Raj was dumbfounded.
'I don't snore, do I...? Wait, since I turned into a cat, I really don't know if I've developed that habit. Usually, I wouldn't. It must be from training too hard with Guy and getting exhausted.'
As this thought crossed its mind, Raj's resentment toward Guy deepened.
'Next time I see Guy, I'm going to give him a wide berth...'
Raj sighed inwardly.
Then it noticed something: Rin didn't put it down but instead placed it directly on the desk.
'Does this mean I'll be attending class from now on? No way!'
While the class was interesting and "grinding" through school as a cat was surprisingly fun, attending class regularly was a whole different story.
Clearly, no one cared about the cat's opinion.
At least until Raj could speak, it would be difficult to make any complex decisions for itself.
A cat's life is tough.
Raj settled down, quietly watching Takuma drone on and on.
The actual lesson was already finished, but class hadn't ended yet, so the teacher was randomly calling on students to answer questions.
He'd catch anyone who daydreamed or didn't pay attention during class - basically, it was his revenge time for having nothing to do after finishing the lesson.
'This must be the only remaining joy of being a teacher.'
Raj thought inwardly, rolling its eyes.
After staring for a while, Raj habitually opened the System Panel to check its points.
Instantly, it sat up straight.
'Over two thousand eight hundred?'
That meant the last wave had earned it around a thousand points!
'This is amazing!'
It tapped open the details: "Openly sleeping during class" earned 500 points, snoring loudly earned 300, and the rest came from miscellaneous contributions by teachers and students.
'With over two thousand eight hundred points, I could do two ten-pulls and still have eight hundred left... Wait, don't fall for it!'
Raj took a deep breath, suppressing its restless thoughts.
To reinforce its resolve, it glanced back at Haimaru, who was still staring intently at it.
'Only the Needle Jizo can protect me from this ninja dog. Otherwise, sharing a classroom with Haimaru will inevitably lead to trouble.'
'I'm just a six-month-old kitten; I can't handle too much stress.'
Using the pressure from this "formidable enemy," Raj resisted the temptations of its inner demons and reaffirmed its resolve.
'Save up points and exchange them for the Needle Jizo!'
"I told you to stay home, so why are you following me again? Where did you eat lunch? At home?"
After class, the cute girl naturally scolded him.
But she was too adorable to be intimidating.
"Meow~"
Raj let out a soft meow.
He certainly wouldn't reveal that Guy had treated him to lunch, and that Guy had even tried to offer him spicy curry, which he had firmly refused.
Otherwise, he might be in the hospital right now?
Wait, Konoha didn't seem to have a specialized veterinary hospital.
He might have ended up at the Inuzuka Clan, receiving treatment from their canine doctors.
His mind wandered into absurd scenarios.
"Tomorrow, you absolutely can't snore in class again. And Obito, you really don't need to do this anymore."
Rin turned to Obito, her expression serious.
"Uh... Heh heh heh."
Obito scratched his head, looking utterly guileless.
"Never mind. You'll never listen anyway."
Rin sighed.
She had been helping Obito since they started at the Ninja Academy because she knew he was a kind person.
Though he didn't seem particularly talented, she believed he would eventually become a powerful ninja.
In contrast, she doubted that those in their class who mocked and looked down on Obito would ever reach great heights.
Of course, this was just her opinion.
She walked a few steps while holding the small black cat, then turned back to ask.
"Obito, the graduation exams are coming up soon. Is there anything you're struggling with? I'm free this afternoon and could tutor you."
"Well... the theory classes this semester..."
...
Rin realized she had asked a foolish question.
Obito had always struggled with theory, and this year was no exception.
She was about to offer to tutor him when she hesitated.
"Rin, please teach me the theory! I really want to become a ninja. If I can't graduate this year, I..."
Ninja Academy students typically graduate by age twelve, but due to high ninja casualties in recent years, there's an urgent need to replenish the Genin ranks.
As a result, most students now graduate around age nine.
If he fails to graduate this year, he'll fall behind everyone else.
Though he's always been called the "dead last," Obito has no intention of becoming a year-behind dropout.
He wants to graduate.
Raj listened to the pleading voice beside him, his mind racing.
Obito's weakness lies in theoretical studies.
With personalized tutoring, his theoretical shortcomings wouldn't matter much.
But since arriving in this world, Raj has learned that Obito lost his parents at a young age and was raised solely by his grandmother.
Without parental guidance and driven by the Uchiha clan's desperate need to prove themselves...
This kid, armed with the "orphaned underdog" template, is trying to compete with other young ninjas who
have guidance and a head start.
How could he possibly stand a chance?
'If only I were more than just a cat. I can't speak, and no one would listen to me anyway.'
"Here are my notes," Rin said, handing Obito her notebook.
"Take them home and try to memorize as much as you can."
Rin pulled out her notebook.
It was filled with densely packed notes, so intimidating that even the worst students would tremble at the sight of it.
"This... alright."
Obito clearly had a phobia of memorizing things, but being less gifted meant he had to rely on brute force.
If he wanted to graduate, he had to memorize it all.
The two parted ways to head home.
Clutching Raj, Rin walked with a worried expression.
Halfway there, she finally couldn't hold back her thoughts and confessed to Raj, "Raj, I was just thinking... maybe it would be better for Obito to graduate three years later. Could giving him my notes actually be hurting him?"
Raj looked up at Rin and blinked.
'I'm just a six-month-old cat. How am I supposed to answer such a complex question?'
Though he had always shown remarkable intelligence, it was only slightly beyond what was expected of a cat.
Rin's question was completely beyond his capacity.
As he pondered how to respond, he spotted a green-clad demon sprinting toward them.
He quickly tucked his head and tail, hoping Guy wouldn't notice him.
At first, Guy didn't even see him.
After running a few steps, he turned back and called out to Rin, "You're... are you Rin?"
"Are you Guy, from school?"