The Land of Hot Water was much like the Land of Fire- forests, valleys, and gentle rivers threading through the hills. But here, the earth itself seemed alive. Steam curled up from fissures in the ground, drifting across mountain paths until everything shimmered as though they were walking through a dream. The caravan slowed almost unconsciously, heads lifting, nostrils flaring at the mineral tang in the air.
"Is it… always like this here?" whispered Kaho Uzumaki, a wiry girl who had grown up in captivity under Kumogakure, rather than under Uzushio's sky.
Aya Uzumaki laughed softly beside her. "It's from the hot springs nearby. I could really use one right now."
"I'd like to see you in a hot spring," said Hatsuo Uzumaki, which got him a swift punch in the face from Aya.
Kushina took it all in with a smile. It was nice to see some of the Uzumaki coming out of their depression a little.
She walked at the front, red hair bright against the fog. She didn't let her stride falter, though inside she felt the same wonder as Kaho. She had never set foot in the Land of Hot Water before. She'd never even seen a hot spring. But she held her head high. She couldn't look like some wide-eyed girl when her clan was watching.
For days, the caravan of red-haired wanderers had pressed westward, their feet sore, their clothes ragged, and their spirits thin. Kushina had planned to drive them further still, to keep momentum until they crossed the Land of Stone's border. Yet as she glanced back at the weary figures trailing behind, the survivors of Uzushio, her people, she saw more than fatigue. She saw children who hadn't known laughter in years, and women and men who still carried the dust of prison cells on their skin.
These were all people who could use some joy and peace. So, as the clan leader, she would give it to them.
----
By dusk, they reached a cluster of wooden inns built around steaming pools. Lanterns glowed warmly under the eaves, and attendants in yukata hurried out, bowing and calling welcomes. Their words faltered when they saw the sheer number of red-haired strangers, but Kushina stepped forward with confidence that brooked no argument.
"We'll need rooms, food, and the use of your baths," she said.
The attendants stammered and hesitated, but under Kushina's gaze, they quickly relented.
Inside, the Uzumaki scattered like leaves in the wind. Some collapsed gratefully onto tatami mats. Others, children especially, peeked out windows at the rising steam, giggling. Aya and Kaho, until Kaoru, a scar-eyed elder, shut them up with a single sharp look.
Kushina oversaw it all, giving orders, making sure food was prepared, and ensuring the men and women were separated properly. Her heart warmed at their excitement. For so long, survival had been all they knew. Tonight, at least, they could live peacefully.
Kushina joined the women's side of the springs, stepping barefoot onto the wet stones as steam curled around her. The pool spread wide, its surface rippling with lanternlight. Aya, a woman in her twenties, was already submerged to her shoulders, sighing loudly.
"This is heaven," Aya murmured, stretching her arms. "I thought I'd forgotten what clean water felt like."
"Don't get too used to it," teased Kaho, a wiry girl barely older than Kushina. "Tomorrow we'll probably be back in the mud."
"That's why you enjoy it while you can," said Kaoru, an elder with a scar tracing one eye. Her voice was low but steady, carrying the tone of someone who had endured much worse.
Kushina slipped into the water, biting back the sigh that threatened to escape her lips. She lowered herself with deliberate composure, careful to keep her shoulders straight. Though they were her family, she wouldn't let them see her vulnerable- especially not when their clan was in such a dire situation.
"This isn't just luck," she said firmly. "It's what we deserve- all of us. So soak it in, and don't talk like it'll be stolen tomorrow. If anything tries, I'll make sure it doesn't."
A murmur of agreement spread around the pool. Aya smiled faintly, dipping her face under the water before surfacing with wet strands clinging to her cheeks. "Always so fierce, Lady Kushina. Even in a hot spring."
"Someone has to be," Kushina replied, her lips tugging into a small smile.
The conversation turned lighter. Mainly reminiscing about Uzushio, though carefully avoiding the sharp edges of loss. Aya recalled sneaking into orchards as a child; Kaho complained loudly about the food in prison camps compared to the meals she remembered back home. Even Kaoru, usually stone-faced, allowed herself a chuckle when another woman splashed her accidentally.
Kushina laughed with them, added her own comments, but never fully let go. Her mask remained in place. She was their anchor, their leader. Weakness had no place here, at least not now.
Much later, when the chatter grew louder and the air too thick, Kushina excused herself. She slipped on a robe and padded barefoot through winding, lantern-lit paths until she found the secluded spring tucked behind a wall of rock and bamboo.
The steam there was thicker, almost silvery under the moonlight. And in its center lounged a figure no attendant could have explained away.
Kurama.
His large human frame sprawled across the water, nine tails flicking idly. Steam clung to his skin and the fur of his ears. His eyes glowed faintly as they tracked her approach.
"You're late," he rumbled. "I thought you drowned listening to their stories."
Kushina laughed softly, the sound looser than anything she'd allowed in the other spring. "I had to keep up appearances. Can't exactly let them know I sneak off to bathe with a giant fox."
"Hmph. You make it sound indecent," he said, ears twitching.
"It is," she teased, slipping into the water beside his forepaw. Heat enveloped her, sinking into her bones. She let herself finally sag against the stone edge, sighing openly this time.
Kurama's ears twitched. His gaze sharpened. "Did you just… moan?"
Her cheeks went scarlet. "I-I did not!"
"You did," he said, a grin curling his mouth. "Loud enough the whole mountain probably heard."
"Shut up!" Kushina splashed water at his face, mortified. Her heart pounded. "You're imagining things!"
"Adorable," he chuckled, and she leaned back against the stone edge, relaxing with her eyes closed.
Kushina's face only burned hotter. She turned away, muttering under her breath. Eventually, she relaxed again, leaning against the stone edge with her eyes closed.
Kurama watched, silent. When she cracked one eye open, she caught him staring.
"What?" she asked, a smile tugging her lips.
He looked away quickly. "Nothing. Just… You shouldn't drop your guard. Not even here."
Her gaze softened. "If I can't rest with you, then who else?"
His ears flicked again, betraying him. "Tch. You shouldn't say things like that."
Her laugh filled the steam.
They talked long into the night. About the clan. About the journey ahead. About her doubts, her burdens. He listened, gruff but steady, his tails curling protectively around the edges of the pool. And when silence stretched between them, it was comfortable.
Kushina rested quietly, leaning her arms on the rocks. In the rising steam, her mask melted away completely, if only for him.
----
Later, the Uzumaki gathered for a meal in a wide hall, lanterns flickering above them. Plates of rice, vegetables, and fish filled the tables. Children laughed, women teased one another, and even the elders smiled faintly as they ate.
At the head of the table sat Kushina, posture tall, smile calm. To them, she was untouchable, steady as ever. None could guess that only an hour earlier, she had slumped against stone, baring her doubts to the only one who would ever hear them.
She lifted her cup, raising it toward the room. "Eat well. Tomorrow, we'll march again, toward the rest of our clansmen. But tonight, remember what it means to live."
Cheers rose, filling the hall with warmth.
And in the quiet corner of her mind, where steam still clung and re deyes still lingered, Kushina allowed herself a private smile.
This was what every fight has been about.