With Guren slung over his shoulder, Naoki Senju strolled across the desolate Gobi, looking like a desert bandit chief who had kidnapped an innocent young woman.
It was not that Naoki Senju did not want to carry her more gracefully, but that he truly did not have a single bit of chakra left. To deal with those two crystal dragons, he had been forced to use the Cutting Technique twice more. The fact that he had not passed out like Guren was already a testament to his exceptional constitution.
This "barbaric" method clearly made Guren uncomfortable as well. Even unconscious, she could not help letting out little grunts, as though protesting Naoki Senju's crude behavior.
After he had walked for a dozen minutes or so, Guren gave a soft moan and slowly woke. Naoki Senju could not help marveling at a ninja's powerful constitution. Just a little of the datura toxin enhanced by Wood Release would kill ordinary livestock in moments.
Yet Guren had only been unconscious for a short while before waking on her own without any treatment. It seemed he would have to increase the dose of toxin when facing enemies in the future.
Naoki Senju was even considering using more poisonous plants, without the slightest sense of shame. Was it not perfectly normal for a medical-nin to use poison?
A few more minutes passed, and Guren's mind gradually cleared. Her earlier memories flooded back: a Konoha ninja had outmaneuvered her step by step, then she had been poisoned and lost consciousness. Next, she wondered why she was hanging upside down, only to discover that someone was actually carrying her over his shoulder!
But after checking her chakra and physical condition, Guren decided to keep pretending to be unconscious. Once she had enough chakra to use ninjutsu, she would deal with this despicable, shameless Konoha ninja.
"Awake?"
Hearing the Konoha ninja's voice, Guren raised an eyebrow and pretended not to hear, plotting which ninjutsu she would use to get revenge on him later.
But immediately afterward, a loud slap rang out. A burning pain spread across her bottom, accompanied by a tingling numbness that made Guren involuntarily squeeze her legs together.
Once she recovered her senses, however, Guren immediately cursed in mortified fury, "Damn you, Konoha ninja! I'll kill you!"
Without another word, Naoki Senju gave her another slap, immediately provoking a second wave of resistance from Guren. Even her weak, aching body began to writhe, and she no longer cared about gathering chakra.
The third slap landed.
The fourth slap landed.
After realizing that resistance was futile and would only invite even harsher retaliation, Guren finally softened her tone, though the hatred in it only deepened.
"I'm a jonin from Kusagakure on an important mission. Even Konoha can't attack Kusagakure without a reason."
Smack!
This time, Guren behaved herself. She knew that whatever she said, this Konoha ninja would not believe her. Thinking of Konoha Anbu's interrogation methods and the secrets she knew about Lord Orochimaru, Guren began considering suicide.
The thought had barely surfaced when that hateful Konoha ninja delivered another slap, as though he could read her mind. This time, he used no force and merely brought his hand down lightly, yet the tingling numbness was stronger than ever. Guren squirmed uneasily at the waist, afraid of receiving another.
"I'm not a Konoha ninja, or a ninja from any of the Five Great Villages."
Guren was instantly dumbfounded. Thinking of the indignity she had suffered-being spanked-she demanded, a faint sob in her voice, "If you're not a Konoha ninja, why didn't you say so sooner?!"
"Hey, hey, be reasonable. You attacked first, okay? Besides, even if I'd said I wasn't a Konoha ninja, would you have believed me?"
Guren was speechless. She had not attacked Naoki Senju because he was a Konoha ninja, but because she was on guard duty, preventing unidentified ninja from approaching Lord Orochimaru.
Looking at the silent Guren, Naoki Senju could not resist raising his right hand again and bringing it down on her round, pert bottom. He had to admit, it felt really good to spank. It was rather addictive.
"Are you a ninja under Orochimaru?"
Guren immediately grew wary and denied it. "No, I'm from Kusagakure..."
Smack!
Guren was almost becoming a true crimson lotus now. Whether from humiliation and anger or from hanging upside down, her pretty face was so red it looked ready to drip blood.
An emerald glow lit up his palm. Feeling very guilty, Naoki Senju used what little chakra he had left to heal the "injuries" on Guren's bottom.
As Medical Ninjutsu washed over her tingling bottom, the cool sensation collided with the burning pain, nearly making Guren cry out.
"I'm not Orochimaru's enemy. Why do you keep lying? Couldn't you just admit it?" Naoki Senju unhesitatingly shifted the blame onto the victim, Guren.
"Then who are you..." Guren squeezed out a few precious words before pressing her lips tightly shut, afraid she might make a strange sound and die of embarrassment on the spot.
"Then listen carefully. I'm the current head of the Senju Clan, younger brother of Tsunade of the Sannin, and the man destined to revive the Senju Clan!"
Tsunade!
Realization dawned on Guren. She finally guessed this "Konoha ninja's" identity and said excitedly:
"You're that Water Release ninja with Lady Tsunade! I heard the Fuma Clan's ninja say you were very strong. I thought they were just making excuses..."
"Believe it now?"
"I do..." Guren's feelings were rather complicated. He was not merely strong, but incredibly strong. Even she had been captured alive, and he knew Medical Ninjutsu too...
At this moment, Guren had completely forgotten who had just been cursing him as a despicable, shameless disgrace of a ninja who only knew how to use poison.
"Then let's settle the accounts."
"What accounts?" Guren looked puzzled.
"You attacking me first, of course. Besides, I saved you when you passed out and fell, and just now, I even used the last of my chakra to treat you with Medical Ninjutsu." Naoki Senju wore the brazen look of a scoundrel who thought this was only natural.
Although Guren only acknowledged the first point, she had indeed been in the wrong to begin with. Unable to think of a rebuttal for the moment, she could only thank him:
"Mm. Thank you for saving me."
"Thank you? That's it?"
"Hm?" Guren was just as puzzled. What else could she do? She had offered all her possessions to Lord Orochimaru and sworn to serve him unto death. She truly had no way to repay him.
Naoki Senju was no simp, and Guren was no goddess. A word of thanks clearly could not satisfy the greedy Naoki Senju.
After much consideration, Naoki Senju decided that getting Guren to willingly offer her bod... pfft, offer her remaining value was impossible. He could only give her a "roundabout" reminder:
"How about this? I can let you off for attacking me first. Add in the fact that I saved you twice and carried you for so long, and you owe me three favors."
???
Ten thousand question marks instantly sprang up in Guren's mind. How did that add up to three favors? He actually had the nerve to count carrying her?
"Don't worry. I won't make things difficult for you. I won't ask you to go against Orochimaru or your companions, or risk your life. And you'll have the right to 'reasonably' refuse."
Only then did Guren relax. As long as it would not harm Lord Orochimaru's interests, she did not mind if it was a little excessive or dangerous.
"Mm. I agree."
With Guren over his shoulder, Naoki Senju almost laughed aloud. He had never expected Guren... pfft, a money printer, to fall into his hands so easily.