"Pervy Sage, you're going to the hot springs again!"
A blond kid clung to the arm of a white-haired middle-aged man and refused to let go. His cheeks puffed up like an angry pufferfish.
"You said we were training today! You said that yesterday, too, and the day before, and the day before that… When are you ever gonna keep your word?"
"Come on, kid. Ever heard of balancing work and rest?"
The white-haired man scratched his head, wearing an expression that practically said, Why is this brat so unreasonable?
"Training has to have rhythm. If you grind away nonstop, the results actually get worse. Proper relaxation helps you improve faster."
"Look at your master. I'm this strong because I know how to relax."
Then, ignoring Naruto's attempts to pull him back, he dragged the boy straight toward the hot spring inn in front of them, still muttering to himself.
"The hot springs here in Hot Water Village are famous. Since we came all this way, not taking a bath would be a waste of travel money."
The man and boy were none other than Jiraiya and Naruto.
Jiraiya wore his signature red outer robe. His wooden sandals clacked against the stone path. His hair was as white as snow, and the two red markings on his face stood out vividly beneath the sunset.
Naruto wore an orange tracksuit. His short blond hair stuck up in a messy tangle, and his large blue eyes darted around restlessly. The six whisker-like marks on his cheeks twitched with every shift of his expression.
The two pushed open the door and entered the hot spring inn.
The front hall was empty. No one stood behind the counter.
Only a dim yellow lantern swayed gently in the breeze.
"Anyone here…?"
Jiraiya called out several times, but no one answered.
He went around the counter and headed toward the bathing area in the back.
Naruto followed behind him, looking left and right.
From the end of the corridor came the faint sound of water.
And the low, soft laughter of women.
Soft as cotton candy. Sweet as honey.
Jiraiya's ears practically perked up.
His eyes shone like a pair of lightbulbs.
His pace quickened before he even realized it.
He walked over and slid open the half-closed wooden door.
Steam rushed into his face, hazy and dreamlike, as though he had stepped into a fairyland.
In the hot spring pool, a young man reclined lazily against the stone wall.
His skin was as pale as polished jade, his features handsome and refined.
Drops of water slid down his collarbone, catching the candlelight with a faint sheen.
His eyes were closed, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile rested on his lips.
He looked utterly at ease.
Seven or eight women in light clothing, all graceful and alluring, surrounded him.
Some massaged his shoulders. Some poured him wine. Some scooped water over him.
The scene was so decadent it nearly stole the breath away.
Jiraiya's eyes went completely straight.
His mouth fell slightly open, his gaze turning blank.
He stood there frozen, as if someone had cast a paralysis jutsu on him.
Time seemed to stop.
He desperately wished he were the one in the middle of that group, being massaged by those women.
"Well, you two…"
Teizawa opened his eyes. His gaze landed on the man and boy at the door, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Care to join us?"
Naruto's face flushed instantly.
The red spread from his cheeks to his ears, then all the way down his neck.
He waved his hands in a panic, not knowing where to look, his voice hurried and weak.
"N-No thanks… We were just passing by… We'll leave right now…"
As he spoke, he grabbed Jiraiya and tried to drag him outside.
But Jiraiya had already stepped into the bathhouse.
He casually kicked off his wooden sandals, tossed his outer robe onto a rack, and sat down in the pool with a splash.
The hot water rose over his chest, and he let out a comfortable sigh.
"Then I won't refuse your hospitality."
He leaned back against the wall, but his gaze kept drifting from woman to woman. A knowing, foolish grin hung on his face.
"Ah, hot springs really are livelier with more people."
Naruto stood at the edge of the pool, unable to leave and unable to stay.
His face was bright red.
He had no idea what to do with his hands or feet.
Teizawa beckoned to him. "Come in. It's cold outside."
Naruto hesitated for a moment, then finally took off his shoes.
Slowly, awkwardly, he entered the pool.
He sat as far away from Teizawa as possible.
Hugging his knees, he sank down until only his head remained above the water.
His eyes stayed fixed on the surface.
He did not dare look at anyone.
Teizawa picked up his cup and raised it toward Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya-san, I've heard a great deal about you."
"Oh?"
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, accepted a cup of wine from one of the women beside him, and clinked it against Teizawa's. "You know me?"
"One of the Legendary Sannin. The Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku. A legendary great hero."
Teizawa took a sip of wine, the corner of his mouth curving upward. "Who in the shinobi world doesn't know you?"
"Hahaha…"
Jiraiya burst into laughter. "You've got a good eye, kid!"
He raised his cup and drained it in one go, wiped his mouth, then looked Teizawa up and down.
"And you? What's your name? Where are you from?"
Teizawa set down his cup. His gaze met Jiraiya's.
"Teizawa. Kazekage of Suna."
Jiraiya's hand paused for the briefest moment.
Then he returned to normal just as quickly.
The smile remained on his face, but a hint of scrutiny appeared deep in his eyes.
Of course he had heard that name.
Suna's youngest Kazekage.
A man who had stirred up bloody storms across the shinobi world.
Someone who had gone to Konoha once and nearly torn a hole in the sky.
He had not expected to meet him in a place like this.
"The Kazekage, huh…"
Jiraiya leaned against the pool wall, laced his hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling. "Becoming Kazekage so young. Impressive."
He paused. "But… what are you doing here? Suna isn't exactly close."
Teizawa did not answer. He only smiled.
His gaze shifted to the blond boy curled up in the corner, hugging his knees and trying to make himself as small as possible.
"Naruto…"
His voice was very soft.
Naruto lifted his head and met those deep eyes.
His heart skipped a beat.
For some reason, the man in front of him gave off an indescribable pressure.
He was smiling, but it sent a chill down Naruto's back.
He was more unnerving than Kakashi-sensei.
Harder to read than Pervy Sage.
"The Nine-Tails inside you…"
Teizawa's voice was light, as if he were commenting on the weather.
"Is it behaving?"
Naruto's pupils contracted sharply.
Jiraiya leaned forward slightly, the smile on his face fading.
His hand rose without a sound.
Ripples stirred across the water, and the atmosphere abruptly tightened.
"Just a joke."
Teizawa smiled and lifted his cup. "Don't be so tense. I was only curious."
He looked at Jiraiya, his gaze open and calm.
"Suna has a tailed beast too. Gaara is the jinchūriki of the One-Tail."
"What I mean is, we're in the same line of work. Both of us have to worry about protecting our village's tailed beast."
Jiraiya stared at him for several seconds.
Then he leaned back against the pool wall again.
"You speak quite frankly, Kazekage-dono."
"I've always said things as they are." Teizawa refilled Jiraiya's cup. "I came to the Land of Rice Fields this time to look for something."
"What kind of thing?"
"Something that's been hidden for a very long time."
Teizawa lifted his cup and lightly tapped it against Jiraiya's. "It has nothing to do with you. Don't worry. I bear no ill will toward the four of you."
Jiraiya said nothing.
He simply drained the wine in one gulp.
Naruto stayed curled up in the corner, listening to the two of them exchange words he only half understood.
His gaze flicked back and forth between Teizawa and Jiraiya.
Outside, the sky slowly darkened.
One lantern after another lit up inside the hot spring inn.
Amid the drifting steam, the shadows of the three of them swayed gently against the wall.
Each kept his own thoughts hidden.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]