Hot Springs * Milk

After putting down their luggage, the four of them took a shower, changed into the bathrobes provided by the Inn, and walked along the gravel path in the bamboo forest to the backyard.

The afternoon sun filtered through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows on the stone path.

At the end of the path is an open-air hot Hot Springs surrounded by a bamboo fence. The golden Hot Springs water ripples gently in the pool, and the white mist rising from the surface is dispersed by the breeze, revealing several smooth and rounded stones on the shore, worn by time.

Hashirama was the first to soak in, leaning against the pool wall and letting out a long, satisfied sigh, "So comfortable... I feel like my bones are melting."

He squinted and enjoyed the view for a moment, then heard footsteps coming from the bamboo path and casually looked up.

Ban walked ahead, his yukata open, revealing the hideous scar on his chest.

That was left behind by Isshiki. At that time, Madara's chest was almost completely crushed, and he used all his strength to pull the person back from the Sanzu River.

This scar is the most direct mark of that battle, and also proof that Madara is still alive and standing here.

Then he saw Izuna following behind Madara.

Izuna had also changed into a yukata, the collar loosely draped over her collarbone. As she walked, she complained to Madara about something, probably about not buying enough Hot Springs buns earlier.

He walked to the edge of the pool, took off his yukata, and naturally stepped into the water. Then, like a lump of rice cake, he slid into the Hot Spring, leaving only half of his face above the water, and let out a sigh of unnatural comfort.

Hashirama's gaze fell on Izuna, then suddenly stopped.

Izuna's shoulders, arms, and back were covered in scars.

There are circular scars, long strips left after lacerations have healed, and some fine, old wounds that look like they could only be left by something sharp repeatedly cutting through them.

The scars covered his skin in layers, as if someone had carved a cruel map on his body with the tip of a knife.

Hashirama frowned as he looked at the scars. What happened to these wounds?

He remembered clearly that when Izuna first came back and he examined him, Izuna didn't have these scars on his body yet.

At that time, Izuna's skin was smooth and even, with almost no other marks except for a few old scabs that looked like they were from training.

But now these scars have appeared out of nowhere.

Isshiki?

The battle was indeed fierce, and Izuna was indeed injured, but Hashirama watched those wounds heal completely, so there shouldn't have been so many marks left.

Moreover, these scars vary in shape, some are new and some are old, and some look like they have been healed for a long time, so long that they don't seem to have been added recently.

Hashirama opened his mouth, wanting to ask something, but found himself at a loss for words.

But Tobirama didn't have so many concerns. He frowned and asked, "What happened to your injury?"

Izuna had his arm draped over the smooth stone by the pool, his chin resting on the back of his hand, and he was feeling drowsy from the heat.

Hearing Tobirama's question, he raised his eyelids, followed Tobirama's gaze, and looked down at his arm, his tone tinged with confusion. "What injury? Isn't this just an old scar?"

Tobirama's brow furrowed even more. He remembered clearly that he was the last person to come into contact with Izuna in the Laboratory.

Back then, in order to install that new eye, he checked the state of Izuna's Chakra meridians throughout his body, confirming that the body was exactly the same as when he first examined it, without any scars.

The Black Rods that Isshiki threw seemed to have never hurt him at all; his healing ability was comparable to his Big Brother's all-out effort—he was simply inhuman.

However, his own cells did not have the same regenerative ability as his Big Brother —yes, Tobirama took some epithelial tissue cells for experiments—his body was just like Ordinary People's.

This makes one very curious about how he did it, but due to his own moral bottom line, he did not continue to investigate.

However, he was certain that Izuna had no scars on his body.

So where did these so-called "scars" come from?

Tobirama was about to ask something else, but Madara spoke first.

He has no memory.

That means: Don't ask anymore.

Tobirama's brows did not relax; instead, they furrowed even deeper.

He looked at Ban's calm profile and thought the man was simply incomprehensible.

If you truly care about your younger brother, you should get to the bottom of things and find out everything that's wrong with Izuna, instead of trying to brush it off every time.

However, on the other hand, this is ultimately a matter for the Uchiha family. One of the brothers doesn't want to talk about it, and the other doesn't want to ask, so why should an outsider like him meddle?

Tobirama withdrew his gaze, rested the back of his head against the pool wall, and closed his eyes.

Hashirama leaned against the pond wall, gazing up at the small patch of sky peeking through the bamboo leaves, and suddenly sighed, "Ah, I really wish Mito could come with us. It's such a shame we can't share such a comfortable place with our wives."

Izuna immediately raised his head and said righteously, "Hey, stop showing off your love! You just think we're all single, so you're dragging us down to marriage hell together!"

"What hell?! Marriage is the most wonderful thing in the world, don't you understand?" Hashirama shook his head disapprovingly, but the smug smile on his lips was impossible to suppress. "But you guys have really been single for too long, haven't you? I've had a wife since I was a teenager."

"Thank you. My fiancée died on her way to Konoha." Tobirama his eyes closed.

"My fiancé is currently in the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning." Madara leaned back, resting his arms on the edge of the pool, his tone equally indifferent.

Izuna blinked. "I don't have a girlfriend, but I don't think that's a big deal."

"Sigh! You guys just don't understand how good girls are!" Hashirama slapped the water's surface in anguish, splashing water Tobirama. Tobirama expressionlessly moved to the side to avoid being hit. "Madara's already thirty and still hasn't married. As his friend, I'm worried sick about it!"

"There's no point in talking about this now," Ban replied calmly. "I'm already thirty; it's too late to get married now."

"What do you mean late! With a face like yours, any woman you go out with would be with you!" Hashirama got more and more excited as he spoke. "Don't believe me? Ask Izuna!"

"That makes sense." Izuna nodded seriously, then got a kick to the shin from Madara's foot that reached out from underwater.

Tobirama couldn't help but let out a short chuckle.

Madara withdrew his foot from Izuna: "Don't try to persuade me. I'll never get married in this lifetime. I can't do something like delaying a young girl's life. Besides, isn't the point of marriage to carry on the family line? We can just find a child in the clan to adopt and raise."

"Madara, you really don't understand how wonderful it is to have a virtuous wife at home..." Hashirama shook his head in anguish, but he knew that further persuasion would be futile, so he tactfully changed the subject, "By the way, speaking of training, I heard you took in a child from the Land of Earth as your disciple?"

"Yes."

"Do you truly consider him your disciple, or is this some kind of scheme? Perhaps to contain the Land of Earth or something?" Hashirama asked frankly, without any hint of probing, purely out of curiosity.

"Part of it is," Ban didn't deny the political considerations involved, "But since I've already taken him as my disciple, I have to take responsibility."

"As expected of Madara, so magnanimous. What's that kid's name again? Ōnoki? How's he doing in his studies?"

"He has a good foundation and solid basic skills. The only problem is that he's a bit timid. What that kid lacks isn't talent, but practical experience and self-confidence. That's why I kept beating him up for those few days."

Izuna was embarrassed. "Didn't they think you did it on purpose?"

"I did it on purpose, don't worry, I'll be careful."

Seeing his older Big Brother's puzzled look, Izuna fell silent. But is it really okay for you to justify beating someone up so confidently?

Tobirama said calmly, "But national issues are indeed something to consider. After all, he's the Tsuchikage's direct disciple, aren't you afraid they'll cause trouble if you just accept him like this?"

"Let them come find us then, it's not like we're afraid of them." Madara snorted dismissively. "Besides, I, the Asura of the Ninja World, am personally training the next generation of elites from Iwagakure. That old man Ishikawa should be grateful beyond words; it saves him so much trouble."

"Heh, still as arrogant as ever," Tobirama said, leaning back lazily.

"Thank you for the compliment."

The steam from the Hot Springs rose gently, and the bamboo grove swayed softly in the autumn breeze, making a rustling sound.

Besides the natural rhythm, all that could be heard was the bubbling sound of the spring water.

Izuna was half-submerged in the golden Hot Springs water, the back of his head resting on the smooth stone by the pool, his eyes half-closed, dozing off amidst the idle chatter of his brother and friends.

He vaguely thought that Hot Springs were truly incredible things. Watching the wisps of white steam rise, soaking in the warm water, his body and mind became soft and relaxed.

Even Tobirama and Madara, who usually don't get along, were able to calmly exchange a few trash talk at this moment. It was unclear whether it was due to the magic of the Hot Springs, or because the ice between them had been unknowingly melted away.

His consciousness floated between sleep and wakefulness, and his thoughts suddenly drifted to a strange place.

Onsen Tamago (Hot Springs egg).

I really want to eat a Hot Springs egg.

The idea of a Hot Springs egg with a semi-solid white and a runny yolk—crack the shell, pour it into a small bowl, add a few drops of soy sauce, stir gently with chopsticks, and then slide it into your mouth in one bite—just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

But his body didn't want to move at all, yet he craved that delicious food. What could he do?

Oh right, I'm a Ninja.

So Izuna decisively formed a hand seal, and with a bang, Shadow Clone emerged from the white mist. It looked at its main body, who was soaking in the pool with a calm expression, and its expression was quite resentful.

"Go to the kitchen and get a few raw eggs, and a small bamboo basket," Izuna ordered with a clear conscience.

The Shadow Clone expressed its strong condemnation of the original body with its eyes, but still resignedly turned around and walked reluctantly towards the kitchen.

After a while, the clone Izuna returned.

He carried a small bamboo basket in his hand, and tucked several glass bottles tied together with straw rope under his arm. A layer of fine water droplets condensed on the bottles, making them appear especially cool in the steam of the Hot Springs.

The clone Izuna proudly waved his spoils, his voice brimming with an excited "Praise me!" vibe. "I'm back! Look what I found! Milk! And it's ice-cold! Look! Ice cubes! Wow, the people here really know how to enjoy life, they even have things like this!"

"Wow! There's such a good thing! Great! Clone, well done!"

The clone Izuna chuckled, placed the bamboo basket by the pond, and then vanished into white smoke with a bang.

Madara leaned against the pool wall, watching Izuna happily clutching the iced milk, and thought to himself.

It's so cute to be happy about something so obvious.

Izuna divided the milk among the three people, then took a raw egg from the bamboo basket and carefully placed it at the bottom of the pool.

After burying it, he nodded in satisfaction. "That's it!"

Tobirama watched his actions, a hint of doubt in his voice. "Will they really get to know each other?"

"Of course it won't be fully cooked! Hot Springs eggs are meant to be half-cooked to taste good. Half-cooked, understand?" Izuna said emphatically, his eyes still fixed on the pebbles at the bottom of the pool where the egg was buried, as if afraid the egg would grow legs and run away.

Five minutes later, Izuna dug the egg out of the pool and gently cracked the shell at the edge of the pool.

The egg white had solidified into a translucent white solid, but it lacked the trembling texture he had imagined.

He stared at the egg in the bowl, its shape somewhere between raw and cooked, and his expression visibly fell. "Not cooked."

"Didn't it already solidify into a block? Look, it didn't even break when I peeled it open." Hashirama leaned over for a look.

"I thought it would be a soft-boiled egg, the kind where the white is tender and the yolk is still runny..." Izuna's voice carried a hint of resentment.

"How could that be?" Hashirama amused and exasperated.

"The water temperature is too low! Damn it!"

Tobirama Izuna's disappointed tone, Tobirama couldn't help but smile. "Don't get angry at a hot Hot Springs that's fifty degrees Celsius. These eggs are delicious too."

With a hint of skepticism, Izuna poured the egg into a small bowl, added a few drops of soy sauce, picked up a piece with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and remained silent for a moment. "It's still strange."

The other three burst out laughing at the same time.

Izuna looked at them with grief and indignation, swallowed the remaining egg in the bowl in one gulp, and then angrily took a sip of iced milk.

"Ah! It's so cold!" Izuna groaned. "Damn it! I should have gotten out of the Hot Springs before drinking it! The taste of egg still lingers in my mouth, it's disgusting!"

Ban laughed uncontrollably, getting up as he did so. "I'll go get you some water."

"Thank you, Brother Ban--"

After soaking for a while, the four of them gradually came out of the pool, changed into plain-colored bathrobes provided by the Inn, put on wide-sleeved brocade robes, and walked along the Geta path in wooden clogs to the courtyard to cool off.

A night breeze blew through the bamboo leaves, carrying the distinctive Sulfur smell of the Hot Spring Street and the faint sound of Shamisen in the distance. A few people lazily sat down on the wooden floor under the corridor.

Izuna pried open the cap of the iced milk bottle, tilted his head back, and gulped down about half of it. He put the bottle down and let out a long sigh, "Ah—it has to be iced milk! A glass after a shower is so delicious!"

Ban also opened a bottle, and after finishing it, he nodded slightly. "It's really good; it's not so cloying when it's chilled."

Hashirama immediately became interested, reached for a bottle, took a swig, and his eyes lit up. "Delicious!"

Tobirama hadn't originally planned to drink it.

He stood to the side, looking at the three people holding milk bottles with an expression that said, "I have absolutely no interest in this childish drink."

But Hashirama was a renowned genius at persuasion. From a young age, he was adept at using a soft, non-aggressive yet irresistible way to torment people.

This time was no exception.

Hashirama shoved a bottle of iced milk into his hand, saying, "Look, everyone else is drinking it, it's so unlike you if you don't." "It's really delicious chilled, you'll know once you try it." "Just do Big Brother a favor."

After muttering for a full two minutes, Tobirama finally couldn't stand it anymore, so he unscrewed the cap, took a sip, and then put the bottle on the floor.

"Not very good."

Izuna curled her lip. "Tch, tasteless."