The dog kennel of the Inuzuka compound was a special place. In every iron cage was a ninken, dogs breed to be shinobi. It didn't matter their size, age or breed, even the weakest among them had a purpose.
Gurei walked past the rows of iron cages. Some younger dogs frantically scratched at their enclosure, standing on their hind legs, begging for someone to chose them. Older dogs slept in a corner, already desensitized to the reality that they would never be picked.
No one, not the Inuzuka children or the veteran clansmen, would pick these dogs. Bonds were harder to establish once a ninken reached a certain age, for these dogs, their only remaining purpose was to make more dogs and protect the kennel.
It was the deepest part of the kennel that was most valuable. These cages were smaller, but much louder, with constant yips and weak, cute barks coming from them. Gurei placed his hands on the iron bars of a cage and looked inside. Twelve puppies were huddled together, peacefully asleep and unaware of his presence.
"Well, which one do you want?"
The voice that spoke was rough and deep.
Takashi was an old, irritable man, far past his prime and relegated to the menial task of raising and distributing dogs. He was a relic of the Warring States period, a hard old man who had refused to die with the rest of his generation.
Gurei didn't respond right away. His eyes weren't on the puppies, but on the lines of text above their heads.
[Ninken]
[Male]
[Chakra Affinity: None]
[Skills: None]
[Jutsu: None]
He quickly read each description, before finding the only puppy worth taking. She was a small black puppy, with wispy fur more akin to a cat than a dog. She was the runt of the litter, only around half the size of the others, but that wasn't what mattered to him.
This puppy has a chakra affinity.
[Ninken]
[Female]
[Chakra Affinity: Fire (B)]
[Skills: None]
[Jutsu: None]
Gurei had to have her. None of the other puppies had a chakra affinity. Some older dogs did, but they would be disobedient and hard to control. If he had to choose a ninken, it had to be a puppy.
"I want the black one."
He raised a small finger, pointing to the runt of the litter.
"This one?"
Takashi opened the cage and grabbed the puppy he wanted by the scruff of its neck, holding it up to the dim light of the kennel.
He scoffed. "This pup is frail and weak. Don't be soft-hearted, pick the strongest of the litter. I swear, every year, one of you little bastards do this on purpose."
"Listen here and listen well, you can't teach strength, you only breed it. You won't just be putting yourself in danger, but the dog as well. Pick another."
When Takashi went to place the puppy back in the cage, Gurei snatched it from his hands and went off running.
"You little bastard, you'll regret not listening to me!"
Gurei didn't bother responding. Takashi couldn't catch up to him anyway. He could only walk with a cane now, his right leg chewed to bits by one of his own dogs.
Several hours later, in his apartment, Gurei laid his new puppy into its bed. He had bought a small cushion for the dog to sleep on, the only thing he could afford with his pension. Kibble and meat was too expensive to be able to spend money on luxuries.
Gurei had been orphaned two years ago, at the start of the Second Shinobi War. He was just 4 when the clan head knocked on his door, delivered him the news, apologized, and handed him a small envelope of money. His parents, both chunin, left nothing for him. No money, no ninjutsu scrolls, nothing. The only thing he had was the small two-bedroom apartment that they had bought before they died.
It had been six years since Gurei woke from death. Those six years had been painfully slow and unremarkable. Too young to join the academy, he could only join the regular communal clan teachings.
[Gurei Inuzuka]
[Affiliation: Inuzuka Clan]
[Rank: None]
[Chakra Affinities: Fire (C), Wind (C)]
[Skills: Chakra Control (D), Kunai Throwing (D)]
[Jutsu: Four Legs Technique (D), Passing Fang (D)]
He had learned what he could without a ninken. From now on, he would be learning collaboration jutsu. For that, this puppy wasn't suitable.
"Takashi was right, you are frail."
The puppy flinched at the touch of his cold fingers touching her neck.
"You aren't made for the brutish jutsu they'll teach us. I'm sorry, but you'll have to suffer for a little."
The puppy squirmed and kicked at him, digging itself deeper into the warm fabric of the cushion.
"Just wait for me. I promise, before I graduate from the academy, you'll get to learn a fire release jutsu."
His eyes moved to the reward he had been waiting for since he woke up in this world. A dog was just a dog. He could never feel safe because of it. This would be his real safeguard. The jutsu that would ensure his future survival.
[Mission completed!]
[Clan Mission: Primal Bond (I)]
[Description: Choose your lifelong partner from the Inuzuka kennel.]
[Reward: Beast Symbiosis]
[Beast Symbiosis (A)]
[Description: The user can draw on a bonded beast's physical and spiritual traits, taking them on permanently or temporarily at the user's will.]
A cold, fierce power ran through his fingers as he gripped the puppy in his hands. Gurei could feel her, not just her fur and flesh, but her soul. A deep, inseparable bond was forming, not with chakra but something deeper, more permanent. He wasn't just joining with her, he was taking from her. And there was only one thing worth taking from her.
[You have gained the chakra affinity, Fire (B)]
[You already possess the chakra affinity, Fire (C)]
[You have upgraded the chakra affinity, Fire (C) to Fire (A)]
Gurei couldn't help but smile. He could feel the change immediately. It was like a furnace was lit inside him, like the world suddenly felt as bright and warm as a child's imagination. His fingers lessened their hold on the whimpering puppy as he swung her up in his arms.
"We're bonded now, can you feel it? If we're going to be partners, I should give you a name, a symbolic one, for the generous gift you gave me."
He paused to think for a moment.
"Hestia. The guardian of my hearth."