At the entrance of the Hokage Tower, three human cubs stood in a row.
"Who do you think our teacher will be?"
"No idea."
"Do you think they'll be super strong?" Shin-chan gestured with both hands. "Like someone who can fly."
"I've never seen a ninja who can fly," Kakashi said, shaking his head.
"Then could it be a pretty big sister?"
Uchiha Toru glanced at him. "Can you think about something else?"
"This is very important," Shin-chan said seriously. "If it's a pretty big sister teaching us, I'll have more motivation."
"It won't be a big sister."
"Why?"
"There aren't many women among the jōnin."
Just as he finished speaking, the doors of the Hokage Tower opened.
The three cubs looked up at the same time.
The person who walked out was a man wearing a green flak jacket. A short sword hung at his waist, and there was even a pot strapped to his back.
Shin-chan's eyes immediately lit up. "Wow, a big iron pot."
The man walked up to them with a smiling face. "Hatake Kakashi. Uchiha Toru. Nohara Shinnosuke."
"That's me." Shin-chan raised his hand and asked, "Why are you carrying a pot on your back? Are you a cook?"
The man smiled and did not answer those questions.
"Come with me."
After saying that, he turned and gestured for them to follow.
Shin-chan leaned closer and looked up at him. "Who exactly are you? Where are we going? You still haven't answered my question."
"My name is Maruboshi Kosuke," the man said without any embarrassment. "I'm just a genin."
"A genin?" Shin-chan froze. "But we're genin too."
"That's right. We're all genin." Maruboshi Kosuke smiled. "Lord Third told me to guide you for a while and help you get familiar with the process of doing genin missions."
"So you're our teacher?"
Maruboshi Kosuke shook his head. "Not your teacher."
Shin-chan thought for a moment. "Then are you strong?"
"Not strong." Maruboshi Kosuke shook his head again, his tone very calm. "I've just been a genin for a little longer."
"How long?"
"A very, very long time." Maruboshi Kosuke smiled and did not explain further.
Shin-chan gave an "oh," then changed the subject. "Then are you treating us to food?"
"After the mission is done, I'll cook noodles for you. See the pot on my back? It's perfect for noodles."
Shin-chan's eyes lit up at once. "Really?"
"Really."
"Then will you put meat in the noodles?"
"..."
At the Hokage Tower, outside the Third Hokage's office.
A line of people stood in the corridor, all ninja waiting to receive missions.
Four people stood at the end of the line.
Maruboshi Kosuke had both hands tucked into his sleeves, with three little beans following behind him.
When the people ahead heard the movement behind them, someone turned back and glanced over.
"Well, if it isn't the eternal genin."
His voice was neither loud nor quiet, just enough for the entire corridor to hear.
"Kosuke, how old are you now, and you're still lining up to take missions? Don't you feel embarrassed when Lord Third hands them to you?"
"What's there for him to be embarrassed about?" another ninja with a buzz cut chimed in. "He's been a genin his whole life. His skin's already thick enough."
A few people laughed.
Their laughter echoed through the corridor. Some of the people waiting in front also secretly looked back, but no one said anything.
Maruboshi Kosuke still wore that same smiling expression, as if they weren't talking about him at all.
Seeing that he wasn't speaking, those people became even more enthusiastic. They took half a step forward and looked down at Maruboshi Kosuke from above.
"I say, old man, can't you have a little ambition? Lord Third is too soft-hearted, still giving you missions every time. If you ask me, an eternal genin like—"
At some point, Shin-chan had appeared beside them. "Do you want to eat the uncle's noodles too?"
The buzz-cut ninja frowned. "What noodles?"
"The noodles cooked in the pot on the uncle's back." Shin-chan sounded slightly troubled. "But the uncle's pot is only this big. It can only cook enough for three people at a time. If you want some too, you'll have to wait for the second batch."
The corridor went quiet for a moment.
The buzz-cut ninja's face flushed red. "Who wants to eat his noodles?"
"You don't?" Shin-chan nodded, then looked toward the person who had spoken first. "Then what about you? Do you want some?"
That person choked, momentarily unsure how to respond to this child's bizarre question.
"You brat..." The buzz-cut ninja came back to his senses, somewhat angry from embarrassment.
Just then, a ninja near the front of the line suddenly spoke. "That's enough. Why are you arguing with a child?"
The buzz-cut ninja froze.
"They're just newly graduated genin lining up to receive a mission." The ninja's tone carried a certain warning. "Besides, unless I'm mistaken, that white-haired kid is from the Hatake family, and the one beside him is an Uchiha."
The buzz-cut ninja and his companions' expressions changed slightly. Their eyes moved uncertainly between Kakashi and Che.
Whispers rose in the corridor.
"Hatake? Could he be his son..."
"The Uchiha have someone graduating this year too?"
"I heard this year there were three geniuses who graduated early. Don't tell me it's them..."
The provoking ninja exchanged glances, their expressions awkward. In the end, they said nothing more and turned back around in embarrassment.
The line slowly moved forward.
One by one, the people ahead entered the Third Hokage's office, then came out again.
Finally, it was Maruboshi Kosuke's turn.
He adjusted the pot on his back, pushed open the door, and led the three little beans inside.
The Third Hokage sat behind his desk, several mission forms spread out in front of him.
"Kosuke, you're here."
Maruboshi Kosuke shifted slightly to the side. "I brought them."
The Third pulled one sheet from the pile of mission forms on the desk, placed it on top, and tapped it with his finger.
"D-rank mission. In Konoha's western district, near the back mountain, there is a household. The owner is named Tanaka. He has a vegetable field at home and needs help watering it."
"Grandpa Third." Shin-chan raised his hand.
"Speak."
"Why do they need to find ninja to water plants?" Shin-chan tilted his head. "For something like watering, can't they just use a bucket themselves? Aren't ninja supposed to fight bad guys and do really amazing missions?"
"When Tanaka was young, he was a mason in Konoha. He repaired many houses in the village, including the wall around the Hokage Tower."
The Third Hokage paused. "Now he is old, and his son is away on a mission and cannot return. Do you think we should help him?"
Shin-chan thought about it. "We should."
"Why should we?"
"Because... they're our own people?" Shin-chan tilted his head, his tone not very certain.
The Third Hokage smiled. "That's right. Our own people."
Shin-chan gave an "oh." "Then their son is outside doing a mission, so he's protecting the village, right?"
"Right."
"Then if he's protecting the village, and we help take care of his mom and dad, does that mean we're protecting the village too?"
"Of course," the Third Hokage said. "No matter how big or small the mission is, it is all part of protecting the village."
Maruboshi Kosuke looked at Shin-chan, thinking about something.
"Alright. Go complete the mission," the Third Hokage said, waving his hand.
~~~
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