According to Tsunade,
The Third Hokage would reward it for returning to the village.
Although the Second Elder and Danzo might try to stir up trouble, Tsunade's personal return would force the Third Hokage to show her some respect.
In the end, things should go smoothly.
If not, there was always the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Nothing a Flying Thunder God Technique couldn't handle.
Life in Konoha remained peaceful and undisturbed by the outside world.
From the rooftop, Raj spotted several familiar figures returning from missions outside the village, including Hana Inuzuka and her goofy dog, Haimaru.
Haimaru had grown noticeably larger, now resembling a full-grown dog.
If time allowed, Raj would have loved to tease the silly dog.
With its terrible memory, Haimaru would undoubtedly think it could take him again.
Nearby, Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu were also returning from outside the village, likely after helping with tasks like fetching water or farming.
With many Genin deployed to war, the village must be short-handed.
After a moment of contemplation, Raj swiftly headed toward the Hokage Office.
Being a Jonin was a tedious job.
During wartime, they had to fight.
When peace returned, they had to return to the village and babysit children.
The only real perk was being able to greet other Jonin with a cheerful nod.
Beyond that, Raj couldn't think of any other purpose for his position.
Even so, if the Third Hokage offered him the Jonin rank, he would gladly accept it.
Of course, if those meddling old fossils Danzo and Mitokado Homura tried to interfere, he wouldn't hesitate to walk away.
With the Flying Thunder God Technique at his disposal, where in the world couldn't he go?
He had already imprinted a Flying Thunder God seal on Konan.
If he wanted to leave, he could teleport there in an instant, leaving no trace of his whereabouts.
Then he could nurture Nagato and turn him against those senile elders and Danzo, making them taste true pain.
The plan was flawless.
However, when Raj arrived at the office, he discovered that the two elders he had expected to be there - the ones who loved to meddle and had nothing better to do - were absent.
Even the Hokage's guards had been withdrawn, leaving Hiruzen Sarutobi alone in the office.
'A solo meeting, then?'
Raj cast a wary glance at the Third Hokage, who sat behind his desk.
Though past his prime, the man once hailed as a legendary ninja remained a formidable opponent.
The crucial question was: what did he want?
"Meow~"
"Raj, you're here. Take a seat anywhere."
'How hypocritical! You peeping tom!'
'You've been spying on Tsunade and me with your telescope since we returned, haven't you?'
'And you still use this contrived greeting? Do you think I wouldn't see through it? Ha!'
Raj hopped onto the desk, swiveled his head, and bluntly asked, "Does anyone else have anything to say?"
"No, don't overthink it."
The Third Hokage pressed his temples wearily, looking utterly drained.
Raj said earnestly, "Elderly people need to rest properly, meow. You shouldn't be wasting your time on trivial matters every day.
You're already so old... meow!"
A smoking pipe struck out like a kunai, but Black Cat dodged swiftly, the pipe only hitting the table instead of Raj.
The Third Hokage stared at it expressionlessly before taking a deep breath.
"Let's get down to business. The reason I called you back to the village is to gather information and assign you a new mission..."
"Meow?"
'A new mission?'
Raj felt a twinge of unease.
This was shaping up to be a workload increase.
The Third Hokage cleared his throat.
"It's standard procedure for Jonin to take on certain duties."
"Then I don't want to be a Jonin, meow!"
Raj retorted immediately.
If becoming a Jonin meant more work, it was pointless.
'I'm not here for the money anyway.'
'I've got Jiraiya as my cash cow and Kabuto as my little errand boy.'
'Why bother exposing myself to the elements and sleeping outdoors?'
???
The Third Hokage was dumbfounded.
'I wasted my breath persuading those two stubborn elders, and now you're just quitting?'
'I swear, I'll hammer you into the ground!'
Of course, the two elders hadn't truly dropped their objections.
They had strong objections, but the Third Hokage eventually talked them down.
After analyzing the pros and cons with his silver tongue, the two elders turned their attention to persuading Danzo.
"Meow?"
"Of course not! The village appoints Jonin-you can't just refuse... cough, cough, cough."
The Third Hokage choked on his pipe smoke, coughing violently.
'Talking to this cat is infuriating! I should have let Danzo handle it.'
'No matter what that bastard says, at least it would piss him off...'
The Third Hokage took another deep breath.
"The village has approved your Jonin appointment. After careful consideration, we've decided to assign you to lead Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu's team. This is temporary, of course, as the previous Jonin is on another mission."
The Third Hokage paused to explain.
Raj nodded slightly.
"Additionally, we'd like to learn more about the Eight Inner Gates."
"Meow? The Eight Inner Gates are...?"
Raj feigned ignorance, his feline face expressionless, making it impossible for the Third Hokage to gauge his reaction.
The Third Hokage brushed aside the cat's act and explained, "Guy's father, Guy, developed a forbidden technique to open the Eight Gates-what your Cat Clan calls the 'Locks'."
"Meow!"
Raj nodded.
As expected, after teaching Obito that Taijutsu technique, Minato had immediately reported the information about the Eight Inner Gates back to the village.
'Does this mean Guy might become a Jonin?'
Raj pondered the matter and realized the Third Hokage might have considered this as well, which was why he had been instructed to "temporarily" lead Guy and his team.
However, how long this "temporary" arrangement would last remained uncertain.
"There are many locks," Raj explained, careful not to reveal too much. "Except for the final lock, the others can, in a sense, be mitigated by strengthening one's physique to withstand some of the damage. However, our Cat Clan typically only opens the first three locks, as we dare not venture further, meow."
The first three gates of the Eight Inner Gates were relatively safe, with adverse effects on the body only manifesting from the fourth gate onward.
"The fourth gate and beyond cause damage?"
"Meow!"
The Third Hokage picked up on the implication and nodded thoughtfully.
Opening only the first three gates posed minimal risk, and a strong physique could indeed mitigate some of the damage.
Given Guy's twenty years of rigorous Taijutsu training, he might even be able to open the fourth or fifth gate without suffering significant harm.
So, the Eight Inner Gates can indeed be cultivated.
Of course, this was also why he had sent Raj to bring Guy.
Since Guy had mastered the Eight Inner Gates, the only suitable instructors were Duy and Raj.
The only problem was what to do about Genma Shiranui and Ebisu.
Neither Raj nor Guy could teach Ninjutsu.