"I’m so sorry for interrupting you, Suzuki-kun."

"...No, it’s fine."

"But it really is a good bath."

Shizune sighed softly as she wiped the sweat from her pale, slender nape. Her short, dark hair clung to her skin, framing a surprisingly toned physique. Like Yugao, she was a trained kunoichi; her body was forged by the necessity of combat. However, unlike the battle-hardened Anbu captain, Shizune’s figure was noticeably softer and significantly plumper in all the right places.

It was entirely understandable. While Yugao spent her days assassinating targets in the shadows, Shizune spent her life running interference for Tsunade. Her ’combat’ usually involved physically wrestling massive stacks of ryo away from debt collectors or dragging her drunken master out of taverns. She lacked frontline combat experience, but as Tsunade’s personal attendant, she was undoubtedly one of the finest medical ninja alive. Aside from her mastery over lethal poisons, the delicate art of medical jutsu was simply her element.

But...

Suzuki had genuinely never realized that beneath the baggy, conservative black kimono Shizune normally wore, she hid such an incredibly attractive, womanly figure. She might not have possessed the overwhelming, impossible proportions of her master, but she had a distinct, mature charm that made it incredibly difficult for him to suppress his natural reactions.

Ugh...

What was she doing here?

Even though he was already soaking in the onsen, Shizune had waded right in to join him. She had properly wrapped herself in a thick white bath towel, and the dense, swirling steam off the hot spring offered some modesty. But given his enhanced perception, how could he not clearly see the devastating curve of her hips pressing tightly against the wet fabric? How could he ignore the faint, tantalizing mole resting perfectly on the swell of her right breast?

"Thank you, Suzuki-kun."

While Suzuki was desperately struggling to employ complex chakra-control techniques just to calm his racing heart, her melodic voice suddenly cut through the steam.

"...Why are you thanking me all of a sudden?"

"Because of you," she said softly. "Because of you, Tsunade-sama has started smiling more often."

Her smile was absolutely angelic, radiating a pure, sinless aura that instantly made Suzuki feel like a massive degenerate for harboring such intensely dirty thoughts. Here she was, sitting innocently by his side, genuinely expressing her gratitude because he had brought happiness to the person she cared about most. Meanwhile, he was busy wondering if the Manager could calculate the exact tensile strength of her bath towel.

He seriously wondered if syncing memories with the massive harem protagonists from his alternate lives was starting to negatively affect his moral compass.

("...." All the alternate Suzukis firmly shook their heads in denial.)

Yet, his current struggle was completely justified. Before coming to this world, Suzuki had been a disciplined, exhausted worker. In this life, he pushed himself to 120% every single day, whether it was grueling physical training, studying complex medical jutsu, or ruthlessly managing his corporate empire. He was perpetually exhausted. So, when he finally had a quiet moment to completely relax his guard in a hot spring, his mental defenses plummeted to zero.

Her sweet scent, the sweltering heat of the onsen, and her soft, melodic voice... everything about her practically screamed temptation to a healthy, highly energetic teenage boy. His elemental affinities naturally skewed toward Fire and Yang release—the literal embodiments of heat, vitality, and physical energy.

I really wish Yugao were here right now...

If Yugao were beside him, Suzuki wouldn’t have needed to hold back at all. But Shizune? He knew perfectly well that he couldn’t do anything inappropriate. She was practically a saint.

Unfortunately, Shizune had absolutely no idea how much psychological and physiological damage she was inflicting on him.

Manager? Any advice here?

Suzuki knew better than to rely on the Manager in these situations. The AI was designed for combat analysis and corporate logistics, not defusing highly volatile ecchi scenarios.

("..." Manager. If an AI could roll its eyes, it would have done so violently.)

"Thank you so much, Suzuki-kun. If there is ever anything you need me to help you with, please don’t hesitate to ask," Shizune continued, her voice brimming with genuine enthusiasm. "You’ve helped Tsunade-sama and me so much. Please, let me be of use to you too!"

Her gratitude was entirely sincere. There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in her dark eyes. She knew her combat skills were limited and she certainly wasn’t a financial genius like him, but if he ever needed her support, she would gladly offer it.

But suddenly—

"What’s wrong?! Are you okay, Suzuki-kun?"

Shizune’s tone shifted to pure panic. Through the steam, she noticed that Suzuki had suddenly curled in on himself. He was hugging his knees tightly to his chest, his face buried deep in his arms, his shoulders trembling as if he were in intense, agonizing pain.

"Are you hurt?!"

If Suzuki was severely ill, it would be a disaster! When Shizune thought about how insanely hard this young boy worked, pushing his body and mind to the absolute breaking point every single day, it made sense that his system might suddenly crash. His relentless drive was the reason he improved faster than anyone else, and it was exactly why Tsunade was so willing to pass down her legacy to him.

Tsunade and Suzuki might bicker constantly, but his sheer, unbreakable resolve to better himself—especially considering his tragic past as an orphan—deeply moved both women.

If he was having a medical emergency, Shizune absolutely had to act!

"What’s wrong? Tell me! You shouldn’t try to hide it if you’re in pain!"

Shizune raised her voice, genuinely terrified that this brilliant prodigy was suffering from a critical chakra blockage or organ failure due to overexertion.

"I-I’m fine. Please, don’t worry about me, Shizune-san."

"How can you be fine when you’re shaking like that?! Hurry up and let me examine you! Tell me where it hurts!"

"No, really, I am completely fine!"

Yes, Suzuki was perfectly fine! He was physically healthier than 99% of the population!

He was completely fine right up until Shizune’s soft, wet hands aggressively grabbed his tense shoulders. She tried to pry his arms away from his chest so she could visually inspect him. When he stubbornly resisted, she panicked.

Underestimating the severity of the ’medical emergency,’ Shizune instinctually fell back on her elite medical training. Her long, slender fingers darted out, precisely striking a specific cluster of nerves at the base of his neck.

What?!

Suzuki gasped as his entire muscular system betrayed him. He had completely forgotten that Shizune was a master of medical jutsu. By targeting the correct pressure points, she temporarily paralyzed his voluntary motor control, forcing his tense muscles to completely loosen up.

His arms flopped to his sides, instantly destroying his defensive posture.

And with his physical guard completely shattered, he was utterly unable to hide the incredibly strong, highly aggressive reaction occurring below the waterline!

"Now, let me check your—"

Shizune’s panicked, commanding voice echoed through the onsen as she reached down to check his vitals. But as the water rippled around his suddenly relaxed form, her eyes inadvertently locked onto the massive, undeniably healthy reaction of a young man. The sheer, terrifying presence of the ’symptom’ was so overwhelming she practically fainted on the spot.

"...I am so sorry."

Hearing his muffled, deeply humiliated apology, Shizune’s panicked heart instantly softened.

"I-I don’t know why my body acts like this..." Suzuki mumbled, his face burning hotter than the onsen water. "But... but... when you sit so close to me like this... looking like that... I reacted. I-I was terrified you would get angry at me if you saw it..."

Suzuki wasn’t lying. He was genuinely terrified that his uncontrollable reaction would ruin their professional relationship and make Shizune view him as a degenerate.

Yet, he never could have anticipated that his vulnerable, desperately honest confession would trigger a deeply hidden, maternal switch inside Shizune’s heart.

Suddenly, Suzuki violently tensed as a pair of soft, incredibly warm hands gently cupped his hardened embarrassment beneath the water.

"Don’t worry," Shizune whispered, her voice surprisingly steady, though her face was as red as a tomato. "This isn’t a weird reaction. It’s completely normal for a boy your age. You don’t have to be scared of me..."

Her voice was incredibly soothing, trying to reassure him that he wasn’t a monster.

"Shizune-san..."

Suzuki let out a shaky breath, realizing that calming down was now officially impossible.

Shizune had zero prior romantic experience. But as an older woman, a medical professional, and someone who cared deeply for this boy, she knew she had to take responsibility for cornering him. She gently tucked a stray strand of wet hair behind her ear, her touch beneath the water becoming purposeful.

"Don’t worry," she cooed softly. "I’ll help you calm it down, okay?"

She carefully gauged his reaction as her hands began to move.

"Does this feel okay?"

"Y-Yes... it feels amazing, Shizune-san..."

Watching the normally stoic, arrogant, and untouchable corporate prodigy completely melt into a flustered, breathless mess because of her actions sent a massive surge of unexpected pride through Shizune’s chest.

Yet, as she continued to observe his rather overwhelming ’reaction,’ she couldn’t help but sigh internally.

Whether it’s the master or the student... they are both terrifyingly impressive in their own ways.

Achoo!

Out in the living room, Tsunade violently sneezed, rubbing her itchy nose.

"Is someone talking about me?" she muttered, taking another sip of premium sake.

Meanwhile, back in the steamy onsen, Suzuki stared at the ceiling, genuinely wondering what on earth he had done to deserve a life completely derailed by the anime plot.