The only real concern was whether Raj would be exposed.
This was precisely why Konan was so worried.
They couldn't afford to talk much longer.
Raj's actions were always shrouded in secrecy, and he clearly didn't want to be exposed.
They couldn't risk giving themselves away by acting suspiciously.
But just then, a wooden shard materialized on Konan's shoulder.
Her eyes lit up, and she nodded with relief.
The Root members departed, summoning Orochimaru to the scene.
Orochimaru was the most powerful and knowledgeable genius they knew, and he was also the closest, making him the obvious choice.
"Lord Orochimaru, it's just ahead."
"Hmm."
Orochimaru nodded slightly and followed them to the site.
However, the rain had washed away all traces of the battle.
Orochimaru summoned snakes to search, but even the ashes were indistinguishable beneath the pile of Exploding Tags, let alone any flesh or blood.
Even a powerful figure like Danzo, the Darkness of the Ninja World, whose strength rivaled that of a Kage, had met such an end.
Life truly is fragile.
'But it's a good death.'
'Whoever did this, I must thank you properly.'
Though Orochimaru regretted that Danzo's body had been completely obliterated, leaving no tissue for study, he felt a secret joy.
With Danzo gone, no one could threaten him anymore.
"Let's return. There's nothing left to find. Prepare for war."
'Twenty-seven thousand... Danzo died too quickly to have earned that many points. So the rest must be from Hanzo?'
Raj analyzed the source of the points.
According to the System, it still wasn't intelligent enough to provide a detailed breakdown of points, forcing Raj to guess its daily earnings.
But upon closer reflection, the reason wasn't hard to deduce.
Hanzo had taken the blame.
Raj's small feline frame, Sage Mode, and lightning-fast "Gate Opening" technique left Danzo virtually defenseless during their brief, explosive confrontation.
This was precisely because Danzo's strengths happened to clash perfectly with Raj's.
Wind Release, speed, and swordsmanship-none of these posed a threat to Raj.
Had Danzo been a master of Earth Release like Onoki, whose Earth Release Ninjutsu offered formidable defense, even Raj's speed wouldn't have been enough to kill him quickly.
In that scenario, Raj would've had to resort to transformation or brute force, neither of which could've swiftly killed a Tsuchikage.
Of course, if Danzo had mastered Onoki's Ninjutsu, Raj wouldn't have attempted to ambush him at this stage.
Instead, it would've waited until it was stronger, perhaps until it could threaten all of Konoha single-handedly.
At that point, openly killing a mere Danzo would be of no consequence.
To put it bluntly, Danzo's reputation within Konoha was far from flattering.
At best, he was known as the "Shadow Of Konoha"; at worst, he was the "Scapegoat Kage," taking the blame for the Third Hokage's failures.
Even after Sasuke killed Danzo, he ultimately served the village, didn't he?
Still, there was no need to overthink things.
A barrage of Exploding Tags would leave nothing but ashes.
If Konoha could still find traces after that, it would simply have to admire their tenacity and make a swift escape.
Of course, Yahiko remained its greatest vulnerability, which was why Raj had sent him to the Land of Snow.
Once the heat died down, it would dispatch a contingent of Cat Ninjas to the Land of Snow.
Partly to offer assistance, partly to monitor the situation, and partly as a contingency plan.
The Ninja Cat Castle's close ties with the Uchiha clan made having a backup plan essential.
A cunning rabbit prepares three burrows.
Building a sanctuary takes more than a day or two.
Raj checked the shop and redeemed the Water Formation Wall and Water Dragon Bullet, which had been discounted earlier, for just over 4,000 points.
Considering the value of these Ninjutsu, 4,000 points was practically nothing.
After spending 4,000 points, it still had over 23,000 remaining, with over 10,000 reserved for the Rasenshuriken.
Having mastered Sage Mode, Raj could now evolve the Rasenshuriken into the Sage Art: Rasengan Shuriken.
The method was simple: replace all the Chakra required for the Rasenshuriken with Sage Chakra.
'I wonder how Minato's research is progressing lately,' Raj thought, feeling a flicker of anticipation.
If Minato could successfully develop the Rasenshuriken, Raj could get another discount, making things even more comfortable.
The ship moved at a snail's pace.
Most passengers didn't mind, but Guy was vomiting incessantly.
Everyone was used to it by now; he'd been like this since they set sail.
But as soon as his feet touched solid ground, the man would recover instantly.
Raj lay sprawled out, sleeping, while Kakashi diligently studied his Chidori as usual.
Within a few days, they returned to Konoha.
The village was shrouded in solemnity.
As Raj entered, he noticed a sea of gray cloth.
Most people on the streets wore black clothing or robes, an unsettling sight.
"Meow?"
Raj feigned confusion.
"Something's happened in the village," Kakashi said with a wave of his hand.
The group immediately began running, quickly reaching the Konoha Memorial Stone.
As expected, a crowd of ninjas was gathered there, paying their respects.
Raj gazed at the scene, his heart filled with complex emotions.
The plan had succeeded beyond expectations, catching Danzo completely off guard.
With Danzo dead, Raj no longer had to worry about someone constantly scheming against him.
As his abilities grew, that bastard would've been even more eager to capture and dissect him.
The Third Hokage sensed the commotion and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear before the five of them.
"Raj, Kakashi... Kakashi, you should go change your clothes first. As for Raj... even though you never met Danzo, you should still participate in the memorial service. After all, he made significant contributions to Konoha."
Raj was already black, so there was no need to change.
Raj nodded slightly and moved to the back of the group, crouching down.
'Offer incense to Danzo? That's adding insult to injury! But Lord Danzo, this wasn't my idea. It was your old friend who insisted I pay my respects...' Raj thought.
To himself.
Soon it was his turn.
The ninja handing out flowers paused when he saw a cat, but quickly remembered that this was Raj, the village's newest Jonin.
He immediately offered Raj a white flower.
Raj extended its tail, wrapped it around the flower, and carried it to the memorial stone.
He gently placed it before the stone alongside the others, paused for a second or two, and then followed the group away.
Moments later, the Third Hokage created a Shadow Clone.
"Let's go," the Third Hokage said, looking weary.
Danzo's death had visibly drained his energy.
Raj felt no guilt; the man had committed countless atrocities and was about to extend his claws toward Raj himself.
Striking first was the only way to avoid being constantly targeted.
'I'm not that patient,' Raj thought.