But it would be great to use those wicked thoughts to control her body.
Clearly, I was the first one to earn Hakushi's trust, that woman with the Sharingan, I wish I could sink her into the sea.
Sipping on cool tea, calm and serene, as if she were as gentle and beautiful as a Japanese Yamato Nadeshiko.
However, deep inside, Ayane felt a strong sense of resentment.
This resentment was only surpassed by the inability to resist the fate of the Caged Bird back then.
Because the power of that woman with the Sharingan was undeniably superior to hers.
"This is my way of fighting. They are my clones, naturally counting as part of my strength. After all, unlike you, I don't have those convenient Kekkeigenkai and can only strengthen myself in other ways."
Not knowing what Ayane was thinking, Hakushi believed that what he had said was a well-thought-out decision.
Although unwilling to admit the power difference brought by bloodline, sometimes he had no choice but to bow to reality.
Most people cannot overcome the suppression brought by lineage, which is why Hakushi often found himself at a disadvantage when fighting with Ruri.
When he was young, it was not so apparent, but after awakening the Sharingan, the gap widened until it became insurmountable.
Hakushi realized that ignoring the suppressive power of lineage was beyond his capability.
Hence, there was a need to compensate for his deficiencies with other means.
Understanding one's shortcomings and seeking ways to compensate for them.
Growth lies in self-awareness and truthfulness, avoiding arrogance and undue self-deprecation.
Anxiety, jealousy, covetousness, and greed are unnecessary traits.
I just need to be ordinary.
"It's strange... Isn't it morning? Why is it so hot?"
Ayane tugged at her collar, looking unusually dissatisfied with today's scorching weather.
Though the environment was quiet and secluded, the July weather in Konoha was indeed quite unbearable.
"Well, it's almost August."
"It's always a bit unbearable this time of year... Well, Hakushi, is there a bathhouse here?"
"Are you going to take a bath?"
"Yeah, do you want to join me?"
This sentence slipped naturally from Ayane's mouth, accompanied by a pure, harmless smile on her face.
Completely unaware of what her previous words might imply.
The room suddenly became suffocatingly silent.
"So... do you want to take a bath together? After all, isn't it so hot?"
Breaking the silence, Ayane again extended an invitation with a smile.
◎
Calm down.
I am a doctor.
A researcher.
Stay rational, don't be dominated by irrational desires.
But on second thought, the natural yearning for the opposite sex's body is also a logical pursuit.
In the outdoor hot spring, Hakushi leaned against the partition, realizing at some point he had already soaked himself in the hot spring as a matter of course.
"The water temperature here is just right. To be honest, I envy you guys being able to enjoy such a nice hot spring every day."
From the other side of the partition, Ayane's envious voice came through.
"..."
Hakushi closed his eyes, choosing to ignore Ayane's remark.
A faint rustling sound came from the partition, made by Ayane as she leaned against it.
"It feels so good, having the body immersed in hot water..."
Ayane's soft moan of contentment reached him.
"Hakushi, what do you think?"
"It's okay."
Hakushi replied ambiguously.
Because his mind was now uncontrollably fantasizing about something floating on the water's surface.
Anyway, let's calm down first.
"Hakushi."
"What?"
"When you and Ruri bathe, are you in the same pool?"
Ayane seemed curious about this.
"What are you thinking? If I did that, I'd have been burned by her Fire Style long ago."
Hearing Hakushi's exasperated tone, Ayane laughed and said, "True, Ruri might really be shy about such things. But if it were me, I wouldn't mind..."
This implicitly inviting line naturally wasn't lost on Hakushi.
Even though he knew Ayane wasn't entirely nude over there, Hakushi felt less confident in his self-control than usual.
The atmosphere fell silent.
For an entire hour, the two leaned against the same partition, without any exchange.
"I've finished bathing. Don't stay too long either; soaking too long is bad for your health."
Hakushi stood up from the pool, calling to Ayane from the other side.
"Got it. Thank you for staying with me this long, Hakushi. I'm already quite satisfied."
"..."
Hakushi left the pool, got dressed, and went into the lounge, noticing that Ayane hadn't come out of the women's bath yet, probably wanting to soak a bit longer.
Hakushi didn't mind, opened the lounge door, and prepared to return to the lab to work.
"Coming here for a bath early in the morning is quite rare."
Upon hearing this familiar voice, Hakushi's body stiffened.
Ruri appeared at the door with a change of clothes, a bit sweaty, evidently having just returned and wanting to relax in the bath.
"Ruri, weren't you out on a long-term mission? And how come you're back at this time?"
Hakushi raised his volume.
At this, Ruri's face showed a hint of anger:
"Don't even mention it. The client misreported the mission rank. It was supposedly a C-Class Mission, but I realized it was actually an unsuitable A-Class Mission for new Genin. Halfway through, I beat him up and left him to his own devices, then brought those rookie Genin back."
"Oh, I see!"
"Why are you speaking so loudly?"
Ruri frowned upon hearing Hakushi's voice louder than usual.
She never liked people talking to her with such volume, finding it noisy.
"Ah, ahem, I've had a sore throat these past couple of days, worried you wouldn't hear me if I spoke too softly."
Hakushi stepped aside, and Ruri walked in, heading towards the women's bath.
"Wait a minute!"
"What else? You seem strange today."
Ruri turned around to look at Hakushi.
"Um... nothing, just that I missed you a bit after not seeing you for a few days. Shall we go out for breakfast first?"
"I already ate on my way back."
Saying this, Ruri squinted her eyes, glanced inside the women's bath, then back at Hakushi, who wore a facade of calmness, pondering.
"Since you've already had breakfast, I'll be on my way then, I won't interrupt your bath."
Feeling uneasy under Ruri's stare, Hakushi wanted to leave quickly.
"You stay here; I'll be done shortly. I have something important to discuss with you afterward."
With that, not waiting for Hakushi's refusal, she walked into the women's bath.
Seeing Ruri's decisive entrance into the women's bath, offering him no escape, Hakushi realized that Ruri had noticed something.
It's over now!