The blade wounds were Kakashi's, on his arms and legs...
"Takayama used to be an Anbu operative from Iwagakure. He's incredibly strong. It's fortunate you and Kakashi coordinated so well to cripple his left hand early on. Otherwise, the consequences would've been unimaginable."
For a ninja, hands are paramount.
Those who can perform hand seals without using their hands, with only one hand, or with their feet are rare exceptions.
Most Ninja require both hands to form seals. Crippling one hand effectively neuters a Jonin's Ninjutsu abilities.
Although Takayama excelled in swordsmanship, he wasn't like those sword-obsessed warriors from the Land of Iron who neglected Ninjutsu.
With his Ninjutsu halved and his Achilles tendons severed, severely limiting his mobility, he had been forced into this protracted struggle.
"A reward, meow!"
"I'll treat you to a feast when we get back. And... I'll ask the Uchiha to take you to their clan's Cat Ninja to buy some weapons and protective gear. It'll provide an extra layer of defense, and I'll cover the costs."
Minato was generous.
With the mission's completion, he would receive a substantial reward, perfect for buying ninja tools for the Little Black Cat.
"What's Minato's strength like?"
In Amegakure, the returning Amegakure ninja immediately reported to Hanzo of the Salamander, the village's "Demigod."
"Leader, Minato alone annihilated two elite Iwagakure squads. His students, though only nine years old, can each hold off an elite squad single-handedly. This shows that Konoha's strength may have waned slightly, but they remain overwhelmingly powerful."
The Amegakure ninja then gave a detailed account of their journey.
Hanzo listened intently, a flicker of both satisfaction and concern in his eyes.
He was pleased that Konoha's successors were still formidable, yet equally worried by the same fact.
"Leader, about Konoha..."
"Intelligence trades will be handled by others. Focus on detailing the situations in Iwagakure and Konoha - every detail must be clear."
"Is this Amegakure? Why is it always raining...?"
"Obito!" Rin snapped, cutting off his rambling.
After crossing the canyon, they officially entered the Land of Rain.
With no more Iwagakure ninja ambushes, they safely reached Amegakure.
The relentless rain made them restless.
"Teacher isn't here. We need to be careful what we say and do," Kakashi warned.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Obito grumbled, his face sour.
Raj leaned against the windowsill, gazing at the village shrouded in endless rain.
Among the small nations and villages, Amegakure stood as the strongest.
Its architecture, shaped by the unique environment, differed drastically from other villages, giving it a distinct character.
As Raj observed the buildings, a wave of emotion washed over him.
'For such a small nation to balance between the five great powers, Hanzo of the Salamander must be extraordinary. It's just a pity... In this world, the great powers still call the shots.'
"Go to sleep. Raj and I will take the night watch," Kakashi said, clutching the White Fang Short Sword, his expression vigilant.
"Aren't we allied with Amegakure?" Obito asked in a low voice.
"An alliance doesn't mean we're one and the same," Kakashi replied quietly. "Amegakure isn't a unified entity either. We need to proceed with caution."
"Thank you," Rin said. "We'll sleep first and take the second half of the night watch."
She pulled a blanket from the side, covered herself, and immediately fell asleep.
After treating the Amegakure ninja, she had also tended to Obito and Kakashi's injuries.
Despite resting for a while, the mental and physical exhaustion still weighed heavily on her.
As for Obito, his impulsive nature made Kakashi uneasy about leaving him in charge of the night watch with the Little Black Cat.
So, the two went to sleep.
Raj watched them settle down before giving Kakashi a cold glare.
He inhaled deeply, then exhaled - this time not a Vacuum Jade, but a genuine spit.
"What's your problem?" Kakashi asked.
"If you're on watch, fine. But why drag me into this?" Raj grumbled, lying down.
However, when he noticed Kakashi's nearly shaved hairstyle, he couldn't help but chuckle, his earlier irritation melting away.
'Fine, I'll stay up. I'm not even tired anyway.'
He continued to lie there, his mind drifting to other matters.
After exchanging for the Vacuum Jade, Raj received some additional Points, bringing his total to over 1,400.
This wasn't enough to exchange for Ninjutsu techniques, but he was considering whether to try his luck with a lottery draw or exchange for a bag of Deluxe Cat Food.
Deluxe Cat Food was the most expensive option, but its effects remained unknown.
The lottery draw was purely based on luck.
A lucky draw could yield a windfall, while an unlucky one would result in a significant loss, just like last time.
Given his fur color, Raj doubted he'd ever be considered a Lucky Emperor.
He sighed softly to himself.
To avoid wasting his Points, he decided to try the Cat Food.
Who knew? The Deluxe Cat Food might have miraculous effects, allowing him to rapidly grow stronger.
Kakashi was still awake, so Raj exchanged for a bag and stored it in his inventory without retrieving it.
Minato hadn't returned yet, leaving the cat and the ninja staring at each other.
After a while, Raj grew bored of looking at Kakashi.
With his buzz cut and arrogant attitude, the ninja was hardly worth the effort.
It was better to look outside and observe the ninja ladies on the street.
'Too bad it's still raining, making it impossible to see clearly...'
After crouching for a while, Raj began to feel drowsy.
Just then, a figure vaulted through the window - Minato, who had left earlier wearing a raincoat.
"Meow!"
Raj stood up and quickly moved away from the dripping-wet Minato.
Minato glanced around the room before lowering his voice.
"Get some rest. No need to keep watch tonight."
"Uh... Teacher."
"Don't worry. If Hanzo wanted to kill us, he wouldn't bother with such elaborate schemes. Just get some sleep."
Minato patted Raj on the shoulder, then removed his raincoat and leaned against the wall, preparing to sleep.
Ninjas on missions didn't stand on ceremony.
Seeing his teacher asleep, Kakashi also sat down and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes.
Raj feigned sleep for a long while before finally opening his eyes and quietly retrieving the Deluxe Cat Food he had exchanged for.
'It looks the same, but there's even less... More expensive, less food?'
The Little Black Cat stared suspiciously at the food for several seconds before gulping it all down in one bite.
In an instant, a surge of power seemed to explode within him.
The next moment, the Little Black Cat rolled its eyes and collapsed to the ground.