Preferences * Trouble

When Ban asked Izuna, Izuna paused for a moment, looked down at the grayish Galena in his hand, and a hint of doubt appeared on his face.

"I can't really explain it," he said, rubbing the surface of the stone with his fingertip. "I just like it."

He flipped the Galena over, then picked up the Benitoite next to it, weighed it in his hand, his brow relaxed, and the corners of his mouth turned up; he looked even happier than before.

Looking at him like that, Ban suddenly felt a chill that he couldn't quite describe.

It was exactly the same as when Izuna flew out on his own that day.

They were on their way to the Land of Whirlpools at that time.

Izuna spread his wings and flew up on the beach. After flying for a while, he turned back and smiled at them.

"Brother Ban!"

At that time, his face was full of novelty and joy, but there was something inexplicably taut in his heart.

At that time, he didn't understand the source of his anxiety, but now he does.

It's estrangement.

It was as if there was a thread connecting Izuna to them, to Konoha, and to everything he knew.

That thread is usually invisible, but whenever Izuna does something beyond their comprehension, that thread tightens, as if it's about to snap.

That's still the case now.

Izuna seemed to remember something else, so he took another step away from them.

But Ban, as the older brother, couldn't do anything.

He couldn't help Izuna remember, nor could he stop him from remembering.

He didn't even know whether what Izuna remembered was good or bad, whether it made him happy or sad.

No.

There are still things that can be done.

That is to personally understand and participate, so that these memories are no longer just floating in the air, but take Izuna away from him.

Thinking this, Madara took a step forward, stood next to Izuna, and bent down to look at the stone on the counter.

"What about this one?" He casually pointed to a grayish-green piece.

Izuna leaned closer for a look, his eyes lighting up. "This is nice. This is Epidote; it's fairly hard, and the color is beautiful too."

He picked up the stone and turned it against the light streaming in from the doorway. "Look at this corner; it's a bit translucent, and there aren't any impurities inside."

Ban hummed in agreement, but he didn't really see what was so attractive about it.

But he didn't say.

"And this one too." Izuna picked up the Galena again. "This is actually quite interesting. In my hometown, this stuff can conduct electricity, and if handled properly, you can even make a simple radio."

"Hometown?" Ban asked.

"Hmm..." Izuna thought for a moment, then frowned. "It doesn't seem to be my hometown. It's just a small place, I can't remember clearly."

Madara looked at Izuna and asked softly, "You really can't remember?"

"It's normal not to remember the name of a small county town," Izuna, not taking it to heart. He picked up another piece of Benitoite: "See this blue? Although it's not very valuable, this color is quite rare for a stone. The color of gemstones all has a source; some are due to the elements they contain, and some are due to the way their structure affects light. Benitoite is blue because it contains copper, and copper can give stones a blue color."

Ban listened very attentively, even though he didn't understand a single word.

"And what about the gemstone?" he asked.

"The same principle applies to gemstones," Izuna said, setting down the piece of Benitoite he was holding. "It's just that gemstones are very clear, and if polished properly, they can produce fire and brilliance, while stones can't."

"Firelight?"

"Fire is the effect of light shining into a gemstone and then reflecting back out. Different cutting methods produce different colors. A good cut can make a gemstone look like it's on fire inside."

As he spoke, he picked up the silver hairpin from the loose items on the counter, pointing to the small stone set in the hairpin's head. "Look at this, this is the one that's been cut, isn't it pretty?"

Madara looked down at the small stone, then at Izuna's beaming face.

As Izuna spoke to him, his eyes sparkled in the light of the jewels.

"So these stones you picked," Ban pointed to the row of dusty stones on the counter, "Can they also be cut to produce fire?"

"These won't do," Izuna shook his head. "These are raw gems."

"Then what do you want to do with them?"

"Just display it," Izuna replied matter-of-factly.

Ban opened his mouth, but couldn't find a suitable word to say.

Hashirama, who had been listening for a while, couldn't help but lean in and ask, "Izuna, where did you learn all this knowledge about stones?"

Izuna paused, a hint of confusion on his face, as if he hadn't thought about this question.

After a while, he seemed to understand something, put the Galena back on the counter, and dusted his hands off. "I've read books like this before."

After watching "The Land of Treasures," he specifically looked for videos introducing gemstones and even watched several more due to traffic recommendations. He didn't remember the hardness index or anything like that, but he still had some impression of the coloring principles.

He didn't explain further, but turned and called out to the old man behind the counter, "Boss, please calculate the price of these I picked out."

The old man buried his head in calculating the bill. "Galena ten coins, Benitoite eight coins, Secret Ore fifteen coins, Amethyst scraps five coins, Epidote twelve coins, and that small piece of Fluorite. A total of fifty-three coins."

Izuna took out a handful of copper coins from his sleeve, counted them, and placed them on the counter.

The old man took the money, then rummaged under the counter and pulled out a bag and several pieces of velvet cloth. He wrapped the stones one by one and handed them over.

Izuna took it, put it in his pocket, patted his chest, and seemed quite satisfied.

"Let's go, let's keep browsing." He stepped out of the shop.

He then went to many other shops.

Izuna went into each shop one by one, looking at each one very carefully. He would pick something up, hold it up to the light, and then put it back.

I looked through all sorts of old items, from bracelets and Tachi to pendants.

He rummaged through all sorts of items, but after asking the shopkeeper a couple of questions about the prices, he shook his head and left.

Ban followed behind, watching him pick and choose, assuming that everything in the shops was up for consideration, so he kept quiet and just watched from the side.

After browsing through four or five shops, Izuna stood at the entrance of a jewelry shop on the street corner, about to go in, when suddenly, he seemed to see something, left the shop, and went into the tea shop next door.

When Madara and Hashirama followed them inside, Izuna was talking to the shop owner, pointing to an old umbrella in the corner.

The umbrella looked quite old; the ribs were made of bamboo, plum blossoms were painted on the red paper, and a blackened strip of old cloth was wrapped around the handle.

The shopkeeper quoted three coins, Izuna took the money and left.

After leaving the tea shop, Izuna opened his umbrella, turned it around, looked up at the plum blossoms on the umbrella, and seemed quite satisfied.

Ban stood beside him, glanced at the umbrella, then at him. "After shopping for so long, this is all you're buying?"

"Yeah, right." Izuna closed the umbrella and tucked it under his arm. "Isn't it pretty?"

Hashirama caught up, looking puzzled. "What about the jewelry? Aren't you going to let Tsukimiyo choose a place to stay?"

"This is where he lives." Izuna held up the umbrella in his hand.

Hashirama's eyes widened.

After browsing through so many shops and looking at so many weapons and jewelry, I ended up choosing just an old umbrella?

Izuna, are you serious?

"Never mind," Hashirama, relieved. "Whatever makes you happy."

Madara stood to the side, frowning as he looked at the umbrella. "Are you sure Tsukimiyo will like this? An old umbrella?"

"I'll love it!" Izuna patted his chest, his tone very confident. "Besides, an umbrella is a useful weapon, combining offense and defense, it's perfect."

Banxin says the umbrella is useful? If it's really that good, why haven't I seen anyone use it?

Never mind, as long as my brother is happy.

The three of them turned off the street corner and walked along the stone-paved road deeper into the lower town.

The cobblestone streets in the lower town become narrower as you walk deeper into the town, and the shops on both sides change from jewelry and swords to food stalls.

The aroma of grilled fish mingled with the sweetness of steamed cakes wafted from the street, and steam rose from the gaps in the curtains of each shop.

Hashirama sniffed and slowed his pace. "What smells so good?"

Izuna smelled it too, looked around the street, and pointed in a direction. "There's a barbecue stall over there."

The three of them went over. The stall owner was a burly middle-aged man. A row of bamboo skewers sat on the tin stove, and chunks of meat were sizzling and dripping with oil. Next to him were several small jars containing sauces of different colors.

A low table was set up next to the stove, surrounded by several long benches. Several customers were already seated there, their mouths glistening with oil as they ate their skewers.

"Boss, how much?"

"Hey, meat skewers are five dollars, vegetarian ones are three dollars, and you can tell me what sauce you like!"

Izuna ordered several plates, and asked the owner to add an extra layer of sweet sauce to the plate he and Madara were eating.

The three people, carrying plates, sat down on a bench by the street.

The weather in the Land of Iron is cold, and the heat from the grilled skewers dissipates as soon as they leave the grill, so they have to be eaten while they're hot.

Izuna took a bite of the meat skewer, chewing with bulging cheeks, then reached for the grilled mushrooms on the vegetarian skewer.

"These mushrooms are delicious," he mumbled, handing the remaining half-skewer to Ban, "Ban, have a taste."

Ban took it, took a bite, and nodded. "It's alright."

Izuna, biting into a meat skewer, glanced at a sake shop across the street. "Wow, they have sake!"

Ban followed his gaze and saw a small shop with a wine flag hanging at the entrance, where several customers were sitting and drinking from rough earthenware bowls.

He got up and went over, and soon returned with two bowls, placing one in front of Izuna.

Izuna took a sip; it was strong in alcohol, with a hint of sweetness. He took a small sip, his eyes lighting up. "This is delicious."

"Drink slowly," Ban said.

"Mmm," Izuna responded, took another sip, picked up a piece of grilled mushroom and stuffed it into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out again.

The three of them sat on a bench by the street, eating kebabs and drinking sweet wine, listening to the footsteps and shouts of people coming and going around them.

The warmth of everyday life made the snow-covered landscape even more pleasing to the eye.

Izuna finished his meal, put his bowl down on the table, and let out a long sigh, "That felt good."

Hashirama, still struggling with the roasted mushrooms, looked up upon hearing this and asked, "Are you full?"

"That's about enough." Izuna patted his stomach. "If I eat any more, I won't be able to walk."

"Then go back?"

"Sit a little longer." Izuna rested his arm on the edge of the table, squinting his eyes. "It's nice to just sit here since I don't have to rush off to do anything."

Ban finished the last skewer, wiped his hands, and hummed in agreement.

The three of them sat there on the side of the street.

The afternoon sunlight peeked through the clouds and fell on the snow-covered streets, making one's eyes sting.

The snow in the Land of Iron is hard and crunchy underfoot, making a soft, squeaking sound as your shoes roll over it.

Icicles of varying lengths hung from the eaves of houses on both sides of the street, glistening in the sunlight. Occasionally, a section would give way and fall to the ground with a thud, shattering into a pool of sparkling fragments.

Izuna was slumped on the table, having just finished eating grilled skewers and drinking sweet wine. His face was still flushed from the alcohol, and he looked languid, like a cat that had basked in the sun.

He suddenly thought of something.

In the original work, there seems to be a character also named Mu, who is the Second Tsuchikage of Iwagakure.

However, in the original work, Wu's entire body was wrapped in bandages, with only his eyes showing, making it impossible to see what he looked like.

Aside from his unique skills, his only other noticeable physical feature is his tall and slender physique.

I never knew he was so handsome.

How did he become disfigured?

Izuna stroked his chin, recalling the skills he had witnessed during his battle with Hozuki Gengetsu and the hostility he felt towards Hozuki Gengetsu.

That said, the security arrangements for this Five Kage Summit seem to be different from those in the original story.

I remember that Mizukage Hozuki Gengetsu shouldn't be by the side of the Mizukage, but this time it really is Hozuki Gengetsu has come.

Could it be... that he was blown up like that by Hozuki Gengetsu's Steam Imp Explosion in the original story?

Ouch... That's terrible.

What a waste of such a handsome guy to turn into a mummy.

Hozuki Gengetsu probably didn't gain any advantage in his fight against him, otherwise he wouldn't have missed such an important meeting in the original story.

So, they actually held a grudge against each other because of just one encounter?

Thinking about this, Izuna was both amused and exasperated. What kind of situation was this? A meeting that resembled a car crash had led to such a serious outcome. It was just too dramatic.

The Shinobi World is indeed too dangerous.

Ban noticed him smiling and asked, "What's wrong?"

Izuna looked at Madara and asked, "Madara-kun, how would you feel if someone came up to you and immediately complimented your looks?"

Without even thinking, Ban replied, "I'd think that person is crazy."

Izuna Hozuki Gengetsu.

Bro, I hope you won't get beaten to death because of your low emotional intelligence in the future.

Why are you asking this?

"It's nothing," Izuna changed the subject. "Let's go back. I think it's time to find Tsukimiyo a new place to live."

Just as they were about to head home, the sky suddenly darkened.

A shadow swept across the crowd, flying diagonally past the clouds.

Hashirama raised his head.

Then three more streaks came from different directions.

Hashirama's expression changed instantly.

Messenger Hawk? Why are there four messenger Messenger Hawk here? This means they're sending messages to four different countries. Has something serious happened?

Just then, the Flying Thunder God mark on Hashirama's clothes flashed, Tobirama appeared beside Hashirama.

He hadn't even had time to straighten his coat; the cuffs were still rolled up, clearly indicating he had rushed over from somewhere.

Hashirama immediately asked him, "What happened?"

Tobirama stated succinctly. "Something has happened in the Land of Hot Water."

Izuna's eyes widened. "Wasn't it already resolved?"

Tobirama shook his head, opened his mouth as if to say something, but didn't know where to begin, looking so anxious that he almost stammered.

Ban frowned at his expression. "Let's go back to the inn first. This isn't the place to talk."