Chapter 407

"Slept well last night, Sakura? When did you come back? I didn't see you."

After waking up, Ino stretched lazily, feeling refreshed. However, she quickly noticed Sakura kneeling at the table, her own golden hair still messily draped in front of her. Feeling a little embarrassed, she explained, "I was going to wait for you last night, but the hot spring was too comfortable, so I fell asleep early."

"It's fine. I also felt really relaxed in the hot spring. I dozed off for a bit but luckily woke up in time."

Seeing that Ino didn't seem to have noticed her absence, Sakura felt a slight sense of relief. Fortunately, she had returned early to fix the bedding and create the illusion that she had been by Ino's side all night.

"Come on, get up already. I think you're the last one still in bed."

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't expect to sleep so well. What about you, Sakura?"

Ino pressed her hands together apologetically, then got out of bed and began tidying up and changing clothes. While dressing, she sighed, "This is why we need to take trips like this once in a while. Now this feels like living."

Sakura forced a smile but remained silent.

This trip had turned into a disaster for her, yet she had no one to blame. Ino had brought her on this trip for her own good, and what happened last night with Yoichi had been due to her own mistake of entering the wrong room. Now, she felt a bitter weight in her heart that she couldn't put into words.

Her emotions were a tangled mess, and her body was still sore. She had no idea how many times she had been taken last night, but just recalling it made her body heat up again.

Now, she somewhat understood why Ino had such exaggerated reactions and expressions. The sensation of that strong body pressing down on her, the overwhelming suffocation—those memories were still vivid and impossible to shake off.

More than that, the memories seemed to surface in her mind again and again, throwing her thoughts into disarray.

"Sakura, let's go sightseeing today. Then we can rest for another night and head back tomorrow morning."

"Alright."

Sakura snapped back to reality and forced a smile, nodding. "I'll follow your lead today, Ino."

Once Ino finished dressing, she and Sakura went out together and woke Yoichi to join them for breakfast.

Yoichi acted completely natural, as if nothing had happened the previous night. However, this only made Sakura grit her teeth internally.

Was she really the only one affected by this? How could he act so casual about it?

After breakfast, Ino followed the itinerary she had planned, taking Sakura on a full tour of the local attractions. As for Yoichi, though he spent less time with Ino, he didn't seem to mind.

After all, he had already gotten what he wanted. Not only had he enjoyed Ino, but he had also tasted the charms of Sakura, a woman who was beautiful, well-built, and carried a unique, alluring aura.

For an explorer, uncovering a long-sealed treasure cave was an exciting experience, and Sakura had been just that—an untouched treasure, hidden away for six or seven years.

Last night had been a feast for him. Hours of indulgence, and if he hadn't infused Sakura with a bit of life energy in the end, she might not have been able to get up this morning at all.

Though today was uneventful for Yoichi, remembering his "harvest" from last night made it all worthwhile.

For Ino, on the other hand, it was a fun-filled day. She noticed that Sakura's mood seemed a bit off at times, but Sakura easily deflected concerns by blaming it on her worries for Sarada.

By the third day, Ino considered the trip a perfect getaway.

As they sat in the Thunder Train heading back, Ino gazed at the beautiful scenery rushing past the window and sighed. "If only the world could stay peaceful forever. Then we could go on trips like this whenever we wanted."

Yoichi replied, "Isn't it already peaceful? The Five Great Nations don't even go to war anymore. Sure, there are still some bandits here and there, but those are just minor problems."

"No, the shinobi world still has bigger threats—ones that endanger the entire planet."

Ino shook her head but immediately realized she might have said too much. That was classified Konoha information.

Yoichi had already caught on, though. He had known about this for a long time, but he feigned surprise. "Threaten the whole planet? This is only the second time I've heard of such a thing. Don't tell me it's the Ōtsutsuki again?"

Sakura, startled, turned to look at him. "How do you know about them?"

"You forgot my identity? I'm an Onmyōji."

Yoichi pointed to his face and continued, "A thousand years ago, the Onmyōji nearly went extinct because of the Ōtsutsuki. And I know exactly what they're after—the Divine Tree, devouring planetary life, and all that."

Only now did Ino and Sakura recall that Yoichi was a descendant of the Onmyōji, the ancient practitioners who had once battled the Ōtsutsuki.

"That's right. Since you already know, I guess it's fine to tell you more, right, Sakura?"

Ino turned to Sakura, who sighed in frustration. "Since he knows so much already, it doesn't matter anymore."

"Alright then, Yoichi."

Ino proceeded to tell Yoichi about Konoha's latest situation, including information about Kara, Jigen, and the new Ten-Tails.

"Another Ten-Tails? Then it must be the Ōtsutsuki again. Those bastards never stop."

Yoichi clenched his fist in mock anger. "They really are a plague. But since Kaguya was sealed ten years ago, the one showing up now must be Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, right? The one with the horns."

Ino and Sakura both tensed at the mention of that name. Ino even grabbed Yoichi's arm and asked urgently, "Yoichi, you know that guy?"

"Of course. Isshiki was the real force behind the destruction of the Onmyōji. Kaguya was just his servant back then. Unfortunately, we had prepared a trump card to deal with him, but we never got the chance to use it."

"But doesn't the Hokage have enough power to deal with him? You sealed Kaguya before, didn't you?"

Ino shook her head. "No, he's too strong. If it weren't for your secret medicine last time, the casualties would have been even worse!"

"Is that so? Seems like Isshiki has gotten even stronger... But this was all a thousand years ago. I don't actually know much about his current state, only what was passed down."

Yoichi paused for a moment, then put on a thoughtful expression. "Ino, isn't there a way for the Hokage to keep getting stronger? Then he could deal with Isshiki himself."

(End of Chapter)

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