Along the way, Rin distributed all the Soldier Pills she had made, and by the time they reached Bellflower Castle...
She had become the cherished little sister of the entire group of ninjas.
Bellflower Mountain Castle wasn't particularly prosperous.
This border region between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind was a frequent battleground.
The city walls and buildings had been destroyed and rebuilt countless times.
What they saw now was Bellflower Castle, rebuilt after its destruction in a recent small-scale conflict with Sunagakure.
As a result, only a handful of merchants remained, and the streets were sparsely populated, giving the place a desolate air.
However, the upcoming Chunin Exams had brought a temporary surge of business to the area.
As they entered the city, they noticed ninjas from Sunagakure, Kusagakure Village, Amegakure, and other villages eating at the few remaining shops along the streets, adding a rare touch of liveliness to the otherwise bleak town.
Raj maliciously speculated that the city's dilapidated state might be the reason the Chunin Exams were being held here.
Even if the exams were canceled and fighting broke out, at worst, this already desolate city would simply be destroyed again.
Of course, whether the Land of Fire and Konoha actually shared this mindset remained to be seen.
The official start of the Chunin Exams was scheduled for the third day.
However, the preliminary stages had already begun the day before.
Ninjas from various villages were lurking around the accommodations of their rivals, spying and gathering intelligence.
Raj quietly circled the area, discovering at least a dozen hidden ninja.
They came from various villages, naturally including Sunagakure.
A couple of them were startled by Raj, inadvertently contributing some points...
After that, Raj began to enjoy catching these lurking ninja, earning over four hundred Cat Food points in total.
Though not a huge sum, it was still a steady source of income.
Life had been quite comfortable until one evening when a figure appeared in Raj's line of sight: Orochimaru, one of the Three Great Sages.
'What's he doing here?!'
Raj's heart leaped with a sudden, inexplicable fear.
Orochimaru glanced in its direction.
Raj couldn't be sure if the man had seen it, but it was eighty percent certain he had.
Moreover, the old schemer seemed to smirk.
Raj fled back to Rin's residence.
"Raj, why are you in such a hurry? Did you cause trouble outside again?" Rin instinctively assumed her cat had gotten into mischief again.
She knew her cat too well.
It was so mischievous that only Obito, Guy, and a few others could tolerate it.
Asuma, for example, would get so infuriated he'd act completely irrational.
"Meow~ No..." Raj was about to explain when a dong-dong knock sounded on the door.
He immediately tensed and approached, sniffing the scent seeping beneath the door.
There was no doubt - it was Orochimaru.
'I get it. If I were in human form right now, my face would be ashen.'
Rin naturally opened the door.
This area was swarming with Konoha ninja; no sane person would dare attempt an assassination here, especially not against a mere child.
She opened the door to reveal a handsome yet chilling face.
The tall man stared at Rin before flashing a "friendly" smile.
"Lord Orochimaru!" Rin's expression stiffened as she immediately bowed in respect.
"No need to be afraid. I simply came to check on the child Jiraiya values so highly, and to bring this little one a small gift."
Orochimaru's distinctive voice carried an extraordinary weight of authority.
Even Rin, who knew little about him, couldn't suppress a deep-seated fear.
But facing this legendary figure of Konoha, she dared not show any disrespect.
Orochimaru crouched down, patted Raj's head, and said with a smile, "I've been pondering what gift to give you. I initially considered a grand gesture, but then I remembered you're still young, so I settled on something simpler."
'Ninja tools?'
Raj paused, then watched as Orochimaru produced a Sealing Scroll, performed a hand seal, and released its contents.
Then, it froze.
There were four claw sheaths, each crafted from a special material with razor-sharp blades at the tips - clearly custom-made ninja tools for
It. But there was also something else: a cat teaser wand.
It couldn't fathom why Orochimaru would create such a thing, let alone hold it so seriously and tease it with it.
Yet Raj's paw always succumbed to the urge to pounce...
"I made these after observing cats in Kyoto and studying the tools used by noblewomen," Orochimaru chuckled. "Are they fun?"
With a light laugh, he tossed the cat teaser wand to Rin.
Raj stopped, secretly annoyed.
'You're one of the legendary sannin! Is spending your time studying cat behavior really appropriate?!'
"Keep up the good work. If you behave well, I'll give you another gift later."
Orochimaru's voice was hoarse.
He chuckled softly, glanced at Rin, nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and turned to leave.
'I wish you wouldn't look at me!' Raj cursed inwardly.
He only regretted not being strong enough.
If he were, he could have said with great gravitas, "When you gaze into Raj, Raj gazes back at you!"
Alas, he wasn't strong enough.
Saying such a thing would only invite ridicule.
After Orochimaru left and Rin confirmed he was out of sight, she crouched down and asked, "Raj, how do you know that man?"
"It's a long story, meow~."
Raj didn't want to elaborate.
His experience of being ambushed by a "bush-lurking" Orochimaru in the wilderness was hardly dignified.
Moreover, revealing it might tarnish Orochimaru's illustrious image, potentially adding another unflattering entry to the man's notebook.
Rin had initially hoped for more details, but when Raj fell silent after that brief remark, she was momentarily taken aback.
Realizing he probably didn't want to elaborate, she dropped the subject.
Still, she had heard of Orochimaru's formidable reputation.
He was the most gifted and intelligent genius among the Three Great Sages.
Lord Third himself held this student in high regard.
Though his demeanor was somewhat cold and sinister, his presence brought a sense of security to all the ninja of Konoha.
Not long after, Obito came knocking.
His face was pale as he poured out his troubles, recounting his encounter with Orochimaru and how the man had patted his shoulder, saying, "Work hard."
Whether Obito was terrified or something else, his words came out in a jumbled rush.
Raj had no patience for teasing him.
No one could remain calm in Orochimaru's presence, especially a child like Obito.
But Obito's fear likely stemmed from the man's overwhelming aura, unlike Raj, whose knowledge of Orochimaru's deeds only deepened his unease.
If one didn't know what this man had done, they might simply perceive him as having a sinister demeanor.
Ignorance is bliss!
Orochimaru's visit caused no major stir among Konoha's ninja.
Aside from Rin and a few other thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds, most of the group had served under Orochimaru's command.
To them, he was surprisingly approachable and a charismatic leader.
But why had he come to Bellflower Castle?