Giving cat food to humans was a small experiment. Uncertain of the effects, he only offered the cheapest special cat food.
For cats, it had no side effects, rapidly restored stamina, replenished some Chakra, and, with long-term use, could even grant Chakra to cats without cultivation aptitude.
'This is good stuff too.'
"Cat food?"
Obito bristled at the suggestion.
'How could we eat cat food?'
But the next moment, his eyes met Raj's, and he seemed to see the creature's silent retort: 'What's wrong with cat food?'
He quickly backtracked.
"I don't mind, but Kakashi..."
"I-I'm fine too," Kakashi insisted, forcing himself to sit up.
'If cats can eat it, why can't humans?'
Back when his father was still alive, he'd even fought dogs for scraps.
He'd eat anything that gave him an advantage.
That's how ruthless he was.
"What about Rin?" Obito asked in despair, turning to Rin.
To his surprise, she had already taken a packet, torn it open, and was carefully savoring a bite.
After a few seconds, Rin took a few more mouthfuls, speaking slowly and weakly, "It's not poisonous, and it seems to replenish stamina. It's slightly better than my Soldier Pills, but I'm not sure how filling it is."
"Let me try it."
Obito immediately reached out to grab some, completely forgetting his earlier near-death act.
After taking a bite, his eyes lit up.
"It really works!"
Kakashi scooped up a handful, lifted his mask slightly, and tasted it.
The corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward.
The effect was slightly better than Soldier Pills, and while the food wasn't particularly delicious, it was far more palatable than the pills.
Soldier Pills were useful. Eating one restored stamina, and with stamina, one could generate Chakra.
However, a major drawback was the intense feeling of fullness after consuming too many.
Moreover, according to Konoha tradition, to prevent overuse, the pills were deliberately made to taste terrible.
Although Rin had considerable talent, she was still young and hadn't had enough experience making Soldier Pills.
As a result, the taste of her version was... even worse than the master craftsmen's.
The cat food was a godsend.
After tasting it, they discovered its restorative effects were even stronger than Soldier Pills, and most importantly, it didn't leave them feeling overly full.
One bag was distributed to each of them, with an extra bag given to Rin.
The trio happily divided the rations, though Rin insisted on sharing her portion equally.
Obito and Kakashi both refused.
They had witnessed Rin's tireless efforts firsthand.
As a girl, she was already at a physical disadvantage, so having extra rations was only fair.
As for them... they still had their Soldier Pills.
They sighed.
Before long, the trio had regained their energy and resumed wreaking havoc in the forest.
Raj pondered the situation.
With nothing else to do, he decided to visit Matatabi.
Although long-range Flying Thunder God Technique consumed a significant amount of Chakra, the ruins were closer than Konoha.
Last time, transporting Ori had only drained about 70-80% of his Chakra.
Traveling alone should require even less.
After a moment's deliberation, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and teleported to Ninja Cat Castle.
He would have to visit Ninja Cat Castle sooner or later anyway.
Raj had pinned many of his schemes on this place, and now was the perfect time to threaten them into submission, unify their narratives, and boost their collective strength.
The Ninjutsu exchanged through the System weren't limited to Raj's use; other Ninja Cats could also wield them.
However, he had no immediate plans for widespread dissemination.
Cats were inherently wild creatures, notoriously difficult to train.
Achieving complete obedience from them was even more challenging than ascending to heaven.
Raj had spent an eternity taming just the Two-Tailed Cat alone.
Of course, Matatabi's exceptional strength also contributed to the difficulty.
Ninja Cat Castle.
Matatabi lay sprawled in his chamber, bored out of his mind, pondering whether he should get up and exercise.
It wasn't just boredom; ever since devouring that bag of Deluxe Cat Food, he'd noticed he'd gained weight-a stubborn kind of fat that refused to budge and left him restless and unable to sleep at night.
The problem was, he didn't want to go outside.
He'd finally managed to hole up at home, but who knew how much longer he'd be able to stay?
'Ugh, this sucks!'
Ninja Cats possessed a strong sense of territory and deep respect for the strong.
If Raj were to openly defeat him in battle, the lordship of Ninja Cat Castle would swiftly change hands.
That was just the harsh reality.
As his thoughts drifted, a sudden weight pressed down on his head, as if a creature had materialized out of thin air.
Matatabi sighed softly.
This familiar scenario, that loathsome yet terrifying scent... Yes, it was a real cat this time.
"Meow?"
"Meow..."
Communication between cats is often dry and simple, a few meows enough for them to understand each other.
Matatabi knew this Black Cat had gotten him into trouble.
Raj retrieved four bags of Ninja Cat Food, lining them up in front of Matatabi.
"How did you like the last batch of cat food, meow~?" he asked.
"It was fine, except for being a bit too filling. Get to the point," Matatabi said.
Matatabi's eyes were dull, too lazy to even meow properly.
Though he didn't know the specifics, Matatabi sensed Raj had dug a massive pit for him.
The situation must be dire - why else would this guy personally come and immediately lay out four bags of cat food?
'It's like a weasel visiting a chicken coop to wish them a happy new year!'
"Meow... You seem to have gotten much stronger, speaking to me like that. To be honest... I did set a trap for you all. But if you cooperate with me, every Ninja Cat can become even stronger."
Raj raised a paw.
His fur lengthened, infused with Wind Release Chakra, each strand becoming as sharp as a steel needle.
This was Ninjutsu.
Though the Ninja Cat Castle housed many cats, none possessed Ninjutsu abilities.
Even their leader, the Two-Tailed Cat, relied on natural mutations for his strength, his power stemming purely from Taijutsu.
"..."
Matatabi twitched its paw but remained silent.
It didn't believe Raj would willingly teach them such a crucial technique, nor did it think such a technique could be taught.
After all, Ninja Beast techniques were primarily passed down through inheritance rather than instruction, and only a handful could be learned through teaching.
Moreover, Raj's carrot-and-stick approach - aiming to seize control of Ninja Cat Castle without bloodshed - left Matatabi uneasy, despite having anticipated it.
"Don't believe me? Meow~ Fair enough. Let's start with something simple. You've already paid the price."
Raj then taught Matatabi the Ninja Cat version of Needle Jizo.