The next day at school, Shin-chan headed straight for Uchiha Toru's desk as soon as he entered the classroom.
"Xiao Che!"
Uchiha Toru was reading with his head down and jumped in fright.
"What's wrong?"
Shin-chan crouched beside him, his expression serious. "Do you know a way to help Shiro refine Chakra?"
"Huh?" Uchiha Toru froze, unsure how to answer. "Well... I've never heard of one..."
"Doesn't your family have lots of secret techniques?"
"Those are Ninjutsu, not ways to train dogs," Uchiha Toru explained. "And the Inuzuka Clan's secret techniques have been passed down through their family for generations. We Uchiha don't raise dogs."
Shin-chan's face fell.
"Oh..."
He stood up, thought for a moment, then ran over to Kakashi.
"Kakashi!"
Kakashi was leaning by the window, reading. At the sound of Shin-chan's voice, he looked up.
"What is it?"
"Do you know how to help Shiro refine Chakra?"
Kakashi paused.
"Shiro?"
"Yeah." Shin-chan nodded. "Shiro wants to be a Ninja too, but he can't make Hand Seals."
Kakashi was silent for two seconds, then shook his head. "I don't know. I don't raise dogs."
"Does your dad know?"
"I don't know."
"Have you asked him?"
"I haven't, but he definitely doesn't know." Kakashi's tone remained casual. "The Hatake Household only trains with swords."
Shin-chan sighed and ran back to his seat, slumping his whole body over it.
"This is so hard..."
Adai sat in the corner, his gaze resting on Shin-chan as he wondered about something.
During lunch break, Adai disappeared for a while.
No one noticed where he went.
When afternoon classes began, he appeared at his desk right on time, as if nothing had happened.
After school.
Shin-chan packed up and was about to leave when someone suddenly stopped him.
Adai stood in front of him,