Chapter 62: Subtle Yet Drastic Changes

If he were being honest, Nobu was a little creeped out when Cho mentioned placing 'extra love' into the dishes. Despite this, he still enjoyed the food quite a bit. After all, even if she did place something 'extra' inside, it didn't really matter so long as he didn't know what it was.

"Thanks. It was delicious..."

Amused by her Lord's awkwardness, Cho covered her mouth with her sleeve, giggling before sending a playful wink his way and teasing, "Don't worry. I would never befoul my Lord's meal by adding anything strange. My happiness is your ability to eat without worry..."

Punctuating her statement with one of the most radiant smiles Nobu had ever seen, the latter found himself seriously considering apologizing. Instead, he just watched as Cho bowed low enough that her breasts nearly spilled out, wholly unable to speak until she had departed with his empty plates in hand...

"That woman is dangerous..."

"My Lord...?"

Hearing Yui's voice, Nobu shifted his attention towards her, confusion visible in his face until his mind fully processed why she had called out to him.

Waving his hand in a dismissive gesture, Nobu said, "Nah, it's nothing bad. It's hard to explain, but it was basically a compliment."

"Oh...I see..."

Though she didn't really understand Nobu's way of speaking at times, Yui didn't doubt he was telling the truth. Thus, rather than press the issue, she changed the topic of discussion, asking, "What are your plans for the rest of the evening? Should we prepare for a bath or are you still going to be meeting with Rukia-dono and Takao-san...?"

Remembering his promise to the mother-daughter duo, Nobu's face formed into a frown as he shook his head and said, "I'm not really in the mood to be gawked at like a circus freak. If they want to stop by, I don't mind meeting them. I just don't feel like taking a bath right now."

Nodding her head, Yui's gaze flickered towards Ayane for a brief moment. In response, the latter returned a nod of her own before promptly disappearing into the ceiling above. This time, however, she moved much slower than normal so that Nobu was able to perceive her departure.

Following Ayane's departure with his eyes, Nobu fell silent for a brief moment before shaking his head a second time and asking, "Where is Yuriko? I haven't seen her ever since she left this morning. Don't tell me she went on a mission or something..."

Having anticipated this question for quite some time, a smile developed across Yui's face as she explained, "Today was Rynka's and Shizune's final evaluation. As the kunoichi assigned to oversee their mission, Yuriko's presence was requested. She should be returning shortly after the sun sets."

Though he wasn't particularly upset, Nobu couldn't help wincing when he imagined Rynka and Shizune becoming kunoichi. He didn't really know much about the former, but the latter gave off a very spoiled, borderline intolerable vibe. She had clearly received special treatment compared to other kunoichi, and, while he could understand the reasons why, Nobu was still far from truly forgiving her. He might never.

Noticing the discomfort visible in her Lord's expression, Yui was about to say something when he suddenly interjected, saying, "Don't worry about it. I just get a little pissed whenever I think back to what happened in the forest..."

Shaking his head clear of such thoughts, Nobu was seriously considering taking a nap when a muted sound emanated from outside his door. It hadn't even been a few minutes since Ayane left, so, unless they had literally been waiting nearby for his invitation, it couldn't be Rukia and her daughter.

"I come bearing a message for Nobunaga-dono. The Matriarch has requested his presence in the main hall. Please attend at your earliest convenience..."

Without waiting for Nobu's response, the voice and presence from behind the door vanished without a trace.

"Annoying..."

Smiling wryly in response to Nobu's grumbling, Yui attempted to defend her Grandmother by saying, "I'm certain this is a good thing. Your abilities are unlike anything I have ever seen or heard of. Grandmother wouldn't let anything happen to you."

Rolling his eyes, Nobu rose to his feet and said, "Whatever. Let's just get this over with..."

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After a quick journey through the main estate, Nobu found himself in a much larger room than the one he had met Hitomi in previously. It was almost like a throne room, but, instead of anything more ornate, the most extravagant seat in the hall was basically just a cushion on top of a slightly elevated platform.

Unsurprisingly, this centermost seat was occupied by Hitomi. She wasn't the only one present in the room, however. There were six other ornate seats in the wide and open chamber, three on each side of a central aisle. Four were occupied by remarkably beautiful women while the other two, one appearing far more ornate than the other, were currently empty.

"You arrived much sooner than I expected. For that, you have our gratitude..."

Tearing his eyes away from the big-tittied woman smoking a pipe with a seductive look on her face, Nobu met Hitomi's gaze and answered, "No problem. I didn't really have anything going on right now..."

Though his words were far more casual than the situation mandated, Nobu was doing his best to at least sound civil as he approached the final seat, a relatively simple-looking mat set in the center of the hall. There was also a small table with tea and snacks on it, but, other than taking a quick glance, Nobu didn't bother himself with them as he sat down with a grunt and crossed his legs.

Under normal circumstances, behavior like Nobu's wouldn't be tolerated. After what Hitomi had revealed, however, each of the Elders present were far more interested in his actions than offended by them. He was basically someone from a different world, and, while he was undoubtedly their Young Lord, he possessed powers and abilities that made him invaluable, not just to the Yoshitsune Clan, but the entire Archipelago.

Feeling the eyes of everyone present focused on him, a slight frown marred Nobu's face as he said, "I hope you didn't invite me here just to be stared at..."

Covering her mouth with her sleeve, Hitomi issued a light giggle before shaking her head and saying, "Worry not, Waka-chan. We did not call you here without reason. Rather, we wanted to inform you of some good news."

Though he was briefly distracted by Suzune waving at him from the corner of his eyes, Nobu quickly regained his focus when he heard Hitomi's words, brows raised slightly as he asked, "Okay? Lay it on me."

Raising her own brows at the unfamiliar turn of phase, Hitomi resisted the urge to ask as she went on to explain, "We have discussed the matter in great detail and come to a consensus regarding our previous conversation. In summary, we have decided that, so long as you live among us, we will do our best to ensure that none of our younger generation are sent away on less desireable missions. Specifically, we would ask that you use your ability to ascertain whether or not certain members of our clan possess unique abilities or bloodlines. For each new bloodline discovered, we will provide you with additional resources while also doing our best to facilitate any and all requests you might have."

Frowning in response to Hitomi's words, Nobu crossed his arms and asked, "What if I ask you to let them choose a different path? Something other than becoming a kunoichi?"

Having already anticipated this question, Hitomi maintained her characteristically confident smile as she answered, "Our clan focuses on rearing kunoichi, not because we want to, but because it is necessary for our survival. If you can help our girls pursue additional paths, we will support that decision to the best of our ability. However, you must have a realistic plan to achieve your goals. Sentiment can only take you so far and we cannot squander resources on those without the ambition or drive to make use of them..."

Though he didn't agree with everything Hitomi was saying, Nobu ultimately nodded his head in response, saying, "Yeah, sure. Just don't go sending off children to become prostitutes and shit. That kind of thing makes me sick..."

Nodding her head in affirmation, Hitomi adopted a far more serious tone as she said, "I am a woman of my word. So long as you reside within the territories of the Yoshitsune Clan, we will not send our children away to receive that kind of training..."

Punctuating her words, Hitomi performed a hand seal that resulted in a buxom kunoichi to appear with an infant bundled in her arms. Then, before Nobu could even think to ask, Hitomi explained, "A few of my fellow Elders still have doubts regarding the abilities you purport to possess. I know this is a bit sudden, but it would go a long way towards allaying any concerns they might have if you can demonstrate your ability in front of them. To that end, I have asked that one of our recently born daughters be brought in. Please tell us everything you are able to ascertain from observing her..."

Though he was tempted to refuse, Hitomi's previous warnings were still fresh in Nobu's mind. He was also doing his best to at least appear calmer and more confident, so, despite frowning quite a bit, he ultimately answered, "Fine. I don't appreciate being put on the spot like this but I'll make an exception this time. Just keep in mind that I'll be charging you for each future use. This ability literally consumes my cultivation base so I'm not going to spam it just because you want to test me."

Seeing, not just Hitomi, but all of the Elders nod their heads, Nobu shifted his attention to the buxom kunoichi, awkwardness swelling within him as she promptly proferred him the baby in her arms. He didn't actually need to be in contact with the person he was scanning, but, now that he thought about it, Nobu realized there was quite a bit of merit to keeping the specifics of his ability a secret...

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Name: Yoshitsune Jyubei

Age: 19 days

Gender: Female, H:49.3cm, W: 4.8kg, B: 42.2cm, W: 43.1cm, H: 41.9cm

Blood Type: O+

Cultivation: N/A

Aura Units: 8/10

Status: Cursed(+), Hungry(+), Sleepy(+)

-Cursed by the Goddess Inari Okami: Probably of bearing daughters increased to 99.5%. Life expectancy drastically reduced. Removal Cost: 3,000,000AU

-Hungry: She is hungry. Removal Cost: 1AU

-Sleepy: She is sleepy. Removal Cost: 1AU

Main Hand: No Preference

Preferred Weapon: No Preference

Strengths: Cute

Weakness: She is a baby

Orientation: No Preference

Preferences: Enjoys Being Held

Favorite Food: Breast Milk

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Though he could have gone the rest of his life without knowing the dimensions of a newborn infant, Nobu did his best to ignore the mild nausea he was experiencing, saying, "Her name is Yoshitsune Jyubei. She is 19 days old, weighs 4.8kg, and has a Blood Type of O+. Her current Aura amount is 10 and she is currently both sleepy and hungry. As for special bloodlines, she would be normal if not for the Curse affecting your entire Clan..."

Hearing Nobu's explanation, the Elders present, Suzune especially, felt varying degrees of excitement. His ability was a lot more comprehensive than they had anticipated. They even suspected he wasn't telling them everything, but, rather than press him for more, they just nodded in approval when Hitomi passed her gaze over each of them in turn.

Seeing each of the Elders nod, a smile developed across Hitomi's face as she returned her attention to Nobu and said, "On behalf of the entire Yoshitsune Clan, let me be the first to say that I'm looking forward to a long and healthy cooperation with Waka-no, Nobunaga-sama..."

To indicate her sincerity, Hitomi bowed forward, an action promptly repeated by everyone else in the hall. This made Nobu feel more than a little uncomfortable, but, understanding this was probably the 'ideal' outcome, he forced a smile and answered, "Yeah...sure thing..." in an audibly awkward tone...

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(A/N: Nobu's ability makes Information Elders moist (UwU)...)