And so, the days slipped by between training, fishing, and eating chocolate sticks.
Everyone had already accepted Shin-chan as a member of the Senju household.
Even the steward responsible for purchasing supplies added an extra entry to the monthly account book:
Chocolate-Stick Ingredients — Special Approval
Tobirama's assessment of the situation was:
"You are corrupting the discipline of the Senju clan at an unbelievable rate."
"This isn't corruption. It's cultural integration." Shin-chan crouched in the courtyard. "In our era, Konoha's motto is, 'The Will of Fire is passed down from generation to generation.' It doesn't say we can only pass down ninjutsu. Passing down chocolate sticks also counts."
Tobirama could not be bothered to argue.
After spending so much time with Shin-chan, he had discovered an iron rule:
The more ridiculous Shin-chan's reasoning sounded, the more exhausting it was to refute.
Hashirama, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed it. Every day or two, he would come over and discuss topics with Shin-chan that made Tobirama's temples ache just from listening.
For example, whether the filling ratio of red bean dango had anything in common with the composition of a ninja squad, or whether the simmering time of ramen broth could be based on chakra-refinement methods.
Tobirama had tried to stop them.
The first time, he said, "Brother, you are the First Hokage, not an apprentice working at a food shop."
Hashirama replied, "The Hokage needs to eat too."
The second time, Tobirama said, "Nothing you're discussing has any practical significance."
Hashirama asked, "Then what qualifies as meaningful?"
"Processing official documents, developing strategies, and maintaining the village's security."
Hashirama thought for a moment. "Tobirama, what do you think is the purpose of me doing all those things?"
"To ensure the village develops steadily."
"And what is the ultimate purpose of that development?"
Tobirama was silent for two seconds. "To let people live better lives."
"What defines a good life?"
Tobirama did not answer, because he knew the answer was already in Hashirama's hands.
His brother was holding the "Food Street Development Plan" drawn by Shin-chan, covered in crayon markings showing the locations of ramen shops, dango shops, and dessert shops.
Hashirama smiled. "See? You already know."
"Uncle Tobirama, let's play a game." Shin-chan wore the expression of someone who had already come up with a reason Tobirama could not refuse.
"No."
"I haven't even told you what the game is."
"No matter what it is, I don't want to play."
"It's the Roasted Sweet Potato Game."
"Just roast them on the kitchen stove."
Shin-chan disagreed. "Roasted sweet potatoes only have a soul when they're cooked in the courtyard."
A sweet-potato stove was soon built in the courtyard.
Calling it a stove was generous. It was merely a circle of stones surrounding a shallow pit.
"Uncle Tobirama, do you want to place the first sweet potato?"
Tobirama crossed his arms. "You two can play."
"Come on, come on." Shin-chan waved a sweet potato at him. "The first person to place one gets good luck. It's a Konoha roasted-sweet-potato tradition."
"You made that up again."
"I didn't make this one up," Hashirama interjected. "I just established the tradition."
Tobirama sighed, accepted the sweet potato from Shin-chan, and placed it in the centre of the stone circle.
Then he stepped back and watched as Shin-chan and Hashirama arranged the remaining sweet potatoes around it one by one.
The sweet potatoes gradually changed colour in the charcoal fire, and their sweet aroma slowly drifted through the courtyard.
Shin-chan sat cross-legged beside the fire, using a branch to move the sweet potatoes around the edge of the coals while muttering under his breath.
"What are you chanting?"
"The Roasted Sweet Potato Spell." Shin-chan did not raise his head. "It helps them cook more evenly. I learned it from the owner of the dango shop."
"The dango-shop owner knows a spell like that?"
"No," Shin-chan admitted frankly. "But he hums while making dango. I think humming and chanting spells work on the same principle. Both let the food feel your sincerity."
Tobirama fell silent.
He realised he had become too tired to refute logic like this.
The charcoal crackled, and the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes grew stronger.
"They should be ready." Shin-chan pushed one out of the fire. Using his sleeves to protect his hands, he picked it up and passed it rapidly from one hand to the other because of the heat. "Uncle Tobirama, this one's for you."
"Why are you giving me the first one?"
"Because you placed the first sweet potato, so you should eat the first one that finishes cooking. That's roasted-sweet-potato etiquette."
"I don't remember such etiquette existing."
"It exists now." Shin-chan pushed another one out of the fire. "Uncle Hashirama, this one's yours."
Hashirama accepted the sweet potato and broke it in half.
Steam rose from the golden flesh, and its sweet fragrance rushed straight into their noses.
Shin-chan took a bite and nodded. "It tastes better than the ones cooked in the kitchen."
Tobirama went inside.
A short while later, he returned carrying a pot of tea and three cups.
"You should drink tea with roasted sweet potatoes." He placed the cups on the table and poured one for each of them. "Otherwise, they're too dry."
Hashirama froze. "Tobirama, when did you learn how to take care of people?"
"I simply don't want to hear the two of you coughing in the middle of the night."
Shin-chan lifted his cup and took a sip, immediately sticking out his tongue from the heat. "So hot!"
"The tea was freshly brewed."
"You didn't tell me."
Shin-chan blew on it several times before cautiously taking a small sip.
"What kind of tea is this?"
"Barley tea."
"Barley tea with sweet potatoes?" Shin-chan thought about it. "This is the first time I've seen that combination."
"There are many things you haven't seen." Tobirama lifted his own cup. "Barley tea cuts through the heaviness. Eating too many sweet potatoes can cause heartburn, and barley tea helps balance it."
Hashirama drank some and released a satisfied sigh. "Tobirama, your knowledge of food is deeper than I expected."
"It's common sense."
The courtyard became quiet for a while, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal.
"Uncle Tobirama," Shin-chan suddenly said.
"Mm?"
"Is there anything you want to do?"
"What do you mean?"
"Something besides work." Shin-chan counted on his fingers. "Uncle Hashirama wants to build a food street. The kitchen auntie wants to make the best chocolate sticks. What about you?"
Tobirama held his teacup and remained silent for a long time.
"I don't know."
"How can you not know?" Shin-chan tilted his head. "Everyone should have at least one thing they want to do."
"Not everyone does."
"Then you can start thinking about it now." Shin-chan finished the last bite of his sweet potato. "There's no need to rush. Take your time. In our era, there's a saying: 'A life goal may arrive late, but it must never be absent.'"
"You made that up again."
"My mother said it." Shin-chan became unusually serious. "She said everyone moves at their own pace. Some people are fast, and some are slow, but as long as you're still moving forward, you're not late."
Hashirama put down his teacup. "Tobirama, you've followed me since we were children. You've never once asked yourself what you wanted."
"Brother..."
"I know what you're going to say." Hashirama interrupted him. "You're going to say the situation is unstable and there's no time to think about such things. But Shin-chan is right. Everyone should have something."
Tobirama said nothing.
He merely stared at the barley tea in his cup as it slowly grew cold.
~~~
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