Raj sniffed the air, tracking Shibi Abura's scent.
He soon found Shibi in the direction they had co from.
To be precise, the other party had also noticed them and approached to inquire about their situation.
Kakashi explained their mission.
Shibi Abura's shock was so palpable that even the Abura Clan's understated attire couldn't conceal it.
After a mont, he realized it was Kakashi and muttered, "Oh, it's you. Never mind then."
Kakashi's reputation among Chunin was notorious: stubborn, arrogant, and unreasonable.
Though undeniably strong, few willingly partnered with him, as his teammates often found themselves in peril or even died due to his reckless actions.
Shibi glanced at the other two mbers of the group before lowering his gaze to the black cat.
He couldn't gauge the cat's true strength, but the insects' feedback warned him: dangerous, not to be trifled with.
'With this kind of power, it should be barely enough, right?'
Hesitating, Shibi finally said, "Wait here. I need to consult with my superiors."
"Consult?"
Kakashi paused, then imdiately pursued him, leaving Raj and the others no choice but to follow.
After the back-and-forth, Shibi returned.
"I've consulted with my captain. I'll escort you to the Sunagakure front lines."
"Ah, how could we possibly impose...?" Rin stamred, montarily stunned.
"It's no problem. This is a good opportunity to deliver our ssage. Let's go," Shibi Abura said, leaping forward.
But halfway through his jump, a dark shadow suddenly swooped down from above.
"Aaaaaah!"
"Raj, you're causing trouble again!"
"ow~"
'How can earning Points be considered causing trouble?'
Raj perched on the Chunin Ninja's shoulder, his black cat eyes darting around.
"No need to go ahead. My insects can scout..."
The insects within Shibi Abura stirred restlessly.
With a Ninja Cat perched on his shoulder, none dared erge.
"My apologies," Kakashi said, jumping beside him and forcibly grabbing the Little Black Cat.
He then sprinted away, carrying it.
The front lines were far from safe.
Along the way, they encountered nurous patrolling ninja.
Without Shibi Abura's guidance, Raj and Kakashi would likely have been intercepted by ANBU operatives halfway there.
Upon reaching Sunagakure's front lines, they were greeted by a scene of devastation.
The camp entrance was littered with wounded and maid ninja, so receiving treatnt while others had already been treated.
Nearby, Minato was conversing with a black-haired man receiving dical attention.
'Orochimaru?'
Raj shrank back at the sight of him.
As soon as the Ninja Cat noticed Orochimaru, the esteed figure sensed the prying gaze.
However, the intruder was rely a Ninja Cat, and the others nearby...
The prodigy Kakashi and two Genin.
Orochimaru frowned slightly.
"Minato, are those your disciples?"
Minato turned to glance at them, then smiled.
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."
"A Genin team skipping straight from graduation to combat missions, bypassing the simpler tasks? Hahaha, it seems you have quite the confidence in them, Minato."
"Indeed. Their combined strength is quite impressive. After careful consideration, we bypassed those missions with Lord Third's approval," Minato quickly explained.
Even during warti, newly graduated teams typically spent at least a month on routine missions.
Obito and the others were clearly deviating from protocol.
However, with Kakashi, an Elite Chunin, and Obito and Rin's considerable skills, special arrangents were made.
Such exceptions were not uncommon.
Orochimaru glanced at them, then licked his lips.
"Kakashi, a dical Ninja with a Ninja Cat, and a child from the Uchiha clan... No wonder you're confident enough to bring them to the battlefield."
"Not quite as you imagine," Minato said, scratching his head awkwardly.
Family knows its own affairs.
This squad was normally quite capable, but with Kakashi, the problem child, on the team, Minato couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"I'm ready on my end. You can go now."
"Yes, sir!" Minato bowed his head in salute, then retreated from the tent.
Raj, hidden where Orochimaru couldn't see him, finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Shibi Abura chuckled softly.
"Even you have fears? Don't let Lord Orochimaru's intimidating appearance fool you; he's actually a very kind man."
"ow~"
'I don't believe you!'
"Hahaha."
Shibi Abura chuckled softly, then suddenly noticed the Black Cat's fur standing on end.
This wasn't the typical fear-induced fluffing; its fur truly bristled, each strand as sharp as a steel needle.
Its tail whipped around like a miniature morning star, striking with lightning speed.
Shibi summoned a swarm of Parasitic Destruction Insects to defend himself, but...
Several insects died in an instant, causing Shibi considerable pain and earning the Little Black Cat over four hundred Points.
This was the largest single Point gain since their first encounter.
Including previous earnings, the total now stood at two thousand two hundred.
Only eight hundred more to go.
"Look, I love causing mischief, playing around, and scaring people, but I'm really just a good cat," Raj declared, yawning widely.
Silence hung in the air.
No one knew where to even begin criticizing.
Minato broke the silence.
"Shizhen, thank you for bringing them here. You can go back to your duties now; I'll take over from here."
"Yes, Lord Minato," Shizhen replied, and the Chunin Ninja retreated along the sa path they had co.
Raj scratched at his shoes, but instead of getting angry, the boy cheerfully crouched down and gave the cat a good petting.
How annoying.
Raj cautiously poked its head out, glancing at Orochimaru in the distant she'd.
'If I went to provoke him... Never mind. I can't afford to ss with him.'
With a sigh of resignation, Raj abandoned the dangerous idea and retreated to find Kakashi and Obito.
It resorted to small pranks to harass them, hoping to squeeze out a few more Points.
"Actually, the battle here is almost over. Sunagakure's offensive has lost its initial ferocity. They'll probably retreat within half a day. But since you're here, I'll take you to the front lines for a look."
'The front lines?'
'If I'm lucky enough to encounter an enemy, I'll give them a proper tornting... Hehehehe!'
"Stay still. We're already at the front lines."
Kakashi was visibly annoyed.
The Little Black Cat kept circling behind him, occasionally tugging at his pant leg.
If enemies were to attack, this thing would only slow them down.
"We're not at the front lines yet," Minato said with a smile.
If Konoha allowed Sunagakure's forces to reach this far, Orochimaru in the camp would likely fly into a rage.
"ow~ No enemies around. Let's hurry!"
Since Raj couldn't earn more Points from Kakashi, he sped ahead, hoping to reach the front lines sooner and encounter so surviving Sunagakure ninja.
He wasn't afraid of strong opponents.
No one could possibly be stronger than Minato right now.
Even if the Third Kazekage himself appeared, Minato's skills would ensure Raj's rescue.
'Why do I feel like so minor demon from the underworld? But with soone backing up, I don't have to worry about getting killed.'
Raj mused inwardly.
"Raj, don't run so fast!" Rin called out from behind.
Reviews
All reviews (0)