We are at the next arc, one of extreme importance. The chunin exams, Gaara, revealed a serious weakness and now we get to see Mika compensating for that.

One week since the Invasion- Three weeks til Naruto returns

"Why a cat?" Hinata asked as Mika walked to the veterinarian's office with Hana taking lead.

He turned to her, smiling. "I heard, through the grapevine, that Kakashi Hatake had a ninja hound he raised help Naruto and his group fight Gaara. I wasn't quite there when he used them to fight Zabuza, but I saw the wounds on Zabuza when we beheaded him and sealed his corpse away. Kiba is an idiot but with Akamaru, he is a useful idiot for tracking, I have seen what Hana could do while training you. I also would get help with information gather, which is something I am lacking in. A ninja animal, a summons, is always helpful. I lack the chakra for a summons, but I can raise a ninja animal.

As for why cats, aside from them being the most put-down animal in the Leaf, are incredible hunters. They are the reason countless bird species are now extinct. They were first tamed to hunt rats and so on. They can track, they can hunt in groups though they rarely do, and they can help heal with a purr according to some metrics. They also can show empathy, they give their owners dead animals as a sign of concern. I would use dogs, but I think a cat would be a better fit for me.

As for why, why now? I realized fighting Gaara that I need power and help. I will never be a powerhouse, not for a while anyway. I need something to compensate and this... this is a perfect idea. I do not need extra chakra for an ally, I get a permanent ally and maybe someone to love. I am alone, Hinata, yes I have you and now your family, but I will not always have that. This is a great thing for me."

Hinata nodded, excitement in her eyes. Mika enjoyed that sight, he liked seeing her happy, it was so much better than the misery and shyness of before.

"Alright here are your choices," Hana said, gesturing to a large group of kittens, all of various sizes and all adorable to his eyes. "I would say adopt an older cat, but we just put all of them down, regulations required it sadly. Besides, for a ninja cat, you want to adopt a kitten. One that you can mold into a ninja cat. It requires regular chakra infusions, likely while you pet it, and I would absorb it's chakra in tiny waves so you create a bond. We have special food you will need to purchase to make it smarter and stronger, food that enhances it's mind and body and chakra network. Breeding is key, yes, but the truth is chakra is the majority of the process. Mika, your chakra is really strong, weak in amount but in value it's really powerful and extremely spiritual." Hana smiled at him. "I am proud of you, this is a great idea to compensate for your low chakra levels and create another ally for the Leaf! Really, if you can also make your cat have medical skills, it will be an even greater ally."

Mika nodded, kneeling before the cats. With a focused gaze, he watched as they played. The ones that were alone, hiding from his sight and scent were immediately ignored, he needed a warrior, not a meek housecat. Temperament was everything here, he needed an ally he could rely on, one that would live and die for him. A great start was key.

So, naturally, he could not help but smile when a tiny orange cat with amber eyes rubbed against his ankles, purring warmly. Picking it up, he saw that he cat had white patches on his collar bone and belly. His fur was mildly stripped, with faint brown and orange. He shed a lot, as Mika picked him up tiny flecks fell from his body. He was a tad thinner than the other cats, but there was something in his eyes that made Mika smile.

"What is your name?"

Hana piped up. "Ghost, he was needed by a woman that brought him in, she had a litter under her barn. She brought in her kittens to be spaded. She died during the invasion, never had the chance to see that come to a reality sadly..."

Mika sighed. "That is... terrible." He kissed Ghost's little nose, getting tiny licks in return from the abrasive tongue. "Hello, Ghost... would you like to be my Ninja Partner?" Stroking the little cat's back, Mika pushed a tiny sliver of chakra into the small frame, pulling out a tiny fraction of the cat's chakra all at once. Immediately a warm, loving, fraternal energy filled his soul easing the ache where his father had torn into him. Ghost purred loudly and threw himself forward, clambering onto Mika's shoulders, rubbing his face into Mika's head.

"I think that's that." Hinata said, chuckling.

Mika nodded. "Agreed. How much?"

Hana laughed. "He is free, his supplies not so much. Come on, I'll show you how to channel chakra more efficiently and how to infuse his food with it."

They would end up taking him back to the Hyuuga compound where even Hiashi was unable to stop himself from cooing at the thin furball as he played around with the training toys Mika bought. Before they went to bed, Mika placed a grey collar around Ghost's neck, with the symbol of the Leaf on it. He would have to wait until Ghost was at least two months old to register him as a ninja cat, but this was a start.

According to Hana, chakra infusion and the food would force Ghost to grow faster and smarter until he was an adult. He would gain usage of chakra and the power to understand human speech soon, within a week he could start to be trained that was how fast the effects of the chakra would begin to be wonders of chakra never failed to amaze Mika... especially it's medical applications. Soon he would have a partner, one to abate the loneliness he felt, and to compensate for his lack of power... and to help him destress from the compact training regimen he had.

All in all, today was a very, very good day.

Chapter end, Tell me what you think in the reviews.

This was a blast to write. Ghost is actually my real life cat.

I have so many suggestions for Ghost and his powers, but not everything if you have ideas please share them

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.