Chapter 18: Two new girls

I came to the hotel room and bathed the two girls.

It was a heart-warming scene to see these two females who expected pain, just sit in the bathtub, blankly staring at each other. Mei was sitting near the left end of the tub and Shizuka near the right. They didn't know what to think about the situation as I gently washed their pleasantly shivering bodies with a sponge, making sure to not press much on the bruises so it would not hurt too much. It took me an hour to properly do so and another half hour to get the grime off their hair, making them shiny and lustrous again.

By the end of it, Mei was openly crying at feeling so good and cared for, still staring forward in disbelief, and while Shizuka was keeping her blank face, her wet hand was clutching onto the sleeve of my robe as she reverently stared at my face.

It took so little to make the girls feel indebted to me that I really understood what Hiruzen expected when he served Naruto up to the villagers.

With a sigh, I helped the girls to dry themselves as they didn't really react properly yet. I had to order them to pick up and put on each article of clothing while helping them with it. They lived for months naked as animals and stopped caring about it. The concept of clothes was beaten out of them by men who berated and insulted them, saying they don't deserve them.

Mei had a dark-blue kimono with bare shoulders reaching her mid-thighs. Underneath, she wore a mesh shirt and on her lower body was a black skirt and mesh stockings. On her feet were blue shinobi sandals.

While she was similar to the look she had in the show, it was also a lot different.

Shizuka had a loose snowy-white kimono, black shorts and black shinobi sandals on her feet. Her attire showed much more skin than Mei's because I thought it would help her with using her bones.

The physical scars were easy to cure. It would only take time. The mental ones though... these would be more tricky. The verbal abuse and insults cut deeper into the minds of the girls. The pain, they could take. They were raised as Kunoichi. It was the continuous humiliation that almost broke them.

I had a plan for that but I at least wanted to make the girls like me slightly before springing it upon them.

I led both properly clothed girls, that now looked more like humans than animals to my room where the food awaited. Both girl's stomachs started to grumble while they stared directly at it.

Chuckling, I took their hands and sat them behind the table.

"Go on, it was made for you."

The girl's eyes didn't leave the food as their tears started falling down and they timidly took the chopsticks and started slowly eating. By the end of the dinner, I felt I had enough gratitude from the girls but I still waited.

I sat down on a cozy couch in the living room. The girls were full and looked more alive than the dolls I saw chained on their knees in the Mizukage's office. They even moved alone without me dragging them! As I sat on the couch, the girls instantly sat around me, Shizuka on my left, clutching my sleeve and Mei on my right, her hand distractedly around my arm.

It was time to mention my reasons for buying them and convince them to agree to the seals.

"I bought you." I bluntly told them, attracting their hollow gazes.

The girls appeared confused. Well, I was aware they probably considered themselves my property. Their looks were also worried and hopeful though.

"I would like you to be my concubines."

Their minds stopped short as their mouths gaped at me, and I couldn't help but chuckle. It was time to deliver the heavy blow.

"But for that, I would have to put a loyalty seal on you."

I explained the whole thing and quite frankly, expected resistance but... Shizuka only nodded and Mei, with a small smile uttered quietly.

"Hai."

I blinked at both of them and pondered if my earlier show of kindness really had such an impact on them. Both of them were raised as shinobi. Letting others apply seal on you is a folly of the highest order. They must really be grateful and trust me in order to react like that.

"Lie on the floor." I told them with a smile. Both girls listened.

I spent an hour on each girl, applying the Chakra Enriching Seal intertwined with my Loyalty seal, second-tier.

What I applied to Ringo was Loyalty Seal, third-tier. The weakest one that did not affect the mind. I did not use stronger one because, frankly, I kinda even regretted creating them.

The second-tier, additionally to everything the third-tier does, slowly, over time, strengthens the feeling of affection and the need to protect the person who is keyed to the seal. Me. But even then, I actually HAD TO make them like or love me for there to be something to be strengthened.

To be honest, I didn't really like even the lightest of mind-control but even I had to admit I am not above such tactics when I deemed them necessary.

The girls had issues. Prolonged exposure to torture, insults, etc... I needed something to offset that quickly without spending years to tend to their mental state. So, I will make them feel affection towards me and be a kind of a support pillar for them.

While the seal can't make them love me, that would be just a slight jump, and showing them I care about them should do it. I am very aware it will make me their anchor. Obsession even...

There was a first-tier seal also but that was something... uh.

I was at least proud of myself for not making a complete mind-fuck seal. The girls won't lose their personalities or even their way of thinking. Even the first tier wouldn't have an effect on their 'true' self.

The seals only affected their view on me to a degree according to the tier and prevented them from betraying me.

Sigh. I probably should create a complete mind-alteration seal. In this world... But no matter how good it would be. No matter how easy that would make my plans. I didn't.

I finally understand what Uncle A meant when he said I will need to harden my heart more. It's not just about killing. Killing is one of the easiest things when it comes to atrocities shinobi cause...

I understood I am, after all, still too naive.

The girls woke up and I was instantly tightly hugged by them.

"Thank you." They quietly chorused, still with blank voices but a happy tinge could be heard in them.

I tilted my head at that. Did I mistakenly apply the first-tier seal? Looking at the Black Rose on the upper part of Mei's right breast and between Shizuka's left hip and her navel... No, the seals were the second-tier ones, alright.

"I... you are welcome?"

Well, yay for unexpected bonuses? I was really baffled and didn't know how to react.

Fortunately, the girls started to be more open and most importantly, open to me.

"Danna-sama." Shizuka quietly murmured, breaking her cold facade and stifling a sob.

I could feel Mei's body stiffen slightly when she heard her but then she also relaxed.

"Danna-sama." And repeated the way Shizuka called me, her embrace tightening.

I may have underestimated the attachment my actions created in them. Whelp, two waifus getto!