Kairen suddenly said, "This is bad. We shouldn't have given them so much grain."
Miroku asked, "Why?!"
"If they live too comfortably, we'll end up raising them into useless people!"
If all gifts are regarded as blessings from the gods and accepted as a matter of course, then when the gods are no longer there, no matter how earnestly one chants and recites, it still won't exchange for food.
Miroku thought carefully for a moment and found that what Kairen said made some sense, so she nodded in deep understanding.
"Meow~"
"See… even Big Orange listened to what I said and agrees!"
Although what Kairen said made sense, he himself only said it because he was full and idle.
The high priestess was still very happy to see the people of the Land of Demons living joyfully.
She said to Kairen, "All of this is the blessing you brought. I will surely proclaim it to the whole nation and let everyone offer you their blessings."
Kairen curled his lips. "The only thing you can give me is blessings!"
Miroku also felt deep guilt.
"I'm sorry. The Land of Demons is small and sparsely populated. Life is truly not easy, and there are no precious treasures to bestow upon you!"
"Aren't you one?!"
As soon as Kairen finished speaking, Miroku's face instantly flushed red.
"Meow~"
Big Orange cried out. Miroku looked into Big Orange's eyes, and a certain desire stirred in her heart.
The two of them flew together toward the royal palace.
The warriors guarding the palace knelt on one knee. "High Priestess-sama, Kairen-sama!"
Miroku waved her hand for them to withdraw, then personally led Kairen to the rear garden.
The two strolled lightly along the small path paved with gravel.
Before they realized it, Miroku set Big Orange down on the ground and quietly entwined her hand with Kairen's.
"Meow~"
As Mōryō, Big Orange seemed to have shed all of its malevolent aura, becoming just like a wild cat.
Seeing this, Kairen decided in his heart to treat it as his personal support unit.
Miroku suddenly asked, "How long do you plan to stay here?"
Kairen thought for a moment. The day after tomorrow was the Chūnin Exams.
"The day after tomorrow I have to return to the village to handle a major event that will shake the ninja world."
Kairen was going back, and he had a premonition that something big would happen during the Chūnin Exams.
Kairen was also tired of the scheming and intrigue with Sarutobi and the others. This time, when he went back, he would cripple that old monkey, push Tsunade into power, and take care of the daimyō's residence as well.
Miroku heard this and let out a soft, distant sigh for the coming turmoil.
The man beside her—one thought of his could overturn mountains and seas, shatter rivers and streams.
He possessed power like that of the Sage of Six Paths to change the world, but… was Kairen the kind of person who held the world in his heart?
After several days together, Miroku was very certain that he was not.
Miroku asked softly, "Will you come back?"
In the emerald garden, a hundred flowers bloomed together. The beauty wore red-and-white shrine maiden robes, and every frown and smile was soul-stirring.
Kairen nodded solemnly. "Definitely!"
Miroku seemed to let out a sigh of relief.
"Come, let's go eat dinner!" Miroku led Kairen to the main hall.
Kairen's blood-red Sharingan opened, his Mangekyō meeting Big Orange's star-sea-like eyes.
"Orange, help me out! After all, you agreed before."
"Meow?"
"Did you forget? You agreed to me back when you were still Mōryō."
"Meow?!"
"This time it all depends on you."
"Meow??"
...
Kairen ate dinner listlessly, after all, the main dish hadn't been served yet.
When Miroku wiped her pale lips with a dining cloth, Kairen straightened his posture.
It was his turn!
Kairen snapped his fingers. Big Orange beside him slowly stood up, swayed its tail, and paced to Miroku's front, its purple eyes meeting hers.
In Miroku's eyes, there seemed to be a wolfish glint…
Big Orange turned its head and raised a claw toward Kairen.
Kairen gave it a thumbs-up. With another snap of his fingers, in an instant a pile of dried fish stacked up on Big Orange.
Kairen looked at the high priestess with her head lowered and laughed softly. "Come on!"
In an instant, torrential rain roared, heaven and earth drenched in watery hues.
...
At dawn, Miroku gazed at Kairen's profile. This face wasn't devastatingly handsome, but extremely pleasing to look at, filled with the beauty of golden proportions.
Miroku gently stroked Kairen's cheek. From now on, she was someone who had someone to rely on.
Her mother had once said that a high priestess must never be moved by true feelings.
But Miroku realized that, toward Kairen, she had already fallen in love.
Her touch woke Kairen. He looked at Miroku's beautiful face.