"Ha, the enemy has already retreated."
After speaking, Hizashi Hyuga leaped behind a tree and pulled out an unconscious ninja.
This was the ninja whose "Puppet" scent Raj had detected earlier.
A Sunagakure Anbu ninja skilled in Puppet Technique, but against the Byakugan, he had little advantage.
Under those eyes, neither puppet nor puppeteer could hide.
"Meow?"
'You mobilized the entire camp's reconnaissance team with such fanfare, and now you're telling me they've retreated?!'
Raj's mood soured.
"We were only testing their defenses. If they wanted war, they wouldn't have sent just a tracking team... Come to think of it, why am I explaining this to a cat?"
Hizashi Hyuga trailed off, sighing softly.
No matter how clever a cat is, it can't possibly understand such things.
"Meow!"
Raj let out a sharp cry, leaping up and swiping at Hizashi's hand with lightning speed - his claws moving with the same blinding speed as the Hyuga Clan's pressure point strikes.
Perfect!
Though Hizashi Hyuga didn't say the words, his expression clearly conveyed the sentiment.
He instantly withdrew his hand and retaliated with a counter-strike, engaging the cat in a flurry of hand-to-paw combat, each vying for dominance in a battle of speed.
But the next moment...
"Opening Gate!"
In an instant, three claw marks appeared on Hizashi's hand.
No blood flowed, demonstrating Raj's precise control over his strength.
The problem was, these three claw marks were highly visible.
Hizashi would likely need to have a Medical Ninja treat them upon his return.
This would inevitably reveal that he had been scratched by a cat.
Hizashi Hyuga glanced at his hand.
As the head of the Branch Family, how utterly bored must he be to engage in a speed game with a cat?
Winning offered no benefit, while losing would damage his reputation.
Shinku Yuhi had been right all along: pets like cats and dogs were simply not worth keeping, even Ninja Beasts.
He needed to exercise restraint!
With a lack of enthusiasm, he said, "Let's go. The Sunagakure's Anbu forces have already retreated, and we have significantly more personnel available for intelligence gathering.
We can wrap things up here."
"Meow~ My battle merits, and..."
Raj, clinging to Hizashi Hyuga, couldn't resist reminding him.
After spending some time with the Branch Family Head, it realized that this tragic Hyuga Branch Family tool, despite being in his twenties, was actually quite easy to get along with.
"I haven't forgotten," Hizashi snapped, glaring sideways at the cat.
Initially, he had taken an interest in the cat because of its strength and intelligence, seeing it as a valuable ally.
But as time passed, he began to sense that something was off about the cat - something seriously off.
On their way back to camp, Raj tried provoking Hizashi by messing with his hairstyle, clothes, and other things, but Hizashi either neutralized the attempts or simply refused to award any points.
It wasn't that Hizashi had a good temper; he had simply mentally prepared himself for the cat's mischief.
Later, Raj started scrutinizing Hizashi's eyes and the surrounding area.
It was curious about how the veins bulged every time he activated his Byakugan.
Were the Hyuga Clan's blood vessels somehow different?
"..."
Hizashi shot it a sidelong glance, but even without activating his Byakugan, his eyes were nearly completely white.
Unless you were looking directly at him, it was almost impossible to tell whether he was glancing at you or not.
Raj knew Hizashi was watching him.
It was a feeling.
As the man and cat stared at each other, Raj's paw drew closer to Hizashi's eye.
Hizashi tilted his head and glared at it with a warning look.
Only then did the cat retract its would-be criminal paw.
He regretted inviting this cat to the Hyuga Branch Family compound.
The creature was utterly lawless, showing no respect or reverence whatsoever - a stark contrast to the Hyuga Clan's dignified demeanor.
Of course, mere mischief wasn't the real problem; the cat's formidable strength was the true concern.
While the Hyuga Clan undoubtedly had Jonin capable of subduing Raj, no self-respecting Jonin would stoop to attacking a one-year-old cat.
If they failed to defeat it swiftly, resulting in a stalemate, the Uchiha Clan would likely laugh themselves silly.
They couldn't give their rivals such an opportunity for ridicule.
'I'll bring Rin next time. She's its master and should be'
Hizashi thought to himself, simultaneously making another silent decision.
'I should be able to keep this black cat in check. Henceforth, the clan will follow the Yuhi Clan's example and ban cats and dogs entirely, no matter how adorable they might be.'
"Meow?"
'Why did my Points just increase? What did I even do?'
Raj was bewildered.
While gaining Points was always welcome, the problem was he couldn't remember doing anything to earn them.
'It felt like I'd been inexplicably saddled with the blame for something I didn't even do. Could it be...? Ah, I get it now - it's the eyes!'
Raj realized his mistake.
Whether Hyuga or Branch Family, their eyes were their most prized possession.
Now that he thought about it, reaching out to touch the flesh around Hizashi's eyes had been a truly suicidal move.
'Sigh, my innate curiosity just can't be suppressed!'
His paws twitched, still drawn to Hizashi's eyes.
Though Hizashi was known for his gentle nature, even he had his limits.
So...
The next moment, Gentle Fist: Pressure Point Strike.
Thump, thump!
After a few strikes, Raj felt the chakra in his paws sealed.
Though not completely, this left his limbs unable to channel chakra, severely weakening his strength and speed.
"Meow~ I was just curious. Are the blood vessels and nerves around your Hyuga Clan's eyes particularly thick? That's why you get those bulging veins when you use the Byakugan, right?"
Debuffed and knowing he couldn't currently withstand the Gentle Fist, Raj reluctantly submitted.
Yet driven by curiosity, he couldn't resist asking the question.
"Stop messing around. We're almost back at the camp."
Hinata Hizashi couldn't help but admire that young Uchiha boy.
Raj was practically hyperactive, constantly causing trouble, yet it was stronger than the boy.
How had the kid endured this for so long?
'No, the one he should really pity was the Nohara Family girl... Raising a Ninja Cat must be truly miserable.'
He grabbed the cat by the scruff of its neck, then, with a Sunagakure ninja in one hand and Raj in the other, he sprinted back to camp.
Kakashi, Obito, and Shibi Aburame returned from their reconnaissance mission, having received the signal that the Sunagakure ninja were retreating.
They hurried back to camp to rest and regroup.
But halfway there...
"Senior Hizashi?"