As Guren's tears just fell onto the bedding, Shun's movements abruptly stopped.
He reached out a finger, gently brushing her eye corner, his fingertip carrying a warm touch, wiping away those two scalding tears.
The next second, he leaned down and hugged her tightly, letting her feel the warmth of his chest. After that, he made no further inappropriate moves, as if comforting a startled beast.
After a long while, Shun's voice sounded in her ear. Gone was the previous assertiveness, replaced only by a gentle tone that made Guren's ears tingle slightly.
"I heard you missed me very much, but now you seem very resistant to me. Didn't you decided to become mine?"
Guren's face was buried in his lapel, and she could smell the faint incense on him. Her mind felt tangled in a mess.
"No, it's just... it's just too fast."
She had struggled in war since childhood, accustomed to betrayal and slaughter, and had long since wrapped herself in a hard shell. Not to mention such intimate embraces, even normal contact with the opposite sex was rare.
Held by him like this, her heart pounded as if it would burst from her chest, filled with both a fear of the unknown and a subtle stir that she hadn't even noticed herself.
Shun pressed against her cheek, his warm breath falling on the tip of her ear. "Then I'll hold you a little longer, so we can feel each other more."
His hand gently rested on her back, slowly stroking down her spine, his movements as soft as if caressing a restless kitten.
Guren's body was initially very tense, but with that gentle touch, the taut lines gradually relaxed, and even the hands clutching his lapel loosened slightly.
But not long after, that hand slowly slid down her back, and when it brushed her waist, Guren trembled violently as if scalded.
Her cheeks instantly flushed, and she quickly reached out to grab his wrist, her voice tinged with panic. "Shun-sama, that's not what I meant."
Shun looked down at her reddened earlobes, even her neck was tinged with a faint pink. A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes. He didn't move again. He just lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.
His tone carried a hint of teasing. "So, do you want me to keep holding you? Or..."
"I..."
Guren was speechless, only able to bury her face deeper, her nose brushing his lapel, her heart pounding even faster. She could clearly feel the warmth in his arms, and hear his steady heartbeat.
That unfamiliar stir, like a vine, coiled around her, gradually overcoming her previous resistance.
Perhaps he wasn't as cold as rumored. Perhaps, becoming his woman truly could free her from her past nomadic life and give her a stable home.
Shun felt her relaxation and tightened his arms around her.
Guren was a proud and love-starved woman. His previous assertiveness was just the first step in breaking down her defenses. Next, he needed to move her with gentleness and sincerity.
Shun gently kissed her forehead and said, "Guren, you are beautiful. I will treat you well."
His kiss traced from her forehead, to the tip of her nose, and then to her lips.
Guren's body trembled slightly, yet she didn't refuse. Instead, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Soon, heavy breathing and occasional soft murmurs filled the room.
The moonlight outside the window streamed through the lattice, and two continuously swaying shadows added a touch of romance to the night.
After an unknown amount of time, Guren gradually fell asleep, her breathing becoming even.
Shun carefully tucked her in before turning and quietly leaving.
[Ding, Host and Partner: Guren have completed a intimate act. Affection +12%, Chakra cap +5, Yang affinity +0.01%.]
[Ding, congratulations to the Host for acquiring the Kekkei Genkai: Crystal Release (Elementary).]
[Ding, Partner: Guren's current affection is 72%...]
Tomorrow's "Divine Continent" plan should be activated.
The next morning, thick clouds gathered over the sea between the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Water.
Shun and others flew high in the sky, followed by Shisui, Nawaki, and others. In the distance, a filming crew arranged by the head of the propaganda department held specialized cameras, ready to record this miracle.
"Start filming."
Shun continued to fly higher, his golden Six Tomoe Rinnegan glowing dazzlingly in the sunlight.
He looked up at the sky, quickly formed hand signs, and uttered a low shout, "Six Paths Chibaku Tensei!"
In an instant, the dark clouds in the sky were torn apart, and countless giant meteors appeared from behind the clouds, trailing long fiery tails as they plummeted towards the sea.
The sea surface instantly boiled, and huge waves surged skyward.
Civilians in the distant Land of Whirlpools stopped in their tracks, looking up at the awe-inspiring sight.
They thought it was the end of the world and knelt on the ground, begging the Heavenly God for forgiveness.
Rumble!
The meteors crashed into the sea one after another, the splashing water obscuring half the sky.
Shun, however, did not pause. He clapped his hands.
A violent tremor came from the seabed, and streaks of earthy yellow Chakra spread along the seafloor, continuously churning up mud and rocks from the bottom and piling them onto the base formed by the meteors.
The once deep sea rose at a visible speed, gradually revealing the outline of a grayish-brown landmass.
The members of the filming crew were dumbfounded, their cameras trembling slightly in their hands.
They had filmed countless movies, but had never witnessed such a real miracle. Through the lens, the land extended little by little, like a giant dragon awakening from the seabed, connecting the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Water.
When the mud and sand on the seabed had accumulated to a sufficient height, Shun formed another hand sign, and green Chakra erupted from his body.
Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!
Countless thick roots emerged from the newly formed land, deeply embedding themselves into the rock layers of the seabed, like countless large hands, firmly fixing the mud and meteors together.
The roots crisscrossed, forming a solid foundation on the land's surface, and even grew dense trees on both sides, which could both prevent wind and sand erosion and beautify the environment.
In just a few tens of minutes, a land passage more than thirty meters wide appeared in the sea that had once separated the two countries.
Crucially, the road surface was flat and solid, with trees on both sides to shade the sun, and in the distance, one could even see the outline of the Land of Whirlpools' city walls.
"It's done! Your Excellency, Shun-sama has succeeded!"
"Film it quickly! Preserve this moment! 'Divine Continent' will surely shock the entire Ninja World!"
The accompanying ministers were the first to cheer, and the head of the propaganda department was so excited that he danced with joy.
Shun stood in the center of the passage, solid ground beneath his feet.
Refugees from the distant Land of Whirlpools were gazing in this direction, their eyes filled with incredulous surprise.
Many refugees had even already run onto it.