Minato had personally seized the Lightning Blade, and Raj knew nothing of the circumstances surrounding its acquisition.
Tsunade nodded slightly.
This information was utterly useless for analyzing the situation on the Eastern Front, but it did satisfy her curiosity.
Shizune, who had been eavesdropping, glanced at Raj with a mixture of surprise and disbelief.
'Ha, another Points savings account.'
But Shizune was only around Kurenai's level at best, offering little Points to extract.
Even if he drained her dry, he'd only get a few hundred Points - a paltry sum he no longer considered worthwhile.
The journey proved monotonous, and Tsunade couldn't resist reaching for her sake halfway there.
As the most senior and powerful among them, even Shizune, who had known her for years, couldn't dissuade her.
If Shizune could control Tsunade, they wouldn't be hiding from debt collectors together in the first place.
Fortunately, they were the Three Legendary Sannin, and they were traveling on foot, so nothing serious was likely to happen.
By afternoon, the six humans and one cat arrived at one of the camps along the Eastern Front.
The Eastern Front lacked a unified command structure and was currently divided into three or four scattered camps.
Raj and his group had reached the area where the Uchiha Clan was stationed, near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Iron.
The Hyuga Clan was positioned closer to the central region of the Eastern Front, while another group of ninja was stationed further south.
Though they hadn't sent advance notice, they were spotted as soon as they approached the camp's perimeter.
Everyone recognized Tsunade, and Minato and Raj were also well-known in the village.
Minato was Jiraiya's disciple, while Raj was the first Ninja Beast in the Ninja World to become a full-fledged Ninja...
They were granted passage without delay.
Upon reaching the camp, Fugaku Uchiha greeted them at the entrance.
Raj immediately leaped onto Tsunade's shoulder and surveyed the scene.
At least twenty Uchiha clansmen were present within the camp, with likely more patrolling outside.
The Uchiha had truly spared no expense.
"Lady Tsunade, I never expected it would be you. With you in command, we can rest assured," Fugaku Uchiha said with a genuine smile.
He knew little of Tsunade's affairs, but he understood that only a leader of the Three Legendary Sannin's caliber could coordinate the forces across the three camps on the Eastern Front.
Without such leadership, the Uchiha would refuse to obey the Hyuga, and vice versa, leading to chaos.
"Don't expect too much from me," Tsunade replied, gesturing to the others. "I'm merely responsible for overall coordination. The real work falls on you all, and... Minato, Raj, you both know the drill."
She pointed to them without further introduction.
The other Uchiha clansmen turned to look, their gazes tinged with curiosity.
The younger ones recognized Raj as the small kitten who used to follow Obito around.
'The first Ninja Beast to become a Special Jonin... Is this all there is to it?'
"Lord Tsunade, Clan Head."
Over twenty Uchiha clansmen exchanged curious glances.
Though unspoken, their skepticism about the small cat was clear: Why was Tsunade singling it out by name?
"Meow!" Raj called out, appearing no different from an ordinary cat.
In truth, he weighed far more than a typical one-year-old cat, but his deceptive size was likely due to his Sage Chakra.
Even Raj himself didn't understand it, let alone these young Uchiha.
"Lady Tsunade, will there be further reinforcements?"
Fugaku Uchiha turned to glance at his clansmen, a hint of unease in his eyes.
Tsunade's refusal to take command meant they would ultimately follow Minato's orders.
Minato was the true leader, while Tsunade was merely a figurehead.
Though Minato commanded considerable respect, he was still young, and many in the Uchiha and Hyuga clans refused to acknowledge his authority.
As for the cat and Kakashi, Fugaku dismissed them.
In a few years, they might become pillars of the village, but for now, they couldn't sway the tide of battle.
In Fugaku's view, the village was underestimating the Eastern Front.
"Hmph, never mind. Why don't you introduce yourselves?"
Tsunade stood casually, waving a hand at Minato and Raj - mostly at Raj.
While Minato was young, most of the village's ninja knew his capabilities.
However, few were familiar with Raj's true strength.
"Hello everyone, I'm Minato."
"Meow~ I'm Raj, a newly appointed Special Jonin."
Raj flicked its paw from Tsunade's shoulder, looking utterly adorable and lacking the imposing aura expected of a Special Jonin.
Anyone who saw it would underestimate it.
The twenty-odd members of the Uchiha Clan frowned, nearly saying aloud, 'Is that all?'
Their skepticism stemmed from their ignorance of Raj's true abilities.
Minato and Rin, who had fought alongside Raj, knew better.
They suspected the Black-Hearted Cat was plotting something mischievous, likely planning to prank the Uchiha Clan.
Anyone who underestimated it would soon be eating their words.
Sure enough, the very next second...
"Meow!"
With a cry, Raj leaped from Tsunade's shoulder, its body rapidly expanding.
As it landed in the forest, dust billowed and earth cracked, the ground collapsing into a massive crater beneath its weight.
Then, with a sweep of its tail - as solid as an iron rod - it carved a deep trench into the
earth.
Hiss~ The Uchiha Clan members gasped in unison.
They had thought the cat was cute before, but now...
'Cute my ass!'
This ability to shrink to kitten size was utterly deceptive.
If it had jumped onto them earlier, it could have instantly killed a group of them.
Without activating their Sharingan, a single blow from that tail would have been fatal.
"What do you think?"
Tsunade stood with one hand on her hip, waving the other to gesture at the cow-sized cat and the crater it had created.
A smirk played on her lips.
"Is this your...?"
'Superhuman Strength!'
Fugaku Uchiha felt his breath catch in his throat.
The cat's power far exceeded his expectations.
The other clan members lacked Fugaku's insight, but the display was terrifying nonetheless.
They no longer dared dismiss Raj as a mere Ninja Cat unworthy of being a Special Jonin.
With just those few moves, even a seasoned Jonin caught off guard would likely be overwhelmed.
And this was without Minato revealing the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was a secret, a trump card best kept hidden for maximum impact later.
"Hmm, it has talent, and I happen to be willing to teach it. Does that qualify it?"
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. I apologize for my previous disrespect," Fugaku said, bowing deeply.