Hearing his senpai's words, Masao unconsciously puffed out his chest, trying hard to put on an expression that said, It's nothing special.
"Did you hear that?" The curve of Masao's mouth completely betrayed him. "I'm a genius rarely seen in a hundred years."
"Mm, so amazing." Shin-chan nodded and continued eating the bun.
Masao waited for a while.
Shin-chan broke the rest of the bun in half, stuffed one half into his mouth, and chewed.
Masao waited a little longer.
In the courtyard, the bamboo tube filled with water and struck the stone with a thud.
Shin-chan stuffed the other half of the bun into his mouth too.
"You..." Sweat began to appear on Masao's forehead. "Why still haven't you attacked me?"
Shin-chan swallowed the last bite of bun, his expression a little confused. "Why would I attack you?"
"Because we're dueling." Masao's voice suddenly rose.
"But you haven't attacked me either." Shin-chan stood where he was. "You've been standing there posing for so long. Why should I attack you?"
"I'm waiting for you to strike first!"
"Why are you waiting for me to strike first?"
"Because Thousand-Armed Murder is..." Masao stopped halfway and forcibly swallowed the rest of the sentence. "Anyway, you just have to attack."
"No." Shin-chan shook his head. "If you exercise right after eating, your stomach will hurt."
Masao's lips began to tremble. His chakra was draining away at an astonishing speed.
The Thousand-Armed Murder secret technique was powerful because of its counterattack. A thousand hands turned into fists, striking like a sudden rainstorm hammering against stone, every punch landing on flesh.
But all of that had one prerequisite.
The opponent had to attack first.
If the opponent didn't move, Thousand-Armed Murder was just an impressive-looking decoration.
Unfortunately, Masao was too young, and his chakra reserves were far from enough to maintain the secret technique for long.
The outline of the Guanyin behind him had already begun to dim.
"You... you're despicable..." Masao's legs began to tremble. "You're deliberately not attacking..."
Shin-chan scratched his head and turned to look at Chiriku. "What's wrong with him?"
Chiriku's expression was as calm as water. "His chakra is about to run out."
"What happens when it runs out?"
"He falls down."
As soon as those words fell, the phantom Guanyin behind Masao completely scattered. His whole body staggered forward, both hands supporting him on the ground as he gasped for breath.
"Thousand-Armed Murder is only in its early stage, so the consumption is enormous," Chiriku explained. "If you had attacked just now, dozens, perhaps even hundreds of counterattack punches would have landed on you in an instant."
He paused, his gaze falling on Masao sprawled on the ground. "But if you do not attack, Thousand-Armed Murder has no use at all."
Masao buried his face against the ground. "senpai, stop talking..."
"This is a lesson." Chiriku picked Masao up and began walking out.
"Just you wait." Masao shouted with the last of his strength. "Next time, I'll definitely defeat you! Remember to eat your fill and wait for me..."
Shin-chan stood where he was and waved at him. "Next time, bring red bean buns."
The courtyard became quiet again.
In the afternoon, sunlight slanted in from the corridor.
Shin-chan sat on the steps outside the main hall, his legs dangling and swinging back and forth.
Footsteps came from the other end of the corridor.
"Shin-chan." Namikaze Minato's voice sounded. "Pack up. It's time for us to return to Konoha."
Shin-chan's legs stopped swinging. "So soon?"
Footsteps came from the other end of the corridor.
The Daimyo walked over, waving his folding fan, followed by several ministers.
"You're leaving?" The Daimyo closed his fan, his gaze landing on Shin-chan.
Namikaze Minato stood straight and nodded slightly. "Thank you for your hospitality these past two days, Your Lordship."
"No need to be polite." The Daimyo lowered his head to look at Shin-chan. "If you want to stay, there are many rooms in the Daimyo's residence. You can stay as long as you like."
Shin-chan seriously thought for two seconds. "I won't stay."
"Oh?" The Daimyo opened his fan and lightly waved it. "Why?"
"There's still half a box of chocolate in the fridge at home. If I don't eat it, it'll go bad."
The Daimyo's hand holding the fan paused for an instant.
The expressions of the ministers behind him all twisted. His Lordship had personally invited him to stay, yet the reason he refused was half a box of chocolate?
"And." Shin-chan continued counting on his fingers. "Misae said we're cleaning the house this week. If I run away, she'll get mad."
"Misae is...?"
"My mom."
The Daimyo smiled and did not try to keep him any longer.
Ai stood beside the Daimyo and had not spoken from beginning to end.
She looked at Shin-chan standing on the steps and felt that he came and went, left and returned, like the wind—something no one could keep.
Shin-chan jumped down from the steps and waved back at the Daimyo. "Goodbye, Uncle."
"Wait."
The Daimyo took a letter from his sleeve and handed it over. "Help me deliver this letter to your Third Hokage."
"What's written inside?" Shin-chan took it and turned it left and right to look.
"Children shouldn't ask so many questions." The Daimyo took out a folding fan from his sleeve. "This is your reward."
Shin-chan took it, snapped it open with a swish, then closed it again. "This is fun."
The protocol officer looked at the fan being flicked open and closed again and again, his face full of terror that clearly said, The fan is going to break.
"Then I'm leaving." Shin-chan tucked the fan behind his waist.
Ai's lips moved.
She wanted to say, Stay.
She wanted to say, Stay one more day.
She wanted to say, I still haven't taken you to see the willow trees by the river.
But the words that came out were, "Be careful on the road."
"Oh right." Shin-chan rummaged through his ninja tool pouch for a while and pulled out a kunai. "This is for you."
The ministers closed their eyes at the same time, completely giving up on trying to understand this Konoha brat's logic.
Who gives a kunai to Her Highness the Princess?
Shin-chan held the kunai out a little farther. "This is a gift for you."
Ai's fingers touched the cold metal, and her fingertips shrank back slightly before she grasped it.
On the handle of the kunai was a crooked carving. It looked like a symbol, but it had been carved so badly that it was impossible to tell what it was.
"This is the ninjutsu I still haven't finished learning." Shin-chan pointed at the crooked mark. "After I learn it, I can go whoosh and appear beside this kunai."
Ai didn't understand.
What ninjutsu? What whoosh?
But she understood one thing.
This kunai was something Shin-chan had left for her.
"I'll always carry it with me." Ai tightened her grip on the kunai, then bent slightly and gave a standard farewell bow.
The Daimyo watched this scene, and his smile spread from the corners of his mouth all the way into his eyes.
The protocol officer finally mustered the courage to step forward. "Your Lordship, what Her Highness is holding is a weap—"
The Daimyo did not even glance at him.
The protocol officer's voice grew smaller and smaller, until he silently retreated back into the line.
The ministers' gazes all landed on the kunai in Ai's hand, then they all looked away at the same time, pretending they had seen nothing.
The princess of the Land of Fire was clutching a kunai given to her by a Konoha genin.
If this spread outside, it would be talked about at tea gatherings throughout the capital for at least three months.
But no one dared say anything.
Wind blew in from the gate, carrying the scent of the afternoon.
Shin-chan's figure had already become a small dot in the distance.