The days flowed by like water.
Chashu grew another size larger beside the pond at the Daimyo's residence.
The kitchen's supply of sweets faced the most severe challenge in its history.
After Shin-chan invented the method of "dipping chocolate sticks in pudding," the cook had no choice but to submit an emergency request to the Daimyo for an additional budget.
During Ai's music lesson, her teacher was surprised to discover that the princess's playing was no longer quite so "flawless."
An off-key note would occasionally appear, but somehow, the music sounded more alive as a whole.
"Her Highness's music has recently gained a little more... emotion."
The teacher said this to the steward after class. The steward nodded without expression and offered no comment.
Shin-chan's daily "security patrol" route had already become fixed:
The kitchen, the pond, the study, the kitchen, the roof, and then the kitchen again.
He spent longer and longer lying on the roof beneath the sun. Several more lines had also appeared in the little notebook recording his "Flying Thunder God Improvement Plan."
Flying Thunder God Snack Transmission Plan: Failed.
The chocolate stick turned into chocolate sauce during transmission.
A crying face had been drawn beside it.
Everything remained peaceful.
Until a brown messenger hawk flew in from the distant sky and landed precisely on the windowsill of Shin-chan's room.
Shin-chan removed the letter tied to the hawk's leg.
It was from Misae.
Shin-chan,
How are you doing at the Daimyo's residence? Are you eating properly? Are you causing trouble for anyone? Are you taking baths on time?
Your father got promoted again. Now he comes home and drinks two glasses of beer every day to celebrate.
The village has been very lively lately. Guy, Obito, and Rin are about to graduate, so they've been training desperately at the training grounds every day.
Everything is fine at home, so don't worry.
—Misae
Chashu sat on the windowsill and yawned.
"Chashu," Shin-chan said, "those guys are about to graduate."
Chashu flicked its tail.
"Once they graduate, does that mean they'll have to go to the battlefield?"
Chashu walked over and rubbed its head against Shin-chan's arm.
His mission was to protect Ai.
It was an S-rank mission, and nothing could be allowed to go wrong. Therefore, he could not leave the Daimyo's residence.
But...
He raised one hand and formed a seal.
Poof.
A cloud of white smoke dispersed, and an identical Shin-chan appeared inside the room.
"Yo, original." Nohara Shinji stretched his arms and legs. "What's the mission this time? You're not making me attend your classes again, are you?"
"No. Guy, Obito, and Rin are about to graduate. Go back to Konoha and check on them for me. While you're there, prepare a 'surprise' graduation present for them."
Nohara Shinji nodded solemnly.
"Leave it to me. I guarantee the mission will be completed."
However, when he turned to leave, a slightly mischievous smile appeared on his face.
...
Before long, Nohara Shinji stood at the entrance to Konoha Village with his hands on his hips and took a deep breath.
"The smell of Konoha!" he loudly announced. "There's much more dust than at the Daimyo's residence, but..."
He sniffed the aromas drifting through the air.
"There are also many more delicious smells!"
The two chūnin guarding the gate stared at the suddenly appearing Shin-chan and exchanged confused glances.
"Lord Shinnosuke, aren't you currently carrying out a mission?"
"I am Nohara Shinji." The shadow clone wore a serious expression. "Shinnosuke's younger brother. I have returned to the village specifically to carry out a top-secret mission."
"Lord Shinnosuke has a younger brother?"
"Don't worry about minor details. I'm leaving now."
After saying that, Shinji dashed into the village, leaving the two chūnin standing there in complete confusion.
Konoha Village was as lively as ever.
"Where should I go first?" Shinji looked left and right. "I should go home first. If Misae learns that I returned without visiting, she'll get angry."
He turned a corner and headed toward the Nohara residence.
As soon as he reached the entrance to the alley, he saw a familiar figure crouching outside the house and watering the flowers.
"Mom."
Misae raised her head. Seeing Shin-chan standing at the entrance to the alley and waving at her, she looked surprised.
"Shin-chan, why are you back? Is your mission over? Were you injured? Have you eaten—"
"Too many questions. My brain is about to overload." Shinji crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I am Nohara Shinji, your son's shadow clone. I came back specifically to carry out a secret mission."
"What is that child plotting now...? Is he doing alright?"
"Extremely well. He eats sweets until he's stuffed every day and even recruited a cat as the Deputy Minister of Security."
"...Deputy Minister of Security?"
"The original named it Chashu."
Misae sighed. "That certainly sounds like something Shin-chan would do. What secret mission did you return to carry out?"
"Top secret." Shinji lowered his voice. "But if Mom makes me a bowl of miso ramen, I might consider leaking a tiny bit of information."
"Why does a shadow clone need to eat ramen?"
"Shadow clones have dignity too."
Misae looked at the person before her, who was completely identical to her son, and eventually turned around and entered the kitchen.
Five minutes later, a steaming bowl of miso ramen was placed on the dining table.
Shinji pressed his palms together.
"Thanks for the food!"
The moment the sound of slurping filled the room, Misae experienced the illusion that her son had truly returned home.
"So, what is your secret mission?"
"Guy, Obito, and Rin are about to graduate." Shinji raised his head from the bowl. "The original sent me back to prepare a graduation surprise for them."
A smile appeared on Misae's face. "That child still remembers his friends even while carrying out a mission."
"The original said that since he can't personally attend their graduation ceremony, he should at least give them some gifts." Shinji finished the final mouthful of soup. "I'm done. Thanks, Mom. I'm going to find Guy now."
"Do you know where he is?"
"I do." Shinji stood up. "Wherever Guy is, the sweat of youth will definitely be flying through the air."
The training grounds of Konoha Village were empty.
There was no one on the academy field either.
Nor was there anyone in the corner of the Third Training Ground.
Shinji stood atop a large tree, shading his eyes with one hand as he looked around.
Then he saw him.
On a road in the distance, a green figure was running through Konoha Village while doing a handstand.
"Found him."
Chakra gathered beneath Shinji's feet. After several leaps, he caught up with the green figure.
"Guy!"
Hearing his name while running upside down, Guy performed a backflip and landed firmly on his feet.
"Who called me...? Huh? Shin-chan?"
"What are you doing?" Shinji stopped in front of him.
"Training the endurance of youth!" Guy flashed his gleaming teeth. "After running five hundred laps around Konoha Village on my hands, I'm going to do one thousand one-handed push-ups!"
"One thousand?"
"After that, another thousand squats!"
"What comes after the squats?"
"Fifty laps around Konoha while crawling with weights!"
Shinji looked into Guy's eyes, which burned with the flames of youth.
"Guy, this won't do."
"What?"
"Handstand running, push-ups, squats, and weighted crawling are all too ordinary. You should try something even more youthful."
Guy's eyes lit up.
"Something even more youthful?"
~~~
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