Five days had passed since I woke up in this house.
I had quickly found a place in this new home.
It was simple. Maybe too simple. But I wasn't about to complain.
The life of a cat had far too many advantages.
As for the collar or my name, they simply hadn't been mentioned again.
Itachi seemed to have forgotten, and no one reminded him. Yet, I wasn't neglected.
Itachi would sometimes watch me, silently, especially when he was taking care of Sasuke.
He didn't try to pet me or play with me like most children his age would.
Watching him take care of his brother, I couldn't guess what he was thinking.
Two days ago, he had started leaving the house every morning, only returning in the evening, covered in sweat. When he came back, he would always shower before Mikoto returned.
Mikoto herself sometimes went out alone, sometimes with Sasuke, depending on Itachi's presence.
I figured she still had some kind of activity outside the house and hadn't become a full-time housewife.
And me? I was doing my best to adapt to this feline body.
My senses were powerful, my body agile, but everything still felt strange.
Jumping onto a shelf? I had failed three times before finally succeeding.
Cleaning myself with my tongue? Hard to admit, but I had resigned myself to it. It came naturally.
And the litter box… Let's not talk about it.
"How undignified..."
I used to think Pokémon didn't have those kinds of needs… My childhood was a lie.
Still, I did my best to adapt to this body.
This world was cruel; I knew it better than anyone. As an animal, the rules applied to me might be different... but seeing how humans lived...
And this peace, as sweet as it was, was only a temporary respite.
I had to become stronger.
Strong enough to survive, to defend myself if necessary, and maybe... let's just say it only took a few days for me to start getting attached.
Maybe I was too sensitive.
Even if they weren't my real family.
Mikoto, who pampered me whenever she could.
Itachi, who was slowly getting used to my presence.
And even Fugaku… who was just a big tsundere.
He had already noticed my intelligence. What he didn't know yet was how deep it went.
Today, I made the noble decision to end my life as a recluse and venture outside. I simply waited for Itachi to leave for training, and I followed him.
It would be a shame to get lost and give them a real reason to find me a collar.
The little bit of training I had done indoors was very useful once outside.
The moment I set paw outside, a quest popped up:
Quest: 100 km on foot ~
Requirement: Walk at least 1 km
Bonus: Even more?
Reward: level +1
Bonus Reward: xp (depending on the distance traveled; counter stops after a rest of more than 5 minutes).
Wasn't that a bit much for a kitten?
I followed Itachi by walking along the walls as he crossed the Uchiha district.
Still, I couldn't help but get distracted by the sheer amount of smells and sounds around me.
Hurrying to catch up with Itachi, I saw him heading towards the center of the Village. At that moment, a chill ran down my spine, and I leapt, spinning around to face the threat.
I found myself face-to-face with Mikoto, crouching with her hands outstretched toward me.
Seemingly unbothered by my reaction, she approached:
— I see you've finally come out. However, you're following the wrong person.
I didn't immediately understand what she meant. She moved closer and tied a cloth around my side. I think it contained a scroll.
Then she pointed in a direction.
— If you want to follow Itachi, go that way. You'll find his training ground. He forgot this when he left the house.
That reminded me that Itachi only went to school for important events, leaving a shadow clone to attend the rest of the time.
It was crazy how he and Kakashi already placed themselves above the rest of their generation.
When I looked back at her, she gently pushed me toward the indicated direction:
— Go on, then. I have to take care of Sasuke.
With those words, she vanished. I realized I hadn't heard her approach or leave despite my enhanced senses... or maybe I had just been overwhelmed by the background noise?
No need to overthink it... she's a shinobi after all.
So I headed toward Itachi.
I decided to use this experience as training. I started jumping from wall to wall, and the more I did it, the easier it became, the faster and farther I went.
Very quickly, with enough momentum, I could leap from rooftop to rooftop without risking a fall. The sensation was exhilarating. The importance of the surrounding sounds and smells faded with the effort.
After leaving the residential area, I entered a small forest. Still no sign of a training ground. By now, I was panting.
After a bit of rest, I started walking again. Had Mikoto really let a kitten make this trip alone?
Hoping I wasn't lost, I followed a small isolated path that finally led to a training ground with a spring.
Itachi was there, along with an older boy, as they roasted a fish.
The smell was irresistible: I hadn't eaten yet today.
As I approached, Itachi's companion noticed me and pointed:
— Hey, Itachi, it seems the kitten you adopted came to visit us.
Itachi noticed me too:
— How did you get here? Did you run away?
I sat down, looking at him, and remembered the scroll tied to my side. As he approached to retrieve it, I let him... before slipping away at the last second.
He looked at me blankly. I then walked past him and approached the fire, pointing at one of the fishes.
Understanding my intention, he asked:
— You want a fish for the scroll?
-------------------------------- P.O.V Itachi --------------------------------
I felt a gaze on us.
When I turned around, the kitten was there, carrying the scroll I had forgotten. It walked toward me without hesitation.
How had it gotten here?
When I reached for the scroll, it pulled back slightly at the last moment. I was sure it had done it on purpose.
It headed toward the fire, gesturing toward the fish, looking almost smug.
I stayed silent.
...It wants to trade.
Beside me, Shisui chuckled softly.
A normal animal wouldn't act like this. Still, I fulfilled its request.
It settled near the fire to eat the fish.
I opened the scroll and found inside the bentos prepared by my mother.
She knew I wasn't at school?
Shisui broke my train of thought:
— You told me your new pet was smart, but at this point, it's almost at the level of a summoned beast. Maybe you should start training it?
— I'll think about it.
— And what's its name?
— I haven't found one yet.
— Look...
I turned my eyes to the kitten, who was now dozing.
— What?
— Since you adopted it recently and it's still young... Isn't its closeness to the flames a bit strange?
-------------------------------- P.O.V Flamiaou --------------------------------
After seeing Itachi open the scroll, a series of notifications popped up in my mind.
Quest completed: 100 km on foot
Reward: Level +1
Achievement: Make contact with another power system
Reward: Skill - Ember
Quest completed: Adapt to your new body
Reward: Understanding of Force
When I accepted the rewards, the changes took effect on their own.
When the knowledge of "Force" poured into my mind, my body fell into a lethargic state. At the end, I felt a flame burning inside me, resonating with the campfire: I understood now.
[Current Status]
Name: Unknown
Species: Litten ♀
Level: 7
Nature: Timid
Ability: Blaze
Status: Adopted
Evolution requirement: Level 17 (other conditions not fulfilled)
[Known Moves]
Scratch – Normal – Physical
Growl – Normal – Physical/Status
Tail Whip – Normal – Status
Odor Sleuth – Normal – Status
Ember – Fire – Special
[Active Quests]
None