Many Masks

Written By - Olafwa

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Memoirs of a Four Legged Ninja SPECIAL

AN: Another special! WOO! Hope you have as much fun reading as I had writing! 3

It was hard to live. Just like a goat pretending to be a sheep, some would accept him, but he would never be a sheep. Would he even want to be one? Was it worth the trouble? Was it worth loosing what he had now to gain what they had always had? These were the questions he asked himself. Though no one would know by looking at him. Really, who would ever look at him and think this is what they call genius? Who would look at him and think this is a ninja period? All they saw when they looked at him was his two-legged human. They all thought he was the master. Oh, how wrong they were.

I was born into a clan of inu, a K9 clan. Where the dogs ruled and the humans worked, at least that is how it really was. The human mind is very vast and can hold much knowledge, but they are still in evolution, and have not come to fully control it all. So while they think they are so smart, superior demons attack in revenge and beasts manipulate to any whim. He himself had almost created his human; from the time the child was only a babe I had been there. There to mold, he was quite certain this human he himself had named Kiba would have been a completely different person had he not manipulated his whole life.

"Akamaru! Time for lunch!" Kiba yelled out the window.

Despite the ways they manipulated the whole clan the dogs really did love the humans. Akamaru was hopelessly attached and went so far as to privately call the human his pup. He didn't mind playing the dumb dog, as it somehow called to his instincts. Like somehow remembering that these humans really were smarter than dogs at one time. Only one person had ever been able to tell I was smarter than I look, and he was one who almost understood. Bugs ran the Aburame, only the humans were very aware that they work for the small insects. Giving their bodies as a home in exchange for utilizing the bugs for missions and other everyday life things.

This Shino had somehow understood I was the master and Kiba was my charge. He would peer at me from behind those sunglasses as if asking permission, and I would nod and he would make the suggestion to Kiba. If I didn't acknowledge him he would stay silent like always. Picking his team had been a somewhat challenging move, as he really couldn't stand most of the people in the village. He ended up picking the one who understood him and the shyest girl he had ever met. She was nice and liked to pet him, and had surprisingly tamed Kiba, if only a little.

Our sensei however I couldn't choose. I was very worried after seeing Asuma. He didn't want Kiba or himself to die of whatever that guy inhailed. Then Yuuhi Kurenai came in, and smiled at us commenting on how she got the cute team and led us to the east side of the training grounds. This small clearing would be our meeting place for the next few years, and it was very fun. She was always on time; unlike some of the other sensei I have seen and had a nice calm demeanor. Loud or rowdy females were not attractive. Kurenai sensei taught both of us very valuable things and molded us into the best tracking team in Konoha.

Now days I get to go on solo missions with my human, just like when we were pups. The team always does big jobs, but they devide small ones up amongst them. While Hinata went to Sand, Shino went to Rain and I would end up sniffing out baddies in Lightning. Because of our talents, we always get the really long missions, the ones where you don't see a tree for three months. It was harsh and draining, but tasting, smelling, and seeing so many different things was worth it. Thankfully we get long breaks along with the long missions. Getting to stay inside Konoha walls for two months at a time is more than almost any other ninja.

"Time to go hunting Akamaru!" Kiba called, already standing at the door.

I will never have to worry about finding a mate or otherwise for Kiba. Having chose most of his friends, family, and comrades, I think he can choose his own life partner or whatever humans have. They were surprisingly adept at latching on to one another. He had found early on that his cute little doggie presence made all the girls gather to pet, and in avertedly give attention to Kiba as well. Praising Kiba for owning such a cute little thing, it really was absurd. Neither of them understood it, but took advantage all the same. Woman hunting was one of Kiba's favorite past times, the libido of the human male will never cease to amaze me.

It is me I'm worried about. Sometimes I'll look at Kiba and think, how lucky you are to be human. Being a K9 is hard everything is so complicated. The rules, the etiquette, it was all so tiring. I will never understand the need for it. To be simple minded like his Kiba would be bliss. Only have to worry about today, not tomorrow or in ten years. The K9 society pressured every one of its members into doing things so complicated. To be free spirited and open, like most humans, would make you seen as a barbarian in my world. As an adult, as I am now, I am expected to have a number of things, my own pack to lead, a bitch, and pups, not exactly in that order. To be respected in my world it's not about strength, or intelligence or money. It's about your ability to lead.

When you're young, you get your own human to train, to lead. It's your first and in my case hopefully last assignment. It lasts until the human dies. Your first lesson in leading, to help this primitive being be more. Now that I'm older I have to do all sorts of insane ceremonies and even more rules to learn. Discarding the huge task of having my own pack and pups, just finding a bitch that I can stand for more than five minutes is an improbable suggestion. Even if I do find one, the whole process of getting them is beyond comprehension. I don't know how we survived with traditions like these.

For now, though, it's night and tomorrow is the beginning of a new mission with new sights and smells. For now I'll just curl up next to my human and forget that I'm from a K9 clan, forget all the expectations. For just a moment, I'll be the dog everyone thinks I am.

"Oyasumi, Akamaru."