Izumi dragged Gua to a street in Konoha.
It was one of the few streets in Konoha devoted to snacks and toys.
Gua rarely came here.
To him, it was no different from the market towns in his previous life.
His mother had bought the plush toy by his bed on this street.
"Gua! Look at me!"
Izumi stood in front of a mask stall, holding a fox mask over her face.
Gua glanced over and nodded.
That meant he got it.
I looked.
Ever since they entered the street, Izumi hadn't stopped. She had to browse the snack stalls, the clothing shops, the toy stalls...
It was as though some gene had been activated.
Gua followed behind Izumi, looking a little vacant.
Still, Gua didn't mind. He wouldn't feel awkward. Nothing in this world could make him feel awkward.
Izumi lowered the fox mask and pouted.
She ran back to Gua's side.
"Gua, doesn't the fox mask look good?"
Gua nodded.
Izumi started getting worked up.
Gua said, "It looks good."
Izumi's expression eased a little. She huffed, folded her arms, and strode ahead, looking as though she would never speak to him again.
Gua followed at a leisurely pace.
He kept to his own rhythm.
Neither fast nor slow, he wasn't in any hurry to catch up with Izumi. Since he was here, he might as well take a look around.
He didn't go inside to browse, just walked along the roadside and glanced at the little shops around him.
The shops here really were tiny.
Each storefront was only a few dozen square meters, and very cramped.
Some vendors simply set up stalls along the street.
Izumi kept her head down and marched ahead, playing it cool.
After walking for a while, she realized Gua hadn't called out to stop her and turned back, puffing with anger.
She discovered she'd left Gua dozens of meters behind.
Meanwhile, Gua was still walking along behind her, looking vacant.
He leisurely looked back and forth at the shops around him, without curiosity, urgency, or that sense of purpose shoppers had when they were determined to find a particular store.
He was simply looking.
"Gua!!"
Izumi stopped up ahead and shouted at him indignantly.
Gua turned to look at Izumi in front of him.
He had no idea what was wrong with her.
"Why aren't you catching up with me?"
Izumi demanded angrily.
Gua: ...
You're walking so fast. Why should I chase you?
It's not like you don't know the way.
While they were talking, Gua had already reached Izumi's side.
"Why should I catch up with you?"
Gua's voice was full of confusion.
I haven't even said anything about you marching off all cool like that, and you're already turning it around on me!
As far as Gua was concerned, it was only because he had a good temper.
Anyone else would have gotten angry ages ago!
That's me for you!
All that work on cultivating my character really paid off!
People like me live long lives!
Having said his piece, Gua saw that Izumi had no intention of answering him, so he continued walking.
Izumi: !!!
Damn it!
She was getting a little annoyed. What was she supposed to do?
Don't get angry. Don't get angry.
Izumi comforted herself.
She forced out a smile and hurried to catch up with Gua.
"Gua! The place selling three-color dango is over there!"
"Mm."
Gua kept walking.
Izumi was at her wits' end.
I'm already making this much effort. Can't you give me a few words in return?
Mm!
Oh!
Got it!
Okay!
Okay, my ass!!!
Izumi was already screaming inside.
Gua didn't notice at all. He was simply browsing.
An enlightened monk had once said that before enlightenment, when you fetched water, you thought about chopping wood, and when you chopped wood, you thought about cooking. After enlightenment, fetching water was just fetching water, chopping wood was just chopping wood, and browsing was just browsing.
Of course, Gua had added that last part himself.
Seen that way, he was halfway to being an enlightened monk himself.
In the end, the two of them stopped in front of the three-color dango shop Izumi had been longing for.
The woman selling three-color dango was an old lady who seemed to know Izumi quite well.
As soon as Izumi arrived, the old lady greeted her.
"Here for three-color dango again? You've picked a good day. I still have plenty this time, so you can take your time choosing."
The old lady's smile was very kind.
Gua also gave her a polite smile by way of greeting.
"This one, this one!"
Through the glass, Izumi pointed at a skewer of three-color dango that was entirely red.
Gua was curious.
If all three dumplings are the same color, does it still count as three-color dango?
Why not call it one-color dango?
Gua picked one with three colors.
He figured that might be more authentic.
He also had four more packed to go. Gua wanted to pay, but Izumi was feeling grandly generous.
She looked every bit the big boss.
"My treat!"
Gua put away his little coin purse.
The money inside was all allowance his mother had given him. Though he spent most of his time idling and hardly spent anything, his mother gave him money every week.
As a result, Gua's little stash kept growing.
With Gua holding his three-color dango and Izumi holding her one-color dango, they found a spot by the river.
The water was clear, its deep current flowing quietly. This was a stretch of the Naka River, and its calmest stretch at that.
They sat together on a half-finished wooden bridge by the river, eating dango.
Izumi had plenty to say.
She chattered nonstop from the moment they sat down.
"Gua, what do you think is at the end of the Naka River?"
"The sea, probably."
"Then what's at the end of the sea?"
"More sea, probably."
"Gua, have you ever seen the sea?"
"No."
"The books say the sea is huge, so huge you can't see where it ends. It's blue, unlike the water in the Naka River."
"That's pretty impressive."
"I've never been either. When we grow up and become ninja, we should be able to see the sea."
"Then we'll be pretty impressive too."
"I want to sit by the sea with you and eat three-color dango, Gua. The sea must be beautiful at sunset."
Izumi raised her empty bamboo skewer high, her eyes shining.
"Sure."
Gua popped the last dumpling into his mouth and was just about to throw away the skewer.
Izumi snatched it from his hand.
She tossed both bamboo skewers into the Naka River together.
The skewers drifted away with the rushing current, heading into the distance.
"The three-color dango will go to the sea together!!"
Izumi was still a child. In her eyes, so many things were full of romance.
Gua ignored her.
He was just wondering whether bamboo skewers counted as recyclable waste.
Throwing them into the Naka River shouldn't count as polluting the environment, right?
If a fish in the Naka River swallowed one, wouldn't the skewer stab right through it?
Gua's thoughts wandered further and further afield.
Without thinking, he took another skewer of three-color dango from the takeout bag and popped a dumpling into his mouth.
The three-color dango was surprisingly sweet.
Though he couldn't taste any difference between it and the ones Izumi usually brought.
Still, he was in a very good mood today.
"Gua! Izumi!"
Itachi came running up from behind them.
Gua glanced at Itachi.
Didn't you go home with your dad?
Why are you out again?
Given Clan Leader Fugaku's temperament, shouldn't he be keeping you at home and drilling you nonstop?
Seeming to read the meaning in Gua's eyes, Itachi explained,
"Father's been very different lately. I don't know why either, but Dad isn't as strict anymore. I even saw him smile today. I told Dad I was coming to find you, Gua, and he actually agreed right away."
As he explained, Itachi sat down between Gua and Izumi.
Izumi: ?
Gua said, "So that's what happened."
Did Fugaku sneak a peek at the script?
Was he planning to teach his son with love?
What Gua didn't know was that Fugaku had spent that entire day sitting by the Naka River. The moment he stood up, the Uchiha's fate had quietly changed course.
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