Tengen immediately resumed his signature flamboyant posture, turning slightly to introduce his wives to Kuguruma Natsunishi and Kanae.
"Here, these are my wives."
They were three young women, each with distinct appearances and temperaments. Looking at them, they seemed to be around the same age as Kanae.
One was a gentle girl with a ponytail, a shapely figure, and a beauty mark under her eye.
One was a spirited girl with golden-blonde hair tips, a fit physique, and eyes brimming with vitality.
Finally, standing behind the two of them, was a shy girl with short black hair and a well-endowed figure, her expression somewhat timid.
In short, all three possessed figures far more developed than those of their peers.
[Hinatsuru (Energy Level: 27)] Ninjutsu LV.3
[Makio (Energy Level: 22)] Ninjutsu LV.2
[Suma (Energy Level: 16)] Ninjutsu LV.1
Kuguruma Natsunishi: "..."
He understood that their attributes would be higher than an average person's. He also understood their mastery of specialized occupational skills. But what he didn't understand was...
Why did ninjas wear such revealing clothes?!
Why did his ninjas wear black silk stockings? Why did his ninjas wear thigh-high socks? Why did his ninjas wear fishnet stockings?!!
Kuguruma Natsunishi seriously suspected that the attire of these three girls was entirely born of Uzui's personal fetishes.
"How about it? My three wives are quite flamboyant, aren't they!"
The Flamboyant Guy flashed a sparkling smile at Kuguruma Natsunishi and gave a thumbs-up.
Kuguruma Natsunishi: "Uzui, how about we establish Konoha together?"
"I'll be the Hokage, and you can be the Root."
Uzui gave him a blank look. What kind of nonsense was this kid spouting again?
He drained his cup of sake in one gulp, stood up, and said, "Well then, tonight's flamboyant feast ends here."
"I have to move out for a mission shortly."
"You two, until we meet again!"
With a cool wave to Kuguruma Natsunishi and Kanae, Uzui quickly performed a hand seal. With a soft poof, white smoke billowed up. In the next second, he transformed into an upward-moving afterimage and vanished from everyone's sight.
"How incredible! It really is ninjutsu!" Kanae exclaimed, covering her mouth in surprise.
Kuguruma Natsunishi curled his lips, not bothering to expose the ninja's tricks. Because his strength far exceeded Uzui's, he had seen everything clearly: the feint to draw the eyes away, the smoke bomb to interfere with vision, and finally, the burst of a Breathing Style to rapidly dash away in another direction.
"Lord Uzui has caused you trouble!"
The three young women bowed to them before hurriedly chasing after the direction Uzui had gone.
Kuguruma Natsunishi sighed, "What an enviable fellow."
Kanae narrowed her eyes, asking Kuguruma Natsunishi with a beaming smile, "Kuguruma-kun, you seem to really envy Mr. Uzui."
The hair on the youth's forehead swayed slightly as he sensed a subtle, vague threat. However, he still spoke his mind. He was so honest that Kanae couldn't detect even a hint of pretense.
"As a man, I naturally envy him."
"But if it were me, I think I'll pass."
He didn't want to commit bigamy. Besides, life in the city was hard enough as it was; where would he find the energy to deal with three women?
Did falling in love not cost money? Did dating not require providing emotional value to the other person? Did being in a relationship not require considering your partner's feelings at all times?
Kanae, of course, didn't know Kuguruma Natsunishi's inner thoughts. She only blinked softly at his honesty, and the faint low-pressure atmosphere around them quietly dissipated.
She whispered, "I'll take that as the truth for now, Kuguruma-kun..."
Kuguruma Natsunishi, however, looked at the empty plates on the table and fell into deep thought. Wait!
"That bastard Uzui! He invited us for late-night snacks and then ran off without paying the bill!?"
He actually skipped out on the check?!
Did he not know that a Mizunoto-rank swordsman lived a very impoverished life? That was money he had earned by risking his life in battles between life and death—hard-earned blood money. Every cent was accounted for; he was supposed to use it to buy a big house in Tokyo's Minato District!
Seeing Kuguruma Natsunishi like this, Kanae covered her mouth and giggled. She then took out her small purse, intending to pay the bill. To her surprise, Kuguruma Natsunishi suddenly stood up.
He called out to the shop owner, "Boss, you're pretty well-acquainted with Tengen Uzui, right? We'll pay for my portion and this lady's first."
He placed what little cash he had on the table. Then, he whispered to Kanae, "Hey, we should go."
Before Kanae could fully understand Kuguruma Natsunishi's meaning, her wrist was grasped by his warm, dry palm. She let out an instinctive soft cry, and in the next moment...
Kuguruma Natsunishi activated his Breathing Style.
[Total Concentration]
[Breath of Thunder!]
He didn't draw his sword; it was merely the extreme circulation of the Breathing Style within his body and the explosive power of his footwork. Kuguruma Natsunishi led the girl as their figures seemed to turn into a bolt of lightning skimming across the ground, vanishing before the shop owner's eyes.
Shop owner: "Eh?! Wait, Lord Uzui's tab..."
"Just put it on his own account!" Kuguruma Natsunishi's voice drifted back from far away.
The diners were first stunned by the prowess of these two "ninjas," but then burst into loud laughter. That brat Tengen—the companions he made were truly just like him. Quite the character.
A moment later, after quickly escaping into a quiet alley, Kuguruma Natsunishi finally let go of her hand. Kanae was panting slightly from the high-speed movement, her cheeks flushed crimson. Her violet-colored eyes shimmered with a bright, sparkling radiance.
She looked up at Kuguruma Natsunishi, her eyes filled with a helpless mixture of annoyance and amusement. It was clearly skipping a bill, yet he had paid what was owed. But in paying the check, he insisted on leaving Uzui's portion for the man himself.
"Kuguruma-kun, you..."
Kuguruma Natsunishi said righteously, "This is for Uzui's own good. He needs to know that skipping out on a bill is wrong."
Kanae brushed her fingertip over her earlobe, her voice soft. "Next time we see Mr. Uzui, he'll definitely complain loudly."
Then let him complain. Since when was a player allowed to be exploited by an NPC? He hadn't even charged him for tonight's instruction fee yet.
Kuguruma Natsunishi shrugged, showing he didn't care in the slightest. "Let him complain. Anyway, we paid our share. At worst, we'll have the guys from the Kakushi deliver the bill to him later."
"Where are you going next? Back to headquarters? Or finding a place to rest?"
"Not for now," the girl said, shaking her head. "Besides, there are follow-up reports to organize for this mission. I'll likely be on standby nearby for a few days. What about you, Kuguruma-kun?"
Kuguruma Natsunishi had originally planned to head straight for the Rengoku family in northern Tokyo. But after thinking about the locations Master Kazemi had pointed out, he pondered for a moment before speaking.
"I'll go to Yokohama first to visit my senior disciple."
"His experience in creating the Breath of Storms should be of great reference value. After that, I might go to the Rengoku residence; after all, almost all the Flame Breathing swordsmen are training there now."
"Eh?" Kanae blinked. "Kuguruma-kun's senior disciple is...?"
Kuguruma Natsunishi: "Uzen Igarashi."
Kanae corrected him with a smile, "You mean the Storm Hashira, Lord Uzen Igarashi, right?"
"I didn't expect that gentle senior to be from the same sect as you, Kuguruma-kun. He is a very powerful swordsman; I'm sure he'll be able to give you a lot of guidance."
The night was gentle, and a cool breeze brushed past the alley entrance. Kanae looked at the youth beside her and suddenly spoke softly. "Kuguruma-kun, please make sure to create your own strongest Breathing Style."
"Though it's difficult, I feel... you can definitely become a Hashira."
"And you will surely make your name echo throughout the entire world."
Although she and her younger sister had promised to eliminate as many demons as possible to prevent the tragedy that happened to them from spreading to more innocent people, she also knew that it would be difficult to achieve with just her and Shinobu.
Yet... she seemed to see the possibility of realizing that wish in the youth of her own age standing before her. She wanted to work hard toward that goal alongside him.
Kuguruma Natsunishi was stunned by the butterfly girl's words. He had completely not expected such a sudden blessing from her. He instinctively touched the three swords at his waist.
Then, he nodded candidly. "Ah, of course. I plan to clear the game within a few years, so naturally, I have to become stronger than everyone else."
After speaking, he instinctively added a polite reciprocation.
"You too, Kanae."
"Your Flower Breathing is very strong. You might even become a Hashira sooner than Uzui or me."
He didn't use honorifics when he spoke. He called her by her name quite naturally. Kanae's heart skipped a beat, and the smile and tenderness on her face instantly bloomed like a summer flower.
"Yes! Then Ku... Kuguruma Natsunishi-kun, it's a promise."
"We'll get stronger together, and then we'll become Hashira together," she said softly.
Kuguruma Natsunishi nodded. "Alright, it's a promise."
Wait a second? A strange sense of déjà vu surged into his heart. Kuguruma Natsunishi suddenly remembered something, and his expression froze.
Wait, did I forget something...
Hadn't I promised Yukiziri Sashiko that we'd go eat yakiniku together?
It's over; I stood her up. Next time we meet, I'll probably have to treat her to an extra bowl of udon...