Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

After a surprisingly peaceful night's sleep, Nobu awoke to find himself holding, not being held by, Yui. He wouldn't have been troubled by this under normal circumstances, but, due to her penchant for waking early, the first thing he saw was Yui staring off into space with a bored yet patient look on her face."What are you thinking about...?"Not expecting the sudden question, Yui's body briefly tensed as she turned her head to face Nobu, answering, 'Uh...I was thinking about training..."Raising his right brow, Nobu began to lightly tap Yui's unsurprisingly exposed stomach as he asked, "Training...?".Though she was momentarily distracted by Nobu's wayward hand, Yui still managed to nod her head, explaining, "The time I spent on my mission was the longest period I've ever gone without training. Before that, I would have lessons as both a warrior and a kunoichi. At times, my training menu was so packed that it would even bleed into the following days..."Understanding what she was trying to say, Nobu ceased playing with Yui's bellybutton before sitting up and asking, "So? You're not going to train anymore? Isn't that like super important if you want to be a warrior...?"Rising to sit alongside him, Yui made no effort to conceal her palm-sized, perfectly cuppable, breasts as she answered, "Well...it's not that simple. The resources of a clan are not unlimited. Once a member reaches a certain age, the only way they can receive additional resources is to contribute to the clan's prosperity. As for us contracted kunoichi like us...well, things are a bit different..."Frowning, Nobu asked, "How so...?" despite the uncomfortable feeling that was beginning to swell within his chest.With an apologetic smile on her face and a somewhat distant look in her eyes, Yui went on to explain, "Once the Lord of a contracted kunoichi reaches adulthood, they effectively become our sole proprietor. We're training to take care of your every need, and, in exchange, you are expected to reward us for our efforts. In other words...now that you are here, our growth has become entirely dependent on the resources you can provide for us. We can still train, but, without pills, herbs, medicines, and other resources, our growth will be limited..."Expecting Nobu to furrow his brows and even curse, Yui was more than a little surprised to see him nod his head and muttered, "Ah...well, that makes more sense. If you all kept doing everything without expecting anything in return, I might have lost my shit..."Now that he understood that the girls weren't entirely his slaves, a bit of a weight had been removed from Nobu's shoulders. It also helped him to justify why the girls were so eager to please him, as, from their perspective, their success in life was entirely dependent on him.Fortunately, while he was currently very weak, Nobu was pretty confident in his ability to grow much stronger. He might only be earning 0.005 Aura per click, but that was still five times the amount he was earning in the beginning. Since the difference between Ranks was the same until you advanced to the next Realm, this meant his cultivation actually increased between Ranks rather than decreasing due to a lack of effort and resources.Thinking of the stone tablet, Nobu habitually manifested it before looking towards the naked beauty silently observing him and saying, "Well, if you're bored or feeling anxious, you're free to continue training at your leisure. I'll probably start my own exercise routine pretty soon. As for the other girls...well, let's get together and talk about that kind of thing around lunchtime. I really don't have anything for you guys to do so you're free to make your own decisions. They can even loiter around here all day if they want to. Just make sure Kazue takes a bath first. That girl smells like ass."Though she probably shouldn't have, Yui found herself chuckling in response to Nobu's rude remark. She knew he wasn't actually trying to be hurtful. He was just said whatever came to his mind without even trying to filter it. This made her think he was somewhat childish in the past, but, now that she was getting to know him, Yui was beginning to believe he was just honest to a fault.As that thought crossed her mind, Yui removed the covers before rising to reveal her naked form in all its petite and lithe glory. Then, while fixing her hair so that it wouldn't get tangled, she said, "I'm going to move some of my stuff today. I'll also talk to my Grandmother about knocking down the adjacent walls that we can use the space next door for training. I imagine you don't want to exercise in front of a bunch of kunoichi so we'll convert the room over into a private dojo. Is that okay with you...?"Taken aback by the drastic change in Yui's behavior, Nobu found himself at a momentary loss for words before ultimately nodding his head and saying, "Yeah. Having to bathe with a bunch of horned-up kunoichi is already bad enough. The last thing I need is a fucking peanut gallery sitting off to the side as I do basic training...With even the children of the clan being more powerful than him, at least for the time being, Nobu wasn't particularly enthused by the prospect of having them watch him like a strange animal. He also wanted to limit the number of people closely monitoring his growth. As shitty as the situation had been, the incident with Shizune had made him aware of the fact that even 'trainees' could sense the changes in his Aura. He knew it was only a matter of time before his growth drew the attention of countless pains in the ass, but that didn't mean he wanted to go around advertising it...Nodding her head in response to Nobu's words, Yui quickly donned her armor before saying, "I will inform Cho to bring your breakfast. The sun has already risen beyond the horizon so she would have already prepared something by now. Kumiko should also be stopping by to help arrange your schedule so you should be well protected so long as you don't wander too far. I should be back around noon, but you can send someone to retrieve me if anything important arises. I will never prioritize my own plans over yours."Cringing in response to Yui's final statement, Nobu waved her off, saying, "Yeah, yeah, if you say so..." in a slightly annoyed tone. This caused an awkward smile to develop across her face, but, understanding it was probably for the best she remained silent, Yui just nodded her head before quickly departing the room.Exhaling a sigh shortly after Yui's departure, Nobu sat back down and began to fiddle around with the stone tablet. He had stockpiled nearly four days worth of clicks at this point, so, while it was guaranteed to draw attention, he wanted to work through the more than 390,000 clicks he had accumulated. This was more than 1,700 Aura, so, if he worked hard, he could literally increase his base from Rank 5 to Rank 7 in a single day.As that thought crossed his mind, Nobu noticed a tiny icon in the top left of his screen, much like the indicators that informed you when you had a missed call or text. This took a bit of the wind out of his sails, but, so long as he could continue stockpiling clicks, it wasn't like he had to use them right this instant. After all, if he was serious and went on a fourteen-hour spree, he could easily click between 700,000~800,000 times in a single day. In other words, so long as he invested just a single day towards clicking, he could basically take the rest of the week off.Hoping for some kind of good news, Nobu's pupils shrank to the size of pinholes the moment he thumbed the notification and saw it read: You have (13) new friend requests. His breathing became one long and steady breath that rapidly cooled his head, and, though he already had some suspicions regarding why the number was listed as eleven, his heart began beating had enough to make his throat pulse as he opened the messenger app and tapped on his friends list.------------------------------------[Yoshitsune Yui] would like to add you as a friend.[Yoshitsune Yuriko] would like to add you as a friend.[Yoshitsune Hitomi] would like to add you as a friend.[Yoshitsune Suzune] would like to add you as a friend.[Yoshitsune Chikako] would like to add you as a friend.[Yoshitsune Kiku] would like to add you as a friend.[Yoshitsune Kazue] would like to add you as a friend.[Yoshitsune Kumiko] would like to add you as a friend.[Yoshitsune Aiko] would like to add you as a friend.[Yoshitsune Cho] would like to add you as a friend.[Yoshitsune Ayane] would like to add you as a friend.[Yoshitsune Takao] would like to add you as a friend.[Yoshitsune Rukia] would like to add you as a friend.------------------------------------"Note to self...make sure to check the tablet at least twice a day..."Since he hadn't really touched the stone tablet ever since the incident with Shizune, Nobu didn't know how much time had passed since he received the notifications. He also didn't really know what triggered them, but, considering the mother-daughter duo of Takao and Rukie were listed, he assumed it was their desire to coordinate or work alongside him. The only alternative he could think of was them wanting to have sex, but, considering names like Shizune were missing, he doubted it."Who the fuck is Hitomi...? Yui's Grandmother...?"Though he had been speaking to himself, Nobu nearly jumped to his feet when he heard someone answer, "Yes." in a dull monotone. Fortunately, it was a voice he had recognized. Unfortunately, the owner of the voice wasn't alone. Instead, he turned his head to find both Aiko and Chikako staring at him from a few meters away, both seated in a seiza position..."How long have the two of you been sitting there...?"Answering on behalf of them both, Aiko explained, "Yui-sama informed us that you had given us permission to enter the room and 'loiter about'. We did announce our presence when we first came in, but my Lord was distracted with his musing. We didn't want to disturb you so we have been sitting here ever since."Recalling that he did tell Yui to inform the girls that they could loiter around in his room, a wry smile developed across Nobu's face. He should have expected that they would enter if given the option, so, while it had still scared the living bejesus out of him, he decided not to rebuke them for doing something he said they could do. He also didn't question whether or not they would reveal his secrets to anyone, as, the moment he began worrying about shit like that, he would never be able to rest peacefully."Well...whatever...it's good that the two of you are here. Tell me if you notice anything strange when I do this..."Punctuating his words, Nobu attempted to confirm both Aiko and Chikako as friends. What he didn't expect was for a notification to pop up, asking, "Would you like to spend 713,420 Aura to add [Yoshitsune Aiko] as a friend?" before immediately following up with a notification that stated, "Warning: Insufficient Aura to complete this transaction."Deadpanning in response to the ridiculous cost, Nobu left Aiko and Chikako feeling confused as he briefly hung his head in his hands. The cost to add someone as a friend was apparently the same as their cultivation base. This meant Aiko was a Rank 7 Silver Adept, as, every time you increased a Realm, the requirements for the next were ten times the base amount. This meant it required 10,000 to reach Iron, 100,000 to reach Silver, and 1,000,000 to reach Gold. As for what purpose befriending people served...well, he would apparently have to wait until he either recruited a child or increased his cultivation base to the point that he could willfully sacrifice hundreds-of-thousands without flinching.........(A/N: If something costs that much, it has to be good though...right...right!?)

While Nobu was lost in thought regarding his future course of action, Aiko and Chikako kept silently observing him until Cho arrived with his breakfast.Smelling the delicious food even before Cho announced her presence, an expectant glimmer flashed across Nobu's eyes as he said, "Come in."Opening the door, Cho could be seen with a radiant smile on her face as she carried in a tray lined with various Nianese dishes. Her smile was so radiant, in fact, that it seemed to brighten up the room as she made her way over and gingerly placed the well-structured meal of miso soup, salmon, rice, tofu, and some kind of pickled vegetable that resembled cabbage.After savoring the aroma for several seconds, Nobu picked up the rather extravagant set of chopsticks lying to the side before saying, "Thanks. Your cooking is incredible."If her smile was bright before, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Cho was beaming once she heard Nobu's compliment. There was even a thin layer of moisture covering her eyes, but, due to his focus on savoring the food's aroma, Nobu remained blissfully unaware of this.........With his belly full and nothing better to do, Nobu laid in bed with his hands behind his head, lazily staring at the ceiling.("This world is starting to fuck with my head. I can't believe I'm seriously considering trying to befriend one of those exhibitionist brats...")After thinking things through for a bit, Nobu came to the conclusion that he was supposed to add the girls to his Friends List when he was still just a kid. Had he been reborn into this world normally, he would have met them shortly after he began his training. At that time, they would just be starting their foundation training, so, even if there was some kind of bullshit restriction preventing him from accessing the tablet, he would still be able to add them as friends shortly after gaining access to it. Now, he was playing catchup due to his desire to keep his body and skip the hassles associated with childhood..."Fucking bullshit..."Following this exclamation, Nobu sat up rather abruptly before looking over at the five girls who had now gathered within his room. The only people missing, sans Yui, were those who were resting in preparation for their future shifts. This included Kazue, who, after washing up and donning a proper kunoichi uniform, transformed from a rather plain-looking woman into a surprisingly cute girl with a bright face and a double-bun hairstyle.Though he was tempted to comment on Kazue's metamorphosis, Nobu first directed his gaze towards Kumiko, the busty beauty with silver-grey hair that extended past her sizeable ass and neatly framed her face, asking, "Does the Yoshitsune Clan have any adult members who failed to complete their foundation training? You know, like servants and such...?"Without any hesitation whatsoever, Kumiko answered, "Impossible. It would become a serious problem if people lacking talent were allowed to stay within the village. Not only would it be a waste of resources; it would also encourage trainees to slack off knowing they could just stay in the clan and leach off the hard work and sacrifice of others. Such individuals are cancerous enough in modern society. If people like that were allowed to survive within a clan, we would slowly rot from the inside out."Surprised by the intensity of Kumiko's words, a conflicted look appeared on Nobu's face as he found himself unable to disagree with her. Even his own world had a mind-numbing amount of people who only cared about the benefits they could receive from the government without actually contributing anything to society. One of his former roommates, a man named Joshua, had even told him about how he made upwards of $300 a day after learning how to play the guitar and pretending to be homeless. This was during a time when Nobu had been working 40 hours a week for $8.25 an hour. His boss wouldn't even allow him to work overtime, so, if he wanted to make enough money to get by, he would have literally needed to work two jobs while some asshat hipster with a guitar he beat up himself made nearly as much in one day as he did in an entire week...Shaking that thought from his mind, Nobu did his best to appear calm as he asked, "Well, how old are the girls who have just finished their foundation training? There's something I want to try out and I need someone around or below the level of Rank 1 Copper Trainee to lend me a hand. Any ideas?"After a brief pause to organize her thoughts, Kumiko nodded her head and explained, "Most members of the Yoshitsune Clan complete their foundation training by the age of five. Those that fail to do so by the age of eight are either sent overseas or sold off to brothels to receive training as future prostitutes and informants. My Lord returned with rather substantial savings so it is possible to purchase some of the girls that would have been sold off. Should I contact the Training Institute and have them prepare a lineup...?"Raising his hand in a stopping gesture, Nobu's expression darkened as his mind processed what Kumiko had just said. He knew that slavery was totally a thing in this world but he had never even considered that clans would be selling off children. Sure, he understood the logic behind it, but, as someone with modern sensibilities, the nonchalance with which Kumiko had spoken made him sick to his stomach.Realizing she had made her Lord upset, Kumiko attempted to allay Nobu's frustrations by adopting a gentle tone and saying, "My Lord is a kind man. I'm certain those girls would be extremely grateful to have such a kind Lord as their Master. Please consider it..."Though she didn't think it was a good idea for her Nobu to waste what few resources he had on a bunch of talentless children, Kumiko would be lying if she said she didn't empathize with his frustrations. The fear of being sent abroad or sold off to a brothel was something all young trainees feared. Many even committed suicide shortly after they were sent away, unable to cope with the notion that they would be spending the rest of their short lives servicing people at the very lowest rungs of society. Thus, even though she knew it was a bad idea, Kumiko still wanted Nobu to purchase a few of the girls slated for disposal. After all, they would be much happier serving him than spending the rest of their lives attending to pig farmers, sailors, and homeless people...Seeing Kumiko lower her head, halfway between a bow and a dogeza, Nobu turned his own away in deep thought. A part of him was tempted to convince the Matriarch to entrust all the failing members of her clan to him. At the same time, however, he knew this wouldn't be an extremely stupid thing to do. He didn't even have the resources to support the people who currently depended on him for their growth, and, even if he did manage to come up with a convenient excuse, where would the girls stay? He was basically a guest in the main estate, and, unless he gave her a very good reason, he couldn't imagine the Matriarch allowing him to effectively build his own faction from among girls the clan had abandoned."Fucking bullshit..."With Kumiko raising her head in response to his words, Nobu preempted any questions she might have by saying, "Fine. Go and tell whoever is in charge to get the girls ready. Oh, and make sure they're actually clothed and shit. I swear, if I show up and there is a line of naked brats waiting for me, I'm going to lose my shit."Bowing her head low, Kumiko replied, "Understood." before promptly vanishing into thin air.Feeling the sudden onset of a headache, Nobu cast his gaze over the other four girls present before stopping on Kazue and asking, "You were supposed to be my doctor, right?"Smiling wryly in response, Kazue was prepared to apologize before Nobu shook his head and said, "Don't worry about it. I was just thinking that you should know how to give massages and stuff. I'm getting a tension headache so it would help if you massage my scalp while someone else fetches some drinking water. My throat is beginning to feel a little sore."Exhaling a sigh of relief, Kazue rose to her feet before moving behind Nobu and saying, "Lean back and rest the back of your head on my lap."Though the only authentic lap pillow he had ever experienced was in this world, Nobu could still recall how soft Yui's thighs had been. Thus, without any hesitation whatsoever, he reclined against Kazue's and allowed her to massage his scalp and temples while Aiko quickly fetched a bamboo container filled with water. She even poured it into his mouth, so, while he couldn't help feeling uncomfortable whenever they behaved overly courteous, moments like this kind of made up for it.........With Kumiko returning a lot sooner than he anticipated, it wasn't long before Nobu was being led down the mountain with Kiku and Aiko acting as his bodyguards. Chikako and Ayane were also guarding him, but, instead of walking alongside him, they scouted the surrounding forest and stalked him from the shadows.A stark contrast to his journey up the mountain, Nobu's path remained relatively unimpeded thanks to the presence of his escort. There were still a few precocious brats eying him from a distance but none of them tried to approach. As for Nobu, knowing what he knew now, he did his best to appear calm and unflustered even as Kumiko led him into a three-story compound that served as both a training facility and school for kunoichi trainees.Waiting for them near the entrance was a silver-haired woman who had introduced herself as Yoshitsune Kiara, but, from the moment he had entered the facility, Nobu wasn't really paying attention. All of his efforts were focused on his breathing, as, despite doing his best to remain calm, the realization that he was about to purchase children made him sick to his stomach. He had even started to pale, and, though it was actually quite cool outside, a dense layer of sweat had broken out across his entire body."My Lord...if you're feeling unwell, we can come back another time..."Turning his head, Nobu noticed the concern visible in, not just Kumiko's, but everyone else's eyes. This made him feel a little pathetic, but, for other reasons entirely, he shook his head and said, "No. If I leave today, I doubt I would ever come back. Let's just get this over with..."Nodding her head in understanding, Kumiko asked the woman guiding them to continue leading the way until they had reached what could best be described as a dojo. There, a total of three little girls had been lined up, each looking equal parts frightened and hopeful. If not for the fact they had been informed to remain still and quiet, they would be doing everything in their power to appeal to the gigantic man that had just walked into the room. After all, he was, in many ways, their last hope...Noticing the desperation visible in the girls' gazes, Nobu's expression darkened considerably as a sudden and intense urge to scream and shout at the woman guiding them began to swell within his heart. Instead, he forced himself to take a few steps forward, surprising everyone in the room as he asked, "Would any of you like to be my friend...?"......(A/N: Man...and to think that novels like Death March can almost make purchasing little girls seem 'cute'. I can't even imagine what I would do in Nobu's shoes...)

Waking in the dead of night, Nobu found himself as the little spoon in a cuddle. Yuriko had her arm wrapped around his body, and, as could be expected, the busty kunoichi had her breasts pressed to his back, her breath warming his neck as she nestled as close as possible to his body."..."After briefly considering whether or not he wanted to disturb the sleeping beauty, Nobu's need to piss compelled him to extricate himself from her embrace. This was immediately followed by a soft inquiry, concern tinging Yuriko's voice as she opened her nearly luminescent amber eyes and asked, "My Lord...?"Shaking his head, Nobu whispered, "Go back to sleep. I just need to take a piss. I'll be back in a bit."Rising to a seated position, Yuriko revealed that she had become completely naked at some point, her tanned skin catching the light emitting from the room's dimly lit lantern perfectly. This caused Nobu to momentarily freeze in place, his eyes captivating by the sight of the smiling woman as she smoothly tied her long back hair into a ponytail and asked, "Do you even know where the latrine is located...?"Frowning in response, Nobu was about to suggest he would just take a piss outside when Yuriko sent a shiver through his body, saying, "I'll check to see if there's a bedpan underneath the tatami. If there isn't, you can use my mouth. Afterward, I can give you a blowjob to help you fall back asleep."Though he understood exactly what she meant, Nobu still found himself tentatively inquiring, "Use your mouth...?" in an uncertain, moderately incredulous, tone.With an expression that seemed to imply it was no big deal, Yuriko nodded her head, saying, "Yeah. Kunoichi have iron stomachs after ingesting a ton of poi-specialized plants and herbs. I've actually wanted to try something like this for a while. Oh, and don't worry. I won't try to kiss you or anything until I've properly rinsed my mouth."Staring at the naked woman digging through various items hidden beneath the tatami in the corner of the room, Nobu's expression remained incredulous as the image of Yuriko sucking his cock as he pissed down her throat briefly entered his mind. It was the kind of thing you only expected to find in some of the more fucked up pornos, yet, as if she was genuinely looking forward to it, the naked beauty in front of him mentioned drinking his piss with a fucking smile on her face...Shaking his head clear of such thoughts, Nobu rose to his feet and said, "Just show me where the lavatory, latrine, or whatever is. Even if you ask me to, I'm not going to piss in your mouth. You're not a fucking toilet."Raising her brows, Yuriko maintained the smile on her face as she issued a light chuckle and replied, "Thanks...?" in a slightly amused tone. She was a little disappointed he had refused, but, at the same time, it made her heart tickle to hear him declare she wasn't a toilet with a serious expression and a look of conviction in his eyes.Furrowing his brows in response to Yuriko's reaction, Nobu was about to say something when the naked kunoichi beat him to the punch, explaining, "The nearest latrine is a bit away from here, but Yui should be able to escort you. I'm gonna go ahead and swap with someone else. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind staying here indefinitely, but the other girls might complain if I receive too much special treatment."Punctuating her words with a surprise kiss, an even more radiant smile appeared across Yuriko's face as she moved away from him and attempted to pick up her clothes. This left Nobu feeling a little speechless, but, as he really did need to take a piss, he just watched her climb into the ceiling with a pensive look on his face before shaking his head and moving towards the room's entrance.Opening the door, Nobu was unsurprised to find Yui sitting in a flawless seiza, her back straight as she silently surveyed the area. When she noticed his presence, she habitually motioned to bow, but, before she could complete it, her body paused for a brief moment before she ultimately just rose to her feet and asked, "Is there someplace you wished to visit?"Rather than immediately respond, Nobu stared at Yui for several seconds with a similarly pensive look. He could see light bruising around her eyes, a tell-tale sign that she had been crying not all that long ago. This caused a frown to develop across his face, and, though he could have just let matters rest, he asked, "What's wrong?" in a somber tone.Though her first instinct was to say that nothing was the matter, Yui paused for a short moment before hanging her head slightly and answering, "I wanted to apologize to you...not for what has happened recently, but for everything I did to you previously. I thought I could make up for it by performing my duty well, but the only thing I accomplished was troubling you...I'm sorry..."With a sour expression on her face, Yui looked like she was on the verge of tears as she formed her hands into fists. It felt insincere to apologize while she was standing on her feet, but, after what had happened previously, she wasn't sure how she should be acting. Fortunately, this seemed to be the correct choice, as, moments after her apology, an exasperated sigh escaped Nobu's throat before he placed his hand on her head and muttered, "You really are an idiot..." in a soft, ostensibly gentle, tone.Despite the fact he had just called her an idiot, Yui felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her heart the moment she heard Nobu's words. For a brief moment, she even considered hugging him, but, fearing she would inconvenience him due to her armor, she just trembled for a few seconds as he continued to caress her head. Then, as if he had read her thoughts, Nobu was the one who took the initiative to wrap her in his embrace, his lanky arms providing a strange sense of comfort as his body heat transmitted through her armor.........Though he wasn't quite sure what he expected, Nobu never imagined that the lavatory of the main estate was a stable-like latrine hanging precariously over an artificial stream. The toilets themselves were essentially just holes cut in the floor, and, rather than anything like stalls, the entire facility was open. As a result, anyone using the outhouse was fully exposed to everyone else that happened to visit around that same time. There was absolutely no privacy, and, due to the penchant of kunoichi to walk around without clothes on, Nobu nearly fell through the opening in the floor when a naked woman with dark hair and purple eyes entered the lavatory and made use of the hole two spaces to his left. To make matters even worse, she even attempted to converse with him, a smile on her face as she eyed his penis and released a steamy golden stream of her own...Choosing to ignore the woman, for a substantial number of reasons, Nobu wrapped up his business before raising his hand in a casual gesture of farewell and departing the facility. There, he found Yui waiting outside, an apologetic expression on her face as she explained, "This is why I didn't want to wait outside..."Shaking his head, Nobu just muttered, "Whatever..." before attempting to lead the way back to the room. It was extremely chilly near the top of the mountain, especially in the middle of the night, so he was eager to return to the relative warmth of his room. The cotton yukata he had been given did very little to block out the cold, so, once the opportunity presented itself, he intended to draw up a few different designs for t-shirts, jackets, and trousers. The girls' outfits were a lot more complicated than anything he expected to encounter in this era so he was reasonably sure they would be able to procure or produce something better suited to his American sensibilities.Fortunately, Nobu had always been pretty talented when it came to things like art and design. The only reason he hadn't gotten into architecture and design was that it took between 5-8 years to get a Master's Degree. It was possible to get a decent job without one, but, when it came to careers, the higher-tiered degrees ensured much better pay and benefits.Noticing her Lord in deep thought, Yui wanted to ask what was on his mind but ultimately chose to remain silent. The only thing her Grandmother had told her after their return was that he was a very important existence to both the Oda and Yoshitsune Clans. She wanted her to watch over him, and, as much as possible, support the decisions he made. This all but confirmed her suspicions regarding Nobu's consumption of a Heavenly Treasure. What she didn't understand was where his knowledge, memories, and personality originated from...With the sense of a normal human being, Nobu remained blissfully unaware of the fact that Yui was observing him with the intensity of a barred owl eyeing a field mouse. Instead, he remained focused on navigating the hallways until they reached the corridor containing his, and three other, rooms.Spotting not one, but two familiar figures sitting patiently outside his room, Nobu raised his brows slightly before calling out, "Aiko? Chikako...?" in a whispering tone.Without rising from her positions, Aiko and Chikako simultaneously bowed their heads, answering, "Welcome back, Nobunaga-sama..." in soft tones. This caused Aiko's massive breasts to stress the fabric of her kimono, and, though Chikako's were relatively modest, the fact she was still wearing transparent mesh clothing made it difficult not to notice the two cherry-pink buds poking against the fabric...Tearing his eyes away from the two girls' assets, Nobu questioned, "What are the two of you doing here...?" despite recollecting that Yuriko mentioned having someone replace her.Raising her head, Aiko adopted a mature and subtly seductive smile as she explained, "We changed positions with Yuriko and Ayane. Chikako will be keeping an eye on things from the shadows while I will guard the outside of your room."Blinking in surprise, Nobu asked, "Wait? Ayane? The slow-talking girl with light brown hair? She was here...?"Nodding her head, Aiko explained, "It would be counterintuitive to only have one person guarding our Lord at any given moment. If something were to happen, there would be no one to protect you while the other delays, distracts, or eliminates the enemy.""Right...well...tell her she needs to check in with me when she goes on duty...I'd like to know who is watching over me and when..."Bowing her head in response, Aiko adopted an audibly reverential tone as she replied, "Understood, Nobunaga-sama. Once my shift has ended, I will be sure to inform Ayane and everyone else of your wisdom and intent."Though he couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable, Nobu resisted the urge to tell Aiko to cut it out and relax. He had spent nearly two hours organizing his thoughts before he finally fell asleep and the conclusion he had come to was that it was impossible to change their way of thinking in such a short period of time. They had spent eighteen years learning how to think and act in a very specific way, so, for the time being, he would just let them do their own thing while he focused on increasing his strength and getting his footing in a new world.In the end, Nobu decided to just nod in response to Aiko's words before saying, "Thanks. You're doing a good job..." in a somewhat noncommittal tone. Then, before entering his room proper, he looked towards Yui and asked, "You coming inside or going to your own room? I might need you tomorrow so you need to get some rest..."Surprised by the sudden invitation, a faint yet genuine smile developed across Yui's face as she resisted the urge to say it would be her honor and instead simply replied, "I'd like to stay here..." in a far more sincere tone than the one she had used prior to being booted out.........(A/N: Yuriko is certainly...umm...adventurous...?)

Chapter 53: Dawning Realization