The Red String of Fate: New Generation

Shikamaru's Choice - Shikamaru

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

Shikamaru and Naruto stopped in front of the single curtain leading to the hot spring. It had both the male and female symbols on it.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Naruto came and stood next to him, looking at the curtain as well.

"It's a co-ed hot spring."

Naruto turned a light shade of pink.

"Well, Hinata won't be happy about this. But, I'm still going. C'mon, let's go."

Naruto entered the curtain first, Shikamaru close behind. There wasn't much of anyone in the changing room, so it was okay so far. They headed through, already in their yukatas from the room, and through the curtain to the hot spring. It was massive, but mostly empty. To the left, a pink haired figure was visible, pinning her hair up. She spotted them quickly and waved.

"Hey, guys! Come on over!"

This was going to be uncomfortable. They took of their yukatas and got into the water as quickly as possible, trying not to let the pretty kunoichi see too much.  Naruto was already turning red and trying not to stare at her curvy body under the water. Luckily, the awkwardness didn't last long, as two figures approached behind them.

"Hey, can we join you guys?"

It was Takeshi and Goto. They both took off their yukatas and slid into the hot spring. Four guys and his friend's wife. Very uncomfortable. Shikamaru was trying not to look at Mizuka's voluptuous breasts which here practically bobbing in front of her.   Takeshi didn't look phased at all, and struck up conversation with Mizuka.

"Is your friend okay?"

"Oh yeah, she'll be fine. She's with her man right now, so he'll take good care of her. What happened to that kid who captured her?"

"The patriarch beat the ever living shit out of him. Doubt he'll be doing that again."

Mizuka eyes lit up as she raised her hand in a fist bump to Takeshi.

"Good job out there! You didn't miss a beat!"

He returned her fist bump enthusiastically.

"Hell yes! It felt good to fight with you again!"

Shikamaru wasn't buying this healer story.

"Okay, so what's the real story between you two? You fought together now?"

Mizuka and Takeshi laughed.

"I met Takeshi a long time ago, when I was travelling with Tsunade. We were in Kumogakure when the Reikage asked us if we could look at one of his shinobi. Takeshi had been badly burned by a jutsu on the side of his face, and he was blind in one eye. He had heard of a new technique we might be able to do by transferring a cadaver's eyeball to a shinobi's socket and make it functional." 

"Of course, I ended up with the white cadaver eye, so it still looks like I'm blind in one eye.  Which has been an advantage to me, since the enemy thinks I have no depth perception."

"We ended up fighting off intruders at the Hidden Cloud border together, which was how we found out we were a good team on the battlefield... and I was 19, so he didn't get away without me sleeping with him."

They glanced at each other and both laughed. This was weird.  Goto just sat there quietly; he looked like the strong, silent type.  Naruto looked as if he was afraid to open his mouth for fear something about Mizuka's tits may fall out.

"That was a long time ago, though."

"You've got that right. That was a marriage and a kid ago for me."