On the mountaintop, Kushina's clone was teaching Kanna basic fuinjutsu. Kanna had good talent, but her fundamentals were quite weak. Fuinjutsu was a deep and complex art, so even Kanna found it strenuous to learn. For now, she could only memorize it by rote, planning to write everything down later to study more carefully.
Down at the foot of the mountain, Minato walked alongside Takeshi.
"Takeshi, a word of advice," Minato began, his tone serious. "There's some trouble brewing with the Uchiha. It would be best if you stayed clear of it."
"Meow?" Takeshi looked up at him, momentarily speechless. 'Why does everyone assume I'm mixed up with the Uchiha? Do I really give off that impression?' he grumbled.
Still, he couldn't deny where the suspicion came from. Nekomata and his followers had always been close with the Uchiha clan. As the new leader of the ninja cats, it was natural to assume he might get pulled into their affairs. Minato was just giving him a friendly warning.
"What's happening, exactly?" Takeshi asked.
"I'm not entirely sure," Minato admitted, shaking his head. "But it might have something to do with Kura-senpai."
This was information he'd gotten from the Sandaime, who had specifically instructed him to relay it and help Takeshi weigh the risks.
Takeshi fell into thought.
'I'll have to let Kanna know,' he decided. With Nekomata currently captured by Tsunade, Kanna was essentially managing the fortress for him. A simple heads-up would be enough.
The Uchiha might be full of fools, but their money was good. From what he understood, the ninja cats weren't doing anything dangerous, just reporting what they saw and heard on their outings to Nekobaa. He had no intention of cutting them off completely. Why turn down easy money? Of course, with tensions this high, he'd have Amakusa tell Granny Neko to put a pause on the information exchange for a while.
'But about Kura...' Takeshi mused. 'Saving him must have changed things. It seems almost certain now.'
Kura Uchiha had awakened his Mangekyo. If he sided with Fugaku, the rest of the clan wouldn't stand a chance. It all came down to the choices Fugaku and the others made. In any case, Fugaku would never allow the clan to suffer irreparable damage, so whatever unrest was coming, it would be kept within containable limits.
Before, Takeshi would have been worried. The old Nohara family home was uncomfortably close to the Uchiha compound, and any chaos could have easily spilled over. But now that they had moved away, he wasn't concerned.
A lull settled over their conversation, but it was broken a moment later when both Minato and Takeshi sensed approaching figures. Takeshi reacted instantly, darting into the forest and scaling a tree. He peered through the leaves and froze, a little dumbfounded by the scene below.
Nekomata was sprinting for his life, with Tsunade in casual pursuit, a predator toying with her prey.
'What in the world is she doing?' Takeshi thought, a flicker of pity crossing his mind. 'Is she taking him for a walk? Poor Nekomata.'
The former king of the Ninja Cat Fortress was now being chased around like a common house pet. The look of pure despair on his face was almost painful to see.
Takeshi's focus shifted. His main concern wasn't Nekomata, but Kanna. Should he let her meet Tsunade? Tsunade was something of an ally, and she openly opposed many of the Sandaime's and Danzo's methods. He trusted her enough not to harm Kanna, but would Kanna be willing to meet her?
"Tsunade-sama?" Minato said, having leaped to a nearby branch. He took in the chaotic scene, then shot Takeshi a look and flashed a few quick hand signs.
The black cat gave a slight nod. In the next instant, he used the Flying Thunder God and appeared beside Kanna on the mountaintop.
"Takeshi-sama?" Kanna yelped, startled by his sudden arrival. She hadn't yet had a chance to explain the commotion below to Kushina.
Of course, by now, Kushina had noticed it too.
"Tsunade-sama is here," Takeshi meowed softly. "Should we leave?"
"Yes," Kushina said, just as Kanna nodded in frantic agreement.
Takeshi didn't hesitate. He activated the Reverse Summoning, and Kanna vanished in a puff of smoke. The Jutsu used far less chakra at this distance, leaving him with more than half his reserves. Not that he expected a fight, but he was curious. Had Tsunade found this place by chance, or was she following something?
'It's ridiculous,' he thought with some annoyance. 'That woman wanders in and out of the village's restricted areas without a pass, like she owns the place.'
"Meow! Save me! I want to go back!" Nekomata's piercing wails echoed through the trees before he was even in sight. "I don't want to stay in Konoha anymore! Save me!"
*Thwip.*
Takeshi's claws slid out. 'Ah,' he realized. 'So you're the one who led her here.'
A moment later, Nekomata burst into the clearing and skidded to a halt in front of Takeshi. He sniffed the air, his face falling in confusion. Kanna had been here just a second ago. Where did she go?
Seeing the black cat, Nekomata immediately began to plead. "Quick, send me back! I can't take it anymore! She makes me drink with her every day, then heals me when I get sick from it! She even takes me for walks but kicks me if I walk too fast or too slow! She's a monster, a complete demon, meow!"
"Alright," Takeshi purred, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I'll send you back, then."
"Really, meow?" A look of pure joy spread across Nekomata's visibly thinner face.
"Meow."
With a flicker of movement, Takeshi activated the Flying Thunder God. Nekomata vanished. Takeshi calmly patted his paw, thoroughly satisfied.
In such a short time, the white cat had lost a significant amount of weight. Tsunade's training methods were clearly effective. At this rate, Nekomata would be able to process the natural energy he'd absorbed in just a few days. After another dose of the special cat food, he should be ready to attempt training in Sage Mode. It was a shame his chakra control was so poor. If it was as proficient as Rin's, a single portion would have been enough to let him begin his training slowly. That would have saved a lot of his special reserves.
--**--**
"Tsunade-sama, what are you doing?" Minato asked as she strolled into the clearing.
"That cat was too fat," Tsunade said, smoothing a lock of her hair. She wasn't in a rush. "A little exercise will make him stronger. I was just giving him some light training."
She could have caught him easily if she'd wanted to, her speed far outmatched his. The chase was just a game. Whether he escaped or disappeared didn't matter to her. With Takeshi's Reverse Summoning, Nekomata could be brought back from the ends of the earth.
"I see, that's quite..."
"It's fine," Tsunade cut in. "Having a cat around makes life more interesting. At least, it does when those old fools aren't bothering me. That's still as annoying as ever."
She made no effort to hide her dislike for the Sandaime and the council, leaving Minato to scratch his head, unsure how to respond.
"Well, I'll go continue the chase," Tsunade said.
She was about to set off when her shoulder dipped under a sudden weight. A large white cat had just appeared there. Nekomata's eyes were filled with hopeful anticipation, but then he saw Tsunade's face turn towards him.
"Hey, you're back?"
'That black-hearted fiend!' Nekomata realized with dawning horror. 'When he said he'd send me back, he meant back to her!'
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