'As long as I'm strong enough, it won't matter if that old toad refuses to acknowledge me.'
From Takeshi's perspective, and certainly from Kaguya's, Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, was a scheming old bastard through and through.
Takeshi thought it over and decided there wasn't much to worry about. Gamamaru's real power lay in his dreams and prophecies, he didn't have any formidable combat abilities of his own. If it came to a fight, Takeshi figured he could probably swat the old toad aside with a flick of his tail.
The only real concerns were the two other Sages, and perhaps Jiraiya and Minato, given their connections. But this was a challenge for recognition, not a battle to the death. Besides, he was friends with both Minato and Jiraiya, so there was no reason for them to interfere.
'The Three Great Holy Lands!'
Takeshi licked his paw, a thrill of ambition running through him.
Then he froze mid-lick.
There was just one problem. Where exactly were the Three Great Holy Lands? His best leads were Ryuchi Cave and Mount Myoboku. For Ryuchi Cave, he could start his search near the Jugo Clan's homeland. Mount Myoboku was more troublesome, he would first have to find Maze Mountain, break through the hidden spatial door in its labyrinth, and enter that way.
But there were always exceptions.
If he could force Ryuchi Cave into submission, there was likely an internal route leading straight to Mount Myoboku. Otherwise, there was no way to explain how toads and snakes sometimes met on the mountain. The snakes had to be getting there through some secret passage.
'First target: Ryuchi Cave.'
With a plan in mind, Takeshi returned to the Ninja Cat Fortress to map out his next moves. Searching on his own was out of the question. Relying on the strength of his followers was the only logical way forward. He had so many cat soldiers and generals under his command, if not now, when would he use them?
Once he was back in the fortress, Kanna gave him a report on recent events. Everything had been quiet since Nekomata's departure. In fact, with the old leader gone, the three remaining cat generals had rapidly solidified their control over their subordinates and had already finished dividing their authority.
However, Kanna finished by raising an issue of strength.
Among the three great generals, Amakusa, Shouta, and Touka, the first two were Wind-affinity and had been training in the Wind Release ninjutsu Takeshi had provided. The orange cat, Touka, only knew Hair Ninjutsu. By all rights, Amakusa and Shouta should have been stronger, but in reality, Touka was the most powerful of the three. His chakra reserves were significantly larger, making both his ninjutsu and taijutsu more potent.
Takeshi had to resist the urge to comment on Kanna's naming sense. The names were a bit plain, but compared to Minato's atrocious attempts, they were practically inspired. At least they didn't make him cringe just hearing them.
He thought for a moment before describing the Neko Clan's unique "head-to-the-ground" training technique for her to pass on. Kanna herself couldn't master it, as it was a ninjutsu designed for the Neko Clan. Unless she could transform into a cat, it would be nearly impossible for her to use. She simply committed it to memory so she could teach the others.
After that, Takeshi gave her a bag of luxury cat food.
Rin had already mastered Sage Mode, and he couldn't play favorites. Besides, he was genuinely curious to see what Kanna would look like after mastering it herself.
'Cat ears? A cat tail?' The thought was... intriguing.
If he had enough Points, he would have given some to the other ninja cats as well. Unfortunately, after purchasing for the Sage Body and giving Kanna her portion, his total had dropped to just over eight thousand. He needed to keep those in reserve, so the ninja cats would have to wait. For now, he would have to placate them with a supply of 300 portions of cheap cat food.
The priorities now were assigning missions and figuring out how to earn more Points. He needed to earn more and spend less, and earning more was the priority.
One-Tail had already been drained dry. Two-Tails had been squeezed into a fat cat. Killer Bee was an anomaly, and the Points he'd yielded last time weren't great.
'Hmm, should I check out Takigakure?' It didn't seem necessary. The village was mostly waterfalls, and historically, its ninja were pushovers, with the exception of Kakuzu. Even if they had a Jinchuriki, it was unlikely they'd be worth many points. Going there would just be a waste of chakra and energy.
Takeshi lay around at home while Kanna gave him a gentle massage. It was comfortable, enjoyable... but this kind of life was making him soft.
He sighed. He had to leave and establish a Holy Land of his own.
The Ninja Cat Fortress was not a suitable location. As Hiashi had pointed out, its ties to the Uchiha were far too deep, and most Uchiha carried a certain madness within them. If he stayed too close to that clan, he would get dragged down with them sooner or later. Madara or his successors would never leave the Neko Clan in peace.
Takeshi had no intention of walking the same path as the Uchiha, so separating from them was essential. Now was the perfect opportunity. With the cat generals had established their own authority. If he gave the order, the Neko Clan would migrate without resistance.
The destination was the Land of Snow, but first, he had to secure one thing: the country's treasure, the Environment Modification Device. It was still in development, and according to the original timeline, Doto Kazahana would attack the king just before its completion, leaving the device to be scrapped. Takeshi planned to fund the king himself to see it finished. A land of perpetual winter was a terrifying thought, and he had no desire to live in that kind of environment. Heating was an absolute must.
"Takeshi-sama... are we really going to the north?"
Kanna looked uneasy. This time was different from his usual departures, because he planned to take her with him. He wanted her to see the outside world again, but the thought clearly made her nervous. In her mind, only the fortress was safe, the world beyond was filled with danger and persecution. He understood the shadows her past had carved into her, which was exactly why he had to bring her along.
"Of course," Takeshi meowed gently. "You aren't planning to stay in the fortress for the rest of your life, are you? I'm taking you to the Land of Snow. No one there knows you, and you'll have people to protect you. You can help them, too."
He did his best to sound persuasive. Yahiko and Konan were reliable, especially Yahiko. Compared to the Nagato of the future, Yahiko's mind was far more flexible. He knew how to adapt and take a winding path toward peace. What Hanzo and Danzo had done had stripped him of his earlier naivety, but he hadn't given up. He planned to first make the Land of Snow a peaceful country, a goal that aligned perfectly with Takeshi's own.
"Then... all right. Let's go take a look," Kanna finally agreed.
Takeshi placed a paw on her shoulder, preparing to use the Flying Thunder God.
Before he'd acquired the Sage Body, taking her all the way to the Land of Snow would have been impossible. But now, his chakra reserves were far greater. After they reappeared, he took a moment to check himself. The teleport had only consumed about half his chakra. He never would have been able to manage that before.
"Where are we?" Kanna asked, looking around.
"Yukigakure," Takeshi answered. "This is the Land of Snow. As for him..." He glanced down. He had casually picked a marked target without checking who it was. Now that they had arrived, he saw a man sprawled on the floor, snoring loudly. He was completely drunk and oblivious to their sudden appearance.
'Pathetic vigilance,' the black cat thought with a silent complaint. 'This drunkard. Never mind him.'
"Let's go," he meowed.
"Yes, Takeshi-sama." Kanna picked him up and opened the door. The buildings here were strange, with a kind of architecture she had never seen before. More importantly, it was incredibly cold. The moment she stepped out, the biting cold made her sneeze.
*achoo*
"Ah, I forgot you can't handle the cold," he meowed. "Stay inside for now. I'll go find Konan and get you some warmer clothes."
"Okay."
The Land of Snow was frigid, and Yukigakure was situated on the edge of the snowy mountains. It was a kind of chill she simply couldn't endure. She hurried back inside.
Takeshi split off a shadow clone to find Nagato and the others, while his real body stayed in the room with Kanna. It was much warmer in here.
===============
Dear Readers and Fans,
For those eager to dive into next chapters earlier before others, I invite you to join us on Patreon. By becoming our Patron, you not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also help us continue this endeavour and expand it further.
https://www.pat reon.com/8Ashes8
(no space)
You can read upto 7 Chapters in advance.