According to the Ninja World's conventions, without catching the culprit in their true form or obtaining concrete evidence, they couldn't definitively accuse Konoha.
"No, it must be Raj! He probably has three Ninja Swords. If you capture him, you'll get all three! Aren't you tempted?" Kishimaru was rambling incoherently.
"Take him down," A said, too annoyed to argue further.
"No, no! You can't do this!"
Kishimaru was losing his mind.
From A's cold demeanor, he saw his future: death.
His hands began to rapidly form hand seals.
Judging by the seals, it was likely a Water Release Ninjutsu.
However...
In the next instant, a flash of lightning streaked across his vision.
Kishimaru felt a searing pain in his body, his hands feeling alien and unresponsive.
They weren't severed, but severely injured and dislocated.
"Take him away," A said, withdrawing his force with a cold expression.
Of course, he still sent men to search for the rat.
Every rat-like creature in the forest would be hunted down.
"We've found a strange rat."
"Hmm?"
A immediately rushed over and saw a rat darting frantically around, nearly twice as fast as a normal rat.
It squeaked incessantly as it ran, closely resembling the earlier rat.
This was definitely no ordinary creature.
A's eyes lit up, and he immediately lunged forward to catch the rat.
Though the rat was fast, it was no match for his speed.
He caught it, but the sensation was strange.
More than that, A sensed a powerful energy radiating from the rat's body.
It seemed to be a form of Chakra, but it was incredibly unstable, on the verge of...
He hastily threw it away.
Boom!
With a soft explosion, the rat transformed into a burst of crimson fireworks, carrying a peculiar, acrid smell.
A stood motionless, covered in soot, his expression unchanging.
Yet the heat radiating from him could be felt from over ten paces away.
The other Jonin began strategizing how to calm A down, lest his anger erupt and he decide to attack Konoha on a whim.
"Covered in soot, you idiot, you bastard!"
"How dare you call your big brother an idiot and a bastard?"
A punched Killer Bee in the face, his anger fueled by his humiliating state.
If not for Killer Bee's remark, he might have acted rashly in his fury.
After his initial fury, the Fourth Raikage could only rage impotently.
He couldn't possibly launch an attack on the Land of Fire - only his father would dare issue such an order, and he lacked the authority.
From a nearby tree, Raj immediately teleported away using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
To avoid truly provoking Kumogakure, he had used only a small amount of explosive material, making the blast no stronger than a slightly larger firecracker.
The Fourth Raikage's abilities would certainly protect him from injury; at most, his hand might be temporarily numbed.
But the poor rat...
Originally fleeing the commotion, it had been forcibly restrained, fed a bit of Ninja Cat Food and some kind of Chakra construct.
While the cat food was a treat for cats, the size difference between a rat and a cat was too great.
Even a tiny portion of the 300-ryo cat food proved overwhelming.
The rat began to convulse wildly, and then...
'Heh heh.'
Raj teleported back to Minato's side.
"Success, meow~!"
"Did anything go wrong?" Minato asked anxiously.
He wasn't concerned about losing Samehada, but he worried about Raj causing trouble.
"Of course not, meow! I transformed into a rat and left no trace. But I did sabotage Kishimaru's deal with Kumogakure," Raj recounted the situation in detail.
Upon hearing the report, Minato immediately grew concerned.
Kumogakure was indeed restless.
Moreover, Raj's disruption of their deal with Kishimaru could have unforeseen consequences - whether good or bad...
'This is tough!'
Before becoming Hokage, Minato had simply followed orders, focusing solely on completing missions.
He hadn't needed to worry about such complex matters.
But now, bearing the weight of pressure from both Kirigakure and Kumogakure, he truly understood the burden of leadership.
"Raj, take Kakashi and the others back. I'll stay here to keep watch."
Minato remained deeply concerned.
Based on Raj's description, the Kumogakure Jonin involved in the deal was likely A, one half of the recently renowned A-B Combo.
If A were to lead an assault on the Land of Fire's border, the meager patrol forces stationed there would be utterly overwhelmed.
"Meow!"
Raj responded, quickly leading Kakashi and the others away.
Minato's apprehension was justified.
However, A and Killer Bee wouldn't be arriving tonight.
They still needed to...
They would escort Kishimaru to the harbor, where they would hand him over to the Kirigakure Assassination Squad.
Sending Kishimaru to the Land of Water would ease tensions between Kirigakure and Kumogakure, demonstrating Kumogakure's goodwill.
This was Suigetsu Hozuki's final value.
Raj brought Kakashi and Obito back to the main camp and showed Samehada to Tsunade.
He promptly received a "loving" iron-fist punch.
After explaining the situation, Tsunade secretly summoned the Sealing Squad and ordered them to seal Samehada away.
But a new problem arose.
What reward should Raj receive this time? Tsunade was deeply troubled.
Many people opposed promoting Raj to Jonin.
Jonin were different from Special Jonin; true Jonin were high-ranking members of the ninja hierarchy, often required to hold specific positions.
What position could Raj possibly fill? Team Leader Jonin?
Or have him train Chunin alongside Kurenai? Don't be ridiculous.
With Raj's training methods, he could only produce ninjas skilled in Taijutsu. As for Ninjutsu... he knew absolutely nothing about Ninjutsu.
It wasn't that Tsunade looked down on cats, but this particular cat's techniques defied all conventional methods. His explanations were so convoluted that only he himself could understand them.
But now, it was clear that Raj couldn't be held back any longer.
"Just throw him back and let the old man deal with it! Why should I have to handle this? I'm just passing through!" Tsunade slammed her fist on the table, shattering it with a loud bang.
At the doorway, an Anbu ninja swiftly entered to clean up the broken table and scattered scrolls.
Knowing Tsunade's volatile temper, Konoha had specifically assigned Anbu operatives familiar with her to handle such situations.
The Third Hokage was remarkably considerate.
'How terrifying! Such a temper!'
Raj had walked quite a distance outside, but the sudden crash still startled him.
He glanced at his brothers on night duty, who remained completely unfazed.
'They must be used to it.'
Every profession has its hardships.
Raj sighed softly and returned to his tent to sleep.
He didn't care why Tsunade was furious, as long as she didn't take it out on him.
Judging by tonight's incident, she only smashed the table after he left, so at least she still had some restraint.
'But what reward will I get for contributing Samehada?'
'Maybe Lady Tsunade will let me study her grandfather's cells.'
'Would that end with me getting beaten half to death like Jiraiya...?'
'Better not push my luck.'
'If I ask that question, my ashes will be scattered in Shikkotsu Forest.'
'The sun will be beautiful tomorrow. I don't want to die yet.'