The Chunin Exams continued, but with so few ninja having reached the third stage and Sasori's incident hanging over them, Ebizo and Orochimaru lost interest in the details of the competition and began chatting idly.
Of course, leaders like them never engaged in idle chatter without purpose.
Their true aim was to negotiate how to handle the Sasori situation.
Had Jiraiya been in charge, he might have adopted a softer approach, demanding less from Sunagakure.
But with Orochimaru at the helm, he demanded a mountain of resources the Land of Wind already lacked, along with gold, minerals, and more.
It was nothing short of highway robbery.
Orochimaru's stance was unwavering: agree or face war.
Either Sunagakure hands over Sasori to Konoha for judgment, or there would be no third option.
Ebizo requested time to consult with his village, forcing the matter to be temporarily shelved.
The subsequent events had nothing to do with Rin and her team.
The three of them were just Genin, and with the current situation and the likelihood of renewed conflict with the Sunagakure, they weren't qualified to participate.
After the exams concluded, they immediately set out on their journey back to Konoha.
Raj was asleep again.
Aside from Guy's overreactions, Rin and Obito had grown completely accustomed to it.
Obito even thought Raj looked more handsome and adorable when asleep than when awake.
At least he wasn't causing trouble.
But then again, all cats were the same - cute when sleeping, but troublemakers when awake.
The only difference was that this particular cat was one he couldn't beat.
Obito sighed inwardly.
Fortunately, he didn't have to carry the Dead Cat this time.
Guy had volunteered to take on the task.
'If it had been Kakashi... Hmph, that guy's even worse than me.'
Konoha Village hadn't changed much.
The final decisions regarding promotions hadn't been made yet, and Minato was away on a mission, so Minato's Team couldn't be reformed immediately.
However, Guy had returned early.
He wanted to rejoin his teammates and continue their mission together.
Guy's strength was at the Chunin level, but he lacked in other areas.
Still, Guy was overjoyed and taught him how to open the Life Gate and beyond in the Eight Gates Formation that very night!
Rin and Obito weren't idle either.
Obito continued to learn his clan's Ninjutsu and swordsmanship while diligently practicing the Taijutsu Guy had taught him.
Rin returned to the Medical Corps to continue her studies.
Raj, meanwhile, slept soundly until the evening of the third day.
Compared to before, the time it needed to sleep after consuming Natural Energy was steadily decreasing.
This proved that its body was becoming more adapted to the energy, absorbing it much faster than before.
If it persisted, perhaps one day it would only need a brief nap after consuming the energy.
Due to its slumber, Raj missed the Nohara Family's celebration.
However, this wasn't a problem.
The unique advantage of the Item Space was that any food retrieved for the first time - as long as it hadn't been claimed before - would be in its optimal state for consumption.
Take the giant meat skewer, for example.
When Raj pulled it out, it was still steaming hot.
Hiding in the forest near its home, it devoured the skewer until only the bone remained.
'Delicious!'
It was worth every Point spent.
Next, it tried the Whirlpool Village's rare dried fish.
The taste was indeed different, likely due to the fish being from a river versus the sea.
Otherwise, there seemed to be no other significant differences.
Just as it was about to try the catnip again, a familiar scent appeared.
Kabuto's scent.
It immediately dashed outside and saw Rin walking home along the village path with Kabuto, chatting and laughing.
'That little rascal!'
"Meow~"
It leaped onto the roof of its house to greet them.
"Kabuto, this is my Ninja Cat, Raj," Rin said, pointing to Raj.
"Hello, Raj," Kabuto said with a slight bow, acting as if he had never met Raj before.
'What a cunning boy!'
Some people are simply born for certain roles.
Kabuto, for instance, was only four or five years old but already knew how to mask his expressions and thoughts, completely concealing the fact that he had known this black cat all along.
This was truly a gift from the heavens.
Of course, this "gift" wasn't exactly a blessing.
It was a dangerous path that could lead to his head being chopped off at any moment.
If he could avoid it, he certainly would.
"Meow~"
Raj leaped onto his head.
"Raj, that's rude!" Rin scolded.
"Meow~ We've known each other for a while."
Raj climbed onto his shoulder, ruthlessly exposing Kabuto's lie.
Kabuto froze for a moment, then bowed deeply to Rin while holding Raj.
"I apologize, Senior Rin. It's true, I've known Raj for quite some time."
"Oh, you're acquainted? No worries, no worries. Come in and sit for a while," Rin said, unconcerned and even more pleased.
Since Raj knew him, she figured he couldn't be too bad of a boy.
Aside from girls, the dead cat rarely warmed up to boys.
Kabuto bowed politely, then carried Raj inside with a smile.
Inwardly, he subtly pressed on the cat's sensitive spots, a blatant act of revenge!
Raj saw through his scheme instantly.
It had been watching the Points Panel earlier and noticed its points jump by several dozen when it revealed their "acquaintance."
'I'll tolerate this for now.'
'Still pressing?!'
"Meow!"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Raj likes it when I press on him. I must have accidentally hit a sensitive spot. I'm sorry," Kabuto said with a saccharine smile.
"Meow~ Let go."
Raj struggled free and leaped onto Rin's shoulder.
'This guy is such a schemer. He says all the right things, leaving you no room to criticize,' Rin thought.
Rin couldn't help but chuckle as she led Raj and Kabuto through the door.
"Mother, I'm home!"
"Welcome back! Your father isn't home yet, so make yourself comfortable!"
Tsume turned at the sound and her eyes widened at the sight of the adorable little boy.
"Who's this young man?"
"Hello, Auntie. My name is Kabuto, and I'm Senior Rin's apprentice."
"Apprentice? We're all just learning from each other...," Rin said awkwardly.
'With my limited skills, I'm hardly qualified to take on an apprentice. I'd be doing more harm than good.'
Of course, this was her modest assessment.
In reality, the Medical Corps praised her quick reflexes, steady hands, and exceptional Chakra control.
In short, her reputation was excellent.
Tsume invited Kabuto to sit down and enthusiastically inquired about him.
Upon learning he was an orphan, she insisted he stay for dinner.