"Meow?"
"Meooow~"
Takeshi turned and padded into the Great Hall, the space Nekomata once called home. But behind him, a chorus of cat calls-high-pitched and grating-filled the air.
'Ugh, so loud!' He paid them no mind, continuing deeper into the hall.
"Takeshi-sama?"
A soft, feminine voice called out. A moment later, Kanna Uzumaki emerged from a small side room, bowing respectfully the moment she saw him.
"Meow~ Just wandering around. Don't mind me." Takeshi said as he waved a paw dismissively.
Apparently, Nekomata felt awkward continuing to live here and had taken the initiative to move to another room.
'What a considerate subordinate. I like that!'
"Yes, Takeshi-sama," Kanna replied, fully embracing her role as a maid.
It wasn't that she necessarily *enjoyed* playing the part, but she felt indebted to Takeshi for offering her a place to stay and felt a need to reciprocate.
After some thought, she retrieved a blanket she had woven and spread it out on the seat above.
Takeshi stared at it for a few seconds, then turned his head to glance at Kanna.
'This is a bit much, isn't it? I'm not really royalty, you know!' Still, the black cat hopped onto the seat. 'It would be rude to refuse such a heartfelt gesture,' he reasoned.
Might as well try it.
Jump. Curl up. Lie down.
'Oh. This is... nice.'
The blanket was exceptionally well-made, the material some kind of wild animal fur, incredibly warm and plush.
Just then, a familiar voice rang out.
"Everyone's here, meow... So, how do we use this chakra paper?"
Nekomata's question was simple enough. Takeshi had handed out the chakra-testing papers without any instructions, so naturally, they had no idea what to do with them.
"Meow? Just inject your chakra. Do I really need to spell that out?"
Takeshi shot Nekomata a look of pure exasperation. 'Does this even need an explanation?'
Apparently... they did need explanation.
Unlike ninja, ninja cats didn't inherently understand chakra properties. They had never been formally trained in ninjutsu, so this was entirely new to them.
After Nekomata infused the paper with chakra, he held it up for Takeshi to see.
The paper became damp, with one corner crumbling away.
"Water Release as the main attribute. You're also suited for Earth Release," Takeshi remarked, taking the opportunity to explain the signs of different chakra affinities to the group.
One by one, the remaining four cats tested their chakra. In the end, three had a strong affinity for Wind Release, while the last one was best suited for Lightning Release.
Takeshi's gaze lingered on the final cat.
'Lightning Release... Well, aren't you lucky.'
'Lightning Release is great, but with Fire Release as the secondary attribute, you'll be stuck practicing just Fur Ninjutsu for now. When I have enough points to spare, I'll consider getting you something else to learn,' Takeshi thought glumly.
At least now they knew which affinity to train for whom. That meant they could start learning techniques suited to their strengths.
Nekomata, meanwhile, was confused.
'What's with that envy in this black cat's eyes? It changed so fast... Is he happy or unhappy?'
"Meow! The one with Lightning and Fire affinity, you teach him a few Hair Ninjutsu. I haven't fully grasped Lightning-Fire techniques yet. I know Wind and Water Release, so I'll teach you all a few moves now."
With that, Takeshi beckoned them closer and began instructing.
Time passed. After going over the techniques thoroughly, he glanced at the four cats.
"Got it?"
The four cats shook their heads in unison. The Lightning-Fire cat, sitting off to the side, also looked thoroughly confused.
Takeshi couldn't help but sigh. 'These cats are hopeless!'
"Meow~ I figured this stuff out in no time! You guys are the worst students I've ever had!" Takeshi launched into a tirade.
'I lectured until my mouth was dry, and you didn't learn a thing. Seriously...'
He was about to launch into another rant-perhaps even throw in a few choice phrases from his past life-when a timid voice interrupted.
"Um..." Kanna hesitantly raised her hand.
"What is it, meow?" Takeshi turned to her, still irritated.
"I... I understood it. And I memorized everything." She spoke softly, almost uncertainly.
The five cats snapped their heads toward her in unison, eyes wide with shock.
Confused and Surprised. Confused that she not only understood but also memorized everything. Surprised because... this meant the black cat could leave sooner.
They stared at Takeshi expectantly.
Takeshi narrowed his eyes at them. He could see right through their thoughts. He considered giving them an earful but decided it wasn't worth the effort. Instead, he waved a paw. "Get lost."
The four cats wasted no time bolting out the door, relieved to be dismissed. But-
"Nekomata, stay."
"Huh?"
Nekomata felt a sense of foreboding. 'Is this black-hearted cat going to take his anger out on me?'
'This is terrible!' The other four cats didn't know Takeshi well, but they'd heard from the former leader that this cat was petty, with a anger control as small as a pinhole. 'The former leader is in trouble now.'
But they had no intention of sticking around to find out. As soon as they got permission to leave, they vanished.
After all, "former leader" meant nothing now.
No hard feelings-it was just the way things worked.
Nekomata felt like crying but quickly composed himself, sitting down to face Takeshi.
"I was going to give you two packs of cat food, meow... but now..." Takeshi casually tossed out a pack of luxury cat food, followed by four packs of standard ninja cat food and a box of military ration pills.
'These ninja cats are still too weak.'
'Even at his peak, Nekomata hadn't been particularly strong. But he must have improved at least somewhat by now..'
Still, it wasn't enough.
"You take these two. Kanna, distribute the rest to the others later, meow."
"Yes, Takeshi-sama," Kanna replied, nodding.
Regret. Deep regret.
Nekomata wished he could rewind time. If he had known, he would have played along-shown a little enthusiasm instead of sulking. Then he could have gotten two packs of cat food instead of one.
He knew the benefits of that cat food firsthand, especially the luxury kind. After eating it, he immediately fell into a hibernation, and after waking up, his physical capabilities had increased significantly, and his chakra reserves had grown noticeably.
'If only I could get two packs...'
Of course, he didn't realize Takeshi had never intended to give out two packs in the first place. Luxury cat food wasn't cheap. This single batch had already cost over two thousand points.
But he wouldn't bother explaining this to Nekomata.
'Why waste an opportunity to squeeze a few extra points out of my subordinates?'
'I'm providing ninjutsu and cat food; it's not too much to take some points. It hurts to spend them, but there's no reason for those who get the benefits to be happy.'
After wrapping the blanket up and storing it away, Takeshi waved a paw.
"Meow~ Taking the blanket with me. No pressure here-go enjoy the sun or something."
"Yes, Takeshi-sama, I will await your return!" Kanna's voice was warm, even a little cheerful.
Takeshi found it odd.
At first, saving her was just a passing act of kindness. But somehow, it felt like he was... keeping a mistress?
Wait-what?
'I don't even have a girlfriend! How did it turn into this?' He pondered, feeling even more perplexed.
Shaking the thought from his head, he disappeared in a flash of the Flying Thunder God.
Left alone, Nekomata's eyes drifted toward the remaining cat food.
"Nekomata-sama," Kanna said with a knowing smile. "If you steal those four packs, I won't cover for you when Takeshi-sama finds out."
"Meow! I didn't do anything like that! I wasn't even thinking it! Don't spread lies, meow!"
Nekomata waved a paw in denial and quickly bolted.
Kanna chuckled and placed the four packs of cat food in a small cabinet in her room. Though young, she still remembered some of the tactics the teachers in her clan used when she was learning.
'Stupid, lazy, unwilling to learn? Your cat food is gone!' Only after mastering certain ninjutsu would she take the cat food out and distribute it to them. Although in the end, it would still be one pack per cat, it would have a significant motivating effect in the meantime.
Takeshi hadn't considered this, but she was happy to help.
-------------------
Dear Readers and Fans,
For those eager to dive into next chapters earlier before others, I invite you to join us on Patreon. By becoming our Patron, you not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also help us continue this endeavour and expand it further.
https://www.pat reon.com/8Ashes8
(no space)
You can read upto 7 Chapters in advance.