Minato was wandering through the bustling Kaida market, fanning himself with a broken piece of wood he'd tied together with string. His last fan had been shredded during the terrifying ant incident, and he needed a weapon, he decided today was the day to buy a replacement.
He stopped at a stall overflowing with fans of every shape and color—silk, paper, wood, even metal.
"So, which one would you like to get, sir?" the fan vendor asked proudly, spreading out a few handmade ones. "This one here goes along with the wind—it's very flexible." The vendor snapped it open and waved it gracefully.
Minato squinted, rubbing his chin. "Humm… I'm looking for one that can serve as a weapon and cool me down at the same time."
The vendor blinked. "A… what?"
"A cooling weapon. Something elegant but dangerous. You know—something that says: I'm stylish, but I can cut you in half if needed."
The vendor coughed. "…Right. Well, this one here is made of iron steel and covered with the skin of a tiger. It's durable, sharp, and definitely intimidating."
Minato opened the fan, swung it, and fanned himself. He frowned. "Hmm… this is not the one. It's not bringing enough wind." He handed it back.
The vendor's jaw dropped. His face turned red.
"What exactly are you looking for?! I have varieties—steel, bronze, gold, wooden, even diamond! Which one do you want?!" the man shouted, throwing his hands up.
"I told you—a cooling weapon!" Minato shot back.
The vendor muttered under his breath, something about "crazy customers," but Minato had already stopped listening. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of someone familiar moving through the crowd.
"…Ice Dragon?" Minato murmured, watching the tall, silver-haired figure walk past with a grocery list in one hand and a bag in the other.
Without hesitation, Minato abandoned the fan stall and sprinted after him.
"Hey! Don't you ever come to my shop again!" the vendor shouted behind him.
"Hey, Ice Dragon-in-law!" Minato called cheerfully as he caught up.
Ice didn't respond. He just lowered his head slightly, still reading his grocery list as if Minato didn't exist, and walked toward a vegetable stand.
"What are you doing here in the market?" Minato asked. But Ice said nothing, stopping at the stall and handing over his list.
"Oh, right… you don't talk." Minato muttered.
The vegetable vendor looked at the list, nodded, and began filling a basket. "Fresh vegetables—yes, yes, we have plenty."
Ice reached for his pouch, but Minato suddenly stepped forward, frowning at the produce.
"Wait a second." He pulled a cabbage from the pile, squinting at the leaves. "This cabbage isn't fresh. It's wilted."
The vendor stiffened. "Excuse me?"
"These veggies are almost rotten." Minato began pulling them out one by one, shaking his head. "You're selling spoiled vegetables when he clearly asked for fresh ones."
Sweat trickled down the vendor's forehead.
"I've been in this business for years—I never sell rotten veggies! What do you know about vegetables?" the vendor snapped.
"I'm a farmer," Minato declared proudly. "I know when veggies are rotten, ripe, bruised, moldy, or crawling with worms." He held up a carrot. "See this? Soft at the tip—it's about to spoil. This potato? Already rotting inside, you can smell it if you cut it open. These onions? Too squishy. And this lettuce?" He wagged it at the vendor. "Edges turning brown. That's basically poison."
He turned to the gathering crowd. "This man's been feeding everyone poison!"
Gasps erupted.
"No wonder my son was sick after eating the lettuce I bought here last week!" a woman shouted.
"And I was stuck in the toilet all day yesterday! Food poisoning!" another yelled.
"You've been poisoning us for years?!" someone else accused.
The vendor's face twisted with rage. "Well, at least you're still breathing!"
Before he could say more, his entire stall—veggies, baskets, and even himself—froze solid in an instant. The air shimmered with frost. The vendor stood trapped in ice, his eyes bulging in shock.
Everyone went silent.
Ice calmly took his grocery list back from the frozen man and sealed the vendor's mouth shut with a final puff of frost, just in case. Then he turned to leave.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"Oh, you should be our veggies vendor, Farmer Doctor!" one woman said, tugging at Minato's sleeve.
"Yes! Become our " another shouted.
"Down with the rotten merchant!"
Minato waved them off distractedly. "Uh, yeah, sure—eat healthy, everyone." His eyes followed Ice, who had already disappeared back into the crowd, leaving behind his grocery bag.
"Hey! Ice Dragon!" Minato called, running after him. "You forgot your bag!"
He caught up and shoved it into Ice's arms. Ice accepted it with a curt nod, then resumed walking silently.
Minato wasn't about to let him go so easily. He jogged alongside him. "You know, I can get you fresh vegetables. My twin brother brought a lot from our land. Since we're in-laws now, I can ask him to share some with you."
Ice stopped abruptly, handed Minato the bag, the list, and money.
Minato blinked. "No, no—you're family now." He pushed the money back into Ice's hand. "I don't take money from family. What's mine is yours, Ice Dragon." He smiled warmly.
Ice hesitated. His expression softened, and for the briefest moment, a tiny smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Minato noticed immediately. "Ha! You do know how to smile!" he teased. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. The cold dragon has a heart after all."
Ice gave him a flat look, but Minato only grinned wider.
They continued walking side by side, weaving through the market crowd. Every vendor they passed whispered in awe, some out of fear, others in respect. Minato puffed out his chest, enjoying the attention as if it were meant for him.
After a while, Minato glanced at the grocery list. "Huh. These are pretty boring items—veggies, eggs, flour. Is this really what you eat, or are you shopping for the Ice Queen?"
Ice didn't answer, of course, but the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth told Minato he wasn't entirely wrong.
"Figures. You are the queen errand boy, huh?" Minato chuckled. "Don't worry, brother-in-law, I'll keep your secret."
Ice handed him back the bag, clearly uninterested in conversation.
Minato grinned, tucking it under his arm. "Fine, fine. I'll carry this for you. But instead of money, why don't you do something else for me?"