"Meow~"
"Raj, you're awake! Come, I ordered a whole platter of grilled meat just for you to thank you for clearing the passage this afternoon," Rin said, rushing over with a large plate of roasted meat.
Raj pounced on the meat, devouring it ravenously.
Ninja Cats expend tremendous energy and thus require massive meals.
Raj wasted no time, swiftly finishing the plate before leaping onto the table.
"D-Dead... Dead Demon! Don't be so hasty! Here, have some meat," Obito stammered, nearly calling him "Dead Cat" before remembering the cat's vengeful nature.
He quickly corrected himself, pushing the meat in front of him toward Raj.
Raj glanced sideways, then raised a paw.
'Lao Tie, you know what's good for you. Since you're so sensible, I'll let you off this time.'
Raj quickly devoured the plate of meat, his hunger-sharpened eyes sweeping toward Kakashi's portion.
Kakashi's brow arched, his hand instinctively moving to the Thunder Fang Blade behind him.
But... only half a plate?
Who wants that!
The cat turned its gaze to Takafumi Uemori, clearly identifying him as the one footing the bill.
To Raj, however, the bill-payer and the free-loader were one and the same - a cat's prerogative.
Besides, after playing such a crucial role in the earlier battle, what was wrong with indulging a little?
"Raj!" Rin's face flushed crimson.
This cat is really... embarrassing its owner!
But she immediately remembered what Obito had told her: cats probably don't even have the concept of "owner."
'Hmm, that's what Obito said, and it's the conclusion the Uchiha clan reached after years of raising cats.'
"Ha ha ha! No worries, no worries! He's a hero! Let him eat his fill. Boss, another round of the same amount of grilled meat!"
"You got it!"
"Meow~ I'm so full!"
"Ha... ha ha, as long as you're full, that's all that matters," Takafumi Uemori's lips twitched.
He secretly regretted his decision.
This cat eats way too much!
Thank goodness not all cats are this gluttonous.
Otherwise, only the noble ladies of Kyoto in the Land of Fire could afford to keep them.
"Mr. Uemori, now that the goods have been delivered to the merchant caravan, we have other missions and can't accompany you back to Konoha," Minato said.
"Ah, right, right. Thank you for your help on this trip. I truly hope I can have such a strong team protecting me again when I come to Grass Country next time," Takafumi Uemori said sincerely.
Although treating them to a meal had cost him a considerable sum, the team's strength alone was worth the price.
Without them, he never would've reached Grass Country so easily.
On the other hand, if he kept treating them to meals, he'd barely make any profit from this trip.
So he was naturally pleased when Minato and his team decided to leave.
The most dangerous part of their journey had been getting to Grass Country.
The return trip wouldn't be intercepted by Iwagakure.
After all, Iwagakure wasn't after mere money; they wanted ironware, ninja tools, and explosive tags-items essential
For shinobi warfare that couldn't be measured in gold during wartime.
On the way back, Black Cat lay contentedly on the Medical Kit, the faint aroma of grilled meat still lingering in his breath.
Meat that didn't cost him a penny always tasted better.
His belly was stuffed, but if Rin hadn't stopped him, he could have devoured another plate...
"Raj, you can really eat! You ate four times as much as me!"
Obito called out from ahead, alternating between handstands and sprints, peppering his words with playful taunts.
Before Raj could respond, Kakashi cut in sharply.
"That's because you're weak. You spent the whole time watching from the sidelines without lifting a finger. Black Cat and I did all the work, burning through our Chakra. Naturally, we needed more fuel."
"..."
Obito fell silent, unable to retort.
A sudden ache welled up in his eyes, threatening tears.
'Is it my fault?'
His opponents were all using Earth Release techniques, rendering his Fire Release ninjutsu completely ineffective.
As for Taijutsu, it was well-known that Iwa Ninja excelled in physical combat, and their Earth Release techniques made them particularly formidable.
'Hmm, should I consider developing my skills in that direction too?'
He began to ponder, his mind racing through the Uchiha clan's various strengths.
Gradually, his eyes lit up.
'That's right! How could I forget about my Sharingan? Earth Release combined with Taijutsu is strong, but I can use my Sharingan to observe and learn it!'
The Sharingan's greatest advantage lay in its unparalleled observational abilities.
The Uchiha clan had long known about this method of observation and learning.
However, those with exceptional talent tended to rely on their clan's Secret Techniques, while those with lesser talent struggled to quickly master their opponents' ninjutsu.
Over time, this method had become somewhat of a niche application.
But Obito's thinking differed from his clanmates.
His philosophy was simple: if he couldn't defeat an opponent, he would learn their techniques and use them against other enemies.
By accumulating enough skills, he believed he would eventually become incredibly powerful.
'Hmm, from now on, whenever I face a tough opponent, I'll use my Sharingan to study their techniques.'
He had finally realized his shortcomings, but he overlooked one crucial flaw: his theoretical knowledge was woefully inadequate.
The Sharingan's replication isn't a simple copy-paste.
Instead, it involves using its extraordinary perception to observe the opponent's hand seals and Chakra flow in slow motion, then analyzing and learning the technique independently.
In essence, the success rate of replication depends on one's intelligence and theoretical knowledge.
Obito wasn't unintelligent, but his theoretical knowledge... Not that Raj looked down on him, but Obito had never passed a theory exam.
While his ideas were good, becoming the "Copy Ninja" would require a long and arduous journey.
Fortunately, Obito didn't boast about his plans, denying Black Cat and the masked man the chance to deflate his ego.
He remained immersed in his "genius inspiration" and "perfect scheme."
The Grass Country wasn't vast, and since they no longer needed to follow the caravan's route, they took the most direct path back to the Land of Fire's border.
The Land of Fire and the Grass Country rarely clashed, with virtually no wars between them.
Consequently, the border region was relatively populated.
However, this time they didn't need to stop for supplies, merely passing through without lingering.
After crossing the border, Raj's dinner had partially digested, allowing him to finally get down and stretch his legs.
To be honest, he had eaten way too much earlier and felt uncomfortably full.
He hadn't noticed it while eating, but afterward, he felt quite uncomfortable.
He had been too stuffed to move earlier, but now he could finally start digesting the food.
"Raj, you're finally getting down! Speaking of which, Teacher, how much longer until we reach our destination? Aren't we supposed to be heading back to the village? This road doesn't seem to be the way back."