Things always happen suddenly. Disasters strike in waves. You never know when misfortune will choose you as its target.
Kushina's life had been a series of tragedies. From the destruction of her home to her arrival in Konoha, she had tried so hard to live a quiet, safe life. And yet, bad luck had found her again.
Her Sage of Six Paths heritage gave her power and glory, but it also painted a target on her back.
Even without the Uchiha radicals, there would have been an Obito Uchiha or some other ambitious fool chasing her power.
In many ways, fate was inescapable. Because of what she was, her life and her love were never truly her own to decide.
In the original timeline, if the man she loved hadn't been the brilliant Minato Namikaze, they never would have been allowed to be together. An ordinary man was not permitted to marry the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Minato was the student of Jiraiya and the rising star of the Hokage's faction.
Because Orochimaru was too hard to control, Hiruzen had groomed Minato as his successor. If anyone else had tried to claim Kushina, Danzo and the Elders would have made them disappear.
But now, Kushina's choice in love had been taken from her. She had been claimed by Saiki. She had transitioned from a girl to a woman in a state of total confusion.
But with Saiki by her side, her fate would no longer be controlled by the village. Anyone who wanted her would have to answer to his blade first.
Ultimately, "fate" and "lineage" are just words used by the weak. We seek power so that we are no longer at the mercy of others.
Saiki understood this goal well and had been working toward it for years.
Kushina, currently enduring the tearing pain of Saiki's intrusion, couldn't think that far ahead.
But as the days went by, she would eventually realize that while Saiki was a scumbag, he was the best possible shield for her.
The future looked bright, but the immediate pain was agonizing.
Saiki, the bastard, didn't show much mercy.
The "plum blossoms" of her purity bloomed across the white sheets.
Aside from letting her catch her breath initially, he showed no intention of stopping.
The pain heightened her senses. She could feel Saiki's fingers tracing her face, wiping the tears from her eyes with a tenderness that made her heart ache.
His gentle movements and the look of genuine concern on his face made her feel both aggrieved and strangely safe.
As the movement became smoother, Kushina began to adjust to the sensation.
She felt a current of scalding heat flowing from him into her lower abdomen, spreading from her Sea of Qi to every corner of her body.
Everywhere the current touched, the crushing weakness seemed to evaporate.
It felt like parched, dying land being soaked by a long-awaited rain. She felt herself coming back to life.
Compared to Tsunade, Kushina's youthful vitality was incredibly intoxicating to Saiki. He loved the fleshy softness of a mature woman, but he also craved the perky, tight energy of a maiden.
However, Saiki was too focused on the treatment to truly enjoy the act.
He knew her first time was painful, but he couldn't afford to be too gentle.
Unlike his sessions with Tsunade—which were for his own benefit—this was entirely for her.
To put it bluntly, when he cultivated with the others, they were just "accessories" for his internal Yin-Yang cycle.
This time, Saiki was the accessory.
He was providing the Sage Chakra and his own Pre-natal Qi, manually guiding the energy to repair her soul.
That "breath" of life-force was the only thing that could save her, and she just had to lie there and receive it.
That Qi was the product of his very essence. This session wouldn't benefit him at all; in fact, it would severely deplete his foundation.
He hadn't told Tsunade this because he didn't want her to worry. To save Kushina, he was literally putting his own life on the line.
Kushina was supposed to be dead. Saving someone from a Tailed Beast extraction usually required a life-for-a-life trade, like the Rinne Rebirth.
Fortunately, because it was her first time, the "Primordial Yin" energy she released helped offset some of Saiki's loss.
After one full cycle of Saiki's Qi through her system, Kushina felt an incredible improvement.
It wasn't like the adrenaline shot of Sage Chakra from before. This time, she could feel her soul being knitted back into her flesh.
The feeling of her spirit trying to drift away vanished, replaced by a firm, grounding weight.
As her strength returned, her breathing grew heavy.
With every thrust of Saiki's hips, a new wave of pleasure began to compete with the fading pain.
The twin sensations of spiritual and physical ecstasy were overwhelming.
Kushina's heart raced, her mouth hanging open as she panted. Her eyes, once dull, were now wide and shimmering with moisture.
Seeing her regain her spark, Saiki—who was working hard despite his own exhaustion—asked softly, "Sensei... how do you feel? Are you better?"
The strain was already showing on him. Sweat dripped from his forehead onto her chest.
Lost in the haze of pleasure, Kushina drifted for a second before realizing he was speaking.
She averted her gaze, her voice trembling as she stammered, "Mm... I... I feel much better!"
"Good." Hearing her confirmation, Saiki redoubled his efforts.
The surge of heat and the rhythmic pounding became more intense.
Kushina hurriedly covered her mouth with one hand, terrified of the shameful sounds escaping her throat.
She looked up at Saiki. His gaze was pure and full of concern for her, yet it felt like he was deliberately teasing and bullying her. She used her other hand to shield her eyes.
Seeing her sudden bashfulness allowed Saiki's own tension to ease.
Even with her hand over her mouth, her heightened sensitivity meant she couldn't stay quiet.
The moans began to leak through her fingers and her nose.
The first "Short Cycle" of energy was coming to an end. Sensing her climax was imminent, Saiki accelerated his pace and the flow of Qi.
Amidst the sound of wet slapping, the groaning of the hospital bed, and Kushina's broken whimpers, the first session reached its peak.
With one final, soul-shaking wail from Kushina, everything ended.
Experiencing such a violent explosion of pleasure for the first time, Kushina's mind went blank.
Her chest heaved as she stared aimlessly at the ceiling.
Saiki was spent. Even without a full release of his own, his vision went dark for a second.
He collapsed onto Kushina's hot, soft body, panting for breath.
Kushina had no strength to push him off. She felt like she was floating. She felt... alive.
She slowly closed her eyes and surrendered to the beautiful silence.