Ch.16 Coalball

As the ninnekos gathered around Uchiha Shinji, he also took in the various types of ninnekos around him. 

Cat Fortress was located in an abandoned city, so some of the city's structures were still intact.

Since the original owner of his body had never visited this place, Shinji had no prior knowledge of Cat Fortress.

Only upon arriving here did he realize that it was nothing like what he had imagined.

The streets were filled with numerous ninnekos coming and going, as well as all kinds of shops with neon signs and loud hawkers.

He even spotted a hair salon among them.

A poster advertising the salon featured an elegant white cat, and the ad even highlighted a free coupon offer.

This place...

For a moment, Shinji didn't know how to describe his feelings.

After wandering the streets for a while, he found a ninneko that specialized in selling information.

"Meow," lazily called a tabby cat lounging on a wooden stump, stretching out its chubby paw toward Shinji.

Shinji was puzzled. "What?"

The tabby cat glanced at Shinji and said, "Even if you're an Uchiha, you still have to pay to get information here!"

Shinji pulled out 500 ryō and handed it to the tabby cat's chubby paw.

The tabby cat took the money and then extended its paw again. "Not enough!"

Shinji was speechless. "You greedy little... I'm just asking for some information. Isn't 500 ryō enough?"

The tabby cat replied smugly, "Asking for information costs 1,000 per time! Even if your clan leader came... Oh, forget it, what do you want to know?"

Shinji, too tired to argue with the fat cat, said, "I'm looking for a ninneko skilled in stealth, preferably one that knows some medical ninjutsu."

"High demands, huh!"

The tabby cat instantly became more lively, rubbing its paws together as it vividly described the ninnekos in Cat Fortress that excelled in stealth.

For ninnekos, stealth was a racial talent, so many were good at it.

However, those with knowledge of medical ninjutsu were rare. Even in Cat Fortress, only a few met Shinji's criteria.

"One-Eyed Dragon, Three-Leaf, Yuukimaru..."

After parting with the tabby cat, Shinji continued to wander through Cat Fortress while considering the three candidates provided by the tabby cat.

Among the three ninnekos:

"One-Eyed Dragon" was the most famous, having previously signed a summoning contract with a Jonin from the Uchiha clan, though it had recently lost its job.

"Three-Leaf" was next in line, with average skills and experience.

As for "Yuukimaru," it was said to be an immature kitten with little combat experience and no prior summoning contracts, making it the least known of the three.

Shinji's goal in contracting a ninneko was to infiltrate Danzo's Root base and retrieve Uchiha Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan.

This was a covert mission!

A high-profile ninneko might not be the best choice, so after weighing his options, Shinji decided to first meet "Yuukimaru," the least known ninneko who had never signed a summoning contract.

Following the directions given by the tabby cat, Shinji took several twists and turns before finally finding "Yuukimaru's" home in a narrow alley of Cat Fortress.

It was a shabby little house, from which faint noises could be heard.

Glancing at the doorplate, it read: Saké District, No. 33.

"This is it!"

Knock knock

Shinji stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Soon, the door opened, and a small black cat poked its head out to look at him. Its eyes scanned Shinji from head to toe. "Uchiha clan?"

Shinji nodded and then asked, "Are you Yuukimaru?"

The black cat immediately perked up and introduced itself, "Indeed, I am 'Yuuki... the Darling of the Night... the Moonlit Spirit... the Phantom... the Ruler of Shadows... Maru!'"

The small black cat, despite its diminutive size and youthful voice, put on an air of maturity, which made it seem particularly comical.

Shinji raised an eyebrow. "Just tell me what you can do."

Yuukimaru quickly responded, "Good question! Not only am I proficient in over ten types of ninjutsu, but I also possess medical ninjutsu, and..."

"And what?"

Instead of answering, Yuukimaru made a quick series of hand signs with its paws.

Shh...

In an instant, Yuukimaru sank into its own shadow, leaving only a barely noticeable shadow on the ground in Shinji's field of vision.

Shinji was stunned. "This is...?"

Yuukimaru then emerged from the shadow, looking proud. "Heh heh, this isn't your average ninjutsu!"

Shinji's eyes lit up. "You're the one. I want to make a summoning contract with you!"

"No rush!"

Yuukimaru waved its front paw in front of Shinji.

Then, it spread its paws wide, adopting a haughty stance. "I, the great Yuuki... the Darling of the Night... the Moonlit Spirit... the Phantom... the Ruler of Shadows... Maru from Cat Fortress, am destined to become famous throughout the shinobi world. I won't just sign a contract with any random shinobi!"

Shinji frowned slightly. "What are your conditions?"

Yuukimaru circled around Shinji, examining him critically from head to toe. "Have you awakened the Sharingan? What's your rank in the Hidden Leaf Police Force? Are you a Chunin? Do you have an allowance?"

Shinji's expression became a bit awkward, feeling as though he were being interviewed for a job.

Yuukimaru swished its tail. "Heh heh, don't tell me you're just a Genin who hasn't even awakened the Sharingan."

Shinji replied, "Uh, I'm still in the Shinobi Academy."

Yuukimaru muttered under its breath, "An academy student, huh? Tsk, how much money could you possibly have..."

At that moment, an orange cat walked up carrying a box of sake and placed it in front of Yuukimaru. "Coalball, this is the sake your dad ordered yesterday. When are you going to pay the tab?"

The previously arrogant Yuukimaru's face froze instantly. "What? He... He ordered another box of sake?"

The orange cat sighed at Yuukimaru. "Ah, Coalball, don't say I'm not looking out for you, but you can't delay this payment any longer. I can give you a three-day extension at most! Also, Hanamaki asked me to remind your mom about the money for her perm."

With that, the orange cat shook its head and walked away.

Yuukimaru, now with a stiff expression, turned its gaze to Shinji and said awkwardly, "Actually, I don't really know that cat. I have no idea what it was talking about!"

Shinji nodded. "I see, Coalball."

"My name is Yuukimaru!"

Shinji nodded earnestly. "Sure, Coalball."

Coalball covered its face with its paws, giving up on correcting Shinji.

Shinji craned his neck to peek through the door crack into Coalball's house and saw that there were quite a few ninnekos inside.

One fat white female cat with a head full of perm curls was playing cards with several other female cats. Nearby, a black male cat, reeking of alcohol, was slumped on a sofa surrounded by empty bottles.

In the corner, a few black and white kittens were happily playing with a ball of yarn.

Shinji withdrew his gaze. "Supporting the family?"

Coalball reluctantly nodded. "Life is tough."

Shinji confirmed, "You can perform medical ninjutsu?"

Coalball replied honestly, "Basic treatments are no problem."

Shinji then asked, "What was that move earlier?"

Coalball explained, "It's Shadow Release, but I'm still not very skilled with it. I can only use it at night or in dark places, and only with the help of shadows."

A Bloodline Limit?!

Shinji was pleasantly surprised.

Though Coalball was still immature, it perfectly met his needs.

Having made up his mind, Shinji said, "I'm satisfied with your abilities, and I think you'll be satisfied with mine too!"

Coalball was curious. "What are your abilities?"

Shinji leisurely pulled out a bankbook.