Chapter 130: Awkward Tensions

After sitting with Nohime a while longer, Nobu was beginning to feel a little bored. He didn't mind sitting in silence but it wasn't exactly his preferred way of spending time. Thus, after a good twenty minutes, he said, "We should get going. I'm fucking starving."

Hearing Nobu's words, Nohime slowly opened her eyes before removing her head from his chest. For a moment, her expression appeared notably listless, but, by the time she looked up, the placid sheen across her eyes had given way for a far more focused look as she asked, "You're in a hurry to see that woman, aren't you?"

Furrowing his brows, Nobu was about to say something before Nohime beat him to the punch, adding, "Very well. I suppose I can't put it off forever. Just promise me we'll have more moments like this in the future. It was...pleasant..."

Not expecting Nohime to say something that many would consider cute, Nobu's brows inverted as he answered, "Uh...sure? I mean, I don't really mind. We'll have plenty of time for things like this in the future..."

Nodding her head in understanding, Nohime rose from Nobu's lap before ironing out the creases of her kimono using her hands. When she was finished, she turned around before pausing when she noticed Nobu's eyes rise from her backside to meet her gaze...

Scratching the back of his head, Nobu rose to his feet before shamelessly stating, "I was checking to see if there were any wrinkles..."

With a gaze that seemed like it could pierce through anything, Nohime stared at Nobu without so much as a single change in expression as she said, "I see..."

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With Nohime to guide the way, it only took a few minutes for Nobu to reach the lounge-like room where his mothers and fiancee were staying. His entrance caught the attention of all three girls, but, before anyone capable of speech could say anything, Nobuhime cried out in excited baby noises as she flailed her tiny baby hands in his general direction.

Giggling in response to her daughter's antics, Nana carried Nobuhime over to Nobu. Then, despite the obvious protest in the latter's eyes, she proferred forth the excited infant, teasing, "Don't make a fuss. This is practice for when you have children of your own. Hime-chan also seems rather fond of you. You don't want to make her cry, do you?"

Playing off her mother's words, Nobuhime earned a deadpan stare from Nobu by gathering tears in her eyes and making restrained, sobbing noises. This earned him a sharp look from Nana, who, not taking no for an answer, practically forced Nobuhime into his arms.

("Really, mom? You're gonna do me dirty like this...?")

As if she could read his mind, Nobuhime giggled in response to the dull expression on Nobu's face. If she could talk, she would tell him this was revenge for all the times he pooped, peed, and puked on her as an infant. Instead, she adopted the kind of infectious smile only a baby could manage as she stared up at him and intoned a cutesy, "Awaa~"

Sighing helplessly, Nobu surprised everyone present by cradling Nobuhime in a completely natural manner. Most people, especially men, would tense up when holding an infant for the first time. The fear of dropping them was deeply ingrained into the male psyche, so, seeing how effortlessly Nobu tucked Nobuhime into his arm, Nana couldn't help pressing the tips of her fingers together as she happily, "My baby is going to be a great father..."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Nobu gently bounced Nobuhime in his left arm as he passed his gaze between Nana and Yui, asking, "Have the two of you already eaten...?"

Though she couldn't take her eyes away from the smiling face of her daughter, Nana managed to shake her head in response to Nobu's words, answering, "No. We decided to wait for you and No-chan to return..."

As if remembering something important, Nana's brows briefly perked up as she shifted her gaze to Nohime's face. When she saw the relaxed expression on her daughter-in-law's face, a wave of relief washed over Nana's mind. She wasn't quite sure how things would turn out, so, seeing them stand near each other as if it was completely natural, Nana concluded things had gone well.

Understanding Nana's thoughts, Nohime ceased staring at Yui long enough to offer a polite nod and the briefest hint of a smile. This caused Nana's countenance to become even more radiant than usual as she clapped her hands as an expression of merriment that also conveniently summoned a handful of servants. They had already been waiting with appetizers, so, while the chefs worked on a multi-course meal in the kitchen, Nana had Nohime and Yui flank Nobu before forcing the latter to recount everything that had transpired since their separation the previous day. It didn't matter that she had already been made aware of everything. She simply enjoyed observing the three, make that four of them, sitting together...

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After a much longer than anticipated dinner, Nobu found himself in yet another precarious position as his mother had insisted that he, Yui, and Nohime share the same bedroom. As a result, he found himself in the unenviable position of having to play mediator for two girls who clearly didn't enjoy being in the same room together.

Yui wasn't much of an issue due to her temperament, but, as Nohime had made clear during their conversation, she resented both Yui and Inami for 'seducing' him. She didn't go out of her way to say anything overtly antagonistic but Nobu could tell by the tensions in the room she would rather strangle Yui than share a bed with her.

"Listen...I get where you're coming from..."

Shaking her head before Nobu could finish, Nohime's expression appeared calm and stoic as she stated, "It's fine. I have already prepared my heart. If this is what Danna desires...I will not oppose it..."

As if to reinforce her statement, Nohime reached for the fastening cord of her obi only to hesitate the moment her fingers made contact with the banded white cord. It was only for a brief moment but it was more than enough for Nobu to react, saying, "Hey, hey, hey. Calm the fuck down. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy to accompany you. You've got an amazing body, and, truth be told, I can't wait to get my hands on it. That doesn't mean I want you to force yourself..."

Pulling Nohime's hand away from the cord of her obi, Nobu was thinking of what he should say to try and ease tensions when the deadpan woman flatly replied, "I wasn't disrobing with the intention of consummating our marriage. I need to change into my evening wear...a fastened kimono makes poor sleepwear..."

Blinking in surprise, Nobu released Nohime's hand, mumbling, "But...the way you were acting..."

Raising her brows ever so slightly, a faint smile developed across Nohime's face as she explained, "I have never disrobed in front of a man before. Is it wrong to feel a little nervous...?"

Taking advantage of Nobu's stunned silence, Nohime deftly released the fastener of her obi, her expression calm and stoic even as her heart thumped furiously in her chest.

If she were being completely truthful, Nohime wasn't particularly concerned with being seen naked. The thing that most worried her most was how Nobu might react. She had worked hard to maintain her figure, but, due to her limited cultivation resources, she appeared a bit older than she otherwise would have. She even felt that Nana looked a fair bit younger than she did so it meant quite a lot to hear Nobu comment on how 'amazing' her body was...

What Nohime didn't know was that Nobu actually had a thing for older women. Even if she looked markedly older than she currently did, he wouldn't mind in the slightest. Rather, with an 85cm bust and 86cm bottom, Nohime was remarkably curvaceous for a woman who barely crested 159cm...

Emphasizing this, Nohime allowed the two halves of her pitch-black kimono to fall away from her body in a completely natural way. The fact she was completely naked underneath the velvety fabric didn't come as a surprise. What drew Nobu's eyes were her visibly hardened nipples, the soft lines outlining her abdominal muscles, and the neatly trimmed black pubes drawing attention to what lay beneath.

"Holy shit..."

Though it wasn't what she was expecting to hear, the edges of Nohime's smile curved upward ever so slightly as she sent a sidelong, triumphant glance towards Yui. Unfortunately, the latter, as if she wasn't bothered by her presence in the slightest, was currently in the process of brushing her hair in preparation for bed...

Noticing the shift in Nohime's gaze, Nobu tilted his head as if to obscure her vision. This drew her eyes back to him, and, for a brief moment, he got to see her fluster internally as her eyes widened in shock. Before she could even think to apologize, however, he snaked his hands into her kimono, his actions completely natural as he drew her closer and said, "I changed my mind..."

Opening her mouth, Nohime was about to ask what he was talking about when Nobu suddenly bent down to seize her lips. This caused her eyes to turn round as saucers, not because she was concerned about the sudden kiss, but because she had yet to scrub her teeth. She was afraid her breath might stink, but, as if he didn't care in the slightest, Nobu's hands sank into her bottom as he picked her up and forced her to stand on the very tips of her toes.

Having never kissed before, Nohime was at an extreme disadvantage against someone like Nobu. He might not be particularly talented, a point Inami had made on numerous occassion, but he more than made up for his lack of skill with tenacity. By the time he extricated his tongue from Nohime's mouth, the usually stoic maiden had a ruddy complexion as she looked up at him with smoldering black eyes...

Seeing the desire contained in the depths of Nohime's eyes, Nobu couldn't help cracking a wolfish smile. He had cheated by investing a bit of Aura into removing the Tuna status noted amongst her Weaknesses. A part of him had been tempted to see if he could remove it through persistent effort, but, feeling it was one of the things that made her behave coldly, Nobu had only hesitated a brief moment before removing it completely. Now, Nohime gave off a remarkably similar impression to the many aggrieved housewives Nobu had encountered in the past. It was a little awkward knowing he was the reason for her deeply suppressed sexuality, but, confident he could more than make up for lost time, Nobu began peppering Nohime's neck with kisses as his fingers roughly kneaded the soft and surprisingly large mounds of flesh decorating her backside...

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Though she wasn't particularly surprised by Nobu's behavior, Yui couldn't help raising a brow as she observed Nohime squirming and gasping in response to his affection. She had previously come to the conclusion that Nohime was a textbook example of an arrogant and frigid female Noble. Now, however, she was exuding the aura of an impassioned young kunoichi eager to explore the limits of their sexuality...

Correctly assuming Nobu had done something to cause the change in Nohime's behavior, a wry smile developed across Yui's face as she shifted from combing her hair to fastening it into a loose ponytail. The downside to having inordinately long hair was that it constantly got in her way. This was especially true during sex, so, expecting Nobu to attempt to bring her and Nohime together through intercourse, Yui took the necessary steps to make sure it wouldn't get in the way. There were few things more annoying than having someone inadvertently step on her hair in the middle of changing positions. With Nohime joining in, Yui was anticipating that a considerable number of 'accidents' would happen...

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She wasn't wrong.

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(A/N: I need someone as understanding as Yui in my life...)