The moment Mao You declared that he would "cover" Uchiha Yoru, Miwa Masayo exploded in anger.
She pounced forward and slashed his nose with a claw, hitting so hard that tears and snot burst out at once.
"Mao You! How dare you spout nonsense at my contractor, meow?! Do you want to die?!"
"Miwa Masayo!"
This time, Mao You dropped the respectful "Lady" entirely. His ferocity burst forth as he roared, "This great me is a Sage now! What ability do you have to make me die?!"
"Meow?" Miwa Masayo tilted her head, confused. "Who said I was the one killing you, meow?"
Mao You froze.
"…Huh?"
Yoru reached out, grabbed both of Mao You's ears, and yanked backward with force, lifting the front half of his body off the ground.
"AAOOOW!!"
With both ears gathered into his left hand, Yoru turned and seized the base of Mao You's tail with his right hand—then pulled just as hard.
The back half of the giant cat shot up into the air.
"AO—AOOOOWWWW!!!"
Yoru's hands rose higher and higher, gradually bringing Mao You's head and tail closer together.
The cat's ears were stretched absurdly long. The skin of his scalp was pulled tight, dragging his lower eyelids upward until his eyes were nearly squeezed shut. His expression twisted into something utterly bizarre.
The extreme stretching of bones and muscles made Mao You experience the agony of a dancer being forced into a split.
Tears and snot streamed down his face as he howled miserably, all four paws flailing wildly in a desperate attempt to escape Yoru's control.
But every effort failed.
Yoru's strength far exceeded the limits of Mao You's imagination.
All resistance—
Was nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Completely meaningless.
Finally—
When Mao You's head and tail met, his entire body forming a perfect circle—
His screams reached a whole new peak.
The wailing echoed out of the vast hall, terrifying every ninja cat and ordinary cat nearby. Any cat capable of moving scrambled away in panic.
Even though they had already been told—
That the expert who could solve their Sage training problems was treating Lord Mao You.
If this was treatment—
They wanted no part of it.
…
Yoru had curled Mao You into a circle for a reason.
The amount of natural energy inside Mao You far exceeded his chakra.
When the two fused into senjutsu chakra, a large portion of natural energy was left over.
Because of the fusion process, that excess natural energy hadn't changed in nature.
But Mao You's body—
Was already being transformed by senjutsu chakra.
It could no longer remain compatible with the old natural energy.
As a result—
The excess energy began damaging his body.
That was why the fur on his back had started turning into mist.
If not dealt with in time, Mao You would likely turn into a dense cloud of white smoke—
And eventually disperse into dust, scattered everywhere.
The solution was simple.
Expel the excess natural energy.
Preserve the already-formed senjutsu chakra.
Then wait for the senjutsu chakra to complete the transformation of his body, allowing him to truly adapt to ambient natural energy and become a Sage.
Simple in theory.
Difficult in execution.
A crude method like Miwa Masayo's would drive out both natural energy and senjutsu chakra together, interrupting the body's transformation midway.
The partially transformed body would become incompatible with both chakra and natural energy—
Even rejecting both.
That was why Yoru had forced Mao You into a circle.
Only by encompassing his entire body within his perception could he precisely control his power—
Remove all excess natural energy—
And preserve the senjutsu chakra.
Of course—
Folding him in half from the belly would've worked too.
But who told Mao You to run his mouth earlier?
Disrespecting Yoru and speaking casually to Miwa Masayo—
A little pain was only fair.
Besides—
What came next would feel very good.
…
As the natural energy was completely expelled without leaving a trace, the transformation driven by senjutsu chakra proceeded flawlessly.
Without the damage caused by excess energy—
The strengthening of the body triggered an intense, instinctive pleasure.
Soon—
The surrounding cats began to hear a different kind of cry.
It was still Mao You's voice.
Still just as loud.
But…
Why did the "AOOOOW" no longer sound miserable—
And instead carry a strange sense of enjoyment?
Could it be…
Mao You had entered that season?
…
Half an hour later—
Mao You stood up silently.
He shook his body rapidly, flinging off the grime clinging to his fur—
As well as certain… indescribable, foul-smelling residues.
His evolution was complete.
He could now freely absorb natural energy—
Fuse it with chakra—
And produce senjutsu chakra at will.
The second Sage Cat—
Had been born.
Thanks to Yoru's guidance, Mao You could distinguish wind-aspected natural energy. When fused with his own Wind Release chakra, the resulting senjutsu chakra was exceptionally powerful.
In Yoru's estimation—
Once Mao You fully stabilized his Sage state—
He would be qualified to stand against Gamabunta of Mount Myoboku, and even Manda of Ryūchi Cave.
In other words—
Mao You could cast off the title of a "dark ninja cat" and represent the Cat Castle openly.
And yet—
Despite achieving his long-held dream—
There was not a trace of joy on Mao You's face.
Instead, he looked timid.
Like a small cat that had just suffered unspeakable torment—
The kind too embarrassing to even mention.
…
While Mao You silently cleaned the hall—
Granny Cat returned to the Cat Castle after finishing the day's business, accompanied by Hina and Tahuo.
Before she even entered the room, her hearty laughter rang out.
"I just got back and already heard good news—Mao You's fully recovered?"
Miwa Masayo quickly wiped her face with her paw, suppressing the lingering urge to laugh, before replying, "Not just recovered, meow. Mao You has already become a Sage."
"Oh? Is that true?"
Mao You hurriedly composed himself and answered in a deep, steady voice, "Yes, Granny Cat. This great—…I have become a Sage."
Granny Cat strode into the room, looking Mao You up and down.
His aura had clearly grown stronger.
Not only had he recovered—
His strength had visibly increased.
Even his fur had become longer and smoother.
"Mao You, you've become even more beautiful," she said with a smile, reaching out to stroke his long fur. "And more imposing. You feel like a lion now—full of kingly presence."
"Truly magnificent."
Mao You didn't like being touched.
He instinctively tried to step back—
But Yoru cast him a casual glance.
His entire body trembled uncontrollably.
And so—
Under Yoru's gaze—
Mao You stood rigidly in place, allowing Granny Cat to pet him freely while praising him again and again.
Finally, Granny Cat said with satisfaction, "This is wonderful. With two Sage Cats in the Cat Castle, my mission is complete. From now on, Mao You will bear the responsibility of leading the Cat Castle."
Mao You frowned. "No, Granny. I am not the first Sage. The position of leader should belong to Lady Miwa Masayo."
Miwa Masayo glanced at her contractor, then declared loudly, "Mao You, I support you as the leader."
Mao You was about to argue further.
After all—
He wasn't the first Sage.
And more importantly—
Miwa Masayo's contractor was terrifying.
If he made a decision, no one in the Cat Castle could oppose it.
But why would Yoru support him instead of his own contracted partner?
In the next moment—
Yoru smiled.
"Let Mao You take it. He's more suited than Miwa Masayo."
And just like that—
Mao You becoming the leader of the Cat Castle—
Was set in stone.
No longer subject to change.
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