Jiraiya stared at the scene in complete disbelief.
Fukasaku quietly said from beside him, "This child's ability to adapt is far better than yours."
"How the hell is he doing that?"
"That is what makes the Child of Prophecy special." Shima picked up a grasshopper with her chopsticks. "He can discover flavors that others cannot."
Shin-chan was already on his third plate.
"What kind of herb is used in this sour-grass juice? I've never tasted this kind of sourness before."
"It's Mount Myōboku's specialty, Toad Sour Grass. It only grows near the hot springs." Shima had already begun treating Shin-chan like a kindred spirit. "If you like it, take some with you when you leave."
"Thank you, Granny Shima."
"You're welcome. It's rare to find someone who appreciates my cooking this much." Shima wiped the corner of her eye. "Every time Jiraiya comes here, he eats with such a miserable expression that it makes me angry just looking at him."
Jiraiya silently lowered his head and buried his face in his bowl.
After dinner, Shin-chan walked out of the dining hall while patting his round stomach.
"I'm so full." He burped. "Granny Shima really is an amazing cook."
Jiraiya followed behind him, wearing the expression of someone who had just walked away from an execution ground.
"You seriously thought it tasted good?"
"Of course." Shin-chan raised one finger. "The fried centipedes were the most fragrant, and the steamed caterpillars—"
"Please don't describe them in detail."
"Did you not eat enough?"
Jiraiya touched his nearly empty stomach.
At the dinner table, he had only managed two mouthfuls of soup.
"No. I didn't."
Shin-chan pulled an oil-paper packet from his ninja tool pouch.
"I secretly saved two fried centipedes. Want one?"
"Why did you pack some to take away?!"
"Emergency rations." Shin-chan stuffed the packet back into his pouch. "If you don't want them, I'll take them back for Chashu to try."
Jiraiya silently observed a second of mourning for the cat named Chashu.
Early the next morning, Shin-chan was awakened by a strange gurgling sound.
He lay in the guest room Shima had arranged for him. The ceiling above was made from overlapping lotus leaves, while beneath him was a soft moss mattress.
The gurgling came again.
This time, it was closer.
Shin-chan sat up and followed the sound.
A small toad was crouching in the corner of the room.
Its cheeks were puffed out as it made repeated gurgling noises, as though practicing something.
Shin-chan crawled over and lay down in front of it.
"What are you doing?"
The little toad was startled so badly that all the air escaped from its cheeks.
"I-I'm practicing Toad Oil." Its voice was still young and childish. "But I can't get it to come out no matter what I do."
"Toad Oil? You mean the stuff we dipped the centipedes in yesterday?"
"That was cooking oil! I mean Toad Oil, the kind used to trap enemies."
"Ohhh." Shin-chan dragged out the word. "Can you breathe fire?"
"No."
"Can you spit water?"
"No." The little toad lowered its head. "I can't do anything."
Shin-chan crouched down and looked at it.
"What's your name?"
"Gamahiro." The little toad collected itself. "What about you? Are you a toad too?"
"Do I look like a toad?"
Gamahiro carefully studied him.
"No. You're too skinny. Toads are supposed to be round, like Big Brother Gamabunta. But your eyes do look a little like a toad's. They're both round."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
Gamahiro hopped in front of Shin-chan.
"You said you were interested in Toad Oil just now?"
"Yeah. The oil tasted really good with the fried centipedes."
"Stop talking about dipping centipedes in it!" Gamahiro puffed out his cheeks again. "Toad Oil is for fighting, not for dipping food! Just who are you?"
"My name is Nohara Shinnosuke. I'm from Konoha."
"Nohara Shinnosuke..." Gamahiro repeated the name. "Are you a ninja?"
"Mm."
"Then can you teach me ninjutsu?"
"What do you want to learn?"
"Everything! Fire Style, Water Style, Earth Style, and Transformation Jutsu too! I want to transform into Big Brother Gamabunta!"
Shin-chan sat cross-legged on the floor, taking on the posture of a great master preparing to enlighten a disciple.
"Before I teach you ninjutsu, I have one question."
"What question?"
"What do you think is the most important thing about ramen?"
Gamahiro froze.
No one had ever asked him anything like that before.
"Is the most important thing the springiness of the noodles? The richness of the broth? Or the thickness of the chashu?"
Gamahiro's thoughts began tying themselves into knots.
"Aren't you supposed to be teaching me ninjutsu? Why are you suddenly talking about ramen?"
"Because ninjutsu and ramen are connected." Shin-chan raised one finger.
"How are they connected?!"
"Think about it. Fire Style is like tonkotsu broth—it needs to be rich and intense. Water Style is like shio broth—it should be clear and pure. Earth Style is like miso broth—thick, heavy, and full of depth. And Transformation Jutsu..."
Shin-chan paused.
"Transformation Jutsu is like a soft-boiled egg. Soft on the outside, runny on the inside. The key is controlling the heat."
Gamahiro stared at him with his mouth hanging open, unable to speak.
A long time passed before he finally managed to ask:
"Is there something wrong with your brain?"
"Misae says that a lot too."
Gamahiro suddenly felt that coming into this guest room to practice Toad Oil this morning might have been a terrible mistake.
"So, which one do you want to learn first? Tonkotsu-Style Fire Release, Shio-Style Water Release, or Miso-Style Earth Release?"
Gamahiro's cheeks repeatedly puffed in and out as he fell into the greatest mental crisis of his entire toad life.
"Tonkotsu-Style Fire Release... Shio-Style Water Release... Miso-Style Earth Release..."
He repeated the words over and over.
"So ninjutsu really is connected to ramen?"
Shin-chan crossed his arms and assumed the dignified bearing of a grandmaster.
"This is the ultimate principle I spent a very long time comprehending. Do you know why some ninja spend their entire lives unable to learn advanced ninjutsu?"
"Why?"
"Because they've never eaten delicious ramen."
Gamahiro's mouth fell open.
"The noodles represent the flow of chakra. The broth represents chakra nature. The chashu represents explosive chakra output. The soft-boiled egg represents chakra control." Shin-chan delivered the entire explanation in one breath. "That is Nohara Style Ninjutsu Theory."
Gamahiro had now been completely dragged into Shin-chan's logic.
"Then if I want to learn Tonkotsu-Style Fire Release... do I have to learn how to make tonkotsu ramen first?"
"Smart."
Shin-chan nodded approvingly.
"Then can we start right now?"
"First, you need to find a pot big enough to hold an entire pig."
"Mount Myōboku doesn't have a pot that big."
"Then we're finished." Shin-chan sounded genuinely regretful. "Without a pot, Nohara Style ninjutsu instruction cannot proceed."
"Then what do I do? I want to get stronger! I want to be as powerful as Big Brother Gamabunta! I want... I want to learn how to spit Toad Oil."
Shin-chan looked at the little toad's serious expression.
"Why do you want to become stronger?"
"Because..." Gamahiro's puffed cheeks slowly deflated. "Because everyone says I'm too weak. When Big Brother Gamabunta was my age, he could already spit Toad Oil. I can't even spit out one tiny water bubble."