Being a Jonin is a thankless job.
During wartime, you have to fight, and when there's no war, you have to return to the village to take care of kids. The only real perk is earning the respect of fellow Jonin-assuming that even matters.
Besides that, Takeshi can't think of any other reason to need it.
That said, if Hiruzen Sarutobi handed him a Jonin rank, he would be happy to accept it. But if Danzo or those two crusty old geezers, Homura and Koharu, tried meddling, then-well, they couldn't stop him from leaving.
With the Flying Thunder God, nowhere was off-limits. He had already marked Konan with his seal, if push came to shove, he could teleport to Amegakure in an instant. No one would even know where he went.
Maybe then he'd help Nagato rise to power-give those idiotic elders and Danzo a real taste of suffering.
The plan was perfect. Quite tempting too.
However, when Takeshi arrived at the Hokage's office, the two elders he expected to be lurking, spewing their usual nonsense, were nowhere to be seen. Even the Hokage's personal guards were absent. The only one present was Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
'A private meeting, huh?' Takeshi warily looked at the Third Hokage in front of the desk. This man, known as the "God of Shinobi" in his prime, was now declining but still possessed considerable strength. The real question was, 'what did he want?'
"Meow~"
"Ah, Takeshi, you're here. Find a place to sit."
'How fake! You peeping tom, You saw me and Tsunade return through your crystal ball already, right? And now you're pretending like this is a casual meeting?'
"Heh." Takeshi hopped onto the desk, curling his tail as he glanced around. "No council today? No other witnesses?"
"No, don't overthink it." Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his temples. He looked exhausted, probably from dealing with the usual village nonsense.
Takeshi said earnestly, "Elderly people should rest, meow. You shouldn't spend all day watching things you shouldn't, you know... You're already so old, what's the point? Meow!"
The Hokage's smoking pipe came flying at him like a kunai.
Fortunately, Takeshi was faster. The pipe clattered against the desk, missing him entirely. Hiruzen glared at the feline before exhaling a long breath, clearly resisting the urge to throttle him. 'Why is it always so frustrating dealing with him?'
"Enough. Let's get to the point. I called you back not only to get a full report but also to assign you a new mission."
"Meow?"
'A new mission?' Takeshi's tail twitched as he felt slight unease. This sounded suspiciously like more work. He didn't like where this was going.
Hiruzen coughed lightly. "Jonin are required to take on assignments. It's part of the role."
"Then I won't be a Jonin, meow." Takeshi shut it down immediately.
What was the point of being a Jonin if it meant running errands? He didn't need money-he had Jiraiya raking in funds from his novels and Kabuto as his little financial assistant. Why would he waste time on official duties when he could be doing something more interesting?
"..." Hiruzen blinked as he sat there confused for a minute.
'This damn cat-I had argued for hours with the elders, convincing them to grant Takeshi the Jonin rank despite their protests. And now the brat was rejecting it outright?!'
Of course, the elders hadn't truly been on board. They had plenty of complaints. But after an exhausting debate, Hiruzen had managed to talk them into submission. The real battle had been convincing them that Takeshi's strength and intelligence outweighed his... unconventional nature.
Now, after all that effort-
"That's not how it works," Hiruzen said, his patience thinning. "Jonin rank is a decision made by the village, not something you can simply reject. How can you say you don't want to be one...Cough-cough, hack!" Hiruzen hunched over, gripping his chest as a violent fit took over. His breath came in ragged gasps before he finally steadied himself, exhaling slowly.
'Talking to this cat was giving me a headache-and possibly a liver ache too.' He sighed inwardly. He should have let Danzo handle this. At least that old war hawk would be the one suffering, maybe higher blood pressure might mellow him out too.
Taking a deep breath, he continued, "The village has issued the Jonin appointment. After careful consideration, we've decided to have you temporarily lead a team consisting of Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu. Their previous Jonin sensei are occupied with other missions."
Takeshi, perched on the desk nodded, flicked his tail lazily. "Meow."
"Also, we'd like to know more about the Eight Gates."
"Meow? Eight Gates? What's that?" Takeshi asked innocently, his feline face didn't show much expression, so Third Hokage couldn't read anything from it.
Hiruzen wasn't fooled. He simply continued, "Might Guy's father, Might Duy, developed a forbidden technique to open the Eight Gates-a method that your Neko Clan also seems to have knowledge of."
"Meow!" Takeshi nodded.
So Minato had wasted no time reporting that little taijutsu lesson Takeshi had given Obito. 'Figures.' Takeshi pondered the implications. If the village was taking the Eight Gates seriously, that meant Might Duy might finally be getting some long-overdue recognition. And this "temporary" assignment? He had a feeling it wouldn't be so temporary after all.
"There are many Gates," Takeshi began, stretching lazily. "Except for the last one, the others can, in a sense, be mitigated with a strong enough body. But in our Neko Clan, we generally don't open past the third Gate. Too risky, meow."
A half-truth. He wasn't about to lay all his cards on the table.
The first three Gates of the Eight Gates are relatively safe. Only from the fourth Gate onwards will it affect the human body...
Hiruzen exhaled a stream of smoke, watching the black cat closely. "So, from the fourth Gate onwards, it causes permanent damage?"
"Meow."
That seemed to settle something in Hiruzen's mind. If the damage could be minimized, the technique might be viable for wider use. Given Might Duy's years of relentless taijutsu training, perhaps he could open even the fourth and fifth Gates without severe consequences.
He nodded to himself. 'Yes, this confirmed it.' The Eight Gates were worth exploring further. And having Takeshi lead Might Guy was no coincidence-it was deliberate. Takeshi was one of the few people who could properly guide the boy. The only issue was what to do with Genma and Ebisu. Neither Takeshi nor Might Duy could teach ninjutsu, after all.
But it's not a big problem. Genma and Ebisu's combat styles are also more inclined towards taijutsu. Improving taijutsu first is also acceptable.
As for afterwards, that was a problem for later.
"Meow~ If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
Takeshi waved his paw.
To prevent being ambushed, he specifically placed a Flying Thunder God seal on the roof of a random house in the village, so leaving in emergency wouldn't be an issue.
Of course, he could also go to Tsunade's location.
But he guessed that Tsunade was definitely gambling, and teleporting to Tsunade's place now was just asking to get roped into covering her debts. Only a fool would do that. 'No, thank you.' Sleeping on the street or crashing with Aizawa Nohara was preferable.
It's not easy to save money, and he can't let Tsunade squander it.
Hiruzen took another drag from his pipe and exhaled. "Go."
The moment Takeshi leaped off the desk, he flicked his tail with deliberate mischief, sending a cloud of ash from Hiruzen's ashtray swirling into the air. The fine soot settled over the Hokage's freshly inked paperwork.
Hiruzen's eye twitched. A vein throbbed in his forehead. As he exhaled sharply, the lingering ash tickled his throat. He gave a short, irritated cough-then another, deeper one that refused to stop. A full-blown coughing fit seized him, forcing him to brace himself against the desk. His pipe slipped from his fingers, hitting the wood with a soft clink as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Hokage-sama!" One of the ANBU stationed outside rushed in immediately, but Hiruzen raised a trembling hand to wave them off.
He finally managed to catch his breath, though his face had gone slightly pale. Takeshi, mid-leap toward the window, flicked an ear back. "Meow. I told you, elderly people should rest. Watching all sorts of things all day isn't good for your health, meow~"
The only response was another coughing fit.
Takeshi smirked to himself and vanished in a flicker of movement, leaving behind nothing but the lingering scent of tobacco and the exasperated grumbles of an aging Hokage.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen settled back into his chair, his expression growing serious. He took a slow breath, composing himself as the cough subsided. His mind, however, remained sharp. Minato's report had come in just yesterday, and after a quick assessment, the truth was undeniable-Might Duy's taijutsu was far beyond what most had assumed. The man had trained relentlessly for over twenty years, and despite knowing no ninjutsu, his raw taijutsu placed him on par with Special Jonin.
That was the real issue. The Eight Gates weren't just a forbidden technique-they were proof of what dedication could achieve. Duy wasn't just some outlier; his son was showing the same potential, if Obito Uchiha could learn it then others can as well. And now, with Takeshi involved, the entire equation was changing.
Hiruzen tapped his fingers against the desk, his gaze staring outside the window. 'How to handle Duy... and, more importantly, Guy? The only problem is that he is too specialized, he lacks versatility beyond his taijutsu prowess.'
After Takeshi left, the outer door creaked open, and Danzo stepped in slowly, his cane tapping against the wooden floor. He wasted no time. "Hiruzen, you're being far too lenient with that thing. A wild beast, no matter how well-trained, must be disciplined. If you let it grow unchecked, it will become a liability. Assign it to Root-I will mold it into something useful. And while we're at it, I just need some of its blood."
Hiruzen exhaled a long stream of smoke, his gaze steady. "Tsunade would never agree. And more importantly, blood is tied to the fate of a clan. Regardless of Takeshi being a cat, he is a registered shinobi of this village. That grants him the same rights as any other ninja. The village has no authority to forcibly extract the blood of a Kekkei Genkai clan member."
Konoha had long thrived on its various clans and their secret techniques. If the village violated that trust, it wouldn't just be unethical-it would destabilize everything. He would never allow Danzo to overstep this boundary.
At least, not while he was still Hokage. He wants to hand over a better and more peaceful village to the next generation.
Danzo's visible eye narrowed. "Then at least grant access to the research on Eight Gates and Minato's modifications to the Flying Thunder God-"
"Minato has made it clear that his version of the Flying Thunder God requires a deep understanding of space-time ninjutsu as well as competency with Sensei's version of Flying Thunder God," Hiruzen interrupted. "Only those who have already mastered the basics of the technique can even begin to grasp his modifications. Does your Root division have anyone with that level of expertise? No? Then why are you so fixated on it? Danzo, everything has its limits. If you keep pushing beyond them-"
Hiruzen took a measured draw from his pipe, letting the words hang heavy between them. He had weighed his choices carefully before speaking. It had taken both Tsunade's unexpected return and Jiraiya's quiet insistence for him to finally put his foot down.
It has to be said that Jiraiya and Tsunade deserve some credit. If she hadn't returned to the village to "force" him into acting like a proper Hokage, and if Jiraiya hadn't secretly sent back some words and worries, he might have continued to endure.
Danzo's scowl deepened. "You-!" But he stopped himself, taking in the unwavering resolve on Hiruzen's face. Clicking his tongue in irritation, he turned on his heel and left, his presence dissipating like a shadow in the dimly lit office.
Hiruzen sat back with a sigh, tapping the ash from his pipe. His mood was soured. He had known Danzo for years-as both a comrade and a rival. Ruthless? Yes. But undeniably devoted to Konoha in his own way.
That, however, didn't mean he could allow him to cross certain lines.
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