Naruto: Paws and Whiskers

Rin listened intently, going over the instructions in her head several times before giving a solemn nod. "I think I understand. But... what if I can't do it? Are there any risks?"

"Not really, meow. At worst, you'll just sleep for a few days, like I did."

'And I'll be out a thousand points,' Takeshi added silently.

He wasn't too worried, though. Rin's chakra control was excellent, and special cat food she'd been eating had already started acclimating her body to natural energy. Barring any surprises, this was a sure thing. The only question was how complete her Sage Mode would be. Humans and cats were different, after all. His own transformation only resulted in a slight change to his fur color. For her...

'Well,' Takeshi thought, 'we'll just have to wait and see.'

Rin quickly ate luxury cat food. The full dose hit her hard and fast. For a moment, her chakra flared wildly, but she quickly brought it under control, slowly beginning to regulate the natural energy now flowing into her body. It was a process her body had been performing unconsciously for days, with her conscious guidance, it went much faster.

'No surprises,' Takeshi thought with a sigh of relief. 'She's stable.'

He scanned their surroundings, making sure no one would stumble upon them. They were a safe distance from the main camp, but you could never be too careful with bored kids running around, like Obito and his training buddies, who seemed to do nothing but run laps all day now that Guy was busy training with his father.

After confirming they were alone, Takeshi focused on Rin's transformation.

Rin's talent for this was exceptional. The most crucial factor, of course, was that her body had already adapted to natural energy. Without that, she wouldn't have been nearly this efficient.

Before long, her body began to change.

Fine hairs started to sprout on her skin.

'Is that the change?' Takeshi's hopes instantly plummeted. 'Don't tell me it's just... fur.'

Fortunately, the hair quickly receded. The real anomaly appeared elsewhere. Beneath the hair on her head, something seemed to be pushing through. A moment later, two black, triangular ears emerged.

Cat ears.

'Well now,' Takeshi thought, his own ears twitching. 'That's a marked improvement.'

He circled her, checking for any other changes, but there didn't seem to be any. A few seconds later, Rin's eyes fluttered open.

"How do you feel, meow?"

"Meow... I don't feel that different," she said with soft voice. "But my body feels much stronger, and lighter."

"You call that 'not much change'? You've even started meowing!" Takeshi couldn't help but point out. He slapped a paw on the ground, conjuring a mirror of ice. "Look for yourself."

Rin peered into it, her eyes widening in shock.

Cat ears? And her eyes...

"Is it just my ears? My eyes feel different, too."

"Meow?"

Takeshi leaned in closer, then glanced back at the mirror. He saw it now. Whenever something moved into her field of vision, her pupils would instantly contract into feline slits.

"Meow~ Let's try a little sparring."

The best way to test a cat was with a hunt. With no prey around, a fight would have to do. Takeshi let out a soft roar, his body instantly growing to match Rin's height. Then, in a blur, he pounced.

Rin ducked, the attack sailing over her head.

"Huh?" She hadn't even consciously registered the attack. The instinctual dodge surprised her as much as it did him. 'An increase in reaction speed? But I didn't even have time to react!'

The feeling was strange, but before she could process it, Takeshi attacked again from behind. This time, she couldn't dodge.

"Meow~ It seems you need to see it to react. Try attacking me."

"Okay, meow!" The girl nodded, then drew two kunai and charged.

Her speed was incredible, about half of his own at full sprint. While only a fraction of his power, it was a massive leap for her, far beyond what an ordinary ninja could achieve. But the strangest part was the long, black tail that had suddenly sprouted from her lower back, swishing as she ran.

Takeshi dodged to the side, watching her closely. Now he understood.

Seeing him move, Rin twisted in mid-air, using the tail as a counterbalance to pivot and change direction instantly upon landing. Her body maintained perfect balance throughout the maneuver. She closed the distance, her kunai striking forward. When he dodged again, she flipped the weapons in her grip like daggers and attacked from a new angle, a series of complex moves executed in one fluid motion.

The funniest part was the look of utter confusion on her face. She clearly had no idea how she was doing it.

'This,' Takeshi thought, 'is very much like a ninja cat.'

"Alright, meow. Let's try ninjutsu."

Takeshi swished his tail.

There were quite a few new features to test. As the first ninja to learn a Cat Sage Mode, Rin was setting the precedent.

She nodded, but paused as she was about to form the hand signs. What ninjutsu should she use? Other than the Summoning Jutsu, she mostly knew medical techniques.

"Um, I don't really know any other ninjutsu," she admitted shyly. "Just Needle Jizo and the Wild Lion's Mane Jutsu."

"Meow~ Try turning your hair into needles and shooting them out," Takeshi suggested. Jiraiya could do something similar, hardening his hair into senbon, but he needed the help of the two toad sages for a continuous barrage. Rin's version would likely be less potent.

She tried as he suggested. The first attempt failed, but after another try, she learnt it, sending a volley of hardened hair flying. The effect was surprisingly powerful.

Takeshi then taught her a few ways to enhance her taijutsu with sage chakra, which she picked up immediately. He was about to show her more when she suddenly dropped out of Sage Mode. All in all, it had lasted about four minutes. For a first attempt, that was incredible. Minato himself hadn't truly mastered Sage Mode until he was reanimated, and this was only Rin's first time.

"Thank you, Takeshi," she said, her eyes shining. "Without you, I never would have..."

"Let's not get sentimental, meow," Takeshi interrupted. "Let's just keep working together and getting stronger."

Takeshi interrupted the sentimentality.

'What's with all this talk? We're all still far from the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death.'

Back at the camp, Takeshi's first order of business was to inform Tsunade and Minato about Rin's new abilities. His own jutsu weren't a good fit for her. As her teacher and her commanding officer, it was their job to teach her. Besides, hadn't Kirigakure just provided two new water release jutsu? He understood he couldn't do everything himself, he had to let others share the burden.

Tsunade agreed without hesitation. She could teach Rin her super strength, but the Strength of a Hundred Seal and Creation Rebirth were another matter. Those could be discussed later.

With the task of Rin's training now in their hands, Takeshi felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Now that Duy's strength had been proven as well, he probably wouldn't need to lead the team back to the village like some half-baked leader.

Being a Jonin team leader was truly a hassle, it wasn't as comfortable as freeloading or working alone.

Over the next few days, Takeshi wandered the camp, occasionally giving pointers to Genma and Ebisu, while Minato taught high-speed combat tactics to Rin, Obito, and Kakashi. For the most part, though, everyone was idle. The war on the eastern front was over, and a sense of relief settled over the camp.

However, Tsunade couldn't completely relax yet. Someone was still in a coma.

Tsunade, however, couldn't completely relax. One person was still in a coma.

Kura Uchiha.

He hadn't woken since being gravely wounded in the battle against the Kumo. Takeshi was curious if the trauma had awakened his Mangekyo, and had been keeping an eye on his condition. Today, he finally woke up.

Sensing the shift, Takeshi immediately ran back from the edge of camp and snuck into the medical tent to watch. A few people noticed him, but his status was now second only to Tsunade and Minato. No one would stop 'Jonin Takeshi' from checking on a teammate.

Kura lay on the cot while Shizune slowly fed him porridge. His complexion was pale, and a line of worry was etched between his brows. Tsunade stood to the side, examining him.

"It's nothing serious," she said with a smile after a few moments. "Your body has recovered well."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. Where are my teammates?"

"Well..." Tsunade hesitated, unsure how to answer.

"Well..." Tsunade hesitated, unsure how to answer. Some of his teammates had been temporary, others had been with him for years. The Kumo's attack had been overwhelming. No one else had survived. Kura himself had only been saved thanks to Takeshi.

He didn't need her to say the words. Kura understood.

"The Kumo shinobi..." he began, his voice raspy.

"We drove them back, meow," Takeshi said, hopping onto Tsunade's shoulder. "They surrendered."

She shot him a cold look and shook her shoulder, dislodging him.

"Takeshi... thank you for what you did," Kura said, his eyes widening. "Wait, surrendered? How long was I unconscious?"

He looked like he thought a year or two had passed. Shizune kindly informed him it had been less than ten days.

The news that both the Kumogakure and the Kirigakure had been defeated sent a wave of conflicting emotions through him. His expression was a complex mask of relief, grief, and disbelief. After a few moments of silence, he looked around the tent.

Tsunade gave a thoughtful nod. She took the bowl from Shizune. "Everyone, please step outside. Kura needs to rest."

"Can Takeshi stay?" Kura asked. "I'd like to understand what happened."

"Meow!" Takeshi nodded. This was perfect. He also wanted to ask if Kura was related to Shisui. With his curly hair and the shape of his eyes, the resemblance was uncanny.

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