Jiraiya, annoyed, set him down and got up to wash his face with a basin of water he'd fetched earlier.
After clearing his head a bit, he sighed and said, "You absorbed Natural Energy but couldn't channel it, so you passed out. Fortunately, you didn't absorb too much, or you'd be dead by now."
"Natural Energy?" Raj asked, surprised.
'I ate cat food and somehow absorbed Natural Energy? That's bizarre. Could this Deluxe Cat Food actually help me obtain Sage Art Chakra? A thousand Points... It's worth it, but I don't seem ready for it yet.'
'Eating one serving knocked me out for three or four days, and I still don't know if there are any lingering side effects.'
'Too bad I don't have a mirror. Otherwise, even at a thousand Points, I'd still exchange for it.'
Raj crouched down and asked Jiraiya a few more questions.
Jiraiya, being generous, didn't hold a grudge over the earlier slap.
After his initial annoyance, he patiently explained, "Natural Energy has its benefits. You'll gradually grow larger, stronger, and live longer.
But the downside is it's difficult to digest. Absorbing too much can cause mutations."
"You're lucky you only absorbed a little. Otherwise, you'd already be six feet under." Jiraiya sighed deeply.
On Mount Myoboku, countless Sage Art practitioners have transformed into frogs or petrified, mostly due to losing control after absorbing too much Natural Energy at once.
This little cat is incredibly fortunate to still be alive.
Raj broke out in a cold sweat, realizing he had nearly played himself to death.
This Deluxe Cat Food was a real trap.
While it offered numerous benefits, consuming it carried significant risks.
He decided to wait until the Natural Energy in his body had completely dissipated before trying it again.
But this raised another question...
"How will I know when it's completely gone?"
"When your big belly shrinks back to normal, that's when it's fully digested," Jiraiya said, patting Raj's abnormally swollen abdomen before gesturing for him to look at his current appearance.
Raj twisted his head to glance at himself.
'So fat!'
All the weight had accumulated in his belly, making him look like he'd just overeaten.
'Does this mean I have to go on a diet again?'
"Alright, stop bothering me. I need a proper nap. You woke me up with that slap, and I haven't had a good rest yet." Jiraiya yawned and flopped back onto the bed, resuming his nap.
Raj slumped onto the table, feeling dejected.
He also couldn't stop thinking about Gamabunta and the other giant toads.
Their immense size must be related to Sage Art Chakra.
'If I keep eating Deluxe Cat Food, will I eventually turn into a giant cat like them?'
There are advantages to being big, and advantages to being small.
A tall tree catches the wind.
If he could stay small, Raj would prefer it.
After all, what forest could possibly hide him if he grew too large?
"My little Raj, you're finally awake!" Rin rushed back to Jiraiya's camp as soon as she returned.
With the Sunagakure having retreated from the border and no war in sight, patrol security was lower than before.
Moreover, Rin had become a familiar face in the camp during her recent visits, allowing her to pass through unimpeded.
"Meow!"
Raj panted, its tongue lolling out.
Jiraiya had just finished putting it through a rigorous training session, leaving the cat utterly exhausted.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness!"
The young girl jumped for joy, not even minding that the cat had grown noticeably plumper.
Being chubby was far better than being dead; she had been genuinely terrified before.
"I told you everything would be fine," Jiraiya said smugly.
"Look at this little cat - it's already much stronger than before in just a few days. All thanks to my training!"
Jiraiya immediately took credit in front of the little girl, though he didn't expect anything from Rin.
Seeing the child's adoring and delighted expression filled him with immense satisfaction.
'You have the nerve to take credit? This wasn't even an illness!'
'When it later learned Jiraiya's original plan, it nearly jumped up to slap him.'
'If the Old Toad had actually knocked out the Natural Energy with his staff, it would have lost a fortune. That's a thousand Points!'
'Fortunately, Sennin Fukasaku understood toads and didn't go through with it. Instead, he let Raj digest the energy himself...'
Remembering today's ordeal, it had no choice but to remain silent.
"Meow~ Rin, where have you been these past few days?"
"We were on a mission. There's no more work here, so we're heading back to the village."
Rin stroked the cat's head and back.
'Back to the village? Returning to Konoha would be good. At least it's safe there, unlike this place where danger lurks everywhere.'
'Though it's easy to farm Points from Jiraiya, he's impossible to deal with when he loses his temper.'
'It never wanted to run through the forest again.'
"Leaving already? That makes sense."
"Minato has some administrative duties to attend to in Konoha. It's time to head back," Jiraiya sighed wistfully.
Honestly, even taking on two or three students would be better than wasting away on this border.
The Third Hokage was Jiraiya's teacher, and Tsunade was absent from the village.
Apart from Jiraiya and Orochimaru, who else had the ability to defend the border against foreign enemies?
A shortage of talent!
"Lord Jiraiya, we'll be taking our leave now," Rin said, bowing deeply.
The Blood Pact Scroll and Needle Jizo were no ordinary items. Jiraiya had treated her exceptionally well, and she was deeply grateful, vowing to remember his kindness.
"Go on, then. Give Minato my regards."
"Yes, sir!"
Hearing this, Raj perked up and bid Jiraiya farewell before leaping from Rin's arms and darting ahead to lead the way.
"Ahem! Lord Jiraiya, farewell!" Rin repeated, then quickly caught up with the rapidly fleeing Dead Cat.
The little creature had always preferred quiet and would rather laze in her arms than run around. Why was it suddenly acting so differently today?
Jiraiya chuckled softly, shook his head, and sighed.
'Still can't figure out what's going on with this guy's Natural Energy...'
'Never mind. Guess Sage Mode just isn't in the cards for me. No use dwelling on it.'
He was a man of easygoing nature. He had long accepted that he couldn't fully master Sage Mode.
This recent glimpse of hope had merely stirred a momentary wistfulness. If it could briefly absorb some Natural Energy and slowly convert it into Sage Art Chakra, even with low efficiency, it should be able to use Sage Mode independently.
But it was clear that the stupid cat didn't even understand what was happening to itself.