Kiri.
Natsume had no idea his black cat had been completely ostracized from society.
But he did so on purpose.
To prove to Yugito Nii that he really would bring outsiders to observe her.
Who knew, maybe one day it'd even be the Fourth Raikage.
Therefore, even if she got angry, she could only endure.
Not only would she endure, but she would behave even better in the future.
Unless one day she just stopped caring altogether.
But by then, she'd likely already fallen into darkness.
Natsume stopped walking.
Ten Thousand Mile Sun Jewelry Store.
After scouring the ocean floor for years, the minerals most easily converted into cash were undoubtedly gold and silver.
So, this jewelry store naturally emerged.
Although they lacked modern processing equipment, ninja made sufficient substitutes.
As for extremely delicate operations, they were handled by the Hyuga clan.
That's how you get professional results.
With their Byakugan, crafting jewelry and accessories posed no problem.
Natsume pushed open the door.
Immediately, a smiling girl in a kimono approached.
She gave a slight bow and asked, "How may I assist you today, sir?"
"Necklace."
Natsume thought for a moment before replying.
He was buying it for Mei Terumi.
Since Kiri was relatively poor, she didn't wear any jewelry at all.
And normally, she wore that strapless dress, so a necklace would be the perfect accessory.
She did have bracelets, but those were Heavenly Network login devices—they weren't considered jewelry.
"Please follow me."
The kimono girl led the way to the necklace section.
Two counters displayed a dazzling variety of necklaces.
"The hottest necklace right now is definitely from the Sakura brand."
The kimono girl smiled while introducing. "It's the Water Daimyo's wife's favorite."
Natsume nodded.
Classic celebrity-brand synergy.
He casually grabbed the priciest necklace and said, "This one."
The kimono girl's eyes lit up as she asked, "Does the customer have a membership card? Different memberships offer different discounts. If not, we can issue one for you."
"I do."
Natsume took out a golden membership card.
"VIP, please wait a moment. I'll pack your selected necklace right away."
Instantly, the kimono girl's expression changed completely, and her tone became particularly respectful.
A moment later, Natsume walked out with the necklace—free of charge.
Since it was daytime, the streets of Kiri were quite lively.
But most were ordinary people; ninja were rarely seen.
Even training a Genin took six years.
As for Chunin and Jonin, it went without saying.
After two Mizukage rulers' bloody regimes, increasing the number of ninja in Kiri would probably still take several years.
As for quality—that'd take ten or even twenty years.
Under Mizukage Chojurō's leadership, that timeline might stretch even longer.
For a ninja village, nothing was more tragic than a lack of successors.
In this regard, Konoha Village was probably the least affected.
Geniuses sprouted every season.
Konoha definitely lived up to being the village where all the protagonists hailed from.
Upon reaching the Mizukage Building, Natsume used the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Mostly because few people recognized him—he could end up under arrest if he just barged in.
Mei Terumī was bowing her head while reviewing some documents.
A sudden gust of wind caught her attention, causing her to freeze instantly. She knew only one person would enter like that—Natsume.
And his arrival could only mean one thing: he wanted her to wear a maid outfit again.
At the thought, Mei felt a flutter of nervousness.
"Is there something you need today?"
She looked at Natsume, her cheeks flushed faintly, and her eyes betrayed a hint of anxiety.
"I just came to see you."
Natsume handed her a jewelry box, saying, "It's a gift for you."
"What… is it?"
Mei accepted the jewelry box, feeling both shy and eager.
"You'll know when you open it."
Natsume lightly leapt and perched himself on the Mizukage's office desk.
"Can't you just sit on the sofa?"
As she spoke, Mei opened the jewelry box.
Inside lay a gleaming silver necklace adorned with an intricately crafted cherry blossom pendant.
"Thank you."
Mei bowed her head slightly as she spoke.
"Let me put it on for you."
Without waiting for her permission, Natsume lifted the necklace and fastened it around her smooth neck.
As his fingers brushed against her skin, Mei shuddered slightly, unaccustomed to his touch.
"It looks quite good on you."
Natsume admired the cherry blossom resting gracefully over the valley between her collarbones.
Uncomfortable under his intense gaze, Mei stood up and stepped away briefly. However, she didn't leave the Mizukage's office; instead, she moved to the coffee table to prepare a cup of tea.
"Here."
Mei carried the teacup and presented it to Natsume.
"Thank you."
Natsume took a sip. It must have been high-quality tea. Still, he never cared much for tea, so its quality meant little to him.
"Oh, I almost forgot something."
Natsume placed the teacup down and asked, "Mizukage-sama, serving tea should be done in your maid outfit, right? You haven't forgotten that, have you?"
"No."
Mei sighed inwardly. Here we go again. "Where is it?"
"Indeed worthy of the Mizukage."
Natsume smiled and pulled out an outfit.
"You call this a maid outfit?"
Mei asked suspiciously.
"Of course."
Natsume replied with a smirk. "Why wouldn't it be?"
"Are those supposed to count as clothes?"
Mei gritted her teeth as she asked.
"Well, there's also a kimono too, right?"
Natsume grinned as he replied.
"That's a kimono? It barely covers anything!"
Mei glanced at it and roughly understood the design.
But what kind of outfit reveals practically everything?
"Breaking your promise, Mizukage-sama?" Natsume raised an eyebrow.
"If that's the case, forget it. I don't force anyone."
"…"
Looking at him like this, Mei felt her temper rising rapidly. "Ugh! Fine—I'll wear it!"
She turned away with the outfit clutched in her arms.
Natsume jumped off the Mizukage's office desk and sat on the sofa holding the teacup.
After a while, Mei reappeared before him.
Her reddish-brown hair was loosely tied into a soft single ponytail. Her delicate features were flushed crimson, clearly showing her embarrassment.
The dango were tightly bound and compressed by bandages, with a faint white glow shimmering through them.
The upper garment was a half-length kimono-style jacket, with the right sleeve long and flowing while the left was sleeveless and shoulder-baring, revealing her smooth, fair skin on her shoulder and arm.
The kimono fitted snugly to her frame, cinched at the waist with a black obi belt that emphasized her slimness, and flared downward to a hemline just reaching her hips.
Above her long, porcelain-like thighs were white thigh wraps, below them black thigh-high socks.
"H-How is it?"
Mei Terumī felt like countless eyes were scrutinizing her and battled the urge to flee as she asked hesitantly, "Is it... okay?"
"Seven days."
Natsume leaned back on the sofa, looking up at her, and said casually, "This is only a few minutes."
"..."
Mei's eyes widened in shock.
Wear this for seven days? She'd never survive it.
"No way!"
Mei quickly shook her hands. "If someone else sees me like this, my time as Mizukage will be over!"
Under such intense stress, the blush on her face started to fade.
"Of course the maid outfit is meant only for Master to see."
Natsume gave her an odd look and asked, "What were you thinking?"
Mei paused briefly, relieved.
But soon, her expression changed again.
Taking one step forward, Mei glared straight into Natsume's eyes and snapped angrily, "Master? You still want me to call you master? Are you dreaming?"
"You are dressed as a maid, after all."
Natsume watched her angry and reluctant expression and asked, "If I'm not your master, then who is?"
"No one!"
Mei didn't fall into his trap, declaring fiercely, "I am the Mizukage, not anyone's maid!"
Yet beneath her bold words lurked her own hidden unease.
After all, she had no leverage against Natsume—only the faint hope that he'd back down.
Unfortunately, that wouldn't work.
"Mizukage-sama, do promises from the past no longer hold weight?"
Natsume sighed and said, "If that's the case, you'll lose your credibility—especially within the Thousand Sunny Merchant Guild."
Damn it!
Mei clenched her fists tightly.
Her expression shifted repeatedly before she finally bowed slightly, grinding her teeth as she spoke, "M-Master!"
Her expression looked like she was staring at the man who ruined her family.
Fortunately, Natsume had extensive experience.
In his past life, he'd dealt with both obedient and defiant maids.
That contrast thrilled him.
Their words resisted, but their bodies betrayed them.
"What's with that disgusting face?"
Startled, Mei stepped back and exclaimed, "So you really are a pervert!"
That line sounded familiar.
Natsume tugged at the corner of his mouth and replied, "Since you think I'm a pervert, maybe I should act the part accordingly."
"..."
Mei stood frozen in place.
She had never encountered someone so shameless before.
Caught off guard, she had no idea how to reply.
"Little maid, it's time for you to pour the tea."
Natsume pointed toward the teacup.
Mei snapped back to reality, glaring fiercely at him, but still stepped forward and bent down to pick up the teacup.
Gravity did its work—her snow-white skin strained against the bindings, and the dango threatened to break free.
Natsume felt satisfied.
Finally, Newton's coffin lid stayed shut.
"What are looking at?"
Mei lifted her head, keeping her temper in check as she asked.
"Looking at you, obviously."
Natsume replied with complete nonchalance.
Mei wordlessly poured the tea, then stood up immediately and said, "There. Drink it yourself."
"What kind of attitude is that?"
Natsume smiled. "You should say something like, 'The tea is ready, Master, please enjoy at your leisure,' and serve it to me directly."
"Tch!"
Mei could no longer hold back. She stepped forward, threw a punch—but pulled it last second.
"Tsk."
Natsume grabbed her wrist, yanked her into his arms. "Seems this disobedient maid needs a little discipline."
Mei instinctively struggled, but instantly stiffened and went slack in his embrace.
Natsume patted her bottom, his touch slowly turning into a caress.
"You pervert!"
Mei sprang back like a startled rabbit.
Her face flushed as red as rosy dawn clouds, her frame quivered slightly.
"You don't even know the basics of being a maid."
Crossing his arms, Natsume said.
"Who even wants to learn that kind of thing?!"
Mei shot him a look of disdain.
"That's exactly what you need to learn."
Natsume smiled and asked, "Lord Mizukage, surely you're not planning to quit halfway, are you?"
"M-Me? Of course not."
Mei faltered, her voice trembling slightly. "But you can't push things too far either. I… I'm not ready yet."
"Do I look like that kind of guy?"
Natsume hesitated briefly and countered.
"Who knows?" Mei mumbled under her breath.
[Author's Note:] Three thousand words! P.S. Highly recommend checking out this author's brand-new novel. They have several well-established high-quality works, so quality is guaranteed.
Here's the intro: In the 5,367th year of Tianyuan, there emerged a notorious villain who oppressed both men and women, abused power recklessly, committed countless atrocities, and enraged heaven and earth alike, turning the world into a living hell.
Good news: As the story unfolds, years later, the Chosen One will rise and lead his confidante to slay this evil tyrant.
Bad news: Right now... *I've become that villain…*
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