Kaien was carefully massaging Temari at the moment. To be honest, he was a little afraid of her.
After all, he hadn't had much contact with Temari before, and in his impression, she was a very strong woman—always cold-faced, rarely smiling.
When Shikamaru had first gotten married, he would run to Naruto every day to cry and complain, sometimes even coming with a bruised and swollen face.
Because of this, Kaien initially didn't dare to get on Temari's back.
He had just been kissing Yoshino, his passion still burning, and if he got too close, Temari would definitely notice something was off.
But to his surprise, Temari seemed completely unaware of his abnormal state. She closed her beautiful eyes and quietly enjoyed his massage.
Naturally, Kaien didn't dare to be bold with her. He didn't make any inappropriate moves and honestly focused on massaging.
Yoshino watched TV for a while, found it boring, then stood up and returned to her bedroom.
"Kaien, do you have a girlfriend yet?" Temari suddenly asked after noticing Yoshino had left.
She felt the atmosphere had become a bit strange. If she didn't say something, it would only get more awkward.
"Not yet. I haven't found a suitable one," Kaien replied casually.
"Can't find a suitable one? What kind are you looking for?" Temari asked.
"Someone like Sister Temari—beautiful, virtuous, able to cook and wait for me at home, and also able to fight alongside me against strong enemies," Kaien said smoothly.
Hearing his praise, Temari felt pleased and couldn't help smiling. "You're quite the smooth talker."
"I'm telling the truth. To have a woman like Sister Temari as a wife would really be a blessing earned over three lifetimes," Kaien continued.
Temari was clearly delighted, her cheeks faintly flushed. But soon, a trace of melancholy appeared on her face.
She had never heard Shikamaru praise her like this. Instead, he often called her troublesome, domineering, and irritable, always looking impatient.
In fact, she had come today because she saw how exhausted Shikamaru had been recently and specially made food to visit him.
But when he saw her, his first reaction had been panic.
That expression—like he'd seen a ghost—had truly hurt her.
She had changed so much for Shikamaru, yet he never seemed to notice.
The more she thought about it, the heavier the disappointment in her heart became.
"What's wrong, Sister Temari?" Kaien asked when he noticed her mood suddenly drop.
"Nothing," Temari shook her head, her voice a little low.
"Uh…" Kaien didn't know what he might have said wrong.
"Then… do you think my temper is really bad?" Temari suddenly asked.
"Bad temper? How could that be!" Kaien immediately denied it.
Of course, in his heart, he absolutely thought her temper was bad—otherwise, he would've already dared to make a move on her.
But among the female ninja, how many really had gentle tempers? Other than Hinata and Mikoto, almost none.
"Who are you fooling?" Temari rolled her eyes, clearly unconvinced. She knew her own temper very well.
After a brief pause, Kaien finally spoke again.
"Sister Temari… did you argue with Brother Shikamaru?"
"Huh? Why do you think that?" Temari asked, surprised.
"Nothing, just asking," Kaien laughed awkwardly.
"Say what you want to say directly. Are you still hiding things from me?" Temari frowned. She didn't like people beating around the bush.
"Alright, then I'll say it straight. Sister Temari, please don't get angry," Kaien took a deep breath.
"Go on."
"Have you two been arguing… and haven't been intimate for a long time?" Kaien asked cautiously.
"Huh?!" Temari's eyes widened in shock.
She never expected Kaien to say something like that. Her entire face instantly flushed bright red.
"Y-You… why would you ask that?" Temari stammered, her heart pounding wildly.
"Well… during the past few years I was away, I learned a bit about these things. If couples go too long without intimacy, it's easy to develop low mood, anxiety,
insomnia with vivid dreams, and long-term emotional suppression can cause muscle tension—especially in the lower back—leading to chronic pain," Kaien explained seriously.
After hearing this, Temari fell silent.
Those symptoms… she had all of them.
"What exactly did you learn while you were away?" Temari finally asked, her tone carrying a faint reproach.
"I… I heard it from others," Kaien replied awkwardly.
Temari didn't speak. She didn't know what she was thinking.
Seeing the atmosphere grow heavier, Kaien added, "Sister Temari, I still suggest going to the hospital to get it checked before it gets worse."
"It's nothing serious," Temari shook her head. "I don't want to go to the hospital. Everyone there knows me."
She didn't want people gossiping or thinking she was overly needy.
Sakura's situation wasn't much better than hers, with Sasuke always away.
If Sakura could endure it, why couldn't she?
She had no idea that Sakura knew how to take care of herself—but she didn't.
"If you don't want to go to the hospital," Kaien said hesitantly, "you can actually solve it yourself."
"I… solve it myself?" Temari asked, embarrassed but curious.
"Y-You don't know how?" Kaien asked in surprise.
Temari shook her head blankly.
"Then… Sister Temari, should I teach you?" Kaien suggested.
"Teach me?" Temari hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Teach me."
She genuinely wanted to know if this problem could be solved.
"Sister Temari, I might act a little improperly later. Please don't get angry," Kaien warned her in advance, knowing her temper.
"So in your heart, my temper really is bad," Temari said helplessly.
"No, that's not what I meant."
"Alright, alright. I won't get angry," Temari waved her hand.
"Then… let's go to your room," Kaien said.
"My room?" Temari murmured in confusion.
But in the end, she still led Kaien toward her bedroom.
...
📢 Author's Update
The fanfic "Naruto: Raised by Kushina, Took His Brother's Wife" (Part 1, 2 & 3) is now officially complete! 🎉
All 160 chapters (Part 1, 2 & 3 combined) have been fully uploaded on Patreon.
📚 Category: Naruto
🔗 Read here: patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you all for your continuous love, support, and patience for this story 💙