The Cat Who Endures

Cook interrupted Uchiha Kou without a moment's hesitation, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

His golden slit pupils glared coldly at Kou, the expression on that cat face filled with utter disdain:

"Let us first set aside the sheer disrespect of you comparing this noble me to that stinking dog—"

His voice grew increasingly icy:

"After subjecting this me to such grave mental humiliation, you actually have the audacity to shamelessly come and beg this me to do things for you?

Uchiha Kou, where is your face?!"

His tail whipped through the air with a sharp, resounding crack:

"This me has never seen anyone as thick-skinned and shameless as you!!"

"Uh..."

Kou looked at the resentful furball before him, knowing he had gone a bit too far with his cat-loving antics, and sighed inwardly:

What a troublesome fellow. It seems the only way to make him obediently fall in line is to use some heavy-duty tactics...

While muttering to himself, he skillfully reached his right hand into his pocket.

Cook was in the middle of a rant and paid no attention to Kou's movements, his cat mouth still spewing words:

"Even if you beat this me to death, even if I jump off this cliff into the sea, I will never submit to your tyranny!! This me will never—"

Before he could finish his sentence, while the tail end of his words still echoed in the air, a pungent scent surged into his nostrils.

Sniff, sniff.

His nostrils flared violently, and those pupils that had been slits a moment ago instantly rounded out.

"Hm? Th-this is..."

The previously hateful tone softened instantly, as if melted by something.

Cook stared fixedly at the small bottle Kou had extended toward his nose, the expression on his cat face dissolving from anger in a heartbeat.

A "purr-purr" sound emanated from his throat, and his entire body began to tremble slightly.

"This... this suffocating sensation, like a python constricting its prey..."

His voice became strained, as if he were using his final reserves of willpower to resist some unspeakable temptation:

"This is..."

Kou said expressionlessly:

"Catnip—ninety-nine percent purity."

"A... a rare treasure."

Cook's eyes became instantly clear.

His entire body collapsed to the ground, as if he had lost all his strength, like a salted fish washed up on the shore.

Kou squatted down with a grin, his black eyes filled with triumph:

"Granny Cat must keep a pretty tight leash on this stuff, right?"

"It's been a long time since you've had a hit, hasn't it? Little kitty~~"

Cook painfully covered his nose with his paws, as if resisting some indescribable temptation.

"You, you despicable human—"

His voice was strained, as if he were squeezing these words out with his last ounce of strength:

"How dare you use such a base thing to insult this me's willpower!!!

You!! This me absolutely, absolutely will not submit!!!"

Mei Terumi watched the black cat's incredibly resolute attitude, then glanced at the expressionless Kou, a trace of helplessness flashing through her emerald eyes.

Sigh, this is trouble.

She murmured in her heart:

This cat really seems to be resisting. It looks like Kou's plans are about to fall through...

Three seconds later.

"Kou, Ah-Kou, Kou-Kou~~"

Cook used a super-sweet, high-pitched, cutesy voice to beg:

"Please, meow, just let this me have one more hit, meow, just one hit, meow~~"

He rubbed against Kou's pant leg, his golden slit pupils now completely round, filled with a pleading light.

Mei Terumi watched the scene before her with black lines on her forehead, helplessly covering her face.

I actually thought the cat raised by this guy would have some principles... I'm so stupid, really.

Kou ignored the sullen Mei Terumi entirely, looking down at Cook with an arrogant air, his black eyes devoid of any warmth.

"Just now... what did you call me?"

The black cat swallowed hard, and in that super-bubbly, milky voice, it said:

"Why, my dearest partner, of course—"

"Kou-Kou~~"

Kou stared at it coldly, not a hint of a smile in those black eyes:

"Before I took out the catnip, you called me Kou-Kou, and I didn't hold it against you."

"But now that I've taken it out... what should you be calling me?!!"

The black cat's pupils shrank violently.

It suddenly stood up on its hind legs, waving its front paws in the air as if welcoming some great existence:

"Daddy Kou! Grandpa Kou! God Kou!!!"

Its voice grew louder and higher:

"Master!!! I remember now, I remember everything—"

It took a deep breath, its chest swelling high:

"You are my Master!!!"

"Hey! Good boy!!"

Kou said with a chuckle, pouring the bottle of catnip in his hand onto the ground.

The grayish-green powder spread across a small patch of sand, emitting a rich, irresistible scent that no cat could refuse.

"Awoo~"

The black cat's eyes lit up as it pounced.

It buried its entire face into the pile of powder, making "snort-snort" sounds.

Kou took the opportunity to start rubbing the kitten's belly, saying with a grin to Mei Terumi beside him:

"Hey, this little cat isn't stupid at all!!"

Mei Terumi looked as if she couldn't bear to watch, her emerald eyes already filled with numbness:

"...Just destroy everything, hurry up."

Her voice was very soft, as light as a sigh.

Kou continued to chuckle as he said to Cook:

"After you finish licking up my catnip, you'd better be a good boy and help us find the way."

"Snort-snort... mmm-hmm."

The response he received was the sound of Cook eating like a glutton.

Mei Terumi watched them, her heart turning to ash, her emerald eyes filled with a despair that made her want to cry but couldn't.

"Is it really the right choice to have asked this unreliable guy to help me?"

She thought of the figure of Sora, the man who always smiled gently, who could always solve every problem, the companion who trusted her implicitly.

"Sora..."

She whispered in her heart, wanting to cry:

"Did I make a wrong decision?"

But at this moment, there was no turning back.

The sea breeze blew through the jungle, bringing with it a salty, fishy scent and the sound of distant waves.

The jungle ahead was deep, dark, and silent.