When Obito returned to the Hidden Village of Shadows, winter's final snowfall had blanketed the Land of Taki in white. The world was silent, hushed by the weight of snow covering every rooftop and tree.
Far to the south of the village, beside a hanging waterfall, stood a towering castle. Its architecture echoed the legendary Tenshou Pavilion, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this was the most magnificent building in the entire shinobi world. Normally, a structure of this size and detail would take even the most skilled craftsmen several years to construct.
But Obito—formerly known as Yamato Arata before transmigrating into the body of Uchiha Obito—had used his Wood Release technique from the Lianzhu Clan to complete it in an instant.
He named it Tianyu Pavilion, making it his personal residence.
Classical walls enclosed the pavilion, surrounding a vast interior. Obito had planted cherry blossom seeds in the nursery and used his Wood Release to rapidly catalyze their growth. Within moments, they bloomed. Pink petals fluttered down, mingling with drifting snowflakes. It was like stepping into a dreamlike wonderland.
Uzuki Sunset walked beside him, dressed in a traditional kimono with her hair pinned up in a delicate bun. Obito wore a flowing white robe.
The two made their way to the backyard of the Tianyu Pavilion—a wide, open space. Obito had plans to build something here: a private open-air hot spring for the two of them to share.
"They say Takigakure Village has been trying to build an artificial hot spring for centuries," Uzuki said, glancing around. "But because of the geological conditions, it's never worked. Are you really planning to build one here?"
Normally, digging for a hot spring required drilling between 600 to 2,000 meters deep to reach geothermal water. But Takigakure's geology was notorious for its hard mineral-rich soil. Any attempt to drill even a hundred meters usually ended in failure. The thick underground rock formations were far too solid—even chakra-enhanced tools struggled against them.
Obito smiled. "Of course I am."
"But that sounds like way too much work. Why not just use hot water? It's basically the same," she said sympathetically.
"Soaking in a hot spring and sitting in a tub of hot water are not the same," Obito replied with a soft smile. "If I can't even make good on a promise to the woman I love, how could I call myself a Hokage candidate?"
His words, gentle yet determined, warmed the snowy air around them.
Without hesitation, he began.
Recalling the battle he had once fought with the Third Hokage, Obito activated a familiar jutsu. His right arm suddenly ballooned in size.
Ninjutsu: Partial Expansion Jutsu!
Uzuki Sunset gasped. "That's the Akimichi Clan's secret technique! It's based on Yang Release—wait, you learned it?!"
Originally, Obito's chakra nature included fire, lightning, wind, earth, water, and Yin. But after acquiring the complete cells of Hashirama Senju, he had also gained the elusive Yang attribute.
Purple chakra surged and wrapped around his massive right arm.
This was a technique passed down by the Senju clan—the precise manipulation of chakra focused on a single body part, enabling explosive bursts of strength. This was the very principle behind Tsunade's monstrous strength.
But even Tsunade's feats paled in comparison to her grandfather, Hashirama.
"Hngh!"
With a deep shout, Obito brought his enlarged fist down hard on the frozen ground.
Boom!
The earth cracked with a thunderous sound and collapsed into a wide, deep pit.
This would be the spring.
His arm returned to normal, and the chakra dispersed. Obito crouched down in the pit and tapped the ground, testing its density.
As expected, the rock layers below were formidable. A typical Earth Release technique wouldn't be enough here.
But with Wood Release, he had a better option.
By converting his chakra into life force, he could grant trees the power to grow indefinitely—an unstoppable force of nature.
He plunged his arm into the earth.
Wood Release: Violent Spear Tree!
Boom!
A thick, gnarled root shot from his arm and burrowed deep into the rock below.
Rumble... rumble...
Even from a distance, Uzuki could feel the ground vibrating beneath her feet. The trees were wrestling with the stone layers far below.
But this wasn't a simple battle. The deeper the roots drilled, the harder the resistance became. What would take a hundred years with manpower could only be done in minutes through Wood Release—and even then, it wasn't easy.
Of course, not just any Wood Release would do. If it had been Yamato attempting this, he probably would've collapsed before reaching even a hundred meters.
Ten minutes passed.
The tree roots had burrowed nearly two thousand meters underground. Obito's brow was beaded with sweat, but he didn't stop. He summoned more chakra, poured it into the wood, and pushed even deeper.
Uzuki watched in silence, heart swelling with emotion.
Half an hour later, the roots began to withdraw. Obito pulled his arm free from the soil and stood. In the center of the pit, a newly-formed spring waited—but the water was cold.
No hot spring.
Uzuki stepped forward and quickly dabbed the sweat from his face with a handkerchief, her voice tinged with concern. "Why push yourself like this?"
Obito chuckled softly. "Because I want to bathe in a hot spring—with you."
Her cheeks flushed red. "Well… we could always go to another hot spring outside the village. With your teleportation, the whole trip would take seconds."
"But it's not the same," he said, eyes full of warmth. "Here, in our village... in our home. Surrounded by falling cherry blossoms, listening to the waterfall... and soaking in the hot springs together. Wouldn't that feel different?"
Uzuki's heart melted.
"Yeah... you're right. It would be different. So beautiful I can't even describe it. But…" She trailed off, glancing back at the dry spring. "It didn't work, did it?"
Gurgle... gurgle...
Suddenly, a rumbling echoed from beneath the earth.
Uzuki turned toward the spring, wide-eyed.
Ssssshhhh...
A wave of white steam began to rise from the center.
Her voice trembled. "Is it...?"
Obito smiled faintly. "Took me nearly three thousand meters... but it was worth it."
Drilling that last thousand meters had taken ten times the effort of the previous two combined. But now, it had paid off.
Whooosh!
Boiling hot spring water surged up and spilled into the pit, slowly filling the newly carved pool.
Uzuki gasped, covering her mouth. Tears shimmered in her eyes.
Obito pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Snowflakes drifted down around them. Cherry blossoms floated through the air.
She clung to him, responding to his kiss with all her heart.
Obito's hand slipped into her kimono, exploring with a gentle touch. Being a traditional kimono, there was nothing underneath...
"Mmm... ah..." she whispered into his ear, her breath hot and rapid, cheeks flushed red as crimson.
The water reached their knees, soaking their clothes—but they paid no mind.
Obito gently pushed her collar aside, the fabric sliding down her shoulders, baring her pale skin inch by inch.
The kimono slipped into the spring and floated away.
Uzuki Sunset stood before him, her flawless figure glowing in the mist and moonlight. Her hands tried to cover herself in vain, her eyes soft and bashful, radiating quiet allure.
Obito cast aside his robe, pulled her into his arms, and the two sank into the steaming hot spring together...
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