Raj took a few steps toward the source of the aroma and detected another scent - a mix of cat and human.
The human scent was familiar; it belonged to Raj's "old friends," Guy and his team.
"Meow~"
Raj called out.
When everyone turned to look, he immediately darted off.
"Hey! Wait up!"
Rin was about to take a Soldier Pill when she saw her Ninja Cat run off.
She immediately gave chase, with Minato and Kakashi raising their eyebrows and following close behind.
Having weathered a battlefield together, the group knew each other well.
They understood that while the cat could be mischievous, it was usually quite steady and would never do anything truly inexplicable during a mission.
If it was running in that direction, something must have caught its attention - something safe.
After a short pursuit, they spotted four Ninja sitting around a simple pot in the forest.
The pot simmered with a savory stew of fish, wild vegetables, mushrooms, and bird eggs.
Raj darted ahead and leaped down from a tree.
"What's going on?"
The four Ninja startled and immediately rose to their feet, assuming defensive stances.
But then four more figures arrived in quick succession: Minato, Kakashi, Rin, and finally Obito, who still clutched a rice ball in his hand.
The two Jonin exchanged polite greetings and moved aside to chat, leaving the six younger Ninja and the cat to mingle.
"Brother Guy, Genma, and Ebisu... I didn't expect to see you here!"
Seeing this, Obito instantly dropped his rice ball.
Ebisu, witnessing the scene, couldn't help but adjust his glasses.
'These guys are just here for a free meal!'
Guy's eyes lit up instantly, but he ignored Obito and charged toward Kakashi, shouting, "Kakashi! I never expected to run into you here!
Let's have a duel!"
"No. And... friendly reminder: your food."
Kakashi's tone was icy.
The three turned to see the cat gripping a spoon in an odd manner, struggling to pry out a small fish.
Noticing the others watching, it quickly snatched the fish and scurried up a tree with a whoosh.
"That cat..."
Ebisu frowned, then recalled something unpleasant.
'That damned Ninja Cat!'
Genma, toothpick still in his
mouth, glanced upward before leaping into the air, lunging at the Black Cat.
Clearly, he intended to settle both old scores and new grievances in one fell swoop, while the Black Cat nimbly evaded his attacks.
"Is everything alright?"
"No problem. It's reliable."
Minato smiled faintly and resumed chatting with his former subordinates.
Across the way, a person and a cat were leaping and scrambling, occasionally sending droplets of soup splattering down, which the two Jonin deftly dodged.
The pair sighed in resignation.
"By the way, what's going on here? Did you complete your mission?" Minato spoke up.
"Don't even mention it," Guy's teacher replied, his voice tinged with frustration. "We came to catch a cat, but when we arrived, someone had already completed the mission. So we decided to grab a bite here before heading back. At least we didn't come all this way for nothing."
Minato was well aware of Might Duy's capabilities. Though he had only been promoted to Special Jonin at the age of thirty-making him an average Special Jonin in Konoha-he was one of the few ninja in the village who specialized in Konoha-style taijutsu.
Besides, this team doesn't seem weak. How could someone else have snatched the cat first?
And why would those noble ladies hire two teams simultaneously just to catch a cat?
"They say he's a veterinarian, so he knows the cat's habits and caught it quickly. It's not just our team; many others have encountered the same thing," Might Duy complained, his expression saying, "Captain, you just don't understand."
In truth, Minato really didn't understand.
After all, catching cats had never been a proper mission before. His class had only been catching cats in Konoha recently, never taking on such tasks in Kyoto.
Raj, eavesdropping while fleeing, nearly burst out laughing.
'Did Nono do this? No, it's probably Kabuto. Nono knows her position is sensitive; she wouldn't openly compete with Konoha's ninja for jobs. A newborn calf fears no tiger!'
It finished the small fish in its mouth, then paused, glancing back at Genma, who was still in pursuit.
With a whoosh, it leaped down beside Obito.
Genma crouched on the tree branch, temporarily abandoning the chase. He realized he couldn't match the cat's speed.
"Meow~ This is what a real Genin team looks like."
Though he hadn't insulted anyone directly, Ebisu and Genma felt deeply uncomfortable.
'What does he mean by "a real Genin team"? Does he think they're so damn impressive?!'
Ebisu pushed up his glasses, his anger barely contained.
But when he glanced at Kakashi half-heartedly entertaining Guy in the distance, and the cat guarding Rin...
'At least there's Obito.'
"Raj, don't be like that," Obito quickly interjected, trying to smooth things over. "Even though we've been on the battlefield, we're not that different from them. Catching cats like this would be really tough without your help."
His words only made the silence heavier.
'Been on the battlefield... Been... Ouch, that stings.'
Ebisu and Genma silently returned to the pot, picking up their food. This team was full of troublemakers; it was best not to talk to them.
Raj glanced at the System and couldn't contain his delight.
'Three hundred points in one go!'
It wasn't a huge amount, but getting that many points from Genin was rare. Normally, they only gave around a hundred...
'Thank you both for your hard work,' the Little Black Cat apologized inwardly, but outwardly it continued to freeload without a shred of politeness.
Genma initially considered ambushing it, but after being pricked by Needle Jizo, he abandoned the idea. This thing is too much to handle.
After eating their fill, the two teams parted ways.
However, when Guy and his teammates learned from their teacher about the potential A-Rank Mission Minato's class might be assigned, they grew even more envious.
'Why is it that even though we graduated in the same year, they get to go to the front lines and the border, while someone's stealing even our cat-catching missions?'
Their envy was understandable. Raj's class was likely a unique case in the history of the village.
After all, who could have imagined that an Elite Chunin would be ostracized by his colleagues to the point where he had nowhere to go but back to training and missions with a group of Genin?
Isn't this just like a retired Special Forces soldier bullying people in the city?
'Besides, it's not our fault our teacher is so strong...'
Raj lay sprawled across the medical kit, his mind wandering.
They were still some distance from the border, and he planned to conserve his energy for any potential enemies.
Of course, that was his version of the story.
Obito and Kakashi completely dismissed it, the two surprisingly united on this point.
After all, it wasn't Rin carrying the medical kit, but the two of them...