"We're not running?" Yugito asked, a flicker of unease in her voice. "What about our luggage?"
It was one thing to be put in a carriage, but the black cat had also sealed all of their belongings away with some kind of spatial ninjutsu. If it had been Minato Namikaze traveling with her, she wouldn't have thought twice. He was a genuinely kind and considerate senior, strong, with a warmth that reminded her of the sun.
But this cat...
A small, humorless smile touched her lips. The words 'gentle' and 'considerate' didn't even belong in the same sentence as him.
"Meow~ This way we conserve our energy," Takeshi answered simply.
'Besides,' he thought, 'it's for her own good.'
Compared to when she first arrived in Konoha, Yugito had put on at least thirty pounds. She'd filled out, losing the sharp edges of a kunoichi constantly on guard. If they traveled on foot, all that exercise would make her slim down again. And to preserve his handiwork... well, he couldn't have that. So, he'd rented a carriage.
Everyone had been surprised. But Jiraiya, that sly old fox, had definitely seen right through him. The knowing, half-smirking look he'd given Takeshi as they left Konoha might as well have had "I see your game" written all over it.
Takeshi wasn't bothered. It was just a harmless prank. He'd fattened her up, sure, but she'd enjoyed herself, hadn't she? Happiness was what mattered.
As for her figure, that would sort itself out once she was back in Kumogakure. Her village wasn't nearly as prosperous as Konoha, and as a jinchuriki, her treatment was bound to be poor. It wouldn't even take a year. A month or two, at most, and she'd be back to her old self.
'Of course, that process will likely involve some pain and suffering,' he mused, offering a silent blessing in his heart. 'But at least she will have this memory. She'll understand the thought I put into it, in my own strange way.'
The journey by carriage from Konoha to the border took time, but leaving the Land of Fire didn't mean they were anywhere close to Kumogakure. To reach the Land of Lightning, they first had to cross the Land of Iron. The carriage could take them no further.
On the outskirts of the first settlement, they disembarked to continue on foot.
"Take off your forehead protector," Takeshi said, tucking his own away into his spatial inventory along with hers. "Let's have a look around."
"Why?" Yugito asked, confused.
"Have you never heard of the Land of Iron?"
"I know about them," she said bluntly. "They're samurai, not shinobi. Raikage-sama said they were foolish for focusing on only one path and not worth imitating."
Fortunately, no one was around to hear her. If a local had overheard that, she likely would have earned herself a beating.
'Foolish?' Takeshi thought. 'He wouldn't go that far.'
It was the samurai spirit, bushido. By focusing on one path, they achieved a different kind of mastery. Still, if he had to choose between specializing in one art and learning more ninjutsu to protect himself, he'd choose survival every time. A sword master was formidable, but against an enemy with superior ninjutsu, that mastery meant little.
Take Mifune, for example. No matter how strong or fast his blade, could he outrun the Flying Thunder God? Unlikely.
He led Yugito down the main road, which he knew was a trade route that would eventually lead them to a town. Before long, they found one.
"So this is a town in the Land of Iron?" Yugito murmured, looking around.
"This is 'our' Land of Iron, meow," Takeshi corrected, stressing the word as he padded slowly into the settlement. He'd thought they might need to blend in, but a quick glance around told him it was pointless.
The town had a different feel entirely. It seemed every man and woman on the street wore a sword at their hip, and the rhythmic clang of hammers on steel rang out from open-fronted smithies. His being a cat was the least of their concerns, Yugito's clothes alone marked her as an outsider.
"There's nothing good to eat here," she muttered, her eyes scanning the stalls.
'The saying of raising a girl in comfort really isn't nonsense,' Takeshi mused. 'Look at her. The first thing she thinks of in a new place is food. She has no other hobbies.'
He cut that line of thought short. Her development was the Third Raikage's problem, not his.
He was about to step into a shop when a sudden prickle of awareness made him stop. In a fluid motion, he was back at Yugito's side, his tail dropping low and swaying gently. A heartbeat later, a figure appeared before them, hand resting on the hilt of his blade as he stared warily at Takeshi.
After a few tense seconds, the man spoke, his voice deep and steady. "You are the black cat, Takeshi. One of Konoha's 'Kidnapper Duo.' What business do you have in the Land of Iron?"
"The strong go where they please, and trouble follows," Takeshi replied with an innocent wave of his paw. "I'm just passing through. No need to mind me."
"He's Mifune," Yugito whispered, recognizing the samurai general. "The leader of the Land of Iron."
'So this is Mifune?' Takeshi thought, sizing him up. He still looked young, with thick, muscular arms that spoke of a lifetime dedicated to the sword. He was said to be the pinnacle of the samurai, the ceiling of the Land of Iron's strength. If their paths hadn't crossed, Takeshi wouldn't have cared. But now that they had... he felt an itch to make a move.
'Wait a second,' another thought surfaced. 'Konoha's Kidnapper Duo? What kind of title is that?'
"The Land of Iron is a neutral country," Mifune stated, his eyes narrowed. "During times of war, we do not grant passage to outsiders. I must ask you to take a detour."
He clearly didn't believe Takeshi for a second. Rumors of the black cat and Minato Namikaze rampaging across the nations, extorting and looting, had spread far and wide. Their reputation was abysmal.
Passing through? A wolf wouldn't enter sheep's group for no reason.
"Meow?" Takeshi tilted his head, feigning confusion as his gaze slowly turned unfriendly. 'It's almost like you want me to cause trouble.'
Samurai began to gather, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords. The black cat from Konoha... one of the infamous 'Kidnapper Duo.' Rumors painted him as a bandit who kidnapped village leaders for ransom. Just rumors, perhaps, but intelligence from every nation made them sound disturbingly plausible.
Mifune's grip tightened on his sword. He was tempted to draw.
But in the next instant,
*Swoosh!*
The air split with a sound too fast to be a blade. In the space between one breath and the next, Mifune felt something soft and heavy coil around his neck.
"Mifune-sama!"
"Let's talk this out! Please, don't harm Mifune-sama!"
The surrounding samurai shouted out in horror. The rumors were nothing compared to seeing it firsthand. Intelligence reports had said the cat was fast, a user of the Flying Thunder God, but no one had imagined speed like this. It was nearly indistinguishable from teleportation. It was terrifying.
No wonder he was capable of kidnapping Kage.
"As a neutral country, it is our policy not to allow outsiders passage during wartime," Mifune said, his face a mask of calm despite the tail wrapped around his throat. Before Takeshi had moved, he'd thought he might have a chance. Now, he knew he had none.
"Your information is a little out of date, meow," Takeshi purred, withdrawing his tail. "The wars ended several days ago."
It was a misunderstanding born of poor intelligence, but he didn't quite buy it. The old samurai had to have known the wars were over, he was just worried Takeshi would cause trouble.
Which meant...
"I was only passing through," Takeshi said, his voice dangerously soft. "But now, I think I'd like to stay as a guest. Meow."
Mifune took a deep breath. He had blundered. This creature couldn't be reasoned with, nor could he be intimidated. He was a tyrant. Konoha's Kidnapper truly lived up to their infamous reputation.
"The Land of Iron has a trade route to the Land of Lightning. Allow me to arrange a carriage to take you there," Mifune offered, his voice tight. He gestured for his men to stand down. "We also have local specialties... a small gift, to thank you for your understanding."
After Takeshi added the condition of a fine afternoon meal, he finally agreed.
Yugito watched in stunned silence, amazed by his maneuvering. Soon after, following a meal at Mifune's own residence, they were escorted to a private carriage bound for the border, their treatment nothing short of first-class.
Left behind, Mifune and his men could only lament how badly they had handled the situation.
He replayed the encounter in his mind. The cat targeted leaders of shinobi villages. By stepping forward and announcing himself as the leader of the Land of Iron, he had essentially painted a target on his own back, triggering some kind of predatory instinct. If he had just pretended not to recognize him, everything would have been fine.
He had been too impulsive. He needed to reflect on this.
"From this day forward," he announced to his men, "if we encounter Konoha's Kidnapper Duo, we are to maintain our distance. Abandoning the mission is authorized."
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