It was a full day later when they reached the border region near Kumogakure.
Nothing eventful had occurred during the journey, though Raj had spent the entire time slacking off, contributing nothing to the effort while casually enjoying the Land of Fire's scenic mountains and rivers.
The scenery was quite pleasant, and the occasional spike in Obito's resentment earned him some extra Points, making the trip even more satisfying.
After an indeterminate amount of walking, they finally arrived at a mountain valley.
Minato stopped, surveying the surroundings.
"This is the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Iron. Beyond this point lies the Land of Iron," Kakashi whispered.
Since the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning didn't share a direct border, this area served as the effective border region.
"So, our patrol is to..."
"Search for any signs of activity and remain vigilant for potential enemies."
With those words, Minato made a "disperse" gesture, signaling the group to split up and search the area.
For safety's sake, they were instructed to maintain visual contact at all times.
"Yes!"
Obito returned the medical kit to Rin, and the three of them dispersed instantly, leaving only Minato behind.
As a Jonin, Minato was far from idle. His mission was to support the trio and oversee rescue operations.
This task carried the risk of encountering enemy ninja, and Konoha had classified it as an A-Rank Mission precisely because signs of Cloud Ninja activity had been detected in the area.
Raj followed Rin.
The search couldn't be conducted haphazardly.
Black Cat, having skipped class, didn't quite understand the proper procedures, but Rin, being a top student, had learned the relevant knowledge from her textbooks.
After leading Raj a short distance, she began circling around Minato, ensuring the teacher could quickly intervene if combat erupted.
However, the team included one member who, like Raj, was a complete academic failure...
Moments later, a faint scream echoed from the distance.
"Ah! Help me!!"
"That's Obito, Raj..."
Rin immediately recognized the voice and rushed to support Obito, knowing Raj was faster, she let him go first.
Without needing instructions, the Little Black Cat vanished into the forest.
Rin had a Summoning Technique; if danger arose, she could summon him back. But Obito might truly be facing an enemy.
On the way, they encountered Kakashi.
He had summoned Pakkun, but the silly dog wasn't fast enough in the forest and was quickly overtaken by Raj.
So... Kakashi dismissed Pakkun and followed Raj directly.
Soon, they spotted Obito perched fearfully in a tree, panting.
A figure lay motionless on the ground-judging by appearances, it was a Konoha Chunin stationed at the Land of Fire's border.
'He's...'
Raj caught a familiar scent, his fur standing on end as he crept forward.
'Rin's father!'
"Meow~"
Raj turned to find Rin, but a flash of light revealed Minato returning with her.
"He's still alive! Quick, help him!"
"Father!"
Rin rushed over with her medical kit and immediately began treating his injuries.
The injuries were severe.
"Kakashi, scout the area. I'll provide backup whenever you need it."
Minato handed Kakashi a marked kunai.
With this space-time marker kunai, he could teleport to Kakashi's location instantly.
"Understood," Kakashi replied, vanishing in a flash.
"I'm going too," Raj said, following Kakashi's trail.
Its nose was even sharper than a ninja dog's, and it moved faster through the forest.
With Raj's assistance, Kakashi could conserve a significant amount of Chakra.
When Kakashi noticed the Little Black Cat had caught up, he paused for a moment, then said coldly, "If you get into trouble, I won't save you."
"Same here," Raj retorted without hesitation.
'With my skills, do I really need you to bail me out?'
The cat sniffed the air and declared, "Follow me!"
Obito wanted to join the chase, but he knew his more crucial task was to protect the Medical Ninja and ensure she could complete her healing work.
"This isn't the battlefield. He fled here," Raj explained to Kakashi as they sprinted through the forest.
Moreover, the battlefield must be very close; after only a few strides, the cat detected the overwhelming stench of blood.
An incredibly strong scent of blood!
"Up ahead!"
With a series of leaps, the ninja and the cat traversed half the forest and arrived at a deep ravine.
The surroundings were in disarray.
Though no obvious traces remained, it was clear that ninja had hastily cleaned up the scene, leaving behind patches of blood in their hurried efforts.
"The cleanup was expertly done, and they must have still been here when Obito shouted," Raj observed.
Kakashi's expression turned grave.
Rin's
The team was an elite squad led by a Jonin.
For such a force to be trapped and killed in such a confined space... The enemy is incredibly strong!
Raj approached the cliff edge and sniffed the air.
"They're down there."
The ravine was deep and bottomless, but ninjas could descend by scaling the cliff walls.
The real danger lay in the possibility of a sudden ambush mid-descent.
Kakashi glanced down and calmly asked, "Did the enemy go down too?"
"Mm-hmm. The scent is chaotic, mixed with the stench of blood. It's hard to tell exactly how many there are."
Raj peered into the abyss, feeling uncertain and unwilling to pursue.
"Can you tell which village these ninjas are from?" Kakashi asked instinctively, immediately realizing his foolishness.
What kind of Ninja Beast can identify a ninja's village by scent alone?
As expected, Raj shot him a disdainful look before leaping back.
"You're not going down?"
"Meow~ You go ahead. I'll burn paper offerings for you."
Raj retorted sharply before darting back toward Rin and the others.
While they could use Chakra to cling to the cliff face and descend, the terrain and environment below were completely unknown.
Descending without reconnaissance would be a death sentence.
'That stings...'
Kakashi stared silently at the cliff below for a long moment, then quietly slipped behind a nearby tree to observe.
'On second thought, I'll wait.'
He wouldn't give that cat the satisfaction, and besides, his comrades at the bottom were likely dead.
Rather than rushing in blindly, it was better to wait for their Teacher to arrive.
Raj returned to where Rin and the others had found her father.
By then, Rin had completed initial emergency treatment and was using Konoha-supplied medical supplies to further stabilize his condition, conserving her Chakra.
Minato noticed Raj's return but not Kakashi's, so he approached to offer support.
"Meow~ They're all at the bottom of the cliff. We didn't go down."
Raj reported the situation.
For such a dangerous task, of course the Jonin should take the lead.
Its reconnaissance mission was complete; it only needed to stay back and observe.
"Well done," Minato said, giving it a thumbs-up before teleporting away with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
'The Flying Thunder God Technique is so convenient.'
Raj was genuinely envious.
'With that, I could just mess around as much as I want, as long as they can't kill me instantly... Too bad it's so expensive.'
'Saving up for it would be an impossible task.'