Morino Eaton stared intently at Aoki, a half-smile playing on his face. He looked like a teacher waiting for a student to turn in their final exam.
"Tell me what you found," Eaton nodded, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes.
"Yes," Aoki replied immediately. He gestured toward six specific children out of the twenty-three lying there. "These six are qualified."
Aoki had made his decision. These were the exact six individuals who had granted him Spiritual Power rewards during the memory reading. They shared a common trait: they were exceptionally cautious, and deeper down, they felt no fear.
In fact, it was almost hard for Aoki to believe—these children weren't just brave; they were fearless. To them, this didn't feel like a life-threatening mission as a spy. It felt like they were going out to play a game.
"Oh?" Eaton's expression shifted, revealing a range of emotions Aoki had never seen him display before. "Aoki, may I ask why? And also... you initially said the first child was suitable, but now you say he isn't. What changed?"
Eaton narrowed his eyes, his gaze receding into the shadows of the dimly lit room. In the gloom of the "little black room," he looked as if he were merging with the darkness itself.
"Yes," Aoki answered again, his eyes sweeping over the unconscious children. "Captain Eaton, every single one of these twenty-three children volunteered for this mission. They are all intensely loyal. If loyalty were the only metric, any of them could be a spy."
Aoki couldn't help but sigh internally. The ninja world was brutal. The great powers weren't just fighting on the surface; the real struggle happened in the shadows. This was a side of the world the Naruto anime never fully showed—the anime focused on passion and growth, but the Anbu's world was far more grounded in a cold reality.
"As for why I chose these six..." Aoki continued, "They have no fear. Any trace of dread can lead to a mistake. To us, this is a mission; to them, they must become a permanent part of another village. If they live in fear every day, their cover will eventually blow. Most importantly, these six are naturally more cautious. They are built for this. That is why I retracted my recommendation for the first child."
Aoki finished his explanation, though he knew his words were likely just a suggestion for Eaton's final decision.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
As soon as Aoki finished, Eaton began to applaud. The crisp sound echoed loudly in the silent, dark room. Aoki was stunned, looking at Eaton with confusion.
"Aoki, I was right about you! You did exceptionally well!" Appreciation blazed in Eaton's eyes.
"What do you mean?" Aoki blinked, suspecting this might have been a test, though he hadn't seen any signs of such a setup in the children's memories.
"Before I brought you here to probe their loyalty," Eaton said slowly, "they had already been screened once."
Aoki went speechless. No wonder everyone was so loyal and brave—he had thought those were just standard traits for children born in an era of war.
"These twenty-three are the most loyal batch," Eaton continued. "However, seventeen of them have slight emotional fluctuations. They are better suited for the Ninja Academy than for espionage. They would make excellent ninjas who wouldn't hesitate to die for a mission, but their aggressive personalities aren't fit for the cold, calculated life of a spy. So... even before you checked them, I knew who should stay. I just wanted to see if you would notice the difference between 'loyal' and 'suitable.' You did not disappoint me."
Eaton offered a rare smile—the kind of encouraging look an elder gives a promising youth.
"I see," Aoki nodded. He realized why he hadn't seen the "test" in their memories. There was no setup to see; the children didn't even know they were being evaluated. They had been knocked out by drugs, and their memories simply stopped. An unconscious person doesn't record external events.
Aoki was surprised, but it made sense. The Konoha Anbu was full of talent. Past spies must have gone through similar psychological evaluations, likely conducted by other members of the Yamanaka clan.
But he hadn't expected Eaton to use this as a formal evaluation for him. He realized he had to be even more careful. There were layers upon layers of schemes in the Torture Force. Morino Eaton truly was an interrogation expert.
"Aoki, don't blame me. There are many things here you don't know yet," Eaton explained in a low voice as Aoki remained silent. "Inside the Torture Force, besides the Interrogation Team, there is also the Sensory Team."
"Even though you arrived late and haven't met them yet, you are technically a member of that team. The Captain of the Sensory Team, Yamanaka Yuta, is about to retire. We need a new leader to take his place. Out of the eleven sensory ninjas in the team... I believe you are the most suitable."
Eaton paused, his smile fading as he became dead serious.
"However, let me be clear. The Captain of the Sensory Team handles more missions and carries much greater responsibility than the others. Given your... physical condition... I wanted to ask your opinion before making it official."
"Are you ready to take on a much harsher challenge?"
[End of Chapter 12]