The genius boy drew his White Fang Short Sword and used its polished blade as a mirror.
He quickly spotted the conspicuous, neatly trimmed gap in his hair.
And so, he retreated into his she'll.
"Why did this happen?"
"Meow~ Lack of skill, insufficient or unevenly distributed Chakra - any number of reasons could be to blame," Raj replied, shielding the few damaged patches of fur on its body.
Seeing Kakashi in such a sorry state filled him with satisfaction, but if his own vulnerable side were exposed, he wouldn't be able to maintain his current confidence.
Kakashi was deeply frustrated.
Of course, he didn't think the technique was useless.
Even though it required hand seals, the Ninjutsu's seals were remarkably simple.
When used effectively, it could turn the tide of battle.
The fact that it seemed so weak in his hands only proved his own inadequacy.
He clenched his fist and stood silently to the side.
The next moment, Minato returned, retrieving the special kunai from Kakashi's hand.
He rubbed his temples wearily and said, "I've cleared the area around the bridge."
"Thank you, Lord Minato," the Amegakure ninja said, bowing gratefully.
Every team was led by a Jonin, and Minato's single-handed slaughter of so many ninja demonstrated his overwhelming strength.
Respect for the strong transcends national boundaries.
"Let's move out," Minato said, swallowing a Soldier Pill before leading the group forward.
The rope bridge was broken.
But that didn't matter.
For ninja, what mattered wasn't the bridge itself, but the safety of the environment.
With Minato having cleared the area, they could simply cross the river beneath the bridge.
However, they didn't set off immediately.
On one hand, Raj needed a thorough wash.
On the other hand...
Once they crossed the bridge, they would be completely out of the Land of Fire.
Minato had expended some Chakra, and with the situation ahead still unclear, it was best to rest here before continuing.
Beyond the border, they wouldn't have another chance for proper rest.
Raj took a long time
to wash.
To be honest, it didn't enjoy bathing, but the blood on its body made it even more uncomfortable.
Given its condition, it could forcibly suppress these natural discomforts.
After washing, it finally regained its previous cleanliness.
However, this made the pockmarked areas on its body particularly noticeable.
When Kakashi noticed this, his mood instantly improved.
'At least I'm not the only one who's been through hell.'
"Teacher, should we still have Raj scout ahead?" Rin asked, her voice tinged with unease.
"With the enemy's strength unknown, I can't leave your sides. Having Raj scout ahead is the best option. Otherwise, we'd have to send Kakashi," Minato explained.
"Then let Raj go. If he encounters enemies, I can summon him back with the Summoning Technique."
Raj looked up at his nominal master, utterly bewildered.
'I thought you were sticking up for me and was actually touched, but in the end, you're still selling me out?'
He slumped weakly atop the medical kit, utterly drained.
'Fine, at least fighting earns Points. If I have to scout, I'll scout. The sooner I get stronger, the safer I'll be. If I keep lazing around like this, others will surpass me.'
With that thought, a flicker of fighting spirit ignited within him.
Despite his newfound resolve, when Kakashi and the others were catching fish and gathering mushrooms, the Little Black Cat remained sprawled on the medical kit like a lazy cat, claiming to be "protecting the mission objective" while actually just slacking off.
Out in the field, opportunities to eat hot meals were rare.
Setting up a riverside fire to roast fish and stew mushrooms was only possible in situations where the surrounding area had been cleared and there was no immediate threat of enemy attack.
Raj ate heartily, forcing Kakashi to spear two more fish with the White Fang Short Sword.
After a hearty meal, the group set off.
Intelligence had indicated that Iwagakure had dispatched five squads, but everyone knew this number couldn't be trusted.
Raj himself didn't believe the informant's lies and urged everyone to remain vigilant.
They had traveled most of the way without incident, but as they approached a narrow gorge marking the border of the Land of Rain, the group halted simultaneously.
The terrain was ideal for Iwa-nin ambushes.
Moreover, a steady rain began to fall within the gorge, scattering scents and severely limiting Raj's reconnaissance abilities.
The group's responsibilities had to be reassigned.
After a brief discussion, Minato volunteered to scout ahead, while Raj, Kakashi, and the others focused on protecting the mission objective.
Of course, three people and a cat, even with their considerable skills, would be no match for a Jonin.
To address this, Minato summoned a toad nearly the size of an adult human, ensuring they wouldn't be defenseless against a Jonin attack.
"This canyon is the shortest route to Amegakure. If we detour, we'll have to pass through Iwa-nin territory, which is far more dangerous," the Amegakure Ninja explained to Raj and the others after Minato had scouted ahead.
Though they were just kids, their demonstrated skills were impressive.
Their safety depended on them, so he felt it was important to be clear about the situation.
"Understood," Kakashi replied, summoning all his ninja dogs and focusing intently on their surroundings.
This was nearly their strongest fighting force.
Everyone's focus sharpened to its peak.
They knew three ninja squads might be lurking in the area, and the Iwa-ninja were masters of Earth Release techniques like the Earth Dragon Hidden Technique, which allowed them to move underground, sense surface conditions, and launch surprise attacks.
These techniques were nearly impossible to detect by scent alone.
However, Kakashi was also skilled in Earth Release, allowing him to sense activity beneath the ground...
Raj crouched protectively beside Rin, while Minato scanned the surrounding mountains for hidden ninja.
A few minutes later, an explosion echoed through the mountains.
"Exploding Tags!"
The commotion in the valley reached them, and Kakashi's expression instantly darkened.
"Watch your feet!"
Boom!
In the blink of an eye, a forest of earth spikes erupted from the ground, each one razor-sharp.
Had they not reacted swiftly, they would have been severely injured.
Four ninja leaped from the earth, each hurling kunai affixed with Exploding Tags.
Their targets were the Amegakure Ninja who had jumped to evade the earth spikes.
"Takayama!" the Amegakure Ninja cried in terror.
He recognized the Jonin's identity.
He frantically opened his umbrella to block the incoming tags, but even with the umbrella, he couldn't fully withstand the explosive force.
He could almost see his end...
But at that moment, strands of silver-white hair shot forward, weaving into a curtain that deflected the kunai.
The curtain detonated mid-air.