The next morning, the sun rose. Sunlight squeezed through the crack in the door, waking Shishou. He frowned at the light, then waved his hand. Phosphorescent insects from his Insect Breeding Space swarmed out, blocking the sunlight.
He glanced at Yugito, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, and smiled, gently pinching her cheek. Then he embraced her again, falling back asleep.
It wasn't until after 10 AM that Shishou woke up again. When he opened his eyes, he found Yugito lying beside him, watching him, her eyes bright and enchanting.
"Shishou," she smiled sweetly as he awoke.
"When did you wake up?" Shishou asked, sitting up and pulling Yugito into his arms, their faces close together.
"Just a little while ago," Yugito replied, blushing at their intimate contact.
"Are you hungry?" Shishou asked.
"A little," she admitted.
"Then I'll go make breakfast," he offered.
"No, I want you to keep holding me," she said.
"Today, you're the boss. Whatever you say goes," Shishou agreed.
"Hehe... why did you let go of me then?" Yugito pouted.
"Because I want to do something else, and it's not convenient while holding you," Shishou explained.
"...Didn't you say I'm the boss today?" she retorted.
"But the second-in-command isn't behaving," he teased.
"..."
In the Land of Lightning, inside the Cloud Village's Turtle Island.
"Sorry I'm late today, Mabui, Samui," Yugito, dressed in her training clothes, greeted her two friends with a smile as she arrived at the waterfall.
Mabui and Samui, who were already training, exchanged a glance upon seeing Yugito. They could tell she was very happy today.
Her face was glowing, and her smile never faded, a stark contrast to her usual aloof demeanor.
Is this what being in love does to a woman?
They sneaked a glance at Shishou, who was following Yugito, and thought to themselves.
"You two start with your usual training while I assess your basics," Shishou instructed from a distance.
After speaking, he pressed his hand to the ground.
With a rumbling sound, a three-story wooden building rose from the ground in front of Shishou.
"Wow, amazing!" Mabui and Samui exclaimed, wide-eyed.
"This is so convenient..." they marveled.
"Of course!" Yugito lifted her chin proudly.
"Pfft, we're talking about how impressive Shishou is," Mabui and Samui teased her.
Even though they had an idea of what had transpired between Shishou and Yugito, they pretended not to know, enjoying teasing her.
"Hmph!" Yugito huffed, unable to come up with a retort.
Watching the trio's banter, Shishou chuckled and entered the wooden building.
He had spent too much time with Yugito that morning and missed lunch. Since Yugito wanted to eat something he cooked, he needed to prepare lunch first.
Taking out pots, pans, and a portable refrigerator from his storage scroll, Shishou vanished. He reappeared shortly after with an array of meats, vegetables, desserts, and fine wines he had just bought from the capital cities of the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.
Before long, Shishou finished cooking and called Yugito, Mabui, and Samui inside to eat.
"Mmm, this is delicious," Mabui praised, wrapping a piece of succulent meat in lettuce and taking a bite, followed by a sip of cold beer.
She found staying around Shishou quite enjoyable, especially with such gourmet food.
"It really is," Samui agreed, glancing at Shishou with newfound respect.
It was rare for men in the ninja world to cook for women, let alone be good at it. This made her see Shishou in a new light.
Shishou smiled at their compliments. Today's main dishes were barbecue and steak. With high-quality ingredients and proper cooking, the food naturally turned out delicious. He had used the finest ingredients and spices available in the ninja world, and the cooking techniques he learned from the Akimichi clan.
"Here, Shishou, ah..." Yugito fed Shishou a piece of carefully selected meat wrapped in lettuce.
Watching Yugito's actions, Mabui and Samui exchanged a glance, remembering what the Fourth Raikage had told them yesterday, and felt a mix of emotions.
After the meal, the four of them rested, played cards for a while, and then began their afternoon training.
At the waterfall, Shishou pressed his hand to the ground again.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With a puff of smoke, Tsun Hime, one of the three Snake Princesses of Ryuchi Cave, appeared before Shishou.
"Master," Tsun Hime greeted Shishou respectfully as soon as she appeared.
Yugito, Mabui, and Samui, curious about Tsun Hime, observed her closely.
"She is Tsun Hime, one of the high-ranking members of Ryuchi Cave, one of the Three Great Sage Regions. She will teach you the basic sage techniques," Shishou introduced her to the trio.
The basic knowledge of sage techniques was similar across the Three Great Sage Regions, so Shishou decided to have Tsun Hime handle the foundational teachings. For the more advanced training, he planned to have Katsuyu, the Great Slug Sage, personally instruct them.
The sage training from Ryuchi Cave was too risky, so Shishou wouldn't let Yugito and her friends practice it.
"Hello," Yugito, Mabui, and Samui greeted Tsun Hime respectfully, surprised to meet such a high-ranking figure from a legendary place.
"No need to be so formal," Tsun Hime replied, bowing deeply in return. She couldn't afford to be careless with the women around Shishou.
Ignoring their exchange, Shishou pointed to Yugito and told Tsun Hime, "Tsun Hime, she is one of your mistresses. You must obey her commands from now on."
"Understood," Tsun Hime responded respectfully.
She then turned to Yugito and bowed, "Tsun Hime greets you, Mistress."
Seeing a high-ranking figure from Ryuchi Cave bow to her, Yugito was taken aback, unsure how to respond.
Mabui and Samui were equally shocked, finding it hard to believe what they were witnessing.
Shishou had actually made a high-ranking member of Ryuchi Cave his subordinate. No wonder he was confident about teaching them sage techniques.
Could it be that he had already taken control of Ryuchi Cave?
The thought made Mabui and Samui look at Shishou with renewed awe, their eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Alright, Tsun Hime, start teaching them the basic sage techniques," Shishou instructed before leading the still-stunned Yugito towards the wooden building.
"Shishou..." Yugito blushed as he pulled her along.
Mabui and Samui, watching the two leave, blushed as well, muttering to themselves.
"In broad daylight..."
"Shameless..."
**********
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