Chapter 106: Keeping Busy

In an effort to keep his anger over Takao's death from fading, Nobu made sure to check in on Rukia at least once a day. The rest of his time was split between training, learning, listening to reports, and lazing about. He would also stop by to check in on the nineteen students living within the barracks, but, after finding a group of them lounging about in the buff, he decided to restrict his visits to the dojo and during training time.

Though he had actually gotten used to seeing Midori, Nariko, Sachiko, Reina, and Chi-Chi running around, Nobu was still uncomfortable around naked and sociable children. The girls were trying to help him overcome this particular 'weakness', but, unless he encountered a situation where it was literally used against him, Nobu doubted he would be able to overcome it.

Fortunately, nudity was a lot less 'prominent' outside of the Yoshitsune Clan. Once he finally left the mountain, the only naked people Nobu would encounter would be his women.

Nian was an extremely conservative nation that elevated men to a much higher status than women. As a result, women, even farmers, walked around in restrictive clothing that covered everything but their faces, hands, and ankles. This was one of the reasons Kunoichi could use their nakedness as a weapon as most people were simply unprepared to deal with such an overt expression of sexuality.

Though Inami, Yui, and even Onihime had been advising him to overcome his 'weakness' to the female form, Nobu struggled to see matters from their perspective. Sure, he could be distracted by a beautiful woman, but, with so many surrounding him on a daily basis, he wasn't exactly thirsting for more. He wasn't just going to stick his dick in some random thot he had never met, and, thanks to his Heavenly Treasure, he didn't have to worry about his Kunoichi dying off.

It was apparently a rite of passage for Nobles in the Oda Clan to mature through the loss of people they had known their entire lives. Nobu found this utterly ridiculous, so, even if an enemy state did try to honeytrap him, he had no reason to humor them. He was surrounded by beauties who were almost too eager to sleep with him. If some random chick, or, even worse, some random brat tried to approach him, he would simply tell them to fuck off...

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"You're starting to get a little chubby..."

Snorting in response to Nobu's words, Inami lightly smacked his head. She didn't use any strength, however, so Nobu didn't really pay it any mind. Instead, he continued to caress the growing bump on her belly with an absentminded smile on his face.

Seeing Nobu's expression, Inami's annoyance promptly evaporated as she tentatively asked, "Are you looking forward to being a father?"

Blinking back to awareness, Nobu stared directly into Inami's glowing pink eyes as he answered, "To be completely honest...not really. Hell, I still can't believe I knocked you up. Seeing both you and Yui develop through the stages of pregnancy... it's almost like I'm viewing the world through someone else's eyes. It doesn't feel real..."

Furrowing her brows, a conflicted look flashed across Inami's face until Nobu, still smiling, added, "I just hope I don't fuck up..."

Though she was a little confused by Nobu's contrary words, Inami understood he wasn't upset. He might not be looking forward to being a father but it was obvious he was going to do his best. This was a good sign, and, knowing Nobu's character, she was certain he would be a better father than most.

"Have you thought of any names...?"

After recovering from the momentary shut down of his mental faculties, Nobu shook his head and answered, "Not really...I've had a lot of other things on my mind..."

Between all his other duties, Nobu had also been working on plans to develop the infrastructure of Yumegakure. The Yoshitsune Clan would undoubtedly be his most powerful ally in the future so he wanted to improve the quality of life for the inhabitants of Yumegakure. Thus, alongside his other studies, he had also been researching materials, construction methods, and Nianese architecture.

Having personally observed Nobu's progress since his arrival, Inami didn't doubt his words in the slightest. He had gone from lazing about most of the day to sleeping fewer than five hours each night. On some days, he wouldn't sleep at all. Instead, he would supplement sleep by making love to her first thing in the morning. If he was especially tired, he might even take her in the middle of the day...

As that thought crossed her mind, Inami's tails began to flow and undulate at a noticeably faster rate. Fortunately, she was coming up on the end of her first trimester in the next couple of weeks so her libido had mellowed quite a bit. She would refuse if Nobu propositioned her but she no longer felt the need to pounce on him every time he made a lewd or flirtatious remark.

In an effort to calm both herself and Nobu, Inami elected to remain silent as she leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. She had noticed he was becoming fond of such displays of affection, and, while she would never openly admit it, so was she. Thus, for the better part of ten minutes, she just remained silent until Nobu asked, "On the subject of children...wasn't I supposed to meet my little sister? It's been like two months since I met with my parents. It's a little strange I haven't heard back from them."

Though she didn't remove her head from his shoulder, Inami issued an "Nn..." of acknowledgment before proceeding to explain, "Your sister, Oda Nobuhime, is only five months old right now. While it is not impossible to move her, traveling with such a young infant is dangerous. If something were to happen, ensuring her safety would be difficult as even running could jeopardize her life..."

Having experienced a rather extreme case of whiplash the first time Inami pulled him with her Aura, Nobu just uttered an understanding, "Ah..." before falling silent. Inami followed this example, but, at the same time, she made a mental note to discuss the matter with Hitomi. Nobu had a penchant for asking remarkably relevant questions. Now that he was inquiring about Nobuhime, there was a very high probability that something was going to happen to her in the near future...

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Though she was depressed knowing she wouldn't be able to spend time with her baby for another year, the entire Oda Clan had noticed the improvement in Nana's health and mood.

Prior to her reunion with Nobu, Nana only smiled when she was alone with her husband or looking after her children. Toward everyone else, she was a cold and emotionless woman, who, despite her poor health and fragile constitution, radiated an Aura reminiscent of having a blade at your throat.

Unlike most cultivators in Nian, Nana had inherited the now-defunct Suzuki Clan's Sword Arts. Her cultivation method was simply a modified version of the Metal Infusion Technique, but, instead of generating an Aura to protect her body, most of her techniques revolved around strengthening the sword she had inherited from her late Grandfather. It was a heritage item that could rival even the sacred treasures of the Imperial Family so it had made a fine dowry when she was practically sold off to the Oda Clan.

Fortunately, unlike other women in her situation, Nana had the fortune of falling in love with her would-be husband at first sight. They had very similar natures when they were young, and, when Senken was traipsing around the Province and causing all manner of mischief, she had been right beside him.

Now, after giving birth to four children, Nana was a lot weaker than her past self. Her cultivation base had decreased from Platinum 4 to Platinum 1, and, due to her decade-long sickness, there were times when she struggled to even move her body. As for her Clan's ancestral sword, it had been collecting dust within the golden band around her left hand. When he was ready, she was intending to gift it to Nobu, but, until then, she would keep it safe from prying eyes...

"Hey, hey, Sen-chan. How much longer are we going to wait? Hime-hime is starting to get a little impatient."

Shifting his attention from his wife to the adorable little girl sleeping peacefully in her arms, Senken resisted the urge to point out she didn't seem particularly troubled by the delay. He knew his wife was just missing their son. Unfortunately, there were already a number of rumors spreading among the other factions regarding Nobu's imminent return. He even suspected the uprising in Owari-Asai was due to the influence of his younger brother. Thus, for the past two months, he had simply been too busy to even consider an excursion beyond the city walls.

"Relax. I've been in contact with Hitomi. If everything goes as planned, our son should be visiting in the next couple of days. He won't be coming to the estate but we should be able to meet him as he is exploring the city."

Perking up the moment she heard her husband's words, the only thing preventing Nana from pouncing on him was the infant in her arms. She could have passed Hime off to someone else, but, unless she was severely ill, she did her best to take care of her children on her own. This used to be a way to compensate for the anxiety she felt about her inability to care for Nobu, but, now that she knew he was safe, she kind of wanted to baby all of her children...

As if sensing her mother's giddiness, Nobuhime opened her silvery-blue eyes with an adorable yet visibly annoyed expression on her face. Unlike a normal infant, however, she didn't cry out or wail the moment she woke up. Instead, she just stared silently at her mother until Senken noticed she was awake. This was one of the reasons they wanted Nobu and her to meet, as, with the exception of her birthing cry, Hime had never cried...

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With the sun beginning to set upon the horizon, Nobu set aside the brush he had been using to write before exhaling a tired sigh. Caligraphy was one of the skills expected of a Noble, so, while it was a pain in the ass, he had to learn the basics. Fortunately, despite the fact that Nianese society was clearly based on Japan, Kanji was basically an ancient language. They knew the meanings of certain symbols, but, for the most part, even scholars struggled to comprehend the language for reasons that could only be explained away as isekai bullshit.

Though he had only studied it for two years in High School, Nobu actually knew a fair amount of Japanese due to his parents speaking it around him when he was young. As a result, he might be the most proficient Japanese speaker in all of Nian. This sounded pretty ridiculous, but, compared to reincarnating in a world with a fucking Clicker App, it wasn't particularly abnormal.

"Even though I've seen it numerous times, I can't help feeling awed by my Lord's mastery over the Ancient Script. It truly is remarkable..."

Shaking his head, Nobu elected to simply ignore Kumiko's praise as he said, "I'm gonna head to the bath. It's been a long day and I want to relax before eating dinner. You coming?"

With a beaming smile on her face, Kumiko promptly answered, "Of course~!" as if it was the most natural course of action. Unfortunately, even though they had gotten in earlier than usual, it didn't take long for several others to arrive. This included the troublesome quintet, so, while Kumiko had been looking forward to a bit of fun, her plans were ruined by Nariko and Chi-Chi arguing over who gets to wash their Master's back...

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(A/N: Nobu is the flag master O w O...)