Chapter 65: Bonds That Heal!
The morning sun streamed through the hospital window, casting warm patterns across Kōzaru's bedsheets as he slowly awakened for the second time. This awakening felt different from the previous day—less disoriented, more aware of his surroundings. His enhanced senses immediately picked up familiar scents that made his heart race with anticipation.
Before he could even fully open his eyes, he heard them—the soft padding of paws against the hospital floor, followed by excited whimpers that he would recognise anywhere.
"Yuki? Riku?" His voice was still rough from his ordeal, but the hope in it was unmistakable.
Two small forms launched themselves onto his bed with enthusiasm, their warm bodies pressing against him as wet noses nudged his face and hands. Yuki's distinctive bark of joy echoed through the room whilst Riku's smaller form trembled with excitement as he licked Kōzaru's hand and face, both crying in excitement for seeing their master again.
"Easy, you two," came a familiar voice filled with warmth and relief. "He's still recovering."
Kōzaru's eyes snapped open to see his mother, Mika Inuzuka, standing beside his bed. Her usually composed jōnin demeanour had cracked completely, tears streaming down her face as she watched her son reunite with his ninken partners. Her dark hair was pulled back in its practical style, but her hands shook slightly as she reached out to touch his forehead.
"Mum," Kōzaru whispered, his own voice breaking as the full weight of seeing his family safe and whole crashed over him. "They're really okay? Yuki and Riku are really..."
"Perfectly fine," Mika said firmly, though her voice carried the tremor of someone who had spent a week fearing the worst. "The veterinary specialists said they made remarkable recoveries. Young ninken heal quickly, especially when they're as stubborn as these two."
Kōzaru buried his face in Riku's fur, breathing in his familiar scent as Yuki curled up against his side. The relief was so overwhelming that he felt dizzy—for a week, whilst his conscious mind had drifted in darkness, some part of him had carried the terror that he might wake up alone, never seeing them again.
"I thought I'd lost them," he whispered into Riku's fur, his voice muffled but audible. "When that woman poisoned us, when they collapsed... I thought it was my fault."
"Kōzaru," his mother said gently, settling into the chair beside his bed. "Look at me."
He lifted his head, meeting her steady gaze through eyes that were bright with unshed tears.
"What you did out there," she continued, her voice carrying the weight of absolute conviction, "protecting those civilians, standing against jōnin-level opponents at eight years old... Your father would have been so proud."
The mention of his father should have brought pain. Instead, it brought a warm sense of connection, of living up to a legacy he was still learning to understand.
"You've earned the respect of every shinobi in this village," Mika continued, her hand gently stroking Riku's head as the ninken settled more comfortably against his master. "When word spread about what happened on that cliff road, about three children standing against impossible odds to protect innocent people... there isn't a ninja in Konoha who doesn't know the Genin Team Fifteen."
Kōzaru felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. "We just did what any shinobi would do."
"No," his mother said firmly. "You did what heroes do. There's a difference."
She leaned forward slightly, her expression growing more serious. "Your cousin Tsume looked after Yuki and Riku whilst you were unconscious. She said they refused to leave the compound, spending every day waiting by the gates for news about you. She treated them like her own pups—said any ninken brave enough to fight jōnin to protect their partner deserved nothing less."
The name Tsume rang a bell in the back of Kōzaru's mind, though he couldn't quite place why it seemed familiar. Something about that name felt significant, like it connected to knowledge he couldn't quite access.
"Cousin Tsume?" he asked, trying to remember if he'd met her before.
"She's older than you, remember? specialises in tracking missions," his mother explained. "She's been away on extended assignment for most of your childhood, but she returned to the village last week. When she heard what happened to you and your ninken, she insisted on helping care for them."
Kōzaru filed that information away, focusing instead on the warm weight of his ninken partners pressed against him. Whatever else had happened, whatever dangers they had faced, they were here. They were safe. They were together.
A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and Kōzaru's enhanced senses immediately picked up two familiar scents that made his heart leap with joy.
"Come in," his mother called, recognising the visitors as well.
Tatsuma and Aotaka entered the room with the careful movement of people who had also recently experienced serious injury. Tatsuma's red hair seemed brighter than Kōzaru remembered, and there was something different about his posture—more confident, more aware of himself. Aotaka looked remarkably well for someone who had been on the brink of death a week ago, his enhanced Senju constitution having clearly aided his recovery.
"Look who's finally awake," Tatsuma said with a grin that didn't quite hide the relief in his eyes. "We were starting to think you were just being lazy."
"Says the guy who was unconscious for four days," Aotaka replied, though his own smile was warm with genuine happiness. "How are you feeling, Kōzaru?"
"Better now," Kōzaru said honestly, gesturing to Yuki and Riku who had settled protectively on either side of him. "Much better. What about you two? The nurse said you'd both made remarkable recoveries."
"Uzumaki constitution," Tatsuma said with obvious pride, tapping his chest. "Turns out our clan is known for bouncing back from nearly impossible injuries. Who knew?"
"Senju blood has its advantages too," Aotaka added, flexing his previously injured shoulder with no sign of discomfort. "Though I think you had it worse than either of us. That poison was specifically designed to be lethal."
The three teammates looked at each other for a moment, the weight of their shared experience hanging in the air. They had faced death together, had survived something that should have killed them, and that bond was something that went deeper than mere friendship.
"We actually died, didn't we?" Kōzaru said quietly, voicing what they had all been thinking. "For a few moments on that cliff road, we were really gone."
"The medical reports were pretty clear about that," Tatsuma confirmed, his voice carrying a mixture of awe and soberness. "Respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, complete neurological shutdown. If Minato-sensei had been even minutes later..."
"But he wasn't," Aotaka said firmly. "And we're here. All of us."
"All of us," Kōzaru agreed, his hands finding comfort in Yuki and Riku's warm fur.
Mika Inuzuka watched the three boys with the keen eye of an experienced jōnin, noting the subtle changes in their posture, their awareness, the way they communicated with glances and shared understanding. They had been forged by fire, and it showed.
"I'll leave you three to catch up," she said gently, rising from her chair. "But don't tire him out too much. He still needs rest." She said, getting a nod from the others.
After she left, the three teammates settled into comfortable positions around Kōzaru's bed. The silence wasn't awkward—it was the comfortable quiet of people who had shared something profound and were still processing it.
"Have you been able to check your system stats yet?" Tatsuma asked, looking at Kōzaru.
"No, why?" He asked, seeing both Aotaka and Tatsuma look at each other.
"Well, we both got a pretty good boost from that last battle. We were hoping that you got the same?" Aotaka said, leaning back on his chair with a smile.
Kōzaru nodded and opened his stat screen, taking in all of the new information on his display screen.
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Kōzaru:
Inuzuka Clan: Level 9: EXP (1520/2800) Skill points available: 3
Health: 145 + (16×2) = 177,
Chakra: 145+ (13×2) = 171,
Taijutsu: 16,
Ninjutsu: 13,
Genjutsu: 6,
Kenjutsu: 6,
Abilities:Wind Style (Gale Palm): Cost 20 chakra.
Body Flicker: Cost 10 chakra.
Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu: Cost 25 chakra. (Became more officiant in using the jutsu.)
Man Beast Clone: Cost 30 chakra per clone. Now no cost if the dogs use their own chakra.
Fang over fang: Cost 15 chakra. (Became more officiant in using the jutsu.)
Special:
Heightened senses, Chakra Sensing.
Yuki & Riku: Ninja houndsIntermediate Pack Coordination.
Basic Poison resistance.
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"Wow..." Kōzaru said aloud as he took it all in.
From reading the screen he could see that he had earned 1500 EXP from the quests completion and battling the Jōnin ninja. All of his skills had increased in rank earning + 1 in Taijutsu, + 2 in Ninjutsu, + 4 in Genjutsu and even + 2 in Kenjutsu. That wasn't all, he could also see that it now cost him less chakra to use certain jutsu, saying he had become better at using them, something that he felt would have a great impact on his future battles.
But what also caught his eye was a new special ability called basic Poison resistance.
"Isn't it amazing. We both improved too, I already feel a hell of a lot stronger." Aotaka said, gripping his fist.
"Me too, and look at these cool scars." He said as he pulled up the sleeve to his new green hoodie, showing off the lightning style scars that ran up his forearm.
"Wow... Those scars are intense." Kōzaru said, looking at the patterns of them.
So much had changed since last week, with them all gaining new skills and experience from their close death encounter. He couldn't help but wonder just how strong the he and the others would be able to get in this crazy world of shinobi.