In the past, it took a month to receive exam results and class assignments.
But this time was different.
The graduation ceremony and class assignments would be announced in just one week.
The timeline had been compressed to a quarter of its usual length.
This clearly indicated the village's urgent need for manpower.
These graduates likely wouldn't remain on D-rank or C-rank missions for long; they might soon face simple tasks on the battlefield.
Raj found their situation rather pitiful, but from its perspective, these brats seemed thrilled, eager to join the fighting immediately after graduation...
'Ninja World children... we'll never understand them.'
"Raj, starting tomorrow, I need to focus on learning Medical Ninjutsu at the hospital. I won't have time to be with you, so I asked Obito to keep you company."
After dinner, Rin stroked Raj while "chatting" with it.
Upon hearing the name "Obito," Raj froze, its head snapping around to glare at the girl.
It let out an indignant meow: "Mrow!"
"It's decided. Arguing won't change anything," Rin said firmly.
The Dead Cat had vanished during the day's exam. If she wasn't around for the next seven days, who knew where it would wander off to?
Her reasoning was simple: the Little Black Cat's aversion to Obito and Guy proved they were the ones who could tame it.
"No!" Raj cried out, but the two ignored him, continuing their work.
He crouched in his nest, plotting his escape.
'Tomorrow, I'll wake up at dawn and bolt. I can't fall into the hands of those demons, Guy and Obito.'
'The sooner I leave, the better. I can't stay here. At least I need to spend the day outside.'
To ensure he'd wake up early, he went to bed early.
But just as the first light of dawn touched the sky, a knock echoed through the house.
Raj startled awake.
He looked up, bewildered to see Rin already up and dressed, apparently preparing to head to the hospital to study Medical Ninjutsu.
"Coming, coming... Obito, you're up early too."
Rin opened the door.
Two green-clad warriors stood outside, one wearing a bizarre pair of goggles.
No need to recognize them - those distinctive outfits made their identities clear.
'This is their strategy... For every step I take, they take ten!'
Raj froze for a moment, then cursed inwardly before rising to quietly slip away.
'As for breakfast, I'll eat later.'
"Heh heh heh, I've finally caught up again!" Guy reached past Rin to grab the Black Cat, but the cat retaliated with three or four swift swipes of its front paws.
Its claws were now sharp and long; a single scratch would likely leave a bloody gash.
After executing a quick combo, Raj retreated swiftly, letting out a fierce hiss: "Meow!"
"Good grief... it's gotten much faster. Too strong!" A few beads of cold sweat trickled down Guy's forehead.
If he hadn't withdrawn his hand quickly, he'd be heading to the hospital right now.
"Even faster than me..." Obito watched in fear, realizing his own hand would have been shredded if he'd tried that.
Of course, the cat wouldn't have attacked so fiercely if Obito had been the one reaching for it.
Raj was after Points, not bloodshed. They were all comrades, after all, and it knew where to draw the line.
Guy had indeed been thoroughly frightened, contributing over a hundred Points.
This would normally be cause for celebration, but the thought of spending the day with these two fools completely soured Raj's mood.
Not only would it be exhausting, but it might drag on for more than just one day.
And they had seven days of rest to enjoy!
"Young one, let's make this run more fun! Don't be so gloomy. How about we sing a song together?" Guy suggested.
Obito naturally agreed, but Raj had no intention of joining in.
He strode ahead, plotting his escape just like before.
As he was thinking this, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar head of silver hair up ahead, the face still hidden behind a mask.
"Kakashi! A morning encounter! Let's settle this with a duel, betting our youth!" Guy leaped forward.
Kakashi raised a hand, his gaze fixed on Obito as he said calmly, "Keep an eye on him. He's definitely planning..."
"Meow! Kakashi, you bastard!" the Little Black Cat shrieked.
'This has to be revenge for ruining his clothes yesterday. Why else would he pick a fight out of nowhere? I could have escaped quickly, but now I'm trapped because of him,' Raj thought.
"Heh," Kakashi chuckled, dismissing the Ninja Cat's insults.
'Insults are so beneath me. As long as I can corner this cat and stop him from causing trouble, that's revenge enough.'
Moments later, Kakashi shattered Guy's scissors with a stone hammer, securing an easy victory before drifting away.
"I... I lost again. Fine! Since I lost, I'll run a hundred laps around Konoha!" Guy declared enthusiastically, showing no sign of discouragement.
Obito was used to this by now, though he initially thought the duel was a bit rash.
As punishment, Raj was forced to run a hundred laps.
After eating cat food for so long, his stamina had indeed improved; he could now run over ten laps of Konoha before tiring.
He wanted to run ahead, but Guy and Obito kept him pinned down, giving him no chance to escape.
'This can't go on,' Raj thought, collapsing in exhaustion.
Perched on Guy's head to rest, he pondered how to escape these two idiots.
After much deliberation, he finally devised a plan.
Guy's speed and stamina were useless within Konoha's confines.
That left only one option: Find Kakashi.
Guy always acted foolishly around Kakashi.
Only by finding Kakashi could Raj hope to slip away.
Even if he failed, at least he could cause some trouble for Kakashi.
'Why should I suffer alone?'
With this in mind, he spoke up.
"Do you want to challenge Kakashi to a duel? I'll take you to him!"
"A duel? No, I haven't completed my vow yet. Once I finish my vow, then..."
"Meow~ Obito didn't duel last time. Let Obito take the challenge this time."
"Good idea! Let's go!"
Guy was quickly convinced.
Together with Obito, he followed Raj's directions to track down Kakashi's whereabouts.
Finding Kakashi was easy for Raj.
He didn't need to search deliberately; he could simply follow the scent trail.
A few minutes later, on a Konoha street, Kakashi emerged from a shop after finishing his meal.
He saw two figures and a cat running toward him.
His first instinct was to flee.
But after considering Guy's personality, Kakashi calmed down.
He knew Guy had a habit of not bothering him until he fulfilled his vows, so this was likely just a coincidence.
Kakashi continued walking, ignoring the trio.
However, seconds later, the two humans and the cat blocked his path.
Kakashi was momentarily stunned, then quickly recovered and asked calmly.
"Finished running?"