Raj pinned one enemy under each paw, gazing down at them.
The two were terrified; while cats might be cute, when enlarged to the size of tigers, all traces of cuteness vanished.
At that moment, they felt like mice, lucky to be alive.
On Raj's System Panel, Points surged upward in increments of ten.
After a few seconds, Raj lifted its paws.
The two sighed in relief.
But then...
The cat sprawled horizontally across their chests, as if using them as pillows, occasionally shifting its weight.
"We surrender! We surrender! Take the stuff!" the Amegakure Ninja screamed in agony.
The Expansion Jutsu-enhanced cat was simply too heavy.
This was Raj showing mercy; if it had grown to the size of an elephant, it could've crushed them instantly.
"Why are you chasing us, meow?"
Raj reverted to his original form.
Maintaining the Expansion Jutsu consumed Chakra, and he didn't want to waste his energy unnecessarily.
"The second stage of the Chunin Exams requires obtaining two headbands to pass," one of the Amegakure Ninja explained, trembling. "We got this intel with the Waterfall Ninja. Since you guys looked the weakest, we followed you..."
The two Amegakure Ninja dared not lie.
This cat might seem cute and approachable now, but his ruthlessness was horrifying.
And... his enlarged form was anything but cute - it only made them feel terrified!
"Tell me, where did you get this intel?" Obito demanded, leaning down and pressing a kunai against the throat of the Waterfall Ninja he had subdued.
"On a tree... there are words carved into a tree," the captured ninja stammered, desperate to avoid further punishment.
"There's nothing on the tree! He's lying!" Guy shouted angrily after inspecting a nearby tree.
The four captured ninja broke into a cold sweat, immediately clarifying that the carvings were on a tree further back, fearing this hot-headed fool would misunderstand and beat them again.
"Two headbands promote one person," Rin said, collecting the headbands. "That means we're still short two... Wait, do our own headbands count?"
"I... I don't know," the four prisoners replied fearfully.
"Let's search again for more clues. To be safe, we should find two more headbands," Rin mused.
Black Cat nodded in agreement, secretly regretting its suggestion.
'We let a dozen headbands slip away? A dozen headbands! That's enough slots for seven or eight people!'
It sighed, then felt a pang of sympathy for the ninja from the small villages.
Being cannon fodder in war is bad enough, but even in the Chunin Exams, they're just background characters.
'Why is life so hard?'
Raj released the two he had dragged over and pounced on another, tormenting him to earn over a hundred more Points.
The Chunin Exams are a Point paradise!
He didn't want to leave.
"Let's go. Release them," Rin said.
Since Rin had spoken, Obito and the others had no choice but to release the four "unregistered" ninja.
Without headbands, they either had to steal them or forfeit.
In this forest, there was probably no one easier to bully than them.
The team resumed their journey.
"By the way, Raj, I saw you fighting someone earlier..."
"Meow~ It was Sasori from Sunagakure. He didn't really fight, seemed to lack the will, but he seemed to want to kill Obito," Raj replied.
"Ah, me?" Obito, who was scouting ahead, paused in surprise.
He had no grudge against Sasori - why would Sasori target him for assassination?
Rin thought for a moment before guessing, "Maybe he's after your Sharingan."
"Don't worry, even if he tries to kill you, I'll protect you with my burning passion!" A'Guy declared with fiery determination.
Ever since learning he had qualified as a "candidate," A'Guy had been acting like he was on stimulants, his chuunibyou energy completely unrestrained.
"Sunagakure ninjas all use poison. If you charge in recklessly..."
"Poison? No problem!"
Raj ignored them and lay down on the medical kit to rest, while simultaneously checking the System Panel.
He had over seven thousand Points now.
This wave had been a huge windfall, but what should he spend them on?
He hadn't decided yet.
The Sharingan and Byakugan were out of the question.
Exchanging for them would only attract resentment and unwanted attention, and he couldn't even use them properly.
It was better to get something practical.
For example, Water Release: Iron Cannonball.
This technique was simple, its power directly proportional to the amount of Chakra used.
Raj's affinity for Water Release was exceptionally high, making it available for just 2,000 Points.
Of course, the Iron Cannonball alone wouldn't be particularly powerful for Raj.
However, having already mastered the nature transformation of Wind Release, he could infuse it with Wind-attribute Chakra to create Water Release: Toad Iron Cannonball.
After some deliberation, he decided to exchange for it.
In terms of cost-effectiveness, this technique was currently the best value.
As his Chakra reserves grew, its power would increase exponentially, making its potential limitless.
'With the remaining 5,000 Points... hmm... time for a lottery?'
He examined the prize pool, his eyes gradually brightening.
The week's pool had finally removed the infamous Takigakure dried fish.
Of the twenty prizes, only half were worthless junk, while the remaining half included seven Ninjutsu/Taijutsu techniques and three Kekkei Genkai.
'Time to roll!'
He invested 1,000 Points, and eleven prizes materialized in quick succession: Giant Meat on a Bone [Luffy Edition], cat scratching post, Ninja World catnip, shaving razor, Whirlpool Village Special Dried Fish [Limited Edition].
From initial hope to gradual numbness, then to a heart as cold as ashes, Raj finally collapsed in despair on the medical kit.
A ten-pull yielded nothing but these miscellaneous items!
And "Giant Meat on a Bone [Luffy Edition]"? What the hell was the point?
Did it have Luffy's saliva on it or something? Did this cat even need that?!
Catnip? Hah, this cat...
Well, okay, this cat had never actually tried catnip before, let alone the Ninja World version.
Even so, these items couldn't lift his spirits.
But when he saw the final reward, his spirits perked up slightly.
Ninjutsu!
No, to be precise, it was the Kekkei Genkai Ninjutsu: Deidara's Exploding Clay.
Exploding Clay... this technique was...
Raj chose to claim it, eagerly anticipating its use.
But the memories that came with the Ninjutsu left him stunned.
As previously mentioned, the System would adapt Ninjutsu to suit Raj's needs.
Since crafting Exploding Clay was particularly difficult, the adaptation transformed it into Exploding Cat Feces.
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ Toxic and smelly!
Raj imagined the scene and couldn't help but pinch his nose, utterly bewildered.
'How do I change the shape of cat feces? Could it be that when it comes out...? No, absolutely not! That stuff is both stinky and hard. Even I can't stand it. I'd rather not have this technique at all! So, I really am still a member of the Unlucky Tribe?'