The Daimyo had a somewhat frail physique, with unhealthy dark circles under his eyes, prominent cheekbones, and an overall appearance of someone who had indulged in excessive pleasures.
Even though he paid little attention to Konoha, he had heard of the Uchiha Clan and knew that this last remaining Uchiha Clan's bloodline had become a Missing-nin years ago.
Missing-nin were a group of extremely dangerous Shinobi who had undergone complete training within the village system but later broke free from its constraints.
Without rules to bind them, they became wildly unpredictable… some even bloodthirsty and murderous.
It's not an exaggeration to call such people bandits, and some were even more erratic, reveling in slaughter.
"What do you want?"
Naruto smirked coldly, pressing the short sword tighter against the Daimyo's neck. At the same time, he pondered, 'Yeah, what should I say?'
'Ask for money? That would be too direct, too crude. Besides, bringing up money right away might expose some clues. After all, Sasuke's character wasn't someone who cared about money.'
'While others might claim not to care about money as a facade, Sasuke genuinely didn't. To him, money wasn't even a number. If I suddenly demanded money now, it would feel out of character.'
'If word got out, those in the know would immediately sense something off.'
"I came here for three things." Naruto's face remained hidden in the shadows, only a faint outline visible, his voice dripping with icy menace.
The Daimyo was on the verge of wetting himself, trembling as he asked, "W-what things?"
"Justice! Justice! And goddamn justice!"
"Eh?!" The Daimyo's eyes squeezed shut, not daring to look at the intruder, his neck still pinned by the sword.
If this were just about money, it wouldn't be so bad… at least he wouldn't be killed. But the worst were those stubborn Shinobi who didn't care about wealth and acted for all sorts of nonsensical reasons.
If he said the wrong thing, this madman might actually slit his throat. Then where would he go to complain?
"Was you involved in the Uchiha Clan's extermination back then? Tell me!" Naruto began dragging the conversation into irrelevant territory, rambling about everything under the sun.
"W-what?!" The daimyo shivered. "I don't know! It had nothing to do with me!"
"Nothing to do with you?" Naruto fired back rapidly.
"Nothing to do with me!"
"Then were you there or not?"
"I—no! I mean, yes! Wait, no!" The Daimyo had no time to think, as he was forced to keep up with Naruto's rapid interrogation.
"Which is it… were you there or not?! Lie to me, and I'll cut your throat right now!" Naruto barked.
"I was! But it wasn't my fault! I was just sitting there!" The daimyo whimpered. Unfortunately for him, Naruto had already set up a small barrier technique around them, which is a simplified version of the Four Violet Flames Formation that Orochimaru had once used to trap Hiruzen.
Within this confined space, all sound was isolated.
Even so, that didn't mean Naruto could do whatever he wanted. After all, if the guards outside didn't hear even the faintest sounds of movement for too long, they'd eventually barge in to check.
"Sitting there?" Naruto repeated the Daimyo's last few words like a refrain, tightening the psychological pressure. His interrogation was relentless, each question sharper than the last.
The effect was something like, 'Did you kill that man?! Where were you last night?'
'Home? What were you doing there?'
'Browsing the internet? Show me your search history!'
'Incognito mode? And you're still saying you didn't kill them? Someone! Drag him down, chop him up, and feed him to the dogs!'
"And what else did you do? Just sitting there means you're innocent?! People… an entire clan are dead, and you claim it's nothing to do with you?"
Naruto's accusations grew fiercer, each word a hammer blow. With the barrier in place, he had no fear of being overheard.
"You dare say… you had no part in it?! Speak!"
"I-I really didn't…" The Daimyo could feel the blade breaking his skin, blood trickling down his neck. The slight pain, combined with Naruto's relentless pressure, made him feel like confessing to anything… even if it meant admitting guilt for crimes he didn't commit.
But… this was worse than the story of Dou E! He was just a figurehead! When the Uchiha Clan were massacred, he'd been in the middle of an orgy.
By the time they called him out, the killing was already over. His clothes had been thrown on in a hurry.
"It wasn't me! I…"
"Still lying?! You killed them! Your hands are stained with Uchiha blood! How will you atone for this, huh?!" Naruto roared, "With your life?"
The Daimyo was truly terrified now, his heart pounding like a drum.
'Holy shit… After years of peace, I've finally run into a lunatic who doesn't value his life! Damn it, damn it… forget dignity, forget face. Survival first!'
"Don't kill me! Please, I beg you! I really didn't know. I'll compensate you! I'll compensate you! As long as you don't kill me, I'll give you anything you want!" "
"Money. Gold. Where is it?!"
"It's…"
Naruto easily got the answers he wanted. With a final glance at the Daimyo, he knocked him out cold and hauled him away.
'Heh. Today's payday.'
As for selling the stolen goods, he didn't even consider it. He wasn't planning to spend it in the Land of Fire anyway. Gold and treasures were universal currencies, and Konan would know how to handle it.
As for the Land of Fire's currency, he could always exchange it for goods through intermediaries. As for whether anyone would investigate, the ones calling the shots in Konoha were his own people. Investigate?
Investigate this!
These nobles and Celestial Dragons had more money than they could ever spend. Taking a little was nothing. Besides, this was for the sake of world peace… they should be honored to contribute.
And let's not forget, this is the 'compensation' the nobles gave to the Uchiha Clan.
Were the dead coming back to life because of money? Could money undo the massacre of an entire clan? No! In the face of such overwhelming hatred, money meant nothing!
'I, Uchiha… wait, no, I, Uzumaki Naruto, an outsider, can't even stand it anymore! The wicked shall be punished by heaven… and if heaven won't, I will. Justice!'
Naruto had gotten a little too into character during the interrogation, almost slipping into his best friend Sasuke's mindset.
But no matter how many twists and turns he took, he understood the weight of the Uchiha Clan's vengeance.
Back when the Land of Whirlpool was destroyed, it was an utterly tragic event. Though it was his mother's homeland, who knows how many of his uncles had been slaughtered by the Five Great Shinobi Nations in blood-soaked battlefields?
With all this old and new hatred piling up, the fact that he hadn't turned to the dark side made Naruto admire his own restraint.
'Damn it, I must be the only good guy left in this Shinobi World!'