"What does a cat need so much money for?"
"Rebuilding the Holy Land costs money, and I'm broke right now, meow," Raj replied, his tone self-righteous.
After all, Tsunade had suggested rebuilding the Holy Land herself.
Using that as an excuse to ask for money was perfect.
"Fine, fine, no problem. If I get any private benefits from the Kirigakure, I'll give you half," Tsunade said, exasperated.
She struggled to earn enough to pay off her gambling debts, and now a cat was demanding a cut of her meager profits.
'This is infuriating!'
Good.
Raj wanted her infuriated; otherwise, how would he earn merit points?
Having secured her promise, Raj swiftly left the camp.
He didn't use the Flying Thunder God Technique immediately because his Chakra hadn't fully recovered, and he didn't know Minato's current location.
If he wasted too much Chakra on the technique, he'd be useless in a fight.
Midway, Raj ate one of Tsunade's Soldier Pills and a packet of special cat food to replenish his stamina and Chakra.
Reaching the coast, he sensed the Flying Thunder God Technique seals on the sea.
Using the moving seal as his coordinates...
"Hmm?"
Shino Aburame's insects stirred slightly.
As he wondered what was happening, Minato, running ahead, glanced back and waved.
"Don't worry, it's an ally."
The next moment, Raj materialized.
"Meow~ Hello everyone! Where are we?"
"On the road. We haven't arrived yet," Minato replied with a gentle smile, then quickened his pace, putting some distance between himself and the others.
Only then did he whisper to Raj about the situation at the main camp.
Shikuro was still unaware of the Third Raikage and the Jinchuriki's movements.
Raj explained the situation, mentioning the bet as well.
Minato listened with relief.
Though Raj was still swindling people, at least now he was targeting outsiders and keeping the benefits for their own people.
'This is great news!'
If they weren't in the field, he would have taken Raj out for a meal to celebrate.
But the thought reminded him that he still owed Raj two lavish dinners...
'I hope this mission earns us some money,' Minato thought with a hint of worry.
Treating Raj to a meal wouldn't be a problem, but he also had to support Kushina and save for their future.
Suddenly, his finances felt much tighter.
Raj turned to observe the assault team.
There were seven members in total.
Besides Minato, Shikuro, and Hiashi, the others wore masks, making their identities initially unclear.
However, upon closer inspection, one figure looked strikingly familiar.
That outfit... even with the Jonin vest, it practically screams his identity.
A green, skintight bodysuit...
'You're Guy, aren't you?!'
Raj had seen through Guy's disguise, but he had no intention of exposing him.
Bringing Guy on frontline missions was indeed a quick way to boost his experience.
Moreover, with Minato in the team, even if he got injured, he could be immediately evacuated back to the main camp.
'As long as he didn't open the Eighth Gate, everything should be fine.'
What about the other three?
Raj studied them curiously.
He was certain one of them was from the Yamanaka Clan, but he couldn't pinpoint which one.
After a moment, he withdrew his gaze.
"The Parasitic Destruction Insects are close," Shino Aburame suddenly warned from behind.
Minato gave a nod of acknowledgment and slowed their pace, pressing down on Black Cat to signal it not to rush ahead.
This wasn't like before.
Previously, they had only faced six opponents, so sending two ahead posed little risk.
But now they were charging into the enemy's main camp.
If they repeated their earlier tactic and let the main force escape, it would be disastrous.
"Over a hundred," Hiashi Hyuga cautioned.
A hundred?
For Kirigakure, a camp with over a hundred ninja was considered a large-scale operation.
While not the main camp itself, its size suggested they were close to it.
Just as Tsunade had established the main camp near the three branch camps, Kirigakure's main camp was likely nearby as well.
Once the signal flare was launched, the Kirigakure forces would quickly surround them.
After running for a while, they spotted a small island.
"I'll go first," Shikuro said, preparing to sneak ahead.
"Meow~ If you charge in like that, they'll definitely notice," Raj retorted bluntly.
"Let me handle this," Minato said, immediately understanding his teammates' intentions.
He bit his finger, formed a hand seal, and summoned a toad.
The toad was only the size of an ordinary frog, but it was large enough to carry the Flying Thunder God Technique seal.
After painting the seal on the toad's back, he signaled it to sneak ahead.
Then, the seven humans and one cat crouched low on the water's surface, all using the Transformation Technique to blend with their surroundings and avoid detection.
The toad swam swiftly.
In moments, it reached the island.
Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport Shikuro Aburame to the island, while one of the ninja on their side sat cross-legged and formed a strange hand seal.
After a long pause.
"It's clear."
"Let's move."
They resumed their advance.
Upon reaching the shore, Raj noticed that the small patrol team responsible for guarding the area was dead.
The symptoms on their bodies indicated they had been poisoned.
Nanoscale poison insects - truly formidable.
"My poison insects will clear out the Chunin and Genin first," Shikuro said simply, pressing his hands against the ground.
"You guys focus on taking down their Jonin."
A dark, swarming mass spread across the battlefield.
The insects were so small they were barely visible, resembling a dark cloud at first glance.
As they dispersed, they became even harder to discern.
Shikuro's Insect Manipulation Technique far surpassed his son's.
Raj climbed to the top of a tree to observe.
Wherever the insects passed, ordinary ninja collapsed instantly.
Though each squad typically had a Jonin, a figure suddenly erupted from the earth behind the insects, hurling a kunai.
A Root Earth Release ninja.
Then... Flying Thunder God Technique.
Before Minato could react, a black cat materialized and instantly launched an ice spike that pierced the enemy's throat.
Swift, precise, and lethal.
"Meow~"
Raj turned its head and meowed.
"...He stole my kill."
Minato paused, then smiled faintly.
If I just ignore him, Raj will quickly stop messing around.
This was a pattern he'd observed.
'I hate people with good tempers,' Raj silently grumbled to himself.
As expected, the same trick won't work on a ninja like Minato.
It's going to be tough to squeeze any points out of him.
"Meow~ Pleasant cooperation."
The cat turned to face the Root ninja.
But the Root operative was as dull as ever, offering only a slight nod before resuming his Earth Release technique, waiting for an opportunity.
The toad was sent back to Mount Myoboku.
With the outer patrol eliminated, the team began to position themselves.