Kei only took less than ten minutes to read before returning the two ninjutsu scrolls.
With [Memory Master of the Shinobi World], his speed-reading and memory abilities were greatly enhanced.
Ten minutes was already him deliberately slowing down.
If he was really in a hurry, he could have forcefully memorized the contents of the scrolls in his memory palace and reviewed them later at his leisure.
Leaving the slightly oppressive archive room, Kei asked a worker on the first floor and learned that Shikaku was once again on duty at the mission assignment office today.
Not wanting to make another trip, he decisively opened his umbrella and headed toward the intelligence room.
At the latest, he would see Shikaku by tomorrow night. Looking through those classified files required the right opportunity and timing. A day earlier or later didn't make much difference. Instead, it was better to go to the intelligence room first and ask the staff if they had any news about the Mountains' Graveyard.
The light drizzle in the morning gradually turned into a heavier rain as time passed. The raindrops pattered against his umbrella, splashing tiny droplets into the air.
Walking through the cold, rainy mist, Kei spun the handle of his umbrella, watching the raindrops splash from the edges.
Thinking about the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique he had just read about, he felt his mood improve significantly.
The technique could completely counter three-tomoe Sharingan and below, making it extremely difficult to break free from.
Its principle was simpler than he had expected.
It was indeed a genjutsu. But the creator slyly incorporated sealing techniques into it.
When activated, the target would first see darkness closing in like tendrils, quickly engulfing them and cutting off their vision.
This step was actually preparing the sealing jutsu.
Since sight was already affected by genjutsu, the illusion energy then formed a simple seal around the outer layer.
Who would think of that?
Simply using genjutsu dispelling techniques would never break a sealing jutsu.
For most people, once trapped in this illusion, unless they had overwhelming raw power to break free by force, the only hope was for a teammate to quickly eliminate the caster.
"That's actually a brilliant idea..." Kei murmured in admiration.
Using genjutsu as a medium to construct a seal while simultaneously using the illusion.
Sure, it required insane technique, and even though it only sealed sight, the level of difficulty already reached A-rank.
But did he lack chakra control?
Ever since he obtained [Zero-Frame Start], his jutsu control had improved dramatically. Even the Water Rasengan, a super S-rank technique he once struggled with, could now be maintained for a full thirty seconds.
Using genjutsu to form a simple long-range sealing technique while using an illusion? It couldn't possibly be harder than Water Style: Spiral Shuriken, right?
"Using a small flying stick and layering a one-line sealing array on top... Hm..."
Suddenly, an image popped into his mind. A dark shadowy figure, forcibly bound to a table. And standing behind it, a fully grown Kakashi, forming the Tiger seal with his hands, watching like a predator.
Damn, that's brutal. Too brutal! Kei shuddered, rubbing his arms as goosebumps rose on his skin.
A genjutsu version of the One Thousand Years of Death was already terrifying enough to traumatize entire generations. Now adding a sealing technique on top... That was basically Naruto using One Thousand Years of Death with a kunai tied to an explosive tag...
Even hyenas weren't this ruthless!
As his mind wandered with ridiculous thoughts, Kei finally arrived at the Intelligence Department.
He greeted two familiar guards at the entrance, casually handing his umbrella to one of them for safekeeping.
Then, he strolled into the intelligence room, where classified information was sorted and compiled.
By Konoha's administrative structure, his previous Analysis Team was a subordinate branch of the Intelligence Department.
After working in the Analysis Team for so long, he was naturally familiar with the Intelligence Room, which was also under the department.
"Back already and heading straight to the Intelligence Department? Aren't you afraid Inoichi will rope you into doing grunt work?"
The head of the Intelligence Room, Sato, adjusted his thick glasses when he saw someone enter. After recognizing the visitor, he smirked and teased him.
He was eleven years older than Kei and had been working in the Intelligence Department for nearly ten full years.
When Kei first joined the Analysis Team, he was just a half-grown brat in Sato's eyes. But in the blink of an eye, he had already reached the age where people talked about marriage.
"As long as I finish asking my questions and run fast enough, he won't catch me."
Kei grinned and plopped himself onto the chair beside Sato without hesitation.
After all, this was the Intelligence Department. Wasn't coming here basically like going home?
"You know the rules. If I can answer, I will."
Sato chuckled, setting aside the documents he was organizing and looking at Kei.
"The Mountains' Graveyard, do you know its exact location?"
"Let me think... If I remember correctly, it's a basin or valley covered in some unknown miasma. Humans or animals who wanders in will get lost. The place is littered with the bones of large creatures, right?"
"!!! Yes, yes! That's the one! Do you have the exact coordinates?"
"Let me check... Hmm... Ah, found it. You have clearance to look at it freely."
Sato got up and walked to a filing cabinet marked Year 40.
After rummaging through rows of numbered files, he finally pulled out a sealed document folder, dusted it off, and handed it to Kei.
"Team Takame, Death Incident Investigation?"
Kei glanced at the title before opening the long-sealed folder.
The first thing inside was a detailed map of the Land of Iron, with the Mountains' Graveyard clearly marked. The rest of the folder contained several sketches of the area. They looked almost identical to what he had stored in his memory palace!
The written records also provided a detailed account of what had happened there six years ago, as well as the official investigation results and conclusions.
"Takame, a ninja, skilled in sensory techniques, cautious personality? Ha~!"
Kei didn't even need to read further. He already knew exactly what had happened.
As a sensory ninja, Takame must have accidentally detected something unusual while passing by the Mountains' Graveyard.
Two possibilities: He noticed something off and decided to take a closer look, only to get killed by Madara. Or Madara sensed Takame's sensory jutsu probing the area and came out to kill him first.
As for the investigation team that followed, Madara probably fooled them with genjutsu or some other method.
Found you! Kei instinctively licked his lips, feeling his blood start to boil.
At first, he was just casually trying his luck.
Who would've thought that the location, which in the original story wasn't discovered until the Fourth Great Ninja War, was something he could find this easily?!
And since Madara was already there six years ago, and even took the effort to deal with Konoha's investigation team. Then before the Third Great Ninja War began, before he chose Obito as his successor and started brainwashing him, he most likely never moved from that spot!
All I need to do is set up a Flying Thunder God mark... Prepare enough backup... If I can beat him, I'll grab the old man and beat the crap out of him!
If I can't?
I'll just copy his skill and run!
Hehehehehe~