Obito and Kakashi immediately picked up their pace, while Minato and Rin trailed behind.
Of course, Rin wasn't lacking in physical stamina.
Though she couldn't match Obito and Kakashi's speed, she managed to keep up with the group.
With Minato by her side, her safety was assured.
Raj continued running forward, summoning the System Panel as he went.
'Huh, it's gone up by over a hundred.'
His eyes lit up as he glanced back.
The extra points likely came from Obito and Rin.
'As for Kakashi... That guy never worries about himself. He's got a heart as black as night.'
Of course, Kakashi's cold-heartedness wasn't directed at anyone in particular; it was simply his nature.
As his Chunin teammates often remarked: For the mission, he wouldn't turn back or even blink if his comrades were surrounded and killed.
In mission mode, he was like a machine-beyond redemption.
Raj shook his head in disdain, then leaped forward several branches, cautiously sniffing the air.
'Blood!'
"There's a battlefield ahead. Don't make any rash moves," Kakashi warned in a low voice.
"Meow?"
"Wait a moment before advancing," Kakashi explained.
The next instant, Obito landed on the same branch, causing it to shake violently and emit a faint crack.
Kakashi and the Little Black Cat both glanced at him sideways.
"Heh heh... I'll, I'll find another branch."
Obito leaped to a branch ahead, but his landing was shaky, and he wobbled for a long moment before finally steadying himself.
"Meow!"
Raj let out a cry and then sprang forward with a powerful leap.
The stench of blood grew stronger with each bound, leaving no doubt that a battlefield lay ahead.
Most crucially, as he advanced, he began to hear faint sounds.
The cacophony of noises made Raj's heart race with a mix of tension and excitement.
He crept cautiously toward the source of the sounds, carefully surveying each stretch of ground.
The ninja of Sunagakure were unlike those of other villages.
These bastards knew the art of self-preservation well.
They would never engage in direct combat if they could use puppets instead, and they were masters of concealing their scent.
One careless step could land you in a trap.
But Raj could smell poison.
Wherever poison traps lay, their masters' hiding places couldn't be far off.
Moreover, controlling puppets required chakra threads, so any "person" visible in the open meant the controller was nearby.
Raj advanced stealthily, his small feline frame giving him a natural advantage in the forest.
Kakashi and Obito couldn't keep up; their larger bodies made concealment far more difficult.
"Kakashi, it's..."
Obito grew impatient.
"Let it scout ahead. It'll benefit our mission."
"Mission?"
Obito stared at Kakashi in disbelief.
"Ninjas are just tools. If sacrificing a..." Kakashi began.
"I never thought you were really this kind of person."
Obito gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and glared furiously at Kakashi before charging into the forest without hesitation.
Raj took a few steps, only to hear the Uchiha clan's idiot son following behind.
Startled, it turned back and raised a paw at Obito.
Obito immediately froze.
Raj had tormented him the most, so they understood each other best.
This gesture meant "Stop."
'Does it think I shouldn't follow?'
Obito hesitated for a moment, then swiftly climbed into a nearby tree, pressing his ear against the trunk to listen for any sounds.
Someone was approaching!
His expression darkened.
Realizing he'd blown their cover, he immediately performed the Clone Technique, creating a clone that fled in the opposite direction while his real body retreated toward Kakashi.
But the Sunagakure forces had already heard the commotion.
They dispatched a small team to investigate.
Raj waited vigilantly.
If the approaching team included reconnaissance ninjas or Ninja Beasts, it would flee without hesitation.
Fortunately, it seemed they didn't.
Hiding in the bushes, Raj used the Transformation Technique to conceal himself, letting the puppets and ninja pass by.
He planned to ambush them from behind, hoping to startle them.
'What if I transform into Minato, then suddenly revert to my cat form...? Perfect!'
As the small team approached, he burrowed deeper into the foliage.
"Genin?"
"Check the surroundings... Wait, be careful! Minato is leading them."
Cats have exceptionally sharp hearing.
Even at a distance, Raj could easily make out the conversation.
He remained motionless, sensing four ninja concealed within twenty paces of him.
Their ranks were unclear, but they were definitely not Genin.
"Minato! Retreat! Prepare to withdraw!"
The four Sunagakure ninja panicked and immediately began to retreat.
Their movement exposed their positions, and as they slowly backed away, one of them drew closer and closer to Raj.
Four steps... three steps... Two steps!
Without hesitation, Raj activated the Transformation Technique, instantly transforming into Minato.
A Rasengan materialized in his hand as he struck the nearest puppeteer.
"Minato!"
"Flying Thunder God Technique and Rasengan? Damn it, move-"
The others didn't even pause. Both techniques were Minato's specialties.
No one dared doubt that the sudden arrival was indeed him, as they were merely Chunin, no match for such a powerful opponent.
As for the one Raj had startled, a Rasengan had collapsed his chest and forced him to vomit blood, rendering him temporarily immobile.
Yet he keenly sensed something was off about the attack. Minato's Rasengan could blast a person into the ground, but this strike had merely left him severely injured-the power was far too weak.
'This isn't Minato!'
The next moment, he saw "Minato" leap into a tree and transform into a black cat.
Pfft!
Realizing his opponent was just a cat, he fled in panic, unable to suppress a surge of emotion that made him cough up blood.
'What kind of monster is Minato? Even the class cat can use Rasengan...'
As this thought crossed his mind, a sharp pain shot through his neck.
Immediately afterward, a golden blur flashed past his eyes.
'Minato-the real deal!'
The Sunagakure ninja's eyes widened in agony as he collapsed to the ground, his life extinguished.
Raj immediately followed up...
"That cat is too reckless!"
Rin trembled violently, her hands shaking.
Having yet to form a Blood Pact with Raj, she couldn't use the Summoning Technique to call back the unruly Ninja Cat. What if he had been injured earlier...?
She shuddered at the thought.
"Keep up. This cat is very clever... much, much smarter than Dead Last."
Kakashi, sensing Rin's lack of understanding, used Obito as a comparison.
"What do you mean by-"
Obito wanted to retort, but after a moment's thought, he found himself speechless.
In that situation, the Little Black Cat had indeed been smarter than him. If it hadn't warned him, he might have rushed in recklessly and been killed.
Three Sunagakure Ninja fled for their lives, with Minato in hot pursuit.
Suddenly, Minato's brow furrowed-these weren't their real bodies.
He glanced behind him, immediately understanding the situation.
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were closing in from behind.
Midway through the chase, the fleeing "trio" abruptly transformed into puppets and collapsed to the ground.
Simultaneously, three Sunagakure Ninja burst from the earth behind Kakashi's group, encircling them with murderous intent.
"Protect Raj!"
Obito's heart tightened as he swiftly drew several shuriken from his waist and hurled them.