Chapter 245: The Essence of Heavenly Transfer is Lightning Release
As one of Konoha's six major departments, the Interrogation Department's functions naturally weren't limited to simple interrogation and torture. It also encompassed scientific research and prison management.
The prison function was understandable. Interrogation work sometimes required extended periods—not something that could be finished in a few sessions. Confining interrogation subjects was inevitable, so developing prison functions naturally followed.
As for scientific research, the reason was equally simple.
Interrogation didn't only extract intelligence—the knowledge inside subjects' minds was equally a target. Having first access to such materials, the Interrogation Department had developed scientific research functions under the Second Hokage's leadership. By now, a complete system had formed.
Interrogation - Confinement - Interrogation - Execution - Corpse Recovery and Utilization!
This was the Interrogation Department's workflow.
Among Konoha's six major departments, the Interrogation Department was clearly one of the less prominent ones.
Neither the village leadership nor Ritsu, despite being a transmigrator, had anticipated Tatsuhata attacking the Interrogation Department. He'd slaughtered his way through, leaving heads rolling. Not a single survivor remained among the dozens in the office building, including the Interrogation Department head from the Aburame clan.
Only a few lucky souls like Yamanaka Inoichi, who'd taken leave to care for his newborn daughter or were away on official business, had escaped disaster.
"Ruthless!"
Hiruko's expression turned ugly.
In the massive research room, over ten corpses lay on the ground. Pools of blood had already congealed and blackened. A thick stench of blood filled the air.
This gruesome scene put Hiruko in an exceptionally foul mood.
Having participated in two great ninja wars, he'd witnessed mountains of corpses and seas of blood. The scene before him wasn't actually that impressive. The problem was that as Hokage Advisor, he saw more than just what lay before his eyes.
He saw the future.
The Interrogation Department's tragedy was a microcosm of the village's future—a future where they'd failed to contain or kill Tatsuhata. Today he could turn the Interrogation Department into a river of blood. Tomorrow it could be the Medical Department, Education Department, Police Force...
If this continued, Konoha village would be destroyed!
"Damn it!"
Uchiha Fugaku's face turned ugly.
As Police Force commander, any murder case in the village inevitably brought him some responsibility. At least the Police Force was no longer the Uchiha clan's personal domain now, so this disaster wouldn't fall entirely on the Uchiha. At most, he as department head would face consequences.
"What do you think Tatsuhata's purpose was in attacking the Interrogation Department?"
Hiruko asked gravely.
But Uchiha Fugaku, Nara Shikaku, and the others behind him remained silent.
They'd all rushed over with Hiruko in a hurry, knowing only that the Interrogation Department had suffered Tatsuhata's attack. Survivors had seen the tiger-masked Tatsuhata, and sensory ninja had captured his chakra fluctuations.
But they truly didn't know why Tatsuhata had broken into the Interrogation Department office building for this massacre.
Nara Shikaku took a deep breath. "Lord Hokage Advisor, I think we might learn something once ANBU and the Police Force investigate the scene."
Normally, ANBU would handle such work entirely.
But times had changed. With ANBU's devastating casualties, their remaining manpower was completely insufficient. They'd had to draw elite personnel from the Police Force, mixing them with ANBU members to form a temporary investigation team.
Just then, a voice came from behind.
"I saw him take Nagato's corpse."
"Ritsu?"
Hiruko turned to look at the approaching Ritsu, his brow furrowing instinctively.
Before Hiruko could ask, Ritsu spoke directly. "Sensei, I'm just a shadow clone. My real body remains at the shrine."
"Good."
Hiruko's furrowed brow relaxed.
But the next second, his brow tightened again. The stench of blood entering his nose constantly reminded him of reality's brutality. Now wasn't the time to relax. He had absolutely no right to relax.
He sighed inwardly.
Being Hokage Advisor was truly difficult.
"Ritsu, you said you saw Tatsuhata take Nagato's corpse?"
"That's right."
Ritsu nodded. "I was talking with Kakashi and the others at the shrine when I suddenly sensed the chakra fluctuations erupting here. After activating my Byakugan, I saw the blood-soaked Interrogation Department office building. I personally watched Tatsuhata use a storage scroll to take Nagato's corpse, then leave using an infiltration technique my Byakugan couldn't penetrate."
"I worried this might be a diversion tactic, so my real body didn't move. I only sent this shadow clone."
Hearing this explanation, everyone exchanged glances.
As an extremely valuable prize of war, Nagato's corpse had been entrusted to the Interrogation Department for safekeeping and utilization.
Though Nagato was one of Jiraiya's students, he was undeniably Konoha's enemy. Jiraiya had no right to demand the village not utilize Nagato's corpse.
However, no matter how valuable, it was ultimately just a corpse.
What would Tatsuhata want with a corpse?
"Does Nagato's corpse have any special characteristics?"
Advisor Elder Inuzuka Jaw asked aloud.
But no one answered his question. Not a single living Interrogation Department member remained at the scene. Ritsu likewise couldn't understand what Tatsuhata planned to do with Nagato's corpse, so he also remained silent.
Five minutes later, Yamanaka Inoichi—who'd been on leave caring for his daughter born less than half a month ago—rushed over.
He already knew the Interrogation Department's condition.
He'd learned of his many colleagues' and friends' deaths.
His heart filled with indescribable grief and pain, but he had to restrain these sorrowful emotions, maintain his rationality as much as possible, and face questioning from the Hokage Advisor and other village leadership.
"Inoichi!"
Hiruko stared at Yamanaka Inoichi. "Did your research on Nagato's corpse reveal anything special? What do you think Tatsuhata would want with Nagato's corpse?"
His gaze burned into Inoichi, hoping to obtain an answer that would dispel the fog.
However—
"Huh?"
Yamanaka Inoichi's mouth gaped open, looking completely bewildered.
Seeing Inoichi's expression, everyone's hearts sank halfway.
Ritsu simply turned around and stared directly at Uchiha Fugaku standing nearby, his face black and his mood exceptionally foul. The Uchiha clan head keenly sensed Ritsu's gaze.
He froze momentarily, looking somewhat puzzled as he met Ritsu's eyes.
"Clan Head Hyuga, do you need something?"
Uchiha Fugaku asked cautiously.
As Konoha's two great clans, both inheriting one of the three great ocular powers, the relationship between the Hyuga and Uchiha was quite delicate. They weren't exactly hostile, but due to unspoken competitive psychology and the Uchiha clan's past poor circumstances, they'd had little interaction.
Not until Ritsu, this young Hyuga clan head, took office and actively contacted the Uchiha clan to plan the operation overthrowing the Third Hokage's rule had both sides established a friendly cooperative relationship.
"I heard your clan's library contains research records on the Hidden Cloud Village's Heavenly Transfer Technique. I hope to borrow them."
Ritsu spoke gravely.
As a shadow clone created before Ritsu's flash of inspiration, he'd kept his Byakugan active and seen the real body's interaction with Uchiha Aika. Using his not-particularly-skilled lip-reading ability, he roughly understood what the real body was planning.
Since Uchiha Fugaku had also come to the Interrogation Department building, he simply approached Fugaku with his request.
"Heavenly Transfer Technique?"
Uchiha Fugaku's mind went somewhat blank.
He frowned instinctively. "We have such things in the library?"
Ritsu couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Uchiha Fugaku's performance as clan head truly invited criticism. In Ritsu's view, half the responsibility for the Uchiha clan's destruction in the original timeline could be attributed to Fugaku's incompetence as clan head.
"I'll check when I return. If the research records on the Heavenly Transfer Technique you mentioned truly exist, I'll have someone deliver them to you."
Uchiha Fugaku answered readily.
Just as Aika had said, regarding knowledge that didn't involve the Uchiha clan's own inheritance, clan members didn't particularly care.
"Clan Head Uchiha, I thank you in advance for your generosity!"
Ritsu expressed sincere gratitude.
Regardless of whether Fugaku was a qualified clan head, he truly appreciated Fugaku's generosity, even if having this research record didn't necessarily mean it would prove useful.
Still, having it was better than not.
"A small matter, no need for thanks."
Uchiha Fugaku waved his hand magnanimously.
His internal calculations rang loudly. Given the village's current turbulent situation, maintaining good relations with the Hyuga clan was very necessary. The two clans working together could practically control Konoha's situation.
Paying such a trivial price to deepen friendship between the clans was a welcome opportunity!
His exchange with Fugaku yielded pleasant results. Ritsu turned to look at Hiruko and the others, who were questioning Yamanaka Inoichi until he was drenched in sweat, but still achieving nothing.
In the end, they still couldn't determine what purpose drove Tatsuhata to steal Nagato's corpse.
The Interrogation Department building was temporarily sealed.
The investigation team formed by ANBU and the Police Force took over the entire building and began lengthy investigation work.
After returning home, Uchiha Fugaku immediately arranged for someone to search the clan library. They found a notebook written by an ancestor from over two hundred years ago, recording that person's research achievements on the secret technique Heavenly Transfer.
Fugaku flipped through it and found the contents not particularly useful, so he had someone copy it and deliver the copy to the Hyuga clan.
Hyuga Ritsu sat calmly in Tamae Shrine's main hall without moving.
Before him lay the copied notes delivered by the jonin named Uchiha Inabi.
Kakashi and the others had already left.
In the vast main hall, only the Rabbit Goddess statue silently watched Ritsu.
"Heavenly Transfer Technique, I hope you won't disappoint me!"
Ritsu took a deep breath.
He opened the notes and threw himself completely into study. He wasn't worried about being vulnerable while absorbed in research—he'd hidden shadow clones throughout the shrine. If anything happened, it certainly couldn't escape his shadow clones' inspection.
"...The essence of Heavenly Transfer is Lightning Release, like the Hozuki clan's Hydration Technique—both represent extreme development of a single chakra nature..."
"Completely abandoned Lightning Release chakra's destructive properties, focusing exclusively on developing lightning's speed..."
"...The Heavenly Transfer Technique's original creator probably intended to grant himself unparalleled extreme speed. He succeeded, but also failed. He did create a secret technique allowing instantaneous transmission across thousands of kilometers, but failed because he underestimated the tremendous pressure brought by this ultra-high-speed transmission process..."
Ritsu's gaze fell on the final evaluation in the notes.
—[An attempt that wasn't a complete failure. Ordinary beings truly cannot withstand Heavenly Transfer's ultra-high-speed transmission, but if the transmitted target's physical body is sufficiently powerful, theoretically they could bear this heavy burden. Has certain research and learning value.]
"Certain research and learning value?"
Ritsu's eyes narrowed.
Judging from the Uchiha clan's current state, most likely no one had inherited this Uchiha ancestor's legacy. No one was interested in researching this secret technique with extremely high learning difficulty and equally high usage risks.
However, Ritsu was extremely interested.
He believed that with his physical strength and recovery capabilities, bearing the pressure from Heavenly Transfer's ultra-high-speed transmission posed no problem. The only difficulty lay in whether he could master this technique.
Like bloodline limits, secret techniques couldn't be copied by the Uchiha clan's Sharingan. Many secret techniques, like bloodline limits, passed down through bloodlines. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio's techniques were the most typical example.
Heavenly Transfer had no bloodline restrictions.
But that didn't mean just anyone could master it. This technique pursued the ultimate mystery of Lightning Release nature transformation's "extreme speed."
"Lightning Release, huh!"
Ritsu resolved to try.
His greatest expertise lay in Water, Wind, and Yang Release chakra nature transformations. But now he'd completely mastered all seven chakra nature transformations—Water, Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, Yin, and Yang. The only difference was the depth of mastery.
Lightning Release was a relatively unexplored area for him.
But he didn't mind testing his talent with Lightning Release techniques!
If he failed, it would merely waste some time and energy. To succeed, one had to be prepared for failure's stumbling blocks. But if he succeeded!
Ritsu could successfully compensate for his greatest shortcoming when facing Tatsuhata.
He could reverse this terrible passive situation of being beaten while trapped in one location!
Thus, rolling thunder echoed throughout Tamae Shrine.
Naruto was frightened into loud wailing. Ritsu had no choice but to summon a construction crew to soundproof Naruto's nursery, isolating it from the rolling thunder Ritsu was creating outside!