"Ah, satisfied," Nawaki said, leaning against the edge of the pool with a towel covering his face. His expression radiated total contentment.
He bore a striking resemblance to Kawakaze and truly lived up to his title as "Number One Brother-in-Law."
"Nawaki, I heard you and Lord Jiraiya have some fun activities when you go to the hot springs. Care to share?" Minato asked with a mischievous smile, wiping himself down with a towel.
"There are no fun activities! Don't be ridiculous. I never go to the hot springs with Big Brother Jiraiya," Nawaki retorted, suddenly sitting up straight as the towel slipped from his face.
Whether it was from embarrassment or recalling something, his face turned bright red—a guilty expression that said it all.
If Misaki found out about those unforgettable incidents, what would happen?
"I see. I also heard Sensei's wife mention it by chance," Minato said, feigning casualness. He had been unsure before, but Nawaki's reaction confirmed it. Lord Jiraiya truly had unique hobbies, which likely explained why Sensei's wife kept him at arm's length.
"Don't listen to my sister's nonsense. I was just keeping watch," Nawaki said hastily, trying to salvage the situation.
"Haha, I see," Minato laughed. It had been a long time since he'd seen Nawaki flustered like this, especially since Nawaki had grown increasingly shameless.
"So that's what you're really like, Brother Nawaki," Yahiko and Nagato chimed in, casting disdainful glances his way.
Even though Nagato's eyes were obscured by his bangs, Nawaki could feel the hidden contempt.
"I didn't..." Nawaki's protest was hoarse and powerless.
"This is not good. If you get caught, you'll be beaten to death," Ichirō Aso said with a shudder, as though recalling an unpleasant memory of his own.
"It's okay, I'm a fast runner," Nawaki blurted out before realizing his mistake. By the time he clamped his hand over his mouth, it was already too late.
"You'll pay for this, okay?" Minato seized the moment to make an unreasonable demand.
Nawaki opened his mouth to retort but found himself unable to speak. After taking a deep breath, he answered with a resigned expression, silently mourning for his wallet.
Because there were quite a few people, only five of them shared the pool.
Meanwhile, Konan was in the women's bath with several young women from the Yuki Clan.
"Konan, how come you're so good?" The lively and charming Konan had quickly become popular with everyone, forming close friendships over the past few days. A woman in her twenties was washing Konan's hair as they chatted.
"Because I have a great Sensei," Konan replied modestly. She didn't think she was particularly remarkable, crediting her progress to Kawakaze's excellent teaching.
Unbeknownst to her, Kawakaze's teachings were based on future knowledge, making her lessons incredibly effective.
"How amazing is he?" someone asked, curious.
Everyone's attention shifted to Konan. They were already aware that Nawaki's sister was the Hokage, but no one had mentioned Minato's Sensei.
"Kawakaze Hatake. Have you heard of him?" Konan asked, hesitant. She wasn't sure if Kirigakure, which hadn't participated in the Second Shinobi World War, was familiar with Kawakaze's reputation.
If no one recognized the name, it might sound like she was bragging about her Sensei.
"Kawakaze Hatake?"
"The Kawakaze Hatake who killed Hanzō of the Salamander?"
"I heard he killed the Third Kazekage."
"Not only that, he also defeated the Third Tsuchikage."
"He even fought the Third Raikage."
...
Women are naturally fond of gossip, and Kawakaze is naturally a famous name.
"Yes, that Kawakaze Hatake."
Konan was full of pride, her confident look making people want to pinch her little face.
"No wonder, she is the disciple of Lord Kawakaze. It's normal that she's so amazing."
The responses from the crowd left Konan a little disappointed. Wasn't her own hard work good enough? Sometimes, having such a bright teacher's halo wasn't entirely a blessing.
"You are already very good. When I was your age, I was only a Genin."
The young lady washing Konan's hair gave her a gentle smile, offering the last bit of comfort she could find.
"You're also very good, sister," Konan replied, turning her head to smile at her.
Gentle people seem to carry light in their eyes.
"By the way, is your Sensei married?"
"Our Yuki Clan has a good bloodline," one of the women nearby remarked. It was hard to tell if she was joking or hinting at something.
She wasn't wrong—the Yuki Clan were all fair and delicate. Beneath their good looks was the Kekkei Genkai, so they wouldn't have trouble finding someone to marry in Konoha.
"The Hokage is my Sensei's wife," Konan said directly, putting their hopes to rest.
These mediocre women are no match for Sensei.
"Ah, I see."
"We've been rude."
The women all withdrew their unrealistic imaginations. Competing with the Hokage for a man? They wouldn't even know how to write the word "death"!
"It's okay, my Sensei has very high standards."
Konan's casual comment caused the young lady behind her to cover her mouth and laugh lightly.
She is young, but her words are quite sharp.
Understanding what Konan meant, the others looked embarrassed and lowered their heads.
The conversation came to an abrupt end, leaving only the occasional sound of Konan and the young girl behind her chatting.
After the bath, Nawaki obediently went to pay the bill. He took out his wallet and pointed out the required expenses. Although he had mentally prepared himself, he couldn't help feeling distressed.
The Land of Waves was poor and did not have its own currency system, but the currency of the Land of Fire could also be used. Seeing his unwilling expression, Minato couldn't help but look away.
Afterward, the group chose not to continue arguing and checked in at the hot spring inn. It really wasn't as good as Konoha, and they didn't have much interest in going shopping.
After dinner, everyone returned to their room and went to bed. The conditions weren't great—four people in one room—but they were still much better than the accommodations on the ship. At least there was no bumpiness from the wind and waves.
That night, everyone slept very soundly.
The next day, after breakfast, the replacement ship arrived in port.
Without further delay, under the leadership of Ichirō Aso, everyone boarded the ship bound for the Land of Fire. As the ship slowly sailed away from the port, they were one step closer to completing their mission.
"Brother Nawaki, can I learn Water Release from you?" Yahiko took Nawaki aside, knowing that he lacked strength. If he wanted to improve in Water Release, his only option was to learn from Tobirama. He didn't want to be protected by Konan in the future—he was a man.
"Of course you can. It's no big deal."
Nawaki didn't see it as a big deal at all; to him, it was a matter of course. Kawakaze wasn't skilled in Water Release, so there would be no need for him to teach it.
"Thank you, Brother Nawaki." Yahiko was slightly excited and quickly expressed his gratitude.
"You're welcome. We're all family. But let me warn you, my second grandfather's Water Release isn't easy to learn." Nawaki patted Yahiko on the shoulder.
It was true that Tobirama Senju's Water Release was incredibly powerful, but it required a significant amount of Chakra to master. Even with Nawaki's Senju and Uzumaki Clan bloodlines, it had been difficult for him to learn.
"I…" Yahiko's words were abruptly cut off by Nagato's shout.
"Something's wrong!"
"A powerful Chakra is rapidly approaching us," Nagato said, turning to look behind the ship. The approaching Chakra was terrifyingly strong.