Can the Village Use Your Rabbits?

The bell rang, signaling the end of class.

Sasuke closed his book, grabbed his backpack, and stood up.

Naruto immediately sprang out from the back row and blocked the aisle, gripping a kunai tightly in his hand.

"Sasuke! Let's go to the training ground this afternoon. I'm definitely going to beat you in a fight!"

Sakura came over from the side and shoved Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto, stop causing trouble! Sasuke-kun, I booked Training Ground 7 in advance. Ino's coming too. Let's practice together."

Sasuke ignored Naruto's yelling and walked straight past him toward the classroom door.

"Just don't get in my way. I was going there anyway."

Training Ground 7 was near the village's back hills. Tall trees surrounded it, and the ground was packed yellow earth. A few stone stools for resting were scattered along the edges.

Sasuke walked to the stone stool at the far edge, tossed his backpack onto the ground, and sat down cross-legged.

Naruto stood in the middle of the training ground with his hands on his hips and shouted at Sasuke.

"Hey! Why are you sitting so far away? Get down here and fight me!"

Sakura and Ino stood not far from Naruto, kunai in hand, practicing their stances toward the wooden posts in the distance.

At Naruto's shout, Sakura turned around and frowned.

"Naruto, shut up! If you want to get stronger, practice your basics. Stop thinking about dueling all the time!"

Ino rubbed the wrist Sakura had squeezed sore and muttered, "Forehead, you're really acting weird today. Why'd you have to drag me here to suffer?"

"It's not like we're that close, is it?"

Sasuke was focused on refining his Cursed Energy and didn't open his eyes to look at them.

His Cursed Energy was flowing more smoothly now than when he had first summoned the Jade Dogs.

"Black, White. Go play with them. Just don't break any bones."

The two dogs crouched beneath the stone stool stood up at the same time.

White Dog shook out his fur, walked over, and stopped right in front of Naruto.

His golden eyes sized Naruto up and down. He bared his teeth, revealing sharp fangs.

"Shorty with the yellow hair, your stance is terrible. Your knees are locked, and all your weight's on your heels. Planning to run away backward at any moment?"

"Dumb dog! Who are you calling a coward?" Naruto bristled at the remark and charged forward with his fists clenched.

White Dog dug his hind legs into the sandy earth, turning into a white blur as he slammed into Naruto head-on.

Before Naruto could throw a punch, White Dog ducked beneath his arm and struck his shin hard with his forepaws.

"Thud!"

Naruto lost his balance and pitched forward, landing face-first in the dirt with a mouthful of sand.

"Too slow!" White Dog stopped beside him and planted a forepaw on his back.

On the other side, Black Dog walked silently toward Sakura and Ino.

A low growl rumbled in his throat as he steadily closed in.

Ino took two frightened steps backward. Sakura gritted her teeth, pulled a kunai from the pouch strapped to her thigh, and held it in both hands in front of her chest.

Black Dog suddenly accelerated. Just as Sakura prepared to brace for the impact, he slid left, slipping out of her line of sight and closing in on her right flank.

Sakura hurriedly turned, swinging her kunai wildly.

Black Dog read the kunai's path and leaped.

He clamped his jaws around the kunai's metal guard and whipped his neck backward.

A tremendous pulling force traveled from the handle to Sakura's wrist.

The skin on Sakura's fingers scraped raw in an instant. The kunai flew from her hand and clattered to the ground in the distance.

"Your fingers are too stiff around the kunai," Sasuke said from the stone stool, his eyes still closed.

"If someone yanks hard, your wrist will dislocate."

Ino took the chance to kick at Black Dog's waist from the side.

Black Dog released the kunai, pushed off with his hind legs, and leaped into the air, flipping right over Ino's leg.

The moment he landed, Black Dog turned around and opened his mouth, stopping his fangs just short of Ino's calf. He didn't bite down, but a low warning growl rumbled in his throat.

Ino froze.

Naruto spat out the sand in his mouth and pushed himself up off the ground.

The two dogs attacked faster and faster.

White Dog darted around Naruto, using his speed to strike his knees and elbows. Whenever Naruto's movements faltered, White Dog mercilessly grabbed his clothes and flipped him onto the ground.

Black Dog pressed forward step by step, using his weight and forepaw strikes to wear down Sakura and Ino's defenses, forcing them to retreat and dodge nonstop.

The training ground filled with the dull thuds of bodies hitting the earth and the occasional cries of pain from Naruto, Sakura, and Ino.

Escaping Rabbit hopped over the stone wall and followed the shadows to the stone stool beside Sasuke.

He reared up and rested both forepaws on Sasuke's knees.

Sasuke covered the rabbit's head with one hand.

Fragmented sounds and images flowed through their Cursed Energy connection and into his mind.

"...Anbu at B Sector are changing shifts half an hour early..."

"...The Uchiha district is sitting empty. I heard the village was planning to..."

"...Lord Danzo flew into a rage at the underground base..."

"...The Third Hokage said to let them be..."

Escaping Rabbit's ability to gather information wasn't perfect.

His clones were too fragile, and the sounds they sent back were badly fragmented.

But those fragments were enough for Sasuke to piece together the whole picture.

Hiruzen Sarutobi or Danzo was bound to come.

The sun sank gradually in the west, bathing the sandy training ground in a reddish glow.

"Thud!"

Naruto was knocked to the ground by White Dog for what had to be the umpteenth time.

Naruto lay sprawled on the sand, his chest heaving.

Sakura and Ino slumped against the stone wall, back to back. Their hair was soaked with sweat, and they gasped for breath.

White Dog walked over to Naruto's head and pawed at his hair.

"Already too tired to get up? I've barely warmed up."

Sasuke opened his eyes, stopped refining his Cursed Energy, and jumped down from the stone stool.

"Black, White. That's enough."

The two dogs immediately stopped, shook out their fur, and returned to Sasuke's side.

Soft footsteps came from the entrance to the training ground.

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked slowly into the training ground, wearing his Hokage Cloak and holding a pipe.

He glanced at Naruto, then at Sakura and Ino leaning against the wall, and finally turned his gaze to Sasuke and the black-and-white Ninja Dogs at his feet.

Naruto struggled to turn his eyes and spotted Hiruzen.

"H-Hokage Grandpa..."

Hiruzen nodded to Naruto, then walked toward Sasuke.

Sasuke turned to face Hiruzen Sarutobi, his expression showing no surprise.

"Lord Hokage came all this way. I take it you've reached an agreement with Danzo." Sasuke's voice rang clearly across the empty training ground.

Hiruzen took the pipe from his mouth and exhaled a plume of white smoke. It slowly dispersed in the dark orange light.

He studied Sasuke, his eyes assessing him.

"You always speak like an old man, child."

"If I'd had the Anbu clear out those rabbits running around everywhere, you wouldn't have heard those scraps of conversation."

Hiruzen took two more steps forward.

"You're free to do as you please with the ninjutsu you've developed, and the Uchiha Clan's assets have all been handed over."

"Besides, I haven't tried to force you with violence."

"This is the village's sincerity, Sasuke—and mine."

Sasuke looked at him and nodded.

"If you tried to force me with violence, I couldn't guarantee Konoha would survive."

Hiruzen's brow furrowed for an instant.

"But I can feel your sincerity, Lord Hokage. The rabbits spend most of their time just admiring the scenery."

Hiruzen's brow relaxed. He slowly exhaled a mouthful of smoke.

"Konoha has lovely scenery, Sasuke. Take your time looking around. As long as you're still in this village, it's your home."

"Information is only valuable when it can circulate." Sasuke looked Hiruzen straight in the eye.

"You're letting them run around because you want me to know that you've protected me from Danzo's trouble."

Hiruzen put the pipe back in his mouth and bit down on the stem.

"You're more perceptive than I imagined. Since you understand what I mean, the rest of this conversation should be much simpler."

"I'll get straight to the point. Can the village use your rabbits?"