The Uchiha's shuriken manipulation technique shone brilliantly in this moment, a handful of shuriken nearly perfectly sealing off all escape routes for one of the ninja.
But...
"They might be puppets! Be careful!"
Kakashi drew his White Fang Short Sword and charged at one of the figures, activating his Lightning Release Chakra.
Moving with blinding speed, he closed the distance in the blink of an eye and slashed at the figure with a swift, lethal strike.
The blade drew no blood.
"They're all puppets! Watch out for the real bodies!"
"Understood."
Obito adjusted his attack angle and swiftly formed hand seals, facing the third figure.
Gathering Chakra in his mouth, he unleashed a massive fireball.
To his surprise, the Great Fireball Technique struck true. It seemed they were indeed puppets.
"Watch out!"
Rin suddenly spotted a barrage of hidden weapons flying from within the flames.
She immediately grabbed Obito and rolled them both to the side.
Thud! Thud!
Thud! Poisoned needles pierced the tree behind them.
The Little Black Cat, who had been chasing them from the front, skidded to a halt.
'No scent earlier... I get it now-Earth Release.'
Realizing his mistake, the cat knew he didn't need to worry about Minato's strength. The real danger lay behind them.
He had overheard Rin's warning earlier. If Obito left Rin's side...
Raj immediately let out a loud meow, then turned back to assist, speaking in human language.
"Meow! Watch out for Earth Release!"
"Earth Release?"
Obito exclaimed, startled, and immediately leaped back with Rin.
But at that moment, three Sunagakure Ninja emerged from below, hurling a volley of shuriken before brandishing their weapons and charging at Obito and Rin.
Their weapons were peculiar-weak in power but coated in poison, ensuring immediate poisoning upon contact.
'Not enough distance!'
In a desperate move, Raj swiftly accessed the System Panel.
'Points sufficient!'
Elated, it immediately exchanged its points for the Wild Lion's Mane Technique and instantly activated the Ninjutsu, causing its fur to surge wildly.
A mass of black fur erupted, instantly binding all three Sunagakure Ninja.
Within seconds, they were completely restrained.
Raj then channeled Chakra to contract the fur, using the tightening force to rapidly close the distance to the immobilized ninja.
Gathering Chakra in its four paws, four miniature Rasengan materialized on its claws.
Leaping behind one of the ninja, it slammed the Rasengan into his back.
Though individually weak, the combined force was enough to pulverize his internal organs, killing him instantly.
Without pausing, Raj immediately sprang away to avoid any counterattack.
Minato, who had been preparing to reinforce them, halted his movements, observing the sudden turn of events.
Kakashi and the others were the new generation's elite. After a brief moment of control by the Little Black Cat, they quickly recovered and cleaned up the mess.
'As expected.'
The next instant, Kakashi leaped from the earth, his sword ending an enemy's life in a single strike.
Obito, protecting Rin, didn't rush forward recklessly.
The third enemy finally broke free from the cat hair's restraint, only to have Raj's hidden claw tear through his throat before the cat swiftly vanished into the forest.
"Join up with the main force," Minato said without pausing, leaving those words behind as he sped forward.
"Yes, sir."
Kakashi desperately wanted to join him, but Minato's orders were absolute. He had to obey.
Obito, still shaken, hadn't realized the danger at the time. But now, recalling the events, his legs trembled uncontrollably.
Raj leaped down from a tree, landing wearily on Rin's shoulder.
He closed his eyes, preparing to rest for a moment. He was utterly exhausted.
Though the System had modified these Ninjutsu, eliminating the need for complex hand seals and making them more suitable for Ninja Beasts, the Chakra consumption remained substantial.
If he hadn't been diligently eating Cat Food lately, rapidly increasing his Chakra reserves, he might have run out of energy after using the Wild Lion's Mane Technique.
"Thank you, Raj. Get some rest now."
Rin gratefully cradled the cat in her arms.
If not for Raj's intervention, she and Obito would have been seriously injured. The enemies' weapons were coated in poison, making any wound extremely dangerous.
Meanwhile, during the battle, Kakashi had remained focused solely on eliminating enemies, proving the rumors true: he prioritized missions and killing enemies above all else, disregarding his teammates entirely.
If Rin hadn't witnessed it firsthand, she would never have believed that Kakashi, who had once preached the importance of comradeship, could become like this.
Ultimately, that incident had left an indelible mark on him.
After his initial fear subsided, Obito felt a surge of anger, though not directed at Kakashi.
He blamed himself for his own incompetence, which had endangered both Rin and himself.
'Thank goodness for Raj...'
In that moment, all the resentment and annoyance he had harbored toward Raj for its constant teasing vanished like smoke.
Minato hurried onward, but his mind kept replaying the Little Black Cat's battle.
That Ninjutsu... There was no mistake.
It bore a striking resemblance to his teacher's Wild Lion's Mane Technique.
It wasn't just the Wild Lion's Mane. This hardening ninjutsu, which stiffened the user's entire body hair, was essentially the same as his teacher's Needle Jizo technique-perhaps even the same fundamental principle.
'Incredible! This Black Cat... Ha! When I see Teacher again, I must tell him about Raj.'
Minato felt a flicker of amusement, but his mood quickly darkened.
Kakashi's condition was far more severe than the Third Hokage had described, and reversing it would likely be a difficult task.
Ahead, the Sunagakure battle line was rapidly retreating, and Minato was heading directly toward their withdrawal route.
Meanwhile, Raj and his group had rejoined the main force.
After taking a Soldier Pill, Raj regained some of his stamina.
He glanced at the System Panel and saw his Points had increased by over eight hundred.
Killing enemies did indeed grant Points, but the yield seemed rather low.
'This System... Does it want me to toy with my prey like a cat before delivering the final blow?'
He recalled how cats typically play with mice before killing them, and a faint suspicion arose.
For instance, the first ninja Minato had killed had contributed far more Points than the three he had taken down himself.
"Raj, I'm so jealous of you. You're so strong at such a young age, while I can't even protect myself," Obito said gloomily, sitting on
"Don't underestimate yourself, Obito," Rin said softly from the sidelines, trying to comfort him.
"You're actually quite strong for your age."
"Having strength without knowing how to use it still makes you Dead Last," Kakashi muttered, leaning against a nearby wall.
His own frustration was no less than Obito's.
His words weren't directed at Obito alone; they included himself as well.
'I'm supposed to be the strongest in the team besides Minato-teacher, yet I performed worse than a Ninja Cat just now.'
'All those years on the battlefield were a complete waste.'
'Still, this cat's talent was truly remarkable.'
'It had already mastered another unique Ninjutsu.'
'And it's not even nine months old yet, is it?'
Kakashi felt a growing sense of crisis.
'I have to get stronger! Otherwise, if outsiders ever ask who the strongest member of the team is besides the Teacher, and he answers "a Ninja Cat," the disciples will be utterly humiliated.'