Logically, small countries lacked the resources to train large numbers of ninja, so they should have been more cautious about ninja who disappeared without cause.
The reality was exactly the opposite. Small countries' control over their ninja was far from tight.
There were even considerable loopholes to exploit.
Moreover, when ninja from small countries and minor shinobi villages disappeared or went missing, they did not have much energy to devote to finding them.
Unlike the great nations, which would dispatch ANBU or other ninja to track someone down once they discovered a ninja had gone missing or defected.
That alone made a huge difference.
After all, without sustained tracking and investigation, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki and his organization were less likely to be exposed.
"Can you determine how long they've been buried here?" Sasuke Uchiha looked toward the Analysis Team members still examining the bodies.
Inoichi Yamanaka mentally reviewed the clues they had gathered so far. Only after a moment did he cautiously reply, "Based on the compaction of the burial soil, the intrusion of roots from the surrounding vegetation, and the condition of the bodies themselves..."
"Our preliminary assessment is that they've been buried here for roughly five years or more."
"That long?" Naruto Uzumaki was somewhat surprised.
Although he knew little about this field, he still knew that a body buried underground for five years should have rotted down to bare bones long ago.
Yet the bodies before him showed no signs of having become skeletons at all.
Before Naruto could voice his question, Inoichi Yamanaka spoke again.
"Actually... we can't be entirely certain about when they died, either."
Sasuke's gaze shifted slightly. "Why do you say that?"
"Because all five bodies bear very obvious signs of experimentation."
Inoichi gestured, then led Naruto and Sasuke closer to the five