The heavy footsteps of the ANBU echoed down the cold stone corridor. Torches affixed to the walls cast only a dim light, throwing long, wavering shadows in every direction. The air was damp and stale, tinged with the metallic tang of rust; each breath felt oppressively thick.
Raftra was marched along with his hands bound, his body jostled by rough pulls. One of the ANBU shoved him so hard he nearly fell. Still, he made no attempt to resist.
'What good would resisting do? They are trained shinobi… I'm just a kid.'
At last they arrived before a huge iron door sealed with protective markings. One ANBU swung it open; the creak added to the room's menacing atmosphere.
Behind the door lay a narrow chamber of stone, windowless save for iron bars along one side.
"Enter," a cold-voiced ANBU ordered.
Raftra stepped forward, heavy-footed, but before he had fully crossed the threshold a brutal kick hammered into his back.
He crashed onto the cold stone floor and bit back a cry. He turned to look at the ANBU but saw only expressionless masks.
The iron door thudded shut and the lock clicked into place with a finality that confirmed he was now sealed off—no exit.
Raftra rose slowly and sat, pressing his back against the wall. The cell contained only a thin layer of dry straw on the floor—no blanket, no comforts.
'So this is what imprisonment in the ninja world feels like… not merely a cell, but exile. They truly regard me as a great threat.'
His eyes drifted to the barred gate. Two ANBU stood like statues outside, motionless and watchful, waiting only for orders.
And the part that hurt the most—his belongings. The laptop, the phone, even his notebooks had all been confiscated.
'Damn… everything is in their hands now. No, worse… Hiruzen will surely examine every item thoroughly.'
'If he or Danzo discover something truly suspicious on my laptop or phone… it's over. My life ends here.'
'If only Hiruzen knows, there might be room for compromise. But Danzo is different; his thinking is unpredictable.'
He closed his eyes and drew a long breath, a tangle of anger, fear, and hatred roiling inside him.
Outside the cell, the ANBU murmured in short, clipped whispers.
"The orders are clear. Watch him at all times."
"His items have been moved to a secure room. Only the Hokage may touch them."
Then they fell silent.
Meanwhile Raftra stared blankly at the stone floor. Night deepened, and he understood this nightmare was only just beginning.
…
In the Hokage's chamber the night felt heavier than usual. Hiruzen sat in the main chair, his pipe still between his fingers, eyes sharp as he regarded his three advisors.
On his right stood Danzo, hard-faced and insistent. On the left, Homura and Koharu sat erect, their expressions aligning more with Danzo than with pity.
"Raftra shows no immediate hostile signs," Hiruzen began, his voice calm but grave. "He did not attack, did not cause a disturbance, and appeared resigned when captured. To imprison the boy outright would blind us. We do not know what he truly thinks if we simply lock him away."
Danzo spoke up immediately, his tone crisp and pressing.
"Precisely why we must act decisively. He carried foreign items whose functions we cannot comprehend. The ninja world knows nothing of 'laptops' or 'phones'. That alone proves he is no ordinary person."
"Do you know what this means? He could be a threat far greater than anyone we have faced."
Hiruzen closed his eyes for a beat, then fixed his gaze on Danzo.
"And what do you propose? Torture him? Force his memories open with jutsu? That is brutal. If the boy is innocent, we will have destroyed a young life for nothing."
Homura spoke up. "Hiruzen, you are too soft. The world leaves little room for mercy. History shows leniency breeds disaster. Remember what happened when threats were allowed to grow unchecked."
Koharu added in a chill tone, "Moreover, what if he truly was sent by an outside hand? Maybe an enemy has discovered a way to send 'spies' into our midst using space-time techniques we do not yet comprehend."
"Do you want to take that risk simply because he seems like an innocent kid?"
Hiruzen's pipe paused between his fingers. His expression grew somber. 'Their arguments are sensible… but are they right? Should I condemn a young man to suspicion out of fear?'
Before he could reply, Danzo stepped closer, pressing his case harder.
"Time is our enemy, Hiruzen. We cannot wait for the man to reveal a sign of danger. If that happens, it will be too late. Your plan—to let him roam and watch him—is reckless. What if he uses that freedom to sabotage the village from within? If we wait, Konoha will pay the price."
Tension mounted. Hiruzen set his pipe on the table and looked each of them in the eye.
"Very well. I hear your concerns. I will not set him free without restraint. But listen— I refuse torture."
"If Raftra proves innocent, all we will have done is destroy a fragile child. That is not Konoha's way. It is not mine."
Danzo snorted in displeasure but held his tongue. "Then what do you intend?"
Hiruzen drew a long breath and his gaze sharpened. "We will keep him under strict surveillance. No movement without the shadow of the ANBU."
"We will also attempt to verify the truth through memory probing. Summon Inoichi and inform him this is a high-level task."
"Tonight… we find out who Raftra truly is."
Homura and Koharu exchanged looks of satisfied assent. Danzo remained cold; his displeasure was evident, but for now he chose silence. Danzo already had plans of his own.
…
An hour later, the iron-barred cell door opened. Two ANBU dragged Raftra out, chains clinking loudly about his wrists.
He did not struggle. He marched forward with eyes full of venom, though his face remained impassive. Inside, his mind churned like a machine, calculating what might come next.
'First, Danzo. He will demand torture. To him I am simply a threat to be wrung dry. If that happens, I must remain composed, not panic. I must show I truly know nothing…'
He drew a deep, steadying breath.
'Second, Hiruzen. If he chooses to probe my memories… that is worse. Every lie I've constructed will crumble. The truth of my origin, the laptop, the phone—if all of that is revealed, I will not merely be suspected; I will be executed. Or used for experiments.'
His thoughts quickened; he clenched his teeth and lowered his head so the ANBU would not see the strain on his face.
'Third… freedom under surveillance. No. Impossible. Konoha trusts no stranger—certainly not one who appears with unknown artifacts. Hoping for that is self-deception.'
The ANBU pushed him faster, eager to deliver him to whatever fate awaited.
Raftra closed his eyes for a moment and opened them slowly. A final, bitter possibility surfaced—one that might yet be a way out.
'If everything goes wrong… if they drive me to the edge… perhaps I should confess. Tell Hiruzen the truth.'
'At least the old man is different from Danzo. If any chance for survival exists, he might be it.'
But fear still gnawed at him.
'And what if I tell the truth and they think I'm insane? What if they still deem me a threat even when I speak honestly?'
His gaze grew hollow. Strategems, lies, manipulation and truth collided inside his head. He knew one of three scenarios would unfold—and whatever he chose might still end in suffering.
'Or perhaps… all three will happen.'
…
They led him into an immense hall. The floor was cold; the walls were carved with protective chakra symbols. Torchlight flickered around the room, casting trembling shadows that turned the space ominous.
At the chamber's center a large wooden chair waited, as if prepared for the interrogation to come.
The ANBU shoved him forward until he nearly toppled into the seat. His limbs were bound tight, the ropes biting into his skin, but Raftra did not struggle.
Before him stood Hiruzen, Danzo, Homura, and Koharu—each face steeped in suspicion.
But Raftra's gaze fixed on another figure—Inoichi Yamanaka, kneeling on the floor, eyes closed in concentration. Behind him ten Yamanaka clan members formed a circle, each poised to support the memory-probing technique.
Seeing Inoichi's presence sent Raftra's heart pounding. Here, the worst-case scenario seemed certain: every falsehood, every story he had spun, would be torn apart.
Hiruzen stepped forward. His voice was calm, but the weight of the words made them unavoidable.
"Raftra. For the safety of the village, we will probe your memories. If you speak the truth, you have nothing to fear."
Raftra lowered his head briefly. His bound fingers trembled, though his face outwardly remained composed. Slowly he lifted his chin and fixed Hiruzen with a steady look.
Then an odd, almost eerie smile tilted his lips—not warm, not hopeful, but resigned, cold.
He drew a long breath and said in a flat voice, "Do it… I do not object."
Hiruzen paused, studying that smile. Danzo narrowed his eyes, reading danger in the expression. Koharu and Homura exchanged hesitant glances.
Inoichi opened his eyes and looked at Hiruzen for one last confirmation. Hiruzen nodded.
"Begin."
Inoichi stepped forward and formed the Yamanaka hand seals. Chakra rippled through the room; the atmosphere tightened. Raftra closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again with a blank stare.
Minutes slipped by. Nothing happened.
Cold sweat beaded at Inoichi's temples. He poured more concentration into the technique, but still—nothing. It was as if he were trying to step through a door that simply did not exist.
Inoichi opened his eyes sharply, doubt etched across his face. He turned to Hiruzen and spoke in a heavy voice.
"I cannot… Hokage-sama. I cannot penetrate his mind. There is no pathway for chakra to enter."
Silence slammed into the chamber. Hiruzen frowned deeply; Danzo's eyes narrowed with suspicion; Homura and Koharu whispered among themselves, visibly shocked.
Raftra tensed in his bindings. Though he tried to appear calm, a surge of panic rose inside him. 'What does he mean he can't get in? I should be finished by now. Why can't they pierce me?'
Inoichi rose slowly, uncertainty plain in his features as he addressed Hiruzen.
"There is no chakra within his body at all. Not a trace—truly empty. For that reason, my technique finds no foothold in his subconscious. It is as if he is not human from this world."
Those words reverberated through the hall. All eyes turned to Raftra, now regarded with a mixture of fear and suspicion.
Hiruzen stood silent for a long moment, his eyes sharp but reflecting bafflement.
"No chakra… at all. I knew something of this, but I did not expect such an effect."
Danzo stepped forward, cold and insistent.
"That only strengthens my suspicion. If his mind cannot be breached, he is far more dangerous. We do not know what he conceals, or who sent him."
Raftra listened with a heart racing. He did not understand why the absence that had so plagued him now shielded him. If this was the reason Inoichi could not reach him, then his deficiency had unexpectedly saved him.
Yet relief did not follow. Instead, dread tightened its grip. If this method failed, only one option remained.
'Torture.'
He felt the shadow of it close in. His bound hands trembled violently. He did not fear death so much as the pain that might precede it—pain he could not imagine enduring.
Danzo turned to Hiruzen, pressure vibrating in his voice.
"I told you from the start. The only way to make the boy speak is through pain."
Raftra steeled himself. His heart pounded, and he resolved that if he must, he would speak. He began to force the words out.
"I will talk, I will be honest—"
But before he could finish, an ANBU clamped a black cloth over his mouth. The gag silenced him instantly, reducing his plea to muffled sounds.
"Mmmphhh—!!" Raftra thrashed, eyes wide, begging for release. No one moved.
Hiruzen watched, troubled but silent.
Danzo advanced a step. His voice, low and certain, echoed.
"Look. The boy is not merely strange. He differs from any human in this world. No chakra, impenetrable mind, and foreign artifacts you cannot explain."
Hiruzen remained unreadable. Danzo continued, voice sharper, filling the room.
"If we let him wander free, what if he is an agent? What if everything he carries is a weapon we do not comprehend? What if the lack of chakra is itself the key to some dangerous power?"
Koharu and Homura nodded. Their leanings toward Danzo's caution were clear.
Raftra fought and tried to speak, tears forming in his eyes. He wanted to scream, to insist, 'It's all wrong!' but the gag rendered him helpless.
Danzo stepped even closer to Hiruzen and dropped his tone but heightened the pressure.
"You know, Hiruzen. The shinobi world affords no mercy for the uncertain. We should be sure. If he is truthful, then nothing more need be done. If he lies… torture will unveil the truth."
"Koharu: do not forget the Orochimaru incident," she said, reminding them all.
The chamber froze.
Hiruzen shut his eyes briefly, exhaling long and heavy. The weight of the decision carved lines into his face.
"…Very well. We will proceed as you propose, Danzo."
Raftra went rigid. He could not believe the words. His chest constricted. Inside, he screamed, 'No…! I wanted to speak! I wanted to be honest!' but only muted murmurs escaped him.
A thin smile ghosted Danzo's face; his plan had taken hold.
…
In the torture chamber below, Raftra's cries echoed off the damp stone. His voice was raw with rage, lashing out at the walls that would bear witness to his suffering.
"Danzo, bastard! Why do this when I was about to tell the truth!"
He howled, his body swaying weakly as both hands were bound and suspended. The tendons at his neck strained and his face flushed with the mix of pain and desperation.
Danzo stood a few steps away, watching coldly. A cruel, dry laugh escaped him.
"Your truth?" he sneered. "I care not for your truth, boy. Even if you reveal everything, who is to say you wouldn't lie? Your words hold no weight."
Raftra glared, foam and blood at the corners of his lips where his teeth had cut them. "Then why torment me, huh?! If you'll dismiss everything I say as false, what good does this serve? Have you gone mad, Danzo?!"
Danzo's laugh was thin and humorless. He closed in, his shadow swallowing the suspended boy.
"Because I do not need your truth," he said. "I need a reason to end you. Torture is a perfect pretense. With it, I can erase you from the world and no one will question me."
Those words struck deeper than the ropes. Raftra writhed; chains clanked, his skin raw. He screamed curses, calling for Danzo's downfall.
"I will kill you, Danzo! I will tear you to pieces! Hear me?! I will rip that rotten corpse of yours and drag your soul to hell!"
His eyes blazed with hatred, his voice booming until even some of the ANBU on guard shifted uncomfortably.
Danzo simply stood, unshaken, his cold smile unchanged. He looked at Raftra as one regards an insect writhing in a jar.
"Hate me all you wish. Scream until your voice is gone. In the end, you are merely a guy without chakra, without strength, without a future. You have nothing to oppose me with."
Raftra fell silent for a moment, trembling not only from the pain but from the rage that roared through his mind.
'So this is how it ends…'
'Did I choose the wrong path? Should I have told the truth from the start? Would it have been better?'
He could not answer. He no longer cared.