"Huh?"
Morino Eaton was stunned. He stared at Qingyu, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
A hundred years? You want to struggle for the department for another hundred years? You'd have to live to be over a hundred and ten! Are you pulling my leg?
Eaton immediately filtered out Qingyu's last comment, dismissed it as completely unrealistic nonsense. However, the request for a long leave... that didn't exactly align with the Torture Force's regulations.
"Qingyu, you know the rules. We can't grant long leaves easily. The ninja world is unstable, war could break out at any moment. We are in a state of emergency," Eaton said, his voice deep and his gaze piercing.
"Captain Eaton, it's precisely because war is coming that I want to rest now. I need to cultivate my spirit so I can handle whatever chaos the future holds with peak efficiency," Qingyu countered smoothly.
"I understand your perspective, but Anbu leave isn't handed out like candy. Usually, it's reserved for... well, kunoichi going on maternity leave," Eaton said meaningfully, then waved his hand. "Tell you what, I'll give you one week. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes."
Qingyu nodded. He knew his standing in the department was low; securing even a week was a victory. But in his mind, he knew a week was far from enough. Whether it was the "Old Guard" group making their move or the fallout of the missing persons case, one week might just land him right back in time for the trouble to start.
I need a better plan...
"Since you're here and about to go on vacation anyway, handle this one for me first," Eaton said, pointing to the bloody man tied to the post. The prisoner had clearly withstood a heavy interrogation without breaking.
"Of course."
Qingyu agreed without a second thought. Reading memories was all gain and no loss for him.
If it were any other ninja, they'd be grumbling about being forced into "overtime" right before a vacation. But Qingyu? He'd happily spend his entire vacation reading memories if it didn't mean exposing himself.
He stepped toward the prisoner and scanned him. Though the man was covered in blood, Qingyu noticed his skin was several shades darker than the average Fire Country citizen.
Not from the Land of Fire, Qingyu concluded instantly. His mental database, fueled by hundreds of absorbed memories, made such deductions second nature.
"He's a spy from the Hidden Cloud Village (Kumogakure) in the Land of Lightning," Eaton explained. "Three days ago, the Barrier Team sensed him at the village's edge. We suspect he was using special methods to analyze and crack our barrier. No matter what I do, he won't talk. If you hadn't shown up, I was about to call the Sensory Team."
Hearing this, a theory formed in Qingyu's mind.
Hidden Cloud ninja... studying the barrier... Based on his knowledge of the original timeline, it was highly likely this spy was part of a precursor mission to infiltrate Konoha and kidnap a child from the Hyuga clan for their Byakugan.
Why are they so obsessed with the Byakugan? Qingyu wondered briefly. Is the Sharingan not good enough for them? Always picking on the Hyuga...
He raised his right hand and placed it over the ninja's head.
Hum!
His body vibrated slightly as a flood of memory fragments rushed in.
"Ding! Memory read successful! Obtained: Shadow Clone Technique!"
The electronic chime echoed in his head, making Qingyu freeze for a split second. He fought to suppress the surge of joy.
A B-rank ninjutsu! This was a major step up. It meant the man before him was at least a Special Jonin, or very close to a full Jonin. This reward was even higher in rank than the Great Fireball Technique he'd gotten from Eaton.
Aside from his initial Sage Body, this was the most practical and powerful reward he had received to date.
Caution! Stay low-profile! Stay calm! Qingyu reminded himself that Eaton was still standing right behind him, waiting for the results. He channeled his chakra, performing the visible "signs" of the Yamanaka Mind-Reading technique while the system did the actual work.
He held the pose for fifteen minutes, meticulously feigning the strain of a deep dive.
"Phew~"
Qingyu exhaled a long breath, pulled back his hand, and opened his eyes. He made sure to let a look of heavy exhaustion linger in his gaze.
"Captain Eaton, I've found what you need."