Direct combat was never its forte, and the earlier skirmishes had already earned it a substantial number of Points.
With its Chakra nearly depleted, continuing the fight risked its life.
Even a cornered beast will fight back, let alone a Jonin.
Between Points and survival, life was far more valuable.
After infiltrating the jungle, Raj exchanged its Points for the cheapest special Cat Food.
This variety restored stamina and partially replenished Chakra, making it perfect for such situations.
After eating, it returned to Rin's side.
Confirming the area was clear of threats, Rin resumed treating the mission target while Raj hid behind the medical kit, observing discreetly.
Meanwhile, Kakashi's Shadow Clone had been dispelled, leaving him noticeably weaker than before.
He was now evenly matched against a Chunin.
'Naruto is still strong. His willpower... far surpasses Kakashi's.'
Raj mentally scoffed, but had no intention of offering support.
Its strength hadn't fully recovered, and there was no immediate danger.
Takayama, their strongest opponent, was severely injured and had lost most of his combat ability - even a regular Chunin posed a greater threat.
For now, Raj's priority was to remain vigilant.
If the ninja attacked with Shadow Clones like Kakashi had, Rin and the mission target would be defenseless.
Having already critically wounded a Jonin, Raj had more than proven its worth.
"Huff..."
After a long moment, Rin lowered her hands and exhaled deeply.
The mission target had finally been saved.
In a few more minutes, he should regain consciousness, at which point Rin and Raj wouldn't have to remain so passive.
"Raj, what about Obito?"
"Don't worry, meow!"
The Little Black Cat lay sprawled out.
Though Obito's situation looked perilous, his injuries were superficial and posed no real threat.
The boy had clearly benefited from training with Guy and Bai, his taijutsu skills now quite impressive.
The only pity was that he probably hadn't learned the Guy family's Eight Gates Formation yet.
Even opening the first gate would've given him a decisive advantage in battle.
At that moment, it pricked up its ears to listen.
The sounds from the valley grew fainter, suggesting Minato was swiftly eliminating the remaining enemies.
It glanced at Takayama, who was being dragged along, utterly exhausted, and noticed the Amegakure ninja lying motionless nearby seemed to be stirring awake...
In the distance, Takayama retreated while fighting, his body riddled with wounds that continued to bleed profusely.
Once a formidable attacker, he now fled in disarray, clearly at his breaking point - the perfect moment to claim the kill.
"Meow!"
It let out a soft cry before darting into the forest, swiftly circling behind Takayama.
As it ran, Raj pondered a crucial matter.
He already had two thousand points.
Combined with the thousand-plus points earned from deceiving, ambushing, and crippling the Jonin's tendons, he now possessed over three thousand.
Initially, he had planned to prioritize exchanging for the Expansion Jutsu.
However, after enduring a series of intense battles, Raj realized that while the Expansion Jutsu was powerful, he still desperately needed a long-range Ninjutsu to fill the gap in his arsenal.
Relying solely on chakra-intensive techniques like the Rasengan and Wild Lion's Mane would quickly deplete his reserves.
Since this was a spur-of-the-moment decision, he didn't have a specific target in mind.
As he ran, his eyes scanned "Google," searching for a Ninjutsu that was both affordable and practical.
The cheapest option was Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
The technique was simple to cast, making it cheap, but its effectiveness was correspondingly poor.
While Jonin like Minato could use it to blow away kunai, shuriken, and even Fire Release ninjutsu, when used by Raj, it would likely only produce a cooling breeze.
After glancing through a few more options, he spotted a promising technique: Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere.
It cost 2,000 Points.
Cheap!
Raj glanced at the towering Takayama in the distance and decisively exchanged for the ninjutsu.
With this technique, he could launch sneak attacks from behind, eliminating the need for constant close-quarters combat - a safer and more dignified approach.
The technique's usage was straightforward, allowing him to master it immediately after acquisition.
Simplified, it required no hand seals.
He simply opened his mouth, gathered Chakra, and exhaled.
He crept behind Takayama, took a moment to prepare, then...
Inhale!
Exhale!
A barrage of air bullets shot forth.
After expelling the volley, Raj felt a strange sensation.
'Why does spitting out these projectiles feel so much like spitting phlegm at someone?'
Takayama was retreating while battling the tenacious toad when a sudden gust of wind stirred behind him, signaling a Wind Release ambush.
He immediately dodged sideways, but the air bullets were too fast, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
At that moment, Takayama's left hand was half-crippled, and his right hand was numb from the Gamaken's immense force.
He could only desperately try to keep the wind bullets from hitting his vital points.
With his left hand and right foot injured, he simply used them to block the attack entirely.
The bullets nearly pierced through, but Takayama vaguely sensed that they seemed damp, with a faint stickiness, almost like... phlegm.
But at this point, even if someone spat phlegm in his face, he'd have to endure it.
The Gamaken was attacking again, and if this continued, he wouldn't even be able to kill his target - he'd likely be dragged to his death alive.
'While I still have the strength to escape...'
The thought crossed Takayama's mind, and his fighting spirit wavered.
He glanced around, blocked the toad's iron arm with his blade, and hurled two or three smoke bombs to the ground.
The next moment, a scream echoed from within the smoke.
When the smoke cleared, Minato was supporting Takayama, his exhaustion evident.
"Well done. Now, let's..."
Minato patted the Gamaken, but staggered, nearly losing his balance.
Clearly, fighting two teams alone and then rushing back had exhausted even him.
"Rest for a bit. They won't lose anyway," the Gamaken said, standing firm.
Though young, the toad had already accumulated a significant amount of Sage Art Chakra within its body.
While it lacked Ninjutsu, it excelled in defense and endurance, retaining considerable strength even after prolonged combat.
"Go help out. Assist Obito first."
"Understood."
The toad leaped into the air, charging toward the battlefield.
Minato sat down, glanced at the corpse beside him, and pondered for a moment.
He formed hand seals and exhaled a small fireball, burning away the five blood-soaked holes in Takayama's chest, obscuring the distinct marks.
"Meow~"
Raj emerged from nearby, observing the scene with initial confusion before quickly understanding Minato's purpose.
The wounds were unmistakably caused by five simultaneous Rasengans.
"Well done," Minato said, stroking Raj's head before settling back down to continue examining Takayama's wounds.