Inside the women's changing room, after a round of noisy commotion, Sakura, Karin, and Fu, the three little ones ran out first.
Because the topic being discussed inside the changing room was extremely unfriendly to them.
But Sakura also dragged Ino out along the way.
After seeing the mist-filled bath, the four of them jumped straight in. Amid a burst of startled cries, they began splashing and playing around.
Tenten, Yakumo, and Hinata came out a little later. But before entering the bath, the three of them first scooped a few ladles of water over themselves.
A clear blush lingered on Hinata's face. As soon as she got into the water, she immediately swam toward Aoba.
She wanted to sit beside him and soak slowly.
However, she hadn't swum very far before she was intercepted halfway by Yakumo.
"Hehehe~ Hinata, there's no outsiders here, just let me take a look."
Yakumo wore a mischievous grin, the very image of a villain.
"Yakumo, y-you're going too far."
Hinata could only hug her chest with both arms, pouting, looking like a pitiful little victim.
She was wearing a light purple ruffled swimsuit. But because of the way she nervously hugged herself, her already full curves looked even more like they were about to spill out.
Just that almost-spilling part alone was enough to outshine all the other girls present.
And precisely because of that, it had attracted the curiosity of Yakumo, whose head was filled with nothing but lewd nonsense.
Yakumo really wanted to know whether Hinata could actually float in the water.
Aoba also noticed the situation over there. Not only did he not stop it, he even edged a little closer, quietly observing in detail.
He was curious about that too.
"What are you sneaking around looking at?"
Tenten appeared at his side and elbowed him irritably.
"Cough! Cough! Of course I'm looking at cute Tenten."
Aoba withdrew his gaze, putting on a completely serious expression.
"Hmph!"
Naturally, Tenten knew he was deliberately coaxing her, but she didn't mind. She gave a soft snort and sat down beside him.
Aoba took the opportunity to pull her hand over and stopped paying attention to what was happening on Hinata's side.
Come to think of it, from childhood until now, among the girls, Tenten had changed the most.
When they were little, she would compete with Ino and Sakura over everything. Sometimes they would start bickering the moment they met.
Now she had become a considerate, exceptionally good woman.
"By the way, why aren't Kurotsuchi and the others out yet?"
Aoba asked curiously.
"Hikari is wearing a swimsuit for the first time and isn't quite used to it. Temari and Kurotsuchi are still helping her."
Tenten explained while lowering her head, gently stirring the water's surface with her fair little foot.
Her small foot appeared and disappeared faintly beneath the water, crystal-clear and adorably delicate.
But she quickly noticed Aoba's unusual gaze locked onto a certain spot and hurriedly pulled her foot back, her small face flushing red.
"N-not now. Kurotsuchi and Hikari will be coming out soon."
Tenten, after all, wasn't like Yakumo or Karin. She had thinner skin.
If it were those two, the moment they noticed Aoba's gaze, they would have already delivered themselves right to him.
"I just thought it was cute and took a couple extra looks. No strange ideas."
Aoba said with a laugh. As for whether Tenten believed him, who knew.
The two of them soaked quietly for a while longer.
Finally, Kurotsuchi, Uchiha Hikari, and Temari came out.
But it seemed that it wasn't just Uchiha Hikari who felt unaccustomed to the setting, Kurotsuchi did too.
Both of their swimsuits leaned toward conservative styles. Uchiha Hikari wore a black one-piece with a skirt.
Kurotsuchi wore a blue-and-white half-skirt one-piece.
Though they looked conservative, when worn on them, they still carried a different kind of allure.
Temari beside them was much bolder, a goose-yellow three-piece bikini.
Since she and Aoba had already done everything that needed to be done, and she had worn all sorts of strange outfits before, she naturally didn't care about something like this.
So she displayed her body openly and generously, not the least bit shy.
At this moment, Kurotsuchi was holding onto her arm, repeatedly testing the water temperature with her fair toes.
Although her swimsuit was conservative, it still perfectly showcased the most beautiful parts of a young girl's body without reservation.
Aoba finally understood what it meant to say there are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names.
Kurotsuchi's title as "Leg Shadow" truly lived up to its name.
Her legs were indeed beautiful, arguably the best-shaped among all the girls.
Her thighs were long and fair, her calves slender and graceful, without a single trace of excess flesh, tender and smooth like jade.
Even her small feet looked like crystal-carved ornaments, delicate and translucent.
On Temari's other side, Uchiha Hikari, experiencing a hot spring for the first time, copied Kurotsuchi's actions after watching her.
She held onto Temari's other arm and tested the water with her toes.
Then she couldn't help but frown slightly.
"It's a bit hot."
"Seems hotter than the ones in Konoha."
Kurotsuchi nodded in agreement.
"If it's hot, then pour some hot water over yourselves first to get used to the temperature. We need to get in soon, or you'll catch a chill."
Temari, currently cosplaying as a scarecrow, sighed helplessly and led Uchiha Hikari to the side, scooping up a ladle of water to pour over her.
She had spent her childhood taking care of two troublesome younger brothers, so when she saw Uchiha Hikari, who didn't understand anything, she instinctively felt the urge to take care of her.
After quite a while, the three of them finally sat down in the pool.
Uchiha Hikari, soaking in a hot spring for the first time, immediately let out a comfortable little moan from her nose.
"Soaking in a hot spring～ feels so good～"
"Yeah, no wonder it's the Land of Hot Water. It's way more comfortable than Konoha."
Kurotsuchi also leaned lazily against the steps.
For some reason, she suddenly had the feeling of "What does the position of Tsuchikage even matter?" Could it possibly compare to soaking in a hot spring in the middle of winter?
When she thought about inheriting the Tsuchikage position and facing endless rocks every day back in Iwagakure, 'Why does my future suddenly seem pitch black? No!'
Kurotsuchi quickly sat upright and shook her head.
She couldn't keep thinking like that. Becoming Tsuchikage had been her dream since childhood.
How could she grow lax over something like a hot spring?
At worst, she'd just build a hot spring inn in Iwagakure later.
After reaffirming her determination to inherit the Tsuchikage position, Kurotsuchi turned her gaze toward Sakura and the others, who were underwater holding their breath and blowing bubbles like they were competing.
Without hesitation, she swam over.
"I'm joining too!"
"Wah!"
Thanks to Kurotsuchi's interference, several little heads immediately popped up from beneath the water.
For a moment, the bath, which had only just quieted down, turned lively again.
Tenten and Temari joined in too. Even Uchiha Hikari was dragged in by Fu.
Only Aoba sat alone in the corner, quietly watching the scene, a smile on his face.
It really was peaceful.
'Isn't this the very meaning behind my effort to unify the ninja world?'
'If the ninja world was still the same as before, how could these girls from different hidden villages be soaking together in a hot spring so happily?'
Just as he was leisurely enjoying the hot spring, a hand quietly and stealthily reached toward him.
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