I no own, you no sue.
Reika-sensei is already waiting for them when Team Four arrives at Training Ground 16. Hiko arrives on his own, having to travel all the way from the Hyuuga compound, located at the far end of Ember District, almost touching Flare District. Michiyo has a shorter commute, but only by a bit. As was their habit, she and Walter meet in front of the sandwich shop in Sizzle District, and show up last.
Standing next to Reika-sensei is a Siberian tiger, perhaps ten feet long, shoulder standing at their teacher's eye level. He regards their approach with intelligent green eyes.
"So these are your yearlings?" The tiger rumbles, with what sounds like approval.
"Yeah, they are." She says, reaching up and rubbing carefully around the base of his ears. A loud, deep purr warbles out of his throat. After a moment, his head lifts and Reika-sensei pulls her hand back. "Guys, this is Marbles, my Bond-summon and the Alpha of the spirit-cats, and my closest friend." The three bow their heads in respect and murmur their greetings, a little intimidated by the cat's sheer bulk.
"Pleasure." He murrs, bandy tail swishing a little. "Good to meet the litter and rescuers of my Reika. I see you're somewhat aware of my size, well – I can fix that." A poof of smoke engulfs him and the teenagers sidle back a cautious step. When the smoke clears away, he is gone. No – not gone, shrunk. A loud yowl at their feet redirects their eyes. Standing in the tiger's place is a normal-sized, if slightly larger than usual housecat, a brown tabby with the same luminous green eyes. His stripes do indeed look marbled, and suddenly they understand the name. "Better?" Marbles wonders.
"Whoa! How'd you do that?" Michiyo exclaims, pointing. "I know Summons get big, but they don't change size like that, even I know that!" The cat snickers.
"Reika does not have a grand Summon Contract. There exist two cat contracts: Summon cats, and spirit-cats. The Summon cats live in another dimension, as do most Summon animals. They can grow up to fifty feet tall, and require massive amounts of chakra to summon. Spirit-Cats on the other hand, live far beyond human settlements, in lands wrought by radiation and poison left over from the Reckoning, toxins that kill most living beings. Spirit-cats are the essence of what cats are, and so we can take different forms. Just as the Kyuubi is the essence of all foxes, so we are spirits too. One of our kind, became the Nibi no Nekomata, a demon, and we speak of her no more. Our Contract pulls us from our homes in the Badlands and through an alternate dimension and back to this world, to the Summoner's location, traveling thousands of miles in seconds. We typically take two forms for convenience, a large cat to defend ourselves, and a housecat to escape notice. But we never grow larger than is possible in nature."
"Oh." Michiyo says lamely.
"Why team up with humans?" Walter queries. The cat's tail arches through the air, and the shape of its wave implies a shrug.
"We can't grow catnip in the Badlands. Reika isn't in the Badlands, or any of the other Summoners we've grown fond of through the ages. Also, we can never scratch quite as well with hind legs as humans can with their hands. And who would choose a raw, unseasoned leg of deer over a bowl of clam chowder or a plate of beef tenderloin?"
"That is it?" Hiko says in disbelief, "You fight for us for food, petting, and the feline equivalent of an illicit substance?" Again, that lazy wave of tail.
"Well, why not? Do we need a complicated reason?" Marbles sits on his haunches. "Enough chit-chat. I want to see how you perform, both individually and as a team. I'm not entrusting my family to you if you're going to put them in danger through your own incompetence."
Walter growls at this, but he is settled by Reika-sensei's hand on his shoulder. She gives it a gentle squeeze before releasing him.
"We'll demonstrate your abilities with one-on-one sparring, and then all of you against me and Marbles together. Kapeesh?" She waits for their response. "All right then. Hiko and Walter, you first."
She leads them through the spars, and they're panting and sweaty by the time it's time for the three on two spar. Marbles transforms into his tiger form once more. Reika-sensei leaps on her Summon-bond's back, and pulls out a sickle-and-chain. When she hollers the signal for the fight to commence, the teenagers are more than a little nervous.
It's hard. Brutal. Team Four has always known Reika-sensei's specialty is intelligence gathering. She can hold her own against all three of them, but from what they've seen her accomplish in a fight, she doesn't quite measure up to most Jounin, at least in battle. Now? It's easy to see why she made the rank. Alone, she may not measure up, but with her summon-bond, she crushes them.
Marbles is a flash of burnt orange fur, strikes that at one point sends Michiyo flying into a tree with a crash. And through it all, his claws are sheathed.
When she finally done with them, she calls them to a stop, and grins at her students, panting.
"Jounin, kiddos." Is all she says. Reika-sensei leans against the massive tiger and looks up at him as he looms over her shoulder. "So Marbles, what do you think? Good enough?"
"Just." He shakes his pelt out, and yawns. "They'll do. I know of ten kittens, four-months old, who wish to work with humans. They are old enough to be bonded, and they should be able to speak human and change shape in several months. Reika, I will bring them to your home tomorrow so you may choose three kittens from the group. They can be summon-bonded in five days once your students have gathered their intelligence."
"That's fine, buddy." The tiger gives her a great lick up her cheek and she pushes his great head away, laughing.
"Welcome to the family, kittens." Marbles sighs, "You look after us, we look after you. I expect to meet with you once a week to discuss your progress, both with your spirit-cat partners and as shinobi. I think dinner at Reika's would do nicely." The Jounin rolls her eyes.
"Yeah, go ahead and invite yourself over, hmm?"
"Apologies." The big cat says unrepentantly.
"Riiight."
"Then if it's all set, I will take my leave of you."
"See you later, bud." Marbles nods at Reika-sensei. He rears onto his haunches and slaps his huge paws together, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
"Weird," Michiyo comments. Walter shrugs.
"Ehnk."
Hiko just shakes his head.
"So Reika-sensei, your place in five days?" The thirteen-year old asks.
"That's correct. My place, at six. You may begin your information gathering this afternoon."
"Got it." Walter says with a nod. "Will gather intelligence as team today," he informs his teammates, and they nod in acknowledgment. Reika-sensei smiles at her second-in-command, then demands,
"Well? Get to it!"
They do.
I like reviews. Really.