บท 12: Hell Again, Fangs and Claws
It started like any other day in the Inuzuka compound - with Tsume's voice cutting through my dreams like a foghorn. "Up and at 'em, pup! Today's a big day!"
I groaned, burrowing deeper into my blankets. Akamaru, the traitor, was already up and wagging his tail. "Five more minutes," I mumbled, knowing it was futile.
"No time for laziness!" Tsume yanked the covers off, grinning down at me with that manic gleam in her eye that always meant trouble. "Today, we start on clan techniques!"
Well, that woke me up.
After a breakfast I barely tasted and our usual warm-up (read: Tsume chasing me around the compound like a deranged game of tag), we headed to a secluded training ground. The air was thick with anticipation - or maybe that was just the smell of my own nervous sweat.
"Watch closely," Tsume instructed, holding up her hand. I stared, fascinated, as her nails began to lengthen and sharpen, transforming into wicked-looking claws.
"Whoa," I breathed, momentarily forgetting to play dumb. "How you do that?"
Tsume's grin widened. "Channel your chakra to your fingertips. Imagine it sharpening, hardening. Like this-" She demonstrated again, her chakra visible as it flowed to her hand.
I nodded, trying to look appropriately awed and confused. Inside, though, my mind was racing. I'd been practicing chakra control in secret for months, but this? This was new territory.
Closing my eyes, I focused on the warm flow of energy within me. I directed it to my hands, imagining it pooling in my fingertips. Then, remembering how it felt to use Beast Mimicry, I pushed that wild, feral energy into my nails.
The sensation was... bizarre. A prickling, stretching feeling, followed by a sudden weight at the ends of my fingers. I opened my eyes.
Holy shit.
Where my stubby toddler nails had been, there were now inch-long claws, wickedly sharp and glinting in the sunlight.
"I... I did it?" I stammered, genuinely shocked. I mean, I knew I was getting good at this chakra stuff, but this was something else.
Tsume's eyebrows shot up. "On your first try? That's... impressive, pup." She knelt down, examining my handiwork closely. "Very impressive indeed."
Crap. Too impressive? I quickly let the jutsu drop, shaking my hands as if they hurt. "Feels weird," I complained, hoping to downplay it.
Tsume nodded, but I could see the wheels turning behind her eyes. "It takes some getting used to. Let's try again, slower this time. I want to see your chakra flow."
The rest of the morning was spent practicing the technique, with me carefully balancing between showing aptitude and not seeming too unnaturally gifted. It was exhausting, both physically and mentally, but exhilarating too. This was real ninja stuff, not just running laps or sticking leaves to my forehead.
After lunch (and a much-needed nap - hey, I was still technically a toddler), we moved on to the main event: Passing Fang.
"This technique is the foundation of our clan's fighting style," Tsume explained as we stood in an open field. Kuromaru lounged nearby, watching with what I swear was amusement in his one good eye. "It requires precise chakra control and physical coordination. Most don't master it until they're much older, but..." She trailed off, eyeing me speculatively.
I tried to look eager but clueless. Inside, though, I was buzzing with excitement. This was the real deal, the jutsu I'd seen Kiba use countless times in the anime.
Tsume demonstrated, her body becoming a whirling tornado of claws and fangs, tearing up the ground as she spun. It was both terrifying and awesome.
"Now," she said, brushing dirt from her clothes, "I don't expect you to get this right away. Just focus on the rotation first. Feel your chakra spiraling around you, lifting you-"
I nodded seriously, closed my eyes, and focused. The chakra came easily now, flooding my system. I imagined it spinning, faster and faster, lifting me off the ground.
And then... I was flying.
Or spinning, more accurately. The world blurred around me, wind whipping at my face. For a moment, it was the most incredible feeling in the world.
Then reality (and the ground) came rushing back. I lost control, tumbling head over heels across the field before coming to a stop in an undignified heap.
"Kiba!" Tsume was at my side in an instant, worry etched on her face. "Are you alright? I didn't expect you to actually-"
I sat up, my head spinning but a wild grin on my face. "Again!" I demanded, too caught up in the moment to care about playing it cool.
Tsume's worry morphed into a proud smirk. "That's my boy," she chuckled, helping me to my feet. "But maybe we'll work on control before altitude, yeah?"
The rest of the afternoon was a blur of attempts, most ending with me face-planting in increasingly creative ways. But with each try, I got a little better, stayed airborne a little longer.
By the time the sun began to set, I was exhausted, covered in dirt, and sporting several impressive bruises. But I'd done it. I'd performed a real, honest-to-god ninja technique.
As we walked home, Tsume's hand on my shoulder and Akamaru trotting proudly beside me, I couldn't wipe the grin off my face.
"You did good today, pup," Tsume said, her voice gruff but warm. "Real good. Your father would be proud."
I stumbled a bit at that, a lump forming in my throat. It was easy to forget sometimes, caught up in training and future knowledge, that I was living someone else's life. That the man I'd never met, the one who should have been teaching me these things, was gone.
"Thanks, Mom," I mumbled, leaning into her side.
As we entered the compound, the smells of dinner wafting from the house, I found myself reflecting on the day. I'd unlocked new abilities, pushed my limits further than I thought possible. But more than that, I'd taken another step into this world, this life.
I wasn't just playing a part anymore. I was Kiba Inuzuka, son of Tsume, partner of Akamaru. Future ninja of Konoha...
No, future God of Shinobi.
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