He shrank back, scrambling to grab the edge of the pool.
"O-okay, that's enough! I'm getting dizzy from soaking too long! I'm going back to my room!"
Before he had even finished speaking, he sprang out of the hot spring, grabbed the yukata beside him, hastily wrapped it around himself, and dashed away without looking back.
Chinatsu watched his adorable retreat as he fled, his arms and legs almost moving in sync. She did not chase him or say anything more.
She sank into the warm spring water, leaving only her smiling eyes and faintly flushed cheeks above the surface.
They held a hint of triumphant mischief and a wealth of affection.
Genya's room.
Genya slammed the door shut with a bang, his heart still pounding wildly.
He shook his wet hair, walked to the center of the room, and took several deep breaths.
"That was terrifying..."
Muttering under his breath, he sat down at the low table and forced himself to unroll the Lightning Release scroll.
"The Naruto world is just too ridiculous... Kids being precocious is already outrageous enough. Is this some kind of Uchiha bloodline bonus? I never saw that coming..."
He focused his attention on the Lightning Release Ninjutsu, but those gentle yet bold eyes, that face so close to his, and the glistening water refused to leave his mind.
After an unknown stretch of time, the door slid quietly open.
Chinatsu entered carrying a tray, her hair half-dry and her yukata fresh and clean. On it were simple rice balls, miso soup, and a few side dishes.
She had returned to her usual gentle composure, as though the girl who had taken the initiative in the hot spring had been nothing but Genya's imagination.
"Young master, your dinner is here. After soaking in the hot