'Tch.'
A thought flashed through Tsunade's mind as she briefly mourned the departed Danzo.
Then she called for someone to clean up Yugito.
As for Raj... by now, he had already bolted from the camp, heading north.
A battle was indeed underway.
Halfway there, he heard faint sounds of combat - the crackle of Exploding Tags, the fiery glow of Ninjutsu, and the occasional crash of falling trees.
Raj was far from his best condition.
His Chakra had only recovered to about half its usual level.
For a Black Cat accustomed to operating at full capacity, this was far from ideal.
But the situation was urgent.
Even Rin and the others had joined the fight.
If anything were to happen to them... Raj couldn't bear the thought.
As it approached the front lines, it sensed the white cat's aura.
"Meow!"
A mournful cat's cry echoed through the battlefield.
When Raj arrived, he witnessed a harrowing scene: Matatabi had transformed into its massive form, its fur hardening into a protective armor as it shielded against Lightning Release ninjutsu.
'Needle Jizo can block kunai, but can it really withstand Lightning Release?'
Raj wondered, observing the situation.
Beneath Matatabi's massive form, he spotted Rin tending to the wounded.
'Poor Matatabi.'
Even Raj felt a pang of sympathy.
After all, Matatabi was a key combatant in the Ninja Cat Castle.
Being summoned as a mere meat shield seemed a grave injustice.
At that moment, a bolt of lightning flashed in the distance, followed by a figure rapidly approaching.
The Fourth Raikage, A.
His target was Rin.
Though A didn't recognize her, he reasoned that a young girl participating in such a battle, especially one using Medical Ninjutsu, must possess exceptional talent and skill.
Capturing her would give him leverage over Tsunade.
Desperate times called for desperate measures.
Now, any Medical Ninja who crossed his path became a target for capture.
'Not every cat is Raj. This one probably lacks his strength.'
Minato desperately wanted to assist, but his Chakra reserves were already low, and after rescuing several people earlier, he was completely drained.
"Rin!" Obito shouted, but his speed was no match for A and Killer Bee.
Kakashi glanced over, then brought his twin blades together.
Lightning crackled along the blades, transforming into a streak of light as he charged forward.
"Bee, cover me!"
"Big bro, I've got your back! Anyone who gets in the way dies, you idiot, you bastard!"
Killer Bee roared, his blades flashing as he swiftly followed.
Though slower than A, he was still faster than most ordinary ninja - certainly fast enough to keep pace with Kakashi.
Clang!
The sharp clash of blades echoed as Kakashi's lightning-infused strikes met Killer Bee's Lightning Release Armor.
The armor mitigated much of the damage, especially from Lightning Release Ninjutsu.
Genma Shiranui and Ebisu stood protectively in front of Rin, their palms slick with cold sweat.
Matatabi let out a ferocious roar, bracing itself for a desperate fight, even though it knew it was outmatched.
Rin glanced sideways, her heart pounding with worry, but her hands remained steady as she continued her methodical treatment.
As A closed in, she decisively scooped up the wounded and prepared to flee.
At that moment, a dark shadow flashed past.
Then- Boom!
With a single swipe, A was sent flying.
"Brother?! Idiot! Bastard! Don't go-"
Killer Bee, locked in a fierce sword duel with Kakashi, glanced sideways when he saw A hurtling back.
The momentary distraction weakened his strike, and in the next instant, he was sent flying alongside A.
Boom!
After a series of thunderous crashes, A and Bee came to a halt, having smashed through a tree.
The Kumo Ninja swiftly rallied to provide cover and support.
Minato, clutching a kunai weakly, crouched beside Rin, panting heavily.
He had reached his limit.
"Meow!"
With a ferocious roar, everyone witnessed the true terror of a tiger descending from the mountains.
The massive black cat moved with lightning speed, swatting ninja aside like flies.
Each strike cracked the ground, let alone the shinobi.
In the blink of an eye, it had closed the distance to A.
Thanks to Killer Bee's body cushioning his fall, A's injuries weren't severe.
As Raj lunged, he swiftly executed a hand chop.
Lightning Release: Level Thousand Chiyo Dance.
The Third and Fourth Raikage had both mastered this ninjutsu, a signature technique of their family's nintaijutsu lineage, renowned for its devastating power.
However...
No matter how powerful a technique is, it's useless if you can't land a hit.
Especially with nintaijutsu.
Nintaijutsu, after all, is a form of Taijutsu.
Lacking instant-effect, wide-range attacks, most of its offensive techniques rely on physical combat.
But when it came to reaction speed, A was no match for Raj.
A cat's reflexes are unparalleled.
Just as A's hand blade was about to strike Raj, the creature swiftly raised its paw and delivered a powerful slap.
Bang!
A simple close-quarters collision, but amplified by monstrous strength.
Had A not been wearing his Lightning Release Armor, he would have been knocked flat.
As he was sent reeling, Raj opened his mouth and spat out an Iron Cannonball.
Then... Ice Release.
The already injured Killer Bee was frozen solid and teleported to Minato's location using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Damn cat! You're pushing your luck!" A roared in fury. "First Yugito, now Killer Bee? Are all Konoha's Ninjutsu this underhanded? If you've got the guts, let's settle this with bare fists! What kind of skill is it to rely on these dirty tricks?"
In his rage, A forgot that he was no match for Raj in hand-to-hand combat either...
The cat's speed and reflexes were simply too overwhelming.
A's greatest strengths - speed and power - were completely ineffective against Raj.
While A's defenses weren't weak, they clearly fell short of the Third Raikage's legendary resilience.
If A possessed such defenses, Raj wouldn't dare engage him in a head-on clash using only half his Chakra reserves.
If A's father, the Third Raikage, were here, Raj would have already retreated with his men, tossing Rasenshuriken behind them.
As they fled, the Third Raikage was simply too formidable.
His defenses were impenetrable, and his attacks were absurdly powerful.
Facing him left no room for error, yet he could charge straight through any opposition.
In short, he was utterly unreasonable.
Young A, on the other hand, was much easier to deal with.
After a few more exchanges, A grew increasingly irritable but also more subdued, mainly because his body ached from the beating and he lacked the energy to fight properly.
"Lord A, the Konoha forces are growing in number."
"Damn it! Where are those Kiri Ninja bastards? Haven't they launched an attack yet? How could they let so many enemies reach this far?" A roared in fury.
His subordinates didn't know how to respond.
The Kiri Ninja were cowards who fired a single shot and fled, never daring to follow up.