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When Teizawa awoke, daylight had already filled the sky.
Morning sunlight slipped through the gaps in the tent, painting warm streaks across his face.
He instinctively tried to roll over, only for his hand to brush against something soft and warm.
That feeling, that texture...
Wait, something was wrong!
He froze and looked down.
There was a woman in his arms.
A woman?
Mei?
Mei was still curled up against his chest.
Her reddish-brown hair lay scattered across the pillow, loose strands fanning out around her. Her long eyelashes curved upward like butterfly wings.
Her lips were slightly parted, and her breathing was soft and steady, carrying a faint trace of sweetness.
Morning light fell across her face.
Her usually seductive features looked remarkably peaceful, like a flower waiting to bloom.
Teizawa stared, momentarily entranced.
This woman was far too tempting.
He swallowed involuntarily.
Men were always especially restless in the morning. It was an instinct rooted deep within the body, one that had nothing to do with reason.
Especially under circumstances like these.
His gaze slowly drifted down from her face to the slightly loosened neckline of her dress.
The pale skin visible beneath the morning light was almost dazzling.
"You're the one who climbed into my arms," he murmured. "You can't blame me for this."
His fingers began to wander, lightly caressing her waist.
Even through the thin fabric, he could feel the warmth of her body and the softness of her curves.
This woman was unbelievably alluring.
It was a mature beauty that Tenten and Ino simply could not compare to.
Kurenai might have come close, but even she could not match Mei's voluptuous figure and natural sensuality.
As expected of the future Mizukage.
Teizawa found it increasingly difficult to restrain himself.
Still lost in sleep, Mei began to feel uncomfortably warm, as though something had wrapped itself tightly around her.
Her breathing quickened.
Her brows knitted slightly, and she shifted unconsciously.
Then she felt warm breath close against her skin, unfamiliar and startling.
Her eyes snapped open.
Their gazes met.
Mei froze.
Her mind went completely blank, as though she had been struck by lightning. A numbing sensation raced from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
She glanced down at herself.
Her dress had come loose at some point, though she had no idea when.
Teizawa's hand still rested on her waist, and their bodies were pressed close enough for her to see her own reflection in his eyes.
"Get away from me!"
Mei kicked him squarely in the body with astonishing force.
Teizawa flew off the bed and crashed into the canvas wall, leaving a deep indentation in it.
Fortunately, the fabric did not tear.
He scrambled to his feet and rubbed his aching side, baring his teeth in pain.
"Damn it! Couldn't you hold back a little?"
Teizawa rose while grumbling and looked ruefully at the woman on the bed, now wrapped in the blanket like a cocoon.
He had been so close to entering a whole new world.
Then she had woken up.
Mei huddled in the corner of the bed, clutching the blanket around herself.
Her face was crimson. The blush spread from her cheeks to her ears and all the way down her neck.
She glared at him with clenched teeth, resembling an enraged cat whose fur was standing on end.
"You... What were you doing? What did you do to me?"
Teizawa sighed helplessly.
"Listen, this is my tent, and that's my bed."
"You're the one who fell asleep under my blankets. What did you expect me to do?"
Mei's thoughts raced.
Memories of the previous night flashed through her mind.
She had come to discuss the Five Kage Summit with Teizawa.
Unfortunately, he had not been there.
She had waited for ages. Her eyelids had gradually grown heavier until she could no longer keep them open.
She had only intended to lie on his bed for a little while.
How could she have known that she would fall asleep?
How could she have known that he would return in the middle of the night?
And how could she have known...
"I..." Mei's voice sounded dry and hoarse. "I was waiting for you! Who told you to stay out until the middle of the night? Where were you fooling around?"
The corner of Teizawa's mouth twitched, but he said nothing.
Mei stared at him.
The look on his face practically screamed, "What business is it of yours?"
Her teeth itched with anger.
"You... You're despicable! Shameless! Disgusting! You took advantage of me while I was asleep!"
Her vocabulary for insults was limited, so she could only repeat the same handful of words.
Teizawa sighed and rubbed his aching waist.
"Are you done sleeping? I'd like to put my clothes back on now."
Only then did Mei realize that he was shirtless.
Several red marks stood out across his lean, muscular torso. She had no idea where he had gotten them the night before.
She hurriedly turned her head away, not daring to look at those conspicuous marks again.
"Turn around! Don't look at me!"
Teizawa turned his back and unhurriedly picked up the clothes scattered across the floor, putting them on one piece at a time.
The tent fell so quiet that a dropped needle could have been heard.
Only the faint rustle of clothing and the mingled sound of their breathing broke the silence.
Once Teizawa had finished dressing, he turned around.
He looked at the trembling "cocoon" on the bed and remained silent for a moment.
"Last night..." He paused. "Nothing happened."
Mei peeked out from beneath the blanket.
Her eyes were red, and she resembled a frightened little rabbit.
"Really?"
"Really."
Teizawa nodded.
"You loosened your dress yourself. You were probably too hot."
Mei's face became even redder.
She had indeed felt hot the previous night.
In her half-asleep state, she must have loosened her clothes without realizing it.
Who could have known...
She bit her lip.
"You didn't..."
"No," Teizawa replied, looking directly at her. "I stopped before anything happened."
Mei said nothing else.
She buried her face beneath the blanket, her heart pounding so violently that it seemed ready to leap from her chest.
She was still safe.
Yet he had still seen far too much.
He had still touched her.
And they had come dangerously close to crossing that final line.
She should have been furious.
She should have slapped him.
She should have announced the matter to the Five Great Nations and let everyone know that Sunagakure's Kazekage was a shameless scoundrel who took advantage of sleeping women.
But she did none of those things.
"Teizawa..."
Mei's muffled voice emerged from beneath the blanket.
"Mm?"
"In the future, you..."
"What about the future?"
"You..." Mei revealed her face again. Her emerald-green eyes shimmered with emotion. "You have to take responsibility for me."
Teizawa paused, then smiled.
There was no smugness or frivolity in that smile. There was only a quiet certainty that made her feel strangely secure.
"All right. I'll take responsibility for you. For the rest of my life."
Mei bit her lip and buried her face beneath the blanket again.
Even so, she could not stop the corners of her mouth from rising.
She had blurted those words out without thinking, but she did not regret them.
With her personality, she would ordinarily have dragged the man she liked back to Kirigakure and married him on the spot.
Unfortunately, he was the Kazekage and was barely strong enough to meet her standards.
Still...
Now that they had slept in the same bed, certain matters naturally had to be made clear.
No matter what happened, this man was not getting away!
(End of Chapter)
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