Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

"..."Staring at the mature pinkette pressing her forehead to the floor, Nobu remained silent for several minutes. He was honestly tempted to see how long she could keep this up, but, understanding he was basically stuck here so long as she was, Nobu ultimately replied, "Fine. But I have conditions. If she violates even a single one of these, it will be your responsibility to pass judgment on her..."Raising her head, Suzune adopted one of the most beautiful smiles Nobu had ever seen as she said, "Worry not, Nobunaga-sama. I have already had a "very" long discussion with my daughter after the previous incident. So long as your conditions are not too extreme, I can promise she will obey them to the letter. I ask only that you take her future status into consideration when you interact with her around others..."Since Shizune had told her about Nobu making her behave like an animal, Suzune was seriously considering having her daughter spend the next couple of months as his pet. Given his nature, it was only a matter of time before he either softened up or got tired of seeing her behave that way. After that, it was relatively smooth sailing for them both.Unaware of the wily and marginally unhinged woman's thoughts, Nobu replied, "Whatever. I'll write up a list and give it to you in the next couple of days. For now, let's talk about the personnel issue..."Nodding her head, Suzune produced a rather sizeable stack of files transcribed on hemp paper and bamboo roll before providing her personal opinion on each of the women within.Unsurprisingly, most of the women were in their late twenties with very few surpassing their thirties. They were experts who had chosen to spend their remaining days educating the next generation in the hopes their experience might serve the clan and decrease the mortality rate of young kunoichi in the field.What surprised Nobu was that quite a number of younger kunoichi and even a handful of trainees had been included among the stack of candidates. Some of these were the most talented members of their generation while others seemed to have been thrown in at completely random."What the hell? Is this girl a demon...?"Though the images in the files were just detailed ink drawings, it was still possible to make out the features of the people represented within. One of these showed a young girl but her proportions were slightly strange and there were horns sticking out of her forehead. Unfortunately, Nobu was unable to read anything recorded in the scroll so he could only rely on Suzune to translate.Seeing the scroll Nobu was referring to, Suzune nodded her head, explaining, "Ah, Onihime. This is a special case as she isn't actually a native descendent of the Yoshitsune Clan. She is the daughter of a deposed Lord from the Aizu-Ashina Clan who became an honorary member of the clan around fifty years ago. The Matriarch thought she would be a good fit as an attendant since Oni, even half-breeds, possess inordinately long lifespans. She is also unique in the fact that her cultivation base was destroyed around the time of her capture. If you are able to restore it, she will be a powerful asset to you in the future.""What the fuck? You're telling me this brat is more than fifty years old...?"Nodding her head, Suzune answered, "If I'm not mistaken, she should be turning sixty-eight years old by the end of Summer. As for her appearance, it is primarily the result of her heritage and her restricted cultivation. It's hard to know, really. Even after tens of thousands of years, very few clans have any meaningful information on Oni and their unique physiology. They generally dissolve into nothingness once killed and efforts to observe living specimens have resulted in quite a number of tragedies...""..."Though there was a lot he wanted to say, Nobu ultimately remained silent. He suspected that the only reason Onihime was being entrusted to him was because of his unique abilities. He could use the stone tablet to ascertain information that others simply weren't privy to. In other words, there was a very real chance this was simply a test to measure the extent of his capabilities. This would explain why there were so many random girls mixed in among the more qualified candidates. They most likely had something unique or special about them that the clan wanted to confirm...Shaking his head, Nobu asked, "You said this girl would be useful to me in the future. Does that mean the Yoshitsune Clan is giving her to me? What's the catch?"Without missing a beat, Suzune answered, "She is too old to remain in the clan. While we have accepted her as an honorary member, her longevity has become something of an issue after most of the people responsible for her integration have died. Now, now, there's no need for that face..."Seeing the frown forming on Nobu's face, Suzune couldn't resist covering her mouth with her sleeve and issuing an amused giggle before going on to explain, "The simple truth of the matter is that she has become progressively more apathetic towards life. It's not easy watching all the people you care about dying from various causes while you continue to live on. I believe the Matriarch was hoping you would be able to rekindle her passion by having her assist with the education and care of the children. You also do not harbor the same biases as normal Nianese citizens. I'm positive that factored into her decision quite a bit..."Though he wasn't going to simply accept Suzune's words at face value, Nobu still nodded his head before having her reveal what she knew about the other candidates. He wanted to know as much as possible before the actual interviews as it would be incredibly awkward to have someone like Yui or Kumiko translate for him. Sure, he could always use the stone tablet to auto-translate text using the camera function. Unfortunately, this required a fair amount of Aura. Thus, for the sake of preserving both his dignity and his points, Nobu was intending to learn how to read and write properly. Until then, he was basically illiterate.........By the time Suzune finally departed, the sun was well on its way towards the horizon. This left Nobu feeling mentally and physically drained, but, before he could even think about resting, Yui surprised him by mentioning, "Tonight is the night of the New Moon. I know you're tired, but please consider meeting with Kaia. She has already been informed of your arrival on the mountain so there's a fair chance she will have a breakdown if we miss this window of opportunity. The next one won't be for twenty-seven days..."Though he had completely forgotten about Kaia's existence due to everything else that was on his plate, Nobu quickly recalled her details after Yui's reminder. Kaia was apparently a Half-Lycan who had spent most of her life locked away in a specialized cell since it was simply too dangerous to let her roam freely. In other words, she had basically spent the last eighteen years of her life in prison..."Fine. Let me rest for an hour or two and then we'll head out. Also, next time, I would appreciate it if you reminded me about things like this sooner. I hate being blindsided like this..."Nodding her head in affirmation, Yui promptly replied, "I understand. I'll be sure to remember that." before falling silent and appearing somewhat hesitant. This was quickly noticed by Nobu as he had been sitting across from her. He had, more or less, forced her to eat together with him after asking Cho to prepare an additional portion during lunch. As for his reasoning, well, she was basically his fiancee. She might regard herself as more of a Mistress or a Concubine candidate but it wasn't like he was engaged to anyone else...(A/N: Bruh...)"What is it...?"Inhaling through her nose, Yui appeared to form her resolve as she stared directly at Nobu and asked, "Would it be too impertinent of me to ask if I can feed you...?"Though he managed to remain upright, Nobu felt as if his body had tilted to the side the moment he heard Yui's words. He also heard the sound of someone clicking their tongue in the background, but, with his attention focused on the front, he could only guess that it was Yuriko."Uh...sure...?"Displaying a relieved smile in response to Nobu's words, Yui deftly sliced a piece of salmon with her chopsticks before picking it up and pausing mid-extension. She realized that it would be difficult to feed him from across the tray of food, so, after a brief moment of hesitation, she scootched to the side before trying again, this time with a noticeable blush on her face.Swallowing before he had even sampled the salmon, Nobu accepted Yui's offer while feeling a form of nervousness he had never experienced before. This was a stark contrast to her usual behavior so she had managed to catch him completely by surprise."H-How is it...?"Blinking in surprise, Nobu was ashamed to realize he couldn't even remember the taste of the food. He had been staring at Yui's blushing face the entire time so his mind had failed to process what he had just eaten. Despite this, he still managed to answer, "It was delicious..." in a slightly awkward yet audibly sincere tone.........In hindsight, Nobu realized it was rather senseless of him to suggest traveling at night. There were no established paths on the Northern face of the mountain so it was a nightmare trying to navigate during the day. If not for Yuriko's and Kiku's ability to see in the dark, navigating through the dense forest would have been next to impossible.All in all, it took nearly three hours to reach the location where Kaia was being held. By then, Nobu was feeling both annoyed and exhausted. There were a ridiculous number of mosquitos inhabiting the mountain, and, unlike everyone else, he didn't have a convenient metal aura to protect him."What are the odds that we'll be able to shelter in the main estate tonight...?"Since there were quite a number of preparations that needed to be made in order to prepare Kaia to receive guests, Nobu decided to make small talk as Yui applied ointment to his many mosquito bites."Grandmother said that she would be preserving the state of your previous room. Should I send someone to make preparations for your arrival...?"As it was rumored to be harder to descend a mountain than it was to climb one, Nobu nodded his head without hesitation. There was no way in hell he was going to make another three-hour trek through a densely populated forest when even the Moon wasn't out to guide them. He had literally needed Yuriko to guide him by hand. Thus, rather than force himself to suffer just so he could sleep in his bed, Nobu didn't mind taking advantage of the Matriarch's hospitality."Nobunaga-sama, Yui-sama. Please, follow me."Rising to his feet the moment he heard the rather plain-looking woman's words, Nobu followed behind her as she led them down a rather claustrophobic spiral staircase. Fortunately, they only had to descend for a minute or two before reaching what appeared to be a refurbished dungeon. There, sitting with her back against the wall furthest from the cell bars was a remarkably beautiful woman with untamed white hair and eyes that glistened like moonlight.Though she wore what appeared to be a modified muzzle covering the lower half of her face, Nobu found himself stopping in place the moment he met the woman's pale-yellow eyes. Her gaze was so intense that he didn't even notice the inordinately large ears standing erect atop her head, the dense white fur covering her forearms and calves, or the fluffy white tail folded over her lap. For a brief moment, the only things that seemed to exist in the entire world were the subtly glowing orbs staring at him from behind the wrist-thick bars..."Are you my Master...?"......(A/N: Could this be the advent of the goodest girl...!?)

Recovering from his initial shock, Nobu answered, "Uh...yeah...?" while scratching the back of his head.("Did Kazue infect me...?")As that thought crossed his mind, Nobu nearly jumped out of his skin when Kaia smashed face-first into the iron bars. At the exact same time, Yui stepped out in front of him, shouting, "Kaia! Heel...!"Hearing Yui's command, Kaia backed away from the slightly bent prison bars, blood dripping from her forehead as she plopped to the ground. Throughout this entire process, she continued staring directly at Nobu, her pupils rapidly expanding and contracting as she breathed heavily from behind the bars.Though she didn't move from in front of Nobu, Yui nodded in approval, saying, "Good. Now, stay. If you lose your calm, we'll have no choice but to leave."With her claws kneading the reinforced stone floor as if it was tofu, Kaia nodded her head and said, "I know...I just...I just wanted to be closer to him..." in a somewhat pain-filled tone.Exhaling a sigh, Yui was about to say something to try and pacify Kaia's frustrations when Nobu surprised them both by remarking, "Holy shit. Are those claws? You even have paw pads on your palms. Talk about a furry's wet dream...""My Lord...?"Bypassing the confused Yui, Nobu forced himself to walk until he was just outside of Kaia's range. The girls had already explained all the safety precautions to him. More importantly, they had told him that he shouldn't exhibit fear in front of Kaia. This was pretty much impossible, but, fortunately for everyone involved, he was genuinely intrigued by the wolfish woman's appearance."Let me see your paws..."Without any hesitation whatsoever, Kaia extended her hand through the bars as if she was trying to grab Nobu's face. Fortunately, there was a line on the ground that denoted the maximum distance she could extend her claws. Nobu was several centimeters behind this line so there was still ample distance between his paling face and the shimmering black claws extending towards him."You really know how to give a guy a heart attack..."Furrowing her brows in response to Nobu's words, Kaia asked, "D-Did I do something bad...?" while straining to squeeze her shoulder through the bars.Noticing Kaia's attempt, Nobu did his best to appear stern as he said, "Stop trying to force your way out. You need to calm down. What did Yui just say? I don't want to leave but you're not leaving me with much of a choice..."Though she didn't retract her hand, Kaia ceased trying to force her way through the cell bars. This somehow made her even scarier, almost like a grenade that had lost its pin or a massive firework that had run down its fuse without exploding...Resisting the urge to wipe away the sweat from his brow, Nobu stared at Kaia's paws with a curious yet cautious gaze. Her hands were nothing like the hands of a person. Her digits were much thicker, and, despite being covered in silvery white fur, it was possible to make out the musculature hidden beneath. They gave off the impression she could crush metal with her grip strength...Ignoring the vicious black claws extending and retracting from Kaia's paws, seemingly in tune with the beating of her heart, Nobu ran his along the rest of her arm. Her forearm was entirely covered in the same silvery-white fur as her paws. As for her upper arm and bicep, it almost appeared dainty at a glance, but, every time her muscles tensed, they would swell noticeably...Following the path of Kaia's body, Nobu's eyes nearly descended towards her rather voluminous chest by pure instinct. Instead, he managed to shift his focus to the muzzle around her face, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as he saw the rather prominent canines concealed within. She also produced a fair amount of steamy condensation with every breath, and, when he finally returned his gaze to her eyes, Nobu had the distinct impression that she would devour him down to the bone if not for the cell bars separating them..."You're pretty scary..."Though his words were intended more as an observation than an insult, Nobu was surprised to see the oversized ears atop Kaia's head droop rather pathetically the moment he finished speaking. At the same time, the tensions in her body seemed to drain away, almost as if she were deflating right in front of him.Since he was shit at apologizing, Nobu offered a wry smile as he extended his hand, surprising both Kaia and Yui as he poked the former's paw pad and added, "Relax. I wasn't trying to make you feel-"Before Nobu could finish his non-apology, he felt a sharp pain from his shoulder as Kaia pulled him against the prison bars with extreme force. This caused Yui to exclaim, "Kaia! Bad...!" in a remarkably panicked tone, her body tensing like a spring as she prepared herself to cut down the white-haired wolf girl.Fortunately, Nobu had become increasingly accustomed to pain ever since his arrival in this new world. As a result, he was able to hold up his hand, groaning, "Calm down..." even as Kaia strained her muzzle against the cell bars, eagerly inhaling his scent.With the power disparity between them, Nobu knew that Kaia could rip him apart without any real effort. Instead, she pulled him towards her with an inhuman yet tolerable amount of force. In other words, the thought of harming him hadn't crossed her mind. Instead, as she had stated previously, she just wanted to be close to him...Though she didn't retract the sword in her hands, Yui forced herself to nod as she stared directly at Kaia's panicky but possessive expression. She could tell that the latter didn't mean to do any harm, but, at the same time, there was an unwillingness in her eyes that made it clear she wasn't going to cooperate as usual.As that thought crossed her mind, Yui was genuinely surprised to see Kaia obey when Nobu said, "I want to turn around and face you. Let go of my arm. I won't run away..."After a very brief moment of hesitation, Kaia reluctantly released Nobu's arm. She had been taught to trust and obey him her entire life. Thus, even though this was their first meeting, she felt a strong compulsion to do as he said.Drastically increasing the tensions in Yui's body, Nobu ignored the pain in his shoulder as he turned to face Kaia. Then, before she could forcibly seize him a second time, he said, "Give me your hand..." while extending his own.Though it took a considerable amount of willpower not to draw Nobu towards her, Kaia ultimately presented her hand, palm facing upward. In response, Nobu grabbed her wrist with his right hand before gingerly placing his left hand overtop hers. He had encountered numerous tropes since his arrival in this world so he wanted to see if he couldn't use 'gentleness' to try and get through to the untamed woman. This was pretty common in movies and other forms of fiction, so, with Kaia having spent most of her life isolated from others, Nobu felt compelled to treat her gently..."Your heart is beating quickly...are you afraid...?"Hearing Nobu's question, the pupils in Kaia's eyes contracted as she quickly retracted her paw from his grasp. To Yui's surprise, she even took a few steps away from the cell bars as she said, "Kaia isn't afraid of anything..." in a thoroughly unconvincing tone.Demonstrating considerable surprise of his own, Nobu stared blankly at Kaia's retreating figure. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but this certainly wasn't it."My Lord..."Since the time for casualness had long since passed, Yui defaulted to referring to Nobu as her Lord while restraining the urge to charge over and pull him away from the danger zone.Without removing his gaze from Kaia, Nobu left Yui feeling an inexplicable urge to ask what the hell was wrong with him as he said, "Yui...unlock the gate...""...""..."With even Kaia staring at him as if he had lost his mind, Nobu could feel his skin beginning to crawl as he rolled his injured shoulder and asked, "What? Are you thinking about hurting me...?"Responding without any hesitation, Kaia shouted, "No! Kaia would never hurt Master...!" as her eyes briefly flickered towards his shoulder.Though he noticed Kaia's gaze, Nobu pretended not to as he said, "Then it's fine." before turning to Yui and saying, "You know I don't like repeating myself..."Clenching her teeth, Yui restrained the urge to smack Nobu on the head with the butt of her sword as she turned to the woman who had escorted them, saying, "Hand me the key...""Yui-sama..."Adopting a serious expression on her face, Yui absorbed her sword back into her aura as she said, "The Matriarch and the Elders have placed their trust in Nobunaga-sama and his judgment. Are you questioning them...?"Shaking her head rapidly, the rather plain-looking kunoichi immediately produced the key to Kaia's cell, saying, "I would never...!" in a slightly panicked tone."Wise choice."Accepting the key, Yui ignored her own inhibitions as she walked over and promptly unlatched the lock. She wanted to ask if Nobu was certain, but, fearing she might make things worse, she steeled her heart, suppressed her better judgment, and decided to trust in him.In truth, Nobu had absolutely no idea what he was doing. He was basically just winging things and making decisions based on the flow of events. He didn't really view himself as anything like a 'main character', but, after everything that had happened, he suspected that fate or whatever might be on his side. Besides, he had already died once. What was the worst that could happen?Ignoring the urge to punch himself in the face for having such thoughts, Nobu stepped into Kaia's cell without any obvious hesitation. Then, despite feeling as though he had just entered a cage with a carnivorous animal, he took a knee and said, "Come here..." with his hand extended towards the wolfish beauty.To Nobu's surprise, Kaia replied, "I shouldn't..." despite staring at him with hungry eyes.Returning a smile, Nobu asked, "The person who told you that...are their words more important to you than mine?"With her pupils contracting, Kaia clasped her paws together as if she were about to pray as she said, "Kaia doesn't want to hurt Master..."Though the hairs on his forearms stood on end, Nobu did his best to maintain a calm smile as he said, "Then don't. That doesn't stop you from coming near me..."Widening her eyes, Kaia began to fidget slightly as she said, "But Kaia is dangerous...she isn't-"Without waiting for her to finish, Nobu said, "You were born to serve and protect me. I've made you wait eighteen years. Are you telling me I can't trust you...?"Shaking her head with enough force to make her inordinately large ears flop, Kaia exclaimed, "No! Master can trust Kaia...!" in a shrill yet resolute tone.Visibly relaxing, Nobu's smile became more genuine as he said, "Then it's fine. So long as you keep that in mind, there isn't any reason you can't come near me. Right?"Though she had been taught to stay away from others, Kaia found herself unable to refute Nobu's logic. Thus, after a considerable amount of hesitation, she proceeded to hesitantly crawl towards him. This caused the smile on Nobu's face to turn somewhat wry, but, from start to finish, he did his best to appear calm as Kaia extended her paw to place in his hand."Good girl..."Feeling a tingly sensation run through her body, Kaia managed a somewhat scary smile as her tail began to brush along the ground, gently sweeping from side to side. This gave Nobu the urge to laugh. Unfortunately, the moment he dropped his guard, Kaia literally pounced on him, shouting, "Master~!" in a surprisingly girly tone.......(A/N:

"Eh? What's this~?"Having delivered Kazue's message, Nariko returned to Nobu's room to find the latter caressing the former's head. This was pretty much unheard of in Nian, and, the moment she saw the contented look on Kazue's face, Nariko couldn't help feeling as though she had just walked in on a scandal in the making."..."Though she felt embarrassed, Kazue didn't immediately move her head from her Lord's lap. He was the one to tell her to lay down, so, unless he told her to move, she wasn't going anywhere. Besides, it was surprisingly relaxing to have someone comb through her hair..."You're back. Where did you run off to...?"Tearing her honey-colored eyes away from Kazue, Nariko returned a vibrant smile as she answered, "I was delivering a message to Cho-sama. She said breakfast will be ready shortly."Nodding his head in approval, Nobu gestured to his front, saying, "Take a seat. I was intending to teach you this earlier, but I got a little distracted."Though she cocked her head adorably to the side, Nariko ultimately obeyed Nobu's orders by trotting over and plopping down in front of him. Instead of sitting in seiza, however, she sat on her bottom with her legs splayed in a careless manner. Fortunately, she, along with everyone else, now wore simple cotton panties beneath her teal-colored kimono. This was one of the few mandates Nobu had made, not because of his aversion towards nudity, but because of the smell."I'm going to explain a variety of different cultivation methods for you. I was originally going to teach you mine but there is an actual method suitable for your bloodline. In the end, however, it's up to you. I might be your Lord, Master, or whatever, but I'm not going to tell you what path you need to walk. Everyone deserves at least that much freedom..."Beaming in response to Nobu's words, Nariko leaned forward as if she might pounce on him at any moment. Fortunately, this was just an indication that she was excited and looking forward to what he was going to say next.After lightly tapping Kazue's shoulder, Nobu asked her to grab him a piece of paper and a writing utensil before explaining, "The method I'm going to teach you is called the Mountain God's Divine Heritage. I can't tell you what effects it will have, but, based on your bloodline, I'm guessing it will strengthen your body while providing an increase in your affinity towards natural things. As for the actual method, it requires you to increase your physical strength and consume a variety of different kinds of herbs."Using the materials Kazue had grabbed for him, Nobu wrote down the requirements for breaking through the First and Second Realms of the Mountain God's Divine Heritage. Hitomi had advised him to never write down the full methods as there was a fair chance that people would attempt to kill him just to preserve the uniqueness of their own cultivation technique. She said he didn't have to worry about this in the Yoshitsune Clan, but, the moment he ventured beyond the safety of the mountain, there would be no end to the number of people wanting to claim his life for personal or political reasons...Reading the list of requirements her Master had prepared, Nariko's eyes glistened as she asked, "I only need to be able to lift 100kg? I can do that. Easy."Though Nariko's words might sound like bravado, especially considering she was just eight years old, the truth of the matter was that she had always been much stronger than her peers. She was also a lot more durable than most people her age, so much so that she could go toe to toe with people who had broken into Bronze without suffering one-sidedly...After recovering from his shock, Nobu just nodded his head before looking towards Kazue and saying, "When Kumiko gets back, ask her to put in a request for all the herbs I listed. If she can't acquire them through normal channels, let me know. I'll talk with the Matriarch."Accepting the piece of paper from Nariko, Kazue briefly scanned it before placing it into her inner breast pocket and saying, "Most of these are relatively simple to obtain. Cho should actually have most of them in bulk. The difficult part will be obtaining a Perennial Dewdrop Herb. They aren't all that rare but they spoil hours after being removed from their natural habitat. They also only grow at the tops of mountains that are perpetually covered in snow. Owari doesn't have anything like that."Furrowing his brows, Nobu was about to gripe when Kazue adopted a smile and said, "Don't worry. So long as they are stored in high-quality jade slip, they can last for a couple of years without issue. The Matriarch's Jadite Guardian can also fly above 8,000m without any issues. If Yui gets permission to use it, we could have the herb here before the day's end.""Nice."Though he imagined there would be some danger involved, Nobu doubted it would be too serious based on Kazue's casual tone. The Jadite Guardian Owl had also scared the shit out of him when he met it. He doubted there were many beasts that would be able to fight against it, so, as long as she was careful, Yui should be able to retrieve the herb without any issues.As that thought crossed his mind, Nobu's jubilation immediately turned to doubt as he raised his hand and said, "Hold up...I think I just triggered a flag or some shit. Don't send Yui to retrieve the herb. Even if it takes a few months to obtain, Nariko can still increase her cultivation base without advancing to the next Rank. So long as we have the requisite materials, she can achieve multiple breakthroughs at the same time. For now, let's focus on shoring up our foundation..."Raising her brows, Kazue was tempted to ask what her Lord meant when he said he had triggered a flag, but, assuming it had something to do with his Heavenly Treasure, she simply nodded her head and said, "I understand. As for the rest of the herbs, I'll check them to make sure they're the highest quality possible."Nodding his head in approval, Nobu then cast his gaze on the slightly disappointed-looking Nariko, asking, "What's with that face? Cultivation methods are only one part of strength. You're getting to train a technique that most people haven't even heard of. It's better to take things nice and slow to avoid making any mistakes. Trust me. I have first-hand experience charging forward without proper consideration for the consequences..."Pointing towards his nose, currently veiled behind a thin cloth, Nobu made it very clear what he was talking about. His cultivation method had effectively crippled him, and, were it not for the fact he could stockpile his clicks, he might have fucked himself over completely.Chuckling in response to her Lord's self-deprecation, most of Nariko's negative sentiments faded away. She was still young but she knew it was rare for any man to willfully demean themselves in front of their subordinates. Pride was the foundation upon which Nianese society was built upon. There were even instances of people fighting to the death over minor slights so she found it rather amusing to hear him talk about his failures as if were perfectly normal to make mistakes.........With nothing better to do after his breakfast, Nobu continued exercising until around noon. This was around the time when the girls changed shifts, so, with the arrival of Sachiko, he spent about an hour walking her through the specifics of his breathing technique before dismissing everyone when Kumiko informed him of Suzune's arrival."We meet again, Nobunaga-sama..."Seeing the inordinately beautiful pinkette bowing before him, Nobu had to admit she was one of the most alluring women he had ever seen. There was something about her pink hair and the aura that exuded from her body that gave him the impression of a highly intelligent Succubus...Recalling Suzune's previous attempts to seduce him, Nobu shook his head before saying, "Lift your head. Tell me, why have you come here? I was told the renovations wouldn't start for another three days."Raising her head, Suzune adopted a sensual-looking pout as she inquired, "Is it so wrong for me to want to meet with you?"Without beating around the bush, Nobu answered, "Yes. I may have decided not to press the matter between me and your daughter, but that doesn't mean I've forgiven either of you. I'll work with you, but, other than that, I don't really want to have anything to do with you..."Maintaining her smile, Suzune responded, "I suppose I can live with that." in an overly casual tone. At the same time, however, she gently tugged at the orange rope keeping her obi fastened around her flowery pink kimono. This wasn't enough to cause the fabric to burst open but it was more than enough to show a bit of skin as she stared directly at him with her pale, honey-colored eyes.In spite of his best efforts, Nobu found his eyes wandering the moment Suzune's kimono began to loosen. He could feel a knot forming in his throat, and, though she had yet to do anything, he got the same impression from her as a few of the older, more carnivorous women he had dealt with in his previous life."Stop...if you're going to keep taunting me like this, you can just leave..."Giggling in amusement, Suzune tightened the cord around her obi without making any efforts to fix her kimono. He wouldn't be able to complain if she was just showing a bit of skin. After all, many of the kunoichi in his entourage wore far more revealing outfits."I came here to discuss the staffing issue that was brought to my attention. I also heard about your particular disdain towards my daughter. If possible, I would like to convince you to hire her in spite of your personal feelings towards her. She could become one of your greatest assets if you'll allow her to demonstrate her worth..."Furrowing his brows, Nobu's first instinct was to tell Suzune to fuck off. Instead, he remained silent for several seconds before asking, "You're not going to give up, are you...?"Returning an ostensibly sincere smile, Suzune explained, "She's the only daughter I have left. I know it might be frowned upon, but I intend to do everything in my power to protect her. You are right to have your suspicions about me. However, I can see the shadow of something great in you. I would not risk becoming your enemy if I could work alongside you for our mutual benefit..."After learning the truth about Nobu from the Matriarch, Suzune's desire to work alongside Nobu had increased exponentially. If it was true that he possessed the potential to unify the nation, she intended to do everything in her power to ensure her daughter was one of the people standing at his side. Nobu may very well become the Emperor in the future, and, if she played her cards right, it wasn't an impossible dream to install Shizune as his Empress. At the very least, she could be one of his Concubines...perhaps even a Minister...Though it might be an uphill battle, Suzune believed in her daughter's capabilities. She was a bit spoiled, sure, but she was inarguably one of the most intelligent kunoichi in the clan. She may even be one of the most intelligent women in all of Nian. She just needed the chance to mature. Thus, even if it meant lowering herself, Suzune intended to do everything in her power to make sure her daughter was given a second chance."Please...Nobunaga-sama...do not condemn my daughter for being born into circumstances beyond her control. I swear on my status as an Elder. If you give her the chance, she will not disappoint you a second time..."......(A/N: Quite ambitious...)

Chapter 71: Intuition