Once the memory reading was complete, the middle-aged man standing before Qingyu had no secrets left. Not just today's theft, but every unpunished crime from his past had been laid bare.
"I'm going to write down what you've done. You sign it, and this interrogation is officially over."
Following the standard procedure, Qingyu pulled out a scroll and began documenting the man's crimes.
Scratch... scratch...
The sound of the brush against the parchment was quiet, yet in the silence of the room, it felt amplified, striking a rhythmic terror into the prisoner's heart.
"You... you... how can you be so... sure it was me?"
Resentment colored the man's face. He couldn't wrap his head around how this "rookie" knew his life in such intimate detail. Those two boiled eggs he took from the old lady this morning? Even she might not have noticed! How could this kid know? It was as if he had been watching from the shadows!
"Oh?" Qingyu paused his writing and looked up. "Are you denying it?"
This was a functional question. If the man cooperated and signed, the job was done and Qingyu could hand in a perfect report. If he refused... well, Qingyu would have to find a way to make him sign. He didn't want to waste time.
Interrogating these petty criminals was actually beneficial. Even if they weren't strong enough to grant high-level Ninjutsu, the constant rewards of Chakra Boosts and Mental Energy significantly shortened the time needed for him to grow powerful.
"No... it's not that," the man shook his head with a bitter smile. "I admit it. I'm just curious... how did you know?"
He realized there was no point in holding out. As the saying goes, people don't shed tears until they see the coffin. Now that the coffin was right in front of him, a few tears weren't shameful.
"I used a Mind-Reading technique on you," Qingyu said flatly. "I saw your memories."
"That's... that's too extravagant!"
The man's mouth twitched. He'd heard of such secret arts existing within the Torture Force, but he never imagined they'd be used on someone like him. To skip the entire interrogation process and go straight to Mind-Reading for a few stolen snacks? It was overkill! Everyone knew Mind-Reading was the "last resort" for high-priority targets, not the opening move for a pickpocket.
"Sign here."
Qingyu ignored the man's shock and handed over the scroll. The man took the brush and signed, his face aging several years in an instant. Qingyu called the guards and handed over both the confession and the prisoner.
The next three days passed in that dark cubicle. For Qingyu, it wasn't so much an interrogation job as it was a "memory download" marathon.
He lost track of how many people he processed. Most gave rewards of Chakra, while a few provided Mental Energy. Combined with his nightly workouts in the woods, he felt his raw power climbing at a visible rate.
He also noticed that the Konoha Military Police Force (the Uchiha) was incredibly efficient. Every person sent to him was, in fact, guilty of something. The Uchiha didn't seem to be making many mistakes—but that efficiency itself was a double-edged sword.
The friction between the Police Force and the villagers doesn't happen overnight, Qingyu mused. If you catch everyone correctly, you're doing your job—but you're also making a lot of enemies. With Danzo stoking the flames in the background, this "perfect" policing was slowly planting the seeds that would eventually lead to the Uchiha's isolation. Seeing the dark underbelly of the village from his position in the Torture Force made him realize that most major events were the result of causes planted years in advance.
"This one was spreading rumors about the village high-ranking officials. It's a clear case of defamation. He's all yours."
The guard captain brought in a new man and tied him to the post. Over the last few days, the captain had been impressed by Qingyu's speed. He had started prioritizing Qingyu for difficult or urgent cases, sensing that this young ninja had a bright future in the department.
Qingyu looked at the man. He was in his early twenties, not much older than himself. He wore thin white clothes, now stained and torn from the struggle of his arrest.
"I didn't defame anyone! I'm telling the truth! I heard it with my own ears! Why won't anyone believe me? Why did you arrest me instead?!" the man screamed hysterically.
He had actually gone to the authorities to report something, only to end up bound to a post in the Torture Force. The sight of the torture tools nearby was making him lose his mind.
"Whether it's the truth or not, I don't need you to tell me. I'll see for myself."
Qingyu didn't waste his breath. Every prisoner claimed they were innocent. He raised his hand and pressed it against the man's head.
Hum!
[Ding! Memory Reading Successful! Reward: Mental Energy Boost!]
A rare mental energy reward. These usually only came from those with exceptionally strong convictions. Qingyu began to sift through the man's memories to find the "defamatory" words.
Suddenly, Qingyu's eyes widened. His pupils shrank to pinpricks before he forced his expression back to neutral.
"So that's it!"
He finally understood. He knew the truth behind the mass deaths in the prison.