'What a waste of resources! I might as well borrow this prime spot for a nap.'
Raj slipped through a gap in the fence and easily squeezed through a crack in the window frame. Perched on the ledge, he retrieved another pouch of Ninja Cat Food from his storage space and began to eat.
Just as he was drifting off to sleep, a faint rustling sound came from below. He couldn't identify the source, but he sensed a faint ripple of chakra.
'What's going on?'
He hesitated, debating whether to investigate.
'But that chakra fluctuation... Wait, just a little longer.'
After an indeterminate amount of time, when it could no longer hear any movement, it slapped a space mark onto the windowsill before squeezing through the gap to cautiously investigate the small courtyard. There were no scents in the air.
However, upon reaching the ground floor, it detected a faint trace of Chakra in one particular area. Based on the layout, this was the wine cellar.
'Wine cellar... no scents, Chakra fluctuations... We've stumbled into a den of thieves! Perfect!'
Now all it had to do was wait here like a hunter lying in wait. It would remind Naoki after he'd wandered around the village for a while.
For now, it was time to go back to sleep. The group must have already concluded their meeting and wouldn't reconvene tonight.
Though it didn't know when they'd meet again, waiting here would eventually yield an opportunity. The only annoyance was that these people operated exclusively underground.
It would have to ask Naoki if he had any solutions later. Crouching inside, it fell asleep almost immediately.
Raj slept soundly, snoring without even realizing it. After all, the courtyard was empty, and as long as he stayed inside, no one would know he was there.
Meanwhile, Naoki outside was having a much harder time. He woke up at dawn and scoured the area for a merchant caravan he could infiltrate.
Determined not to betray his own people, he waited until nearly noon before finally spotting a caravan from Takigakure. Although Takigakure was an ally of Konoha, well...
'If not your teammates, who else are you going to betray?'
He couldn't wait for a caravan from the Land of Earth; they might not arrive until next year, given the Land of Earth's strained relations with Kusagakure. Upon entering Kusagakure, he immediately visited various restaurants to gather intelligence.
Naoki wasn't seeking classified information; he simply wanted to gauge the general sentiment of the villagers and understand what they were discussing. After making his rounds, he had a rough idea of the situation.
Some individuals in Kusagakure were secretly stirring up trouble, spreading rumors and criticism about Konoha. However, they dared not speak openly, confining their remarks to complaints and grumbling.
"Most people in the Grass Country still favor Konoha. If we act quickly, we can nip the Iwagakure's plans in the bud."
Naoki had a plan, but a problem arose: Where had that dead black cat gone?
'Where had that dead black cat gone?'
It had arrived long before him, yet it hadn't shown up.
'Could it be hiding somewhere, taking a nap?'
He guessed right. Raj had slept so soundly that he didn't wake up until noon.
If his stomach hadn't been growling, he might have slept a little longer. But hunger was no problem-he just needed to switch to a fresh bag of Ninja Cat Food, satisfying his hunger while making a long-term investment.
When he opened the System Panel, he noticed his Points had increased by a couple hundred. After a moment of confusion, he quickly realized it was likely another reward from the homeless Uzumaki Clan elders outside.
'How pitiful.'
'I wonder where they slept last night. When we meet again, I'll be sure to "comfort" them properly and share my own situation. I hope he doesn't get angry.'
"Damn cat! When I write my report, I'm going to detail everything-its tardiness, its rule-breaking-every single infraction!" Naoki gritted his teeth.
But as he thought it over, he realized that if he included every detail, his own role would seem rather insignificant.
'Hmm, first I need to gather some crucial intelligence.'
'Otherwise, I'll just look like a glorified assistant.'
'To report someone, you first need to demonstrate your own competence.'
'Not that it was a rule, just pure spite.'
All the way here, he'd been secretly worried that he might actually be less capable than a cat. If he tattled now, he'd lose face big time.
Just as he was pondering how to prove himself, a cat silently scaled the wall and perched there, watching him intently.
'So I was a little late. Is that any reason to talk behind my back like this? And you're actually going to write a note to report me?!'
Raj was exhausted. As teammates, they shouldn't be tearing each other apart like this.
'It was just a few Points I took from you-why make such a fuss?'
But upon reflection, he realized he was partly to blame too. Black Cat sighed softly, deciding to let the matter drop.
He stepped forward and patted Naoki on the shoulder. Naoki immediately snapped to attention, turning his head to see a black paw resting on his shoulder.
"Keep up," Raj said before leaping forward.
They were on a busy street, teeming with people and prying eyes. There was no telling when a Kusagakure ninja might pass by, and getting caught would spell disaster.
The pair retreated into a secluded alleyway.
"Any discoveries?"
"Meow~ I've found the thieves' den," Raj said casually.
Naoki nodded with equal nonchalance, as if it were nothing. But after a few seconds, he realized something was off.
'All night, you've been staking out a thieves' den? You've got to be kidding me!'
He turned his head to see Black Cat nodding slightly. A moment later, Black Cat continued, "Also, this afternoon I'm planning to stroll around the village and unite all the cats, meow!"
'All the cats in the village...?'
Naoki felt a chill run down his spine.
He hadn't realized this cat had allies behind enemy lines. On second thought, it made sense-who would suspect ordinary cats of being involved in anything?
Normal people couldn't exploit such resources, but Raj had no such limitations. After all, he was a cat.
'This proves that knowing foreign languages is truly awesome.'
Raj explained the location to him, then slipped through a gap in the room and went off to do its own thing, leaving Naoki alone in the wind, utterly bewildered. He pondered...
'What am I even doing here?'