Yugito carried Raj's Flying Thunder God Technique seal, making her easy to locate.
However, given the strict social norms between men and women, Minato worried about his wife's reaction, while Raj simply wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Thus, they entered through the proper channels, approaching the tent's main entrance.
Yugito stared at Raj and Minato in surprise for a moment.
Then...
"Are you here to release the seal on me?"
'Silly girl, if we completely release it, you'll die.'
Raj inwardly scoffed.
He didn't answer, but Minato kindly explained, "We want to talk to Matatabi, so... I apologize."
With that, he formed a hand seal.
Raj waved a paw, then struck Yugito, knocking her unconscious.
He took a quick glance.
'Excellent, over two hundred Points. Better than nothing.'
"Actually, there was no need to knock her out. Once Matatabi's consciousness emerges, her own will automatically be sealed away. Still, it's probably for the best. There might be some things she shouldn't hear," Minato remarked casually.
The next moment, Yugito's consciousness began to shift.
"Minato-kun, Raj-kun, thank you."
"Meow~ You want to come out?"
Raj licked his paw.
They wouldn't release Matatabi, but teasing him a bit would earn them more Points.
"That's only part of it. The other reason is, I never had the chance to meet the Cat Clan of the Holy Land during the Sage of the Six Paths' era. I'm very curious about your clan's history. Would you be willing to share some of your knowledge?"
Matatabi was remarkably polite, a stark contrast to his earlier ferocious demeanor.
Of course, he wasn't questioning their claims.
The Holy Lands of summoning beasts varied in location, most residing in mysterious regions of the Shinobi World or alternate dimensions.
Without knowing the proper methods of entry, finding them was nearly impossible.
Thus, his curiosity was genuine.
"Want to know? Beg me, meow!"
Raj flicked his tail.
"...?"
Minato looked up at the tent's ceiling.
'What a mischievous and vengeful black cat,' he thought.
Matatabi was only slightly aggressive during their two encounters, yet Raj had held a grudge ever since.
Even without an opportunity, he'd create one for revenge.
'No wonder he said to only divide off "a little bit" - it was to make it easier to beat Matatabi into submission, wasn't it?'
'Poor thing.'
Minato couldn't help but feel sympathy for Matatabi.
If it ever escaped, life wouldn't be any better with a creature like Raj around.
"I can offer information in exchange," Matatabi said.
"Meow?"
"There's a Two-Tailed Cat in the Ninja Cat World. Its strength is considerable."
"Meow~ The White Pig is my subordinate now. He sleeps like a pig every day, and he carries our clan's bloodline," Raj retorted, delivering his prepared line without hesitation.
Minato wasn't particularly surprised.
When Rin summoned the Two-Tailed Cat earlier, he had already suspected a strong connection between the cat and Raj.
However, he hadn't imagined the cat was Raj's subordinate... He had assumed they were collaborators.
"Release me first. Once I'm free, I'll tell you everything I know, including many secrets about the Tailed Beasts."
"Meow~ You thanked us too soon. We don't have the power to release you, so..."
Raj spread his front paws, wearing an expression of helplessness.
'Not release me?'
Matatabi glared at Raj.
'Then why did you waste my time with all this talk?'
Its temper was usually mild, but even it was left speechless with frustration.
"Alright, meow. Just go back and stay put."
Raj waved his paw in a dismissive farewell.
"..."
Minato had intended to bid a gentle farewell, but since Raj had already waved his paw, he reluctantly formed hand seals to retract the sealing technique, imprisoning Matatabi once more.
Back within its own body, Matatabi stared at the familiar iron bars.
Even with its good nature, it couldn't resist pounding on the gate, but the Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques were remarkably effective, and it couldn't budge the barrier.
'This is infuriating. That Black Cat... when I finally get out of here, I'm going to crush it.'
Matatabi thought furiously.
It unconsciously overlooked a crucial question: given Raj's rapid progress, would Matatabi even be capable of crushing it by the time it escaped?
This blind spot was particularly glaring for a Tailed Beast, a blind spot within a blind spot.
Yugito slowly regained consciousness.
By the time she awoke, Raj and Minato had vanished without a trace.
She instinctively checked herself...
"Damn it! The seal hasn't been broken either. Did those two come just to slap me? Matatabi, did they say anything to you?"
Yugito immediately recalled the events before she lost consciousness.
'Talk to Matatabi? What are Konoha and that Black Cat up to?'
'Could they be trying to take Matatabi away?!'
But Matatabi was currently furious and refused to respond.
Raj and Minato made their escape as soon as they were done, wanting to avoid trouble with Yugito.
Outside, Raj sighed heavily.
It seemed the fantasy of acquiring a tool had been shattered for now.
Not that it was entirely impossible.
The shop had everything imaginable, and separating a Tailed Beast wouldn't be too difficult.
The real question was whether he could afford it.
Take the Senzu Bean, for example.
Raj couldn't afford it yet, so even if he had one, he wouldn't trade for it.
'What's the point of the Two-Tailed Beast? Spending 30,000 to 40,000 Points on a disobedient tool that everyone would covet? Does this great one look like he's burning through Points? I just need a small account,' Raj thought to himself.
Yugito was shivering in the sweltering heat.
Raj and Minato quickly forgot about it and went to watch Rin and Obito train.
During this time, Rin had been training with Obito to improve her taijutsu skills.
While Sage Mode provided a significant boost, it ultimately relied on one's fundamental abilities.
Relying solely on Sage Mode would never be enough.
In the past, Tsunade would never have allowed Rin to practice miscellaneous taijutsu techniques.
Medical ninjas on the battlefield prioritized self-preservation, leaving combat to others.
However, now that Rin had mastered Sage Mode, learning Superhuman Strength and the Mitotic Regeneration Technique would allow her to disregard Tsunade's rules.
Still, there were only a few days left to train.
According to Minato, they would be departing for Konoha within three days at most.
Whether they would receive new assignments upon returning or continue as the same team remained uncertain.
That would depend on the higher-ups' decisions.
However, it was likely they would receive some vacation time to reunite with their families, with exceptions for a few special cases.
Figures like Tsunade, for example.
Even after leaving the battlefield, she would normally be dispatched to support combat elsewhere.
But if she refused, no one in the village - not even the Third Hokage - could force her.
Strategically speaking, Minato and Raj were now on par with Tsunade.