Shin-chan stood in front of the stall, looking left and right. Finally, he reached out and picked up a white puppy mask.
He put the mask over his face and turned to look at Shiro.
"Shiro, does it look like you?"
"Woof." Shiro tilted his head, looked at it, and barked.
Shin-chan picked up a smaller one and put it on Shiro.
Shiro wore the mask and shook his head, seeming a little unused to it.
The stall owner looked at him with a smile. "Little friend, those two masks are one hundred ryō in total."
Shin-chan patted his pocket.
Empty.
Uchiha Toru sighed from the side, took out his money pouch, and paid.
There were more and more people on the street. The Cat Faction and Dog Faction each occupied half the road.
Shin-chan wore a dog mask, and Shiro wore one too. One boy and one dog walked through the Dog Faction's territory, blending in perfectly.
When the Dog Faction people saw them, they all gave them a thumbs-up.
"Good job!"
"Long live the Dog Faction!"
They passed through the Dog Faction's area and arrived at the entrance of a hot spring inn.
A plump man stood at the door, wearing a yukata and holding a sign that read, Dog Faction Hot Spring, Welcome.
When he saw Shin-chan wearing a dog mask, he immediately came over.
"Little friend, our place is a hot spring exclusively for the Dog Faction. The water is good, the service is good, and we even give out dog-shaped steamed buns."
"Dog-shaped steamed buns?"
"Yes. Steamed buns shaped like little dogs. They're delicious and cute."
Just as Shin-chan was about to agree, someone suddenly rushed out from the side.
He was tall and thin, and he was also holding a sign. On it were the words, Cat Faction Hot Spring, the One True Orthodox.
He squeezed in front of Shin-chan, his voice even louder than the plump owner's. "Little friend, his hot spring water is recycled. It isn't clean. Come to my place. Mine is drawn directly from the source, pure and natural."
The plump owner's face turned red. "What nonsense are you talking about? My hot spring water is also drawn directly from the source."
"Yours was last year's source!"
"Your place is the one using last year's source!"
The two of them stood at the entrance, arguing endlessly.
Shin-chan stood between them, looking at this one, then that one. Shiro crouched at his feet, wearing his dog mask and wagging his tail.
The plump owner lowered his head and saw Shiro. His eyes lit up. "Little friend, my place allows dogs into the hot spring. His doesn't."
"Who said that? My place allows them too!" the thin owner said anxiously.
"Your place allows them? Last time, you chased a customer's dog out."
"That was because the dog was too big."
"Excuse!"
The two of them started arguing again.
Shin-chan's head hurt from all the noise, so he turned to look at Maruboshi Kosuke.
Maruboshi Kosuke stood behind them with both hands tucked into his sleeves, watching with a smile and showing no intention of intervening.
Shin-chan simply crouched down and patted Shiro's head. "Shiro, which one do you want to go to?"
Shiro barked and took two steps toward the plump owner.
"We'll go to this one." Shin-chan followed him over.
The plump owner smiled until his eyes narrowed into slits and quickly pulled open the curtain. "Please come in, please come in!"
The thin owner stomped his foot in anger and turned away.
The hot spring inn was not big. At the front desk was a young woman. Seeing Shin-chan and the others enter, she smiled and bowed.
"Welcome. Will you be staying with us?"
The moment Shin-chan saw her, his steps immediately changed direction.
He walked up to the front desk, placed both hands on the counter, stood on tiptoe, and pushed the dog mask up onto his head, revealing his whole face.
"Big sister."
The receptionist lowered her head and saw a little boy looking up at her, his eyes sparkling.
"What is it, little friend?"
"What kind of man do you like?" Shin-chan leaned closer.
"Huh?" The receptionist froze.
"What do you think of five-year-old boys?"
The receptionist laughed awkwardly twice, unsure what to say.
Maruboshi Kosuke finally stepped forward. "We need rooms."
The receptionist immediately recovered her professional smile. "Of course. How many rooms would you like?"
"Two."
"Second floor, turn left. The two rooms at the end of the corridor are next to each other. Dinner starts at six. The hot spring is in the back and can be used at any time."
Maruboshi Kosuke took the keys and turned toward the stairs.
Shin-chan was still leaning against the front desk. "Big sister, are you free after work?"
"Shin-chan."
Uchiha Toru walked over, grabbed him by the back of his collar, and dragged him away from the front desk.
"Wait, Toru..." Shin-chan was dragged up the stairs.
The rooms were at the end of the second-floor corridor.
When the door was pushed open, inside was a very clean Japanese-style room. The window was half open, and the bamboo curtain swayed gently in the wind.
Shin-chan placed Shiro on the tatami and began running around the room.
"This cabinet is huge!"
"The futon is so soft!"
By the time he ran his third lap, Maruboshi Kosuke reached out and pressed a hand on his head.
"Sit down."
Shin-chan obediently sat down.
"Rest for half an hour, then we'll go soak in the hot spring."
Shin-chan sighed, lay flat on the tatami, and began staring at Shiro.
Uchiha Toru sat by the window, his eyes constantly scanning the courtyard outside. Even inside the inn room, his hand never fully left the position of his ninja tool pouch.
After Shin-chan rolled over a few times, he started getting bored.
He crawled over to Uchiha Toru. "Toru, let's play a game."
"What game?"
"Ninjutsu guessing."
"How do you play?"
"I make the pose, and you guess what ninjutsu it is."
Shin-chan stood up and struck a pose. His hands waved messily in front of his chest, his cheeks puffed out, and his face turned red from holding his breath.
Uchiha Toru looked at him for a long time. "...Great Fireball Jutsu?"
"Correct." Shin-chan jumped happily. "How did you know?"
"Because you make that face every time you learn that jutsu."
Shin-chan made a second pose. His fingers formed a cross, and his body crouched slightly.
Uchiha Toru glanced at him. "Clone Technique."
"Right again. Toru, you're amazing!"
"Every time you make that pose, your hands are wrong," Uchiha Toru said. "The seal for the Clone Technique is a cross. You're making an X."
Shin-chan looked down at his hands. Sure enough, he had made an X.
"It's fine. As long as the meaning gets across."
Maruboshi Kosuke sat beside them drinking tea, watching the two without saying anything.
After some unknown amount of time, Shin-chan had already reached a jutsu called "Super Invincible Chocolate Stick Missile." He pressed his hands together, then suddenly pushed them forward, making a "whoosh" sound with his mouth.
Maruboshi Kosuke set down his teacup.
"Let's go."
Shin-chan froze mid-motion, then sprang up as if someone had flipped a switch. He grabbed his towel and rushed toward the door.
The hot spring was in the courtyard behind the inn.
They passed through an open-air corridor, with woven bamboo walls on both sides and a damp stone path underfoot.
When they pushed open the wooden door of the bath area, hot steam rushed into their faces.
The hot spring pool was larger than expected, with a circle of smooth pebbles lining the edge.
Shin-chan quickly took off his clothes, placed the towel on his head, and ran pattering toward the pool.
"Rinse your body first," Maruboshi Kosuke's voice came from behind him.
Shin-chan slammed on the brakes and reluctantly turned toward the washing area. He scooped up a ladle of warm water and poured it over himself.