[Chapter 32] Mad Tiger

“You’re so dirty, Namaiki-chan!” Naruto muttered as he scrubbed my back with soap, determined to wash me clean in his tiny bathroom.

At first glance, it looked like just a shower with no walls and a deep basin, but apparently, if you wanted, even an adult could use it as a bath—though you’d have to tuck your knees up to your ears. When the kid realized I wasn’t going to fight him on this whole washing business—no scratching, no biting, just full cooperation—he climbed into the tub with me to make it easier.

“You’d better do a good job. I don’t want to be dirty,” I advised, stretching out a paw for him to scrub. Too bad my favorite brush wasn’t around. Naruto stared at my paw for a moment, as if he didn’t know what to do with it.

“Namaiki-chan?” he repeated questioningly.

By the way, he gave me that ridiculous name within two minutes of meeting me. After I climbed through his apartment window and marched straight into the bathroom, demanding to be cleaned, he decided “Namaiki” was fitting. It means something like “cheeky” or “sassy,” and while I can’t argue that description, “Tora” suits me much better. Did he not notice the stripes on my forehead? It’s obvious—I’m a tiger cub! Tora! But no, he calls me “Namaiki.”

“Oh, you want to know my name?” he said, shaking my paw like a handshake. “I’m Uzumaki Naruto, and I… I…” He faltered, his confidence wavering for a moment. “I live here. And I… I’m going to become Hokage!”

Those words hit me like a jolt of deja vu, itching at my ear. Something about them felt painfully familiar, unsettling. These lapses in memory were starting to worry me. I knew genjutsu didn’t usually work on animals unless they were specifically targeted, and who would bother? Besides, why? Maybe it was the poison I’d been hit with? Could amnesia also be from a psychological cause? Caused by stress? Weird that I even understand what this made up gibberish means…

After the thorough scrubbing, I shook myself dry and allowed Naruto to wrap me in a blanket to properly air out. He held onto me tightly, like he was afraid I’d bolt, and kept filling the air with chatter.

“Namaiki-chan, will you stay with me? I’m so lonely. I should be used to it by now. I’ve been alone my whole life. Always, always alone. But I still feel sad, and I don’t understand why they all look at me like that…”

His voice trailed off, and tears welled in his eyes, which he quickly wiped away.

“Maybe you can’t stay with me,” he said miserably, his head drooping. “Everyone’s so mean… What if they find out you’re mine and try to hurt you? I don’t want anything bad to happen to Namaiki-chan.”

I snorted, leveling a skeptical glare at him. They’d have to catch me first.

“You don’t believe me?” Naruto asked, surprised. “But… I don’t even have food for you. You must be hungry. You’re so skinny.”

I started grooming myself, my fur finally dry enough to sort out. No way I was going to walk around looking like a scruffy puffball. The feeling was oddly unfamiliar, like I hadn’t done this in a long time. And the loose hairs on my tongue? Ugh. But as I checked myself out, I looked more like a ragged stray than the noble feline I should be. A daimyo’s cat, that’s it! Suddenly, images flashed through my mind—a man with a sad but calm face, a restless woman with warm, welcoming knees, and… a boy. The first thing I remembered about him was “obedient.” But something about him wasn’t right. And there was crying—raw, gut-wrenching: “My son, my son…” (1)

“Namaiki-chan,” Naruto’s voice snapped me out of it as he leaned close. “Look, I found a comb. I’ll help brush your fur.”

I purred as he combed through my coat.

“Tomorrow, I’m going back to the Academy. The class should be back from their trip, but they didn’t take me,” Naruto said, a note of sadness creeping into his voice. “The old man said it’s because I can’t control my chakra well enough, so there was no point. But I wanted to go with them. They’re all good kids, you know? I want to be friends with them. And Sakura… I like Sakura.”

What was that about not controlling his chakra? I stared at him, focusing. His scent was a little off, and his chakra flow… something was wrong. It was like—oh, no. Of course! They made him a jinchuriki, and now everything’s changed. Either his body is still adjusting, with his chakra pathways blocked temporarily, or it’s some artificial restriction. A gift from that so-called Hokage, maybe, just in case Naruto remembered everything and decided to tear Konoha apart. Or maybe all his chakra is being funneled into the seal to stabilize him. Either way, the result is the same—his abilities are blocked for now. But I know this is temporary. I’ve seen glimpses—seen the visions of him mastering what every shinobi should. They wouldn’t want a jinchuriki who couldn’t do anything, right? And that “old man” from those visions… Could it be Hiruzen? If he knows what’s happening, is this normal for new jinchuriki? (1)

Poor kid. They’ve taken everything from him: his mom, his home, his family, his friends—even me! They erased his memories, his power, his skills. They rewrote his life. It’s obvious they’re trying to break him, make him depend on Sarutobi, force him to bow and scrape. Well, tough luck! I don’t know how I know this, but they’re not getting my boy. Not on my watch.

“I’ll show them! I’ll prove what Uzumaki Naruto is worth!” the kid panted, doing sit-ups on the floor.

I watched from the bed. Honestly, I was starving, but I wasn’t about to leave him. After nearly ten days of being completely alone, he was clinging to me like a lifeline. Real loneliness—not the kind they’d beaten into his head—had hit him hard.

“Fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine… sixty!” he huffed, collapsing for a moment. “I need food, or I won’t manage the next set.”

His stomach growled loudly.

“I don’t know why, but I’m always so hungry,” he said, rubbing his belly. I snorted in agreement. Well, for one, he’s growing. Two, being a jinchūriki must mess with your metabolism. And three, he’s been working out nonstop.

I darted to the kitchen and rummaged through a bag his “dear grandpa Hokage” had dropped off. What a cheapskate! Where’s the real food? Just instant noodles and some sketchy-looking wafers. No way he can live on this!

“Namaiki-chan, do you like noisy bags?” Naruto teased, poking me. “Come on out, I’m hungry.”

“No way,” I growled indignantly. “What kind of junk did that wrinkly fossil leave for you?”

“You’re hungry too, huh?” Naruto sighed, checking the fridge. “I’ve got a little milk left. I was saving it for tonight, but we can share. Friends share, right?”

I climbed out of the bag and looked at him properly. Yep, he’s lost weight. His chubby baby cheeks were thinning out, and his shirt hung loose on him. I rubbed against his legs, purring softly to encourage him.

Naruto poured some milk into a bowl for me. I wasn’t a big fan of milk, but beggars can’t be choosers. As I drank, he heated some water and made himself instant noodles.

“Enjoy your meal!” Naruto said brightly, lifting the lid of a cheap instant noodle bowl. The smell wasn’t bad—no overwhelming artificial stuff like usual. Huh. Weird. Why did I even think about artificial stuff? Licking my bowl clean—the milk really hit the spot—I leapt onto a chair, watching as Naruto wolfed down his food, burning his tongue but refusing to slow down. Then he drained the broth in one long gulp.

“Not much, but it’ll have to do…” he said with a familiar smile, wiping his mouth. “We’ll manage, right, Namaiki-chan?”

“Sure,” I nodded, doing my best to look encouraging.

Naruto reached over to stroke my fur and grinned again.

“You’re such a smart cat. It’s almost like you’re really answering me.”

“Pfft,” I huffed and padded toward the window.

First, I needed to check if anyone was keeping an eye on the kid. Depending on what I found, I had a few ideas.

“You’re… leaving?” Naruto’s voice wavered behind me.

I paused, sighing, and shook my head.

“You’ll… come back, right?” His voice carried so much hope it made my chest ache.

I nodded again, pushing open the window with a paw. I left it open—just in case some ANBU were hanging around nearby.

“Come back soon, Namaiki-chan,” Naruto whispered as I hopped onto the windowsill.

Damn it. They’ve really done a number on him. Sure, he was always affectionate, but now he’s so desperate it’s like he’s saying goodbye forever. Ugh. The urge to pee in Hiruzen’s slippers was almost overwhelming but I gotta do it sneaky-beaky like. Wouldn’t do me any good if I get caught.

It didn’t take long to spot one ANBU lurking on the rooftop of the opposite building. The mask resembled a bird, some kind of beak sticking out—Crow? Sparrow? Hard to say. The guy was clearly bored, though, lazily lifting his mask to yawn. Sloppy work, but maybe there wasn’t much to see here. From that spot, he had a clear view of Naruto’s apartment. The kid, still hopeful I’d come back, had left the window open as he resumed his exercises.

“Yo, Falcon, how’s it going? I’m here to take over,” another masked figure called out, landing on the rooftop about twenty minutes later.

Falcon? Really? Okay then, "Birdbeak," that’s your name now.

“Man, I can’t wait for this surveillance to be over. This has to be the most boring assignment ever,” Birdbeak complained, stretching his arms.

“It’s just a training mission. Don’t forget that. Use it to sharpen your observation skills and enjoy the paycheck,” the newcomer replied philosophically. “Anything unusual to report?”

“Nah, not really, senpai. The demon brat did bring in a stray cat earlier, but it left after a couple of hours. Should I put that in the report?”

“Hmm.” The senior ANBU tilted his head in thought. “There haven’t been any specific directives about animals. Skip it. No need to create extra paperwork. Keep the report concise and to the point. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And one more thing—cut it out with the ‘demon brat’ stuff. Did you forget the Hokage’s orders?”

“Sorry, senpai,” Birdbeak muttered, lowering his head. “But… he really is—”

“Not your concern,” the older shinobi snapped. “Your job is to observe. Running your mouth and leaking chakra all over the place could attract unwanted attention. Understand?”

“Crystal clear.”

“Good. Now get lost, Falcon. Your shift’s over.”

Interesting. So Shisui’s theory about stronger shinobi being more level-headed seems to hold water. Noted. Wait—hold on. That senior ANBU’s chakra feels familiar. Didn’t he used to serve in Kushina-san’s personal guard? And now he’s babysitting trainees? Overkill or paranoia? Or maybe I’m just imagining things at this point.

Fine. I had my answer. The surveillance point was clear, and if they were already considering pulling back the ANBU, that meant the Third Hokage was looking to save resources. Makes sense, I guess. Why waste skilled manpower on a lonely kid?

Still, if they were going to remove the surveillance soon, that would work perfectly for me.

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The previous chapter already mentioned Tora remembering Shijimi and Daimyo so I don’t know why he forgot them here. It could be that I mistranslated chapter 31. It could be that instead of (my former owners, whom I recalled) it should be (my former owners, whom I recalled later)

Also the previous chapter implied that Tora remembered how Hiruzen looked but I am not so sure now. I already sent the message to the author to clarify things. Sorry for this mess.