Like the Indulgence Apartments, the Desire Hot Springs was completely free and open only to Uchiha clan members.
This counted as a benefit within the clan.
There was no need to advertise it at all.
After watching construction on the site every day for the past month, the clan members were already bursting with curiosity.
As soon as word got out, people immediately flocked over.
By the time Xuandou brought Kurenai to the hot springs, a line had already formed outside.
He glanced inside. Good grief, both the men's and women's baths were full.
Figures crowded the large mixed bath, and even the secluded little pools were occupied.
Xuandou:
"..."
He was a little dumbfounded.
There were far too many people.
Fortunately, he had prepared a backup plan.
As the Clan Head, he had to have a few privileges, didn't he?
Taking Kurenai by the hand, he skirted the crowd and followed a path through the bamboo grove all the way to its deepest reaches.
A small bathing pool lay there, hidden behind several dense clumps of bamboo and enclosed by a bamboo fence. A little wooden sign hung at the entrance, reading "Reserved for the Clan Head."
Xuandou had specifically told the workers to set this pool aside. It was not open to the public.
The pool was small, only three or four square meters, with smooth pebbles lining its edges and fine moss growing in the gaps between the stones.
The water was clear enough to see the bottom, with wisps of white steam rising from it. A few bamboo leaves floated on the surface, turning in little circles.
Bamboo enclosed the pool tightly on every side, leaving only a small patch of sky visible overhead.
A faint fragrance drifted through the air, mingling with the distinctive mineral scent of the spring water. Just breathing it in made the whole body relax.
Xuandou turned to Kurenai:
"Let's hurry and get in!"
Kurenai stood beside the pool, her face already scarlet.
How could she not know what Xuandou was planning?
But she said nothing, merely lowering her head and turning to enter the changing room beside them.
A moment later, the changing room door opened.
Kurenai stepped out.
She wore a deep-red string bikini, its pieces held in place by thin ties.
Bows were tied at either side of the bottoms, revealing a stretch of fair, tender waist.
Her skin was already pale, and against the deep red, it looked almost dazzlingly white.
Her eighteen-year-old body had already begun to fill out, the curves of her chest straining tightly against the fabric, her waist slender enough to encircle with a hand, her legs long and straight.
She did not know where to put her hands, letting them hang at her sides one moment and folding them across her arms the next. Her blush had reached her ears, and she kept her lashes lowered, not daring to look at Xuandou.
Xuandou could not take his eyes off her.
"Kurenai, you..."
His stare made Kurenai burn all over. Gritting her teeth, she hurried to the pool and stepped straight in.
The instant the warm spring water covered her body, she could not help letting out a soft hiss.
The temperature was just right, neither hot nor cold, like a gentle hand enveloping her entire body.
Warmth seeped through her skin and flowed along her blood vessels throughout her body, leaving even her bones feeling a little weak.
Her tense muscles and the fatigue hidden deep within her body were all gradually melted away by the warmth of the water.
"Mmm~"
She could not help letting out a soft, intoxicating hum as she leaned back against the stones at the edge of the pool and closed her eyes.
Her voice was so soft it could have melted.
The sound instantly sent Xuandou's blood surging.
He stripped off his clothes in a few quick motions, hastily pulled on a pair of swim trunks, and jumped into the pool too.
Water splashed up and landed on Kurenai's face.
She opened her eyes and met Xuandou's gleaming gaze.
Xuandou swam over and sat down beside her.
They were practically pressed together.
Through the warm water, they could feel the heat of each other's skin.
"Kurenai..."
He reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder.
Kurenai's shoulder flinched slightly, but she did not pull away.
Xuandou's hand slid down from her shoulder, along her arm, and came to rest on her waist.
Her waist was slender and soft, her skin smooth as silk and even more slippery when wet.
"Y-you... don't let your hands wander..."
Kurenai spoke softly.
Xuandou leaned close to her ear, his warm breath brushing it:
"How about I give you a massage?"
Kurenai said nothing, only lowering her face farther.
Xuandou took that as agreement.
Wisps of white mist rose over the pool.
They mingled with the faint fragrance.
It made Kurenai's whole body involuntarily relax.
The bamboo grove rustled overhead.
A few bamboo leaves drifted down and landed on Kurenai's shoulder.
She reached to brush them away, but Xuandou's hand got there first and plucked a leaf away.
His hand did not leave, settling naturally on her shoulder.
The skin there had turned slightly pink from soaking in the hot spring and felt slick and smooth.
He pressed down gently with his fingers, kneading the muscles of her shoulders and neck.
The muscles there were a little stiff, probably from the strain of her usual training.
"Does my massage feel good?"
"...Yes."
Kurenai's voice was muffled, her face still lowered.
The fragrance grew more and more noticeable.
Breathing it in made her feel flustered, yet she could not bear to hold her breath.
Xuandou earnestly massaged Kurenai's back.
Kurenai closed her eyes, her lashes trembling gently, her breathing shallow and quick.
"Mmm~..."
Xuandou's massage grew increasingly practiced.
Kurenai leaned limply against the edge of the pool.
The fragrance throughout the Desire Hot Springs grew stronger and stronger.
The steam rising from the spring water gradually thickened as well.
The mist spreading everywhere enveloped their figures together...