Chapter 39: Hot Spring Trip  

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Sasuke saw Hinata approaching and, with a smile on his face, walked up to her. "Hinata, what brings you here? I don't recall you ever visiting the Uchiha compound before."

Hinata blushed, her eyes shyly meeting his. "W-Well, our generation of Genin, along with the previous one, are planning a trip to the Land of Springs. Sasuke-kun, would you like to join us?"

The Land of Springs, due to its unique geographical features, was famous for its numerous hot springs and had become a popular tourist destination.

It was also close to the Land of Fire. Being a small nation, the Land of Springs didn't have a Daimyo or a Kage; instead, it was led by a simple "leader."

Sasuke, catching the hopefulness in Hinata's voice, smiled warmly. "If you're going, Hinata, of course, I'll go too."

Hinata nodded, her face lighting up. "Okay!"

The group heading to the Land of Springs included Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata, Kakashi, Kiba, Shino, Kurenai, Choji, Shikamaru, Ino, Asuma, Tenten, Lee, Neji, and Might Guy. The Twelve Konoha heroes, along with their four mentors, made up a party of sixteen as they set off for their journey.

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After a long day of traveling, the group finally arrived at the Land of Springs and made their way to the hot springs. The male and female ninjas separated to enjoy the baths.

On the male side, Shino hesitated to get into the water. Naruto, already soaking at the edge, called out to him, "Shino! Come on, get in!"

Shino blushed slightly, standing awkwardly at the edge. "I... I think I'll pass."

But Naruto, ever mischievous, pulled him into the water anyway. As soon as Shino entered, Naruto noticed the water around him darkening. Looking closer, Naruto's eyes widened in horror as he saw the water teeming with tiny black insects.

"Ahhh! Bugs!!!" Naruto screamed, scrambling out of the water in panic.

Shino looked apologetic. "Sorry, my insects seem to like the water... But don't worry, I'll keep them under control."

Sasuke, curious, asked, "Can you actually talk to your insects?"

Shino nodded. "They understand me, and I can sense their thoughts too."

Meanwhile, Kakashi, even in the hot spring, kept his mask on. Might Guy, ever the rival, snuck up behind him and shoved Kakashi's head underwater with a playful grin.

Asuma leaned against the edge of the spring, a cigarette between his lips, observing the chaos. "You two really don't act like seasoned Jonin at all."

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On the female side, Tenten was lying lazily on the edge of the bath, drifting off. Ino was chattering with Kurenai, sharing gossip. "Kurenai-sensei, did you know there's a new student at the Academy who's really handsome?"

Kurenai teased, "Is he as handsome as Sasuke?"

Ino hesitated for a moment. "Not quite..."

Hearing Sasuke's name, Kurenai glanced at Hinata, who was sitting quietly, still wrapped in her bathrobe even in the water. She seemed too shy to relax.

Kurenai smiled gently and said, "Hinata, don't be so shy. You need to loosen up when you're out having fun."

Hinata blushed even more, looking incredibly cute as she fidgeted with her robe. Kurenai decided to help, and as she gently unwrapped Hinata's bathrobe, her eyes widened in shock.

Hinata's body had developed more than she had noticed, especially compared to her own. Kurenai couldn't help but glance down at herself and sigh internally, wondering, *Why am I so flat?!*

Hinata, embarrassed, quickly grabbed another robe and wrapped herself up again. Kurenai, feeling a bit envious and dejected, quietly sulked.

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Later, Sasuke left the hot spring, dressed, and decided to take a walk through the streets of the Land of Springs.

Though small, the town was bustling with activity, especially around the numerous hot spring hotels and inns. It wasn't long before Sasuke's attention was caught by a casino.

Curious, he entered, having never been to a casino before. The place was lively, but what really caught his eye was a figure seated at one of the tables—a woman with light blonde hair, wearing a green coat with the word "Gamble" written on it. But more than that, Sasuke was taken aback by her... well-endowed figure.

This was Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha.

Tsunade was engrossed in a simple dice game. She kept betting on "big" and kept losing, again and again. Frustrated, she muttered to herself and, out of habit, called out, "Lend me a million ryo!"

The dealer, seeing her desperation, asked, "And what will you use as collateral?"

Tsunade instinctively looked around for Shizune, only to remember she had already pawned her off at another casino in a failed attempt to win back her money. Her eyes then landed on Sasuke, who had just walked in.

Seeing the Konoha forehead protector Sasuke wore, Tsunade's eyes lit up with a mischievous gleam. She grabbed him by the arm and told the dealer, "Use him!"

Sasuke was caught off guard as Tsunade whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, I'll win us both a fortune. We'll split it fifty-fifty!"

Sasuke stared at her incredulously, thinking, *When have you ever won anything?*

The dealer, noticing the Uchiha clan symbol on Sasuke's clothing, paled. "You're an Uchiha?!" he asked nervously.

Sasuke nodded, and the dealer's face turned ashen. "I don't want any trouble," he stammered, "Take it all, take everything!" He quickly abandoned the game, leaving the chips behind.

Tsunade, ecstatic, gathered up the chips—a total of thirteen million ryo. She turned to Sasuke and said, "I'll pay you back one day!" She then picked up a jug of sake and took a long sip.

Emboldened, she placed a million ryo on "big" and, against all odds, won. Tsunade stared at the table in disbelief. "I actually won!"

Overjoyed, she hugged Sasuke tightly, burying his head in her ample chest. "I've finally won after all these years!!!"

Sasuke, despite the lack of air, couldn't help but think, *So this is what they mean by the 'legendary Tsunade'... But seriously, I can't breathe!*

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