Samui stood in front.
She still wore that cold, icy expression, but the tips of her ears were badly flushed, and there were dark circles beneath her eyes.
Clearly, she had not slept all night.
Half a step behind her, Karui had her head lowered.
Her hands twisted together in front of her. Her hair was a little messy, and her clothes were not as neat as usual.
Her dark complexion was flushed red.
Her eyes were fixed on the tips of her own feet, and she refused to look up no matter what.
Teizawa leaned against the doorframe.
His gaze moved from Samui's face to Karui's, then back again.
Samui bit her lip.
"I brought her."
Her voice was very low, like she was completing some shameful transaction.
"You promised me. Rob Iwagakure's money, and the Four-Tails goes to Kumogakure."
Teizawa said nothing.
He looked at Samui and read the look in her eyes.
This woman had really brought her teammate here.
For the mission. For the village. For that tailed beast.
For a moment, he felt a faint admiration for her.
There was also something difficult to describe stirring deep in his chest.
"Come in."
He stepped aside.
Samui did not move. Karui did not move either.
Teizawa did not rush them. He simply leaned against the doorframe and waited.
After a few seconds, Samui took a deep breath and stepped into the room.
Karui followed behind her.
Her head sank even lower.
The door closed behind them.
Teizawa looked at the two of them and suddenly laughed.
"With those expressions, anyone would think you were walking to the execution ground."
Samui glared at him.
Her gaze was fierce, but paired with that completely flushed face, it had no real deterrent force.
Karui still kept her head lowered.
She did not say a word, and her shoulders trembled slightly.
Teizawa walked to the table and sat down, then poured himself a cup of tea.
He drank it slowly.
"Sit."
Samui remained standing.
"What exactly do you want?"
Teizawa set down the teacup and looked at her.
"What I want, don't you already know?"
His gaze shifted from her face to Karui.
"But I've changed my mind."
Samui's expression changed.
"What do you mean?"
Teizawa leaned against the back of his chair and spoke unhurriedly.
He did not answer immediately.
He reclined there, his gaze drifting back and forth between Samui and Karui.
Outside the window, the sky had already brightened. Morning light squeezed in through the gap in the curtains, coating the two women in a faint golden halo.
Samui stood in front.
Blond hair, blue eyes, skin so fair it almost shone.
Karui stood half a step behind her.
Black hair, dark eyes, and healthy wheat-colored skin.
One black, one white. One cold, one fiery.
Standing together, they really did have the air of a black-and-white pair of demons.
"I changed my mind..." Teizawa finally said at a lazy pace. "I want both of you together."
Samui's expression turned ugly.
She abruptly raised her head, her blue eyes filled with disbelief.
"What exactly do you mean?"
Teizawa did not look at her. His gaze fell on Karui instead.
"Are you doing this willingly?"
Karui's face flushed scarlet.
The color spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears, then down her neck.
Her lips were trembling.
Her fingers were trembling. Even her shoulders were trembling.
But she did not back down.
She raised her head and glared viciously at Teizawa.
"I'm a ninja." Her voice trembled slightly, but every word was bitten out with perfect clarity. "A ninja's duty is to complete the mission."
"If you've agreed to give us the Four-Tails..."
She took a deep breath. "Then what I'm giving up is only my chastity. Samui did it too, didn't she?"
Teizawa looked into her eyes, burning with anger.
Then he suddenly laughed.
This girl was more interesting than he had imagined.
"Since both of you agree..." He stood up and lifted his chin toward the bed. "Then get on the bed."
"This..."
Samui and Karui looked at each other.
Samui's lips moved.
She seemed to want to say something, but in the end, she closed her mouth.
Karui gritted her teeth.
The blush on her face had already spread to her collarbone.
After a moment of silence, they turned and walked toward the bed.
Samui walked in front.
Her steps were very slow, every footfall like she was stepping onto the edge of a blade.
Karui followed behind her.
Her fingers clutched the hem of her clothes.
Her knuckles were white.
They sat down at the edge of the bed.
Shoulder to shoulder, bodies tense.
Morning light squeezed in through the gap in the curtains.
It fell across both of them.
Across Samui's clenched fists.
Across Karui's trembling lashes.
Teizawa walked over and stopped in front of them.
He lowered his head and looked at the two women.
One cold and stunning. One stubborn and fierce.
One wrapped herself up tightly.
The other had thrown herself into the fire.
He reached out and lightly pinched Samui's chin.
He lifted her face.
Her blue eyes were filled with humiliation and anger.
And something else, something hard to define.
"Regret it?" he asked.
Samui gritted her teeth and did not answer.
Teizawa released her, then looked at Karui.
Karui raised her head.
Her dark, bright eyes stared straight at him.
Like a small beast forced into a corner.
She was clearly terrified, yet she refused to show weakness.
Teizawa looked at them and suddenly laughed.
"With those expressions, anyone would think you were walking to the execution ground."
No one laughed.
He sighed, then pulled the curtains shut.
The room darkened.
Only the lamp at the bedside remained lit.
Yellowish light fell over the three of them, casting overlapping shadows on the wall.
"You know, this kind of thing really is the most..."
"Hurry up," Samui said.
"Shouldn't you teach Karui first?" Teizawa laughed despite himself.
Karui pressed her lips together and shrank into the corner of the bed. "You two go first!"
She really did want to learn.
She had no idea what to do.
A long while passed before Samui gritted her teeth and lay down.
Karui hesitated.
Then she copied her and lay down beside her.
Teizawa licked the corner of his mouth.
What was there left to wait for?
He went to Samui first.
It was not an urgent, reckless plundering.
Instead, it was a slow, exploratory closeness.
His fingers slid from her shoulder.
They trailed down along her arm, finally taking her hand.
Samui's hand was ice-cold and faintly trembling.
He did not use force. He only held it.
His thumb gently brushed across the back of her hand.
Samui's breathing fell out of rhythm.
Morning light squeezed through the gap in the curtains and drew a thin golden line across the sheets.
Teizawa turned slightly and looked at Samui's face.
Her eyes were closed, and her lashes trembled badly.
Her lips were pressed tightly together.
Like she was about to enter battle.
He lowered his head and lightly brushed a kiss over her eyelid.
Her lashes fluttered across his lips, soft and ticklish.
"Open your eyes," he said quietly.
Samui opened her eyes.
Her blue eyes shimmered with moisture.
There was nervousness. There was anticipation.
And there was something else that could not quite be named.
"Scared?" he asked.
Samui bit her lip and did not answer.
Teizawa did not ask again. He lowered his head and kissed her.
It was a very gentle contact.
Unhurried, patient, as if slowly teaching her what came next.
Samui's fingers gradually loosened.
The hand clutching at the corner of his clothes slowly climbed to his shoulder.
Karui lay beside them, her eyes round and wide.
She should have closed them.
She should have turned away.
She should have pretended she had seen nothing.
But she could not move her gaze.
She watched Teizawa's fingers slide through Samui's blond hair.
She watched Samui's tightly knitted brows slowly relax.
She watched Samui bite her lip, refusing to let any sound escape.
Karui's face burned fiercely.
Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it would leap out of her chest.
Samui turned her head and met Karui's bright, staring eyes.
Her face instantly flushed even deeper.
"Turn around."
Her voice was so hoarse it barely sounded like her.
Karui did not turn away. Instead, she widened her eyes even more.
"I-I'm learning."
She stammered as she spoke.
Samui was so angry she wanted to hit someone, but she no longer had the strength to do it.
Teizawa gently caught her chin and turned her face back.
"Focus."
His voice was low, almost a whisper.
Samui closed her eyes, her lashes trembling.
But her body had already softened.
Karui watched from the side, completely stunned.
She had never seen Samui like this.
That cold, expressionless Samui who always kept a straight face.
At this moment, she was like a crumpled sheet of paper.
Like a flower drenched in rain.
Like someone Karui did not know at all.
Karui swallowed.
A voice in her heart said, So this is how it is.
Teizawa suddenly turned his head and looked at her.
Karui's heart skipped a beat.
It was already too late to turn away.
Her face was so hot it could fry an egg.
Teizawa said nothing. He only reached out.
He gently held her wrist.
Karui's body stiffened.
She wanted to pull away, but her hand would not obey her.
Just like that, he drew her closer.
Samui opened her eyes and looked at Karui, now so close that their noses almost touched.
Their breathing mingled.
Neither of them could say a word.
Karui's eyes were filled with helpless confusion.
Samui's eyes were the same.
Teizawa gave them no more time to react.
What followed disappeared into the dim lamplight and the overlapping shadows, leaving only the quiet room and the dawn outside to keep their secret.
(End of Chapter)
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