Chapter 98: A Wicked but Interesting Idea
"Kirigakure Shinya—I don't know whose counsel he followed—was planning to use the Three-Tails to infiltrate Konoha Village for sabotage operations. I reported this matter to you during a previous meeting."
Fuguki said.
"Continue."
Orochimaru glossed over that detail.
"Anyway, Shinya told me he had a subordinate skilled in sealing techniques who had identified a member of Team Kakashi, determining this person was the most suitable vessel for sealing the Three-Tails. So apparently he had connections with some bigwig in Konoha. The two sides seemed to negotiate several times and finally reached terms. Konoha would release Team Kakashi for Shinya to hunt down, but in exchange, we also needed to help them eliminate White Yaksha."
"What happened next was straightforward. After Shinya found me, I immediately agreed to his request. After all, even without Shinya, I would have found a way to eliminate White Yaksha anyway."
"Afterward, according to plan, Juzo, Ao and I would first eliminate White Yaksha, then rush over to rendezvous with Shinya and bring the already-completed Three-Tails jinchuriki to infiltrate Konoha... But unfortunately, that White Yaksha bastard was truly cunning. He played us for fools and we ended up losing everything!"
Fuguki's face showed bitterness.
Such a crushing defeat was quite a heavy blow for him.
After hearing all this, Orochimaru's brow furrowed slightly. The story seemed sound enough. Shinya might have glimpsed a certain Danzo's urgency to eliminate Hyuga Ritsu while negotiating with Konoha, then used this to blackmail him, ultimately placing Team Kakashi on the trading block as merchandise.
Only—
Was the truth really this simple?
From his understanding of a certain Danzo, that man would indeed do this sort of thing—sacrifice any cost to protect his vision of Konoha. But the smoother this reasoning flowed, the more awkward it felt.
Wasn't this just too smooth and seamless?
Yet thinking it over repeatedly, he still couldn't find the flaw. Similarly, that intellect Shikaku Nara also furrowed his brow tightly, apparently unable to think his way to an answer either.
Orochimaru temporarily shelved this confusion and continued questioning: "So you and Shinya knew exactly who wanted to eliminate Hyuga Ritsu—that is, White Yaksha? Who was willing to sacrifice Team Kakashi as the price? Who exactly is this person?"
After interrogating for so long—
They'd finally advanced step by step to this final stage. As long as Fuguki produced an accurate name rather than the vague collective noun of "Konoha's upper leadership," then... Konoha might truly erupt into civil war!
"We suspected it was Konoha's Shinobi of Darkness, Danzo Shimura."
Fuguki indeed gave a specific name, but regrettably, he added the prefix "suspected," preventing this statement from serving as ironclad evidence.
In that instant—
Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, Sarutobi Mochimoto and others simultaneously breathed sighs of relief. Suspicion was good! Suspicion was truly excellent. This greatly reduced the possibility of civil war erupting in the village.
"Suspected?"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, suspected. This kind of matter can only be suspected. It's basically impossible to directly implicate Danzo Shimura. He only needs to move his lips and arrange for others to do things. To obtain real ironclad evidence, Konoha ninja must act themselves, capture Danzo Shimura's subordinates and interrogate them."
Fuguki answered.
"Then earlier you said four Uchiha Clan jonin had their intelligence sold out and died at your hands. You also don't know who betrayed their intelligence, correct?"
Orochimaru asked again.
This question immediately made Uchiha Izumo and Uchiha Teyaki leap to their feet in excitement. Even Uchiha Shisui, maintaining the genjutsu, became exceptionally solemn.
He loved the village, but he also loved his clan.
Harm to the village's interests pained him, but clansmen being framed and killed was equally unbearable. He too wanted to obtain justice for his fallen clan members.
"Yes, the intelligence passed along was always accurate, but the source never exposed their own identity. We can only suspect it was Danzo Shimura, because there truly aren't many capable of such things. Even fewer have motive to do such things. Only Danzo Shimura, who completely inherited the Second Hokage's hostility and suppression of the Uchiha Clan, has both the motive and sufficient capability to accomplish this."
"Of course, it must have received the Third Hokage's tacit permission to do such things. After all, everyone knows Danzo Shimura is the Third Hokage's black glove."
Fuguki's answer once again implicated the Third Hokage.
Moreover—
This time he directly bound Danzo Shimura and the Third Hokage together in deep connection. Hearing this, Sarutobi Mochimoto and others felt both shocked and furious. Shikaku Nara and others showed expressions like bitter gourds.
Uchiha Izumo and Uchiha Teyaki resembled volcanoes about to erupt with rage, but glancing at Ritsu, they forcibly suppressed their explosive fury.
As for Uchiha Shisui, his expression was currently numb and motionless. Each of Fuguki's answers was devastating his faith. Though his chakra consumption wasn't high, his spirit had reached the extreme limits of exhaustion.
"Alright, let's end it here!"
Orochimaru decisively concluded this interrogation that had felt interminably long.
This was already the limit. Fuguki couldn't even provide one accurate name—just a suspicion that couldn't be taken as certain. Continuing to question would yield no further gains.
Everything had its limits—
This was already sufficient.
He eagerly anticipated how Teacher Sarutobi would face this typhoon about to blow from the eastern coast toward Konoha Village. Though only an uncertain suspicion that wouldn't trigger direct, irreconcilable conflict—
But—
As Fuguki said, Hyuga Ritsu wasn't someone who'd suffer beatings and choose to endure silently. Even without clear direction, based on the fact that their intelligence had been betrayed, he would definitely raise a fierce commotion.
How far it would ultimately go, what kind of results it would produce—he didn't know either. But this was precisely what made the situation interesting!
What fun was a future you could see through at a glance?
Only the chaos one couldn't penetrate or foresee could bring surprise, shock and other stimulating emotions, making one keenly feel they were still alive and hadn't become a walking corpse!
Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, Shisui immediately sighed in relief. Before Fuguki could say anything more deadly, he promptly ended the genjutsu and knocked Fuguki unconscious.
Watching this considerably thinner fat man fall into unconsciousness—
Everyone present also breathed long sighs of relief. This torturous time had finally been endured. Many of them had felt at times that it wasn't just Fuguki being interrogated—they too had been roasted over flames.
At this moment—
The stenographer seated nearby also finished writing the interrogation transcript. After roughly checking it himself, he presented this stack of documents—as hot to handle as burning coals—to Orochimaru's desk.
Orochimaru picked up the transcript and read through it rapidly, confirming it recorded the entire interrogation process faithfully without any content distorted or word games played. Only then did he sign his name in the witness signature section.
"Tap tap."
Orochimaru rapped his knuckles on the desk, drawing everyone's attention. His gaze swept across each person's face as he spoke slowly:
"The interrogation of Suikazan Fuguki has temporarily concluded. Everyone heard the entire process clearly. It can be confirmed that Clan Head Hyuga and Team Kakashi's ambushes were indeed due to someone betraying their intelligence. Such vile behavior must naturally be investigated thoroughly to the very bottom. However, this matter involves Hokage Advisor Danzo Shimura, which has exceeded my authority."
"Therefore, according to regulations, all relevant witness and material evidence can only be sealed and sent back to the village, transferred to Lord Hokage for personal handling. I request everyone sign this record."
Orochimaru raised the interrogation transcript.
A nearby subordinate stepped forward, accepted the transcript already bearing Orochimaru's signature, and passed it to everyone present. Hiruko and his student Ritsu scanned it once, then signed readily.
Shikaku Nara held the transcript and studied it carefully and thoroughly. A heavy sigh escaped his mouth before he also raised his brush and signed. Inoichi Yamanaka and Choza Akimichi simply didn't bother reading it, following Shikaku's lead and signing.
Next, Shibi Aburame, Uchiha Izumo, Uchiha Teyaki and Kō Inuzuka all signed their names. When it reached Sarutobi Mochimoto, a problem arose.
"Lord Orochimaru, why wasn't the speculative slander concerning Lord Hokage deleted from this document?"
Mochimoto mustered his courage and questioned.
"Why should it be deleted?"
Orochimaru asked with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Because it's pure speculation, Suikazan Fuguki's slander of Lord Hokage. Recording such things on paper is simply an insult to Lord Hokage!"
"Jonin Sarutobi Mochimoto, do you know why interrogations require transcripts? Transcripts demand not changing or reducing a single word. Edited and redacted transcripts have no reason to exist. If we must edit and reduce transcripts because Lord Hokage is involved, we might as well directly overturn this entire interrogation's results!"
Wouldn't that be even better!
Mochimoto desperately wanted to say this.
But his reason stopped him. If he did, it would appear like covering up something guilty. Even without this transcript, could so many people present truly keep silent about today's events?
That was impossible!
The Uchiha Clan members alone would definitely widely publicize today's events. At that time, because of his actions, it might make Lord Hokage like mud falling in his pants—whether it's shit or not, it becomes shit!
Mochimoto ultimately raised his brush and signed his name with trembling hands.
After all witnesses signed, Uchiha Shisui also wrote "Interrogator: Uchiha Shisui" with his brush, then handed it to Orochimaru.
"Alright, dismissed."
Orochimaru glanced at the fully-signed transcript several times before announcing the end.
Mochimoto was the first to spring into action, flying out like an arrow. He needed to report today's events as quickly as possible through his clan's secret channels, letting Lord Hokage know this situation as soon as possible.
No one stopped Mochimoto.
Ritsu glanced once then withdrew his gaze.
Overall, today's interrogation satisfied him greatly. First, it confirmed that his and Team Kakashi's encounters with Mist ninja ambushes truly stemmed from someone in the village betraying their intelligence. This gave him sufficient confidence to argue, to make a fuss, to fight for more benefits for himself and his clan.
Second, Fuguki's big mouth had dragged the Uchiha Clan into this as well. Four Uchiha jonin had their intelligence betrayed and were ultimately killed in ambushes—this matter would absolutely ignite the Uchiha Clan's fury.
Finally, there were these claims about White Fang's suicide.
Honestly—
If he wanted such a conspiracy theory, Ritsu could compose one himself. But what mattered wasn't just the conspiracy theory's content—the witness revealing this conspiracy was also extraordinarily important. Suikazan Fuguki was a perfect choice. He was Konoha's enemy, and he'd spoken these words under genjutsu interrogation.
"It would be very interesting if Kakashi saw this transcript!"
Ritsu stroked his chin, a rather wicked but interesting idea surfacing in his mind.
"Ritsu, do you think White Fang's suicide really was a choice made under duress?" Hiruko, who had remained silent throughout the entire interrogation without any movement, as though sleeping, suddenly posed this question to Ritsu.
And his question made many who hadn't yet left freeze mid-motion. Raised feet returned to the ground. Each person perked up their ears, all waiting for Ritsu's answer.
"Teacher, I was just a child back then! How would I know why White Fang chose suicide?"
Ritsu spread his hands helplessly and sighed, then asked curiously: "Teacher, are you very interested in this matter?"
"Of course, that was White Fang!"
Hiruko answered matter-of-factly. He raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the tent, looking toward the not-so-distant past. "You never saw White Fang so you don't understand, but I once personally witnessed White Fang slaughtering Cloud ninja. That feeling... indescribable. He had no Kekkei Genkai, no secret techniques backing him—just relying on a short blade emanating white light, he effortlessly opened Cloud ninja throats, split open Cloud ninja chests. Killing had already solidified into an instinct as natural as breathing for him. He was a natural-born killer. That bone-chilling tremor I felt then remains vividly fresh in my memory even now!"
His voice was soft, soft like clouds and smoke that would scatter with a single breath.
But this light, airy voice made everyone shudder. In an instant, they seemed to see that blade glowing with white light slice open their own throats, pierce into their own hearts.
Orochimaru, seated in the main position, also shed all traces of his smile, his expression grave and serious. His thoughts were stirred as well, recalling that white light harvesting enemy lives like cutting grass.
"Teacher, what you're saying is truly frightening!"
Ritsu, also feeling a chill down his spine, looked at Hiruko somewhat speechlessly. He'd never before discovered Teacher Hiruko possessed such a talent for telling horror stories, making people feel as though experiencing that lethal killing intent firsthand.
"It's frightening because I'm speaking the truth!"
Hiruko answered with a smile.
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