chapter 117 part 2
Fugaku felt something was odd and ripped open Uchiha Ren's shirt.
Two shocking wounds were revealed before everyone's eyes!
(It was actually the spot where the Ukaku was cut off.)
Fugaku said anxiously, "Quick! Take him to the Konoha Hospital!"
Konoha Hospital, Ninja Ward.
Hatake Kakashi personally peeled an apple and handed it to Uchiha Ren.
Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "I was seriously injured and asked Lady Tsunade to heal me. Afterward, I searched for you with the Inuzuka Clan who came as reinforcements, but I never thought you'd actually escaped to a location near the Hidden Cloud Village."
Uchiha Ren took a bite of the apple. "Thanks to the Heaven Cursed Seal Orochimaru planted in me, I flew all the way to escape."
He pretended to be in great pain and touched his back. "But, that thing was also torn off."
"That's a good thing." Kakashi patted Uchiha Ren's shoulder. "It's already a miracle that you came back alive."
"Oh? In that case, will the Village give some kind of reward? After all, I..."
Before he could finish, the sound of footsteps came from the hallway.
Kakashi glanced toward the door. "Relax, it's the ANBU. They'll probably ask you a few questions."
"Creeaak—"
The moment the ward door was pushed open, Kakashi frowned.
The newcomers were not just ANBU.
There was also the captain of the Interrogation Department!
Ibiki Morino.
Kakashi stood up from the bed, blocking Uchiha Ren.
"Why are you here?"
With his hands in his pockets and a stern expression, Ibiki spoke: "Don't get agitated, Kakashi. We're just here to ask some very routine questions."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. Although he didn't question him further, he sensed that something was wrong.
It was rare for the Interrogation Department to get involved, especially with a ninja returning from a mission.
"Whose idea is this?" Kakashi confirmed with Ibiki Morino again.
Ibiki patiently replied, "The Elders."
Kakashi still had no intention of moving aside. "I can vouch for Ren. He's not a problem."
But Ibiki simply shook his head. "Relax, Kakashi, you're overthinking things. We won't do anything to one of the Village's own ninja."
Would they really not?
Kakashi's expression was hesitant. He knew the tricks of the Village's Higher-ups better than anyone.
After all, his father, Konoha's White Fang—Hatake Sakumo—had committed suicide out of depression under the Village's various schemes and cold, violent ostracization.
Seeing Kakashi still blocking the way, another ANBU wearing a Mask suddenly appeared in the room.
Upon seeing this Mask, Kakashi helplessly sat back down on the bed.
Because seeing this Mask meant that Hiruzen had also agreed to the interrogation.
In a dim, damp room, Uchiha Ren sat on a chair.
On the other side of the room were three Interrogation Department ninja he had never seen before.
A whole night of high-intensity questioning left Uchiha Ren physically and mentally exhausted.
From their bits and pieces of conversation, he also figured out why the Interrogation Department had targeted him.
Because, from the evidence, there seemed to be a very deep connection between Uchiha Ren and Orochimaru.
One of the interrogation officers picked up a notebook. "What you said three hours ago and what you're saying now are completely different. Which one is the truth?"
Uchiha Ren lifted his heavy eyelids. "Within a short week, I was successively persecuted by two Kage-level powerhouses, dragged my exhausted body back to Konoha, and was then ambushed."
"I survived by sheer luck, lay in a hospital bed for a little while, and was then brought here to be subjected to interrogation in shifts by the three of you."
He looked at the one-eyed female ninja who was questioning him. "Ma'am Chunin, if it were you, how would you be performing?"
The three Interrogation Department members looked at each other. The female ninja came to a conclusion. "Then let's pause for now. But... you are not allowed to sleep."
"Heh."
Hokage's Office.
Kakashi had already been standing before Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Danzo Shimura for fifteen minutes.
No matter how much he insisted that Uchiha Ren had even saved his life, the four Higher-ups who controlled Konoha had no intention of retracting the interrogation order.
"Son of Sakumo..." Danzo Shimura, with his eyes half-closed, tapped the floor with his cane. "If you can't provide new evidence, then don't waste our time."
When Kakashi heard the title "Son of Sakumo," his fingers twitched slightly. He didn't look at Danzo Shimura, but at Hiruzen: "Lord Hokage, I can guarantee that was the boy's first time meeting Orochimaru. There won't be a problem."
Hiruzen, holding his pipe, took two harsh drags. The smoke he exhaled shrouded his face, making it impossible for Kakashi to see the Third Hokage's expression.
After a long time, Hiruzen said, "Kakashi, go back for today."
"Alright..."
After Kakashi left helplessly, Danzo Shimura, with his eyes narrowed, struck the floorboard again with his cane.
"If we can't break the mouth of the Akatsuki's Kakuzu, then we'll break the mouth of that Uchiha brat."
One of the Elders, Koharu Utatane, spoke up: "That rogue ninja from the Hidden Rain Village has a self-destruct measure to prevent mind-reading. Forcing it will only result in our loss."
Hiruzen took a big puff and blew a smoke ring. "Uchiha Fugaku is applying pressure. We have one more day at most, then we have to release him."
Danzo Shimura expressed no opinion.
After he walked out of the Hokage Tower, he revealed a ruthless smile toward a dark corner: "Let Ibiki Morino have a go."
After a day of fruitless interrogation by the Interrogation Department, when Ibiki Morino appeared again to use torture, Uchiha Ren was actually relieved.
As long as they didn't bring in Inoichi Yamanaka, who could read thoughts by damaging the brain, there was still room to maneuver.
"Uchiha Ren." Ibiki Morino stuck his hands in his pockets, his gaze icy as he looked at the brat before him.
"I'll ask you one last time, are you still not going to tell the truth?"
Uchiha Ren snorted coldly, "Hmph, are you preparing to torture me?"
Ibiki Morino nodded. "I really don't want to do this, but if you continue to be so stubborn, then we can only take forceful measures."
The man began to explain: "My technique is called Summoning Jutsu: Iron Maiden. No prisoner can withstand the torture of this technique. You will regret this."
"Hahahahaha!"
Uchiha Ren suddenly burst out laughing.
This was the funniest joke he had heard since regaining his memories!
As a fan of the original work, he knew every ninjutsu that had ever appeared in the manga.
Even the Summoning Jutsu: Iron Maiden, which had appeared only once.
During Six Paths of Pain's assault, Ibiki had once used this technique to torture the Lori Path Pain.
The hilarious thing about this technique was that while torturing the target, the user would also receive a certain proportion of damage as feedback.
It was a contest of who could endure more.
And the Six Paths of Pain were just corpses with no sense of pain. After half a day of torture, Ibiki was the first to be unable to take it.
Knowing that Ibiki was going to use this technique on him, Uchiha Ren laughed out loud.
He had truly never heard such a funny joke!
Someone actually wanted to compete with him in pain tolerance?
Do you think the seven years the Pirate Ren Arakawa spent in Impel Down were like attending kindergarten?
Seeing the prisoner refuse to cooperate, Ibiki Morino slammed a hand on the ground: "Summoning Jutsu: Iron Maiden!"
(Two chapters combined, more to come)
(end of chapter)