Now, what brings you to Ninja Cat Castle?"
Raj reclined in his chair, having immediately sensed Shisui's silent criticism of his appearance.
He couldn't let such disrespect go unpunished.
'Cat Sage?'
Shisui's heart jolted.
He had never heard of a Cat Sage in Ninja Cat Castle, only of the Ninja Cat King.
Could it be that even Granny Cat was unaware of Raj's existence?
Children are prone to imagination, and Shisui immediately envisioned Raj as a Cat Clan Immortal hidden within Ninja Cat Castle, unknown even to Granny Cat.
Though he didn't fully grasp what "Immortal" meant, it didn't diminish his reverence for Raj.
The boy bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Immortal. I am Shisui of the Uchiha Clan.
I heard there was a Ninja Cat King here and came to train at Ninja Cat Castle while also seeing what the Cat King looks like."
He touched his hair, feeling a little ashamed and embarrassed.
"Meow~ Cat King? Turn left at the door and look for a small room. He's sound asleep right now."
Raj tapped his back with a wooden stick.
'Cat King? Cat King?'
The Lazy Cat had just finished a feast of deluxe cat food and likely wouldn't wake up for a day or two.
Shisui could go and cause a ruckus without any trouble.
But Shisui clearly wasn't interested in the Cat King.
What did it matter if he was the king of cats?
Could he possibly be stronger than an Immortal?
Obviously not.
He cautiously looked up at the "White Cat" from below, and the more he looked, the more he felt this cat deserved reverence.
Though its appearance was unremarkable, upon closer inspection, its depths seemed unfathomable, far beyond those of ordinary Ninja Cats.
Seeing this cat gave him the same oppressive feeling as when he faced the clan leader.
No, it was more like the pressure he felt from the Third Hokage.
"Immortal, may I tell my clan about your presence in the castle?"
Shisui asked, tilting his head up.
With his curly hair, he looked much cuter than his appearance in [ Naruto ].
Yet for some reason, seeing him like this always reminded Raj of Mirai Sarutobi.
What a strange situation.
Raj sized Shisui up before swaying his wooden staff and saying, "No can do, meow. But since you've found me, it must be fate.
If you have any questions about your training, you can come to the castle to ask later."
While Raj's appearance in this form was partly to spread word of the Ninja Cat Realm's Immortal through Shisui, the timing wasn't right.
Raj didn't feel strong enough yet - at least, not in his own estimation.
Once he'd successfully tricked Danzo to his doom and his own power was sufficient to secure the Ninja Cats' independence, he could use Shisui's words to reveal the Ninja Cat Realm's new developments to the world.
"Really?"
Shisui's eyes lit up.
"Meow! But everything comes at a price. When you come to see me, you'll need to bring fresh fish or whatever you consider the most delicious food. Understand?"
Raj leaned back in his chair and waved his wooden mallet.
"If there's nothing else, you can leave now."
"Yes, Immortal."
Shisui held deep reverence for the Cat Sage.
Without hesitation, he retreated from the grand hall.
As he exited, he noticed a crowd of Ninja Cats gathered outside.
"Meow!"
Dozens of feline eyes stared intently at Shisui.
Shisui couldn't help but swallow hard.
He knew how troublesome these cats could be.
'I'm done for!'
The massive blue cat at the front charged forward, claws extended.
The other Ninja Cats couldn't restrain themselves either; they had been repeatedly outmaneuvered by this kid during the chase, and now was their chance for revenge.
But just then, a soft tapping sound came from inside the hall, and all the cats froze instantly.
Then, the Cat Sage's voice echoed from within: "Let him go."
"Meow!"
Amakusa lowered his head, then swatted a restless tabby cat flying with a single paw strike, clearing a path.
Shisui gulped audibly.
It really is the Cat Sage.
With just a single command, these restless, feral cats obeyed instantly.
The one that disobeyed was even sent flying by the blue cat.
To ensure Shisui's safety, Amakusa personally escorted him away.
Inside the main hall:
Takuma emerged from her room, glancing curiously outside before saying with concern, "If he comes here often, I might be exposed, right?"
"Don't worry, meow. You're not planning to hide in the castle forever, are you? Keep an eye on the Rain Country for me. If anything happens, summon me using the Summoning Technique."
After speaking, Raj glanced around before picking up a fallen leaf that had blown in.
He then transmitted it to Rin using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
He and Rin had an agreement: whenever he sent her something proactively, she would use the Summoning Technique to pull him over.
The reason he was contacting Rin was still about Sage Mode.
Sage Mode carried risks, and the system-granted version was no different.
However, the system version had the advantage of being compatible with cat food, minimizing the risks.
With a stranger, he could simply throw Sage Mode and the activating cat food at them and leave their success to fate.
But Rin was one of his own; he wouldn't betray his own people.
Raj decided to first set her up with the deluxe cat food.
He no longer needed the deluxe cat food himself.
By regularly refining Sage Chakra and carefully controlling the dosage, he could achieve the same effects as the deluxe cat food in just three or four days.
Most importantly, it was free.
To prevent Rin from consuming too much at once, Raj decided to personally visit her and guide her on how to eat the cat food properly.
He didn't want her to develop any health problems from overindulging in the luxurious cat food.
Eastern Main Camp.
Rin was practicing advanced Medical Ninjutsu on a fish when she shifted her shoulder slightly, causing a leaf to drift down and fall into the fish's abdomen.
"..."
'What the hell?'
Rin immediately stopped and fished the leaf out of the fish's belly.
But the delay meant the fish had missed its optimal treatment window, and the bacteria on the leaf meant it wouldn't survive even with standard medical procedures.
'That damn leaf.'
'Wait, how did a leaf get into the operating room?'
After pondering for a few seconds, Rin realized something was wrong.
She remembered her agreement with Raj, immediately abandoning the fish, removing her gloves, biting her finger, and beginning to weave hand seals.
In moments, Raj appeared before her.
"Raj, are you hurt?"
Rin felt slightly dizzy, a sign of excessive Chakra consumption.
As Raj grew stronger and remained in Konoha, the cost of summoning him over such a distance had increased significantly.