"Well, well..." Noriko said, instantly beside the leisurely-walking puma. The moment the big cat saw the terrifying girl nearby, it flattened to the ground and pinned its ears.
"Who'd think even a mountain lion trying to attack us would be female!" Noriko grumbled displeased, lifting the beast by the scruff.
"Let her go; she's scared and it hurts," Kenshin said with a sigh, gently petting the terrified creature that fled from Noriko.
"So, Red, want to come with us?" he said smiling, scratching the huge cat's ear.
"You're seriously taking this flea bag home?!" Noriko asked displeased, arms crossed over her small chest.
"I already have plenty of pussies, but one more won't hurt," Kenshin said smiling, then stroked Noriko's exposed crotch upon seeing her puzzled look.
"Pfff! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" She burst out laughing at the vulgar joke.
"Don't fear, Red; we won't hurt you," Kenshin whispered tenderly, petting the calmed cat. She still feared a bit, but Kenshin's empathic influence worked strongly on animals, so soon the red puma was rubbing fully against him.
"Go eat," he said, pointing to the goat remains. The puma perked ears and dashed there.
"You don't even need reminding," Kenshin said laughing, again admiring his wife's incredible beauty as she tore into a roasted goat leg.
"You say it like it's bad," she replied mouth full, biting in again, fat dripping onto her bare breasts.
"You're so messy, Nakayama Noriko..." Kenshin whispered tenderly, stepping close and delicately licking her soiled breast.
"Idiot, let me eat!" she growled, flustered. A day ago she'd have raged at anyone interrupting her meal, but now she just barely growled, not stopping him.
Once both predators were sated, Kenshin petted them and packed for the trip home, not wanting to worry the household. Noriko still eyed the huge puma with clear distaste, but he protected it, keeping the big cat close.
As Kenshin neared home, Kasumi rushed into the yard, soon joined by Hitomi. Seeing the yellowing bruise under their beloved husband's eye, both glared furiously at the culprit.
"What happened? Why are you hurt?" Hitomi asked resolutely like a caring mother, inspecting Kenshin head to toe.
"I'm not hurt; stop it. Noriko's not at fault, and all our differences are past. I forbid you to quarrel!" he said, embracing Noriko's waist with one arm.
Kasumi and Hitomi weren't thrilled but stayed silent to avoid escalating conflict. Late arrivals Makoto and Karin joyfully hugged Kenshin, then noticed the puma near his feet.
"Ah!" Makoto exclaimed surprised, looking back at Kenshin: "What's her name?"
"Not yet. I call her Red; Noriko calls her flea bag," Kenshin replied laughing, petting the two hugging girls' heads.
"Can we play with her?" Karin asked eagerly, smitten with the huge puma, which flattened harder sensing impending doom.
"First wash her thoroughly and de-flea," he said, unable to resist stroking Karin's short red hair. She just gazed at him with magenta eyes and smiled, making Kenshin's heart flutter.
"We'll wash her, right Karin?" Makoto declared joyfully; Karin nodded seriously, and half a minute later, Kenshin laughed watching the puma's sad eyes facing a cat's worst torture.
Keiko then entered the yard and, remembering the house's sole greeting, lightly pecked Kenshin's cheek. To her surprise, he turned and met her lips with his.
Kenshin knew he needed to make Keiko his wife ASAP; time wasn't on his side. Plus, she was very ill; Hitomi estimated ten years max. Her vitality was depleted, immunity wrecked. In that state, dreaming of higher ranks or stronger health was futile.
Keiko didn't react to the sudden kiss, just smiled softly into his eyes. He hugged the fragile woman a bit longer, gently stroking her back, then stepped away, pretending nothing unusual happened.
Until lunchtime, Kenshin worked on the body of the new carriage, refining various details, testing all the running components from the wheels to the suspension. Under enhanced concentration, everything progressed very quickly. Kenshin could come up with a new method in minutes and disassemble and reassemble the carriage into its components in no more than ten minutes.
By lunchtime, everything was ready, and he even managed to take a few test rides in the bare frame, checking the harness attachments on the horses and the balance of load distribution. The horses were displeased with the innovations of their restless master, but still, under persistent persuasion aided by empathy and sugar, they were forced to agree to the new harness.
By the time Kenshin had lapped the grounds several times, he sensed an alarm signal and instantly flew to the wall.
Hearing the menacing warning, Aburame Tadao abruptly slowed down and ordered his men to stop.
"What the hell was that?!" exclaimed one of the team members in a typical ANBU white mask.
"I have no idea, but they've clearly made it understood that we'll be attacked if we invade..." muttered Tadao, finding himself in such a situation for the first time.
"The Nakayama Family thinks highly of itself if it dares to send such threats our way," said the second strongest member after the commander, under the code name "Owl," in a displeased tone.
"And yet, we've come not to fight, so there's no need to escalate things," Tadao said measuredly, and sat on one of the trees.
"Commander, you're too soft. These stray dogs are spitting in the face of four Konoha jonin! We should teach them a proper lesson, and if they resist—wipe them off the face of the earth!" Owl declared resolutely, and unwilling to wait submissively for an audience, added: "I'll go scout the surroundings."
"Have you forgotten who's the commander here? Sit down and stay put!" Tadao growled, already fed up with the unbalanced behavior of his subordinate.
As soon as Owl advanced fifty meters deeper, a powerful explosion thundered, and all team members shockedly leaped aside, preparing for battle. Tadao quickly hurried to Owl, intending to prevent the worst.
"What happened?!" he growled in anger, looking at several destroyed trees and the completely stunned Owl brushing dirt from his torn clothing.
"Do not move. If you try to proceed further—you will be attacked and destroyed," a voice sounded in the heads of everyone present.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Tadao shouted, grabbing Owl by the arm.
"These bitches wounded a Konoha ANBU member, and you're still asking where I'm going?! We need to wipe them out in one strike!" Owl replied in fury, showing a deep wound in his shoulder and a bloodied metal rod.
"Shut up and sit down, idiot!" Tadao said with barely concealed murderous intent, and only then did Owl come to his senses, for even fully enraged, he wasn't ready to confront the terrifying commander.
"So the Nakayama Family really has a fuinjutsu master..." Tadao muttered, and ordered one team member to check the area using Byakugan.
"I see nothing!" Falcon exclaimed in surprise, peering deep into the territory. Only with maximum Byakugan enhancement could he spot signs of metal in the ground.
"These fuin seem to be applied to metal, but even so, I can barely see their locations. Half of these points might just be assorted metal junk accumulated in the earth over centuries..." Falcon muttered, using various chakra-searching methods in fuin, but found no trace.
"Be extremely cautious and ready for battle. We'll see how the Nakayama Family receives us..." Tadao said, and the group dispersed, taking convenient combat positions.