"What sort of Battougas are there?" I questioned Retsuga curiously.

"Each wolf – or dog – was the master of a specific Battouga," Retsuga explained. "I as the Retsu warrior, having learned the Retsu Genmu-Battouga. The Retsu Genmu-Battouga is pretty much like the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga, but in an almost reverse motion." When I blinked my eyes in confusion, the one-eyed wolf informed me some more on the Battougas.

"The Zetsu Tenrou Battouga was one of the most powerful of all the Battougas," he proceeded to inform me. "In order for you achieve such an attack, it takes days of harsh and dedicated training to even barely succeed it. The user – wolf or dog – has to run at max speed, leap into the air, and bite while spinning around in a disc like formation. This attack has the ability to create heavy damage, such as decapitating a bear's head off or even gouging out an eye of a wolf. This attack must be delivered fast, or else – with the right evasiveness – the opponent will be able to dodge it."

"That's pretty cool," I muttered, licking my lips with excitement. "So, am I going to learn that technique first?"

"Since that is one of the basic Battougas," Retsuga said, "I'm going to mentor you in learning the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga first. Hyouma has also been gifted with another one of the Battougas – the Metsu Hen'i Battouga. However, I'm going to teach you how to use the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga first, just so you have an idea of how powerful and dangerous these attacks really are."

"Alright," I nodded with agreement. "Can you give me a demonstration on how to use the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga first?"

"Of course," Retsuga replied with a respectful nod. He focused his attention on a long, but thick branch. I watched intently as he raced towards the branch with full speed, leaped into the air, and spun end over. From there, he was spinning as fast as the wind going a hundred-and-forty miles in a hurricane, finally lifting himself into the air and biting deep into the branch.

Shit, I thought with amazement. What a wonderful technique!

CRACK! The branch that Retsuga had bitten into had split in two, making him dive downwards, land on all four of his paws and spit out the branch. "That," Retsuga explained, "was the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga. Your first attempt won't be perfect, since you're not a wolf. But with the right amount of training, you'll be able to succeed such an attack."

"Right," I cried out with joy. "So, where exactly do I start?"

"You'll do the steps one by one," the one-eyed wolf replied. "First, you'll start off by running at max speed." He paused for a second, considering his options. "Why don't we do one together?"

"'Do one together'?" I asked. "I thought you'd had to instruct me on the ability – verbally – and then show me a physical demonstration. I'd like to do it step by step."

"Alright then," the one-eyed wolf said, standing right beside me. "We'll do it in whatever way makes you more comfortable. Now," he said, tilting his head to the branch he'd targeted for the both of us, "why don't we start off at a simple bolt? Just running as fast as you can?"

"Okay," I agreed, while doing as he said and racing off at my normal speed. Then, it only took a second for me to follow Jerome's teachings and kick off with my hind legs, sprinting me forwards at a very high bolt. One second I was standing by Retsuga and the entrance to the row of the trees. The other second I was positioned at Jerome's side.

"Impressive, Tamashi," the pale blue wolf said with pride. "Step two: You'll have to run, but this time, jump into the air, curl your upper body over your lower half and spin as fast as you can while biting. This step might be a bit difficult."

Nodding, I did as Retsuga told me and followed through my steps. I took off at a full sprint, empowering my speed as I pushed off with my hind legs. After three more bounds, I finally leaped into the air and went to curl my upper body over my lower half, only to immediately (and unintentionally) dive headfirst straight down into the ground.

"Shit," I muttered, spitting out the dirt that had gathered in my mouth. "That I didn't mean to do!"

"Let's try it once again, shall we?" the pale blue wolf asked calmly. "Start off with your speed first."

Following Retsuga's instructions, I bounded forward and kicked off with my back legs, springing into the air. "NOW!" the wolf shouted, allowing me to curl up into a ball.

Unfortunately, it was never that easy and I ended up falling and rolling onto the dirt.

"One more chance, Tamashi," Retsuga urged me. "Let me give you a hint: When you curl up into a ball, do not stop ascending into the air. Allow each and every curl you make of your body to push you upwards. Every curl you make will make you even push you faster. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I answered, fully and completely understanding. Focusing on one of the high branches once more, I followed my steps. Step one: I bolted forward with my speed, finally planting all four of my paws onto the ground and springing off. Step two: I curled my body up and over until I formed a disc. Step three: I spun around, each spin I activated only pushed my forwards. Step four: I began to bite wildly while I was spinning. Step five: I only pushed myself forwards with every spin.

Even with every spin I made, I could only see myself nearing the branch. With every second that passed, I could feel myself spinning faster and faster.

Finally, it only took a few more spins until I finally saw the branch right in front of me. I spun one last time and – having bitten while spinning (as Retsuga instructed) – bit into the thick and long branch.

"Excellent, Tamashi!" I heard Retsuga's voice boom with pride. "Your training has paid off."

"But," I stammered, "how was I able to do it so easily? I thought I had to go through days of dedicated training."

"You were being taught by someone who knew the Battouga well," the pale blue wolf said calmly. "When it's being taught by someone who has barely any knowledge on the Battouga itself, it's not as effective and the user of said Battouga tires out rather quickly. When it's being taught by a wolf, more specifically by the original wolf user of that specific Battouga, the user is no longer able to feel such heavy fatigue, now that the student of said wolf user has more experience in controlling said Battouga."

"Wow," I muttered, wagging my tail with excitement. "So, I'll be able to use the Battouga numerous times?"

"It's not as easy as that," Retsuga told me. "If you continue to use the Battouga – no matter which one it is – repeatedly, your enemy will be able to figure out your plan and strike when you're not expecting it. You must only use the Battouga as a last resort."

"I understand," I responded with a dip of my head. "So, the Retsu-Genmu Battouga? Youi said that it was mastered by you? And that it had the same movement as the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga but backwards?"

"Yes," Retsuga told me, "which is why I had decided for you to practice the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga first. The Retsu Genmu Battouga might be a bit harder for you, since the effort you put into the first Battouga was minimal because you're a middle aged dog. Still, I have no doubt that you'll be able to achieve the Retsu Genmu Battouga."

"So," the one-eyed wolf instructed, "do the same steps as before but, when you spin around, try to make a backwards rotation. Do your best."

"Alright," I muttered, repeating my first two steps from learning the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga. With a growl, I hurled myself forward and bounded, finally planting all four of my paws onto the ground and kicking off with my hind paws. I launched myself into the air above me, but as soon as my paws left the earth, I began to hesitate. The hesitation caused me to freeze in midair and plummet to the ground on my left flank.

"You shouldn't have hesitated, Tamashi," Retsuga told me calmly. "As soon as you're in the air, the millisecond you're high in the sky, you must spin around in that millisecond. Otherwise, as you've found out now, you'll fall to your failure."

"Can you show me a demonstration?" I asked. "Maybe if I had visual example, than I can figure out how to do it."

"Of course," Retsuga answered, preparing himself as he focused on another branch. Just as I had, he lunged forward with a burst of lightning fast speed. Then, placing all four of his paws onto the ground, kicking off with his hind legs and propelling himself into the air. The millisecond he gained height, he began to spin around in a backwards rotation, surprisingly reaching his target. Then, I watched as his fangs clamped around the targeted branch, snapping it in half. He aimed himself down at the ground and landed perfectly on all four of his paws.

"There," the one-eyed wolf said. "Now, this has to be your last chance. You've already fulfilled the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga. Much like the Zetsu Tenrou, if you don't use this Battouga as a last resort, you will fall to your opponent. You have to be fast in your activation of any Battouga you use."

"Alright," I answered, preparing myself as I spotted a 30-inch-long and 10-inch-thick branch. Learning what I had been taught, I raced towards the branch, leaping off of my hind legs and leaped high into the air, instantly spinning around without a second's hesitation. However, unlike my teachings from the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga, I began to spin backwards in a very fast motion, easily aiming for the branch with my fangs as I snapped my jaws wildly. With every spin, I began to near the branch as it came closer . . . and closer . . . and closer.

CRACK! The sound of the branch being snapped between my jaws was such a wonderful sound. The texture of the bark against my lips was a beautiful feeling. Finally, the taste of the bitter wood on my tongue was exciting as I had realized that I had succeeded in making the Retsu-Genmu Battouga!

"Well done, Tamashi," Retsuga congratulated with a gleeful grin and a happy pant of his tongue. "You had done very well. You may let go now."

Realizing that I was still hovering in the air by the branch in my jaws, I jerked my head to the right and spat out the branch before landing on my paws. "I did it," I muttered, not believing what I had just done. "I had succeeded in making the Retsu-Genmu Battouga!"

"I would like you to ask if you wanted to train with your newly found abilities to master your own Battouga, if you'd like," the pale blue wolf offered, causing my heart to skip a beat.

"Oh hell yes!" I shrieked as I began to wag my tail with excitement. While a large part of me was denying the thought of being taught anymore by these damned wolves, another hidden light side was poking at my heart, telling me that I should just agree with the wolf's words.

"Alright," Retsuga replied. "If you're going to learn how to create your own Battouga, you'll need to learn these five things. Number one: Are your main weapons your claws or your fangs? Most dogs – or wolves – use their fangs because they feel as if their bite force matters more than claw-usage. However, this is far from true. Your claws can just be as equally sharp and deadly as your fangs."

I had to hesitate when he asked that. I had just assumed that I was going to learn my own Battouga without knowing the "steps" that came with it.

Still, I knew what I wanted. I wanted a Battouga that would be deadly and effective to all enemies. I wanted to rely on brutality, how heavy I could damage my enemy physically, how well I could make him bleed out. If that was the case, why shouldn't I use both – my claws and fangs – as equals?

"Would you mind if I said both my claws and fangs?" I asked hesitantly. "If they really are as razor-sharp and deadly together as you said, why should I not use them?"

"Very well," the one-eyed wolf said. "Number two: Where on your enemy are you going to hit them to inflict critical damage? Just biting them on the ear or the nose isn't nearly going to do as much damage as your preferred spot. Usually, the Battougas are aimed for the skull or the spine, rendering your enemy unable to move. You'd have to hit somewhere where it can cause great damage."

I had to think about a preferred place to disable to my enemy.

The eyes were tiny enough for me to make a lethal lunge, but with the right agility the opponent – whether it'd be a wolf, dog, or bear – would be able to either block my lunge with a claw or easily swerve out of the way. So getting my enemy in the eye was out of the question.

I could go for the heart, the life-bringing organ. As long as the heart was beating, then your enemy still lived. Unfortunately, that would mean that as soon as I aimed my jaws for it, then – with the right claw or jaw power – my enemy could pull or yank me off. Still, even if they did succeed in pulling me off, they would only be seriously wounded.

The throat was too easy of a target. It was so easy to leap for, only for your opponent to evade such an attack unless if they were standing as still as a tree in winter. Plus, the jugular vein was such a large vein that pulsed with blood, giving life force back to the head. It would be so basic, but all too predictable as well.

Then, it all came to me. The perfect Battouga, the most effective and original out of all of them.

"I'll aim . . . for the throat," I told the one-eyed wolf, "but as soon as I bite, I'll pull down my fangs and body, slowly splitting my enemy's belly open and leave the organs to flow out."

Retsuga blinked his one eye in surprise. "I've never heard of anything like that before," he muttered, soon smiling afterwards. "Do what you will. Number three: Your Battouga has to be fast, otherwise your enemy will be able to dodge it with ease. Your Battouga cannot stop cease its speed when you've hit your enemy in its preferred place. You'll have to ensure death or major wounds even after you've activated your Battouga, otherwise it'll have been for nothing."

"I understand," I answered with a bow of my head. "What's number three?"

"How much energy are you focusing into your Battouga?" Retsuga asked curiously. "The Zetsu Tenrou Battouga requires an extreme amount of focus into activating your technique even after you've struck with your enemy."

I pondered that thought for a second, only to respond with, "I'll probably use up all my energy into my Battouga. I mean, if I'm going for a critical hit, it's probably going to take a lot out of me, possibly render me unconscious."

"I see," the pale blue wolf observed. "Number four: If you don't use up all of your energy in your Battouga, how are you going to gather your composure in order to strike your enemy down if needed?"

"I'll–" I ceased my talking, only to consider that possible outcome. "There would have to be a river or a rock I can smash or land into in order to wake myself up, in order or me to recover just in time."

"Interesting," Retsuga answered, nodding his head. "Final number five: What are you going to name your Battouga?"

That wasn't hard for me in the least. "Kuro Tora-Ge Battouga," I answered, translating it for him. "Black Tiger-Stripe sword draw." Realization burned into my sky blue eyes as I realized how do achieve my own Battouga. "And I'll give you a wonderful and visual example."

Spotting the flat bark of a tree before me, I repeated my same form of the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga. However, instead of aiming for a branch, I targeted the gritty side of the flat of three, instantly biting and digging my claws into the flat bark and yanking myself downwards, easily pulling down on the tree and watching as deep gashes slowly appeared into the tree. Tearing my fangs and claws away from the scarred tree, I leaped off of the thick oak and spun around, watching as thick strips of bark came off and smiling with extreme pride.

"That was impressive, Tamashi," Retsuga told me with calm joy. "I've never seen such an attack as that one. That is sure to render your enemy powerless and deeply injured."

"Well done, Tamashi!" Joe yelled with ecstasy.

"I must say that I'm quite stunned as well as Joe, Hyouma, and Mugen are as well," Jerome breathed, looking behind him to see the expressions of the wolves and Weed's brother. All three of them were gaping in surprise at the sight of the aftermath of my Battouga.

"You actually did that?" Joe asked, shaking with disbelief. "That had to take some skill and strength, as you've proven that with your hard and long training."

"What is your Battouga called?" Hyouma asked with curiosity.

"Kuro Tora-Ge Battouga," I repeated to my onlookers. "Instead of aiming for the skull or spine of my enemy, I plan on – as you've seen – aiming for the throat and belly of my enemies, ensuring death as I've brutally torn out their organs."

"Impressive," Hyouma muttered, "for a dog."

"A dog who you know is going to kick your ass if you keep up that racist attitude," I grinned maliciously at the greyish wolf with the Mowhawk.

One by one, wolves and dogs laughed in amusement.