He received a thorough dressing-down, but most of the lecture went in one ear and out the other. Ryoto paid it no mind. Just then, the bell rang for class.
"Alright, get to your lesson. And don't let this happen again."
Hearing this, Ryoto, who was lurking in a deserted corner behind the school building, immediately darted away and vanished around the corner. The teacher smiled helplessly and shook his head. With a cigarette in his mouth, he went on his way. As he rounded a corner to head to his lesson, he suddenly stopped, his gaze falling upon a small, silvery dog by the wall. The dog sat with its head raised, and as it looked at the teacher, its face took on a remarkably human-like expression of contempt. She's laughing at me, the teacher realized. Why? He was utterly bewildered. But class had already begun, and without further delay, he hurried to his classroom.
"Foolish shinobi," the little dog uttered in a human voice and, pattering on its four paws, exited the school grounds through the main gate with an air of importance. "You could have made it simple, but no, you had to make me use ninjutsu. Think I have no skills? I'm bursting with them. I skipped class thanks to my talents, so what of it?"
Secret technique of the Inuzuka Clan: Beast Mimicry.
Judging by Ryoto's years of experience in deceiving his own mother, there was nothing particularly special about it. In high spirits, wagging his tail defiantly, he walked out of the school gates, ignoring the old guard. Sticking his canine head out, Ryoto glanced from side to side and, with a swaggering gait, set off in a specific direction.
On the roof of the building across from the school's main gate, Inuzuka Rin watched this scene, grinding her teeth in fury.
"Oh, is that so! Excellent! Simply superb!"
She would recognize her little rascal even if he were turned to ash. She had taken the day off to see exactly what her son Ryoto was up to all day. And now... she was genuinely frightened... The boy was a true genius!
"That's him, isn't it, Suzu?" Rin hissed through her teeth.
Smarty rolled her eyes and was about to howl, but Rin clamped her jaw shut in a flash. The hound could only let out a pitiful whimper.
"To think, I, his own mother, had no idea what a piece of work my son is. Brilliantly done, Ryoto-kun."
Ryoto had been hiding a great deal from her, and various signs in their daily life pointed to it. But firstly, she hadn't been particularly interested in knowing. Secondly, Ryoto was an excellent actor. Whether he was playing the fool, acting absent-minded, or getting into trouble—it all looked like the behavior of a normal, mischievous boy, completely ordinary. It easily lulled one's guard. Now, thinking back... the boy was far too clever. She, a jōnin, had completely failed to notice the strangeness in her own son's behavior. And as a mother, she had to resort to trickery with her son, using a shinobi's espionage techniques to spy on him... it was simply...
"Unbelievable!" Rin groaned, feeling her hair stand on end. She was both furious and delighted. Keeping a great distance and roughly estimating Ryoto's olfactory range, she followed him at the very edge of his perception. She couldn't wait to see what else this boy would pull. She kept a firm grip on Smarty's muzzle.
There was something strange, though. Why did the boy dislike school so much when, as a child, he could spend hours calmly reading secret technique scrolls that would make an adult's head spin? All the women in the clan had envied her, saying she had given birth to such a calm and obedient baby who never cried or fussed.
Ryoto trotted cheerfully down the village's main street in the guise of a ninja hound. Not a single person, not a single shinobi on the street, could detect the deception. The most perfect transformation techniques often require the simplest methods of execution. For instance, a single clap of the hands.
The street was bustling, filled with the atmosphere of a peaceful village—noisy yet calm, and the scenery was beautiful. But in Ryoto's eyes, it looked different. From his low vantage point, the first thing that caught his eye was a street full of legs. Bare legs, legs in fishnet stockings, in white, in black. It had to be said, the kunoichi of the village knew how to dress. Moreover, thanks to their constant training, their figures and the shape of their legs were impeccable: slender where they should be, powerful where they needed to be.
Speaking of which, that girl, Nohara Rin, wore long, flesh-colored thigh-highs, tight black athletic shorts, and a black, long-sleeved top, also known as a "kosode," with a white cloth tied around her waist like a short skirt. A red string was tied around her left wrist, and she had an "absolute territory." Very cute, except her legs were a bit short; she was only five, after all. As for her personality, according to official records, she was, to put it politely, straightforward. To be blunt—a bit simple. And honestly, she smelled a little. Her feet, to be precise. Those who wear socks with sandals are bound to have fragrant feet. It's worth noting that one reading of Rin's name is the same as his mother's.
Smarty might have been tempted by a pile on the street or a fallen chicken leg, but Ryoto had no interest in such things. As he strolled along, he noticed a pair of elegant, bare feet. They didn't smell. Without a second thought, not even glancing at the face, he instinctively raised his head. The view from beneath the skirt offered a unique panorama. But there were safety shorts. Nothing to see. In Ryoto's walking experience, it was a rare kunoichi who didn't wear safety shorts.
Ryoto turned away and continued on his way. It wasn't that he was desperate to look; it was just that the mountain was right there—one couldn't help but see it. Besides, walking with one's head down implies a guilty conscience. Therefore, one must walk with one's head held high, openly and honestly. Ryoto, wagging his tail, continued his audacious stroll. It seemed he had donned a beast's hide, but in truth, he had cast off his own mask.
"You little scoundrel!!!" A vein throbbed on Rin's forehead. Staring at Ryoto's wildly wagging tail, she looked at Smarty, whom she was clutching tightly, and asked, "Does he do this often?"
Do what? Smarty blinked in confusion, her muzzle still held shut. She didn't understand.
Rin was beside herself with rage. At that moment, she clearly realized that her clan's secret technique was something terrible and perverted! If one didn't know the trick, what kunoichi could possibly defend against it! It was a pervert's technique!
"Excellent!" Rin seethed through her teeth, making a mental note in her blacklist.
While she was lost in thought, Ryoto purposefully approached a stall selling fried meat pies. The owner was a beautiful young woman. He hadn't eaten his fill that morning and was a little hungry. Ryoto sat down at the entrance of the stall and looked at the owner.
"You're here again, little doggy? Come on in!"
Seeing Ryoto, the woman smiled tenderly, took a pie, and, walking over, crouched down in front of him. Ryoto tilted his head and took a bite.
"What a cutie!" The woman habitually hugged him and, pressing her cheek against his fur, began to cuddle him.
Ryoto curled his lip. You all saw it, she hugged me. I didn't lift a finger. She's the one coming on to me. It's merely a fair trade.
After finishing the pie, Ryoto broke free from the embrace of the reluctant woman and left.
"Oh, so heartless!" she called after him, not wanting him to go. There were plenty of dogs on the street, but only this one had such character, and he was incredibly cute—a fluffy white ball with amazingly soft fur. She wanted so badly to take him home.
But Ryoto couldn't care less. He swaggered off in his defiant style, heading in a familiar direction.
"Excellent! And now he's begging for food! And so polite! Do I not feed you?! You little rascal!"
Rin's vision darkened with fury. This boy was simply unbearable! Smarty, clutched ever tighter in her arms, felt the air being squeezed from her lungs and was deeply aggrieved.