Before long, changes began to manifest in her body.
Fur started growing.
'Of course. Fur? Is this what's happening? Don't be ridiculous!'
Raj felt his fantasy shatter instantly.
Fortunately, the cat fur quickly receded, and a new transformation emerged beneath her hair - something seemed to be breaking through the earth.
A few moments later, two ears emerged.
Cat ears? Black cat ears, no less.
'Hmm, something has been significantly enhanced.'
Raj's ears twitched as it continued to circle Rin, showing no other apparent changes.
After several seconds, Rin opened her eyes.
"How do I look, meow?"
"Meow... I don't think there's been a major change. I just feel much stronger, and my body feels lighter."
'You call that a minor change? You've even learned to meow!'
Raj didn't know how to respond.
After a moment's thought, he slapped his paw down, creating an ice mirror and gesturing for her to look at herself.
Rin didn't notice at first, but her eyes widened as she stared intently at the reflection.
'Cat ears? And... my eyes...'
"Is the change just my ears? But my eyes seem different too."
"Meow?"
Raj leaned in for a closer look, then glanced back at the ice mirror.
It seems so.
Whenever something suddenly appeared in her field of vision, her pupils would instantly transform into cat-like slits.
"Meow~ Let's try fighting."
The best way to test a feline's abilities is through hunting.
Since there was no prey available, they would have to settle for combat practice for now.
Raj roared, instantly transforming into a size comparable to Rin's.
In the blink of an eye, it had pounced on her.
"Huh?"
She was surprised, unsure how she had managed to evade the attack.
But she quickly realized it was due to Sage Mode.
'Increased reaction speed? But I didn't even react consciously!'
Rin found the sensation peculiar.
The next moment, Raj attacked from behind.
This time, she couldn't dodge.
"Meow~ It seems I need to see it to understand. Try attacking me."
"Okay, meow!"
The girl nodded.
She drew two kunai and charged at Raj.
Her speed was impressive - about half of her full speed.
Though only half, this was a significant boost considering her physical condition and current state.
Even this reduced speed was beyond what ordinary ninjas could achieve.
But the real question was: why had a tail suddenly appeared when she started running?
Raj stared at the swaying tail, puzzled.
It dodged to the side.
Now it understood.
Rin saw Raj shift his position mid-air, executing a special maneuver to change her posture and body orientation.
The moment she landed, she pivoted instantly, her tail maintaining perfect balance throughout the entire sequence.
Lunging at Raj, she thrust her kunai forward with lightning speed.
Raj dodged the strike, and Rin's two kunai flipped like daggers, changing direction for a follow-up attack.
She executed a series of high-difficulty maneuvers in a single, seamless motion.
The crucial point was that Rin herself seemed somewhat bewildered by how she'd managed to pull it off, her expression a mix of confusion and awe.
'Hmm... This is very Ninja Cat-like.'
"Alright, meow. Let's try some Ninjutsu now," Raj said, flicking his tail.
The extent of her transformation was significant, but Rin was the first ninja to master the Cat Sage Mode.
As such, the perfect form of the Cat Clan remained undefined, even Raj couldn't make a definitive judgment.
Rin nodded slightly, preparing to form hand seals, when she suddenly paused, thinking.
'Which Ninjutsu should I use?'
Apart from the Summoning Technique, she only knew Medical Ninjutsu.
"Um... I don't know any other Ninjutsu besides Needle Jizo and Wild Lion's Mane Technique," Rin said, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.
"Meow~ Try turning your hair into needles and shooting them out."
Raj pondered for a moment before offering a suggestion.
Jiraiya's Hair Needle Senbon involved hardening his hair while in Sage Mode and firing it like needles.
However, Jiraiya could achieve unlimited ammunition only with the help of two Immortals.
Even if Rin could replicate the technique, her results would fall far short.
Rin followed his instructions and tried.
She failed initially, but after a few attempts, she mastered the ability to launch her hair like projectiles.
The effect was remarkably powerful.
Raj then taught her several methods to amplify her Taijutsu using Sage Chakra.
Rin learned them all quickly.
He had planned to teach her more, but she automatically reverted from Sage Mode.
The entire process had taken about four minutes.
For her first attempt, this level of proficiency was already impressive.
After all, Minato had never fully mastered the Sage Mode of Mount Myoboku, even after being resurrected through Impure World Reincarnation.
Whereas Rin had achieved this on her very first try.
"Thank you, Raj. Without you, I would never have..."
"No need for such sentimentality, meow. Let's continue to collaborate and improve together in the future."
Raj cut off the emotional moment.
'Why dwell on such things? We're still far from facing old age, illness, and death.'
Upon returning to the Main Camp, Raj's first act was to report the details of Rin's Sage Mode to Tsunade and Minato.
Raj realized that even his own Ninjutsu weren't suitable for Rin.
Considering that Tsunade was Rin's teacher and Minato her superior, it was only natural for them to take over her Ninjutsu training.
Besides, Kirigakure had just contributed two new techniques, hadn't they?
Raj understood perfectly: he couldn't handle everything himself.
He needed to delegate some responsibilities to others.
Tsunade readily agreed.
She didn't have much to teach anyway.
The only technique she could realistically impart was Monstrous Strength.
As for the Hundred Healings Technique and Mitotic Regeneration... They could discuss those later.
Mitotic Regeneration was a forbidden technique, and the Hundred Healings Technique wasn't something everyone could learn.
Further observation was needed.
After entrusting Rin's continued training to Tsunade and Minato, Raj felt liberated.
He had proven his strength and Guy's as well.
Now that they were returning to the village, there was no need for him to lead the team with his half-baked skills.
Being a Jonin team leader was far more troublesome than freelancing or just following someone else's lead.
Guy and the others were the exception.
Whether it was Guy, Genma, or Ebisu, they were all remarkably obedient during missions.
They followed instructions to the letter.
If he had to deal with other unruly kids, Raj would have sent them back to the academy for remedial training.
Over the next few days, Raj wandered around, occasionally offering pointers to Genma and Ebisu.
Meanwhile, Minato taught Rin, Obito, and Kakashi high-speed combat techniques.
Mostly, they were just bored.
With the war over and the Kiri Ninja completely driven back - too afraid to return for years - everyone in the east finally relaxed.