Early the next morning, Hana Inuzuka arrived at Tetsuya's house with a small puppy in her arms.
"You're in luck. This ninja dog was just sent from the clan's breeding house. It's got great potential and will be a good partner for you," Hana said, handing over the little pup.
Tetsuya looked at the adorable creature. It had soft black and white fur and a distinctive white stripe running down the middle of its forehead. The puppy's black eyes stared at him intently, as if recognizing its future owner.
"Woof!" the puppy barked softly, surprising Tetsuya.
"What breed is this?" Tetsuya asked, taking the puppy from Hana and gently petting its head.
Hana looked a bit taken aback. The ninja world didn't have specific breed classifications for dogs, but she explained, "This ninja dog has an impressive lineage, with traces of wolf blood."
Tetsuya nodded. He wasn't looking for a battle companion, just a cute and obedient friend. Hana then went over some basic care instructions and left a generous supply of dog food.
In the courtyard, Tetsuya set up a simple kennel using some wooden planks he had used for training. The puppy stayed close by, watching him curiously.
"I'll give you a name," Tetsuya said, rubbing the puppy's head. After a moment's thought, he decided, "I'll call you Kiba."
The puppy barked softly in response, seemingly approving of the name.
Half a month later, Tetsuya, dressed in casual clothes, sat in a rocking chair, deep in thought. He had hit a wall. It wasn't about his physical growth—his regular work at Konoha Hospital ensured a steady flow of points and attributes. His Sage Body was developing, and his Chakra reserves were growing visibly.
The bottleneck lay in his ninjutsu development. It had been half a month since he acquired Chidori, but he couldn't yet master Chidori Stream. The progress on Rasengan was equally slow, making Tetsuya question his abilities.
"Am I really too dumb for this?" he mused, recalling how smoothly things had gone for him before. The realization was jarring. Even geniuses like Minato Namikaze took years to develop Rasengan. Sasuke mastered Chidori Stream three years later. Tetsuya's expectation of quick results seemed unrealistic in hindsight.
After contemplating for a while, Tetsuya opened his attribute panel and looked at his points.
Credits: 28386
He had intended to save 15,000 points to exchange for the Nine Tails Chakra seed. However, a system prompt had stopped him:
[Hint: The tailed beast Chakra seeds will grow on their own after being exchanged. If the Host needs to exchange other tailed beast Chakra seeds for fusion, please exchange all nine tailed beast Chakra seeds simultaneously to prevent energy imbalance in the body.]
The message was clear: if he exchanged the Nine Tails Chakra now, he'd become its Jinchūriki. Adding another tailed beast's Chakra later could be fatal. To create Ten Tails, he needed to exchange all nine seeds at once and fuse them from the start.
The total cost for all nine was 57,000 points. After nearly six years of saving, Tetsuya had only amassed close to 30,000 points. He realized that his current rate of point accumulation wouldn't suffice unless a major event occurred, like Orochimaru's invasion.
"Forget it. Points are just numbers if they're not spent," Tetsuya decided, opening the system store. One item he had eyed for a long time but never purchased was:
Ninja's Nature: Talent skill. Increases the power of ninjutsu by 30% and Chakra recovery speed by 30%. Hidden effect: Enhances the ability to develop and master ninjutsu to the highest level in the ninja world.
The talent was pricey at 8,000 points—half the cost of a Nine Tails seed. However, the benefits were immense. Deciding it was worth it, Tetsuya confirmed the purchase.
"System, exchange for Ninja's Nature," he commanded. The item dimmed and a confirmation message appeared.
"Is that it?" Tetsuya muttered, feeling underwhelmed by the lack of fanfare.
The next morning, eager to test his new talent, Tetsuya arrived at the training ground early. Within an hour, he realized the true power of Ninja's Nature. Chidori Stream was a breeze, and Rasengan, which had been a challenge, was now easily within his grasp.
"So, this is the power of Ninja's Nature," Tetsuya thought, marveling at how quickly he mastered the techniques. He couldn't wait to put his new skills to the test in real combat.