"Sleep? Like last time?"
Kaguya turned her head, tilting it slightly, looking innocent and adorable. A touch of white ice cream on her lips was particularly captivating.
Lin Yu nodded. Kaguya's affection for him seemed to be quite good now, even having sought him out twice. Lin Yu felt he could perhaps accelerate their progress a little.
Kaguya took another lick of her ice cream cone, her pure white eyes staring intently at Lin Yu. After a long moment, she nodded and then rose, drifting towards the forest.
"Kaguya, where are you going? My home is that way."
Kaguya paused, saying, "Don't we need to gather firewood to build a bonfire?"
"Huh?"
Lin Yu recalled that the last time he slept with Kaguya was in the wilderness of the Land of Snow. Was Kaguya developing a preference for outdoor activities?
Lin Yu chuckled softly, taking Kaguya's small hand and saying tenderly, "Come home with me, Kaguya."
Kaguya instinctively withdrew her hand. For some reason, at that moment, she dared not meet Lin Yu's gaze, as if his eyes were far more potent than her Rinne Sharingan.
She had always resided in her cold palace, devoid of human warmth or any semblance of comfort. In the past, she hadn't needed it, and with the constant threat of the Otsutsuki clan's arrival, Kaguya had never considered anything else.
But now, things were different. The Otsutsuki members dispatched to the ninja world had been killed by Lin Yu, and it would be a long time before the next one appeared.
Before, she had no choice but to withstand the Otsutsuki pursuit alone. Now, she had a new option.
For Kaguya, if she were to choose a partner, Uzumaki Lin Yu was her only candidate. In terms of both strength and compatibility, they were the most suitable.
However, as someone utterly inexperienced in matters of the heart, Kaguya had no prior dating experience and could only follow her instincts.
"Mhm..." Kaguya nodded softly. She wasn't sure what this implied, but she felt she had had a very happy day. Besides, it was just going home with Lin Yu to sleep, and they hadn't even held hands intimately yet.
The two of them stepped onto the Hokage Rock of the Third Hokage, using it to propel themselves downwards. They soon disappeared into the night, and it was evident that Lin Yu was in a hurry.
Today seemed, should, might be a wonderful night!
...
Konoha Hospital.
Sakura lay in a hospital bed, her brows furrowed as if she were having a terrible nightmare. Her hands gripped the bedsheets tightly, her face pale.
"Doctor Rin, is she really going to be alright?"
"Her chakra was severely depleted and she's exhausted. Don't worry, she'll be fine once she wakes up."
Two beautiful women with distinct styles stood by Sakura's bedside. One was Rin Nohara, her face as sweet and lovely as ever. Her doctor's white coat lent her an air of quiet beauty.
"Anko, what happened to Sakura? Where's Kakashi?" Rin Nohara's voice was laced with concern. Although Sakura hadn't been officially taken in by Tsunade, she had sought her tutelage several times. Rin had a good impression of the diligent girl and, as Kakashi's peer and student, felt a degree of responsibility for Sakura.
"How would I know? I found her collapsed on the ground on the way back to the village. If I hadn't seen her Konoha forehead protector... I'd probably be eating red bean soup at the dessert shop right now!"
The one who had rescued Sakura was Konoha's Special Jonin, Anko Mitarashi, a disciple of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru.
Strictly speaking, Anko was also Lin Yu's junior, but she belonged to Kakashi's generation, two years younger than Kakashi. Thus, they interacted as equals.
Given the complicated relationships, they found it easier to go by age.
Rin smiled helplessly. She knew Anko's personality – frank and direct, speaking her mind freely. This forthrightness was also why they had become friends.
"Anko, please look after Sakura for me. I'll go notify Kakashi to come over."
"Alright, I guess the red bean soup will have to wait until tomorrow... Huh? This little one is waking up."
Sakura's eyes fluttered open, the hazy white fluorescent light entering her vision. She instinctively closed her eyes for a moment, but then, as if remembering something, she suddenly sat up in bed, panicking, "Naruto and Sasuke are in danger!"
"Sakura, I'm Rin Nohara. Speak slowly, whatever it is." Rin quickly soothed Sakura and checked her condition.
"I'm fine, Sister Rin. Please quickly notify Teacher Kakashi, Naruto and the others are in danger!"
...
Between a cluster of mountains, Naruto, Sasuke, and an elder walked at the forefront. Behind them was a vast army of puppet soldiers. Hyde stood at the highest point of the mobile fortress, flipping through an ancient book in his hand with a look of slight arrogance. He was close to obtaining legendary power and conquering the world!
"Damn it! They're using the merchants to threaten us."
Naruto kicked at loose stones in frustration. The battle had only been halfway through when three female knights brought the traveling merchants to the fortress. He and Sasuke were forced to cease fighting and were coerced into becoming cannon fodder for scouting.
Sasuke's expression was cold. He looked at the elder in front of him and said calmly, "More than that, I want to know what this Gurell Stone you speak of is."
The elder merchant sighed, his tone bitter. "The Gurell Stone contains immense power. In ancient times, someone used this power to create a vast empire, but it also led to its downfall due to this terrifying power. We are the descendants of that empire."
"The Gurell Stone? Is it that glowing rock? Is it really that terrifying?" Naruto pouted. Although he had witnessed the power of the Gurell Stone in the previous battle, Naruto felt it was nothing special.
"What they are looking for should be the sealed Gurell vein. After the empire fell, the remaining royalty sealed the vein to prevent future generations from repeating their mistakes." The elder merchant's gaze was inscrutable as he looked at Timothee with pity.
"Only the royal descendants of the empire can adapt to the Gurell Stone."
Naruto gasped, then covered his mouth and glanced behind him, muttering, "Are that old grandpa and Timothee family? Then you guys..."
"Sigh." The elder merchant sighed. Infighting was a sorrowful matter, but what could he do? Could he convince Timothee with just words to believe him, the old man, rather than Hyde, who had raised him for so many years?
"Damn you!" Naruto clenched his fists tightly, his anger towards Hyde reaching its zenith.
"Calm down, Naruto," Sasuke reminded him.
Soon, an ancient ruin hidden deep within the mountains appeared before them...
...
"Do you want to lie down?"
Kaguya looked at the tatami mat before her, her mind going blank for a moment. She remembered that sleeping last time hadn't been like this! How could this be! (๑ŏ﹏ŏ๑)
"Of course, you lie down to sleep."
Seeing Kaguya standing there in a daze, Lin Yu gently pulled her onto the futon and helped her remove her shoes and socks. However, the moment her socks came off, Kaguya quickly tucked her fair, slender feet under the covers, giving Lin Yu no opportunity to succeed.
Lin Yu inwardly lamented his misfortune, but seeing Kaguya voluntarily crawl into the covers, he wore a smile like that of Homura of the Wolf.
"Lin Yu, your smile is so ugly... You, why are you coming in too!"
For some reason, upon seeing Lin Yu lie down beside her, Kaguya's heart began to pound nervously. With the two of them in the same blanket, she could clearly feel the warmth radiating from Lin Yu, seemingly much warmer than her own.
Kaguya shrunk away to the side. Lin Yu moved closer. Kaguya shrunk away again, and Lin Yu moved closer once more...
"Kaguya baby, don't run, it's time to sleep."
Calling her Kaguya baby again!
Kaguya's heart tightened. The last time Lin Yu called her Kaguya baby, he had played a trick on her. This time, she absolutely wouldn't fall for it!
However, when Lin Yu's large hand clasped her delicate hand and pulled her into a warm embrace, Kaguya's body couldn't help but shrink back. She didn't know what she should do at this moment, whether to angrily push Lin Yu away or simply remain there.
Kaguya's eyes were hazy. Her small hand, held by Lin Yu, involuntarily absorbed chakra, attempting to distract herself. Yet, with every breath, she inhaled Lin Yu's pleasant scent. At this moment, she was reluctant to leave this embrace.
Otsutsuki Kaguya was also a woman, and at this moment, she felt an unprecedented warmth and sense of security.
"Can we just sleep like this, Kaguya baby?"
Kaguya lowered her head slightly, burying herself in Lin Yu's embrace. Whether it was because she believed Lin Yu's words that he wouldn't do anything and they would simply sleep in the blanket, or for some other reason, Kaguya let out a soft, delicate hum.
"Mhm..."
Holding Kaguya's soft body, apart from the two small horns on her head that were slightly in the way, everything else was proceeding smoothly!
But with the atmosphere like this, Lin Yu couldn't possibly say something as mood-killing as, "Kaguya, could you please put away your horns? They're poking my face and hurting!"
Time ticked by, and Lin Yu could feel Kaguya's body growing softer in his embrace, her temperature rising. She even stopped absorbing his chakra, her whole body limp against his chest.
The time was ripe. Lin Yu's hand moved to Kaguya's slender waist, moving upwards...
Kaguya's exquisite and beautiful face was already flushed crimson. That rosy hue exuded a fragrant scent, her eyes slightly dazed. She wanted to grab Lin Yu's roaming hand, but her body suddenly stopped obeying her will.
Lin Yu slowly caressed Kaguya's beautiful face. Their eyes met. The beauty's eyes held a hint of panic, but she did not evade, as if anticipating something.
Lin Yu did not hesitate, lowering his head to capture that rosy hue...
Suddenly, a fierce chakra fluctuation swept in from afar. Kaguya, who was in his embrace, immediately broke free and floated out of the room, her eyes coldly scanning the southwest direction.
She sensed an immense chakra, so vast that she could absorb it for a year and a half with plenty left over.
Lin Yu's hands remained in their previous position, but the woman he held was no longer there.
Lin Yu's body trembled slightly. He too had sensed that immense chakra fluctuation. But no matter who had caused it or for what reason.
Dare to disrupt his good time tonight, he, Uzumaki Lin Yu, would kill!
Female or not, he wouldn't let her go!