Konoha: Who Says the Shinobi World Can't Play Hunter?

Chapter 11: Clawtarou (Part 2)

The two hurried through the village with their new companion. The bear cub—no, now officially named Clawtarou—had already been given a name by Kazama. Whether it had been tamed or not, he had unilaterally decided on it. The little bear cub fit Kazama's preferences perfectly—adorably clumsy yet intelligent, making it the ideal pet in his eyes. Whether Clawtarou agreed or not didn't matter—Kazama had already made up his mind.

While the Konoha Hospital was bustling with activity, the veterinary clinic was nearly empty. It mainly catered to the Inuzuka Clan's ninja dogs, and most of its staff were Inuzuka members themselves. As the clan best known for raising and understanding dogs, they had even developed the ability to communicate with animals. In the past, the Uchiha Clan's ninja cats had also been treated here, but with their fall, the clinic's primary patients had dwindled to village pets, making it more of an Inuzuka family business than a public facility.

"Doctor! Doctor! Emergency!" Kazama burst into the clinic, yelling in panic. This was his first true summoning beast, and he wasn't about to let anything happen to it.

"I'm here!" A young woman with long hair and small, sharp canines appeared from around the corner, smiling warmly despite Kazama's frantic entrance.

"What's the emergency? How can I help?" she asked. Though she noticed the elderly Kosuke behind him, her attention remained on Kazama. As an experienced receptionist, she immediately grasped the situation—adults stay calm, kids panic. If a child was this desperate, it could only mean that something they cared deeply about was in trouble. Given the setting, the answer was obvious.

"My summoning beast is poisoned and injured. Please, big sister, help me save him!" Kazama pleaded, gesturing toward Kosuke, who had been carrying Clawtarou the entire way.

Kosuke cooperated, gently handing over the small furball to the veterinarian.

The moment the woman saw Clawtarou's condition, her professional instincts kicked in. She immediately called for an emergency cart. "How did he get this injured? If he was poisoned, moving around only accelerated the venom's spread! We need to start treatment immediately!"

Her gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by serious determination. Ignoring the presence of the grandfather and grandson, she fully committed herself to saving the injured creature.

"Can Clawtarou be saved?" Kazama asked anxiously.

"Do you really like him?" Kosuke responded with a completely unrelated question.

They were clearly on different wavelengths. Kosuke had already made up his mind to spare no expense in treating the little red panda—no, Clawtarou. Seeing how much his grandson cared, it was only natural to invest in something that could aid his future as a ninja.

The veterinarian's skill was impressive. Though it felt like an eternity for Kazama, in reality, the entire treatment took just over an hour. The poison had been neutralized, and all that remained were wound dressings. The veterinarian, unsatisfied with Kazama's rough first aid job, personally re-bandaged the little one.

---

Two Days Later – In the Treehouse

Kazama and Clawtarou sat face-to-face, both sitting upright in formal postures. Kosuke, too, knelt beside them, awaiting the unfolding drama.

"Clawtarou, will you become my summoning beast and sign a contract with me?" Kazama asked nervously. He had no idea whether Clawtarou could fully understand his words or whether he would accept the request. This was a life-altering decision, binding their fates together. A wild beast, born into freedom, might not be so willing to entrust its life to a human.

"Mm." Clawtarou made a soft noise, seemingly thoughtful.

Ever since regaining consciousness, he had recognized Kazama as the one who saved him. His attitude toward the boy had always been friendly, but now that he was almost fully recovered, it was time for a decision. Would he stay or would he leave?

"…Squeak, squeak…!"

Out of nowhere, Yataro rudely inserted himself into the conversation, speaking in beast language directly to Clawtarou.

"Mm! Mm! Mm!"

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"

Just like that, Kazama, the supposed master of the negotiation, was completely sidelined. The two small creatures were now deeply engaged in their own heated discussion, leaving him utterly ignored. The problem? Kazama had no idea what they were saying.

Frustrated, he glanced at Kosuke, who simply shrugged and smirked, enjoying the comedic situation too much to intervene. Taking a sip of tea, he let out a deliberate, satisfied "slurp."

After what felt like forever, the two little beasts finally wrapped up their conversation. Clawtarou lifted his paw and extended three claws, gesturing toward Kazama.

"He says he has three conditions for you," Yataro translated smoothly, switching to human language as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Kazama raised an eyebrow. "Three conditions? What is this, a contract negotiation?"

"First, you must promise to feed him well. He doesn't want to go hungry again," Yataro relayed.

Clawtarou had suffered greatly in the wild, constantly struggling to find food. Being a young cub, he often went half-starved, surviving on whatever he could scavenge. Fortunately, red pandas were omnivorous, so even when meat was scarce, they could eat insects, seeds, and plants to sustain themselves. Still, the constant worry of hunger had left a deep impression.

Kazama laughed. "No problem! I'll make sure you never go hungry. You can eat whatever you want—meat or plants, your choice."

Clearly, even with intelligence, Clawtarou was still quite simple-minded.

"Second, he wants you to help him become stronger so he can get revenge on the lizard clan. His parents were killed by them in an ambush."

Clawtarou didn't speak this time. Instead, he solemnly raised his paw and retracted one claw, reducing the count from three to two.

Kazama inhaled sharply. "I see… Alright. I promise. But getting stronger won't be easy. You'll have to train hard and persevere."

Strength was always an asset. Even if Clawtarou hadn't requested it, Kazama would have trained him regardless.

"Mm!" Clawtarou nodded firmly.

"Third," Yataro continued, "whatever food or items we gather ourselves—like honey or nuts—you have to help us process and store them. You know, like drying nuts, storing honey, and stuff like that."

Kazama narrowed his eyes, immediately catching on. "Wait a second… Drying nuts? Yataro, are you sneaking in your own demands?"

Yataro's eyes darted around suspiciously. "W-Well… The treehouse is humid, and the nuts we collect keep getting moldy! If we don't dry them properly, they'll spoil!"

Despite being caught, he didn't back down. Instead, he launched into a logical argument about food preservation.

"But the honey part—that's all Clawtarou. He loves sweet things."

Kazama sighed. "Fine. I'll help."

With Yataro acting as the translator, both sides quickly reached an agreement.

For Kazama, these conditions were easy to meet.

And just like that, his first official summoning beast contract was sealed.