Chapter 11: Pack Tactics!
The smoke from Takeshi's fire jutsu hung thick in the air, creating an acrid haze that burned the lungs and stung the eyes. The forest around them had transformed into a hellscape of smoldering branches and drifting ash, the pleasant morning training ground now resembling a battlefield.
But for Kōzaru, the chaos became clarity. His enhanced Inuzuka senses cut through the confusion like a blade through silk—he could track Takeshi's position by the metallic scent of his sweat mixed with blood from the shuriken wounds, hear his controlled breathing patterns through the crackling flames, and feel the subtle vibrations of his cautious footsteps through the forest floor as the chunin repositioned for his next attack.
More importantly, through his empathic bonds, he could sense both his ninja hounds approaching with perfect timing. The plan forming in his mind would require no additional chakra from him—just flawless coordination and the kind of pack tactics that had made the Inuzuka clan legendary.
"When I give the signal," Kōzaru called out to his teammates, his voice carrying clearly despite the smoky air, "Tatsuma, I need one more barrage of shadow clones—but this time, make them obvious. Draw his attention completely."
"Got it," Tatsuma replied, though his voice carried the strain of someone who'd been pushing their chakra reserves hard. Even with his Uzumaki heritage, the continuous use of advanced techniques was taking its toll.
"Aotaka," Kōzaru continued, "can you channel that lightning enhancement through the ground instead of a weapon?"
There was a pause as Aotaka considered this. "Through the ground? I've never tried that before, but..." He could feel something in the back of his mind, like a technique waiting to be discovered. "The system feels like it wants to help with this."
"Trust it," Kōzaru urged. Sometimes the most effective techniques weren't the flashiest ones—they were the unexpected applications that caught opponents completely off guard.
Through his bond with Riku, Kōzaru could feel the black and tan puppy's location with perfect precision—forty meters away and closing fast, with an increasingly frustrated chunin in pursuit. The puppy's emotional state was a mixture of mischievous satisfaction and focused determination. He had led his pursuer on the chase of her life, dodging through the densest parts of the forest, leaping over fallen logs, and even managing to snatch her headband as a trophy. Now he was executing the final phase of their coordinated plan.
Yuki, meanwhile, had positioned herself in the perfect ambush location. Through their connection, Kōzaru could sense her coiled readiness, her sharp intelligence evaluating the battlefield and waiting for the optimal moment to strike. Despite her youth, her tactical instincts were already formidable.
The sound of approaching footsteps through the undergrowth reached his enhanced hearing—both sets of feet he'd been waiting for.
"Now!" Kōzaru shouted.
Tatsuma responded instantly, muscle memory taking over as his hands formed the familiar cross-shaped seal. Despite his depleted reserves, he created three shadow clones—even if it did almost completely drain his chakra reserves.
[Tatsuma - Chakra: 83/128 → 8/128] - Shadow Clone Jutsu cost 25 chakra per clone.
The clones spread out in an obvious formation, making no attempt at stealth as they charged toward Takeshi from multiple directions. Their footsteps thundered through the forest, kunai glinting in the firelight, creating exactly the kind of frontal assault that would demand a chunin's complete attention.
"The same trick again?" Takeshi called out, but his voice carried a note of wariness. Three coordinated clones still represented a significant threat, and they were moving with precision. His hands began forming seals for another fire jutsu, but he had to divide his attention between the approaching threats and maintaining his defensive position near the scroll.
That divided attention was exactly what Kōzaru had been counting on.
Aotaka pressed both palms against the damp forest floor, feeling for the technique that his understanding suggested was possible. Lightning chakra was typically channelled through weapons or projected directly, but earth was conductive when moisture was present...
The breakthrough came like a revelation. Instead of fighting against the ground, he let his chakra flow with the natural conductivity, spreading it through the network of roots and damp soil that connected the entire forest floor.
The knowledge of basic chakra control that he had learned in the academy flowing through his mind along with the ability to turn said chakra into lightning release allowed him to let a current of electricity flow through the ground.
Electricity coursed through the forest floor in branching patterns, following the path of least resistance through root networks and moisture-laden soil. The technique was invisible until it reached its target—Takeshi, who was standing in a small depression that had collected morning dew and was now essentially a natural conductor.
The chunin's eyes widened as he felt the first tingle of electrical current, but it was already too late. The lightning surged through him in a controlled burst, not enough to cause serious injury but more than sufficient to disrupt his chakra control and lock his muscles in temporary spasms.
"Impossible!" he gasped, his fire jutsu sputtering out as his hands cramped around the half-formed seals. His knees buckled as the electrical current overloaded his nervous system, forcing him to one knee. "How did you—"
But his question was cut off as the forest erupted in chaos.
Riku came bursting through the undergrowth at that exact moment, his small black and tan form a blur of motion as he executed a tactical entrance. Close behind him came the second chunin—a woman with short black hair and increasingly dishevelled clothing—who had been pursuing him with single-minded determination.
"Finally cornered you, you little thief!" she panted, then stopped short as she realized she'd run straight into an active battle zone. Smoke, electrical discharges, and the academy students wielding kunai made for a confusing tableau.
Takeshi, still recovering from the electrical shock and trying to regain his footing, spun toward what he assumed was backup arriving. "Yuki! Perfect timing—help me deal with these clones!"
The female chunin—whose name was indeed Yuki, which was going to cause confusion later—took in the scene of destruction around them. Scorch marks on trees, kunai embedded in trunks, and her fellow instructor on one knee with smoke rising from his clothes.
"What in the world is happening here?" she demanded, raising her own kunai defensively as she tried to assess threats in multiple directions.
It was the moment of maximum confusion that Kōzaru had orchestrated perfectly.
"Yuki, now!" he shouted—not to the chunin, but to his white and tan puppy.
His ninja hound burst from her concealed position like a coiled spring released. Despite her small size, her explosive speed and perfect timing caught both chunin completely off guard. While they were focused on human threats and shadow clones, they'd forgotten about the real objective.
Yuki's teeth clamped down on the red container with the precision of a master thief. Her jaw strength, already impressive for her age, was more than sufficient to secure the precious cargo. The small ninja hound had been watching the entire battle, analyzing the perfect moment to strike, and her patience was rewarded with flawless execution.
Both chunin spun toward the puppy simultaneously, their training finally overriding the confusion as they realized the true nature of the threat.
"The scroll!" Takeshi shouted, struggling to his feet as feeling returned to his limbs.
But Yuki was already in motion, her small form darting between the adults' legs with an agility that made her nearly impossible to track. All that play-fighting with her brother had taught her how to navigate around much larger opponents, and she used every trick she'd learned.
Suddenly she launched the container toward Kōzaru in a perfect arc. The throw was timed precisely to his position and momentum, making the catch as easy as possible.
Kōzaru snatched it from the air without breaking stride, his enhanced reflexes and spatial awareness making the grab look effortless. "Objective secured!"
"Not so fast!" The female chunin launched herself toward him with the kind of speed that reminded everyone present why chunin were considered dangerous opponents.
But Riku had other plans.
The black and tan puppy, reading the battlefield with tactical brilliance, threw himself directly at her ankles in a perfectly timed intercept. His small body struck with the precision of a guided missile, hitting her just as she committed to her leap and her balance was most vulnerable.
She hit the ground hard, her training allowing her to roll and absorb most of the impact, but the surprise and lost momentum cost her precious seconds. By the time she regained her feet, her target was already moving.
"Body Flicker!" Kōzaru activated the technique, feeling the familiar rush as chakra flooded his system.
[Kōzaru - Chakra: 89/109 → 79/109]
The world blurred as he moved faster than the eye could follow, reappearing at the edge of the clearing with both puppies already converging on his position. His pack coordination was so seamless it seemed almost supernatural—but it was simply the result of deep bonds and communication.
"Extraction! Go, go, go!" he called to his teammates.
Tatsuma's clones immediately shifted from attack mode to cover, forming a protective screen as the real Tatsuma sprinted toward their regrouping point. His Uzumaki stamina was still holding strong despite the chakra expenditure, feeling then exhaustion creeping over his body.
Aotaka snatched a pair of smoke bombs from his pouch, detonating them simultaneously to create a thick cloud of concealing smoke. The tactical withdrawal was as coordinated as their attack had been, another basic technique they had already learned in the academy that he was making use of.
As they fled through the forest, weaving between trees, Kōzaru could hear Takeshi calling after them. Despite his defeat, the chunin's voice carried genuine admiration:
The female chunin's response was considerably less complimentary and significantly more colourful, but equally loud.
They maintained their pace until they reached the designated extraction point, where Instructor Koji was waiting with his clipboard and what might have been the shadow of an impressed expression.
"Time," he announced as they skidded to a halt, all three boys breathing heavily but victorious. "Forty-two minutes, eighteen seconds. Well within mission parameters and five minutes faster than the previous record."
Kōzaru held up the red container, his chest rising and falling rapidly as adrenaline slowly left his system. Both puppies flanked him, panting but alert, their tails wagging with the unmistakable satisfaction of a mission completed successfully.
"Objective secured, sir," he managed between breaths, offering a small but genuine smile.
Koji accepted the container and verified its contents—a scroll bearing the academy's official seal. "Indeed. Impressive work." He paused, studying the three exhausted but triumphant boys. "That wasn't academy-level coordination. The tactical integration, adaptive problem-solving, and seamless team communication demonstrated genin-level if not chunin-level thinking."
His expression grew more serious as he continued his assessment. "Moreover, each of you exceeded your expected capabilities significantly. Tatsuma, three well-coordinated shadow clones used tactically rather than wastefully—that represents excellent chakra management and strategic thinking. The fact you are able to use the shadow clone jutsu at all is a passing grade in the academy. Never mind the fact that you also used a lightning style and you a wind style technique."
Quest complete! Retrieve the scroll.
Reward, 100 exp.
The system suddenly said in each of their minds, pinging to life as they listened to their instructor.
The sound of approaching footsteps announced the return of both chunin instructors. Takeshi emerged from the forest looking somewhat worse for wear but oddly satisfied. His wounds had been quickly field-dressed, but the bandages were already showing spots of red. The female chunin—Yuki—had managed to clean most of the dirt from her uniform, but her expression remained distinctly annoyed.
"Complete tactical victory," Takeshi announced to Koji, though his tone carried respect rather than disappointment. "The strategic planning was flawless, the execution was precise, and the improvisation under pressure was remarkable. I'm impressed." He said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Those ninja hounds," Yuki added grudgingly, brushing a final bit of forest debris from her hair, "are going to be absolute nightmares when they reach full size. The little black one hits like he's twice his weight, and the coordination between all three of them..." She shook her head in amazement.
Riku practically glowed with pride at the praise, sitting up straighter and puffing out his small chest.
"Excellent performance across all metrics," Koji concluded, making detailed notes on his clipboard.
"It would seem you have progressed further than what we can teach you hear at the academy. I will be recommending that the three of you graduate and are promoted to genin at once." The instructor said, utterly shocked by the outcome of their training today, clearing having no idea what they were capable of.
"This concludes your advanced tactical scenario. You've earned a rest period before reporting to the endurance course." He then said, turning around and walking off with the two other chunin.
As the instructors moved away to prepare the next training station, the three boys collapsed onto the soft grass with heartfelt groans of exhaustion and relief. Both puppies immediately swarmed over Kōzaru, seeking the physical contact and praise that were their well-earned rewards.
"We actually did it," Tatsuma said wonderingly, staring up at the sky through the forest canopy. Puffy white clouds drifted peacefully overhead, a stark contrast to the intensity they'd just experienced. "We beat two chunin in a straight fight..."
"With strategy and teamwork," Aotaka corrected, though his voice carried satisfaction rather than modesty. "And those ninja hounds made all the difference. Without them, we never would have pulled off that coordination."
"Yeah, who would have thought picking the Inuzuka clan could have so many perks." Tatsuma said with a smile.
Kōzaru scratched behind both puppies' ears, feeling their contentment and pride through their empathic bonds. The connection had grown stronger through shared combat, deepened by trust and successful cooperation.
"We worked as a pack," he said simply. "Teamwork is why we won, there is more to just head on physical strength." Kōzaru said as he smiled at his dogs.
A familiar notification appeared in his vision, accompanied by the satisfying sensation of significant progress:
[Mission Complete: Advanced Tactical Scenario] You have received a 2x boost. Total exp rewarded - 200.
Kōzaru: Level 3 - (50/200)
"Level progression?" he asked his teammates, noting their familiar expressions of wonder as they stared at their own system displays.
"Got a good chunk of XP," Tatsuma confirmed with a broad grin. "I just hit level 3. Can't wait to put more points into Ninjutsu - my chakra pool is going to be massive with my Uzumaki heritage."
Tatsuma: Level 3 - (0/200)
"Same here," Aotaka added, his excitement barely contained. "I'm thinking of putting my next skill point into Ninjutsu too, but I'm not sure what level it needs to be to unlock more advanced lightning techniques." Aotaka said.
Aotaka : Level 3 - (0/200)
As they rested and recovered, the sounds of ongoing training echoed from other areas of the grounds. Guy's team seemed to be engaged in some kind of intensive conditioning that involved enthusiastic shouting about "the power of youth." Team One's area had gone mysteriously quiet, which could indicate either complete success or spectacular failure.
From the obstacle course area came the sounds of wood splintering and what might have been creative cursing, suggesting that other teams were finding their own challenges.
"Wonder how everyone else is managing," Tatsuma mused, closing his eyes as he soaked up the warm sunlight.
"We'll compare notes soon enough," Kōzaru replied, watching as both his puppies found comfortable spots in the grass and began to doze. Even ninja hounds needed recovery time after their first real tactical operation.
Through their bonds, he could feel their deep satisfaction and growing confidence. They had proved themselves today—not as pets or training aids, but as genuine combat partners with their own skills and tactical value. The foundation they'd built through play and basic training had held firm under real pressure.
Whatever challenges the afternoon would bring, they would face them together as a pack. The morning had shown them what they were capable of, having completed their first training mission and now being told they would be graduation the academy. Things were about to get very real indeed.
But for now, they had earned their moment of rest and victory.