"Of course it's my business," Shinchan said, his voice unusually steady. "I'm planning on being the Hokage one day, so I need to know if the guy currently holding the job is actually impressive or if he's just a guy in a fancy hat."
Asuma went silent for a few seconds. He looked at the floor, his voice dropping to a whisper. "He is amazing. His Ninjutsu is on another level, and everyone in the village treats him like a god."
"Then why the long face?" Shinchan asked.
"Because he's never there," Asuma muttered, his grip tightening on his sleeves. "When I was little, I asked him to teach me how to throw a shuriken; he was busy. I wanted to go see the summer fireworks; he was busy. Even on my birthday... he just sent a scroll because he was too busy."
Asuma looked up, his eyes a mix of defiance and hurt. "I don't need a legend. I just wanted an ordinary dad."
The classroom fell into a heavy, uncomfortable silence. Obito opened his mouth, his usual loud rebuttals dying in his throat. He didn't know how to argue with that.
Shinchan leaned in closer to Asuma, invading his personal space as usual. "Your dad doesn't play with you at all?"
"No."
"Well," Shinchan said, tapping his chin, "does he force you to eat green peppers?"
Asuma blinked, completely derailed. "What?"
"Green peppers," Shinchan repeated with deadly seriousness. "My mom makes it her life's mission to sneak them into my food. If your dad doesn't force-feed you those little green monsters, then honestly, he's already ten points better than my mom."
Asuma's mouth twitched. "I don't even hate green peppers."
Shinchan's expression shifted to one of pure, unadulterated awe. "Really? You eat them willingly? Wow. Your dad must be the happiest man in Konoha."
"He... he did say it was nice that I wasn't a picky eater," Asuma admitted, his voice softening in spite of himself.
Shinchan nodded sagely, then turned his gaze toward Obito. "And what about you, Obito? Why were you ready to start a war?"
Obito's face flushed. "Because Lord Hokage is a hero! He protects all of us! I won't let anyone act like his hard work doesn't matter."
"Have you actually met him?"
"I saw him at the last festival," Obito said, his eyes lighting up with memory. "He stood on the high platform, and when he spoke, it felt like the whole village was one big family. Everyone was cheering for him."
"So you're a fanboy?"
"It's not about being a fan!" Obito glared, though his voice shook slightly. "He's the Hokage. He has the weight of the world on his shoulders. My grandma always says that people with great power have to take on the most responsibility. It makes sense that he doesn't have time for just one person when he has to watch over thousands."
Obito's voice dropped an octave, his gaze falling to his desk. "And... isn't it nice just to have someone you can wait for? My parents... they died when I was really young. I don't even have a 'busy' dad to be mad at."
He took a shaky breath. "My grandma told me the Hokage works so hard so that other kids don't have to grow up like me—without parents. Even if I've never met them, I think anyone who protects people's smiles is the coolest person alive."
The room went still. Rin's eyes were shimmering with tears, and even Kakashi shifted slightly in his seat, his gaze lingering on Obito.
Obito suddenly looked embarrassed, scratching the back of his head. "Uh, why did I get all sappy? Forget I said that."
Shinchan tilted his head, studying Obito for a long moment. "Obito."
"Yeah?"
"Your mom and dad were Ninjas, right?"
"Yeah. Good ones, too."
"So, what's the plan? What do you want to be?"
Obito didn't hesitate for a single second. "I'm going to be the Hokage. And I'm going to be even better than the current one. I'll make sure everyone in this village knows my name!"
Shinchan blinked. "Okay. Important question: after you become the boss, will you eliminate the green peppers?"
Obito froze. "Huh?"
"The peppers, Obito! Focus!" Shinchan's face was a mask of intensity. "Can you use your ultimate Hokage powers to ban them from the village forever?"
Obito's lip twitched. "That is definitely not what a Hokage does."
"Then what's the point?" Shinchan sighed, his shoulders sagging in disappointment. "You have all that power and you can't even fix the grocery stores."
"A Hokage protects the village! They don't micromanage the vegetable aisle!"
"But the peppers are in the village!" Shinchan countered, putting his hands on his hips. "They're in the gardens, they're in the kitchens, they're in my bento box. They attack me every day! Why won't you protect me, Obito?"
Obito's face turned beet red. "That's... that's not an enemy! It's nutrition!"
"To you, maybe. To me, it's a war crime." Shinchan pointed a finger at him. "You're an unqualified candidate. I'm officially entering the race. We're rivals now!"
"Fine! You're on! When I'm Hokage, I'll be the most respected man in history!"
"And when I'm Hokage," Shinchan declared, "my first decree will be: Goodbye peppers, long live the chocolate bar!"
A few kids in the front row finally lost it and started laughing. Even Asuma couldn't help a small, reluctant smile.
Shinchan turned his head toward Asuma. "Hey, Asuma. You want in?"
Asuma startled. "In on what? The pepper ban?"
"The Great Hokage Competition!" Shinchan started counting on his chubby fingers. "Obito wants to be the Hokage of Respect. I'm going to be the Hokage of Snack Liberty. You can be... the Third's Reluctant Son Hokage?"
Asuma rolled his eyes. "Pass. Having one Hokage in the family is a headache enough."
"Then you can be the judge!" Shinchan clapped his hands. "You can watch us and decide who's winning—the guy seeking acknowledgment or the guy seeking the end of green vegetables."
Asuma looked at the two of them. "What's the point of judging that?"
"It'll give you something to do besides being grumpy about your dad," Shinchan said bluntly. "Just watch us and see who makes it first."
Asuma paused. "I guess... that's better than nothing."
Shinchan looked at Obito. "You cool with a referee?"
Obito nodded, a competitive fire in his eyes. "Sure. That way when I win, there'll be a witness."
"Great!" Shinchan raised his hand. "As of right now, we are the 'Hokage Rival Trio.' Obito is the Respect Seeker, I'm the Pepper Slayer, and Asuma is the Official Referee."
"A referee isn't a Hokage..." Asuma muttered.
"Details, details." Shinchan threw an arm around each of them. "Anyway, we're friends now. It's official."
Obito looked surprised. "Wait, we're friends just like that? We were literally just punching each other."
"Exactly," Shinchan said, tilting his head. "You're my rival for the top job. How can we be rivals if we aren't friends? Logic, Obito!"
Obito thought about it and shrugged. "I guess that makes sense." Asuma didn't say anything, but he didn't pull away from Shinchan's arm either.
Suddenly, a green blur hit them from the side. Might Guy lunged into the group, hugging all three at once. "ME TOO! I WANT IN!"
Shinchan was buried under a pile of green spandex and enthusiasm. "Guy... air... I need... air..."
Guy let go, his eyes practically on fire. "A competition for the future! This is the essence of Youth! I want to be a candidate too!"
Shinchan rubbed his sore neck. "Alright, what's your platform?"
Guy struck a pose, his teeth glinting. "I shall be the Youth Hokage! I will use the power of Taijutsu to set the entire village ablaze with passion!"
Shinchan nodded. "Fine. Now we're a quartet. The more the merrier."
From the podium, Ibuki-sensei watched the four boys—who were ready to kill each other five minutes ago—now standing together and planning the future. He let out a long, shaky sigh of relief.
I don't know if this village will survive them, he thought, but at least they aren't bleeding.
If you like it, please give power stones.