Kurenai had been lost in the warmth of Ryosuke's embrace, immersed in his overwhelming presence.
But suddenly, the intensity of his touch spiked—far stronger, far bolder than before. A jolt of heat shot through her, so fierce that her eyes flew open.
The surge of sensation was something she couldn't endure.
She had never crossed that line before. Flustered, she quickly reached out to stop him, her voice trembling with urgency.
"Ryosuke… I'm not ready yet."
The masculine aura radiating from him only grew more oppressive, making her heart pound even faster. She wasn't a naïve little girl anymore; she understood perfectly well where this path led.
And though part of her secretly longed for it, the pace between them was too fast. She simply wasn't prepared to take that final step.
Ryosuke froze.
Her words cooled the fire raging in his chest. Though the urge to claim her here and now burned within him, the sight of her pleading gaze made him relent.
As much as he craved to fulfill his "Many Children, Many Blessings" system task, this wasn't something he could force. The woman had to accept him willingly.
And now that they had crossed the line of physical intimacy, he knew—sooner or later, the rest would follow naturally. There was no need to rush.
He stopped his movements.
Kurenai exhaled in relief, her heart settling. Yet she didn't push him away. Instead, they remained pressed together, their bodies entangled, sharing a warmth that lingered.
For Ryosuke, just holding her softness was enough to leave him satisfied for now.
Time blurred. Nearly two hours passed before Kurenai, overwhelmed by his relentless closeness, finally begged for mercy in a voice soft with exhaustion.
"Ryosuke… that's enough for tonight."
Any more, and she feared she would completely lose herself. Their relationship needed to move at a steady pace, not one driven by raw impulse.
Ryosuke, however, was more than content. His mind and body both thrummed with exhilaration.
Just then, the system's mechanical chime echoed in his head.
"Your spirit is highly stimulated. Your pleasure has reached a peak. Chakra increased by 0.1 unit."
Ryosuke stiffened in shock.
Chakra—something he had nearly forgotten, so focused had he been on training his body.
Even though his taijutsu now rivaled Guy's, the Eight Gates required enormous chakra reserves to unlock fully. Without enough chakra, the later gates would remain beyond reach.
It was the same reason Rock Lee, in the original timeline, had only managed to open the Sixth Gate during the Fourth Great Ninja War—his chakra pool was simply too shallow.
And chakra wasn't just for taijutsu. The Sharingan, ninjutsu, genjutsu—everything demanded chakra. Without it, no shinobi could unleash their true potential.
0.1 unit… by his estimate, that was about one-tenth the chakra reserves of a weakened Kakashi.
One moment of ecstasy, and he had gained this much?
If greater pleasure yielded greater gains… then perhaps this was the key to fueling his growth.
His eyes gleamed as he looked at Kurenai again. Not only did intimacy with her benefit his second system, but now it also amplified his chakra.
Even if one time wasn't enough to produce a child, repeated attempts surely would.
Sensing the hungry look in his eyes, Kurenai's heart skipped. She shivered and pulled back slightly, her voice faint with nerves.
"Ryosuke… please. That's enough for today."
"Next time… when I'm ready," Kurenai whispered, her voice trembling.
She was terrified he might lose control and take her right there on the ground. It wasn't that she couldn't accept him, but something so important… she wanted to face it prepared.
Ryosuke gazed at her flushed face and made no further move.
"Mm. Then we'll wait until you're ready."
She exhaled in relief. Forcing her wasn't his style anyway.
"Ryosuke, I… I should go home now."
He smiled warmly.
"Alright, I'll walk you back."
She nodded softly.
The streets were deserted by the time they reached a modest wooden house. Ryosuke stopped at the door and watched her disappear inside before turning to head back toward the Uchiha compound.
Kurenai stepped into the dimly lit entryway, her mood buoyant—only for her heart to lurch when she saw her mother sitting stiffly in the living room, her expression grave.
Kurenai's pulse skipped. She had stayed out too late… and if her mother guessed what had happened with Ryosuke, the shame might be unbearable.
Forcing herself to remain calm, she said quickly,
"Mother, why are you still awake at this hour?"
Her mother's gaze was complicated, her sigh heavy. She had long heard that Kurenai had been spending her evenings with Uchiha Ryosuke.
If it had been another Uchiha, she would have objected. But this boy was… different. Unlike his arrogant clansmen, Ryosuke carried himself with a gentler air.
Still, the signs were obvious—her daughter's clothes and sash were slightly disheveled. She didn't need to ask too much to understand what had transpired. She herself had once returned from late-night meetings with Kurenai's father looking much the same.
Her eyes sharpened as she looked at her daughter.
"Judging by your appearance, you and Ryosuke… have gotten close, haven't you?"
Kurenai's face flushed crimson. She didn't want to lie.
"…Yes. That's true."
"You won't object, will you, Mother?"
Her mother's stern face softened with a knowing look. She pressed a little further.
"Did you… go all the way?"
After all, they'd been gone a long time. It wasn't unreasonable to think the inevitable might have happened.
Kurenai shook her head quickly.
"No. When it came to that point, I stopped him. I wasn't ready yet."
Her mother blinked in mild surprise. So the boy had restrained himself? That alone spoke volumes.
Most men, once overtaken by desire, found it nearly impossible to stop. Yet Ryosuke had respected her daughter's will. That set him apart—and in her eyes, raised him above many.
Her tone softened further.
"I won't stand in the way of your relationship. I'm not some old relic intent on arranging your marriage. If he's the one you choose, then so be it."
But then her voice grew serious again.
"However, have you thought about what to do about Sarutobi Asuma?"
Her words hit like a cold stone.
"Asuma is the son of the Third Hokage. And the Hokage is the most powerful man in Konoha. If you mishandle things with him, life for the two of us here in the village could become… very difficult."