Naruto: Paws and Whiskers

They'd already been over this once. Kabuto was convinced the black cat had sold him out, and the cat had sworn he knew nothing, which was, for once, the truth. Takeshi knew Tsunade wanted to train a few successors, but he had no idea Kabuto was on her list.

"I'm not talking about that," Kabuto said, his voice low. "I'm talking about things that haven't happened yet."

He snapped his notebook shut and turned to leave.

With Nekomata around, Tsunade's attention had finally shifted, but the bottle of sake was another problem entirely. Fearing her wrath, Kabuto didn't dare just toss it. Instead, he took a tiny sip, just enough to scent his breath, and tucked the bottle away, planning to give it to the old man at the orphanage.

Takeshi, watching him, thought it was a brilliant idea and mimicked the action, taking a small sip himself. That way, if Tsunade checked up on him, he could just swallow and pretend he'd finished it.

As Kabuto headed for the new pet service parlor, Takeshi trotted quickly to catch up.

"Meow!"

"What do you want now?" Kabuto asked, eyeing the black cat warily.

After seeing how Takeshi had scammed Nekomata, his credibility in Kabuto's eyes had plummeted. He couldn't be trusted.

Kabuto's gaze hardened. A cat like this only came back for one of two reasons: to repay a favor or to settle a score.

He seriously doubted it was to repay a favor.

"It's a good thing, meow. No need to be like that. You're five now, you should be more mature."

"And you're the one bringing up that I'm only five."

"..."

The two of them bickered quietly all the way back to the pet parlor. Somewhere along the way, Takeshi finally explained why he was there. Besides looking for a free massage, he wanted Kabuto to research cat food.

With more and more cats joining the clan, his private supply of system-provided food couldn't last forever. No matter how many points he had, he couldn't keep up with the appetites of so many strays. He needed someone to develop a viable alternative.

The luxury cat food, the kind infused with natural energy, was irreplaceable. Not even the other sacred lands could produce something like it. But the special food for ninja cats... that was something that could be worked on.

Kabuto's last attempt had been close. With a sample of the real thing to study, he could surely improve it.

The moment research was mentioned, Kabuto's objections vanished. He loved research, especially when it involved ninja beasts. He'd wanted to get his hands on the Takeshi clan's secret recipe for a long while, but it felt improper to ask for another clan's secrets.

He led Takeshi to his lab and voiced his only remaining doubt. "If you can make this, why do you need my help to develop it?"

"The ingredients, meow."

Takeshi left it at that. Smart people didn't need every detail spelled out for them, they could fill in the blanks on their own, especially when the person speaking had already established an image of power.

And just as he'd expected, Kabuto's expression turned thoughtful. "I see. The ingredients must be incredibly rare. No wonder Orochimaru-sama once said that most ninja cats have limited potential. They only awaken their abilities after eating this special food."

Takeshi gave a slow nod.

'That's right,' he thought, flicking a glance at Kabuto before finishing the thought for him. "Many of them can only be found in my hometown. This is all I have left from there, so..."

"I understand." Kabuto nodded, taking the two bags. 'Analyze the properties, then create alternatives.'

He turned them over in his hands. "I can't guarantee I'll find a replacement for everything," he said casually. "And, just to be clear, I'm only five."

"I know," Takeshi replied smugly. "I'm barely a year old myself. Meow."

"We are not the same." Kabuto deadpanned.

'This Kabuto is so different,' Takeshi mused. 'Without that life as a spy, he's much more straightforward.' If it were the Kabuto from canon Naruto, Takeshi would never dare let him near the formula. Who knew what that version of Kabuto might slip into the food?

Kabuto finished examining the bags. They looked unremarkable, but he could tell they held two different formulas. "Which one is more common?"

Takeshi pointed a paw at the bag of special cat food.

*Rip.*

Kabuto tore it open, pulling an empty sample bag from his desk. He carefully poured most of the contents into the new bag, squeezed the air out, and sealed it tight. The small portion he'd kept for himself went into a glass vial.

Takeshi watched from the side as Kabuto picked up a pair of tweezers. Noticing the cat was still lingering, Kabuto glanced up. "Did you need something else?"

"Meow? No, not really." Takeshi paused, then it clicked. 'Am I being dismissed? How rude.'

Still, the kid was working for free, purely out of passion. It was a small request. 'Fine. Request granted.'

The black cat turned to leave the private lab. "Does this place need funding?" he asked over his shoulder.

No reply.

'Excellent,' Takeshi thought. 'No answer means no. This kid has a future. He runs on fumes and spits out gold. Such a good kid.'

He strolled out of the pet parlor, feeling quite pleased. The place was still basic, just massages and baths, but he could see the potential. With a little investment, they could get a bigger space, add a pet training ground, maybe a small cafe. It could be a proper pet club. They could even open a branch in the Capital. The noble ladies there had money to burn.

When he got home, Rin and her parents, Aizawa and Megumi, were chatting happily. Aizawa's initial embarrassment at his daughter so completely outshining him had blossomed into pride. A ten-year-old who had already surpassed her father, what wasn't there to be proud of? Rin had always been self-disciplined, handling things herself without him ever needing to step in. He'd barely had to worry, even when she brought home a stray cat...

But as it turned out, it wasn't just a random cat, rather turned out to be quite remarkable.

A Jonin at just over a year old. Who could believe it? It had nothing to do with "cat years." The Inuzuka clan had dozens of ninken, and none of them made Jonin that young. Hana Inuzuka, this generation's supposed prodigy, was merely decent by comparison, and her partner, Haimaru, wasn't even chunin-level. No, Takeshi was simply a genius. Aizawa had to accept that.

Seeing Takeshi return, Aizawa beamed as if his own son had walked through the door.

Takeshi didn't respond to the greeting. He hopped onto the empty side of the table. "Meow~ This house is a little small. We should buy a bigger one."

"Uh... well, it's still livable," Aizawa mumbled, his head sinking in embarrassment. Life in retirement was peaceful, but his income wasn't what it used to be. A new house? He was just glad he didn't have to sell this one.

"Buying a house in Konoha is just the start," Takeshi said with a flick of his tail. "We'll get one in the Capital, too. For when we visit or take trips."

'The Neko Clan headquarters is just an excuse to squeeze more money out of Tsunade,' he thought. 'Only a handful of those cats are even related to me, and the rest already have a deal with the Uchiha.' As for Konan and the others... he'd figure that out later.

Takeshi might not have a problem, but Aizawa and Megumi certainly did. A house in Konoha was one thing, it was true that a Jonin shouldn't be cooped up in a corner of the living room. But the Capital? 'This cat has gotten too big for his paws! Land there is worth its weight in gold! You might as well sell me to pay for it.'

Aizawa was on the verge of standing up to meekly declare his financial situation when Rin spoke, thoughtfully pinching her chin. "Takeshi has a point," she said, nodding. "You and Mother are usually free. You could go to the Capital for a visit and have a place to stay."

Takeshi nodded eagerly.

"I'm sorry," Aizawa said, bowing his head deeply, guilt washing over him. "I'm afraid I haven't been a very good head of the family. I haven't earned much these past few years, or I would have expanded the house already." He looked up, a determined glint in his eye. "But even if we can't afford a new house, we can definitely partition off a room just for Takeshi. Also-"

"That's a good idea," Rin cut in, "but if we are getting a new place, I have some savings." She got up and returned a moment later with a small box. When she opened it on the table, Aizawa's eyes went wide. It was more money than he'd earned in years.

"No need. I have money," Takeshi said. He slapped a paw on the table, and with a puff of smoke, a massive chest appeared. It dwarfed Rin's box, clearly holding a fortune.

Aizawa's mouth hung open, wide enough to fit an egg.

A few seconds later, Takeshi made the chest disappear. He was here to inform them, not to ask for their opinion.

'A new house is non-negotiable,' he thought. This one was old, and frankly, he wasn't comfortable. Besides, what was the point of earning so much if he didn't spend it? He'd already asked Minato and Tsunade about it. Jonin didn't get houses for free, but they got steep discounts, and his war merits could be used to reduce the cost even further. After all that, he'd still have plenty left over.

'Might as well buy now and enjoy it.'

After settling the matter, he chatted with the Nohara family a while longer. Aizawa did most of the asking, curious about the life of a Jonin and what it was like on missions with Might Guy and the others.

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