Lin's Dog

A dog's lifespan was far shorter than a human's. A dog that had grown up by your side since childhood would begin to age after you reached adulthood. Most could last around ten years; even Ninja Dogs could not exceed twenty by much.

Uchiha Itachi had once seen what old dogs looked like. Even the Ninja Dogs that had fought alongside the Inuzuka Clan lost the vigor of their youth once they entered the final stages of life.

Their energy was greatly diminished, their movements became slower and slower, and their fur lost its luster. There was not much difference from humans entering old age.

But Uchiha Itachi had never seen what those Ninja Dogs looked like before they died. Now, he seemed to understand.

The dog Lin kept was not some formidable Ninja Dog, nor was it a pretty pet dog. It could not even be considered an ordinary old dog.

Its limbs were practically nothing but skin and bones. Every time it moved, Uchiha Itachi feared those bones would snap and pierce through its skin.

The dog's fur had likewise lost its sheen and was falling out in patches, leaving mottled stretches of loose, ugly skin exposed.

Part of one ear seemed to be missing. It was unclear whether another dog had bitten it off or whether some accident had occurred. Both hind legs limped slightly, though it could still walk.

Its face was terrifying as well. Half its body seemed to have once suffered severe burns. After the wounds healed, its skin and flesh had not grown back properly, leaving behind countless pits and wrinkles.

No one would like a dog like this. It looked as though it had a grave illness that could claim its life at any moment, as though it was about to be