That night, Raj had a wonderful dream.
It dreamed that its system glitched, granting it unlimited points.
Then... then it woke up laughing.
"Teacher, I keep thinking it's smiling. What do you think it's dreaming about? Do cats even dream?"
"Many cats in our clan dream," Obito said, chuckling softly. "They twitch and move just like this one."
Raj had just regained consciousness when he heard Obito's low, lecherous laughter.
The sound made him want to smack the boy, but since Obito had protected Rin earlier, he decided to refrain from bullying him for a few days.
'Let him gloat for now,' Raj thought with a cold inner smirk.
'I'll settle the score later. The time isn't right yet.'
"We're setting out soon," Minato announced, fully dressed in his Jonin attire and equipped with his ninja tools. "Even with Akatsuki's help, we can't afford to slack on our mission."
The others were similarly prepared.
If Raj hadn't woken up, they likely would have carried him in the medical kit.
After all, his small size wouldn't hinder their travel - he'd just be a minor burden.
Of course, even awake, he wouldn't walk on his own.
He preferred hitching rides on others to pass the tedious journey.
The weather was decent today - overcast but dry.
In the Land of Rain, this counted as ideal conditions.
When they left the cabin early that morning, they didn't see Nagato and the others.
As they moved away from the cabin, Raj gradually picked up their scent.
However, the two groups were heading in different directions.
Judging by the direction, Raj sensed that Minato was leading them toward the Land of Wind, while Yahiko and the others were likely guarding the opposite flank.
After they had traveled a considerable distance, far from their starting point, Minato finally turned back and called out, "Raj, come here."
"Meow?"
Raj, who had been staying near Rin, looked up at the sound of his voice.
With Obito and Kakashi as springboards, it quickly leaped onto Minato's shoulder.
It wasn't entirely sure why Minato had called it over, but yesterday's incident with the rat had been a minor matter, hardly worth questioning.
"You were quite close to Nagato yesterday. Did you notice anything unusual about his eyes?" Minato asked, his tone serious.
"Meow? His eyes... I didn't pay much attention, but they seemed a different color than most people's," Raj replied cautiously.
In truth, it had clearly seen the faint patterns in Nagato's eyes yesterday.
'But what kind of cat would know about the Rinnegan, a secret unknown to ordinary humans? Stay low and don't get cocky.'
"I see," Minato murmured, his mind racing as he continued running.
During yesterday's battle, he had sensed something strange about the enemy's abilities and noticed that their eyes seemed different from ordinary people's.
He had refrained from questioning Raj about it last night, fearing it might upset the other three.
"Teacher, could it be...?"
"A dojutsu?" Kakashi and Obito spoke in perfect unison, their words flowing seamlessly together.
Raj stared at them, silently offering his blessings.
Minato pondered for a moment before saying, "We can't be certain yet. Among the three, Yahiko's strength is considerable, but Raj and Kakashi can suppress him working together.
Konan's techniques are peculiar, but Obito and Rin should be able to keep her occupied. As for Nagato...
I'll handle him."
"Meow~ When Nagato and the others returned yesterday, the redhead seemed much more confident," Raj added earnestly.
"Exactly. That's why I suspect Nagato possesses extraordinary power... Hmm, I need to ask Teacher. Wait here for a moment."
After careful deliberation, Minato decided to contact Jiraiya directly.
He trusted his teacher's judgment, but he remained wary of Yahiko.
After all, they had barely interacted, and Minato had only learned yesterday that he had three more junior disciples.
Summoning a Communication Frog to relay the information to Jiraiya, Minato finally led his team onward.
After traveling for some time, they reached the border of the Land of Earth.
This location was considerably farther from where Raj had encountered Nagato the previous day and much closer to the Land of Wind's border.
Even from a distance, they could spot faint traces of traps beneath trees and in the middle of the road.
Reconnaissance missions requiring long periods of observation were slow work. It was common to spend a day or two without spotting anyone, and such tasks were typically not assigned to Jonin like Minato.
However, they had another mission: to rendezvous with Anbu ninjas who had escaped from Iwagakure. Of course, they would be posing as Iwagakure Missing-nin.
This was a task they were well-versed in. Konoha had stockpiled a considerable number of Iwagakure Missing-nin headbands and attire, making it easy to retrieve a few sets for their operation.
Upon reaching the border, Minato released a sealing scroll, revealing a large cache of Iwagakure Missing-nin outfits.
"Everyone, put these on. Raj, remove your headband too."
"Meow~"
Raj removed his headband and transformed into a tiger.
Minato nodded in approval.
"Excellent. Everyone, follow Raj's example and use the Transformation Technique to disguise yourselves. From now on, we're Iwagakure Missing-nin. Obito, remember not to use your Sharingan or Uchiha Fire Release techniques."
"Understood!"
Obito rubbed his hands together. Without the Sharingan, he still had his taijutsu.
He sensed he was on the verge of unlocking the Gate of Opening, the first of the Eight Inner Gates, needing only the right catalyst. Sealing his Sharingan might just be that catalyst.
For complete disguise, Kakashi swapped his Lightning Blade for Takayama's sword, while Minato also carried a sword.
They remained crouched in hiding for the entire afternoon.
As evening approached, six figures emerged from the border, darting through the forest with swift, Jonin-level movements.
Minato took a deep breath. Six Jonin!
This level of force exceeded their team's capabilities. They couldn't track them as a group...
"Meow~ It's the Redhead."
Raj's superior vision allowed him to clearly identify one of the fleeting figures as a redhead - likely the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
"The redhead might be Rasa," Raj said.
Minato hesitated for a moment before creating a Shadow Clone and sending it to track down and gather intelligence. This was the best course of action.
Raj didn't follow. With six Jonin present, joining them would be suicidal.
If discovered, they'd face a desperate, thousand-mile escape, relying on Rin's Summoning Technique for rescue.
However, while the six Jonin were away, they could infiltrate the Land of Wind's interior and rendezvous with the Anbu ninjas sooner.
The task was challenging, but as elites, they could handle it.
They easily bypassed the border defenses, slipping through a corner of the perimeter and into the heart of the Land of Wind.
By now, it was night.
Around midnight, Raj pricked up his ears and immediately perked up.
"Many ninjas are approaching!"
"How many?"
"Meow~ I don't know, but a lot, a lot!"
Raj swiftly moved toward the source of the sound, the others following closely behind.
Soon, they saw the situation clearly: four or five ninjas were fleeing ahead, pursued by at least thirty or forty Sunagakure ninjas.
'Holy shit, this is intense!'