Chapter 3
First Mission, Sensei's in Trouble!

"Okay Judy. Focus…"
Judy brought her chakra to her center, made the appropriate pawsigns, and forced the energy before her as she echoed the words in her head.
'Clone Jutsu!'
In a cloud of smoke, an identical form of the doe materialized in front of her. Concentrating on the clone, she willed it to move its arms and legs, which the dummy did perfectly. Excited by her progress, Judy couldn't help but pull a binky, a move that was echoed by the clone.
"Looks like you're getting better, Fluff."
Nick's sudden disturbance had her jumping in surprise, and with her concentration broken, her clone fell over and dispersed again.
"Hm, guess not that much, then," the fox commented.
"I was doing perfectly fine until you surprised me, Sensei," Judy argued.
"You should be able to hold a clone even IF you're surprised, otherwise it's pointless," he pointed out. "And stop calling me 'Sensei'."
The doe was about to argue against this, but held her tongue knowing that Nick would just ignore her again.
"Frankly, I'm surprised that you're having so much trouble with this jutsu," the fox continued. "The others can summon four other clones of themselves and still spar with me while you're having trouble controlling one. And don't tell me it's a lack of practice, I know that you try harder than everyone here."
The doe's ears drooped as she stared at her feet. It was true that she put in more effort than anyone else on the team, but she also seemed to be making the least amount of progress with her jutsu arts.
And it wasn't just with the clones; her substitution tactics, concealment strategies and illusions were also lacking. But it wasn't for a lack of training; it was more of a problem of… Concentration. Alone, she was perfectly capable of executing her jutsus, but whenever HE showed up she would just fall apart.
Ever since that day about a week ago, the idea lingered in her mind that her Sensei could possibly be the fox from back then. But the longer she spent under his tutelage, the more impossible it seemed. The fox she had seen was brave and caring, whereas Wilde-sensei seemed the complete opposite. Even her first spar with him was a complete sham, having wasted a full twenty minutes fighting nothing but air because of his Genjutsu.
Judy's thoughts were pulled back to the present by Nick's fingers snapping in her face.
"Hey Fluff, if you're done moping I've got an announcement to make with the rest of the team," he explained as he walked off towards Ben and Jack.

"As you three might've heard, the other teams from your class have already been on a few official missions for the Academy, lately," Nick relayed. "Though, to be honest, finding a lost doll doesn't really count in my book."
Jack did his hardest to suppress a laugh, having heard about it earlier that day.
"And while all of you still have some edges to smooth out," he continued, Judy sinking into her scarf as he said so. "I've managed to pull a few strings and nab us a pretty easy mission that won't sell us short."
"Really?!" Ben brightened up instantly. "What are we gonna do? Are we acting as bodyguards for a rich family member? Oh! Guarding a priceless treasure? OH! Chasing off some highway bandits outside of town!"
Everyone else was surprised speechless by the cheetah's current excitement, usually reserved for when they were expecting to eat lunch.
"…No," Nick finally replied, resulting in the big cat to shrink a bit in disappointment. "We'll be taking care of something one of you is very familiar with."
The fox turned to look Judy in the eye.
"We're going to Banīburo."

While she hadn't expected to be returning home so soon, Judy very much appreciated the circumstances of the visit she was going to have. Leading the group with a skip in her step, only one of them seemed to be loathing their impending destination.
"Of all the possible places, did it HAVE to be Banīburo?" Jack groaned.
"I thought that you would appreciate being around other rabbits, considering your poor relationship with Fluff and all," Nick noted with a smirk from under his takuhatsugasa.
"Ugh. I've had enough relations with rabbits to last a lifetime," the buck frowned.
"Oh? Too many girlfriends?" The fox joked.
Jack remained silent, but a twitch in his eye had their teacher chuckling.
"Did you have a lot of rabbits where you're from, Jack?" Ben asked, trying to change the conversation.
"You'd be hard-pressed to find any other species back home," he sighed.
Hearing this, Judy turned around to get a better read of her teammate.
"Really?" She asked. "Because I always thought my home was pretty full of rabbits, but we've still got other mammals living around too."
"Well then you've never heard of Ōkunoshima," Jack frowned.
Ben's eyes widened as heard the name.
"Wait, you don't mean-"
"Rabbit Island," Nick cut in. "The only remaining community in Zootopia that's still exclusively made up of one species."
"Oh…" Judy voiced as her ears faltered a little.
"The result being that they're not very kind to outsiders, right Jack?" The fox continued.
The hare grumbled as he looked away.
"Well… Banīburo is pretty open to newcomers," Judy assured him as she turned forward again.
Nick pulled his hat further down over his head.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," he muttered to himself.

As Judy led the way down the path towards town, crop fields began to crowd around them. While mostly being tended to by rabbits, other small mammals could be seen working at the harvest as well. The doe would often end up waving to the ones that noticed them and recognized her.
"You seem to be pretty popular around here, Judy," Ben eventually noted.
She chuckled a bit as she rubbed her neck in embarrassment.
"Yeah, well, you kind of get a reputation when you're the only one in the village training to be a ninja," the doe admitted.
"Too afraid to fight?" Jack prodded.
Judy scowled at the comment. She was about to shoot back a remark when a familiar voice had her brighten up instead.
"Judy!"
"Mom!"
The two does collided in a warm hug; an act that had Ben cooing, Nick smiling, and Jack looking away in disgust.
"It's so nice to see you again," Bonnie said as she looked over her daughter. "As soon as I got your message, I had your sisters fix up the guest rooms for everyone. How's my sister doing, by the way?"
"Her cooking's still terrible," the teenager smiled. "Mom, I'd like you to meet my teammates. This is Ben and that's… Jack."
"Oh, well lucky you. Having a handsome buck on your team," the parent teased.
"MOM! Stop it!" Judy exclaimed in embarrassment before puffing out her cheeks.
"And might I guess that you're Judy's Sensei?" Bonnie asked towards Nick, trying to peer under his hat.
Nick bowed slightly, hiding his features further from the doe.
"Yes, that would be me," he replied.
"Mr. Wilde, there's no need to hide from me. Judy's told me enough about you to have no worries," she admitted while placing her paws on her hips. "Now let me get a good look at you."
The fox paused for a moment before straightening up and removing his takuhatsugasa. He stared at the elderly doe, now wearing a look of surprise as she saw his face. Nick clasped his paws together and bowed slightly towards her.
"Thank you, Mrs. Hopps, for letting us stay in your home for the duration of our mission," he spoke softly.
Jack and Ben silently mimicked his actions. Bonnie simply smiled at the display.
"Okay, enough of that," she waved off. "Let me show you to your rooms."

With everyone's gear left back at the burrow, the team proceeded into town to acquire the details of their mission. A lot of stares followed them as they walked through the crowd of bunnies, aimed either at Ben for his imposing figure or towards Jack from the many does that were out shopping. Nick, however, had decided to keep himself a short distance apart from his students, donning his hat once more and concealing his tail within his kimono.
Judy was concerned about her Sensei's actions, but they arrived at the town hall before she could voice her concerns. They were greeted and showed to the meeting hall where the village council was waiting for them. Among them was Judy's father, Stu.
"Jude! What on earth are you doing here?" He asked in genuine surprise.
The doe arched a brow at this.
"Dad, I'm here on business," she simply stated. "Me and my team are here to help out with guarding the crops during harvest."
The older buck frowned at this new information.
"I don't think so!" He exclaimed as he stood up to face her. "I'm not sending my own daughter to fend off bandits! Don't you remember what happened?"
"I remember quite clearly, DAD," Judy steadily replied with a balled fist. "I also remember that I'm a ninja now and that I'm fully capable of defending myself."
Stu stared her down for a moment before relenting.
"Fine," he declared, still unhappy with the result. "I guess I should at least be grateful that I get to see you for a week or so."
The buck returned to his seat among the rest of the council, all of whom were still silent from the sudden outburst that had just occurred.
"So, I take it that you're my daughter's Sensei?" Stu asked.
The question was directed not at Nick, but to Ben, who stood there slightly confused.
"I-I'm sorry, sir, but I'm Judy's teammate," the round cheetah meekly revealed. "Wilde-sensei is our instructor."
As if waiting for his cue, Nick took off the takuhatsugasa to show his face to the council. A few gasps were heard, as well as a couple of murmurs, but the only thing that had Nick's attention was the death stare that Stu gave him.
"Dearest council members of Banīburo," the fox greeted. "I do hope that you will help us in helping you keep the farmers safe as they finish up their harvest this season."
Judy was honestly dumbfounded by her teacher's eloquence. Most of his teachings were short and gruff, tinged with a whole bunch of sarcasm, but here he was actually being polite despite the animosity she felt from the council.
"If it will help ease you, I will mostly be serving as guidance while my team will handle the actual patrols," Nick continued. "And rest assured, Mr. Hopps, that if any of them were to fall in any extreme amount of danger, I'll intervene."
Stu grit his teeth as he tried to hold his contempt in check.
"Just be sure to keep out of sight, fox," he said.
Nick frowned.
"Of course."
He stepped back as he donned his disguise once more. And for but a moment, Judy thought she saw sadness flash over the fox's eyes.

The mission briefing was kept short. Jack, Judy and Ben were given routes to patrol around the village as Nick observed from the corner. They were warned to keep a lookout for bandits, sightings around the outskirts and along the main highway having merited the council to hire the ninjas. They were expected to keep the villagers safe at all cost, a request that had Stu trembling for a short moment, until the harvest was complete; something that was expected to be finished within the fortnight.
With the meeting adjourned, the team retired back to the Hopps burrow where Bonnie was just finishing up preparing for supper. Judy went ahead with helping her mother as Jack and Ben were assaulted by Judy's younger siblings. While the hare seemed to be having a hard time keeping his composure, the cheetah was taking the attention in stride. Nick, once again, kept himself apart from the rest under his disguise, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by the Hopps matriarch.
"Am I going to have to ask you to take that off every time you come in, Mr. Wilde?" She asked with a smirk.
Nick sighed before setting aside his hat.
"Your husband wasn't that happy to see me," he noted.
"Don't you go having Stu get in your head," Bonnie scowled. "You did your best, last time you were here."
The fox's ears perked up at hearing this.
"Wait- You-?"
"I have two hundred and seventy-five kits, Mr. Wilde, and just as many siblings, cousins, nephews, and nieces," the doe deadpanned. "I DON'T forget a face. Especially the one that belongs to my daughter's hero."
He stared blankly at Bonnie before looking past towards Judy, who was starting to serve bowls of kenchinjiru to everyone.
"I'm her hero?" He asked in amazement.
"Darn straight," the doe nodded. "I'm just surprised that she hasn't figured it out yet. You'd think that having your hero's scent wrapped around you for months would trigger something. But I guess not."
Nick looked again to his pupil. He had always wondered about that dark green scarf she wore. The fox had thought it a useful idea as a clothing accessory; the bunny could easily wrap and conceal her face for stealth, but the colour choice always seemed a bit off compared to the rest of her dark blue outfit.
Now, the choice seemed all that much clearer as he recalled his last excursion to the little farming village. It was the same cloth that he had used all those years ago when he saved that little kit.
"Carrots…" He muttered.
"What was that, Sensei?"
Nick nearly jumped as he was brought back to the present. Judy was standing next to him, holding a steaming bowl of soup.
"Nothing," he replied automatically.
"Oh. Okay…" The doe mumbled. "Are you hungry?"
She offered the bowl to him and he looked it over for a moment before taking it. As their paws touched, Judy felt her heart skip a beat for a moment and she froze.
"You okay?" Nick asked as he spooned some of the broth.
The doe felt her ears burn red.
"I'm fine," she meekly smiled before backing away. "I'm gonna, you know, turn in for the night. Big day tomorrow!"
The fox raised a brow as he watched her awkwardly disappear down the hall. He was so absorbed in his strange-acting pupil that he hadn't noticed Bonnie scoot up next to him.
"I take it back, she might have a clue that it's you," she commented. "That, and I think my daughter has a crush on you."
Nick nearly choked on his soup.

As the moon hung high and bright over the fields, the fox decided to take a stroll among the patrol routes his students were going to take the next morning. While he was confident in their abilities, he felt a particular need to be sure that each route was secure. Mr. Hopps' glaring also hadn't helped his state of mind during the later hours of the evening when he had returned. Nick felt very uneasy around the buck and eventually excused himself from the burrow.
The walk gave him time to think clearly, the chaos of Judy's family being too much of a distraction for any long train of thought. Particularly one that involved a certain bunny that had admired him since kithood. He hadn't meant for the incident to happen, it just happened. The thought of Judy keeping her word and becoming a ninja had the fox chuckle slightly before frowning once more. He had been so optimistic back then, just like she was now. That first solo mission in Banīburo was supposed to be one filled with pride, but the council shunned him just like they did a few hours ago.
And as the years and missions piled on, he came to realize that the world just didn't like his kind. That's the way it was and he accepted it. His kimono even displayed that realization in a simple character: Always.
He'll always be seen as a fox, always be treated as a fox, so he'll always BE a fox.

Through the darkness up ahead of him, Nick noticed the tell-tale glow of a lantern poking through the treeline. Coming closer, the fox started picking up the sound of chatter. Gruff, low-sounding mutterings, like the voices didn't want to be heard by unwanted ears. Peeking from behind a tree, he observed the late night commotion.
It was a small band of large mammals, a black bear and a couple of wolves, dressed in some weather-worn clothes and visibly armed. Bandits, Nick figured. He hadn't expected them to try a night-time raid, but he was glad that he had caught them unawares before they had made their move. Putting on his most friendly face, the fox stepped out of the shadows and approached the bandits.
"Hey there, what's keeping you up so late?" He casually asked.
The group instinctively reached for their weapons, growling low so as to try and intimidate the newcomer.
"If you know what's good for you, fox, then you'll back away and forget you ever saw us," the bear threatened, obviously the leader of the troupe.
"Oh don't mind me, I'm just passing through," Nick smiled as he continued to walk towards them.
The bear unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the fox.
"I mean it, fox!" He growled.
Nick ignored him and walked past the sword and then the bandit, unfazed. He was stopped by the pair of wolves who put themselves in his way.
"Come on guys, I'm just on a walk," the fox explained.
"The only place you're walking to is your grave!"

The bear swung the sword overhead, plunging the weapon towards the fox. Nick caught the blade between his fingers and, with a simple twist, forced it out of the bear's paw. In one fluid motion, the fox swept the hilt of the large blade in front of him, using it to throw the wolves off their feet before tossing the sword off to the side where it buried itself into a tree.
The bear, furious, made a swipe at the fox with outstretched claws. Nick jumped over the attack with a lateral spin, grabbing onto the paw and pulling it with his momentum. The bandit only had a moment to realize what was happening before the world turned and he was slammed into the ground.
Having recovered from their surprise attack, the wolves pounced on the fox in tandem, hoping to end him with their numbers. But faster than the eye could see, Nick dodged every one of their sword strikes as he backed away against a tree. Confident that they were overwhelming him, the wolves made a great thrust against the fox.
Nick had seen the strike coming a mile away and jumped up to avoid the blow. Pushing off the tree, he flew over the wolves and landed just behind them as their swords found the trunk instead of their target. With open paws against their backs, Nick pushed the two wolves straight into the tree, dazing them before punching each in the gut. As his victims doubled over in pain, the fox grabbed onto their throats and flipped them back into the ground forcefully. The wolves crumpled on the ground unconscious without knowing what happened.

Nick panted from the exertion as he surveyed the outcome, it had been a while since he had fought so many larger mammals at once, but he was glad that he had gotten the better of them without a scratch. Now, there was only one thing left. The fox stared intently into the dark forest, scanning for another presence.
"You might as well show yourself," he called. "I know you're there."
A low chuckle rolled out of the darkness.
"I guess there's not getting past you. Ninja."
Out of the brush walked a large jackal touting a heavy sword, a burn scar in the shape of a paw marking his bare chest.
"You don't know how glad I am to see you again," the bandit grinned.
"You'd think that you'd want to stay away from me, considering how I beat your tail last time," Nick shot back as he readied himself.
"Well this time you don't have a little bunny to save you."

The jackal lunged forward faster than Nick had anticipated, the fox barely sidestepping the attack. Turning back, the larger canine slashed with his sword in a fury. The fox found himself in a losing battle, barely avoiding the lethal blade with each swipe. When he found himself back up against a tree, the jackal paused to sneer at his prey before unleashing a powerful strike. Nick rolled out of the way just in time before the blade found itself buried halfway through the trunk.
Nick tossed aside his torn kimono and began concentrating his chakra together. The jackal whirled around in time to see the fox's tail start to glow. With an attack just as fast as the previous one, the bandit punched Nick in the chest, sending him hurtling into another tree.
"Not this time," he snarled.
The fox propped himself on all fours to try and get up, but the Jackal put his weight on the ninja to keep him down.
"Don't worry," he smirked. "I'm not going to kill you… Yet."

AN: This chapter was originally written as part of a collaboration project with Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps. Be sure to head on over to his profile and browse the other amazing stories spawned in his 'What If? Collaboration'.

Looks like Nick-sensei is getting to know an old acquaintance.
Disclaimer: None of the fights in this story are, in any way, realistic in terms of Zootopia canon.

Unlike the first two chapters, this one is pretty light on the new Japanese words. So yay!

Takuhatsugasa: A dome-shaped rice-straw hat traditionally worn by mendicant Buddhist monks. Due to its shape, it's very good at concealing the wearer's identity.
Ōkunoshima: A real island in the inland Sea of Japan.

And that's it. See you next chapter!