Afterword
He was sitting on the forest floor, back resting against a large sturdy tree. He had just settled down and was in the process of unwrapping his dinner when the bushes to his right rustled, indicating a visitor. From the light footsteps and lack of chakra, he knew this visitor was not dangerous, and his deduction proved correct when a cat emerged from the foliage. She was a simple black feline, analogous to the one he had at home.
"Stop calling her Black. She has a name you know!"
"Yeah, her name's Black."
"You can't just call all the cats by their colour! It's unoriginal!"
"It's practical."
"No, her name is Miki. Mi-ki."
"Black."
"Come here, Black," he called out to the stray, purely out of habit. Surprisingly, the cat responded and brushed up against his hand.
She deserves food for that.
He shared some of his onigiri with the cat. He found her companionship quite enjoyable, but he did not stay longer than necessary. He swallowed the last bite and stood up, giving one last look at the animal. She was purring pleasantly, a clear indication that she enjoyed his company as well. When she moved to follow him, he stopped.
"You can't follow me."
He didn't know why he thought human speech would work on the cat, but it did. In one swift movement, the feline turned, striding away with her tail raised proudly.
He, too, turned and began heading towards his destination. He could not look after a cat on his journey - he would only endanger it. Besides, he already had his own set of cats at home to take care of, including a particularly fiery pink one.