[Mad Tiger] Chapter 14

Man, Konoha really is a village. Everywhere you go, someone there knows you!

Take the guy I swiped meat from this morning—he’s glaring daggers at me now. But hey, at least he didn’t rat me out. I, of course, acted like the picture of pure innocence, casually licking my paw as if I hadn’t just committed a daylight heist. I mean, let’s be honest, my fabulous tiger-striped coat is a bit of a giveaway, but as long as he keeps quiet, I’ll take the win.

Meanwhile, Naruto decided to fuel up before training. Turns out, he’s a ramen addict. Ordered three pork ramen bowls, but guess what? No pork. Oopsie.

"Hey, Naruto, is this cat yours?" the ramen guy, Teuchi, asked, pointing at me with a ladle. I was perched on the stool next to Naruto, examining the menu. You know, just casually comparing prices, like any self-respecting ninja cat would.

"Uh, yeah! This is Tora," Naruto scratched his nose awkwardly. "He’s with me." Smart kid. Didn’t spill the beans about my, uh, unconventional living arrangements.

"No pets allowed," Teuchi frowned.

"Hey! Kiba brings Akamaru here all the time!" Naruto shot back, nearly tipping his ramen over. "Don’t lie, Teuchi-san!"

"Yeah, well, Akamaru’s a ninja dog. That’s different. This is just a cat," Teuchi countered.

"Tora’s not just any cat! He’s… a ninja cat! Yeah! He’s got a nickname too—‘The Mad Tiger!’ He even trapped a squad of almost-genin in a pit yesterday!" Naruto declared, puffing up with pride like I was his prized Pokémon.

Listening to this back-and-forth was chef’s kiss entertainment. Who knew I had such an illustrious résumé?

"Oh, really? Then who does this ninja cat belong to?" Teuchi leaned on the counter, clearly enjoying this game.

"He, uh… he lives with us," Naruto mumbled, glancing at me like I was supposed to back him up. Kid wasn’t lying, but he wasn’t exactly painting the full picture either.

"And if I tell Lady Hokage that the infamous ‘Mad Tiger’ lives with her? Think she won’t give her son an earful for lying to his elders?" Teuchi smirked.

"I’m not lying!" Naruto shouted, his face red as a tomato. "Tora does live with us!"

"Fine, I’ll ask her," Teuchi shrugged.

"Go ahead, Teuchi-san, see if I care!" Naruto crossed his arms in defiance.

Before the conversation could get any weirder, three guys stumbled into the ramen shop. Drunk, judging by the booze stench rolling off them. Lovely.

"Welcome! What can I get you?" Teuchi straightened up, turning to his new customers.

"Three pork ramen to start," said the guy who plopped down next to me. Bold move, buddy.

"Sorry, we’re out of pork," Teuchi replied, shrugging. "How about fish or squid instead?"

"What do you mean, ‘out’?" Drunk Guy #1 slammed his fist on the counter, nearly launching Naruto’s ramen into orbit.

"Hey, easy there, shinobi-san," Teuchi frowned. "We’re out of pork. Fish? Squid? Take your pick."

"Fine, whatever," the guy grumbled, finally letting it go. His buddies just chuckled, probably too buzzed to care. Thankfully, Teuchi didn’t spill the beans about a certain meat thief.

"Whoa, is that a cat?" one of the drunks finally noticed me. "Teuchi-san, are things so bad you’re feeding cats now?" He burst out laughing at his own joke.

Hilarious, really.

"This isn’t just any cat. This is a ninja cat, right, Naruto?" Teuchi grinned slyly, clearly setting Naruto up.

"Yeah! That’s right!" Naruto doubled down, looking at me like, Don’t blow this for me.

"A ninja cat, huh? Never seen one before!" Drunk Guy #2 got way too excited and leaned in close, his breath reeking of sake. Bad idea, buddy.

"Don’t bother Tora-san!" Naruto stood up, trying to play the hero. Adorable effort.

"Hey, relax, kid. I just wanna see what makes this ‘Mad Tiger’ so special." The guy grinned and gave Naruto a shove, sending him tumbling to the floor.

And that’s when I snapped.

You wanna mess with me? Fine. But messing with my people? That’s a no-go. I leapt onto his back, my claws finding their mark. His cheap shirt shredded like tissue paper as I latched on.

"AAAAAHHHH!" the guy screamed, flailing around like a headless chicken. I jumped off, giving him a good shove with my back paws for good measure. He stumbled, smacking his forehead against the counter. Thank the kami for shinobi headbands, huh?

His buddies? Too drunk to do anything but laugh.

"His eyes glow in the dark," Teuchi whispered, looking pale. "So this is the ‘Mad Tiger,’ huh?"

"Uh, yeah," Naruto muttered, clearly stunned.

"I’ll get that furball!" the guy growled, staggering to his feet.

"Calm down, Hoku! It’s your fault for provoking him," one of his friends said, grabbing him by the arm. "Everyone knows animals hate drunks. You had too much tonight."

The drunk reluctantly let it go, muttering curses under his breath as his friends dragged him away. That’s when it hit me. They called him Hoku. Hoku…roku. North Deer. This idiot’s name literally means Reindeer! Perfect Buck specimen with frozen gray matter! I almost lost it right there. What are the odds?!

"Come on, Tora-chan," Naruto said, dusting himself off. "Let’s go."

"How much for the ramen, Teuchi-san?" he asked.

"No charge," Teuchi said, waving him off. "And sorry for doubting you. That cat really is a ninja."

"Just don’t tell anyone, okay? It’s a secret," Naruto said, leaning in conspiratorially.

"My lips are sealed," Teuchi promised. "Those drunks probably won’t remember a thing anyway."

With that, we left the ramen shop, both of us still reeling from the chaos.

When we reached a small training field, Naruto got to work, practicing his chakra control by climbing a tree. Impressive.

Meanwhile, I sharpened my claws on a nearby training dummy, keeping one eye on him. The night was quiet, lit only by a sliver of moonlight. Perfect for a ninja cat like me.

As Kuromaru once told me, the trick to controlling chakra is learning to “release” it at the right moment. Focus it in a single point. So, there I was, leaping at tree trunks, swiping with my claws to leave pale gouges behind. The timing had to be perfect—both at the moment of the jump and at the point of impact. I climbed up and down trees a few times, and even managed to catch some mice along the way. Not because I was hungry, but purely as a reflex drill. A ninja cat must stay sharp, after all.

“Tora-chan! Where’d you go?” Naruto poked his head into the bushes, just as I happened to have one of my squeaky, wriggling alibis in my claws.

“Whoa! You caught a mouse?!” he exclaimed, eyes wide with admiration. “Is that what you’ve been up to?”

I huffed, dropping the mouse. Every muscle in my body ached, but I was satisfied. By the last few attempts, I’d felt something. I was this close to nailing it.

Assessing Naruto’s scruffy state, I decided to be merciful and follow him home on my own four legs. Besides, if my sense of direction was correct, the Uzumaki family estate was just a few hundred yards from this park. My paws could handle that much.

“Mom! I’m back! Tora-chan’s with me,” Naruto called out as we stepped inside. “I’m gonna take a bath.”

Good idea. I needed a bath too. A whole day running around in the dirt, plus bloody paw prints? No way I could skip the soap.

“You wanna see what’s in here?” Naruto asked, glancing over when I followed him into the bathroom. How was I supposed to explain that I wanted him to wash me? Ah, Sano, sometimes I actually miss you.

The bathroom was surprisingly roomy, covered in strange markings and paper tags. My eyes nearly popped out of my skull when Naruto formed a couple of seals, touched one of the tags, and water started pouring into a rectangle-shaped tub all by itself. No pipes, no nothing! Magic! Back at the palace, we had normal plumbing. Watching the tub fill up with water as if by sorcery was mind-blowing.

“Pretty cool, huh, Tora-chan?” Naruto grinned at me. “It’s called fuinjutsu. These are household seals.”

He stripped down and hopped into the water. Without thinking twice, I leapt in after him. The water level only came up to my shoulders, so I waded over to his lap and climbed onto it. Naruto stared at me like I’d just grown a second tail.

“Tora-chan, you’re not afraid of water? MOOOOOM!” he hollered. “Come look at this!”

A minute later, Kushina-san walked in, looking mildly amused.

“Look, Mom! Tora just jumped in by himself!” Naruto pointed at me as if I’d done something groundbreaking.

“Madam Shijimi mentioned that Tora gets bathed often and actually likes sitting in warm water,” Kushina explained. “Here, use this shampoo for him, but don’t get his head wet. And let’s bring out your old bath stool so it’s easier for him.”

She rummaged through a cabinet and pulled out a low, wide stool, placing it beside Naruto. He lifted me onto it, and I had to admit—it was pretty comfy.

“‘For thick, shiny, and beautiful coats,’” Naruto read aloud from the label on my shampoo bottle. “Maybe I should use this too—my hair’s always sticking up like a porcupine.”

“Just wash me already!” I meowed impatiently, though he obviously didn’t understand.

“All right, all right, I’ll stick to my own shampoo,” he laughed. “Don’t get your tail in a twist.”

I extended a paw, signaling him to clean it properly. He caught on, pressing on my paw pad to unsheathe my claws before scrubbing gently with the brush. Ohhh, that hit the spot… Bliss.

“Your claws are huge! Super strong too,” Naruto said, impressed. “You could probably shred all of us like you did to that one shinobi, huh?”

Smart kid. Quick on the uptake.

After the bath, Kushina-san dried me off and brushed my fur. Oh, yes. I practically melted. Pure luxury.

All in all, it was a fantastic first day in Konoha. More action-packed than an entire week back at the palace. I was exhausted. Time for sleep, glorious sleep.