[Mad Tiger] Chapter 46

I woke up to someone calling my name.

“Tora-san! Tora-san!”

The window was slightly ajar, which was odd because I remembered Naruto closing it after airing out the room. It was already that awkward local “autumn-winter” season—late November. The temperature had dropped to about 15 degrees (60 F), maybe lower, not that I noticed much. I’ve got a built-in fur coat, after all.

I slid off the bed, leaving Sasuke behind. He’d all but moved in with us at this point and had developed a habit of using me as a personal space heater. Kid was always cold. Ever since we declared “Fashion Revolution!” five weeks ago, Sasuke hadn’t spent a single night at his own place. Instead, his apartment became HQ for our growing circle of friends.

With the chill setting in, the boys spent a couple of hours there after class playing board games, cards, and something resembling ninja dominoes. They’d chat, do homework (sometimes), and even get Kiba up to speed—though that was an uphill battle with how dense he could be. The girls handled cooking for everyone, turning it into a whole event.

In the mornings, Sasuke and Naruto trained together. I often joined them, though I had to practice separately because my moves were just too mesmerizing. Every time, they’d stop what they were doing to watch me flip and twirl like I was on a ninja gymnastics team.

Over the last two months, Naruto’s chakra system had nearly stabilized, but his reserves still ran absurdly low—lower than even mine. Based on the chakra fluctuations I could sense, I figured most of his energy was being sucked into maintaining that infamous seal wiped off the Fourth Hokage. Thanks to Sasuke, though, he was slowly learning control. In the evenings, they’d meditate and practice chakra exercises.

I padded over to the window and sniffed the air. Who was calling me? Couldn’t be Sumi-chan. The black cat had been keeping watch over our stash, which we’d already depleted quite a bit—especially the potatoes. Last weekend, the whole gang hit up the pond where the “two loners met.” We roasted potatoes, hauled a backpack full of snacks, and I put on an encore performance catching fish. Akamaru even fell into the water and tried to burrow under Kiba’s jacket for warmth, making both of them nearly climb into the fire to dry off.

Kuromaru once explained to me that nin-ken like Akamaru have a long “childhood” phase. They grow to about the size of a 3-month-old puppy, but it can take years for them to fully mature. During this time, they gain experience, develop their chakra systems (sometimes with a little medicinal help), and learn to work in perfect sync with their human partners.

I joked with Akamaru that until he could tell Kiba a good joke, he wouldn’t grow any bigger. Pretty sure I sent the poor pup into a minor existential crisis.

Lately, I’d noticed something interesting: when I spent nights lying on Sasuke, I seemed to sync with his chakra system. Our flows would align, beating in time like a shared rhythm. Maybe in a couple of years, he’d even be able to understand me. Or was this just some other Uchiha thing?

“Pssst! Tora-san!” The voice came again, this time from the roof. It was human.

Could it really be...?

In the dim moonlight, I spotted a figure with red eyes beckoning to me before disappearing into the shadows below. I leapt down to follow.

Shisui, dressed in a half-mask that left only his eyes visible, extended a hand. I sniffed his fingers—always good to confirm it wasn’t some imposter—and accepted the treat he offered.

“Came prepared, huh?” I purred, savoring the smoked eel. My one true weakness.

Shisui chuckled. “That’s the last one, sorry,” he said, wiping his hand quickly. “I’ll take you somewhere safe so we can talk. Hold on, Tora-san.”

Next thing I knew, he scooped me up like precious cargo, holding me firmly against his chest as we sped across rooftops under the cover of night. It was very ninja drama—swift, silent, and totally over-the-top.

Naturally, Shisui deemed the Uchiha district our “safe location.” Over the past month, the boys had thoroughly combed the place. We’d stashed some supplies in an old boiler room I pointed out and left other loot scattered across the district. They’d found weapons, cash, scrolls, explosive tags, and even some usable clothes. But the main family’s house? Still untouched. Sasuke hadn’t been able to set foot in Itachi’s room, and they’d stopped trying to disturb it.

When Shisui finally brought me to the temple courtyard, dawn was just breaking. Inside, he activated a seal with a wave of his chakra-filled hand, sending greenish ripples across the walls.

“This is where the clan held its meetings,” he explained. “No one could eavesdrop or spy on them—not even with techniques like long-distance vision jutsu.”

That sparked a memory. The old monkey—Third Hokage—had a crystal ball he’d use to spy on Naruto. Oh, crap. My fur bristled. What if he’s been watching us this whole time?!

“Relax,” Shisui said, clearly reading the panic on my face. “The technique only transmits visuals. And sure, some shinobi—Sandaime included—can read lips, but that’s about it. Plus, it requires a rare artifact made from a special mineral, and it burns through chakra fast. He’d need a solid connection to your chakra to even locate you.”

Phew. At least my act as an ordinary cat was holding up. Cuddly, sociable, but with the aloof dignity only felines can manage. Nothing to raise alarms.

“Alright,” Shisui said, settling in. “We can talk here without worry.”

“Good,” I replied with a firm nod.

“I couldn’t find Sasuke,” he admitted, removing his mask. “Tora-san, do you know where my little brother is?”

“He was with me!” I exclaimed, shocked.

How did Mr. Sharingan Supreme not notice Sasuke? Was it because we’d been tangled up in one of our infamous cuddle piles, syncing chakra flows?

“Do you know where he is now?” Shisui asked, watching me carefully.

I nodded again.

“He’s at my place!”

“Wait, Sasuke’s at the daimyo’s palace? But I just came from there!” Shisui sounded genuinely confused.

I groaned and slapped a paw over my face.

“Alright, I get it,” Shisui sighed. “You’ll have to show me.”

I nodded and leapt onto his lap, kneading lightly as an idea formed. Maybe syncing my chakra with his would finally get us on the same wavelength.

“Alright, spill it, what you’ve been up to?” I demanded.

“Hmm… You want to hear about our adventures with Kushina-san?” Shisui mused, scratching behind my ear.

I nodded eagerly. Was he just that sharp, or was my syncing trick actually working?

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I was practically dying from a lack of information, and in the end, the info I got was about as much as I could squeeze out of a dry sponge. Turns out, Shisui only came back to the village because he couldn’t hold back his worry any longer. He and Kushina-san were both losing sleep over the boys.

Apparently, the two of them had been searching for Tsunade-san, hoping she could both heal and remove that pesky seal. But the Senju princess was proving impossible to track down. To make things worse, Jiraiya was also MIA. Considering this world doesn’t exactly have bullet trains—or even reliable maps, apparently—it’s no wonder finding anyone is like trying to catch smoke. Add in days of questioning locals in every backwater town, and it’s just a giant pain.

I get it now. That three-year training arc Naruto had in the anime? Yeah, it makes sense now. It’s just a massive, boring hiking trip. Slow as molasses. On top of that, Kushina-san couldn’t travel as fast as she used to, thanks to her chakra block. She was constantly worrying about Naruto, and Shisui? Well, he was just as anxious about Sasuke.

They eventually decided Kushina would stay put in a town called Hotto, located in the Land of Hot Springs, right near the border with the Land of Fire. Shisui figured he’d make a quick trip to Konoha to check on the boys. Just a simple wellness check—nothing more. For now, he wasn’t ready to reveal himself.

“We have to wait until they graduate from the Shinobi Academy,” Shisui explained when I let out an indignant yowl. “Once they’ve got the freedom to leave the village, we can meet without interference or Hokage spies breathing down our necks. Think about it—if they find out too soon, the boys might do something reckless. They’re young. They’ll act before thinking. And if Sandaime catches wind of it…

“We’d be hunted. They’d mark the boys as traitors—or worse. They’d ‘re-educate’ them until they were drooling idiots. Sasuke? They’d turn him into nothing more than a breeding tool for a new Uchiha clan. And Naruto? They’d brainwash him into a mindless weapon, loyal only to the Hokage. Right now, his behavior is exactly what the old man wants… but if something shifts…”

“Got it,” I sighed, the weight of his words settling on me. “Time to rethink the game plan.”

And I had a pretty good idea of where to start.