Asuma, who considered himself naturally talented, couldn't stand being left behind.
Of course, if that were all, Jiraiya wouldn't be so troubled.
What truly bothered him was the boy's overactive mind.
Asuma was constantly pondering things that were beyond his years, things that were pointless for him to dwell on at his age.
Take the Will of Fire, for example.
Asuma was only nine years old, yet he analyzed everything through the lens of the Will of Fire, often sparking heated debates with others.
The Third Hokage was too busy to properly supervise Asuma, leaving the boy outwardly obedient but inwardly wild.
Only Kurenai could truly keep him in check.
Now there was one more: Raj.
Jiraiya had heard this from the Third Hokage himself.
"Meow? Cat got your tongue? Speak up!" Raj glared at him, annoyed.
'You're putting on quite the show with those eyes, but why don't you just tell me what's going on?'
Jiraiya scratched his head, then leaned in and whispered, "Just keep him for now. You don't have any missions lately anyway..."
"We haven't settled the score for you sending me away from the camp, meow!" Raj raised his right paw in a symbolic threat.
"Ahem, I'll give you an extra ten percent of the royalties later."
"Meow! Right, you still haven't explained how the royalties are split!" Raj had almost forgotten about this.
The last time he asked Jiraiya about the royalty split, the man had been evasive, and Raj had gotten distracted by other matters.
'Good thing I brought it up.'
Jiraiya froze for a moment, then, looking embarrassed and slightly annoyed, held up three fingers.
Seeing Raj's paw about to strike, he quickly added another finger.
"That's all I can offer! Hand-writing is exhausting!"
"Meow~ That's what I deserve! Asuma's situation can't be counted like that. What other benefits are there?" Raj waved his paw, demanding compensation for being sent to the mountains, not to mention Asuma's case.
Jiraiya was speechless.
'This Black Cat's heart is darker than its fur!'
'An extra ten percent of the royalties isn't enough?'
'Doesn't this cat realize how wildly successful my book will be?'
'An extra ten percent is already a huge windfall!'
'Cats are never satisfied.'
'What's the point of having so much money? To use it as cat litter?'
Jiraiya mentally ranted, his mind racing as he pondered how to get Raj to willingly take on this task.
After careful consideration, he realized it wouldn't be easy.
The main problem was that he had no idea what Raj wanted.
After a moment's thought, he decided to ask directly: "What do you want?"
"Meow~ Find me an assistant, preferably someone who..."
"I can keep Asuma in line," Raj replied instantly.
If someone could control Asuma, Jiraiya wouldn't have to worry about him anymore. He could just dump the kid on that person.
Noticing Jiraiya's skeptical gaze, Raj waved a paw and said softly, "Meow~ You're going to foist me onto Lady Kurenai? A single cat managing her daughter?
Wouldn't she be worried?"
"..."
Jiraiya glanced up and saw Kurenai standing nearby, her eyes narrowing slightly. She had clearly overheard their conversation.
Illusion users often have keen senses.
After a moment's thought, he suggested quietly, "Why don't you talk to Kurenai yourself?"
'Huh?'
Raj looked up and met Kurenai's gaze from a short distance away. The old father's "gentle gaze" and cold expression were accompanied by a slight nod of acknowledgment before the Illusion Technique descended.
'Tch.'
Kurenai's Illusion Technique was highly refined. At first, Raj didn't notice any obvious changes, but upon closer examination, he could clearly sense that he was trapped in an illusion.
"Kurenai, I'm entrusting her to your care for a while. As for Asuma... you might as well keep an eye on him too. Let him cause whatever trouble he wants. Don't worry about Tsurugi-just give him some guidance."
With that, Kurenai instantly dispelled the illusion, wasting not a single strand of Chakra.
Raj couldn't help but sigh at the obviousness of the man's attitude. But it made sense.
No father would have kind feelings toward someone eyeing his daughter, especially after Asuma's recent lackluster performance.
He'd clamored to come to the front lines, dragging Kurenai into the mess as well. Caring for him?
The fact that Kurenai hadn't already beaten the boy was a show of restraint.
However, Kurenai's words also carried another implication: he would be taking Kurenai back soon. That was good news.
"Did it work?" Jiraiya was curious about what Mahiro had said to Asuma, and even more curious about the agreement they had reached.
In response to his question, Raj smiled faintly, his feline facial muscles twitching as he purred, "Meow~ Guess."
Raj shook his fur after speaking. The night dew was heavy, and Masaki Uchiha, who had rushed over without paying attention to the path, had soaked Raj's fur.
Fortunately, a quick shake was all it took to dry off.
But Jiraiya...
He glanced down at the meat in his hand, then took a deep breath to suppress the nameless fire rising within him.
He couldn't bring himself to eat the meager remaining piece.
Casually tossing the meat into the fire with a kunai flick, he grabbed Raj and said, "With Asuma, train him like you trained Obito. Don't worry about the old man, but if you push him too hard and he throws a tantrum, you'll have to deal with it yourself."
"Meow! Most tantrums happen because they haven't been disciplined enough. Many cats are like that...," Raj replied matter-of-factly.
Jiraiya's hands twitched. He suddenly realized Raj's words made sense.
This black cat probably hadn't been disciplined enough as a kitten, which explained why he was such a troublemaker now.
However, considering that the Flying Thunder God Technique Raj possessed was crucial for the upcoming war, Jiraiya suppressed his urge to act.
To maintain the element of surprise, only Kakashi, the Third Hokage, Minato, and Jiraiya himself knew about Raj's mastery of the technique.
Jiraiya cautioned in a low voice, "But be careful using that technique. Don't let them find out."
"Huh?"
'So, I shouldn't use the Flying Thunder God Technique in front of Asuma and the others, huh? The fewer people who know, the better.'
This was quite inconvenient.
But then he remembered how weak Asuma was. His own strength alone would be enough to provoke the boy.
There was no need to use such a powerful weapon like the Flying Thunder God Technique. Besides, what if using it caused Asuma to have a mental breakdown and run away from home?
'The minds of brats are forever unfathomable.'