Naruto: Paws and Whiskers

Ebisu had ideals. He wanted to become stronger, to create his own unique ninjutsu, but circumstances had always held him back.

Since graduating from the Academy, the most advanced technique he'd learned was the Shadow Clone Jutsu, even that he needed practice to utilize effectively in battle. His Jonin instructor, Furukawa Makoto, hadn't taught him anything else, and Ebisu had no other way to learn new jutsu.

It wasn't that Furukawa was stingy, he was simply a taijutsu specialist with a limited ninjutsu repertoire. Having already established his own taijutsu style after becoming a Jonin, he hadn't branched out into other areas.

Now, Ebisu was starting to see things differently.

And then there was Takeshi. The ninja cat utilizing Ice Release, formidable taijutsu, and various other abilities. Plus, it was now their team's Jonin leader. If Ebisu could learn even a thing or two from the cat, he wouldn't mind calling him 'Sensei'.

But alas, Takeshi wasn't interested.

Ebisu might be willing, but Takeshi certainly wasn't. Dealing with a troop of dim-witted cats was exhausting enough, taking on a quiet pervert like Ebisu as a disciple sounded like sheer torture.

"Meow... Anyway," Takeshi began, hopping down from the tree to land lightly on Guy's shoulder, "back to the main point. Guy is easy enough to train, but you two... you have some issues."

When Takeshi had been a kitten, Guy often carried him just like this during his runs. Much had changed since then. Meanwhile, Guy was mulling over the 'easy enough to train' comment.

"We're listening, Takeshi-sama," Genma said, keeping his attitude exceedingly humble. Whatever his personal feelings about taking orders from a cat, his strength was undeniable. Takeshi had battlefield experience and had progressed far faster as a ninja than they had. That alone commanded respect.

Genma had felt a pang of awkwardness before kneeling, but once he did, clarity struck. 'What was the big deal about kneeling, anyway?' Takeshi was their Jonin leader, technically his superior and something akin to a teacher. Kneeling to a teacher wasn't unusual. What mattered was the guidance he might receive.

"Your offense relies on your clan's specialized ninja tool techniques," Takeshi noted, addressing Genma, "and your defense uses Earth Style Wall and other Earth Release ninjutsu. The problem is your lack of direct, head-on combat ability. In a team, Guy can handle the frontline assault, but what happens when he can't?"

Takeshi wracked its brain, vaguely recalling Genma's abilities. It remembered him eventually joining Raido in the Hokage Guard Platoon, learning the Flying Thunder Formation Jutsu. But Genma only ever reached the rank of Tokubetsu Jonin. Skilled in assassination, yes, but lacking in frontal combat prowess.

Having assessed Genma, Takeshi turned its gaze to Ebisu.

'This guy...' Honestly, his weaknesses were significant. Guy and Genma at least had clear strengths, but Ebisu? He'd pivoted from active duty to becoming an instructor. A respectable path, but his few combat encounters suggested his taijutsu was likely abysmal.

After a moment's thought, Takeshi delivered its verdict: "You need to focus on taijutsu training. We'll worry about everything else later."

"Wh-what? Taijutsu training?" Ebisu's glasses slid down his nose, revealing his wide startled eyes.

"That's right, meow. Train with Guy," Takeshi nodded. "Don't underestimate taijutsu. The body is the foundation for everything. If your taijutsu is weak, you'd better have ninjutsu powerful enough to one-shot your enemies. Otherwise, knuckle down and improve your physical conditioning. At the very least, don't be a liability."

With the training plan decided, Takeshi had Guy take Ebisu for a run immediately. Guy, naturally, possessed boundless enthusiasm and persistence when it came to physical training.

"Well," Genma interjected hesitantly, "Ebisu's always been a bit frail, should we..." 'Letting a bookworm loose with Guy? You've got to be kidding me!' Genma genuinely worried his teammate might collapse.

"Meow~ Don't worry," Takeshi purred reassuringly. "I was just as weak as Ebisu back in the day. But after training with Guy, look how strong I am now!" As Takeshi spoke, it tapped the ground with a paw. A low rumble followed, making the earth tremble slightly, as if hinting an earthquake was imminent.

"See? That's right, Ebisu!" Guy boomed, instantly energized. "I told you before, you should exercise with me! Let's go! We'll start with five hundred laps around Konoha! Let's burn your fire of Youth!"

"No, wait, don't pull me, I-" Ebisu's protests turned into yelps as Guy dragged him away.

Takeshi watched them go, a nostalgic sigh escaping its lips. How familiar, it thought. 'I was just as reluctant as Ebisu back then. And now? Look at this physique! Powerful! Okay, the system deserved some credit, but most of it was sheer effort.' Takeshi believed Ebisu could do it too. "He'll get stronger."

"'Well, you're the strong one, so you must be right,'" Genma muttered under his breath, unable to completely suppress his sarcasm.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

Looking up, he was met with Takeshi's deceptively pleasant cat smile.

"Meow~ I think you could use some training too," Takeshi declared cheerfully. "Come on, join them!"

Ah

"Let's go, don't be shy!" With that, Takeshi slammed its paw onto the ground, instantly creating a sizable crater.

Genma finally understood why Takeshi had chosen this particular training ground. With that kind of destructive power, anything smaller wouldn't have lasted long. 'Why couldn't I keep my mouth shut?'

He dragged himself reluctantly to his feet and started jogging after the other two, annoyance simmering within him. He could have potentially learned something useful, but now he was stuck running. Worse, he had to run with Guy.

'How utterly humiliating.' Genma had always privately scoffed at Guy's obsessive daily workouts. Exercise was necessary, sure, but Guy took it to a ridiculous extreme. And now, Genma was one of them.

Takeshi trotted behind them, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction. 'It's a pity that Obito isn't here, Takeshi mused. With him, the picture would be complete. What a sight for Konoha.'

Naturally, wanting to remain inconspicuous, the black cat took to the rooftops and walls, easily staying out of sight. Eventually, he settled onto the roof of the Hokage Tower, observing their progress from above.

"You're just having them run?" After a while, one of the Third Hokage's shadow clones appeared beside him.

It was inevitable, really. The Sandaime was the Hokage, after all, his perception and surveillance skills were top-notch. It would have been stranger if he hadn't noticed a Jonin-level presence perched directly above his office.

"What's wrong with running? It's the most basic foundational training, meow!" Takeshi didn't turn around immediately, its gaze fixed on the three figures jogging through the village streets below. Only after confirming they weren't slacking did it glance at the Sandaime's clone, then back down.

"It's not that there's anything wrong with running," the Sandaime clone said slowly. "Um... I just think perhaps you should be supervising them more closely? Why are you just sitting on my roof?" The Hokage felt distinctly irritated. Having this cat lounging directly overhead day after day was... inconvenient. Especially for private matters.

"Meow?" Takeshi finally turned its head fully. It studied the Sandaime's clone intently for a moment, then realization seemed to dawn. "Oh! Am I disturbing your work? Meow! My apologies, I'll move right away!"

Before the clone could reply, Takeshi leaped off the roof. The Sandaime's clone cautiously peered over the edge... only to see the black cat now plastered against the office window below, peering in...

'What is he doing now? How am I supposed to work like this? Do I have any respect left as Hokage?' Real Sandaime turned, meeting the cat's eyes through the glass. 

A moment later, members of the Hokage Guard Squad appeared. Seeing the cat stuck to the window, they immediately knelt. "Hokage-sama, shall we..."

"No, leave him," the Sandaime waved a weary hand, dismissing them. Otherwise, his perfectly functional office would turn into a makeshift viewing gallery.

The clone popped, and back in the office, the real Sandaime sighed, lighting his pipe with melancholy. Allowing Takeshi to return... that might have been his worst decision lately. If the cat hadn't returned, none of these irritating disruptions would be happening.

Take today, for instance. The owner of the casino had sent over a bill – Tsunade's latest debt. They expected him to cover it. 

Everyone knew Tsunade was perpetually broke. A notorious spendthrift, whatever savings she might have had were likely gambled away years ago. When the bill landed on the village's doorstep, what else could be done?

But then again, if Takeshi hadn't come back, Tsunade probably wouldn't have felt comfortable enough to return to the village either. 'I brought this entirely upon myself. I am a victim of my decisions!'

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