Sunlight streamed through the large glass windows of the riverside villa, casting warm golden rays across the king-sized bed.
Kenji woke up naturally. He stretched his arms over his head, feeling a satisfying pop in his shoulders. He threw on a pair of loose grey sweatpants, leaving his chest bare, and walked barefoot downstairs into the quiet kitchen.
He grabbed a glass from the cabinet and poured himself some cold water. He took a long, refreshing sip, enjoying the absolute silence of the house.
Tap. Tap.
Kenji paused. The soft sound came from the living room.
He walked over and looked at the sliding glass door leading out to the backyard patio. Uzuki Yugao was standing on the other side of the glass. She was dressed in a tight black mesh training top and dark shinobi pants, her purple hair tied back in a high ponytail.
Kenji smiled. He unlocked the latch and slid the glass door open, letting the crisp morning air flood into the room.
"Morning, Captain," Kenji greeted smoothly, leaning against the doorframe. "You're up early."
"I heard Team 7 made it back yesterday," Yugao said, a warm, completely unguarded smile on her face. She walked up the wooden steps onto the patio. "Figured I'd come say hello."
"I was just about to put some water on for tea. You want a cup?"
"Maybe later," Yugao replied, leaning against the wooden railing next to him. She looked him up and down, her eyes lingering on his bare chest before meeting his gaze. "So, how did the mission go? The rumor going around the ANBU locker room is that your escort target ended up becoming the Daimyo of the Land of Spring."
"The rumors are true," Kenji chuckled, taking another sip of his water. "Turned out to be a pretty profitable trip. Snow armor, a coup d'état, some new technology. The usual."
"First the Country of Waves, and now this," Yugao laughed softly, shaking her head. "Only Team 7 could take a generic C-rank escort mission and accidentally escalate it to an S-rank."
"I'm an overachiever," Kenji smirked. He set his glass down on the patio table. He stepped a little closer, closing the casual distance between them. He reached out, letting his calloused fingers lightly brush against her bare waist. "But enough about my trip. What about you? Have you been polishing your sword training in my absence, or did you slack off the second I left?"
Yugao shivered slightly at the touch, a deep, betraying flush spreading across her cheeks. The casual banter instantly evaporated, replaced by the heavy, intimate tension they had built in this exact courtyard weeks ago.
She stepped back off the wooden patio and onto the dewy grass. Her hand rested on the hilt of her katana.
She drew the blade with a smooth, ringing hiss. She dropped into a flawless, low stance, a sultry, eager glint in her eyes. "Why don't we test it? See if I've slacked off or not."
"I was hoping you'd say that," Kenji grinned.
He reached out his hand. A flash of white smoke erupted, and the legendary Kusanagi materialized in his grip.
He stepped off the patio. Yugao blurred forward.
She was incredibly fast, her hips pivoting perfectly as she swung a fluid, lethal arc aimed right at his chest. But Kenji didn't even need to use Haki. The legendary sword manuscript he’d downloaded the night before had upgraded his kinetic reflexes to god-tier levels.
He flicked his wrist.
CLANG!
Kenji parried her blade effortlessly. He stepped directly inside her guard, closing the distance so fast she couldn't react. He angled the razor-sharp edge of the Kusanagi and delivered a micro-slash as he brushed past her.
Riiip.
The left shoulder strap of Yugao’s black mesh top severed cleanly. The fabric lost its tension, drooping down and exposing the pale swell of her left breast and a deep valley of cleavage.
Yugao let out a sharp breath, glancing down at her severed strap. "Hey—"
"Your footwork is excellent," Kenji praised smoothly, turning on his heel and parrying her follow-up thrust before she could complain. "But your center of gravity is too high."
He spun, dodging her blade by a millimeter, and brought his sword up in a rapid, upward flick.
Riiiip.
The fabric across her ribs tore open, exposing her bare, sweating stomach to the cool morning air.
Yugao flushed a furious, embarrassed red, but she didn't stop. She channeled chakra into her legs, throwing a wild flurry of strikes.
Kenji just laughed. Every time their blades clashed, he used the momentum to pull her off balance. He grabbed her bare waist with his free hand, his fingers digging into her exposed skin, sending a violent shiver up her spine. He spun her around, parrying a backward strike, and expertly sliced the fabric wrapping her right thigh.
It was a highly tactile, heavily one-sided dance. The physical friction and the sheer gap in their skill were completely overwhelming her senses. She was swinging a lethal weapon, but her thighs were shaking, her breathing was completely ragged, and a heavy, soaking wetness was pooling in her underwear.
"You're distracted, Captain," Kenji whispered right against her ear as he ducked a sweeping slash.
Before she could recover, Kenji ended it.
He struck the flat of her blade with a heavy, precise blow, knocking the katana cleanly out of her grip. The sword spun through the air and embedded itself into the dirt.
Kenji grabbed both of her wrists in one massive hand. He drove her backward until her spine hit the rough bark of the large cherry blossom tree in the center of the yard, pinning her arms high above her head.
Yugao panted heavily, her chest heaving violently. Her training gear was completely shredded, hanging off her body in tatters. Her bare skin was flushed a feverish pink, slick with morning sweat. She looked up at him, her dark eyes completely glazed over with raw arousal.
"Your speed has improved," Kenji smirked, stepping fully into her space, pressing his bare chest against her ruined top. "Your forms are clean. I'll admit, you didn't slack off."
Yugao let out a shaky, desperate breath. Her hips instinctively tilted upward, chasing the friction of his body against hers. "Did I... did I pass?"
"You passed this sword test," Kenji said, his voice dropping into a dark, unapologetically degenerate rumble.
He let go of her wrists. He reached down to his waist and unbuckled the drawstring of his sweatpants. He let the fabric drop heavily to the wet grass, freeing his thick, rock-hard erection into the crisp morning air.
Kenji looked down at the panting, dripping wet ANBU Captain.
"But let's see if you can pass this sword test."