[Mad Tiger] Chapter 10

We are bandito—gangsterito,

We got stiletto, pistoleto tra-ta-tat

We be shootin’, we be killin’

We be stealin’, we be lootin’ this and that

This little song in my head was a perfect match for my mood. Oh, yes! My feline commando team had landed safely on Konoha’s springy green lawn. I’d disembarked close to the Hokage Residence, which was nestled under a mountain carved with the faces of the village’s leaders. I mean, I’d give some of the local stone-carvers a hand… but that Kushina-san carving was criminally bad. Poor woman, they did her so dirty! One meeting with her, and here I am, still cringing.

Beside the three-story Residence, which looked like some giant claw from an arcade game, there was a tall building that seemed like some sort of tower for messenger birds, just like we had back at the palace. I figured I’d climb up there first to get a good look around, get my bearings before figuring out where to go next. It took us about 25 or 30 minutes to get here from the main gate by palanquin. Our speed had slowed down to half, so if I do the math… Konoha’s radius is probably close to a kilometer. And my paws are not for hire! I’m not about to wear down my precious pink paw pads trudging all over town. A smart cat uses his brain, not his feet!

The entrance to the tower was open, so I slipped right in, blending into the shadows like the ninja-cat I am. Up the spiral staircase I went, keeping to the darker corners. Phew! First workout of the day, done. Now to scope out the food spots and swipe some goodies. As a proper noble cat, it’s my duty to collect tributes from the local peasants. Food tax for the feline lord!

Alright, what do we have here? A door I definitely need to get through—locked. Smells like birds and… ew, bird droppings! Just great. Do they ever clean up here? Hygiene, people!

“Urgent message for Squad Five!” a shout echoed behind me as some out-of-breath dude clomped up the stairs.

Oh, buddy, you need more training—what kind of ninja’s wheezing like that? I ducked under a low table just as the courier rushed in, and I snuck right in after him. He fiddled with the cages and released a pigeon. The door slammed shut as he left, and I peeked out from my hiding spot. All clear.

“Cat! Cat!” the birds in the cages squawked as I strolled to the middle of the observation deck. The windows were all open—a nice touch, if a bit breezy.

“Beware!” yelled a big hawk or maybe a falcon. Not sure; I don’t really do birds. It was perched on a stick with its leg tethered to it. It flapped its wings and let out a screech, showing off a seriously sharp beak. And talons—twice the size of my claws.

“Chill, folks, I’m not here for you,” I said diplomatically.

“He’s here to eat my babies!” some bird-mom screeched.

“As if I want any of you!” I snorted at the blatant accusation. “For the record, I’m Tora-san, cat of the Fire Daimyo himself! I dine on premium poultry and imported ‘Whiskas.’ You think I’m about to eat random chicks? Yeah, right!” Gotta let the birdbrains know who they’re dealing with.

“Then why are you here, Tora-san?” asked the hawk, tilting its head curiously.

“Wanted to get a bird’s-eye view of Konoha,” I replied, hopping up onto a windowsill. “Can’t exactly fly myself… Whoa!”

Konoha may be a “village,” but it was impressive. It had this fan-like layout, with everything converging at the Hokage Residence, and from the plaza out front, seven roads branched off. One led to the main gate we’d come in through, and there were three more paths on each side. I counted over fifty blocks of varying size and greenery. There was a river to the right and a large pond or lake on the left.

“So, where’s the ‘Forest of Death’?” I asked the hawk.

“It’s east of the village, beyond the walls,” the bird finally answered after a pause. “We have to fly around it.”

“Really? Is it that dangerous?” I asked, intrigued.

“It’s a vast forest that serves as a natural barrier for Konoha on the east side. It’s hard to fly across in one trip, and if you go low, you might inhale the poisonous tree vapors… or become dinner for some nightmarish creature.”

“Sounds serious,” I nodded to the talkative feathered fellow. “Do you know your way around Konoha? Oh, by the way, what’s your name? I introduced myself, after all. Don’t want to be rude.”

“My name is Takaro. Yes, I know almost every building in the village, since we messenger birds get sent everywhere. I can even locate people by their chakra. Like the jonin, if Hokage calls them,” he said, puffing up proudly.

“Well then, consider yourself my personal guide!” I declared, thrilled. “Now, hop on over here and tell me what that building over there is.”

_______________________________

I made sure to memorize where everything was in Konoha. Takaro turned out to be a chill guy and explained it all. Oh, and I found out that pigeons don’t have chakra—they're just mail carriers. But hawks? Oh, they've got it. Feathered special forces, I tell you. Elite units. That’s how they track down all kinds of ninjas. We said goodbye almost as friends.

So, after swiping a chunk of pork from the noodle vendor near the plaza in front of the Hokage’s Residence and filling my stomach, I headed off to the training grounds where the ninja workouts were supposed to happen. And not just any workouts—real ones, with chakra flying everywhere and flashy moves galore.

I made my way there over the rooftops. Turns out, everyone runs on the rooftops: kids, adults, I even saw an old lady with shopping bags. Don’t they have roads here? The street below was empty!

Things calmed down a bit as I got farther from the center, and the houses were more spaced out. No endless rows of buildings, but separate ones, like in a village, with yards, cabbage patches, and wandering chickens.

I was strolling down a path next to a trimmed hedge when a dog suddenly burst out barking like crazy. My heart started hammering, my back arched, and my fur stood on end. I braced myself and spread the claws on my right paw.

Alright, Tora, you homegrown tiger, let’s see what you’re made of. The mutt wasn’t huge, but it was still easily twice my size. A second passed, then another, everything in slow motion: the dog shoved its snout towards me, I hit him with a solid right hook, jumped, and ended up “riding” the dog, clinging to its scruff with all four paws.

The whining was so loud it made my ears fold back. Oh, so it’s fine to pick on little guys, huh? With a wild yowl, I charged forward on my “steed.” Luckily, it was in the direction I needed. I didn’t forget to tear out tufts of fur either. Just so it’d learn its lesson. What if it had been sweet little Fuwa-chan or tiny Amaai instead of tough ol’ me?

"Ow-ow, let go-o-o!" whimpered my victim, galloping nearly two blocks. I yanked one last tuft before hopping off, and the dog, tail between its legs and howling pitifully, darted into an alley. Probably to lick its wounds.

"Not bad dealing with that troublemaker, little guy," a calm male voice said behind me, making me jump, twist in mid-air, and land back in my defensive stance.

In front of me stood a dog three times the size of the last one. A genuine giant! In my past life, I’d only seen beasts like this once or twice at shows. Sharp-faced and fluffy—definitely some mix between a St. Bernard and a wolf.

"Don’t worry, I don’t attack cats," said the black-and-white dog with an eye patch. He looked just like a pirate! And there was something strange and familiar about him.

"You're a ninken!" I realized.

Of course, I could feel his chakra! And way more of it than I’d sensed from Daishiki! Holy wow!

"My name is Inuzuka Kuromaru," the ninja-dog introduced himself.

"You have a last name?" I blinked. "I'm Tora," I added—no way was I mentioning my full name, Pestretsov, that’d sound too weird.

"I’m from the Inuzuka clan. My humans have the same last name," Kuromaru explained the last-name thing. "Tora? 'Tiger,' huh? Suits you," he chuckled warmly.

I looked around and jumped up onto a bench by the fence. Talking to this giant while craning my neck was not fun.

"Can you control your chakra, Kuromaru?" I asked, diving into what really interested me. "Did it take you long to learn? What can you do? How long have you been a ninja?" I bombarded my new acquaintance with questions.

He laughed, but not at me—just genuinely amused.

"You’re a funny little tiger-cub. Do you really want to become a ninja?"

"Of course!" I huffed. "Who wouldn’t?"

"Why, though?" Kuromaru asked. "You don’t have a partner. Cats, as far as I know, are too independent to have their own humans."

"Oh, come on! You’ve grown so big and still don’t get it?" I huffed indignantly. "I’m little! Everyone wants to pick on someone as adorable as me. You saw it yourself. Mutt attacks happen all the time. Some folks will even kick, or they just like to mess with animals. I want to be able to protect myself and the people and critters I care about."

Kuromaru looked me over from head to tail and sighed.

"Yeah, you’re pretty small."

"Thanks for noticing," I grumbled, sparking another wave of his hearty laughter. "So, what about it? Will you show me something?" I stood on my hind legs and gave him my best big, pleading eyes. I’d practiced in front of the mirror for ages. It always worked on Shijimi.

"Alright, come with me, Tora-chan, I’ll show you something," Kuromaru said, his voice full of promise.

I trotted beside him, weaving through his legs and rubbing against his white fur. Yay! I’d just found myself a sensei!