Chapter 16: Words of Advice

Tsume looked around at the small group of children who were now looking at her with star struck eyes and couldn't help but sigh in her heart. For the last few years she had been using the fact that Kuromaru had been able to speak to encourage the kids to train to the best of their capabilities, and yet she knew that it hadn't been of any use. 

The clan was on the decline, and she had been the last one in recent years to train and bond with her ninken deeply enough to help him gain the ability to speak. 

Year after year, when the kids of the clan reached the age of ten they would chose their ninken and take part in the clans unique ritual to bind them together. Yet not many of them were able to go past the first level of the ritual. She herself had barely managed to get to the third stage when she had undergone it all those years ago, and she had been seen as a genius amongst geniuses in the clan. Yet there was still a level higher that no one had been able to reach in decades. All those that had tried had ended up dead or worse.

She mentally slapped herself to regain her focus. Today wasn't about any of that. Today was just supposed to be a day where the kids met and chose their ninken for the first time. Most of these kids weren't too eye catching, but still who knew, maybe they might catch a particularly talented kid today. 

Honestly she just wanted to hurry up and get back to her baby Kiba. She wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that the boy was already crawling all over the house leaving one mess after another in his wake, or that the only one who seemed capable of calming him down was her Husband. Nine months of carrying him around and several hours of labour all for the boy to prefer his father.

She was brought once more out of her thoughts as the children started filing into the enclosure. She eyed the boy Kentaro at the front of the line and couldn't help but shake her head. The boy was big for his age already matching the other older children even in height and stature, and even though he was young, she could tell that he had a firm foundation.

From the way he walked, to the way he seemed to subconsciously position himself in a way that allowed for a quick retreat from the enclosure. Even the surprisingly large amount of chakra that she could sense that he had were, all signs of solid training. Yet he didn't have that wild air around him that was characteristic of the Inuzuka clan.

The boy could have been so much more had he received the training of the clan when he was younger. Her blood was flowing through his veins afterall, and given what her potential was like, the boy was bound to have been something special about him too. Maybe he could have already have started practicing the clans techniques and been the rising star of his generation.

Yet here he was, a diamond in the rough filled with so much potential that was being wasted because of a petty grudge. He shouldn't have been here today, he had another four years to prepare himself and yet his father had pushed things through simply because he felt that his son needed to follow in a tradition that hadn't held much importance to the clan in years.

She glanced at the boys father who stood to the side while holding the hand of his second son, watching everything that happened with clouded eyes. 

It would be a lie if she said she wasn't sorry for the way things had gone with him and the clan, but at the same time there wasn't much that she could have done to remedy the situation. The elders had made the decision that day while she was off on a mission and by the time she'd returned everything was already over.

Not only had they taken away his wife's ninken. They'd also raided the house they had lived in on the clan property. Claiming they had to recover all the scrolls and technique of the clan now that his wife had passed away before the clans secrets where accidently leaked. In reality it was only years later that she found out they had been hoping to find the unique scrolls passed down in his wife's family to study them, but either way they hadn't found them and only managed to recover the clans techniques. 

Still the decision had been a sound one at the time that would have benefitted the clan so she wasn't too bothered by it. The clan would have given him monetary support and even offered to give his children the best education they had to offer, but he had thrown it all away because of his pride. All the good it did him, since he still ended up bringing the boys right back to the clan in the end.

She turned towards the children and cleared her throat to get their attention

"Alright kids you all have an hour to interact with the pups before you have to make your decision. Don't be too rough with the pups and even if you chose one of them, if they don't chose you then its not meant to be and you'll have to move on. Do not try to force a bond where there is none. Am I clear?"

The many nodding heads brought a smile to her face and she let the kids go to play with the pups. Under the supervision of the elders and the mother and father of the pups of course. 

She glanced once more towards Kuma and the boy next to him. Her eyebrows rose in surprise at the longing look on the boys face and felt a pang of guilt for the boy. They brought him out here and he couldn't even play with the pups and had to watch from the sidelines. Not to mention with the way his father acts towards the clan he was bound to end up wasting away for years without access to the clan and its ninken training capabilities. 

After a second of indecision she sighed before walking up to the boy. She ignored the hostile glance she received from his father, and kneeled till she and boy could see eye to eye. 

"Do you want to play with the pups as well? Even if you aren't old enough to pick one you can still play with them along with the others. Alright?"

She watched as excitement flashed through the boys eyes and heard as his heart sped up. Yet she was surprised when the boy turned towards his father for permission. Once his father nodded the boy turned towards the gate and ran inside heading straight to his brothers side before the two of them started playing with the pups. 

She laughed to herself before standing to her feet once more. She stood next to Kuma but kept her eyes on the two boys. Seeing how they naturally seemed to blend with the hounds was a welcomed surprise, which only made her annoyance at their father grow. She decided to give him piece of advice for old times sake. Whether he headed it would be up to him, but her conscious would be clear.

Turning to face the man she was surprised at the sadness she saw in his eyes as he watched his two sons and could only shake her head.

"I know what the clan has done to you wasn't right but its also not something that can be changed. Whether you will ever forgive the clan or not is completely up to you. However it would be an injustice to those two boys if they lost out because of you. The choice is yours. Your house within the clan is still there and is waiting for you if you decide to come back."

Tsume started to walk away leaving a final line behind.

"Just make sure you won't regret what ever decision you make later on down the line."