Koga sat on the edge of his bed, staring at Fenfyr. The little gray wolf stared back. For several seconds, neither of them moved. Then Koga slowly raised one finger.
"I think I have a way out."
Fenfyr tilted its head.
Koga’s expression became serious.
"Transform means I don’t necessarily have to remain human."
Koga stood and began pacing around the room, his thoughts moving faster with every step.
"If I transform into an animal, nobody will recognize me."
He imagined it. A bird leaving the village. A stray dog wandering through the streets. A small monkey climbing over the walls. Even a rabbit disappearing into the forest. He could leave without anyone realizing that the animal passing them was actually him.
Koga stopped.
"That’s actually pretty good."
He started thinking through the details.
"If I become a bird, I can fly over the village."
He pointed toward the window.
"The problem is the Ninja."
Koga’s expression became more serious.
"A normal bird might pass unnoticed, but a strange bird appearing around the village could still attract attention. The Karasu Clans can detect unfamiliar birds, and the other clans have their own methods of tracking people."
He paced again.
"If I become a wolf, that’s even worse. The Inuzuza Clan has wolves everywhere. If one unfamiliar wolf suddenly appears among them, someone will investigate."
He rubbed his chin.
"Maybe a cat?"
He paused.
"Cats are everywhere."
Then he shook his head.
"Still risky, especially with the Yukiju Clan."
He imagined himself becoming a small animal and sneaking through the village gates. If the gates were open, perhaps he could simply walk out. But the Sky Screen had changed everything.
The four great clans knew someone called Inuzuza Koga existed. They knew he was sixteen. They knew he was supposedly number one. They knew he was a villager. There was no way they would simply continue their normal routine.
Koga looked toward the window.
"They’re probably already searching."
His stomach tightened.
"Maybe they’re watching every gate."
Koga shuddered.
"No."
He shook his head.
"Too risky."
He considered transforming into something much smaller.
An insect. A fly. A beetle. A worm. Perhaps even an ant. He stopped pacing. His eyes slowly brightened.
"Wait."
He turned toward Fenfyr.
"What if I become a fly?"
Fenfyr stared at him.
Koga became excited.
"Think about it. Nobody cares about flies."
He started talking faster.
"I could crawl through a crack in the wall. I could fly over the village barrier. I could follow a cart. I could hide inside someone’s clothing. I could leave through a drainage channel. Nobody would even know."
He imagined himself flying over the rooftops.
"Even if they search every villager, they won’t find me because I wouldn’t be a villager anymore."
His confidence rose.
"That’s it."
He raised his fist.
"I’ll become an insect."
Then he stopped. His smile slowly disappeared.
"Wait."
He remembered the Ninja. The village was not ordinary. This was a Ninja village. Besides beasts there could be barriers. Detection techniques. Seals. Patrolling Ninja. Sensor types.
Koga’s shoulders dropped.
"If I become an insect and there is a barrier around the village, what happens?"
He imagined flying directly into an invisible wall. Then a hundred Ninja suddenly appeared.
He shuddered.
"And if the barrier detects chakra..."
He looked at his own body.
"I’m finished."
Koga sat down again.
"Maybe I could become a microorganism."
He immediately shook his head.
"No."
That was even worse. He had no idea what kind of barriers existed in this world. He did not know whether his transformed body would remain alive outside the village. He did not know whether Transform could maintain such a tiny form indefinitely. He did not know whether changing into something microscopic would make him incapable of returning to human form.
And most importantly, he did not know whether the village had already been sealed.
Koga sighed.
"After the Sky Screen appeared, there’s no way the clans wouldn’t take precautions."
He rubbed his face.
"I can’t just walk out."
He glanced toward the sleeping Ignilion. The little beast was curled into a ball. A faint warmth surrounded its body.
Koga’s eyes suddenly widened.
"Wait."
He sensed it. Chakra. A small amount of chakra was coming from Ignilion.
Koga stared at it.
"How could I forget!?"
The thought hit him immediately. If his Spiritual Beasts could produce chakra after transforming, then perhaps Fenfyr could transform him into a body that possessed chakra as well.
Koga looked toward Fenfyr.
"Can you do something for me?"
Fenfyr stood.
Koga pointed at himself.
"Transform me."
Fenfyr blinked.
"Make me have chakra."
The connection between them pulsed.
Fenfyr understood.
Immediately, a faint light surrounded Koga. His body changed. There was no pain. Instead, he felt something warm spreading through his body. Then he froze.
His eyes widened.
"I have chakra."
He could feel it. It was weak. Very weak. But it existed.
Koga closed his eyes. He tried moving it. The chakra responded. He guided it toward his hand. It flowed. He moved it toward his feet. It followed. His eyes widened.
"I can control it."
He laughed quietly.
"This is amazing."
For someone who had spent an entire year living without chakra, feeling energy moving through his body was almost unbelievable. He could finally understand what Ninja felt.
Koga raised his hand.
"If I have chakra, nobody will immediately think I’m a normal villager."
. Then an idea came.
"Fenfyr."
The wolf looked at him.
"Can you make it stronger?"
Fenfyr understood.
The chakra inside Koga increased.
At first, Koga smiled. Then the smile vanished.
The energy surged. His body shook.
"Wait."
His breathing became heavier.
"Too much."
The chakra became unstable. It felt like a river suddenly flooding through a narrow tunnel.
Koga dropped to one knee.
"Stop!"
Although he can’t feel pain. He could feel something was bad happening.
Suddenly, he noticed Fenfyr’s body trembled. Ignilion woke up. NThe two beasts suddenly looked weak.nKoga sensed something terrifying. Their life force was decreasing.
"Fenfyr!"
The wolf whimpered.
Koga’s heart jumped.
"Stop! Bring it back!"
Fenfyr immediately obeyed.
The chakra inside Koga fell back to normal. The pressure disappeared. Koga collapsed onto the bed. He breathed heavily. The room became quiet. He looked at his two beasts. Their bodies were trembling.
Koga immediately crawled toward them.
"I’m sorry."
Fenfyr lowered its head.
"I didn’t know."
Ignilion gave a weak sound.
Koga’s expression filled with guilt.
"I’m sorry."
He stroked both their heads.
"I thought I could just borrow some of your power."
Fenfyr gave a quiet whine.
Koga looked at it.
"You’re hurting?"
The wolf slowly lowered its ears.
Koga swallowed.
"I’m really sorry."
Ignilion nudged his hand.
Koga gently rubbed its head.
"I won’t do that again."
The two beasts remained close to him. Koga’s chest tightened. He had nearly killed them. His excitement had blinded him. He had seen chakra and immediately thought about using it without considering where it came from.
Now he understood.
The chakra was not appearing from nowhere. It was connected to them. The more chakra they gave him, the more their own life force weakened.
Koga stared at the sleeping Ignilion.
"So that’s the price."
He slowly sat down.
"The stronger chakra I want..."
His eyes became grim.
"...the more they have to give."
That meant he could not simply drain them whenever he wanted. If he demanded too much, they would die.
Koga clenched his fists.
"No."
He shook his head.
"I’m not doing that."
Then another thought appeared.
"What if I take all of it?"
Fenfyr immediately shuddered. Ignilion steppe back in fear.
Koga froze. Their reaction told him everything. He sighed.
"No."
He gently patted them.
"I won’t."
He looked toward the window.
"There has to be another way."
There was.
Ignilion possessed Extreme Flash. If it grew strong enough, repeated use of that ability could potentially carry him beyond the village before anyone caught him.nFenfyr could also transform. Perhaps it could eventually copy something capable of helping them escape.
Koga nodded.
"I have options."
He did not need to rush. He needed patience. He needed preparation. Most importantly, he needed to stop making reckless decisions.
"Alright."
He looked at Fenfyr.
"Let’s do this properly."
He asked Fenfyr to transform him again. This time, only a small amount of chakra appeared. Koga carefully moved it through his body.
It felt weak. Almost embarrassingly weak. But it was enough for himself.
"Good."
Then he looked at Fenfyr.
"You too. You almost got caught by uncle Keziki."
Immediately, Fenfyr transformed its body slightly. The muscles became less developed. Its aura became weaker. Its chakra became faint and somewhat chaotic.
Koga examined it carefully.
He remembered how close his uncle Keziki had come to noticing something unusual about the two beasts.
"They can’t look too perfect."
He adjusted their appearances. Fenfyr became slightly thinner. Ignilion looked like an ordinary wolf cub with a healthy but unremarkable body. Their chakra signatures were weak.bNot completely absent.nNot suspiciously powerful. Just messy.
Koga examined them again.
"Better."
He waited. Then he checked himself. Weak chakra. Unremarkable body. Nothing extraordinary.
He nodded.
"Again."
He checked.bStill fine.
"One more time."
He checked everything carefully.
After a long time, Koga finally leaned backward.
"That’s it."
He smiled.
"I can hide."
For the first time since the Sky Screen appeared, Koga felt truly relieved.nHe had a disguise. He had two disguised legendary beasts. He had a small amount of chakra. He had a possible escape route.nAnd most importantly, he had learned not to rely on reckless tricks.
He looked toward Fenfyr and Ignilion.
"You two did great."
Both beasts curled up beside him.
Koga stood and stretched.
"Tomorrow, we’ll figure out the next step."
He looked toward the dark window one final time. The village outside was quiet. Somewhere beyond those walls, powerful Ninja were probably searching for him. But Koga was no longer panicking.
He had a plan. It was not perfect. It did not guarantee safety. But it was enough for tonight.
He returned to his bed, pulled the blanket over himself, and glanced at his two wolf cubs sleeping nearby.
"Good night."
Fenfyr’s ears moved slightly. Ignilion gave a tiny sleepy sound. Koga smiled. Then he closed his eyes.
...
Meanwhile, behind the door of his room, a shadow was concealed.