ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪꜱᴛ | ᴛᴇɴᴛᴇɴ ꜰꜰ|

Chapter 72

The next moment, Naruto, Sai, Ugetsu, and Yamato found themselves in a hot spring, steam rising around them, creating a hazy veil of warmth and tranquility. Ugetsu sighed happily in the water, though he found it a bit too hot for his liking. Beside him, Naruto was red-faced with embarrassment, fidgeting in the bubbling water.

"Sure enough, getting naked together like this is a great way to bond, isn't it?" Yamato asked, a relaxed smile gracing his features as he leaned back against the rocky edge of the spring.

Ugetsu quickly sat up, a blush creeping onto his cheeks. "Naked together... great way to bond?" he muttered to himself, glancing nervously at the others. "Like in the book... Icha Icha Paradise?" His voice rose in disbelief, the very thought igniting his imagination.

"Do I need to get naked together with Tenten-chan in order to bond?" Ugetsu asked, a hint of seriousness lacing his tone. At that, Naruto choked on the water, wide-eyed and in shock, while Ugetsu's mind raced with vivid images of Tenten, causing an embarrassing nosebleed that he quickly tried to hide with his hand.

"Ugetsu, no!" Naruto exclaimed, waving his hands in front of his face, flustered. "You can't just think like that!"

Sai, ever the observant one, tilted his head, his expression blank yet curious. "Isn't that the point of bonding? Though it seems a bit... excessive." He said this with the same tone he might use to discuss the weather.

"Excessive?" Ugetsu echoed, his mind still reeling. "But what if it's necessary?" His thoughts spiraled into a world of awkward scenarios, each one making his face burn even hotter.

Yamato chuckled softly, shaking his head as he soaked in the soothing water. "Let's not overthink this. Bonding can happen in many ways—clothes or no clothes."

Naruto, still blushing furiously, turned to Ugetsu with a serious expression. "You don't actually need to do that! Just hanging out together—that's what really matters!"

Ugetsu rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, grateful for the distraction from his earlier thoughts. "Yeah, I guess you're right..." he murmured, his embarrassment slowly fading.

Suddenly, Naruto's expression shifted dramatically. He stood up, the water splashing around him, and pointed an accusatory finger at Ugetsu. "This is all Kakashi-sensei's fault! He's the one who made you another pervert!"

Ugetsu stood up in protest, water cascading off his shoulders, his face a mix of offense and confusion. "I'm not a pervert!" he retorted, indignation flooding his voice.

Sai, ever curious, looked at Naruto's private part, a small smile playing on his lips. "So you do have 'equipment' after all," he said, his tone innocently blunt.

Naruto and Ugetsu turned to Sai in shock, their faces a chorus of disbelief. "What?!"

"But you're not as big as his," Sai continued, referring to Ugetsu's private part with an unsettling casualness that made the atmosphere feel even more awkward. Ugetsu's eyes widened in horror as he quickly tried to hide himself, splashing water in a frantic attempt to shield his modesty.

"Are you serious right now?!" Ugetsu exclaimed, his cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson, water sloshing around him as he turned to face the wall.

-

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On the female side of the hot spring, Sakura sank deeper into the water, letting out a relieved sigh. The warmth enveloped her, easing the tension in her muscles. Just as she began to relax, her eyes widened in surprise at the sound of Naruto's voice echoing from the other side.

"Don't be looking!" he shouted, his voice ringing loud and clear through the steam-filled air.

Sakura furrowed her brow in confusion. "Naruto?" she called out, puzzled by the sudden commotion.