A few days later, in the evening, the door to the Nohara house was pushed open.
"I'm home!"
Hiroshi's voice was a full octave higher than usual, and he floated in like he was walking on clouds.
Shin-chan was lying on the floor drawing. He looked up when he heard the voice. Misae also poked her head out of the kitchen, spatula still in hand.
Hiroshi was standing in the entryway with both hands on his hips, chin lifted high, his grin stretched nearly to his ears. His smugness was so intense you could feel it from three meters away.
Shin-chan and Misae looked at each other.
Then, with perfect unspoken coordination, they both went right back to what they were doing.
Shin-chan lowered his head and kept drawing.
Misae turned back into the kitchen.
Hiroshi froze halfway through taking off his shoes.
Huh?
He held the pose for two seconds.
Nobody said anything.
He gave a theatrical cough, just loud enough for the people inside to hear.
Still no reaction.
Hiroshi's smile stiffened for a moment. After changing into slippers, he deliberately stomped his way into the middle of the living room.
Shin-chan shifted into another position without even looking up.
Hiroshi took a deep breath, walked to the sofa, and plopped down, crossing one leg over the other.
"So, today..." He dragged out the words, his tone rising at the end. "A major event happened."
Misae came out of the kitchen carrying a dish, set it on the table, and glanced at him.
"Mm."
Just one syllable.
Hiroshi's mouth twitched. He waited a little longer, but when neither of them showed the slightest interest in asking, he finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Ahem, ahem, ahem."
He cleared his throat so loudly it sounded like he meant to shake the roof off.
At last, Shin-chan looked up at him.
"Dad, does your throat hurt?"
"No." Hiroshi's face had turned red from holding it in. "I have good news to announce."
"What good news?"
Hiroshi puffed out his chest, planted his hands on his hips, and declared in the tone of someone announcing a national event:
"I'm getting promoted!"
"A promotion?" Misae froze, then smiled. "Promoted to what?"
Hiroshi smugly tilted up his chin. "Guess."
"Jōnin?"
Hiroshi shook his head.
"Special jōnin?"
He shook it again.
Misae looked confused. "Then what is it?"
Hiroshi took a deep breath and puffed out his chest. "I got an invitation from Root."
Misae froze.
Shin-chan tilted his head. "What's Root? The kind that grows in the ground?"
Hiroshi immediately came alive and launched into a long explanation:
"Root is Konoha's most elite ninja organization. They answer directly to Lord Danzo and handle the most secret, most dangerous missions. The only people who get into Root are elites among elites, the best of the best."
The more he talked, the more excited he got, until he was practically waving his arms around.
"Do you know how amazing Root ninjas are? The missions they carry out are things ordinary people aren't even allowed to hear about. The training they go through is the kind of thing normal people wouldn't even dare imagine. Getting into Root means—"
"So are you going?" Misae cut him off.
Hiroshi paused, then gave an even smugger grin.
"Don't rush. I'm not finished yet."
He stood up and started pacing around the living room like a peacock showing off its feathers.
Misae watched him.
Shin-chan watched him too.
Hiroshi basked in the attention for two seconds, then spoke slowly.
"Besides the invitation from Root, I also received another offer."
He stopped, turned to face Misae and Shin-chan, and failed completely to suppress the grin spreading across his face.
"The Third Hokage personally named me for a post at the Hokage Tower. I'll be handling paperwork and mission coordination." He slapped a hand against his chest. "Your husband here has caught the Third Hokage's eye!"
Misae's eyes widened slightly. "The Third Hokage personally picked you?"
"Exactly." Hiroshi nodded hard. "That means my usual diligence and strong performance haven't gone unnoticed by Lord Hokage."
After saying that, he stood there with his hands on his hips, waiting for Misae to gasp in amazement.
Misae was quiet for two seconds. "Two offers?"
"Yep."
"On the same day?"
"Yep."
"What did Root say? How good were their terms?"
Hiroshi froze for a second. "The terms are obviously good. Double the stipend, dedicated training resources, and from then on I'd be handling high-level missions."
"Then which one are you going to take?"
Hiroshi didn't hesitate for even a second. "The Hokage Tower, obviously."
Misae blinked. "Why? Didn't you just say Root had better pay?"
Hiroshi nodded, walked over to her, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"The pay is better, sure, but the work in Root is dangerous. You're constantly sent on secret missions. Sometimes you're gone for days, and half the time you can't even say where you're going."
Misae fell silent.
Hiroshi kept talking. "The Hokage Tower is different. Paperwork, mission coordination, regular hours, and the occasional field errand—but all of it near the village."
Then he smiled.
"I have to stay with you two. That brat is already enough trouble. How are you supposed to handle him by yourself?"
Misae looked at him and suddenly didn't know what to say.
Hiroshi looked toward Shin-chan too. "And besides, he's been hanging around all kinds of amazing people lately. Swordsmanship, Fire Style, all that stuff. I've got to step up in other ways, or how am I supposed to keep him in line later?"
Shin-chan blinked. "Dad, are you weak?"
Hiroshi's face fell flat.
"What do you mean weak? I'm a chūnin! A chūnin!"
"How about compared to Kakashi's dad?"
Hiroshi choked.
Misae burst out laughing.
Hiroshi shot her a glare, then crouched down in front of Shin-chan.
"Listen carefully. Your dad may not be the strongest ninja around, but he is absolutely the most responsible dad."
Shin-chan looked at him and thought about it.
"Can responsibility be eaten?"
"..."
"Can it buy chocolate sticks?"
"..."
"Can it stop Mom from hitting me?"
Hiroshi took a deep breath and stood up.
"Misae, is dinner ready yet?"
Misae laughed as she went back into the kitchen.
"Almost, almost. Just wait a little longer."
Hiroshi sat down by the table, and Shin-chan shuffled over beside him.
"Dad."
"Yeah?"
"Between Root and the Hokage Tower, which job is cooler?"
Hiroshi thought about it.
"Root is a little cooler, but the Hokage Tower is a lot safer."
"Then which one do you want?"
Hiroshi smiled and ruffled his hair. "The one that lets me stay with you."
Shin-chan tilted his head and looked at him. "Dad, you're kind of cool today."
Hiroshi froze for a second, then his grin spread like he'd just found treasure.
"Really? How cool?"
Shin-chan thought about it.
"Ten thousand times cooler than bell peppers."
"Does that count as a compliment?" Hiroshi's expression turned complicated.
"I think so." Shin-chan nodded. "Bell peppers are really annoying."
Hiroshi sighed.
Whatever. Cool was cool. Even if the comparison was to bell peppers.
Misae's voice came from the kitchen.
"Dinner's ready. Come help carry the dishes."
Shin-chan jumped up and ran toward the kitchen. "I'm coming, I'm coming!"
Hiroshi stayed where he was, watching that cheerful little back, then looked toward the busy figure in the kitchen and smiled.
Chūnin was fine.
As long as he could come home every day for dinner and watch this kid grow up, that was enough.
~~~
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