Chapter 29: Samui [1] (18+)

Hours slipped by inside the narrow cave. The small fire I had built earlier had settled into a low, steady burn, throwing soft orange light across the uneven stone walls and the rough ceiling. Outside, the night pressed in close. The endless hissing of the snakes never stopped; every so often a heavy body scraped against the rock near the entrance, testing for a way in. The sound kept my nerves stretched thin.

Samui’s condition grew worse with every passing minute. The dark bruise that spread across her chest had turned an ugly purple-black. Her breathing came shallow and uneven. Every few minutes a soft, pained sound left her lips, but her eyes stayed closed. Sweat beaded on her forehead despite the cool air of the cave.

I sat beside her with my elbows on my knees, staring at the slow rise and fall of her chest. I had never been in a situation like this. Back in my old life the worst things stayed safely on a screen. Here the blood was real, the cold stone under my legs was real, and the woman in front of me was slipping further away with every breath.

I didn’t want to watch someone die.

I looked at the empty air in front of me and spoke under my breath.

"System. Tell me something. Anything. Give me a quest. Tell me a way to help her."

Silence answered.

The fire popped. A snake scraped against the rock outside. I tried again, quieter, almost pleading.

"Come on. You always have something to say when it involves sex. Just this once, give me a way that isn’t that."

Still nothing.

I ran through every option I could think of. Fighting my way out was possible in theory, but carrying an unconscious, badly injured woman through a swarm of human-sized snakes would get us both killed. Waiting for the others was hopeless; they had scattered into the dark and had no idea where I had gone. I had no medical knowledge beyond the most basic first aid. Sakura’s hands would have fixed this in minutes. Mine were useless.

Then the familiar blue screen flickered into existence.

[Quest 5/100: Heal Samui]

I stared at the glowing words.

"I know that genius but how?"

An idea flickered, half-remembered from the war arc. Naruto had shared his chakra across entire battlefields, knitting wounds closed through the power of the Nine-Tails. The problem was simple: at this point I could only safely reach four tails. Full mastery was still far away. Still, it was the only thing I had left to try.

I moved closer, knelt beside her, and placed both hands lightly on her stomach, just below the worst of the bruising. I closed my eyes and pushed chakra the way I remembered—slow, steady, willing the energy to leave my body and enter hers.

The moment the first thin thread of chakra crossed into her, Samui’s back arched sharply.

"Mmm... ahh..."

The sound was low and broken, far too close to a climax. My eyes snapped open. Her lips had parted. Another soft moan slipped out.

"Hah... mmm..."

I kept the flow going, watching her face in the firelight. Color began to return to her cheeks, but the dark bruise across her chest barely faded. The transfer was doing something, yet it wasn’t nearly enough. The damage ran too deep.

The system screen updated with new text.

[Make her naked and transfer your chakra]

I let out a short, disbelieving breath.

"Okay. So now you answer. What a lustful system."

There was no point arguing. I worked carefully, unfastening the straps of her flak jacket and easing it open. The dark undershirt beneath came next. I lifted it slowly, revealing the full extent of the bruising. The skin looked even worse without the fabric covering it. I removed the rest of her clothing with the same careful movements until she lay completely bare on the stone. Golden hair spread out around her head. The firelight painted soft shadows across her breasts, the curve of her waist, the long lines of her legs.

I placed my hands on her bare stomach again and pushed chakra once more.

The effect hit harder this time.

"Ahh... mmm... hah..."

Her moan rose higher, almost desperate. Her back arched again. The worst of the bruising lightened by a single shade. Her breathing eased a fraction, but the deep damage remained. Still not enough.

The system was not finished.

[Open your clothes and then try the process]

I stared at the glowing text. Understanding settled in with a heavy, inevitable weight. Of course. Skin to skin. Direct contact. The system never took the simple path when a more intimate one existed.

I stripped without ceremony, folding my clothes into a rough pile near the fire. The cave air felt cool against my bare skin. I sat with my back against the stone wall, then carefully lifted Samui and settled her onto my lap so we faced each other. Her bare legs rested on either side of my hips. Her chest pressed lightly against mine. Her head lolled forward until her forehead touched my shoulder. Soft golden hair brushed my neck.

I wrapped my arms around her bare back, pressed both palms flat against her spine, and began the transfer again.

Chakra flowed between us in a steady, warm current. This time the difference was immediate and intense.

"Mmm... ahh... hah... yes..."

Her body reacted at once. The dark bruising across her chest began to fade in visible waves. Her breathing deepened. Soft, continuous sounds left her lips—half pain, half something that still sounded far too much like pleasure.

"Ahh... mmm... hah... mmm..."

Her hips shifted slightly against me as the energy moved through her. The wounds closed faster than before. Tissue knitted under the shared chakra. Her skin grew warmer against mine with every passing second.

"Yes... ahh... mmm... hah..."

I kept the flow going, eyes closed, concentrating on the rhythm of chakra leaving me and entering her. Outside the cave the snakes still hissed and scraped against the rock. Inside, the only sounds were the low crackle of the fire and the soft, involuntary moans that rose from her throat with every pulse of energy.

"Mmm... ahh... hah... yes... mmm..."

Her body was recovering. Color returned fully to her face. The worst of the damage faded until only faint marks remained. Her breathing evened out. The soft sounds continued, quieter now but still present, as the last of the healing settled into place.

I held her there in the flickering light, skin to skin, and continued the transfer without stopping until the system finally confirmed the quest was complete.

Outside, the snakes waited.

Inside, Samui’s body rested warm and whole against mine.

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Give me power!!!