Chapter 252: The Soul-Body Separation Jutsu
Sabi wanted to commit suicide, but he couldn't.
He could only watch helplessly as Tonbo Tobitake pressed a hand onto his head. Tonbo didn't hold back; since Sabi was a spy, he had to live with the consequences of that choice. The Mind-Reading Jutsu activated, diving deep into the recesses of Sabi's psyche.
Memories flickered like a time tunnel, with countless fragments lining the walls. First came the most recent memories. A flash of fire. A figure collapsed in a pool of blood.
Tonbo frowned. It was Kisuke's family. To obtain the physical medium needed for his jutsu, Sabi had murdered Kisuke's wife.
As a member of the Anbu and a Konoha elite, Kisuke had been relentlessly investigating spies who had infiltrated the village during its period of heavy losses. Sabi realized he was being watched. To eliminate the ninja who suspected him, he tracked down Kisuke's home, stole a strand of his hair, and killed his wife.
"This is war," Tonbo sighed internally. He didn't feel a massive emotional surge; back when he was a spy in the Hidden Rain, he had killed enemy ninjas too. That was standard procedure. It was just a bit more somber when it involved "one of their own." However, he knew one thing for certain: if someone killed his family, he would never let them off easy.
"How strange. He's not a ninja from the Five Great Nations. He's a member of the Prajna Group from the Land of Woods?"
Tonbo found Sabi's true identity within his mind. The Prajna Group was the armed ninja force of the Land of Woods. They had originally established diplomatic ties with the Land of Fire, but out of greed for resources, they began colluding with the Hidden Stone. Konoha found out. Back when Itachi was still in the village, he had accompanied Guy, Kakashi, and other Anbu members on a mission to wipe them out. The Land of Woods was subsequently destroyed.
Tonbo had read about this in the archives during his time as Acting Hokage. Sabi's goal was to sabotage Konoha's defenses and sell the intelligence to other major nations as an act of revenge.
"So loyal, even after all this time?"
It was a pity. He had been so close—just seconds away from killing Kisuke and continuing his deep-cover mission. But he had failed because of Tonbo Tobitake.
Tonbo also extracted information about other remnants of the Prajna Group plotting in the shadows. However, their strength was negligible. If he remembered correctly, Danzo would eventually deal with the rest of them.
"The Soul-Body Separation Jutsu... a sealing jutsu involving the soul. This structure is truly ingenious."
He had gained another powerful technique. And the best part? It wasn't even classified as a forbidden jutsu. As long as one had a medium and the prepared sealing talismans, they could pull an enemy's soul out and seal it. It was a fine addition to his collection alongside the Puppet Soul-Binding, Spirit Transformation, and Reanimation techniques.
"How is it, Captain Tonbo?" Kisuke asked from the side. He waited until Tonbo opened his eyes to speak. He knew Tonbo was a sensory specialist and the head of the Cryptanalysis Division; he was clearly reading the man's mind.
"Just a remnant of the Prajna Group. No useful strategic information left. Kill him," Tonbo said, not giving Sabi another glance. He had searched everything worth searching; it was time for the person seeking vengeance to have his closure.
Hearing this, Kisuke removed his mask, revealing eyes rimmed with red. He gripped his kunai, looking at Sabi with a gaze of cold cruelty.
Argh!
AAAAGH!!
Aaaaaah—!
Tonbo left the area to the sound of fading screams.
Through various counter-intelligence efforts, Konoha managed to prevent any critical leaks or security breaches during its most vulnerable state. Under Tsunade's leadership, the village continued to rebuild its strength.
However, Shikaku Nara was suffering.
"Dad, is being the Hokage's advisor really this exhausting?" Shikamaru asked, seeing his father return home drained yet again. It wasn't the first time lately. Every day Shikaku returned, the fatigue was palpable. It had reached a point where even their mother had stopped losing her temper with him.
Shikaku sighed. "I naively thought that once Lady Tsunade returned, the restoration of Konoha would be organized and we could go back to a peaceful life. Don't get me wrong—Konoha is organized. But that's because I'm the one doing all the work!"
Shikaku almost teared up. These past few weeks had been brutal. If it weren't for his loyalty to the village, he would have resigned by now. He thought things would be easier with Tsunade back, but honestly, it was worse than when Tonbo was in charge. At least Tonbo didn't dump everything on him. Tsunade only handled the big-picture decisions.
The rest of the time, she was off drinking and gambling. If Shizune weren't there to nag her, she might even try to hand the "big-picture" stuff over to her assistant too.
"I told you. This whole thing is a drag," Shikamaru muttered. It was exactly as he expected—being the Hokage's assistant was way too much trouble.
"It's a drag, but it's for the sake of Konoha, isn't it?" Shikaku managed a smile. Tiring as it was, seeing the village improve bit by bit brought a sense of satisfaction.
Konoha Hospital.
Chakra from medical ninjutsu flared in Tsunade's hands as she worked on Rock Lee's body. Her expression was more serious than ever before. Her brow was furrowed, and sweat dripped from her forehead. Numerous seals covered Lee's body, assisting Tsunade with the intricate surgery.
Tsunade wasn't quite as idle as Shikaku thought. Between her Hokage duties, she had been working tirelessly to develop the medical ninjutsu to create protein cells. With her immense medical knowledge, she had finished the development in less than half a month. Today was the day of the operation.
She liked to gamble and drink, but she was a woman of profound responsibility.
Outside the operating room, Tonbo watched Guy pacing back and forth. One lap, two laps...
"Guy, relax. Lady Tsunade raised the success rate significantly. There's no way it'll fail." Tonbo finally offered some comfort.
"I know it will succeed! I am a man who believes in miracles!" Guy shouted, but then his eyes suddenly flooded with tears. "But I'm still nervous! Lee is my beloved student! If anything happens to him... sob... I'll have failed him! Lee, you have to come out of there! You are the Blue Beast of Konoha!"
"Blue Beast?" Tonbo was speechless. What a cheesy nickname—even worse than "Captain Tonbo." He preferred "Blue Beast of Prey". While it was fun to watch in the anime, it was incredibly awkward to witness in person.
But Tonbo's mind drifted elsewhere. Lee's success was a certainty. After Lee recovered, the battle to retrieve Sasuke would begin. He wondered if Orochimaru would still be able to break through Konoha's newly adjusted defenses. If he couldn't, the plot would go completely off the rails. Sasuke needed to go to Orochimaru, steal his power, and eventually help save the world.
Tonbo had no intention of being on the front lines. He always planned to remain a high-tier support. If it really comes down to it, maybe I'll have to leave a back door open for Orochimaru, he thought to himself.
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