Chapter 78: A Hot Spring Together?
"Moegi, don't point at the guests!"
The owner unceremoniously slapped the back of Moegi's hand, causing the little girl's eyes to immediately turn red. The owner then pushed Moegi behind her and bowed to Akiyama Makoto and Tenten, on the verge of performing a full dogeza.
"It's nothing, it's nothing! She's just a child!" Tenten said quickly.
But Makoto gently tugged on her arm, signaling for her to accept the owner's apology.
Only after the owner had pulled Moegi away did he say, "She wasn't apologizing because Moegi pointed at us, but because she was talking about us so loudly."
"A hot spring hotel is a very private place. Gossiping about guests behind their backs can bring trouble."
Tenten nodded thoughtfully. She then looked down at her arm, which was still linked with his, and her expression immediately became strange.
Ordinarily, she probably would have let go shyly. But now, she hugged his arm even tighter, shot him a mock-angry glare, and said, "Don't tell me you chose to stay at a bathhouse for a long time for that reason?"
"May the Sage of Six Paths be my witness, absolutely not."
Hearing him say this, Tenten finally breathed a sigh of relief. Little did she know, he had actually come for the young Moegi.
A few moments later, the two arrived at the table the owner had prepared for them.
Makoto looked around but didn't see Moegi. "Where's the little girl?"
The owner's expression was tense. "I've already told her to stay in her room so she doesn't disturb you two," she said quickly.
"That won't do. I think she needs to be taught a lesson and accept her punishment."
The owner clearly didn't agree, but still asked politely, "Then how does our guest intend to punish her?"
Makoto pointed to a plate of green peppers. "Let her eat this plate of green peppers."
Beside him, Tenten let out a snort of laughter. "Mako, don't be a picky eater."
The owner also relaxed. So it was just a playful punishment. If it would make him forget the earlier incident, she was willing to do it. After all, he was a major customer, the likes of which they hadn't seen in years.
"I'll go get her right now."
A moment later, a dejected Moegi walked in. She immediately bowed to the two of them and apologized. It was clear she now realized just how serious it was for a service staff member in a private establishment to casually gossip about clients.
Makoto wasn't particularly bothered by it. He wasn't a ninja anyway, and he didn't care if people knew he and Tenten were on good terms. Of course, in order to become friends with Moegi, he still chose to feign seriousness.
"Very good. Eat this plate of green peppers, and I'll forgive you."
Moegi was so aggrieved she was on the verge of tears. Green peppers were pretty much the most hated food among the local children. The reason wasn't complicated: there weren't many good ways to cook them here. And since children's senses of smell and taste were at their most sensitive, eating green peppers was no different from a bizarre food challenge for them.
However, Moegi was already enrolled in the Ninja Academy and was not an ordinary mischievous child. She steeled herself and began to eat the peppers.
At this moment, Tenten brought over some grilled meat and placed it in front of her. "He's just teasing you," she said with a radiant smile. "Eat this later, too. We want to be friends with you."
Moegi looked at him in disbelief. As if by magic, he pulled out a variety of candies and snacks and stuffed them into her arms. These were all things he had prepared earlier to deal with children. Since he wasn't writing recently, he just gave his entire stock to her.
Moegi had never seen such a generous and understanding adult. Stars appeared in her eyes. She gave them a thumbs-up and said, "Then from now on, Big Brother and Big Sister, you're my friends!"
Makoto and Tenten looked at each other and smiled. Children really were easy to please.
The three of them then finished their meal in a cheerful atmosphere. When Makoto and Tenten were leaving, Moegi even excitedly told them to come back early in the evening to play with her.
"It's a pity she doesn't know I won't be coming back tonight," Tenten teased.
Makoto teased her back. "Actually, it wouldn't be impossible for us to come back together..."
Tenten lightly punched him. "Don't joke about things like that," she said with a blush.
"Alright, alright!" He didn't push it any further. What if she actually agreed?
In the afternoon, he helped Tenten experience the changes in her talent. And she came to fully realize that her aptitude had improved in many areas. Not only could she use her space-time sealing jutsu more easily, but a full afternoon of regular training didn't even make her feel tired. She had never been able to keep up with Neji and Lee's training pace, but now, she felt she could give it a try.
In the evening, Tenten said goodbye to him. For the next few days, she would be training with Guy and wanted to show them how much she had grown. Makoto was used to this and waved her goodbye.
He never expected that after he turned around, a gentle hug would suddenly come from behind. When he looked back again, her figure was already gone.
"Tsk. So sappy."
A voice that sounded like it was asking for a punch came from above. He looked up and saw Sasuke and Naruto standing on the roof. Naruto wasn't that familiar with him and even disliked him for "stealing" Sakura, so he just looked up at the sky.
Seeing this, a smile curved Makoto's lips. "Well, if it isn't you two good brothers. Are you planning to have dinner together?"
"Who's good brothers with him?! If you don't need your eyes, you can donate them to the Konoha Hospital!" Naruto immediately bristled.
Sasuke wasn't much better. "This guy has been shamelessly following me," he said coldly. "It's not like I can just beat him up."
"Sasuke, you jerk! As if you could beat me!"
"Alright, stop arguing. If you want to know who would win, why don't you two just have a fight?" Makoto pointed outside the village.
Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other, then both rushed towards the training grounds.
"Pfft. Is that really a good idea? I think they'll both pass out in the wilderness."
Ino also appeared from another path, with Sakura and Hinata by her side. But for some reason, the way she and Sakura looked at him today seemed a bit evasive. Hinata, on the other hand, was much calmer. She was more focused on Naruto, although Naruto only had eyes for Sasuke.
"Don't worry. That Naruto guy is stronger than an ox. Even if he passes out, he'll wake up after a little while."
Makoto then changed the subject, saying something the three girls didn't expect. "You all came to find me. Don't tell me you want to take a dip in the hot spring too?"
Ino's and Sakura's eyes lit up.
Hinata, on the other hand, blushed instantly. A hot spring? She didn't know anything about this.
"N-No, that's not it, I..."
Unfortunately, Hinata didn't get a chance to speak.
Ino covered her mouth, and Sakura grabbed her hands. Then, the two of them said in unison, "That's right! We're here for the hot spring!"
"You've moved into a bathhouse! How can you not treat your friends? Pay up, Mr. Great Author!"
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 200 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 20+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you