Naruto: Paws and Whiskers

Ao held a significant position in Kirigakure. Though primarily a Sensory Ninja-lacking the sheer combat prowess of some elite fighters-his knowledge far exceeded that of an average ninja.

If Kirigakure wanted to prevent intelligence leaks, sending an Assassination Squad to erase possibility of gaining intelligence that can be gathered from his mind, if they can't rescue him then eliminate him and destroy his body, was a very real possibility. They might not come, but it was always better to prepare for the worst.

The camp here had only recently been established, positioned slightly inland from the coastline, and for now, missions were scarce.

But Takeshi didn't have the luxury of idleness.

Not because he disliked resting-far from it-but because Tsunade refused to let him. He had just completed a surveillance round near Ao and now had to check in on the captured Kirigakure Chunin. And that wasn't even the end of it. Once that task was done, he still had border patrol duty.

Tsunade called it "the capable should work harder," before adding with a smirk, "Besides, you could stand to walk off a little of that chubbiness." It was a lighthearted jab, but Takeshi's tail puffed up in indignation nonetheless. but in reality, she was simply being cautious. 

With personnel transfers happening all over as the Three Camps prepared for mixed formation, Kirigakure could exploit the chaos. If enemy forces infiltrated, detection would be far less immediate than before.

These were the most dangerous days.

And Takeshi wasn't the only one on high alert. Minato also patrolled—though he covered the lower section, while Takeshi was responsible for the Uchiha Patrol Area extending to the Hyuga Clan Camp.

Oh, and Obito? Takeshi had dragged him along too.

Might as well get a free ride. A Special Jonin's deserve some special treatment after all.

Realistically, nothing was likely to happen during the day. Even if Kirigakure's forces were reckless, they wouldn't be foolish enough to attempt an assassination in broad daylight, right in the heart of the main camp. That would be suicide.

If Kirigakure made a move, it wouldn't be a rescue mission—it would be a cleanup. They would aim to eliminate Ao and the captured Chunin, ensuring no information fell into enemy hands. And their methods wouldn't necessarily be direct.

Tsunade predicted they'd strike at night, likely sending members of the Hozuki Clan. Given the abundance of rivers and underground water sources in this area, the Hydrification Technique would make infiltration and concealment all too easy.

As they departed the camp, Obito didn't seem the least bit upset about being roped into patrol duty. On the contrary, he was excited to be part of the mission.

After a while, he leaned closer and asked in a hushed tone, "Takeshi, yesterday I saw you talking with Kakashi. What were you two discussing?"

"Meow?", Takeshi tilted his head, his ears twitching slightly.

Was this guy spying on them? He hadn't even noticed. Thinking about it, Obito really had an odd fixation-always paying attention to Rin before, and now keeping tabs on his colleagues.

'Wait… Could this be… love?'

A shiver ran down Takeshi's spine at the thought, and his gaze toward Obito with wariness.

Obito, oblivious to Takeshi's internal horror, quickly waved his hands. "Don't get the wrong idea! I wasn't eavesdropping or anything. I was just worried about Kakashi and wanted to check if he was okay."

Of course, without mind-reading abilities, he had no clue about the bizarre assumption Takeshi had just made. If he did, he might not have been so calm. Obito would've likely clarified that he wasn't trying to eavesdrop any secrets.

Takeshi squatted a little tighter on Obito's shoulder, debating whether it was safer to walk on his own. Eventually, he gave up on the idea and sighed.

"Meow~ I get it, I understand your intentions don't worry."

Obito relaxed slightly.

"We didn't talk about much," Takeshi continued. "I just suggested he try fusing ninjutsu with kenjutsu, meow."

"Fusion of Kenjutsu and ninjutsu?" Obito's eyes lit up with admiration and envy.

It sounded incredibly cool. The Uchiha Clan had a tradition of kenjutsu, but… he hadn't trained in it. And even if he had, he didn't exactly have a suitable ninjutsu technique to fuse with it…

Still, the idea lingered in his mind.

Showing off is for others, 'I just need to work hard and train. It's not about the kunai but how we use them...'

Obito comforted himself in his heart.

"Meow! Obito, let's go!"

Since Obito was going to train anyway, Takeshi, having nothing better to do, decided to tag along. Maybe, if luck was on their side, they could even stumble upon a Hozuki ninja landing and capture one alive.

Unfortunately, after an entire afternoon of wandering, they found no trace of the Hozuki ninjas. Instead, they encountered several Uchiha, all of whom seemed eager to teach Obito a lesson-until they noticed Takeshi perched on his shoulder.

Upon witnessing Takeshi they would move away deciding, 'Never mind. Not worth the trouble.'

Even though the full details of the previous night's battle weren't public, word had spread that a Hyuga main house member had been killed. More importantly, if Takeshi hadn't intervened and reclaimed the body from three elite Kirigakure squads, the Byakugan would have fallen into enemy hands.

Three elite squads!

That alone was enough proof that this black cat wasn't just any ordinary pet. On top of that, there were rumors of him possessing Super Strength technique, hinting at a possible connection to Tsunade. Even the proud Uchiha knew better than to provoke Tsunade and Takeshi at a time like this.

So, after a rather uneventful stroll, they returned to camp.

Under Tsunade's iron-fisted command, the Mixed Formation had been swiftly implemented. The Hyuga, Uchiha, ANBU, and Root operatives were reorganized and dispatched evenly across the Three Camps.

The leadership, however, remained unchanged:

Fugaku Uchiha in the north.

Hiashi Hyuga in the center.

Shikuro Aburame in the south.

While it appeared that the three factions still operated separately, Tsunade had cleverly stationed the Mixed Formation ninjas in the surrounding woodlands, setting up ambushes. Each team had also been equipped with kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God.

---

Night fell.

The coastline was tightly guarded. As expected, Kirigakure's scouts patrolled the perimeter, confirming that Konoha's defensive pattern hadn't changed.

Somewhere out at sea, the water churned and coalesced into a kneeling figure before an orange-haired shinobi.

"Fuguki-sama, Konoha's defensive positions remain unchanged."

Fuguki Suikazan sneered. "Don't jump to conclusions. First, locate Ao. And don't get caught. If Konoha captures you…" His gaze darkened. "Just kill yourselves. Don't become a burden to village."

"Yes!" The scout disappeared into the water.

Another team of Kirigakure shinobi arrived soon after.

"The same goes for you. Cooperate with them and infiltrate. If you fail to cover your tracks, don't bother returning."

Among those assigned to this mission were the eight who had fled in disgrace the previous night. The best chance to assassinate Ao had already passed, but these cowards had been scared off-by a cat, no less-bringing shame to Kirigakure, once this get's out they'll be laughing stock of all the elemental nations. As punishment, they were to lead the first wave, drawing attention while the others gathered intelligence on Ao's location.

What they didn't know, however, was that Konoha's eastern front had changed. Tsunade now coordinated their forces, and two individuals proficient in the Flying Thunder God technique had joined the battlefield.

---

As the Hozuki scouts attempted to slip past the defenses, the patrol team detected them immediately. Feigning ignorance, the Konoha shinobi deliberately leaked fragmented information about the rear base camp.

Kirigakure ninja weren't fools, had they been fed the entire story, they would have seen through the ruse. But just enough was said to bait them into action.

Back at camp, Takeshi slept soundly. Others, however, were far from relaxed.

Kakashi and Obito, for instance.

Young, restless, and full of ideas, they couldn't simply rest and conserve energy like they should have. Instead, their minds raced with excitement, eager to take part in whatever chaos the night would bring.

Not that it had much to do with them.

This was a coordinated battle. Guerrilla tactics might have worked in the past, but with Konoha's elite forces, including ANBU, Root, and Byakugan-wielding Hyuga, standing guard, Kirigakure's plan was laughable. Even if they managed to capture someone, the Flying Thunder God would render their escape futile.

Of course, Kirigakure was unaware that Minato had already arrived in the east. Had they known, they would have abandoned Ao as well as the mission altogether rather than walk into a death trap.

Then, news arrived from the front lines.

Kirigakure ninja had infiltrated through the Uchiha sector.

Fugaku's expression darkened. With three camps spread across the battlefield, why had they chosen the Uchiha camp as their entry point?

'Do they think the Uchiha are weak!?'

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