Chapter 102: The Hot Springs Plan
At dawn, during Kato Mikaze’s usual morning training hour, the small training ground in the rear courtyard of the Kato clan compound was filled with crisp, refreshing air after a night of drizzling rain.
A figure crowned with his trademark pale-blue, tousled hair was training diligently.
Having just completed several rounds of basic physical exercises, the sweat-soaked figure did not stop to rest. Instead, he moved over to the shuriken range and prepared to practice his shuriken-throwing technique for a while longer. There were still many ninjutsu techniques waiting to be practiced afterward.
Time was a little tight. He was no slacker, and he certainly was not the sort to loaf around and shirk his duties.
Reality proved that, when it came to improving his own strength, Kato Mikaze was as industrious as ever. The sweat he had just scattered across the training ground was the best evidence of that.
Yesterday’s lazy-fish state had merely been an accident, caused by his lack of familiarity with the Spirit Shadow Lazy-Fish Clone Technique.
But look at him now. The figure sweating profusely in the Kato clan’s training ground—that was the real, normal Kato Mikaze.
Look into those eyes. Though a trace of languid indolence still lingered in his lazy-fish gaze, the determination shining through was no falsehood. He was still that free and carefree man as swift and unrestrained as the wind, not some listless lazy fish.
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“Ah… haa… this feels so good… I really want to sleep a little longer.”
“So this is the true use of the lazy-fish clone! Is this what the real lazy-fish world is like? I love it.”
Not far from the training ground, another Kato Mikaze lay on the broad bed in his bedroom.
Unlike the Kato Mikaze outside, who was training and sweating profusely, the one in bed clearly looked as though he had only just woken up.
The bloodshot eyes and sleep crust at the corners proved that this fellow had not yet had enough sleep.
This was Kato Mikaze’s true body. The figure training diligently outside was his lazy-fish clone.
Feeling that the clone’s morning training session was nearly finished, the Kato Mikaze in bed summoned tremendous willpower to overcome the lazy-fish force within him and finally crawled out of bed.
Kato Mikaze intended to enjoy a proper morning bath. He had returned far too late the previous night and had not even managed his customary soak before bed.
The fact that Kato Mikaze was alone in his own bedroom was enough to show that his plan to take Tsunade to the hot springs had fallen through.
Kato Mikaze’s date plan the previous day had been excellent, and romantic as well.
First, he had planned to take Tsunade on a stroll through Konoha’s beautiful rainy scenery, deliberately creating a romantic atmosphere and moving her heart.
Second, he had planned to take Tsunade to the casino she wanted to visit, allowing her to indulge herself to her heart’s content and enjoy all the fun she had missed before.
Third, he had planned to take Tsunade, whose spirits would by then be both touched and delighted, to the high-class resort near the Hokage Rock. The two of them would soak in the hot springs beneath the gentle drizzle, and then Kato Mikaze would seize the opportunity to…
Kato Mikaze’s plan had been perfect in theory. Reality, however, was far less accommodating.
The first and second steps had proceeded very smoothly. Although there had been a few unexpected incidents along the way, both had achieved their intended results. Tsunade had been deeply moved and thoroughly pleased.
But the third step had ended before it even began.
The problem lay in the second step. It had succeeded far too well. Once Tsunade began enjoying herself at the casino, she refused to leave until she had had her fill.
The final result was that, by the time Tsunade and Kato Mikaze emerged from the casino, it was already past three in the morning—only a few hours before they were due to report for work.
Kato Mikaze did not particularly care whether he went to the Spring Base or not. The research there was led by Orochimaru, and in Kato Mikaze’s eyes, his own role at the Spring Base amounted to little more than standing around and collecting a paycheck.
He had only just tasted the sweetness of the lazy-fish force the day before, and that force within him was practically begging him to spend another day being a lazy fish.
Tsunade, however, could not do the same. She had to go to Konoha Hospital during the day. After all, she was currently the foremost medical ninja in Konoha.
Many surgeries and treatments scheduled at Konoha Hospital that day could not proceed without Tsunade.
Tsunade needed rest, so naturally, the plan for her and Kato Mikaze to soak in the hot springs died before it could be born.
After hastily escorting Tsunade home, Kato Mikaze returned to his own house and slept for several hours.
…
By the time Kato Mikaze had finished attending to his morning preparations and was ready to leave, his lazy-fish clone had also completed its morning training and returned to the bedroom.
Because the Soul Clone created by the Spirit-Nurturing Technique shared a soul with him, the new lazy-fish clone could communicate with Kato Mikaze’s true body instantly and without any distance restrictions. Kato Mikaze was extremely satisfied with the results of the clone’s morning training—far more satisfied than he would have been with his own.
He did not dispel the ninjutsu. Instead, he planned to leave the lazy-fish clone at home that day to study the White Zetsu clone specimen and see whether he could extract anything useful from it.
As usual, he prepared a lovingly made breakfast for Tsunade. When he hurried to her house to call her to work, Tsunade was, just as Kato Mikaze had been earlier, sleeping like a log.
Both Kato Mikaze and Tsunade looked as though they had not slept enough, but there was a difference between them—their sleeping postures and sleeping appearances.
Kato Mikaze had slept like a happy lazy fish. Tsunade, on the other hand, sprawled across the bed like a plump, clumsy, and utterly adorable fat sheep.
After giving the sheep’s wool a good tug and milking her a little for good measure, Kato Mikaze successfully woke Tsunade from her dreams. The two of them then plunged into another frantic, chaotic burst of activity.
Once he had succeeded in waking Tsunade and ensured that she would not oversleep and neglect her duties at Konoha Hospital, Kato Mikaze left her home. Before heading to the Spring Base that day, he first needed to visit the Hokage’s residence.
It had already been three days since he returned to Konoha. If Kato Mikaze did not pay a visit to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, soon, it would be rather difficult to justify himself.
Whether he should curry favor with the Third Hokage could be left aside for the moment. More importantly, from Tsunade’s perspective, Hiruzen Sarutobi was practically half of Kato Mikaze’s future father-in-law.
By the time Kato Mikaze finally met Hiruzen Sarutobi at the Hokage’s residence, more than an hour had passed.
There was no helping it. The Hokage was simply too busy, especially in the early morning and late morning, which were probably the busiest hours of Hiruzen Sarutobi’s day.
When Kato Mikaze arrived at the Hokage’s office, a large crowd was already lined up outside, waiting for an audience with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The fact that Kato Mikaze managed to see him after waiting only a little over an hour was the result of pulling strings through an acquaintance and cutting into the queue.
As an aside, the acquaintance Kato Mikaze had called upon was the kunoichi from the Yamanaka clan who had sparked Tsunade’s jealousy the previous day. She truly was gentle by nature.
However, she was not Kato Mikaze’s type. At most, she could be considered a gentle little lamb, whereas Kato Mikaze liked big, plump sheep.
Well, a big, plump sheep with an abundant milk supply was truly Kato Mikaze’s favorite.
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