Naruto: Paws and Whiskers

'What is he doing here? And why did I even come?' Fugaku was exasperated.

Isn't this cat supposed to be at the base camp? Showing up out of nowhere just to steal my credit... The entire trap had been meticulously set, yet the enemies saw through the encirclement and used ninjutsu to counter it. And in the end? It was all obliterated through sheer brute force.

No sense of accomplishment. Just frustration.

Everyone had their own thoughts on the matter, but this wasn't the time for complaints. Suppressing their emotions, they got to work-tending to the injured and handling the corpses.

Originally, if Kaito Tsurugi and his team had used ninjutsu, it would have been a battle of wits and endurance. The squad might have suffered minor injuries, but they would have captured them in the end.

But then Takeshi arrived. And just like that, the fight was over before it had even begun.

"Fugaku-sama, this..."

"Take them back and see if they can be treated. If they can't be saved, send them to the Intelligence Corps while they're still warm."

Fugaku sighed.

As expected, just like Tsunade. That monstrous strength—one punch and people are practically turned into paste. 'Can the Yamanaka Clan even extract intelligence from bodies in this condition?'

'While they're still warm'...

Fugaku's sarcasm was becoming sharper by the day.

—

Meanwhile, on the other side-

Yusuke Hozuki and his squad continued along the path indicated by the forward scouts. However, a sudden explosion rumbled behind them, sending tremors through the ground. The river water surged unnaturally, flowing backward for a brief moment.

"What was that?"

Yusuke turned, his brows furrowing.

That chakra signature... It feels like Kaito's Water Release. But this level of destruction...

Something doesn't add up.

"Yusuke-sama?"

"We keep moving. If we fail to kill Ao, Fuguki-sama will make sure we regret it. We have no way back now."

Yusuke exhaled sharply, blowing a bubble before his body liquefied, flowing forward in a stream of water.

They had no choice.

This wasn't the Nidaime Mizukage's era anymore. Though the Hozuki Clan remained Kirigakure's most prominent family, they no longer enjoyed the absolute dominance they once had.

Failing to execute Ao when they had the chance was a critical mistake. Now, they had to make up for it.

After some time-

"Someone's approaching!"

One of his subordinates tensed, voice sharp with warning.

"No... it's that cat. Don't engage. There's no point in fighting that monstrous beast. We move faster."

Yusuke remained calm.

To him, Takeshi was nothing more than a mindless brute. No matter how destructive he was, the Hydrafication Jutsu ensured they couldn't be truly harmed.

The Hozuki Clan had little to fear from sheer strength or Gentle Fist techniques. Even most ninjutsu were ineffective against them. This was precisely why they were ideal assassins-bold enough to infiltrate even Konoha, despite the presence of the Byakugan.

Otherwise, wouldn't it be foolish to sneak into a village with such an overwhelming reconnaissance ability? 

Yusuke's objective was clear. Even if his entire squad was wiped out, he had to make it into Konoha's base and eliminate Ao and captured Chunin.

The Chunin was insignificant. At worst, he knew the location of the temporary base- They already relocated. But Ao...

Ao carried too many of Kirigakure's secrets.

That was the real target.

Ao must die.

They traveled upstream, moving stealthily through the river. Just as they crossed to the other side, towering earth walls suddenly erupted behind them, sealing off their escape route.

Another wall formed ahead, cutting the river in half, leaving them stranded.

The water stilled immediately. A moment later, more than a dozen Konoha ninja descended from the heights, hands blurring into rapid seals.

*Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder*

"What?! Move!"

Yusuke hesitated for a fraction of a second before reacting.

But it was already too late.

Just as they were about to break through, an unnatural chill filled the air. A strange, crackling noise echoed over the water. Within moments, the river began freezing over, ice surging inward from both banks.

'Ice Release!?'

'Impossible!'

Yusuke's heart pounded. His first thought was betrayal-had the Yuki Clan turned against them? But that didn't make sense. The Yuki Clan was heavily monitored in Kirigakure; every birth recorded, every movement tracked.

They couldn't have betrayed the village.

'Then who—?'

Yusuke swiftly reformed his body into a solid state and leaped out of the freezing river. His gaze locked onto an unexpected figure standing in the stagnant water.

A black cat.

Frost spread from beneath his paws.

"Meow!"

The cat waved a paw playfully.

"Ice Release...?"

The Konoha ninja were just as stunned.

When did this cat acquire a Kekkei Genkai? And with this much chakra?

"Meow! What the hell are you all staring at?!"

Takeshi's exasperation rang out. He was literally freezing everything around them, and they were gawking instead of fighting. Did they have no shame?

In the shadows, Kakashi snapped out of his own momentary shock.

A figure suddenly burst forward. Lightning flickered along the edge of a blade, illuminating the battlefield.

The missing Lightning Blade: Kiba.

"Lightning Blade?!"

Yusuke's face darkened.

They had spent months searching for it. And now, here it was, wielded by none other than Kakashi Hatake. Son of White Fang...

Even with just one of the twin swords, its power was still formidable.

Without hesitation, the Hozuki ninja formed Water Release seals.

Regular Water Release wasn't weak to Lightning Release-but their Hydrafication Jutsu was another story entirely.

Yusuke wove his hand seals, creating a *Water Release: Water Formation Wall Jutsu*, while the others unleashed *Water Release: Hiding in Mist Jutsu*. A thick fog spread rapidly, shrouding the battlefield in an impenetrable haze.

A key advantage of the Hydrafication Jutsu was that, once they liquefied, they left no trace.

Therefore, after the Water Release: Hiding in Mist Jutsu, Takeshi also couldn't sense them.

Takeshi narrowed his eyes.

But he didn't need to.

He had Flying Thunder God.

Earlier, he had tagged Kakashi. And now, Kakashi was leaping into the air, approaching the *Water Formation Wall Jutsu*.

Takeshi teleported instantly, appearing mid-air. He kicked Kakashi aside to propel himself forward.

**Boom!**

With a single paw strike, the *Water Formation Wall Jutsu* splashed. The impact sent jagged ice spikes flying outward. Not all of them bore his teleportation mark—but he only needed one.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was less than thrilled.

Takeshi's kick had sent him tumbling. He barely caught himself before faceplanting. Fortunately, the mist concealed his undignified landing.

Unfortunately, he was now alone.

Yusuke and his men had already adjusted their plan. If they couldn't kill Ao, recovering other half of the Lightning Blade would still be an achievement. Maybe it could even offset the punishment for this failure.

If so, why not kill Kakashi while they were at it? Why risk having another White Fang?

Yusuke was occupied with Takeshi, but the others drew their weapons, using *Shunshin Jutsu* to close in on Kakashi.

Takeshi heard the commotion.

But he didn't react immediately. Because-

**Boom!**

A figure was sent flying out of the mist, crashing violently into the group of Lightning Release specialists in the distance. His body was coated in ice, yet something inside him sloshed unnaturally, as if liquid moved beneath the surface.

The next second, Takeshi vanished from the fog-

-and reappeared beside Kakashi.

They had never heard of this cat using teleportation before. Wait-

He had appeared out of nowhere earlier, too. They had assumed he was just incredibly fast. But no. It wasn't speed. It was space-time ninjutsu.

'Flying Thunder God.'

Flying Thunder God. Ice Release. Super Strength.

'Damn it, Fuguki! Konoha had a monster like this, and yet he only sent a handful of assassins? Why didn't that fat bastard come himself?!'

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