This is the bond!

The square fell silent.

Shin-chan was lying on the floor, using Shiro as a pillow, and was almost asleep.

I waited a while longer.

Kakashi suddenly turned to look down the mountain. "Uchiha Toru is surrounded."

Shin-chan stood up and looked down from the Hokage Rock. The whole village looked small, and the houses looked like building blocks. He couldn't quite see what was happening below.

"Where?"

"Over there," Kakashi pointed, "Four Genin have surrounded them."

Shin-chan tilted his head and looked for a long time, but saw nothing. "Then let's go save him."

"If we go to rescue him, we'll likely get caught along with him," Kakashi warned.

"Um."

"If you hadn't gone, you'd already arrived, so you'd have won."

"Um."

Cong.

Have you thought this through?

Shin-chan dusted off his bottom. "I've thought it through."

"So you still want to go?"

"Xiao Che is my friend." Shin-chan said without hesitation, "My friend is surrounded; I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Kakashi stood there, watching Shin-chan's retreating figure, and couldn't help but sigh before following after him.

"Didn't you say you weren't going?" Shin-chan turned to look at him.

"I didn't say that."

"You just said that."

"I said, 'If we don't go, we win.'" Kakashi walked beside him. "I didn't say I wasn't going."

"Then why do you want to go?"

Kakashi paused for a moment, then said softly, "Because... you're my friend too."

"What?" Shin-chan didn't hear clearly.

Kakashi shook his head and quickened his pace.

The two were moving very fast, with Kakashi running in front and Shin-chan following behind.

"Left side," Kakashi said.

The two people turned into the alley on the left.

"Go straight ahead."

Two people crossed a path.

"It's at that intersection just ahead."

They slowed their pace and peeked out from the alleyway.

There's a T-junction ahead.

Uchiha Toru stood in the middle of the road, with his back against a wall.

Four Genin surrounded him, two in front, one on the left, and one on the right, blocking all his path.

"Something's a bit strange." Shin-chan scratched his head, but then thought there was nothing wrong with it.

The four Genin getting closer and closer.

"Never mind!" Shin-chan ran off. "If we don't go now, Xiao Che will get caught!"

The two Genin saw him and reached out to grab him.

Shin-chan bent down and slipped into the encirclement like an eel. "Xiao Che, I'm here to save you."

Shin-chan reached out to pull him, and the moment his hand touched Uchiha Toru's shoulder...

"Bang!"

The white smoke dissipated.

Uchiha Toru has disappeared.

Standing there was a Genin wearing a green vest, smiling, with his hand on Shin-chan's shoulder.

"Got you?"

Shin-chan was stunned.

He looked down at the hand resting on his shoulder, then looked up at the Genin's face. "Huh, you're not Xiao Che."

Four Genin stood around them, all laughing.

"Transformation Technique." Kakashi's voice came from behind the mask. "It was a trap from the start."

"That's right," the Genin said with a smile, "You really did come."

Shin-chan blinked, then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Very good."

The Genin stunned for a moment. "What's so great?"

"Xiao Che wasn't caught." Shin-chan breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you guys had him surrounded."

The Genin looked at him, her smile pausing for a moment, "You—aren't you afraid of being eliminated?"

"I was scared," Shin-chan said, "But it's good that Xiao Che is alright."

He turned and shouted towards the outside of the alley, "Kakashi, don't come any closer! It's fake, Xiao Che is fine."

Kakashi stood there, looking at Shin-chan- chan's serious face, remained silent for two seconds, then turned and ran away.

They ran very fast, disappearing at the end of the street in just a few leaps.

Several Genin instinctively wanted to give chase, but were stopped by their leader.

"Never mind, let him go." He glanced down at Shin-chan. "We've already caught him."

Shin-chan crouched down, picked up Shiro, sat on the ground, and looked in the direction Kakashi had disappeared.

"Kakashi has to win!"

The Genin next to him couldn't help but laugh, "You've already been eliminated. Won't you be embarrassed if they win?"

"Awkward?" Shin-chan- chan scratched his head. "Xiao Che is my friend, and Kakashi is my friend too. It's good that my friends are okay, and it would be even better if we won."

The Genin looked at him, her smile softening slightly.

"You kids are really something."

Shin-chan sat on the ground, placed Shiro on his lap, and began to talk to it.

"Shiro, do you think Kakashi can get there?"

"Woof."

I think so too.

"Woof."

"What are we having for lunch? I'm so hungry."

"Woof."

The Genin nearby exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what to say.

On a distant rooftop, Yuhi Shinku stood there, observing everything.

From Kakashi being the first to arrive at the Hokage Rock, to Shin-chan following along, to the two of them running down to rescue "Uchiha Toru," and Kakashi running away alone.

I saw it all.

A Genin over and asked, "Should we send someone else to stop them?"

"No need." Yuhi Shinku shook her head.

"But...

That's all for today's game.

The Genin paused for a moment, then nodded without saying anything more.

Yuhi Shinku stood on the rooftop, looking in Shin-chan's direction.

That kid was eliminated, but he looked even happier than if he had won.

Just because my friend is alright.

Yuhi Shinku stood there for a long time, a slight smile creeping onto her lips.

When Kakashi ran back to the Hokage Rock Plaza, Uchiha Toru was leaning against the railing.

When Uchiha Toru saw Kakashi running up alone, he was taken aback.

Where's Shin-chan- chan?

"I got captured," Kakashi gasped. "I was captured when I came to rescue you."

Uchiha Toru, somewhat puzzled, "Save me?"

"That was a trap," Kakashi said. "They sent someone to impersonate you, and he was surrounded. Shin-chan saw him and went to rescue you."

Uchiha Toru remained silent for a long while.

"He—didn't know it was fake?"

"I don't know." Kakashi walked to the railing and leaned against it. "I told him he might lose if he went, but he still went."

Uchiha Toru lowered his head and remained silent.

After a while, footsteps could be heard on the steps.

Yuhi Shinku walked up, followed by several Genin, one of whom had Shin-chan- chan on his shoulder.

Shin-chan was put down, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he ran towards Uchiha Toru.

"Xiao Che, are you alright?"

Uchiha Toru raised his head, looked at Shin-chan -chan's face, and opened his mouth slightly.

"Why... why did you come to save me?"

"Because you're my friend," Shin-chan said matter-of-factly. "Of course I'd save a friend if they're in danger."

"But it's fake."

"I didn't know it was fake," Shin-chan scratched his head, "But what if it really is you who got arrested?"

Uchiha Toru remained silent.

He lowered his head, looking at the ground, his eyelashes trembling slightly.

"Fool."

His voice was very soft, so soft that only he could hear it.