"Very good." The elderly scholar closed the poetry collection. "That will be all for today's lesson."
"Teacher?" Ai looked surprised. There was still another fifteen minutes before the lesson was supposed to end.
"A good poem needs no correction." The elderly scholar stood. "As for the waka Her Highness composed today, this old man is not qualified to alter even a single word."
He reached the doorway, then stopped and glanced back at Shin-chan, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor and eating his third dango.
"Lord Nohara."
"Mm?"
"You were right. Dango truly does improve one's poetry-writing efficiency."
With his cheeks stuffed full, Shin-chan raised the dango and made a gesture that clearly said, See? I told you so.
After the elderly scholar left, only the two of them remained in the study.
Sunlight slipped through the paper doors, spreading a thin veil of gold across the tatami.
"Young Master Shin-chan, that waka just now..."
"It was really good." Shin-chan stuffed the final dango into his mouth. "The last time I wrote a waka, Misae said it looked like a shopping list."
"Young Master Shin-chan has written waka before?"
"Of course. The title was 'What Are We Having for Dinner?'"
Ai froze for a moment, then covered her mouth as her shoulders began to tremble with laughter.
"Young Master Shin-chan, when you left seven years ago, I thought I would never see you again."
"Why would you think that?" Shin-chan swallowed the dango. "I told you I would come back."
"You were five years old then. Could a promise you made at that age really count?"
"My promises always count." Shin-chan raised one finger. "Ask Misae if you don't believe me. I said I would become Hokage, and I still haven't changed my mind."
Ai lowered her head. "How long can you stay this time?"
"I don't know." Shin-chan scratched his head. "I probably won't leave until the mission ends."
"And what if the mission never ends?"
"Then I'll never leave."
Ai did not answer. She slowly chewed her dango.
She knew that every ninja mission eventually had an end, just as flowers would wither and swallows would fly away.
But at least for now, the dango was sweet.
...
At dusk, the Daimyo stood at the end of the veranda, gazing toward the pond.
Two small figures sat together on a stone beside the water.
Shin-chan was pointing at the koi in the pond, seemingly explaining something to Ai.
"Your Lordship." The steward appeared behind him. "The war has now fully broken out. As for the security of the Daimyo's residence..."
"It will not spread here." The Daimyo opened his folding fan.
The steward hesitated.
"Say whatever is on your mind."
"If Konoha forcibly recalls Lord Nohara to participate in the war, then given his current rank and strength, the Third Hokage will not be able to justify leaving him at the Daimyo's residence."
"I will write a letter to the Third." The Daimyo gazed into the distance. "I will state that the threat facing Her Highness has not yet been eliminated and that the protection mission must continue. As for the shortage of fighting strength in Konoha..."
He turned his head, the corners of his mouth rising slightly.
"The Daimyo's residence will pay double the usual rate to hire Konoha ninja for border-defense missions. Money can be earned again, and more ninja can be trained. But some people, once missed, can never be found again."
The steward lowered his head. "Your Lordship has considered everything thoroughly."
"I am merely making an investment." The Daimyo gently waved his folding fan. "During this time, I must ensure that this seed is able to grow in good health."
A tremendous splash suddenly erupted beside the pond.
The steward whipped his head around.
Water sprayed everywhere as several koi scattered in panic.
Shin-chan stood at the edge of the pond, soaked from head to toe.
"Ai, did you see that? I almost caught the biggest one!"
"Young Master Shin-chan, that is Father's favourite koi!"
"Why can't I catch it?"
"Because it is an ornamental fish, not a fish meant for eating."
"An ornamental fish is still a fish," Shin-chan said. "Besides, it's so fat that every time I see it, I can't help wanting to touch it."
The Daimyo stared at the scene, his folding fan coming to a halt.
The steward discreetly observed his expression from the corner of his eye. He had no idea how the usually unreadable Daimyo would react.
Then he saw the corners of the Daimyo's lips curve slightly upward.
"That fish has been raised for six years, hasn't it?"
"Yes, Your Lordship. It is a rare breed you brought back from an auction in the Land of Water."
"Forget it." The Daimyo turned and headed toward his study. "Another fish can be raised. But there is only one person like him in the entire ninja world."
...
The night gradually deepened.
Shin-chan rolled over, and his stomach let out a growl.
"I'll go see if there are any late-night snacks in the kitchen."
He slid open the paper door. Cold moonlight covered the veranda.
As he passed the pond, he saw Chashu crouching at the water's edge, intently watching the koi.
"Chashu, those are ornamental fish."
"Meow."
"They belong to the Daimyo. You can't eat them."
"Meow, meow."
Chashu flicked its tail and continued staring at the fish.
Shin-chan shook his head and continued toward the kitchen.
When he turned the corner of the veranda, he suddenly stopped.
The light in the study was still on.
Shin-chan walked over and slid open the paper door.
Ai was sitting behind the writing desk with a thick book open before her and several more stacked beside it.
"Ai, why are you still awake this late?"
"Young Master Shin-chan." Ai looked up. "I was reading some... records about war."
Shin-chan sat cross-legged across from her and examined the titles of the books.
The Complete History of the First Shinobi World War.
The History of Wars Between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire.
A Detailed Guide to Strategic Locations in the Ninja World.
"These books are really thick."
"Mm. They belong to Father's collection." Ai lowered her gaze to her hands resting in her lap. "I wanted to understand what war is truly like. The books explain many things in great detail—strategies, military strength, casualty figures, and the progress of each battle..."
"Do they say what happened afterward to the families of the people who died on the battlefield?"
Ai shook her head and said nothing.
The candlelight flickered softly between them, casting unsteady shadows across the wall.
"Young Master Shin-chan."
"Mm?"
"Will you go to the battlefield?"
Shin-chan thought for a moment. "If Grandpa Third calls me back, then I probably will."
Ai's fingers tightened.
"Because I'm going to become Hokage someday." Shin-chan placed both hands behind his head. "A Hokage can't hide somewhere safe while sending other ninja out to risk their lives."
Ai looked at his profile.
This was the same Shin-chan whose brain stopped working because a dango tasted too good.
The same Shin-chan who named a stray cat Chashu.
The same Shin-chan who invented the Deluxe Matcha Dango Tonkotsu Ramen Set.
Yet he was also the Shin-chan who could seriously say, late at night, that a Hokage could not hide in safety while others risked their lives.
"I understand," Ai said softly.
"What do you understand?"
"Young Master Shin-chan will definitely become Hokage." Ai pulled another book toward herself. "So I must also do what I can."
"What are you going to do?"
"Become a princess who understands ninja."
"You'll definitely be good at that."
"Why?"
"Because you're the first princess brave enough to eat my Deluxe Matcha Dango Tonkotsu Ramen Set." Shin-chan raised one finger. "That proves you possess courage far beyond that of ordinary people."
Ai couldn't help laughing.
"How does that count as courage?"
~~~
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