Chapter 8: Wild Beast
---
A week had passed since Kiba entered the Ninja Academy.
The sound of chalk scraping against the board drew the class's attention.
Iruka smiled at the children.
"Today we're going to learn about something very important for every ninja."
He wrote just one word on the board.
Chakra.
"Does anyone know what this is?"
The room fell silent.
Naruto raised his hand immediately.
"It's that energy that powers jutsu, right?"
Iruka smiled.
"That's right. Everyone here possesses chakra."
He walked between the desks.
"Think of chakra as your body's energy. Once you learn to control it, you'll be able to use ninja techniques."
Some of the children's eyes went wide.
"But that takes time. First, you need to learn to sense that energy."
Sakura raised her hand timidly.
"Can... everyone do that?"
"Yes."
Iruka nodded.
"Some learn faster, others take a bit longer. What matters is training hard."
Naruto grinned excitedly.
"Then I'll learn faster than everyone and become Hokage!"
The classroom burst into laughter.
Iruka just put a hand to his forehead.
"We'll see, Naruto..."
---
That afternoon...
Tsume was waiting for Kiba in the yard.
Her enormous nin-dog lay beside her, watching everything in silence.
As soon as Kiba approached with his two lively ninken, Tsume crossed her arms.
"So?"
She arched an eyebrow.
"Learn anything at the Academy today?"
Kiba nodded.
"Iruka-sensei explained the basics about chakra."
Tsume smiled.
"Good. I think it's time, then."
She walked over to him and gave his back a light pat.
"That makes things a lot easier."
She crouched down in front of her son.
"Even so, I'm going to explain it the Inuzuka way."
She placed a hand over her own chest.
"Chakra is the source of every ninja technique. Without it, we're just ordinary people."
Then she pointed at Kiba's chest.
"The first step for any shinobi is learning to feel it."
She closed her eyes.
"Don't try to force it."
"Breathe."
"Forget everything else."
"Just pay attention to your body."
Kiba closed his eyes and did exactly that.
Inside, he almost smiled.
*I've been doing this since I was a few months old...*
Still, he kept his expression neutral.
After a few seconds...
He opened his eyes.
"I think... I can feel something."
Tsume smiled, satisfied.
"Very good."
She had no idea her son had already been capable of manipulating his chakra internally for years.
In her eyes...
He was simply a boy gifted at sensing chakra.
"Now for the next step."
She walked back a few steps.
Her smile turned fierce.
"I'll show you the technique every Inuzuka learns first."
She spread chakra through her entire body and formed the Tiger seal.
Her posture changed.
Her knees bent.
Her hands touched the ground.
Her muscles tensed like those of a beast about to strike.
"Ninja Art: Beast Mimicry... Four Legs Technique!"
In the blink of an eye...
Tsume vanished.
And in her place stood a true beast in human form.
Her eyes became those of a wild predator.
Her canine teeth lengthened past her lips, while her nails grew into sharp claws. Her pupils narrowed into vertical, feral slits, completely transforming her human features into those of a huntress.
Kiba looked at his mother in that form, awestruck.
He could feel his body shudder on its own, a primal instinct in his Inuzuka blood screaming at him to run.
Before him stood a predator.
"Hahaha! See, Kiba? If you train hard enough, you'll reach this transformation soon too."
Tsume noticed her son staring at her fixedly.
With her sharpened senses, she realized he was trembling. Even so, he didn't run, nor did he shut his eyes.
He simply stood there, facing her beastly form.
'Heh... Kiba really is something else. I remember when my father first showed me this transformation... I ran off with my tail between my legs without a second thought.'
Tsume released the transformation.
Slowly, she returned to her normal appearance, approached Kiba, and gently touched his face.
"See, my little wolf? Your mother isn't as weak as you thought, is she?"
Kiba simply nodded.
He hugged his mother while his mind raced with thoughts.
'She wasn't copying a beast...'
'She was adapting a human body to fight like one.'
The idea lodged itself in his mind.
'If chakra can adapt my body to imitate a beast...'
'Then... theoretically...'
'There shouldn't be just one single limit.'
He didn't finish the thought.
It was still too early.
He didn't have enough control yet.
But a small seed of possibility had just been planted.
An idea that, perhaps, in the future, would completely steer his fighting style away from the path followed by the original Kiba.
End of Chapter 8.