บท 31: Guremaru
It was about a week after the invasion that I had a weird dream. In the dream, I walked amongst obscenely big dogs, wolves and the like. One of those huge canines kept licking me and, for some reason I felt happy. It wasn't a happiness you get from playing with a pet, but a more primal feeling. It took me a while but, when I recognized the feeling, I woke up.
'That was... familial love, right?'
Wondering what that feeling meant, I got up and freshened up as I had gotten used to. Usually, when we didn't have anything to do, Guremaru and I spent our day training. He went with the older Ninken, who could quite literally teach him everything from experience. I on the other hand, trained on my own. But something felt off. Hence, I went to the Ninken's usual area of training.
"What brings you here, Ryota?"
Kuremaru was the one to greet me. I could pretty much communicate and understand all of them, but Kuremaru still took the initiative to talk with me. I went closer to them and sat on the ground, allowing the smaller pups to jump on me and bite my hands a bit.
"Is Guremaru around? I feel him... far from here"
"Hm... we haven't seen him, but we can search for him"
After that, Kuromaru and the other Ninken left to search for Guremaru in the area. I stayed while playing with the pups that still weren't ready for training, but deep inside I felt anxious. I already knew that Guremaru wasn't here, I just didn't want to accept it so easily. Still, my anxiety was proven right.
"Ryota... Guremaru is nowhere to be found"
"*sigh* Thanks for searching anyways, guys"
I left the place dejected, worried and a bit sad. I was roaming Konoha aimlessly when a sudden idea came to my mind, mostly from the weird pull I could constantly feel. I knew that I was acting on an impulse and being idiotic, but I had to try.
The idea was very simple in nature. If the pull I felt was my connection with Guremaru, what would happen if I did the Kuchiyose while focusing on that pull? Worst case scenario, I would end up in the middle of nowhere with no way to go back to Konoha. Best case scenario, I could summon Guremaru or get reverse summoned to where he was. With the idea settled in my mind, I went to visit old man Hiruzen.
*
"Ryota-shounen, would you mind repeating again?"
"I want to learn the Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Hiruzen looked at me in confusion, wondering why I'd want to learn the Jutsu when I, being and Inuzuka, fought with my partner Ninken. Eventually the question came and I, a bit fearfully, told him my idea.
"Hm... it is an interesting idea. Are you sure you want to try it?"
"I know it soun... wait what?"
"Yeah, I'll have my personal guards to put a Hiraishin seal in you and if push comes to shove, they can bring you back"
It was hard to admit but... I hadn't thought of that possibility. I just felt like an idiot, but got over it quickly. Guremaru was my priority.
"Yes, I have to do it. Without Guremaru, I am not an Inuzuka"
The words I had spoken were heavy, but that was the extent of the connection between and Inuzuka and their partner Ninken. Without their partner, they weren't from the Inuzuka.
"Ok, I'll teach you the jutsu myself. Come on!"
'... You're just using this as an opportunity to ditch paperwork...' "Sure, old man, thanks!"
*
One. Fucking. Week. That was how long I had been performing the Jutsu without success. I was trying as hard as I could, but nothing came out of it. During the entire week, I had been randomly teleported to who knows how many places. I could swear that I had somehow gotten to Kiri at one point, seeing how I was in an archipelago. Genma and the rest of Hiruzen's personal guard were tired of picking me up with the Hiraishin.
"Damn it!"
"Ryota-shounen, you should rest for a bit. You've been at it for the last fourteen..."
"I'm not stopping until I faint"
I was stubborn, yeah. But wouldn't you be when you could feel the pull of a connection between you and someone else, without being able to see that someone else? And even more so when you pretty much grew up with that someone? Guremaru was part of my family, and I would kill for him if I had to.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
I focused on the connection. As I did so, I remembered to time I first saw Guremaru.
*Flashback*
"Ok Ryota, today you will be seeing the Ninken to get your partner! Are you excited?"
"Yes! I hope my partner will look cool when he grows up! Just like yours Tsume-obasan!"
"*chuckle* Kuromaru is one of a kind"
When we reached the Ninken's "den", I saw many pups. Probably around fifty. But none picked my attention. That was until I saw a grey pup that was being ignored by the rest, as if he didn't belong there. I could sort of understand his situation. As happy as I was about being in this world, back then I didn't really feel like I was totally a part of it. Thus, I approached him.
"Hey there lil' guy"
As soon as he looked at me and our eyes met, I could feel a bond being formed. I knew instantly that he was my partner to be, and he knew it too.
*arf-arf*
I felt like those high-pitched barks held a meaning behind them, and that was when the name popped into my mind suddenly.
"Guremaru? Is that your name bud?"
The happy barks and the way he ran around me told me I was right. I never questioned how he already had a name or how he knew it. Neither did I question how I understood it. All I knew was that I had met the one who would accompany me be it in life or death, during peace or at war.
*End*
Suddenly, the connection intensified and the pull grew stronger. But this time, I pulled back. It was back and forth until I eventually won the pulling battle and, in a puff of smoke, Guremaru appeared. When I was about to get happy and all chummy, I felt the pull from the other side intensify. But it didn't take only Guremaru. I went with him. Once we both were gone, only the Hokage was left on the scene.
"Well, I hope he comes back quick... or else Tsume and Akemi will kill me"
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