As dusk fell like a veil, the misty heat, carrying the sulfurous scent unique to hot springs, drifted through the air.
Renye and Uncle Hashirama, dressed in yukata provided by the hot spring inn, slowly stepped out of the baths in wooden clogs.
Curled up in Hashirama's arms was a scruffy stray cat, its mottled fur forming a fluffy ball. It purred contentedly, occasionally rubbing its head against his broad palm.
"Little Renye, what do you think we should name this cat?"
Clearly, he was thinking of adopting the stray...
Though Renye did not understand Uncle Hashirama's decision, he still offered a suggestion.
"This is a calico cat, so let's call it Calico."
"Hahaha, that's a good name. From now on, you're Calico." Hashirama happily rubbed the Calico in his arms.
Calico instinctively licked Hashirama's palm, seeming to like the name very much.
"Uncle Hashirama, you want to adopt this ugly cat?" Renye frowned and said dissatisfiedly, "This cat is ugly as hell. We should just throw it away."
"Meow, meow, meow~" Calico seemed to understand and cried angrily at Renye.
"Oh? You stupid cat, you can understand?" Renye raised an eyebrow.
In the Shinobi World, ordinary stray cats had never been able to understand human speech. Only summoned beasts possessed the intelligence to communicate with people.
Yet this stray cat before him could understand human words, which surprised him somewhat...
"Meow, meow, meow~" Calico rolled its eyes at Renye irritably, its gaze seeming to say, Obviously, human.
"Hahaha, I knew Calico was smart." Hashirama gently stroked Calico's head, and it immediately narrowed its eyes in comfort.
"What a scheming ugly cat," Renye muttered under his breath.
He had no interest whatsoever in pets that looked so ugly.
The two left the hot spring inn and came out onto the