Naruto: Paws and Whiskers

Jiraiya tucked the manuscript away, not showing it to anyone else yet. Despite this, Takeshi's heart remained in turmoil. The thought of destroying the manuscript or finding a way to erase his name from it gnawed at him. But deep down, he knew Jiraiya would never agree to such a thing. 

Glancing at Jiraiya's face, which radiated joy like a sunflower in full bloom, Takeshi felt utterly hopeless. He could only pin his hopes on Tsunade being more reasonable. 

Surely, she wouldn't stoop to venting her frustrations on a hapless cat, would she? The chances of that seemed slim, but it was the only consolation he could cling to.

On the other side of camp within a large tent, as several insects returned to his side, Aburame Shibi who was processing documents, looked up at Jiraiya's clone beside him.

'He didn't even consider me while looking for someone to read the manuscript, so why did he think of me for reviewing the documents?' He sighed softly.

The camp buzzed with gossip, much of it fueled by Naoki. In less than half a day, Naoki's loose tongue had spread the word about Jiraiya's new manuscript. The claim that it was excellent had traveled from ear to ear, sparking excitement. 

For the camp's soldiers, this was no small matter. It meant they wouldn't have to face the dilemma of refusing Jiraiya when he inevitably approached them for feedback. 

Yet, Jiraiya showed no sign of sharing his work with anyone else. He was biding his time, eager to unveil his masterpiece to the world in one spectacular move. This would, he believed, silence his critics and prove he was more than just a peddler of frivolous tales.

Takeshi sighed in relief. At least, for now, he wouldn't have to endure the torment of being tied to that book. But a sliver of anxiety lingered, what might Jiraiya write next? He prayed it wouldn't be worse.

Takeshi still secretly cursed Jiraiya, hoping he would fail soon. At this time, Minato and the others hadn't come out yet.

Takeshi had suspected that the three of them had all fallen asleep while talking in the basement.

After all, that topic was so complex that even Kakashi couldn't understand it, let alone Obito.

Takeshi's musings were interrupted as he sensed the spatial mark tied to Rin's body beginning to move. His ears perked up, and he hurried toward the source. When he saw Obito emerging, Takeshi couldn't suppress a grin. Obito looked utterly drained, his steps heavy and lifeless.

This must've been like University Sensei dragging primary grade student to teach him advanced mathematics, he must've been bombarded with alot of theoretical knowledge.

Takeshi considered himself fortunate for dodging that particular bullet. He had escaped the lecture early, not because he was asked to leave—oh no—but because he chose to (He wasn't kicked out!). Otherwise, he was sure his own expression would mirror Obito's blank stare.

As Takeshi settled down to eat, he observed the rest of the group trickling out. Rin and Kakashi didn't look much better. Despite their aptitude, Flying Thunder God remained a monumental challenge far beyond their current abilities.

When Minato saw Takeshi, he immediately smiled kindly, but his tired face made it seem more like a scary grin.

"What happened to him?" Takeshi wondered, uneasy.

After the meal, Minato beckoned Takeshi to follow him. They quietly left the crowd, heading toward the main tent. 

'Oh, this must be about getting permission to teach me Flying Thunder God!' Takeshi deduced, leaping onto Minato's shoulder as they walked. 

"Meow~ Sensei, are we going to start the next stage of Flying Thunder God training?" Takeshi whispered.

Minato chuckled softly. "Not yet. To teach you the full technique, I need permission from the village. And since we're stationed at the northern camp, I'll need my Sensei's approval first."

"Jiraiya-sama is not in the tent," Takeshi pointed out, jumping down and leading the way toward the river. "Meow, follow me."

Under the moonlight, Jiraiya sat diligently scribbling notes, his pen scratching furiously against the paper. Takeshi noted the telltale determination on his face—the same look Jiraiya wore when writing or indulging in less reputable activities.

Only his shadow clone could be found in the tent... 'Hey, did Aburame Shibi even have lunch? Forget it, it's not important.'

At present, the getting permission for Flying Thunder God took priority, and those other matters could wait. Takeshi set the points opportunities aside for now, to revisit later.

Currently, the focus was on the Flying Thunder God, and Takeshi knew that getting Minato's help was crucial.

"Sensei, why are you here?" Minato was confused. 'Why did Sensei come out here instead of staying in the camp? There is no hot spring here...'

"Research, meow!" Takeshi answered casually. He ran forward for a while and saw Jiraiya writing at the same place as before. He looked abit tired yet has a determined look on his face.

This determination only shows when he is writing for his book and when he is peeking at woman.

Without looking up, Jiraiya greeted him. "Takeshi, perfect timing. Look at this! I've written another masterpiece. You see, the protagonist returns to his clan, but he was rejected because…"

"Meow! How did you know it was me?" Takeshi interrupted.

Jiraiya chuckled. "Your scent gives you away. Ah, Minato's here too. How's the training going? Any progress with those kids?", while still writing.

"They've made some strides, but it's too early to tell," Minato replied. "Actually, Sensei, I wanted to discuss something else. It's about Takeshi."

"Eh? What's this little troublemaker done now?" Jiraiya paused his writing, giving the cat a suspicious look.

"Nothing bad," Minato clarified. "After testing him, I believe Takeshi has the potential to master Flying Thunder God. I'd like to request permission to teach him."

Jiraiya froze, his pen clattering to the ground. His eyes darted between Minato and the cat, disbelief etched on his face.

"You're serious?" Jiraiya finally asked, incredulous.

"It's true sensei, you see..." Minato explained.

Flying Thunder God was no ordinary technique. As an S-rank forbidden jutsu, it was accessible only to those with extraordinary merit. Minato himself had earned the right to learn it through immense contributions to the village. 

Jiraiya sighed, closing his manuscript. "Fine. Let's head back to camp. I'll write a letter to the Hokage and send it immediately."

According to merit, Takeshi's merit was certainly far from enough, but the importance of Flying Thunder God on the battlefield was far beyond the ordinary ninjutsu, and its difficulty was very high.

Otherwise, they would not have to settle for an alternative and tried to create the Flying Thunder Formation Jutsu.

"Yes!" Minato turned around and walked to the camp first. 

The trio returned to the camp, where they found Shibi still immersed in his paperwork. Jiraiya scratched his head sheepishly. "Ah, Shibi, you're still here? Have you eaten yet? I, uh, left a clone in my place earlier…"

"Jiraiya-sama, I will have meal with you.", Jiraiya quietly released the shadow clone, scratched his head a little embarrassedly, and then walked over to take out the Commander's seal and another highest ranked encrypted scroll.

Shibi saw this scroll and immediately bowed lightly and left the tent. Jiraiya closed the curtain of the tent, then formed hand seals to set up a barrier, while Jiraiya had already picked up a pen and started writing.

Takeshi sat on the side and watched, but on the inside he didn't particularly care. To him, this was just an opportunity to gain some points from high ranked ninjas.

Whether Konoha agreed or not, he could already use Flying Thunder God. The only difference was that Konoha agreed that he could use it more openly, but he would also have to pay a certain price.

"It's written, and I'll send it back to Konoha..."

Jiraiya summoned the communication toad and asked it to help him deliver the message – mainly because the toad also had to bring back reply, otherwise, it would be easier and more convenient to let Minato send the scroll using Flying Thunder God, in hokage's office there was a special area for collecting emergency scrolls from Minato.

"Meow, it's so late, will the old man Sandaime still be awake?"

'Awake?' Jiraiya and Minato were stunned for a moment as they realized what time it is.

Minato immediately replied, "The Third Hokage is very hard working, so he must still be in the office now."

"Meow." while Takeshi responded casually, he was sneering on inside. While Takeshi is certain that Sandaime is in the office, but it is hard to say whether he is working or not.

Maybe he is working, but he may also be looking through the crystal ball... This Teacher and Student are the same.

"Well, he shouldn't be asleep. The Sensei is still very reliable at critical moments. Besides, our goal is to get permission for Flying Thunder God. Getting another user for Flying Thunder God for Konoha is better than anything else." Jiraiya seemed to understand and explained awkwardly.

-

At this time, in Konoha's office...

The Third Hokage rubbed his hands on the crystal ball, which reflected the scene of the village. The images kept switching, and occasionally, it would stay at one location for couple moments, as it flashed through some places. With chuckles slipping through Hokage's lips.

"Ribbit~" The sudden sound startled him. The communication toad appeared on his desk, prompting him to hastily hide the crystal ball, almost knocked the ball over.

"A message from Jiraiya?" the Hokage asked, recovering his composure.

"Yes. He requests an urgent response," the toad replied, spitting out the scroll.

The communication toad spit out a scroll.

The Third Hokage took it, and when he saw that it was the highest ranked encrypted scroll, his face suddenly became solemn.

He used the crystal ball to check the surroundings, and then he lifted the seal on scroll.

After reading it, he thought about it carefully, but did not write anything. He just said to the toad, "Tell Jiraiya I approve."

"Okay." The toad clapped his hands and quickly disappeared from the office.

The Third Hokage frowned slightly, as he took out his pipe, and smoked. Normally, when teaching forbidden techniques like Flying Thunder God, he should discuss it with the elders, but it is wartime right now, and they may take several days to decide.

Having another user of Flying Thunder God would be far too useful for Konoha in coming war, even if it is a ninja cat learning it.

But why did he feel so strange when thinking about it? He exhaled a puff of smoke helplessly, feeling a little uncomfortable.

-------------------

Dear Readers and Fans,

For those eager to dive into next chapters earlier before others, I invite you to join us on Patreon. By becoming our Patron, you not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also help us continue this endeavour and expand it further. 

https://www.pat reon.com/8Ashes8

(no space)

You can read upto 7 Chapters in advance.