After school.
The feeling of being watched grew stronger, as if someone was staring at him from behind. Shin-chan looked back several times, but there were only a few people on the street and no one suspicious.
But something just felt off.
Shin-chan instinctively quickened his pace.
But he hadn't gone far when he suddenly stopped.
Someone was crouching on the rooftop across the street.
He had white hair and a Konoha Forehead Protector, and he was pointing a cylindrical object toward the hot springs.
Shin-chan tilted his head and watched for two seconds.
That cylinder looked like a pair of binoculars.
Binoculars pointed at the hot springs?
There were...
Shin-chan's eyes lit up. He took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted, "What are you doing? Are there Pretty Big Sisters in the hot springs?"
The figure on the roof jolted violently and sprang into the air, his feet slipping.
"Waaah!"
Thud!
He fell straight off the roof, landing flat on his back. The binoculars flew far from his hands.
Before Shin-chan could go over to him, a chorus of screams suddenly rang out from the hot springs in the distance.
"Ah!!!"
"Someone's peeking!"
"Pervert!"
Then things came flying through the air toward them: washbasins, ladles, soap, shampoo bottles, and even a wooden sandal.
"Pervert, get out!"
"Beat him to death!"
Shin-chan stared blankly as the objects clattered down all around them. Some nearly hit him.
The man on the ground scrambled to his feet and grabbed Shin-chan by the wrist.
"Run!"
They both took off.
Behind them, the angry shouts from the hot springs faded farther and farther away.
Only after they'd run three blocks and turned into an alley did the man finally stop. He braced his hands on his knees and panted, "Huff... huff... That was close..."
Shin-chan looked up at him and asked, "Who are you?"
The man straightened up, wiped his sweat, and struck a pose he thought looked cool.
"Who am I? I'm the legendary..."
He paused and cleared his throat.
"The Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, one of the legendary Sannin, the White-Haired Boy and Toad Summoner, the greatest hero in the Ninja World..."
He went on and on.
After listening carefully, Shin-chan nodded. "So who are you?"
Jiraiya's mouth twitched.
"I just told you!"
"You said too much," Shin-chan answered honestly. "I can't remember it all."
"Lord Jiraiya, the Toad Sage!"
Shin-chan blinked and repeated, "Toad Sage?"
"That's right!"
"What does a Sage do?"
Jiraiya was stumped.
"Uh... well... a really powerful ninja."
"Oh." Shin-chan nodded, then tilted his head. "So what were you doing just now?"
Jiraiya's expression stiffened. "Well... ahem... I was... um... gathering material."
"What's that?"
"Gathering material means observing life and collecting inspiration for writing." Jiraiya spoke with a straight face. "I'm an author, you see. I'm writing a novel."
Shin-chan thought about it.
"Why do you need binoculars to look at the hot springs to write a novel?"
Jiraiya was at a loss for words.
Shin-chan continued, "There are Pretty Big Sisters bathing in the hot springs, right?"
Jiraiya's face turned slightly red.
"Well..."
"You like looking at Pretty Big Sisters too?"
Jiraiya paused, then looked down at the five-year-old boy.
This kid... seemed kind of interesting.
"You..." he asked tentatively. "You like them too?"
Shin-chan nodded as if it were obvious.
"Of course. Who doesn't like Pretty Big Sisters?"
Jiraiya's eyes lit up. He slapped Shin-chan on the shoulder. "Good! Well said, kid. You've got a good eye!"
Shin-chan proudly swayed his head.
"But I look at them out in the open. I never hide on rooftops."
Jiraiya's expression stiffened again.
"I... I call that being a professional!"
"A professional peeper?"
"It's research!"
"Oh." Shin-chan nodded. "Then why did your research get you beaten up?"
Jiraiya had no answer.
Shin-chan looked at him and suddenly asked, "Are you hungry?"
Jiraiya paused.
"A little..."
"Then let's go get something to eat," Shin-chan said. "You can buy me food, and I won't tell anyone you were peeking."
Jiraiya's mouth twitched.
This kid... was he blackmailing him?
But after thinking it over, Jiraiya decided he should pay hush money.
"Fine. What do you want to eat?"
"A Chocolate Stick!"
"That's a snack, not a meal."
"Then barbecue?"
"Deal."
At the barbecue restaurant, Shin-chan sat in a chair, swinging his little legs as he stuffed his mouth with meat.
Jiraiya sat beside him, eating noodles and sneaking glances at the boy.
"Kid, what's your name?"
"Shin Nohara." Shin-chan mumbled through a mouthful of meat. "I'm five."
"Five." Jiraiya nodded. "Are your parents ninjas?"
"My dad is, but my mom isn't."
"What about you? Do you want to be a ninja when you grow up?"
Shin-chan nodded. "My dream is to become Hokage."
"Why do you want to become Hokage?" Jiraiya asked.
Shin-chan swallowed his barbecue and said with a serious expression, "Because I want to eliminate all green peppers."
Jiraiya paused.
"Eliminate green peppers?"
"Yep." Shin-chan nodded earnestly. "Green peppers are my lifelong enemy."
Jiraiya couldn't help laughing.
"Kid, you're pretty interesting. If anything comes up, you can come to me."
"Thanks, mister."
"I'm a Sage!"
"Thanks, Weird Uncle."
Jiraiya's mouth twitched.
Fine. Weird Uncle it was.
By the time they finished eating, it was completely dark.
Shin-chan stood outside the barbecue restaurant and waved to Jiraiya. "Goodbye, Weird Uncle."
"I'm a Sage!"
"Are you going to peek again tomorrow, Weird Uncle?"
"..."
Jiraiya turned and left.
Shin-chan laughed and ran home. When he reached the House Door, he suddenly stopped and looked back.
That feeling of being watched seemed to be gone.
He tilted his head and thought about it.
Was it because of that Weird Uncle?
Never mind. He wouldn't think about it.
"I'm home!"
Miya's voice came from the kitchen as he opened the door.
"Why are you so late? Where have you been?"
"I met a Weird Uncle. He treated me to barbecue."
Miya poked her head out of the kitchen, looking wary.
"A Weird Uncle? What Weird Uncle?"
"He had white hair and said he was some kind of Toad Sage."
Miya froze.
"Lord Jiraiya?"
"You know him?"
A vein popped on Miya's forehead. "He's one of the Sannin, not a Weird Uncle!"
"But he was hiding on a rooftop and peeking at the hot springs."
Miya's expression went blank.
Two seconds later...
"Shin Nohara, you're not allowed to hang out with someone like that anymore."
"But he treated me to barbecue..."
"Even barbecue is off-limits!"
Shin-chan sighed.
The adult world was so hard to understand.
Outside the window, the moon rose.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Konoha, Jiraiya sneezed. "Who's talking about me?"
Before you continue