Kenshin stretched and got to his feet, glancing down to see Kaede casually lying next to him, her robe partially off.
She let out a disappointed sigh as she noticed his averted gaze, reluctantly pulling Aruna's robe over herself again. Although she preferred to be unbothered by modesty, she gave him a half-hearted smile, humoring his sensibilities by staying covered—albeit sloppily. The robe barely covered her assets, and felt uncomfortable for Kaede.
Kenshin's gaze drifted to his sword lying on the ground nearby. He picked it up, examining the heavily damaged blade with a sigh.
The once-sharp edge was now covered with jagged chips from clashing against Kaede's powerful bones. The weapon looked nearly unusable, and he murmured to himself, "I'll probably need to take this to Tenten's weapon shop. It's the only place I know that could repair this.…"
He ran his fingers over the blade with a sense of fondness and frustration. His father had made this sword as part of a set for both him and Akane, making it far more than a mere weapon; it was a precious memento.
Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a storage scroll, unrolling it and summoning a steaming pot of cream stew. The smell wafted through the cave, rich and inviting.
Kaede's eyes widened, clearly surprised by the sealing jutsu. Her dark red eyes sparkled with an unfamiliar curiosity as she took in the delicious aroma, which had her tail swishing with excitement.
"What… is this, Master?" Kaede asked, leaning closer, her gaze locked onto the stew. Living off of limited fruits for nearly a hundred thousand years, even if she barely felt the passage of time, hadn't prepared her for the sight and smell of real food.
She clasped her hands in a pleading manner, her anticipation and hunger uncharacteristically childlike. "Please… feed me some?"
Kenshin chuckled softly, amused by this adorable side of the usually fearsome Kaede. He scooped up a spoonful and held it out, watching her eagerly open her mouth as he fed her.
She closed her eyes, savoring the taste with a delighted hum. Her tail continued to sway, and her expression was nothing short of blissful.
Each bite seemed to light up her face with pure happiness, making her seem worlds away from the formidable opponent she had been just a night before.
Kaede ate greedily, spoonful after spoonful, her dark red eyes gleaming with delight as Kenshin fed her. By the time she'd finished nearly a third of the stew, she finally pulled back, a small, satisfied smile on her lips.
"Master, you should eat too," she urged, gently pushing the spoon back towards him. Kenshin smiled, a little taken aback by her unexpected self-restraint.
"Thanks, Kaede," he said, feeling a warmth settle in as he accepted her gesture.
As evening settled in, Kenshin gathered some firewood and arranged it in the fire pit he had made in the cave. Kaede watched him with an amused smirk, her tail curling around herself as she sat, eyes gleaming in the firelight.
"Master, wouldn't it be warmer if you rested against me instead?" she suggested, inching closer with her arms open invitingly.
Kenshin chuckled awkwardly, politely declining her offer, but Kaede had other plans. With a surprising burst of strength, she tugged him forward, pressing his head into her chest.
"See?" she purred, her tone triumphant. "Much cozier."
Before Kenshin could protest, a portal suddenly opened near the cave entrance. Out stepped Kira, Sora, and Aruna, each with expressions of relief and urgency.
They froze, however, at the sight before them: Kenshin's face nestled firmly against Kaede's breasts, while Kaede grinned smugly.
Kira deadpanned, crossing her arms. "Well, looks like my dear master is busy having fun with his new servant," she said, her tone edged with sarcasm. "Meanwhile, we've been frantically searching for a way to get him out of here."
Kaede raised an eyebrow, smirking with a touch of defiance. "Is it really my fault if Master prefers a more… comfortable resting place? Besides, it's a servant's duty to serve." she replied, stroking his hair teasingly.
She took a good look at Kira's breasts, her lips curling into a suggestive smile. "You have a good bosom too, child. You could try as well. I'm sure master wouldn't mind."
Kenshin quickly straightened, looking away in embarrassment. "Kaede, that's enough. Don't go too far. It's not what it looks like, Kira," he mumbled, his cheeks tinged red.
Kira rolled her eyes. "Sure, whatever you say, Master." Sora giggled quietly, while Aruna gave a small, amused shake of her head.
After the moment's awkwardness passed, Aruna stepped forward, her expression turning serious. "We found a method, Kenshin. It should let you form a summoning contract with Kaede. That will anchor her to your chakra and allow her to return with you."
Kaede's eyes lit up, her tail swishing in excitement. "Oh, Aruna, I knew I could count on you!"
Aruna carefully placed a large scroll on the ground and unrolled it, revealing the intricate sealing formula within. Flowing her chakra into the scroll, she activated the complex seals, which shimmered as they responded to her authority as Nekomata.
"This summoning contract was already prepared," Aruna explained. "I ordered every servant in the mansion to search the library for a summoning method, and one of them found this in the vault. The moment I saw it, I knew it was exactly what we needed." She nodded toward Kenshin. "All that's left is for you to sign with your blood."
Kenshin turned to Kaede. "Could you make a small cut? I don't really have a knife on hand."
Kaede nodded, extending a single claw to make a small incision in his palm. Kenshin let a few drops of blood fall onto the scroll's formula, which absorbed them instantly, solidifying his contract with the cat tribe.
Aruna continued, "Now, if any member of the cat tribe, myself included, places their blood on this formula, they'll also form a summoning contract with you. You'll be able to summon us whenever and wherever you need."
To everyone's surprise, Kira stepped forward immediately, her fierce gaze meeting Kenshin's. Her hand was already clenched into a fist, her extending claws cutting into her palm, blood pooling in her hand.
She stepped to the scroll, letting her blood drop onto the contract, sealing herself as Kenshin's first official summon. A stunned silence fell as the others realized her decision, having expected Kaede to do the deed since this whole ordeal was for her.
Aruna raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Kira..."
Kira only gave a firm nod, her expression both proud and determined as she looked at Kenshin. "I've made my choice. I'm not giving up my place."
She looked at him with a quiet smile. "I'll stand by your side, master."
Kaede chuckled, clapping in amusement. "I'm impressed, Kira. It seems you really won't give up the number one spot." Without a second thought, she extended her arm, and using her wind chakra tendrils, severed her right hand at the wrist.
A cascade of blood poured from the wound as she pressed the bleeding end onto the scroll. The contract absorbed her blood, sealing her bond to Kenshin as well, as her hand grew back almost immediately.
There was no hesitation in her movements. As the blood absorbed, Aruna, still shocked by Kira's unexpected action, finally rolled up the scroll, securing it tightly.
"Well, that's done, then," Kaede said with a grin, her usual playful tone returning as if the gruesome act had been nothing more than a casual gesture. "Looks like we're both tied to you now, Master."
Aruna gave a nod of approval, though still processing the unexpected turn of events. "Now, Kenshin," she said, "You have your first official summons. Take good care of my daughter and... Kaede."
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A/N: Just to make it clear, I calculated the passage of time in this place. About an hour had gone by in the real world while more than 5 whole days had gone by in this dimension.
So by making chatgpt do the math, I figured that Kaede would have to spend around a hundred thousand years here. Since it's been somewhere around 700 to 800 years since her exile and the present day.
But after some time, counting the days became pointless, so Kaede probably doesn't realize this. And from the images I provided before, she still looks like she's in her mid twenties or early thirties at best. I guess being a mutant has it's perks. But they can't properly capture the image of Kaede in my mind.
If I could do art I'd draw her myself.
Once again, thank you everyone for your continued support and power stones. And as always, please give me your power stones and comment your opinions. They make a big difference and motivate me to write more.