His understanding of Raj remained limited to the rank of Jonin, and he had only a superficial grasp of Minato's true strength.
This was understandable.
As a Chunin, Masato Nohara's perception of the power ceiling was capped at Jonin.
The Five Kage were figures he wouldn't dare dream of meeting, even in his wildest fantasies.
How could he possibly imagine that this seemingly small cat had been casually conversing with the Third Raikage and Third Mizukage just recently?
Raj deliberately avoided mentioning these glorious exploits - bragging about such things would be in poor taste.
After sharing a few anecdotes, it announced its intention to ask the Third Hokage about housing and treatment discounts before slipping away.
Masato Nohara hesitated for a moment before asking Rin, "I heard this war was against both Kumogakure and Kirigakure. How did it end so quickly?"
"Well, you'd have to ask Raj about that. I only know part of the story. Raj and Teacher Minato captured Kumogakure's Two-Tailed Beast and Killer Bee. Plus, the Third Raikage was critically injured by Raj, requiring Lady Tsunade's intervention to heal him. That forced Kumogakure to surrender. As for Kirigakure..."
"Raj and Teacher Minato captured their Mizukage," Rin said, her face glowing with admiration.
Her admiration wasn't just for Minato; she also revered Raj.
To outsiders, worshipping a cat might seem strange, but Rin saw nothing wrong with being proud of her brother's strength and considering him her idol.
To her, Raj was family.
Pfft!
Masato Nohara had initially felt his blood boil with excitement, but as he listened, he grew increasingly uneasy.
By the end, he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
'Why is it all about those two? Didn't anyone else contribute?'
"Teacher Tsunade was also incredible," Rin continued, her voice filled with genuine admiration.
"As soon as she arrived in the east, she reorganized the troops with decisive efficiency, merging the three camps into a cohesive force. Without her, the border defenses would have been breached in multiple places long ago."
As her father, Masato Nohara listened silently, afraid to speak.
Rin and Raj had experienced things he had never even dared to imagine.
All he could do now was listen quietly and offer his silent "666" (a Chinese internet slang term for "awesome").
As for reminiscing about the past... forget it.
'My own insignificant failures aren't worth bringing up to embarrass myself.'
Tsume, however, wasn't burdened by such thoughts.
She simply felt immense pride.
Though she and Masato Nohara hadn't taught Rin and Raj much as parents, seeing their children thrive filled her with a deep sense of satisfaction.
"So, Lord Raj, you wish to purchase a house?"
"Meow!"
"Are you certain you want to exchange your merits for a house?"
"Meow!"
"..."
Upon arriving at the Hokage Building, Raj had anticipated a lengthy and complicated process.
However, when he informed the Third Hokage of his desire to exchange some of his merits for a house, the Third Hokage was overjoyed and immediately granted him a fast-track approval.
As a result, in less than half an hour, Raj had already reached the final step: confirmation and location selection.
A map of Konoha was spread out before him, but its complexity, filled with numerous ninja symbols, overwhelmed Raj, a notoriously poor student.
He stared at it for a long time... and confirmed one thing: he couldn't understand this map.
"Lord Raj, this is the Akimichi Clan's territory, this is the Nara Clan's, and here..."
The "salesman" was perceptive.
Though it was his first time selling a house to a cat, he understood the basic principles.
He enthusiastically began explaining the map, using the clans and Jonin as reference points.
In mere seconds, the map became remarkably clear.
Where should he buy?
Raj fell into deep thought.
After pondering for a while, he identified two areas that warranted particular attention.
One was Tsunade's Family.
That woman was a gambling addict.
Who knew when debt collectors might come knocking?
Being her neighbor would be asking for trouble.
The other was Minato's Family.
Minato himself was fine, but Kushina, that violent woman, needed to be avoided to prevent unnecessary incidents.
As Raj scanned the map, its eyes gradually brightened.
There was one place that looked perfect.
"Meow~ Here!"
"Let me see... There's only one property for sale on this street that borders the gekko clan's territory. Are you sure about this, Lord Raj?" the "salesperson" asked again.
Clans tended to be tightly knit and somewhat xenophobic.
Even without deliberate hostility, living among them was often less comfortable than living among ordinary civilians or declining families.
Of course, if Raj were strong enough, none of this would matter.
But the "salesperson" wasn't fully aware of Raj's capabilities, hence the friendly warning.
For Raj, none of these concerns were relevant.
"I'm on good terms with Jonin Naoki of the gekko clan, meow."
"Very well. The Third Hokage has instructed me to assist you with"
"Would you prefer I handle the formalities, or would you and your family like to inspect the property in person?"
"Meow~ I trust the village!"
If it could slack off, why bother getting involved?
Raj wasn't particularly proactive.
This task could be entrusted to him.
After all, no one would dare swindle the village's funds, and the village wouldn't try to cheat him on such a trivial matter.
However...
Though it was called buying a house, he hadn't spent a single coin.
The entire purchase was offset by his accumulated merits.
He had wounded the Third Raikage and the A-B Combo, captured Killer Bee, the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki, and the Third Mizukage alive.
These accomplishments far outweighed the value of a mere house.
Let alone one house, he could buy another and still have plenty left over.
The Third Hokage had been fretting about how to reward him when Raj made this request.
It was like a pillow sent just when he was falling asleep.
For the first time, he found Raj's features clear and refined, his demeanor kind and approachable.
Still, he couldn't let his guard down.
This Black Cat always stirred up trouble at the most inopportune times, making his heart leap in his chest.
The Third Hokage monitored through the Crystal Ball, only relaxing his gaze once he confirmed Raj had chosen a location and returned home.
He couldn't keep an eye on Raj all day.
The Third Hokage had too many others to watch, like Tsunade or Yugito Nii, the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki from Kumogakure.
'So tiring...