Kakashi found some comfort in this thought, realizing that Raj faced similar challenges.
Upon further reflection, he understood why Raj sought Lightning Release and Ice Release.
The Hozuki Clan.
The Water Transformation Technique was vulnerable to Lightning Release, a conclusion reached through long-standing conflicts between Kumogakure, Konoha, and the Kirigakure's Hozuki Clan.
However, mastering Ice Release would also provide a countermeasure against the Water Transformation Technique.
Ultimately, everyone was serving Konoha's interests.
Kakashi felt a surge of self-satisfaction.
Raj stared at the panel, noting a modest increase of over four hundred Points.
He couldn't help but sigh.
'It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to return to frugality.'
'After getting used to gains of thousands of Points, these few hundred felt like a mere drizzle.'
'Never mind, it's not a big deal.'
'With Ice Release, next time I encounter those damned Water Transformation Clan members, I can freeze them into ice blocks and bring them back.'
'Then the Points would come rolling in, right?'
'Perfect logic.'
Leaving Kakashi, Raj quietly tested Ice Release in the forest.
He effortlessly created ice, and the more Chakra he poured into it, the stronger the ice became.
'Flawless.'
Though he hadn't tried the Demonic Ice Mirrors yet, he was certain the results would be spectacular.
The pain of spending ten thousand ryo on the experiment quickly faded.
That night, Raj slept soundly.
Kakashi, however, was not so fortunate.
Raj's reminder that they had a plan, but still needed to figure out how to achieve shape transformation - or whether to first merge ninjutsu and swordsmanship before tackling shape transformation - plunged him into deep thought.
It left him restless all night.
The next morning, Raj woke up early.
Not out of diligence, but because Tsunade had dispatched Shizune to fetch him for the relocation.
The current camp was a temporary settlement established by the Uchiha Clan near the northern part of the Eastern Front.
As the supreme commander, Tsunade couldn't establish her headquarters there.
The location she chose lay roughly equidistant between the three major camps, placing it closest to the Hyuga Clan.
Without yesterday's incident, integrating the Hyuga and
The Uchiha Clan might have been challenging. But now that the Hyuga had suffered losses at the hands of the Hozuki Clan, and the Uchiha Clan lacked the confidence to face the Kiri Ninja alone, their integration would be relatively smooth with proper mediation.
However, maintaining balance between the clans after integration would be the next hurdle, requiring Tsunade's careful management.
By the time Raj arrived at the designated camp location, many personnel had already begun setting up tents and constructing facilities.
To his surprise, Ao and another Kiri Ninja were being escorted there as well.
The Kiri Ninja and Ao were in terrible shape. Ao had been beaten by Raj, the Rasengan leaving him critically injured.
If not for Konoha's exceptional Medical Ninjas, he might have died last night.
As for the other ninja, he was originally just an Elite Chunin. After being struck with the Branch Family's Thirty-Two Palms, which sealed his chakra points, Raj sent him flying with a single slap.
Without any chakra to cushion the impact, he sustained severe injuries upon landing.
When they were brought in, both men were still on stretchers, accompanied by Medical Ninjas... It was truly a pitiful sight.
Raj hadn't come here for any particular reason, just to check on Ao and provoke him a little, hoping to squeeze out some Points. Having just spent ten thousand Points, he was constantly scheming ways to earn more.
The Anbu Intelligence Team hadn't arrived yet, so Raj was allowed to see the two prisoners, with Tsunade's permission.
When Raj entered the tent, Ao was still unconscious. He was heavily sealed and his hands were shackled, making escape impossible.
As for biting off his tongue to commit suicide... With a Medical Ninja standing nearby, even if he severed his tongue, Konoha's Medical Ninjas could reattach and heal it.
Ao wisely chose not to humiliate himself further.
Upon entering, Raj immediately used the Transformation Technique to assume the appearance of another Kiri Ninja and sat down beside Ao's bed.
After a short wait, Ao regained consciousness.
"Sir, I am now a member of Konoha," he declared.
"What?"
Seeing his teammate sitting beside him and hearing those words, Ao was initially shocked. But he quickly realized it was the Transformation Technique, and the person was from Konoha.
"Forget about trying to extract information. I am a Kirigakure Jonin and would never betray Kirigakure."
Ao's tone was resolute, but his expression rapidly shifted.
The person before him swiftly transformed into a black cat - the same violent cat that had nearly beaten him to death just moments ago.
"Meow~ Just messing with you."
In the next instant, Raj slashed several shallow cuts across Ao's face, drawing only a trickle of blood.
The injuries were minor, causing more pain than lasting harm.
Having toyed with him, Raj tilted his head and left the tent.
'Over seven hundred Points - a substantial gain for an individual. I can't help it. I'm desperate for Points.'
Of course, Raj hadn't come merely to bully and torment Ao. Ao held a relatively high position in Kirigakure.
Although he was a Sensory Ninja and slightly weaker in combat than ordinary ninja, his knowledge far surpassed that of his peers.
If Kirigakure wanted to prevent information leaks, sending an assassination squad to destroy the evidence was highly probable.
While not guaranteed, adding an extra layer of security was always prudent.
The camp had just been established, and its distance from the coastline meant there were few immediate tasks.
Yet Raj couldn't catch a break.
It wasn't that he didn't want to relax; Tsunade simply wouldn't let him.
After a brief visit to Ao's quarters, he was immediately ordered to check on the Kirigakure Chunin.
And that wasn't all.
Once finished here, he had to patrol the border.
Tsunade justified this with the adage "the capable should shoulder more burdens," but her true motive was fear that Kirigakure forces might attempt a coastal landing.
With the three great camps on the verge of being reorganized, personnel transfers were rampant across all regions.
If the Kiri Ninja were to launch a full-scale invasion, it was uncertain whether they could detect it as quickly as before.
These next few days were the most dangerous.
Raj wasn't the only one on patrol; Minato was also tasked with patrolling the lower sections of the camp, while Raj covered the area from the Uchiha patrol zone to the Hyuga Clan's camp.
Oh, and Obito had been dragged along for the ride.
It was a free ride, after all.
Nothing was likely to happen during the day.