Ever since Raj's last visit, when they finalized the Ninja Cat Castle's future development plans, Matatabi no longer worried about being overthrown.
After all, he had no authority left to lose.
Now that there was Ninjutsu training, occasional Deluxe Cat Food, and no more power struggles, what more could he possibly want?
The only thing Matatabi wasn't entirely satisfied with was:
"Meow! Can't you teleport somewhere else? You always land on my head!"
"Can't help it, meow. I brought some Chakra Paper. Get a few reliable cats to test their chakra attributes. If they're compatible, I'll teach them some Ninjutsu."
Raj handed Matatabi the Chakra Paper, then jumped down from its head and glanced around.
The area had changed significantly.
Previously, it had been vast and spacious, but now it felt much narrower, resembling one of the partitioned rooms in the main hall.
What was going on?
After staring for a few seconds, Matatabi walked out of the room.
"Huh? Did you move?"
"..."
What kind of question was that?
Matatabi couldn't tell if Raj was being deliberately obtuse or genuinely clueless.
As the leader of the Ninja Cat Castle, of course the main hall would be reserved for him!
Incidentally, Matatabi had also let Ori stay there, assigning her the daily task of cleaning the main hall.
The girl seemed happier doing this than when she had nothing to do.
Human logic was utterly incomprehensible.
"I'm going to find my subordinates!"
Matatabi grumpily shrunk down and stalked out the door.
"Meow?"
"Meow~"
Raj turned to the side and entered the main hall where Matatabi had previously resided.
Immediately, several annoying cat calls rang out from behind him.
'Ugh, so noisy!'
Ignoring them, he continued into the hall.
"Lord Raj?"
A gentle, girlish voice called out.
Uzumaki Ori emerged from a small room beside the hall, opening the door and bowing respectfully upon seeing Raj.
"Meow~ Just taking a stroll. You carry on with your work."
Raj waved a paw dismissively.
It seemed Matatabi felt too embarrassed to stay in the main hall and had voluntarily moved to another room.
'Such a conscientious subordinate-I like it!'
"Yes, Lord Raj," Ori replied, fully embracing her role as a maid.
Of course, it wasn't that she particularly enjoyed this line of work.
Rather, she felt obligated to repay Raj for his kindness in providing her with a place to live and a purpose.
After a moment's thought, she retrieved the blanket she had woven and spread it over Raj's seat.
Raj stared at it for a few seconds, then glanced back at Ori a few times...
'This is too much! I'm not really a king!'
Still, Raj hopped onto the blanket.
'After all, it was a gesture of goodwill from a girl, and it would be cruel to refuse to try it.'
He jumped up, settled down, and immediately felt comfortable.
The blanket was well-made, likely crafted from the fur of some wild beast, warm and cozy...
"Everyone's here, Meow... How do we use this test strip?"
Matatabi asked a seemingly simple question.
Raj had given them the strips without any instructions, so how were they supposed to know how to use them?
"Meow? Just channel Chakra into it. Is that even a question?"
Raj gave him a "are you stupid?" look.
'Does this really need explaining...?'
Apparently, it did.
Ninja Cats weren't like Ninjas.
They didn't know Ninjutsu and had never been taught about Chakra Attributes.
So, after Matatabi channeled his Chakra into the strip, he handed it to Raj for inspection.
The paper was wet and a corner had crumbled off.
Water was the primary element, but it also showed compatibility with Earth.
Raj explained this and then taught them about the symptoms of the other Chakra Attributes.
The remaining four cats were tested one by one.
The last three were most compatible with Wind, while the final one was best suited for Lightning.
Raj glanced at the last cat.
'Lightning Attribute... You're in luck.'
'Lightning Release is fine, but with Fire as your secondary attribute, you'll be stuck practicing Hair Jutsu for life.'
'Maybe someday when we have too many Points to spend, we can consider getting you a different technique.'
Still, he was relieved that overall, everyone was doing well.
At least each cat had one attribute that resonated with them, allowing them to learn suitable Ninjutsu.
"Meow?"
Matatabi tilted his head, puzzled.
'Why is the Dead Black Cat's expression changing so rapidly? Is he happy or annoyed?'
"Meow! Thunderfire Cat, just teach him a few Hair Jutsu for now. I haven't mastered Lightning-Fire techniques yet, but"
"I know Wind and Water techniques. I can teach you some moves right away," Raj said, gesturing for them to gather closer.
After teaching for a while, he glanced at the four cats.
"Do you understand?"
"Meow~"
The four cats shook their heads in unison.
The Thunderfire Cat, who had been observing from the sidelines, looked equally bewildered.
Witnessing this, Raj couldn't help but sigh.
"These cats are so stupid!"
"Meow~ I learned all this in one go! You're the worst batch I've ever seen!" Raj snapped, his voice dripping with frustration.
'I've been teaching until my throat's dry, and you haven't absorbed a single thing! Seriously...'
He was about to unleash another torrent of insults, dredging up classic insults from his past life, when Uzumaki Ori timidly raised her paw.
"What is it, meow?" Raj turned his head.
"I... I understood it, and I memorized it," she whispered.
What?!
All five cats swiveled their heads toward her, their eyes wide with a mix of bewilderment and surprise.
They were bewildered that she not only understood but also memorized the material, and surprised that she had actually managed to memorize it.
So, Raj can leave sooner rather than later.
They glared at Raj.
Raj narrowed his eyes, initially intending to scold them, but then decided it wasn't worth wasting his breath.
He waved his paw dismissively, signaling them to scram.
However...
"Matatabi, stay."
Matatabi felt a chill run down his spine.
'Is the scheming cat going to take his anger out on me? Oh no!'
The other four cats weren't well-acquainted with Raj, but they had heard from their former leader that this cat held grudges smaller than a pinhole.
If that's the case, the former leader is in deep trouble.
They showed no intention of staying, fleeing immediately after receiving their pardon.
After all, a former leader is just that - former.
A fallen phoenix is no better than a chicken.
One can't blame them for their heartlessness; the fault lies solely with the fact that the current Ninja Cat Leader is no longer Matatabi himself.
Matatabi wanted to cry, but no tears came.
He quickly composed himself, sitting cross-legged and looking at Raj.