[Mad Tiger] Chapter 9

"Quick to tell, slow to do"—if that isn’t spot on, I don’t know what is! The wisdom of the people is real!

I’ve definitely felt it firsthand. Watching Naruto as a kid, I’d practically jump out of my pants yelling, “Come on! Master the new jutsu already, dummy!”

Yeah. I was a bit of an idiot, I admit.

I used to swim, play tennis. I know any real progress takes hard work. But in the show, it always looked so easy, so effortless.

Now my fur stands on end when I remember “Dummy Uzumaki” mastered the Rasengan in a month and later upgraded it into a flying shuriken-thing a few years after that. I never got that far in the anime, but Seryoga would tell me about it and even showed me “highlights of the best fights” to keep me hooked. Sure, maybe it’s all made up by the author, but to be honest, I haven’t even seen real ninjutsu here. No “swish-swish-swish” hand signs and “presto!” like in the shows.

The ninjas around here mostly just fight with swords, fists, or staffs—no flashy superpowers. Sure, Kobo-sensei says he has the Sharingan, which no one else can see, but even that’s not quite the same.

It stings to the point of tears, but I haven’t seen anyone walking on water, not even from afar! You’d think it’d be the most basic thing, but no. Turns out ninjas aren’t allowed to go all out with their skills in town or the castle. And showing off one’s ninjutsu? Tacky, apparently.

And of course, worst of all, here I am, like the ultimate fool—I felt my chakra over five months ago, and yet… nothing!

Ugh… time to whine like that mangy mutt, Scooby.

"Tora-chan… what’s wrong, my sweet boy?" Shijimi leaned over me.

I lifted my head and laid it back down on my paws.

Ohhh… I’m just a pitiful, useless little kitty, mistress. Totally, utterly useless.

"I brought you your favorite smoked eel since you haven’t eaten anything for two days, sweetie," she said, waving a fragrant piece of the treat under my nose. I only get that on special occasions since it’s apparently not good for cats to eat too much smoked stuff.

"Maybe we could visit Fuwa-chan and Amai-chan? Or Sorano and her cute little Spitz puppies?" Shijimi suggested, listing off her many friends with pets I’d met over the past few months.

But how can I visit when I’m in such deep misery, filled with boundless resentment toward the whole shinobi world?

"Tora-chan," Shijimi scratched behind my ear. "Your first birthday is coming up soon, and here you are, feeling down. You haven’t even told Sano what’s wrong. Are you in pain?"

I shook my head. It’s my soul that aches. A whole year! Okay, maybe not a whole year, but at least ten months! And no decent results! Ugh!

"Tora-chan, are you… crying?" she touched my face, where a single cat tear rolled down.

Sigh… How can I even explain the cause of my despair? I know it’s unmanly to cry, but I’ve really had it. I’m training to the bone here, but it’s just not happening with the chakra. I wouldn’t mind so much if I were really becoming a ninja cat.

But then it hit me: cats don’t live nearly as long as humans. Fifteen, maybe twenty years at most. So I’ve already used up a whole twentieth of my life, and what do I have to show for it?! Kobo-san is encouraging me, said at our last session that my chakra channels are clearer and more developed and that I’m on the right path. But how long will this path take?

There’s this big, fat bird of disappointment pecking at my head, and I just want to rip its feathers out and strangle it. Lately, there are way fewer birds in the garden—my helpless rage has been terrifying them. I’ve tried to let off steam that way.

But the result? Yesterday’s training, another shattered hope, and now I’m lying here, all cozy in my bed, holding onto my depression.

Sano has been able to control his chakra for a whole week already! I’m not jealous; I know he’s been working hard, too, but… I want it. I want it so badly. And I’ve been trying. Trying so, so hard. But how long can I go on as the “weird cat”? Should I just be “normal”—eat, sleep, and bask in the sun? Ugh!

"Tora-chan! Tora-chan!" Sano’s voice woke me up.

"What do you want?" I grumbled.

"You’ll get it with chakra, too. Don’t feel down," he said in that tone people use when they think you’re a bit thick.

"Oh, did you have a vision, Nostradamus?" I snorted, snuffling angrily.

Ha! So he thinks he knows everything.

"I told Madam Shijimi that you’ve always dreamed of seeing the ninja village and visiting your homeland. Remember when you mentioned that to me? So she decided that tomorrow, if you’re feeling better, she’ll take you to Konoha. She’s planning to arrange a few missions there and stay as a guest with Lady Tsunade herself. Well, Tora? Sound interesting?"

One of the cat rules Fuwa taught me: ‘Never show people your true feelings. Keep them guessing, and they’ll bend over backward for you.’

Looks like it worked!

"Pff!" I sniffed. "Instead of babbling, why don’t you get to work and brush me out? My fur’s all tangled like some street cat’s, not the daimyo’s cat. I need to be at my best to meet Lady Kushina."

"Such a snob," Sano muttered, rummaging through the red lacquered box with my grooming tools.

"I heard that!" I growled. "And I’d like steamed fish for dinner, too. Plus tofu and omelet. There, got it?!"

"As you wish, Tora-sama!" Sano joked, bowing. "May I serve your magnificence?"

"I permit it," I nodded grandly.

My mood shot up to new heights. Maybe I just need a break. And besides, a missed shot doesn’t mean the game’s lost.

________________________________

“Tora-chan, I’m so glad you’ve cheered up,” Shijimi said as we rode along in the palanquin, with me perched on her lap. “You’re my little darling! What would I do without you?”

“I want to be on the roof!” I announced with a huff, trying to squirm out of her grip.

“You want to be on the roof?” Shijimi repeated, and I froze. Wait, could she actually understand me?!

“No, I can’t understand you,” she chuckled, poking my nose, “but by your reaction, I guessed right. Sometimes you’re so obvious about what you ‘say’ that I can tell what you’re trying to do. It’s just a connection we have.”

I rolled my eyes and snorted, but Shijimi just laughed again.

“I didn’t bring Sano along because they might ‘catch on’ to him in Konoha, and I’d rather not have that happen. So you’ll need to make things a bit clearer for me, all right?”

I gave a dignified nod. Well, for the sake of seeing “the ninja village of all ninja villages,” I could play the part of a well-behaved cat.

“When we’re inside Konoha’s walls, you’re free to hop off the palanquin and explore. I’ve got a photo of you, so I’ll give you a head start of five or six hours before I ask them to look for you. I think you’ll enjoy this little game. I know how much you love to mess with shinobi. And besides, I doubt all that training with Kobo-san for the last six months was for nothing. Sano told me you were feeling down about it. Of course, they’ll probably assign this mission to the genin, but they’re still shinobi—they shouldn’t underestimate their opponent.” Shijimi chuckled. “You’ve grown into such a big, strong cat, Tora-chan. You’re magnificent! A real tiger! Just don’t let their sensei get too close, and don’t go overboard. They’ll probably be kids, after all.”

Ohhh… this could be interesting. A chance to see shinobi in action! And I get a free pass to do what I want. Sometimes, I really love my owner—she’s such a smart, wonderful woman!

“And I love you too, Tora-chan!” Shijimi laughed. “Go on, up you go, my little tiger.”

She lifted me up, pulling the fabric open slightly, and I scrambled up to the roof of the palanquin. Oh, the amount of mischief I could cause from up here!

Nya-ha-ha! Just you wait, Konoha!