Waking without the need for an alarm, Ryoto cast the blanket aside with a single sweep of his leg and sat up in bed. Smarty, who had been slumbering at his back, awoke in an instant. With a joyful wag of her tail, she leaped onto his lap and began to lavish his face with licks. Drenched in saliva, Ryoto gently pushed the dog's muzzle away and glanced at the alarm clock, which had never once rung.
It's already nine o'clock, the lessons at the academy started long ago, and Mom didn't come to wake me.
Ruffling his hair, Ryoto hopped off the bed, opened the bedroom door, and went downstairs. In the living room sat his formidable mother, a true tigress. She was sipping juice, eating bread, and reading the newspaper with one leg crossed over the other.
"You're awake…" she cast a glance at him. "I called the academy and told them you wouldn't be coming. You can take the day off."
What's going on?
"Mom…"
"I told your teacher you've had a flare-up of hemorrhoids."
What five-year-old even gets hemorrhoids?!
Ryoto approached the dining table, hopped onto a chair, and looked at the breakfast prepared for him.
"Mom, what are we going to do today?"
"First, go wash up," Inuzuka Rin said, her gaze stern.
"Yes, Mom," Ryoto replied obediently.
Meanwhile, Smarty was happily eating from her bowl.
After washing up, changing, and a silent breakfast during which no business was discussed, Rin announced:
"You're coming with me somewhere."
Ryoto nodded and rose to follow his mother. As he straightened up after putting on his shoes in the entryway, Rin took him by the hand.
She still treats me like a child, Ryoto thought, but he didn't pull away.
He didn't particularly like it, though. Being from the Inuzuka Clan, it felt as if Rin was walking a dog by leading him by the hand. Mother and son left the house and walked down the street within the clan's territory. A young mother and a cute child—an idyllic picture of family harmony. Passing clan members greeted them, and the dogs on the street, upon seeing Rin, would snap to attention, sit by the roadside, and bark a respectful welcome.
Soon, they arrived at the clan's dōjō.
The clan had many dōjōs: some for training dogs, others for people. The place looked quite impressive, but there was hardly anyone inside. Most clan members were on missions or held various posts in Konoha, making joint training sessions a rarity.
"Are you going to teach me how to train, Mom?" Ryoto asked.
Rin shook her head.
"I have nothing more to teach you when it comes to training. You have already become a worthy ninja."
Such high praise?
Rin led Ryoto into the dōjō and, releasing his hand, said:
"Go change into your training uniform."
Ryoto didn't understand what she was planning, but he nodded and went to the changing room.
Is she… going to fight me?
After changing, Ryoto obediently sat before Rin. Smarty, sensing the tense atmosphere, settled down quietly beside him. In the vast dōjō, it seemed they were the only two present. But in reality, all around them…
Ryoto sniffed the air.
They were surrounded by a tight ring, and a barrier had even been erected. Ryoto could hear the faint, barely perceptible hum of chakra circulating through the barrier. Whatever happened here, no one outside would know. The woman before him was the head of a ninja clan, and her power was immense.
"I will ask, and you will answer," Rin stated. "No tricks. Do you see how large this dōjō is? Screams will echo particularly well in here."
"Yes," Ryoto nodded.
"Why did you hide this from me?" Rin stared at him intently, then added, "Am I not trustworthy?"
Here we go! The showdown! What should I say…
"The village is not trustworthy, Mom," Ryoto replied. "Only a secret buried deep within me can truly remain a secret."
"I see," Rin nodded. "You're right. Lately, many ordinary people have been disappearing without a trace in the village. Are you aware of this?"
She's testing my worth.
"Mom, the people disappearing are from the Senju Clan," Ryoto said, lifting his head.
"You know quite a lot," Rin nodded, showing no surprise at the mention of the Senju Clan's disappearance.
The village wasn't that large, and the world of shinobi was even smaller. Everyone knew everyone. It was difficult for the village to keep anything hidden, especially from the ninja clans whose members served in numerous departments. This was particularly true for four clans: Aburame, Inuzuka, Hyūga, and Yamanaka—the four strongest in information gathering in the entire shinobi world. But three of them chose to remain silent.
The current village leadership, headed by the Third Hokage, had solidified its power over many years and had put down deep roots. Crossing them was dangerous.
"Your father," Rin continued, "was a member of 'Root,' established during the Second Shinobi World War, and he did a lot of the village's dirty work. He possessed a great deal of top-secret information and was a subordinate of Danzō, but his death was very strange."
That Danzō again.
"Shimura Danzō," Ryoto grimaced. "The Third Hokage's 'white gloves.'"
White gloves? A strange comparison. After a moment's thought, Rin understood the meaning.
"Some of our clan members still serve in 'Root.' What are your thoughts on that?"
"I'm just sitting and watching," Ryoto answered.
Rin stood up and chopped him on the head with the edge of her hand.
"Protecting your clan members is your duty as the pack leader."
"Mom, I haven't grown up yet," Ryoto said, rubbing his head. "I can't even protect you."
"That's true," Rin sat down again. "So, what are your thoughts, really?"
"My thoughts on what?"
"Well, for example, your dreams for the future…" Rin said.
That…
"Mom, do you want to hear the truth?"
"Of course!"
"To find a beautiful, wealthy woman and then live comfortably for the rest of my days," Ryoto replied.
"Are you looking for death?!" Upon hearing this, Rin's eyes flashed as she glared fiercely at her son.
Ryoto rubbed his head. He genuinely meant it, but he had been sent to the Ninja Academy, and now it was out of his hands. It meant he first had to somehow survive the coming Third Shinobi World War and try not to die. He had been granted a second life, and he wanted to live it for as long as possible. When the era of Naruto arrived, he could just hand everything over to him and stand on the sidelines, cheering "bravo." Therefore, if he could slack off, he would. Ideally, when the war started, he would get a position in the rear—safe, with little work, and it even paid well. Just in case, he needed to prepare two plans: maintain the image of a weakling, but also not neglect his training.
But… Ryoto glanced at Rin. He was stuck with a mother like her. She was a very proper and traditional ninja. And being a ninja…
"Mom, I don't want to kill people," Ryoto said softly.
This meant he would have to kill.
"I don't want to be six or seven years old and, because of my outstanding talent as a ninja, plunge a kunai into someone's stomach and pull out their intestines, only to present it to the village as a combat achievement. That's just too twisted."
A long silence hung in the air.
He's such a sensitive, kind, and gentle child. She had known this for a long time.
Rin moved closer and gently embraced Ryoto.
"Ryoto, we are ninja. Generation after generation. We either kill, or we are killed. That is our destiny."
"I understand," Ryoto nodded.
"Therefore…" Rin pulled back, placed her hands on his shoulders, and looking him straight in the eye, said, "So that you can survive, allow me to properly examine your abilities."
What abilities?!
Ryoto blinked.
"You can enhance ninja hounds, can't you?" Rin said. "Although it's a little different from my assumptions, your ability is most likely that one…"
Huh?! What 'that one'?
So, there's something even this little one doesn't know, the corners of Rin's lips lifted slightly as she saw her son's bewildered expression.
"How do you think our Inuzuka Clan's ninja hounds came to be?"
"They were picked up off the street?"
Rin lightly tapped him on the head.
"Watch closely."
She raised her right hand, clenched it into a fist, brought her knuckles to her mouth, and blew. But there was no sound. An invisible, high-frequency sound wave shot past, piercing the eardrums and traveling into the distance. Ryoto felt the wave, inaudible to the human ear.
"Secret Technique: Dog Whistle."
As soon as Rin finished speaking, a ninja from the Inuzuka Clan in full Anbu attire appeared before them in a flash. In his hands, he held a birdcage. After setting it down, he vanished just as quickly.
"The range is ten kilometers. It passes through any barrier. All people and dogs of the Inuzuka Clan can hear it. This is the secret technique of our branch."
With that said, Rin turned, picked up the cage, and placed it in front of Ryoto.
"Have you tried using your ability on other animals?"
Ryoto shook his head.
For it to work, the animal had to obey his commands, so trying it on others was pointless. It would be like trying to lure a dog with a meat pie—you'd come back empty-handed.
"This is a ninja hawk from the village," Rin said. "It has no chakra."
Upon hearing this, Ryoto's eyes narrowed, and a golden glint flashed within their narrow slits.
Ryoto, your mother has noticed the most crucial point.
He looked up at her and asked doubtfully:
"And… will this work?"
"We'll know once we try," Rin looked at him with anticipation.
"Is this a Kekkei Genkai?.." Ryoto reached out his hand.
Hearing this, Rin scoffed dismissively:
"If it truly is what I believe, then a mere Kekkei Genkai is but a grain of sand in comparison."