For a ninja, the distance between Orochimaru's camp and Jiraiya's was trivial, and for someone as fast as Takeshi, it was barely a journey at all. With so many of them traveling together, there was no sense in waiting for the main force to catch up.
"Takeshi, give me a ride," Tsunade said, already sounding tired halfway through the trip. "I really don't feel like walking."
It had been too long since she had exerted herself like this, and the intense, monotonous pace of running was something she had fallen out of the habit of. Besides, it was boring. There was no fun in it.
'Why bother walking when the Flying Thunder God is an option?' she wondered. 'I just don't get it.'
"I don't have any jutsu markers over there," Takeshi meowed. "But I can head over first and set some up."
He had no interest in wasting time on the road either.
"Perfect," Tsunade said, her energy returning. "Minato, can you help carry him? We're heading out." She glanced at the small cat still cradled in her arms. "Rin, take care of this one."
Nekomata hadn't woken up yet, but based on his vital signs, it wouldn't be long. His breathing had quickened over the past few days, and his metabolism was clearly accelerating. Tsunade's reason for handing the cat off to Rin was simple: he was heavy, and using the Flying Thunder God with an extra passenger would consume even more chakra. It was better to leave the burden behind.
"Of course, Tsunade-sama," Rin replied with a nod.
Minato agreed as well. With Ino-Shika-Cho trio there, his presence wasn't strictly necessary, but Obito and the rest of his team couldn't use the Flying Thunder God. He decided to stay and travel with his subordinates.
A flash of envy crossed Kakashi's eyes. 'The Flying Thunder God is incredible,' he thought. 'If only I could learn it...'
"Well, we're off," Takeshi sighed with dramatic reluctance. "I almost envy you all, getting to run at a slow pace and use this as a chance to train. While I'm stuck cheating with shortcuts."
Takeshi let out a dramatic sigh, looking for all the world like he hated the idea.
"..." 'What an infuriating cat.'
Even Minato had to admit he looked like he could use a good smack. Who talks like that? It was the kind of boast that only someone with an easy ride would make, clearly meant to rile everyone up.
"Get lost!" Obito yelled, then immediately sprinted ahead as if to dodge a retaliatory strike.
Takeshi couldn't be bothered with him. Obito could run, but he couldn't hide. Once they were all back at camp, he would walk right into Takeshi's trap. Besides, Obito didn't have many points left for him to squeeze out anyway, he was no longer a prime target.
"We're off, meow," Takeshi chirped. "You all take your time with your training."
"Just go already," Minato said, completely deadpan.
In the next instant, the black cat and Tsunade vanished.
He had brought her from the northwest all the way to the Training mountain in the blink of an eye. He expected to see an old friend upon arrival, but after teleporting, he realized the place seemed to have been abandoned again.
'Did Asuma graduate?' Takeshi wondered. 'Could he have really gone off to the battlefield?'
"This place..." Tsunade murmured, looking around. "Oh, this is where you all used to train. I think I first met you somewhere around here."
"Meow!" Takeshi nodded, then hopped onto her shoulder, a clear signal that it was her turn to carry him the rest of the way.
Tsunade was speechless for a moment. But considering the cat's personality, she gave up on the idea of him leading her to Jiraiya. She would have to do it herself. For the second half of the journey, she ran with Takeshi perched on her shoulder in a one-sided relay.
Due to the shifting demands of the war, Jiraiya's camp had advanced from the northern region of the Land of Fire into the Land of Grass. It had been Kono Osamu's suggestion, after the Iwagakure ninja died in their territory, the country faced direct retaliation from Onoki.
Without Konoha's help, the Village Hidden in the Grass was at risk of being wiped out.
This was why Takeshi had no markers in the area, otherwise, he could have simply teleported directly to the old camp.
Perched like a passenger, Takeshi watched the landscape roll by, and the time flew.
Half an hour later, deep in Kusagakure, he finally linked up with his old pal, Naoki Gekko.
The man was still babysitting. The only difference was that before it had been in the mountains, and now it was a patrol duty in the rear lines of Kusagakure with Asuma and his teammates.
"Meow~"
Takeshi had caught their scent long before they spotted him, and with his speed, he closed the distance in seconds.
Hearing that familiar meow, Naoki instinctively shuddered.
'Swindling black cat is back.'
The sight of him sent a pang of bitterness through Naoki. He wanted to roar, to scream at the cat. 'Six months! Do you have any idea what my life has been like for the past six months?' For half a year, he hadn't been able to take a single real mission, stuck training Asuma and the others. He had finally gotten a break and returned to camp, where Jiraiya had even promoted him to Jonin. But then... he was made a team leader.
Naoki had nearly fainted from frustration when he heard the news. In the end, he couldn't escape his fate. Every day was spent on the most basic, mind-numbing missions with Asuma's team, turning him into a glorified, low-level squad leader. The pain of it was immense. He missed the days of carrying his blade on assassination missions. Even standing in the cold wind for an entire day was better than babysitting the Hokage's son while running errands any day...
"Naoki-senpai, you look so happy to see me," Takeshi purred, ignoring the complicated storm of emotions on the man's face. "No need to hold back your joy. From now on, we'll be neighbors."
"Naoki-senpai, you look so happy to see me," Takeshi purred, ignoring the complicated storm of emotions on the man's face. "No need to hold back your joy. From now on, we'll be neighbors."
He shared the "good news" as if it were a gift. To Naoki, however, it felt like a lightning strike.
'Neighbors?'
'What's going on? Living next door to that cat sounded like a nightmare.'
Asuma, Kurenai, and Raido all looked over, their faces full of curiosity. They had been away from the village for so long that they were out of the loop.
"I bought a house from the Shiranui clan," Takeshi explained. "It's right next to the Gekko clan's compound."
"That's great!" Kurenai said, thrilled. "My home isn't far from there, either. Now we'll be neighbors, too!"
Asuma's expression was conflicted. As for Raido, he didn't particularly care. The patrol mission was more important. He tightened his grip on his blade and continued scanning the surroundings, though in truth, there were no enemies here. The Hyuga clan had extended the front patrol lines so far out that Iwagakure ninja had no way of breaking through their defenses.
Hearing the terrible news, Naoki swayed on his feet. They were really neighbors. He remembered that house, he had even helped promote it before, but it never sold. Who would have thought...
'If only I'd bought it myself back then,' he lamented. But it was too late for regrets.
Just then, he spotted Tsunade jogging over and his expression brightened as if he'd seen his savior. Ignoring the cat completely, he hurried past him and bowed respectfully. "Tsunade-sama!"
"Naoki, no need for formalities," she said. "We're looking for Jiraiya, but we don't have a guide. Can you lead the way?"
"Of course," Naoki agreed instantly. "Kurenai knows the route. Kurenai, please take Tsunade-sama and Takeshi to the commander's tent."
He didn't want to see that black cat for a second longer than he had to. Getting rid of him was the top priority. Continuing the patrol with his three-person team was infinitely preferable to looking at that irritating face.
"You're a good guy after all, meow," Takeshi said, silently awarding him a mental "good person" card. He understood Naoki's suffering perfectly well. They were both in the babysitting business, after all. His own kids were just a bit more of a handful. Asuma was in his most intense chuuni phase, and unlike Might Guy's pure, hot-blooded version, his was far trickier to manage. Guy was straightforward, but Asuma's mind worked in more complicated ways.
Naoki sighed. What kind of earthly torment was this? As if babysitting wasn't painful enough, now he had to be neighbors with this cat. Even after Takeshi left with Kurenai and Tsunade, he couldn't shake his foul mood. But then he glanced sideways and saw that Asuma looked even more depressed. His suffering was probably worse than his own.
And just like that, Naoki's spirits lifted a little.
"Asuma," he said casually. "There's another house for sale next to mine. Interested?"
"Seriously? Wait,no, I... I can't afford it."
"Really?" Asuma's eyes lit up, but his excitement quickly faded into dejection. "Wait, no... I don't have the money." As a Genin, how could he possibly afford a house? Only a Jonin could...
'Damn that cat,' Asuma thought, his mood sinking even lower. 'How did he manage to buy a house so quickly?' The jealousy was sharp.
"No worries," Naoki said calmly, though he was smiling inwardly. "If you ever want to buy it, just let me know."
That particular house was situated right between the Gekko clan's property and the black cat's new home. From now on, Asuma could be the one living next door to Takeshi. With him drawing all the fire, maybe the cat wouldn't come poking around his place every day.
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