"..."

Suzuki blinked at the two cute, silly kitties looking up at him with eyes full of hope.

Animal familiars?

Them?

These two cats wanted to be his familiars?

His lips twitched. He was speechless, but he could tell they were dead serious. It just felt bizarre, especially considering his original plans.

When he first set out to meet Tsunade, he had considered finding an animal familiar to aid him in combat and travel. He had envisioned a majestic, large bird, like a hawk or an eagle. Yet, somehow... he was ending up with cats?

Unexpectedly, though, he realized it might not be a terrible idea.

Sure, it was unconventional. In stories, familiars were usually colossal, powerful beasts. Having two cute kittens trailing after him seemed almost comical. What was the tactical advantage of these furry little creatures? Honestly, if he took them in, he feared he’d become their slave rather than their master, relegated to scooping litter and catering to their every whim.

Despite these reservations, he looked down at them. They were practically vibrating with nervous energy, stealing hopeful glances at him while puffing out their tiny chests, trying their hardest to appear as solemn and serious as adult cats. Their twitching tails completely betrayed their anxiety. Looking at them, he seriously considered accepting the offer.

But what was the logical reason?

If he couldn’t find a bird, wouldn’t it be better to seek a contract through his teachers, Hiruzen or Tsunade? Hiruzen had Enma, the Monkey King—a powerful beast with incredible martial arts, physical prowess, and transformation jutsu.

Meanwhile, Tsunade had the famous Katsuyu, the slug. While slugs were unusual, Katsuyu was one of the three legendary summons from the unexplored sage regions, alongside the toads and snakes.

As for Sage Mode... well, that was a long explanation for another time. Suzuki knew he would eventually need senjutsu, and to get it, he’d have to align with either the slugs, the snakes, or the toads.

Why not the toads? Because visually, slugs and snakes were simply more appealing than giant, warty toads—a factor he actually cared about, especially since he spent a lot of time around women. Furthermore, he honestly disliked the toads from the original stories. They carried a certain arrogance, acting as if they were superior to humans. They functioned like a cult, treating the Great Toad Sage’s prophecies as absolute divine law, essentially brainwashing their summoners.

Suzuki preferred the slugs, who treated their summoners with polite respect, or the snakes, who operated on a clear, transactional basis: provide food, get results. They played by clear rules. But the toads? They spoke in ambiguous riddles and expected unquestioning faith.

Compared to those three options, cats were starting to look fantastic.

Visuals aside—and visuals were important; anyone who claimed only utility mattered should just summon disease-carrying cockroaches and be done with it—what was a cat’s greatest asset?

They were unassuming. Even Suzuki hadn’t noticed these two spying on him. The Manager probably hadn’t issued a warning because they were just too... naive, harmless, and genuinely adoring.

While they might lack raw power, they possessed something far more valuable: omnipresence. Cats were everywhere. They roamed the Land of Fire, prowled the streets of Konoha, lounged in the Daimyo’s estate, and even survived in the harsh sands of Sunagakure. People everywhere let their guard down around them.

As for senjutsu? Suzuki didn’t need an animal to teach him. With the Manager’s analytical capabilities, he could replicate and perfect sage jutsu on his own. The traditional methods taught by the animals were flawed anyway, often harming the user, turning them to stone, or killing them outright.

So, taking the cats wasn’t a bad play. However, he needed to negotiate. Unlike normal animals, these ninja cats could speak human languages, meaning he had to be cautious and figure out exactly what they brought to the table.

"To be honest, with my identity, I could acquire almost any legendary familiar I wished," Suzuki stated coolly.

"Guh!"

Tears welled up in the two cats’ eyes. They knew he was right. He could have his pick of legendary beasts!

"W-We’re strong, Suzuki-sama!"

"Y-Yeah! And... and... our clan runs a weapons business in the underground black market! If you want to know about the black market, you can ask us anything!"

"Only the black market?" Suzuki raised an eyebrow.

"We..."

"Do you really think someone of my standing needs to personally dabble in the black market?"

"..."

Suzuki sighed, wondering how these kittens could be so shortsighted. "Information."

"Eh?"

"Your strength isn’t combat. It’s intelligence," Suzuki explained. "Your kind is common everywhere, from filthy alleys to the daimyo’s private chambers. People ignore you. Because of that, shouldn’t you be able to listen in on the most important secrets in the world?"

"..."

"Information is money. With your network, we can uncover valuable assets, anticipate market shifts, and acquire resources long before anyone else even knows they exist."

Realization dawned on them. The two kitties flushed with excitement, their tiny paws clenching tightly as they grasped their true potential.

"I don’t mind taking you two on as my familiars, but... do you dare sign my version of a contract?"

Suzuki pulled out a paper scroll and activated his [Absolute Contract]. Without a second of hesitation, the two cats slammed their ink-covered paws onto the parchment.

"WE WILL SERVE YOU WITH ALL OUR MIGHT, MASTER, NYAA!" they shouted in ecstatic unison.

Suzuki paused. "...You’re not even going to read the terms first?"

"No, nyaa!"

He stared at the fiercely loyal creatures, then gently stroked their heads. "Then from now on, your names are Kuro and Shiro."

"NYAAAAAAAAA!"

Listening to their happy purrs, Suzuki sighed inwardly. Instead of a legendary dragon roaring into the heavens, he had ended up with two purring furballs.

Yet, it didn’t matter. He knew their potential was limitless.

But as the ink dried on the contract, he had no idea that taking in these two cats would eventually lead to something far beyond his wildest imagination.