So far, Rin had caught two, while the others hadn't caught any.
Asuma, who had been the most confident earlier, now trailed behind, exhausted and sluggish.
"Meow~ What kind of posture is that? Run faster!"
'Is this even running? It's more like crawling!'
Asuma hunched over, panting like a dying dog.
He glared angrily at Raj, but his gaze faltered when he met the cat's eyes, remembering that it was a Special Jonin and currently overseeing the training.
"This isn't the Will of Fire, meow!"
"I get it," Asuma shouted irritably, summoning his last reserves of energy for a final burst of speed.
But this fleeting surge of strength quickly faded, and he collapsed to the ground moments later.
Naoki covered his face in embarrassment.
'This is just too humiliating.'
"Rest for a bit, meow... We'll make up the time tomorrow."
Asuma looked up, his initial gratitude turning to fury at the cat's last remark.
'Is that even human? At this rate, we'll all die!'
He wanted to protest, but then he remembered that Rin was enduring the same training, and Kakashi and Obito had undoubtedly gone through similar trials.
What excuse did he have to slack off?
Asuma gritted his teeth and persevered.
After taking a Soldier Pill and resting briefly, he immediately resumed running.
Humans can distinguish between good and bad.
Though Asuma was annoyed that Black Cat wasn't human, he knew that running like this was beneficial.
By enduring, he could grow stronger.
Soon, Kakashi and Obito finished their rounds and joined in the "rat hunt."
Physical training requires sustained effort over time; immediate improvements are impossible.
Asuma had previously lacked consistent training, so trying to compete with Kakashi and Obito right away was just asking for trouble.
Raj lay above, watching, his mind wandering off into daydreams.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya finished writing his manuscript.
Seeing the relaxed atmosphere, he instructed a Genin to deliver the manuscript to Kyoto that very day, asking a contact there to handle the printing.
The Land of Fire was prosperous and thriving.
Even with the storm clouds gathering, commerce continued unabated, business as usual.
Once the manuscript was delivered, it would be quickly printed if the quality met standards, then distributed nationwide through Green Light Publishing's channels.
For ordinary authors, the manuscript might undergo a review process.
But Jiraiya...
He was, after all, one of the Three Legendary Sannin.
They themselves didn't take pride in the title, but to outsiders, it was a truly prestigious name.
Green Light Publishing wouldn't object to giving him the green light.
Besides, after reading the story, they genuinely felt it was excellent.
Thus, the book went to print that very day.
Within days, it was distributed through various channels to stores across the Land of Fire.
During this time, Raj had been training Kakashi and the others, rarely returning to camp, so he remained unaware of these developments.
Five days later, somewhere in the Land of Fire:
"Lady Tsunade, please don't go in! We're out of money, and we're already drowning in debt..."
A black-haired girl tugged at the sleeve of a blonde woman, pleading desperately at the entrance of a gambling den.
But her efforts were futile.
Tsunade lifted her up with one hand and strode inside, ignoring her protests.
Just then, her eyes fell on a name displayed at a nearby book stall.
'Jiraiya?'
'Am I seeing things?!'
"Lady Tsunade? You agree we should focus on earning money first, right?" Shizune, sensing Tsunade's pause, couldn't contain her excitement.
"Shut up, Shizune," Tsunade snapped, then turned to continue inside. "Some 'Perseverance and Endurance' story? It's probably another one of those naive and foolish novels, filled with his unrealistic fantasies about so-called peace and underdog ninjas."
'Effort can surpass talent? Hah.'
Jiraiya was an underdog, but he wasn't stupid.
On the contrary, the guy was naturally gifted, just a bit eccentric and I'll-suited to step-by-step theoretical instruction.
So...
"The idea that persistence guarantees rewards is just the drivel of fools," Tsunade couldn't help but add.
"Huh?" Shizune felt puzzled.
Tsunade hadn't mentioned anything about persistence leading to rewards; she'd only said she was going to make money.
"Come one, come all! Jiraiya, one of the Three Legendary Sannin, has adapted his own experiences into a thrilling, stimulating, and seductively moving tale! Come see, come see!"
'Adapted from his own experiences? Thrilling and stimulating? Seductively moving?'
Tsunade's eyebrow twitched.
She strode over to the bookshop, lowered her head to examine the cover closely, and discovered it depicted a black-haired woman bathing in a river while a young boy spied on her from the bank, with a black wildcat also in the frame.
"What is this trash?" Tsunade frowned slightly, thinking of Jiraiya's character. "Has that idiot started writing this kind of garbage novel?"
"Jiraiya? Could it be...?"
"That's right, young lady. It's Jiraiya, one of the Three Legendary Sannin. This book is said to be based on his personal experiences, incorporating his life's lessons and insights. It's suitable for men, women, adults, and children - definitely not that kind of book," the shopkeeper said, immediately changing his tone upon seeing the two women and abandoning the "sensual and captivating" angle.
He was a true professional.
"Really? Can I take a look?" Shizune's eyes lit up, and she stood on tiptoe to peer at the shopkeeper.
"Hey... I told you not to corrupt the child."
"Madam, rest assured. This book truly contains no such content. The cover depicts a scene from the story, with no explicit imagery," the shopkeeper patiently explained.
"Let me see."
Tsunade picked up the book and flipped it open.
The first page contained an introduction stating that the novel was written by Jiraiya, with valuable input from a Special Jonin named Raj.
'Raj? Who is that...?'
She remembered all of Konoha's Special Jonin, even the recently promoted ones, who would have been seasoned Chunin for years.
Yet the name "Raj" didn't ring a bell.
'Never mind, it's not important.'
Tsunade shook her head slightly and continued reading.
'Jiraiya's improved.'
The opening scene depicted a bottom-of-the-barrel young man practicing tree climbing in a forest by a river.
He then spotted a beautiful woman by the water.
Tsunade wasn't particularly fond of such scenes, but she had to admit the story was captivating.
After flipping through a couple more pages, she realized the story wasn't as lewd or sensational as she had anticipated.
Compared to what she had imagined, it was practically wholesome.
The young man hadn't
He intended to spy on the woman, but when a black cat snatched her clothes, he bravely stepped forward to retrieve them.
Up to this point, Tsunade had found the story quite amusing, even feeling a sense of relief that Jiraiya's writing skills had improved.
But then...
"The Senju Clan?"
"The granddaughter of the World's Greatest Ninja Village's leader?"
"Childlike face, massive..."
"Jiraiya, you're asking for it!"
Boom!
With a deafening crash, the book stall was pulverized by a single punch, reduced to splinters before the terrified and despairing eyes of Shizune and the stall owner.
Tsunade stood radiating fury, her murderous aura so intense that no one dared approach.
Heaven have mercy-who in this small town had ever witnessed such a display?