Chapter 5: The Wolf Pack

Chapter 5: The Wolf Pack

The mountain of nuts in front of Kazama was enough to make a group of starving refugees jump with joy.

But he wasn't a refugee—he was a ninja.

He had promised Yataro he would bring them all back, and a promise was a promise. No matter how annoying the task, he couldn't go back on his word.

Still, after assessing the situation, he realized that moving all these nuts by himself would take an entire day—if not longer.

That wasn't going to work.

He needed free labor.

Growing up under Kosuke's care, Kazama had spent much of his childhood roaming the forest, treating it as his playground. Survival skills? He had them. Hunting? No problem. And in the process, he had made quite a few friends.

At the Academy, Kazama didn't have many human friends—he found the other kids too aggressive, too competitive. He had little interest in their constant need to prove themselves.

But that didn't mean he was friendless.

The vast forest surrounding Konoha was his real domain. Hunting, exploring, learning—he knew these woods better than most.

And in his time here, he had rescued many animals. His modern-world soul carried a natural sympathy for wildlife, and whenever he could lend a helping hand, he did.

Over time, those small acts of kindness had built connections.

And today, Kazama planned to call in a favor.

The favor of a wolf pack.

Climbing to the top of a tree, Kazama took a deep breath—then let out a deep, resonant wolf howl.

"Awooooo!"

The sound echoed through the trees, carried far by the wind.

This was the signal he had arranged with the wolf pack.

It all started when Kazama had saved a lone wolf—one that had lost a fight for dominance and was exiled from its pack. Later, he had rescued a few abandoned wolf pups and raised them for a while before releasing them back into the wild.

The lone wolf, unable to rejoin its former pack, took the young wolves under its wing.

Together, they formed a new wolf pack.

They made their territory not far from Kazama's treehouse. The area was relatively safe, with few large predators. And with Kazama occasionally providing food, the pack had little reason to leave.

This wasn't just a random act of kindness on Kazama's part.

It was a calculated decision.

He had known from the start—this world was one where power ruled.

And if he wanted to survive here, he needed his own path to strength.

Kazama was well aware that his ninja talent was average at best.

If he did nothing, his best-case scenario would be ending up like those gate guards at Konoha's entrance—irrelevant side characters watching history unfold from the sidelines.

Not that being a gate guard was bad—less danger, fewer responsibilities.

But Kazama knew the plot.

He knew the calamities that were coming.

He couldn't just sit back and do nothing while threats loomed on the horizon.

Whether he aimed to protect himself or eventually integrate into the main events of the story, he needed power.

And that's when an idea struck him.

If his own abilities weren't enough, why not find strong allies?

If humans weren't reliable, why not turn to other species?

The Naruto world was full of mystical creatures—summoning beasts, ninja animals. Everyone had access to them, yet few actually utilized them to their fullest potential outside of the Legendary Sannin.

Kazama saw an opportunity.

This wolf pack was his first experiment.

Right now, they were just ordinary wolves—capable of hunting but nothing exceptional.

But Kazama was waiting.

Waiting for the day when one of them awakened chakra.

If that happened, the first ninja wolf would become his signature summon.

And if none of them ever developed chakra?

No big deal. This was just a test run.

The world was vast, and chakra-imbued creatures weren't rare. If this wolf pack didn't work out, he'd simply find better candidates in the future.

If he had the money, he could even buy a contract with a strong summoning beast.

Not the Legendary Sannin-level summons, but plenty of other powerful creatures existed.

Suddenly—

"Awooooo!"

A howl answered him from deep within the forest, startling a flock of birds into flight.

On Kazama's shoulder, Yataro immediately fluffed up in alarm.

"Chii! Chii!"

The squirrel darted up the nearest tree and peeked out cautiously from behind a branch.

Kazama sighed.

"They're my friends, Yataro. No need to panic."

But Yataro had only met Kazama last night—their trust still needed time to develop.

To the tiny squirrel, wolves were predators.

"Fine, fine. If you don't feel safe, stay in the tree. If anything happens, just run, alright?"

Kazama wasn't about to force Yataro to do something against its instincts.

Soon enough, six wolves emerged from the trees.

Two large ones. Four smaller ones.

The alpha was the same lone wolf Kazama had rescued long ago.

Even now, scars covered its body—reminders of the brutal fight that had cost it its former pack.

It was clear that the wounds had been severe.

If Kazama hadn't intervened, the wolf would have died.

But now, it stood tall as the leader of this small pack.

"One-Eye, you got here fast."

Kazama smirked at the wolf, who had earned the nickname One-Eye due to an injury that had nearly taken its sight.

Originally, Kazama had assumed the wolf would be permanently blind on that side.

But the eye had healed, and it could still see—though the name had stuck.

One-Eye let out a low growl in response, acknowledging the greeting.

Meanwhile, the four young wolves had no interest in formalities.

They immediately pounced on Kazama like overexcited puppies.

Caught off guard, he toppled backward as the wolves swarmed him.

To them, Kazama was family—someone they trusted and adored.

After playing around for a while, Kazama finally sat down across from One-Eye.

This wasn't an order—it was a negotiation.

Wolves still had their wild instincts, and One-Eye was no pet.

Kazama had to convince him.

"Alright, I need a favor. Help me carry these nuts back to my treehouse."

"Awoo?"

"Come on, don't be stingy. I'll pay you in meat."

"Grrr… awooo?"

"Fine, fine. Roast chicken, okay?"

In the end—

Kazama paid the wolves in food to transport the nuts.

With their help, the job that would have taken him a full day alone was finished in no time.

That night, they gathered around a campfire outside the treehouse.

Kosuke was off on another mission—somehow, despite being a Genin, the old man was busier than most Jonin.

Kazama sighed, roasting a whole chicken.

"Here's your roast chicken, One-Eye."

He tossed it over.

The meat was crispy on the outside but bloody on the inside—exactly how One-Eye liked it.

Then, he threw half-cooked meat to the young wolves.

This wasn't because Kazama couldn't cook or because he was stingy.

When he had first taken care of them, he couldn't stand the sight of them eating raw, bloody meat.

But he also didn't want to mess up their diet.

So, he had compromised—half-cooked meat.

And, oddly enough, they had loved it.

Kazama leaned back with a satisfied smirk.

This was just the beginning.

The wolves were the first step.

But soon…

He would build an entire force of ninja beasts.