"A Ninja Cat. This is my friend, Raj," Kabuto said with a smile, gesturing toward Raj.
He then pointed to the boy and added, "This is Urushi. He's one of the other children here."
"Hello, meow~"
Raj waved a paw.
Urushi had also appeared in the anime, though his appearance differed slightly from the manga version.
Still, he was recognizable.
"A... a talking cat!" Urushi exclaimed, startled.
But remembering it was a Ninja Cat, his fear subsided somewhat.
With ninja, anything seemed possible.
As a regular person, Urushi wasn't worth Raj's time to tease.
After all, messing with him wouldn't earn any Points and might make others think poorly of him.
Thanks to Kabuto's efforts in earning a substantial sum for the orphanage, his status within the institution had risen considerably.
Before long, Raj received its own set of bedding.
A little later, all the children went to sleep.
Raj, like the other children, was ushered into the dormitory to sleep.
Unable to fall asleep right away, it waited until everyone else was asleep before sneaking out through the window.
Initially, it only intended to stretch its limbs, but after wandering around for a bit, it discovered...
There were ninja watching the area.
'Danzo's men?'
Raj licked its paw.
The children weren't much fun to tease, but Root ninja might be a different story.
It followed the scent, but as it approached, the ninja suddenly looked up.
Startled by the sight of Raj, the ninja immediately used a series of ninjutsu - Body Replacement Technique, Body Flicker Technique, and others - to escape without lingering.
'So decisive!'
Raj paused, noting the meager thirty-point gain.
This showed the ninja's remarkable mental fortitude; he hadn't been truly frightened.
'Root ninja... they really are...'
It glanced back at the orphanage, confirming that Danzo still remembered this place.
However, with Nono's recent windfall, the orphanage's finances were no longer a concern.
Soon, they might not even need Konoha's subsidies anymore.
'Danzo must be quite troubled by this. If he knew this idea was Raj's, would he earn a substantial number of Points?'
Unfortunately, Danzo was too powerful to provoke for now.
It was best to avoid him for the time being.
Raj pondered for a moment, then returned under the eaves.
Since he wasn't sleepy yet, he decided to browse "Google" to see if there was anything he needed that he could exchange for.
He already had a few items in mind.
First, he checked the exchange requirements for the Eight Inner Gates - Opening
'Gate. This forbidden technique had exchange requirements I hadn't met before, but now... Huh, I meet the requirements? It must be the Cat Food working!'
Raj was slightly surprised.
Natural Energy had a significant impact on Ninja Beasts.
It could enhance Chakra and strengthen their physical bodies.
Combined with the Ninja Cat Special Food he'd been consuming to boost both his physique and Chakra, he'd met the requirements much faster than expected.
'In that case, spending those Points would be well worth it.'
'Exchange for the Opening Gate!'
The Eight Gates Formation was a forbidden technique that unlocked the body's sealed potential.
Opening the Opening Gate allowed for 100% utilization of physical capabilities.
Exchanging for just the first gate was worth the price, especially since unlocking it only cost 1,000 Points.
The orphanage was quiet.
'Since I can't sleep anyway, might as well try opening the Opening Gate... Open!'
Whoosh!
Raj darted into the forest, instantly sprinting to a distant tree.
It seized an owl just as it was about to land on a branch.
The owl struggled fiercely, but the cat's paw pinned it down, rendering it helpless.
Raj toyed with the owl for a moment before releasing it.
'The Opening Gate state really enhances Taijutsu, but the energy drain is immense... Hmm, I'm already tired. Might as well take a nap.'
The next morning, Raj woke up early, intending to laze in bed for a while.
Suddenly, a loud bang-bang-bang echoed from the window.
Thinking it was Kabuto or Urushi calling him to wake up, he turned his head to see a White Cat perched on the windowsill, staring at him.
It was the one making the racket.
The Double-Tailed Cat.
Raj sat up, tilting his head to study it.
'What's this Dead Cat doing here? What business do I have with it...? Oh, right, the Cat Food deal. But I don't even have enough Points for myself right now, let alone to spare for Cat Food.'
Raj opened the window from the inside and climbed out.
"Meow?"
"That food from last time," the Nekomata growled through clenched teeth. "Why did you have to go to the Chunin Exams? It took me ages to find you! If it weren't for that Uchiha Clan cat returning home, I wouldn't even know you were back in the village, you damn black cat!"
"Meow?"
Raj happened to open his System Panel and saw his Points suddenly jump by over seventy.
'This cat was a goldmine!'
"Don't play dumb!"
The Nekomata immediately grew larger, though not to its full size - about the size of a calf.
It looked intimidating, but...
The next moment, its enlarged tail lashed down like a whip, striking Raj with lightning speed.
"Meow!"
The Nekomata yowled in pain, then glared angrily at Raj.
"Don't get too cocky on someone else's turf, meow~"
Raj licked his tail, having just earned over three hundred Points.
This Nekomata truly had great potential.
"What's going on... hmm?" Kabuto, drawn by the commotion, peeked through the window and saw a white cat about Raj's size, but larger and with two tails.
The Nekomata initially wanted to roar angrily at Kabuto, but after sniffing the air...
'Meow! That terrifying man's scent!'
Memories of that unpleasant day flashed through Matatabi's mind, causing him to shudder involuntarily.
He quickly shrank to Raj's size.
"Meow~"
'Heh, scaredy-cat...'
Nekomata angrily hissed back, then suspiciously eyed Kabuto up and down.
'Could this kid be related to the Snake Man?'
"Raj, who is this?"
"Meow~," Raj explained casually. "My younger brother, Nekomata."
'Younger brother? Sure, you're strong, but this cat clearly isn't young. Calling him your younger brother... Whatever. This black cat isn't normal anyway. None of my business. But this white cat... it's quite impressive.'
Kabuto's gaze swept over Raj before he reluctantly turned and left.
Nekomata froze, his body stiffening.
'That guy's eyes... they're exactly like the Snake Man's from that day. He's definitely a descendant. Good thing I didn't provoke him.'
After Kabuto left, Nekomata beckoned Raj to jump down.
Knowing Raj's ability to grow larger, it refrained from using its size to intimidate the cat.
As Raj had pointed out, this was Raj's territory, where it held no advantage.
Therefore...
"Enough talk. I want Cat Food."
"Cat Food? Fine."
Raj slapped his paw, summoning a scroll.