This won't be easy. Judging by their conversation, Suigetsu Hozuki must have contacted Kumogakure during his defection.
That explains why Kishimaru fled in this direction, and why he managed to escape so easily - Kumogakure must have helped him.
But now that he's a Missing Ninja who's fled to Kumogakure, his fate depends entirely on their hospitality.
If A and Killer Bee are confident they can subdue Kishimaru, any agreements they made with him will be null and void.
"Feel free to try killing me here. But if you fail... ha ha ha..." he erupted into maniacal laughter.
For a Missing Ninja, strength was the only thing they could rely on.
Kishimaru wasn't naive enough to believe Kumogakure would keep its promises.
In fact, he breathed a sigh of relief when the Third Raikage didn't appear.
"Hmph!"
A, with his explosive temper, couldn't tolerate this.
Lightning Release Armor immediately materialized around him, and he lunged at Kishimaru in a blur.
Raj, who had just reached the edge of the forest, witnessed the entire scene.
Raj's first thought was that the Fourth Raikage was about to suffer a serious blow... Samehada's ability to counter Ninjutsu was simply too overwhelming.
With a single slash, the Lightning Release Armor dissipated instantly.
However, A's speed was remarkable; even relying solely on Taijutsu, he swiftly evaded Samehada's strike, though the blade still devoured a portion of his Chakra.
"What do you say now? A mere candidate is still just a candidate. If Lord Third had come himself, I would have knelt and surrendered my blade," Suigetsu Hozuki sneered.
If the Third Raikage had actually appeared, he wouldn't have even bothered meeting with the Kumogakure delegation - he would have fled immediately.
It was precisely because two younglings had come that Kishimaru knew he could negotiate terms.
He sheathed his blade, signaling his lack of hostility.
But at that moment...
Whoosh!
A sound came from behind him.
Before Kishimaru could turn, he felt a small creature latch onto his back.
Glancing back, he saw a rat scurrying away into the forest, squeaking frantically.
'What's going on?'
Kishimaru felt a strange sensation, as if he had suddenly become lighter.
'Wait... where's my Samehada?!'
"My Samehada!"
Kishimaru's face drained of color.
Without Samehada, he was nothing.
He couldn't even defeat the Fourth Raikage with one hand, let alone the Third.
'What trick did that rat pull? How could touching Samehada make it vanish?'
"Chase him!" the Fourth Raikage reacted instantly.
Kumogakure had agreed to help Kishimaru only to obtain his swords.
Now that they had finally cornered him, someone had suddenly snatched the duck right out of the pot.
How could they not be furious?
A swarm of Kumogakure ninja materialized, surrounding the area completely.
Suigetsu Hozuki's despair deepened at the sight.
'These Kumogakure bastards never intended to honor their promise.'
Even if they had broken their word, he could have escaped.
But now that Samehada was gone...
'It's over. Everything's over!'
Kishimaru's lips trembled, paralyzed by panic.
A, however, acted swiftly.
After shouting "Chase him!" he immediately darted forward, pursuing Raj's escape route.
'A rat? Hmph. Since when were rats this fast and cunning? Something's definitely wrong.'
A dozen Kumogakure Jonin surrounded Kishimaru.
Without Samehada, he had no chance of escape and dared not even try.
He stood rooted to the spot, his mind a chaotic mix of heaven and hell, the two realms now separated by only a hair's breadth.
If given another chance, Kishimaru would never have chosen this path.
After what felt like an eternity, A returned, his face dark and grim.
"Lord A, I remember now! That guy must be from Konoha - a cat! It has to be that cat!" he blurted out immediately.
Even his honorifics had changed, a testament to the overwhelming power of the situation.
Kishimaru would do anything to survive; what else could he do?
Without Samehada, he couldn't possibly fight them head-on.
He wasn't just admitting defeat; he was practically begging to be adopted.
"A cat? I saw a rat!" A's expression darkened.
"No, it was definitely a cat transformation. That cat used Ice Release and the Flying Thunder God Technique. It must have used the Flying Thunder God to teleport Samehada away," Kishimaru said, the more he spoke, the more convinced he became, eventually believing this was the absolute truth.
But...
"Telling me this is pointless. We all saw rats, understand? You idiot!"
"Konoha's Black Cat won't admit it, you fool, you bastard."
The young boy beside them mocked in a strange tone, but this time A wholeheartedly agreed.
The man before them was indeed an idiot.
Would Konoha ever admit it? Impossible.
Kumogakure and Kirigakure had done similar things countless times.
For example, before Uzumaki Village was destroyed, they frequently sent "missing ninja" to carry out clandestine operations.
Kishimaru claimed it was Konoha's Black Cat in disguise, but Konoha could easily counter by claiming Kirigakure had staged the entire incident to frame them.
After all, everyone had their own version of the truth.
However, this wasn't a major issue.
Both Genma Shiranui and Ebisu primarily focused on Taijutsu, so improving their Taijutsu first would be sufficient.
The Third Hokage mused to himself.
"Meow~ I'm leaving now."
Raj waved a paw.
To avoid ambushes, it had placed a seal on a rooftop in the village.
Leaving would be as simple as using the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport there.
Of course, it could also go to Tsunade's place.
But Raj suspected Tsunade was gambling.
Flying there now would be like delivering money to her doorstep - a foolish move.
It would rather sleep on the streets or return to Masato Nohara's place than visit Tsunade at this hour.
Saving money was hard enough; it couldn't let Tsunade squander it.
"Go ahead," the Third Hokage said.
The Third Hokage lit his pipe and began to smoke, pondering how to resolve Guy's situation.
After receiving Minato's report yesterday, they immediately conducted an evaluation of Guy.
The results revealed his exceptional Taijutsu skills.
Though he specialized solely in Taijutsu, this alone was enough to overwhelm many Jonin.
The only problem was his extreme specialization...
After Raj left, the outer door opened, and Danzo slowly entered.
"Hiruzen," he said, "I merely want a sample of its blood."
"Tsunade would never agree to that," Hiruzen Sarutobi replied sternly.
"Moreover, bloodlines are the lifeblood of a clan. Though Raj is a cat, as a full-fledged ninja, he possesses the rights of any other ninja. Without his consent, the village has no authority to demand blood samples from Kekkei Genkai clans."
Konoha had many clans with inherited Secret Techniques and Kekkei Genkai.
Without this rule, the village would have long ceased to exist.