Kakashi watched as the woman called Munekichi summoned her chakra and flickered away with his letter, leaving her fellow guard alone with the four members of Team 7. The Manyū certainly carried themselves like samurai, but despite the long swords at their waists, their light armour and the lightness with which they moved betrayed their true nature as shinobi…
Sakura's eyes suddenly widened in fear.
"Guns!" she whispered, nudging Kakashi lightly.
A few Manyū clansmen in archer's straw hats were discreetly spreading out along the battlements above, each bearing a Tanegashima-style matchlock rifle. The last time Sakura had seen weapons like those was in the Land of Waves— some of Gatō's men had carried them, but much to her relief, she'd never got close enough to be fired upon.
"Calm down, Sakura," Kakashi mouthed back. "Rifles might be flashy and loud, but they're wildly inaccurate, and they take a while to reload."
In other words, no self-respecting ninja would allow themselves to get hit by a foot soldier's bullets. Guns were for regular, powerless humans… but still, as a Japanese who had transmigrated from Earth, Sakura was only too aware of the danger firearms posed.
Guns = scary!
A few moments later, Munekichi reappeared in a swirl of dust.
"Follow me," she said tersely. "The patriarch has agreed to receive you."
Patriarch, Sakura thought to herself? This wasn't a matriarchal society, then. As expected of a society in love with boobs, men were still in charge after all…
Munekichi beckoned for Team 7 to follow, then turned on her heel. Sakura stood frozen for a moment, admiring the sway of the woman's thick hips as she sashayed away, before giving herself a slap and hurrying after Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi, who had already started across the courtyard beyond the gate.
"Hehe," Naruto laughed, clearly pleased by the attention of the clansmen going about their business in the castle courtyard as they turned to stare. "Everyone's looking at us, ya know?"
"They're not looking at you, idiot," Sasuke said quietly. "They're staring at Sakura."
The ratio of men to women was incredibly uneven. For every man Sakura saw, there were ten women— each one bustier than the last, though none exceeding an H-cup. But it didn't make sense; if they really were draining the peasants, shouldn't they be much bigger up top?
Within a few strides, they had crossed the courtyard and reached the castle doors.
"Through here, honoured guests," said Munekichi, bowing low. "Lord Munenori is waiting for you in the audience hall on the top floor."
It appeared this was as far as Munekichi would be accompanying them.
The heavy wooden doors creaked open, and Team 7 stepped through into the castle keep. The interior reminded Sakura a great deal of the time she had visited Himeji Castle, with polished wooden floors and exposed beams overhead.
After a short walk through a corridor and a few flights of stairs, they passed armed guards and emerged into a large audience hall.
Clack!
The sliding screen doors slammed shut behind them, startling Sakura and Naruto.
"So, you're the outsiders I've heard about," came a voice from ahead. "I've read your letter. Come— sit."
In the back of the hall, an old, white-haired man sat comfortably on a square cushion atop a dais, thoughtfully stroking his long white beard. To his right stood a low table, bearing a tea kettle and a cup, while to his left lay a sheathed katana, just within his reach.
As one, Team 7 stepped forward and knelt, sitting in seiza in a line before the dais. Naruto began shifting almost immediately as the uncomfortable position cut off the blood flow to his legs.
"Thank you for receiving us on such short notice," Kakashi began. "As stated in the letter, we've come from the Hidden Leaf Village to—"
BAM!
Tatami mats flew into the air as, without warning, the surprisingly sprightly Manyū Munenori drew his sword and sprang towards Sakura, his blade singing through the air. Sakura was the first to react, hands scrambling for her own sword— but Sasuke and Kakashi were even faster to move, leaping in front of her with their kunai drawn.
"Manyū Style Kenjutsu: Severance Quickdraw!"
Sakura's entire world seemed to split into two halves as the old man delivered a horizontal slash faster than the eye could follow. His blade weaved past Kakashi's and Sasuke's kunai and phased harmlessly through their bodies, the killing intent impregnating his chakra leaving them paralysed in shock. And then, calmly sheathing his sword, he returned to his cushion and sat down, acting as if nothing had happened.
Naruto fell over onto his back.
"Oi, is there something wrong with your head, old man!?" Naruto shouted angrily, jumping to his feet and pointing his finger at the Manyū patriarch. "What if you'd hurt Sakura-chan, ya know?!"
Kakashi's eyes widened subtly.
The warning was clear as day: Munenori could have easily taken their lives if he'd wished to. Despite his advanced age, this swordsman was not to be trifled with, and he would not tolerate any meddling from outsiders within his territory…
But such speed, such precision!
The last time Kakashi had witnessed a cut like that was many years ago, in the Hatake clan's training grounds— back when his father, the White Fang, had still been alive…
"Your dress!" Sasuke hissed, flushing faintly as he did his best not to look in Sakura's direction.
Sakura looked down and froze. No wonder it felt so breezy down there!
"Eep!"
The old man's slash had neatly sliced open the front of her clothes, leaving her chest fully exposed. Face burning, Sakura folded her arms tightly across herself, squeezing her fat breasts to her chest and shielding her modesty— though at her current size, it was impossible for her to cover much more than her nipples.
"What is the meaning of this?" said Kakashi coldly, palming an Explosive Tag. "Depending on your answer…"
Built almost entirely from wood, the castle keep was dangerously flammable…
"I do apologise, but I had to ascertain a few things," Manyū Munenori chuckled. "You there, girl… you belong to our Manyū clan, do you not? What is your name?"
"Uchiha Sakura, though I was born Haruno," said Sakura hesitantly. "How can you tell?"
As a woman's chest increased in size, its defects would become increasingly apparent. Stretch marks, nipples in the wrong place, spiderwebs of blue veins, misshapen or unequally sized breasts… but despite their enormity, Sakura's breasts remained as perfect as the day they had grown to D-cup.
Beautiful teardrop shapes; a texture both soft and yielding, but also firm and springy; pert and perky; milky white skin, unmarred by either scars or stretch marks… The beauty of her chest alone was a dead giveaway that she possessed the Manyū clan's magical breasts!
"Not only can I tell you're one of ours, but I can also even surmise that you're a descendant of the main family's wayward heiress, who was meant to inherit our greatest secrets," said Munenori gravely, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You are descended from Chifusa, are you not? Do you still carry the Scroll of Secrets that girl took with her when she left the valley?"
Kakashi and Sasuke looked at Sakura in surprise. It turned out Sakura-chan was the long-lost princess of a noble clan of shinobi!?
"It's a long story," said Munenori, watching closely as Sakura fought to keep her emotions from showing. "I suppose I ought to explain…"