I'm done with that gambling addict... uh~"
Jiraiya's furious roar suddenly faltered as he sensed something nearby.
His once-imposing voice shrank to a whimper.
Raj shot him a disdainful glance before leaping onto the table.
"Fine, we'll consider the first volume as payment for the rights. Meow~ This volume!"
"Don't worry," Jiraiya assured him. "I'll handle this volume myself."
Jiraiya gritted his teeth, feeling like he was working for someone else.
If he hadn't sent a Toad to investigate, he might have suspected the publisher had pocketed his royalties.
But seeing Raj's suspicious expression, he snapped.
"Don't forget I get sixty percent! I care about this more than you do. If they don't pay, I'll make the publisher compensate me. If that fails, I'll cover your share myself!"
"Meow~ That would be too embarrassing," Raj spoke politely, but his claws extended.
...
Under Jiraiya's murderous glare, Raj retracted his claws.
He was just teasing; he had no intention of making Jiraiya actually pay for the first volume.
Besides, he'd already earned plenty of Points earlier, more than compensating for the lost money.
Still, it stung...
Jiraiya's pained expression made it clear how much money the first volume had earned - all of it now lining Tsunade's pockets.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
'No, I can't let this go.'
Raj's eyes darted around as he deliberately sighed.
"Actually, I'm fine. I just feel bad for you. You wrote so much, helped Lady Tsunade, and got beaten up for it. At least her return benefits the village. Don't be too upset..."
Each word was like a dagger twisting in Jiraiya's heart.
The more Jiraiya listened, the more he wanted to cry.
But being a seasoned veteran, he quickly realized after a moment of grief that Raj was deliberately twisting the knife.
'What a malicious creature,' he thought, gritting his teeth as he glared at the cat.
Seizing the opportunity while the cat was still talking, he reached out to grab it.
But the instant his hand touched Raj's body, it was instantly frozen solid.
A bone-chilling cold seeped into his body.
Had Jiraiya not been so physically robust, he would have been injured by this single attack.
'Ice Release?'
"I just awakened Ice Release, Meow! What do you think of the effect?"
"Excellent!" Jiraiya replied, channeling Chakra to protect his skin as he forcibly wrenched his hand free.
He glared at Raj, gritting his teeth.
This Black Cat was becoming increasingly difficult to handle.
'At this rate of growth, even I might struggle to pose a threat to Raj in the future. Damn geniuses!'
His resentment surged, but after a few seconds, he suddenly clapped his hands.
'Ice Release? That's right!'
'This kid knows both Water Release and Ice Release. When Rasa from Sunagakure starts trouble again, we can just send him to deal with it. Brilliant!'
The Land of Fire and the Land of Wind did not share a border, so most battles took place outside Sunagakure territory unless Konoha actively invaded.
Given Konoha's current state, such an invasion was highly unlikely, even with Orochimaru as their leader.
You can't make bricks without straw, after all.
Konoha had weakened significantly compared to its peak years, but fortunately, they weren't alone in their decline.
Other nations were also weakening; for example, Sunagakure was struggling to find qualified candidates for the Kazekage position.
When it came to misery, no one could outdo Sunagakure.
Raj was unaware that Jiraiya had already assigned him this task, but even if he knew, he wouldn't mind.
Just imagine: the newly appointed Fourth Kazekage getting beaten up by a cat and fleeing back in disgrace...
This dark history would become a mountain.
Whenever anyone saw Rasa, they would remember one thing: You were beaten by a cat, and almost killed.
That would be immensely satisfying.
However, the opportunity hadn't yet arisen.
Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and other villages remained on standby.
The only large-scale military action so far had been by the Kiri Ninja, enraged by the theft of their swords.
The outcome of that conflict was plain for all to see.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had initially lost only one and a half swords.
Now, they had lost another two and a half.
While Konoha might not have been directly responsible for Suigetsu Hozuki's death, the result was the same: he had defected, and ultimately lost both his life and his sword.
"Meow~ I'm fine. I'll be going now," Raj said, waving a paw.
He had only been passing through this area.
If he stayed for even a few days, the backlog of missions in his village would actually start getting cleared.
It was more urgent to return quickly.
"Wait a minute," Jiraiya said, gritting his teeth. "When you see Tsunade again, demand repayment from her for me. Last time, I got beaten up for no reason, and then we both had to pay her debts. If she can't pay with money, then help me beat her up instead!"
Raj twisted its head, sizing Jiraiya up and down.
Its usually expressionless feline face was now filled with mockery and disbelief, as if saying: 'Are you serious?'
"Does this Immortal's word mean nothing to you...? Never mind, even if I gave you the courage, you wouldn't dare hit her," Jiraiya said guiltily.
He was afraid.
Although Tsunade owed him a fortune, the psychological trauma of being beaten by her since childhood ran deep.
Yet, despite everything, he still...
'Ah, humans are truly pathetic,' Jiraiya cursed himself, his tone tinged with exasperation.
"Meow~ That's not necessarily true. If you write it down and sign it, I'll gladly give Tsunade a beating."
Raj was intrigued.
He wouldn't dare attack Tsunade without a reason, but if Jiraiya provided a written pretext to take the blame, that was a different story.
They could both earn Points - Tsunade for being attacked and Jiraiya for providing the excuse.
What's not to like?
Unfortunately, Jiraiya would never agree.
As expected, he panicked, his embarrassment turning to fury.
"Get lost! Get lost! Get lost!"
'A written agreement? Write that, my ass!'
'If I actually signed that, I'd be in Konoha Hospital nursing my injuries by tomorrow!'
'A gambling addict and a bully - this cat is truly impossible to deal with,' Jiraiya lamented inwardly.
Raj glared at Jiraiya with disdain for a few seconds.
Seeing that Jiraiya was completely impervious to reason, even closing his eyes and feigning blindness, Raj lost interest in further confrontation.
No amount of arguing would yield more points.
Still, even in this brief encounter, Jiraiya had already contributed significantly.
Raj's points had now surpassed twenty thousand, but earning more would be increasingly difficult.
Raj sighed inwardly.