On a bitter winter day, soaking in a steaming hot spring was pure bliss. The vapor rose in swirling clouds, obscuring most of the view and pushing the irritation from his mind.
Sora Uchiha soaked in the hot spring, his eyes peacefully narrowed as he felt the warmth rush from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head.
The hot spring washed away his resentment at having to carry out a mission in the middle of winter, replacing it with the height of pleasure.
"This feels so good~" he murmured.
Kazuki Utsuki stood on the bank in his robe, watching Sora Uchiha enjoy himself and smiling. He'd known Sora would like it.
He hadn't gotten into the spring right away. First, he'd surveyed the layout, then asked an older man and learned that there were three kinds of baths here:
Men's, women's, and mixed.
They'd chosen the men's bath. There weren't many people in it, just a handful. That was only to be expected, though. The mixed bath was right next door, and most people had gone there to join in the fun.
"Brother Kazuki, aren't you getting in?" Sora Uchiha asked, puzzled that Kazuki Utsuki had been lingering on the bank.
"Yeah, I'm coming." Kazuki Utsuki had already memorized the surrounding terrain. If anything went wrong, he could get Sora out of there at once. It was a habit he'd developed over many years.
He came over to Sora Uchiha, narrowed his eyes in contentment, and began to enjoy the brief peace.
Suddenly, Sora Uchiha heard a series of strange sounds. They were faint, masked by the hiss of the steam rising off the water. He frowned slightly and glanced toward them.
The spot he'd chosen was near the partition wall separating the men's bath