Chapter 88: Awkward

With Hitomi promptly recovering Nana's obi, Nobu joined Hiashi at the side as Yui, Kumiko, and Onihime helped to fix her kimono. She was apparently incapable of dressing herself, so, despite a Platinum 3 cultivation base, Nana was completely dependent on others to get through her day-to-day living.

"Has she always been like this...?"

With his arms crossed and his gaze firmly fixed in the opposite direction of where Nana and the others were, Hiashi answered, "Lady Suzuki would be heartbroken to hear you refer to her as 'she'. Even if it's only when the two of you are conversing, you should get in the habit of referring to her as your mother. As for the answer to your question...she has gotten better with age..."

Forcing a smile, Nobu found it hard to imagine how Nana could be even worse. He had only truly known her for a few minutes and he already got the impression she was completely airheaded. If he hadn't met her himself, he wouldn't have believed it was possible for someone to be as oblivious as she appeared to be...

"Don't worry. I don't blame her for what happened. It was my own selfishness that led to this set of circumstances. I'm not sure I can ever truly see her as my mother but I'll do my best..."

Though he felt a little uncomfortable hearing Nobu 'confiding' in him like this, Hiashi just nodded his head in approval before closing his eyes and promptly meditating. Most skilled cultivators had mastered techniques to suppress or even erase certain memories that might prove detrimental to their growth. He also knew his Lord would kill him if it was discovered he briefly caught a glimpse of Nana's sarashi, so, before things could get further out of hand, he compartmentalized everything that had transpired over the last couple of minutes...

Thinking that Hiashi was simply ignoring him, Nobu just shook his head before staring up at the canopy overhead with a blank expression on his face. He really didn't know what to think right now, so, while it wasn't really a technique, he just shut off his brain as he listened to the sounds of nature as felt the cool Spring breeze washing over his quickly drying body...

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After a surprisingly long period of time, roughly forty minutes, Nana, now appearing as a proper lady, appeared alongside her impromptu escort. This allowed Nobu to properly look at her for the first time, a parched feeling spreading through his throat as he internally cursed his father's good fortune.

Though she was still rather petite, Nana was considered tall among Nianese women at 163cm. She also possessed a lean and athletic figure that hadn't lost a hint of its charm despite giving birth to four children and suffering nearly two decades of illness. This, combined with her crimson eyes and long black hair, the latter of which was tinged with red highlights, gave her a unique and ephemeral charm that was rare even amongst the most beautiful and mature women.

Despite being well in her fifties, Nana could have easily passed as Yui's older sister. If she were to back on Earth, Nobu could easily imagine her getting carded if she attempting to purchase alcohol. Even he had trouble believing she was more than twenty even though his catatonic self had eight years of memories related to her...

Sensing Nobu's gaze, a smile blossomed across Nana's face as she stopped mid-conversation with Hitomi to walk over and embrace him. This caused the former to tense, but, after several seconds of extreme awkwardness, Nobu managed to sheepishly reciprocate her embrace with a wry smile.

Relaxing the moment she felt Nobu's arms around her shoulders, Nana entrusted her weight to him as she looked up with the kind of smile that pierced through mental walls and emotional defenses as if they were wet paper. Then, in the most sincere tone Nobu had ever heard, she gently cupped his face with one of her hands and said, "I feel like a piece of my soul just returned. Thank you, my precious...my beloved Nobu..."

Feeling an irresistible sourness building in his nasal cavity, Nobu clenched his teeth in a last-ditch effort to stymy his swelling emotions. He didn't even know this woman, yet, the moment he heard her voice, a shudder passed through his body as something deep within him resonated with every word. For a brief moment, he thought this might be an echo of his catatonic self. The version of him that had been forced to suffer at his behest for nineteen years.

Wiping away the tears from Nobu's face, Nana's expression, against all rhyme and reason, became even more loving, her voice carrying an unfathomable amount of tenderness as she said, "I'm glad. I thought you were all grown up but it appears there is still room for me to be your mother..."

Punctuating her words, Nana guided Nobu's face to her chest. It was a little awkward due to their difference in height but that didn't deter her in the slightest. Even if she had to stand on the tips of her toes or raise herself using her aura, she was determined to comfort her baby boy, the child who had once refused to cry no matter how desperately she pleaded...

"Let it all out...mommy is here..."

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Seeing Nana cradling Nobu in her bosom, a man with two-toned hair, ashen-grey on top and dark brown on the sides couldn't help furrowing his brows. This was none other than Oda Senken, who, due to feeling too awkward to appear earlier, ended up watching the scene play out from behind a tree.

Though he would never admit it, Senken had been dreading this day even more than Nobu. He had never been good at dealing with sentiments and emotions, so, despite rehearsing every day for the last eleven years, he couldn't even bring himself to step out of the shadows. This caused him to feel pathetic at first, but, now that he was watching his beloved wife doting on someone else, a growing urge to give Nobu a few light smack was developing in the back of his mind.

"People would laugh if they heard about the Great Lord Senken brooding in the shadows like some kind of jealous lover..."

Recognizing the voice in an instant, Senken just snorted through his nose before saying, "He might be my son, but he's also a grown man. Crying into the bosom of his mother at this age is pathetic..."

Giggling in response to Senken's words, Hitomi casually approached until she was standing next to him before teasing, "He's a lot like you in that regard. Rather, the longer I observe him, the more I see you and Nana reflected in his character. It's quite jarring at times..."

Tearing his eyes away from the scene, Senken looked at Hitomi with a slightly incredulous look on his face as he asked, "Huh? Have you gone senile on me you old bat? That snot-nosed brat and I have absolutely nothing in common..."

Rolling her eyes, Hitomi casually remarked, "Even the way you address people is the same..." before pulling out an inordinately thick scroll and saying, "This is all the information I kept out of the other reports. He has a few character flaws, but your son is growing much faster than we ever anticipated. Based on my findings, there is a reasonably high probability that his growth will accelerate with the passage of time rather than decreasing. By this time next year, he may even be stronger than you..."

Knowing that Hitomi would never exaggerate such a thing, Senken's expression hardened as the reality of what she had said settled within his mind. He knew Nobu's potential would have to be exceptional if he were to be able to catch up and surpass his peers but it was hard to imagine him going from Foundation Building to the Sixth Realm in a single year. It was beyond monstrous.

Since Hitomi had compared Nobu's character to his own, Senken briefly considered what he might do with the power to unify and rule over the entire archipelago. It seemed like a major hassle, but, at the same time, there were a significant number of issues with the current administration. This had been exacerbated by the current Emperor's inability to produce an heir. If something didn't change, and soon, it was only a matter of time before the forces of the Heavenly Kingdom both invaded and conquered Nian.

Feeling a headache just thinking about local and international politics, Senken habitually combed through his hair. This earned him an amused chuckle from Hitomi, but, with his thoughts focused on other things, Senken was only vaguely aware that she was even standing next to him...

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After forcefully suppressing what he had convinced himself to be the remnant emotions of his catatonic self, Nobu attempted to escape Nana's embrace only to fail miserably. She did let his head go, but, instead of separating from him, she linked her arm around his with the kind of smile that left no room for argument. He could argue, sure, but his instincts told him that wouldn't end well.

Fortunately, Nana separated of her own volition after the group had made its way down the long and dark corridor leading to a small cottage in the middle of the woods. As for the reason, it was due to the presence of a man who, from memory, Nobu knew to be his father.

Much to Nobu's amusement, and Senken's chagrin, Nana completely shattered the latter's facade of a Lord who had been patiently awaiting their arrival. She sauntered over to him without a care in the world before promptly pulling him by the arm as she asked, "Sen-chan, what are you being shy for~? Come and meet your son~!"

Though he grumbled something under his breath, Senken didn't resist as Nana pulled him over to within less than a meter of Nobu. She wanted to pull them all into a hug, but, the moment his feet impacted the ground, long spikes of Mithril-colored aura rooted him to the spot as he said, "Long time no see..." with the straightest expression he could manage given the circumstances.

With a remarkably similar expression on his face, Nobu returned a curt, "Mmm..." before crossing his arms to match Senken. Under normal circumstances, this would have caused the atmosphere to quickly turn tense, but, having none of their shenanigans, Nana forcibly pulled Nobu the remaining distance before practically bonking his and Senken's heads together as she hugged them both.

After squeezing the duo tightly for several awkward moments, Nana released her hold on them but didn't allow them to separate as she adopted a serious expression and said, "Don't fight." in a stern tone. Then, despite wanting to stay near both of them, she joined the other girls at the side to give the father-son duo the chance to converse on their own terms...

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With neither knowing what to say, Senken and Nobu just stared at each other in absolute silence for the better part of a full minute. When they finally did speak, it was the Senken asking, "What do you want to do?" with a serious look on his face. He actually wanted to apologize for his failures as a father, but, no matter how he forced himself, the words simply wouldn't form within his throat.

Scratching the back of his head, Nobu forced a smile as he said, "I was thinking of staying on the mountain for a bit. There are some things I want to accomplish before setting out to do my own thing..."

"Mmm..."

Having received daily reports from Hitomi, Senken was well aware of what Nobu had been doing since arriving in Yumegakure. He had originally wanted to tease Nobu for playing around all day, but, knowing how quickly he was progressing, Senken was afraid he might inadvertently offend the young man he had spent the last nineteen years thinking of but knew nothing about...

"Very well. I have discussed the matter with Hitomi and agreed to let you stay on the mountain for the next year. Your mother won't like it, but I should be able to convince her by saying it's for your own good. When you're ready to return, we'll be there waiting for you..."

Not really know what else to say, Senken extended his hand to give Nobu a path on the shoulder. He could still vividly recall the days when he toured the Province causing countless problems for its residents. His son deserved the same opportunity, so, much like his father before him, Senken just gave Nobu a few light pats before walking away with a smile on his face...

"Nana is going to kill me..."

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(A/N: Nobu could have had such awesome parents...)