Not lingering on the streets, Inuzuka Ryōto returned home.
The first thing he did was to carefully check if his mother was home. Without canceling the Beast Mimicry technique, he sniffed the air again and again. In truth, the entire house was saturated with his mother's scent, and it would take time for it to dissipate. But one could judge by its concentration. Right now, it was very, very faint, and detecting this difference was exceedingly difficult. This meant his mother was not home today.
Canceling the Beast Mimicry technique, Ryōto burst into the house and, before he was even in sight, he yelled:
"Sister Smarty! I'm ho-o-ome! The big-butted old lady isn't home today!"
The Inuzuka Clan possesses five senses far sharper than those of ordinary people: smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch. Under the influence of ninja techniques, these senses can be amplified a thousand, or even ten thousand times over. Furthermore, they possess a sixth sense that surpasses human capability—a beast-like intuition. As for hearing, humans can perceive sounds in the range of 16 to 20,000 hertz, whereas dogs can detect the faintest vibrations up to 65,000 hertz. This means they can distinguish any sound within a one-kilometer radius. In the wild, they can hear a roar from at least seven kilometers away. The abilities of the Inuzuka Clan surpass this ordinary level and vary depending on individual talents. A weak Byakugan with a two-kilometer range? Simply laughable.
Therefore, Ryōto's shout turned out to be a bit too loud. A vein bulged on Rin's forehead, writhing like a ferocious worm.
"Sister Smarty? Sister Smarty?!"
Could she be out? Ryōto turned his head and looked at Hakura, who was lying in the living room. She snorted and turned away, unwilling to pay him any mind. Hakura and Kuroko were getting on in years and disliked moving much, so they constantly remained at home on guard duty. The ninja hounds of the Inuzuka Clan are exceedingly loyal, acknowledging only one master in their entire lifetime. Although Ryōto was their young master, this pair did not obey his commands. Just as Suzu obeyed only Ryōto and cared for him in all things. Seeing Ryōto, who had skipped his classes, the life-wise Hakura couldn't help but roll her eyes. Go on, get yourself into trouble!—if she could speak, she would have long ago told Rin what outrageous things her son was up to.
"Still unhappy! Don't you dare tell Mom! You don't want me to bully your daughter, do you?"
Out of sight, out of mind. Hakura turned away.
"Old man, want to go for a walk?" Ryōto asked Kuroko.
Hearing this, Kuroko immediately jumped up, grinning widely and wagging his tail. But at that moment, Hakura bared her teeth and let out a low growl. Hearing her, Kuroko obediently lay down again.
"You're so useless," Ryōto curled his lip and headed into the yard, where he saw three large dogs.
Kenshin was wrestling with his younger brother, Kurogane, tumbling fiercely with him on the ground. Their older sister, Tamago, calmly watched the spectacle from the side.
The Inuzuka Clan has many ninja hounds, but in battle, most clan members take only one or two with them for support. The reason is simple and lies in the formation of hand seals. For a ninja hound to use ninjutsu, its master must guide it using joint hand seals. A ninja hound incapable of performing techniques on its own becomes mere cannon fodder on the battlefield or in daily missions, doomed to die. It is no different from a genin who can only throw kunai. In a way, by losing its master, a ninja hound also loses its ability to use ninjutsu.
Therefore, these three dogs were not his father's ninja hounds—their parents, Hakura and Kuroko, were still alive, so they had no chance to take their place. But they were not Ryōto's dogs either. Tamago, as the eldest, did not recognize his authority. Being an adult, she had her own opinions and did not consider Ryōto an outstanding ninja or a strong warrior.
"Tamago..." Ryōto called out. "How about you and I, like brother and sister, go grab a drink?"
Tamago wasn't afraid of her mother, Hakura, and upon hearing the offer, she became slightly interested.
"Are you paying, little brother?" she barked.
Mother Rin usually gave them pocket money, and sometimes they got the change from shopping. Naturally, Tamago was also in charge of her two younger brothers' money.
"I have no money!" Ryōto declared.
And that was the honest truth. That was precisely why he had invited Kuroko along—the old dog had a stash. Hearing this, Tamago lowered her head and, stretching out on the grass in the yard, pretended to be napping in the sun.
"What a miser..." Ryōto muttered.
Tamago pretended not to hear. You wretched brother, all you think about is getting your hands on my treasury.
"By the way, who was it that broke the vase last week?" Ryōto asked with a smile.
Hearing this, Kenshin and Kurogane froze.
"I silently took all the blame and endured a proper scolding," Ryōto continued, looking at Tamago with a smile. "So, am I not a good brother, huh?"
Tamago raised her head and looked at her two younger brothers, who were gazing at her pitifully, then shifted her eyes to Ryōto and barked:
"Don't push it!"
Outside, Rin clutched her head. This is blackmail! Actual blackmail! So, this is how terrifying I am?! Both of them—they're all afraid of me.
"Oh, come on, I'm not like that," smiling, Ryōto held out his hand. "Go on, Tamago, you decide how much you'll give, and we'll consider the incident closed. Otherwise, I won't let this go."
Hakura, who was watching the scene in the yard, lifted her eyelids slightly. Tamago was trembling with rage. She looked at her two miserable younger brothers and snarled viciously. But what could she do? They were under her protection, after all. As the eldest, she had to maintain her standing.
Getting to her feet, she barked at Ryōto with all her might. Woof-woof-woof—the stream of curses was endless. But though her barks were menacing, Ryōto just stood there with his hand outstretched, a smile on his face. After some time, Tamago, grumbling, stopped barking, turned away from her brothers and Ryōto, and began to dig in the grassy patch of the yard. Soon, she pulled out a wallet and placed it before Ryōto. When he reached for it, Tamago pressed the wallet down with her paw, staring intently at him, and barked:
"Consider us even."
"Excellent!" Ryōto nodded. "It's clear you're the boss here, Tamago."
Tamago nodded, quite satisfied.
"Let this be the last time," she barked, removing her paw.
"That depends on whether you give me a reason," Ryōto replied and, gleefully snatching the wallet, opened it to count the money.
Tamago builds her reserves, and I raid her warehouse. Heh, what a pleasure this is!
"What a performance!" Rin hissed, clenching her teeth and fists. "Excellent, just excellent. So this is how you amuse yourselves behind my back."
Tucking the wallet into his pocket, Ryōto turned and walked away. Seeing this, Tamago got up and followed him. Ryōto stopped and, looking at her, asked:
"What is it?"
Tamago tilted her head in confusion.
"What do you mean, 'what is it'? We're going for a drink," she barked.
"I'm not treating!" Ryōto snapped. "This is my money!"
With those words, he leaped onto the fence with an arrogant swagger. Tamago's eyes gradually widened, and then she began to bark desperately at Ryōto, who was perched on the wall, spittle flying from her mouth.
"See you later, Tamago!"
Ryōto jumped down from the wall, clapped his hands, and transformed into a silver-furred dog.
From a considerable distance, Rin watched her son's actions through binoculars. A stunned expression was frozen on her face. That clap of his hands... it was a genuine clap.
This was Inuzuka Clan territory, and clan members were scurrying about everywhere—a place full of his mother's eyes and ears. If they saw him wandering around, it would not end well. Ryōto ran swiftly along the road and, after turning a few corners, reached his destination: the sanatorium for retired ninja hounds. It was a place that cared for ninja hounds who had lost their masters. It was also known as "the farm." A sign hung on the gate: "Beware of Vicious Dogs." It was meant to deter outsiders, but it didn't stop the ninja hounds of the Inuzuka Clan from coming and going.
Ignoring the guard dog sleeping soundly at the gate, Ryōto sauntered inside. He surveyed the yard, where fattened dogs lay scattered on the ground like gas canisters. The clan fed its members very well, especially the ninja hounds. In many Inuzuka families, their own children ate worse than their four-legged partners. Rin often did this. Food for Ryōto was whatever was available. Food for the ninja hounds was meticulously balanced.
As soon as Ryōto entered, numerous ninja hounds caught his scent and noticed him. Immediately, barks erupted from all sides. In translation, this meant:
"Dog General! Good morning!"
"General! Good morning!"
"Good morning! General!"
Strutting with an arrogant canine gait, Ryōto surveyed his domain. His silver fur shimmered majestically in the sun. He nodded in greeting to the familiar pack leaders.
"Good morning, you small fry!"
"Woof-aroo-o-o-o!"
Allow me to introduce: before you stands Inuzuka Ryōto, the Dog General of the Inuzuka Clan. Under his command is a countless multitude of ferocious hounds. The name "Ryōto" seemed too soft to him, as if he were some kind of pushover. "Dog General" was a nickname he had invented for himself. For now, it was not yet widely known.