The next morning.
When Shin-chan went out, he saw a figure leaning against the wall.
Uchiha Toru had his back against the wall and looked like he'd been waiting for a while.
"Morning." Shin-chan waved.
"Morning."
Shin-chan kept walking. After a few steps, he realized Uchiha Toru hadn't followed.
"You're not coming?"
"I am." Uchiha Toru pushed away from the wall. "But aren't you going the wrong way?"
Shin-chan looked down at the road beneath his feet, then up ahead.
"No, school's this way."
"School is that way." Uchiha Toru sighed. "But we're going to the training ground."
Shin-chan froze. "Oh, right. We don't have to go to school anymore."
"We talked about that yesterday."
"I know. But while I was walking, I forgot." Shin-chan scratched his head and turned in the other direction.
Uchiha Toru walked beside him and let out a small sigh. "I knew this would happen."
The two walked side by side. After a while, Uchiha Toru suddenly spoke.
"Shin-chan."
"Yeah?"
"About what happened yesterday. If that ever really happens in the future—"
"What happened?"
"The thing where I get captured." Uchiha Toru looked ahead, his voice calm. "If it ever happens for real, you don't need to come save me."
Shin-chan looked at him and blinked. "Were you captured yesterday?"
"No. I said if."
"But yesterday you weren't captured."
"I mean in the future." The emotion Uchiha Toru had just built up immediately deflated. "If something like that really happens later, and you already got away, then just run. Don't worry about me."
Shin-chan thought about it.
"Then what happens if you get caught?"
"I'll figure something out myself."
"But what if you can't?"
Uchiha Toru was silent for a moment. "Then I can't."
Shin-chan tilted his head as if trying to digest that answer.
"Then wouldn't you get taken away?"
Uchiha Toru didn't answer.
Shin-chan walked a few more steps, then suddenly shook his head. "No."
"What do you mean, no?"
"I can't let you get taken away."
"Why?"
Shin-chan said very seriously, "Because you bought me chocolate sticks before."
Uchiha Toru's steps paused.
"Just because of that?"
"Chocolate sticks are really good." Shin-chan was already drooling a little as he said it.
"That was just—"
"And," Shin-chan cut him off, "you taught me Fire Style last time too."
"That was the Great Elder teaching you."
"Same thing." Shin-chan waved it off.
Uchiha Toru took a deep breath and tried another way of saying it. "If the situation is really dangerous, coming to save me might get you caught too."
"Then we'll think of something together."
"What if there's no way?"
Shin-chan tilted his head and thought about it. "Then we get captured together."
"..."
"Once we're captured, we just escape together." Shin-chan said it like it was a very simple thing.
Uchiha Toru's voice lowered. "People die in real battles."
Shin-chan fell silent for a moment.
"Then you really can't die."
Uchiha Toru looked at him.
Shin-chan's expression was very serious. "If you die, you won't be able to buy me chocolate sticks anymore."
Uchiha Toru stared at him for three seconds.
Then he laughed.
"You really only remember food."
"Food is important." Shin-chan said. "Don't you think so?"
Uchiha Toru shook his head, but the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.
The two kept walking.
After a while, Shin-chan suddenly said, "And you're my friend."
Uchiha Toru's steps paused again.
"Friends are supposed to help each other." Shin-chan's tone was completely ordinary, as if this were something everyone in the world knew. "Otherwise, what kind of friends would they be?"
Uchiha Toru didn't speak.
He looked at the road ahead, walked a few more steps, then gave a quiet, "Mm."
Shin-chan didn't notice his reaction, because he had lowered his head to look at Shiro.
"Shiro, don't you think so?"
"Woof." Shiro wagged his tail.
"See? Shiro agrees too."
Looking at Shin-chan's serious face, Uchiha Toru couldn't hide the upward curve of his mouth anymore. "Come on. We're going to be late."
"Oh." Shin-chan quickened his pace. "How much farther is the training ground?"
"Didn't you walk there once yesterday?"
"But I forgot how far it was."
"How do you forget everything?"
"I don't forget important things." Shin-chan said very seriously.
"Then what counts as important?"
Shin-chan thought about it. "Chocolate sticks are important. Mom's dinner is important—"
He counted off a long list on his fingers.
By the time they reached the training ground, Kakashi was already there.
Yūhi Shinku stood in the middle of the field, and the genin from yesterday were standing around the edges in small groups.
"Morning, teacher." Shin-chan waved.
Yūhi Shinku glanced at him. "Everyone's here. Today, I'll teach you the Three Basic Techniques."
"The Three Basic Techniques?" Shin-chan tilted his head. "Is that three Clone Techniques?"
Yūhi Shinku was silent for a moment. "No."
"Then what is it?"
Yūhi Shinku raised both hands and formed a seal.
"Transformation Technique."
With a poof, white smoke cleared, and Yūhi Shinku had transformed into Shin-chan.
Red shirt, yellow shorts, even the angle of his tilted head was exactly the same.
Shin-chan looked at "himself" and blinked. "Teacher, you copied me."
Yūhi Shinku changed back and ignored him, continuing the explanation.
"Clone Technique."
He formed another seal. With another poof, an identical copy of himself appeared beside him.
Shin-chan raised his hand. "Teacher Ibuki already taught us this one. I can do it."
Yūhi Shinku glanced at him.
"Substitution Technique."
This time, after he formed the seal, a wooden log appeared where he had been standing, while Yūhi Shinku himself had already appeared three meters away.
Shin-chan tilted his head and watched for a while. "So it's just changing around."
"These three techniques are the most basic abilities of a ninja."
Yūhi Shinku paused. "The Transformation Technique is used for disguise. The Clone Technique is used to confuse enemies. The Substitution Technique is used to save your life. If you can't master these three techniques, you're not even qualified to be a genin."
At the edge of the field, the genin unconsciously straightened their backs when they heard that.
Yesterday had been too humiliating. Today, at last, they had reached something they were good at.
The Three Basic Techniques—who didn't know those?
After Yūhi Shinku finished explaining the key points, he said, "Begin practicing. Every one of you must be able to use them skillfully."
The genin at the side immediately got moving.
After being frustrated all day yesterday, they finally had a chance to show off.
A spiky-haired genin stepped forward first, chin slightly lifted.
"Brats, watch closely."
He formed hand seals.
"Transformation Technique."
With a poof, white smoke cleared, and standing there was "Yūhi Shinku."
"How's that?"
Shin-chan tilted his head and looked for a while. "Why did you turn into teacher?"
"To demonstrate," the genin said proudly. "The key to the Transformation Technique is detail. Detail, understand?"
Shin-chan thought about it. "But teacher's butt doesn't look that perky."