#10.31.2019

Words: 996

Uzui Tengen was at his wits end, the last straw was about to snap. Since he had arrived at the compound early this morning everyone has been avoiding him. Calling out to them either makes them say a few words then leave, or completely ignore him altogether; like Iguro had just done to him. With a huff of breath, he decided enough was enough, time to figure out exactly what his friends were hiding from him. As he began to approach the Butterfly Estate to sneak in and crawl through the ceiling to spy, three familiar voices called out to him.

Turning around he saw the faces of his three wives, and his annoyed expression softened slightly. Makio was the first to approach him and grabbed his hand, tugging on it slightly. Looking at Suma and Hinatsuru, both had eager expressions on their faces.

“Tengen-sama, come with us! We have something to show you!” Makio exclaimed, getting the other two to help pull their husband. He eventually relented, the idea of spying on his friends leaving him for the moment. They dragged him far away from the compound, down multiple streets and into the inn they were currently staying at. His annoyance grew slightly, he had been dragged away from his pressing matter only to return to where he was this morning? The annoyance quickly faded as his wives turned on him with slightly evil glints in their eyes.

Before Tengen could react, he was being stripped by his wives, which immediately made all thought fly out of his mind. If all they wanted was to get frisky, I guess he could give them a bit of his time before following his objective from earlier. Despite what he thought, his wives were moving just fast enough that when he tried to reach out and grab one, another would intercept, or they would simply dodge out of the way. Before he could realise what was really happening, his wives stepped back from him checking over their handy-work and giving each other a thumbs up.

Tengen grew confused and looked down at the new garments he was wearing. A black top and pants (not quite the same as his usual garb he remarks) and a red sash tied around his waist. His accessories were still present, but his hair was a mess from the actions of his wives, so white locks were strewn everywhere. The most notable thing would be the magenta and black sleeveless coat he was put in that was decorated with golden accents and swirling patterns of pale green and pink. Matching cufflinks replaced the usual ones on his wrists as well.

Not bad at all, he thought, walking over to the windows to admire his reflection. While Tengen was distracted with himself, Makio, Suma and Hinatsuru attempted to sneak out without him noticing; and while they were well trained shinobi, Tengen’s sense were still sharper. He heard the small pattering of feet running away and immediately gave chase, wanting to ask what his wives were up to. The mystery of today had only grown larger than before.

The wives split up, Makio to the left, Suma to the right, and Hinatsuru continuing on the path they had been taking before. While Uzui Tengen was an incredibly talented man akin to a god (as quoted by himself), there was only so much he could do to follow three separate people who were almost as talented as himself. Luckily, he didn’t have to try too hard, as the tracks they did leave all led to the same place; the Butterfly Estate, where they had dragged him from in the first place. An irk marked appeared on his forehead when he arrived. They had covered their tracks well and he wasn’t sure where they had gone from here.

With a heavy sigh, the tall man now dressed like a pirate headed inside the estate, opting to throw open every shoji screen he came across rather that try and pinpoint anyone. The sound of angry, stomping footsteps and wood slamming into itself harshly echoed through the compound as Tengen approached the final rooms towards the back of the estate. Slamming open the next one, his vision was temporarily impaired by flashes of many different colours. As the confetti fell to the floor and he reopened his eyes, he was met with a grand sight.

“Happy Birthday!!!” The crowd shouted, clapping going around as Tengen walked into the room in shock. On a table surrounded by small wrapped gifts was a flamboyantly decorated cake that had his name written on it. He stared at his friends in shock, even though it’s not like he had forgotten his birthday, he just wasn’t expecting anything special.

“So, this is why you’ve been avoiding me all day?” He received clap on the back from a strong hand and a hearty laugh filled the Sound Pillar’s ears.

“Wouldn’t have wanted to spoil the surprise, now would we?” Rengoku chirped, Tengen barely recognising him behind his elaborate jiangshi costume. “Now, come come, enjoy the party! We all helped out in some way and got a lot of pointers from your wives!” Tengen follows Rengoku’s gaze to the area near the cake table where he spotted Makio, Suma and Hinatsuru; all wearing some form of pirate garb to match his elaborate costume. Despite not caring if he had a big celebration for his birthday (strange since he’s got such a god complex) he couldn’t put the hard work of his friends and family to waste. He turned around and addressed the crowd before him.

“Tonight, we party like kings until the sun rises!” A loud cheer filled the room as activity picked up. Uzui Tengen felt himself to be one of the most blessed men in the entire world, with the loves of his life surrounding him and his friends partying with him until they all passed out as the sun rose on the horizon.

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