Minato hadn't arrived yet.
Obito was getting impatient.
Every time an Uchiha clan member passed by, they would stop to chat for ages.
Though they meant no harm, these conversations were wasting his training time.
"Why isn't Teacher here yet?" he grumbled, just as he was about to take Raj for a walk.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past them.
The next moment, Teacher's voice rang out:
"Something came up earlier. Did you get the Uchiha's approval?"
"Teacher, the clan head agreed and gave me the clan's token for the Cat Granny," Obito replied, reaching for his pouch.
Minato stroked the cat, a smile instantly spreading across his face.
The cat's fur was even smoother than before, its texture incredibly pleasant to the touch.
"Keep it. This belongs to the Uchiha clan. Let's go."
"Meow!"
Raj shook himself, dislodging Minato's hand, and followed Obito's footsteps.
'Lately, he'd sensed something off about the future Fourth Hokage. Why had he suddenly become obsessed with petting cats? Do you think I'm just some cat you can pet whenever you want?!'
"Our clan actually..."
"We have a deep connection with those Ninja Cats, but... well, Ninja Cats..."
Obito trailed off, glancing around hesitantly to make sure they were outside Uchiha territory.
As they ran, he whispered, "Those cats are wild and untamable, incredibly difficult to deal with. Even within our clan, only a few have truly forged Blood Pacts with them."
"Meow~ So you think I'm easy to tame?"
Raj's gaze turned hostile.
'My speed isn't bad at all-it's just my endurance that's lacking... But my burst speed is insane! I'm way faster than you, Obito, no problem!'
"N-no, that's not what I meant!"
Obito quickly backtracked, spewing insincere compliments like "You're so easy to get along with," "You're so friendly," and "You have such a good personality."
Minato initially wanted to laugh, but soon felt a pang of pity.
'This kid is too soft.'
'If the Uchiha had more people like Obito, perhaps they could break the current deadlock between the clan and Konoha...'
With this thought, Minato's regard for Obito deepened.
He began asking Obito about any training doubts he had, offering detailed explanations.
Raj understood immediately.
Minato's offer to buy him Ninja Tools was just one part of his plan. He was also giving Obito special attention, currying favor with the Uchiha clan and strengthening ties between Konoha and the Uchiha.
After all, Jiraiya had taught Kakashi and Rin, but Obito hadn't received any special instruction...
Of course, Minato didn't teach Obito the Rasengan.
Instead, he taught a Fire Release Ninjutsu that Obito hadn't yet mastered, explaining the intricacies of Fire Release techniques in detail.
In truth, the Uchiha were experts in Fire Release.
However, Obito was merely known as a "ladies' man" within the clan, receiving little guidance in Ninjutsu.
Minato's brief instruction proved surprisingly helpful.
After running for some time, they reached the edge of a forest.
Raj suddenly slowed his pace.
The air was thick with the pungent scent of cats.
'We're at the Cat Granny's place?'
"We're almost at the Cat Granny's place. We should..."
Obito leaped out of the forest and landed in the open ruins ahead, still talking when he saw a group of Ninja Cats emerge from the rubble.
One by one, they stalked forward with the ferocity of tigers and leopards.
"Meow!"
"Meow~ Meow~"
"..."
The cat calls grew louder as more Ninja Cats appeared, soon surrounding them completely.
Raj jumped onto a nearby tree branch, surveying the scene from above.
All Ninja Cats. Their strength remained unknown for now, but their aggressive territorial behavior was unmistakable.
Just like the old saying, "A mountain cannot have two tigers."
When Raj had visited the Uchiha clan earlier, all the cats there had come out to drive him away.
Now, these Ninja Cats were playing the same game.
The Black Cat let out a roar and leaped from the branch.
Like sharks smelling blood, the Ninja Cats surged forward, each one radiating savage intensity.
"Teacher, what should we do?"
"Let's observe for now."
Minato raised his hand.
Raj clearly wasn't one of the Ninja Cats from this territory; otherwise, he wouldn't have been attacked upon returning.
However, intervening would be inappropriate.
This was a battle between Ninja Cats, a conflict among Ninja Beasts.
The cats swarmed Raj, each one fiercely powerful.
Raj roared back, his voice nothing like a typical kitten's-instead, it was ferocious, commanding, and filled with murderous intent.
The first few cats charging forward were instantly swatted away by his counterattacking claws.
As the remaining Ninja Cats closed in...
"Needle Jizo!"
A chorus of agonized yowls erupted!
The Ninja Cats were all pierced by needle-like quills.
Raj then tilted his head back and unleashed a torrent of azure wind bullets from his throat, crippling over a dozen cats in an instant.
While Ninja Cat battles rarely end in fatalities, injuries were inevitable.
The wounded cats wisely retreated, ceasing their assault.
Within half a minute, every Ninja Cat present had been injured by Raj, each one now cowering at the edges of the clearing.
"Meow~ I only want to buy Ninja Tools. I have no interest in your territory."
"I've never seen anything like this before. It's kind of scary..."
Obito swallowed hard.
"Cats aren't like ninja dogs," Minato explained with a wry smile.
"They're fiercely territorial. It's like if our Konoha ninja swaggered into Sunagakure right now-they'd get the same treatment."
Konoha had the Inuzuka Clan, which specialized in ninja dogs.
That's why there were no clans dedicated to bringing ninja cats to the battlefield.
These cats were too independent.
Raj, for example, was considered one of the most docile and affectionate ninja cats.
"Meow!"
"Meow~"
The cat calls were unintelligible to outsiders, but Raj, being a cat himself, understood their meaning perfectly.
The kittens were warning him: there's still a king here.
Needless to say, that king was the Double-Tailed Cat, whose paws had been humiliated twice.
To be a king and suffer such humiliation? Utterly disgraceful.
"Get lost!" Raj roared angrily, regretting his inability to use the Expansion Jutsu.
If he could grow larger, his sheer size would be intimidating.
Even so, in this area, the cats it had defeated scattered at its command, ceasing their encirclement.
However, venturing deeper might prove different.
These were merely peripheral Ninja Cats; the true powerhouses remained within the Ninja Cat Castle.
Raj wasn't afraid of them, though the Boss would be a challenge.
The other Ninja Cats, however, would be easy to handle.
"Meow~ Let's go."
Raj yawned widely, then rose and strolled leisurely inward.
It didn't need Obito to guide it; the path ahead was clearly marked by a single human scent amidst the overwhelming feline odors.
"Go."