Dog-Cat Dispute (I)

Steam rises from the hot spring pool.

Shiro lay on the edge of the pool, its tail slowly sweeping the ground.

Suddenly, its ears twitched.

A very soft, intermittent sound, like something calling.

It raised its head and stared at the direction behind the yard.

The voice came again.

Shiro stood up, hesitated for a moment, then turned around and ran towards the direction of the sound.

It crossed the stone path beside the hot spring pool, went around a row of bamboo, and ran to the wall at the far end of the backyard.

The sound is clearer now.

It came from behind the wall.

Shiro looked up at the wall, which wasn't too high, and a faint blue light rose from its feet.

Shiro ran up the wall, climbed over it, and jumped to the other side.

Behind the wall was a narrow alleyway, with several old wooden boxes and a broken bamboo basket piled up.

The sound was coming from behind the bamboo basket.

Shiro walked over and peeked inside.

It's a puppy.

Its gray fur was dirty, covered in mud and grass clippings. It was curled up in a ball, its mouth slightly open, making chirping sounds.

Shiro came closer and gently touched its ear with its nose.

The puppy's body trembled, its eyes opened a crack, it saw Shiro, whimpered, and pulled its legs back.

Shiro took two steps back, looked at the puppy, then looked back at the wall, and then ran up the wall again.

In the hot spring pool.

Shin-chan sank deeper into the water, the hot water reaching his chin, and the towel on his face tilted to one side.

Uchiha Toru opened his eyes, glanced at him, and then closed them again.

Shiro rushed out from behind the bamboo grove, ran to the edge of the pond, and circled twice around the spot where Shin-chan was squatting.

"Woof!"

Shin-chan didn't react.

Woof woof!

Shin-chan mumbled something indistinctly, "Shiro, stop messing around—"

Shiro ran behind his head and stretched out its paws to scratch his shoulder.

Shin-chan shrugged his shoulders. "Shiro —soaking in hot springs is so relaxing—why don't you want to come too?"

He reached out to scoop up the Shiro, intending to put it in the pool.

Shiro took a step back, dodging his hand.

Woof woof woof!

Shin-chan finally took the towel off his face. "What are you doing?!"

Shiro ran to a rock by the pond, wagged its tail vigorously at Shin-chan, then ran two steps to the back of the yard, stopped, and looked back at him.

Shin-chan blinked. "What are you doing?"

"Woof!"

Shin-chan yawned and was about to slide back into the water.

A black line appeared on Shiro's face.

It looked around, then rushed over, grabbed the towel Shin-chan had placed by the pool, and ran away.

"Shiro!" Shin-chan sat up abruptly, splashing water everywhere, "That's my towel!"

Uchiha Toru got splashed with water, opened his eyes, and expressionlessly wiped his face.

Shin-chan had already scrambled out of the pool with a splash, stepping barefoot on the stone slabs, and chased after Shiro, water droplets dripping from his body all the way.

Shiro would run for a while, then stop and look back at him to make sure he was keeping up, before continuing to run.

Shin-chan chased after Shiro to the backyard wall and saw Shiro running up the wall.

"Shiro, where are you going?"

On the top of the wall, Shiro, with a towel in its mouth, turned back and barked at him before jumping down.

"Shiro, that's outside." Shin-chan hurriedly climbed up the wall and peered down.

Then he saw a small, grayish dog curled up in the narrow alley.

Shiro stood next to it, put the towel on the ground, and then nudged the puppy's ears with its nose.

Shin-chan jumped down from the wall, still dripping wet, and shivered as the wind blew by.

The puppy's breathing was very shallow, and the rise and fall of its belly was so small as to be almost invisible.

Shin-chan reached out and very gently stroked its head.

You're injured.

The puppy let out a soft whimper.

Shin-chan squatted there, suddenly remembering the fish from last time, then placed his hand on the puppy and Closed eyes.

After a while, a green light appeared under his palm.

The puppy's body trembled slightly.

In the green light, the torn flesh slowly healed, the puppy's breathing deepened, and its belly rose and fell more and more dramatically.

Shin-chan had his eyes closed, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

The green light flashed for a moment, then slowly dimmed.

Shin-chan's hand slid off the puppy, and he plopped down on the ground. "So... so tired..."

The puppy stood up, shook its fur, and then pounced on Shin-chan's legs, rubbing its head against his belly.

Shin-chan picked up the puppy and held it up in front of him.

Are you feeling better?

The puppy licked its nose.

"That's good." Shin-chan put it down, then suddenly remembered something, looked down at himself, and said, "Oh no, I'm not wearing any clothes."

Shiro brought the towel over and placed it on his lap.

Shin-chan looked down at the towel that Shiro had chewed up and made wet, then sneezed.

Achoo.

Uchiha Toru's voice came from the other side of the wall.

"Shin-chan?"

"Over here, over here!" Shin-chan called out.

After a while, Uchiha Toru climbed over the wall. He had changed his clothes, was carrying his ninja tool pouch, and his hair was still wet.

He looked at the wet Shin-chan, then at the gray puppy.

What happened?

"It was injured," Shin-chan pointed to the puppy, "I healed it."

Uchiha Toru paused for a moment.

When did you learn this?

Shin-chan thought for a moment, "I knew how to do it when I saved a fish last time."

Uchiha Toru looked at him and shook his head. "Go back and get dressed first, or you'll catch a cold."

Shin-chan looked down at the puppy.

The puppy was looking up at him, its tail wagging rapidly.

"Xiao Che."

"Um?"

"Can we take it back?"

Uchiha Toru hesitated for two seconds. "Let's go ask Mr. Kosuke first."

Shin-chan bent down and picked up the puppy. The puppy snuggled closer to him and licked his chin with its tongue.

Shiro wagged its tail beside them, looked up at the gray puppy in Shin-chan's arms, and barked, as if to say hello.

At the hot spring pool, Maruboshi Kosuke saw Shin-chan returning naked, carrying a dog, and paused for a moment.

"Uncle," Shin-chan ran over, holding the puppy up to him, "Can I take him home?"

Maruboshi Kosuke shook his head and refused, "No."

Shin-chan didn't put his hand down. "Why?"

"We can't take it back to Konoha," Maruboshi Kosuke, standing up from the hot spring. "But we can help it find a family here."

"Here?"

"Many people in town like dogs, and quite a few own them."

Shin-chan looked down at the puppy in his arms.

The puppy was looking up at him, its tongue lolling out, panting heavily.

"Take a shower first, and put your clothes on." Maruboshi Kosuke got out of the pool, dried himself with a towel, and then went to ask the owner.