Inside Konoha Prison, Shimura Danzō, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu were each bound tightly to wooden pillars.
Opposite them, tied to separate pillars, were Sarutobi Asuma and Hiruzen's eldest son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
Wen Lan sat calmly on a chair near the entrance. Behind him stood two Uchiha clansmen, and further back—Orochimaru and Tsunade.
He gazed quietly at the six prisoners and spoke softly:
"Do you know? I've been waiting for this day for a very long time."
"You once used rules and schemes to push countless people into the abyss. Now… it's your turn to taste what it feels like to be bound."
He rose slowly, eyes sweeping across their faces.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, today I'll let you watch how your own son dies."
"And you'll experience what it means to lose family."
Hiruzen bit his lip until it bled. His eyes were bloodshot, nearly splitting with fury. A hoarse growl tore from his throat:
"Wen Lan! I alone bear responsibility! Let them go—!"
His speech was slurred—his tongue injury from earlier still affecting him—but the meaning was clear.
"Let them go?" Wen Lan sneered.
"Who spared Nawaki? Who spared Sakumo Hatake? Who spared the Uchiha who died unjustly?"
"Don't worry. None of you will die easily."
He raised a hand.
"Begin."
The two Uchiha members stepped forward and formed hand seals.
"Earth Release: Rising Sand Coffin!"
The ground split open. Sand and gravel burst upward as a rectangular slab rose, revealing a deep pit below.
Wen Lan turned to Orochimaru.
"Your turn."
Orochimaru licked his lips and placed his hands on the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu."
White smoke billowed up from the pit. When it cleared, it revealed a writhing mass of snakes—venomous, coiled together in a suffocating tangle of scales and fangs.
The snakes hissed, red tongues flicking in unison.
"This punishment," Wen Lan explained lightly, "is called the Snake Pit."
"The victim is devoured by venom and constriction. The toxins slowly paralyze the nerves. The coils tighten… little by little."
"I think you'll enjoy it."
A chill ran through the room.
Wen Lan looked at Shinnosuke.
"Shinnosuke, right? First time meeting you."
"This was meant for Asuma. But since he's still unconscious… you'll take his place."
"Your father preached benevolence all his life. Yet that benevolence never protected those who truly needed it."
"Now he'll watch helplessly as you're torn apart."
Shinnosuke struggled violently, muffled cries trapped behind the cloth gag.
"Wen Lan! You damned Uchiha bastard! Let my son go!" Hiruzen roared, veins bulging.
"Don't worry," Wen Lan replied calmly. "You won't have it easy either."
Orochimaru unbound Shinnosuke and shoved him into the pit.
The snakes instantly coiled around his legs.
A scream ripped through the chamber as fangs pierced flesh. Venom spread through his veins. His body convulsed, eyes red with terror as he looked toward his father.
Blood bubbled at the corners of his mouth.
Tsunade trembled.
There was no sense of vengeance in her heart—only nausea at the sight of blood. She stepped backward instinctively.
Wen Lan glanced at her.
"What's wrong, Princess Tsunade? Can't bear it?"
"Don't forget—when Nawaki died, it was far worse."
"Shut up!" she shouted, pain flashing across her face.
For a moment, she saw her brother's corpse overlapping with the writhing mass of snakes.
Her fingers dug into her palm until blood seeped out.
But this time, she did not retreat.
Slowly, trembling, she stepped forward.
Behind them, Hiruzen screamed in fury.
Danzō and the others, gagged, could only glare with hatred and fear.
Soon, Shinnosuke's screams faded.
The snakes swallowed him entirely.
Wen Lan watched in silence. Then he nodded.
The earth closed over the pit.
"Next," he said calmly, "Lingchi."
A fishing net was thrown over Asuma's body. The mesh was pulled tight, forcing flesh to bulge through its gaps.
A blade slid slowly across the exposed meat.
A scream exploded from Asuma's throat as he snapped awake.
One cut.
Two.
Three.
Ten.
A hundred.
Blood dripped steadily from the net. His body convulsed violently. Flesh peeled away piece by piece.
But this was not the worst of it.
One Uchiha cut.
The other used Mystical Palm Technique to sustain Asuma's life—preventing him from dying too soon.
Pain crashed over him in endless waves.
Each breath tore at his lungs.
His mind shattered under the strain, yet he was dragged back from death again and again.
Finally—his body slackened.
He stopped breathing.
Wen Lan stepped forward and crouched.
He stared into Asuma's lifeless eyes and brushed a finger across the blood-stained net.
"That's enough."
"Cut him up and feed him to the dogs."
"Yes."
One clansman stabbed Asuma's throat to ensure there was no deception, then began clearing the remains.
The prison fell quiet once more.
Only the sound of dripping blood echoed against the stone.
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