Heart-to-Heart

Hikari's reaction left Samui thoroughly satisfied, a playful thought swirling in her mind: Hikari is already a mature married woman now—only at times like this can I stir up that lively side of her.

"Boob Alien, huh?" Samui's amber eyes lazily drifted toward the peaks rising through the mist, and she let out a sigh of unfulfilled desire. "Ahh~, what a shame. The man left early, and it's been years since I've been... watered."

Hikari hypnotized herself: Don't bite, don't bite. Can't hear, can't hear...

Watching Hikari on full defensive against her assault, the teasing glint in Samui's eyes only deepened.

"Hey, Hikari, how about lending me A-Chen for a few days?"

"No way!" Hikari shot up from the water, her wet hair flying as she spun around, three 'heads' all fixing their gaze on Samui.

"What kind of garbage is stuffed inside that head of yours, made of fat layers and connective tissue?! Idiot Samui! Give up that hope right now! Chen is my man, and only I get to use him!"

"Now that's a reaction worth seeing. I think I'm starting to get where A-Chen's in lie~."

"Ah, you!"

Samui's face gleamed with triumph! Hikari realized she'd been had.

Damn you, Samui! She just wanted to hear me say those scandalous words! To satisfy her twisted craving for entertainment!

In the men's bath, separated by a single wooden wall.

Madara's broad shoulders rested against the hot stone by the spring's edge, two faces exposed above the water, three eyes all fixed on Chen. "Was that just my imagination? I thought I heard Hikari declaring ownership to someone."

"It must be your imagination," Chen replied with a smile, thinking to himself: This situation—Samui's teasing Hikari for fun again. Between women, sometimes they crack indecent... no, harmless jokes in private.

Chen began to swim freely in the hot spring.

Madara's gaze followed...

As Chen rose and fell with the water, his lean, fierce muscles released blade-like lines!

So that's it. Chen is the type who looks slender on the outside but has an incredibly powerful physique... just like the 'First Hokage' back in the day.

No wonder he could pull off such extraordinary movements against my Rinbo before, and coordinate with his dojutsu to launch attacks so swift even I couldn't dodge.

It's all built on this formidable body!

"Splash!" When Chen's upper body surfaced again, Madara noticed the centipede-like scar across his chest.

It looks like a sword wound. Seems old, too...

He glanced sideways at Obito, who was soaking quietly alone on the other side of the volcanic rock at the center of the spring.

He withdrew his gaze.

Obito seems to know something about that wound.

But I don't...

Yet if I just ask Chen outright, wouldn't that seem too deliberate and awkward?

The great Uchiha Madara, battle-hardened, who's seen every grand spectacle—prying into a junior's long-healed scar?

But if I don't ask, it'll itch at me...

Just as Madara's inner turmoil reached its peak—

"Oh dear... after all these years, this scar still aches! Hmm! Could it be that swimming too much in the hot environment made the wound congest?"

And right then, of all times, Chen rubbed the scar on his chest and muttered aloud.

Madara's eyes lit up, the corners of his mouth involuntarily twitching upward, before he controlled it into a curve of profound amusement: "For a true Uchiha man, pain is the finest stimulant, Chen. You still have room for tempering."

"Maybe so, but this scar!" Chen hammered the keywords relentlessly: "This scar really has a story! This scar means a lot to me! Oh, this scar of mine..."

Madara smoothly took the bait: "So, how did this scar come about?"

Chen naturally launched into the tale: "Well, that's a long story..."

"No matter. We have all the time. Take your time."

"Uncle Madara, allow me to tell it from the beginning..."

After a thorough soak in the hot spring, pores fully dilated, the oil and grime beneath the skin no longer clung stubbornly.

Hikari and Samui, sisters-in-law, arrived at the bathhouse.

Samui was tasked with scrubbing Hikari's back. Parting the flowing wet hair, what lay before Samui was Hikari's smooth, beautiful back.

She rubbed it with a washcloth.

The scene was as alluring as ever, but the topic had turned far more serious.

"So even Madara and Obito have shown up. That means A-Chen's plan has officially started, right?"

"Mm."

At the affirmative answer, Samui's hand gripping the washcloth paused. "Then what role do you play in this plan?"

Hikari's hand, rubbing her hair, also stilled for a moment before she said, "Chen has never included me in his plan."

"Why? Your abilities should be a huge help to him." Samui resumed her motions.

Hikari rubbed her hair, recalling.

"I asked him the same thing. He said raising our child is a big deal, and he didn't want me distracted. He'd handle things outside, and I should take care of the home."

"But I know that's just an excuse. With our family's wealth, this little household matter isn't even worth mentioning. A-Chen just doesn't want to awaken those memories of the years I was treated as a weapon..."

She set down the washcloth, wrung it out, and placed it aside.

Samui gently rested her hand on the spotless, smooth back. "And you? What do you think?"

Hikari's beautiful eyes sank in thought.

If you can't find the book by title, try searching by the author—maybe it just changed names!

"I wish I could take the initiative to share some of A-Chen's burdens."

"The pain of being treated as a weapon in the past came from fighting against my will."

"But now, I've long had a reason to fight."

"Just like what A-Chen said to me back then—'You are no longer a weapon, but a person true to your name.'"

"Yes, I am no longer a weapon, but a person true to my name."

"So I'm also willing to take up 'my weapon' for A-Chen's wishes, because A-Chen's wishes are my wishes too."

Hikari picked up the bucket and poured it over her head.

"Splash..." The water washed away the foam. She gently shook her wet hair, a clear and moving smile blooming on her face.

"But things haven't reached that point yet~ A-Chen's preparations have been thorough, and his current strength is incredibly reassuring! He's even gained powerful allies like Uncle Madara and Obito, so there might be no room for me to step into the plan from now on!"

"Mmm~" Hikari stretched her arms. "Samui, let me scrub your back now~!"

The two swapped places.

Hikari picked up the washcloth and began scrubbing Samui's back.

They chatted about all sorts of household matters, eventually landing on an old, familiar topic.

"But Samui, back then you were willing to come to the Shadow Hidden Village, and even convinced Atsui—that really surprised me~."

"Hmph, we've talked about this so many times." Samui replied as always: "Being a beast of burden in Cloud, earning meager mission rewards—how could that compare to living the life of a rich lady here without lifting a finger?"

"Is that so? Looks like you're sticking to that story to the end..." Hikari laughed.

Samui's amber eyes held thoughts unknown to others.

Seven years ago, about half a year after Jin's funeral.

A-Chen had spoken to her privately.

"Samui, I'm very sorry my brother left you and the children like that. Personally, I hope you'll find happiness in the days ahead. If you ever meet someone you deem suitable, you can remarry at any time! Don't worry about being bullied—I will always be your family and your support!"

"As for Little Wind and Little Flower, don't fret over them either. No matter where they live in the future, I will protect them for life."

It was from that moment that Samui decided to leave Cloud—not purely out of what A-Chen thought was 'understanding the bigger picture' or 'considering the children.'

A-Jin, he was the man I, Samui Uchiha, chose for myself. Since I followed him, I will forever be a member of the Uchiha family, and I will never remarry in this life!

But A-Chen, I'm truly grateful you said those words to me. You brothers are both people of deep loyalty and love!

In the men's bath, Madara had maintained the same posture throughout, listening to A-Chen's story.

His greatest feeling was: "Are young people's love stories these days always this life-and-death?"

Back in my and Hashirama's era, there was no such thing as love. What was called marriage was more of an oath.

Even someone as strong as Hashirama was no exception—as a symbol of the generations-long friendship between the Senju and Uzumaki Clans.

He married Mito, the daughter of Uzumaki Clan Leader Ashina.

Well, given Hashirama's personality, he managed to turn a political marriage into something lively and vibrant.

A-Chen looked down at the waterproof watch on his wrist.

7:57 PM.

"Let's stop here."

A-Chen stood up from the water.

Madara's gaze shifted downward, and Obito also turned his eyes over.

"This is..."

A Tyrannosaurus Rex. If the ninja world also had a Jurassic era, then what they were seeing could clearly be called a Tyrannosaurus Rex!

Madara's heart shook: "It's even bigger than Hashirama's... A-Chen, as for whether your strength can be called the strongest, since I've never seen you go all out, I'll reserve my opinion for now."

"But... when it comes to this 'thing,' I crown you the strongest!"

"Splash!" Madara stood up from the hot spring, and below his waist—there was clearly a pair of black pants!

"Aren't you going to scrub your back, A-Chen?"

"No need. I'm naturally not prone to getting dirty."

"Splash!" On the other side, Obito also rose, wearing the same black pants!

Through the Impure World Reincarnation, the pants he and Obito wore had become part of their bodies!

Even if taken off... they would immediately grow back!

For Obito, however, it was fortunate that things had turned out this way.

From long ago, he had developed the habit of soaking in a hot spring alone in a corner.

Chen stepped out of the hot spring, draped a loose white bathrobe over himself, and turned back to say, "Uncle Madara, Obito... Hikari and I will be staying at this hot spring inn tonight. You two can look around as you please."

"A body of Impure World Reincarnation feels neither hunger nor the urge to relieve itself. Likewise, there is no need for sleep. How shall we pass this long night?"

Madara and Obito locked eyes at that moment.

"Crackle..." The sparks that had been interrupted by the arrival of Hikari and Tsuki burst forth anew.

Chen pretended not to see, slid open the door, and headed upstairs.

"The grudges and entanglements between those two won't be resolved in a few words. They'll have to 'talk' with their eyes. There's no place more fitting for their conversation than this Taoyuan. After tonight, they can finally set aside old grievances and open their hearts to each other. Only then will this three-man team truly be established... Besides that."

"Creak." Chen pushed open the door to the room, and a soft, fragrant body pressed against his chest.

"Hikari and I should also have a long-overdue heart-to-heart 'talk'..."