"Nyaa~ To learn my jutsu, first, you need to become a cat."
"What?"
'Are you kidding me? This is the taijutsu you said is suitable for me?'
Obito clenched his fists, resisting the urge to punch something-preferably Takeshi. But he knew better. He couldn't beat Takeshi, and Kakashi, standing nearby, was a viable target but completely uninvolved. No excuse there.
"Takeshi, stop joking around and teach properly." Minato sighed, his voice carrying mild exasperation.
He understood Takeshi's personality well-the black cat enjoyed pranks and stirring up trouble but wasn't malicious at heart. Of course, Minato's patience came from never being the direct target of Takeshi's antics, unlike Obito, who suffered daily torment.
Perspective changes everything. That's just how it is.
Takeshi, for his part, cared more about Minato's words than his strength. It wasn't just because Minato was leagues ahead of him, but because he was the team leader, and Takeshi was merely a team member.
So, after hearing Minato's request, Takeshi straightened up and got serious. "Fine, fine, becoming a cat is obviously impossible. But you need to observe my movements carefully. Also, I need an opponent, Meow~!"
Kakashi immediately paled. 'No... it can't be...'
Rather than waiting for the inevitable, he decided to take the initiative. At least that way, he could preserve some dignity. Steeling himself, he stepped forward and said, "I'll do it."
"Meow? Well, okay then. Originally, I was going to use my Water Clone instead."
Seeing Kakashi step up so quickly, Takeshi changed his approach slightly. As long as his opponent was uncomfortable and he earned some Points, that was good enough for him.
"..." Kakashi's fingers twitched. It was now his turn to feel the urge to punch something.
'This damn cat... Everything he says is annoying!' Suppressing his irritation, he sighed and formed a Shadow Clone.
'It's just a Shadow Clone, Kakashi. Grit your teeth and bear with it.' The clone emerged, expressionless as always, and silently walked toward Takeshi. Without hesitation, it launched an attack.
In the blink of an eye-*Iaido*, *Lightning Release chakra flow*, Dash.
'Oh? He must have wanted to hit me for a long time,' Takeshi mused, amused by Kakashi's eagerness. But thinking a Shadow Clone could land a hit on him? Wishful thinking. Even if Kakashi himself attacked, he wouldn't stand a chance.
A cat's reflexes aren't just for show.
As the clone lunged, Takeshi's body tensed. In an instant, his feline form expanded, now about the same size as Kakashi. The moment the clone closed in, Takeshi dropped low, front paws pressing against the ground, and lashed out with his hind legs-aiming straight for the clone's chin.
**Smack!** The force sent the clone soaring into the air. Without missing a beat, Takeshi leaped after it, his black-furred silhouette a blur. Midair, his fur suddenly bristled and expanded, binding the clone in a tangled snare.
Then... his tail swelled, bristling with sharp, needle-like hairs. The tip gleamed ominously, transforming into a fearsome weapon. With a single, fluid motion, Takeshi swung it like a mace, smashing it down onto Kakashi's clone.
"That was insane!" Obito exclaimed, his eyes wide. Even as a spectator, he could feel the impact of the attack.
Kakashi, however, wasn't as entertained. His hands balled into fists, but there was no turning back now. The arrow was already nocked; hesitation was pointless.
**Boom!** Takeshi's tail slammed down, its weight and sharpened bristles tearing through the clone as the two figures plummeted from the sky like meteors.
**Kshhh!** A burst of smoke signaled the end.
The clone was gone.
Kakashi gritted his teeth, trying to hold back a scream, but the pain was overwhelming. He rolled on the ground, clutching his ribs, far from maintaining any semblance of composure.
"Gulp." Obito swallowed hard.
Too terrifying.
Luckily, he hadn't been called up to experience it firsthand. Otherwise, he doubted he'd have been able to focus on anything other than the sheer agony.
"Did you see clearly? If not, we can always go again. Nyaa~." Takeshi's voice was almost teasing, his smirk widening with amusement.
If Obito so much as hinted that he hadn't understood, Takeshi was fully prepared to have him create a Shadow Clone just to feel the brunt of the technique. Though Takeshi had only activated the *Gate of Opening* once, the effect was still more than sufficient-even in his fatigued state.
Kakashi, still writhing in pain, felt a cold sweat trickle down his spine.
'Again? Are you kidding me?!'
His sharp glare locked onto Obito. If that idiot dared to nod, Kakashi swore he'd draw his blade and make Obito regret it.
"No, no, no! I saw it! I saw it clearly!" Obito frantically nodded, his voice a little higher-pitched than usual.
He had, in fact, seen it clearly.
But that only led to a bigger question-'how can a human be capable of such insane movement without a tail? Could it be…? Thankfully, I am not allowed in that store that sells tail plugs...'
"Ahem. It's not necessarily about using a tail or anything like that. A tail is just a cat's method. What Takeshi is trying to teach you is a Taijutsu technique-a way of applying force effectively. You have the Sharingan. You should have seen it clearly. What you need to do now is analyze it and develop your own method." Minato stepped forward, his calm voice breaking through Obito's spiraling thoughts.
Judging by Obito's expression, Minato could already tell where his mind had gone.
"Is that so?"
Obito blinked, then his face lit up with understanding. He immediately started running the scene back in his head, dissecting the movement.
Unfortunately...
Takeshi sighed inwardly. If Minato hadn't intervened, maybe he could've squeezed a little more points out of this-maybe not much, but still, every bit counted.
He had so many Jutsu's he wanted, yet not enough resources to obtain them. The frustration was maddening.
Next is Kakashi.
But Takeshi couldn't do much for him. The Chidori's price in the shop was on par with the Flying Thunder God. Just looking at it was painful. So as far as helping Kakashi go, well-that was up to him and Minato.
'Not my problem.'
Feigning focus, Takeshi began practicing *Wind Release: Rasengan*. At first, it was all for show, but after a few attempts, he found himself actually achieving a form-one with four distinct edges, much like Minato's version.
The power didn't change much, but it did knock the shop price down by a thousand.
Under the right motivation, the black cat had become quite the diligent student.
Of course, they hadn't come out just to train. Their team was also assigned to patrol the Northern edge, ensuring no signs of enemy activity. If trouble arose, they were expected to respond immediately.
Both Kirigakure and Kumogakure had been restless lately. They couldn't afford to be careless.
Between training and patrolling, time passed quickly. Not that any of them were particularly focused on the latter. They were about to head back when-
"Nyaa~ Someone's fighting." Takeshi's ears twitched as he raised a paw, pointing toward the Land of Iron in the distance.
"How far?"
"Pretty far. Even the sound is faint."
Minato's brow furrowed in thought.
The location was right at the border between the Land of Iron and Kumogakure-a coastal trade hub of significant importance. The port there was vital for commerce between the Land of Lightning, Land of Iron, and Land of Water.
An absolute neutral zone.
If even Takeshi could pick up the sounds of battle from this distance, then this wasn't some petty trade dispute.
Minato's curiosity was piqued, but as a neutral country, the Land of Iron was tricky. Directly interfering wouldn't be ideal.
"Should we check it out?"
"If we take the coastal route, we avoid territorial violations, right? And if it comes down to it, we can disguise ourselves. We have Flying Thunder God for emergency anyways…"
Obito and Kakashi were both eager to see what was happening.
Minato hesitated for a moment, then turned to Takeshi.
"Meow~" Takeshi nodded.
He had no idea what awaited them, but he hadn't been to the Land of Lightning yet. It was a good excuse to go. Certainly better than heading back to camp, where Tsunade would no doubt rope him into errands or worse—more medical lessons.
With their decision made, they dashed along the coast toward the disturbance. To avoid unnecessary conflict, they used Transformation Jutsu to disguise themselves.
But as they approached the source of the noise, an eerie silence had settled over the area. The only thing that greeted them was the heavy stench of blood and a battlefield littered with corpses.
"Kirigakure Assassination Squad."
Minato's voice was low, almost grim.
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