The morning was gentle, bathed in the pale light of the rising sun.
Fugaku, standing near the low table, spoke in a calm voice:
— Itachi, today I want you to go to the academy by yourself to take the tests. There's a good chance that high-ranking officials will be present.
Mikoto, who was finishing preparing breakfast, nodded silently before approaching Itachi and handing him a carefully wrapped bento.
I watched the scene intently from my favorite spot near the hearth.
When Itachi went up to his room to prepare his things, I followed without hesitation.
Once his bag was ready, I shamelessly leapt into it, finding a comfortable spot between his books and scrolls.
He glanced at me... then sighed softly without protesting.
Two months had passed, and during that time, we had grown closer.
Itachi was now six years old. If I remembered correctly, it would take him less than six months to graduate.
On the way to the academy, rocked by the steady rhythm of his steps, I reflected on my own progress.
I had accompanied Itachi almost daily to his training grounds.
At first, just a spectator, I had quickly seized every opportunity to train myself as well.
Little by little, I had improved.
From level 7, I had climbed up to level 15.
After noticing that I was far from an ordinary kitten, Itachi had taken it upon himself to train me seriously. That had helped immensely.
By trying to imitate their exercises, I had unlocked several new moves:
Roar, capable of drawing attention or intimidating... at least until they realized I was just a kitten. With enough energy, my cries could even throw off the trajectory of projectiles.
Bite, plain and simple.
Fury Swipes, a barrage of quick strikes.
Quick Attack, born from my attempts to follow their lightning-fast movements.
Sucker Punch, triggered after I caught Shisui off guard during a training session.
Fake Tears, the result of my little manipulations to get what I wanted — and no, I have no shame.
These experiences confirmed what I suspected: I could forge my own abilities, beyond what a Litten was supposed to learn.
What were my limits? Could I learn techniques of other types? And upon my evolution... what would I become?
As I kept staring at him, Itachi gently tapped my head.
While I mused, we arrived at the academy.
Itachi walked calmly, but I could sense the respect the other students had for him.
Some looked at him with admiration, others with rivalry or envy.
Some girls stared at him with sparkling eyes.
It was the kind of fame Sasuke would know later — except here, there were also glares filled with anger and resentment.
It reminded me of the tensions between the Uchiha clan and the village, and the rumors accusing them of the Kyūbi incident.
Entering the examination room, Itachi set his bag beside him.
I let out a lazy yawn, stretching my paws out of the bag, drawing a few surprised glances.
The first test was theoretical: calligraphy, logic, village history, chakra basics.
Nothing seemed to faze Itachi.
I watched him complete the tests with disconcerting ease, while others visibly struggled.
As for me, I sat quietly, observing those around us.
I recognized several representatives of Konoha's major clans.
Among the students were faces I vaguely recognized from the manga...
many of them would one day die before their time.
At the end of the test, the instructor announced that the students were free until tomorrow for the physical exam.
Itachi was quickly surrounded by curious classmates asking about me: my name, my age, how I had been adopted...
As we left, an Inuzuka boy, visibly frustrated, approached.
— Tch, your kitten's nothing special! My dog's a hundred times better!
Driven by arrogance, he reached out to grab me.
Before he could touch me, I spat a small wave of heat.
Not enough to seriously burn him, but enough to leave a stinging mark.
Only Itachi and the boy noticed — or rather, he felt it.
The boy let out a ridiculous yelp, backing away hastily.
Laughter erupted around us.
— Scared of a kitten, Aki? Seriously?
Red with shame, he shouted:
— Hey, that's not it! That cat's not normal, it burned me!
No one seemed to take him seriously.
Only the teacher gave me a curious glance but didn't intervene.
— I swear! That cat breathes fire!
The laughter doubled.
Annoyed, Aki yelled:
— Shirogane, get him!
A small dog then burst out, rushing toward me.
I dodged effortlessly and landed in the center of the room.
He was bigger than me, unlike Akamaru at Kiba's age.
— Go on! Crush him, Shirogane!
Some students protested:
— Aren't you ashamed, sending your dog against a kitten?
But their voices were ignored.
Itachi, for his part, merely observed the scene without interfering.
In the next moment, for those watching, I seemed to blur.
Claw marks appeared on the dog, turning his silver fur into a mess.
Trying to retaliate, he was brutally slammed down and curled up to shield himself.
His master rushed in to protect him.
That was enough to calm me down, a small feeling of guilt blooming inside.
A heavy silence fell over the room.
A girl asked Izumi, another Uchiha present:
— Did you know Itachi had a cat like that?
— I didn't even know he had a cat, she replied.
Aki, furious, snapped at Itachi:
— Couldn't you stop your cat?! That's not a cat anymore, it's a tigress!
Seriously? He blames us for it?
For the first time, Itachi responded, slightly surprised as he looked at me:
— A tigress? So, you're a female?
— What, you didn't even know your pet's gender?!
— No, I've never bathed her, Itachi replied calmly.
I recalled how Mikoto had been the one to bathe me last time an ordeal I had hated every second of.
Fuming at what he thought was mockery, Aki lunged at Itachi.
Itachi dodged easily and pinned him to the ground in one smooth movement.
— Stop. Don't move, he said quietly but firmly.
Under Itachi's calm pressure, Aki swallowed his anger.
Finally, the teacher intervened and dispersed everyone.
Itachi handed me some food before eating himself.
That evening, the physical tests were held: sparring matches.
Most of Itachi's opponents forfeited without fighting.
Itachi easily defeated the others.
I fought a few matches too.
Using a mix of Bite, Quick Attack, and Scratch.
I even gained an additional level.
The results would be announced the next day.
As Fugaku had predicted, the Hokage made an appearance for the final speech.
I suspected he had been watching the entire exam from the start.
While I stared at him, Itachi tapped me on the head again.
— What are you doing, Hinoko? Let's go home.
I turned to him, surprised. Hinoko?
Sensing my silent question, he confirmed with a small smile:
— Yes, that'll be your name. It suits you perfectly, given your temperament.
It means "small flame" or "child of fire." Do you like it?
My heart skipped a beat. Yes, I loved it.
A familiar sound echoed in my mind.
[Achievement Unlocked: Earn a Name!]
Reward: Tailored Random TM!
A shiver of excitement ran through my body as my status updated.
[Current Status]
Name: Hinoko
Species: Litten ♀
Level: 16
Natures: Timid.
Ability: Blaze
Status: Adopted (Master: Itachi Uchiha)
Evolution Requirement: Level 17 (additional conditions not yet met)
[Known Moves]:
Growl (Normal, Status)
Tail Whip (Normal, Status)
Odor Sleuth (Normal, Status)
Ember (Fire, Special)
Roar (Normal, Status)
Quick Attack (Normal, Physical)
Fake Tears (Dark, Status)
Bite (Dark, Physical)
Fury Swipes (Normal, Physical)
Sucker Punch (Dark, Physical)
[Active Quests]: None
Hinoko, the small flame that would one day burn far brighter than anyone could ever imagine.