“Fine.” Aimee pinched the bridge of her nose, glancing at the others who watched her expectantly. The answer was obvious, and the situation practically begged for it.
It’s the perfect opportunity to introduce them to more animal-based martial arts.She could show them how to observe and imitate the cat's movements—its grace, its agility, its style. The fat, furry beast was surprisingly formidable and would be a good teacher.
She’d done this a few times now, leveraging her supposed foreign upbringing to introduce new concepts into their training. Nothing flashy, just basic principles that had somehow been forgotten once Mana entered the world and its manipulation became the primary focus of shinobi combat. Even their physical forms relied heavily on Mana to enhance speed and strength.
“Fine,” she repeated, straightening up. “Okay, so why can’t we catch the cat?”
The group looked at her blankly. Even Kiba glanced up from his book, mildly curious.
“He’s faster,” Momoka offered after a moment. “And agile.”
“He can also climb trees,” Iruka muttered, dabbing at a scratch on his arm with his sleeve.
“And has claws,” Taiga added, scuffing the ground with his foot.
“Yes, exactly!” Aimee smiled, pulling out two small throwing knives, their hilts wrapped in rough cloth for better grip. “So why can’t we be faster, more agile, or climb trees? And it’s not like we don’t have our own claws.” She twirled the knives playfully before winking at them. “Plus there’s four of us and one of him. This should be easy.”
“How?” Iruka asked, recognizing the change in her tone. He was always sharp like that, quick to pick up on teaching moments, no matter how subtly she tried to slip them in.
“Well, we can’t be a cat, but can we move like one?” she asked.
“Like a cat?” Taiga scratched his head, clearly confused.
“Yeah! Watch me.” Aimee dropped into a low crouch, her knees bent, her weight distributed evenly as she moved silently, almost glidingacross the ground. “Cats are fast and graceful, relying on balance and precision. Stay low, keep your center stable, and move from your core. Follow me.”
She demonstrated the movement, her body flowing like liquid, light on her feet but always controlled. The group watched her, wide-eyed, before attempting to imitate. Iruka dropped into a crouch first, wobbling with each step, and eventually fell sideways with a thud. Momoka gave it a shot, next, managing a few steps before her foot slipped, sending her sprawling. Taiga, meanwhile, was as awkward as it came, but effort made up for natural elegance.
Aimee smiled encouragingly as they all got back up and repeatedly tried again. “Keep your movements stable! Control comes from your center.”
And slowly but surely, they began to improve.
They really are quite gifted,she thought, watching Iruka, his brow furrowed in concentration as he managed a few fluid steps while Momoka’s balance steadied. Even Taiga got a few steps without falling…or screaming in excitement.
“Better!” Aimee beamed as Iruka returned Taiga’s brief high-five with a rare grin of triumph.
“Let’s get that cat!” Momoka squealed, excitement building again.
The cat, still perched high in the tree, meowed disdainfully, licking its paw, looking bored.
Aimee stuck her tongue out at the beast and then asked, “So, what’s our strategy? He’s clever.”
“We have to box him in,” Iruka said.
“Someplace he can’t climb away,” Taiga added, clapping his hands.
“But we can’t hurt him,” Momoka reminded them.
It went on like that for nearly ten minutes as the newly energized team put their heads together, forming a plan. Three attempts laterand another hour of carefully watching the cat’s movements, tracking its unpredictable leaps and lightning-fast dashes, and they finally managed to corral the cunning creature into the box. Exhausted but victorious, they exchanged relieved smiles, ready to bring their prize home.
After a short walk, they arrived at the modest wooden structure with paper windows and a sloping roof. Their client, an overjoyed older man, immediately rushed out of his home, his face lighting up the moment he saw the cat. Scooping the big tabby into his arms, he hugged the feline tightly against his chest. The cat, initially stiff, began to relax as the man’s hands scratched behind his ears, purring louder with each passing second.
Looking up, the man bowed low in gratitude before he released the pet, his weathered hands clasped together in a traditional gesture of respect.
“Thank you so much for finding my Little Bird.” He gushed, pouring an enormous bowl of milk for the cat. “He must have been so scared, all alone out there.”
“Scared?!” Taiga blurted out, only to be silenced by Momoka, who clamped her hand over his mouth before he could say more.
“We’re just glad we could help,” she said quickly, smiling politely.
