The Inuzuka Clan's Human Beast Mimicry technique is no simple transformation. Strictly speaking, it belongs to Yang Release and is a cellular transformation technique, akin to the Akimichi Clan's expansion jutsu. Compared to a standard transformation technique, which is merely an illusion that dissipates at the slightest touch, this transformation technique is far more stable.
Take, for instance, this very moment... Inuzuka Rin embraced Smarty tightly, testing the technique's stability and resilience. Feeling the pressure, the ninja hound whimpered piteously in pain. Hearing her cry, Ryoto cast his eyes down in sympathy.
"You're having a tough time, little sister Smarty. But hang in there, do your best!" he encouraged her mentally.
As expected, Rin raised an eyebrow in surprise, gazing at Smarty, who still maintained the form of a little girl in her arms. A standard transformation technique would not have withstood such an assault; any external force would have shattered the disguise. But the Inuzuka Clan's Human Beast Mimicry was different. It allowed the user to maintain the altered form and endure a certain level of external attack, with the threshold varying for each individual. The force was mutual; otherwise, it would be impossible to attack while maintaining the transformed state. This was especially true for the advanced Fang Over Fang technique in the form of a giant wolf—without proper stability, the form would crumble before the attack even began.
Therefore, although the Human Beast Mimicry was a fundamental secret technique of the clan, and grasping its basics was simple, achieving mastery was no easy feat. It demanded the utmost control over one's chakra. Because of this, most members of the Inuzuka Clan retained flaws in their Human or Beast Mimicry techniques—beastly features. They could not, like Smarty, appear entirely human without the slightest visible imperfection. No one in the entire clan, neither human nor ninja hound, was capable of such a thing. When imitating a human, a ninja hound could not fully assume a human form. When imitating a beast, an Inuzuka clan member could not fully assume a beastly form.
Releasing Smarty, Rin felt the urge to strike her across the face to properly test the technique's stability and resilience. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. A genius, what more could be said. Rin's eyes burned as she stared intently at the little dog, a smile spreading wider and wider across her lips, impossible to contain.
But that was not the most astonishing part. There was another, far more profound question.
"Suzu, who taught you?" Rin asked quietly. "Ryoto?"
In the house, only Ryoto knew how to read. Hakura and Kuroko were already old and did not pay much attention to their youngest daughter, and her older siblings rarely took her along to play, considering her too small and a nuisance. Once, Rin had thought her own son was a genius. He had barely turned one when he learned to read, studying books on his own and secretly looking through the technique scrolls left by her husband. It was simply astounding. But as time went on, he never displayed any particular talents, and no notable achievements were observed.
"Never mind, that question isn't important," Rin stared at Smarty and asked with hope in her voice, "Do you know the Four Legs Technique?"
Judging by Smarty's age, she shouldn't have been able to use not only the Four Legs Technique but even the basic Human Beast Mimicry. The reason was simple—a lack of chakra. Due to the ninja hound's body size and age limitations, some things were simply impossible. Just as Ryoto, despite two years of effort, had not been able to draw out his chakra—he was too young.
After a moment's hesitation, Smarty nodded, looking hopefully at the treat in Rin's hand. Rin's eyes gleamed ominously. She took a deep breath and said with anticipation:
"Show me."
In the next instant, without any visible movement, Smarty's body was enveloped in a faint blue glow of chakra. It flickered like a flame, cloaking her limbs and almost her entire body. Watching this, Rin gasped, her eyes filled with shock.
That's it!
It is common knowledge that to use ninjutsu, ninja must form hand seals, though there are exceptions. Ninja hounds also require seals to use techniques, but they lack hands and thus cannot form them. In such cases, they require the assistance of an Inuzuka clan member, who forms the seals for them. This technique, known as "borrowing hands for seals," is extremely complex and accessible to few ninja. It involves controlling the flow of chakra in another being's body with one's own chakra flow to execute a technique. Without absolute trust and mutual understanding between partners, success was impossible. As far as Rin knew, no one in the village currently possessed this skill.
If a ninja hound mastered the Human Beast Mimicry, it could form seals itself, but the Human Beast Mimicry technique itself required seals. Yet Suzu had acted independently from the start, without Ryoto's help, and had used two different techniques.
This was...
"A Seal-less Technique!"
A sign of a true master! Not even the Third Hokage was capable of this! And that meant... Suppressing the storm of emotions in her soul, Rin looked at Smarty.
"Ah, you little rascal, what a name you gave her!"
How thoroughly I've been deceived! But it's for the best! No one must find out about this!
Taking Smarty's paw, Rin said gravely, "Suzu! From now on, that blockhead Ryoto is entirely under your protection!"
Smarty didn't seem to fully understand, but she nodded anyway.
"Good girl, that's enough. You can return to your own form," Rin patted the dog on the head. "And from now on, do not transform into a human in front of strangers."
Smarty reverted to her original form, her coat a brilliant silver-white, and looked imploringly at the treat in Rin's hand. "Well, are you going to give it to me or not?"
"By the way, Suzu," Rin asked, "can you do Fang Over Fang?"
Hearing this, Suzu nodded. This time, Rin was no longer surprised. For such a genius, it was to be expected.
"Mom! I'm all clean!" At that moment, Ryoto ran out of the bathroom in his pajamas, his gaze immediately falling on Smarty. "Are you okay, little sister Smarty?"
"Woof-woof-woof!" she barked in reply. "Everything's great! I didn't turn into you! Smart, right?"
"Excellent!" Ryoto gave a thumbs-up in approval.
Rin turned to her son, a flash of disgust in her eyes. The boy had once again finished his shower in less than three minutes.
"Off to bed with you!"
"I know, I know!" Ryoto replied. "Let's go, little sister Smarty!"
The little dog cast one last glance at the treat in Rin's hand, but Rin nonchalantly slipped it back into her pocket. A look of utter astonishment crossed Smarty's face. After a moment's thought, she reluctantly ran to Ryoto and leaped into his arms.
Cradling the dog, Ryoto turned and hurried away, asking quietly, "You're sure you didn't spill the beans?"
"Woof!" "Definitely not!"
"Then I believe you."
Watching the two of them retreat, Rin frowned slightly. Although the war had ceased for the moment, there were no signs that the Second Shinobi World War was over, and the situation remained perilous. She was terrified that if her boy ended up on the battlefield, he would step on an exploding tag and be blown to bits. If it were possible, she would not want Ryoto to become a ninja. But as the head of the clan, she could not do so and send her clansmen to fight and die with a clear conscience.
Therefore... she needed to plan ahead. Since Suzu was a genius, and she and Ryoto were partners, then, by a certain extension, her boy was also a genius. It was necessary to forge them into a reliable combat unit. At the very least, she had to ensure that Ryoto would not be a burden to Suzu.
Returning to the living room, Rin turned on the television, lowering the volume, and poured herself a drink as she began to ponder over Smarty. She was a true genius! No, she was a miracle! Nothing like this had ever happened in the entire history of the Inuzuka Clan! Rin looked at Hakura and Kuroko in the living room. As Smarty's parents, they were merely ordinary ninja hounds, though they were considered elite within the clan.
Rin's gaze grew deep and piercing. In that moment, she looked like a true elite jonin, radiating the cold aura of a ninja. As the clan head, she knew many things—not just about family matters, but also about the state of affairs in the village. The Inuzuka Clan was numerous: many children, many people, many dogs. Among all the clans in the village, they had the most fighters—a veritable army of humans and hounds. One could say they could afford losses in any war, no matter how many there were. Both humans and dogs were prolific, allowing the clan to thrive and expand. Standing together, they represented a formidable force.
Unlike certain clans that could not afford to lose their members.
But, strangely enough, the Inuzuka Clan held a weak position within the village. The reason was that the clan lacked an absolute leader capable of keeping everyone in line. Most ninja hounds and clan members barely reached the level of a chunin, let alone a jonin. It was nothing like the Uchiha, where awakening the sharingan already put one at the jonin level. Because of this weakness, she, as the clan head, had been unable to protect even her own husband. She couldn't even retrieve his body!
Leaning back in her chair, Rin turned her head and gazed through the panoramic window at the night village, shimmering with lights. A flicker of hatred crossed her eyes.
"The Will of Fire?" she scoffed contemptuously. "Hah!"