"What? Raikage-sama is dead?"
"This is impossible! He is the strongest person in our village!"
"Damn it! Damn Iwagakure! Bullying the few with overwhelming numbers."
"The battle between Iwagakure and Konoha is over, and a yellow flash appeared on the battlefield. The pressure on the frontlines has doubled."
The intermittent information was extracted from the mind of a fallen Kumogakure ninja by Kaitan with the assistance of his memory-reading technique.
At this moment, Kaitan was feeling relaxed, aided by the amplification tools at his disposal. The memories confirmed that the battle between the Third Raikage and Iwagakure had indeed occurred. His death marked the end of the battle between Konoha and Iwagakure, ushering in significant changes to the war's dynamics.
From the fragmented recollections, Kaitan learned that the AB Combination (the Raikage and Killer B) was already well-known at the time, their formidable strength having earned the admiration of all ninjas in Kumogakure. After Namikaze Minato joined the battlefield, Orochimaru had tasked him with stopping the AB Combination. However, after just a few rounds, both sides retreated.
With the death of Kumogakure's leader, the internal command structure fell into disarray. Despite their strength, the two-front war against Konoha and Iwagakure left them fatigued and vulnerable.
"Yunyin Village is still incredible—they're fierce fighters," Kaitan muttered. "To think they dared to initiate a two-front war with such confidence."
In retrospect, he realized he had overlooked these details when watching the anime.
The ninja whose memories he had read was just a Chūnin from Kumogakure, and his recollections contained no critical intelligence. However, Kaitan found the information on Lightning Release techniques worth studying. Observing the intricacies of the Lightning Style gave him newfound appreciation for Chidori, which Kakashi had created at just 12 years old.
No wonder Kakashi was promoted to Jōnin at such a young age—mastery of such techniques required extraordinary skill. Whether it was Chidori's elemental transformation or the Rasengan's form manipulation, these were advanced applications that required Jōnin-level control.
Kaitan recalled his own attempts to replicate Rasengan months ago. While his chakra levels were sufficient for basic experiments, the technique was far more complex than Jiraiya had made it seem in the original story. It was clear that many steps had been omitted for brevity.
After completing his work, Kaitan meticulously recorded every piece of information he extracted, from complete memories to minor details. Whether it was the ninja's Ninjutsu or even trivial memories from childhood, he documented everything diligently. Once his notes were ready, Kaitan submitted them to his superiors, who would summarize the findings and pass them along to the Hokage via the Anbu.
Just as he was about to leave, a fellow analysis team member stopped him.
"Oh, by the way," the service ninja said, "Minister Yamanako wanted me to remind you that this is your first time working in Konoha's Analysis Unit. There are some procedures you might not know about."
"Procedures? What else is there?" Kaitan asked, puzzled. He had already completed his tasks and was looking forward to a well-deserved meal.
The service ninja explained, "The Analysis Unit doesn't always have a heavy workload. To avoid wasting resources, members are encouraged to visit the unit's library to study intelligence analysis techniques. It's an essential skill for intelligence ninjas like us."
"Of course," he added, "if you don't want to study, you can take on simple tasks to help the village. There's always something to do."
Kaitan nodded in understanding. The Analysis Unit members were essentially the village's flexible labor force, assigned wherever they were needed during downtime. It reminded him of how Shenyue Izumo and Gangzite frequently appeared in various roles throughout the anime.
"Speaking of which," Kaitan thought aloud, "Izumo and Gangzite were my classmates. I wonder how they're doing now."
The library of the Analysis Unit was about the size of a football field, filled with rows of bookshelves. Kaitan browsed the shelves, finding books on past intelligence cases that covered everything from macro analysis to logical deductions. The cases were incredibly detailed, emphasizing how no detail, however small, should be overlooked.
He was impressed by how diverse the supplementary subjects were—mathematics, geography, medicine, logic, ninjutsu, sealing techniques—all had applications in intelligence work. For instance, determining an enemy's movements required knowledge of geography, mathematics, and the speed of a ninja's travel.
Fascinated, Kaitan immersed himself in his studies. As the days passed, he developed a routine: working in the Analysis Unit during the day, practicing Ninjutsu in the evening, and occasionally visiting Ichiraku Ramen for dinner. His frequent visits to Ichiraku caught the attention of his father, Dunko, who became suspicious of his sudden disinterest in home-cooked meals.
One evening, Dunko secretly followed Kaitan to Ichiraku and was relieved to find his son enjoying ramen. "Ah, my son is growing up," he thought. "Not only is he a Chūnin, but he's also looking for a wife!" From then on, Dunko stopped preparing dinner for Kaitan and left him to his own devices.
Kaitan's days were productive. His natural talent, combined with the occasional discovery of new Ninjutsu techniques from enemy memories, kept him motivated. He even used some of his savings to pay for Genjutsu lessons, recognizing that neither Iwagakure's stoic fighters nor Kumogakure's brash warriors were adept at illusions.
As the war progressed, Kaitan continued to monitor developments through the memories he extracted. Kumogakure eventually withdrew its forces to defend its base, followed by Iwagakure. Meanwhile, Sunagakure elected a new Kazekage, Rasa, who quickly submitted a letter of surrender to Konoha to stabilize his village's precarious situation.
What remained on the battlefield was the aftermath of the war—a mixture of rebuilding efforts and lingering tensions.
For Kaitan, life in the Analysis Unit was relatively manageable. The work, though mentally taxing for some, was well within his capabilities. However, his colleague Shenu frequently complained about the strain of reading memories daily, lamenting that he felt on the verge of mental exhaustion.
Despite the challenges, Kaitan found his work fulfilling. Whether it was uncovering valuable intelligence, improving his skills, or observing the gradual resolution of the war, he knew he was contributing to Konoha's strength.
And so, life went on, one day at a time.
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