Tsunade finished healing the last of Kakashi's internal ruptures and slowly withdrew her hands from his chest. Kakashi's breathing had evened out, and his pulse was no longer erratic. He would not wake anytime soon, but he would make a full recovery.
The rage that had flared earlier had cooled as she had more time to think.
She turned fully toward Kaien and stepped closer until her towering figure dwarfed him entirely. The force of her presence made her feel immense. Kaien had faced their kage-tier shinobi before, had debated strategy with Captain Renga, had spoken to tailed-beast Jinchuuriki's Killer Bee, Kushina without trembling. Maybe because he was in a safe environment and they have never intend to pressure him. Yet standing this close to this lioness of Tsunade, he felt acutely aware of how fragile his bones truly were.
"Are you ready to talk?" she asked quietly.
Kaien swallowed.
"I will be asking the questions," Tsunade continued, placing her palm flat against the center of his chest. Her chakra seeped subtly through his skin, as it enveloped his heart. "If you attempt to lie or feed misinformation, I will know. And it will not be good for you."
Kaien's pulse spiked instinctively at the contact. He had not anticipated direct physiological monitoring. So she can feel my heart rate.
Shouldn't she have hemophobia? Why does she look stronger than her prime? Even Minato is sitting like a disciplined student.
Minato shifted slightly. "Tsunade-san…" he began.
"I know what you are going to say," Tsunade cut in without looking at him... her eyes never leaving Kaien's. "I will not kill him as long as he answers truthfully. But do not blame me if I have to hurt him to get the answers. I know what you want, and I will extract it from him."
Kaien's mind spiraled through possibilities. If I test her by lying and she detects it, I die here. If I tell full truths, I also risk dying here. Well, some truth would do no good.
He exhaled slowly, forcing his breathing into a steady rhythm. He had trained in maintaining composure under pressure from Granny Benihime.
Tsunade's first question came without delay. "What is your name?"
Kaien inhaled deeply. "I am Kaien Hotstushi," he said clearly. "Son of Aya Hotstushi."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed slightly as she searched through memory.
Aya Hotstushi.
She had clashed with her during the Second Shinobi War. The woman had moved like a storm and struck like a whip of lightning and Storm Release. She was nicknamed "The Lightning Princess".
So this is her son.
Tsunade's tone sharpened. "Were you responsible for the death of the Third Hokage?"
Kaien's thoughts blanked for a fraction of a second.
That question already?
Lady, give me time to construct something that is survivable.
Sweat formed at his temples. He felt Tsunade's chakra still reading his body responses.
"I asked you a question," Tsunade said more firmly. "Were you or were you not involved in the Third Hokage's death?"
Kaien forced his heart to slow. Answer too broadly and she will sense evasion. Answer too directly and she might kill me anyway.
"I was not responsible for the death of the Third Hokage," Kaien said.
Tsunade's eyes flickered with surprise.
His breathing pattern had not shifted into deception. His pulse had not spiked or the skin conductivity incidicating sweat... remained within natural stress parameters, not indicative of deliberate lying.
"He was telling the truth. But that did not make sense. From Minato's words, He was the strategist behind the last war."
Kaien did not wait for Tsunade to ask another question or throw a fit in rage as he could sense that she is about to loss it with no where of throwing her anger.
Before Tsunade could press further, Kaien continued.
"The Third Hokage died using his own forbidden technique," Kaien said steadily. "The Shiki Fūjin. The Reaper Death Seal. It summons the Shinigami and takes the caster's soul as payment."
He carefully omitted the detail that the Raikage had pierced Hiruzen's skull before that final act. The Raikage had told him the war stories personally, and how he fought.
Tsunade's jaw tightened. Shiki Fūjin. Her sensei had chosen that path. Her anger shifted slightly and it was no longer solely directed at this boy. Still, the cause had been Kumo's invasion.
Now that she knew the true cause of her sensei's death. She would try to extract as much information as possible. She thought for a while and asked, "How is the Third Raikage faring after his injuries from my grandfat-- The First Hokage and The Second Hokage?"
Kaien's mind raced again. Why are all her questions hard to answer. This is frying my brain from too much thinking and being vigilant in enemy territory.
He can't reveal that his Grandfather is still unconscious that would make Konoha pounce on Kumo though Granny is still there. Konoha could pass this information to Iwa and jointly attack Kumo.
He chose his words carefully. "He is very much alive and well," Kaien said, keeping his breathing even.
Though he was left unconscious. "And he is much stronger than before."
That was technically true.
After integrating Uzumaki vitality and becoming a pureblood Uzumaki just like Kushina, the Raikage's chakra reserves had surged. His endurance had multiplied beyond prior limits.
Tsunade felt no lie in the statement but her interpretation differed from Kaien's nuance.
The Third Raikage is alive and stronger and now Konoha had taken his grandson hostage. Her mind calculated the consequences instantly. That madman would descend upon Konoha without hesitation.
No one in the village currently matched his brute force directly. Not with their shinobi already depleted in the last war. Not with children barely old enough already sent to battle in the last conflict.
She felt the weight of war and responsibility settle on her shoulders as it previously did on Minato.
~~
A/N: Upto 20 Advance chapters available @ patreon.com/aizenDuchiha0