The Dog-Cat Conflict (5)

Shin-chan tilted his head and looked at the orange cat, then sat down on the ground with a "thud".

The orange cat's tail stiffened for a moment.

What are you doing?

"Miya said that you have to squat down to talk to a cat because cats don't like looking up at people." Shin-chan crossed his legs and rested his hands on his knees.

The orange cat squinted its eyes. "Aren't you afraid of us?"

"Why should we be afraid?" Shin-chan blinked. "You're not going to eat children."

How did you know?

"Because you're cats," Shin-chan said matter-of-factly. "Cats only eat cat food and dried fish."

The orange cat remained silent for a few seconds, as if trying to determine whether the human cub in front of it was serious.

"The Dog Clan attacked the patrol, and then what?" Shin-chan asked.

"Then we lost three warriors," the orange cat said in a low voice, "The seeds of hatred have been sown."

"I don't understand your situation very well, but..." Shin-chan thought for a moment, "If someone bullies your family, it's right for you to be angry, but you can't be angry at others, otherwise more and more people will become angry."

The orange cat slowly lowered its tail and sat down opposite Shin-chan.

"You're a bit strange."

"Some people say that too." Shin-chan scratched his head. "What's your name?"

"Jiro Tachibana."

"Jiro Tachibana," Shin-chan said, then held out his hand. "I'm Shin Nohara, you can call me Shin-chan."

Jiro Tachibana looked at the outstretched hand but didn't move.

"Shake hands."

"I'm not a dog."

"I know, you're a cat," Shin-chan stretched his hand out further, "But cats can shake hands too."

Jiro Tachibana stared at the hand for several seconds, but ultimately did not extend his claws.

Shin-chan didn't mind, pulled his hand back, and wiped it on his pants.

"You should leave," Jiro Tachibana said. "This is not a place for humans."

"But we haven't found Shiro yet." Shin-chan stood still.

"What 'Shiro'?"

Shin-chan transformed into Shiro, wagged his tail, and then transformed back. "He disappeared last night."

Jiro Tachibana's pupils contracted slightly. "A member of the royal Dog Clan."

"Royalty?" Shin-chan's mouth dropped open.

"The royal family of the Dog Clan are all pure white," Jiro Tachibana's voice deepened, "From ancient times to the present, without exception."

"But there are many white Doggy in Konoha."

"Royalty is pure white, but not everyone who is pure white is royalty."

"That's it then." Shin-chan clapped his hands. "So Shiro might not be..."

"But," Jiro Tachibana interrupted him, "Here, white represents royalty."

Uchiha Toru frowned.

Gray Ridge concealed this matter.

It knew from the beginning what Shiro meant, but not only did it not say so, it also brought in Shiro, who was actually Shin-chan -chan.

Jiro Tachibana was silent for a few seconds, then turned around and called out to someone behind him.

A tabby cat jumped down from a rock, walked over to the orange cat, and looked Shin-chan- chan up and down. "You're looking for a white dog?"

"Um.

"Over there on the other side of the mountain," the tabby cat pointed in a direction with its tail, "There's news that a member of the Dog Clan's royal family is at that camp."

"Thank you." Shin-chan bowed to the tabby cat.

The tabby cat took a step to the side, as if it hadn't expected a human to bow to it. "No need."

"Let's go, Xiao Che." Shin-chan tugged at Uchiha Toru's sleeve.

The two had just taken a step when Jiro Tachibana's voice came from behind them.

"Wait a moment."

Uchiha Toru stopped and turned to the side.

"What's the name of the white dog you're looking for?"

"Shiro.

"Shiro," the orange cat repeated the name, "After you find it, take it away from here."

"Why?"

"Because this place will soon become a battlefield." The orange cat's voice was calm. "The Dog Clan won't let this go, and we won't back down either. The next time we meet, it won't be as simple as just taking over a camp."

Shin-chan looked at the orange cat, then suddenly squatted down, reached out, and gently stroked the cat's head.

The orange cat froze completely.

What are you doing?

"I'll touch you," Shin-chan said matter-of-factly.

"I can tell." The orange cat's tail bristled like a feather duster. "I'm asking why you touched me."

"Because you look tired." Shin-chan withdrew his hand. "My mom said that when you're tired, having someone pat your head makes you feel better."

The orange cat stared at him for several seconds, then its tail slowly drooped down, returning to its original position.

What else did your mother say?

"They also said that you have to brush your teeth after eating, you can't leave dirty clothes lying around, and you can't bully small animals."

The orange cat's whiskers twitched; I couldn't tell if it was laughing.

"You may leave."

Shin-chan- chan waved to its retreating figure, then walked towards the hillside with Uchiha Toru.

On the way, Uchiha Toru muttered, "Something's not right."

Which places?

"A white dog, in the Dog Clan, signifies royalty." Uchiha Toru spoke slowly. "Gray Ridge was in charge of searching for the prince; it couldn't possibly be unaware of this."

Shin-chan's steps slowed down a beat.

"It knew from the beginning." Uchiha Toru turned to look at Shin-chan. "It brought you in, not because it mistook you for a lost member of its clan."

Why is that?

Because it needs a white dog.

Shin-chan's eyebrows furrowed. "But Gray Ridge helped us."

Help us...

A very soft "click" came from behind the bushes.

Uchiha Toru's words trailed off.

He and Shin-chan turned their heads at the same time.

The leaves of a clump of low shrubs swayed, then remained still.

Shin-chan tilted his head and looked at it for a while, then went over and parted the leaves.

A small orange cat was crouching behind the bushes, carrying a small cloth bag of the same color on its back.

It saw Shin-chan staring at it, and the cat froze, remaining in a half-squatting position, one front paw still raised in mid-air.

Their eyes met.

The little orange cat blinked.

Shin-chan blinked too.

Then the little orange cat swiftly shrunk its head back behind the fern leaves.

The leaves swayed a few times.

It fell silent.

About ten seconds later, the leaf moved again.

An orange head slowly peeked out, as if it thought it wouldn't be noticed as long as it moved quietly enough.

"We see you." Uchiha Toru's voice came from behind.

The little orange cat tucked its ears back, and the whole cat visibly wilted.

"I didn't mean to follow you," the little orange cat's voice still had a hint of childishness. "I just—I just—"

It repeated itself twice, but still couldn't come up with a clear answer.

"Where are you going?" Shin-chan squatted down, his hands supporting his knees.

The little orange cat's ears twitched, and it said in a soft voice, "I just... wanted to ask you something."

"What's up?"

Are you going to the territory of the Dog Clan?

Shin-chan -chan glanced back at Uchiha Toru: "If Shiro is there, we'll go."

E