Tale of the Setting Sun.

Shinobi VI

Chapter 6: "The Ones To Be Protected"

Yugakure was a peaceful and prosperous village in the Land of Hot Water. The village was tucked away high up in the shrub-covered mountains, connected to the ground by carved pathways that spiraled down the side of the cliff rock. The country received its name from their famous hot springs, which were sourced by the many small rivers that furrowed through the land. These rivers all eventually cascaded down the side of the valley as thin waterfalls before joining a vast river.

The village was apparently very popular as a tourist spot, and as Naruto and his team wearily walked past the entrance gates, they could see quite a number of families coming in with them. Within the village itself, there were a large variety of souvenir stalls selling festival masks, local specialties, and fans among other things. The center of attraction however seemed to be the big wooden archway with the words 'Hot Springs' at the center of the village, which the majority of the people were headed towards.

The sky was bleached with orange and purple as the sun set, and Kakashi decided that they would stay the night before leaving for Konoha at dawn. Hearing of their decision and overcome with gratitude for a job well done, the silk merchant gifted them with tickets for an overnight stay at a famous local inn with its very own hot spring.

And so that evening, Mayu headed off by herself to the women's bath while Naruto and Rai hunkered down in the heated pool in the men's bath. Resting a soaked towel on his head, Naruto closed his eyes, letting his tired muscles soak in the hot water. With his eyes closed, he idly began to pick up the jumbled chatter of multiple surrounding conversations; the way they washed over him had a very relaxing effect.

"Oi, Naruto!"

Naruto opened a single eye to see Rai looking at him from the opposite end of the pool. Mirroring Naruto with a folded towel on his head, he had a mischievous look on his face.

Much more than Mayu, and even more so since the incident with the bandits, Naruto had noticed that the other boy was talking to him with increasing frequency. It was a little bewildering and altogether new for Naruto; a small part of him skeptically wondered whether Rai was setting him up for something. However, since preserving the team harmony would be most beneficial to successfully completing their missions, he didn't rebuff the other genin.

"What is it?" he said.

Rai waggled his eyebrows. "Think Kakashi-sensei'll take off his mask in the bath?"

Naruto pondered this for a moment. It was true that he had also never seen their sensei's face in its entirety, though he had never before thought too deeply on it. "I don't see why he wouldn't," he said. "I don't think he has a medical condition that requires him to always have a facemask on."

"I bet he's hiding a weird mole." Rai smirked. "Or something else," he added with a more sober look, touching with his hand the knotted scar that ran across his cheek.

"Who's hiding a mole?" said a voice.

It belonged to Kakashi, who appeared to be stepping into the bath area. He was standing where the white steam from the baths was thickest, and they could only make out the outlines of his body. As the man stepped closer to where the two genin were resting, Rai stood up impatiently with a splash, straining to see his exposed face.

Naruto remained seated, but strangely enough, he also began to find curiosity bubbling within him.

Just as Kakashi was about to come into view, there was a soft hissing sound in the bath indicating new hot water was being pumped in. A sigh of appreciation rising up among the men, a cloud of white steam drifted up, concealing everything around them. Soon, Naruto couldn't even see Rai, who was right in front of him, though he could hear the other genin gnash his teeth in frustration.