Last chapter someone mentioned something about hoping this story's rating changed. Well actually it was quietly bumped up to M about four chapters ago. XD And although I know people always hope M-rated fics will have intense intimate moments when it comes to romance (i.e. sex scenes) the real reason I moved the rating up for now is actually due to my desire to portray graphic (realistic and not gratuitous) violence that doesn't quite fit under the T umbrella in upcoming arcs, including graphic violence toward minors. It doesn't mean that explicit stuff in terms of the romance is off the table, per se; I'm still mulling that over or wondering if I'd possibly put those scenes in the AO3 version exclusively and write "fade to black" stuff here, but I thought that deserved a bit of explanation either way. That being said, I think the chapter title here is very fitting and well deserved as you'll soon find out.


If the change in the color of the sky was any indication, hours had gone by, and still Izuna felt no desire to show his face at the compound. Instead he found a quiet bench to sit on near an area recently designated as a park, and stared down at his hands, turning them over to study every line and callous.

Never in his life would he have thought himself capable of taking it too far, striking down his own flesh and blood for no reason other than…than what, exactly? He had yet to figure it out. No, rather he was scared to try. Tilting his head back, he let his mind drift to Sakura, and what she would think of him now.

Naoko hadn't seemed angry at him. She had tried to steady him until he pushed away from her and went off on his own. She would give him space, trust him to sort it out and talk when he was ready.

Madara…Madara hadn't really appeared mad either. Confused, hurt in both senses of the word, but not bitter. Hard to tell that with the brief exchange of eye contact they'd shared afterwards, though. So again his mind led him back to the disappointment at him and worry for his brother he had seen in Sakura's eyes.

Whatever damage he'd caused, she would fix easily, making Madara whole again in no time. But he really didn't see her thinking too highly of him. It was fair, because at present he didn't think highly of himself either.

Rubbing a hand tiredly down his face, Izuna considered going home when the first snow he'd seen all day began to fall. It drifted down slowly, right through the spaces between the barren branches of the trees dotting the side of the path, settling on his clothes and in his hair, making him grateful he'd dressed warmly that morning.

Fuzzy memories of running through the snow on nimble feet chasing after his brothers and being chased in turn started to surface, and for a while he was content to replay the rare memory where he and his brothers were together and happy like children should be. Then more winters passed, until less footprints marred the snow, until only he and Madara remained. Izuna took in a deep, shuddering breath and let the cold sting his lungs. It felt like the bone-deep chill of winter had been settled into him for longer than he'd realized, something he'd buried. Something that had finally surfaced to hurt—

"…na? Izuna?"

Izuna blinked snow from his eyelashes and pushed his hair aside. A person was coming toward him, bundled up and white-haired. "Jun'ichi." he said, putting name to face when the Kaguya got close enough to see in the fading light. They hadn't really run into each other since he'd gone to visit the Inuzuka compound and hear for himself what the Kaguya wanted in Konoha. Of course, that had led to an uncomfortable nagging about where exactly Jun'ichi's relationship stood with Sakura, but that too he'd managed to stuff down.

"This is a very lonely spot to reminisce…" Jun'ichi remarked, taking in his no doubt pitiful state. The Uchiha knew his cheeks were rosy, his hair sheened with frost and his stature slumped and defeated. He looked pretty down on his luck, in short.

"It's an even lonier spot to go walking at sunset alone." he returned, unsure what to make of the other young man's sudden appearance.

Jun'ichi's lips quirked in a wry smirk as he drew his kimono tighter to him. "Loneliness is bred into a Kaguya, in our bones I guess you'd say."

Izuna was yet again baffled by the subtle but distinct way in which the person before him had changed since childhood. "You tell jokes now?"

"Not very good ones my sister assures me." He gestured to the free space on the bench. "May I sit?"

Izuna shuffled a bit to him he was welcome, despite there already being ample room available without doing so. Jun'ichi settled himself gracefully beside him, and they sat quietly, just watching the snow drift to their feet.

Oddly, though he had been avoiding returning home, having someone else at his side wasn't as uncomfortable as he'd anticipated.

"Your adjustment to the village must be going well," he glanced at Jun'ichi then back at the barren trees and white landscape. "You're out by yourself."

"Mm. Well, there's the matter of being watched near constantly by Tobirama Senju. He's rather persistent."

Izuna narrowed his eyes. "Quite."

"I suppose our activity so far has been innocuous enough to allow for some small freedoms. I can take evening strolls outside the compound, and my sisters can attend the academy with the other children. Depending on which you ask you'll get a different answer about if that's freedom or not." He rubbed his tanned hands together. "Kikue takes it in stride. Harihane, I'm told, has been caught trying to dash up the wall and escape no less than four times during recreational playtime."

Izuna chuckled, thinking of the varying ways in which the children he mentored had been adapting to the academy structure. Kagami was content, making friends, and many of the others were coming out of their shells and playing well with all kinds of children.

Manabu gravitated toward other children from equally prestigious clans, and interacted with them exclusively. It gave further credence to the suspicion he had about the ideology his father was nurturing in him.

"She's going to be on a tighter chain than ever if she keeps doing that," Izuna mused.

"I'm certain she's hoping she'll be dismissed from the academy outright."

Izuna grinned, knowing that Hashirama's unending insistence that every child no matter their clan be allowed to learn the Will of Fire, would never make Harihane getting her wish that easy.

"Slowly but surely you're finding a life here, in the village." He leaned into his knees, "That was more than you were willing to hope for the last time we spoke,"

"A change in self has a way of changing your outlook." Jun'ichi explained. "Things have fallen into place and I haven't questioned it. My sisters have a chance at childhood here, and I'm content with that."

Izuna nodded in understanding, imagining what could have been if only Sanna and the twins could have had the same second chance. "My younger brothers didn't grow up to see this," he said slowly, "Madara and I carried a lot of shared resentment over that for years."

Jun'ichi closed his eyes, silently grimacing. "I apologize. I should have—"

"No, don't," Izuna assured him, touching a hand to his arm absently. "It took me a long time to learn that you can't live in blame."

Jun'ichi sized him up, making a small noise of assessment in the back of his throat. "Your lips and your eyes are at odds."

The quiet assertion seized his full attention, and with a sharp turn of his head, two sets of dark eyes clashed with each other.

"That's very bold." Izuna muttered.

Jun'ichi's bark of laughter was decidedly self-deprecating. "And there is one word no one has ever needed to use to describe me," The Kaguya responded flatly. "Up until recently I was a passive coward, as I'm sure I've told you. I did a lot of observing, but not a lot of acting. Maybe that's why I can recognize someone soaking in melancholy." He touched a finger to the tip of his nose. "There's almost a smell to self-loathing."

"And I'm giving off that smell?" Izuna asked, "Right now?"

Despite his small effort to play off Jun'ichi's irritatingly astute statement, the Kaguya was having none of it. He arched a brow pointedly. "You tell me."

The choice was his. To lay his heart bare to someone he had once been an acquaintance of at best, or to brush the opportunity aside and go on his way. Izuna swallowed around a sudden lump in his throat, shrugging.

"Siblings sometimes disagree."

"Of course," the white-haired shinobi said.

"I wouldn't say it's really an issue."

"No, fights are normal among family."

"I could have handled it better…" he admitted.

"In hindsight we all find ways to minimize the damage we've caused."

"He didn't ask to lose his memory, just like he didn't ask to be our clan's heir."

"I don't have any experience in memory loss but the pressures of being groomed as a clan heir I know pretty well. I'm assuming your older brother isn't well lately?"

"He's fairing…I think." Izuna found himself staring off blankly. "Or maybe both of us are closer to falling apart then I'd like to admit. I'm not as immune to Uchiha pride as I thought I was."

Jun'ichi's hand was warm on his shoulder even through his clothes. Izuna stared down at it in puzzled wonder. Without pressuring him, without judging him, the Kaguya heir had prompted him to speak his mind, and he had. "I…I'm not sure why I said any of that."

"Correct me if I'm off base, but those are words that have been on your mind for some time now?"

Izuna sighed. "You could say that. Although now that they've been released I'm both relieved and disturbed. I told myself I'd made peace with the idea of being Madara's right hand. As a child I thought of it as living in his shadow, but…when I got older I decided to see it as a greater purpose."

"The…parallels and distinctions in our family dynamics are sort of jarring." Jun'ichi whispered under his breath. "Growing up, I found myself born into a horrible legacy I wanted nothing to do with but was too afraid to change. My sisters, on the other hand, worked endlessly for our father's approval and were denied at every turn because of their places as second and third-born, as well as their gender. I know I caused Harihane a great deal of pain, especially, ignoring the ways she was hurting."

"But she's forgiven you now?" Izuna asked, wondering if maybe he hadn't forgiven his childhood grudge against Madara as much as he'd previously believed.

"Through trial and error, yes." Jun'ichi told him. "We've recently found the sibling bond we were denied growing up like we did. But it was only after we talked things through. For the first time I confronted her pain, and my own, and there was a new solace in coming out the other side of it all. You and your brother must have shared in nearly everything your entire lives, too."

He was right, of course. Jun'ichi had been right a lot since they'd started talking. As Uchiha, as friends, and more importantly as brothers, they had shared in years of experiences. There wasn't a time he could recall when Madara hadn't been with him. With the exception of the few short years spent as an only child, his elder brother would have to say the same. "Battles, losses, dreams…" he recounted. "Not the affection for cats, but I've been working on that." He added, trying to bring levity into what was otherwise a solemn discussion.

"Your bond has already withstood a lot." Jun'ichi surmised. "I may not have all the details, but I don't see why this would be different." He stood up, turning and offering a hand with a small smile. Izuna took it, getting to his own feet. "Go home, Izuna. Your brother should be waiting."

Gratitude on his lips, Izuna paused. "Thank you…and what I said about Madara's memory problems…"

Jun'ichi smiled in confusion. "I might have memory issues myself, because I don't recall that."

Izuna smirked, clapping a hand to his shoulder. "You're a decent man, Jun'ichi."


Madara eyed the meal placed in front of him, Naoko bustling around the kitchen seemingly without a care. "I still can't help but feel like this is taking it to the extreme."

"Quail is just the kind of meal that keeps your strength up in this weather, actually." Naoko tossed hair over her shoulder, sitting down and setting a loaf of fresh bread between them.

"I mean the fact that you said you would handle Izuna, and yet you're here."

Naoko looked up through her bangs, breaking off some of the bread and pointing it at him. "I told you in my experience it would resolve itself, and you don't remember enough to know differently."

"Therein lies the problem," Madara leaned his chin against his knuckles, poking around his plate of vegetables with chopsticks.

"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Naoko pouted, her voice wavering.

"I'm saying that with one less person at the table there's more food." He pointed out, "And a great deal of it is already on your plate."

"I will apologize for many shortcomings but being well-fed isn't one of them, Madara." She sniffed daintily. "Izuna is capable and before today, mostly rational. He'll come home when—"

The front door slammed open, letting in a terrible draft. "Madara!"

Said Uchiha turned his head, blinking in shock at the sight of his brother standing there, panting and wide-eyed. Naoko grinned around her next bite of quail. "Izu—"

"I have a lot to speak to you about,"

Madara slowly stood, mindful of his bandaged, twinging abdomen. For his brother's sake he fought the urge to rub it. "Clearly," he said. "We were about to have a me—"

Izuna rushed over, clasping his shoulders with the same desperate look, "It can't wait," he said hurriedly. "I don't want to carry this anymore. I—"

"If you'll excuse me." Neither brother registered Naoko's exit much, although Madara vaguely noticed she'd carried off the rest of the dinner bread and a chunk of quail meat.

Removing Izuna's hands, he studied the deep onyx eyes so much like his own, finally nodding. "I'm listening."

Izuna carded a restless hand through his hair, puffing out a large breathe and licking his lips. "I didn't mean…I didn't mean to let the heat of the moment get the best of me." Madara followed his crestfallen face down to where it rested, his wounded torso. "I let things go unspoken for too long. Brothers should never cross swords in malice."

"Malice?" Madara repeated, more amused than offended. "Recovering my memories seems more and more likely to lead me to the revelation that I was a bastard."

"Well…" Izuna smiled half-heartedly. "You had your moments, but that aside, we're brothers, the last of our immediate family. I told you that I would help you, that you could rely on me while you recovered, but I wasn't up to the task."

The elder brother gripped his elbow, cocking his head. "I would say neither of us was truly honest. It wasn't that I didn't consider what carrying the secret burden of my amnesia was doing to you. I'm far from blind, but I chose to close my eyes nonetheless. For that, I'm sorry Izuna. We should both be more honest with ourselves and each other."

Mouth agape, Izuna glanced up from the ground, eyes watering indiscreetly. Something about the expression he wore, so full of emotion, brought a distant memory zipping back.

A smaller, younger Izuna with shorter hair peered up at him with the same teary eyes. Unthinkingly, he pulled him forward, nearly drawing away at how cold he felt. But Izuna was quick to latch on, chin resting on his shoulder, body quaking silently. Droplets of warmth landed on his clothing. Madara kept a steadying arm across his back, choosing not to mention the discomfort of having the weight pressed to his injury.


The week had dragged like a year, and it wasn't even over! Sakura rolled over under her sheets, Usamaro snuggled up under her chin. Bone tired. That's what she was. There were absolutely no plans to abandon her spot. The day had already been fully dedicated to rest with sleep as her mistress.

The Senju. The Uchiha. Learning more about her new abilities. Sakura felt as though she'd been pulled in every different direction, a malleable piece of dough up for grabs. If she stretched any further, then she would undoubtedly separate into pieces before very long.

Sleep and solitude were undoubtedly the safer of all options.

"Usamaro, why didn't I do this sooner?" she slurred, eyes fluttering shut in spite of the sun high in the sky beyond her drawn curtains. And the folding screen blocking those for good measure.

The cat purred in answer, and she let the soft sound carry her deeper into slumber, worries about what would become of the brothers without her to mediate for the day lifting from her shoulders.

Shikamaru may have been onto something all along, because there was something delicious about the way her body sank into unconsciousness. At least, she thought so, until sound outside her bedroom made Usamaro bolt up with a loud hiss, his claws digging into her side as he stood atop her.

Sakura was equally if not more so irate, shooing the cat away and climbing from the hollow of her crisp sheets. Her hand found purchase on the kunai never far away, and she had already told herself that friend or foe, whoever was in her house would be on the business end of her kunai without a damn good explanation.

"I'd really hate to be you right now!" Sakura called loudly, moving with stealth in spite of herself. "This is the worst possible time to get the drop on me, because I'm sleepy, I'm armed, and I'm—"

"Not at all sick, at least. That's good to see." Sakura whirled in the direction of the chakra signature to see Toka upright and alert, watching her in relieved consternation.

"Toka…" Sakura let the tension fall from her shoulders, breezing by to set down her kunai. "I'm glad to see you're better." It would wound her friend's pride for her to bring up but only one of them had been laid flat, blotchy and near delirious the last time they'd seen each other.

Usamaro crept out of his hiding place and used a paw to bat at the older kunoichi's foot. When Toka noticed the cat she bent automatically to hold him, and just like that Usamaro melted into a gray and white ball of happy grunts. "Yes, thanks to you I'm told." She stroked a hand down the feline's spotted back. "I can't say I recall much clearly. But along with Lord Tobirama you rescued the clan from certain peril."

Sakura glanced around her mostly sparse bedroom, save for the few things outside the futon and trunk used for décor. "You can…you can come sit," she offered, moving back to the edge of her futon herself. "I was just passing through and Mei-san explained the situation, I couldn't just leave."

"No," Toka rubbed Usamaro's gray ear and Sakura laughed at the way the crease of his eyes was almost gone as he practically grinned. "You're far too diligent of a medic to abandon the vulnerable. I'm grateful, as we all are."

"Toka, you're embarrassing me…" The pinkette crossed one knee over her thigh. Self-conscious, she ran a hand through nonexistent tangles in her now long hair. "Did you stop by to check in on me? You should still be resting."

"I'm recovered," the brunette said firmly. Sakura wanted to point out that she was just as likely to say that even if she was still unwell, but the woman carried on without missing a beat. "I only wanted to thank you in person, but I also feared when I noticed the quietness of the house that you had succumbed to pox belatedly. Lord Tobirama said you may boast immunity, but one can never be too cautious,"

Shaking her head, Sakura covered a yawn. "Oh, I think so at least. I don't feel sick, just really exhausted with…well, a lot."

"Understandable," Toka hummed, finally letting Usamaro down so he could return to her side. He trotted across the floor, bobbed tail swishing as he reached Sakura and flopped down on her leg. To make his goal more cleared he gnawed lightly at her fingers and she rolled her eyes, patting him. Leaning forward the Senju squinted closely. "You do have an impressive set of bags, maybe the onset of wrinkles."

"What?!" Sakura gasped, both hands flying to pull at her cheeks. Was her skin still tight and smooth, or had her luck finally run out? Had all the events of her adventures caught up with her until she looked just like her mentor without her youth henge in place?

"I…I'm sorry," Toka coughed into her hand. "I meant it as a joke, but—"

"There's a line that shouldn't be crossed!" Sakura pointed accusingly.

"In all seriousness you do look rather fatigued. Perhaps you've been overextending yourself with the matters of everyone around you."

"A little," Sakura rubbed at her eye, ignoring Usamaro who had sprang into her lap, paws on her chest as he all but glared directly into her face, demanding more pets.

Toka appeared thoughtful, "Then maybe…"

"What?" Sakura straightened, sending Usamaro tumbling from her lap with a short cry. He landed on his feet, but it didn't stop him from grumbling as he disappeared into the cavern of the deserted futon.

"There is a new hot springs recently opened. I've heard nothing but praises, maybe a visit to see its benefits firsthand would do us some good."

Sakura blinked, more alert suddenly. "A trip to the baths? With you?"

Toka frowned, "Does the idea truly offend…"

"No," Sakura held up her hands. "That's not it. It sounds perfect actually. When do you want to go?"

Toka's face softened, "Tomorrow evening."

Sakura stood up, already feeling more invigorated. "Alright," she cheered, throwing one fist in the air. "I'm actually getting pretty pumped. It's been way too long since I've enjoyed a good hot springs bath." She could already feel the steamy water on her poor muscles. "How about we invite some of the other girls? Like Yurine, Shikamarin, and um, maybe Naoko Uchiha, if that's okay with you?" Naoko was an interesting character, but despite her whimsical nature, she hardly seemed bad. Sakura thought she could be a person worth getting to know, and what better way than during a nice soak together?

Toka shrugged. "If you wish."

Sakura collapsed back into her futon with a giddy squeal, realizing her mistake too late when Usamaro rocketed into the air with a yowl.


Submerged in the water to his shoulders, steam in the air and the tall bamboo walls dividing one side from the other, all was peaceful. Tobirama let his eyes drift closed with a sigh. The serenity of the moment was well-earned in his opinion. The high levels of endless vexation that came with working from the shadows as well as in the open to maintain a well-functioning village system needed a release. After their opening, the hot springs had become the answer.

He and the owners had an understanding, allowing him to come twice a week on certain evenings, guaranteed that he wouldn't be disturbed by any other patrons. It had been working quite well, and Tobirama got the solitude to meditate. For a shinobi, a healthy body was as necessary as a strong one, and he was determined to keep an ideal level of balance in that regard.

Somewhere nearby, the distinct sound of a cooing dove made Tobirama slowly open his eyes and shift forward, the water sloshing around his naked torso. While he couldn't spot the animal, he mused that just its cry and its presence meant that nature still hadn't quite righted itself from the erratic bouts of unseasonable weather the later half of the year had been plagued with. No doubt the birds and other wildlife must have been confused. Foraging for prey animals such as doves was usually slim in the full throes of winter.

The dove cried out again, and it was hard to say if it was in mourning or elation, but the sound carried well across the mostly empty bath area, so it was likely not far. Tobirama got comfortable again, reaching for the tray of sake at his side to imbibe.

The heated path it licked down his throat was pleasurably warm while the gently falling snow melting on his sweaty skin provided just enough cool reprieve to keep him from feeling overheated. When he leaned back the press of the shiny, dark stones lining the bath was there in support. Yes, this time of year, destressing this way just made sense. His fingers loosely curled around the bottle to pour himself another cup, but they halted when the unwelcome presence of intruders curled over him. Each one far too recognizable for it to be mere coincidence.

Lips firm in a scowl and ruby eyes hardened, Tobirama abandoned the sake and waded to the side of the hotspring furthest from the bath's entrance as the door slid open, a boisterous laugh spilling out and shattering the tranquility in one fell swoop.

Hashirama near staggered out into the open, his arm slung around a disgruntled-looking Madara, both clad in the inn-issued towels at their waists and nothing else. Curiously, heavy bandaging wrapped tight around the latter's lower stomach stopping just above the edge of the towel.

A more subdued Izuna followed behind them, and an eager-eyed blonde that Tobirama vaguely remembered as one of the Yuhi siblings from the disastrous mission report brought up the rear. As per usual his older brother was dominating conversation with sheer charisma, guiding Madara to the water's edge with the arm still hanging around his shoulders. "No worries, no worries! Even if you don't remember if you can swim, you probably won't drown either."

"That's your idea of reassuring?" The Uchiha's deep voice spat.

"So this is a real ryokan?" Yuhi questioned, his excitement clear.

"This is your first time at one then?" Izuna asked.

"Well," he chuckled, rubbing a hand through the short hair at the back of his head, "I guess so. The Yuhi never had much in terms of territory and our numbers were never big enough to fight other clans for more. We made do with what we had before…you know…"

Some time ago, it was reported the Yuhi clan had been slaughtered down to the last child and their village razed by the Kaguya. Obviously that wasn't quite true, but very close nonetheless as Konoha was now home to the last two survivors, as it were.

Deciding it was impossible to expect anything remotely close to a peaceful end to his bath, Tobirama turned to climb out, but of course his luck lately never held, proven when he was spotted. "Oi, Tobirama!" he turned to see that Hashirama was waving a long arm through the air with bright eyes. The Uchiha brothers had gone stiff, Madara with his leg dangling awkwardly into the water as he prepared to climb in and Izuna staring with open wariness.

"It's just like you to pollute the ambiance here, anija."

"Don't be like that!" Hashirama called, spreading his arms wide. "There's no need for you to leave when the baths are large enough to accommodate all of us."

With that, Tobirama let his gaze dart pointedly to the two Uchiha with him. "I don't enjoy the sight of you in a towel any more than I enjoy your presence itself," Madara finally slid completely into the water. "Stay or go, it doesn't matter to me." Then the man had the gall to turn his back to him and begin putting his long hair up.

"You see?" Hashirama grinned triumphantly. "That was basically a peace treaty. Sort of…"

Tobirama sat back down in the water, far from happy. He didn't take kindly to the idea of being nonchalantly dismissed by Madara, of all people. He'd stay as long as he liked and leave when he wanted, Uchiha be damned. The tension eased enough after that for Yuhi and Izuna to climb in as well, the younger Uchiha also securing his own hair. Hashirama's was already tied in a loose bun and he wasted no time joining everyone in the bath and then letting out a long, obnoxious sigh of contentment.

When the tray floated past and his elder brother took the sake bottle and a cookie for himself, he didn't bat an eye. It was nothing short of expected for Hashirama to take root in whatever space he occupied. Like a garden of weeds, as it were. "I guess there's no point in asking how you charmed the owners into letting you all in when I explicitly told them I wanted to bathe alone."

The elder Senju's brown eyes crinkled. "Being the Hokage has its own privileges. I convinced them whoever their guest was wouldn't mind."

"Yet here we are," Tobirama said flatly.

"Don't let us stop your enjoyment," Hashirama knocked back the sake, already pouring himself more. "You'll hardly know we're here."

Somehow, Tobirama couldn't muster the will to believe him.


Sakura got her first glimpse of the hotspring from over Toka's shoulder, and her heart thrummed a happy rhythm in her chest. It'd really been far too long since her last soak in the Konoha baths, and this was the right season to get reacquainted with their benefits. Behind her, Yurine chattered on about how much she planned to make the most of the evening. Lanterns strung up along the inn's roof cast an inviting glow on the water, and as her bare feet moved across the slick tile carefully, she paused mid-step.

"Something in the water?" Naoko asked from behind her, a sleepy Shikamarin propped against her for support.

"No," Sakura swallowed back a grimace, smiling instead. Naoko gave her a very unconvinced smirk as she brushed past, escorting the half-asleep Nara down the stones.

What she couldn't tell them was that she felt several powerful auras on the other side of the bamboo wall. More attuned to her borrowed divinity than ever, picking out particularly potent chakra was now second-nature. And, in her experience only a few individuals would thrum against her senses so strongly.

Nevertheless, she wasn't in attendance to worry about them, but to enjoy a soak among friends, so Sakura slid into the springs without a word. A pleased moan slipped out as soon as the heat sank into her body, and Naoko chuckled from her spot lounging near the center of the bath. "That was a surprisingly naughty sound."

Sakura pressed a hand to her lips with a blush. "I…I didn't realize how much my muscles needed this I guess."

"Agreed," Toka took a bucket of water and poured it over herself. "It's easy to get so caught up in the day to day that one neglect's adequate time to relax."

The heady scent of jasmine and some sort of spice washed over everyone's senses. Sakura inhaled deeply, her guard lowering at the intoxicating smell alone. The hostess had promised them an enjoyable time, offering to prepare the area with a set of bath supplements that would enhance the experience. By the way her skin tingled pleasantly, it was working. All the tension and strain felt like it was leaving her by the second while the steam lifted the fragrance directly into her nose.

Yurine nodded, her long blonde hair, normally tied in a ponytail at the side of her head, wrapped into a bun in the same place. "Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed my academy position so far. I appreciate Lord Hokage taking a chance on me, given that I'm not much older than some of the students. But some days I can just feel the stress making me wrinkle," she patted fretfully at her cheeks.

"You're taking the wrong approach to it," Shikamarin rubbed at an eye. "When you go with the flow, every day becomes less bothersome. The water still feels nice, though, so thanks for having me along."

"I second that," Naoko stretched her arms above her head, the light of the paper lanterns making her pale skin glisten. "It sounds to me as if you ladies are in need of some lessons in being carefree." She began to gently float on her back, her soaked towel a second skin. "It's highly recommended; I live much happier that way."

Sakura saw Toka eyeing the Uchiha as if she didn't quite know what to think. Naoko was the sort of person to give you mixed emotions upon first meeting, so the pinkette didn't blame her.

"There are times for fun and times for duty." Toka asserted, still watching Naoko float around. "Not being able to separate the two is dangerous in our profession."

The dark-haired kunoichi drew a hand from the water and waved it up and down idly, water droplets flicking off. "I've been told that all my life and I've still managed to outlive most of the people who've told me." Naoko sat up with the gleam in her eye Sakura was starting to recognize meant trouble, or at the very least, incoming mischief. Suddenly inviting the Uchiha in a bid to get to know her didn't feel like her best idea of the week.

"Tell me how that worked out for you." Naoko began to swim circles around Toka. "I've heard about you, Lady Toka. Not that long ago you were the Senju's Nightingale."

The skin between Sakura's eyebrows creased up. Toka's body went rigid. "Nightingale?"

"Mhm," Naoko nodded reverently. "We never met in battle, but I always had a great deal of respect you know. In retrospect meeting like this instead of as enemies is much better, don't you think? Less messy too," She threw in with a wink. Finally, she stopped her circles, leaning into Toka, who leaned away with a tight expression. "What do you say? I'm always looking to expand my friendship circle. Why don't we wash each other's backs?"

Toka blinked quickly, her eyes widening but the stern expression not softening. "Just as I thought, you leave an impression. Simply not the one I would've expected. You're something of a legend yourself. An Uchiha woman so beautiful and unpredictable some have mistaken her for a kitsune in disguise."

Sakura and Yurine exchanged unsure looks, wondering if there was a need to intervene. For the moment, the air was calm. Some of the pressure was further offset by Shikamarin beginning to snore softly in the background.

"Oh you know how it is," The Uchiha batted her eyelashes. "Can't let the enemy get a read on you too easily. Got to keep them guessing."

Toka, surprisingly, seemed to relax a little. "Indeed."

Yurine leaned into Sakura and cupped a hand to her ear. "Are they on the same wavelength now?"

"I…I still can't tell." Sakura returned, just as hushed.

"Enough of that though!" Naoko giggled. "We can trade boring old war stories anytime. At the hot springs there's truly only one topic appropriate for the occasion."

"What's that?" Sakura asked, Toka echoing her. Shikamarin's snores grew a little louder, then tapered off again.

"Oh!" Yurine shot a hand into the air, bouncing in the water. "I think I know!" Her large eyes were clear in the moonlight. "It's romance, isn't it?" she breathed.

"Right you are," Naoko confirmed.

Sakura groaned quietly, her forehead finding a comfortable resting place between her palms. It wasn't that she had anything against trading information about crushes. It had been a long time since she'd gotten to discuss something as…normal…for a girl her age as gossip about boys.

But for the longest time her crush had been Sasuke. Everyone knew it. Foolishly, she had once believed he'd be the only one for her. Then the longer he remained gone from the village the more her feelings changed, and Sakura thought perhaps she didn't understand love as much as she'd originally believed.

There was a light nudge at her shoulder. She looked up to find Toka offering her a small cup of sake with a sympathetic look. Sakura gratefully accepted the liquid courage and let the burning sensation distract her briefly as the other women prepared to delve into the conversation at hand.

"Seeing as I suggested it, I'll go first." Naoko volunteered, all attention falling to her. Sakura didn't really care who had the spotlight, so long as she wasn't first up. She hoped the others would take as long as possible.

"Start with telling us about your type!" Yurine clapped, already wholly invested.

"That varies," she shrugged. "But there are some similarities whether it's men or women." She lazily began swirling her finger in the steaming water. "A sharp mind is always alluring, and arms as strong as mine, so we can take turns lifting each other." Everyone laughed. "They'd have to be able to keep up with me in a spar, naturally." Sakura joined Toka and Yurine in nodding sagely. "But well, I guess there is one thing I really like if we're speaking about physical attributes."

Sakura blushed in anticipation. 'Oh no…she wouldn't…'

"A soft place to lay my head," Naoko finished with a dreamy sigh.

"That's the cutest!" Yurine squealed, flailing the arm that wasn't cupping her cheek.

"The pillowy softness of a warm chest, for example." The way her eyes squinted contentedly reminded her strongly of Usamaro. "There's nothing like it."

"Ooh," Yurine stared down at her own chest with a pout. "Now that you had to go and remind me…" she shook her head in silent mourning. "If you don't mind me saying so, Toka, I think you and Naoko are tied for the most well-endowed among us."

The Senju, who had been listening silently, sat up with a gasp. "E-Excuse me?"

"She's right." Naoko grinned. "Those are quite nice."

Uncharacteristically bashful, Toka peered down at her own towel-wrapped bosom. "H-Hardly. When did this become the topic of discussion?"

"Talk about hidden assets." Yurine continued, "Totally unfair."

For poor Toka's sake Sakura didn't dare to comment, but it was easy to see where Yurine was coming from. She had thankfully long ago grown comfortable in her body, fine with being a slightly late bloomer. It didn't mean she couldn't admire.

"L-Let's move the discussion onwards!" The Senju squeaked, her cheeks rosy. Sakura doubted it was entirely because of the heat of the bath either.

"Then you go next," Naoko goaded.

Toka shook her head. "I have no lover to speak of," she responded curtly.

"But everyone at least fantasizes from time to time, right?" Yurine coaxed. "I know I do!" When she clasped her hands together under her chin with a faraway look Sakura was afraid she was already lost in the grips of a vivid fantasy. But thankfully she was able to wake herself up almost immediately, giving the older kunoichi an encouraging smile. "So don't be shy. We're not here to judge."

An awkward silence fell over the group, only broken when Toka cleared her throat. "I…raising Reira since I was fifteen, I hadn't given it a great deal of thought. I suppose…someone who wouldn't mind children for obvious reasons."

"And?" Naoko said. "Is there more? Or are you telling us you'll settle for anyone who may have a soft spot for children?"

"Of course not!" Toka sputtered, an edge of indignity in her voice. "I'd like someone who's contemplative, but who has optimism about the future." Toka paused, turning away. "This is all rather abrupt and embarrassing for me. I…I've never done this."

"It's alright," Yurine put a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "I can go next. I'm raring to go!"

"We can all see that," Sakura stuck her tongue out. "You seem like someone's already on your mind."

"Eek, Sakura!" Yurine lunged at her, seizing her friend by the shoulders. "How could you give me away like that?!"

"I'd say you gave yourself away the moment we started this chat." Naoko corrected, sipping from the nearly forgotten sake.

"Fine, fine," The blonde breathed deeply, calming down. "I…I've always had an ideal. Ever since my mother told me tales about princesses and samurais I could just picture it all. But lately there's someone that does come to mind." She giggled to herself.

"Well don't hold it in, tell us!" Sakura grinned, happy to see the other kunoichi so giddy.

"Here goes then," Yurine slapped her right cheek lightly. "He's um…he's very kind." Naoko absently jerked a sleeping Shikamarin up as she began to slide dangerously low under the water, never taking her eyes from the gushing Yurine. "Handsome, too. I know everyone says that about the person they like, but it's true! He has very intelligent eyes, and a lot of patience."

"Wow," Sakura mumbled. "I have to admit he sounds pretty great."

"Oh, he is!" Yurine agreed. "The only thing is I don't know if he'd be interested. I mean I wouldn't be heartbroken if he wasn't. It's just silly infatuation. R-Right?" She placed a hand over her chest where a no doubt racing heart was caged.

Sakura moved in closer to pull the nervous girl into a hug. "You never know until you try. Why not do something special just for him?"

"Now this is getting interesting," Naoko swam closer. "Definitely worth boiling my buns for."

"I wouldn't know where to start. I never really follow through on things like this…"

"That's where we'd come in." Naoko interrupted. "Isn't that right, ladies?"

"Sure," Sakura smiled.

"I'm not sure I'd truly be much assistance…" Toka started to say.

"It's decided, we'll start our planning soon enough. But for now, I believe it's Sakura's turn, no?"

"No!" Sakura moved away from Yurine, crossing her arms in an X motion.

"A little too much protest for us to let you be, Sakura!" Yurine chirped.

"W-What about…?" Sakura's eyes roamed the hot spring in a last ditch attempt to get out of it. "Shikamarin hasn't gone yet!"

The Nara had been asleep almost since the time they'd stepped foot into the hotspring, and her face was flushing brightly from the heat. In truth, she'd probably need to be dragged out soon, or they'd have a hard time explain to the Nara clan how their heiress got cooked alive.

"Is there even any point in waking her up to ask?" Yurine scratched her cheek, skeptical.

Shikamarin broke off into fitful murmurs just then, pawing at the air. "N-No…that's my cabbage stew. Damn…deer…"

"I think that answers that question." Toka replied, wading over to lift the sleeping kunoichi from the water and onto the rocks.

"Before I start, I'll tell you now that it's complicated," Sakura relented, already knowing they would never let her be.

"That's even better. Makes for an interesting story I say," Yurine said eagerly.

"I did…have someone I liked for a long time." Sakura wrapped her arms around herself.

"And what was he like?" the blonde prodded.

"Smart, popular, handsome, mysterious…" Sakura mentally went through all the traits she'd ascribed to Sasuke growing up. "He never gave me the time of day though, and I was competing with lots of other girls including my friend, for his attention, but that never stopped me."

"Forgive my bluntness, Sakura." Toka cocked her head. "It sounds…like a rather doomed pursuit."

"It was…" Sakura's smile was a little melancholy. "I just didn't know it yet. Anyway, that's over now. I'm pretty sure I'm finally alright with how things went."

"Hm," Naoko said. "That takes a lot of bravery to walk away from someone who could never return your feelings."

"You sound as if you're speaking from experience on that," Yurine said slowly.

Naoko remained nonplussed. "I know a few people who have. I've never been in love, quite frankly."

Sakura gaped. "W-wait, hold on! W-what about—"

"Madara?" Naoko smirked. "I've already told you we never placed that kind of exclusivity on one another. I would say our relationship couldn't quite be described as just carnal, but we've never had issues in that area."

Sakura felt her throat grow dry trying not to imagine Naoko and Madara tangled in each other, bare skin sliding together. "S-So it's…not love?"

"Not the kind between a man and a woman who want to spend their lives together. We were betrothed from a young age. I was thirteen, and he was eleven. Neither of us were thinking about a forever as husband and wife, but our fathers made their plans, and it was our job to be dutiful. We did grow to be friends over the years,"

"So you're still marrying him?" Yurine placed a hand to her mouth, scandalized. "Even though there's no love?"

"While there are no shortage of loveless arranged marriages in clans like the Uchiha," Naoko sighed. "I've been spared of that fate, and the clan has been spared of having me for their lady. Madara annulled the betrothal as soon as he became clan head."

Sakura processed the information gradually, letting it tumble around through her head. It would explain the closer than friends but not quite lovers relationship Madara and Naoko seemed to share. There was also some relief that accompanied that revelation. Sakura nearly fell back into the water at her own train of thought.

"Oh, Sakura!"

"Sakura!"

Toka and Yurine reached for her at the same time, pulling her upright.

"Something pull you under?" Naoko asked with a knowing shine to her inky eyes.

"It's a little slippery down there," Sakura huffed. "Just lost my footing for a second."

As Yurine slowly drew away, she nudged the pinkette a little under the water, whispering, "Good news for you,"

Sakura nearly fell back again. What was that supposed to mean? Did Yurine really still think there was something with her and—

Sakura wanted to slap a palm to her face. It was Yurine, who thrived on romantic fantasies, of course she did! And she wasn't relieved that Madara and Naoko would likely never marry because she had any interest in Madara. She would've felt the same relief to hear any forced marriage without love had been ended. There were no personal feelings involved, Sakura concluded, it was the mere principal of the thing!

"We've heard about your past, but what about now?" Yurine waggled her eyebrows. "Anyone that catches your eye? We could help you!"

"I don't think that'll be necessary…" she mumbled quietly. "There's really not anyone I—"

"If it's an Uchiha I could easily get you a way in, you know." Naoko joined in, playfully splashing at her. "All I'd need is a name and I'll have them trussed up and on your doorstep."

"That sounds almost like you intend to deliver them against their wishes." Toka added suspiciously.

"Says who? I have it on good authority that some Uchiha are very into that." Naoko's grin was so devilish Sakura could feel herself melting from her roots down. It didn't help as an unfiltered image of two Uchiha she was particularly acquainted with came to mind. Sakura sat down in the water so fast it got up her nose, and she snorted it out, mortified.

"Does that mean it is an Uchiha?" Yurine flapped her hands as if she could take off into the sky any minute. "Or is it someone from another clan? There are a lot of them in the village now, aren't there? Uchiha, Nara, Aburame, Sarutobi, Shimura…"

"Definitely not that one." Sakura spat. The thought of ever becoming Sakura Shimura had bile rising in her throat.

"Good," Yurine swiped a hand across her brow. "You know I hate to speak poorly of children but Lord Shimura's son Danzo is a real little bully. He thinks he's too good for my genjutsu lessons!"

"Let's not get side-tracked," Naoko hummed. "If our dear Sakura wants to marry into a big clan, then it's our job to assist in any way possible."

Sakura squealed. "I never said I wanted to marry into any—" Naoko put a finger to her lips just as she'd done the other day. "So what other clans are there?"

"Technically although it's small, Kureno and I are from a clan." Yurine said. "Sakura!" she suddenly looked on the verge of fainting. "You're not…you're not having a secret tryst with my brother, are you?!"

Sakura was torn between laughing and screaming. "If I was seeing your brother, why would I keep it secret from you?"

"I'd expect anyone interested in Kureno to keep it a secret." Yurine scoffed. "It's Kureno. Who would want to openly admit their taste is that off?"

"That landed much harder than a sting, didn't it?" Naoko muttered.

"So is it?! My brother, I mean."

"No, it's not your brother."

Yurine stroked her chin. "What about…oh! That Kaguya. The oldest one, Jun'ichi. I've seen him once or twice around the village since they arrived. Now that circumstances are different, I have to admit he's really pretty,"

"Junji and I are friends, but," Sakura shook her head. "I think that's about it."

"If you ever change your mind," Yurine tittered, "Friendships can easily become more~"

"I feel like there's a certain clan we've all neglected to mention." Naoko's hellspawned smile was back, and directed at Sakura yet again, much to her horror.

"What clan?" Yurine wanted to know. "What clan?!"

"The Senju…" Toka said coolly.

Although they had undoubtedly been at it for a while, suddenly the bath felt too hot on her skin. White hair, brown hair. Red eyes, brown eyes. Sunny smiles and shallow sneers. Kind gestures and rare acknowledgements.

"I think we have a winner!" Sakura snapped out of her thoughts to see Yurine looking entirely too victorious.

"That's not necessarily true," Naoko clicked her tongue. "She had the same spacy reaction when the Uchiha were brought up."

"Or it could just have been your sadistic suggestion to kidnap the person of her choosing," Toka rolled her eyes.

"Again," Naoko said impatiently, "It isn't kidnapping when the person is in full agreement with getting roughed u—"

"I think we're missing the important thing, which is that we've narrowed it down to two possible clans!" Yurine raised a fist in the air with a bright smile. Wet blonde hair that had escaped the bun clung to her shoulders, and her cheeks appeared permanently flushed pink—ironic considering she'd had the least to drink of all of them.

"Why are we so focused on me?!" Sakura squawked. "This isn't fair! Everyone else only got a few seconds of grilling. But this is an entire interrogation."

"We've gotten the farthest with you, though…" Toka ventured.

Sakura placed both hands above her breasts and pouted hard. "You too, Toka?"


The evening had gone from pleasant retreat to personal hell fairly quickly after Hashirama and the Uchiha arrived. Locked into a silent battle of wills, waiting for one or both of the Uchiha to leave the bath before he did, Tobirama sat cross-legged on a rock, attempting to tune out Hashirama's prattling. The Yuhi, who he had been reintroduced to, had gone off in search of more sake and snacks, yet to return."This is nice!" His elder brother grinned from ear to ear. "A good soak with good friends. Seems like we would've tried this sooner."

"When would there have been time for that?" Izuna asked. "This inn has only been up and operational for a short time. The last time I've soaked is on the way back from that battle in Kokura." He rolled his shoulders, letting the water lap over them.

"It was in Hakone." Madara corrected.

Izuna hummed absently. "You're right, Kokura was the one with the—" He spun quickly, staring at his brother in disbelief. "Did you just correct me?"

Even wet, Madara's mess of hair spiked like a puffed cat. "Is that a crime now?"

"I think he means that you remembered a detail about your past!" Hashirama gave Madara's shoulder a light-hearted push.

The older Uchiha contemplated that briefly. "So I have. It's hardly anything to celebrate though."

"Why be so cynical?" Hashirama frowned. "Any connection to your former self, no matter how small, is progress."

Tobirama continued to pretend he wasn't listening, basking in the seclusion of his chosen rock. It mattered very little to him whether or not Madara ever regained his memories. He was unpleasant to be around with or without them and his foul chakra still choked him—such as now—so Tobirama personally preferred the rude, awkward but overall fumbling amnesiac to the proud, calculating man he'd been before.

"By the way, Madara," Hashirama pointed down at his friend's wrapped stomach. "What happened there? I know you mentioned something about a training accident, but…"

Madara patted at his gut. "It's been attended to and that's all that matters."

"I could heal it." Hashirama volunteered, already moving closer.

Madara waded backwards, shaking his hair out and sending droplets everywhere. "It's fine. Haruno examined it and there's no internal bleeding."

Tobirama cracked one eye open. Haruno had been chummy with the Uchiha for some time, but playing their personal healer? The last time he checked she loathed Madara nearly as much as he did. What had changed?

He stared off at the wall dividing the two sides of the bath. The powerful, strange aura was unmistakable. It had been there since shortly after his brother and the others had arrived, and until she was brought up, he had done his best to leave it be.

A strange expression crossed Hashirama's face. "Sakura-san? Well, if she did a thorough check then I'm sure she's right. Still, let me fix this so you won't have to burd—both—well, just let me heal you."

"I said I don't need it," Madara hissed, hopping around the bath as Hashirama waded after him.

"Aren't you being a little too dodgy?" Hashirama complained, outstretched hand glowing a deep green. "What's the big deal with this injury not needing to be healed?"

Tobirama scowled. Just when he was thinking of getting back in the water so the visit wasn't a complete waste, they had to start up. "If the Uchiha wants to fester and rot from the inside out, why not let him?" Tobirama called down to them. Izuna glared sharply.

Hashirama pounced, grappling with a defiant Madara. "Don't be so sour all the time," he responded, smirking at his annoyed rival. "The hotsprings are a place of quietness, remember? As soon as I get Madara to comply and Kureno returns with the sake, I'll coach you on proper, ah—" Madara, slippery as he was, slid under Hashirama's arm and around him, churning the water in the process.

Izuna moved further away from them with a frown. "Maybe you two should calm down before the hostess comes out and there's a problem."

"Tell it to this maniac!" Madara growled, biting at the arm that locked around his neck. "He's going to kill me before he actually heals me."

Tobirama had to smirk at the sight of Hashirama trying to restrain Madara with one arm, the Uchiha gnawing away on his brother, who was doing his best to get his free palm close enough to the bandaging to heal the wound beneath.

"This is getting out of hand," Izuna snapped, making his way toward the older Senju and Uchiha. "Hashirama either let Madara go before he drowns or Madara, you could let Hashirama heal you and get it over wi—"

With an agitated grunt Madara drove his head back into Hashirama's nose, causing Tobirama's foolish older brother to fall backward, taking his captive with him. Izuna, as close as he was to them both, was hit by the wave of water that followed. Sputtering, the attempted mediator resurfaced spitting out the steaming water, blinking rapidly and pushing his bangs away from his forehead. His towel was skewed at his waist and he looked dazed, caught entirely off guard as he was.

Tobirama lounged back on his rock with gleeful eyes. The frustration over his evening being ruined was all but gone when the three morons in front of him were providing plenty of entertainment.

Wordlessly, Izuna launched himself into the fray, and the three turned into a clash of thrashing arms and heated words. From his vantage point there was no clear winner, and Tobirama suspected they had forgotten what they had each originally been fighting about, too worked up to care anymore.

Madara began to hold Hashirama underwater, and Tobirama thought to intervene; but when one of his brother's floundering legs came very close to nailing Izuna in the groin, he made himself lie back again.

It went on without end, none of them the least bit tired. Tobirama idly wondered whether to stay or go. The Yuhi boy hadn't returned and it was only a matter of time before the inn's owners got wind of what was happening in their hotsprings. Hokage or not, surely not even they would tolerate so much roughhousing.

The flare up of chakra had his attention pulled back down to the scuffle in the water to see they had found their way just under his rock. A loud clap from arms hitting the surface was all the warning Tobirama was allowed before a plume of liquid shooting up into the air, clearly the result of a misfired Suiton, blasted him directly in the face. Stunned like a bird struck from the air by a stone, Tobirama tumbled into the bath with a splash, surging up instantly. "Enough!" he bellowed.

The buffoons stopped clambering over themselves long enough to stare at him in a stunned silence. Tobirama couldn't decide if the water steaming around him was due to the springs themselves or his own wrath. Not giving them any time to ask for mercy, he struck, summoning a mighty water-based jutsu that pulled them all in.

They spun and crashed against each other, pulled toward the center of the springs, trapped in his vortex, searching for something to hold onto and finding nothing. Too late, he remembered where he was, and that he above all should have respect for the peace of the hotsprings. His attack, still carrying the three men trapped within, surged up against the bamboo wall.

It came down in an explosion of wood and water.


All of them, with the exception of Shikamarin, who they'd lost sight of, sprang into action. Sakura was sure they were under attack. It didn't matter that she couldn't think of a single enemy stupid enough to attack the four most powerful men in the village. Clearly someone had tried it when their guard was down, as it was the only thing to explain the commotion right before the thick bamboo wall splintered apart under the force of a giant Suiton jutsu.

"Get ready!" Toka yelled.

Sakura worked in unison with her to manipulate the water, ready to defend or attack as the situation called for. All control was lost, however, the minute she caught sight of the four men staring back at them from the other bath. Sakura's eyes jumped from one face to the next, traveling down the four wet, defined bodies and stopping at the—

"Such a show, and it's nowhere close to my birthday." Naoko purred, licking her lips. "Who knew our Hokage was so…beefy." Sakura followed the Uchiha's line of sight, and she wasn't entirely sure if she could say she regretted it. Erect and thicker than any patient she'd ever examined, she was positive the vision of him curving up to his stomach would stay with her long past the moment.

Yurine's reaction was entirely different as she clamped her eyes shut belatedly. "I saw!" she cried. "I saw it and I'm not even married! One of you is going to have to own up to this and make an honest woman out of me!"

Sakura was floored, quivering in her towel, torn between dunking her head under the water and being unable to take her eyes away.

Hashirama, sans covering, moved forward with an incredibly awkward smile. "Please, everyone remain calm. This isn't at all what it looks like."

"I can't see a thing, but it looks like you're naked in the women's baths!" Yurine screeched, whipping around in blind circles. "Am I wrong? Does he have clothes on now?!"

"You filthy animals!" Toka seethed. One sharp tug on her hair and she had several senbon at her disposal. "You…you bastards! How dare you—"

Sakura tried to cover her nose, which she suspected had begun to trickle. Seeing Toka could not be reasoned with, Hashirama turned to flee. Nothing beat the speed of vengeance, and he'd hardly been able to sprint away before several senbon were imbedded in the cheeks of his ass.

"Shit!" he hissed, trying to run and pluck them out at the same time. Toka leapt from the water after him, killing intent crackling around her as she produced a kunai from whatever fold in her towel she'd tucked it away into.

"Do you really believe I'd let you flee? I will end all of you!"

"Has anyone seen Shikamarin?!" Yurine yelped, still feeling around while covering her eyes with one hand. Under different circumstances Sakura would have thought she was playing a game. Under different circumstances, she would have never suspected a day would come when she'd be subjected to the Shodai, a shinobi legend and village hero, in the buff.


How had it all gone so horribly wrong? Running for his life, chased by one of his oldest friends who appeared relentless in her pursuit. Worst yet, he was shamefully without a towel, and had every reason to believe not only Sakura-san but every woman in the baths had been flashed. He was many things, but never would Hashirama consider calling himself an exhibitionist.

Toka must have gotten a clear shot, because yet more senbon were lodged into his ass. Even with his regeneration, he had a strong feeling sitting would prove painful for a while to come. Pulling out the needle-like weapons was painful and, trying to keep from slipping as he ran the length of the baths was humiliating. But his mind blanked as Toka chased after him yelling obscenities, and he couldn't think of a decent place to poof away to that she wouldn't instantly find him.

The second lap back around his eyes locked with a green pair, and he nearly stumbled to halt, hoping to at least explain himself. Tobirama, still refusing to leave the water, grumbled something and lobbed a sopping towel his way. Hashirama had more of a sense of dignity than he was often given credit for, and he deftly fastened it around his waist.

Safely covered at last, he could finally focus on beating a swift retreat, the perfect destination in mind. Hashirama took one last deep breath, the hotsprings popping out of sight just as he noticed Sakura-san was clutching her loose towel to her body for dear life.


When things took a wide-swinging turn, Izuna really should have been more prepared. For months unseen incident after unseen incident was all his life had really been. But when Hashirama had stopped by to invite Madara and himself to the hotsprings for a chance to catch up, he hadn't foreseen anything even remotely like this happening.

Fresh off a reconciliation with his brother, Izuna had thought such a peaceful venue could only help them more. Tobirama being there was a mood dampener, but one he was mainly able to ignore.

No, the true problem had arisen when his brother and Hashirama had gotten carried away. He hadn't expected to get pulled in too, but as ashamed as he was to admit he wasn't immune to competition nor moments of immaturity. Both just happened to have struck at the same time, landing them in figurative hot water that matched their physical location.

Really though, if anyone was ultimately to blame it was Tobirama. Surly and dramatic, he had been the one to cause the wall to collapse. Sakura and some of her friends on the other side, flustered and undressed was not what Izuna was prepared for. Toka Senju, enraged and on a mission to punish every last one of them indiscriminately hardly gave him time to think.

Except for the blood flowing southward the more he took in Sakura deliciously indecent in the towel that appeared ready to slide off any moment. Her face was flushed, her green eyes were more breathtaking than ever, and the water sluicing down her skin was distracting.

Izuna let his eyes roam to follow the beads sliding from her collarbone and disappearing under the hem of her towel, between her cleavage, before his brain screamed at him to prioritize his own escape. The raging Toka was turning her sights toward the rest of them.

Fishing around in the water, Izuna snatched the first wet clump his hands brushed against and fastened it around himself, flickering to collapse in the safety of his room in the compound in a wet pile. Then and only then did he notice, Madara was nowhere to be found, and making amends meant he was unfortunately obligated to go back and rescue him. Sakura likely still being there had nothing to do with it.


The events of the night had confirmed what he had suspected for some time. Hashirama, his rival, his childhood friend, was an idiot running an entire village. There were glimpses of good leadership qualities on occasion. Charisma, a strong sense of fairness, diplomacy, raw strength if he'd heard correctly… Though none of those things explained why he was cheeks to the wind being chased around by a very vengeful looking brown-haired woman.

Haruno was gaping, hadn't moved since she got an eyeful of them if he had to guess. Madara was sure the water covered him from the waist down since he hadn't been idiotic enough to try to get out in an ill-fated attempt at diplomacy, but he was also sure he had lost his towel as well.

Maybe that should bother him more. But if his memory served correctly, towels in public baths were a choice, and taking them nude was just as common. There was no sense in kicking up such a fuss, in his opinion, when hotsprings were one of the few places it was alright to walk around in a more…natural state.

Naoko made no effort to hide that she was looking. As Hashirama ran her eyes followed every bounce of his member. The blonde girl was wailing nonsense and groping at a body that was face down in the water, probably dead, trying to drag it back to the rocks.

The pink hair in his vision was a beacon though, and her reaction didn't disappoint. Haruno could be as coy in peeking as she liked, but the strain of her nipples against the wet fabric, her glazed eyes and deliciously pink face, and the especially damning evidence of red trickling from between the fingers held up to her nose were all giveaways.

The debauched sight kick started some image in his brain, and he remembered a time when she was holding a man by the throat in the middle of a rainstorm, screaming threats, and something about the feral glint in her eyes had made arousal course through his veins.

Now was no different. Except perhaps, a stronger reaction. A mutually shared one. With or without his consent, his body knew what it wanted, and had it not been for Izuna screaming that "she" was going to destroy them too if they stayed…if not for the sharp jerk of his hair being gripped as he was spirited away by said younger brother, Madara might have been inclined to see what a mixture of impulsivity and want could turn into.


In hindsight, letting his emotions get the better of him was a perfect example of why he worked so hard to repress them in the first place. Hashirama might live with his heart always leading the way, but he'd much rather be known as a man governed by logic.

Worse yet was the thought that this event could jeopardize his arrangement with the owners of the ryokan. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the door to the inn slid open from the men's side, Kureno Yuhi waltzing back out in a warm robe with a smile and a bottle of sake, owners in tow. "Sorry about the wait, but I..." He stopped there with one foot over the door's threshold, his jaw dropping. "What kind of tsunami hit while I was gone?!"

Toka, who had retreated back to the women's side to help deal with the half-drowned Shikamarin Nara, glared pointedly in his direction. It was a look that said her revenge was far from over.

Taking a moment to make sure his dignity was intact and that he, unlike his stupid brother, would not bare more himself to the world than necessary, Tobirama stood, getting out of the water with grace, ignoring the stares burning their way into his naked back. Kureno buckled under the intensity of his gaze, scrambling to move to the side with eyes still surveying the damage done to the separating wall. It floated in miserable pieces across the women's bath and littered the walkway.

Determined to be the mature one of the situation, he looked both owners in the eyes and bowed deeply. "Apologies for the mess. I'll personally be seeing to the repairs."

"O-Oh..." The hostess removed the hand that had been pressed to her mouth, bobbing her head. "Yes, thank you."

She was taking it in a fair bit calmer than one could expect, given the trouble caused. Tobirama would have personally saw to it any patrons so rowdy were permanently banned if it were his establishment. As it stood he had some vengeance of his own to exact on the three who had ruined the wall and his evening of blissful solitude.

"Any money owed to you tonight will be doubled," he added smoothly. He could sense all the women still on their side of the springs, observing.

Her husband swallowed, tilting his head to stare out at the hot springs. "That's very generous of you."

"Lord Tobirama, we...understand." his wife winced. "Well, partially. We trust your word. A-And this way," she spread her arms and waved them around. "It lets us see what our springs would look like without a wall. To put a more positive outlook on things. We'd been considering something like it."

"Yes, mixed bathing." The middle-aged man finished with a sigh.

The Senju just barely withheld the tick in his eye. "Mixed...bathing?"

"It means in the future it won't just be the water getting hot!" The insufferable Uchiha woman called out for all to hear.

Tobirama glowered in her direction, or at least he meant to. But his eyes happened to land on Haruno as she tugged at her crooked towel. The knot had slipped free, and he was treated to the pale, perky mound of her breast from a side angle as she resituated herself with an embarrassed yelp. His head had never swiveled around fast enough for his jaw to crack before that moment. "As I said," he went on through clenched teeth. "You'll be well compensated for any inconvenience this causes you."

Fast as an irate snake, his hand snapped out to clench the sake bottle in the Yuhi's lax grip. He pulled it away without resistance. Tobirama wasn't as fond of drink as his brother, but he had more than earned it now.


Originally, I had thought to have Sakura's scene open the chapter and then jump straight into the chaos of the hotsprings for the rest of the chapter. However, given where the Uchiha brothers left off last time I also felt it was really important to have a scene from Izuna's POV to better explain his headspace. Otherwise both Uchiha brothers turning up at the hot springs either magically reconciled or awkwardly pretending after Izuna going a bit crazy, would have been weird and disingenuous. Not to mention a wasted opportunity to reflect on their brotherhood. It also gave me a good chance to have Junji and Izuna talk again. I think they could come to grow a solid friendship and potentially have a lot in common. Just like Sakura is developing new deep friendships that have nothing to do with the guys, I feel it's only fair if the guys all get chances to interact with and become close to people other than Sakura and each other. Much better that way.

This was supposed to be an experimentally risqué chapter with more adult humor. Just seeing how it goes and if I felt good about writing it. Things got…aired…quite literally all around. Sakura has now seen what she's in for. Oh boy.

Yurine's comment about being an honest woman is one that may not cross over well in meaning as I'm not sure about its cultural origins, but it's a reference to the fact that in time's past, it was considered proper to marry a woman if you'd already had a committed sexual relationship with her, to keep her "honest" and spare her the humiliation of being unwed and known for having had sex… Yurine is both a romantic and intensely dramatic, so she says the first thing that pops into her head although getting flashed is hardly the same thing as her having slept with one of the guys. lmao

The story heads further into the "romance" territory; although it isn't quite there yet, it's nice to see (and in my case write about) romance-related comedy like this. I have the next big 3-4 arcs all planned out, and they're pretty packed full of more surprises, mythology, romance, angst, adventure and so on. That's already required a lot of rough planning ahead and I can't be sure how long each arc will be but beyond that I'll see. I can't believe it but this fic is steadily plodding toward 40 chapters.

Lastly, I just want to remind once again (I feel like I say this a lot between here and my blog) that the best way to show appreciation is simple: just review. It's really common curtesy in the world of fanfics. I know people are busy and sometimes they can't read for a while, and I totally get that. This is more addressed to readers who read at their leisure but talk themselves into believing there's no real benefit to reviewing for one reason or another. I can assure you that's never the case. There's always benefit. When a writer feels good about the interaction they're getting, it's always easier to find motivation to crank out faster updates or at least start writing the next chapter sooner as opposed to waiting months to do so.

There's already a large amount of disparity between views and reviews. So just something to keep in mind. This is generally applicable to every single chapter of every single story I put out there, not just when I mention it, by the way. Thank you, to those who are always so giving with your comments (and who keep them chapter/plot/arc etc focused especially). You're noticed and appreciated. Anyhow, if you're someone who was really anxious for TobiSaku interactions or more Tobirama development in general (there were a lot of you last I checked), you're definitely going to want to be around for the next major arc. That being said the other three love interests certainly won't be forgotten. Oh, no. More development on all fronts. Sakura's friends in the present also come back in a very big way soon, and there's quite a bit of stirring from restless gods and goddesses.