When Shin-chan and Jiraiya prepared to leave Mount Myōboku, quite a few toads gathered at the mountain gate.
Gamahiro stood at the very front, clutching the dough ball Shin-chan had specially made for him before leaving.
"This one is your special edition," Shin-chan told him. "I even carved your name on it."
Gamahiro lowered his head and stared at the crooked character Hiro carved into the dough ball. Something began to gather in his eyes.
"You have to come back." His voice was slightly choked. "I still haven't gotten to eat ramen."
"I definitely will." Shin-chan held out his pinky. "Pinky promise."
Gamahiro stared at the tiny finger in confusion.
"What's that?"
"A pinky promise. It's how humans make promises. Once you hook fingers, you absolutely can't go back on your word."
Gamahiro extended one of his front paws and hooked it around Shin-chan's pinky.
"Pinky promise, never break it for a hundred years."
"P-Pinky promise, never break it for a hundred years," Gamahiro repeated awkwardly.
Gamabunta stood at the very back and did not approach. He merely gave Shin-chan a distant nod.
Shin-chan turned and walked toward the mountain gate.
After taking a few steps, he looked back.
More than thirty toads simultaneously raised their dough balls into the air, almost as though they were performing some kind of ceremony.
Gamahiro threw his dough ball into the sky with all his strength.
Under the morning sunlight, it became a tiny gray dot that grew smaller and smaller.
Shin-chan raised a hand and waved goodbye.
And so, this small story about ramen and dough balls, eating and playing, humans and toads, came to an ending on Mount Myōboku.
It was not a perfect ending.
But it was certainly a happy one.
Later, the "Dough-Ball Tournament" became one of Mount Myōboku's traditional events, held once every week regardless of rain or shine.
Gamahiro's skill with the dough ball improved so dramatically that Gamabunta personally accepted him as a disciple.
It was said that during his first official Toad Oil training session, the very first stream of oil he spat out struck the target perfectly.
In the historical records of Mount Myōboku, Elder Fukasaku wrote:
"The Child of Prophecy, Nohara Shinnosuke, made his first visit to Mount Myōboku.
At the time, none understood what made him extraordinary, until he kneaded dough into a strange object he called a 'dough ball.'
Though this object could not be eaten, its elasticity was unmatched. Toads young and old gathered together and played with it throughout the day.
This child's strange gift lies not in destroying heaven and earth, but in his ability to turn all things into joy."
...
Konoha Village.
Asuma crouched outside the Nohara residence, wearing the expression of someone who had already decided to throw caution to the wind.
He had rehearsed what he was about to say over and over in his head.
The first version sounded too submissive.
No good.
The second sounded too much like begging.
Also no good.
The third had plenty of force, but saying it aloud might get him punched.
The door suddenly opened.
Shin-chan walked out carrying a bulging backpack.
"Asuma? Why are you crouching outside my house? Are you pretending to be a gargoyle?"
"What's a gargoyle?"
"A stone monster that crouches on rooftops and spits water out of its mouth when it rains."
"I'm not a stone monster." Asuma stood up. "I came here to..."
Every opening line he had carefully rehearsed instantly evaporated from his mind.
"I came to go with you to the Daimyo's residence."
Shin-chan looked puzzled.
"Why?"
"Because..." Asuma gritted his teeth. "Because I don't want to stay in that house anymore."
"Did you two fight again?"
"It wasn't exactly a fight... Forget it. It's hard to explain. Anyway, I want to leave Konoha for a while. The Daimyo's residence needs guards, right? I can help."
"You're sure about this?"
Asuma's voice became sharper.
"Anyway, in that old man's eyes, I'm just his useless son. If I'm going to get lectured every day, I might as well go out and do something real."
Shin-chan looked at his face, which practically screamed, I'm serious, I'm determined, please don't question me.
"Did you bring money?"
"I did."
"How much?"
Asuma pulled out a bulging wallet.
"I saved three years' worth of allowance."
Shin-chan's eyes lit up for a moment before he quickly returned to a serious expression.
"The sweets at the Daimyo's residence are really good, but the kitchen's been having inventory problems lately. If you come, you'll have to pay for your own snacks."
"No problem."
"Also, Chashu is the Deputy Minister of Security. You're not allowed to fight him for dried fish."
"Chashu?"
"A cat at the Daimyo's residence."
"Why would I fight a cat over dried fish?"
"Because you don't know how delicious dried fish is." Shin-chan looked completely serious. "I didn't know on my first day either. Now I have a regular tribute agreement with Chashu."
Asuma took a deep breath.
"So... can you take me with you?"
"I can." Shin-chan pulled out his little notebook. "But according to the Nohara Style Travel Regulations, non-mission personnel accompanying me must sign an agreement."
"What agreement?"
Shin-chan opened his notebook, wrote several lines, then handed the page to Asuma.
Asuma took it.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Daimyo's Residence Security Operation Companion Agreement
Article One: Snack Sharing. Any sweets obtained by accompanying personnel at the Daimyo's residence must pay twenty percent to the Head of Security as a management fee.
Article Two: Division of Responsibility. If Grandpa Third discovers the situation, accompanying personnel must personally accept fifty percent of the criticism. If Misae discovers it, accompanying personnel must personally accept one hundred percent of the nagging.
Article Three: Division of Chores. Accompanying personnel must assist the Head of Security with patrol duties, including but not limited to inspecting snack inventory and taste-testing new dishes.
Article Four: Final Interpretation. The final right of interpretation for this agreement belongs solely to Nohara Shinnosuke.
"A twenty-percent management fee..." Asuma's eye twitched.
"That's the friendship rate," Shin-chan said. "Anyone else would pay at least thirty percent."
"Who exactly is 'anyone else'?"
"No one yet. But what if someone comes along in the future?"
Asuma gritted his teeth.
"Deal."
He signed his name on the agreement.
After signing, he suddenly realized something.
"Wait. What does 'the final right of interpretation belongs solely to Nohara Shinnosuke' mean?"
"It means that after you sign it, if I think something needs to be added, I can add it directly."
"That's not fair!"
"You can back out now."
Shin-chan reached for the agreement.
"If you back out, I'll just go by myself."
Asuma clutched the agreement tightly.
His expression repeatedly shifted between This is obviously an unfair contract and But I already said I was going.
"You win."
Inside the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage stood by the window, watching the two boys disappear from sight before slowly exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"You're not going to stop him?" Mitokado Homura stood behind him.
The Third Hokage did not turn around.
"Let him go. If he stays in the village, he'll spend every day being angry with me. He might as well go out and see the world."
"What about the Daimyo's residence...?"
"I'll write to the Daimyo." The Third Hokage tapped his pipe lightly against the windowsill. "I'll say that Konoha has dispatched a second guard to assist Nohara Shinnosuke with the mission."
"Under what justification?"
"Sarutobi Asuma, volunteered for duty." The Third Hokage placed the pipe back between his lips. "In the end, that brat just wants to prove that he's no worse than his old man."
Homura shook his head and said nothing more.