Dog-Cat Conflict (10)

When the cats retreated, Jiro Tachibana and Little Orange were at the very back.

As Jiro Tachibana passed by Shin-chan, the tip of his tail lightly brushed against Shin-chan's ankle.

"Don't touch the cat's head like that next time." Jiro Tachibana didn't even turn his head. "Not every cat is as easy to talk to as I am."

Shin-chan waved to its retreating back.

The pack of the Dog Clan gradually dispersed, each returning to their respective camp positions.

Several young dogs ran over, trying to get close to Shiro, but Gray Ridge stopped them with a look.

They could only retreat a few steps, lie down, rest their chins on their front paws, and watch from a distance.

Shin-chan squatted down in front of Shiro and reached out to pat its head. "Shiro, let's go home."

Shiro raised its head and wagged its tail.

"Wait a minute." Gray Ridge's voice came from behind.

"What's up?"

Gray Ridge stood there looking at Shiro, hesitated for two seconds, and said, "Actually, the Dog Clan has a secret technique."

"What secret technique?"

"It can make your body as big as a mountain."

"As big as a mountain?" Shin-chan gestured with his hands, then, realizing he couldn't show it, stretched his arms out as wide as possible. "That big?"

"It's even bigger than that." Gray Ridge's gaze fell on Shiro. "But this technique can only training by royalty."

Shin-chan- chan opened his mouth and looked down at Shiro.

Shiro tilted its head, seemingly having no concept of "becoming as big as a mountain".

"Get as big as a mountain." Shin-chan repeated. "Shiro, did you hear that? You can get as big as a mountain!"

Shiro wagged its tail.

"So, are you going to teach it?" Shin-chan looked up at Gray Ridge.

"If it stays."

Shin-chan's smile faltered for a moment, "Stay?"

"This secret technique can't be learned in a day or two," Gray Ridge shook his head. "It takes at least three months to grasp the basics, and even longer to master it."

"Three months."

Shin-chan looked down at Shiro.

Shiro was also looking at him.

Then Shin-chan stood up and patted the dirt off his knees.

"Never mind then."

Gray Ridge's ears perked up. "Aren't you going to reconsider?"

"No way." Shin-chan bent down and picked up Shiro. "I'm taking Shiro home."

"This matter should be decided by His Highness himself."

Shin-chan paused for a moment, then put Shiro down from his arms and squatted down in front of it.

"Shiro."

Shiro's ears perked up.

Do you want to stay?

Without any hesitation, Shiro tilted its head back to look at Shin-chan, its tail wagging rapidly.

Gray Ridge stepped forward two steps. "Wait."

Shiro stopped and turned its head to look at it.

"You really don't want to learn?" Gray Ridge took a step forward. "That secret technique can make you as big as a mountain."

Shiro's ears twitched, but it didn't turn around.

"This power is immense," Gray Ridge repeated, "It can protect those you want to protect."

Shiro's tail paused for a moment as it recalled the feeling of helplessness it had felt standing in front of the Cat Clan.

Gray Ridge keenly caught that momentary pause. "If you become as big as a mountain, no matter what danger you encounter in the future, you can stand in front of him, no one can hurt him, and no one can get past you to touch him."

Uchiha Toru's gaze shifted between Shiro and Gray Ridge, but he remained silent.

"Three months," Gray Ridge said. "After three months, no one, no matter who it is, will be able to hurt the person you want to protect."

Shiro didn't turn its head, but its ears tilted slightly towards Gray Ridge.

"There's one more thing," Gray Ridge's voice rang out again, "There's a technique called the Summoning Technique. Humans sign a contract with a summoned beast, using blood as a medium, and can summon the beast to their side at any time."

Gray Ridge turned to Shiro: "If you sign Summoning Contract with this human cub, he can summon you to his side at any time while you training your secret arts here."

Shiro's ears perked up.

"The reverse is also true," Gray Ridge continued. "You can also use the power of the contract to return directly to his side, without having to cross mountains and valleys; you can arrive in an instant."

"Shiro," Shin-chan's voice trailed off, "Do you want to stay?"

Shiro didn't move.

"If you don't want to, we'll go back..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shiro walked over and rubbed its head against his leg.

Then Shiro turned around and took a step towards Gray Ridge.

"It agreed." Gray Ridge breathed a sigh of relief.

What it didn't say was that once Shiro learned the secret technique, Black Fang would no longer be able to cause any trouble.

The Dog Clan doesn't need a puppet prince brought in from outside; they will have a true king, recognized by the clan, who is as great as a mountain.

Shin-chan looked down at Shiro, then looked up at Gray Ridge: "So—can we go home now?"

"Now?"

"Yeah, right." Shin-chan nodded matter-of-factly. "Shiro agreed to stay, but I didn't agree to stay. I'll go home first, and then use that contract to call Shiro over, okay?"

Gray Ridge opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to respond to that sentence.

Uchiha Toru coughed softly beside him, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Summoning Contract needs to be signed." Gray Ridge snapped out of his daze. "After signing, you can indeed summon it at any time."

"Okay, then we'll sign it. After we sign, I can take Shiro back, right?"

Gray Ridge glanced around the camp.

The old and weak Dog Clan were still lying on the ground; Black Fang could return at any moment.

If Shin-chan takes Shiro away now, when Black Fang returns, the camp will only have these old and weak people left, and there won't even be a flag left to raise.

"The clan's territory isn't too far from here," Gray Ridge thought to himself. "Once we arrive at the clan's territory, we'll sign the Summoning Contract, and then you can go back."

"Okay," Shin-chan -chan nodded, "Then let's go to the clan's territory first."

Gray Ridge walked in the lead for about half an hour.

"Arrive."

Shin-chan slowly opened his mouth and subconsciously rubbed his eyes.

The tribal land was vast, densely packed with wooden houses. The roads were made of compacted earth, and flowers of unknown names were planted on both sides.

"This is just like a human village." Uchiha Toru's gaze swept from one end of the street to the other, his voice carrying a hint of surprise.

"The Dog Clan has lived here for many years," Gray Ridge said as he walked into the street. "Not all dogs like to cower in caves."

As they walked into the village, the dogs on both sides of the road raised their heads one after another, their gazes shifting from Gray Ridge to Shiro, and then from Shiro to the two humans.

At the innermost part of the clan's territory stood a wooden house, slightly larger than the others. Above the entrance hung a polished piece of wood with a paw print carved on it.

"Come in."

Shin-chan as Shin-chan was about to take a step, Uchiha Toru reached out and stopped him. "Let's wait outside."

"Gigantification Technique." Gray Ridge took out a scroll from the wooden house.

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