The fact that cats can speak human language doesn't change their brains.
They don't undergo any deeper transformations.
With their current intelligence, they can basically forget about becoming kings.
If Raj knew this, he'd definitely make the stupid cat feel utterly ashamed.
To think he also came from the Ninja Cat Realm... How shameless!
But even if the cat spoke now, Raj wouldn't hear it.
He'd already used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to the desolate training grounds-the barren mountains and wilderness where Jiraiya had exiled him.
How tragic!
Still, considering how much Points Kakashi and Obito had given him these past few days, he felt a bit better.
He'd trained them while also avoiding the spotlight outside.
So Raj just thought about it in his head, mentally grumbling, ate a special portion of cat food to replenish his Chakra, and casually observed Kakashi and Obito's progress.
Still running, working hard.
'Too bad I can't go outside and see what's happening... Well, time for a nap.'
'By the time I wake up, those three will have had their fun.'
Raj, his Chakra exhausted and his mind weary, decided to take a comfortable nap.
He figured by the time he woke up, the others would be tired too, giving him the perfect opportunity to mess with them.
'Hmm, that's the plan.'
He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep almost immediately.
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were still pushing themselves.
Over the past few days, they had truly experienced the benefits of running through the mountains without using Chakra.
In truth, this training method wasn't much different from Guy's usual routine, except for the added challenge of chasing rats.
Raj woke up near evening, his stomach growling.
He looked up groggily and saw Kakashi, Obito, and Rin squatting nearby, roasting three or four fish.
It looked like they were planning to spend the night here.
'What are you doing?! Are you guys staying here tonight?'
"You're awake, Raj," Rin said, her eyes shining with determination.
"We've decided to cut our rest time short by a day. After we eat, we're going back to training."
"Balance is key, you know," Raj grumbled.
Raj couldn't help but advise, "All this training is exhausting! I can't keep up, and I just want to go back to my tent and sleep!"
"No, I need to train!"
Kakashi clenched his fist, a dozen rats lined up beside him.
In just four or five days, he had already adapted to the weighted gear and could now catch over a dozen rats while wearing it.
Today's haul alone surpassed Obito's total.
This gave him a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
Raj studied the trio for a moment.
Kakashi radiated confidence, Rin was brimming with enthusiasm, while Obito looked slightly dejected.
'I see. The problem is you again, Kakashi. A few days without training, and you think you're hot stuff again? Time to put you in your place.'
"Alright, let's use this opportunity for some special training. I'll only use half my speed."
Raj's expression remained impassive as he pulled out the Rat Puppet and began channeling Chakra into it.
After a good night's sleep, his stamina and energy had fully recovered, and refining Chakra posed no problem whatsoever.
"Half speed? I can definitely handle that."
Kakashi's eyes shone with the confidence of a prodigy and a strong warrior-the kind of arrogance Raj loved to crush.
'Obito, that loser, wouldn't even yield any Points if I beat him down.'
Raj poured half his Chakra into the Puppet, saying as he did, "Get ready. It's starting soon."
"Hmph, I'll make it-"
"Kakashi, stop talking! Please, just focus on training properly, okay?"
Obito quickly stopped him, knowing Kakashi was about to make another rash statement.
Hadn't the "one-legged hop" incident taught him enough?
Why give Raj more ammunition?
He understood Kakashi all too well, and he knew Raj even better.
"..."
Kakashi trailed off mid-sentence, clearly reminded of a painful past experience.
Yet he couldn't resist the urge to retaliate, to reclaim his pride after such humiliation.
But... What if they really couldn't catch it?
The boy was torn, unable to continue.
Raj sighed regretfully.
"You may remove your weights now. We'll begin in three seconds. Anyone who hasn't removed their weights by then will wear them for the entire journey. Get ready."
Boom!
The three trainees simultaneously dropped their weights, the thunderous crash echoing through the silent valley and startling countless birds preparing to roost.
"Kakashi, you should summon your Ninja Dogs," Rin suggested kindly.
"They'll help us track it better."
Kakashi seethed inwardly.
Even his own teammates doubted him?
After all their training, couldn't they even catch a half-speed Rat?
This was a gross underestimation of his abilities.
He wanted to refuse, but seeing Rin's earnest expression, he could only sigh softly and perform the summoning hand seals, summoning three small Ninja Dogs.
All three hounds possessed tracking abilities, but Pakkun was the strongest, while the other two were slightly weaker.
Kakashi assigned Pakkun to himself and distributed the remaining two
Pakkun and the others were completely used to it.
Watching dogs chase rats was quite amusing, but seeing Kakashi and the others often fail to catch even a single rat, the guide dogs didn't feel too embarrassed.
"Begin." Raj activated the Rat Puppet, and the tiny construct immediately darted forward.
Having been warned by Raj, Pakkun and the others could only track the puppet, not participate in the chase, so they remained still.
"Hmph, half speed won't be fast enough." Kakashi, brimming with confidence, waited for the Rat Puppet to sprint ahead before giving chase.
Their formation, as arranged by Rin, formed a triangular shape to encircle the puppet. Rin, being the slowest, simply needed to stay at the rear.
Rin executed her role perfectly, while Kakashi and Obito used their explosive bursts of speed to overtake the half-speed Rat Puppet. But just as they passed it, the puppet abruptly swerved left.
"???"
'Isn't this thing just an inanimate object? How is it so intelligent?!'
"Turn quickly," Rin shouted.
Their formation was meant to form an encirclement. If they couldn't keep the Rat Puppet contained, Obito would drift further away, and the encirclement would collapse.
However, Kakashi discovered another flaw in his training: his current speed was too great to allow for sharp turns. He watched helplessly as he continued to hurtle forward in a straight line...
"How tragic, meow!" Raj seized the opportunity, using the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport beside Kakashi and immediately launch a verbal assault.
As he'd predicted, Kakashi's training had focused primarily on linear speed. His turning ability was inferior even to Obito's, let alone the agility of this small, nimble Rat Puppet.
At half speed, the puppet was still more than enough to overwhelm him.
"I can catch it!" Kakashi gritted his teeth, activating Lightning Release Chakra to stimulate his body before swiftly turning to pursue the Rat Puppet.