Fortunately, Uchiha Gen quickly withdrew his gaze, and the two girls gradually calmed down.
Before long, the ordered dishes were delivered.
Gen slipped off his sunglasses, set them aside, and began grilling the meat while the three girls prepared their own. The sizzling sound of fat meeting the hot iron filled the room, the aroma of barbecued meat growing thicker by the second.
With the dipping sauce Gen had specially made, the three girls ate heartily.
Throughout the meal, Gen avoided sensitive topics. Instead, he let the conversation meander through light chatter and daily anecdotes. Slowly, the stiff air around Kurenai and Yūgao melted, and before long the atmosphere was as natural as it had once been.
When the last piece of meat was gone, they left BBQ to walk off the heavy meal. After wandering the lively streets for a while, they snacked again, indulging themselves with sweets until the night crowds thinned.
Finally, Gen said, "It's getting late. I'll take Anko home first. We can do this again another day."
"No need to send me, I can get home myself," Anko replied cheerfully.
"Alright then, you go ahead. I'll escort Kurenai and Yūgao."
"…Eh?" Anko blinked. Something about that felt off, but she shrugged. If she couldn't figure it out, better not to dwell on it. She waved goodbye to her sisters, humming a tune as she strolled toward her home, patting her full stomach with obvious satisfaction.
Once she was gone, Gen's tone dropped, serious now: "You two. Come with me."
Kurenai and Yūgao exchanged a look, hesitant, but understanding, then followed him.
The three of them ended up in a small park. Gen sat himself down on a swing and gestured to the two empty ones opposite.
"Sit."
They obeyed quietly.
It had been years since Gen had touched a swing. The sudden nostalgia sparked something inside him; he couldn't resist pushing off lightly, rocking back and forth. It was like seeing a child's toy and wanting to play with it himself.
The two girls watched, startled, as their superior swayed with his sunglasses still on. Gen chuckled lightly.
"Tell me… why does it feel like we've grown distant?"
"…No," Kurenai muttered, eyes lowered.
"No way," Yūgao said softly, glancing aside.
"Anko told me she called you yesterday. You told her you were busy. Today, I asked you to come, and again you were busy. Don't you think that's a bit much of a coincidence? It feels like you're avoiding me. Am I wrong?"
Silence.
"Don't lie," Gen warned, his voice sharp. "I'll find out."
Still, neither spoke. His brow furrowed.
"Is it because of our difference in status? In position?"
They froze. Gen's frown deepened. "Answer me. Or don't blame me if I use the Sharingan's hypnosis."
Both girls stiffened in alarm. Hypnotizing comrades, subordinates, classmates even? Was this an interrogation? Was he even human? But then again, Gen often didn't act like ordinary people.
He reached for his sunglasses, a deliberate motion. Truth was, he didn't need to remove them; tinted lenses couldn't block the Sharingan. But the gesture was enough to shake them.
"…A little," Yūgao finally admitted.
Kurenai gave the smallest nod of agreement.
"You should learn from Anko," Gen said flatly. "She doesn't get hung up on these things just because I'm her superior. We've known each other for years. Should that really change because of rank?"
He studied their faces. Despite their best efforts, a quiet restraint still lingered in their expressions. The gap between them was real. Even family could feel estranged when status loomed too large, how much more so classmates and friends?
Very well. Time for his ultimate move.
"Then let's solve it simply. You two... be my girlfriends."
"Wha—?!"
Both girls snapped their heads up, stunned.
How could he say something like that with a straight face? How brazen could one man be?
Gen only smirked. If you want the blessings of a family, you need a thick skin.
"You already have a girlfriend," Kurenai whispered.
"And not just one…" Yūgao added.
"Look at me," Gen said. His eyes, hidden behind lenses, locked on them. "Listen carefully."
The Mangekyō Sharingan flared to life behind the glass.
Uzume!
"I only have one girlfriend. Mikoto-nee just lives with me, we aren't married, and she isn't my lover. The situation is complicated, but you can guess why.
"The Uchiha are not just a shinobi clan. We are nobility of the Fire Country. Among nobles, arrangements like this are not rare. If I refused, the elders would never feel at ease, nor would Mikoto. They'd constantly fear for themselves and their children. Over time, that would tear the clan apart.
"I didn't want to eliminate anyone. So I agreed.
Of course, it's a little greedy of me to ask you to be my girlfriends too. But tell me...what man wouldn't want to enjoy such blessings? The system itself permits it. And I am sincere. I like both of you. I will never play favorites."
He leaned back slightly, voice steady. "It's not even possible for me to have only one partner. The elders want me to spread my bloodline. They've already tried to introduce me to Uchiha girls more than once. I refused. I only want those I care about. But next time, refusal will be harder.
And there's the other problem. If I had only one girlfriend, she'd be a target. The mastermind behind the Nine-Tails has already struck at me twice. The more loved ones I have, the harder it is for them to be used as pawns."
"So yes...duty, danger, and my own desires. All tangled together. Do you understand?"
His words, reinforced by Uzume, sank deep.
The two kunoichi lowered their eyes, hearts racing. They had read enough stories, heard enough whispers of nobles with multiple wives, to know it was true.
In this world, shinobi ideals of monogamy weren't the law...nobles shaped the law, and nobles lived differently.
Slowly, they nodded.
"Then let me ask plainly," Gen said, finally removing his sunglasses. His dark eyes fixed on them. "Do you like me?"
Their cheeks flushed crimson. They looked at each other, then quickly away. Shy nods.
The answer was real, Uzume had already ended.
Gen smiled.
Certainty it was better than assumption.
He had suspected, of course; given his youth, looks, pedigree, and position, it would be rare for any kunoichi not to feel something. But to hear it was another matter.
In all of Konoha, who could match him? Not Hayate. Not even Sarutobi Asuma, son of the Hokage. Asuma was off playing bodyguard for the Fire Daimyō. Gen, at sixteen, was already Police Force head, second only to the village's highest leaders.
If this world weren't so skewed, he'd be commander of the Fire Daimyō's own guard. A garrison commander at sixteen...that was explosive.
"That's great," Gen said softly. Then, standing, he took their hands. Their skin was cool and smooth, Kurenai's softer, Yūgao's more slender. Both flinched, overwhelmed by the intimacy.
He released them before they could pull away, suppressing his own desire. Instead, he formed hand seals. With a poof, smoke cleared, revealing two summoning scrolls.
"These are contracts. Once you sign, you'll be able to summon Shizukamaru and Kyouki. If you ever face a deadly enemy, they'll protect you. Consider it a gift, now that we've confirmed our relationship."
The girls' faces lit with surprise and delight. Under Gen's guidance, they signed the scrolls quickly.
"But… what about Anko?" Yūgao asked.
"Yeah," Kurenai agreed. "She doesn't get one?"
Gen hesitated. Were they testing him or was this genuine? Their earnest expressions told him it was real sisterly concern.
"Anko already signed a Ryūchi Cave contract," he said.
"She can't sign another?"
"She can. But it's late..."
"Then let her. The snakes are strong, but not as strong as Kyouki or Shizukamaru."
"And we're Chūnin now," Yūgao added. "Sometimes we lead teams alone. What if she faces danger without us?"
Gen chuckled inwardly. So it wasn't a trap after all.
"Fine. Since you insist, let's wake her."
They headed to Anko's place, where she had just fallen into a deep sleep after her shower. Like most shinobi, she was trained to sleep quickly and soundly, able to recover whenever possible.
Gen roused her, had her sign the scroll, and then escorted each of the three girls safely home.
By the time he reached the Uchiha compound, it was nearly eleven. He expected Mikoto to be asleep but she wasn't.
She appeared carrying a basin of hot water and a bucket, smiling gently.
"You must be tired. Wash your face, then soak your feet."
Gen's heart warmed. An older sister really does know how to care for someone.
"Thank you, Mikoto-nee," he said with a smile.
"It's no trouble."
She wrung out a cloth for his face, then helped him remove his shoes, slipping his feet into the steaming water. Once he was settled, she quietly left with the basin.
Moments later, she returned, no longer in pajamas.
She wore a black, form-fitting top with a knee-length skirt, her long hair mostly loose, with two strands framing her face. It wasn't sexy attire; it was dignified, elegant.
Yet Gen's reaction was immediate, his body snapping upright.
Because it was the same outfit she had worn the very first time he saw her years ago, at the training grounds.
"I've already showered, you know," Mikoto said softly, smiling. She didn't bat her lashes or play coy; her tone was warm and familiar, like that of a longtime wife. She turned toward the bedroom, her skirt swaying just enough, her black stockings and heels completing the image of mature allure.
Gen's breath caught. She had always been graceful, but now she was ripened—like a peach, plump and sweet, impossible to resist.
An older sister really knows how to pamper someone. And her speed… too fast!
Though he had endured two nights of battles that stretched till dawn, youth and his iron body meant he had already recovered. He could go again till sunrise.
With a splash, he pulled his feet from the bucket, wiped them hastily, and hurried after her.
Soak his feet?
Soak, his ass.