The veteran Jonin from the Gekko clan nodded, accepted the scroll, and departed. He was already planning to return to the Western Front, so these were just minor tasks he could handle along the way.
The veteran Jonin were all highly perceptive.
"Oh, Raj, you're back just in time. Minato might need a little help with something. He didn't give me the details, so you'll have to ask him yourself," Jiraiya said.
Jiraiya noticed Raj standing nearby. After pondering for a moment, he finally remembered something and immediately dismissed it.
Having the cat around made him feel uneasy when speaking.
'Minato wants to see me? This cat doesn't believe that for a damn second!'
Raj eyed Jiraiya suspiciously, but the old man's face showed no cracks, revealing nothing amiss.
'Fine, I'll go see what Minato wants. Might as well check things out. If Obito and Kakashi are there, I might be able to squeeze out some Points.'
'Even though I'm flush with Points now, I can't forget my humble beginnings. Many hands make light work. The worst thing a cat or a person can do is forget their roots.'
Raj wasn't that kind of cat, so he resolved to give Obito and Kakashi the "care" he'd been neglecting for days.
'Even if they might not welcome me...'
Raj knew his limits, but it didn't matter. For the sake of Points, he'd grit his teeth and push through, or else he'd run out of Points to spend.
Jiraiya didn't bother assigning anyone to guide Raj, knowing Raj needed no guide. It was the ultimate tracker itself.
After it left, Jiraiya cleared his throat and said quietly, "Naoki, thank you for your hard work on this mission. You and Raj both made significant contributions, so don't underestimate yourself."
"Raj is undeniably skilled," Naoki replied bluntly.
"I acknowledge his abilities wholeheartedly. Please rest assured, sir, I harbor no resentment."
"...Alright then."
'Good. This harmonious atmosphere will save us a lot of trouble, unlike that Kakashi brat...'
Jiraiya gave up trying to persuade him. The scene reminded him of another Konoha prodigy, Kakashi.
Both were exceptionally talented and equally unpopular. However, Kakashi's situation was far more severe than Raj's.
While Raj occasionally stung with its sharp remarks, Kakashi's infamous reputation for abandoning his teammates made it nearly impossible to assign him to missions with others.
'What a headache!'
Of course, Jiraiya wasn't just worried about himself. He also fretted over his precious disciple, Minato.
Imagine being a Jonin team leader with a squad of such problematic child prodigies - just thinking about it made Jiraiya feel sorry for Minato.
As it turned out, many "tragic stories" were often just the speculations of onlookers. Among Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, Rin was the least troublesome.
Though her family's cat was quite problematic, overall, she guided the team toward positive development.
Because Obito listened to Rin, Kakashi was kept in check by Raj, and Rin was well-behaved and never caused trouble, Minato only needed to manage Raj.
It was that simple.
Recently, with Raj absent, Minato had to put in extra effort. Fortunately, they hadn't been assigned any missions lately.
When not on missions, Kakashi was more like a normal person.
After searching briefly, Raj quickly located Team Seven's position. They were in the most secluded tent, situated at the very edge of the camp.
The tent's structure was familiar - underground, sealed off by a barrier.
'What's going on here?'
Raj hesitated for a moment, repeatedly confirming Rin's presence inside before cautiously following them down.
Thankfully, this place wasn't as eerie as Inoichi Yamanaka's previous location. It was simply an underground cellar sealed off by a barrier.
As soon as Raj entered the barrier, Minato sensed it and glanced up at the entrance.
"Teacher, what's going on?" Obito asked, turning his head curiously.
But the entrance was dark, with no light, so he could only make out a blurry silhouette.
"Raj's here. We'll wait for him," Minato said with a smile.
"Him? Can he even do it?" Kakashi frowned.
Unlike Obito and Rin, he knew why their teacher had called them together. In his opinion, such a complex technique was beyond the capabilities of a cat.
"It's not about whether he can or can't. When I first learned it, no one believed I could either. It's all about luck. Every person who masters it is one more."
Minato chuckled softly.
Indeed, the technique he was about to teach was the Flying Thunder God Technique - not the complete version, but his modified Flying Thunder Formation Technique.
This technique required three people to coordinate. However, not everyone could master it.
So far, Minato and Jiraiya had tried
Several groups, but none had succeeded. It was all a matter of luck.
"Meow~ Why did you call me over?"
"Come closer first."
Raj approached and saw Minato and the three young ninja kneeling around a table.
On the table lay a special kunai.
'What's this about?'
Raj pondered for a moment, then a wave of panic washed over him.
'Could they have seen through my Flying Thunder God Technique? No, wait. Don't panic. If they knew, they wouldn't have called the others over. There must be another reason.'
Raj's initial panic quickly subsided, replaced by calm.
'Now's the time to stay composed. Act like you've got everything under control. The cunning old villains in dramas always do this. If I copy them, I should be fine.'
With feigned nonchalance, Raj leaped onto the table.
"Meow?"
"I've mastered a space-time ninjutsu that allows for instantaneous teleportation. You should all be aware of this. Now..."
"Is Teacher going to teach us this technique?!" Obito exclaimed, jumping up and accidentally hitting his head on the basement ceiling.
He collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain.
Kakashi glanced at him coldly.
"This technique is extremely difficult. With your theoretical understanding, you'd probably struggle just to grasp its basic principles."
"Shut up, Kakashi! Don't underestimate me! I'm a genius with the Double Tomoe Sharingan!"
"Quiet! Let Teacher speak. Raj..."
"Meow~," Raj replied weakly.
He enlarged his cat paw and rewarded Kakashi and Obito with a swat each.
The two glared at him furiously.
But Raj was a Special Jonin.
Of course, the rank itself didn't matter.
What mattered was that neither of them could defeat this cat, and their teacher wouldn't intervene either.
In the next instant, the entire training ground fell silent.
Minato nodded slightly.
Excellent. This is exactly the effect I wanted.
Otherwise, why would I have brought Raj here?
With Raj present, Kakashi and Obito's teamwork skyrocketed.
Without such perfect coordination, they would never have mastered the Flying Thunder Formation Technique.