Tiger Return Chapter One
.
Gatehouse duty was one of the most boring jobs in Konoha, and was generally rotated between newly-minted Chunin. It was the turn of the two friends Iruka and Mizuki to sit behind the desk in the open hut, and it had been a quiet day.
A very quiet day.
"Check."
Mizuki cursed silently as he gazed down at the Shogi board perched on the edge of the desk between him and his friend.
"Dammit. How do you keep doing that to me? I was just about to spring my trap!"
"I noticed. But you were concentrating so hard on your trap, you failed to see mine."
Mizuki glared at the board, trying to see any way out that would not leave his side devastated. With a sigh, he moved one of the Gold Generals back in an attempt to protect and regroup, only to wince as Iruka moved a piece that Mizuki had overlooked.
"And I believe that is check-mate."
"...it is. Again." Mizuki said, admiration and irritation warring in his voice. "I don't know how you do it. We've been playing Shogi for years, and I can count my victories on my fingers."
Iruka smiled as he started returning all the tiles to their starting positions.
"You keep going for the short-term gains, overlooking the long-term consequences. That means I can keep suckering you into traps and when you panic, you start to ignore small but important details. As I said before, you really need..."
"...to keep the big picture in sight." Mizuki chorused and Iruka gave an embarrased smile.
"I say that too often, don't I?"
"You do." Mizuki smiled. "And one day I'll listen... you see that?"
Iruka turned round and looked down the road.
"Dust cloud. Something's coming, a caravan by the size of the dust. Can you..?"
Iruka glanced round only to see that Mizuki had already placed the Shogi board on the shelf underneath the desk and had pulled out the entry-form clip-board.
"Thanks. Okay, they should be coming into view... about... what in Kami's name?"
Mizuki opened his mouth, but found himself unable to speak at the sight of the large tigers slowly pacing towards Konoha. The sight of the tigers alone would be enough to silence most people, but if one added the small boy leaping from tiger to tiger in excitement and the packs that many of the tigers were carrying, even Mizuki's normal sarcasm was overwhelmed.
"Mizuki... I think we need the Hokage here. And reinforcements. Lots and lots of reinforcements..."
"...right. I... I'm gone."
A change in the air indicated Mizuki's departure and Iruka gazed at the still-distant but approaching tigers. Already they had passed by a couple of markers which gave him an idea of how large they were, and they were indeed huge. The largest of them was easily seven feet tall at the shoulder and they carried their heads high, looking round with undisguised curiosity while smaller tigers, obviously cubs despite their size, gambolled around their paws and dashed between their legs.
"Hurry up, Mizuki..." he breathed nervously.
..o..
An open-air meeting of the Council was almost unheard of, but the sight of the Hokage sprinting to the main gate with over a dozen Shinobi trying to keep up with him had caused comment. The various Clan Heads and their retinues had shown up within moments, proving once again that even the speed of light is slow compared to the spread of rumour in a Shinobi village, and the civilian members had caught up soon after, mostly red-faced and gasping for air as they staggered towards the impromptu gathering. The walls were crammed with ninja trying to get a good view, many of them crowding the walkway while others stood on the walls themselves, using their Chakra skills to stand on the vertical surfaces.
In front of the crowd of ninja and onlookers, the great tigers simply sprawled across the road, their relaxed postures an eloquent, silent affirmation of their lack of desire for combat. All eyes, however, were transfixed on the three figures standing in front of the gate. Two of the tigers, the smaller still topping six foot at the shoulder and the larger easily being seven and a half, flanked a small figure who barely reached their bellies, yet still looked incredibly unconcerned by the massive beings.
"Wow, what a lot of people. Hi, people!"
A wave of chuckles and laughter rose at the innocent greeting and many of the crowd waved back at the bouncing boy.
"Calm down, cub. They are here to greet all of us, assuming this is the right place." The crowd fell silent as the largest being spoke, his voice understandable despite the growling accent. "We are here to meet with the Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Minato of Konohagakure. Is he here? I am sure he would like to meet his nephew. And maybe his son would like to meet his cousin."
The shocked silence that had greeted the fact that the largest cat could talk seemed as nothing compared to the ringing silence that followed the declaration, then a robed figure stepped forwards.
"The Yondaime Hokage died a bit over seven years ago. But I was unaware he had any living family."
"Really?" the Elder asked, sounding suprised. "We've been tracking him for almost six years, ever since his twin Arashi passed away, leaving young Namikaze Toramaru here in our care. We travelled to Whirlpool after hearing a rumour that he had married one of the Uzumaki clan, I believe her name was Kushina, but the village was in ruins. With no sign of any Uzumaki survivors, we came here after collecting what scrolls and treasure we could find, intending to deliver them to Kushina, Minato or their son, Naruto. Are either of them here? Did they leave after Minato died?"
The already-deep silence grew deeper as the crowd started to realise what had just been said, that the young child which the village had tried to ignore was actually the son of their greatest hero. After a few moments of almost-frantic consultation with the clan-heads, the robed figure turned back.
"Kushina died at the same time as Minato, they were killed defeating the Biju known as the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Their son, Naruto, vanished several years ago, we have been unable to find any trace of him and believe that he was killed by a ninja from Kumo."
The rising rumble of discontented conversation slammed to a halt as the preposterous claims of the tiger were confirmed. Several moment passed, then the tiger sighed.
"I see. Well, we are here now. We had hoped to activate Naruto's Kekkai Genkai as Toramaru's has been activated and Minato's was not, but if he is gone... We wish to claim sanctuary as Toramaru is, apparently, the last surviving Namikaze. We, the Kagetora Clan, will remain by his side and when more Namikazes are born, we will Bond with them as Kage has with Tora here."
"Why do you have funny eyes?"
Hyuuga Hiashi blinked, then looked down to where the young fur-covered child was staring up at him. Glancing at his brother, who was smirking at him, he looked back down at Toramaru.
"It's because I'm a Hyuuga. They let me see all round me without having to turn my head."
"Wow! That's really cool! I wish I could do that, I'd be able to see Kage-nii-san creeping up on me. He keeps pouncing me, you know. He says it's to help me learn, but I think it's because he just enjoys it."
The smaller of the two tigers looked affronted and a gust of involuntary laughter rose from those close enough to hear. Even the old, robed man was hard-pressed not to smile.
"As the current Hokage of Konoha, I welcome you and your... companions. Once we confirm you are indeed of the Yondaime's blood, I will be happy to escort you all to your new home. Will you let my med-nin take a small blood sample?"
Toramaru sighed and held out his arm as the nervous med-nin stepped forwards, syringe in hand. As the blood sample was taken, the Hokage turned back to face the tigers.
"May I ask about this Kekkai Genkai you mentioned? I do not recall Minato having one..."
..o..
"Wow..."
Kage nodded in agreement as the gate opened to reveal a large mansion set in a huge acreage. Beside them, Hizashi, who had found himself 'volunteered' to lead the Clan to their new home and watch to see if the Blood-Seal on the gates would recognize Toramaru, bowed and motioned for them to move through.
"Welcome to the Namikaze mansion, your new home."
Toramaru looked round, then his gaze fastened on a small figure that had retreated behind the corner.
"Who's that?"
Before Hizashi could do more than blink at the apparently random question, Toramaru seemed to vanish in a blur and a small "eep!" sounded. As Hizashi spun round, Toramaru re-appeared, half-dragging a young girl with him.
"Hizashi-sama, she's got the same eyes you do! Do you know her?"
"...Indeed I do." Hizashi said, managing to restrain his smile. "She is my niece, Hinata. Hinata, what are you doing here, you should be with... hello, Ko."
"My apologies, Hizashi-Sama." the new arrival gasped, trying to regain his breath. "I was escorting her back from the park when she saw you and your... your... them. It took me a moment to work out where she had gone."
"So your name is Hinata? I'm Tora! Namikaze Toramaru! Want to help us explore? This looks like a great place. Hey, Kage! This is Hinata. Hinata, my bond-brother, Kage."
Hinata looked at the looming tiger and to Hiashi's proud amazement, she didn't faint, but bowed. "It's an honour to meet you, Kage-san."
Kage lowered his head in acknowledgement and then lay down with a slight growl. Toramaru's eyes lit up.
"Really? Great, thanks. Come on, Hinata, Kage says he'll carry us!"
Toramaru leapt onto Kage's back, then pulled the startled Hinata up behind him, wrapping his tail around her waist. As she grabbed on for dear life, Kage stood up and strolled in through the gates. Hizashi stared after them for a moment, then hurried to catch up and ensure that his niece was not about to fall off, Ko following nervously behind him.
..o..
The council hall was a veritable cacophany of noise with the civilians shouting to be heard, the clan heads enraged at the holding back of information and the three Elder Advisors trying to put their own views forth. After a few moments, Sarutobi slammed his hands down on the table.
"SILENCE! Thank you. Now I will take questions but only from those I select. Hyuuga Hiashi, your clan has spent the most time with our newest arrivals, you have any questions?"
"Just one, Lord Hokage. I have no doubt that young Namikaze Toramaru is a true Namikaze despite his appearance, the Blood Seal recognized his blood, removing all doubt. But what is the reason for his... appearance?"
"According to the Elder of the Kagetora," Hiruzen said, "Minato had the passive version of the Toragan, boosted reflexes, healing and senses. However, the true potential of the Toragan needs to be unlocked by the Kagetora Clan via a rite that they hold secret. Once activated, the user of the Toragan becomes like Toramaru, gaining enhanced speed, agility, strength, senses... and a bodyform similar to that of the Kagetora. In addition, the Toragan allows for the forming of a telepathic link between the wielder and one of the Kagetora, a link far more than what you share with your nin-ken, Tsume. In fact, the link is closer to that of the Yamanaka-clan's main Jutsu."
The leader of the Inuzuka raised her eyebrow at the statement, but to Hiruzen's relief, she didn't protest.
"In addition, the Kagetora are as intelligent as we humans, albeit somewhat more... direct. They live for a long time, too, and once they develop to a certain point, are capable of learning to speak our tongue, should they choose. Like your partner Kuromaru, for example. The Kagetora Elder and I had a long discussion about the uses and limitations of the Toragan. Next question, Inuzuka Tsume."
Tsume blinked a few times, then leaned forwards. "I do not wish to sound like I'm jealous, but from the size of the... the Kagetora, does this mean that we Inuzuka need to start worrying?"
Hiruzen gave her a reassuring smile. "There are still under a hundred Kagetora, and only one known Toragan wielder. It will be several generations at least before we can field them in numbers even a fraction of the Inuzuka pack. And with their size, their combat ability may be higher on an individual basis, but for long-distance tracking and stealth infiltration, and the fact that they do not have anything like the Inuzuka merging jutsus... I do not think you need to worry. Uchiha Fugaku?"
"As leader of the Military Police, I must ask if any of them would be willing to join our ranks. We could try and find... bond-brothers, was it? from among my clan. Surely the Sharingan..."
"Would not help in this instance." Sarutobi interrupted. "From what the Elder said, only a half-dozen of them speak our tongue fluently, although most understand it. The Bond itself requires the Toragan, no other Kekkai Genkai will do, and while you can ask them if they are willing to help, the choice is theirs and theirs alone. If they say no, do not push them. I wouldn't want to risk angering them. Any more questions?"
'And there is no way I'm letting you know he's really Naruto.' Sarutobi reflected, remembering his shock when the Elder had explained the deception and the reasons for it. 'I failed you once, Minato, by not protecting your son and relying on the villagers being more intelligent than they actually are. I am not failing you again.'
..o..
Hiashi nodded at the two gate-guards and stepped into the Hyuuga compound. As he approached the house, his brother opened the door and bowed in greeting.
"I hope the meeting went well, brother. Namikaze Toramaru and all but one of his friends have settled into the Namikaze mansion and its grounds. They've asked if Hinata and Neji are willing to visit, I said that I'd relay their request."
"I see no reason why not." Hiashi allowed. "After all, he is the nephew of the Yondaime."
Hizashi nodded and Hiashi looked at him suspiciously.
"What is so funny?"
"Oh, Hinata impressed the Kagetora today." Hizashi smirked. "In fact, she befriended the sister of Kage, the Kagetora Bonded to young Namikaze. It's not a true Bond, but the two of them are already close. In fact, I believe that Hinata's gained a new guardian out of this, one that even an elite Kumo-nin would fear to go up against."
Hiashi's eyes widened and his pace increased. Reaching his daughter's bedroom door, he opened it slightly and his gaze met the calm gaze of the giant tiger curled protectively around the sleeping shape of his beloved child.
"Her name is Flower Blossoming In The Sunrise, but she answers to Kyouka." Hizashi half-whispered. "Hinata actually offered her a cinnamon roll, something I've never seen her do before."
Hiashi nodded, remembering how much his daughter loved cinnamon rolls. For her to relinquish one was almost unheard of.
"I see no reason to worry about it tonight." He said. "Now, I believe that the Elder Council are waiting to hear about what happened at the meeting today, yes? Let's not keep them waiting."
..o..
Hinata started to wake, slowly drifting out of the soft realms of sleep. For a few moments, her mind remained blank as sensations filtered through her sleep-fogged mind. In the background, the quiet, cultured noise of the awakening household was just about recognisable, but it was in turn almost drowned out by a noise that she knew she had heard before, but never before in her room.
She frowned as she concentrated on the noise. It was a kind of deep rumbling, almost a purr…
Hinata snuggled deeper into the furry pillow, luxuriating in the heat radiating from it, and then the pieces came together with an abruptness that catapulted her from her langorous daze into full wakefulness. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, her blanket tumbling off her as the purr grew more intense. Looking round, she met the amused eyes of her new room-mate.
"Good morning, Kyouka." She said quietly. "I didn't wake you, did I?"
Kyouka shook her head, then gave Hinata a brief lick on her cheek. The feel of the rough tongue caused Hinata to giggle and she wrapped her arms as far around Kyouka's neck as possible, burying her face into Kyouka's fur as she hugged the Kagetora. A moment later, the door to her room opened.
"Good morning, daughter."
"Morning, Otou-san." Hinata replied, unwillingly ending the hug. As she did so, her father released a small chuckle.
"Breakfast will be served in half an hour." He said. "You have enough time to wash and dress, you may wish to choose clothes that can take some punishment as I am certain you will wish to visit your new friend Tora again today."
Hinata spun round blushing, but her father had already gone.