Kenichi gets lost in a haunted forest. Hattori searches for him but gets trapped by a cruel rogue ninja. Sonam, who was following Hattori to prank him, witnesses his selflessness. Instead of running away, she creates a diversion. She gets hurt saving Hattori. For the first time, Hattori offers her his hand. She slaps it away—but she smiles.
In the Ninja Hattori-kun series, the character often referred to as in the Hindi dub is originally named
Fans project romance because of the “competent male protects clumsy female” trope. This is confounded by Hattori’s loyalty and Sonam’s admiration—both of which are platonic in the show’s internal logic.