Konan ordered methodically, "Riku, you're in charge of tallying the injured. Prioritize those with the most severe wounds.
The usual protocol applies for minor injuries."
Among the three, Yahiko was the busiest.
Nagato was introverted, so Konan had to take the lead on many tasks, gradually honing her leadership skills.
Riku quickly helped a Amegakure Ninja forward.
Raj glanced at him and immediately declared, "Meow~ I remember you! You tried to block my fur needles with an umbrella.
How naive!"
'Damn cat!'
The injured Amegakure Ninja gritted his teeth.
This Black Cat was infuriating.
Every wounded ninja here had been pricked by its fur needles.
He just happened to be particularly unlucky...
Konan's cheeks flushed slightly.
She cleared her throat and gently squeezed Raj, trying to signal it to stop provoking them.
'Keep this up, and they might all grab their weapons and attack you.'
She hadn't witnessed Raj's rampage and assumed it had only injured this one ninja.
Little did she know that ninety percent of the Amegakure Ninja's injuries were Raj's doing.
If she had known this would happen, she would have suggested Kakashi accompany them instead of letting Rin bring the cat.
"The bone is injured, but fortunately it's just a concussion. It'll heal quickly," Rin said softly after examining the patient, preparing to treat him with standard medical ninjutsu.
This type of injury didn't require the Healing Palm Technique.
Soon, the first patient was healed, and the next one was helped onto the platform.
"Meow~ You blocked with the Water Formation Wall and then ran away. Why even bother trying to counterattack?"
The atmosphere instantly turned deathly silent.
Konan's expression stiffened, and she tightened her grip on the cat.
But in the next moment, the cat wriggled free and leaped onto her shoulder.
So much for cuteness being an illusion.
This cat was just as detestable as the stray cats that used to steal their food when they were children.
After a brief hand seal, sheets of white paper flew from her shoulder, encircling the cat.
Raj quieted down for a moment, but when the next "contestant" was brought forward, it effortlessly tore through the chakra-infused paper with its claws, poking its head out of the makeshift cage.
"You're... meow? How did you get injured?"
"..."
This was even more infuriating than being told how he got hurt.
At least before, they acknowledged knowing how he was injured.
Now, they acted like they couldn't even remember, showing him absolutely no respect.
"What kind of infuriating cat is this?!"
Konan covered her face, reluctantly retreating a dozen steps with the cat in tow.
There was no choice.
If they didn't back down, another fight would break out.
Given the current situation, this cat seemed impossible to handle, and Akatsuki would inevitably suffer the consequences.
'We're backing down...'
Konan scolded Raj from the side.
Though kind-hearted, Konan had never gotten along well with cats or dogs.
Growing up scavenging for food in trash cans with her two companions, they inevitably clashed with stray animals over scraps, leading to frequent fights.
Most animals were easily scared off, but this one was proving particularly difficult.
As for Konan's question, Raj thought, 'You're asking the right cat!'
Having faced similar accusations since childhood in his previous life, he was well-versed in deflecting blame.
He could definitely come up with an answer that would "satisfy" Konan.
"Meow, of course it was Jiraiya."
Konan stared in disbelief.
This cat deserved a beating.
If she didn't think she'd lose, she'd roll up her sleeves and start throwing punches right now.
Instead of learning to be cute like a proper cat, it only knew how to provoke people.
What made it even more infuriating was that it was actually quite strong.
'What kind of bloodline does this thing have? I'll have to find a mate for it later.'
She thought maliciously.
Nearby, Rin was treating the injured one by one.
Since Raj had been carried away, the patients' moods had improved significantly; at least they weren't as furious as they had been earlier, with smoke practically billowing from their orifices.
"Stupid cat," Konan muttered.
"Imagine how wonderful it would be if everyone in the Ninja World united, with no wars or bloodshed. Unlike now, where war could break out at any moment, and people in small countries who get injured or sick have no skilled medical ninjas. They can only take medicine or wait to die."
Konan's spirits sank.
She hadn't fully realized the disparity before meeting Rin.
Now she understood just how vast the gap was.
Injuries and illnesses that would require weeks of recovery for them were mere trivialities to Konoha's medical technology.
And the one performing these miracles was just a girl, barely ten years old.
It's like the difference between heaven and earth!
Raj fell silent, overwhelmed by the weight of the topic.
It was too heavy, too far beyond its usual scope, and it didn't know how to respond.
But after a moment's reflection, it realized something was wrong.
'What do you mean, "stupid cat?!" Show some respect for cats! If you weren't so pretty and in such a gloomy mood, I'd slap you right now, meow!'
"You grew up in Konoha. What do you think of it?"
"It's good, meow. Stable, with great facilities. Just a few... downsides."
Raj noticed Konan staring intently at him and chuckled inwardly.
He continued, "If you're living in or around Konoha and want to soak in a hot spring, be careful of a certain white-haired Toad Sage. That guy pops up in hot springs out of nowhere."
"Pah! Pah! Pah!"
Konan pressed down on Raj's head, clearly annoyed.
'I shouldn't have discussed this with a dead cat,' she thought.
'All my good feelings have vanished. He can't stop talking about his teacher! Can't he say anything else?'
Furious, she treated Raj roughly, squeezing and kneading him with clumsy, forceful motions.
But her heart was too soft to truly hurt him.
If Kakashi or Obito had been in her place, they wouldn't have missed this opportunity.
Raj wasn't angry.
If you stab someone's heart, you have to be prepared for retaliation.
Besides, he'd gained a good number of points-it was worth it.
The group had contributed over seven hundred points in total.
Most of them were undoubtedly from Konan, but the others had at least shown some goodwill.
The Amegakure Ninja are truly something!
But enough was enough.
Any further provocation would likely drive the Amegakure Ninja to a desperate, all-or-nothing confrontation, which would only complicate things with Rin and Minato.
Of course, that wasn't the main reason.
If it were just about avoiding a beating, what was the point of earning points?
The real issue was that these ninjas were weak.