He then transferred the remaining contents into the second bag, carefully squeezing out the air to seal it tightly.
Raj watched from the side.
Kabuto picked up tweezers, preparing to examine the sample.
Glancing sideways, he noticed Raj was still present.
After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Do you need anything else?"
"Meow? No, nothing else."
Raj paused, then realized...
'Was this a polite way of telling me to leave?'
'How awkward.'
But considering Kabuto was working tirelessly out of sheer passion, offering his services for free, it seemed unreasonable to refuse such a small request.
'Granted!'
Raj left Kabuto's private laboratory, casually asking as he departed, "Does your research lab need funding?"
No reply.
'Excellent. Silence implies no need for funding. Kabuto has a bright future. He takes in straw and produces gold. What a remarkable child!'
Raj mused to himself as he strolled leisurely out of the pet service shop.
The current pet service shop was still quite basic, offering only massages, baths, and similar services.
Raj happened to see it on his way back and suggested a few improvements.
For instance, once they made enough money, they could acquire a larger space and create a training area for pets.
By adding more services, food, and drinks, they could transform it into a full-fledged pet club.
'Now that would be awesome!'
And it wasn't just for Konoha; they could do the same in Kyoto.
As long as there was a venue and activities, those noble ladies would have plenty of money to spend.
When he returned home, he found Rin, Nohara Masato, and Tsume chatting happily.
The family was in high spirits, especially Nohara Masato.
He had gone from the initial embarrassment of being exposed by the ninjas and Rin to overflowing with pride.
His daughter had completely surpassed him by the age of ten.
Wouldn't any father be proud of that?
Though Rin's growth seemed to have little to do with him.
Rin had always been self-disciplined, automatically doing most things without needing to be told.
As a father, he hadn't had to worry much.
Except for that time he adopted a cat...
But looking back, it wasn't just adopting a cat; it was taking in a benefactor.
A Jonin at just over a year old? Unbelievable!
While cat and human ages couldn't be directly compared, knowledge and experience
...were the same.
Even with all the dogs in the Inuzuka Clan, none had ever become a Jonin at such a young age.
Take Hana Inuzuka, for example, who is considered a prodigy of her generation.
Even she is just average.
Her dog, Haimaru, probably wouldn't even qualify as a Chunin.
Therefore, Raj's promotion to Jonin wasn't just because cats age differently from humans.
It was undeniable proof of his genius.
When Raj returned, Nohara Masato was overjoyed, as if his own son had come home.
But Raj ignored him.
He leaped onto the fourth side of the table and declared, "Meow~ I think our house is too small. We should buy a bigger one."
"Uh... this one's still livable, though," Nohara Masato replied, immediately lowering his head in embarrassment.
Life had been peaceful and quiet since his retirement, but his earning capacity was nowhere near what it used to be.
Buy a house?
Just managing to make ends meet was a struggle; selling their current home was more likely.
"Meow! Buying a house in Konoha is just temporary. We'll need one in Kyoto too, so we'll have a place to stay when we visit or go on vacation!" Raj insisted.
Raj nodded in agreement.
Building a new home for the Raj Clan was merely a ploy to extract more funds from Tsunade.
In reality, he only had about five or six cats he truly cared about.
Moreover, the Ninja Cats already had a partnership with the Uchiha Clan, so they didn't need his financial support.
As for Konan and the others... Hmm, they should be fine.
It wasn't a problem for Raj, but Nohara Masato and Tsume saw it as a huge issue.
Buying a house in Konoha was understandable.
As a Jonin, Raj living in a corner of the living room was indeed something the family hadn't considered properly.
Buying a house would improve his living conditions.
But this Black Cat had inflated his ambitions to wanting a house in Kyoto!
Were houses there so easy to buy?
Land in Kyoto was worth its weight in gold!
"If you want a house in Kyoto, you might as well sell me!" Nohara Masato lamented, tears welling up.
He was about to get up and pathetically admit he had no money and apologize to the family when he noticed Rin thoughtfully stroking her chin.
After a few seconds, she nodded and said, "Raj has a point. Father and Mother, since you're both often free, you could totally go to Kyoto for a vacation or even stay there for a while."
"Meow!" Raj nodded vigorously.
"I'm sorry, I've been a terrible head of the household," Nohara Masato said, bowing deeply.
"To be honest, I haven't earned much money these past few years. Otherwise, I would have loved to expand our home."
He felt deeply ashamed.
But he quickly added, "Even if we can't afford a new house, we could definitely partition off another room for Raj. And..."
"That sounds good too," Rin interrupted.
"If we're renovating, I have some savings we can use."
Rin got up and ran inside.
A moment later, she returned with a small box, which she placed on the table and opened.
Nohara Masato's eyes widened.
The money inside was equivalent to several years of his income.
"Meow~ No need, I have plenty of money here," Raj said, tapping its paw to summon a large chest.
This chest was far larger than Rin's, its size hinting at the substantial sum within.
Nohara Masato's jaw dropped so wide it could almost fit an egg.
After a few seconds, Raj retracted the money.
It had merely come to inform them, not to seek their opinions.
Buying a new house was inevitable.
Firstly, this old house was too outdated.
While it had its charm, it wasn't particularly comfortable.
Secondly, what was the point of earning money if you didn't spend it?
It would be a disservice to its own talents.
Raj had previously consulted Minato and Tsunade.
Jonin didn't receive housing stipends, but they were eligible for discounts and exemptions, especially with combat merits.
By consolidating its merits, Raj could still have plenty of money left over.
What was the point of saving it instead of improving its living situation?
The sooner you buy, the sooner you enjoy it.
Raj saw no flaw in this logic.
After mentioning its plans to everyone, it chatted with the Nohara family for a while.
The conversation ranged widely, with Nohara Masato mostly asking about the duties of Jonin, experiences leading missions with Guy and the others, and so on.
Masato Nohara's imagination still lacked boldness and scope.