The Happiness of Deidara in Naruto

Chapter 3: The Charm of Iwagakure

The Land of Earth is one of the five great nations in the Naruto world, and its territory is quite vast—larger even than that of the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. However, it shares a predicament similar to that of the Land of Wind: a scarcity of resources.

Much of the country consists of barren rock faces, which seem to run along the borders, making transportation to other countries challenging. Yet, this presents little obstacle to ninjas, as the so-called natural barriers only affect the average person. Of course, this refers specifically to skilled ninjas.

Additionally, the winds from the north sweep over the mountains and carry small rocks from the Land of Earth to neighboring countries, a phenomenon known as "rock rain," which is quite famous.

Iwagakure, as the military force exclusive to the Land of Earth, is surrounded by natural barriers, known for its formidable defenses. The village resembles a top-secret natural fortress formed by numerous rocky mountains, making it easy to defend against attacks from enemies. However, this also makes communication with the outside world relatively difficult.

Inside Iwagakure, unique stone buildings rise up, with only a few wooden structures present. This is in stark contrast to Konohagakure, which has a plethora of wooden architecture. It is, however, somewhat similar to Sunagakure, where buildings are predominantly stone.

Yet, the geographical environment of Iwagakure is vastly better than that of Sunagakure. While the latter is a basin situated in a desert, likely with limited water sources, Iwagakure, despite its abundance of mountains, has many streams and trees.

Speaking of environmental resources, one cannot help but mention the Land of Fire and Konohagakure.

It is said that over fifty percent of the greenery in the Naruto world exists in the Land of Fire. Its favorable conditions make it the wealthiest of the nations and correspondingly the most powerful.

However, through the memories of his predecessor, Deidara learned that years ago, a tailed beast from the Land of Fire caused havoc, leading to the death of the Fourth Hokage. Coupled with the departure of the legendary three ninjas from Konohagakure, the village's strength plummeted to a low point. Meanwhile, Iwagakure was watching and waiting for an opportunity to strike, planning to take over Konohagakure's position and dominate the ninja world.

Deidara's predecessor also lost his mother during that time.

Thinking of this, Deidara could not help but feel a sense of aversion toward war. Yet, he was just a child, unable to influence the village's higher-ups or prevent war.

Peace is the most fundamental condition for prosperity in all things, including his art of clay sculpture. During wartime, who has the leisure to appreciate your art? They would only treat you as a disruptor of military discipline.

As Deidara and Kurotsuchi walked down the street, the cold northern wind blew fiercely, prompting Deidara to tighten his clothes around him, but he didn't feel much cold.

Glancing unconsciously at Kurotsuchi, the cheerful little girl greeted passersby with polite nods and smiles.

Noticing Deidara's gaze, Kurotsuchi turned her head and tilted it, asking, "Deidara brother, is something the matter?"

Deidara shook his head, then nodded again, saying, "Um, Kurotsuchi, I'm a bit hungry. Can we find a place to sit and eat something first?"

Deidara rubbed his stomach, which let out an awkward growl. He had just crossed over and felt a shift in his emotions, and on top of that, he hadn't eaten breakfast before the crossover. So, it was only natural that he was hungry.

"Oh right, I forgot. I already ate before coming. I thought you had eaten too. Sorry, Deidara brother!" Kurotsuchi said, looking somewhat guilty.

Deidara waved his hand dismissively. "No need to worry about it. I just didn't feel like eating earlier. Now that we've transitioned, we should definitely have something to eat."

"After all, the dead are gone, but the living must continue. Whatever thoughts we may have, we must first fill our stomachs! Haha," Deidara said with a laugh.

"Right! I'll listen to you, Deidara brother. Do you have any good recommendations?" Kurotsuchi asked.

"Oh! There's a new noodle shop that just opened, said to be run by a famous ramen chef from the Land of Fire. I think it's called Ni Raku Ramen or something like that."

"Ni Raku?" Deidara felt a chill run down his back. "Then let's go try it!"

Though Deidara had never eaten at I Raku Ramen, he had seen some of it before. He had to admit that when it came to ramen, people from the island were indeed exceptional, with a variety of meats, vegetables, and delicious side dishes that could whet anyone's appetite at a glance.

"Hello, one serving of Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen, please. Deidara brother, what do you want?" Kurotsuchi quickly chimed in.

Deidara scanned the area and noticed everyone was engrossed in their bowls of ramen. Suddenly, he spotted something else—something that looked like deep-fried eggs or boiled eggs.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Oh, that's Oden fried egg. What do you think? Want to try some?" the ramen shop owner seized the opportunity to promote his offerings.

"Hmm, I'll have a Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen as well, but please add that Oden fried egg," Deidara swallowed hard.

"Alright, two bowls of Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen, one with Oden fried egg!" the owner shouted.

Deidara and Kurotsuchi found a place to sit, and Kurotsuchi smiled, saying, "Deidara brother, I didn't know you had favorite foods! I thought you only liked making clay sculptures!"

Deidara playfully tapped Kurotsuchi on the head. "Everyone has their favorite foods! Besides, I'm not weird or anything."

Kurotsuchi shot him a mock glare but didn't reply.

Before long, their two bowls of ramen were served. Deidara's bowl had a particularly eye-catching fried egg, and in keeping with local tradition, he said, "I'm starting!"

Thanks to the memories of his predecessor, Deidara was fully fluent in the language of this world.

After they finished eating, Deidara patted his clothes to check for his wallet, only to flush red with embarrassment. How awkward; he had forgotten to bring his wallet.

Seeing this, Kurotsuchi, who was wiping her mouth, quickly understood Deidara's predicament and laughed, saying, "Deidara brother, thank you for accompanying me today! So I'll treat you to this meal!"

What a thoughtful girl! Even though she looked to be only about five years old, her character would get her through anywhere.

Deidara didn't insist on paying. It was true that he hadn't brought any money, but he could always treat Kurotsuchi next time.

"Take care, you two! Come back again!" the owner waved goodbye to the two children. "And by the way, I'm called Shou-Mou. You can call me Uncle Shou-Mou from now on!"

"Got it!" they replied in unison.

Under Kurotsuchi's guidance, Deidara arrived in front of the Tsuchikage's building. The Tsuchikage was the leader of Iwagakure, and his residence and office were naturally at the highest point in the village.

"Um, should I go with you?" Kurotsuchi asked cautiously.

Deidara knew the little girl was concerned, but even though he was in a "child's" body, he was still an adult inside. How could he be nervous or shy?

Declining Kurotsuchi's offer, she departed.

Deidara rubbed his face, looked at the Tsuchikage building, and stepped inside.

To be continued…