After the commotion at Ichiraku Ramen died down, Shin-chan ended up lingering in Konoha for a few more days.
Most of the time, he simply lay on rooftops soaking up the sun, occasionally heading to the training grounds to watch Kakashi's team train.
Every time Obito got knocked down, he would yell, "Just wait until I awaken my Sharingan! I'll beat you until you're crawling on the ground looking for your teeth!"
And every time, Kakashi would answer in the exact same flat tone:
"Oh."
Guy, meanwhile, used every break to do push-ups and constantly tried to drag Shin-chan into joining him.
"Shin-chan, you've been lying around for three days! The muscles of youth are crying!"
"My muscles say they want to lie down for another three days."
"Muscles can't talk!"
"That's because you don't understand the language of muscles. It's the deepest level of communication between a ninja and his own body."
Unfortunately, good times always came to an end.
"I should go back to the Daimyo's residence," Shin-chan muttered to himself. "Ai is probably getting anxious waiting for me. Chashu has probably gotten even fatter. And the kitchen's snack inventory has probably mysteriously dropped again."
"Wait."
A familiar voice came from behind him.
Shin-chan turned around and saw Jiraiya leaning against a pillar by the village gate.
"Aren't you supposed to be at the front?"
"The front has temporarily stabilized," Jiraiya said. "Satori's appearance forced every side to regroup. Thanks to you, the war has entered a rather delicate period of balance."
"So you came back on vacation?"
"No." Jiraiya walked over to him. "I came back for you."
Shin-chan pointed at himself.
"For me? Are you treating me to ramen?"
"Ten thousand times more important than ramen. Come with me to Mount Myōboku."
"Mount Myōboku? The place you said is full of toads?"
"That's right."
"Does it have chocolate sticks?"
"No."
"Ramen?"
"No. But it has bugs and toad oil."
Shin-chan immediately turned around and started walking away.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
Jiraiya grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.
"What kind of reaction is that?"
"Bugs and toad oil. Any normal person would run away."
"I want to take you to meet the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku."
"The Great Toad Sage? What's that? Is he even stronger than the Sage of Six Paths?"
"The Great Toad Sage is the ancient ancestor of Mount Myōboku. He's lived for over a thousand years and can predict the future. And you may be the Child of Prophecy he spoke of."
"That sounds troublesome."
Shin-chan expressed his feelings with complete honesty.
"It is troublesome," Jiraiya admitted without argument. "But this may be your destiny. And I promise that after we return from Mount Myōboku, I'll treat you to the best ramen in Konoha."
"You already owe me a lot of meals."
"This time I mean it."
Shin-chan pulled out his little notebook, opened it to the latest page, and wrote:
Mount Myōboku: No chocolate sticks. No ramen. Has bugs and toad oil. Overall rating: Don't really want to go.
Then he closed the notebook and sighed.
"Fine. But we have to go and come back quickly."
...
Mount Myōboku.
Shin-chan stood before the enormous mountain gate and looked up at the stone monument carved with the words Mount Myōboku.
"That rock looks weird."
"That is the entrance to the sacred land of Mount Myōboku." Jiraiya crossed his arms.
"It's covered in moss. It looks like a giant matcha cake."
Before Jiraiya could respond, a toad suddenly hopped down from the stone steps beside the monument.
"Jiraiya, you're back!" the toad called enthusiastically. "Is this the one you were talking about, the—"
The toad stopped mid-sentence when it saw Shin-chan crouching directly in front of it.
"Hello, Mr. Toad. You're really green."
"I am Gama Hiro, the gatekeeper of Mount Myōboku."
Gama Hiro instinctively took half a step backward.
"Your skin looks really stretchy." Shin-chan reached out and poked the toad's belly. "Can I touch it?"
"You already are!!!"
Jiraiya sighed.
He had known this would happen.
Gama Hiro led the two of them along Mount Myōboku's mountain paths.
Shin-chan looked around constantly, curious about absolutely everything.
The strangely shaped plants and jets of steam erupting from the ground were enough to make him stop and investigate for ages.
"Uncle Jiraiya, what's that hole blowing steam?"
"That's one of Mount Myōboku's natural hot-spring vents."
"Oh."
Shin-chan crouched beside the vent and held his hand above the rising steam.
"This temperature is perfect for reheating a bento."
"Don't use the sacred land's hot-spring steam to warm your lunch!"
"Can I warm rice balls?"
"No!"
They continued onward and passed through a forest of enormous mushrooms.
"Why are these mushrooms so huge?"
"Because the concentration of natural energy on Mount Myōboku is several hundred times greater than outside. It's normal for the plants here to grow much larger."
"So the toads grow this big because of natural energy too?"
"That's right."
"What about that toad?"
Shin-chan pointed ahead.
Jiraiya followed his finger.
A massive toad the size of a small mountain lay ahead, its back covered in moss and unfamiliar little flowers.
"That is the Great Rock-Home Toad, one of the oldest toads on Mount Myōboku," Jiraiya whispered. "It spends most of its time sleeping. Don't wake it."
"It looks like a breathing chocolate mountain."
The Great Rock-Home Toad's eyelid twitched.
At the center of Mount Myōboku was a vast pond covered in giant lotus leaves, with an ancient temple standing in the middle.
At the temple entrance, two small toads wearing cloaks stood guard.
"Elder Fukasaku. Elder Shima."
Jiraiya bowed slightly.
Fukasaku looked up.
"This child... is the Child of Prophecy?"
"That's right."
Shima looked Shin-chan up and down.
"He just looks like an ordinary little brat."
"Hello, Granny Toad."
Shin-chan bowed very politely.
Shima: "..."
Deep inside the temple, an ancient toad sat atop an enormous cushion.
Its skin was covered in the marks of age, and a huge strand of prayer beads hung around its neck.
Its eyes were closed.
It appeared to be dozing.
"Great Toad Sage." Jiraiya stepped forward. "I brought the Child of Prophecy."
The Great Toad Sage did not react.
"Great Toad Sage?"
Jiraiya raised his voice.
Still no response.
"Is he asleep?" Shin-chan tilted his head.
"Probably." Jiraiya sighed. "He spends most of his time sleeping."
"Then what do we do?"
"We can only wait for him to wake up."
Shin-chan walked over to the Great Toad Sage's feet and pulled something out.
"What are you doing?" Fukasaku asked.
"Letting him smell this."
Shin-chan held the object up near the Great Toad Sage.
"This is one of the chocolate sticks Rin made for me."
Several seconds passed.
The Great Toad Sage's nostrils twitched.
Then his eyelids moved.
"That smell..."
His eyes slowly opened a narrow slit.
"He's awake, he's awake!"
Fukasaku hurried forward.
"Great Toad Sage, Jiraiya has brought the Child of Prophecy."
The Great Toad Sage lowered his gaze toward Shin-chan standing by his feet.
Then his eyes settled on the chocolate stick in Shin-chan's hand.