A golden portal appeared inside the Land of Water's royal palace.
Shun had just stepped out when he stumbled, barely steadying himself by bracing his hands against the wall.
After a full day of manipulating meteorites, his Chakra was almost depleted, a weakness he had never experienced before.
'It seems I must increase my Chakra reserves as soon as possible, otherwise I cannot afford to use the Six Tomoe Rinnegan.'
His Uzamaki Sage Body still needed some experience points to upgrade to the perfect level, at which point his Chakra reserves would greatly increase again.
Thinking of this, his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Yukari. Her presence seemed to instantly soothe his anxiety.
Shun pushed open the bedchamber door, the soft, warm light emitting from the luxurious lamps in the royal palace greeting him.
Yukari, wearing pale red silk pajamas embroidered with delicate gold thread patterns, was sitting on a soft couch, reading a novel.
Hearing the door open, she looked up and said, "Shun, you look so pale, and your aura is extremely weak."
She hurried forward, gently supporting her husband's arm with both hands.
Shun clasped her hand and gently rested his head on her shoulder, his nose brushing against her soft hair. "It's nothing. I just used too much Chakra and am a little tired."
The orchid scent in Yukari's hair, like a tranquilizer, relaxed his tense nerves. He looked up, his fingertips gently brushing away the stray hairs on her cheek, his eyes full of earnestness.
"Yukari, for the next while, I might need to trouble you."
Yukari's cheeks flushed slightly. She stood on tiptoe, gave him a light kiss, and smiled gently. "Silly, why talk about trouble with me? Rest on the couch for a bit, I'll go make you a bowl of soup to nourish your body."
She helped Shun sit on the couch, then turned and walked towards the small kitchen in the inner chamber, her steps a little faster than usual.
Soon, the aroma of medicinal soup, mixed with the sweet scent of honey, wafted from the kitchen.
Yukari came out carrying a white porcelain bowl, steam still rising from its rim.
She sat by the bed, carefully blew on the soup, then gently touched the rim with her lips to confirm the temperature was just right, before offering it to Shun's mouth.
"Drink slowly, I added a little honey, it's not bitter."
Shun drank the soup. The warm liquid slid down his throat, instantly transforming into a warm current that slowly flowed through his depleted Chakra pathways.
He quickly finished the soup. Then, he reached out and pulled Yukari into his arms, lowering his head to kiss her lips.
"Yukari, it's so good to have you."
Yukari wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss proactively. Her Chakra, through their joined lips, slowly flowed into Shun's body. Like a gentle stream, carrying the unique healing power of the Uzumaki, it gradually enveloped his weakened Chakra, helping him to sort out his disordered Chakra pathways.
Feeling her concern and love, Shun tightened his arms, pulling her closer.
They looked into each other's eyes, their gazes extremely intimate.
Bang!
But just then, the bedchamber door was suddenly pushed open.
A small figure rushed in. "Mama, I'm coming in."
Karin, wearing a pink dress and hugging her beloved fox plushie, saw the two embracing on the soft couch.
She immediately pouted, her voice full of grievance. "Papa! I want to sleep with mama and listen to her tell stories."
Karin quickly ran to the couch, grabbed Yukari's hem, and tugged hard.
Shun smiled helplessly, reaching out to hug Karin, but she deftly dodged him.
Karin hid behind Yukari, peeked out her little head, and made a funny face. "Papa is a bad guy. Last time you said you'd play with me, but then you ran off somewhere and made me wait for you all afternoon."
Yukari ruffled her daughter's red hair, her voice softening. "Karin, be good. You're already seven years old, a big girl, you need to learn to sleep by yourself. Papa and I have important things to do, but tomorrow morning, mama will play with you, okay?"
"No!"
Karin shook her head firmly and climbed onto the couch.
Squeezing between the two, she wrapped her arms around Yukari's neck, like a small animal guarding its food. "I want mama now. If papa bullies mama again, I'll tell mama Sara that you're fighting with me for mama."
Shun looked at his daughter's pouting face, his eyes full of doting affection.
Recently, he had been a bit busy and had indeed neglected Karin.
He gently pinched Karin's cheek and said softly, "How about this? Papa will play hide-and-seek with you for a while. I promise not to cheat, and I'll even let you be 'it'. When we're done, you go back to your room to sleep, and tomorrow papa will build a sandcastle with you, one taller than you, how about that?"
Karin's eyes instantly lit up, like they were filled with starlight, and she immediately let go of Yukari's arm and jumped off the couch.
She grabbed Shun's hand and ran towards the hall entrance. "Okay, it's a deal. If you cheat, I'll draw a turtle on your face and tell all the mamas."
Shun was pulled away by her, turning back to Yukari with a helpless smile.
Yukari watched their figures disappear outside the door, her eyes full of tenderness.
Soon, Karin's clear laughter sounded from outside the bedchamber. "Papa, you're so slow! Hurry up! I'm going to catch you!"
Shun's helpless reply sounded. "Don't run too fast, the hallway is slippery, be careful not to fall."
Yukari walked to the window, watching the father and daughter chasing and playing under the streetlights in the courtyard, feeling exceptionally warm.
Ten minutes quickly passed.
Karin was very happy and hugging her plushie, she returned to her room accompanied by a maid.
After seeing his daughter off, Shun returned to the bedchamber.
He saw Yukari sitting on the couch waiting for him, the warm light of the floor lamp illuminating her gentle profile.
He walked over and gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Yukari, sorry to keep you waiting."
Yukari leaned into his embrace, closing her eyes, feeling his body temperature and breath.
"Don't overwork yourself. Even for Karin, for me, you must take care of yourself. I don't want to see you so weak."
Shun hugged her tightly, feeling the orchid scent on her, and kissed her deeply.
"I promise that in the future, I will make more time to be with you all."
Among his many concubines, Yukari never vied for anything. But he knew in his heart that she also longed for more of his companionship.
He lowered his head and kissed her earlobe, then her lips, then her neck... downwards... Yukari cooperated perfectly... her clothes... gradually slipped off...
[Ding, Host and Partner: Yukari perform an intimate act, Uzamaki Sage Body (Special) experience +50...]