"Brother, you haven't even confirmed whether he really comes from the future."
"It's fine." Hashirama patted Shin-chan on the shoulder. "I trust my instincts."
"Your instincts made you lose an entire month's wages at the casino last time."
"That was because the dice were rigged." Hashirama's face reddened. "I investigated afterward. Someone had tampered with them."
"You say that every time."
Shin-chan looked up at the two brothers bickering and suddenly felt that the scene seemed familiar.
He felt as if he had witnessed something similar before, but he couldn't quite remember where.
"Um..." Shin-chan raised his hand. "Could you give me something to eat first? I haven't eaten anything since escaping from Rōran. My stomach has already issued a Level Four Growl Warning."
"A Level Four Growl Warning?" Hashirama froze.
"It's one level higher than Level Three and just below the most urgent ultimate alarm, 'If I Don't Eat Soon, I'll Turn Transparent.'" Shin-chan raised one finger. "Konoha has a rule that says you must immediately replenish your energy whenever you hear a Level Four Growl Warning."
"Does Konoha have a rule like that?" Hashirama turned toward Tobirama.
"No," Tobirama said expressionlessly. "At least, the current Konoha does not."
"The future Konoha does," Shin-chan said, raising his hand.
Hashirama waved broadly. "Tobirama, go get him something to eat."
"I'm not your errand boy." Tobirama's expression remained cold.
"Then tell someone else to bring something."
Tobirama glanced at Hashirama, sighed, and turned to leave the office.
The door closed quietly, but Shin-chan noticed that Tobirama had left a Flying Thunder God formula on the doorframe as he walked out.
"Tobirama is always like that. He's cautious about everything." Hashirama sat down in a chair. "Don't mind him. He simply needs a little time to accept this."
"I don't mind. Kakashi is the same kind of person. He looks cold, but he just isn't very good at expressing himself."
"Kakashi?"
"My teammate." Shin-chan held out a hand to indicate his height. "About this tall, with silver hair and a mask."
Hashirama tried to imagine what the ninja named Kakashi looked like from that description, but the image refused to come together.
"He sounds like an interesting fellow."
When Senju Tobirama returned, he was carrying a tray containing rice, pickled vegetables, and grilled fish.
He placed the tray on the table and looked at Shin-chan, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor and chatting excitedly with Hashirama.
"...And then Kakashi said, 'Shin-chan, can't you be serious for once?' So I told him, 'I am being serious. I'm seriously doing something unserious.'"
Hashirama laughed so hard that he rocked back and forth. "This Kakashi fellow sounds hilarious! Tobirama, did you hear that? The future Konoha has so many interesting ninja."
"I heard." Tobirama pushed the tray toward Shin-chan. "Eat."
Shin-chan looked down at the food on the tray, then raised his head and looked at Tobirama.
"Isn't there any ramen?"
"It's only a bowl of ramen. I'll have someone make one," Hashirama said with a wave of his hand.
"Really?"
"Of course." Hashirama turned toward Tobirama. "Tobirama, go tell—"
"I am not your errand boy," Tobirama interrupted. "If you're hungry, then eat. There is no ramen here."
Shin-chan and Hashirama simultaneously let out sounds of disappointment.
Tobirama looked at the identical expressions of dejection on the faces of the large man and the small boy. A vein throbbed on his forehead.
Shin-chan lowered his head and examined the meal on the tray.
"The grilled fish's tail is burnt."
Tobirama's eyebrow twitched.
"The pickled vegetables weren't cut evenly."
Tobirama took a deep breath.
"There was too much water in the rice. It's a little soft."
"Are you eating or not?" Tobirama's voice was cold enough to freeze water.
"I'm eating." Shin-chan picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of grilled fish, and placed it in his mouth. "The tail might be burnt, but it still tastes pretty good."
Senju Hashirama looked curious. "What is Hiruzen like when he becomes Hokage? Does he look impressive?"
"Grandpa Third..." Shin-chan thought about it. "He smokes his pipe all day. Every time I go to see him, he hides it first and pretends he has never smoked in his life."
Hashirama froze. "But that boy starts coughing from the mere smell of smoke."
"Brother, that isn't the important part." Tobirama rubbed his brow. "The important part is that a Konoha ninja from the future has suddenly appeared here. The situation itself is completely abnormal."
Shin-chan protested, "What's abnormal about it?"
"Everything."
"I think it's quite normal." Shin-chan put down his bowl and chopsticks. "First, I'm a Konoha ninja. Second, I used a Konoha technique. Third, I returned to Konoha Village. That means I simply returned to the village. At most, I took a slightly longer route."
Senju Hashirama slapped Shin-chan on the shoulder. "Well said! You only took a slightly longer route. It's no big deal."
The corner of Tobirama's mouth twitched.
His brother Hashirama and this child were clearly the same species.
They were both exactly the type of person he was bad at dealing with.
Shin-chan rubbed the shoulder that Hashirama had smacked. "But I have a question for you."
"What question?"
"Why do you keep your hair so long? Isn't washing it troublesome? How much shampoo do you use? How long does it take to dry? Does it wrap around your neck when you sleep?"
Hashirama froze under the barrage of questions.
He subconsciously reached up and touched his long hair, his expression gradually becoming solemn.
"...Now that you mention it, it really is rather troublesome."
"Brother, don't let him lead you off track."
Hashirama thought seriously for a while, then turned toward Tobirama. "Tobirama, how do you think I'd look with short hair?"
"Not good."
"But he's right. Washing it is really troublesome. Whenever I finish training and get covered in sweat, my hair sticks to my neck."
Shin-chan added, "Short hair would also make it easier to wear the Hokage hat."
"That makes sense." Hashirama slapped his thigh. "Tobirama, listen to him. Everything this child says is so reasonable."
"None of it is reasonable." Tobirama crossed his arms. "The length of your hair has nothing to do with whether you can wear a hat."
"How could it not? Long hair makes my scalp sweat during summer, so the hat won't stay in place."
"Then don't wear the hat."
"How can the Hokage not wear his hat? It represents the dignity of the First Hokage."
"Your dignity has nothing to do with a hat," Tobirama said without the slightest fluctuation in his voice. "Even if you shaved your head completely bald, the people who fear you would still fear you."
Hashirama touched his hair and sank into profound self-doubt.
Shin-chan raised his head from his bowl. "Uncle Tobirama, why don't you grow your hair long?"
"Don't call me uncle."
"Then what should I call you? Uncle Second Hokage?"
"I'm not the Second Hokage either." Tobirama's eyebrow twitched. "I am merely the Hokage's aide."
"Oh." Shin-chan nodded. "Then, Uncle Aide, why don't you grow your hair long?"
Tobirama stared at Shin-chan for a full three seconds.
"Because I'm not that bored."