Tobitake Tonbo's talent far exceeded Dokuraku Mawashi's expectations; he realized the boy's potential was immense.
The next day, Tonbo was already assigned mind-reading missions. Through these sessions, he began to understand the true cruelty of war.
This was the height of the Third Shinobi World War. Orochimaru was in command, with various Jonin leading squads to repel attacks from other nations. Unfortunately, Orochimaru was the only one of the "Sannin" present; Jiraiya and Tsunade were nowhere to be found on this front. Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang, had also committed suicide a few years prior. This was arguably Konoha's weakest period in recent history.
Meanwhile, Minato Namikaze was making a name for himself, earning the title of the "Yellow Flash" on the battlefield. From the memories Tonbo read, the rumors were true: enemies were terrified of him. Shinobi who encountered him were officially authorized to abandon their missions and flee on sight.
"War is terrifying. I'd better stick to being a diligent worker in the Analysis Team," Tonbo thought. Navigating through various memories only strengthened his resolve. Saving the world was a job for the protagonists of each era.
As he read more minds, his Psycho Mind Transmission grew increasingly proficient—so much so that it startled his captain, Dokuraku Mawashi.
In his spare time, Tonbo practiced Taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, and kunai throwing with his colleagues. On the battlefield, these were the most practical tools for a Genin. During this time, he also met another teammate, Shimon, who was a newcomer just like him.
"Sigh, I hate war," Shimon lamented.
Tonbo replied, "I hate it too. But since we've become Konoha shinobi, we have to do our part for the village."
Today's mission wasn't heavy; they were assigned to patrol the perimeter of the base in two-man cells. Of course, this was mostly to train the Genin, as the Analysis Team's headquarters was actually guarded by the Anbu. While on duty, Tonbo made sure to express his "Will of Fire" to his colleagues from time to time—it was a tool that never failed to be useful.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The two patrolled the dim forest, scanning their surroundings and occasionally using sensory ninjutsu to detect any potential enemies. This was their daily routine.
Tonbo, however, did a bit more; he never forgot to learn while patrolling. Having extracted so many memories, he had acquired unique Taijutsu styles and specialized shuriken and kunai techniques from other hidden villages. He benefited greatly from this.
But the biggest gains were the scouting experience, code analysis, and tracking methods. It was a true eye-opener. For a ninja, especially a commoner without a Kekkei Genkai, that theoretical knowledge was often more reliable on the battlefield than Ninjutsu itself.
"Wait, something's happening."
Suddenly, Tonbo stopped and activated his sensory ninjutsu. A map of chakra signatures within a two-kilometer radius appeared in his mind.
"One kilometer to the east, a small unit has suddenly appeared. Based on their chakra levels, it's an elite squad."
In his sensory vision, over a dozen people had suddenly breached their warning perimeter. The smallest chakra signature among them was roughly equal to their captain, Dokuraku Mawashi.
"Let's go report to the captain."
Even though the Anbu hadn't detected them yet, since they had, they had to report it. Shimon used his own sensory ninjutsu to confirm Tonbo's findings, and the two quickly returned to the Analysis Team base.
"Reporting! Situation detected!"
They found Mawashi and immediately relayed their discovery. Mawashi didn't dare be careless and reported to his superior, the squad leader Yamanaka Inoichi. Within moments, Inoichi appeared, leading four squads.
"Good job. Follow me."
"Eh?" The command made Tonbo's brain stall. Was the Analysis Team actually going into combat?
Yes, they really were. However, their role was to block the enemy's escape on the outer perimeter. The main force, led by Inoichi and supported by the patrolling Anbu, would handle the elimination. Blocking the outskirts served as a practical test for the juniors.
They hid in the shadows, suppressing their breath.
"Shimon, it's your first battle. Are you nervous?" Tonbo asked.
Shimon replied, "No. This is a ninja's duty."
Tonbo didn't know how to respond to that. In truth, he wasn't nervous either. He had witnessed so many battles while reading intelligence that he had become accustomed to them. He pulled out wire and paper bombs (explosive tags), setting traps nearby. These traps were designed based on his integrated analysis of enemy memories, placed in the most likely paths of retreat.
"Good lad. I didn't expect your trap-making skills to be this high," Dokuraku Mawashi praised him. As a Chunin who had survived several years of war, he could see that Tonbo's traps were of a very high caliber.
Tonbo smiled. He felt that his mind in the Shinobi world was becoming something akin to Kisuke Urahara or Ryuken Ishida from Bleach—though his focus wasn't on scientific research.
Clang! Clang!
Intense fighting broke out in the distance. In Tonbo's perception, different natures of chakra were clashing violently, accompanied by the roar of explosive tags. Since Yamanaka Inoichi was still alive in the original series, Tonbo knew they would win this encounter.
Sure enough, a few moments later, several enemies scattered and fled in different directions. One of them headed straight toward their position.
"Here he comes."
The three reacted simultaneously. Following the three-man formation they learned at the Academy, they ambushed the escapee's path. Several shuriken appeared in Tonbo's hand. After signaling his teammates, he launched them at clever angles.
The intruder wore an Iwagakure (Hidden Stone) forehead protector. Judging by the situation, he was a Chunin with rich combat experience. Therefore, Tonbo chose to attack with projectiles from different angles to test the opponent's reflexes.
Indeed, the enemy showed his experience. He dodged two shuriken with a side-step and deflected another with a kunai, his vigilance never wavering.
Suddenly, a massive log swung down from above. The enemy formed hand signs, and rock covered his arm as he punched the log away. More shuriken flew in—this time a coordinated strike from Shimon and Mawashi. Simultaneously, the wire traps Tonbo had designed closed in on him at high speed.
The enemy's expression soured, and he suddenly vanished before their eyes.
"The Hidden Stone's Earth Release: Hiding in Rock technique?"
Tonbo immediately identified the jutsu. However... Time to test if this move works.
He thought of a technique he had only practiced a few times, meant for dealing with diverse enemies. He hadn't expected to use it so soon. His hands blurred into seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Turning to Steel!"
He was a specialized sensory ninja; such a level of underground travel couldn't hide from him. He slammed his palm onto the ground above the tunneling enemy. Visibly, the soil beneath him shifted into solid rock. This was a C-rank jutsu—not widely used, but a perfect counter for Earth Release tunneling.
Thump!
The enemy realized what was happening, but it was too late. Tonbo leaped away as a mangled, bloodied figure forced its way out of the ground. The enemy tried to attack Tonbo, but then collapsed.
Shuck!
Mawashi drove a kunai into the enemy's heart to ensure he wasn't faking death. Only then did he turn to Tonbo.
"Impressive handling of the situation."
🗒️NOTE:
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore Advance Chapters in advance!