Land of Hot Water Sweet Trip (1)

The lush forest path was dappled with sunlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves, the light and shadows on the ground shifting with the breeze.

Obito carried a suitcase in each hand and a backpack on his shoulders, acting as a human transport vehicle, while Tsunade naturally walked empty-handed, responsible only for looking beautiful.

The two had been walking at a leisurely pace for nearly a day; having set off after breakfast, it was now nearly sunset, and they had yet to cross the border of the Land of Fire.

Ugh! What a lackluster world this is. They have computers, so why no cars? Couldn't the puppets of the Land of Wind be modified into a mode of transport? A chakra-powered sports car—eco-friendly and high-performance... Obito grumbled to himself.

"A little further ahead and we'll reach the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water. There's a small town where we can rest for the night," Tsunade said with a smile.

Such a childish temperament, getting impatient after only a day of walking, Tsunade thought to herself, having noticed that Obito's initial excitement had all but dissipated.

"Are we finally almost there? Let's pick up the pace; we still need to find a place to stay once we reach the town." Thinking that the items in his suitcase would finally be put to use, Obito said with some excitement.

"No! We're here for a vacation! Not a mission, and a vacation should look like a vacation," Tsunade objected.

"Besides, you'd lose if we raced anyway, you little brat!" Tsunade added with a jab.

"Hey, hey! Don't think that just because I've let you win a few times, I can't beat you! I was letting you win on purpose, alright?" Obito retorted loudly.

"How laughable! As if I need you to let me win? I am one of the legendary Sannin, after all," Tsunade said dismissively.

"Then do you dare to race me right now? I definitely won't go easy on you!" Obito goaded.

"No."

"You woman!"

"What's the matter, kid?"

"Hey, hey! Obito, put me down! You're being too reckless!" Tsunade shouted.

A cerulean, hundred-meter-tall samurai figure—Susanoo—spread its wings and soared high into the sky.

At the crown of Susanoo, Obito and Tsunade stood within, watching the soft, white clouds drift by like mounds of cotton candy.

"How about it? This view is pretty good, isn't it? Your dream was to travel the world, but you've never seen the scenery from this high up, have you?" Obito asked.

"Mm... it is beautiful, but you're still being too reckless. This puts a heavy burden on your eyes! I've seen enough, let's go down!" Tsunade protested.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Tsunade, I'm going to accompany you to the ends of the earth! That is my vow," Obito said with a radiant smile.

Tsunade couldn't help but be momentarily stunned; Obito's vow warmed her heart, and she took the initiative to gently kiss his forehead.

This suddenly reminded Obito of a meme he had heard in his past life on Earth: Tsunade's "death-defying" two-piece set—a kiss on the forehead and the gift of an ancestral necklace. Only Naruto, the Child of Prophecy, had survived it...

"Obito, this was given to me by my grandfather. I want you to have it."

Tsunade unclasped the crystal necklace she wore close to her heart and handed it to Obito.

"..." It felt as if ten thousand alpacas were stampeding over his head. Whatever he feared came to pass; the necklace was already in his hand. If he didn't accept it, he'd be dead, and there would be no vacation—the two would just break up right there on the spot.

"I want you to put it on me yourself," Obito said.

Tsunade was deeply conflicted. If not for Obito's vow just moments ago, she would never have given him this necklace.

The two men who had worn it before were both dead; this was the eternal pain in Tsunade's heart.

But following Obito's vow, the final sealed-off area of Tsunade's heart had opened.

This necklace was Tsunade's most precious possession. Giving it to Obito meant that from this day forward, she was entrusting herself completely to this young man.

Tsunade moved with gentle grace to fasten the necklace around his neck. The entire process was filled with a sense of ceremony, and Obito cast the stale meme to the back of his mind—if he were to be cursed to death by a necklace, that would just be too pathetic.

"Hold on tight! Let's do something exciting to add even more beautiful memories to this moment." Obito reached out to wrap his arm around Tsunade's waist and steered Susanoo straight into the clouds!

Passing through the thick cloud layer, it seemed as if only the two of them and the setting sun remained beneath the azure sky.

The evening sun had lost its blinding glare, and the fiery red sunset cast its light upon the clouds, as if dressing the white mist in a crimson wedding gown.

"It's so beautiful..." Tsunade had traversed the Naruto World for many years, but this was her first time witnessing a sunset and the evening glow from the sky, and with the person she loved, no less.

"I'll use Susanoo's palm to hold you up, and you take pictures for us."

"Huh? You want to take pictures?" Tsunade asked, looking dazed and cute.

"Yes, of course we have to take pictures of such a beautiful scene, but I have to control Susanoo, so you'll have to do it. Here, this is the latest model camera I bought."

Obito handed Tsunade a camera; the Naruto World had cameras—it was just that magical.

He maneuvered Susanoo to extend its hand flat, then raised the five fingers like a fence to enclose Tsunade in the center, moving her in front of himself. Although they were one behind the other, the angle made it look as if they were standing side by side.

Tsunade snapped dozens of photos in one go before she was satisfied.

Back on solid ground, Tsunade was still marveling at the beauty of the sunset and the evening glow when the silhouette of a small town appeared before them: Hot Spring Town.