264. Hot Spring~

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Steam filled the air as six young women stepped into the hot spring after rinsing off, their silhouettes hazy in the mist.

To keep their hair from getting wet, Sakura, Ino, and Karin tied theirs into high ponytails, giving them an energetic and stylish look.

Hinata and Yakumo neatly coiled their long hair atop their heads, exuding an air of elegance.

Meanwhile, Tenten kept her signature twin buns, looking as lively as ever.

Tenten, half-submerged in the water, rested her arms on the pool's edge and placed her chin atop them, letting out a long sigh of satisfaction.

"Ahhh~ Nothing beats a hot bath after a long day of training."

"Agreed~" Ino leaned back against the pool wall, tilting her head slightly to expose her neck and the curve just below. Then, with a teasing smile, she added, "But Tenten, you sound like an old man complaining about life."

Tenten groaned. "Ugh, whatever. If you had a teacher who wore a green spandex bodysuit, you'd be the same."

"Pfft—" Ino burst out laughing at the mental image of Might Guy, but her amusement quickly faded. "Well, my chain-smoking teacher isn't much better."

She turned to Karin and Yakumo. "Hey, don't your sensei ever try to make him quit?"

"At first, she didn't care," Yakumo answered, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "I even caught her lighting his cigarettes for him a few times. But lately, she's started restricting him."

"Huh? Why?" Ino, Sakura, and Hinata all perked up, while even Tenten turned over, clearly eager for gossip.

Seeing their curiosity, Yakumo decided to spill the secret before Karin could steal her thunder.

"Because… Kurenai-sensei is pregnant."

"Oh, that makes sense."

Four nods of understanding followed.

Two seconds later—

"PREGNANT?!"

Their collective shock nearly made the entire bathhouse tremble.

Hinata, face burning red, stammered, "B-But… Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei aren't even married yet, are they?"

With a loud splash, Ino shot up from the water, causing ripples to spread. Clenching her fists, she growled, "That damn old man! I knew he was no good!"

Karin, amused, pushed her glasses up her nose. "It's not that bad. They've been together for a long time now. Besides, Kurenai-sensei is gorgeous. That scruffy bearded guy totally lucked out."

"I wonder when they'll actually get married," Yakumo mused, resting her chin on her hands. Like many girls her age, she had a romanticized view of weddings.

Though… she couldn't help but think that a beautiful bride like Kurenai standing next to a cigarette-chomping Asuma would be a bit of a mismatch.

Ino clenched her fist. "I have to interrogate him about this later!"

"Uh… Ino…" Hinata hesitantly pointed at something.

"Huh? What?" Ino glanced down, then shrugged. "Eh, who cares? We're all girls here." She casually sat back down.

Then, turning toward Hinata, she smirked. "Speaking of which… why have you been covering yourself this whole time?"

"Yeah, Hinata, relax," Sakura encouraged. "A bath is meant to be enjoyed freely."

"Exactly!" Tenten nodded. "Just lower your arms and let yourself soak."

Hesitating for a moment, Hinata slowly followed their advice, allowing her body to sink naturally into the water.

…And that's when she realized something was very wrong.

Five pairs of eyes immediately locked onto her.

Stare.

Feeling their intense gazes, Hinata panicked and instinctively brought her arms back up.

"I-It's just… they… t-they float…" she murmured, barely above a whisper.

Unfortunately for her, all of them were highly trained kunoichi.

Their hearing was excellent.

Silence fell over the group as two of them, Sakura and Karin, lowered their heads.

Their faces darkened, shrouded in shadow.

"Damn it. I'm so jealous."

Overwhelmed by envy, both Sakura and Karin sank deeper into the water until only their eyes remained above the surface, quietly blowing bubbles.

Meanwhile, Ino recovered quickly, flashing a mischievous grin.

"Hey, Hinata~ Can I—"

Before she could finish, Sakura suddenly snapped out of her sulking state and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Hinata.

"I have to check this for myself!"

"E-Eh?! W-Wait—Kyaaa!"

---

Meanwhile, Naruto had no idea what Hinata was going through at that moment.

And he probably wouldn't find out anytime soon.

Just like he remained unaware that Sasuke had been secretly training behind his back, planning to surprise him with his progress.

---

"Sasuke, you've been going there again, haven't you?"

Fugaku regarded his younger son with quiet scrutiny.

Lately, he had been paying more attention to Sasuke. His eldest son had already grown into a responsible, mature shinobi, but Sasuke… still had room to grow.

Fugaku had come to agree with Minato's advice that as a father, he needed to guide his sons properly, especially when they were struggling.

Hmph. That man once asked me for parenting advice… ridiculous things like 'What should I say when I first meet my son?'

And now he's the one teaching me how to be a better father.

As the sun set, Sasuke finally returned home, looking tired and covered in dirt. He was just about to head for a bath when his father's words made him pause.

He nodded stiffly. "Yeah."

Fugaku set down his teacup and, after a brief silence, asked, "How's your progress?"

Sasuke internally sighed. If you had waited one more second, I would've left.

He answered absently, "It's going fine."

The truth was… it wasn't going fine.

That's why he had been training from dawn to dusk every day. Mastering a new power wasn't easy.

But he wasn't going to talk about his struggles unless Itachi asked.

"I heard that if the training doesn't go well, there could be serious risks," Fugaku said, his voice steady.

He had done his research, even consulting Minato and Jiraiya. Of course, he had also told them to keep it a secret that he had sought their advice.

Sasuke replied calmly, "The White Snake Sage is overseeing me. If anything goes wrong, he'll stop me."

"Good."

Sasuke nodded. "I'm going to bathe now."

Fugaku gave a slight nod in response.

Their conversation was brief. Efficient.

But ultimately… kind of pointless.

From the kitchen, Mikoto, who had been eavesdropping, nearly stomped her foot in frustration.

"Why are they both so awkward?!"

Finally, just as Sasuke was about to step out of the room, Fugaku hesitated for a split second before speaking again.

"If possible…"

Sasuke stopped in his tracks. "What?"

Fugaku remained composed. "If possible, try to come home earlier. Your mother… has been worried about you lately."

Sasuke turned slightly to look at him, scanning his father's serious expression.

After a brief pause, he nodded.

"I understand."

----

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