Saga of Tanya the Kunoichi

"Tell me, is this your limit!?". Tanya looks down on the two kids on the dirt as if they are worthless trash. Her expression stern and upright, with her hands folded behind her back like that of a commander in charge.

Naruto gritted his teeth as he stood.

'Hu..hu… Tsu-chan… no! Of course not! I… I will become Hokage!…'. Naruto stood shakily, but his gaze remained steadfast.

Tsuyu with her arms folded on her back nods in satisfaction. Even if Naruto lacks talents; what she appreciates most are tenacity, hard work, listening well and finally the will. 

Even if Naruto is not the top of the class, she can say she is truly proud of him. 

But then her face turned bitter and frowned at the newcomer who remained bathing in the mud like pigs under her feet.

'Ergh… Tsuyu… I really can't-', Kiba at the side groaned in the same pain. 

They had been going on different types of physical training. Push ups while doing leaf concentration practice (which both fails except Tanya herself), long runs, body flickering while zig zagging between trees, throwing shurikens, and sparring.

"Ha?".

As if possessed by a ghost of her past life, she felt annoyed seeing the future soldier of Konoha to act so whiny.

"Listen here you mutt". Tanya's gaze into Kiba seemingly piercing his very soul as he grabs onto his collar, almost making him whimper in tears, his eyes unable to meet with hers. Akamaru already run away to hide behind Kiba, shivering.

"Did you come here to play? You think being a shinobi is a game?". Tanya tilts her head, and gives him a mocking smile.

'T-tsuyu… l-let's not be so s-serious-', Kiba tried to give Tsuyu a weak smile but he squeaked as Tsuyu's face zoomed closer and glared at him with her blue eyes as if wanting to devour him. 

"Serious? If you aren't serious, why are you here? If you want to be coddled, go home to your mama. Or do you want a warm bottle of milk as well?". 

'N-no… Tsuyu… I… I…'.

Kiba looks at Naruto, as if wanting his help.

Naruto instead looks at Kiba with fiery eyes.

"Kiba, get up!!!". His voice is burning with spirit.

"We have to show her, we are truly serious and not let her look down on us!". Naruto had an air of seriousness in his words.

'I…', Kiba struggled to stand up, he felt weak both inside and outside. Kiba finally manages to stand up, but his eyes are dispirited, his back hunched, as if he's a child now wanting to go back home. He seems to even regret coming with Naruto to train.

It's far from his imagination…

Tsuyu crossed his arm, huffing.

She turned to the side, looking in the direction of the Inuzuka clan.

"Tell me, what is your surname!". 

Kiba is stunned at the randomness of the question. But still replied quietly.

"I-Inuzuka".

"LOUDER!".

Tsuyu returned his gaze to Kiba.

"INUZUKA!!!", Kiba shouted with all his might despite his shaky legs.

"And what does that name mean in Konoha?!".

Kiba felt his entire body shaking, he felt his own weakness in himself as she asked him that question.

Kiba cannot answer, therefore Tanya replied mockingly.

"Do you think your ancestors and your parents earned their place in Konoha by giving up? Is that what an Inuzuka amounts to?!".

Kiba swallowed his saliva. He gritted his teeth and mustered a reply.

"No!".

"But you don't act like an Inuzuka should. I could have mistaken the Inuzuka as strays!".

Kiba's whole body stiffened, his palms clenching tight until it turned white. His eyes gained the fire of resistance and even anger.

'Strays?! NO! We are not strays!', Kiba stood upright with his eyes glaring with the same fierceness towards Tsuyu, almost with anger.

Tsuyu gave a slight smirk.

"Then prove it!".

'I-I will prove it! I am the proud clan of Inuzuka! I will show you what Inuzuka means!'.

Kiba seems infected as if he got injected with chicken blood, his eyes red with both anger and wanting to prove himself.

Tanya smiled slightly with an approving nod seeing Kiba coming to his senses.

"Good! Now, keep moving Inuzuka. 3 more laps around Konoha!".

'YES!', both Naruto and Kiba replied with vigor.

…

The ANBU observing Tsuyu and Naruto training wipe his sweat with his hand. Almost affected by the aura exuded by Tsuyu and even felt pressured himself as if he too is included. What even is he seeing? 

Even in ANBU the training isn't like this. He suppose he should write this as a report. The soldiers i.e. shinobi of Konoha are more familial in nature in their sensei-student relationship in each squad so Tanya's method that is very harsh seems out of place.

***

'Ha… ha… ha…', Naruto lay flat on the ground, boneless and wrecked from the training. Kiba is at the side, though he looked more wretched with his tongue sticking out. Even Akamaru had his tongue sticking out mimicking the same exhaustion.

"Ha…", Tsuyu takes a deep breath as she herself is also tired. She lay against the tree, letting the breeze cool them down. 

'Hahaha…', Kiba suddenly laughed.

Both Naruto and Tanya turned to look.

'I… I proved… the Inuzuka… Tsuyu… hehe…'. Kiba smiled in satisfaction, almost proud. His head turned to Tsuyu, as if wanting her approval.

Tsuyu smirked slightly, seeing the wretched face. It reminds her of her time training her troops in past life. Kiba isn't bad at all, she thought. Another person added to the list of people she actually can respect.

"You did. For today. But don't let it get over your head Inuzuka", Tsuyu said casually.

'Hahaha… Tsuyu…, Naruto…ha… is right… hahaha… why… you… act so nice… in class….'.

"Who told you I was acting? I have always been myself. Training is training. I am serious when it comes to it", Tanya tries to defend herself by stating the facts.

"Ha… I told you… hehe… do you…ha… regret it…". Naruto looks at Kiba's appearance that even had his tongue sticking out as if he could die the next second. He had a satisfied grin on his face and giggling.

'Ha…? I… I am… a proud… Inuzuka… how… how can I say I… regret it…'.

The trio rested for a while.

Kiba looked at Tsuyu who had her eyes closed now, resting her head against the tree as the breeze blew by.

He gets to know a completely unexpected side of Tsuyu he never thought he would see. Who would believe Naruto's words that Tsuyu can have such a commanding side. But his childhood crush perhaps only grew deeper instead, in both awe and admiration.

He clenched his fist, and he decided he wanted to become strong and train hard! He wants to be able to stand side by side with Tsuyu, and to become someone able to bear the proud name of Inuzuka! 

Tsuyu opened her eyes… She noticed the stare Kiba gave. Ah one of her hair somehow ended up in her mouth, she finally noticed. She picks it away, not really caring about her image. 

She looks at Naruto who's resting flat on the patch of grass. He seems somewhat happy even after the training. She is sure it's because Kiba is there with him. 

I should invite Kiba on my own incentives to keep Naruto motivated and happy, she thought. And suddenly she has this idea to also invite Hinata. She had always wanted to straighten her soft shy demeanor up. 

It had always been an itch she can't scratch seeing a future soldier that is among her friends not being what she expected. But then Hinata already had training with her father and perhaps in time he would straighten her out.

Tanya then remembered he hadn't informed Naruto about her class advancement - well, that they suddenly made a U-turn and approved it.

"Right. Nii-san".

'Mmm…?', Naruto listened with his eyes closed.

"They actually approved my application to advance to next year… so I would be joining the next year starting next week".

'H-huh? W-what!'. His eyes snapped open as he sat up, surprised and almost disliking the news.

Kiba also sat up.

'Huh? You are leaving?', Kiba's voice is almost whining. He would no longer be able to interact with Tsuyu in class and he felt lost.

"Why are you two acting like I am quitting? I am still going to be in the academy". Tanya lightly chuckled.

'But… you can't just leave!', Naruto almost felt like Tsuyu was leaving him all by himself. It's as if the only person he had always depended on suddenly wanted to leave him on his own accord.

The idea that Tsuyu will no longer be in class with him suddenly makes class lonely and suffocating, and that he lost the pillar he could hold onto if he ever feels dejected and isolated.

"Nii-san…", Tanya voice is slightly softer, but still carries an air of maturity.

"I understand… but, you have a friend now, you don't have to worry".

Tsuyu looked at Naruto, then his eyes turned to Kiba. Kiba blinked twice, then he looked at Naruto.

Kiba scratched the back of his neck. He looks at Naruto who looks so vulnerable right now, even looks lonely. Over the days he knew Naruto and hanged out a few times he somewhat knew Naruto is just a lonely guy inside. While he doesn't fully know the circumstances, he's open to friendship.

'Yeah. I am your friend dude'. Kiba said honestly while rubbing his nose, a smile on his handsome face. Akamaru also agreed and went to climb onto Naruto and lick his cheeks.

"Friend…", Naruto felt his chest and face warm up. There's even a hint of blush on his face.

"I… Um… Tch… I guess I had to accept you as my friend", Naruto turned to the side, his face clearly hiding how happy he felt inside at the acknowledgement but he can't say it openly since it's too embarrassing.

'Heh. Just don't get too clingy to me'.

"Ha!? Who would be attached to you! You smell like a wet dog!".

'Ha?! What did you say?!'.

The two bantered for a while. Tsuyu lighty sighed seeing the two children bantering, throwing remarks at one another. The two only had so much vocabulary and basically repeating the same insults over and over again. 

But it is still amusing, she thought.

***