When he saw it was Raj, he paused for a moment.
But upon recognizing the familiar headband and attire, he immediately identified the cat's identity.
"Raj, you're back in the village? Unbelievable."
The boy adjusted his glasses and calmly returned the kunai to his pouch, as if the earlier reaction had been someone else's.
'It seems a lot has happened recently...' Raj thought to himself.
"Meow~ How have you been?"
"Not bad. I've been studying medical knowledge every day and observing the Teachers saving lives and treating illnesses," Kabuto replied calmly.
Raj glanced around.
There were too many people around for a private conversation.
It followed Kabuto as he wandered aimlessly until they headed toward the orphanage, leaving Konoha's bustling district.
Only then did Raj speak up: "Meow~ Did Danzo contact you?"
"Hmm?"
Kabuto's tone shifted slightly as he turned his head to look at Raj.
Clearly, the answer was yes.
He paused, then nodded gently.
"Yes."
"Meow! Ignore him. He's a complete idiot. The more you deal with him, the worse things will get for the orphanage," Raj whispered.
If Root members had overheard these words, they would have reported him immediately.
But Raj had confirmed that no Root agents were tracking them.
Recent wars had been frequent, and Root was critically short of personnel.
"What do you mean?" Kabuto asked, confused.
Though intelligent, he was still just a child, and he tended to believe whatever Danzo told him.
He hadn't yet considered the consequences of Danzo breaking his promises.
"Meow~ Danzo is known as the Shadow of the Ninja World, you know? Do you think someone like that would honor his word? If he threatens you with Senior Nono, and then threatens Senior Nono with you...," Raj hinted.
Kabuto stared blankly for a long moment before nodding heavily.
"That makes sense... But how do you know so much?"
"I'm a Jonin now, meow!" Raj waved his paw.
Kabuto's expression froze, his mouth dropping open.
He gaped for several seconds before finally asking, "A real Jonin?"
"Meow!"
Raj nodded.
Shocked, Kabuto walked in silence for a long stretch before saying, "You're a Jonin now, yet you're still perched on my shoulder? You know you're heavy, right?"
Kabuto was still just a child, while Raj had already grown quite heavy.
Raj ignored him, continuing, "Oh, right, meow! Could you buy me some Chakra Paper?
But don't tell anyone it's for me."
"Keep it a secret? Sure, our orphanage has some Chakra Paper. If you need it, you can get some when you come by."
Kabuto agreed without hesitation.
Chakra Paper?
No big deal.
There was no need to make such a fuss.
Of course, he knew Raj must have a reason for wanting it, and that the purpose probably wasn't for someone in Konoha, but rather for some faction of its own.
But what did that have to do with him?
Kabuto didn't care.
All he knew was that Raj was kind to him, while Danzo and Orochimaru were just trying to use him.
Though Orochimaru was different from Danzo - much better, in fact.
"Really? Thank you, meow!"
Raj jumped down and started walking on its own.
Having already troubled Kabuto so much, it couldn't ask him to carry it too.
Kabuto wasn't even at the stage of weight training yet; it was best to spare him for now.
The cat and the boy traveled together from Konoha to the orphanage.
However, as they approached, Raj's keen senses picked up a familiar scent.
Just as it was about to retreat, the person inside emerged.
"I didn't expect to find you with Kabuto. Looks like you two are close. Saves me the trouble of searching."
Tsunade smoothed her hair.
As one of the Three Legendary Sannin, she naturally possessed this level of sensory ability.
"Meow?"
Raj couldn't understand why Tsunade had suddenly appeared at Kabuto's orphanage.
'This doesn't make sense! This doesn't make sense!'
"Lady Tsunade," Kabuto said, bowing deeply.
"Don't make such a fuss," Tsunade replied, waving her hand. "Despite my appearance, I actually hold a position in the Medical Corps. Accessing a child's records is easy."
She gestured for Kabuto to sit down in the courtyard while she pulled up a stool for herself.
Raj watched from the side.
'It seems Tsunade has already lost her fortune at the casino and entered her sage mode. Unable to find me right away, she decided to do something productive and come find Kabuto...'
Originally, few had noticed Kabuto's talent.
But in this life, due to Raj's interference, he had inexplicably gone to Kyoto and opened a pet massage shop with Nono, which became wildly popular among the city's nobles.
This venture brought considerable wealth to the Orphanage, but it also prematurely brought Kabuto's exceptional talent in Medical Ninjutsu to the attention of others.
Mastering basic healing techniques by the age of four and skillfully applying them to massage was far more than mere promising talent.
"There's no need to be so wary," Tsunade said with a gentle smile, noticing Kabuto's guarded demeanor. "When Nono was still in the Medical Corps, we were colleagues for a time. She later transferred to another department."
To Tsunade, this scene resembled a young pup baring its teeth at a tiger - insufficient to provoke the tiger's anger, yet strangely endearing.
Kabuto pondered for a moment, then replied with a smile, "Are you here to see the director?"
"No, I came to see you. I've reviewed your records, and your talent is extraordinary."
"Thank you for your praise, Lady Tsunade. I wouldn't call it extraordinary - I've simply done what I could," Kabuto offered with a modest smile.
What set Kabuto apart from Sai was the genuine sincerity of his smile, unlike Sai's forced, insincere expression.
Kabuto possessed a natural gift for deception.
To Danzo, Kabuto was the perfect candidate for a spy. But to Tsunade, he was a peerless genius with the potential to become a top-tier Medical Ninja.
Such a talent shouldn't be forced down the path laid out by Danzo and Orochimaru.
So she came.
The two began a more technical conversation.
Raj initially understood some of it, but as they delved into the human body, blood vessels, and how to use Medical Ninjutsu precisely, efficiently, and economically to treat injuries, he completely lost track.
Since he couldn't understand, he simply stopped listening. After all, he wasn't studying Medical Ninjutsu.
Raj opened the System and checked his daily Points.
'Huh? Another two thousand Points? These Points are coming way too easily.'
He was somewhat surprised, then pondered the situation.
It was likely due to his Promotion to Jonin. The two elders and Danzo probably had objections, but the Third Hokage had persuaded them to back down.
'Danzo's such a nice guy! If he knew I was behind Kabuto's trip to Kyoto, would he get even angrier and give me more Points?'
A sudden thought flashed through Raj's mind.
After considering it, he realized it might actually work.