"Meow?"
Outside Kuraokami, Nekomata was snapped awake by a burst of piercing cold.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a world of pure white. Heavy snow drifted endlessly from the sky, a magnificent yet freezing sight.
'Where am I?' He froze.
Wasn't he just at Tsunade's house? How did he end up here? And who the hell threw him out into this frozen wasteland without so much as a set of clothes or a blanket? Did they have no common decency?
As he mentally cursed, his mind gradually cleared. A second later, Nekomata picked up a familiar scent.
"Meow? Kanna-chan!" Nekomata sprinted toward her excitedly.
Kanna looked at him with a smile, her expression truly kind and amiable. As Nekomata rushed over to pounce into her arms, she extended her hands as if to welcome him.
However...
The moment those warm hands caught him, Nekomata felt the chakra within his body lock up. A seal clamped down, completely cutting off his access to his power.
Fuinjutsu!
"Meow?" Nekomata looked up, confused.
Kanna maintained that gentle, harmless expression, but the words that fell from her lips were anything but: "Takeshi-sama left instructions. Once you wake up, I am to seal your chakra and have you climb this tower."
Nekomata looked up, following the direction of Kanna's hand.
'Damn! What the hell is this thing!'
He couldn't see the top. The structure was bizarre, stretching endlessly upward. He spotted a figure climbing high above, someone with red hair like Kanna, standing out starkly against the tower.
But the climber wasn't the main issue. The issue was the sheer height.
Just then, Nagato plummeted from the tower.
He fell fast. Although Nagato used Almighty Push to brake in mid-air, he still slammed heavily into the ground. Kanna moved with practiced ease, immediately applying medical ninjutsu to treat him.
Nekomata's whiskers twitched. 'What the hell.'
If he hadn't been sealed, it would be fine, at worst, he could cheat using chakra. But with his chakra locked, he was reduced to physical strength alone. A fall from that height would be fatal.
After finishing the treatment, Kanna pointed to Kuraokami, signaling that Nekomata could begin.
Nekomata's legs turned to jelly.
Trembling, he asked Kanna, "Do I have to go up?"
"As expected of Takeshi-sama, he predicted this might happen. That is why he left me a backup plan." Kanna smiled faintly.
Then, she reached out and snapped her fingers.
A second later, a swarm of paper sheets flew out of the igloo, wrapping around Nekomata and hauling him up the tower. Nekomata screamed miserably, but his cries didn't stop Konan from maintaining the technique. She manipulated the paper to carry him higher and higher.
Suddenly, a portion of the papers swirled together to form a human shape.
Paper Clone Jutsu.
"The jutsu's effect will vanish in three seconds. Better grab on." Konan said this with a slight smile.
Nekomata looked down and instantly gasped, he was already at least Fifty feet in the air.
'Damn black cat, I hate you!'
--**--**
"Meow~ I wonder if Nekomata has started his climb yet. He's getting as fat as a pig, if he doesn't exercise and toughen up, he's going to be useless." Takeshi sighed.
Due to some sudden events, he hadn't returned to Kuraokami yet. instead, he was in the Land of Earth at Tsunade's request.
The matter was simple, Roshi had run away.
Normally, Konohagakure wouldn't interfere in such matters, but the Iwagakure ninja simply couldn't find Roshi's whereabouts. Even if they did find him, unless Onoki took action personally, most of their forces couldn't defeat the jinchuriki.
Desperate to recapture Roshi, Onoki had no choice but to ask for help from the Konoha Kidnapper Duo.
Takeshi didn't know exactly what had transpired to cause the flight, but the key issue was that Team Minato was away on another mission. So, the job fell to him.
Of course, the Iwagakure ninja wouldn't let Konoha handle it entirely on their own, they sent a team to assist. The one responsible for coordinating with Takeshi was Kitsuchi.
Originally, Takeshi wouldn't have agreed.
Just because the Iwagakure ninja asked him to act didn't mean he would. However, the benefits Onoki offered were substantial. Takeshi happened to be in urgent need of money to buy food, ninja tools, heaters, and other supplies. He had no choice but to sell his conscience and accept the job.
On the edge of the Land of Earth.
Kitsuchi waited anxiously. They had already lost Roshi's trail, yet the reinforcements from Konoha still hadn't arrived. It was maddening.
"Sir, let's enter the Land of Fire and search. If we wait any longer, we'll never catch up to Roshi."
"Wait a little longer."
Kitsuchi waved his hand, rejecting his subordinate's bold idea. Times were different now. In the past, Iwagakure felt they were on equal footing with Konoha, so rules were often bent. But now that Konohagakure had beaten the four great villages senseless, Kitsuchi didn't dare cause trouble at such a critical juncture without proper notification or a Konoha partner present.
He wasn't just afraid of Tsunade, mostly, it was the reputation of the Konoha Kidnapper Duo. If they trespassed on the border today, those bandits might pay the Iwagakure ninja a "friendly visit" at home tomorrow.
They really couldn't afford to provoke them.
Besides, chasing into the Land of Fire right now didn't guarantee they would catch Roshi.
Just then, a black shadow approached rapidly from the distance.
Kitsuchi reacted instantly, jumping in front of his men and watching the direction with extreme vigilance. His hands flew through seals, but in the next second...
"Meow~ Vigilance is good, but you couldn't beat me even if you all attacked at once. Stand down."
His shoulder sank. He turned his head to see a black cat standing on his shoulder, casually wiping its claws on his clothes.
'That instant just now?'
Cold sweat beaded on Kitsuchi's forehead. He was certain the cat hadn't used spatial ninjutsu. That meant the black cat had arrived in front of him purely through physical speed.
Near teleportation.
'What terrifying speed!'
Just as the black cat said, they weren't on the same level. If the creature had wanted to kill him, that claw would have ended his life in an instant.
If Kitsuchi felt this way, the rest of the ninja were faring even worse, they stood to the side, silent as cicadas in winter.
At this moment, everyone understood Kitsuchi's hesitation.
Indeed.
If they had rashly intruded into the Land of Fire, they might have had to pay a massive compensation fee for nothing. Given the black cat's personality, he would undoubtedly demand an exorbitant price.
"Takeshi-sama. I am Kitsuchi, Jonin of Iwagakure Village."
"Meow! Has Onoki thrown out his back again recently?" Takeshi nodded, offering his affectionate greeting.
Kitsuchi's expression went stiff.
Stunned for a moment, he nodded and said, "Fortunately, Father received Tsunade-sama's treatment, and his condition has improved greatly. However, he is still recuperating, so he has not taken the field."
"Meow. You Iwagakure ninja are hiring me again... is the economic pressure getting to you?"
"..." Kitsuchi didn't know how to answer.
He had hoped Konoha would send Minato. Compared to Takeshi, Minato was much gentler and easier to reason with. He never expected the black cat to show up. To be honest, he was bewildered.
In terms of ability, this black cat was stronger than Minato.
But the price of that power was money, lots of it. The cat was expensive. That comment about economic pressure stabbed right into his heart.
===============
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