chsdbacks Chapter 103 A Rare Rest
Chapter 103 A Rare Rest
Chapter 103 A Rare Rest
Golden sunlight streamed through the spacious windows of the Hokage's office, illuminating Minato Namikaze's gentle smile.
He looked at Yuan Tuoye as he entered, his tone filled with genuine warmth: "Senior, you must be tired from your journey. Welcome back safely."
Yuan Tuoye approached with a light step, a smile also on his face. "Hokage-sama, you're too kind. I've already told you not to worry about my safety. Besides, the defenses of the frontline medical camp are impeccable."
He paused briefly, his tone tinged with emotion, "The resilience and reliability of the Konoha ninjas have once again impressed me deeply."
"Hmm." Upon hearing this, Minato Namikaze's pride in his comrades and village became even more pronounced.
But then, as if remembering something, his gaze became full of admiration: "The news of your deeds at the frontline medical camp has already reached the village. Although I wasn't there, Jiraiya-sensei's letter was full of high praise for you."
"The biggest contributor to the significant reduction in Konoha's casualty rate," the teacher certainly didn't hold back in giving such praise.
Admiration shone in Minato's azure eyes: "Indeed, a person as outstanding as you, senior, shines like a brilliant star, illuminating those around you and bringing hope to the village, no matter what position you hold."
"You flatter me, Hokage," Minamoto Takuno said with a slight bow, declining the offer. "All of this is inseparable from the cooperation and support of my colleagues on the front lines. As for medical expertise, I am far inferior to Lady Tsunade. With her here, the wounded on the front lines would certainly receive better treatment."
"Tsunade-senpai————"
Minato Namikaze's expression dimmed for a moment, and he murmured softly.
This legendary name, which he had heard since childhood, was one of the three legendary ninja of Konoha, along with his teacher.
As the Hokage, he was acutely aware of the current situation of one of the "Three Legendary Sannin," whose "hemophobia" had almost completely ruined her talent.
A medical ninja cannot remain calm and use medical ninjutsu when faced with bleeding conditions, and this is a fatal problem for a medical ninja.
Even though Tsunade's medical ninjutsu is unparalleled, she still cannot replace Minamoto no Takuya.
This cold reality stirred a strong sense of regret within Minato. He couldn't tell Gen Takuno about these inside stories, so he could only quickly conceal the heaviness that flashed across his eyes.
"Hokage-sama?" Gen Takuno keenly noticed Minato's momentary lapse in concentration and promptly cast an inquiring glance at him.
"Oh, it's nothing." Minato quickly composed himself, forcibly suppressing his regret, and naturally changed the subject, "You've come back this time to take a good rest, haven't you?"
His gaze fell on the letter in Gen Takuno's hand that bore Jiraiya's signature.
"Yes." Takuno handed the letter in his hand to Minato.
Minato took the letter, quickly glancing at his teacher's familiar handwriting and earnest recommendation, and asked with concern, "How long do you plan to rest, senior? Do you have any specific arrangements?"
After a moment's thought, Yuan Tuono said with a sense of responsibility for the village, "There are no specific plans yet. If the situation becomes tense again at the front, I will go to the front to serve."
"No, senpai." Minato Namikaze immediately shook his head, his smile gentle but his tone firm. "Jiraiya-sensei repeatedly emphasized in his letter that you must have a full rest and recover to your best condition. No one can match the effort you have put into frontline medical care, and the fatigue you have accumulated could crush almost anyone. Sharpening your axe before chopping wood is better than delaying the work, so don't force yourself to rush back to the front lines."
He put down the letter, his eyes shining with a bright suggestion: "Speaking of which, there is a place that's perfect for relaxing. Would you like to consider it, senior?"
"Oh? Where?" Yuan Tuoye showed just the right amount of "curiosity".
"The Land of Hot Springs!" Minato Namikaze exclaimed. "The natural hot springs there are renowned, making it an excellent place to heal the body and mind and wash away fatigue. Spending a few days soaking in the hot springs is definitely much more effective than staying cooped up in the village."
"The Land of Hot Springs?" Gen Takuno's eyebrows twitched slightly, a perfectly timed hint of concern on his face. "I remember it being quite a distance from the main battlefield? If the front lines urgently need it—"
"Senior!" Minato interrupted him directly, his gentle smile vanishing, replaced by the solemnity characteristic of a Hokage.
"For now, please set aside your responsibilities on the front lines. The most important task now is your own self-cultivation!" His voice was not loud, but it contained an undeniable power.
"This is also a task assigned to you by the Hokage. In order to ensure that you can play an irreplaceable role on the front lines in the future, you must first ensure that you are in peak condition!"
Looking into Minato's serious and sincere eyes, Gen Takuno felt a bitter smile in his heart, but on the surface he pretended to be persuaded and nodded helplessly.
"Since that's the case, then—I have no choice but to respectfully comply."
"Alright, it's settled then!" Minato Namikaze's smile returned as he made the decision. "Senpai can choose to set off for the Land of Hot Springs immediately, or he can go home and pack up first."
Yuan Tuoye didn't hesitate for long: "Then I'll just set off. The sooner I get there, the sooner I can get enough rest, and it will be more convenient if I need to come back early to handle things."
Minato Namikaze had no objection to the arrangement, nodded in agreement, and after chatting for a while, Takuno Minamoto left.
"The Land of Hot Springs—" Stepping out of the gates of Konoha, Gen Takuno gazed into the distance and murmured to himself.
He certainly had some reason to come to this land; at the very least, he needed to leave a mark in the eyes of the world that "he did indeed recuperate here."
Some information about this country flashed through his mind: the land where the legendary evil god cult was hidden, the hometown of the immortal Hidan.
However, at this point in time, that sinister fellow is probably just an ordinary ninja in Yugakure, perhaps troubled by a mission.
Yuan Tuoye shook his head, not taking the legend of the so-called "evil god" to heart.
Hidan's unique immortality—was it the result of cultists' insane experiments, or a "gift" bestowed by some ethereal being? He lacked interest in investigating for the time being.
A hint of weariness crept onto his brow, and Yuan Tuoye yawned lazily, taking slow, deliberate steps toward the hot spring town.
Yuan Tuoye has already planned out a response strategy.
He would choose a hot spring hotel as a place for his "substitute" to stay.
He only made an initial appearance to reserve a room, and the hotel owner will be responsible for sending someone to deliver meals to the room on time every day.
One of his trusted confidants will stay in this room, strictly following Gen Takuno's instructions and never showing his face in public.
Their daily activities are strictly limited to the private hot spring area provided by the room and the hotel. In short, they can relax in the hot spring and eat and rest on time.
But it's essential to retain a sense of life in the room.
This arrangement was designed to make the hotel owner the most "authoritative" witness, using the owner's personal confirmation to irrefutably prove that "Minamoto no Takuno" had been resting in his own room throughout the period when he claimed to have left Konoha.
The Land of Hot Springs, an open-air hot spring.
A warm mist, carrying a faint scent of sulfur, enveloped the entire open-air hot spring, blurring the distant scenery and permeating Gen Takuno's senses.
He was the only person in the vast pool at that moment.
The warm spring water gently washed over his taut muscles.
That body had undergone countless trials and tribulations with ninjutsu, its muscle lines were clear and smooth, and six well-proportioned and firm abdominal muscles were imprinted on it, each contour containing a restrained sense of power.
However, this masculine beauty was ruined by the ominous black marks on his chest.
"Mmm————" A comfortable groan, almost a sigh, escaped from the depths of Yuan Tuoye's throat. He leaned back slightly, resting his neck on the smooth stone edge of the pool, and his whole body stretched and sank into the steamy water.
The warm currents from the hot spring water as it glides over the skin feel like the most attentive masseur, gently soothing every sore cell.
That deep-seated fatigue is not only physical exhaustion, but also the mental anguish accumulated from years of scheming, pretense, and plotting.
It felt as if I was being gradually melted by the spring water, which contained the warmth of the earth.
"The hot springs of the land of hot springs—they certainly live up to their reputation," he murmured, his voice almost swallowed by the steam in the quiet environment.
Originally, he planned to rest briefly after arriving and then immediately set off to complete the core plan of bloodline fusion. However, at this moment, the spring water seemed to possess some kind of magic, making him want to prolong this rare sense of tranquility for a little while longer.
My tense nerves finally got a chance to relax in the warm hot spring water.
In the countless days that followed, he was like a precise yet never-ending machine, calculating the risks of every step, disguising his emotions at every moment, and walking cautiously on the boundary between darkness and light, afraid that a wrong step would plunge him into an abyss.
The ever-present pressure of "must be strong," "must be cautious," and "must never be exposed" had long since transformed into a heavy lead weight pressing down on the depths of his soul.
Even with his powerful Vortex Physique and the Grell Stone constantly repairing his physical wounds, he was still unable to dispel the weariness and gloom that lingered in the corners of his consciousness.
Here, in this moment when no one is watching, in the embrace of the hot spring, Gen Takuno finally decided to give himself a day off.
"Let me—take a day off," he murmured almost in his sleep, his voice barely audible, before his eyelids grew heavy.
The hot spring water gently cradled him, and the steam from the steaming chamber blurred the boundaries of his consciousness.
For the first time in a long time, he completely emptied his mind.
Without dwelling on the conflicts of the ninja world, without calculating the gains and losses of the plan, without worrying about the future—
Simply as an individual, immersed in this warm hot spring, I shed all my armor and pretense.
Soon, a series of even and deep breaths echoed around the silent hot spring.
Takuno Minamoto is asleep.
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