Sasuke had come out this time to gain real combat experience. Unexpectedly, not only had he failed to encounter a single battle, but now he found himself in a hot spring, surrounded by the scent of burning wood and minerals in the air.
"This isn't what I came out for," he thought, exhaling in mild frustration.
Tsunade, lounging comfortably in the hot spring with her arms stretched along the stone ledge, smirked at his expression.
"Relax, brat," she said, closing her eyes. "If you keep walking around with a stick up your ass all the time, you'll burn out before you even reach your prime."
Sasuke frowned, crossing his arms. "Tch. If I wanted to relax, I would've stayed in Konoha."
Tatsuya, who had been lazily resting his head against the rocks, finally spoke. "You're not strong enough to say that yet, kid. Fighting isn't just about clashing blades and throwing jutsu. A shinobi who doesn't know when to rest will never last long on the battlefield."
Sasuke scowled but said nothing. He knew better than to argue with either of them. Still, he wasn't entirely convinced that soaking in hot water was going to make him any stronger.
Tsunade stretched her arms above her head, water droplets sliding down her skin. "Besides, if I let you go back to Konoha alone, you'd probably do something reckless on the road and get yourself killed. With the number of rogue shinobi roaming around lately, you'd just be making trouble for yourself and Tatsuya."
Sasuke turned away, grumbling under his breath. "I can handle myself."
Tatsuya smirked. "Sure, and I'm the Hokage."
Before Sasuke could retort, a few feminine voices drifted in from outside the men's bath.
"Hey there, handsome~"
Sasuke stiffened as he turned toward the entrance, only to see a small group of women in loose bathrobes, their damp hair clinging to their shoulders. They smiled at him, eyes filled with playful interest.
"Why don't you come join us in the mixed bath?" one of them purred, tilting her head slightly. "It's much more fun than sitting here alone."
Sasuke's entire body tensed. His mind flashed back to the sounds he had overheard last night through the thin partition. A deep blush crept up to his ears.
"I—I'm fine here," he muttered, turning on his heel and walking quickly toward the bath. His reaction only seemed to amuse them further.
"Aww, look at him run," one of them giggled. "Cute and shy. That's rare these days."
"Most men would be begging to switch baths," another added with a smirk. "Maybe he's saving himself for someone special?"
Sasuke's face burned as he hurried inside, slamming the sliding door shut behind him.
When he stepped into the men's bath, he finally let out a breath of relief, only to realize he was completely alone. The bathhouse was massive, yet not a single other man was present.
"Tch. Figures," he thought.
The price for both the men's and mixed baths was the same, but given the choice, almost every man had opted for the more scenic experience.
Sasuke lowered himself into the steaming water, hoping to clear his mind, but then—
Soft laughter drifted from the private bath adjacent to his.
The partition between the pools wasn't entirely solid—sound easily passed through. And the voices on the other side?
Tsunade and Tatsuya.
Sasuke stiffened. Then, his nightmare began all over again.
The moment Tatsuya entered the water, he let himself sink in with a loud splash.
The heat of the spring seeped into his muscles, melting away any lingering tension. "Damn… this feels good," he muttered, sighing in relief.
Tsunade, nestled comfortably in his arms, chuckled as she leaned back against his chest. "Told you, didn't I? Nothing beats a proper soak after a long trip."
Tatsuya smirked, tightening his grip around her waist. "Yeah, yeah… You just like using me as your personal cushion."
She smirked right back. "And? If you're complaining, I can move."
"Didn't say that."
The two continued their banter, their voices carrying easily through the thin partition. What they didn't realize was that someone next door had been listening the entire time.
And who else could it be but Sasuke?
Sitting alone in the men's bath, Sasuke had no choice but to hear everything.
It wasn't just the conversation—it was the occasional splashes, the low chuckles, and the tone in Tatsuya's voice that made Sasuke's eye twitch.
He stared blankly at the rising steam, pretending with all his might that he wasn't hearing what he was hearing.
"This is hell." Every second felt like an eternity.
At one point, he actually considered leaving early, but then he imagined facing Tsunade on the way out while he was still red-faced from what he had overheard.
So, he stayed. By the time Tatsuya and Tsunade finally decided to get up and leave, Sasuke was practically boiled alive.
As the couple stepped out, they looked completely refreshed, their bodies loose and relaxed from the soak.
In contrast, when Sasuke finally dragged himself out of the water, his skin was redder than a damn tomato.
Tsunade frowned, eyeing him critically. "The hell happened to you?"
Sasuke, still avoiding their gaze, grumbled, "Stayed in too long."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "A hot spring is supposed to relax you. Why do you look like someone just ran you through an endurance test?"
Tatsuya crossed his arms, watching Sasuke's stiff posture with mild amusement.
"Hmph. I bet this kid snuck into the mixed bath and saw something he shouldn't have," he muttered. "Now he's scared we'll find out, so he's avoiding our gaze."
Tsunade hummed in thought. "Makes sense. He is at that age, after all."
Sasuke stiffened. His hands clenched into fists.
These idiots…!
Grinding his teeth, he turned on his heel and stormed off toward the showers.
Tsunade smirked as she watched him go. "Guess we struck a nerve."
Tatsuya shrugged. "Maybe next time, he'll learn that eavesdropping isn't always worth it."
Meanwhile, Sasuke—now mentally scarred—was absolutely making sure to never visit a hot spring with them again.
The journey back was slower than Sasuke would have liked. Even the wind seemed to match his dull mood, lazily rolling through the trees instead of cutting sharp and fast like before.
At the front, Tatsuya adjusted his pace deliberately, making sure the Husky didn't go too fast. He could already feel Tsunade's expectant gaze on his back.
She hadn't said anything, but the message was clear: "Sasuke's riding with us, so don't do anything reckless."
Of course, Tatsuya could argue that Sasuke wasn't some helpless kid—he was a Uchiha, after all—but he also wasn't dumb enough to challenge Tsunade when she had that particular look in her eye.
Instead, he glanced at Sasuke, who had been unusually quiet the entire way back.
"Hey," Tatsuya called out. "You look like you've got something stuck in your head. Sort out your thoughts first. Then you can focus on improving your skills."
Sasuke didn't respond right away. His gaze was fixed forward, unreadable, but the slight twitch in his brow betrayed him.
"Sort out my thoughts?" Sasuke internally scoffed. That's the problem—no matter what I do, I CAN'T get it out of my head!
Every time he looked at Tatsuya and Tsunade, the sounds from the hot spring echoed in his mind.
He clenched his jaw. Damn it.
Tsunade, meanwhile, glanced between them and smirked. "Tatsuya's right. If you force yourself to train while you're distracted, you'll only make mistakes. Just rest for a bit and clear your mind."
"I WISH I COULD!" Sasuke mentally screamed.
But he simply grunted, nodding stiffly.
Tatsuya raised an eyebrow at his stiff posture but didn't push further. "For now, just head back with us. It won't kill you to take a break."
Sasuke gave another half-hearted nod, resolving to never visit a hot spring with them again.
Back at the Senju compound, the first thing Tatsuya noticed was the emptiness. The place itself hadn't changed much, but the stuff inside had noticeably decreased.
Tatsuya narrowed his eyes. "Tsunade…"
She immediately turned away, suddenly very interested in adjusting her gloves. "What?"
Tatsuya crossed his arms. "Did you sell off half your furniture again?"
Tsunade scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous."
Tatsuya arched a brow. "Then why does it look like a group of bandits looted the place?"
She waved a hand dismissively. "It's called minimalism, Tatsuya. Ever heard of it?"
Sasuke, who had been brooding in the background, suddenly felt the corner of his eye twitch.
Minimalism? Really?
Tatsuya gave her a flat stare. "You mean you sold everything off to cover your debts again, didn't you?"
Tsunade cleared her throat. "Semantics."
Tatsuya sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "No wonder you always come running to my house when you're broke."
Tsunade grinned. "Well, obviously. Why else would I keep you around?"
Sasuke closed his eyes. He needed to leave this place soon. Otherwise, he was going to lose more brain cells just from listening to them.
The Senju compound was a stark contrast to Tsunade's own nearly empty home. Unlike the cabin, which was stripped of anything valuable, this place housed priceless heirlooms—relics of a clan that had once stood at the very heart of the Shinobi world.
Tatsuya exhaled. So this is why she doesn't bring people here…
She wasn't just running away from debt collectors—she was making sure they never got their hands on these treasures. The moment he stepped inside, Nawaki appeared as if he'd been waiting for them.
But instead of a warm welcome, the first thing out of his mouth was a loud complaint:
"Aniki, you should've called ahead!"
Tatsuya sighed. "And let you make even more of a mess before I arrive? No thanks."
Tsunade smirked, nudging Tatsuya with her elbow. "You know, he does have a point. Wouldn't have hurt to give a little warning."
Nawaki crossed his arms, nodding. "Exactly! I could've really gone all out with the feast if I had more time!"
Tatsuya raised an eyebrow. "So the massive spread on the table right now isn't enough?"
Nawaki puffed up his chest. "Of course not! This is just a basic welcome."
Tatsuya shook his head but couldn't hide his amusement. The kid's got spirit.
They made their way to the dining area, where a feast was already laid out. Every dish was something Tatsuya and Tsunade liked. The drinks, too, had been carefully selected.
Tsunade's expression softened as she took it all in. "Nawaki… you really went all out, huh?"
Nawaki grinned. "Well, duh. It's not every day you two come back together."
Tatsuya sat down and took a sip of the sake. "Huh. Not bad."
Nawaki beamed. "Picked that one just for you."
Tsunade chuckled as she poured herself a drink. "Alright, alright, you win. I'll admit it—this is impressive."
"Damn right, it is!" Nawaki said, grinning ear to ear.
As the meal went on, the mood was light, the warmth of family filling the space.
But as they finished eating, Nawaki's demeanor shifted slightly. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his tone turning a bit more serious.
"…By the way, Aniki. There's something I wanted to ask you about."
Tatsuya glanced at him. "Yeah?"
Nawaki hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I've been hearing some… interesting things lately."
Tatsuya sighed, setting his cup down. "Here we go."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "What kind of interesting things?"
Nawaki smirked. "The kind that involves you two… and a certain hot spring."
Sasuke, who had been silently eating his food up until now, choked on his drink.
Tatsuya and Tsunade exchanged a look.
Tatsuya leaned back, exhaling. "You know what? I suddenly regret not calling ahead."
---
Enjoyed the chapter?
You can read 40 chapters ahead and gain exclusive access to even more content over at P*treon.c*m/Marioni! With over 128 chapters of exclusive content, there's plenty more for you to explore!