Just recently promoted to Special Jonin, he hadn't expected to see the "Special" title stripped away so soon, making him a full-fledged Jonin.
Oh well.
On second thought, Guy had briefly teamed up with Black Cat during the Chunin Exams, so he probably wouldn't be too surprised.
Those who didn't know Raj couldn't understand how disastrous it would be to have him as a Team Leader Jonin.
The Chunin
He didn't bother calling Genma Shiranui and Ebisu back.
He quickly forgot about the matter and went back to assigning missions to other teams.
"Guy, wait! Wait!"
"We haven't even asked our new teacher's name! Where are you going to find him?"
Ebisu and Genma Shiranui shouted repeatedly before the single-minded Guy finally stopped.
He turned to stare at them, then scratched his head and said, "I forgot to ask, heh heh heh."
"We need to go back and find out properly, or how will we find our teacher?" Genma Shiranui said, exasperated.
Having Guy as a teammate was a blessing when you needed someone to put in the effort.
You didn't even have to ask - he'd finish his own tasks and immediately rush to help you and the others.
But when you needed to use your brain... don't expect anything from him!
You'd better pray Guy doesn't accidentally make things worse, so you can think in peace.
As they were about to return to Hokage Office, a "Meow" suddenly echoed from above.
A black cat poked its head out and gazed down at them.
Genma Shiranui was still puzzling over this when Guy exclaimed in delight, "Raj? You're back!
When did you return?"
"Raj?"
Genma and Ebisu exchanged confused glances.
"That black cat?"
"Meow~ Yesterday. I came back because of a new mission," Raj said weakly, jumping down to block their path.
"Heh heh, we've got a new Jonin too! We're heading back to ask for their name now. Don't block our way - we'll catch up later," Guy chuckled, completely missing the possibility that the cat was their Team Leader Jonin.
The other two were equally oblivious.
Raj fell silent for a moment.
'No wonder they didn't recognize me. They didn't even know I was a Jonin,' Raj mused.
'Should I wait until they go back and ask before revealing myself?'
But after careful consideration, he realized that their emotions might leak onto whoever they asked, potentially lowering the quality of their Points.
It was better to just explain it himself, even if it was a bit awkward.
"If you're looking for your Team Leader Jonin, that's meow!" Raj declared, scratching his neck with a paw as he casually dropped the bombshell.
"Oh, it's you," Guy replied nonchalantly.
Genma Shiranui and Ebisu, however, were stunned into silence, their fingers pointing in shock as they struggled to find words.
'Team Leader Jonin? You?'
Of course, they were equally astonished by their team's resident oddity.
'How can you accept this news so calmly? Your composure is unbelievable!'
Though Genma Shiranui had been Guy's teammate for half a year, he still couldn't grasp such thick-skinned nonchalance.
"Meow~ If there's nothing else, let's go. No missions today. I want to assess your situation first," Raj said, strolling leisurely ahead.
"Wait, are you really our Jonin?"
"Aren't you just a Ninja Cat?!"
Ebisu pushed up his glasses, echoing Genma Shiranui's disbelief.
Black Cat swept a cold glance over them before snapping, "Who said Ninja Cats can't be ninjas? I became a Special Jonin over a month ago, and I was promoted to Jonin just yesterday.
Any more questions?"
"No, none at all," Genma Shiranui said, bowing deeply and pressing Ebisu down with him in a show of profound apology.
Still, Black Cat fixed Ebisu with a piercing stare for several seconds.
'I'll settle this with you later!' it thought darkly.
As the group moved forward, nearing the main gate, Guy suddenly jerked up like a seizure, pointing at Black Cat and shouting, "Wait a minute! Even if you're a Jonin, how can you be our Team Leader Jonin?!"
"..."
Genma Shiranui and Ebisu were speechless.
So it wasn't composure, but just a delayed reaction to these kinds of things?
Even Raj was momentarily stumped.
This guy's thought process was so bizarre that a normal explanation would require a lengthy explanation, so...
"Wham!"
With a swift swipe of its paw, Black Cat knocked Guy flat on his face.
It waved its paw again and ordered, "Carry me."
"Uh... yes, sir!"
Genma Shiranui and Ebisu swallowed hard, especially Ebisu, who felt... like he was about to be in serious trouble.
Ebisu followed along, his heart pounding with anxiety.
He couldn't stop wondering what the cat would do next...
Genma Shiranui and the awakened Guy weren't much more at ease.
Guy's reactions were now slightly slower in everyday situations, but he wasn't stupid.
A Black Cat as Team Leader Jonin? How could that possibly go well?
No wonder the Chunin teacher assigning the mission had looked so conflicted.
They were too young and naive, cheering at the mere mention of a Jonin leader.
If they'd known more beforehand, they wouldn't have been so unprepared for this nightmare.
All three were filled with regret.
The scene before them made it clear this was no ordinary situation.
They dreaded what trials still awaited them.
"Alright, Meow, this is far enough."
Raj led them to a familiar spot deep within the Death Forest - the very place where Kakashi had once tormented him, still stained with the blood and tears of that era.
Back then, he had been just a small cat, chased relentlessly across Konoha by Guy.
After finally escaping, he had run straight into Kakashi... such agonizing memories!
This was the perfect place to test their abilities.
Ebisu didn't count; he was just there to make up the numbers.
The real challenge would be Genma Shiranui and Guy.
Not that Raj looked down on Ebisu.
Based on his performance in the anime, the boy's future achievements would be unremarkable.
His fundamentals were solid, but his combat skills were severely lacking...
'With just kunai and shuriken, how could he possibly hurt me?'
'Sigh, most commoner children are like this.'
Among the three, only Genma came from a clan - the Shiranui Clan of Konoha, renowned for their mastery of kunai and senbon.
In fact, the Shiranui Clan had a significant stake in Konoha's ninja tool industry.
The other two were commoners.
"Meow~ Go ahead and attack. I want to see your strength. Guy, I'll allow you to use the first two gates of the Eight Inner Gates."
Raj, having brought them here, wasted no time.
"Eight Inner Gates?"
"How do you know about that?!"
Guy froze in surprise.