After being teased for a while, Kushina reluctantly released Raj at Minato's urging.
Minato then informed his beloved that he had a mission to undertake, immediately dampening Kushina's spirits.
Of course, missions were an unavoidable part of any ninja's life, and Kushina wasn't one to wallow in sentimentality.
She quickly adjusted her mindset.
However, Minato couldn't resist showering her with cheesy pick-up lines, and by the time he finished packing his ninja tools and gear, it was already late.
Since Raj hadn't left early, Minato's plan to use the Flying Thunder God Technique for a quick departure was now impossible.
As a result, Black Cat hitched a ride, quickly traveling from one corner of Konoha to the main gate on the other side.
Given the hour's head start, he should have arrived twenty minutes early.
But when Minato finally arrived, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were already waiting at the gate.
Besides them, a middle-aged man led a caravan.
Though called a caravan, its composition and scale hardly resembled a typical merchant group.
It was clear that this caravan's journey to Grass Country involved more than just trading goods.
Of course, none of that mattered.
Given that everyone had arrived except for Minato, who was the last to show up... He was "late" again.
"Teacher, you're so slow!" Obito grumbled, speechless.
"Hahaha, you guys just came too early! Don't worry about the details. Since everyone's here, let's get going. The sooner we reach the border, the sooner we can finish our business."
Minato chuckled awkwardly, then abruptly changed the subject.
"Meow~ If he hadn't gone to meet Teacher's Wife, Teacher Minato would definitely have arrived early! So it's just... mmmph!"
Raj tilted its head back to expose his lie, but Minato quickly clamped his hand over the cat's mouth, cutting him off.
"..."
Rin blushed slightly, seeing her teacher react this way for the first time.
But thinking about it, meeting Teacher's Wife before leaving... ahem, it's perfectly normal, right?
With a smile, Minato said, his hand still covering the cat's mouth, "Mr. Uemori, are we ready to depart?"
"Whenever you are," Takafumi Uemori replied with a slight nod.
Raj glanced sideways.
Takafumi Uemori was clearly not a ninja, yet his guards were either Konoha ninja or burly samurai.
This was no ordinary trade mission.
Then, it sniffed the air.
The metallic scent of iron.
Weapons?
Raj pondered, finally understanding that during wartime, there was something even more valuable and marketable than weapons!
No wonder they sent a Jonin squad.
"Teacher, we need to hurry. Let me carry Raj," Obito offered.
'Obito, are you out of your mind?!'
Raj was astonished.
Obito had always vehemently resisted when Raj jumped on his back for a "ride."
Now he was volunteering to carry her...
'This guy has changed!'
"Meow! Are you Guy in disguise?!"
Raj extended her paw, her expression skeptical.
"No, I just think you're a bit chubby-perfect for carrying extra weight," Obito retorted bluntly, his words hitting hard.
Raj lunged with its claws, but Rin pulled it back.
"Raj, behave. Obito, you don't need to carry her. I can manage," Rin said, bowing slightly in gratitude.
She then settled Raj in her usual spot on the Medical Kit, where she had specially modified the top into a cozy little nest.
Soon, the main group set off.
Since they were traveling with a merchant caravan, their pace was moderate, and the physical exertion wasn't strenuous.
Yet Obito bounced around incessantly, acting like a carbon copy of Guy.
As they continued... Kakashi grew increasingly tense, deeply suspecting that Obito might suddenly leap in front of him and spout incomprehensible nonsense about "youth," "passion," and "duels."
The two were becoming eerily similar.
Apart from the Uchiha crest and Sharingan, Obito was practically identical to Guy.
Equally eccentric and brimming with boundless energy.
Kakashi sighed inwardly.
'Being on a team with someone like this is a disaster.'
In contrast, Raj took it all in stride.
Obito was his most reliable source of Points-where else would he get them without such a goofy teammate?
Moreover, the most surprising thing was that he had even managed to extract Points from the notoriously good-natured Minato!
Though only a little over four hundred, a relatively low number considering Minato's strength, it was enough to break the embarrassing "zero" income streak.
'Keep it up!'
Raj lay sprawled in his little nest, gazing at his nearly six thousand Points with a heart full of contentment.
'Leaving Konoha means the Third Hokage, that greedy old dog, can't keep milking me for Points anymore.'
'But... scaring Hayate like that was probably a bit much.'
'Yugao Uzuki was genuinely terrified.'
'The two of them must have truly believed their end was near, even preparing to sacrifice themselves for each other.'
'Thankfully, neither of them abandoned the other. Otherwise, things would have been incredibly awkward later.'
Raj couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and regret.
Relief that he hadn't caused any truly disastrous consequences, and regret precisely because of that.
'Human psychology is truly a blend of angels and demons.'
'It's impossible to judge it solely by good or evil.'
Previously, the Medical Kit and Raj had been carried by Obito or Kakashi to conserve Rin's stamina.
But on this journey, Rin was determined to train her Taijutsu and refused to let them carry it.
Fortunately, the caravan only carried iron weapons like kunai and shuriken, so their pace wasn't too strenuous, though it was still slow.
It took them a full day to reach a relatively remote town in the Land of Fire.
They didn't stop there.
Although the next town was a long journey away, they were all either ninja, samurai, or hardy merchants accustomed to roughing it in the wilderness.
Sleeping under the stars was routine for them.
The sooner these ninja weapons were delivered, the sooner everyone could rest easy.
Until the handover in Grass Country, no one could sleep soundly in an inn.
Better to keep moving.
Raj had no complaints.
He ate and drank well in the wild, occasionally using his Wild Lion's Mane Technique to tease Obito and earn some Points-perhaps enough for a special bag of Cat Food.
The only challenge was eating discreetly.
He had to ensure no one saw the packaging, handling his Cat Food with extreme caution.
Even after finishing, he temporarily stored the empty bag back in his Item Space.
Besides Cat Food, he also enjoyed specially made dried fish from the Land of Whirlpools.
"This is a rare find!"
Traveling at such a relentless pace, their speed and efficiency were remarkable.
Apart from brief rests for the horses, the group pushed onward with minimal breaks.
In just five days, they reached a town on the Land of Fire's border.