Raj was a natural manipulator, perfectly suited for espionage.
After observing for a few moments, Raj suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold, as if someone had stepped on his tail.
The intense chill emanated from behind.
Startled, he immediately turned around.
Standing there was a woman who looked like a noble from the Land of Fire, cradling a seemingly docile cat.
But as a fellow feline, Raj instantly recognized the cat's true state: fear.
At the same time, the woman was staring at Raj.
The Little Black Cat didn't recognize her face, but that cold, venomous gaze - like a viper's - could only belong to one person in the Land of Fire: Orochimaru, one of the Three Great Sages.
'What's he doing here?!'
Raj's fur nearly stood on end, but he forced himself to remain still, pretending not to notice.
Orochimaru chuckled softly, releasing the cat he'd caught earlier onto the floor.
The moment its paws touched the ground, the cat bolted out the door without stopping.
He approached, his outward appearance now refined and elegant, but the chilling aura deep within him remained palpable.
Perhaps he wasn't even trying to conceal it.
With a smile, he stepped closer to Raj.
Raj wanted to flee, but he knew running would only worsen his situation.
"I prefer well-behaved cats. That one was far too unruly," Orochimaru said with a smile, lifting Raj from the corner.
With a flick of his hand, he used the Transformation Technique to conceal the name tag around Raj's neck.
"You'll be better behaved, won't you?"
"Meow!"
Raj nodded vigorously, like a pestle pounding in a mortar.
This man was ruthless.
The previous cat had likely endured unspeakable torment to remain so still.
Raj had no desire to suffer the same fate.
Orochimaru smiled and picked him up.
Of course, this was only because he was using the Transformation Technique.
In his true form, that smile would have been a cold, sinister sneer, given his... appearance.
"Do you know who's inside?" Orochimaru whispered.
"Meow?"
Raj feigned ignorance, unwilling to answer directly.
Orochimaru chuckled, patting his head gently.
"Just cooperate."
A moment later, the disguised noblewoman emerged, carrying the cat.
Orochimaru entered with Raj in his arms, handing the cat to Nono.
"I heard you recently opened a pet massage shop. Could you give my mischievous little one a massage?"
"Of course, madam. Please, come in and sit down," Nono replied, sensing nothing amiss.
She quickly ushered Orochimaru inside.
Kabuto remained in his role as a disciple, observing from the side without intervening.
However, he immediately recognized Raj as Raj.
Orochimaru smiled, settling into a seat.
After a glance at Kabuto, he suddenly asked, "Is this your disciple?"
"Uh, yes."
"I'd like to see your disciple's skills. May I?"
"This..." Nono hesitated, a flicker of unease crossing her face.
'Could they be after Kabuto?'
Nono saw no flaws in Orochimaru's Transformation Technique, still believing this woman to be a noblewoman from the Land of Fire.
Her only concern was whether this woman harbored ulterior motives toward Kabuto.
"Master, please allow me to try!" Kabuto bowed deeply.
"Very well, let my disciple give it a try," Nono said, forcing a smile as she suppressed her unease and allowed Kabuto to massage Raj.
As Kabuto touched the cat's body, pressed gently, and applied Medical Ninjutsu techniques, he became even more certain this was Raj - that unique, mischievous, and troublesome black cat.
His suspicions deepened.
He knew the cat's capabilities well; even Kakashi had suffered setbacks against it.
Why was it now obediently following this woman's commands?
'Could it be...?'
The boy's heart jolted with realization.
This woman's identity was a facade; she was actually a ninja even more powerful than Kakashi.
Among Kabuto's acquaintances, Kakashi was the strongest, so he could only use him as a benchmark.
Despite this revelation, Kabuto remained composed, calmly and meticulously massaging Raj with precise pressure, revealing no hint of his discovery.
"Such skillful hands for such a young child," the woman remarked.
"You have talent. Why not become a ninja?"
"Me, a ninja?" Kabuto asked, pointing at himself in surprise while continuing the massage.
Orochimaru, disguised as a noblewoman, chuckled.
'They're not taking me seriously at all!' Raj seethed with indignation.
'Any normal person would at least search for a missing cat, right? Why did that guy only give a measly one or two hundred Points?'
As he pondered this, a chilling realization washed over him.
He still bore the Flying Thunder God Technique mark.
'From the very beginning, his fate had been meticulously orchestrated.'
Moreover, those meager Points likely hadn't even come from Minato himself, but rather from Kushina's fleeting concern after realizing he was lost.
'Exactly! She couldn't have been too worried. Otherwise, with her Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki abilities...'
'How pathetic!'
Raj sprawled on the small stool as Kabuto, having refined his skills since arriving in Kyoto, demonstrated what it meant to be a master craftsman in the city's sweltering heat.
After witnessing one performance, Raj understood that Kabuto's popularity in Kyoto wasn't solely due to his skill.
His carefully crafted image of a cute and obedient boy also played a significant role.
Though he didn't sell his body, this didn't stop the ladies from visiting him for conversation and companionship.
"Kabuto, this scroll..."
"Please keep it for now. If I want to see it someday, I'll ask you for it then."
Kabuto smiled innocently.
Nono paused, then nodded silently, tucking the scroll away as she retreated to the inner room.
As soon as she left, Kabuto leaned down and asked, "Raj, do you recognize that person?"
"Nope, meow~"
'Don't ask. If you ask, the answer is always "nope." The Ninja World is too dangerous. To survive, you have to tread carefully and play it safe.'
"You don't recognize her either..." Kabuto's movements became noticeably different, clearly betraying his disbelief.
He knew this black cat recognized that "woman" - the ninja who instilled fear in the Director.
This boy was too clever.
At that moment, Raj realized that the classic sayings from its past life truly held ancient wisdom.
'What did "the more you know, the faster you die" mean? This was it!'
Raj had initially planned to tease Kabuto, but upon their reunion, he realized the boy, after navigating the treacherous circles of Kyoto's noblewomen, had developed a remarkably deep cunning.
Earning only a few dozen Points was hardly enough to cover the cost of his long journey to Kyoto.
Of course, Kabuto's skills remained as sharp as ever.
After a moment's contemplation, the cat decided to share some valuable information before leaving.
"Have you been taking on a lot of cat-catching missions lately?"
"Ah? Not really," Kabuto replied.
"Some nobles often come to us saying their cats have gone missing and ask for our help. I just happen to look for them while I'm out."