The two wolf cubs collided in the middle of the grassy clearing, but what followed was so one sided that Koga barely had time to react.
Fenfyr moved first.
His little gray wolf Fendy shot forward with a speed that did not belong to an ordinary wolf cub, slipped beneath the attacking cub’s paws, turned sharply, and struck its side with enough force to send it rolling through the grass.
"Wait, what?"
Koga was dumbstruck. The speed was so far apart. But thinking it through carefully, the wolf cub was just a normal wolf cub—his Fenfyr, however, was a legendary wolf, and its level was twice as high too.
The Inuzuza wolf cub scrambled back to its feet, shook its head, and charged again.
Fenfyr simply stepped aside. The other cub missed. Before it could turn around, Fenfyr caught it from behind and pushed it into the grass.
The cub struggled.
Fenfyr held it down for several seconds. Then it stopped moving.
Koga’s eyes twitched.
"Already?"
The little wolf had fainted.
It was still breathing, and there was no serious injury, but its body lay completely limp. The mother wolf rushed over and sniffed her cub.
Koga immediately became nervous.
"Hey, it’s alive."
The mother wolf looked at him.
Koga pointed toward the unconscious cub.
"I didn’t tell Fenfyr to kill it."
The wolf sniffed her cub again, then looked at Fenfyr. There was no anger in her eyes. If anything, she looked impressed. Meanwhile, Koga saw a translucent game window appear above Fenfyr.
ENEMY INUZUZA WOLF CUB HAS FAINTED.
FENFYR HAS GAINED 15 EXPERIENCE.
Koga blinked.
"Fifteen?"
Another window appeared.
CURRENT LEVEL: 5
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR LEVEL 6: 34
Koga smiled.
"Hehehe isn’t this more convenient than normal leveling of wolf?"
He looked down at Fenfyr.
"You gain experience through battles."
Fenfyr wagged its tail.
"Rrr."
Koga crouched and rubbed its head.
"Good job."
The mother wolf suddenly made a short sound.
Koga looked over.
Another cub was approaching.
He blinked.
"Don’t tell me."
The new cub stopped several steps away and stared at Fenfyr. Then it barked.
Fenfyr looked at Koga.
Koga sighed.
"What? Isn’t this better? The more battles, the more we’ll get stronger?"
Fenfyr wolf nodded.
Koga glanced at the unconscious cub nearby.
"This village really doesn’t waste time."
The second cub rushed forward. The result was nearly identical. Fenfyr avoided the attack, struck back, and defeated it without seriously injuring it. Another fifteen experience points appeared. Then another cub came. Then another.
Soon, Koga stopped being surprised.
The wolf cubs of the Inuzuza Clan seemed to have decided that Fenfyr was the most interesting thing they had encountered all day. One cub challenged him. Another watched. Then another challenged him. Sometimes Fenfyr won in a few seconds.
Sometimes the opposing cub managed to chase him around the clearing before being defeated.
Koga began to understand that the battles were not merely about winning.
Fenfyr was learning.
Each fight made its movements smoother. Its reactions became faster. Its little paws struck with greater confidence. Its eyes became sharper.
Koga watched with growing amazement.
"You’re getting stronger."
Fenfyr barked.
Another translucent screen appeared.
LEVEL UP!
FENFYR HAS REACHED LEVEL 6.
Koga smiled.
"Yes!"
Another battle. Another victory. Then another. By the time the sun began sinking toward the mountains, Fenfyr had reached Level 8.
Koga stared at it.
"You’re a little bigger now."
The wolf cub that had once been small enough to fit comfortably beneath his arm had grown noticeably larger. Its legs were longer. Its body was stronger. Its paws had become bigger. Even while maintaining the appearance of an ordinary Inuzuza wolf, there was something unusually graceful about the creature.
Koga rubbed his chin.
"If you keep leveling like this, I’ll have to make you transform into a full grown wolf eventually."
Fenfyr wagged its tail.
Several mother wolves approached.
Koga immediately became nervous.
"Uh..."
They surrounded Fenfyr. One sniffed its ears. Another smelled its back. A third nudged its shoulder. Koga watched helplessly.
"They really don’t notice anything."
The wolves accepted Fenfyr completely.
One mother even licked its forehead. Fenfyr sat there calmly.
Koga sighed.
"You’ve officially been adopted."
Fenfyr looked at him as if it didn’t understand a thing.
Koga pointed toward the wolves.
"Look at them. You’re basically one of the family now."
The wolves eventually wandered away.
Koga watched the sunlight disappear behind the distant mountains.
The sky was turning orange. Then purple. Then darker.
"Oh."
He looked around.
"It’s getting late."
Koga raised his head toward the enormous Sky Screen.
The village was still obsessed with the Ultimate Mission.
The Villager Chat was moving so quickly that Koga could barely read it.
Villager Mina: I THINK IT’S THE PERSON SHE MET WHEN SHE WAS YOUNG!
Villager Toma: NO, IT HAS TO BE SOMEONE FROM ANOTHER CLAN!
Villager Haku: THAT WOULD VIOLATE THE RULES IF WE ASK THE CLAN MEMBERS!
Villager Mina: THEN WE NEED TO ASK THE OLD PEOPLE!
The Ninja Chat was even worse.
Genin Raku: Has anyone discovered anything?
Chunin Sora: Nothing useful.
Jonin Taro: I heard Kiza once disappeared for three days.
Genin Raku: That’s not evidence.
Jonin Taro: I know.
Genin Raku: Then why did you say it?
Jonin Taro: Because everyone is desperate.
Koga chuckled.
"They’re taking this seriously."
Then he remembered something. His smile disappeared.
"Oh, right."
He looked at the feeding area.
The empty bowls were scattered around the grass.
"I came here to feed the wolves."
He looked at Fenfyr. Then at Ignilion, still disguised as a wolf cub.
"Somehow I ended up having you fight half the wolf cubs in the village."
Ignilion gave a quiet bark.
Koga sighed.
"Don’t encourage him."
He gathered what remained of the feeding supplies and cleaned the area before heading back.
He kept to the quieter paths. That was important.
He had already received far too much attention from the Sky Screen. He did not want people wondering why he was always wandering around alone.
As he walked, Koga glanced back at his two disguised beasts.
"Stay close."
Both followed him.
The sight made him smile.
Two legendary Spiritual Beasts. Both disguised as ordinary wolves. Nobody would know. At least, that was what Koga hoped. By the time he reached the clan settlement, darkness had already begun settling over the village.
The houses were built among the trees and hills, connected by stone paths and wooden bridges. Small lanterns had been lit outside several homes.
Koga headed toward the house where he had been staying with his uncle. Then he stopped... His uncle was standing outside.
Inuzuza Keziki had one hand resting against the head of his Ninja Wolf. When Koga looked at him, he couldn’t help but give him a grateful look. When his parents died in a territorial war, his uncle was the one who took him in. He never complained... Never even married.
Koga didn’t understand why his uncle was staring like this again, but to him, it had become commonplace. He often caught his uncle staring into the distance so he mostly brushed them off.
Suddenly, Koga noticed that Keziki’s expression was unusually serious. He couldn’t help but shout, "Uncle!"
No response.
Koga frowned.
"Uncle!"
Keziki remained still.
Koga raised his voice.
"UNCLE!"
The older man suddenly stiffened.
He turned. His eyes widened.
"Kyo?"
Koga nodded.
"Yeah."
Keziki stared at him. Then his gaze shifted downward. His eyes landed on the two wolf cubs standing beside Koga.
His mouth opened.
"Kyo..."
Koga smiled.
"What?"
"You..."
Keziki stepped closer.
"You tamed two Ninken?"
Koga nodded.
"Apparently."
Keziki looked stunned.
He crouched and examined Fenfyr. Then Ignilion. His Ninja Wolf approached them carefully and sniffed both too.
Koga’s heart skipped.
Please don’t notice anything.
The Ninja Wolf sniffed Fenfyr. Then Ignilion.
It looked at Keziki. Then it calmly wagged its tail.
Koga nearly collapsed from relief.
Keziki laughed.
"Unbelievable!"
He stood and slapped Koga’s shoulder.
"You finally did it!"
Koga rubbed his shoulder.
"Did what?"
"You became a Ninja of the Inuzuza Clan!"
Koga smiled awkwardly.
"Yeah?"
Keziki’s face was filled with pride.
"I always knew you could do it."
Koga nearly looked away.
That was not exactly true. The original body had possessed almost no talent. The clan valued talent above everything else, and Koga had spent his time training simply because he had nothing else.
He had never expected his uncle to praise him for taming two fake Ninken.
Keziki looked toward the mountain.
"So how was the feeding?"
"Fine."
"Only fine?"
Koga laughed.
"It was busy."
"I know those cubs. They probably gave you trouble."
"You could say that."
Keziki noticed the two wolf cubs again.
"And how did you tame these two?"
Koga paused. He needed an answer.
"I found them."
Keziki raised an eyebrow.
"You found two wolf cubs?"
"Something like that."
"That isn’t an explanation."
Koga smiled nervously.
"They followed me."
Keziki laughed.
"Then you must have done something right."
He crouched again and scratched Fenfyr behind the ear.
"Good cubs."
Fenfyr remained perfectly still.
Koga smiled.
"Yes."
Keziki stood.
"You’ve surprised me today, Kyo."
Koga looked at him.
"Really?"
"Of course."
His uncle smiled.
"I was beginning to wonder whether you would ever find a place in the clan."
Koga became quiet.
Keziki’s expression softened.
"You’ve worked hard."
Koga looked toward the Sky Screen.
"Yeah."
He had.
Even if his original body had possessed almost nothing, he had continued doing those exercises every day. One hundred push ups. One hundred sit ups. One hundred squats. Ten kilometers of running. It had been miserable. It had been exhausting. It had also been the only thing he could do.
Now, somehow, that effort has led him here.
Keziki suddenly looked upward.
Koga followed his gaze. He couldn’t help but think... And then an incredulous thought entered his head.