However, mastery wasn't guaranteed; each Ninja Beast had its own elemental affinities.
Fortunately, Needle Jizo was relatively versatile.
Matatabi attempted the technique.
Though it didn't master it immediately, it could sense its potential and felt confident it could learn it.
After a moment's contemplation, it finally asked, "Are all your techniques like this? Can you teach them to us?"
"Exactly! But I wouldn't recommend widespread dissemination, meow~." Raj stretched.
"Focus on improving yourself first. Then help me spread it to a few trustworthy cats. Prioritize nurturing a small group of your own first."
"Meow!" Matatabi nodded slightly, bowing his head in agreement.
This meant he was willing to lead the Ninja Cat Castle into submission and cooperate fully with Raj's plans.
It felt very real.
He had been mentally prepared for this.
He had initially felt a slight discomfort, but that had vanished now.
The benefits Raj offered were simply too good to refuse.
No one wants to be weak.
Matatabi had once considered himself strong, but after witnessing Raj's power, he realized he was merely a bully within the Ninja Cat Castle, utterly insignificant beyond its walls.
'Ah, that's another reason I stayed cooped up at home.'
But now things were different.
With access to methods for becoming stronger and learning Ninjutsu, why wouldn't he seize the opportunity?
Under these circumstances, becoming a willing enforcer was a no-brainer.
"Meow~ I'll bring you some Chakra testing paper later. First, determine your Chakra nature, and then I'll teach you a few techniques," Raj said.
Raj acted generously and boldly.
In truth, he had every right to be confident.
His monthly share from Dou's operations was substantial, and Konoha paid him a separate salary after his promotion to Special Jonin.
Between these income streams, he had plenty of funds to spare, making buying some Chakra testing paper a trivial expense.
"Meow!" Matatabi nodded in agreement.
"Meow~ I'm going to check on Ori. You keep sleeping," Raj said.
Raj waved a paw and left the grand hall, using the Expansion Jutsu to enlarge itself.
It followed the road and the lingering scent to find Uzumaki Ori.
This was its first visit to the girl's quarters since she moved here.
Numerous Ninja Cats lined the path, but none dared to obstruct Raj.
Seeing it emerge from Matatabi's chambers, its immense size, and its aura no less imposing than Matatabi's
On their own, they scattered like frightened mice.
Before Raj could even reach Ori's door, the girl opened it and stepped out.
"Lord Raj, do you have any orders for me?"
"Just checking on you, meow..."
Still in its enlarged form, Raj watched as a flurry of Ninja Cats fled the room in a panic, their escape resembling a desperate evacuation.
Within moments, the surroundings were eerily deserted.
'What's going on? Am I some kind of plague god?!'
Still, this was the desired effect.
Otherwise, these stubborn cats would have pestered it to death along the way.
Raj shrunk back to its normal size and entered the room, finding it meticulously cleaned, though a few cat hairs inevitably remained on the floor.
'Looks like quite a few cats visit here regularly.'
"Meow, how have you been lately?"
"At first, Lord Matatabi had me sweeping the main hall, but he soon stopped asking me to do anything. Instead, he started taking extra care of me. I felt bad about it, so I used my natural abilities to heal the cats' injuries."
Ori smiled sweetly.
Since coming here, her speech had become noticeably more fluent.
Without worrying about food or survival, she was living a comfortable life.
But Raj immediately grew wary.
Unable to directly warn her for certain reasons, it thought for a moment and said, "All innate abilities have their flaws, meow. I'll teach you some basic medical ninjutsu later...
Do you know how to refine Chakra?"
"I learned it a long time ago." Uzumaki Ori nodded gently.
"Meow~ Excellent! I'll get someone to find a book on Ninja Cat medical ninjutsu, along with some massage techniques and skills. That way, you can truly settle in here."
If Ori were properly trained, given how she was already helping the Ninja Cats, she could become the "Castle Caretaker," working alongside Matatabi to help Raj manage the Ninja Cat Castle.
Of course, this was also because Ori was willing to help the Ninja Cats, and Raj was simply going with the flow.
Its true goal wasn't to exploit her, but rather to tame these notoriously wild Ninja Cats.
Only cats truly understand the minds of other cats.
While caretakers can't fully control cats, without them, these felines would run even more rampant-Matatabi included.
"Meow~ I finally have a Ninjutsu!"
Inside the Tenshu Pavilion of Ninja Cat Castle, Matatabi's massive body rolled around in the spacious hall.
Though he hadn't mastered it yet, he could clearly sense his potential to do so.
This was perfectly normal.
As a high-level Ninjutsu, Needle Jizo would typically cost at least 5,000 to 6,000 Points.
However, the fur-based technique resonated strongly with furred Ninja Beasts, making it exceptionally easy to acquire.
This synergy also made the Ninja Cat's training remarkably straightforward.
It wasn't just Matatabi.
Any furred Ninja Beast taught the System version of Needle Jizo's training method would develop an inexplicable confidence: 'I can learn this!'
Therefore, Matatabi's current behavior was rather embarrassing...
"Should I leave first, meow?"
Raj paused at the doorway, his entire body cringing at the sight of the clumsy cat's endless rolling.
'Are these my fellow cats? This is so embarrassing for us cats! I need to teach them some manners. They get excited over the smallest things.'
"Meow meow meow?"
Matatabi quickly righted itself, patting its body with its paw.
'So it does know how embarrassing this is.'
Raj mentally scoffed.
'Matatabi's points are too meager to bother harvesting. Otherwise, I'd have drained him until he was mortified.'
Even so, the foolish cat had honestly contributed over a hundred points.
Raj didn't even glance at the points, too disdainful to open the system panel.
Instead, he crouched down and said, "Meow~ By the way, if anyone asks where these things came from, just say you're from another Ninja Cat Realm and your bloodline awakened, establishing a connection. Understand, meow?"
"Meow meow!"
Matatabi nodded vigorously, its forked tail swishing back and forth.
Raj waved his paw and left.
Afterward, the silly cat couldn't resist rolling around again.
But after a few turns, a thought began to gnaw at its mind.
'Could there really be another Ninja Cat Realm?'
'At least, Raj must have come from there.'
'How else could he possess such bizarre and wondrous items? And that bloodline... it was truly overwhelming.'
'Besides... I'm different from ordinary Ninja Cats too. Maybe I also came from that Ninja Cat Realm. It's hard to say, isn't it?'