Due to the urgency, Kakashi didn't have time to think too much and quickly pulled Sasuke out of the cell.
In the current situation, only sincere cooperation between the village and the Uchiha offered a chance for survival. Otherwise, the Akatsuki would exploit their division.
This was why Kakashi had supported this special interrogation in front of Tsunade.
However, he hadn't anticipated that Orochimaru, despite being imprisoned and at the village's mercy, would still try to sow discord.
If Shinji were here, Kakashi wouldn't have been rattled, but Sasuke was different—impulsive and easily provoked. If he fell for Orochimaru's manipulation, the consequences could be unpredictable.
As the two left, only Orochimaru and Kimimaro remained in the cell.
Orochimaru gave Kimimaro an intrigued smile.
Outside the cell.
After pulling Sasuke out, Kakashi said sternly, "Leave Orochimaru's interrogation to the interrogation team!"
Sasuke, displeased, asked, "Why?"
Kakashi explained, "Orochimaru is trying to drive a wedge between us. Your experience and judgment aren't as seasoned as his—you're easily swayed and led by him."
Sasuke pressed, "Whether he's stirring trouble or not, I can judge for myself. Is the village hiding something about the Cursed Seal on me?"
Kakashi sighed helplessly. "The Cursed Seal on you is complex. Many of the medical team's findings need time to verify, so it's normal they haven't informed you yet."
Sasuke's expression grew colder. "So you're saying Orochimaru was right—the village is keeping things from me?"
Kakashi let out a frustrated sigh. "Sasuke, don't forget we're shinobi. Our duty is to follow the village's orders! The village doesn't tell us everything—only what we need to know when the time comes!"
Overinflated self-awareness was a common trait among the Uchiha.
They often tried to shape events with their own mindset, like Shisui naively believing he could single-handedly bridge the gap between the village and the Uchiha, Itachi extreme enough to think slaughtering his clan would prevent war, or Obito idealistically believing Infinite Tsukuyomi could create a world without conflict.
For shinobi, however, obedience was often paramount.
Sasuke caught Kakashi's underlying meaning and fell silent for a moment.
With the Uchiha's Police Force newly reestablished and things heading in a positive direction, he didn't want his actions to cause a rift between the Uchiha and the village. He suppressed his temper. "The village owes me an explanation!"
Kakashi exhaled in relief. "Don't worry. Once there's a conclusion, the village will inform you immediately!"
After their talk, Kakashi and Sasuke reentered the cell.
Everything inside was as they left it—Orochimaru, bound by multiple seals, wore a mocking expression, while Kimimaro stood by indifferently.
Without suspicion, Kakashi said, "Today's interrogation ends here. The interrogation team will handle the next one. Orochimaru, behave yourself!"
Orochimaru chuckled.
"Let's go!"
Kakashi led Sasuke and Kimimaro out of the cell.
Leaving the secret prison, Sasuke returned to the Police Force headquarters with a cold expression. The interrogation had been a complete failure, and he needed to report to Shinji.
Knock knock.
Sasuke knocked on Shinji's office door.
"Come in!"
Hearing Shinji's voice, Sasuke pushed the door open and entered, immediately sensing a subtle ripple of ocular power from Shinji.
He was just using a dojutsu… Takamagahara?
In an instant, Sasuke suppressed his suspicions and reported the failed interrogation.
Shinji asked a few details about the situation, then said, "Got it. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on this!"
After a brief exchange, Shinji dismissed Sasuke.
From Sasuke's report, it seemed Orochimaru and Kimimaro had likely made contact. Once the information was conveyed, the rest depended on Orochimaru's choice.
Despite being imprisoned, Orochimaru still had plenty of cards to play, which explained his calm demeanor in the cell.
Thus, Shinji needed to crush Orochimaru's hopes, using Kimimaro to make it clear that even if Hidden Leaf spared him, the Akatsuki could kill him, forcing him to make a decision.
Orochimaru's options were limited to two.
He could either teach Kabuto how to break the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, letting Kabuto handle the transaction outside to neutralize the threat.
Or, he could turn the tables, using this opportunity to have Shinji rescue him from Hidden Leaf's secret prison, then complete the transaction himself.
The first scenario would be the best outcome for Shinji, but given Orochimaru's cunning, he likely wouldn't comply obediently. In the end, rescuing Orochimaru from the prison might be necessary to complete the deal.
Of course, if it came to a rescue, Shinji wouldn't act personally.
With Kabuto, Jūgo, and Guren—Orochimaru's subordinates—outside, there was no need to waste their resources. Shinji would only need to provide support.
The real challenge wasn't rescuing Orochimaru but ensuring he cooperated fully after escaping to complete the transaction.
Who knows how many people Orochimaru has planted the Cursed Seal on? Without eliminating them all, there's no way to truly kill him.
This unkillable nature was Orochimaru's greatest trump card.
Shaking his head, Shinji refocused, activating Takamagahara and immersing his consciousness within.
Sasuke's earlier guess was correct—before he knocked, Shinji had been training in Takamagahara.
Realizing the importance of controlling his power, Shinji had been pondering how to strengthen his foundation and enhance his mastery more quickly and effectively.
After much thought, he concluded there were no shortcuts—only through constant use and refinement could he improve bit by bit.
Since his power now heavily relied on the ocular strength of his Six-Tomoe Rinnegan, mental training could be achieved through Takamagahara. Thus, whenever he had free time, he entered Takamagahara to train.
To increase efficiency, he also accelerated the time flow within Takamagahara.
When training alone there, he set the time ratio to an astonishing one-to-ten, meaning over two hours in Takamagahara equated to a full day outside!
The ratio could be pushed higher, but that would compromise realism, reducing training efficiency.