"Byakugan human, what are you going to do to this kitty?"
After a few strokes of its fur, Bell Cat stretched its neck, looking content.
Earlier, it had been terrified and had even considered using the Reverse Summoning Technique to escape back to the Cat Village.
But then it had spotted the foxtail grass in Zou Hyuga's hand and the dried fish in Oto Uchiha's.
Foxtail grass alone would not have swayed it. It was a kitty with principles. But with dried fish thrown in, it could not refuse-not unless something as serious as betraying the Cat Village was involved.
Oto Uchiha slipped the dried fish into Bell Cat's mouth and looked at Zou Hyuga.
"When are you starting? Please don't hurt it if you can help it..."
"I already started. I infused natural chakra into its body while I was petting it just now."
"That fast?" Oto Uchiha asked in bewilderment.
"That fast... I could do it even faster if needed."
Zou Hyuga nodded lightly, then released Bell Cat's fateful scruff and set it on the grass.
Bell Cat swallowed the dried fish with a satisfied expression, utterly unaware of the fate awaiting it.
Without Zou Hyuga's control, the natural chakra spread through Bell Cat's meridians. It jumped straight up, venting the natural chakra swelling inside its body!
"Byakugan, activate!"
Zou Hyuga switched to the role of observer, looking through Bell Cat's meridians and carefully recording the experimental data.
Oto Uchiha also put on her goggles and activated her Sharingan.
She was not merely curious. Based on past experience, the next test subject would very likely be her.
Without all those strange experiments over the past three years, she would not have acquired the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and the fighting prowess of a veteran genin so soon.
The world seen through the Byakugan consisted only of black, gray, and white, much like an X-ray.
Zou Hyuga was surprised to discover that Bell Cat differed from the other animals that had passively absorbed natural chakra.
As a member of the Ninja Cat Clan, Bell Cat could absorb chakra on its own. Even if he left it alone, it would not go berserk and lose its ability to fight.
Even so, Bell Cat was still on the verge of losing its mind.
It kept running, jumping, and even attacking to burn off the excess natural chakra in its body.
Five minutes later, the natural chakra inside Bell Cat was exhausted. It lay on the grass, staring at Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha as though it had nothing left to live for.
It had no energy left... none at all.
Zou Hyuga closed the Experiment Log and walked toward Bell Cat. Oto Uchiha looked worried. "Is it really all right like that? We might need to summon it for battle later."
"Don't worry... it'll still be able to fight when summoned."
Zou Hyuga adjusted the nonexistent glasses on the bridge of his nose.
I might not be human, but you two are real bastards, meow!
After cursing them silently, Bell Cat continued playing dead and rolled onto its side. It never wanted to experience that drained feeling again.
"Bell Cat, how do you feel?" Zou Hyuga smiled kindly.
His gentle voice sounded like a demon's whisper in Bell Cat's ears.
It did not want to listen, but when it saw the Three-Tomoe Sharingan beneath the goggles, it sighed helplessly.
"Byakugan brat, this kitty doesn't know where you got all that natural energy, but you nearly killed me!"
Bell Cat rolled over and got up, then continued, "Still, that natural energy was so gentle. Have you mastered Sage Mode?"
At that, Bell Cat's expression changed completely, and it regarded Zou Hyuga solemnly.
Even as one of the younger members of the Ninja Cat Clan, it had heard Cat Granny speak of Sage Mode's formidable reputation.
Only ninja who had signed a contract with the Three Great Sage Lands could use Sage Mode.
And only ninja who had mastered Sage Mode could control violent natural energy, just like the Byakugan brat before it.
Unlike ninja, members of the Ninja Beast Clan could slowly absorb natural energy.
But the time required was measured in decades, far longer than they could bear.
Zou Hyuga did not deny it. "What was inside you just now wasn't natural energy. It was natural chakra."
"Natural chakra?"
Bell Cat glanced at Zou Hyuga, guessing that they might simply be using different names for the same thing.
Did he consider the chakra inside summoning beasts to be natural chakra?
"You could call it that, I suppose. Byakugan brat, is this why you called this kitty here?"
"That's right!" Zou Hyuga nodded. "I wanted to experiment on you before eventually infusing natural chakra into Oto's body."
"This is dangerous. Don't do it again..."
Bell Cat glanced at Oto Uchiha, then looked back at Zou Hyuga. "Of course, a tiny amount would be fine. Our Ninja Cat Clan can just about tolerate that chakra, but humans might not.
"Even the Uchiha Clan can't withstand large amounts of that type of chakra!
"Unless she's mastered senjutsu too!"
With that said, Bell Cat had no intention of staying. It glanced at Zou Hyuga and returned to the Cat Village.
As its paws touched the soil of the Cat Village, Bell Cat grinned slyly. What it had said about humans being unable to withstand natural chakra was true, of course.
But it was smiling for another reason. It had burned through most of the chakra infused into its body.
A small portion remained, however, saving it months of grueling training.
Now it could slack off in Cat Granny's classes again. It had been ages since it had visited the nearby human fishponds.
By the lake.
Zou Hyuga did not stop Bell Cat from leaving. It should have understood the meaning of his final look.
It had signed a contract with Oto that could not be dissolved, so she could summon it at any time.
Still, Bell Cat's parting words gave Zou Hyuga pause.
Although natural chakra was not as dangerous as natural energy, he should not conduct human experiments lightly.
At the very least, he could not let Oto test it herself.
Previously, he had always made thorough preparations before improving the strength of the team's two members.
Until then, he would have to trouble Bell Cat instead. Based on what he had sensed,
Bell Cat had quickly recovered its energy before leaving, just as he had guessed.
As long as a summoning beast had enough chakra inside its body, his natural chakra was not poison. It could even help the beast.
At the same time, this left him even more puzzled about the secrets hidden within the black markings.
After eating and drinking their fill, they put out the fire.
The sky was gradually darkening. Although Zou Hyuga did not mind night battles-combat practice at night-he needed to process and analyze the data he had recorded earlier.
Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha returned to Konoha side by side, then parted at a fork in the road.
Tomorrow would be another wonderful day in their lives as Ninja Academy teachers!
With that thought in mind, the two headed toward the Uchiha and Hyuga clan compounds respectively.
Not long after entering her clan's compound, Oto Uchiha frowned and looked toward its innermost section.
The clan compound seemed especially lively tonight.
I'll go take a look. Oto Uchiha quickened her pace and headed deeper into the compound.
Although she was deeply displeased with those conceited clan members and deliberately avoided them,
she was still a member of the Uchiha, one of Konoha's prominent clans, whether she liked it or not.
Before you continue