended up being separated from the original group. You might not like her, but Shizune is being reared as the next Information Elder. As for Rynka, she is on pretty thin ice after getting into a spat with the Young Lord when they were around 8-9. She's been pretty stressed out thinking she is going to be disposed of so I'm sure both she and Chikako would be at ease if you recruited her."Though Yuriko was the one to make the suggestion, Nobu shifted his gaze to the taciturn Chikako to hear what she thought on the matter. Unsurprisingly, the half-naked kunoichi simply nodded her head in response, saying, "I'll look after her..." in a cool monotone.Since his impression of Rynka was infinitely better than his impression of Shizune, Nobu didn't mind scouting her. The bigger issue was the hypocritical pinkette that had tried to assault him. He didn't want to have anything to do with her, but, at the same time, he understood the benefits associated with scouting a future Elder.Shaking his head, Nobu said, "We'll go ahead and scout Rynka. As for Shizune, she can go impale herself on a rocky outcrop for all I care. I don't want that psycho bitch anywhere near me until my cultivation base has exceeded hers."Though she probably shouldn't have, Yuriko found herself chuckling at Shizune's expense. This earned her an accusatory stare from Nobu, but, rather than shying away or apologizing, she just poked her tongue out at him and said, "I'm laughing at Shizune's misfortune. Once she finds out about your Heavenly Treasure, that brat is going to be pulling her hair out in frustration.""Hmmm..."Imagining the scene of Shizune begging for forgiveness as she secretly plotted to benefit from him, an ostensibly sadistic smile developed across Nobu's face. He wasn't an actual sadist. Hell, he even felt a little bad for the pink-haired psycho after forcing her to walk around on her hands and knees like an animal. In spite of this, he still felt it was some kind of karmic justice that a bitch like Shizune be made to experience a bit of suffering. She, sure as hell, deserved it.........After communing with her Goddess for the better part of eight hours, most of Inami's hair had temporarily turned white as she writhed about, naked, atop an altar.Ever since the end of the Age of Gods, the conditions for a God to manifest in the lower world had become increasingly complex with the passage of time. Inami was more than six-thousand-years-old, nearly as old as the alliance between the Yoshitsune and Oda Clans. She was among the first to bear Inari Okami's curse, and, as a result, she was one of only three people who could tolerate the infamously envious Goddess's possession."The child of Oda Senken...the child of prophecy...bring him to us..."Though the words came from her own lips, Inami could scarcely believe what her Goddess was asking her to do. The pact with the Oda Clan forbade them from taking any action that would potentially endanger their main-line descendants. If she brought Nobu to meet with Inari, there were only two possible outcomes. He would either die or she would end up being impregnated when Inari Okami possessed her body."Lady Inari...the covenant between our families...""We don't care...if that man is truly meant to unify Nian...we cannot allow him to escape our grasp..."With a fiery heat spreading through her body, Inami couldn't help curling up into a ball with her six inordinately fluffy tails coiling around her. She felt like her insides were on fire, and, if she were to look closely, a strange pattern had manifested itself above the location of her womb. At the same time, her eyes glowed with a carmine light as she desperately resisted the urge to charge down the mountain and spirit Nobu away."Please...be patient...if we move too early...everything we have worked for over the last six thousand years will be jeopardized...""Hmmm...it's rare for you to be this obstinate...""I cannot break my vow...I must protect the Yoshitsune Clan...you promised...""..."Though she wasn't fond of Inami calling her out, Inari couldn't refute the former's words. She would need to pay a pretty steep price if she wanted to force the not-so-young kitsune to obey, so, after a moment of consideration, she used Inami's mouth to say, "Very well. We will give you the chance to seduce him using your own charms. If he sires a child with someone else, the entire Yoshitsune Clan will pay the price. Do not fail us..."Realizing that Inami's body was on the verge of breaking down, Inari gradually eased her hold over the petite kitsune. Inami was her most durable vessel in the modern era so she didn't want to break her before she had fulfilled her purpose. She just needed Inami to persevere for an additional three thousand years, the time taken to produce three more tails. After that, Inami would be a single step away from Divinity, a perfect vessel.Inami was well aware of what fate had in store for her, but, for the sake of her clan, she tolerated becoming Inari's puppet in order to protect the future generations of her family. There was very little she wouldn't do to ensure their survival, so, after breathing heavily atop the altar for twenty minutes, she raised her tired body, muttering, "I won't fail..." in a resolute tone.........(A/N: O - O...)

After a relatively uneventful evening, Nobu decided to get a jump start on the day by running a few laps around his house. The interior had four interconnected hallways forming a perfect square so it was relatively easy to set goals and keep track of his progress. The only downside was that the halls were lined with wood so he created quite a bit of noise as he was running around.*sound of a single contiguous breath*Thanks to his unique cultivation method, Nobu could continue basically running for as long as his body held out. He never got winded, and, so long as he controlled his oxygen intake, he was able to maintain a runner's high from start to finish."Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."Though it was unnecessary, Nobu found himself exhaling a long sigh after running for precisely one hour. He had timed himself using the stone tablet's clock, and, in that time, he had managed to run a total of twenty-three laps.According to Kumiko, each of the interior halls was approximately 150m in length. Crunching the numbers, this meant he had run around 14km. This wasn't particularly great, but, considering he currently looked like a twig, it wasn't bad. He wasn't sure what the average was, but Nobu felt like he had maintained a pretty solid pace from start to finish.Sprawling out on the ground, Nobu didn't complain when Nariko, at the behest of Kazue, placed a cold compress on his head."You shouldn't push yourself so hard. Your body is still recovering from extreme malnourishment. It's a miracle you're even able to move around like this..."Looking over, Nobu found Kazue looking at him with a concerned expression on her face. He also noticed she had allowed her hair to hang freely rather than tying it up in double-buns. This made her appear less cute, but, at the same time, it looked a hell of a lot more natural on her."I'm fine...I won't say some cheesy shit about knowing my own limits, but I'm not an idiot. I know better than trying to push through the pain for the sake of small gains..."With that said, Nobu removed the compress from his head before rolling to his feet and adding, "Besides, I'm nineteen years behind my peers. I can't afford to sit on my ass if I still have the energy to keep going."Though it was a bit awkward with an audience, Nobu alternated between ten-count body-builders and suicides from one side of the room to the other. Cardio was the foundation for all other forms of strength training. Since he seemed to recover after only a few hours of rest, he intended to take full advantage of the convenient properties of Aura in order to strengthen his physique as quickly as possible.Exhaling a sigh, Kazue pulled out a piece of paper before handing it to Nariko and saying, "Tell Cho to add these herbs to our Lord's meal. If he wants to push himself, we have the duty of making sure he doesn't break down."Nodding her head in understanding, Nariko gripped the paper before taking one last look at her Lord's half-naked body. He had removed his shirt prior to exercising, and, though he wasn't much to look at, he was the only man she had ever seen from this close.Shaking her head, Kazue gave Nariko a light push, saying, "Go." in an uncharacteristically firm tone. This contributed to Nariko scampering off, her feet creating a drumming pitter-patter as she bolted off towards the kitchen.Though he noticed Nariko departure, Nobu didn't ask what she was up to or where she was going. Instead, he completed his current set before taking a seat next to Kazue, the only person 'officially' keeping tabs on him right now."So? What's your deal. Are you going to restart your training now that you've learned I'm alive and well?"Hanging her head, a tired sigh escaped Kazue's throat as she answered, "Truth be told, I'd rather just entrust Nariko to the clan's experts and go back to shoveling shit. I know you don't really care about this stuff, but I'm even less suited for this formal crap. If you didn't give me permission to act casually, I would probably spend every day feeling suffocated."Understanding where she was coming from, Nobu nodded his head empathically, saying, "Yeah, I feel you on that one. That's actually why I want to keep you around. You're a lot more chill than the other girls. I thought Yuriko would be cool to hang around with but she turned into an overzealous pervert pretty quickly. I haven't really said anything about it, but I can smell her musk whenever she gets close. I'm pretty sure she went to town on herself when I was having sex with Yui...""Mmm...I can kind of empathize with her...""Pardon...?"Raising her head, Kazue stared directly at Nobu as she said, "We were devasted by the news that your illness had taken your life. From that moment on, our training was the only real purpose we had, but, unlike other trainees, it didn't really matter how skilled we became. We had been trained solely to serve you so the Matriarch forbade us from accepting any missions. Until you came back, we were basically just waiting to die. To that end, I can't really blame Yuriko for losing her shit after you had sex. I can't say for certain, but I'm pretty sure most of us would have.""..."Though he had already heard similar accounts before, Nobu was still left feeling at a loss for words after hearing what Kazue had to say. He felt like there was a tiny seedling of guilt in his heart, and, with each passing day, it grew larger. He wasn't quite sure what would happen when the seedling blossomed into something else, but he was pretty sure he wasn't prepared to deal with it."What do you think I should do...?"Scratching the back of her head, Kazue's expression became complicated as she said, "You should really ask Kumiko about things like this. She has spent her entire life learning all kinds of things so that she could give you proper advice. All I really know is shit and some basic medical techniques. Other than that-""Stop."Falling silent the moment she heard Nobu's command, Kazue's expression became progressively more awkward as she waited for him to continue.Adopting a conflicted look of his own, Nobu averted his eyes from Kazue's as he said, "Just...stop saying shit like that. Stop demeaning yourself all the time. I don't care how useful others think you are. Hell, I don't care how useful YOU think you are. Even if you were just a normal girl, that would be enough for me. Seriously, you want to talk about suffocating? I might as well be an alien in this world. Your situation was pretty shitty. I know that. In fact, I'm really fucking sorry you girls had to go through that shit. However, you at least had the chance to grow up in this world. The only real memories I have of this place are being pushed around in a wheelchair, lying in bed, and having mush shoved down my throat..."Feeling the seedling in his chest grow even larger, Nobu's expression morphed into anger as he balled his hands into fists and muttered, "Fuck..."Confused by her Lord's reaction, Kazue was contemplating asking what was wrong when he beat her to the punch, sighing as he muttered, "I really am sorry...I know this shit is my fault...just...just stop making things worse...please..."Though he wasn't on the verge of tears, Nobu rested his face in his palms as feelings he didn't know how to deal with washed over him. This place wasn't like Earth. He couldn't just ignore his problems and keep running away. The lives of multiple people now revolved around him and if he couldn't get his act together, they were all going to suffer because of his stupid mistakes."Fuck..."Feeling more than a little awkward, Kazue looked towards the ceiling in the hopes that whoever was watching over them from above might come down and lend a hand. She honestly didn't know how to deal with whatever he was going through. If she did, she might be able to solve some of her own problems.With the only response to her silent plea being even more silence, Kazue scratched the back of her head before asking, "I'm guessing a quick fellatio won't really help, will it...?"Raising his face from his hands, Nobu stared directly at Kazue, an incredulous look on his face as he asked, "Is that the only thing you girls can think of at times like this...?"Shrugging her shoulders, Kazue answered, "You're a man. I'm a woman. According to what we're taught, most guys in Nian refuse to confide in females. Even the Nobles only keep male confidants so I'm not really sure what else I can do. Don't get me wrong. I want to help. I just don't know how."Though Kazue's words came off as brash and insensitive, Nobu understood she was simply being honest. He couldn't really fault her for that, so, after sitting in silent contemplation for the better part of a minute, he asked, "Do you 'want' to give me a blowjob...?"While the phrase 'blowjob' was new to her, Kazue could intuit the meaning based on the context of their conversation. Thus, without the need for consideration, she answered, "I mean, kind of? Even if I didn't qualify to become a kunoichi, I still received the same training as everyone else. Unless you send me off to be a prostitute or something, you're really the only guy I can experience this kind of thing with. If you're asking about personal preferences, I'd rather fellate you a thousand times than put my face anywhere near another man's penis.""..."As much as he appreciated how straightforward Kazue was, Nobu was still left feeling at a loss in the wake of her 'heartfelt' statement. If he didn't know Cho would be arriving with his breakfast in the next couple of minutes, he might have even taken her up on her offer. Instead, he fell silent for several seconds before gesturing for her to come closer, saying, "Come here..."Obeying Nobu's orders without even a moment's hesitation, Kazue was left feeling confused when the latter guided her head to rest on his lap. His aroma caused a stuffy feeling in her chest but the thing that left her feeling speechless was the fact he had started to caress her head. He didn't offer any explanation or anything. He just laid her head on his lap and began to run his fingers through her hair without a word to express his intentions."...""..."If Kazue was confused by his behavior, Nobu had no idea how to describe his own emotions. He just felt that the woman before him was pathetic. Not in a bad way but the kind of way that made her deserving of pity. He was equally as clueless as she was when it came to comforting others, so, remembering how his mother used to comfort him as a child, Nobu just went with the flow. He also noticed she scratched her head a lot, so, while he doubted she had anything like ticks or lice, he did his best to check her scalp as he ran his fingers through her surprisingly soft and puffy hair..."...""..."......(A/N: Nobu and Kazue both have a lot of issues they need to work out. Fortunately, just like in real life, they can make a lot of progress by working together. I know most people read novels with the intent of escaping real-world problems. However, at times like this, I can't help but want to remind everyone that there are always people willing to help. If you have problems you're working through, find someone to talk to. You'd be surprised to discover just how many people are going through similar shit...)

After spending nearly half the day exploring his future estate, Nobu realized something important.It was too damn big.Though the main house only had seventeen rooms, their size was inordinately large to account for the fact they were intended as housing for Nobles.A stark contrast to the massive rooms present in the main house, the barracks that ran alongside the western wall had bunk spaces to accommodate more than a thousand people. As for the dojo-like structure on the eastern wall, it served as both a training facility and the primary residence for members of the warrior class.Simply put, the estate had far too much space for a mere 10~15 people to live in. To make matters even worse, the girls in his entourage weren't allowed to live within the main house for a variety of cultural and hierarchal reasons. After all, it was a residential space intended to be used by members of the Oda Clan and other Nobles, not kunoichi.In other words, Nobu was expected to live in the main house all by himself. The others could visit and keep watch over him but even Yui was supposed to live within the confines of the barracks. He could make an exception and allow her to stay in his room, but, much like a genuine concubine, she was only allowed to be there with his permission.If he really wanted to, Nobu could change the rules and allow the girls to reside in the main house, but, as could be expected, that would cause quite a number of issues. After all, if he allowed even a dropout like Kazue to reside in the main house, it would an indirect slap in the face to someone like Suzune.Despite being an Elder, even Suzune wasn't allowed to reside in the main house. Instead, she would be staying in one of the nicer rooms intended for the warrior class. If someone significantly beneath her status was allowed to reside in the main house, the entire hierarchal structure of the Yoshitsune Clan would be thrown out of whack once young trainees began to move in..."This is why hierarchies are bullshit..."Smiling in response to Nobu's words, Hitomi, this time sitting across from Nobu as the latter sat in the superior position, stated, "Perhaps. However, without proper order, chaos would reign supreme. I'm sure even you can understand how it might be problematic if a beggar could trespass a Lord's castle and sit on their throne."Furrowing his brows, Nobu resisted the urge to click his tongue as he asked, "Why did you choose this place as my residence? Like, I kind of get what you had in mind, but what am I supposed to do about personnel? I can't clean and maintain this place by myself and it doesn't seem right to make Yui and the others clean it..."Maintaining her smile, Hitomi responded with a curt nod before musing, "It seems you are starting to understand. Without a servant class, it would be impossible to maintain large facilities. You could entrust the task to your retainers or the younger members of your family, but, in doing so, you risk injuring their pride. If there is any advice I can give you, Nobunaga-sama, it is that you should never underestimate the pride of people who believe themselves deserving of power and authority. There is no greater poison than ambition when it comes to swaying the hearts and minds of men."Though his innate obstinance made him want to disagree with Hitomi, Nobu's current predicament made it difficult to argue with her. After all, there was no way in hell he could keep the main house clean on his own. He also felt that it was wrong to force the task on people who had, quite literally, dedicated their entire lives to serving and protecting him. He doubted they would complain. It just didn't seem right."So? What am I supposed to do? Accept a bunch of random kunoichi as servants? If the warnings issued by Yui and the others are to be believed, that wouldn't exactly be the smartest decision if I want to preserve my health..."Amused by Nobu's words, Hitomi issued a giggle layered with seductive undertones before saying, "It ultimately comes down to how long you intend to stay here. The simplest solution would be to entrust the matter to Suzune and the trainees who will be left in your care. You lack the resources to employ fully-fledged kunoichi so anyone who joins you at this juncture is either an opportunist or a mole. Even servants do not work for free, and, no matter how loyal they may seem, everyone has a price. I would encourage you to keep that in mind, Nobunaga-sama."As it was becoming increasingly common for Hitomi to offer him advice, Nobu just shook his head in moderate annoyance. There was actually a lot he wanted to say, but, understanding he wasn't in a position to freely express himself, he opted to remain quiet as he reflected on her words.Nodding her head in approval, Hitomi prepared to rise, declaring, "I have other matters to attend. If there is anything Nobunaga-sama requires, please send someone to inform me. I cannot guarantee my availability, but I will do my best to accommodate any request within reason. Nobunaga-sama is someone of significant importance to the Yoshitsune Clan. I have great expectations for you and the kunoichi in your care..."Since she really did have a lot to attend, Hitomi didn't wait for Nobu's response before rising to her feet and departing through the door like a normal person. She would never have done this in front of someone like his father, but, understanding that Nobu disdained formalities to an illogical extent, she decided to respect his views.Nobu's lack of decorum actually benefitted Hitomi quite a bit. Not only did it reduce the perceived distance between them, but, more importantly, it filled her with excitement. She, much like Yui, had always been drawn to the idea of shattering conventions and violating taboos. Thus, even if she was well past her prime, Hitomi didn't hesitate to sway her hips as she snaked her way toward the door. After all, even without looking back, she could feel Nobu's gaze following her movements until she had closed the door behind her.........Waiting until Hitomi had fully departed, an exhausted sigh escaped Nobu's mouth as he sprawled out on the ground and grumbled, "Is that bitch seriously trying to seduce me...?"Shaking his head in mild exasperation, Nobu performed his habit of resting an arm on his forehead as he thought about the best course of action. Hitomi might be annoying, but her advice was pretty sound in a world like this. Hell, even in his previous world, the only way to stay in power was to pay people off. Even Dictators weren't exempt from this as the moment they failed to compensate their most 'loyal' supporters, the military would quickly find their replacement."What a pain in the ass..."As that sentiment parted his lips, Nobu briefly imagined a bunch of eight-year-old brats running around his manor in an attempt to keep it clean. He would need to talk to Suzune about making sure the girls that would come to live in the estate wore clothes at all times except for when they were in the bath. The last thing he needed was a bunch of naked kids running around just because they were more comfortable in their birthday suits...Though he wished they hadn't, Nobu's idle thoughts manifested in the form of a bunch of little girls running around in maid outfits. This caused a powerful tremor to run through his body as he jerked his body to an upright position. He could feel a cold sweat breaking out across his body, so, before it could settle in, he hopped up to his feet and called out, "Anyone there?"Immediately following Nobu's words, the door to his room opened to reveal Yui. He suspected the others were nearby, but, due to his meeting with Hitomi, they were currently on their best behavior."How might I be of assistance...?"Doing his best to ignore Yui's overly polite tone, Nobu explained, "We're going to be staying here starting today. Let the others know. I'm going to take a bath."Nodding her head in affirmation, Yui performed a hand seal to alert the others before asking, "Do you mind if I join you...?"Though it wasn't the first time Yui had offered to accompany him to the bath, Nobu felt a strange palpitation in his heart when she averted her eyes to the side.Without realizing it, a knot formed in Nobu's throat as an uncharacteristically nervous feeling filled his chest and stomach. It was only for a fleeting moment, but he actually felt afraid to be alone with Yui in the bath..."Sure...do whatever you want..."Noticing Nobu's nervousness, the ticklish sensation that had been plaguing Yui since the previous night became markedly more prominent. She felt like there were butterflies fluttering around in her stomach, and, despite doing her best to appear calm, a very subtle shade of red spread through her cheeks as she asked, "What about the others...?"Blinking in confusion, Nobu looked directly at Yui, asking, "What do you mean?" before following it up with a frown as he asked, "Are you suggesting that everyone takes a bath together...?"Nodding her head, Yui carefully explained, "Now that we can no longer rely on the kunoichi in the main estate, it falls upon us to help you overcome your aversion to nudity. I do not wish to see you lose your life just because a naked woman appeared in front of you...""..."Taken aback by Yui's words, Nobu had none to describe his current thoughts. This was far from the first time she had broached this particular subject. Rather, most of the kunoichi around him, Yuriko included, seemed to think nakedness was a major weakness of his. Sure, it made him feel more than a little uncomfortable, especially if the naked party was a brat, but he didn't think it was as extreme as they made it out to be..."What about the three brats...?"Understanding that Nobu was referencing Midori, Sachiko, and Nariko, Yui's expression became solemn as she said, "They are my Lord's servants...it is their duty to attend you...also-"Shaking his head, Nobu said, "Don't say it...I already know. You're going to say I have a weakness to children, right?"Nodding her head, Yui adopted an apologetic expression as she softly replied, "I'm...we're worried about you..."Though she had been speaking softly, Nobu hadn't missed the moment when Yui implied she was personally worried about him. This caused an exasperated sigh that was equal parts frustration and acceptance to escape his throat. He didn't doubt that she was actually looking out for him, so, after a long period of silence, he ultimately answered, "Whatever..." in a defeated tone.Understanding how difficult this was for Nobu, Yui's expression softened as she said, "Thank you." in the most sincere tone she could manage. Then, just as she was preparing to leave, a ruddy hue spread through her cheeks as she looked back and said, "If you're feeling frustrated after the fact, I'm confident in my durability..."For a very brief moment, Nobu had no idea what Yui was talking about. The color of her face should have made it pretty obvious, but, after learning that he was going to be sharing a bath with the trio he had purchased the previous day, he was feeling a little muddleheaded.Realizing that raven-haired beauty was basically inviting him to be rough with her, an indescribable feeling spread through Nobu's chest as he responded with a bemused, "Uhh...okay...?"Misconstruing Nobu's words as a promise, a faint smile spread across Yui's face as she said, "I'll be looking forward to it..." in an expectant tone.......(A/N: And here I thought Nobu was the one corrupting Yui. It was apparently genetic xD...)

Chapter 68: Planning for the Future