It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that Karin finally woke up in the inn's bed.
To be fair, this wasn't entirely her fault. After last night's attack, Naruto had spent most of the night dealing with Hidan.
They hadn't returned to the inn until the early hours of the morning.
After yawning, Karin resisted the urge to sleep to wash up, change clothes, and head out to buy some breakfast before knocking on Naruto's door.
"Naruto-san, I brought you some breakfast."
Even though Naruto had never ordered her around like those Kusagakure's Ninjas, Karin still wanted to do something for him.
Even if it was just small, everyday things.
Not just because he had saved her, but also because of the guidance and care he had shown her during their time together.
No one had treated her like this since her mother passed away.
"The door's unlocked, you can come in."
After hearing Naruto's voice, Karin pushed the door open.
The sight that greeted her made her freeze in her tracks.
Naruto was sitting intently at a desk, carefully inscribing something, while in front of him was a chattering head.
Yes, just a head, without body.
If anyone else had seen this, they might have thought they were still dreaming.
"You bastard! What the hell are you doing to my body!?"
"Jashin-sama will punish you!"
"Yeah, yeah, let him punish me."
The dismissiveness in Naruto's tone only further enraged the head, with no other effect.
The head with the slicked-back hair was naturally Hidan's.
At this time, his body was nowhere to be seen, only his head remained, placed on the desk.
Naruto slowly rolled up a scroll marked with the character for 'Body', completely ignoring Hidan's incessant noise.
At first, Naruto had thought Hidan's claim of being 'immortal' might have been exaggerated.
But after stabbing him through the heart and watching him remain lively even an hour later, he began to believe it.
As for why Hidan was now just a head... well, that didn't need much explanation.
Earlier, he heard those Jashin cult members had been muttering something about 'sacrifices', and Hidan kept going on about how 'Jashin-sama will punish him'.
Naruto quickly realized these guys weren't bounty hunters.
After a quick search, sure enough, he found a few more of them lurking around the town.
So Naruto followed the trail and wiped out their hideout in one go.
He had expected to run into at least one or two more 'immortals' like Hidan, but to his surprise, the rest were far weaker, and they crumbled almost instantly.
However, it was from them that Naruto learned the truth behind Hidan's 'immortality' and the secret technique he wielded, [Death Controlling Possessed Blood].
According to them, Hidan's immortality was essentially a modification of his physical body.
Rather than calling him truly immortal, it was more accurate to say he was already half-dead.
This became clear when Naruto effortlessly sealed Hidan's body into a storage scroll, and without his head, the body instantly lost all vitality.
Normally, storage scrolls couldn't seal living things.
Apart from certain secret techniques, most Sealing Techniques in the Ninja World worked this way.
Of course, the Nine-Tails sealed inside Naruto was an exception, as the nature of Tailed Beasts was less like living creatures and more like masses of uniquely composed Chakra.
When Naruto heard about the effects of Death Controlling Possessed Blood, even he couldn't help but click his tongue.
This kind of absurdly overpowered Curse Technique was something even Naruto couldn't guarantee immunity against.
Fortunately, Hidan's attacks were so weak they barely scratched him… he couldn't even draw blood, let alone land a solid hit.
Standing up, Naruto glanced at the still-noisy head and calmly pulled out another blank storage scroll.
Hidan, who was extremely irritable just now, became obedient instantly when he saw the sealing scroll.
"Wait, wait… don't seal me back in there!"
Being sealed inside a scroll probably wasn't a pleasant experience, judging by how even someone as fearless as Hidan was now begging.
Unfortunately, Naruto wasn't so easily swayed. He ignored the struggling and sealed the head away separately.
'Hmm… I'd have to remember taking him out every now and then to feed him.'
According to those Jashin cult members, even though Hidan was immortal, he still needed nutrients to sustain himself.
If he went too long without replenishing energy, he would eventually die for good.
'Somehow, this felt like keeping a pet.'
After storing away the 'Head' and 'Body' scrolls, Naruto finally had time to eat the breakfast Karin had brought.
"Last night must've been rough for you too. Sorry about..."
"It's okay! Naruto-san!"
As if sensing that Naruto was about to say something thoughtless, Karin immediately cut him off, her face flushing red.
After last night's battle, Naruto had seen the… personal items Karin had bought.
Even someone as dense as him couldn't miss what was going on now.
Seeing the girl's embarrassed expression, Naruto smoothly changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, since you can't go to the hot springs right now, how about we find a bathhouse instead?"
After all the chaos last night, they had both worked up a sweat. A proper wash and fresh clothes would definitely feel better.
At Naruto's suggestion, Karin could only nod shyly.
After finishing breakfast and packing a change of clothes, the two left the inn.
This town wasn't just famous for its hot springs, it was also a paradise for bathing in general.
While Konoha Village only had a handful of bathhouses, this small town had over a dozen, each with its own unique theme.
Rose baths, milk baths with massages… Naruto had lived for decades on the seas, yet he'd never seen such novel ideas before.
Gazing at the dazzling array of specialty baths, Naruto couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
'If Jiraiya-sensei were here, he'd definitely be perched on a rooftop right now, enthusiastically 'gathering material'.'
'Yep. Just like that guy on the rooftop there.'
'…'
'Hm?'
As if sensing the gaze on his back, Jiraiya slowly lowered the roof tile he'd just lifted and turned around.
His eyes met Naruto's.
This moment… is just like that moment.
Of course, Karin noticed it too.
Not only her, but also several women passing by followed her gaze and looked in that direction.
"A pervert!"
A shrill scream pierced the air, signaling the unfortunate delay of the great literary master Jiraiya's next masterpiece.
Naruto watched as Jiraiya scrambled away in a panic, pelted by whatever objects the towel-clad bathers could throw.
Silently, he clasped his hands together.
'Namu-san…'
"Naruto-san, do you know that peeping pervert?"
"Nope. Never seen him before in my life."