"Damn, what a trashy cat."
"Forget it. Once I catch Matatabi, I'll make Daju a Jinchūriki Cat. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Ayan does then."
After turning the thought over in his mind, Uchiha Ren came up with an idea. Then he glanced at the Silver-spotted Cat.
"Ayan, how is the intelligence from the front lines?"
The silver-white cat did not rush to answer.
Instead, she paced over, lowered her head to pick up a berry Daju had carefully selected, and savored it before elegantly responding.
"Young Master, the situation has developed roughly as you predicted."
"Sunagakure has descended into chaos following the Third Kazekage's disappearance. Several of Sunagakure's elders and high-ranking officials intend to take this opportunity to plunder the resources of smaller countries and turn their internal conflicts into shared interests."
"They are even trying to ignite a war, luring the other nations into sending troops into the Land of Fire so they can all take a slice of Konohagakure."
"Small groups of Sunagakure ninja have already entered the Land of Fire's border regions and begun pillaging villages."
Uchiha Ren nodded slightly.
In the original Hokage anime, the main story was about love and justice, passion and bonds. But real ninja were professional killers.
Even Konohagakure ninja, who lived comparatively comfortable lives, would kill civilians from other countries for a few bites of food—like Nagato Uzumaki's parents.
As for the moral bottom line of ninja from the other villages?
It was not that they had none. It was simply so low as to be pitiful. Helpless elderly people, women, and children were the "favorites" of quite a few ninja.
Seeing that Ren had no intention of speaking, the little cat continued, "Kumogakure wants to take advantage of Sunagakure's leaderless state and has chosen to invade the Land of Wind."
At that point, Ayan's feline face showed an extremely human-like look of bafflement and confusion.
"The Land of Wind and the Land of Lightning are separated by thousands upon thousands of miles."
"Between them lie the Land of Moon and the Land of Hot Water, as well as the vast Land of Fire. Beyond that is the Land of Rain. For such a thankless expedition, aren't they afraid someone will cut off their retreat?"
"Or are they stupid enough to take an even longer route, passing through seven smaller countries and risking being pincered by the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire just to invade the Land of Wind... Cat really can't understand it."
"Even Daju wouldn't launch such a baffling invasion."
Ayan paused and lightly flicked her tail, her tone carrying a hint of mockery and displeasure. "Kumogakure ninja are all idiots. They don't deserve to serve Lady Matatabi at all!"
Her emerald vertical pupils narrowed, sharp claws extending from between her paw pads as she said angrily.
"They actually imprisoned such a noble existence and used her as a tool for a Jinchūriki. Cat will never coexist under the same sky as them!"
Ren looked at the furious Ayan and, with a water-dappled finger, flicked the cat on the forehead faster than the eye could follow.
The pain made the little cat yowl as her body tipped backward. She wobbled twice along the edge of the bathtub, wildly swishing her tail as she tried to keep her balance, but ultimately fell to the floor with a thud.
"When you're working, don't let personal emotions get involved. If there's a next time..."
"If you do it again..."
Ren deliberately dragged out his words. Watching the furry ball on the floor abruptly prick up her ears, he said, "I'll shave off all your fur."
Ayan, who had been about to cry out in pain, instantly puffed up her fur. She neatly flipped over and sat upright, her tail nervously curled around her front paws.
"Young Master! That's too cruel!"
"If it's cruel, then behave yourself."
To be honest, most Ninja Cats had a habit of pushing their luck.
Normally, Ren could regard Ayan's occasional willfulness as cute.
But sometimes, this Ruyan Cat with her countless feline admirers still failed to recognize her own position. She needed to be properly trained.
Seeing her master's stiff attitude, Ayan settled down and lightly leaped back onto the edge of the bathtub.
She tilted her head slightly, ripples glimmering in her emerald eyes, and let out an exceptionally languid "Meow..."
That cry seemed steeped in honey, carrying just the right hint of a nasal tone. Its bone-melting softness made Ren shudder all over, as though a faint current had shot down his spine and spread throughout his body.
The sensation was hundreds, even thousands of times more intoxicating than any "ear therapy" he had experienced in his previous life.
Daju had heard it once before and immediately sprawled flat on the ground. The besotted expression on his face had truly been indescribable.
"Truly, everyone has their specialty. As expected of the Liu Ruyan among cats."
"And Kumogakure's stupidity is all Kishimoto's fault. What did a manga artist know about ninja wars?"
After grumbling inwardly for a moment, Ren gave a nasal hum. "What happened next?"
Ayan blinked. Seeing her master relax, her own tension eased, and her voice became gentler.
"Young Master, as you instructed, Lord Kakuzu disguised himself as a Konohagakure ninja and killed quite a few Kumogakure ninja, directing Kumogakure's hostility toward Konohagakure."
She tilted her head, the fur on the tips of her ears trembling lightly as she asked in confusion.
"But, Young Master, why do this? Isn't the Uchiha Clan part of Konohagakure too?"
"Now Kumogakure wants to march south and attack the Land of Fire, along with Sunagakure, which harbors ill intentions."
"And Iwagakure, which can't wait to take a bite out of Konohagakure, as well as restless Kirigakure."
Ayan elegantly raised a front paw and counted through the situation, worry in her voice.
"Will Konohagakure really be all right against the siege of the four great ninja villages, meow?"
"The survival of Konohagakure is something the one sitting in the Hokage's office should worry about."
Ren chuckled as he rose from the bathtub. Water droplets rolled along the lines of his muscles, tracing crystalline paths through the hazy steam.
"What does it have to do with my Uchiha Clan?"
He took the towel Ayan handed him and casually dried his black hair.
"If we don't put some pressure on the Hokage, how can my clan fight for greater autonomy?"
Ayan nodded as if she understood, then agilely leaped onto the shelf and carried over a dark Yukata.
Ren casually draped it over himself. As his robes fluttered, the bathroom door was already pushed open by the little cat's paw.
The silver-white figure leaped through the air and landed precisely in her young master's arms.
"But what if Konohagakure can't hold on?" Ayan asked, raising her face.
"Konohagakure's foundation runs far deeper than it appears. It won't collapse easily."
Ren stroked the cat's soft ear tip, a cold smile resting on his lips.
"Besides, Konohagakure's survival concerns the Land of Fire's dignity. Given the Daimyo and nobles' frequent intermarriages and their tangled web of marital ties..."
"The Daimyo of the nations behind the four great ninja villages will not truly allow Konohagakure to disappear."
He pushed open the corridor door, and the night wind swept fallen leaves through the courtyard.
"Because if Konohagakure is gone, then the Land of Fire is gone. If the Land of Fire is gone, the sacred and inviolable bloodline theory of the Daimyo and nobles will be trampled into the mud by lowly ninja."
Ren lightly tapped the cat's damp nose with his fingertip, his voice gradually deepening.
"So, beyond being driven by profit, the so-called Shinobi World Wars are, in a sense, also meant to reduce the number of ninja."
Ayan listened to this shocking theory, her face full of astonishment, and could not help saying.
"If they want to reduce the number of ninja, they don't need to start something as brutal as a war!"
"Having a sword but not using it is completely different from having no sword at all."
Ren smiled and looked toward the night sky. "The Daimyo aren't exactly on good terms with one another either!"
Before you continue