Chapter 283: Selling-&-Buying (*)
—
Kurenai was smiling softly for hours at this point, yet she wasn't tired of it.
Seeing her daughter laughing so cheerfully, she felt happy. Momentarily, she had forgotten about the ordeal with Asuma.
Kurenai had been sitting in one corner of the playground all this time while Neji was playing with Mirai. It was surprising how close they got– no, maybe it was more surprising that a person like Neji didn't mind babysitting.
Mirai fell asleep at one point, clearly tired. But even as she slept, she was still smiling. She was happy, which in turn made Kurenai very happy.
"Thank you," Kurenai gave Neji a grateful nod as she received her daughter from his arms. "Even if you can be in multiple places at the same time, you had no real reason to do this. Yet you did. Thanks for that."
Neji smiled back.
"No need for that. I actually don't like kids, but as you saw Mirai is likeable even by me. Playing with an innocent child is quite refreshing too." Neji paused. "...Different from the things I usually do."
"Oh, I bet." Kurenai giggled at his implication.
Soon they walked away from the playground, together, and started to roam around the garden outside.
"So does it get old? Getting… laid, I mean. With so many girls, no less."
Even in this 'welcoming party' –as dubbed by some of the girls– that Neji are holding tonight, Kurenai was sure there would be to of sex.
"Interesting question." Neji sighed. "For now, no it hasn't gotten old yet."
"Ooh, I see."
"Though if I had to admit, I did go somewhat overboard in this world. In my previous world, I did play around a bit, but very few were serious. Though in my defence, my goal this time was to make a cult."
"Mmh, is that so?" Kurenai tilted her head. "'Cult', you said.'
Then she hesitated for a moment before saying softly.
"Does that mean you don't see the girls in this place like the five girls you talked about? You said they were basically your family, does that mean you don't see these cultist girls as your family?"
Neji's lips twitched.
Kurenai feared for a moment if she had offended him or not, but he spoke before she could apologise.
"If you asked the same question a week ago, the answer would have been 'no'. It's hard to see so many people as my family in this short amount of time. As I said that day, I have only been here for three weeks."
"That's true…"
"But recently… I got this new power which kind of 'forces' me to see the girls in my 'harem' in a more caring light." Neji said. "In short, yes– I do see them as my family."
Though Kurenai got the impression that these cultist girls weren't as important to him as the five otherworlder girls– she understood the point he made. This also was his family. A secondary one, sure, but a family nonetheless.
Still, a power that forced a person of his stature? The universe sure was huge.
Kurenai hummed to herself after that and both of them kept walking through the garden in comfortable silence under the moonlight of this sweet night. Kurenai made some small chat, asking if the moon in the sky was real or not, to which she learned it was just an illusion.
At one point, Kurenai slowed down and looked at Neji with a strange gaze.
"Mm?"
Neji stopped too and turned to her with a curious gaze.
"Well. Asuma left." Kurenai said.
"Yes, that… I wanted to talk about that too."
He didn't want to ruin her mood, she presumed, that's why he didn't speak first.
Kurenai continued with an awkward expression on her face. She wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do.
"...So that means I and Mirai have no one else in this world other than each other. So I was wondering, in this lovely 'family' of yours– what roles do we two play?" Kurenai asked gently.
"..."
"Are we included in your 'family'?"
Neji's expression was unreadable for a moment– and that made Kurenai self-conscious. She knew how this sounded, asking such a thing to a guy who could be her student. She must seem so cheap right now…
"To be fair, though I said these cultist girls are my family, at the same time they are my priestess' as well." Neji spoke after a while.
"Aha?"
"So technically, since you are not one of my priestesses, you can't really be counted as a part of this family."
"Oh… I, I see."
Kurenai licked her dry lips and nodded dazedly. That wouldn't work, she couldn't become his priestess– not when she had a child to look after. Which meant that…
Neji interrupted her.
"However, as I said before, my new power makes me care for the girls who are part of my 'harem'→ which is just a fancy term for girls whom I sleep with on a regular basis. Do you think you fall in that category?"
"..."
To boil it down, he was saying that– No, he didn't see her and Mirai in the same caring light he saw the other girls. Kurenai knew that was only natural, it was an answer she expected. But his last words implied that… she had the choice to change this answer.
For Mirai.
And for herself.
"...I don't think we can continue living here if our relationship stays as it is now, can we?" Kurenai said after a while.
It wasn't really a question, she knew that was the case.
She had also decided by then what she needed to do to change that case.
"This innocent girl Mirai… it would be great if my daughter grew up in such a rich environment such as this. Don't you think so?"
"It would be."
Neji nodded.
"..."
At this point, a part of her said she had the green light to just walk over and embrace him. However, the last remaining part within her that was still loyal to Asuma made her hesitate and drag the conversation.
"...What are the criteria to join this 'harem' of yours? Are married women even allowed?" Kurenai asked.
She knew how cheap she sounded. A greedy woman who was willing to sell her body for a better lifestyle, moreover she was using her own daughter as an excuse for that. That's just how she 'sounded', in reality she wasn't lying when she said it was all for Mirai.
"They are allowed, yes."
"O, Okay… Alright…"
"...."
"A-As long as we can stay here…" Kurenai gulped. She could see how pitiful she looked in the reflection of his eyes, "I don't mind sleeping together."
Neji frowned deeply.
This time, he did look offended. Very much so.
Kurenai blinked in confusion as she couldn't understand what she said wrong.
"You know, you are making me seem like a bad guy. You sound as if you are sacrificing yourself to the incarnation of pure evil for your daughter's future." Neji's tone was sarcastic and somewhat hurt. "It's somewhat hurtful, you know?"
"Ah… I-... um."
Kurenai blinked as her expression became flustered.
Now that she thought of it, she did sound like that, didn't she?
Even though he was helping her, even though he was so kind and nice— she sounded as if he was someone who didn't deserve her and she was only giving herself up to him because of the situation.
Considering he was probably sleeping with Tsunade, the former Hokage, who was easily superior to her in many ways— it made her seem like a fool.
No wonder he was offended.
"...I didn't mean to sound that way. Sorry." Kurenai quickly apologised. "...Um, certainly for any woman to get the chance to be with a man such as you, it's a great honour and an opportunity. I was just-"
"Calm down, I was joking." Neji softly put a hand on her shoulder, making her pause. She fell silent and stared at his gentle, blue eyes, as deep as the night sky. "Yeah, it did hurt a bit— But I am not really offended. I am a man of standards, Kurenai. I am not Asuma. I keep my women happy. By choosing me, you are not sacrificing anything. You are losing nothing."
"Oh…"
Those words weren't anything grand, but the reassuring tone made Kurenai's heart waver. Her eyes teared up a bit at how gentle he was with her.
Also, now that he said it, she hadn't seen even a single one of his girls being sad in the past week. None of them, not even one. They looked happier than any other women Kurenai had seen– including herself.
On top of that, the harmony between all the girls was… envious. To see them effortlessly sharing the man they loved made Kurenai confused at first, but now that he said these words, now that she understood that he wasn't just a sex monster… things seemed so much more vivid now.
Kurenai's lips formed a sweet smile. One that reached her eyes.
"You are a good man,"
"That's new."
"Is it?"
They both laughed for a bit but it quickly died out.
A short silence of hesitation later, Kurenai stepped out of her comfort zone and walked closer to him. Tip-toeing, she reached upwards to his face.
She wasn't actually tall enough, on top of that she had a sleeping child in her arms. So in the end, she couldn't reach his lips.
"..."
However, one of Neji's hands reached behind her waist and pulled her up with ease. Slowly, and gently her lips touched his and he responded by kissing her back.
The kiss ended shortly and Kurenai stepped back.
For another moment she hesitated when she looked at Mirai in her arms. But soon, she looked back at Neji.
"Can you teleport her to her room?" she had just said so as Mirai vanished from her arms. "Thanks."
Now with her free arms, she jumped to embrace him tightly.
She apologised to Asuma– for the last time– because, from this moment onwards, she swore to forget that he ever existed in her life.
From now onwards, she belonged to someone else.
-
–
—
–
-
Random Kurenai Picture:
* * *
Inside the palace, another woman was trying to sell her body to Neji. Except this time, the goal wasn't so noble.
Hours ago– Sakura had led Ino and Karin to her bedroom, followed by Neji.
After closing the door, Neji leaned against the doorframe and looked at Sakura with a casual expression.
"Sakura, go on, I am listening now." Neji inclined his head to her, allowing her to start on the subject that she needed a private place for.
"Uh, um, well…" Sakura gulped.
Now that the time had come, she felt somewhat scared to do this. What will Neji think of her when she asks– hey, can you fuck my friend too?
What if he got angry, what if he got mad thinking she was doing nepotism by using her good relationship with him? Will he still like her as much as he did now if that were to happen?
She knew she wasn't the girl he liked the most– that delusion had died out a while ago– but she didn't want to be the girl he liked the least. There was also the possibility that one day he might like Ino more than herself.
"Let me talk in her stead," Ino suddenly spoke, stepping forward. Sakura felt grateful that this bitch of a friend understood the weight on her shoulders. ThatI… earlier, as I said, I was having trouble praying to you. I tried a lot of times when you were gone, but it didn't work out. So, uh, I was thinking… what'll happen to me now."
"Uh-huh."
"...Do I get sent back to Konoha? If not, can I live in this palace?"
As Ino proposed her desire, Neji frowned.
Sakura's heart dropped and Ino flinched seeing the abrupt change in expression.
"This isn't a refugee house, you know? Even Kurenai and Mirai will have to move on. Unless, well…" Neji trailed off.
He looked at Ino for a bit longer and then turned to Sakura. "Sakura, sweety, you didn't explain it to your friend? The only people who can live here are…"
"She did explain." Ino interrupted him, making him turn to her.
She almost flinched again at his gaze, but somehow managed to find the courage to continue.
"I know about the 'requirement' girls need to live in this palace. I don't mind fulfilling that."
"Aha?"
"Y, Yeah. Do you remember we planned a date together? I have found you attractive since before, so fulfilling this requirement isn't something impossible for me."
"Hmm,"
"Yes… So, I don't mind joining this 'cult' of yours. I can serve you in the same ways that all the other girls do."
Ino finished as she held back a breath, waiting for his response.
Neji's expression didn't change– as unreadable as it was a second ago– before he broke out in a long, hysterical laughter.
""...!""
All three of the girls, including the silent Karin who was just observing everything, flinched and shuddered at that.
Neji stopped laughing at one point, turning to Sakura with clear amusement present in his eyes.
"Are you sure she has what it takes?"
Sakura smiled awkwardly. Personally, she didn't think Ino had what it takes. But she couldn't say that outloud, as her friend would get angry and say– If you can do something, so can I!
"...Well,"
In the end, Sakura decided to play it cool. She smirked and walked over to Neji, reaching out to touch his cock from over his clothes. She noticed the surprise in the other two girls' gazes, but she didn't care.
"We can always test it out, right daddy♡? Shall we give her a demo of what she would have to work with? She can decide for herself after that, I am pretty sure. You can decide too, if her pussy appeases you or not."
Gosh, she felt so weird saying these things– as if she was selling Ino to Neji like a product.
That feeling didn't last for long though, as when Neji threw her to the bed and started to ravage her not long after– she could only moan in pleasure.
He was being pretty rough from start, but she assumed he wanted to scare the two spectators, both of whom had wide eyes and red faces as they stared at the scene.
Some Ino Pictures:
**
**
**
Author Note: Don't forget to vote!
If you wish to read the next 25+ chapters ahead or want to support me, go to: patre0n.com/Master4thWall