He wanted to become stronger, to master his own ninjutsu, but circumstances wouldn't allow it.
Since graduating, the most advanced ninjutsu he'd learned was the Shadow Clone Technique.
Furukawa Makoto hadn't taught him any other techniques, and he had no way to learn them on his own.
It wasn't that Furukawa was stingy; the truth was, Furukawa himself was a taijutsu-focused ninja with limited knowledge of ninjutsu.
After becoming a Jonin, he had developed his own fighting style and saw no need to expand his repertoire.
Now, Ebisu had a change of heart.
'So what if Matatabi was a cat?'
It had mastered Ice Release, possessed formidable taijutsu skills, and wielded various other abilities.
As their Team Leader Jonin, if he could learn even a single technique from it, he'd gladly call it "Teacher."
Alas, his affection was unrequited.
While Ebisu was willing, Raj wasn't.
Leading a bunch of foolish cats was already exhausting enough.
How much more tiring would it be to take on a silent pervert like Ebisu as a disciple?
"Meow, let's get back to business. Guy's situation is straightforward, but you two have some issues."
Raj leaped down from the tree and perched on Guy's shoulder.
When he was younger, Guy used to press him onto his shoulder like this and go running.
But times had changed, and now Guy was pondering the "Guy Easy" problem.
"Please enlighten us, Lord," Genma Shiranui said, his attitude deeply respectful.
Regardless of the cat's circumstances, its strength far surpassed theirs, and it had seen battle.
In the way of the ninja, it had advanced far beyond them - these facts alone warranted their utmost respect.
Before kneeling, Genma had felt a lingering reluctance.
But the moment his knees touched the ground, all his reservations vanished.
'It's just kneeling,' he thought.
The cat was a Team Leader Jonin, his superior in rank and half-teacher in terms of affiliation.
Kneeling before a teacher in public was perfectly normal - what was the big deal?
The key was to gain guidance.
"Your attacks rely on your clan's inherited ninja tool manipulation techniques, and your defenses include Earth Release ninjutsu like the Earth Flow Wall. The only problem is your lack of direct offensive power. With Guy covering the front lines in team battles, you can manage, but what about later?"
Raj had almost forgotten Genma Shiranui's abilities, only remembering that he had been part of the Hokage Guard Platoon with Tsurugi and others, and that he had learned the Flying Thunder Formation Technique.
Despite his rank as a Special Jonin, he excelled in assassination but lacked proficiency in direct combat.
After addressing him, Raj turned to Ebisu.
This guy...
To be honest, his problems were significant.
At least Guy and Genma had clear directions in the anime, but this guy had switched from being a ninja to a teacher midway through his career.
While that sounded good, the few battles he'd been in suggested his Taijutsu skills were utterly lacking.
After a moment's thought, Raj simply said, "Focus on Taijutsu training first. We'll address the other issues later."
"W-what? Taijutsu training?" Ebisu's glasses slid down his nose, revealing his wide, startled eyes behind them.
"That's right, meow. Train with Guy," Raj nodded gently.
Don't underestimate Taijutsu.
The body is the foundation for everything.
Without strong Taijutsu, unless you can somehow cheat your way to Ninjutsu that instantly obliterates everything, you'll need to diligently improve your physical skills.
At the very least, you can't afford to be a liability.
With the training plan settled, Raj sent Guy to take Ebisu for a run.
When it came to physical training, Guy possessed unparalleled enthusiasm and dedication.
"Well, Ebisu's body has always been weak. Should we...?"
'A humanities student doing Taijutsu? Why not?!'
Genma Shiranui worried that his teammate might collapse from exhaustion.
"Meow, don't worry! I used to be just as weak as Ebisu, but after Guy started training me, look how strong I am now!"
Raj patted the ground with his paw, creating a rumbling sound that felt like an earthquake.
"Exactly! That's what I've been telling you, Ebisu! You should train with me! Come on, let's run five hundred laps around Konoha!"
"No, no! Don't drag me! I don't want to-"
Amidst Ebisu's desperate cries, Guy
Dragged him off.
Raj watched from behind, sighing wistfully.
The scene was all too familiar; he had once been just as reluctant as Ebisu.
'But now? Look at this body - so strong!'
Though the System had played a small part, most of his progress came from his own hard work.
He believed Ebisu could achieve the same.
"He'll improve," Raj declared.
"You're strong, so you're right," Genma Shiranui muttered, unable to resist his urge to retort.
He lowered his head and blurted out the words before regretting them immediately.
Looking up, Genma saw the cat's ambiguous, half-smiling face.
"Meow~ I think you need some exercise too. Let's join in."
"Ah? Well, this..."
"Come on, don't be shy."
As the cat spoke, it slammed a paw into the ground, creating a large crater.
Genma Shiranui finally understood why Raj had chosen this training ground.
With such destructive power, a smaller area would have been completely wrecked.
'Why can't I keep my mouth shut?'
He reluctantly stood up and caught up with the others, inwardly seething.
He'd thought he might even get some benefits out of this, but now he was stuck running alongside them.
Worse still, he had to run with Guy.
How humiliating!
Genma had always looked down on Guy's obsessive training.
He believed exercise was necessary, but there was no need to push oneself to the brink like Guy did.
Now, ironically, he had become one of Guy's "glorious" comrades.
Raj trailed behind, sighing deeply.
'Too bad Obito isn't here. If he were, we'd have the whole gang together - a truly magnificent sight for Konoha!'
To avoid being seen as part of the group, Raj moved along rooftops and walls, perfectly evading public view.
Eventually, it settled on the roof of the Konoha Hokage Building, observing the runners from above.
"You're just making them run?"
After a while, the Third Hokage's Shadow Clone appeared.
No choice.
The Third Hokage was, after all, the Hokage, with maxed-out perception and eavesdropping skills.
It would be strange if he hadn't noticed a Jonin-level presence perched above.
"What's wrong with running? It's the most basic training, meow!"
Raj didn't turn around, keeping his eyes fixed on the three runners below to ensure they weren't slacking off.
Only then did he glance up at the Third Hokage's Shadow Clone before looking back down.
"It's not about the running itself. I just think you should be supervising them alongside me. Why are you always squatting on the Hokage Office?"
The Third Hokage felt deeply uncomfortable.