Inside the main hall, Ai finally opened her eyes.
Shin-chan immediately leaned closer.
"What did you wish for?"
Ai gently shook her head. "If I say it out loud, it won't come true."
"That's something adults tell children."
"You are a child."
"I'm a ninja. Ninja are adults." Shin-chan pointed at himself, then at Asuma. "He's an adult too."
"I'm only twelve," Asuma said.
"Twelve already counts as an adult among ninja." Shin-chan spoke as though it were obvious. "Kakashi became a chūnin when he was six."
"Kakashi is different..."
"How is he different?"
"He's a genius."
"A genius is still a ninja." Shin-chan raised one finger. "Therefore, the conclusion is: Asuma and I are both adults, so you can tell us your wish."
Ai couldn't help laughing at his completely illogical logic.
"What did Young Master Shin-chan wish for?"
"I wished for the chocolate-stick inventory to double," Shin-chan answered without hesitation. "And for the kitchen to make twice as many sweets every day."
"Aren't you worried those wishes won't come true now that you've said them?"
"No." Shin-chan shook his head. "Because those are things I have to work hard to achieve myself. Buddha can't help with that."
Ai froze for a moment.
Coming from someone who spent all day eating sweets and talking nonsense, the words were unexpectedly reasonable.
"Your Highness." The abbot's voice came from the doorway. "The blessing ceremony is ready."
The Fire Temple's blessing ceremony was held inside a separate prayer hall behind the main sanctuary.
Ai knelt on the cushion at the very front.
Shin-chan and Asuma sat behind her, one on each side, while Kuroiso guarded the entrance outside.
The abbot began chanting sutras.
His voice was low and drawn out, echoing throughout the hall.
At first, Shin-chan managed to remain quiet.
But before long, his stomach gave a soft growl.
"You're hungry?" Asuma whispered.
"A little," Shin-chan whispered back. "I only ate three rice balls for breakfast."
"Three wasn't enough?"
"Three was just the appetizer. I haven't had the main meal yet."
"What main meal?"
"I was planning to inspect the kitchen after breakfast, but then we got straight into the carriage."
The abbot's chanting paused for an instant.
Then continued.
Ai slightly turned her head and glanced back from the corner of her eye.
Then she quietly took something from her sleeve and reached behind herself to hand it to Shin-chan.
Shin-chan accepted it.
It was a small rice ball wrapped in bamboo leaves.
It was still faintly warm, probably something she had tucked into her sleeve before leaving that morning.
Ai returned to her proper kneeling posture.
Not long afterward, an extremely faint voice came from behind her.
"Delicious. What's inside?"
Ai did not answer.
But the tips of her ears turned a faint shade of pink.
Asuma watched the entire exchange from beside them and suddenly felt as though he had wandered into a scene where he had no business being.
He silently shifted half a body-width farther away and stared blankly at the Buddha statue.
After the blessing ceremony ended, the abbot invited Ai and the others to rest in the temple's tea room.
Masao appeared again.
He carried a tea tray into the room one careful step at a time, the tea utensils trembling slightly in his hands.
"Y-Your Highness... please have some tea."
Ai accepted the cup with both hands.
"Thank you."
"Y-You're welcome. It is only what this humble monk should do."
Shin-chan lifted his own cup, sniffed it, then took a sip.
"It's sweet."
"This is honey yuzu tea," Masao explained. "This humble monk specially asked the kitchen for some honey. I heard that Her Highness prefers sweet drinks, so..."
"Masao."
Chiriku's voice came from the doorway.
Masao's hand jerked, nearly sending the tea tray crashing to the floor.
"Senpai, I already finished morning practice and copied all the sutras. It's my break time now..."
"I never said you weren't allowed to rest." Chiriku entered the tea room and bowed slightly toward Ai. "Forgive the intrusion, Your Highness."
Then he turned toward Masao.
"But you also must not disturb Her Highness while she is resting."
"This humble monk isn't disturbing her. I only came to serve tea..."
"The tea has been served." Chiriku paused. "I have another training exercise for you."
Shin-chan raised his hand.
"What kind of training?"
Chiriku looked at him.
"The Fire Temple has a form of training known as 'Zen Questioning.' Two people sit opposite each other and take turns asking questions. Whoever cannot answer loses."
"That sounds fun." Shin-chan immediately stood up. "I want to try too."
Chiriku pressed his palms together and spoke calmly.
"Zen questioning uses questions and answers to reveal one's nature. It seeks not victory or defeat, but clarity of mind. If Lord Nohara is interested, you may try it with Masao."
"Does the winner get a prize? Like some vegetarian buns from the temple?"
Masao stepped forward.
"What do you think Zen questioning is?! This is training! How can training have prizes?"
"Isn't the point of training to eat something delicious afterward?" Shin-chan looked completely serious. "Otherwise, why work so hard chanting sutras and meditating every day?"
"Y-You... That is blasphemy against the Buddha!"
The abbot lightly tapped his staff against the ground.
"If it is to be a contest, there is no harm in offering a small prize. Whoever wins may take home the osmanthus vegetarian cakes freshly prepared by the temple today."
The Zen questioning match was held in a small meditation room beside the prayer hall.
Masao and Shin-chan sat cross-legged opposite each other on two cushions.
Everyone else sat around them.
Chiriku acted as the judge, sitting to one side.
"The rules are simple," Chiriku said. "You will take turns asking questions. Each question must offer some possibility for insight. If the other person cannot answer or gives an irrelevant response, they lose."
"Understood."
Masao took a deep breath and stared sharply at Shin-chan.
At last.
He finally had a chance to defeat this bastard head-on.
Zen questioning wasn't about who could run faster or who had stronger ninjutsu.
It was a contest of wisdom and understanding.
In that field, Masao had absolute confidence.
"I'll go first."
Masao pressed his palms together.
"What is the heart of Zen?"
"The heart of Zen is eating ramen while only thinking about ramen and not thinking about chocolate sticks. When you eat, focus on eating. When you stare into space, focus on staring into space. That's the heart of Zen."
Masao opened his mouth, ready to object.
But after thinking about it for a long time...
He somehow felt that Shin-chan's answer actually made a little sense.
He turned toward Chiriku with panic in his eyes that clearly said:
Senpai, he's talking nonsense, but I can't figure out how to refute it. What do I do?
Chiriku's expression did not change.
"Though the answer does not come from scripture, it contains a measure of truth. You pass this round."
"Yay."
Shin-chan made a victory sign.
"My turn to ask."
He leaned slightly forward.
"Which is closer to Buddha-nature: ramen or soba?"
"This question..."
Sweat began forming on Masao's forehead.
"Ramen or soba... which is closer to Buddha-nature...?"
He had never read anything in the Buddhist scriptures discussing noodles.
"Ramen has broth, while soba doesn't. Broth is like compassion. Only with compassion can you bring warmth to others. Therefore, ramen is closer to Buddha-nature."
Masao opened his mouth.
He wanted to point out that soba could also be served in hot broth, but felt that such an answer sounded far too shallow.
So he turned toward Chiriku.
Chiriku nodded.
"You pass this round."
"What?!" Masao panicked. "Senpai, he's obviously making things up!"
"There is logic in his words."