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Chapter 96: Konan – Crank Me Up to Double Sensitivity
[So… you dragged me back in such a rush just to get a massage…]
In the room, Alex floated in midair.
Several white threads extended from him, pressing and kneading along Konan's back as she lay face-down on the bed.
Her skin was a sheet of snowy white, smooth and soft like the finest silk.
"Alex… a little harder…" Konan's whole face was buried in the pillow, her voice coming out muffled. "Can you turn my senses up to twice as sensitive? I want to try it."
She'd been bottling up a lot of pressure lately and needed a way to let it all out.
What Samui had gone through was far too extreme. Double sensitivity might be just right.
Silently, Alex used Dark Medical Ninjutsu to dial her sensitivity up to twofold, then continued massaging.
"Hiss—!" Konan sucked in a sharp breath. "Nn… t-too… too sensitive… I… can't… handle… this…"
Her words broke up, her back going rigid as if she were trying desperately to hold something back.
Alex kept moving, only gradually lowering the sensitivity, letting Konan choose the level herself.
"Okay! Stop! Right there, that's perfect!"
Three seconds later, Konan clenched her teeth and called out quickly.
Right now, her sensitivity was at exactly one and a half times normal.
She felt that this level was the most comfortable and relaxing for a massage.
"Alex… keep going, a bit lower down…" Konan yawned, her voice sleepy and indistinct.
Time slipped by.
Eventually, Alex paused.
Konan seemed to have fallen asleep. She even forgot to breathe for a moment.
Her pale feet were stretched out straight, ten crystal-like toes splayed to the limit.
It was honestly a pretty strange sleeping posture…
Slowly, Konan stirred.
Her tensed legs relaxed, and her breathing resumed.
Only now, it had turned into short, ragged gasps.
Maybe she'd had a nightmare…
Wrapped in a fluffy white towel, Alex gently wiped the fine sweat from Konan's temples.
Judging from how soaked she was, it hadn't been a light dream.
Her bangs were completely damp, and even the bedsheets were nearly drenched through.
She had probably relived some of the painful, grief-filled memories from her past…
Alex patted her cheek lightly, planning to wake her up.
He couldn't let her sink too deep into a nightmare.
After a few taps, Konan's awareness slowly returned.
The whites of her eyes rolled back down, her gaze refocusing as she finally woke.
She took a deep breath and pushed herself up. "Alex, thank you. Thanks to your massage and that nap, all the tension in my body feels completely drained away."
Right now she felt light as air.
Every pore seemed to open up, breathing freely.
Every cell in her body seemed to be cheering, reveling in the comfort.
The pressure from the earlier battles had been manageable, but watching the brutal interrogation in the cell had doubled it. She'd needed to decompress immediately.
[You and I don't need to stand on ceremony.]
Seeing this, Konan felt a fresh wave of emotion and hugged Alex tightly.
Alex had done so much for her.
Like a silent old ox, ceaselessly plowing the fields on her behalf.
Like a quiet old man at her back, pushing her forward without ever asking for anything in return.
One day, she swore, she would repay him tenfold.
After a while, Alex helped Konan get dressed.
She glanced at the damp sheets, the tips of her ears going red. "Sorry… the dream just now was too intense, so the sheets got a little wet."
[It's just a sheet. If it's wet, we toss it and change to a new one. Don't worry about it—leave it to me.]
Sheets of white paper peeled the bedding off the mattress and wrapped it up in midair.
Then—
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
Alex spat out a small fireball that incinerated the sheet in an instant.
A ninja's physical data had to remain absolutely confidential.
There was no way she could let subordinates handle something this private. Burning it and changing to a new set was the simplest solution.
This was Alex's first time using Fire Release.
The Great Fireball might not be lethal, but as a tool for getting rid of evidence, it did a decent job.
Ash drifted down in a gray drizzle and was neatly caught by the hovering paper, then all of it was dumped straight into the trash.
Konan glanced at the sky outside the window. "I didn't expect time to pass so fast… it's already night…"
[You should eat something. I don't think you've really eaten all day.]
Konan nodded. "I've burned through too much energy. I am feeling a bit hungry."
She pushed the door open and stepped out of the room.
Alex floated at her side.
As expected, Kameda popped out from some obscure corner. "Lady Konan."
Konan kept walking forward. "Is there anything to eat?"
"Yes, yes. Your dinner has been kept warm this entire time. It can be served at any moment."
Kameda followed three steps behind her, his tone properly respectful.
"Please rest assured, Lady Konan. I chose the ingredients specially this time. They won't lose flavor from simmering over a low flame—if anything, they only get richer and more fragrant."
[This guy really is something. He even thought that far ahead.]
Alex quietly gave Kameda a thumbs-up in his heart.
Having a logistics man like this really was convenient.
Konan could enjoy top-grade cuisine whenever she wanted without worrying about anything else.
Kameda had everything on the flying fortress running like clockwork.
From the fortress's maintenance and operation to the daily food and needs of nearly a hundred people, there were never any mistakes.
He also somehow always managed to pop up right when Konan needed something and solve the problem on the spot.
Round face, short and stocky build, always wearing that squinty-eyed grin.
The more you looked at him, the more endearing—and festive—he seemed.
"Bring the dishes to the pavilion," Konan said.
"Yes! Lady Konan, please wait there a moment. I'll go arrange it right away."
At her nod, Kameda sprinted toward the kitchen.
On the deck, inside the pavilion, Konan leaned back into a soft chair, enjoying the night view.
The stars and moon looked close enough to touch.
It was deep into the night, and everything around them was quiet.
Darkness was the best disguise.
The fog that had wrapped the outer shell of the Sky fortress had dispersed. It now flew high above, hidden within the thin clouds, leaving no trace.
Before long, Kameda arrived carrying a huge round table on his back.
The tabletop was at least ten times bigger than his head, making for a rather comical sight.
Laid out on top were more than a dozen dishes.
Colorful and fragrant, the aroma of food filled the air.
No matter how many dishes he needed to serve, Kameda always managed to bring them all in one trip by himself.
He refused to miss any chance to show his face and ingratiate himself in front of Lady Konan.
It was his personal responsibility. No one else was allowed to steal it.
Everyone else could obediently stay in the control hall on the first floor and focus on piloting the fortress according to orders.
Kameda set the table down over the stone table with practiced ease, not making the slightest sound.
Not a drop of soup spilled.
He stepped back to the side and whispered, "Lady Konan, the dishes are all ready. Please enjoy. If you need anything else, just say the word and I'll see to it at once."
Konan waved him off, indicating there was no need.
Kameda quietly withdrew.
Konan picked up her chopsticks and, as if remembering something, asked, "How is Samui doing in the cell?"
Kameda, who had been about to slip behind a pillar, stopped at once and turned back.
"Lady Konan, the Cloud prisoner is still properly secured in the cell. When it was time for dinner, I had Honoka Uzumaki bring food to her."
"At first, the prisoner resisted strongly. I'm not sure what method Honoka used, but she still managed to force the food into her stomach. For now, there's no issue."
"Good. You may go."
"Yes, ma'am." Kameda's figure faded into the shadows and disappeared.
Konan looked at Alex and gestured for him to "eat" as well.
Alex understood immediately and returned to his place of origin, beginning to sip chakra.
Konan started in on the dishes. They tasted even better than usual tonight.
After the meal, Kameda cleaned up the tableware and left. Konan rose to her feet and made her way toward the prison.
She had to check Samui's condition.
If the woman still wasn't being honest, then the brutal interrogation would simply continue.
One way or another, Samui would be made to talk…
The night was still long.
It was destined to be another unforgettable night.