The next day at school, the moment Shin-chan walked into the classroom, he headed straight for Uchiha Toru's seat.
"Toru!"
Uchiha Toru had been reading with his head down and jumped in surprise.
"What is it?"
Shin-chan crouched down beside him, looking serious. "Do you know any way to make Shiro refine chakra?"
"Huh?" Uchiha Toru froze, unsure how to answer for a moment. "That... I've never heard of..."
"Doesn't your family have a ton of secret techniques?"
"Those are ninjutsu, not dog-training methods," Uchiha Toru explained. "And those Inuzuka clan secret arts are passed down through their family line. The Uchiha don't raise dogs."
Shin-chan's face fell.
"I see..."
He stood up, thought for a second, then ran over to Kakashi.
"Kakashi!"
Kakashi had been leaning by the window reading. When he heard him, he looked up.
"What is it?"
"Do you know how to make Shiro refine chakra?"
Kakashi paused.
"Shiro?"
"Yeah." Shin-chan nodded. "Shiro wants to become a ninja too, but he can't form hand seals."
Kakashi was silent for two seconds, then shook his head. "No idea. I don't keep dogs."
"Then does your dad know?"
"No."
"Did you ask him?"
"I didn't ask, but he definitely wouldn't know." Kakashi's tone stayed flat. "The Hatake only train with swords."
Shin-chan sighed and went back to his seat, where he collapsed like a puddle.
"This is hard..."
Bo-chan sat in the corner, watching Shin-chan without anyone knowing what he was thinking.
At lunch break, Bo-chan disappeared for a while.
No one noticed where he had gone.
By the time afternoon class started, he was back in his seat on time, as if nothing had happened.
After school—
Shin-chan had just packed up and was about to leave when someone stopped him.
Bo-chan stood in front of him, with that familiar strand of snot still dangling under his nose.
"Shin-chan."
"What is it?"
Bo-chan looked at him, his voice as flat as ever.
"I know a way."
Shin-chan froze.
"A way to do what?"
"A way to make a dog refine chakra."
Shin-chan's eyes lit up instantly.
"Really?"
Bo-chan nodded.
"How do you know?"
"I saw it before..." Bo-chan paused. "A long time ago."
Shin-chan didn't think too hard about it. He grabbed Bo-chan by the wrist at once.
"Come on, to my house!"
The two of them ran out of the classroom.
Behind them, Uchiha Toru watched their backs and frowned.
That new kid... how does he even know something like that?
Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly, though no one knew what he was thinking.
At the Nohara house—
"I'm back!"
Shin-chan pushed the door open.
Misae poked her head out from the living room. She was just about to correct him out of habit when she noticed someone behind him.
A strange boy, with very short hair and a line of snot swinging under his nose.
"And this is...?"
"It's Bo-chan." Shin-chan had already dragged Bo-chan toward the backyard. "We're going to the yard!"
Misae stood there, stunned.
How was it that today he didn't even stop for a snack?
Backyard.
Shiro had been lying in the sun. Hearing movement, he lifted his head.
The moment he saw the stranger behind Shin-chan, his ears twitched and he got up warily.
"Shiro." Shin-chan ran over. "I found someone to teach you!"
Shiro tilted his head and looked at Bo-chan.
Bo-chan looked back at him.
The two stared at each other for two seconds.
Then Bo-chan crouched down and held out a hand.
Shiro stepped forward, sniffed him, then wagged his tail.
"He's very smart," Bo-chan said.
"Of course." Shin-chan nodded proudly. "My Shiro is the smartest!"
Bo-chan stood up and looked at Shin-chan.
"First I need to check his basics."
"Basics?"
"Meaning..." Bo-chan thought for a moment. "How well he follows commands."
He turned to Shiro and raised a hand.
"Sit."
Shiro froze for a second, then obediently sat.
"Lie down."
Shiro lay down.
"Roll over."
Shiro rolled once.
Bo-chan nodded.
"His basics are very good."
Shin-chan swayed proudly.
"Of course. I train him all the time."
Bo-chan glanced at him but said nothing.
This dog almost seemed like he was born able to understand human speech.
"We can skip the basic training," Bo-chan said. "We'll go straight to refining chakra."
Shin-chan's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Bo-chan crouched and looked at Shiro.
Shiro looked back at him.
"Can you understand what I'm about to say?"
Shiro tilted his head, ears twitching.
Bo-chan thought for a second, then changed tactics. He gently placed his right hand on Shiro, and after a moment, a faint chakra fluctuation could be felt.
"Did you feel that?"
"Woof."
Bo-chan nodded.
"That's chakra. Everyone has it inside them. Dogs should have it too."
He paused, then looked at Shin-chan.
"You said he can't form hand seals?"
"Yeah." Shin-chan nodded. "He tried for ages, but his paws are too short."
Bo-chan was silent for two seconds.
"Hand seals are only a support."
Shin-chan froze.
"Huh?"
"They help you focus chakra," Bo-chan explained. "Once you're skilled enough, you can refine chakra without using hand seals."
Shin-chan thought about it, then asked, "Then how is Shiro supposed to get used to it?"
Bo-chan looked at Shiro.
"Practice."
"Practice?"
"Yeah." Bo-chan said, "It's like walking. At first, you have to think about which leg to move first. Once you're used to it, you don't think about it anymore. Chakra is the same. Practice enough, and you'll be able to refine it directly."
Shin-chan nodded thoughtfully.
Then he looked at Shiro.
"Shiro, did you hear that? No hand seals needed. You just have to practice a lot."
Shiro barked, as if saying he understood.
Bo-chan got to his feet.
"If you do what I just did and let him feel chakra every day, little by little he'll be able to refine it."
Shin-chan nodded hard. "Got it. Thanks."
Bo-chan shook his head.
"You're welcome."
Shin-chan crouched in front of Shiro and said very seriously, "Shiro, you heard what Bo-chan said, right?"
"Woof."
"From today on, you practice every day."
"Woof!"
"When you figure it out, you'll be a ninja!"
Shiro's tail wagged furiously.
Shin-chan held out his hand and high-fived him.
"Do your best!"
"Woof!"
Shin-chan nodded in satisfaction, then stood up. "Come on, Bo-chan. I still haven't had my snack yet."
Bo-chan followed him a few steps, then glanced back once at the yard.
Shiro was still sitting there, watching them.
"Snack, snack..." Shin-chan's voice faded into the distance.
The door closed.
The backyard fell quiet.
Shiro was still sitting there in the same posture as before.
He stared at the closed door, and his ears slowly drooped.
"Woof..."
It was a soft, slightly aggrieved sound.
One second ago he was being cheered on, and the next Shin-chan had gone off for a snack...
Shiro lowered his head and looked at his paws, trying to lift one and imitate the motion.
It was still the same—awkward, clumsy, nothing worked.
But that feeling, though...
Shiro closed his eyes.
A faint layer of light slowly began to glow over his paw.
~~~
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