But... but there was definitely something wrong with this logic!
'Kasumi' felt her brain starting to shut down.
"What? Are you planning to go back on your word? I don't take kindly to people who do that. When it comes to people who break their promises, I'm the type to take what I want by force."
Ryuji said it as a joke, but 'Kasumi' fell silent.
Because if Ryuji truly wanted to do it, there was nothing she could do to stop him.
"But the Mugen Tenshin clan..."
"Anyone who touches you dies. Men get killed, women get locked in a basement and turned into toys. And at least in this world, everyone has the right to live."
Ryuji answered casually.
If he hadn't heard the rules of the Mugen Tenshin clan earlier, he might still have had a tiny bit of goodwill toward the clan.
But now?
Sorry. A clan that inhuman deserved nothing but extinction.
As he casually scrolled through his phone, Ryuji checked some notes he had previously written down. He quickly found the section labeled 'Villain Quotes' and pulled up some lines from Orochimaru and Aizen.
"Besides, in your memories, you have a special fondness for Hayate, don't you?"
'Kasumi' fell silent, because what Ryuji said was true. Just thinking of Hayate in her memories made her heart race.
"Yes. I've always admired Hayate-niisan... No, to be more precise, it's who Kasumi admires him."
Ryuji nodded, noticing the key word: admired.
"But admiration is the emotion furthest from understanding."
He looked at 'Kasumi' and explained.
"Because you'll subconsciously ignore his flaws. For example... the cruel rules of the Mugen Tenshin clan. The Hayate-niisan you speak of doesn't have the courage to abolish those rules. Otherwise, you wouldn't be this desperate."
'Kasumi' lowered her head. The memories lingering within her made her want to defend Hayate.
She knew it was foolish. If Hayate saw her, the only thing he would do would be cut off her head and bring it back to the ninja village to be displayed.
No.
A fake like her probably wouldn't even qualify to be displayed as an example. At most, her corpse would be left to rot in the wilderness.
"That's... that's because the Mugen Tenshin clan isn't made up of only Hayate-niisan. He..."
Before she could finish, Ryuji interrupted her.
"So, has he ever made any effort to change things?"
'Kasumi' fell silent.
Because the answer was no.
She turned her body away, having already made up her mind. If Ryuji wanted to use her body, then he could do whatever he wanted with it. She wouldn't resist.
But she wouldn't speak to him anymore.
Then she noticed a small flower swaying in the wind, looking as though it might wither away at any moment. Almost unconsciously, she reached out and gently touched it.
Seeing this, Ryuji silently gave himself a thumbs-up.
After all, he had secretly used magic to make that flower bloom.
So, he spoke again.
"And do you really want to die? Do you really want to die without knowing your own purpose?"
This time, 'Kasumi' couldn't hold herself back and answered.
"I have no reason to live."
Ryuji chuckled softly. For a moment, it felt as though an extra Orochimaru had appeared behind him.
"Life doesn't work that way. Every life has meaning simply by existing. Just like how you found this flower and I found you."
He casually patted 'Kasumi's' butt. The feel was still quite good, and it further confirmed his suspicion that she had indeed been artificially grown. Because of that, her body felt even softer than normal. But 'Kasumi' didn't even realize that Ryuji was taking advantage of the opportunity. Instead, she subconsciously sat upright and stared at him in astonishment.
"Life doesn't need to search for a reason to exist. Existence itself is the reason. And besides, you don't want to spend your life carrying Kasumi's name, do you? You want your own life. You want your own future. And the thing you least want is..."
Looking at the 'Kasumi' who had seemed to have completely lost her will to live just moments ago, Ryuji delivered his verdict.
"To die."
'Kasumi' froze. She realized that she couldn't refute his words.
Because she truly didn't want to die.
She didn't want to die as a fake, as someone who possessed nothing and belonged nowhere.
"Then what do you expect me to do?! If I don't die, am I supposed to compete with Kasumi? They don't even want Kasumi anymore, so how could they possibly want me?!"
Covering her face, 'Kasumi' found herself on the verge of emotional collapse.
She could accept death because death was an escape. She believed that if she died, all these problems would disappear along with her.
"That's why I'll give you a new name."
Countless names flashed through Ryuji's mind. He even instinctively considered calling her Kazumi, but somehow the name felt unlucky, so he immediately discarded it.
'Kasumi' looked at him expectantly. But Ryuji simply smiled and lifted her chin.
"But I think it would be better if you eventually chose your own name. No matter how good a name I give you, it would only be a temporary one. However..."
Ryuji chuckled.
"For now, you can temporarily bear my surname and be called..."
"Shiranui Kasumi!"
Mai returned like a bolt of lightning. The corner of her eye twitched wildly as she hurriedly interrupted.
"How about Shiranui Kasumi? After all, if Ryuji takes you in, it means the Shiranui-ryu is taking you in. Even if the Mugen Tenshin clan comes looking for trouble, they won't use assassination methods. They'll issue a formal challenge and settle things through a ninja duel instead. That way Ryuji won't be so angry that he will kill everyone in the Mugen Tenshin clan! 'Kasumi', you wouldn't want to see the Mugen Tenshin clan suffer heavy casualties, do you?"
Mai was referring to the rules between ninja clans.
If a clan sheltered a rogue ninja from another school, a duel was required. If the host clan won the duel, then as long as the rogue ninja's original techniques were abolished, the matter would be considered settled. The Shiranui-ryu would simply offer a few secret techniques as compensation, and the issue would be resolved.
After all, in the end, strength spoke louder than anything else.
But if she took Ryuji's surname, then it would no longer be an internal dispute between ninja clans.
It would become an assassination conflict.
And given Ryuji's personality, regardless of whether the Mugen Tenshin clan succeeded or failed, the Mugen Tenshin style itself would probably be erased from this world afterward.
And most importantly of all!
She, Mai Shiranui, hadn't even changed her own name to Nakamura Mai yet! How could this woman who had appeared out of nowhere possibly take Ryuji's surname first?!
That was something she absolutely cannot tolerate!
Mai could tolerate Ryuji having other women. But in this world, his first true wife absolutely had to be her, Mai Shiranui!
She had only gone out to buy some groceries, and suddenly there was a woman who wanted to sleep with Ryuji and on top of that, she was trying to steal Mai's priority claim to his surname!
This was intolerable!
"Shiranui Kasumi..."
'Kasumi' pursed her lips. Although being unable to take Ryuji's surname left her feeling slightly disappointed, after considering what Mai had said, she nodded.
After all, if she joined the Shiranui-ryu, then negotiations with the Mugen Tenshin clan would still be possible. At the very least, it would prevent the Mugen Tenshin clan from actually being slaughtered by Ryuji.
And just as Ryuji had said, this name was only a temporary transition. Once she found the meaning of her own life, she would eventually obtain a new name.
Thinking of this, she nodded firmly.
"Then thank you very much, Miss Mai. During any future ninja duels, I will use my life to ensure that you never have to step onto the battlefield yourself."
She bowed deeply and sincerely toward Mai, causing the corner of Mai's mouth to twitch.
"Well, it's not really a big deal."
Mai was genuinely a little speechless.
The Shiranui-ryu had long since become integrated into ordinary society. And after Ryuji modified their secret techniques, it was even less likely that they would continue acting like traditional ninjas.
But at least for now they were still technically a ninja clan, so she accepted 'Kasumi's' bow.
The next moment, however, 'Kasumi' turned toward Ryuji and asked with complete seriousness:
"Then, Mr. Ryuji, would it be possible for you to make me pregnant right now?"
"Huh?!"
Mai instantly became alert. She looked at Ryuji, then at 'Kasumi'.
Before 'Kasumi' could say anything else, Mai immediately stepped in front of Ryuji, using her voluptuous body to block Ryuji from view as much as possible. The way she looked at 'Kasumi' was practically identical to a puppy guarding its food.
"In this world, the first person to get pregnant with Ryuji's child can only be me, Mai Shiranui!"
~~~~~~~~~~
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