"Hm? Another wave of Points? Where did that come from?" Takeshi blinked, somewhat bewildered.
The System had one rather inconvenient flaw: it lacked a detailed transaction history. If it had one, he could have checked the list to see exactly which little cutie was chanting his name and gifting him such a hefty sum of Points.
But thinking it over carefully, there weren't many candidates.
It was probably Madara.
That guy had been forced to abandon his hideout and move after Takeshi discovered his location in his old age as a cripple. He was likely seething with hatred for Takeshi right now, there was no other possibility. Madara really was a warm-hearted fellow, thinking of him the moment he settled down...
Takeshi sighed softly in his heart.
He didn't know where Madara had relocated to. If it were convenient, he wouldn't mind sending another Airdrop to congratulate him on his Housewarming Celebration. It was a pity Madara wouldn't share his address.
Besides, even if he found him, he couldn't beat him. At best, he could only annoy Madara Uchiha. Fortunately, even if he wasn't there in person, his spirit had been conveyed. Whether it was the situation with Nagato or the ideological education of Shisui, his influence would reach Madara loud and clear.
Of course, Takeshi didn't have the time to keep playing house with Shisui, so most of that work was actually done by Kanna acting under the guise of the Neko Sage's decree.
Having helped Tsunade resolve matters here, it was time for her to return the favor.
They had agreed beforehand: Takeshi would help her deal with the Uchiha, and she would help Takeshi handle Katsuyu. Once Katsuyu was secured, he would have the approval of all Three Great Holy Lands.
Their approval wasn't just a throwaway sentence.
A Holy Land wasn't as common as cabbage.
Once they recognized a Holy Land, they would naturally promote it for Takeshi. At the very least, Ryuchi Cave would definitely tell the ninja beasts coming to "visit" that there was a fourth Holy Land in the world called Kuraokami.
It wasn't that those snakes were kind.
Quite the opposite.
Those snakes had incredibly black hearts, they would love nothing more than to incite every Ninja Beast Family in the ninja world to pick a fight with the cat tribe. Manda, in particular, was likely in a foul mood after the beating he had just taken.
The toads probably weren't idle enough to gossip.
However, having a chat with them and getting the occasional promotion shouldn't be an issue. If that led to beating up a few more Ninja Beast Families later, wouldn't that be delightful?
--**--**
Tsunade brought Takeshi back to the only remaining Senju property. After taking him inside, she used ninjutsu to erect a Barrier, then performed the Hand Seal Summoning to bring out a Clone of Katsuyu.
There is only one slug in Shikkotsu Forest.
Any ninja who forms a contract with Shikkotsu Forest is contracting with Katsuyu herself. The size of the summoned slug simply varies depending on the summoner's chakra levels.
Since they were just talking, there was no need to expend too much chakra.
Tsunade controlled the flow carefully, and after the Hand Seal Summoning, a slug about the size of a black cat appeared within the formula. The slug looked at Tsunade, then noticed the black cat before her.
"Tsunade-chan, summoning me in a place like this... is there something you need to discuss?"
Katsuyu climbed onto Tsunade's shoulder.
Takeshi eyed that position and posture, it looked somewhat familiar, he seemed to like lying on people's shoulders like that too. However, viewing it from a different angle, the pose felt a bit problematic.
It was a good thing he was a cat.
If a human tried to cling to her like that...
Well, that hypothesis didn't exist. If a human tried to get that close, unless they were her closest kin, they would eat a fist. That included Jiraiya, if he tried that? He'd be beaten straight into the hospital.
Takeshi quickly gathered his thoughts and attempted to make eye contact with Katsuyu for some silent communication. However, a problem arose: where exactly were a slug's eyes?
On the two tentacles?
He observed curiously.
Tsunade coughed lightly. "Katsuyu, this is my adopted brother, Takeshi. Although he is a cat... Ahem, back to business. Their clan previously suffered a Great Disaster and is now in a Reconstruction Period. We hope to ask for your assistance."
Upon hearing this, Katsuyu turned her face toward Takeshi. It was still impossible to tell where her eyes were, but her tentacles twitched slightly, and a gentle voice drifted from her mouth. "Hello, young sage cat."
"Meow~ I pay my respects to you, Sage of Shikkotsu Forest."
Very polite.
Among the Three Great Sages, Katsuyu was definitely the easiest to get along with and the most gentle, so Takeshi didn't have the heart to be rude. In his past life, he had once thought that if he ever transmigrated, the optimal choice for a summoning beast would be Katsuyu.
Gentle, lethal, prestigious background, capable of saving people and restoring chakra, she was practically a jack-of-all-trades.
However, things hadn't gone as planned.
The dream of transmigration was fulfilled, but he had turned into a cat and was establishing a Ninja Beast Family himself, which was far from his original fantasy.
"Just call me Katsuyu. Um, you sought me out... do you wish to receive help, or...?"
"You could call it help, meow. I hope you can recognize the status of the Kuraokami Holy Land, and when ninja beasts interact with you, perhaps put in a good word for us." Takeshi explained hurriedly.
Katsuyu paused for a moment, clearly not quite understanding. Holy Land status?...
Those who possessed it probably didn't think it was all that important. So, whether it was Katsuyu or Fukasaku, they all found Takeshi's obsession strange, though she didn't say it out loud.
After thinking for a moment, Katsuyu continued, "That is not a problem. However, you must be sure you have thought this through."
"No problem, meow!" Takeshi licked his paw.
The Ninja Beasts that Katsuyu knew shouldn't be weak. If one caught his eye, he could keep it and let it settle around Kuraokami.
Very good, no issues there.
Thinking of this, he chuckled, feeling a little expectant.
"I don't have a problem with it, but... if they come to provoke you, you won't hurt them, will you?" Katsuyu sounded vigilant.
The black cat's smile just now made her very uneasy. Ninja cats had intense curiosity, and the cat before her didn't seem like a particularly kind fellow. She didn't want to promote him only for those ninja beasts to visit and end up being played with like balls of yarn.
She didn't want to bring harm to other ninja beasts.
"How could that be, meow? I am a pacifist. You should know that Tsunade-sama and I stopped the war together, right?" Takeshi immediately denied it.
Although he did harbor thoughts of making certain ninja beasts migrate, that was out of a desire for "friendly mutual assistance." It was absolutely not to harm them.
"Really?" Katsuyu sounded skeptical.
"Meow!" Takeshi nodded repeatedly.
But after a second thought, he added, "If they make a move against my subordinates, then you can't blame me for beating them without holding back."
"That is only right. Every clan leader has the duty to protect their subjects."
Although she had no subjects in that sense, she understood the principle.
Katsuyu's understanding nature moved Takeshi. He once again regretted that he was just a cat...
However.
If he really scammed those ninja beasts later, wouldn't it be a bit unfair to Katsuyu? Takeshi hesitated for the blink of an eye before quickly tossing those concerns to the back of his mind, what was the big deal? He wasn't some great villain, wasn't this all for everyone's common prosperity?
"Then I will help you. I hope you can rebuild your home soon." Katsuyu faded away as she finished speaking.
Tsunade was silent for a long moment before asking seriously, "Takeshi, you won't do anything to the ninja beasts that come looking for you, right?"
"I won't, meow."
'At most, I'll just ask if they want to stay and live there,' the black cat added silently in his heart.
"That's good. I put my reputation on the line for you, so don't mess around," Tsunade warned cautiously.
After discussing this, she dispelled the Barrier.
Takeshi looked around the house. Before long, he saw Nekomata sleeping in the next room.
That lazy pig was at it again.
"By the way, I've been very busy lately and haven't had time to manage him. Shizune can't control him, so why don't you take him back?" Tsunade yawned.
Raising a cat was only interesting at the beginning. Since she got busy recently, she had absolutely no time to manage the pet situation, so Nekomata's life had become comfortably indulgent again.
Perfect. He would take him back to train in Sage Mode.
===============
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