The Dog-Cat Conflict (4)

But Shiro is here.

Uchiha Toru shook his head. "We don't know if it's really here."

"So we need to go find him." Shin-chan looked into his eyes. "Shiro is my family."

Uchiha Toru didn't speak, nor did he loosen his grip on Shin-chan's shoulder.

"Go east from here, it's about a half-day's journey, and there's a campsite," the big grey dog said. "The groups heading west will meet there. If the white dog was brought back, it should be there."

"Xiao Che." Shin-chan looked over again.

Uchiha Toru sighed. He guessed Shin-chan probably had the same look in his eyes when Shin-chan went to save the guy who had turned into him last time.

I'll go with you.

Shin-chan's face lit up immediately.

"But," Uchiha Toru raised a finger, "You can't run around."

"Good."

"If you encounter danger, hide behind me."

"Good."

Seeing his Uchiha Toru couldn't help but sigh again.

The big grey dog walked to the edge of the stone chamber, raised its front paw and pressed it against the wall. "Come with me."

After saying that, he was the first to crawl inside.

Shin-chan followed closely behind. "What's your name?"

The big gray dog turned its head and glanced at him.

Gray Ridge.

"Gray Ridge," Shin-chan repeated. "My Shin-chan."

"I know."

How did you know?

"That human just called you."

Shin-chan- chan said "Oh," and then asked, "Why did the Dog Clan and the Cat Clan fight?"

"For water." Gray Ridge's footsteps did not cease. "Between our territory and the Cat Clan's, there lies a water source."

"Then why not just use them together?" Shin-chan, somewhat confused.

"We used to share it." Gray Ridge paused for a few seconds. "A long time ago, the two tribes made an agreement that the water source would be shared by both sides, and neither side was allowed to monopolize it."

"And then what happened?" Shin-chan listened intently, so much so that he didn't even notice the stone under his feet and tripped over it.

"Later, the Cat Clan got a new chieftain," Gray Ridge's voice deepened. "It said that the water source was originally discovered by the Cat Clan's ancestors, and the Dog Clan was just a later arrival. It wanted to reclaim the water source."

"But that's not what was agreed upon."

"That agreement is an old one," Gray Ridge said. "It doesn't recognize it."

Shin-chan -chan frowned. "Then what about you guys?"

"If negotiations fail, war will be the only option, especially since Black Fang..."

Halfway through his sentence, Gray Ridge suddenly slowed down, his ears perking up.

At the same time, Uchiha Toru reached for his Kunai, his shoulders slumping slightly.

A low snoring sound came from the bushes.

Gray Ridge's ears relaxed, and it responded with a similar snoring sound.

The bushes rustled a few times, and a brownish-yellow mongrel emerged from within, its expression clearly wary. "Human."

Shin-chan Xin waved to it. "Hello."

The brown-yellow mongrel didn't respond; instead, it stared at Gray Ridge with a questioning look in its eyes.

"They've come looking for dogs," Gray Ridge said. "I'll take them to the West Camp."

"Humans shouldn't be here."

"I know," Gray Ridge said. "I'll send them off after we get to the camp."

The stray dog glanced at them again, then stepped aside to make way.

As Gray Ridge continued walking, they passed the stray dog and exchanged a look that Shin-chan -chan couldn't understand.

Uchiha Toru walked at the very back, his right hand always very Kunai.

After walking for about the time it takes to eat a meal, the trees ahead became sparse, and a wide open slope could be vaguely seen.

Gray Ridge stopped. "We've arrived."

Shin-chan peeked out from its side and looked down the slope.

The campsite was bigger than I expected, and there were dogs everywhere.

The air was filled with the smell of hay and dog hair mixed together, along with a faint Yakumi. In front of the huts at the edge of the camp, several rows of chewed leaves were neatly arranged, their purpose unknown.

Gray Ridge walked up to the campfire and stopped.

Several dogs gathered around and touched noses with it. Their conversation was brief and their voices were very low, so Shin-chan couldn't hear a single word.

Shin-chan looked around, but still couldn't find Shiro.

Uchiha Toru followed behind him, his gaze always fixed on the bushes at the edge of the camp.

"Shiro isn't here." Shin-chan lowered his head and kicked at the pebbles on the ground with his toe.

"Perhaps at another camp," Gray Ridge said. "The western contingent hasn't all returned yet."

Shin-chan raised his head, opened his mouth as if to say something.

Uchiha Toru suddenly placed his hand on his shoulder.

From the bushes and from the crevices of the rocks, a swarm of cats emerged like shadows, silently covering the edge of the camp.

The Dog Clan warriors formed a circle, protecting the old and weak in the middle, their throats emitting low growls.

Gray Ridge stood at the very front of the circle, its mane standing on end, making it appear a size larger than usual.

The cats did not attack immediately.

An orange cat walked over and said, "You've crossed the line."

"This isn't a water source," the old dog said hoarsely. "This is the territory of the Dog Clan."

"The entire half-day's journey south of the water source is disputed territory," the orange cat said. "By setting up camp here, you've crossed the line."

"You drew that disputed area yourselves," Gray Ridge's voice interjected. "That wasn't in the agreement."

"The agreement no longer exists." The orange cat raised its right front paw.

The cats flanked from both sides, tearing a gap in the Dog Clan defenses, and the camp was filled with rolling cats Doggy.

Uchiha Toru gripped his Kunai, his gaze sweeping from left to right, lingering for a moment on each approaching cat.

But the cats only glanced at them sideways before continuing their charge towards the pack of dogs.

Then the orange cat meowed again.

All the cats began to regroup and stopped attacking in a scattered manner, pushing directly through the center of the camp, knocking Gray Ridge to the ground.

"Gray Ridge." The orange cat pressed its front paws against its neck. "Pack your things and get out of here."

Gray Ridge stood up, swayed for a moment, and finally lowered its head, letting out a low snort.

The Dog Clan warriors began to retreat, withdrawing from the camp. A few dogs glanced back, then were nudged by their companions and continued forward.

The campsite fell silent.

The cats began to move around the camp, inspecting every spot and pushing out anything left behind by the Dog Clan.

Two cats were fighting over a piece of jerky that they couldn't tell what it was, panting at each other, when a larger cat nearby swatted them away with its paw.

"You two," the orange cat said, looking at Shin-chan and the others, "the Dog Clan is gone, you can come out now."

Why did you raid the Dog Clan's camp?

Uchiha Toru reached out to stop him, but Shin-chan had already asked the question.

"You think we're the ones robbing them?" The orange cat stopped three steps away from them. "Do you know what the Dog Clan have done to us?"

Shin-chan shook his head.

"A month ago, the Dog Clan attacked our patrol," the orange cat said. "We sent messengers to the Dog Clan, but they said it was an unauthorized action, not the tribe's intention, and they would keep a closer eye on them."

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