[Mad Tiger] Chapter 24

Man, I’m awesome! Three hours straight at a constant high speed, and I’m barely winded. I’ve used up about half my chakra reserves, and the daimyo’s palace should be just around the next corner. That’s like... what, 30 kilometers per hour? Not bad! The cart carrying my lady is way behind—at least 40 kilometers back. Just as I suspected, they came for me right after the rain stopped. What I didn’t expect was how quickly they got moving. Guess I still think like someone used to the mess of mud back home. Over there, after rain like this, you’d have knee-deep muck for weeks. But here? It’s like the ground is part sponge, part magic. The rain stopped, and bam—dry-ish ground. The roads are even better now—firmer, no dust. It’s almost like the oxen are pulling the cart faster.

All I did was tag along with Naruto to school, where I was mobbed by his friends and classmates. Felt like Justin Bieber—local superstar of the fields and forests! Everyone wanted to pet me, hug me, or just say hi. I even squeezed in a chat with Kuromaru, flexed my chakra control a bit, and picked up a couple of tips for improvement. That was my morning. By noon, Shijimi showed up for me. Let me tell you, Bieber fans had nothing on her enthusiasm! I’ll admit, I missed her too. And instinct—uh, instincts—told me I had to mark her as mine again. Just in case, you know?

After a nice lunch and quick goodbyes to Kushina-san and Naruto (with a promise to visit again), we headed back to the palace.

Shijimi’s entourage included my human sensei, Kobo-san (big yay!), and Buck-Daishiki (less yay, but still, he got the honor of a leg rub). Poor Daishiki froze in place, looking half-horrified while I marked him. Makes sense—two months in Konoha, and I’ve grown a lot. Even as a kitten, he was kind of wary of me. Now? Full-on awe.

With my scent on him, no matter how good of a ninja he is, he could never hide from me. Mwahaha. Call me the Sneaky Mastermind.

As soon as we left Konoha’s gates, I ditched the cart to test my endurance. You never know when you’ll need to make a mad dash. What if I collapse after an hour? There go my grand plans of zipping between Konoha and the palace whenever I feel like it. But wouldn’t that be awesome? A couple of days in Konoha, a day at the palace, a visit to Fuwa-chan and Amai—it’s been ages since I saw them. Plus, I need to check in with my network of spies in the Land of Fire. Oh, the life of a secret agent—exhausting but oh-so-exciting. And after the rainy season’s long naps, I’m bursting with energy! Or maybe just hungry.

Gotta give myself credit for being a genius. A few paces back, trying to stay hidden in the treetops, was Daishiki. Was this his assignment, or was he just curious? Either way, I could smell him loud and clear, even though he was suppressing his chakra. Ninja habit, probably, not that he could hide from me anyway.

Oooh, the temptation to mess with him. A noble tradition!

Jump to the side! Disappear into the bushes! Tumble, and—up a tree! No claws, though, to leave no traces. Suppressing the urge to extend my claws was harder than learning to stick to surfaces with chakra. “Fly style walk” takes more chakra than running, and honestly, I can hide almost anywhere with my claws, dark fur, and compact size. Maybe one day I’ll use this to walk on water. Hmm... focus!

Now, time to outwit the Big Buck.

I darted through the treetops, sticking to a higher level than the shinobi usually use. Up here, branches can barely hold a raccoon. Circled around him and set up an ambush.

Daishiki reached the spot where I’d pulled my vanishing act and looked utterly baffled. He dashed forward, doubled back, and started examining my cut-off tracks. Oh, this was gold. Watching him was like seeing Bambi trying to channel Sherlock Holmes.

I slipped down, darted through the grass, and strolled onto the road like nothing happened. By then, Daishiki was crouched, nose to the ground, intently studying the trail.

Oh, feline gods, why do you tempt me so?! Ninja butt cheeks, right there! Should I pounce or just poke him with a claw? But wait—what if he freaks out and… loses control? My sensitive nose would not survive that. I immediately remembered that one anime scene where Naruto farted in Kiba’s face. Hard pass on living through a gas attack.

With a sigh, I circled around and walked up to Daishiki, playing curious about whatever “clue” he was examining.

“Playing detective?” I asked, all innocence.

He stared at me like I was the Sage of Six Paths himself.

Yeah, bow before me, mere mortal!

Daishiki sat back on his heels, glancing between me and the trail like his brain short-circuited. I plopped down, giving him my best wide-eyed, innocent-cat look.

“Tora-san,” he croaked, sneaking a glance around, probably to make sure no one saw him talking to a cat. “You didn’t... go anywhere, did you?”

Oh, he used “-san.” With full respect! See, training works wonders. I dramatically scratched behind my ear with my back paw, then dashed off down the road again. This time, Daishiki didn’t bother hiding—he just ran alongside me like we were racing.

Now this was fun! How fast can shinobi even go? I kicked it up a notch, chakra fueling my sprint. The palace was already in sight, and I had enough reserves left for a final burst.

Daishiki fell behind—not by much, but this race was mine! And he definitely wasn’t letting me win. Woohoo! I must’ve hit 70 km/h or more. Chakra is the best. But just as I was reveling in my glory—

“Tora-chan! You’re back!”

“Sano, food!” I yowled, cutting short my nanny’s overjoyed welcome. “Food! And water! Now!”

Moments like these make it great to be understood. Without slowing down, I bolted into the kitchen and plopped down next to my gleaming, freshly-washed bowls, striking my best Hachiko pose. Sano followed a minute later, quickly filling my water bowl. I slurped eagerly while he prepped my meal. Ah, home sweet home.

Chicken! Oooh, smoked eel with tofu—my favorite. An omelet too! As I devoured my feast, my purr machine kicked in on its own. Life is good.

After a satisfying dinner, I set off to inspect the palace. Who knows what might’ve changed while I was away? Enemies of the state don’t take breaks, after all! Ugh, but I’m so sleepy. Alright, inspection postponed. Time to check on my master—poor guy’s probably been pining for me.

Sneaking into Minoruhi’s office was easy enough; I just slipped in behind some official-looking guy. Judging by his robes, he was probably someone important.

“Daimyo-sama?” the official said, surprised, glancing over his shoulder.

Yeah, yeah, that smile isn’t for you. It’s for me, because Minoruhi just saw me. Ta-da! Feast your eyes on how much I’ve grown—and how gorgeous I’ve become!

My paws were spotless (thanks, Sano!), so I confidently leaped onto Minoruhi’s lap. Time to mark another one of my humans. Ooh, paperwork! Perfect nesting material!

Man, being able to think clearly while napping is the best. Kuromaru told me he can do it too. Dogs sleep a bit less than cats, but they still need longer naps than humans. Though my one-eyed, fuzzy buddy did mention going without sleep for days during wars, only to crash for a solid 48 hours after.

As I snoozed, Minoruhi occasionally petted me or moved documents out from under me. A steady stream of officials came in and out—petitioners, reporters, you name it. They droned on about the damage caused by the kara-tsuy season. Apparently, the rice paddies loved it, but for everyone else, it was a disaster. Flooded dams, spoiled supplies, you name it. Honestly, I have a sneaking suspicion that some of those “spoiled” supplies ended up lining someone’s pockets instead. Hopefully, the audits will catch that.

Minoruhi spent the time assigning government contracts and missions for shinobi. You know, the “peaceful” kind—like rebuilding stuff or tracking down missing people.

All the endless reports started to blur into background noise—nothing juicy—until I felt it. A strong ninja presence, unfamiliar chakra. The daimyo’s guards, who usually lurk in the rafters, hadn’t moved, so this was someone new. Cracking an eye open, I checked out the visitor. He was a sturdy shinobi in his early twenties, tall with dark eyes, dark hair, and a scraggly attempt at facial hair—two lonely whiskers on his chin.

“I’ve arrived at your summons, Daimyo-sama,” the newcomer said, bowing deeply.

“Yes,” Minoruhi replied, glancing at the ninja’s file, complete with a photo and those recognizable anime-style diagrams. “One of my Twelve Guardian Ninja is retiring, and you were recommended to take Taburo-san’s place.”

The file had numbers I could actually read—thank goodness. This guy had an impressive track record: forty-eight B-rank missions, twenty-two A-rank, and four S-rank. Yep, he’s legit.

“It’s an honor to serve, Daimyo-sama!” the guy said with a sharp salute.

“I’m honored to have the Hokage’s son protecting me,” Minoruhi said with a nod. “Go settle in and get acquainted with the others.”

Hold up. Hokage’s son? What Hokage?! Naruto’s Kushina’s only kid, right? Wait a—oh, come on! No way! Without the beard and the bandana, I didn’t recognize him at all. That’s Asuma Sarutobi, the son of the “old monkey” himself!