What do I do with this? Sasuke lifts the pup in his hands – up, down, up, down – and the lightness of weight is mind-boggling.
He hasn't moved from his place where he stood, where Kakashi first gave him the ninken to begin with. The puppy also doesn't move and it remains silent as he inspects its small body, his eyes following the stocky limbs and leathery paws. He thumbs soft furred chest, his other fingers intertwined around the back of the animal. Through his digits, Sasuke can feel a fast heartbeat.
"Arf!"
The Uchiha nearly drops the animal in surprise and only last minute chakra control catches the pup before it falls to the ground. Dogs are not cats and the thing he holds is only but a puppy - who knows how it'll land.
"-gods, shut up," Sasuke mutters as he attempts to calm his racing heart. The dog struggles and wiggles in his palms, and its fur is soft-slippery. It makes a complaining noise. "Okay, okay." he kneels, lowering himself closer to the ground. Immediately, the puppy jumps out of his hands.
…He's not ugly, Sasuke concedes when the animal turns to look up at him with large, dark eyes. The ninken is arguably the cutest of Kakashi's, its face shape different from Kiba's Akamaru. With wide wolf-like features and a generous growth of facial fur, he's softer-looking than most ninken. Sasuke's mouth twists as he studies the waiting animal further.
Unfortunately, he's ridiculously fluffy.
The ninken looks more like a rich, decorative pet than a summoning contract-partner. The dog is two-toned, white along the front chest and jaw, brown throughout the back and tail. Exception being two patches where eyebrows are supposed to be; there, it's stark pale fur against tan. It's tiny, Uchiha frowns. He doesn't look threatening at all.
"Inu?" Sasuke tries. "Ninken? Puppy?"
"Arf!" He palms over his ears, cringing visibly. The dog's barks are way too sharp.
"Then what? Shiba? Konoha?" Twirling before him once, the pup growls high-pitched. It stops and waits with a wagging tail.
A single dark eyebrow twitches. "You've got to be kidding me," Sasuke groans. He closes tired eyes, he really should've stayed in bed today, and rubs at his imminent headache. When he looks back at the animal, the odd-shaped eyebrows stand out. Like two small eggs, the feature makes it look more intelligent than it actually is: distinctively more human. Sasuke hums in thought.
"Shiro?" he names after those same white eyebrows and the puppy barks more excitedly, running around in circles like an idiot. Sasuke's mouth twitches.
"Shiro, it is."
When the two of them, Shiro and Sasuke arrive home, the former distinctly choosing to walk himself much to the latter's twitching annoyance at their pace (the dog apparently has the compulsive need to sniff-investigate everything), they find a scroll at the front of the house.
Sasuke picks it up while the ninken it was intended for scurries around the grounds, exploring the family grasses and flowers. The Uchiha opens the scroll and it's long, longer than its small pocket-sized appearance gave credit for, the kanji writing within tiny and compact. Sasuke slumps in the shoulders a little and sighs. When he heard Kakashi mention giving him instructions, he thought it was simply feeding the puppy and maybe training it to spar. He didn't sign up for all this dog-sitting.
Shiro barks so chipper it interrupts Sasuke's thoughts. The dog has dug out the roots of most garden flowers - not that he maintains the grounds anyhow, they've been growing unmanaged for years - having finished his complete destruction of the Uchiha sacred rock garden. It looks as if a paper tag had gone off in his yard, rocks and dirt upturned in sporadic, little mounds. Curious as a puppy is for more, he scratches helplessly at the front entrance.
Sasuke wisely decides he'll ignore the mess.
"Wait, would you?" he rolls and pockets the scroll, pulling out his home keys. The young ninken scampers in-and-out between his legs, impatient in waiting. Once the door opens Shiro is gone in a brown flash, lightning down the papered hallways.
Sasuke curses under his breath.
He settles into his couch, curled up against the far arm rest. Shiro is off doing gods-know-what and the Uchiha doesn't care to find out. He's exhausted and hungry for not having eaten any breakfast, but he's too wired to cook or sleep. With a sigh, he cracks open the scroll again.
"Sasuke," it reads.
'Ninken are dogs trained as ninja that have heightened senses and abilities, as such are able to work with ninja. These dogs can be partners and important familial members, such as in the case of the well-known Inuzuka clan – Akamaru and Kiba, as you may already know. However, they can choose to be contracted animals like my pack: Pakkun and Bull, those two of whom you may know personally.'
'My pack is old and a running tradition in the Hatake Wolf clan, though that's not important for you to learn right now. What is important is for you to determine the route you choose in training, how you will raise this puppy to be.'
'Ninken are generally intended for scent-tracking purposes, their hearing capabilities are beyond human comprehension, and their teeth and claws make them ideal, perfect assassins. They may not have good sight regarding depth, however, ninken are beneficial during late dark missions and can easily track any fast movement. Their instincts aren't something to laugh at neither; they are emotionally sensitive.'
'Think about this in relation to your fight with Gaara. Or rather – I should say – with your brother.'
'Of course, this is in addition to the fact that they can utilize jutsu. This puppy I have given you may only be a little over 9 weeks old but he has much more developed chakra control than even you. This is because animals are natural chakra balancers, in tune with nature more than us humans could ever strive to be. That doesn't mean, however, that they have a lot at their disposal. This puppy's small body can't contain immense amounts of raw energy, however what chakra he does hold he can be trained to use with deadly efficiency.'
'But that's all things you can find out for yourself in the later weeks… along with my help. What I came to tell you is something I have a feeling you couldn't piece together alone.'
'Aside from training him, feeding him, grooming him and any other necessary activities, you must, and I repeat you must, give this ninken a break. Play with him.'
'I know you're not the most… amicable of our team but in order for the two of you to connect as partners in battle you need to connect recreationally with this puppy. Do not neglect its social needs. This ninken is young and has been separated from its mother and its brothers and sisters. All he has is you. Dogs are social creatures, who work in complex social structures and large packs. They are the manifest definition of teamwork. Play with him.'
'And it goes without saying that you two are a pack, as of now. You, Sasuke, are his alpha and he is your beta in this pack of two. Not much, but I figure this more effective: to ease you onto one ninken than sidle you with an entire litter of puppies from the start. Just like Pakkun is my second-in-command who dictates to my pack in place of myself (should I be unable) this puppy shall be the same for you.'
'Mind. If you do not respect him as one of your pack, you will regret having doing so. Rectify your mistakes. Apologize. He can and would have every right to usurp you as alpha or leave: neither of which I want to see happening on my watch.'
'I gave you this ninken because I trust in you… to do as you've always performed, Uchiha. He is not your pet. He is not a toy. He is an intelligent creature and should be given the same respect as given to a human being - as given to a partner in your team, do you understand?'
'I hope you to learn from him for he is wiser than you. Good luck.'
Sasuke purses his mouth at the last quip, skepticism etched across his face with a creased frown. He doesn't believe that this puppy - Shiro, who he can hear far off barking stupidly at nothing because no one else lives here other than himself - is wiser than him? There's no way.
Sasuke scoffs at the paper in his hands, rolling it up and throwing it against the pillows. He peels himself off the couch, following his stomach to the kitchen. He's done thinking. He needs to eat.
"What now?" Sasuke says, his eyes rolling at the display before him. Shiro scratches at his feet underneath the table, his nails are uncomfortably sharp.
"Arf!" The ninken leaves to scramble up one of the empty sides of the family kotatsu, claws fully outstretched. After a few violent struggles he successfully sinks his nails into the Uchiha table quilt, clinging on by the thread. White paws from the rear lift him bodily, he manages to stand on top of the table. Torn cloth trailing his path, Shiro noses at his meal.
"You have your own food." Sasuke gestures to his right where in a bowl he's cut up some fish he's managed to cook with his Katon. Fish is hard to get, expensive, and this dog was lucky he had some in the freezer saved up for when he needs his protein. Shiro whines and with small canines continues to pull apart his onigiri. Sasuke is averse to stopping him.
"Fine. Do what you want." I'm full anyway.
The ninken nibbles away.
It's kind of weird, he thinks with a grimace as he goes about his Sunday duties. Shiro follows him everywhere. The dog having tired of exploring the house decides that it would rather focus its attention on him and extend its curiosity to what he's doing. First obviously, by copying him so exact it's almost like he's got his own Sharingan. If Sasuke stops walking, so does the puppy ninken. If he sits, so does Shiro, plopping a furry behind right beside him. For some reason he sometimes drags across the floor in that way and then once done… scratching that itch, he looks at him victorious.
Sasuke rolls his eyes.
He's very curious; Shiro, that is. Always intrigued by every little thing, and sniffing, before rolling about excitedly. When Sasuke opens a scroll to study, Shiro "reads" it first, when he moves to sit somewhere the ninken has proudly already taken his spot, tail wagging. He runs about between his legs while Sasuke's walking over and over, chasing himself. The Uchiha almost squashed the puppy multiple times.
(Sasuke never knew how such a small animal could be so big, demand and occupy so much of his space.)
This puppy may not be able to speak like a human, he's not Pakkun, but he doesn't let that stop him. Shiro is an avid conversationalist. Always with an opinion, the ninken has to comment at every single thing.
"Woof!" he says as Sasuke's about to finish the last of his training stretches, his body strained and contorted. The dog bounds through the grasses towards him interrupting, and leaps straight onto his bent back.
"What the-" Sasuke exclaims and the ninken's claws dig into his skin.
"Shiro!" Sasuke topples and the puppy goes insane. He chippers enthusiastically, cute, high-pitched barks. He butts and rubs his head against him where he can, paws padding wild all over his torso. He twirls around a couple times, tap-dancing, then (finally) settles to a lie down on his chest. His tail thumps, pleased.
"What is it?" Sasuke backs his head into the ground, allowing the ninken the win. Under low eyelids, he stares at the dog. "Well?"
Shiro squirms in his "chair" and Sasuke comes to the theory that the puppy can't sit still for long. He prays he's not also a night howler.
"Did you want to train?" Sasuke guesses randomly and hopes he's right. He doesn't know really how to play anymore, despite how Kakashi expressively ordered him to, he doesn't know of any games for a dog. Roary-chan, a flash of green appears behind his eyes, is all he had for a toy as a kid. He had long forgotten where his mom kept the stuffed dinosaur. Otherwise he'd throw it for Shiro to enjoy.
Training, however… that he likes and can do.
Plus he wants to see if this ninken is even useful, maybe Kakashi had the right idea. "Shiro," Sasuke starts and the tail thumps wilder, faster. "What can you do?"
The puppy chirps in response. He bites onto the collar of his shirt. With a few tugs and gnaws and shakes of a furry head (and plenty of little growls) Shiro manages to get heavy amounts watery slobber seeping into the black cloth. After minutes, his strangled-abused shirt slaps wetly against his chest. It's cold. Sasuke grimaces.
"Nevermind."
He does attempt to train it.
A simple tracking exercise. Sasuke had taken a total of ten minutes to hide treats (pieces of onigiri, apparently they share the same favorites) in various places around his house. Puppy-accessible places. Now only to get the small ninken on board.
"Go."
Shiro stays seated before him, the only response to having heard his command is a twitch of a furry tail. Sasuke, his cheeks pinkening brightly, steels himself. He tries again. "Shiro. Sniff out the treats." Please don't let me keep talking to myself…
Luckily, the ninken moves. With a slow shuffle, he trails towards the first hiding place, his body lazy. Bored, Sasuke could say. Shiro makes a few more steps, feeding the Uchiha's inkling of hope laid within his chest. And then suddenly his head zings, neck turned abrupt to another direction. Sasuke guards. They both pause with breaths held silent, bodies still. A bird cacaws and with a yelp, Shiro bounds off after it.
If he knew how hard training would be for an impressionable puppy ninken, he would refuse more emphatically. Run away if he has to. Request a different sensei. Transfer to another team. The Sharingan is of no help for hindsight.
He only wants to train Shiro to be better. So he decides to test the pup's reflexes.
Laying in wait hidden behind a papered screen, Sasuke readies himself. Having masked his chakra incrementally over the course of half an hour, he should be perceived as gone to the pup. This is in addition to the steadily growing smog of incense, one that gives the scent of charcoal and burnt wood. The smell is already omnipresent and immovable, Sasuke has to fight to hold in a cough.
He can sense Shiro a few meters away. The dog is distracted by the cloud overhead, stretching up to see only to stupidly flop backwards. Sasuke cringes painfully in regret.
(The next time he sees Kakashi he's going to give him a large piece of his mind. And the ninken back.)
Sasuke attacks. He jumps the dog, kunai at the ready. His Sharingan is blazing, stance lethal, a serious threat. He's there in a ninja flash, fast and sudden, his hand speeds in for the kill.
-that is, he sputters uncharacteristically. "S-shiro!"
The pup hasn't even twitched a muscle. Unfazed by the fast motion and (granted, very little) killing intent, he sniffs curiously at Sasuke's kunai. Finding nothing Shiro simply squats himself and barks happily at the sound of his name.
Later, something rips.
Sasuke remains in his bath having scrubbed his body clean of all the dog spit and dirt and leaves. It took him 20 minutes to appear even semi-decent, his skin is rubbed raw pink with red loofah marks. At this point he couldn't care less if Shiro destroyed a cushion or two. He wants to stay and relax in the warm bathwater and he's too tired to tell the puppy ninken off. It's not like the animal would understand anyway – in fact he'd probably bark in his face.
The Uchiha slumps in the tub. He is unfortunately right and Kakashi was wrong. It is useless. Shiro, other than his disgusting bite technique (one that the dog likes to use despite that its teeth are not at all sharp) has no clue how to fight. And Sasuke's tried training it anyhow. Kakashi entrusts him, right?
Sasuke slumps further.
He doesn't know how he'll achieve the impossible. To train both himself and the ninken in time for the match against Gaara… he doesn't know if such a goal is even realistic. He's confident in his own abilities despite the curse seal, he does have the Sharingan and Sasuke is a genin ninja to contend with, he's excelled in Katon. But the fact still remains: fire is useless against sand.
Then again, Shiro is worse. The dog is a complete spazz.
Sasuke sighs as he gathers his towel and wraps himself. He might as well leave, he's done soaking. The water has gone cold anyway.
After dressing, he's lax along the sofa with hands crossed behind his head, fingers intertwined and eyes closed. Sasuke thinks, desperately devises a strategy that he can utilize against Gaara, against…
"-arf!" His eyes crack open. Shiro pads into the living room. Dog nails clacking – and Sasuke'll have to get used to the sound - he casually heads towards him. He whines.
"Finished?" Sasuke asks with a scoff. He never knew ninken could be so destructive but he's not going to interrupt whatever therapeutic design the dog has. The puppy paws at him, moves to scramble up the cushion but Sasuke pushes him back with a hand.
"No."
Shiro licks at his palm and ew, he pulls away quickly.
They repeat this for another few minutes, the ninken wanting to join him and Sasuke refusing. Finally, Shiro lays down and gives.
"What were you even doing?" The ninken intentionally chooses not to answer. It scratches a twitching ear with a foot, then appears to inspect its claws. Amused, Sasuke snorts. He rises from the sofa ignoring the display the animal has chosen to give him and steps over a furry form. Shiro reacts, shooting up the couch in his place. He digs and makes a bed for himself, settling into his warmth-spot. The Uchiha's mouth twitches.
Following where the ninken had come, he decides to investigate what that tearing sound was earlier. Before he finds out too late that his bedding has been chewed apart or something. He leaves Shiro to his devices and enters the hallway.
His parents' door is open.
Sasuke freezes, glancing at the pup who calmly tongues at little nails. He glances back at the second cracked entrance, the other being his own room. He hasn't walked so far down his hallway in so long.
How did-? He questions loudly within the confines of his brain as he tries to imagine the puppy ninken slide the paper screen, the same puppy who couldn't even climb the low wooden kotatsu. Sasuke frowns. He needs to look.
Legs shaky-hesitant and wary, he was never allowed to enter his parents' room even when his clan was alive, much less now when the ghosts are watching. He steps slow, cautious, his first thought being an intruder. But there's nothing of value here, only the dead remnants of an extinct clan. Sasuke looks.
Inside is much the same as before he imagines, only now with a heavy coating of dust. Sasuke sees nothing out of the ordinary and when his Sharingan activates, he can sense no foreign chakra. Only shreds of thin paper on the floor, fallen before what he thinks is to be his mother's dresser. The paper looks familiar, crinkle-folded strategically, a cross between red and white-
Slowly, his eyes widen.
"Shiro."
At his feet is the leftovers of his mother's perfect weapons, the pride of the clan. The pair of Uchiwa fans. Tiny and delicate they fold easily underneath kimono sleeves, flutter demurely as mere pieces of paper. But they are weapons, the only weapons that his Kaa-san, Uchiha Mikoto, would keep on her person as a woman of status.
(She offered to teach him how to use them, how to direct the Katon between the thin sheets for 'only a fan can stoke a fire', she said sweetly. Sasuke scorned her then, he only wanted to learn from Tou-san and Nii-san and not a girl's fighting style…)
Dark eyes narrow dangerously. Obviously, he was right to refuse Kakashi. This dumb animal is a bad investment. He's invasive, he is an intruder, and everything else today Sasuke could ignore but not this, never this. Shiro needs to go.
Sasuke calmly leaves his parents' room and quickly moves to the salon. His mind is racing, his heart is pumping, his fists clench until knuckles turn stark white. "Get out." He points to the door and Shiro looks up with such a stupid wolf-grin.
"I know you understand me." You better understand me. "Leave." Now.
A pause. Then the air snaps. The ninken starts a growl low in its tiny throat, at him, at him! Sasuke is glad, darkly satisfied because he couldn't stand if the puppy stayed chipper even unto now. He bristles, shoulders back, stance overbearing. Shiro return pulls at furry lips, revealing white teeth. The dog barks once, then twice, then thrice, then Sasuke feels incinerated, feels validated enough to move two hands to pick the upstart ninken up.
Shiro dodges his hands, jumping to the floor. It looks at him lips peeling again-
No. Not in his house, his space. No more.
Sasuke walks to the front entrance past the stupid dog and his lone shoes on the tatami mat. He opens the door wide. The night Konoha wind blows, chilly and loud. "You don't want to be here, Shiro. Either unsummon yourself or get out – but you're not staying."
Shiro growls until he stops with a loud snap of his teeth. He shakes his fur, glares (Sasuke could laugh) and then stalks out the house, the entire while his eyes on Sasuke. When the last of brown-white tail disappears, the Uchiha slams the door. Loud.
Shiro barks back at deaf wood.
He decides he'll train himself. He doesn't need Kakashi. He'll defeat Gaara and Orochimaru (and Itachi, for sure Itachi) on his own, thank you very much.
Sasuke sleeps to the sound of yowling.