The night fell.
"It seems we won't catch up today; we'll have to spend the night here."
"Why?"
Kaguya tilted her head and looked at Lin Yu. Her left hand was still held in his, and she felt a ticklish sensation in her palm, so she immediately took another big gulp from Lin Yu.
"Cough, cough!"
Lin Yu almost lost his balance. He stopped teasing Kaguya and said seriously, "It's easy to trip while walking at night!"
Lin Yu inwardly shouted: I have so much chakra, what's wrong with letting Kaguya-baby absorb some! It's chakra absorption now, but maybe later it will be... Hmm!
Lin Yu's expression suddenly became excited, as if the psychological comfort had worked.
Kaguya nodded as if she understood and asked, "Then how do we spend the night?"
"Spending the night means sleeping, don't you need to sleep, Kaguya?"
Upon hearing this, Kaguya immediately closed her beautiful eyes and remained motionless in the blizzard. A few snowflakes drifted onto her fair skin, and some even landed on her crimson lips, making Lin Yu quite envious.
"I'm done. We can go now." After a while, Kaguya reopened her eyes, signaling Lin Yu that they could leave.
"Huh?"
Lin Yu blinked in surprise before reacting, and he said incredulously, "You were... sleeping just now?"
"A moment of meditation is enough for me."
Kaguya withdrew her small hand, which had been warmed by Lin Yu, and placed it on her cheek to test its temperature. It was hot and seemed to carry an inexplicable aura, surprisingly warm.
"I want this one too!"
Lin Yu, who had been feeling regret mixed with relief, was taken aback the next second when a soft, boneless, and cool small hand proactively nestled into his palm. Lin Yu instinctively grasped it, and it felt exquisite.
Kaguya looked at Lin Yu calmly, exhaling hot air from her crimson lips and asking, "Is there a problem?"
"No..."
But in the very next second, Lin Yu fiercely pinched his own thigh.
Uzumaki Lin Yu, oh Uzumaki Lin Yu, you were the one trying to conquer Kaguya, and now Kaguya has taken the initiative!
Absolutely not!
Lin Yu decided to regain his initiative and emphasized, "We agreed not to use any abilities. It's one thing that your body isn't afraid of the cold, but meditating can even replace sleep. This is blatant cheating!"
Kaguya tilted her head, blinked her eyes, and said with a slightly dazed look, "But I've always been like this."
Lin Yu squeezed the soft flesh in his hand, completely ignoring Kaguya's explanation, and pulled her towards the snow-covered woods.
A moment later, a point of light gradually spread within the forest, making the falling snowflakes appear exceptionally crimson.
Even without using chakra, both of them could survive perfectly well in the icy environment with their physique, but Lin Yu still lit a bonfire.
Crackling...
Beside the bonfire, Kaguya stared intently at the burning flames. She didn't understand Lin Yu's intention. Although the bonfire was hot, it wasn't as warm as Lin Yu's palm for Kaguya.
Her right hand was still tightly held by Lin Yu. Kaguya extended her left hand and slowly reached towards the bonfire, but she retracted it halfway. It wasn't because she was burned, but because sparks from the bonfire ignited her sleeve, scorching it black.
Kaguya frowned. Puzzled as to why Lin Yu hadn't stopped her, she turned around and discovered he had already leaned against a tree stump and fallen soundly asleep.
Kaguya leaned closer and found that Lin Yu's breathing was steady, and a hint of exhaustion was etched on his face, making him seem anything but deceitful.
However, Kaguya was still a little uneasy. She pulled out her right hand, which Lin Yu was holding, and waved it in front of his eyes, but he remained unresponsive.
"Is this sleeping?"
Kaguya murmured to herself. Her beautiful eyes noticed the exhaustion on Lin Yu's face. Puzzled as to how he could be so easily tired despite his strength, she then saw her own jade hand, still carrying his warmth. A rare blush spread across her fair cheeks.
Was it because she had absorbed too much?
Kaguya sat up and looked at the sleeping Lin Yu. She could easily drain him dry now. Without Lin Yu, no one in the ninja world could stop her, and she would fulfill her millennium-old goal, turning the ninja world into her personal nursery.
Kaguya slowly extended her palm, Lin Yu's image reflected in her pupils. But her hand stopped halfway. She saw her own sleeve, or rather, she saw her own appearance.
Clothing full of earthly charm, the lingering scent of rouge on her crimson lips, her long hair tied with a red ribbon, her slightly creased shoes and socks from stepping on things—was this still Ōtsutsuki Kaguya?
Kaguya almost didn't recognize herself, but her current appearance made her feel an unprecedented sense of ease and joy.
"Hmph, I... disdain taking advantage of others' vulnerability..."
Kaguya leaned next to Lin Yu and re-inserted her small hand, which had become cold again, into his palm. This time, however, it was truly just for warmth.
Kaguya, imitating Lin Yu, slowly closed her beautiful eyes.
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Yu felt a weight on his shoulder, and a seductive fragrance of hair wafted towards him, causing a subtle, almost imperceptible curve to appear on his lips.
Any attempt to use forceful means against Ōtsutsuki Kaguya would only backfire. Kaguya's personality could be described as impervious to both hard and soft approaches.
But if she herself wanted to take something, that would be another matter entirely!
...
While some were enjoying romance in the snow and moonlit nights, others were exchanging comic books, and some were walking hand in hand through the snowy night... only I, Haruno Sakura, was getting beaten!
On the airship, Sakura was fitted with a chakra suppressor and locked up. She was no match for the three individuals, especially their leader, Langya Xuebeng, who possessed strength close to that of a jonin.
Fūka Natsuhito played with the hexagonal crystal in his hand and asked Fūka Koyuki, who was in the iron cage, "Where is the long-haired woman who disembarked with you?"
A flicker of doubt crossed Fūka Koyuki's dim eyes. She then thought of Kaguya's stunning beauty and immediately shook her head, "I don't know, and I don't recognize her. She was just traveling the same way as us and parted ways after landing."
"Is that so?"
Fūka Natsuhito walked to the iron cage and said with a cruel smile, "Then I'll have to turn back and have a good talk with those actors."
"You!"
Fūka Koyuki kicked the iron cage and roared, "You've already gotten what you wanted, why won't you let them go!"
"I want to know the woman's whereabouts."
"Wishful thinking!"
Fūka Natsuhito laughed, "Niece Koyuki, you're still as naive as ever. Did you really think I spared them because you are the princess of the Land of Snow? You are alone, while I have the entire army of the Land of Snow behind me. What can you possibly do against me?"
Fūka Natsuhito pointed to Shiro, who was sleeping in the cage, and sneered, "Bring out that dog, and we'll have some dog meat hot pot tonight!"
"No! You can't hurt Shiro!"
Fūka Koyuki blocked the soldiers, but as an ordinary person, she was immediately pushed to the ground. She could only watch helplessly as they reached out to Shiro.
Tears welled up in Fūka Koyuki's eyes. She felt truly useless, unable to even protect a pet.
Damn man, your pet is about to be eaten, aren't you going to show up?
Fūka Koyuki's mind flashed to Lin Yu, who often wore a smile on his face. Truthfully, although this man always opposed her and made her angry, when he was around, she felt an unexpected sense of security.
I'm sorry...
Fūka Koyuki closed her eyes in despair, unwilling to witness Shiro's fate.
"Ah! What is this monster..."
A scream echoed throughout the airship. Inside the iron cage, the soldier had lost his life and lay on the ground. A strange growl reverberated in everyone's ears.
These foolish humans, time and again, pushing its limits of patience.
Why must you disturb White-爷's sleep!
Shiro wagged its ten tails, and a blood-red six-ringed Rinnegan suddenly opened, emitting an eerie light.
In the reflection on the wall, a ten-tailed creature was rapidly expanding, soon bursting through the iron cage.
The next second, screams resounded throughout the entire airship... The moon tonight seemed to have turned blood-red.