Though Karura had initially been upset after learning about Tsunade—to the point of unleashing a "Fierce Train Fist" combo on Hii Kōri and keeping her face stern in a sulk for a while—
She was, after all, still a "yes-bot" when it came to Hii Kōri. After a few days of gentle words, tender care, and accompanying her through the Land of Hot Water's distinctive hot spring streets while sampling various delicate teas and sweets, her little tantrum—born from a momentary surge of emotion—completely dissipated.
At the end of the day, in this era, polygamy was common among nobles and even well-off landowners. Not to mention Hii Kōri's current wealth and strength—originally, the village's leadership had been pushing for relationships with him precisely for the sake of his bloodline.
If Karura had truly been bothered by such matters, she would never have been willing to share Hii Kōri with Pakura in the first place, nor would they have established the delicate yet stable relationship they now share.
So, while she wasn't entirely without anger, much of it was simply an excuse to be spoiled by Hii Kōri.
Compared to Pakura, she had always been the more clingy one.
And since it was only a temporary resentment, the subsequent "anger" was merely rootless duckweed, vanishing entirely under Hii Kōri's soft words.
By the time they truly began enjoying the Land of Hot Water's hot springs, Karura had already returned to her usual sweet, gentle self—even more clingy than before.
A few days later, their hot spring vacation came to an end. They began packing their belongings, preparing for the journey back.
"The hot springs of the Land of Hot Water truly live up to their reputation. After soaking, it feels like days of exhaustion… um, exhaustion have all been washed away."
Carefully packing the specialty goods and changes of clothes she had purchased, Karura's voice wavered slightly when she mentioned "exhaustion."
After learning of Tsunade's pregnancy, the little bunny—unwilling to fall behind—had naturally developed a competitive spirit.
And then, just as naturally, she had repeatedly lost her armor in disarray, suffering defeat after defeat.
One could only say she was terrible at it but loved to play.
"My skin seems to have become much more moist and supple too~"
The little bunny's complexion flushed with a pale cherry blossom hue as she touched her smooth cheeks and casually changed the subject.
Sitting by the bed with little luggage aside from a few newly purchased books, Pakura nodded in agreement. "Yes. Even though we just picked an inn at random, the service was very attentive. It was well worth it."
"Aside from the core hot spring in the Land of Hot Water, all the others are branches. Even if there's some difference, it's not that significant."
Hii Kōri, applying makeup in front of the mirror, casually explained: "As for special therapeutic effects like healing old wounds, nourishing the body, or enhancing certain functions… well, better than nothing. Not entirely false advertising. At least the comfort of the hot springs themselves is genuine, and that's enough."
With his proprietary cosmetics and superhuman speed, he completed his disguise in just a few minutes. Walking to the window, he placed one arm around Pakura's shoulder and pushed open the window with the other.
Feeling the cool breeze tinged with the hot springs' characteristic sulfur scent, his gaze swept over the bustling pedestrians on the street and the rows of hot spring inn signs. Yet his mind involuntarily recalled the desolate, war-ravaged state of the Land of Rain during the Second Shinobi World War.
In terms of national strength—or rather, the strength of Amegakure—the Land of Rain far surpassed the Land of Hot Water. Yet their circumstances seemed almost reversed. It was quite a blackly humorous reality.
"Thinking about it, this is probably the survival strategy that the Land of Hot Water—and many similar small and medium nations—have found."
Araya Shūren's voice had shifted back to the somber, heavy tone characteristic of a wandering ascetic, his words filled with genuine emotion.
"Oh? What do you mean?"
Both Pakura and Karura paused in their tasks. Pakura looked up with interest, asking the question.
Though she had stepped back from the front lines nearly half a year ago, she still remembered vividly just how miserable the Land of Rain—turned into a battlefield—had been. Facing the "prosperity" of the Land of Hot Water, while she felt some surprise, she hadn't given much thought to the reasons behind it.
She had always enjoyed listening to Hii Kōri explain things she didn't understand. This time was no different.
"It's simple. For most people who live on the edge, never knowing if they'll see tomorrow, seizing the moment and enjoying life is the most natural mindset. After all, no one knows when they might suddenly die."
"And those in power, the great figures, also need ample pleasures to flaunt their status—and of course, to relieve the pressures brought on by their overt and covert struggles in other domains."
"From that perspective, in a certain sense, they're no different from ninja. Except when they fall from power, they might not even die as cleanly as a ninja on the battlefield."
Compared to the thriving, cheap, and abundant forms of entertainment in Hii Kōri's previous life, the world of Naruto had rather limited options for recreation.
Fortunately, Hii Kōri was someone who could derive immense joy from all kinds of trivial research.
His voice remained steady as he continued: "As for pleasures—fine wines and delicacies, the thrill of gambling, expensive luxuries and antiques, famous weapons or works of art… and then there are places like the Land of Hot Water's hot springs, or certain special pleasure industries—places that provide physical direct comfort and relaxation."
"If developing military strength is difficult, and the great nations would never permit any meaningful progress in that direction, then why not make good use of one's natural resource advantages and provide the necessary pleasures for those powerful figures and ninja?"
"The Land of Hot Water's hot springs, the Land of Alcohol's unique fermentation techniques cultivated in its distinctive environment, the Land of Silk's golden needle weaving, the Land of Fire's Tanzaku Street… it's all the same principle."
"One can't rely on this alone to be completely secure or avoid war entirely. But at the very least, when dragged into the conflicts of great nations—or even turned into a battlefield—the value of these 'services' can mitigate some losses. Perhaps enough to avoid complete annihilation. After all, no matter how badly the ninja fight, the powerful still need their pleasures."
"Even the ninja themselves are no exception."
Karura, who had been quite moved by Hii Kōri's words thanks to their vacation experience, nodded. "Tanzaku Street, which we passed earlier, is a perfect example."
Tanzaku Street, located in the Land of Fire, was a gambling destination famous throughout the world.
Gambling dens, taverns, and brothels stood side by side. Wealthy merchants, nobles, commoners—even ninja from the great villages—were all happy to spend their leisure time there, trying their luck.
It was a place that sounded utterly decadent, yet it likely had better order than many small nations.
In a nutshell: if you caused trouble and smashed up the place, where would everyone go to play?
"As for a counterexample… that would probably be the Land of Whirlpools—Uzushiogakure. Even with Konoha's backing, they were still an island nation isolated overseas. They possessed that kind of strategic power, yet lacked the strength to protect themselves."
When it came to his "theoretical" family, Hii Kōri's feelings were probably limited to these thoughts.
"The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. That's how it is"
***
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