Naoki reappeared, his expression impassive, and casually said, "Excellent. Now I'm completely reassured.
Let's meet at Fujii Restaurant in the next town around the time the villagers eat."
"Meow~"
Raj chirped happily and scampered away.
Naoki was deeply wounded.
This time, he had taken extra precautions to hide, running a few steps and then freezing in place to avoid making any noise.
Yet he was still discovered.
'Why? Is this cat really that formidable?!'
He stood frozen, questioning his entire existence for a full half-minute before finally sighing and giving chase.
But after following for a while, Naoki realized a fatal flaw: he had lost the cat.
'Forget it. Let's just meet up in town. It'll find us eventually.'
Naoki felt helpless but tried to remain optimistic.
If he couldn't find it, he wouldn't bother.
The mission came first, and since the plan and meeting time had been clearly communicated, there shouldn't be any problems.
He still lacked experience.
If Kakashi or Obito had been with him, they would have warned Naoki never to trust a cat's sense of time, especially this black-furred one.
While the cat wouldn't neglect important matters, it would definitely tamper with minor details like meeting times.
For instance, if they agreed to meet for dinner, it might not show up until bedtime-or even later.
'Ah, the scent of freedom!'
After running wildly for a while, Raj took deep breaths of the fresh air.
Being cooped up in the camp for so long had nearly suffocated him.
The camp wasn't like an ordinary place; it was governed by strict rules that allowed no mischief.
After covering a considerable distance, he finally spotted the town Naoki had mentioned.
Raj remembered passing through this place during a previous escort mission, leaving a vivid impression.
Entering the town, Raj reverted his appearance to its previous, hideously pockmarked form and strolled casually through the streets.
At this time, news of the war hadn't yet reached the interior of Grass Country.
The streets and alleys were filled with people living in peace and harmony, enjoying their lives.
This town, located near the Land of Fire, was a prosperous trading hub.
Raj spotted several Ninja patrolling the streets.
Though they appeared to be only Genin, they were still Ninja, far superior to towns with no Ninja presence at all.
Raj deliberately circled the area, but no one seemed to notice anything unusual about him.
After wandering around the town for a while, he happened to see Naoki disguised as a Grass Country merchant.
He didn't approach him.
He wasn't done playing yet.
Why throw himself into a trap so soon?
Besides, it wasn't time for the rendezvous yet, so there was no need to rush.
Speaking of which, the Grass Country towns weren't much to write home about either, mostly just small shops selling food and daily necessities.
Although Raj had his share of profits from Dou, using money in Konoha was one thing.
But outside, a cat suddenly pulling out cash would raise too many questions, so he could only sigh longingly at the delicious-looking food.
After wandering around for a while, he suddenly noticed a beggar.
The beggar was small and looked young, huddled in a corner wrapped in coarse linen.
She seemed terrified of the people around her, too afraid to approach them and beg.
Just then, someone came to throw out trash.
The beggar's gaze immediately locked onto him.
Only after he left did she cautiously stand up, hunching her shoulders as if about to approach the trash pile.
Raj walked over.
After only a few steps, the beggar glanced up warily.
It was a girl.
Her eyes were fixed on Raj, her hands tucked into her sleeves as if gripping something, yet her eyes betrayed both fear and hesitation.
Finally, she gave up, pulling her tattered robe tighter around herself and retreating further from the trash pile...
'She probably thought I was here to compete for scraps.'
Raj felt a pang of hurt, but upon reflection, it made sense.
In its current state, it probably looked even worse off than her.
At least she had a robe; it didn't even have that.
But it wasn't truly a stray cat, merely experiencing life from a different perspective.
It had no intention of competing for food.
It was simply curious about this young beggar girl.
Raj approached the trash pile, pretending to rummage through it.
Then, it quietly retrieved a paper bill from its spatial storage, carried it over to her, and dropped it in front of her.
The girl froze, her eyes widening in surprise.
'This is...'
"Meow!"
"For... for me?"
Her voice was pleasant but extremely weak, sounding utterly listless.
Raj nodded.
After a moment's hesitation, the girl
She glanced around, picked up the money, stood up, and walked to the shop on the street to hand it over.
Raj secretly followed her.
The shopkeeper took the money.
"This is currency from the Land of Fire," the shopkeeper remarked.
"Currency from the Land of Fire?"
The girl froze, anxiously tightening her headscarf as she waited nearby.
The shopkeeper didn't keep the money; instead, he gave her a few rice balls and some change.
Raj hurried back to his original spot.
Clutching two rice balls, the girl carefully returned and placed the one in her left hand in front of the cat.
"Meat," she said, her words slightly slurred, likely from not speaking for a long time.
'That must be it,' Raj thought.
As he ate, he observed the girl.
She seemed very protective of her headscarf and filled with fear and anxiety about her surroundings.
She'd also paused when the shopkeeper mentioned the Land of Fire's currency, suggesting she understood its significance.
'She's no ordinary beggar,' Raj concluded.
A theory began to form in his mind.
Peeking up from below, he noticed the girl had wrapped her headscarf very tightly.
But because it was a cat before her, and because of her hunger and the delicious rice ball, she relaxed her guard, loosening her grip on the headscarf and revealing a few strands of red hair.
'A redhead, a girl around fourteen or fifteen years old... It has to be her.'
A girl from the Uzumaki Clan, appearing here at this time, could only be Karin's mother - the tragic woman whose name was never mentioned in the anime and who ultimately died from being drained of her life force.
Calculating the timeline, it had to be her.
This period was rife with war.
Although the anime showed she didn't die in this particular conflict, it was clear that the war led to her discovery and exploitation by Kusagakure, drastically shortening her lifespan.
'Take her back to the village? No, that won't work.'
He was on a mission, and bringing her back would abort it.
Besides, rushing her back now might not be the best idea.
She might end up in Root for questioning, only to be controlled later.
After pondering for a moment, an idea struck him.
'Send her to Matatabi.'
But then he remembered his toothache.
The Double-Tailed Cat Matatabi would devour the Deluxe Cat Food in one gulp and likely fall into a deep sleep for days.
Using the Flying Thunder God Technique to send her there might end up harming her instead.
'This is a disaster!'