It was so different to how it had been in my original life as an Inuzuka in the present to being here as a Nohara in the past. Mainly because before while loving to train from a young age, it hadn't truly been as young as I am now.

Another issue that seemed to crop up over the next month was the current Inuzuka Clan Head was pushing for me to try for a canine partner making me hold back all emotions on the subject as I focused more on the training Sakumo-sensei was giving to Kakashi and I.

But my time for stalling was up.

There was a new litter of pups that were pure wolf and it being the last at that considering the few that survived were male and the mother was too old for another litter. This time I wouldn't be able to talk my way out of not gaining a canine partner.

"Are you sure about this Alpha?" I asked referring to the Clan Head of the Inuzuka.

It was more tradition for one of the Clan to refer to the leader, Head of Clan, as Alpha since in essence they were the Alpha of our pack.

"Yes," answered Tadashi Inuzuka sternly. "You have taken well to the beginning kata's and jutsu that lead up to taking a canine partner. Now no more stalling."

I bit back a retort knowing that this is something never done for those not born fully into the Clan, even for those who have an Inuzuka parent, so I gave a thankful nod before bowing in gratitude to show that I understood.

Then with a held back sigh of regret and guilt did I move to where the litter of pups had settled with the mother who watched over them carefully. A part of me was sad to see such a small number of the litter survive one of which I knew would belong to my future father who had been the only one to get a full-blooded wolf pup to bond with.

It made me curious just what type of canine partner I would gain this time.

"Ōkami," I breathed with a sad smile it having been my original name and one that tied into my very being even if I now went by Asahi.

What I hadn't been expecting was for a wolf pup to pick itself up and rush toward me with another one just a step behind.

"Hello little ones."

It wasn't supposed to happen even if that had been the point of why I had come out here on order of the Alpha. But here I was both pups looking toward me and refusing to leave my side for even a moment making it clear that they had chosen me.

I had found my new canine partners and even one of them was identical looking to that of Takeo making my breathing feel a bit uneven as I fought back the tears.

"Ōkami and Tenshi."

"Strong names," agreed Tadashi with a proud nod as he looked back to the two last pups belonging to the only full-blooded wolf litter before clapping a hand onto my shoulder. "Let us get ready to complete the bond between the three of you."

It wasn't well known outside of the Inuzuka Clan but to fully bond and work with a canine partner you had to have their blood and chakra life force, which was in the blood itself, tattooed over the markings you gain as part of the clan. Which is also when you gain a stronger connection to the animalistic side of yourself.

Mine of course was placed directly over my Nohara marks becoming a mark darker color closer to a magenta than the purple of before. It would be the biggest difference between my markings and Rin's once she gained hers.

*****

Even though both were still young, only having recently been weaned off their mother and able to eat solid food. That didn't mean that it had made it easy to take this next step. Honestly, I wasn't sure if the guilt of leaving Takeo behind would ever leave me because I knew what it did to the canine partner when they lost their human half as it were.

They died not too long after they lose their human.

"You were able to get partners," mused Mom with something in her voice that sounded heavy and put tension in the air. "Congratulations Asahi."

"Thank you," I said softly mood dampening further with her unhappiness about me being pulled that much further into the Clan, and to her, away from the small pack she had made after leaving the Clan behind for father. "I have to go meet with Sakumo-sensei so can you let Rin know when she gets back from her friends?"

She didn't answer verbally only nodded before patting the top of my head and heading back toward the door with her own canine partner following a step behind before they both left my sight making me fight back a snarl of anger and confusion.

Time to meet with Kakashi and Sakumo-sensei anyway.

I didn't have time to think on what was going on with my mother.

"You got wolf pups," mused Sakumo-sensei in a bit of surprise before grinning broadly as his hand landed atop my head to ruffle my hair as Ōkami and Tenshi settled on either side of me watching the other. "You're going to be something amazing I just know it."

"It's also ironic," agreed Minato as he walked toward us with Kakashi beside him as a small chuckle escaped. "You're being taught by Konoha's White Fang after all."

"While we're on that topic," cut in Sakumo-sensei with a roll of his eyes as he gave the other man a droll look. "I've gotten permission from Inuzuka-sama to enroll you into the Academy with Kakashi in the upcoming year once you both turn five."

That was what had upset mother.

With me being fully pulled into the Inuzuka Clan in order to learn their jutsu and train with my canine partners my custody was given over to the Alpha since mother had denounced the Clan for the last name Nohara.

Even if there were no hard feelings between mom and the Clan it didn't mean this didn't rub her the wrong way making me hold back a tired sigh. Things would now become even more complicated than they had to be before.

"That would be amazing," I finally said before the silence could become too much as my hands ran through the fur of both wolf pups. "Thank you, Sakumo-sensei. Truly."