An unknown amount of time had passed.
While she was dazed, Kichou felt her throat was a little dry and became very embarrassed.
“Ah, how shameless I was last night…”
After a wonderful yet somewhat confusing night passed, she did not wake up until the sun had risen high in the sky the next day.
Then, the scene that had made her blush and her heart race last night surfaced in her mind uncontrollably.
Even though it was a man she had never met before, her body had surrendered to him first.
It was completely different from fiercely fighting an enemy on the battlefield.
Honestly, she felt a little confused by this feeling, but she wanted to taste that sweetness and excitement she could not resist once more.
She had not known that being together with a man could make one this happy.
This was far more stimulating than when she had watched enemies scream in pain as blood gushed like a fountain after she slit their throats.
“Lady Kichou, have you woken up?
Would you like something to eat?
This was specially prepared by the Shogun.”
Aoi Hyuga and Rin Hyuga brought a steaming hot lunch that had just been made.
“Ah, actually, I’m a little hungry.”
She had been moaning almost all night.
Although she had been the one to seduce him at first, afterward everything had proceeded completely at his pace.
Not only was she physically exhausted, but her stomach was also growling with hunger.
“Um, Lady Kichou, what about your clothes…?”
The two branch family girls suddenly blushed, pointed at the kimono Kichou was wearing, and spoke in hushed voices, unable to meet her eyes.
Upon investigation, it turned out that the obi and outer garment of Kichou’s kimono had been draped diagonally over the folding screen, and casually left there.
It conveyed the intensity and excitement of last night’s battle.
All that remained on her was a single thin white shirt.
Without any restraint, it barely covered her ample chest.
If she was not careful, the entire shirt might fall off.
Furthermore, her white skin glowed unnaturally pink, partially hidden beneath the white dress, creating a precarious situation where her entire body seemed about to be exposed.
To Aoi and Rin’s eyes, this posture seemed far too indecent.
For the two innocent girls who had been separated from their families, this was a somewhat heavy event.
However, Kichou glanced at their state, then casually began eating to fill her stomach.
She did not care about her appearance at all — or rather, it was troublesome to care.
“This is…”
Aoi and Rin seemed to want to say something but ultimately hesitated and said nothing.
They wanted to help Kichou change clothes, but lacked the courage to approach and disturb her enjoyment.
In the end, they sat restlessly beside her and could only communicate by exchanging glances.
After finishing her meal, Kichou wiped her mouth with a napkin and unconsciously smiled faintly.
It was clear she was satisfied with the food.
These ingredients were not only difficult to obtain and expensive, but each dish was prepared with great care by the chef, and her genuine joy was infused into every single one.
She had not known that such exquisite and delicious dishes could be made.
It would be nice if she could eat such delicious food every day from now on.
“Am I becoming too decadent?”
The moment such greedy and sinful thoughts crossed Kichou’s mind, she could not help but criticize herself for her lack of ambition.
What was this feeling of suddenly being freed from the shackles of family and father?
And why did it feel so wonderful?
…
Everything in the Shogun’s residence was incredibly fresh and stimulating for Kichou, the mistress of the residence who had come from afar.
Tall and magnificent buildings stood everywhere here.
If one stood there and looked into the distance, one could probably see very far away.
There were no such buildings in the Hyuga clan’s territory.
The strongholds of ninja clans needed to be thoroughly concealed.
Buildings that stood out too much were like telling the enemy, “This could be an important target for attack.”
In the Land of Fire, where fierce competition took place, such things happened frequently.
To keep secrets, some ninja clans even lived in caves or underground.
This showed that as long as one was prepared to endure hardship, suffering would never end.
Furthermore, with that much surplus funds, it would be better to buy more ninja tools and food for the soldiers.
However, in the end, it was far too large for a mansion.
It was as if all the nation’s major military institutions were gathered here.
Upon arriving at the castle tower, it served as the boundary separating the inner and outer courtyards of the Shogun’s residence.
The inner courtyard was the residential area for the Shogun of the Night Kingdom and his family.
There were artificial landscapes, hot springs, many rare trees, and numerous novel structures of unknown purpose that Kichou had never seen before.
Underground, there was a large excavated space, probably used to store something very important.
Compared to the outer courtyard, the inner courtyard had a smaller area.
From Kichou’s observations, the inner courtyard was spacious enough to accommodate several thousand people without becoming overcrowded.
The inner palace was also equipped with a special sensory and concealment barrier to protect and hide the palace 24 hours a day.
Even with the Byakugan, one could not see inside from the outside.
All that could be seen was a rainbow-colored chakra wall blocking the view.
This was a completely confidential location.
Kichou was not surprised by this.
Without this level of defense, covert operations would be meaningless.
Furthermore, she already understood well enough that the Byakugan was not a panacea.
The ninja world was vast, and there were many strange and wonderful abilities.
Perhaps monsters or demons would suddenly appear from some unknown place and cause great chaos in the ninja world.
“Lady Kichou, the layout here is too vast.
It will probably take quite some time to memorize the routes.”
Following Kichou, Aoi and Rin were also confused by the fact that the structure of the Shogun’s residence was more complex than the Hyuga clan’s residence.
Even if they could obtain a floor plan from Yayoi, it would take time for them to fully familiarize themselves with the environment.
Fortunately, the two had grasped the structure of the castle tower in the morning.
Otherwise, without using the Byakugan to find their way, they would probably have gotten lost here with Kichou.
However, since they were newcomers, they did not know anything about taboos or restrictions.
If they casually looked around, some mechanism might activate or some secret they should not see might be exposed, leading to serious trouble.
“Your Excellency, we will enter now.”
As if to startle the person inside, Kichou deliberately made a loud noise from outside before pushing the door open and entering without knocking.
“That is very rude, Lady Kichou!”
In the end, they had no choice but to hurriedly catch up with Kichou.
“Shogun, we apologize, but we could not stop Lady Kichou.”
As soon as Aoi and Rin entered, they bowed their heads and apologized to Yayoi, who was seated at the table.
“It’s fine.
I don’t mind such trivial things.
Kichou, are you feeling better?”
Yayoi was concerned about his young wife’s health.
“Oh my, for my husband to call my name so naturally so soon.”
Kichou approached with a light laugh.
Her shining eyes and charming smile were captivating.
She was wearing a wide-sleeved kimono befitting her status.
The soft and delicate pale blue fabric was embroidered with intricate patterns.
Wearing white tabi socks and black low-heeled wooden clogs, her feet stepped almost silently on the clean floor, appearing and disappearing beneath the hem of her kimono.
Her long jet-black hair was styled in a hime cut and was now adorned with a gold crown-like ornament.
Although this was her first time wearing such formal attire, she handled it without difficulty, and her movements and expressions were very natural.
“You are already my wife, so it is only natural for us to call each other by our first names.”
Yayoi showed no awkwardness whatsoever and answered his newlywed wife in a calm manner.
If possible, he still wished to know the feelings deep in his wife’s heart.
Otherwise, facing a wife he could not understand at all for decades to come would be very painful.
“Ah, that’s right.
For my husband to think that way, I suddenly feel honored.”
Kichou quietly approached Yayoi, gently poked his face with her slender fingers, as if amused.
Yayoi did not stop her.
Strangely, he found her childish behavior, which she deliberately used to deepen their relationship, endearing.
Eventually, Kichou shifted her gaze to Irori standing on the opposite side.
Dressed in a blue kimono, she was a beautiful young woman with impeccable appearance and temperament.
“Your Highness, have you grown tired of my body and sought new love?
Well, she is a newcomer, so she does not know how to serve people.
Unlike this young lady, she will surely cherish Your Highness.”
“…”
Hearing her sobbing and indignant voice suddenly, Yayoi felt a chill run down his spine.
That sound was wonderful…
He could only sigh helplessly.
“This is not what you think.
This is Irori, she is…”
Before Yayoi could answer, Irori, standing beside him, smiled gently and bowed politely to Kichou.
“Hello, Mother.
I am Irori.
Father’s daughter.”
“Huh?”
Kichou’s smile instantly vanished, and her pupils slightly widened, as if she had heard something unbelievable.
It was not unusual for a monarch to have multiple women around him.
She had been aware of that from the beginning.
Therefore, when she first saw Irori, she did not pay much attention and only wanted to use it as a topic to make jokes.
Only…
“Um, what did you just say?
Daughter?
Not sister or lover, right?”
This girl looked about the same age as me, so why is she my daughter…?
If my memory serves me right, my husband is still only twenty-seven years old.
This is… a bit too extreme, isn’t it?
In an instant, Kichou felt she needed to update her worldview.
“Don’t dwell on things that are not true.
Irori is a puppet-like lifeform that I created.
That is why she calls me Father.”
Yayoi interrupted the confusion in Kichou’s mind and pointed out Irori’s true identity and background.
“A puppet?”
Kichou was dumbfounded.
This surprised her even more than when she heard Irori was Yayoi’s daughter.
She knew Yayoi was a first-rate puppeteer at the time, and she had fought puppeteers before, so she had some inside information about the puppets they used.
But now, this beautiful girl who could talk and think just like a real human, and even have heart-to-heart conversations in bed, was supposedly an actual puppet.
As if to prove this fact, the blood vessels around her eyes unnaturally bulged.
“Amazing!”
Her powerful perception instantly pierced through Irori’s body, and Kichou could clearly see inside Irori.
Blue lines intersecting like circuit board traces covered every part of Irori’s body, reminiscent of human meridians.
Then she saw the central part like a heart.
There, an enormous amount of chakra was gathered and compressed, constantly supplying energy for Irori’s activities.
That translucent body was not flesh and blood that humans should have.
Except for the heart made of special chakra crystal, most of Irori’s body was like materialized high-density chakra.
A Tailed Beast?
No, she had a core other than chakra.
A human?
No, she did not have a human body to begin with.
If one had to explain it, it would be an artificially created half-Tailed Beast-like creature.
After a while, Kichou closed her eyes, but the shock in her heart did not disappear.
My husband is a much more mysterious person than I imagined…
The idea of artificial puppet life inevitably reminded her of the legendary Yin-Yang Release technique that created invisible life.
“Um, your name is Irori, right?
Really…” This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
“Yes, I am a puppet created by Father himself.
I hope that Father and Mother can get along well in the future.”
Irori smiled faintly.
She did not put on airs or feel inferior because of her special position.
Her very existence was an undeniable miracle.
Taking into account the confirmation from Irori herself and everything she had observed with the Byakugan, Kichou had no choice but to accept this fact, no matter how painful it was.
Hearing Irori call her “Mother” again, Kichou suddenly felt a strange sensation.
I am a vibrant young woman in the prime of my life.
I just got married yesterday and am not pregnant yet.
Is that okay?
“By the way, Irori, how old are you this year?”
Kichou suddenly remembered something important, looked at Irori, and asked her age.
“The ability to move on my own is relatively new, but the earliest lifeform and memory device were completed when my father was nine years old.”
Irori carefully recalled the exact time of her birth.
Yayoi had firmly engraved every stage and important moment in the creation process in his heart.
“…”
Kichou could no longer maintain her smile.
Ah, calculating it that way, this daughter is the same age as me?
And having a daughter at nine years old is ridiculously perverted.
My husband really has a lot of secrets.
…
The day after the wedding, in the afternoon, Hyuga Hiden and Yayoi discussed several matters before parting.
The situation in the Land of Fire was extremely tense.
With the Senju and Uchiha clans forming an alliance, no one except Yayoi could predict what the future would hold.
In such a critical situation, it was naturally impossible for an influential elder like Hiden to stay away from his family for long.
“The biggest recent event would be the alliance between the Senju and Uchiha clans.”
The only ones remaining on the top floor of the castle tower were Yayoi and Irori.
As an artificial lifeform, Irori served as Yayoi’s secretary while also acting as an important bodyguard and personal assistant.
When necessary, she also handled official duties in Yayoi’s place.
After all, Yayoi’s high-intensity work was too frequent and placed too much burden on his body, so Irori needed to properly balance his work and rest.
Yayoi was now thinking about the future direction of the Land of Fire.
Events in the Land of Fire had nothing to do with the Night Kingdom, but this matter was clearly different.
According to the information he had obtained, the Senju and Uchiha clans had recently held a meeting.
This information source was highly reliable.
Neither clan tried to hide it; rather, they openly publicized it, so it was expected that an early village that would become the prototype of Konohagakure would appear in the near future.
First the Senju and Uchiha clans would come, and then one after another from the Land of Fire would be absorbed into the clan.
If that happened, many people would flow in from outside, and it would become a huge village like the one he remembered.
No, in terms of area and population, Konohagakure was closer in scale to a large city.
Calling it a village would be an understatement.
“While everyone’s attention is focused there, I must resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
Irori, there should still be sufficient funds in the national treasury, right?”
“Yes, there is no shortage of funds.
Even with large expenditures every year, we can still save a considerable amount.
However, according to information from the intelligence agency, many foreigners have recently entered the country, which could cause security issues.”
Irori held multiple documents and gave a systematic report.
“Oh, a foreign ninja clan?”
The scale of ninja clans varied, and it was not uncommon for weak clans to keep moving and living day to day.
“Some are good, but there are also bandits who disrupt public order.
However, the ninja clans that have flowed in are all clans that Father did not particularly value.”
“The bandit problem is not something to worry about.
If you tell me the coordinates, I will dispatch a ninja or samurai unit to suppress them.”
“Those are insignificant small ninja groups.
But even so, we should send someone to make contact.
If we can bring them over to our side, that would be good.”
Yayoi tapped the table with his fingers and quickly made a decision.
“Lord Kakuzu is currently extremely busy with the reorganization of the Executive Department and has no time at all.”
“Then have Kurobe contact them.
He was the one who did the job of bringing the Aburame clan over to our side.”
Yayoi had many reliable close aides, but only a few were truly capable.
Kakuzu and Kurobe often held multiple positions simultaneously and filled in when vacancies arose.
This was unavoidable.
The Night Kingdom was not a ninja clan.
Its territory was vast, and the volume of tasks that came with it was incomparable to that of a purely military ninja clan.
Even as Shogun, he often had to take on the role of a medical ninja and perform medical procedures.
He allocated three days each month to hold public lectures on medical ninjutsu, striving to nurture more medical ninjutsu talent and reduce the burden on the medical system.
“This solves the problem.
Kurobe will take care of it right away.
Now, Father, you should go back to your room and rest.
It’s almost nine o’clock.”
Irori placed the documents she was holding down, took a deep breath, and then placed the official documents in front of Yayoi with a solemn expression.
“As I said before, this level of work is…”
“Father, working all night on the second day of marriage is really terrible.”
Irori pressed down on Yayoi’s hand as he tried to pick up the official documents again.
“Right now, it’s more important to go back to Mother’s side than work.
Besides, isn’t it pitiful to leave Mother alone at home?”
Irori’s voice was always gentle and sweet, but at this moment, her gently smiling face made Yayoi feel somewhat terrified.
Yayoi had no choice but to give up.
“Understood.
I’ll leave this matter to you.”
“Yes, Father.
I will handle it.”
…