After a lengthy discussion with the mother-daughter duo, Nobu returned to his room feeling even more exhausted than when he left. Fortunately, as Yui had suggested, Cho was waiting outside his room with a tray filled with traditional Nianese cooking. When she saw them approaching, a radiant smile developed across her face, and, though it was probably just a placebo effect, Nobu felt a little less tired after seeing how happy she was to see him.

As someone who had spent more than a decade learning how to cook various foods, Cho's cooking was, as could be expected, remarkably tasty. Nobu had absolutely zero complaints regarding the quantity or quality of the food, and, though it was more than a little awkward, he didn't mind Cho watching him eat as if it was the most captivating thing she had ever witnessed. After all, while she was watching him, Nobu got quite the eye full as her loose black kimono gradually slipped from her fair white shoulders...

If there was anything Nobu found dissatisfying, it was the fact that Cho had only prepared enough food for him. This didn't seem to bother Yui and Yuriko, who sat silently off to the side, but it was a little awkward having three women watching as he was the only one who ate. When he asked about it, they informed him that it was improper for a Lord's attendants to eat alongside them, not due to hierarchal concerns, but because they needed to remain alert for any signs of danger.

Though they were in the very heart of Yoshitsune Clan territory, saying Yumegakure was safe would be a gross overstatement. Things might be a little different if Nobu was powerful, but, at his current level, any random trainee would be able to take advantage of him. If he sauntered about without an escort and happened to cross paths with a group of kitsune, he would be lucky to get away with his life.

It wasn't that the girls would proactively try and kill him. Rather, the crux of the problem was that even young kitsune possessed inhuman physical strength. As a result, there was a very real chance they would rip Nobu apart by complete accident. Thus, at least for the time being, they couldn't let Nobu walk around freely. Even a single moment's negligence could spell his end, as, despite being relatively talented, the kunoichi serving him weren't even among the top 100 in the clan...

...

..

.

With the departure of Cho, Nobu was left alone with Yui and Yuriko. The latter had volunteered to be the first watch, and, though she would take breaks while he was asleep, Yui had mentioned she would be following him pretty much wherever he went. She was his primary bodyguard, and, more importantly, the strongest among the eleven women serving him. The only times she would ever be away from him was when he ordered her to leave or when two or more of his bodyguards were at his side. Even then, however, she would always remain nearby, just in case...

Seeing the fierce determination contained within the duo's eyes, Nobu did his best to appear calm as he asked, "So? What do the two of you think we should do? All I really need is time and I should be able to increase my strength pretty quickly. Any suggestions...?"

Though she was tempted to use this as an opportunity to ask her Lord about any secrets he might be keeping, Yui maintained a focused and serious expression on her face as she suggested, "If you explain things clearly to my Grandmother, I believe she would be willing to help. We can also try to ally ourselves with the Security and Information Elders. The former is in charge of the Custodians, a group of highly skilled kunoichi who are responsible for protecting the entirety of Yumegakure. As for the latter...she is Shizune's mother and the person who oversees the flow of information in and out of the village. Some say she is the most informed woman in all of Owari...though you might not like her, it would only benefit you to have her support..."

Remembering the pink-haired woman who had attempted to play him before subsequently trying to seduce him, a tired and audibly annoyed sigh escaped Nobu's throat. He had already reached a similar conclusion back in the bath, so, after hanging his head for a few moments, he shook it rather helplessly before looking up at the girls and saying, "Fine. Shizune actually provided a lot of helpful information. Her mother undoubtedly knows even more. As for your Grandmother...well, she seems like a tight ass but I can see how befriending her might be useful if I want to avoid future problems. Try arranging a meeting, requesting an audience, or whatever. That's something you do, right?"

Bowing her head on impulse, Yui dutifully answered, "I will make sure someone passes your words to them." before looking towards Yuriko. In response, the latter nodded her head in understanding before rising to her feet and saying, "I'll be back in a few minutes. That okay with you?"

Though he was about to tell her to take a chill pill, Nobu realized it would probably be best to get things like this out of the way as soon as possible. Nobody knew what the future held, and, based on the experiences he had accumulated since his reincarnation, it was fair to say this world didn't forgive negligence.

"Yeah...good luck..."

Not really knowing what else to say, Nobu waved off Yuriko, a somewhat stupefied expression appearing on his face when she spontaneously disappeared.

("Is it a thing for ninjas to appear and disappear like this? I thought that shunshin or whatever was something that only appeared in anime...")

Since he had someone who could actually answer such questions, Nobu looked toward Yui and asked, "How is everyone able to appear and disappear like that? I know kunoichi are supposed to be fast, but that shit is basically teleportation..."

Not expecting such a question out of the blue, Yui paused for a brief moment, quickly organizing her thoughts before dutifully explaining, "It has to do with the communication between the brain and the eyes. Though it is possible to drastically increase your perception along with your aura, the average person has a 0.2~0.5 second delay from the moment they see something and the moment their brain interprets that information. At close range, high-speed movements can resemble instant movement since the brain is unable to interpret the information picked up by the eyes fast enough. Because of this, the average person only sees a brief flicker while those with slightly more enhanced senses should be able to make out afterimages. From my perspective, I could see Yuriko leaping up to the ceiling, moving aside a tile, and vanishing into the attic..."

Following Yui's finger, Nobu looked up to see that the ceiling was covered with a bunch of woven bamboo tiles. He had seen something similar in the fiction of his previous world, but, imagining a bunch of kunoichi crawling around in the attic, he couldn't help but furrow his brows as he asked, "Why didn't she just exit through the door...?"

Adopting a slightly apologetic smile, Yui went on to explain, "Though you wouldn't notice them at first glance, there are quite a number of traps hidden throughout the estate. The Custodians switch these around every now and then so it's actually a lot easier to travel through the roof than it is to walk around the premises. If you did, you might even think the estate is completely empty due to the plants, paintings, and sculptures designed to induce people into a hypnotic trance..."

Recalling his experience earlier in the day, a dry laugh emanated from Nobu's throat as he realized what must have happened. He hadn't been put under anything like a genjutsu. Instead, the flowery smell that he had found rather pleasant had placed him in a trance. He had originally thought it was Shizune's mother trying to ensnare him. Instead, he seemed to have played himself by ignoring the words of the Matriarch as he attempted to leave the room...

"Good luck, my ass...you cheeky fucking hag..."

Though she knew he wasn't talking about her, Yui still furrowed her brows, her voice lowered as she said, "Nobunaga-sama...you really shouldn't speak like that. Not in this place..."

As it had been more than a month since Yui actively complained about his way of speaking, Nobu lowered his own voice, asking, "Are we being spied on...?"

Smiling wryly this time, Yui resisted the urge to reply, "Obviously." and instead answered, "Well, we are in a kunoichi den. My sensory abilities aren't advanced enough to say for certain. If Kiku or Kaia were here, they would have a better chance at detecting someone but even they would be helpless against kunoichi skilled in stealth and infiltration..."

Hearing an unfamiliar name, Nobu's brows raised as he inquired, "Kaia? Is that another one of my bodyguards...?"

Nodding her head in affirmation, Yui explained, "Kaia is undoubtedly the most physically powerful among the eleven of us. Her cultivation is only around Silver 5 but even I wouldn't be confident in facing off against her without a proper weapon. Her mother was afflicted with the Curse of the Full Moon while pregnant so Kaia was born as a Half-Lycan. Unlike normal Lycanthropes, she is always in a partially transformed state, effectively making her half-wolf. We'll take you to meet her during the next New Moon but you'll have to promise to stay several meters away from her cell. She'll need to slowly adapt to being around you before we can entrust her with your protection..."

Frowning at the mention of a cell, Nobu was about to ask why they had locked her away when Yui beat him to the punch, explaining, "Lycanthropes are maneaters. They instinctually pursue humans with the intention of killing or converting them. Under normal circumstances, Kaia would have been killed the moment she was born. However, because she was born amidst the generation of kunoichi intended to serve you, my Grandmother ordered that her life be spared. Since then, Kaia has spent most of her life behind bars. She has received a specialized education and has been waiting for your arrival for the last eighteen years...we all have..."

Though he knew she wasn't blaming him, Nobu couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt when he saw the listless look in Yui's eyes. His desire to keep his age and body hadn't simply screwed over his own starting point, it had also made life difficult for the people who cared for him. He could blame this on fate, the goddess, of whatever, but, in the end, it was his ignorance and selfishness that led to the current situation...

"Fuuuuck me..."

As those words slipped out as an exasperated sigh, Nobu began to massage his forehead until he noticed Yui fidgeting in front of him. When he looked up, he noticed a subtle blush had colored her cheeks. She was also still wearing the same skimpy kimono from before since she hadn't really had the time to go back and get changed. If he looked closely, he could peer between her thighs and make out the exposed flesh hidden within, as, unlike when she dressed up as a warrior, Yui opted to go commando in her kunoichi attire...

Misinterpreting Nobu's gaze as unconcealed lust, Yui's face became even redder as she averted her eyes to the side and whimpered, "My Lord...we mustn't...if I dedicate myself to you right now, there won't be anyone left to protect you..."

Gawking in response to the surprisingly adorable display, Nobu found himself at a genuine loss for words. This was a lot different from how she normally behaved, but, considering their situation had changed rather drastically over the last couple of days, it wasn't difficult to understand why.

Fortunately, or perhaps not, a soft sound could be heard outside the door before things got further out of hand. This caused Yui to go on full alert, but, hearing Yuriko's voice, she quickly moved off to the side before sitting in a perfect seiza, her blush immediately fading away as a serious expression replaced every trace of bashfulness in her countenance...

...

..

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(A/N: Kaia sounds very dangerous...)