Mystery Solved

I let out a frustrated groan. "Do we really have to search for this silly cat, sensei?" We had been searching for nearly half an hour, and my patience was wearing thin.

Hayama-sensei chuckled, finding amusement in our predicament. "This mission brings back memories, doesn't it?"

I turned to him in surprise. "Wait, you've done this before too, sensei?"

He smirked, enjoying our struggle. "Well, it's a rite of passage for every genin team. Searching for a missing cat is a tradition."

Curiosity got the better of me. "How old is this cat, anyway?"

I smirked mischievously under my mask. "Old enough to be your mother, Natsu."

Natsu frowned, clearly not impressed with my comment. "Now, that's rude, Nobuyuki! It seems your confidence has grown since wearing that mask."

I shrugged nonchalantly. Then, I turned to Itachi, our de facto team leader. "How about you, Itachi? Any luck?"

He shook his head. "My raven hasn't found anything yet. Perhaps the cat is long gone."

I turned to Natsu. "Can't you use your Byakugan? You're a sensor, right?"

She growled in frustration. "I would have found the cat by now if it were that easy to locate with my Byakugan."

I chuckled. "Well, it seems I'm virtually useless in this situation."

Suddenly, Hayama-sensei's attention shifted, and we followed his gaze.

Natsu pointed excitedly. "There it is! That's the cat!"

I squinted my eyes and observed. "Wait, since when can cats fly?"

Hayama-sensei remarked, "That's unusual. It appears as though something is lifting it up, causing it to float and fly in circles."

Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it strange that no one else seems to notice a flying cat above them?"

I nodded in agreement. "Indeed, it's peculiar. Your raven and Byakugan couldn't detect it because it's in the sky."

Itachi added, "The cat seems distressed."

I noticed a faint shimmer just above the cat. Hayama-sensei's observation seemed to hold truth.

Then, a realization struck me like a bolt of lightning. Ah... I think I know what's causing this.

I discreetly looked away when no one was watching. How could this happen?

I wanted to scream to myself. I knew exactly what was holding the cat in the air.

"Can we just..," I stammered, pausing and holding my breath as to not alarm them that I was lying, "Report this to the Hokage? I think this is beyond, way beyond, our expertise."

Natsu squinted her eyes at me, "Now hold on, you talk like you knew what's the cause in the first place."

Damn, her sharp instinct!

I stood my hand, trying to placate her growing suspicion, "Let's be rational here. Unless Hayama-sensei had some super duper secret aerial jutsu, then I don't think we could get that cat." Then I turned to Itachi, "Don't you agree, leader?"

Instead Itachi moved beside Natsu, "I can catch it just fine with my raven. Disturb whatever thing suspending it in the air, then we can catch it."

"Sensei?" I turned, pouty at him.

He only sighed, "Itachi plan hold some merit. Unless you're not telling us something we don't know or not privy to?"

Their eyes pierced on me. I feel like a cornered rat.

Natsu smiled, promising a thousand pain should I lie.

I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts as I faced their penetrating gazes.

"You're right," I admitted reluctantly.

Natsu crossed her arms, a mixture of curiosity and frustration evident on her face. "Spill it, Nobuyuki. What aren't you telling us?"

Itachi nudged me, his expression expectant. "Come on, just tell us."

I hesitated for a moment, then looked to the left and right before finally confessing, "Well, that's probably my pet..."

"That's it? Just a pet?"

I could feel their eyes widen in surprise, and I hurried to explain further, "It's not just any pet. It's a rare and unique creature, and I fear someone might harm or capture it if they see it."

Hayama-sensei furrowed his brow, seeking clarification. "Why would someone want to harm it?"

I took a deep breath, considering my words carefully. "It has special qualities and abilities that make it highly sought after. It's best to keep it a secret for now."

The three of them exchanged glances and nodded in agreement, understanding the importance of discretion. It was a relief to know they would keep my secret safe.

In order to show them, I gestured for them to follow me towards an alley nearby.

"Wait here for a moment," I said, curling my fingers and blowing a whistle.

The air above shimmered briefly, and suddenly the dizzy cat appeared, meowing in surprise as it made a sharp turn in mid-air and dove towards me. A gust of wind followed, blowing away dust and dirt.

Then, something unexpected happened. I felt a claw gripping my head, and as the dust settled, an oversized owl came into view. Its feathers glistened white under the dim light, but as it settled down, they returned to their natural dark coloration. A crimson plume adorned its head, adding to its majestic appearance. I had tried to remove it before, fearing it would draw attention, but the plume always grew back to its previous size almost instantly.

Itachi looked impressed, Hayama-sensei let out a low whistle, and Natsu appeared surprised by the creature before us. Their reactions were positive, putting my mind at ease.

"Hoot!" the owl hooted, tilting its head as it regarded the newcomers. Then, it let out a sharp chirp, creating a tense atmosphere.

I quickly stepped forward and began rubbing its stomach, assuring the others, "They're friends. Everything is alright."

"Hoot?" the owl questioned, its tone changing as it sensed my reassurance.

"Hoot!" it chirped back, its aggression dissipating. The atmosphere grew lighter.

"Cute..." Natsu exclaimed, her eyes filled with wonder. "It's so adorable."

"Hoot! Hoot!" the owl responded, thrashing under Natsu's attention. It then took flight again, its feathers shimmering briefly before it became transparent, blending into the blue sky and becoming nearly invisible to the naked eye.

The poor cat, Tora, was left forgotten, its eyes swirling in confusion until Itachi gently scooped it up in his arms.

"Mission complete," he announced with a sense of accomplishment.

Hayama-sensei arched an eyebrow, intrigued. "A chakra beast?"

I nodded, affirming his question. "Indeed, it's a chakra beast."

Natsu couldn't contain her curiosity. "How did you manage to tame it, Nobuyuki?"

I hesitated for a moment before answering, "Well, I wouldn't exactly say I tamed it. I've been raising it since it was just an egg."

Hayama-sensei interjected, "I must say, it's quite rare to come across a chakra beast. The information alone about its existence could fetch a fortune."

I chose to withhold the fact that I had actually purchased a pair of ordinary owl eggs and nurtured them with flame transformation sage chakra. One egg failed to hatch, and the other gave birth to this extraordinary bird. I had to release it into the wild since my small apartment couldn't accommodate its growth.

The bird possessed remarkable abilities. Aside from its natural flame manipulation, it could cleverly manipulate light, likely by generating heat, to blend its feathers, rendering itself nearly invisible to the naked eye. As it matured, it would likely even be able to conceal itself from ordinary doujutsu.

The bird had an understanding of human speech and displayed a fair amount of intelligence. However, it also had a somewhat mischievous streak and would often assert dominance over me whenever it desired something, particularly cooked food.

Itachi nodded in agreement with my explanation. "That's why he kept it hidden. Not only is it valuable, but any skilled shinobi would be eager to capture it, given its ability to hide itself."

Once again, I nodded in agreement. "Itachi is absolutely right. I can't risk anyone else possessing it!"

Hayama-sensei chimed in. "For a shinobi, information like this can mean life or death. Keep Nobuyuki's secret to yourselves."

"Yes, Sensei!" they responded in unison.

Natsu, unable to contain her excitement, expressed her desire to see the bird again. "Its feathers are so magnificent. I bet it would make the perfect pillow."

I pleaded with her, "Please, don't even think about it!"

She chuckled, her laughter filling the air. No wonder it ran away the moment she paid attention to it.