I want to retire.'
'Speaking of which, could housing the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki at Minato's family cause trouble? Should I check on the situation?'
The Third Hokage positioned the Crystal Ball above Minato's house, observing the perimeter.
As he pondered whether trouble might arise...
Boom!
A loud crash echoed through the air.
Immediately afterward, a figure was blasted through the wall and sent flying.
'Holy shit!'
The Third Hokage shot to his feet, nearly knocking over the Crystal Ball.
The person who had been thrown out was none other than the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki.
'What the hell is going on?!'
"Who are you?" Kushina demanded, stepping cautiously out of the house.
'Where's Minato?'
The Third Hokage was stunned.
'Minato isn't here at a time like this? What kind of joke is this?!'
"Quickly go explain to Kushina! Tell her the truth! Don't let her accidentally harm Yugito!"
"Yes, sir!"
Any further delay could cost lives.
However, before the Anbu could arrive, Raj had already heard the commotion.
Using his keen hearing to pinpoint the source, he raced toward the disturbance.
When he arrived, he saw Kushina pinning Yugito to the ground with one hand.
Yugito was desperately trying to resist using the Two-Tailed Beast's power, but she was no match for Kushina and was being mercilessly beaten.
'This is a brutal beatdown.'
Kushina quickly sensed Raj's approach.
Spotting Raj, she kept a wary eye on Yugito before turning to ask, "Raj, do you recognize this suspicious person?"
"Meow~ No, I don't."
"Damn black cat! Did I offend you? Help me!" Yugito trembled with rage. "What grudge do you hold? Seeing her get beaten like this, you show no sympathy at all, instead gleefully claiming you don't know her? Do you realize the friendship between Kumogakure and Konoha could be destroyed by this beating?"
Hearing Raj's words, Kushina paused, pondered for a moment, and then unleashed a full set of Sealing Techniques on Yugito.
'Jinchuriki are too dangerous. It's best to seal her away for now. We'll discuss the details with Minato when he returns.'
"Where's Minato? Didn't he come back with you?"
"Meow? No, he's been back for ages. Probably off gallivanting somewhere," Raj replied casually.
The cat likely knew Minato had been studying the Sage Chakra Rin extracted earlier and was now likely at Mount Myoboku researching their Sage Mode techniques.
But without concrete evidence, it refrained from speaking rashly.
'What if I'm wrong?'
Raj justified its silence with this perfectly reasonable excuse, then leaped in front of Yugito.
Seeing her utterly despondent expression, it couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy.
'She really has it rough.'
"She's the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki, a guest from Kumogakure staying at your home, meow," Raj explained.
Upon hearing this, Kushina immediately helped Yugito up, but she had no intention of releasing the Sealing Technique she had applied.
Inside Yugito's body, Matatabi sensed Raj's Chakra signature, only to discover that another layer of Sealing Techniques had been added.
Now, not only could he not sense anything outside, he couldn't even see the world through the window or communicate with Yugito.
Damn that Black Cat! This is definitely its fault again.
Matatabi's temper wasn't usually bad, but this time he was so enraged he ground his teeth.
Every encounter with that Black Cat brought nothing but misfortune.
"I see, so you'll be staying at my place for a while? Welcome, welcome!" Kushina said, giving a slight bow.
An Anbu ninja lurking in the shadows hesitated, wondering whether to reveal himself.
After a moment's thought, he decided to quietly slip away.
Yugito was reluctantly pulled into the room.
Kushina glanced at the shattered door and sighed softly.
'I'll have to call someone to fix it again.'
"Oh, Raj, did you come here for something?"
"Nothing much, meow. I just heard the commotion and came to check... By the way, Sister Kushina, could I have a strand of your hair?"
"Hair?" Kushina's face lit up at being called "Sister."
'Hair? That's so strange.'
She thought for a moment, then cautiously asked, "What do you need hair for?"
"Meow~"
Raj leaped onto Kushina's shoulder and whispered, "During a secret mission in the Grass Country, I met a red-haired girl!"
Kushina's eyes widened, her face a mixture of surprise and joy as she looked at Raj.
A red-haired girl? It had to be a member of the Uzumaki Clan.
She wanted to ask for more details, but remembering there was someone else in the room, she stepped outside and erected an isolation barrier before asking again, "Did you save her?"
"I saw that the elder sister had the same hair color as you, so I rescued her. But she didn't want to come to Konoha, so I settled her in the Ninja Cat Castle."
Raj nodded.
Although saving Ori hadn't been its original intention for Kushina's sake, that didn't matter.
What mattered was that it had indeed saved a member of the Uzumaki Clan.
Kushina paced back and forth excitedly.
She desperately wanted to rush out and take Raj to meet the clan member immediately, but she knew she couldn't leave the house.
So she suppressed the urge, letting the thought linger in her mind.
After a moment, Kushina crouched down.
"Raj, could you please bring her to meet me? To be honest, I thought I was the only Uzumaki left. The last member of our clan passed away over a decade ago."
The last member she referred to was Mito Uzumaki.
"Meow!"
Raj's purpose in contacting her was precisely to bridge connections, so of course, it wouldn't refuse.
Getting the red hair went smoothly.
Truthfully, even without the red hair, Raj doubted Ori would stubbornly refuse to come to Konoha if he asked.
But forced fruit is never sweet, and he didn't want Ori to come unwillingly.
Ori was Raj's steward at Ninja Cat Castle.
If she threw a tantrum, the consequences would be severe.
'Hmm...'
Mostly because he didn't know how to coax her.
"Meow~ I'll go over there first and talk to her."
Raj used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport to Ninja Cat Castle.
Traveling alone without carrying anyone didn't consume much chakra.
He teleported right next to Ori, but the timing...
Ori happened to be standing on the balcony, sunlight streaming through her loose hair, making her look exceptionally beautiful.
'Tsk~ Am I keeping a secret lover?'
Raj mused inwardly.
"Lord Raj? I'm sorry, I was just thinking about something..."
"Thinking about what, meow?"
"Oh, nothing much. Just about Lord Matatabi. He was suddenly summoned away."
Ori looked worried.
Matatabi was currently the strongest combatant in Ninja Cat Castle besides Raj.
Last time he returned, he was covered in wounds.
Could something have happened to him again?
But seeing Raj here eased her anxiety somewhat.
If Raj had come himself, the chances of something serious having occurred were likely slim.