Since Kakashi hadn't revealed his ability to speak, Raj remained silent, responding only with a meow.
He then followed Kakashi out of the office, quickly leaving the ominous Hokage Building.
The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed slightly.
Kakashi had observed Raj's training through his Telescopic Technique, and he had witnessed the cat's use of its fur to injure the other ninja dogs.
'It's remarkably similar to Needle Jizo.'
He didn't suspect Jiraiya had taught Raj the technique.
Jiraiya hadn't returned to the village in years, so it was likely just a rare coincidence.
Still, the cat's Chakra reserves were exceptionally large.
"Its potential is limitless!" the Third Hokage murmured in awe.
His interest wasn't solely in the Ninja Cat; he also recognized the exceptional medical talent of the young girl behind it.
Together, they might one day lead the Medical Corps.
Raj, of course, was oblivious to the Hokage's thoughts.
Perched on the rooftop, it gazed at the three Hokage statues carved into Hokage Rock while scrutinizing the semi-transparent System Panel beside it, calculating the Points it had earned by lifting the Third Hokage's cloak.
After careful calculation, the total came to just over eight hundred Points.
'Only this much for the Hokage? What a cheapskate!'
Raj mentally grumbled at the System, but deep down, it understood that the low reward was likely because the Third Hokage hadn't reacted strongly to its antics.
This also proved that the Third Hokage had untapped potential.
If Raj could either enrage him to the point of trembling or force him to be hospitalized, earning several thousand Points in an instant wouldn't be a problem.
Of course, this was just Raj's personal speculation.
Including the 800 Points he had just earned, Raj had accumulated over 2,400 Points.
However, he needed to spend at least 300 Points daily on Ninja Cat Special Food.
'Still broke as ever.'
If he had enough Points, he wouldn't hesitate to splurge on a 1,000-Point cat food just to try something new.
But with his current shortage of Points, he had to use them wisely.
He leaped onto another rooftop, surveying his surroundings.
This spot was conveniently close to both the Ninja Academy and the Hospital.
If he went to the Hospital, he could visit Rin.
Heading to the Academy would allow him to catch up with Kozakura.
As for Kurenai and the others, they were likely busy with remedial classes, so visiting their homes would probably be fruitless.
After a moment's deliberation, Raj decided the Academy was the best option.
The Academy had Kozakura, Hayate, and several other Ninja.
They had mostly been fooling around before, leaving their potential untapped.
Once Raj graduated, it would be much harder for Raj to visit the Academy so freely.
Before leaving, he wanted to clear this "dungeon" one last time.
As Raj walked, his mind wandered aimlessly, thoughts swirling like leaves in a storm.
He pondered how to earn more Points.
Two thousand four hundred Points-minus today's cat food, that left him with just over two thousand one hundred.
'Still a long way from five thousand.'
'Sigh, I wonder when I'll ever reach five thousand. And today's System Panel has so many Wind Release Ninjutsu. Wind Release techniques are highly compatible with me - if I could just get one...'
His paws itched.
The thought of using his two thousand Points for two ten-pulls made him restless.
That was the allure of the gacha system.
Even knowing it was a trap, knowing the odds were against him, he couldn't resist the urge to gamble.
After all, if he won, the payoff would be huge.
But the next moment, he glanced at his black fur and sank into despair.
'Why did I have to be a Black Cat? If a White Cat had been hit by that car, I might be a Lucky Emperor White Cat now, instead of a miserable Unlucky Tribe member.'
'This further proved... in the Ninja World, lineage mattered!'
Forcibly suppressing the dark thoughts urging him to commit crimes, he quickened his pace, hurrying toward the school.
The headband around his neck swayed with each step.
Raj didn't particularly like the headband.
When "sneaking" around at night, the metal plate made him conspicuous.
But when he really needed to hide, he could simply store it in his inventory, so it didn't inconvenience him too much.
"Close-quarters combat is a crucial skill for all ninja. Today's lesson will focus on using kunai in close combat..."
The teacher's voice echoed from the classroom.
Raj landed lightly at the back door, glanced up, but didn't spot Anko.
He paused, then slipped through the crack in the door.
Looking ahead, he saw the little girl sitting in the front row, sitting upright and listening intently - a stark contrast to her usual half-hearted, coasting attitude.
'She's finally snapped out of it,' the Little Black Cat realized.
He understood the reason: Anko's father had died.
Perhaps she was seeking revenge, or maybe Orochimaru had said something to her.
Whatever the case, she seemed determined to work hard and stop being a slacker.
The question was, how long would this newfound ferocity last?
It was clear he couldn't catch up with Anko today.
He had no intention of suffering in the front row.
After scanning the room and finding no one else interesting, he was about to leave when he suddenly spotted a familiar face.
A straight line across his nose - Umino Iruka!
He was sitting in the fourth-to-last row, closer to the front than most.
With a little caution, it could easily sneak closer, observe him, and maybe even harass him a bit.
But it had forgotten that its recent antics in the Forest of Death had earned it far more Points than these kids could ever dream of.
A playful nudge nearly made Iruka jump out of his seat, yet the Points gained were a mere few dozen.
Iruka was no genius.
His talent was average, and his performance at the academy was unremarkable.
However, he studied diligently and possessed a gentle, earnest nature.
Even when startled by the cat, he didn't betray its presence.
After a brief tremor, he was called upon to answer a question.
Glancing down at the Black Cat, he noticed the ninja headband tied around its neck, and a pang of envy struck his heart.
He didn't even have a ninja headband himself, yet this little kitten, barely seven or eight months old, already possessed one.
'How envious!'
Iruka's hand twitched, yearning to remove the headband and try it on himself.
But fearing offense to the Ninja Cat, he could only gaze at it with longing and fascination.
'Only a few dozen points? That's pathetic. As Naruto's "father figure," Iruka should have had more prestige.'
Of course, he only grumbled inwardly, understanding that Iruka's own strength was lacking, and at only five or six years old, he was naturally far weaker than Obito.
There were other children in the class, but most were as mediocre as Iruka, hardly worth mentioning.
The strongest were likely Hayate and Anko.
'Never mind, this is boring.'
Raj weaved through the crowd, lingered briefly, then quietly slipped away.