My name is Akamaru, and I'm a ninja dog and leader of genin Team 8. We ninja dogs are not very common, but we are the most loyal and strong citizens of Konoha. We command the human Inuzuka clan (kind of like a pack), a fine group of ninjas even though they are human. And, like I said, I'm also the leader of a genin team. My team is a good one.
First it has my human, Kiba. Yep, I must say I'm proud of my pup; he's a great boy to watch out for. He's very strong and spirited. The other two pups I guide are a boy named Shino and a girl named Hinata. Shino is a good fellow even though he needs to lighten up sometimes. Still, I wouldn't trade him. And then Hinata, she's a sweet one; I keep recommending to Kiba that she'd make a good mate for him (its never too early to start thinking about the future!). Besides that, she sometimes brings be these amazing doggy treats. Lastly, there's my teaching assistant, Kurenai. She's a good ninja, but sometimes she acts like she's the one in charge. But all's forgiven with her great tummy rubs.
So, last week we had quite a mission, C-class even. We had to escort a traveling merchant (I forgot his name already, or maybe I never bothered to learn it since he smelled like house cats) from Konoha to his village. Depending on how good of time we'd make, it would take either a full day or two relaxed days and a night in the village for the round trip. The merchant was more then a little on the chunky side, so the relaxed pace was necessary.
We hadn't even been traveling for very long when the client insisted on stopping for a meal. Kurenai seemed a little reluctant to stop so soon, but hey, food's food. And one of the best parts of being on my team is that my students all bring such tasty foods. After I finished the meal Kiba brought for me (he's such a good boy) and sampled the foods of the rest of my team, I noticed the merchant had way more food then even he could eat.
Logically, any normal person would reason that he brought extra for me, an apology for smelling like cat. So I had no idea why he changed his mind about sharing me once I went for my well deserved ration. There was some confusion and yelling, but I was able to get the food I was entitled to. It was less then impressive in flavor. And so, things were sorted out and packed up, and we were able to continue with our mission.
Then we walked, and walked, and walked. Going at the fat merchant's pace was hard enough on me, but I had Kiba to look out for. An energetic pup like him needs more exercise then a leisurely stroll. But the merchant was the client, he was paying us so at his pace we were trapped. There was nothing I could do. Just when I was about ready to grant Kurenai command so I could climb in Kiba's jacket for a nap, the calm broke.
It wasn't much, just a handful of bandits looking for easy money. I knew my pups could handle them with ease. This was true especially because of the heightened senses of my team, providing us with information on the enemy way before they attacked. And when they finally did attack (which waiting for took forever!) we were ready and in formation. It was obvious that the students should handle the combat, and Kurenai should stick by the merchant just in case. As Kiba most likely would not require my assistance for a fight like this, I opted to let him fight alone and took on the role of overseer, ready to step in at any time. I was in a good position to observe weaknesses in my pups' fighting as well.
So when the thieves finally hauled their lazy butts out of the bushes, we were ready. With all of that build up, the actual fight was short and disappointing. Though one or two of them had some degree of skill with weaponry, they were no match for our well-oiled machine of a team. But apparently while I was watching my Kiba with pride (I admit that I can't help but favor him, he is my Inuzuka subordinate, after all), little Hinata made some kind of a mistake and Shino provided assistance. Poor little Hinata is a lot stronger then she gives herself credit for, but without self-confidence can sometimes make those little mistakes. After the battle, I could tell that she was feeling really down. So, as any good leader would, I took it upon myself to comfort and reassure her with a multitude of licks to the face. She giggled, thanked me, and quickly cheered up.
The rest of the trip passed without any more excitement. Kiba was in high spirits from the very successful fight, so occasionally we'd engage in travel games, or I'd take him up in the trees above our team to hop around and burn off more of his excess energy.
But our mission did not end once we reached the village. From there, we escorted the fat merchant home to his plump wife and the dinner that she had prepared for us. The woman appeared to be a very nice lady (good at scratches behind the ears!) and in return for that I forgave the indignity of being forced to eat on the floor. However, the insult ended up in my favor, as some of the meat was seasoned in a way Shino found unappealing, so he secretly slipped a portion of it my way. He may seem distant, but behind all the quiet he really is a good boy.
After the meal ended and we were paid, we left the merchant. We did a little bit of window-shopping, there was something said about some shop with a famous scented soap (eesh! Who would want soap, let alone scented soap?). Kurenai and Hinata were excessively excited about all that flowery scented stuff; Kurenai even pressured Kiba into picking up some overly floral lotion for his mom. Kiba tried explaining that the Inuzuka noses were a little too sensitive for the junk, but Kurenai was too busy playing with different toiletry items with Hinata to note his objections. Even Shino got in on the shopping action, though I noticed he made his purchases with considerably more stealth then, say, Kiba did.
And when our shopping adventure had finally ended, it was time for a decision. We could choose to either return at an accelerated pace and arrive late at night, or spend the night at an inn. Kiba made a beautiful speech on why we should spend the night. But I knew that the lofty educational and experience benefits were not his true motivation. Kiba had been tipped off in advance about a neighbor of ours, with the most trashed garden imaginable, was about to hire some genins to help clean and restore it.
But, Kiba was able to persuade the team, and we selected a nice if modest inn. What wasn't fun, however, was the humiliation of being secretly smuggled into the rooms. Whether the inn was all out disallowing dogs or just charging more for them didn't matter to me. I have my rights, and they were being violated! But I'm a ninja, not a political reformer, so I didn't dwell on the insufferable inequality of it all.
The night we spent in that village, as all other nights our team spends together, was great. Our atmosphere just can't be beat. Sure, sometimes Kiba and Shino clash and butt heads, but that has to be expected from young ninja pups like them. Underneath it all, our nice little group is a pack, loyal and true. And the last thing I remember before falling asleep in that warm, cozy inn was thinking about how thankful I am to have such a great boy, and such a great team.