Why is Round Deer socially anxious?

After the Round Deer turned into black mud and seeped completely into the shadow, Sasuke clapped the dust off his hands.

He looked down at the shadow beneath his feet and formed the hand seal for the deer once again.

"Come out, Round Deer."

The shadow churned, and the massive deer rose from the black mud once more.

It stood in the center of the training ground, its four legs braced straight, its four eyes staring fixedly at Sasuke before slowly turning toward the three strange Shikigami watching it.

The White Dog sat on the ground, tilting its head to size up the Round Deer. The Black Dog stood up and walked silently to the side of the White Dog.

The Escaping Rabbit lay on the Black Dog's front paws, its two long ears standing high.

The Round Deer's four eyes blinked, and it took a half-step back.

It pawed the gravel ground twice with its front hooves, lowered its head slightly, and its four eyes began darting back and forth between Sasuke and the three Shikigami.

"Hello." The Round Deer's voice was tight, as if it were very nervous.

Its tone sounded neutral, making it impossible to tell if it was male or female.

The White Dog pricked up one ear: "So it talks too."

"Yes, I can talk." The Round Deer's gaze fixed on the White Dog, then landed on Sasuke.

"Are you my tamer?"

"Yes." Sasuke nodded.

"Oh." The Round Deer replied.

Another silence followed.

"Then what should I call you?"

"Sasuke."

"Alright, Sasuke." The Round Deer's four eyes finally stopped darting and focused entirely on Sasuke's face.

"Did you call me out because you need someone healed?"

The White Dog rolled its eyes, then nudged the Black Dog's lower back with its nose, pushing it forward.

"Stop with the nonsense, take a look at Black Charcoal's neck first."

The Round Deer lowered its head, its four eyes looking at the Black Dog.

"It's good stuff, but it has side effects; however, I can alleviate them." The Round Deer's voice suddenly became steady.

The act of healing others made it feel at ease, relieving its psychological pressure.

Its antlers began to emit a pale blue light, which shone onto the three tomoe marks on the Black Dog's neck.

"...But my Reverse Cursed Technique can only neutralize the energy; it cannot directly erase the marks."

"Then heal it for now." Sasuke gave the order directly.

"Okay." The Round Deer nodded, then closed its eyes, and the light from the antlers atop its head flared brilliantly.

The Black Dog's body trembled slightly in the light.

The White Dog stared intently at the marks on the Black Dog's neck, its tail standing stiffly behind it, its mouth opening several times as if to speak, only to force the words back down.

After about two minutes, the light from the antlers gradually dimmed.

The three tomoe marks on the Black Dog's neck had clearly shrunk in size, and their color had faded from deep black to light gray.

"...That's all for today." The Round Deer opened its eyes. "If I input too much positive energy at once, its meridians will be damaged."

"How do you feel?" The White Dog immediately crowded up to the Black Dog.

"It's alright." The Black Dog raised a hind leg to scratch its neck.

"What do you mean 'alright'! Can't you speak like a normal person!"

"I am a dog."

"You!"

The Round Deer watched the two dogs bickering in front of it, and its four eyes began to dart around uneasily again.

It silently shrank back a step, then another, retreating all the way to a stone pier at the edge of the training ground.

"Should I go back first?"

"No need." Sasuke pressed his hand onto the Round Deer's shoulder.

The Round Deer's body visibly shuddered when Sasuke touched it.

"You, you touched me."

"...Are you not allowed to be touched?"

"I am, I'm just not used to it. No one has ever touched me before."

Sasuke looked at the Round Deer's stiff body, a sense of speechlessness appearing on his expressionless face.

He let go and shoved his hands back into his pockets: "Since you are my Shikigami now, you'll have to get used to being summoned, get used to being touched, and get used to talking to people."

"Understood." Round Deer lowered its head. "I will do my best."

"What are you nervous about?" Sasuke looked into its eyes. "Afraid of us?"

"Not afraid, it's just... we aren't familiar with each other." All four of Round Deer's eyes fixed on Sasuke.

"You are my tamer and fellow Shikigami of the same system, but this is our first time meeting."

Is Round Deer socially anxious? Sasuke frowned, thinking to himself.

Round Deer paused, its voice becoming more hesitant and sticky.

"It's like being suddenly thrown into a dinner party full of strangers; everyone knows you, but you don't know a single soul."

"I don't know where to stand, or what to say."

"I don't even know where to put my hands. Although, I don't have hands."

White Dog stopped bickering.

Black Dog stopped counterattacking.

Escaping Rabbit slowly climbed up from the ground, looking up at Round Deer.

White Dog spoke first: "Was that a joke you just told?"

"Not really a joke." Round Deer's reply sounded incredibly honest.

White Dog's tail began to wag: "Then tell another one."

"I don't know how to tell jokes." Round Deer took half a step back. "That last one was unintentional."

Black Dog walked up to Round Deer and looked up at it.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Round Deer lowered its head.

"This is my ability, and it is my duty. That you could be healed is the best reward for me."

Black Dog was silent for a moment.

"Your way of speaking is quite likable."

"Is it?" Round Deer blinked its four eyes. "I'm not sure. No one has ever said that to me before."

"Then you'll hear it often from now on." Escaping Rabbit added in a soft, sweet voice.

Round Deer stared blankly at Escaping Rabbit.

"Is that a compliment?"

"It is." Escaping Rabbit perked up one ear. "You're a good person."

"Thank you." Round Deer's ears twitched. "You are the first rabbit to ever say that to me."

"Am I the first?" Escaping Rabbit tilted its head. "Then you're quite pitiful."

Round Deer was left completely speechless by this direct hit.

Sasuke stood to the side, watching this large herbivore that looked like it wanted to shrink its head into its neck, and couldn't help but sigh.

How did my zoo turn into this? Even Sukuna never gave me this much of a headache.

"Sasuke." Black Dog suddenly spoke up.

"Hm?"

"After the Cursed Seal was suppressed, a new flow of chakra began moving toward you." Black Dog raised its golden eyes to look at Sasuke. "Can you feel it?"

Sasuke closed his eyes and sensed the flow of energy within his body.

Indeed, a brand-new positive energy was surging into his body through the Shadow Channel, completely different from the cold, dark chakra that Black Dog's Cursed Seal had fed back to him previously.

This energy was very gentle, slowly repairing the injuries he had sustained while taming Round Deer.

"Round Deer." Sasuke opened his eyes. "Does the Reverse Cursed Technique feed back to me as well?"

"It should." Round Deer blinked.

"The rule of the Ten Shadows is to share energy; the positive energy produced by my technique should flow back to you through the Shadow Channel."

"However, I'm not very familiar with you yet, so the ratio of the feedback shouldn't be very high."

"Will it be more once we're familiar?"

"Perhaps. I'm also a Shikigami for the first time." Round Deer replied.

Before Sasuke could respond, White Dog suddenly darted in from the side and slammed its head hard into the back of Sasuke's knee.

Sasuke stumbled forward a step and turned back to glare at White Dog.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm happy!" White Dog wagged its tail. "Now that we have a deer to heal us when we're hurt, we don't have to listen to you chanting Furube Yurayura anymore!"

"What is Furube Yurayura?" Round Deer tilted its head.

White Dog opened its mouth, just about to explain, when Black Dog pressed a paw onto White Dog's tail, forcing it to shut up.

"You'll know later. Next time he feels he can't win, you'll see it with your own eyes."

Round Deer didn't grasp the subtext of what Black Dog said, but it nodded earnestly and recorded it.

Sasuke closed his eyes, took a deep breath, turned around, and walked straight out of the training ground.

"Going back."

"Yay!" White Dog followed behind.

Black Dog walked at the very end.

Round Deer stood where it was, watching the other Shikigami follow Sasuke, a flicker of hesitation crossing its four eyes.

Escaping Rabbit climbed up from the ground and hopped slowly to Round Deer's feet.

"Aren't you coming?"

"Am I allowed to go?"

"Of course. You're our companion now."

Round Deer lowered its head, looking at the white rabbit at its feet that wasn't even as large as its own hoof.

Escaping Rabbit tilted its head back, its red eyes watching it quietly.

"Companion." Round Deer repeated the word softly.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Escaping Rabbit replied in a soft, sweet voice.

Round Deer set its four hooves in motion, taking small steps to follow behind Sasuke.

Sasuke walked at the very front, speaking without looking back.

"Starting tomorrow, you'll be primarily responsible for medical support in the rear. You don't need to go to the front lines; just stay in the back."

"Understood." Round Deer replied.

"Also." Sasuke turned his head, sweeping a glance with his peripheral vision at the deer surrounded by Jade Dog and Escaping Rabbit.

"If you want to tell a joke, go ahead. Even if it's not funny, I won't deduct your cursed energy for it."

"...I truly wasn't telling a joke."

Walking beside Round Deer, White Dog heard this and let out a snort of laughter, its front paws slipping as it nearly tumbled over.

The corner of Black Dog's mouth twitched as well.

Escaping Rabbit added slowly, "That's exactly what makes Round Deer funny..."

Sasuke pushed open the gate of the training ground, the dim, golden light of evening in Konoha shining upon his face.

"Right, Round Deer, you won't run around everywhere like Escaping Rabbit, will you?"

"I run very slowly." Round Deer replied, "If necessary, I will take walks around the village."

"And if someone asks about you?"

"I will say I am Sasuke's Ninja Deer."

Sasuke stopped in his tracks, turned around, and looked at Round Deer's massive antlers and its height, which was nearly that of a one-story building.

"With you looking like that, will they believe you if you say you're a deer?"

Upon hearing this, Round Deer blinked its four eyes again.

"You're right." Its voice sounded as if it were thinking very seriously, and after much deliberation, it finally attempted to answer.

"...Then should I say I am Sasuke's Ninja Moose? Or Ninja Reindeer? If I'm a moose, do I need to be even taller to count? But I'm already this tall, if I get any taller..."