Spring had arrived, and gentle spring breezes blew away the winter cold.
Plant seeds sprouted in the ground, and the frozen river began flowing once more.
Naruto stood on the riverbank, looking fearfully at the water, which had only recently thawed and was still freezing cold.
"Don't worry, Naruto. Be brave and walk out onto it."
Hashirama's encouraging voice reached Naruto's ears from the Sealing Space.
"Won't I freeze to death?"
Naruto's voice trembled a little. He took off his gloves and dipped his index finger into the water.
Hiss, so cold. It feels no different from ice.
"Relax. There definitely won't be any problems!"
"This is a method developed by my little brother, who's only a little less clever than his older brother."
Indeed, this training method had been developed specifically for Ninja Academy students by the Second Hokage-Tobirama Senju.
It consisted of basic tree-climbing training and advanced Water Walking training.
However, the original version Hashirama had learned about only included Water Walking. Although Tobirama had added the basic version later, Hashirama knew nothing about it.
Tobirama: Better not let that foolish big brother of mine know about this, lest he ruin promising youngsters in the future.
And so Naruto was introduced to this highly difficult Water Walking training right from the start.
Naruto swallowed and gently placed his foot on the surface of the water.
Splash.
His foot went straight in.
"Teacher, how long did you practice back then?"
Naruto pulled his foot back and asked Hashirama Senju inside the Sealing Space.
"Me? Let me think."
"Hmm, hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm-hmm. About two days, I think."
"Keep at it, Naruto. I believe in your potential."
Two days?
Sounds pretty easy, Naruto thought.
In reality, however, Hashirama had only started Water Walking training in his teens, and he had completely overlooked that detail.
Then Naruto fell into the river under Kurama's speechless gaze.
"Brr, it's freezing!"
Naruto's clothes were soaked, and the icy river water pressed against his skin.
The ANBU on duty in a tree saw this and hurried over to pull Naruto out.
"Hey, what are you doing?!"
This was Uzuki Yugao, and she was very displeased with Naruto's unexpected actions.
A child this young should have stayed safely at home and played with friends now and then, rather than putting on a diving show for the ANBU here.
"Ah, miss, I'm practicing how to walk on water."
Yugao, who had never imagined that a child of three, nearly four, would undertake this sort of training, was utterly floored by Naruto's words.
She looked at Naruto, who did not even reach her waist, then at the river, which was deep enough to reach his neck.
"Who told you about this kind of training?"
Yugao was very curious about where Naruto had learned of this method.
Well, this was where the explanation the clever Hashirama had taught him in advance came in handy.
"I saw a Shinobi standing on the water spearing fish before, so I wanted to try it myself."
Naruto hugged himself tightly. It's so cold. I should've listened to Kurama and never come to this awful place to practice.
"Sigh, I'll take you for a bath first. I'll have someone go to your house to get your clothes."
Behind her mask, Yugao looked utterly speechless. She had not expected that reason.
Come to think of it, what Shinobi would have so much spare time that they'd come spear fish in the river behind the mountain?
Wait, there does seem to be a certain white-haired guy who likes grilled fish...
Never mind. I'll take Naruto to the bathhouse for a bath first.
Not minding the cold water on Naruto, Yugao picked him straight up and hurried toward the bathhouse with him.
"Mm, kind of soft."
That was what Naruto felt after being picked up.
Hearing his words, Yugao's face darkened, and she tapped Naruto's wet head with a finger as she ran.
"Don't squirm!"
Sure enough, children needed a little scare. Naruto settled down as soon as she said that.
Soon, Yugao arrived at the bathhouse with Naruto.
"Hello, honored ANBU. This is..."
The bathhouse owner recognized Naruto in Yugao's arms. Wasn't this the Nine-Tailed Fox everyone in the village had been talking about?
From the looks of him, did he fall into the water?
No way. The mighty Nine-Tailed Fox slipped and fell into the water?
This world really has gone mad.
"Oh! Isn't that Yuga... an ANBU?"
A bowl-cut man in a green jumpsuit recognized Yugao, but seeing her mask and ANBU uniform, he hurriedly corrected himself.
"Guy? Perfect. Sorry for the trouble, but could you take this child in for a bath?"
Yugao had been wondering whether to take Naruto into the women's baths, but Guy had arrived at just the right moment. She might as well let him take Naruto for a bath.
"Oh-ho-ho! I see! Practicing hard at the very start of spring, at such a young age!"
"Such youth!"
"No problem. Leave it to me!"
After hearing Yugao's explanation, Might Guy was so moved that he nearly cried. He wiped away the tears about to fall, and passion blazed in his eyes.
Raising a thumb and flashing his pearly white teeth, Guy acknowledged Naruto's youth.
Naruto: I haven't even reached puberty yet. I'm still a human cub.
Mēidémìngzǐ: Your so-called human cub ran me straight through in one go! He's cheating! Ban him already.
Watching Guy get inexplicably worked up, Yugao's mouth kept twitching beneath her mask, but she still handed Naruto over to Might Guy.
"Naruto, go in with this man and have a bath."
Naruto opened his eyes, then was frightened by the kappa before him.
"Aah!!! A kappa!"
Might Guy's smile froze on his face. Then he snatched the soaking-wet Naruto into his arms.
"Ah, this child is truly youthful, but I'm not a kappa."
"I am Konoha's Blue Beast of the Hidden Leaf, Might Guy!"
Tucked under Might Guy's arm, Naruto tried to struggle, putting his whole body into it.
Whoa, what strength!
Might Guy felt Naruto's strength. It actually amounted to thirty percent of his usual strength. It was simply unbelievable.
But recalling the child's identity, Might Guy could only marvel that he truly lived up to being a Jinchūriki.
"No, let me go! I want to bathe with the nice lady!"
Naruto accidentally let his true feelings slip out.
And so Yugao, who had been enjoying the show, silently walked up behind Naruto as he dangled under Guy's arm.
"Huh? Why did you put me down?"
Might Guy set Naruto down, but at that moment, a chill came from behind him.
"Naruto, what did you just say you wanted to do?"
!
I'm done for! I forgot she was still behind me!
"Um, achoo!"
Naruto faked a sneeze, then dragged the kappa man into the men's baths.
"Hey, you haven't paid yet!"
The bathhouse owner, who had been relegated to the background, could no longer stand idly by. What if those two were trying to bathe for free?
"Here's the money. Keep the change."
Yugao took a hundred-ryo note from a pocket close to her body and handed it straight to the owner.
"Oh-ho-ho, how generous of you, honored ANBU! I won't disturb you. Enjoy your baths, enjoy."
A visit to the men's baths cost twenty ryo, and with no one coming to bathe at noon, business was not particularly good.
But this beautiful, lovely, elegant ANBU lady had met his entire lunchtime sales target in one go.
How did the owner know all that through her mask?
Obviously, just look at how wealthy and approachable she was. One glance told him she came from money.
Even if she were a pig, she would be the prettiest kind.
[]~(￣▽￣)~*
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