Raj stared for a few seconds, and his Points Panel instantly increased by two or three hundred.
This increase... Well, might as well give him a reward of Ninja Cat Special Food!
Raj exchanged for a portion and tossed it over, saying, "Meow~ Here's your reward."
"Reward?"
The Double-Tailed Cat Nekomata stared at the package near its paw.
'Hmph, this is clearly pity!'
It sneered coldly, then joyfully tore open the package and immediately began eating, occasionally letting out satisfying purrs.
If the Ninja Cats in Ninja Cat Castle could see this, they'd be shocked.
Is this really the king of Ninja Cat Castle? He has no dignity whatsoever.
But what is dignity in the face of such deliciousness and benefits?
Nekomata knew very well that this treat wasn't just tasty; it could also accelerate the improvement of the Cat Clan's physical abilities and enhance its own Chakra.
Its physical abilities and Chakra were already top-tier in the Ninja Cat Castle, leaving no room for further improvement.
Yet, with the help of Cat Food, it began to grow again.
Thus, Cat Food raised the upper limit, rather than simply accelerating or amplifying existing capabilities.
No wonder the Double-Tailed Cat took it so well.
After being utterly crushed in battle, with virtually no hope of victory, what choice did it have but to eat?
'A cat's life is tough!'
Raj glanced at his Points Panel.
After deducting the Cat Food he'd given to the dead White Cat, he'd only earned a little over 300 Points.
Well, that's enough for one bag of Cat Food.
"Meow!"
Raj called out and stood up, heading toward the Orphanage.
Nekomata had already finished its Cat Food and immediately followed Raj back, still wanting more.
But this cat understood its place: to gain, one must first give.
Having already sacrificed its dignity and status, it was now ready to offer its labor.
"What should I do?" the Double-Tailed Cat asked, trailing behind.
"Maintain your kingly dignity and posture. Respond when summoned, and don't forget to get stronger. You're still too weak," Raj said casually.
He'd made this foolish cat submit partly to farm Points, but also because if he ever found himself stretched too thin in battle, Rin could use the Summoning Technique to call upon the Double-Tailed Cat to buy her some time.
The Double-Tailed Cat possessed considerable combat prowess, and feeding it Cat Food would make it an even more valuable asset in critical moments.
As for why he insisted on maintaining its regal dignity... Maintaining its pride was essential for maximizing its Points contribution.
If it were to shamelessly grovel and lick boots after a single defeat, where would he get his Points from?
'Too weak?'
Nekomata felt deeply wounded.
As the leader of the Cat Ninja, its strength was second to none among its kind.
Even the Uchiha treated it with utmost respect.
Yet it couldn't defeat this creature.
The White Cat sighed softly.
'This damned Black Cat was so monstrously powerful at such a young age.'
What's more, there had never been any record of such a Ninja Cat lineage in the Ninja World.
'What exactly was its background?'
Raj walked ahead, constantly monitoring the Points Panel.
The White Cat still harbored resentment, granting him a few Points with each step.
'Excellent! Keep it up. Maintain your regal dignity and posture, and contribute more Points, and you'll get more Cat Food.'
Raj secretly encouraged it.
His greatest fear was that this cat would lose its spirit after a single defeat, depriving him of a valuable source of Points.
'Hmm, if I had the Summoning Technique, I could summon it from other locations to farm Points... Would that be too ruthless?'
Raj pondered these thoughts as he walked.
"Meow?"
Passing the Orphanage, Nekomata stopped and let out a questioning meow, meaning "Aren't we stopping?"
"Meow~ Stop and tell Kabuto I'm returning to Konoha."
"Meow!!!"
Nekomata's face paled in horror as it instantly offered over a hundred Points.
'To face that Snake Man's disciple alone? This was practically a death sentence!'
Raj didn't linger, sprinting past the Orphanage.
The Double-Tailed Cat stopped, hesitating and wavering.
Its feline expression shifted between uncertainty and resolve before it finally padded toward the Orphanage.
'I have to help, no matter what. What if I never get Cat Food again?'
But it swore to itself.
'After delivering this message, I'm returning to Ninja Cat Castle.'
'From now on, I'll only leave in dire emergencies...'
'Wait, that Snake Man openly invaded Ninja Cat Castle last time.'
A wave of gloom washed over Nekomata.
'Even my own castle isn't safe anymore. I'd better focus on getting more treasures from that Black Cat.'
It leaped onto the Orphanage roof and meowed, spotting Kabuto holding a fish.
He wasn't just killing the fish; he was dissecting its belly, turning it inside out, then using Medical Ninjutsu to revive it moments later.
This cruel cycle repeated endlessly.
Nekomata's outstretched paw froze mid-air.
"Where's Raj?"
"She said she's heading back to Konoha first. She asked me to tell you, meow."
Nekomata's voice sounded unnatural.
It immediately fled after delivering the message.
'Konoha is too dangerous. Better get home while I can!'
Raj roughly understood what was happening.
At first, he hadn't grasped why Nekomata feared Kabuto, but later it became clear.
Orochimaru had gifted Kabuto with extensive information about the Cat Clan.
So where had his research subjects come from?
Undoubtedly, the only Ninja Cats known to Konoha were the Uchiha lineage.
For most, the Uchiha Ninja Cats would be nearly impossible to find.
But for someone like Orochimaru, it was simply a matter of whether he wanted to find them or not.
Once he decided to search, he had a hundred ways to locate the Ninja Cat Castle.
The Double-Tailed Cat had likely suffered greatly at Orochimaru's hands, leaving it psychologically scarred.
'Still, I got Rin a new Summoned Beast. She'll be so happy when she finds out! Now she won't have to rely solely on me for protection,' Raj thought to himself.
'I'll tell Rin the good news as soon as I get back.'
Rin usually spent her days at the Medical Corps or the hospital.
But today, since school was closed, Masato Nohara didn't need to go to school either, so she decided to stay home and keep her father company.
When Raj returned, Rin was using the Medical Ninjutsu she had learned from Kabuto, combined with massage techniques, to treat Masato Nohara.
While it couldn't fully
heal his legs, it could alleviate some of his chronic pain.
"Meow!"
Raj, noticing that Rin was too focused on massaging Masato Nohara to notice her, entered the room and called out to get their attention.
"Raj's back!"
Rin looked up but didn't stop her massage.
Raj walked over and watched for a long time.
Only when the massage was nearing its end did he explain how he had tamed a new underling and that Rin could now summon another Ninja Cat.
The Nohara Family was overjoyed.
Having an additional Summoned Beast would make Rin safer during her missions outside the village.
They all urged her to quickly perform the Summoning Technique to summon the cat.