Gulp, gulp!
Raizen drained a large cup of tea in a single go.
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched with a bleeding heart. Gone. It's all gone. This kid drank every last drop.
"Ah!"
Raizen swallowed the tea, a look of utter satisfaction on his face. Glancing at the empty teapot and the hollow tea tin, he stood up. "It's getting late, Lord Third. I'll take my leave now."
"Get out! And don't you dare come back!" Hiruzen snapped irritably.
"Hehe, see you later, Lord Third!" Raizen left the office with a cheeky grin.
"My tea..." Hiruzen cradled the empty tin, looking like he was on the verge of tears. Not a single leaf remained; the brat had brewed the entire stash.
Raizen whistled as he strolled out of the Hokage Building.
As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is the safest place. By visiting Hiruzen daily to chat and "study the Will of Fire," he made it socially impossible for the old man to move against him. Who could strike down such a devoted "student"?
As he approached the Uchiha compound, he saw a familiar figure waiting.
"Raizen-kun." Momoko looked at him with eyes full of affection.
"Momoko? Why are you out here?" Raizen smiled, walking up to her.
"I was waiting for you. Dinner is ready; we were just waiting for you to come home and eat," she replied softly.
"Thank you for the hard work, Momoko." Raizen pulled her into a hug and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"It's no trouble at all." Momoko felt as if her heart were melting.
Raizen looked down at her slightly rounded belly, his expression softening into one of deep tenderness. "Tomorrow, I'm going to hire a few maids to take care of all of you."
This was his child. In a few months, they would meet. Raizen was genuinely looking forward to becoming a father.
"I can take care of myself, Raizen-kun. You don't need to spend so much," Momoko said.
"Do we look like a family that lacks money?" Raizen chuckled. "Our family is so poor that all we have left is cash. Don't try to save; spend what needs to be spent. Money is meant to be used—if we run out, I'll just make more. I won't have you or the others suffering."
"Tomorrow, I'm taking everyone shopping."
Raizen kissed her again, and Momoko nodded shyly. "Mhm!"
Later that night, after dinner and a bath, Raizen was resting when Momoko slipped into the room under the cover of darkness.
"Raizen-kun..." her voice was thick with bashfulness.
"Momoko? Why are you here?" Raizen usually slept separately from the women when he wasn't specifically "working."
"I... I'm wearing those 'easy-tear' black stockings tonight," she whispered.
"What?"
Raizen's energy levels spiked instantly. He flicked on the light, and sure enough, a pair of slender, shapely legs encased in sheer black silk met his gaze.
"Raizen-kun, I..." Momoko's eyes were full of longing.
"I'm coming, Momoko!"
Rippp!
The next day, after a hearty breakfast, Raizen took all the women in the compound out for a shopping spree. Women, after all, loved clothes and bags. He led the lively group into a large department store.
"Wait, Little Kurenai, look! Isn't that your first love?"
Anko Mitarashi happened to be browsing the same mall with Kurenai Yuhi. Anko's sharp eyes immediately spotted Raizen entering with his entourage of women.
Kurenai looked over. Seeing Raizen laughing and chatting while surrounded by his wives, her expression became complicated.
Anko watched with great interest. "Looks like he's out buying things for his women. Want to go over and say hi?"
Kurenai shook her head. "Let's just go." Though she missed him, seeing him with so many other women made her heart feel sour.
"Why leave so fast? Let's tail them! I want to see what your first love buys for them," Anko said mischievously. She grabbed Kurenai and began following Raizen's group stealthily.
"Don't... it'll be so embarrassing if we're caught," Kurenai protested weakly.
"You're just too soft and indecisive! If it were me, I'd move into the Uchiha compound, eat my fill, and claim the position of head wife," Anko declared boldly.
"I wouldn't! If you want to, you go!" Kurenai pouted.
"Come on! Let's see what they're getting." Ignoring Kurenai's protests, Anko dragged her along. Truthfully, Kurenai wanted to see Raizen too. He hadn't come to find her lately, and she missed him dearly.
Raizen led the women into a high-end boutique. As they began browsing, Raizen gave a casual wave of his hand. He pointed to a single green dress he didn't like and turned to the clerk.
"Aside from that one, wrap everything else up."
"Huh?" The clerk's eyes went wide. "Sir... did you say... everything?"
Raizen nodded. "Correct. Everything except that green one. Wrap it all and deliver it to the Uchiha compound. Here is the deposit; the rest will be paid upon delivery." He pulled a thick wad of cash from his pocket and tossed it to the stunned clerk.
"No problem at all, noble Uchiha-sama! I will personally see that they are delivered!" a plump shop owner rushed over, bowing frantically.
"Raizen-kun, this is too much," Momoko whispered.
"Silly girl. You're my women; I'll never mistreat you."
"Thank you, Raizen-kun!" the women chimed in, overcome with emotion.
Next, they went to a baby store. With another wave of his hand, Raizen bought out the entire stock of infant clothing. Then, a luxury bag store. Raizen was about to do it again when Momoko caught his arm.
"Raizen-kun, we really don't need this many bags! One or two each is enough."
Raizen patted her hand. "How can my women only have one or two bags? Boss, wrap them all. We aren't short on cash."
"Yes, sir! Respectable Uchiha-sama, they will be at your gate by sunset!" The owner had seen the previous "buy-outs" and didn't even need to ask for the address.
Behind a nearby pillar, Anko's eyes were nearly popping out of her head. "Little Kurenai, we can't wait anymore. This guy is so obscenely rich! If you don't move into the Uchiha house, you're missing out big time!"
Watching the flow of designer clothes and luxury bags, Anko—like any woman—felt a surge of envy. "This guy really knows how to spend. Even I'm starting to feel a bit... moved."
She looked at Kurenai with a serious face. "If you don't move in soon, I might just move in myself!"