Kazahana Sōsetsu looked somewhat confused.
"I don't think... there are any," he answered with difficulty. "But I can have someone make it."
"Great!" Shin-chan's eyes lit up. "Then my second question: Does the heating in the Daimyo's residence work well?"
"It... works reasonably well."
"Third question: Do you have chocolate sticks here?"
Kakashi reached out and pulled Shin-chan aside, giving Kazahana Sōsetsu a look that said, Please don't mind him.
"Sorry. He's always like this."
"It's alright." Kazahana Sōsetsu straightened his disheveled kimono, took a deep breath, and once again became the calm and dignified Daimyo of the Land of Snow.
"By the way, Lord Daimyo, there is something I would like to ask."
"Go ahead."
"Were those chakra armors developed by the Land of Snow itself?" Kakashi's expression became serious.
Kazahana Sōsetsu sighed. "Actually, Dotō developed the chakra armor. Without my knowledge, he established a secret weapons factory in the northern part of the Land of Snow specifically to manufacture that armor."
"An ice factory?" Shin-chan's eyes lit up. "A factory that makes ice cream?"
Kazahana Sōsetsu: "..."
Kakashi: "..."
"No." Kazahana Sōsetsu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "It's a factory that manufactures weapons and armor."
Kakashi said expressionlessly, "He said weapons factory, not ice factory."
"Huh?" Shin-chan's face immediately fell. "What? So it only makes weapons? I thought there would be ice cream."
"I'll have someone study how to make ice cream later."
Shin-chan gave Kazahana Sōsetsu a thumbs-up. "You really are a good Daimyo."
Kazahana Sōsetsu couldn't help laughing.
...
After Kazahana Dotō's rebellion was suppressed, order was quickly restored within the Daimyo's residence. The samurai loyal to the Daimyo once again took control of the city's defenses.
Asama Sandayū safely brought Kazahana Koyuki back to the Daimyo's residence.
When father and daughter reunited, Kazahana Koyuki threw herself into her father's arms and cried for an entire fifteen minutes.
Shin-chan stood beside them and, for once, said nothing.
Kakashi glanced at him. "What are you thinking about?"
"Misae," Shin-chan said. "If bad guys kidnapped me, Misae would definitely come rescue me with a frying pan."
"A frying pan?"
"Misae's frying pan is stronger than ninjutsu."
The next day, the Daimyo's residence held the grandest banquet the Land of Snow had seen in nearly ten years.
Kazahana Sōsetsu sat in the main seat and gestured for everyone to take their places.
Koyuki sat beside her father, her eyes constantly searching for something. Finally, her gaze landed on an empty seat beside Shin-chan.
"Where's Shinjiro?"
Shin-chan pointed toward the dessert area in the corner of the banquet hall.
Nohara Shinjiro stood in front of the dessert table. At least twenty different kinds of small cakes were already piled on his plate, and he was considering whether to add another slice of mousse.
"Strawberry or chocolate? That is the question."
"You could take both," an unfamiliar noble from the Land of Snow kindly suggested.
Shinjiro turned and looked at him with an expression that said, You finally said something useful, then decisively placed both on his plate.
Asama Sandayū stood nearby, staring at the mountain of cakes on Shinjiro's plate in silence for several seconds.
The banquet officially began.
Kazahana Sōsetsu raised his wine cup, and all conversation in the hall quieted down.
"Everyone." His voice was steady and powerful. "Two days ago, the Land of Snow experienced an unprecedented crisis. Kazahana Dotō launched a rebellion, seized control of the entire Daimyo's residence, and attempted to drag the Land of Snow into the abyss."
The nobles' expressions became solemn.
"At our most critical moment, Konoha answered our request for aid and sent two ninja." Kazahana Sōsetsu turned toward Kakashi and Shin-chan. "Lord Hatake Kakashi and Lord Nohara Shinnosuke, the Land of Snow owes you a debt that can never be repaid."
Kakashi stood. "This was a mission assigned by Konoha. We merely fulfilled our duties."
Shin-chan also stood up. "Mister, you said you owe us a favor, right?"
"Yes."
"Can I trade it for ramen?"
The banquet hall was silent for a full three seconds.
Then Kazahana Sōsetsu burst into laughter. "You may exchange it for as much ramen as you want. I will build an entire ramen street in the Land of Snow and name it after you."
"A whole street?" Shin-chan's eyes widened. "Then can I eat at a different restaurant every day?"
"You can."
"Can there be chocolate ramen?"
"Starting today, the chefs of the Land of Snow will begin researching how to make chocolate ramen."
Shin-chan turned toward Kakashi with an expression that said, I've already won.
Kakashi silently lifted his teacup to cover his face and decided to pretend he didn't know him.
Halfway through the banquet, Shinjiro finally finished eating.
He carried a plate filled with snacks over to Shin-chan and placed it in front of him.
"I brought these for you."
Shin-chan looked down at the plate. There was one strawberry daifuku and an unopened bottle of strawberry milk.
"Since when were you this generous?" Shin-chan looked suspiciously at his shadow clone.
"I've always been generous," Shinjiro said without changing his expression.
Then, the moment Shin-chan reached for the strawberry milk, Shinjiro quickly snatched a piece of chocolate mousse from Shin-chan's plate.
"Shinjiro!"
"I brought you so much. What's wrong with sharing one piece with me?" Shinjiro said with complete confidence.
"You still can't steal my chocolate mousse." Shin-chan puffed out his cheeks. "That was the last piece!"
"That's what you get for eating so slowly," Shinjiro said smugly. "Besides, what difference does it make whether I eat it or you eat it?"
"No! That was a limited-edition flavor!"
Seeing this, Shinjiro disappeared into the banquet crowd with astonishing speed.
"Don't run!" Shin-chan hurriedly chased after him.
Kazahana Sōsetsu watched with great interest. "Lord Kakashi, is that child named Shinjiro Lord Shinnosuke's younger brother?"
"A shadow clone."
"A shadow clone... can steal desserts too?"
Kakashi: "..."
Meanwhile, Shinjiro had already reached the other end of the banquet hall. He abruptly stopped and quickly stuffed the chocolate mousse into his mouth.
When Shin-chan caught up, all he saw was an empty plate.
"You finished it?"
"Finished what?" Shinjiro casually wiped the chocolate from the corner of his mouth. "I didn't eat anything."
"Then what's that on the corner of your mouth?"
"I was born with it." Shinjiro's expression did not change. "I've had a chocolate-colored birthmark beside my mouth since the day I was born."
Shin-chan stared at him for three seconds, then turned and headed toward the dessert area.
Shinjiro followed warily. "What are you doing?"
"I'm getting another piece." Shin-chan did not look back. "And if you try to steal it again, I'll release the Shadow Clone Jutsu and make you disappear along with the mousse."
Shinjiro stopped walking.
"You... you're threatening me?"
"Yes."
"You're threatening yourself!"
"I know."
As a shadow clone faced with the main body's strategy of hurting himself almost as much as his enemy, Shinjiro found himself feeling the faintest trace of...
Speechlessness.
~~~
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