Chapter 12: Rite of Passage

~~Norung Clan Grounds~~

"You really put work into this, haven't you?"

Tsunami and Tsume were both struck by awe at the sight before them. It had been two days since the two along with Fumiko and Inari had been in the Norung Clan Grounds and when they saw the skeleton of the clan's future home there were astonished. It wasn't much at the moment, just the framework and structure of the walls and floors that were made, but the fact that only one man had done this along with cutting and processing the lumber on his own in two days impressed them both greatly. As it stood now it had the structure to have three floors and from the wall frames making up the skeleton, it seemed each floor would have at least three bedrooms in it. And to further their surprise it wasn't built like how Fen had described the longhouses of his native land. Instead, it was modeled towards that of what you would see in Konoha.

Fen chuckled as he saw the two of their expressions and shrugged his shoulders as he handed Inari and Fumiko their bows and quivers filled with arrows. Today was the day he would take them on their first hunt and the two children seemed both nervous and excited for the next step of their training.

"It's not too much honestly. Back home the clan would have something like this done in two days. We had to work quickly to beat the elements."

Tsume just snickered at Fen's humble nature, finding it all the more attractive to the potential mate she saw in him. Tsunami was unable to think such thoughts as she looked down and saw her only son excited to finally prove himself to Fen. He had been looking forward to this for a week. Fumiko was just as thrilled, but to her, this meant more than just proving she was growing with Fen's teachings. This was her next step in understanding the culture she was part of by blood.

After the two had their quivers on their backs and bows strapped alongside them the two stood in front of Fen with full attention on their mentor. This sight warmed Fen's heart as it reminded him of his first hunt. The day his mother took him to bring home prey worthy of the clan. He just hoped they didn't run into a real challenge like he did his first hunt.

"Alright you two, this is not just a test of your skills. This is a rite of passage in the Nord culture. This, like when children graduate from the academy here, will show your clan that you are no longer a child but a budding warrior. And, if you are able to take down the animal you find properly, I will start to train you on the weapon of choice you wish to learn. Be it spear or axe I will train you in the way of the Nord Warrior. Now, are you two ready?"

Both children nodded with conviction in their eyes. "Yes, Fen-sensei!"

"Good. Your task is to track and take down an animal worthy of a feast. No small game like rabbits or squirrels. I will only accept creatures larger than the ninkin of Tsume's clan."

The two nodded to their mentor again, the smiles gone from their faces and replaced with looks of determination. They were ready, but Fen worried if they were ready to take a life. After a few seconds of them staring at Fen, he nodded his head and turned to start walking into the woods. The two started walking behind them and both turned to see Tsume and Tsunami waving at them with smiles. They weren't allowed to follow. This was not their trial to overcome.

~~Wilderness (With Inari and Fen)~~

Fen watched from in the branches of the trees as Inari knelt down to the grown and put his hand to the earth. Inari seemed to excel in tracking and was quick to find the tracks of what appeared to be some sort of feline animal. From what Fen had told him there were only a handful of feline wildlife in the area of Konoha. There were the Lynx, Mountain Leopards, Cougars, and the occasional Panther. Judging from the size and depth of the pawprint he surmised it was likely a Panther and this only made him further concrete the idea that taking down such an elusive creature would only show his skills and honor Fen with its pelt. After thinking over the risks of such a strong game Inari steeled himself and brought his bow to his hands and started to track the footsteps of the feline. Fen was impressed that, if his hunch was correct, that Inari deduced the pawprints were that of a cat larger then the Lynx and was still going on ahead. This also worried him. He wanted them to prove themselves, but to this extent. It made Fen glad he decided to watch over Inari in secret while Skoll and Hati trailed Fumiko. These two seemed to be eager to get a predator as their first kill.

Inari kept following the the trail of pawprints through the every growingly thick foliage. Fen had to give it to the kid, he seemed greatly adept in tracking. It filled him with some pride in knowing that while he watched Inari make his way towards his mark. Every time Inari crouched down to the ground to hide in the dense fauna Fen was impressed to see it was in response to another creature moving about. It showed Fen that, even though other prey was in his sights, Inari was determined to take down the mark he had decided on. It would be a useful skill to have if and when he would ever decide to join the forces of Konoha.

After twenty minutes of hunting down the panther Inari and Fen were awarded an unintended sight. Before them, resting in the midst of thorn bushes, was not a panther but a white-furred, red-stripe-marked tiger. The tiger was laying on its side, resting lazily within the prickly brush with its body exposed to any arrow the boy would shoot towards it. The animal was indeed a very powerful predator if the presence of it was anything to go off of. However, when Inari knocked his arrow and took aim, he stopped himself as he saw the belly of the beast.

The tiger's stomach was swollen and even though Inari wasn't a complete expert in animal biology like Hana was he knew that the tiger before him had to be with child. Inari frowned slightly at the sight and lowered his bow before taking the arrow away from the bowstring. He put the arrow back into his quiver before taking a deep breath and smiling at the animal. It truly was a sight to see such a special animal in the wilderness and even though he wouldn't take its life he would take the sight of the animal with him to tell Fen. Maybe he could convince his Nord friend into befriending it when he told Fen about it. Before the boy would leave to find another animal to stalk he reached into his satchel and pulled out some pieces of dried jerky Fen had given him. He placed the dried meat down where he stood before slowly melding back into the foliage to continue his hunt.

While Inari did all of this Fen had a smile that wouldn't leave his face. Not only did Inari successfully track the beast down, but he also showed compassion by letting the pregnant tiger live instead of taking its life for his own personal gain. This showed that Inari had a heart, and it made Fen even more proud of his surrogate son. Before he would trail after Inari the Nord would take one more look at the unique tiger and do the same thing Inari did and save the sight in his mind. After staring at the majesty of the beast for a few more seconds Fen took his leave and followed after Inari to keep watch over him.

When both Fen and Inari were gone from the area the tiger would open its eyes and let a feline smile cross over its maw. She slowly got up, struggling with the weight of her burden before going over to the jerky Inari had left her. She happily ate the meat given and purred with satisfaction at the pleasant taste of the spiced jerky. As she finished eating her treat rustling came from the thorn bushes behind her. She turned her head and smiled at the smaller tiger coming from the foliage. The tiger was similar to the female but had black fur instead of white while keeping the red stripes they shared.

"My lady, have you decided?"

The female tiger thought it over for a second before she responded to the other. "I have. It seems there are still humans that honor the hunt and do not take advantage of prey undeserving. That boy would make a fine summoner."

The black-furred tiger bowed his head lowly to the female, sitting on its hindlegs before speaking again. "Of course, Lady Yoneda. But I must ask, is it wise to reenter the world after so long of isolating ourselves from these humans?"

Yoneda sat back on her hind legs as well, be it slower to comfort her swollen belly. "We all had gotten word of Lord Gamamaru's latest vision, Kaneko. Things are changing in the world once more and it is time for not only the Demon Tiger Clan to return but most of the betrayed summoning clans as well."

Kaneko didn't question his leader and simply nodded. "I understand, my lady. But why the boy and not the alpha that was watching over him in the trees?"

A slight chuckle came from Yoneda's maw before looking back to where Inari and Fen had left. "Because that boy, that alpha, has others already eyeing him. Besides, the boy he is training has great potential within him. I can smell it on him. We need to make sure the others of this Nord clan are looked after, not just their leader. Now, let us return home Kaneko. The cubs are growing restless."

~~Wilderness (With Fumiko, Skoll, and Hati)~~

Fumiko was growing frustrated as she seemed to be struggling with finding a single fresh set of tracks to follow. She had been in the woods for nearly an hour now and the only animals she had seen so far were the small rodents that scurried across the forest floor. She was secretly wishing that the task was to just take any animal down instead of one larger and more elusive. Even if it was a simple deer she would be happy with it. While she silently seethed at her struggles the wolves Skoll and Hati watched over her like a parent would their own child. They took the tasks their brother Fen gave them very seriously and swore that they wouldn't let harm befall the girl while she tried to prove herself. But that didn't mean they couldn't snicker and chuckle from the shadows as they watched her. If she was just a bit more patient she would have noticed tracks of both deer and lynx around her.

Though as she was about to yell in frustration something caught her eye. She looked down and saw what looked like bloody scales on the bark of a tree. She knelt down and inspected the scales and was confused since the size of them indicated a larger species of reptile and if her knowledge was correct there weren't any animals fitting that depiction native to this region of Fire Country. Though this only made her wonder if this was part of her test, something that her mentor would toss in her path. But that idea was quickly shot down since she knew Fen would never injure an animal unless it was completely necessary. Which only further concerned her. Not for her trial or for any potential trickery, but there was an animal injured in the area. She knew she wasn't strongly attuned to wildlife like Fen and his clan were but being around him and Hana instilled a great love and concern for animals.

She had to think of what to do as she saw the tracks of clawed feet and blood grazing the ground around them. She needed to find an animal to hunt down before the start of dusk, but at the same time, this animal was clearly wounded and needed help. She sighed and, against her better judgment, started to follow the bloody trail the reptile left for her. What she didn't know, nor the wolves following her was that high in the trees and blending in perfectly to the tree's bark was something watching her.

She stalked with haste, following the trail left behind as she hoped that the animal wasn't suffering or, even worse, dead. It took her all of an hour to find what she was looking for and when she did she was in awe of the creature. Before her, sunbathing in a clearing in the woods, was a lizard so large that it could rival a wolf in size. The reptile had bronze scales that shimmered in the noon light and claws as dark as ebony. Fumiko could only watch the creature before her, unable to think of anything else but its beauty. However, those thoughts were soon replaced with concern when she saw the bleeding wound on the lizard's side. She could be wrong, but from her view, it looked like something had bit into the scaly flesh of the reptile in front of her.

Fumiko was unsure of what to do as she thought of how to act now. On one hand, the animal was clearly in pain if the twitching of its limbs were anything to go by, but on the other hand, she had no idea how the animal would react to her since it was injured. She thought about going back and getting Fen to tend to the animal's wound but the sounds of snarls stopped her as she looked to the west side of the clearing to see a large panther making its way to the scent of wounded prey. It was in that instance that Fumiko knew what she had to do.

The young Nord girl took her bow in hand and knocked her arrow as she saw the panther stalking towards the lizard that just laid there as if expecting death to take it. She wouldn't let that happen. Fumiko took a deep breath as she steadied her aim at the panther's torso, both eyes fixed on where the heart should rest in its body like Fen had taught her. With a deep breath, she let the arrow slip from her fingers and fly into the air before the familiar sound of an arrow piercing something solid. She blinked as she saw the panther yelp in pain before falling to the ground silent and still. And that's when the realization hit her. She took a life.

Slowly she made her way to the panther and knelt down beside it, looking over the feline she had stroke down with a single release of an arrow. She saw the blood seeping from not only the arrow's insertion but the mouth of the powerful animal. She felt tears sliding down her cheeks as she put a hand on the panther's chest and gave a silent prayer.

"Forgive me, my friend. I will make sure you are not going to waste. Everything you are will further be used in the cycle of life. I pray you can forgive me."

She took a deep breath before standing up and got to work gutting the animal like Fen had shown her and Inari every time he returned from his own hunts. She was nowhere near as clean or efficient in the matter, making several mistakes as she worked but eventually removing the unneeded guts of the animal like she was taught. When it was all said and done she looked at the lizard. The reptile was now fully awake and looking at her and the panther she had killed. Fumiko's anxiety hit a peek when it started to come to her but stopped when the animal saw the bow in her hand. She noticed this and wondered if she knew what she had done with it. Not trying to show any hostility to the lizard she smiled and straddled the bow back over her chest and smiled before going back to the panther and removing its back left hind leg. She held the large piece of meat before putting it down before the lizard and soon after grabbing the panther and starting to drag it away.

When she was back to the treeline she smiled at the lizard as it watched her one last time before nodding to it and leaving.

The lizard, after waiting for her to be far enough away, started to eat the leg given to him with gusto. As he ate the lizard's wound slowly started to heal and patch over with new bronze scales before it rested after finishing its meal. The lizard smirked in the direction of the child that saved it and gave an appreciative nod.

"Yeah, I think that old toad was right. That girl didn't hesitate to save a life and even offered the spoils of her reward to the injured. What do you all think?"

At the question, the ground around the clearing shifted and five lizards with mud-colored scales appeared. "We believe the same, Lord Fukui. Shall we return to your father and report what we have learned to him to make the final decision?"

Fukui chuckled and shook his head before starting to walk into the woods. "No, that ancient lizard is already well aware of what happened. I think he found the first summoner candidate for the Komodo Clan in the last seven hundred years. I hope he likes the girl as must as me."

~~Wilderness (With Inari and Fen)~~

Inari grinned as he aimed his arrow at a deer eating in the forest. He had learned that if he was patient and baited an area, potential marks would come his way. Fen was astonished it took the boy this long to figure that out. So now Inari was proud as he fired his arrow and took down the buck with a single shot to the heart. The deer fell to the ground with a loud bleat of it's snout before falling silent. The boy was quick to go and recover his prize as he got to work gutting it like Fen had shown him and Fumiko several times after his hunts. It was rather efficient in the art and in no time at all he had gutted the animal's entrails and was about to strap its hindlegs to some rope to pull before a loud roar rang out in the forest.

Inari dropped the ropes and looked around with bow in hand and arrow knocked. Fen had warned them that, while hunting, there was always a chance you entered a predator's territory and they needed to be prepared to defend what was theirs. However, being told it was something completely different than experiencing it. Inari kept looking around til he saw it. Coming from the south was a large creature, one that Fen had told him was one of the few apex predators in the world. Before him was a large, hulking bear of brown fear. The bear stood on its hindlegs and bellowed out to the boy that dared take the meal it was hunting itself. Inari froze in place, completely unprepared to face off against such an opponent so early in his life. The bear picked up on the boy's fear and raised its paw to swipe at the boy and end his life like he had ended the deer's.

But before the claws could rip through Inari's flesh the blow was stopped. Inari opened his eyes, expecting to be in the afterlife but instead was greeted with Fen standing between him and the bear and the bear's paw being pulled back as Fen moved Inari back. Fen kept his eyes on the bear, acknowledging its strength with a nod of his head before speaking to Inari.

"Boy, take the deer and head straight to my home. Do not stop, do not engage in anything. If another predator tries to take the mark you are to abandon the deer and run. Now go!"

Inari blinked, tears in his eyes as he saw Fen slowly reach to his back and pull the large axe he had from its holster. The entire time Fen did not break eye contact with the bear as he gripped the axe with both hands and took deep steady breaths.

"Did I stutter? Go! Now!"

With those words shouted for all to hear around them Inari broke from his fear and ran away like he was instructed to do. As soon as Inari and his prey were out of sight Fen tried to think of how to handle this. Bears were very tricky to try and befriend even with his clan's bloodline. He wasn't sure if it was worth the try but he always would rather spare a life of an animal than take one.

"Listen to me, mighty beast, I do not want to do this. Walk away, find another to eat and not my cub."

The bear seemed to listen to the man's words if only for a second before roaring out and baring down all its weight on its front paws to try and crush Fen. Fen was quick to dodge to the side as he made a distance of a yard between them.

"Great bear, I do not wish to kill you! I can sense your strength and honor it. You have nothing to prove to me!"

No more words seemed to reach into the bear's ears as it charged at Fen and soon the two were engaged in battle. Unlike those he had killed for his missions, Fen was actually remorseful for what he had to do. He didn't want to kill the bear, but his life could not end and neither could Inari's. He rolled out of the way of another swipe of the bear's paw before offering a counterattack of vertical slash to the bear's chest.

When Fen felt the bear's blood spray across his face his heart sank as he saw and heard the bear fall to its back with a loud thud before calling out in pain. Fen frowned as he circle the bear, seeing its pain before sighing and going to it with axe in hand.

"I am sorry my friend, but you left me no choice. But I understand. We were in your territory and you needed to defend it even if it meant going against someone like me. I respect your tenacity and will make sure that nothing of you goes to waste. Please. Rest easy and know I will always regret this."

Fen raised his axe up and aimed at the bear's neck to sever his head to stop the bear's pain as its blood was pooling underneath it. He took a deep breath and was about to deliver the blow to end its misery before a voice spoke out from the woods.

"Stop! That is enough!"

Fen stopped his axe mid-swing before looking at the voice. Coming from the dense bushes to the east was a larger, grey-furred bear that seemed to be looking at him with concern and pity in its eyes.

"That is enough, warrior. My son has learned his lesson. Let him be."

The Nord frowned but did what the animal asked. "You're a summoning beast?"

The grey bear nodded as she went to her son and started to lick the large gash in his fur and with every lick the wound slowly started to heal. She kept at this for ten minutes before looking back to Fen and offering him a smile.

"Indeed. I am Kawabata of the Summoning Bears. More specifically I am the matriarch of the clan."

Fen frowned at the revelation and put the axe on his back before offering a bow to the bear. "Forgive me, Lady Kawabata. I was unaware who your son was but I had to defend my own when he threatened him."

Kawabata chuckled as she walks over to Fen and sits in front of him. "I understand what my son decided to do and the consequences he would have to suffer for threatening another's cub. It shames me to know that he didn't listen to your words. Even with the threat at your feet, you tried to stop the conflict with peace. I must admit that I am impressed."

After they finished their introductions and apologies the two bears along with Fen were making their way to his home. The bears seemed rather interested in the stories Fen was telling them about a land far away from the Elemental Nations and how bears like them were rather revered and held in high regard by his people. He told them both that his clan always tried to live in peace with the wilds and never took what they had for granted. They never wasted an ounce of the animals they hunted and used everything they could to further improve themselves before burying what was left in the woods so their bodies would still be of service to the forests the animals called home.

Eventually, Fen did ask the question of why her son, which he was told was named Tsuda, wasn't talking with them. Kawabata explained to him that unlike other summoning beasts the Bear Clan did not develop their vocal cords until they were roughly twenty years in age. This interested Fen greatly and led to his own questions about the Bear Clan and how large they could grow if the size of Tsuda was only that of a ten-year-old cub. He was surprised to find out that Tsuda would grow to be as large as one of the houses in the Elemental Nations by the time he reached forty and would have fur as thick as iron. It was one of the biggest assets the bears had in their genetics alongside naturally regulated temperatures that allowed them to live in harsh, dry deserts to frozen peaks of mountains. All in all, Fen was impressed with the bears as a whole.

Soon enough the group made it to about a ten-minute walk to his home where he hoped Inari and Fumiko were waiting for him. When they got that close Kawabata and Tsuda stopped and nodded their heads to Fen.

"Thank you again, Lord Norung. It takes a great deal of courage and strength to face down an overwhelming opponent and still seek out peace instead of bloodshed. You have thoroughly impressed me."

Fen rubbed the back of his head bashfully while offering her a humble smile. "Thank you, Lady Kawabata. Though I must ask why you were in these woods in the first place."

The Lady of the Bears sighed as she looked towards Fen's camp. "Simply put, we have decided to reenter the world and find a summoner. I am sure you have heard of other summoning contracts by now like the Toads and Snakes, but there are many others in the world and a good portion of them remain hidden after what we beasts called the Era of Betrayal."

Fen remained silent as he showed her his full attention by sitting down infront of her and offering to listen to her tale. Kawabata smiled warmly at this as she started to speak in bearish grunts to Tsuda. The younger yet larger bear nodded and moved to go into the woods while she talked.

"Well, if you wish to spare the time then I suppose I can tell you the tale."

"It started a few hundred years before the first Hidden Village was structured and made. It is lost to history, or perhaps chosen to be forgotten, but Summoning Beasts like myself and my clan, would live side by side with some of the fledgling clans in order to help them grow and become strong enough to survive on their own. Sadly, this had the opposite effect of what we wanted and the villages ended up becoming dependent on us for their earlier days of survival. Eventually, the villages did develop enough and the clans became strong but instead of using their strength to better themselves the chose to test it. To test it against those who helped them."

"It came from nowhere, and none of us were prepared to learn of the darkness in the hearts of humans. We began to be hunted down, killed as a show of strength against us, and took what we were as trophies. Many summoning clans were hunted into extinction, leaving behind nothing but old bones buried deep in the ground in the ruins of the villages that they once protected and cultivated. At the time there were roughly a hundred Summoning Clans, now there are fewer than forty left. We, the Bear Clan, were among the first to successfully hide away from the human clans and helped guide others to safety. The Toad Clan did the same and offered sanctuary to the other clans in their swampy mountain. Though we are intelligent we do have pride and not a single clan would take their offer. For hundreds of years now we have traveled as nomads, regrowing our numbers slowly while he traveled and hunted for survival. We never wanted to talk to humans or interact with them again. But that changed when the Great Sage of the Toad Clan relayed to us a vision."

"He foretold that a child of frost and fire had come to his father's home. The child would bring great change into the world and restore order to what was betrayed. In times of peril, the child would not choose the strength of arms but the strength of bonds to overcome the darkness looming in the distance."

"It's because of this prophecy that the remaining hidden Summoning Clans have decided to seek out this child. We were skeptical at first since the Great Sage isn't exactly in his right mind these days, but then we heard of a foreigner from the cold north coming to Fire Country. At first, we didn't think anything of it but then we heard of your acts in the Land of Waves and how you chose to sacrifice yourself in honorable combat instead of letting the villagers and your comrades die. We learned that brought those who were lost in your homeland to that village and now that village thrives and so does the country surrounded by the shroud of greed. We believe, at least a few of the clans, that you are that child the Great Sage has seen."

As she finished the tale of her people and the vision of the Great Toad Sage the bushes rustled and Tsuda returned from seemingly nowhere with a large scroll tied to its back. Fen looked at the scroll as Kawabata got it off her son's back and laid it down in front of Fen.

"Fen Norung, as the leader of the Bear Clan I would wish for you to honor us in being our first summoner in over seven hundred years."

Fen looked at the two of them and the two bears knew what he was looking for. Deceit. The two just stared back at him with eyes matching his own before the Nord conceded and nodded his head.

"How do I sign the contract, Lady Kawabata?"

The Bear Matriarch smiled warmly once more before using her paw to swipe the constraints of the scroll away and let it unravel to reveal no more than five other signatures in the scroll. Fen looked to the empty spot after the last signature and listened to Kawabata as he signed his name in blood via a bite to his thumb. After it was signed he placed a bloody hand under where he signed so the scroll and the bears would know who would summon him by which hand.

"The chakra in your blood is immense Young Fen. A trait of the Nord I presume?"

Fen nodded as he rolled the scroll up for them and offered it to them but was stopped when Kawabata smiled at him.

"You keep the scroll of the contract my young cub. When it comes time you may have another sign but we must approve of them before we cement the deal. That scroll gives whoever signs it a direct line to summon us. I am trusting you not to betray us as so many had done before."

The man could only stand up and do something he rarely did since he came to the Elemental Nations. He crossed a single arm over his chest and bowed forward. An act of great respect to the Nords, one that you were only meant to do before your leaders.

"I give my word that I will guard your scroll as if it was my own family's precious heirloom and will never allow one with a clouded heart to sign it."

And for the fifth time, Kawabata couldn't help but offer a warm smile as she stood up on her back legs and put her paws on Fen's shoulders. "I trust you, Fen Norung. Now go and return home. Summon us when you are ready and we will show you what the Bear Clan can do to help you."

Fen could only nod as he took the scroll over his shoulder and looked towards the camp where he was building his clan's new home. He smiled and turned to thank them for their promise of help and knowledge of the prophecy before blinking and noticing they were gone.

"Well, that's something…just like Hati and the others."

~~Norung Clan Grounds~~

"There he is!"

Fen blinked as he saw Tsume looking at him with wide eyes and a bit of panic in her sight. The man just chuckled and waved at her before he felt a strong kick delivered to his stomach. He stumbled back and felt the urge to regurgitate his lunch as he looked up and see a very pist off Hana looking at him.

"What the fuck were you thinking! You wanted to fight a fucking bear on your own?! Are you an idiot?!"

The Nord stood straight up with a grunt leaving his lips as he felt his stomach. He looked over Hana's shoulder and smiled at both Inari and Fumiko as they stood with…a lizard and the white tiger from earlier.

"Uhm, no I'm not an idiot and I won the fight. Hana, what are the children doing with those animals?"

Hana wanted to berate him some more for acting so foolishly instead of running like Inari did but understood what the animals brought to the two kids was more important than her anger at her crush being hurt. She sighed and stepped aside as the children along with the animals came to him.

"I smell the familiar scent of that old hag Kawabata on you boy. I suppose she gave you the bear contract?"

Fen blinked as he looked down at the lizard talking to him. "Uhm, yes? I have it on my back right now. Uh, who are you?"

The lizard chuckled as he looked over to Fumiko with a nod. The girl stood in front of Fen and was holding a large scroll in her arms that Fen deduced he missed seeing because of the stomach kick and surprise of another talking animal.

"This is Lord Sazhi of the Komodo Summoning Clan and he has requested that I sign their contract with them. Uhm, sensei I was hoping to get your approval. Sazhi told me that I already earned their respect when I helped his wounded son in the woods earlier in my hunt."

Fen crossed his arms as he looked between Fumiko and the lordly lizard. The creature didn't look very lordly but he could sense the power hidden under his hide. Before he could give her an answer Inari, along with the white tiger from before made their way to them with Inari in the lead.

"When I was hunting in the woods I did find tracks and followed them as you taught me. The tracks led me to a white tiger, the one beside me. I remember you telling us that there are virtues in life we would learn on our own and…seeing her laying undefended and pregnant with her cubs I couldn't take their lives even if it would have been a worthy hunt. I left her the jerky you gave me and returned to the hunt. Sadly I didn't find anything else, but when I returned the tiger was there waiting for me. Her name is Lady Yoneda and she is the matriarch of the Demon Tiger Summoning Clan. She wishes for me to sign with them, but like Fumiko, I wanted your permission first."

Hearing how both Inari and Fumiko acted with kindness in their hearts while on this hunt instead of taking the kills for their own glory gave a welling sense of pride inside him as he chuckled before looking at the two animals before him.

"I am not your slaver or owner you two. Your choices are your own to make. However, I do wish to know what these two clans can do and if they are the same clans that Lady Kawabata told me about."

The two leaders of their clans chuckled and nodded their heads to Fen.

"Yes, we are those of the betrayed clans if that is what you are asking. As Inari has told you I am Yobeta of the Demon Tigers. As for our abilities, we are quite adept in the arts of the hunt and excel in agility and nimbleness. We may not be as powerful as your bears but we are quick on our feet and are able to perceive our environment better than most of the land animals of the betrayed clans. If not all the summoning clans."

"As for us Komodos, we are masters of venom and poisons on par with those traitorous snakes. Our body, like snakes, naturally produces venom into our fangs but we are able to focus our chakra and change the venom into numerous different strains. We are better with assassination and hidden killing since we are also able to blend into our environment. Oh, and like the brat said I am Lord Sazhi of the Komodos. A pleasure to meet you."

The two bowed their heads in respect to Fen and he felt a bit humbled by the experience. Sure he was friends with two daimyos, but they weren't as ancient or powerful as two summoning animal clan bosses.

"I see. I still stand by my words. Inari and Fumiko are free to sign with you two if you wish. I just ask that they respect and honor you as companions and not as tools. Understood you two?"

Both Inari and Fumiko bowed their heads with respect toward Fen. "Of course, sensei!"

"Good. Now, Inari you did fail to bring back a mark from your hunt while Fumiko did. However-"

Yobeta cleared her throat to interrupt Fen. She smiled and nodded her head towards some shrubs at the edge of the construction site he had going on. "Forgive me Lord Norung, but I believe Inari did manage to hunt down a rather impressive lynx. He thought he had missed it when he fired his arrow but instead it ran away injured before dying. I took the liberty of retrieving it."

The tiger looked to Inari and winked and the boy nodded his head in thanks to the tiger leader. Fen smirked, deciding not to question it. Inari was meant to hunt and track down his own animal to prove himself, but instead earned the trust of a mighty clan of tigers instead. He would take that as a better prize than anything else.

"I see. This is good then. Because now, not only will you choose the weapons you wish to master next, but the hide of the animals you have taken will be used along with their bones and flesh. We, as Norung, never let an ounce of an animal go to waste. To do so is disrespectful to their spirits. So, with their hides, I will be making you both your first cloaks."

Inari and Fumiko's eyes went wide with that and bounced about in joy before collecting themselves and standing still in front of Fen again. Hana and Tsume, both looking at them in confusion, decided to remind them they were there.

"Uhm, Fen?"

Fen turned and nodded his head to Tsume with a smile. "Yes, Tsume?"

"Not that I am one to question another clan's traditions, but why are they so excited about their cloaks?"

The kids chuckled with one another like they knew a joke that Tsume didn't. Fen gave them a look that quickly shut them up. They didn't want to be rude now.

"Well Tsume, the cloaks will be their first piece of runic clothing. It shows their status in the clan, that they are now seen as capable warriors in training. The runes I engrave into the hide will make the leather as thick as a turtle's shell and make it harder for them to be attacked from behind."

"And what if they bring you more animals to skin and make the armor with?"

Fen shrugged his shoulders lazily as he told Inari and Fumiko to go with their summons to get to work on the contracts. "For Inari, I have no choice but to engrave his armor since he isn't a Nord and doesn't have the chakra enriched blood as we do. As for Fumiko, she will have to learn the runes and how to make the armor herself now. This is part of being a Nord and she can't ignore that."

Tsume nodded while Hana went over to the animals to ask a few questions about them if they were allowed. Her mother could only chuckle as she watched her daughter get lost in her passion for animal biology. She looked at Fumiko and frowned when she had a thought come to her head.

"You know Fen, you talk about her not ignoring who she is but you aren't letting her learn the ways of her mother's side. She needs to at least be exposed to the life of a Kunoichi."

Fen sighed as he looked over his shoulder at Fumiko. Tsume was right and he couldn't think of a proper way to counter it. "Perhaps you are correct, Tsume. And I am in the same boat as her. I know very little about the ways of the ninja besides the jutsus. And even then I only made my own on accident and haven't bothered to learn more since or even attempt those hand signs."

The Inuzuka matriarch smirked before walking in front of him and poking his leather-clad chest playfully. "Well, luckily for you she is old enough to join the academy where she can learn. Unluckily for you, you are way too old to join and I doubt anyone would want to teach the Nord that pisses off the council three times a week. Buuuut…I think I know someone who would be willing to teach you a thing or two."

The Nord raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer. When she just stood there smirking he sighed. "And who would that be?"

"Me of course! We can start tomorrow and get some things into that thick skull of yours before you go hunting down kids in the Chunin Exams."

The groan that left Fen's lips only got Tsume to chuckle. He just nodded his head before she reached up a bit to wrap her arm around her neck and grinned. "And to thank me for it, how about we go on a date? I think that's fair payment."

Fen just gave her a playful snort before giving her a nod which shocked the woman as she looked at him. "Yeah, that sounds like fun Tsume."