When Shin-chan Meets Jiraiya

After school.

That feeling of being watched grew stronger and stronger, as if someone was staring at him from behind. Shin-chan looked back several times. There were only a few pedestrians on the street, no strange people.

But the feeling was just wrong.

Shin-chan subconsciously quickened his pace.

But he hadn't walked for long before he suddenly stopped again.

On the roof opposite, someone was squatting.

White hair, wearing a Konoha forehead protector on his forehead, was holding a cylindrical object, aiming it at the direction of the hot spring.

Shin-chan tilted his head and watched for two seconds.

That cylinder, it looked like a telescope?

A telescope aimed at the hot spring?

There are... in the hot spring.

Shin-chan's eyes lit up. He took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted loudly: "What are you doing? Are there any pretty big sisters in the hot spring?"

The figure on the roof trembled violently, and he sprang up, his feet slipping.

"Waaahhhhhh!"

Bang!

He fell directly from the roof, landing on the ground with his limbs splayed. The telescope in his hand flew far away.

Before Shin-chan could walk over, a series of screams suddenly erupted from the hot spring in the distance.

"Ah!!!"

"Someone's peeping!"

"Pervert!"

Immediately after, things flew towards him from all directions. Basins, dippers, soap, shampoo bottles, and a wooden clog.

"Pervert, get out!"

"Beat him to death!"

Shin-chan stared blankly as the objects clattered and smashed around him, some of them nearly hitting him.

The person on the ground scrambled up and grabbed Shin-chan's wrist.

"Run!"

The two of them took off.

Behind them, the curses from the hot spring grew fainter.

They ran for three blocks before turning into an alley. The person finally stopped, hands on his knees, panting heavily. "Hoo... hoo... That was close..."

Shin-chan looked up at the person in front of him and asked, "Who are you?"

The person straightened up, wiped his sweat, and struck a pose he thought was very cool.

"Who am I? I am the legendary..."

He paused and cleared his throat.

"Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, one of the legendary Sannin, the White-Haired Boy Toad Summoner, the greatest hero in the Ninja World..."

He rattled off a long list.

After Shin-chan listened carefully, he nodded. "So, who are you?"

Jiraiya's mouth twitched.

"Didn't I just tell you!"

"You said too much," Shin-chan replied honestly. "I can't remember."

"Toad Sage Jiraiya!"

Shin-chan blinked and repeated, "Toad Sage?"

"That's right!"

"What does a sage do?"

Jiraiya was stumped.

"Uh... it's just... a very powerful ninja."

"Oh." Shin-chan nodded, then tilted his head and asked, "Then what were you doing just now?"

Jiraiya's expression froze. "Well... cough cough... I was... um... gathering material."

"What is gathering material?"

"Gathering material means observing life and collecting writing material," Jiraiya said earnestly. "I'm a writer, writing a novel."

Shin-chan thought for a moment.

"Why would you use a telescope to look at hot springs when writing a novel?"

Jiraiya was speechless.

Shin-chan continued to ask, "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 froze for a moment, then looked down at the five-year-old child.

This child... seems interesting.

"You..." he tentatively asked, "Do you like them too?"

Shin-chan nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Like them, 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 shook his head.

"However, I watch openly, I never hide on rooftops."

Jiraiya's expression stiffened again.

"I... I call this professional!"

"Professional peeking?"

"It's research!"

"Oh." Shin-chan nodded. "Then why did your research get you beaten?"

Jiraiya was rendered speechless.

Shin-chan looked at him and suddenly asked, "Are you hungry?"

Jiraiya froze for a moment.

"A little..."

"Then let's go eat something." Shin-chan said, "You treat me, and I won't tell anyone you were peeking."

Jiraiya's mouth twitched.

This brat... was blackmailing him?

But after thinking about it, he felt he should pay the hush money.

"Alright, what do you want to eat?"

"Chocolate Stick!"

"That's a snack, not a meal."

"Then Barbecue?"

"Deal."

At the barbecue restaurant, Shin-chan sat on a chair, his short legs dangling, his mouth stuffed with meat.

Jiraiya sat beside him, eating noodles while secretly observing the child.

"Brat, what's your name?"

"Shin Nohara," Shin-chan said indistinctly, meat in his mouth, "I'm five years old this year."

"Five years old." Jiraiya nodded. "Are your parents ninjas?"

"Father is, Mother isn't."

"And you? Do you want to be a ninja in the future?"

Shin-chan nodded. "My dream is to become Hokage."

"Why do you want to become Hokage?" Jiraiya continued to ask.

Shin-chan swallowed the barbecue, his face serious. "Because I want to eliminate all Chinjao."

Jiraiya froze for a moment.

"Eliminate Chinjao?"

"Mhm." Shin-chan nodded earnestly. "Chinjao is my lifelong enemy."

Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh.

"Brat, you're quite interesting. If you ever need anything in the future, you can come find me."

"Thank you, Uncle."

"I'm a Sage!"

"Thank you, Weird Uncle."

Jiraiya's mouth twitched.

Forget it, Weird Uncle it is.

After finishing the barbecue, it was completely dark.

Shin-chan stood at the entrance of the barbecue restaurant, waving at Jiraiya. "Goodbye, Weird Uncle."

"It's Sage!"

"Will Weird Uncle come to peek again tomorrow?"

"..."

Jiraiya turned and left.

Shin-chan ran home with a smile. When he reached his house door, he suddenly stopped and looked back.

That feeling of being watched seemed to be gone.

He tilted his head and thought.

Was it because of that Weird Uncle?

Forget it, I won't think about it.

"I'm home!"

Pushing open the door, Miya's voice came from the Kitchen.

"Why so late? Where were you?"

"I met a Weird Uncle, and he treated me to barbecue."

Miya poked her head out from the Kitchen, her face full of vigilance.

"Weird Uncle? What Weird Uncle?"

"A white-haired guy who called himself some kind of Toad Sage."

Miya froze for a moment.

"Lord Jiraiya?"

"You know him?"

A cross popped out on Miya's forehead. "He's one of the Sannin, not a Weird Uncle!"

"But he was hiding on the rooftop, peeking at the hot springs."

Miya's expression froze.

Two seconds later.

"Shin Nohara, you are forbidden to play with that kind of person from now on."

"But he treated me to barbecue..."

"Barbecue is not allowed either!"

Shin-chan sighed.

The adult world is so hard to understand.

Outside the window, the moon rose.

And somewhere in Konohagakure, Jiraiya sneezed: "Who's talking about me?"