Naruto: Paws and Whiskers

The Land of Grass was a curious place—small enough for a skilled ninja to traverse in a day, yet layered with the secrets and complexities of any larger territory. A mosaic of dense vegetation and open plains stretched across its borders, concealing paths known only to those well-versed in its terrain.

Naoki Gekko guided Takeshi with practiced ease, his footsteps barely disturbing the forest floor as they approached Kusagakure. 

The largest settlement in the Land of Grass loomed ahead, its silhouette faint under the veil of a starless night. Takeshi trotted a few steps behind, his feline form melting into the shadows cast by swaying branches. He kept his gaze low but his ears pivoted at the slightest sound. Although it was nighttime, he didn't assume security would be lax.

In Konoha, security during was just as stringent as during the day, and with the current tension, the Kusagakure's security would likely be even tighter.

"Remember," Naoki whispered, his voice barely above the rustling leaves. "No ninjutsu unless it's unavoidable. And if you can deal with someone quietly—"

Takeshi glanced at him, tilting his head with a soft "meow." 

Naoki sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Let me guess, you want to know why we're sneaking in?"

Takeshi's tail swished lazily in response, his red eyes glinting in the dim light. 

"Simple. We lack intel on Kusagakure," Naoki said, his tone sharp but measured. "Our mission is to gather preliminary information for Lord Jiraiya. Konoha has been too focused on Iwagakure and Sunagakure. Kusagakure slipped under the radar—until your little run-in during that escort mission tipped us off." (The Iwagakure squad attack during their escort mission, where Takeshi helped Gamabunta clear the road.)

Takeshi's ears perked up at the mention, a flicker of pride evident in the slight arch of his back. He remembered the chaos of that ambush as well as how many points he gained, but Takeshi shook it off and focused on the task at hand.

Naoki caught Takeshi's distracted look and smirked. "Yeah, yeah. You're a hero. Now focus. This oversight has left us blind here, and we're not exactly welcome guests."

Takeshi stretched shook his fur, and brushed away the dewdrops, his claws briefly digging into the soft earth, before standing upright on his haunches. "Got it," he said, his tone droll. "Guess I'll see you in the village then."

Before Naoki could reply, Takeshi disappeared in a blur of shadow and fur, darting between the trees with uncanny grace. 

"Wait!" Naoki hissed, his hand outstretched in a futile gesture. But Takeshi's silhouette was already swallowed by the darkness.

Naoki exhaled heavily and leaned against a nearby tree, closing his eyes for a brief moment. "Stupid cat," he muttered.

Takeshi prowled through the dense foliage, his movements fluid and deliberate. Each step brought him closer to the edge of the barrier encircling Kusagakure. 

He could feel the subtle thrum of chakra in the air—a nearly imperceptible ripple that set his whiskers tingling. Kneeling low, he scanned the perimeter, his sharp eyes noting the patterns of patrolling guards and the faint shimmer of the barrier under the moonlight.

He tapped a paw against the ground, his mind racing through options. Crossing a barrier like this would be tough; a direct approach would trigger alarms instantly.

Takeshi sat near the edge of pondering on how to cross it without detection. Flying Thunder God immediately came to his mind, as while most barriers that Ninja Villages have can detect someone crossing through them, they can't detect for someone teleporting within.

Obito in canon used teleportation to bypass village barrier, specifically Kirigakure, since small village like Kusagakure has a barrier, then Kirigakure would definitely have it and maybe even better one. Yet they didn't detect Obito visiting in for his playtime with Mizukage.

'Hmm... This doesn't seem unfeasible, especially using the auto-returning iron ball.' Takeshi took it out and marked it, then slapped it across the barrier, next second Takeshi immediately appeared next to it landing smoothly.

Reaching into his storage space, he pulled out a small iron ball and applied Flying Thunder God mark on it. With a deft flick, he sent it hurtling across the barrier. The moment it touched the other side, Takeshi vanished, reappearing a heartbeat later with barely a ripple to mark his passage.

He crouched low, his eyes darting around as he waited. One minute. Two. Nothing. 

'Yeah, it is likely a low grade barrier. It doesn't sense people once inside it. It's incomparable to Konoha's barrier, that is constantly maintained by Barrier corps.' Although Konoha's barrier had its problems, such as the kidnapping involving Kushina and Hinata, there was a an overhaul of the department after Hinata's kidnapping, with Torifu Akimichi basically living within the base of Barrier Department.

The village lay ahead, its streets dimly lit by scattered street lights. Takeshi slunk through the shadows, his soft footfalls absorbed by the earthen paths. He wasn't here for reconnaissance tonight—Naoki could handle that. His goal was simpler: a place to sleep. The thought of curling up under a tree, exposed to the elements like Naoki, made his tail flick with distaste.

As a cat, he didn't require a large space, only a small area like a box is better than sleeping outside under a tree like Naoki.

After some searching, Takeshi found a house tucked away in a quieter part of the village. It appeared abandoned, the paint on its walls faded and peeling. A quick scan revealed no signs of recent activity, save for a faint chakra signature emanating from below. While curious, but Takeshi pushed it aside and decided to wait.

Sliding through a crack in the window, Takeshi padded across the dusty floor. He settled into a corner and pulled out a pouch of Special Cat Food from his storage, he had won in a Gacha from the storage space and began eating.

The chakra signature flickered again, stronger this time, and Takeshi's eyes narrowed, 'What's going on?' Moving silently, he descended to the ground floor, where the faint hum seemed to originate from beneath the floorboards. A cellar? He sniffed the air, catching no trace of recent intrusions but chakra fluctuations mean likely Ninjas. 

'Am I in some hidden base ? He decided to wait patiently here. Let Naoki wander around the village for a while before meeting up with him.

Deciding against immediate action, Takeshi retreated to the upper floor and waited for ninjas to finish their secret meeting and leave, he didn't need to wait long for that. He needed to ask Naoki if he could do something about modifying the cellar for spying.

He found a sturdy cabinet and curled up inside, purring softly as sleep claimed him. His last thought before drifting off was the image of Naoki, likely pacing the village in frustration. The thought brought a satisfied smirk to his face.

Dawn broke over Kusagakure, casting long shadows across its winding streets. Takeshi yawned and stretched, his fur ruffled from sleep. 

Sliding out of the cabinet, Takeshi made his way to the streets. The village was more lively now, with merchants and villagers bustling about. 

Takeshi blended seamlessly, his small form unnoticed amidst the commotion. To avoid sabotaging Konoha's interest he trailed a caravan from Takigakure, slipping through the gates unnoticed.

Although the Takigakure Village is also an ally of Konoha... Well ninja world is a treacherous one, he couldn't wait for a caravan from the Land of Earth to arrive; it might not come until next year.

The , though many still held favorable opinions. Takeshi filed the information away, knowing it could prove useful to Naoki and Jiraiya.

Meanwhile, Naoki's day passed in a blur of eavesdropping and observation. as he flitted from one restaurant to the next, piecing together the whispers of the villagers. Naoki's goal wasn't to uncover any valuable secrets, but to gather general sentiment from the residents of Kusagakure and what they were discussing. There was discontent brewing here—a subtle undercurrent of resentment toward Konoha, it seemed some people in the Kusagakure were secretly instigating, speaking negativity of Konoha, but they didn't dare to do so openly.

Most people in the Land of Grass still favored Konoha. If higherups of Konoha acted quickly, they could take advantage of the situation and thwart the plans of the Iwagakure.

Naoki finishing his mission now wondered, where is Takeshi? He had left hours before Naoki, but there was no sign of him, 'Could he be sleeping somewhere?'

Naoki was indeed correct in his guess, Takeshi slept so comfortably that he didn't wake up until noon. If it wasn't for his hunger, he could have slept for a while longer.

He could buy Special Cat Food to satisfy his hunger and continue with his long-term investment. However, when he opened the system panel, he saw that his points had increased by couple hundred points.

After being confused for a moment, he quickly understood that it was probably from his homeless buddy Naoki outside who had rewarded him with additional points.

'Poor guy', Takeshi couldn't wait to meet up with him and 'comfort' him with couple snide remarks and share what he discovered as well. Hopefully, Naoki isn't cranky.

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