3 rd Chapter

----One Year Later----

An eight year old boy standing in a small clearing stood between six different adult sized shadows with his eyes covered and the upper half of his body and his sword covered in a tight flame like shadow, keeping him illusory.

A snap comes from the surrounding trees and all six shadows attacked immediately, Eru rushed the shadow behind him, parrying its tanto with his hilt and slashing it's throat seamlessly. The shadow dissipates entirely as he flips over a slash from behind grabbing the shadow behind him by the head, scrambling behind him and slamming his claws into it's heart, dissipating it as well.

Making his way through the last shadow he slips off his blindfold dropping his integration, breathing heavily as sweat drops from his brow down his face. Two black triangles mark his cheeks as a fang drops from the left top lip of his mouth, making him look more cute than terrifying at this point.

A year has made a lot of difference to Eru's mindset and personality, taking on a calm and even look at all times. A few blade scars mark his unclothed chest and arms making him look light a battle hardened eight year old, a funny image for anyone not from a ninja clan, though nowadays even ninja clan children aren't so rigorously trained.

A shadow materializes in the corner of the field, the figure claps slowly as it materializes into his clan head while lightly snickering, "Well done little shadow, very impressive, completely fusing your Neru and Inuzuka bloodlines is imperative for your third mission."

Eru looks over solemnly at his father and bows, "Hai, Neru-sama, another assassionation?" Eru's eyes quiver almost unnoticeably as determination takes over quickly.

"No playing with bandits this time little shadow." Shikaeru chuckles a bit more before taking on a more authoritative look with an easy smile and says, "A child of a man whom I and every man, woman, and child in this village owe their lives to is going to the 'Shinobi Academy' this next semester. This child is important to the village for more reasons than just this, but those reasons are need to know, and you don't. Protect him and kill any who dare to harm him, including civilians, teachers, and even active shinobi, you have free reign, I trust you not to abuse it. Befriend him in class if you wish, I do not care. This is a shadow mission, as such, no one can know your strengths, weaknesses, or the fact that you are not there to learn."

Shikaeru throws a picture of a blonde man at Eru who snatches it out of the air with ease. "You will join the child of this man in the academy for as long as it takes him to graduate. Find the target, protect him, and do not come home until he graduates."

Eru nods looking at the picture for a moment and then consumes it with his shadow. "I will do as commanded, Neru-sama." His father nods then says, "Go home and meditate until dinner time, your mother will wake you." Eru nods at his father as Shikaeru melts into the shadows once more.

Eru melds quickly to rid himself of most of the sweat from his workout, bends down to pick up his scabbard and his black Yukata next to a nearby tree, and throws it over his black ANBU pants and black shinobi sandals. He ties his scabbard to his Yukata's obi, sheathes his sword and melts into the shadows while running up a tree quickly finding his way through this dark forest the Neru clan calls home.

----A Few Minutes Later----

Quickly coming upon his family home which is a rather large two story home encapsulated by trees and darkness he makes his way up the side of house and flips in through his window landing on his floor seemlessly.

His room, being barely three tatami wide and deep, with a bare minimum of a folded futon in the corner and a small closet with shelves filled with spare pants, yukatas, sandals, storage scrolls with various shinobi tools, and a few extra swords on the wall behind. Another place for his main sword on the wall above where he lays his head (futon literally above his head) for quick access as well as a hook next to it for his Yukata and obi. He disrobes, placing his yukata and obi on the hook, sliding his sword out of his sheathe, cleaning it with a cloth that hangs on his sword mantle slowly going up and down the length of the blade checking for Nick's or chips with water. Finding none he puts it and the sheathe in their places and melds with his shadow destroying the dirt and grime on his body, then sits to meditate after laying out his futon beneath him.

Sitting down seiza style he closes his eyes trying to find his center once again, for a few minutes he struggles with losing his thoughts, slowly his body us covered by what looks to be black flames. Starting from the edges of his entire body. His tattoos become more pronounced turning an almost bluish black, the nails on his feet and hands becoming more claw like. From the back of his hands to his forearms, from his knees to the top of his foot, and along the sides of his face from his sideburns beautiful white fur slowly grows out. His hair quickly grows longer and turns white gradually. Soon he passes out.

He comes to in a completely white room with two identical copies of himself sitting across from him. One, entirely black with no tattoos on its face and entirely white eyes smiles gently at him with a hint of reverance in it's calm pupiless eyes, sitting seiza. The other, entirely white with black triangles on each of its cheeks, a feral grin and mild amusement and interest in its entirely black pupiless eyes, sits lazily, it's legs akimbo with a bottle of sake in it's clawed hands. The black copy dogezas to him, "Goshujin-sama, you are coming along well with your integration with myself and the mutt."

The 'mutt' glances over before taking a swig and sighs with a slight growl. "A pup wields insults, Kage, a Wolf wields wisdom." Wolf then nods to Eru with a grin, "Though Kage is correct, your integration goes well, pup, around 80% for him and 70 for me. Taking in more of my wisdom and instincts and his silence with his ability to blend his presence into his surroundings and you will have fully integrated us into you. Allowing yourself to become the perfect shinobi, no, the perfect hunter."

Wolf smiles with a very feral grin, his canines growing much longer, then takes another swig as Kage sits up from his dogeza with slight anger in his eyes at his canine companion and grits out, "Shadows are not meant to be wise or childish, and mutt is no insult, drunkard." Turning back to his master he smiles gently once more, "Remember, Goshujin-sama, the shadows are without limit and without noise. The shadow is arrogant and foolhardy, trying to selfishly consume all only to be stopped momentarily by the light. If you wish to fully integrate with us you will have to learn that a shadow can do anything and everything, even becoming a wolf."

Eru nods solemnly to them both for a moment before getting excited and standing with one hand out a sword forming from the hilt up in flame like shadows. Wolf follows lazily shifting his claws in and out a few times as he drops the sake bottle which dissipates into shadows once it hits the ground. Kage scoffs and stands gracefully melding into shadows as a line which when slipping into Wolf's hands becomes an identical sword to Eru's own, only entirely black. Wolf's left eye turns white as he smiles lazily beckoning Eru with his hand. Two voices come out at once, one somber and respectful the other amused and lackadaisical, "Come, pup(Goshujin-sama), let's see what you've learned today."

----Four Hours Later----

Ina walks into her son's room seeing him meditating on his futon with sweat covering his forehead. She comes forward a squats down in front of him, gently speaking while wiping his head with a handkerchief, "Little shadow, wake up, its dinner time." Seeing her sons eyes open and the sheer exhaustion in them she feels a pang of sadness inside her heart at her son's lost childhood.

Eru smiles tiredly at her and stands with only his feet, the sound of cracking joints is heard throughout the room as he melds quickly to get rid of the sweat from his rigorous meditation and stretches a bit before grabbing his Yukata and obi off the hook, tying it around his waist as he walks out of his room, his mother close behind him with a slightly forced smile that quickly turns into a real one at the look of his small yet somehow broad back.

----The Next Day----

Eru packs his belongings into a storage scroll he slides into a holster attached to his obi, said storage scroll contains several more filled with food enough for four years (about a week and a half of Ina's home cooking, the rest nutrition bricks that supply his enough calories and vitamins for each day if he eats six a day), a few filled with clothes, kunai, shuriken, and even a few extra swords. Looking into his now extremely empty closet he sighs once before shaking his head and plants a semi-fake smile on his face.

Walking down the steps for the last time for at least four years his half smile turns whole, excited by what's to come. Smoothing himself out and dropping his smile to a much more reserved one he greets his mother and father in the kitchen. His mother feeling his presence turns and smiles shortly, the red under her eyes an obvious sign of unwillingness to lose her son for four years.

Unable to speak without choking up breakfast is a quiet affair, leaving not much to be discussed. Unwilling or unable to see him off she gives him a quick hug and a kiss on each cheek before going off to no doubt let out a few more tears while his father simply nods at him shortly. Eru nods back with his small smile never leaving and the tears that threatened to fall seemed never to come.

Eru stands, cleans his dish, and walks out the door. At the threshold he shouts lightly without turning , "Ja ne." As he sprints the shadows quickly enveloping him Shikaeru catches a few glistening drops of water coming from his face and grimly nods in acceptance of his son becoming a man much earlier than either he or Ina ever wished. The proud sparkle in his eyes dimmed heavily with sadness and grim determination.