Qingyu never imagined he would stumble upon the truth behind the mass prisoner deaths in such a way.
"Don't say those things anymore," Qingyu said, his dark eyes staring meaningfully at the bound man.
"But I was framed!" the man roared, his voice thick with injustice.
"I'm telling you this for your own good. Stop being stubborn. Just admit to the defamation—it's a minor charge, and you'll be out in a few days," Qingyu said flatly.
"Is... is this how you interrogate people?" The man's face twisted with frustration. He felt this Torture Force ninja was being incredibly reckless, drawing conclusions without asking a single question.
"I know everything that happened." Qingyu's tone remained cold. He leaned in closer, whispering to the man, "What you saw and heard... you know it best. The problem is, continuing to insist on the 'truth' won't do you any favors. It might even get you killed."
The man's eyelids twitched. Hearing the word "killed," his heart skipped a beat, and his frantic energy suddenly cooled. He began to calm down.
"Understand the identity of the person involved and recognize your own limitations. Keeping your head down is your best option," Qingyu added nonchalantly. He then unrolled a scroll and began to write.
Scratch... scratch...
"Sign it."
Qingyu handed the scroll over. On it was a simple, blunt description of the man's "crime": Defaming a high-ranking official of Konoha.
A single line of text. It made the man look like a liar, but it was the best solution Qingyu could offer.
"This..." The man stared at the scroll. His expression shifted from resentment to disappointment, and finally, to a deep, hollow sense of helplessness. "I can sign it. But I have one question you must answer."
The man didn't pick up the brush. He looked up, his eyes grave and determined. It was clear that if Qingyu didn't answer, he wouldn't sign.
"Go ahead," Qingyu nodded.
"Do you really know what I saw?" The man was still skeptical.
"I read your memory," Qingyu replied.
The man took a deep breath, his entire body tensing up. "Then you know I'm innocent?"
"Once you speak certain words aloud, you cease to be innocent." Qingyu shook his head and pushed the scroll forward again. "Sign."
"Should I have just pretended I didn't see it?" the man asked weakly.
"Your strength doesn't match that person's status," Qingyu said simply.
"I understand."
The man seemed to deflate. He had known this, deep down, from the moment he was arrested. He had hoped that by making a scene, he could catch the attention of an honest interrogator who would clear his name. Now, he realized the reality of the situation.
Some things simply couldn't be helped.
He took the brush, signed the confession, and admitted to the defamation. Moments later, the prison guards led him away. Qingyu watched him go through the eyeholes of his mask.
"I'm sorry," Qingyu whispered, his voice so low only he could hear it.
As a "rookie" in the Torture Force, he had to keep a low profile. He couldn't speak of the images he had seen in that man's mind.
In his head, Qingyu replayed the memory like a film.
Ten days ago, this man was walking in the small woods behind the Konoha Prison. Feeling tired, he sat under a tree and fell asleep. After an unknown amount of time, hushed voices woke him.
"This is the list of those set to be released. Given the crimes they committed, they should never see the sun of Konoha again. However, according to village laws, they'll be out soon. I do not wish to see that happen."
The voice was low, slightly hoarse, and carried a chilling coldness.
"It is better to kill by mistake than to let them go. You know what to do."
The man behind the tree realized something was wrong. He shifted slightly, peeking around the trunk to see a man in green robes with bandages covering part of his body.
Qingyu recognized him instantly: Shimura Danzo. The leader of Konoha's "Root."
Standing opposite Danzo was the Warden of the Konoha Prison.
"Understood," the Warden nodded, before flickering away and vanishing.
With those few words, the fate of the prisoners was sealed.
"Phew~"
Qingyu let out a soft breath. No wonder the prisoners' memories showed no warnings—no arguments, no strange encounters. They had been poisoned by the Warden himself under Danzo's orders.
The "Old Shadow" who maintains Konoha's stability through his own dark methods.
"So that's why the Torture Force stopped the investigation. They probably received orders from above."
Qingyu hadn't expected to run into such blatant bureaucracy while hiding in the darkness of the department. Even though he knew the man was telling the truth, speaking it would have been a death sentence. Neither Danzo nor the Warden were people a civilian could provoke.
This was why Qingyu chose not to help him seek "justice."
Even when Danzo attempted to assassinate the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, he was eventually forgiven. What chance was there for a few dead criminals? Even if the truth reached the Hokage, it wouldn't change anything, and it would only bring more trouble to the witness—and to Qingyu himself.
Qingyu just wanted to stay in the Torture Force and read memories in peace. He wasn't God, and he couldn't right every wrong in the world. With the Third Shinobi World War on the horizon, deaths would be counted in the thousands. He couldn't afford a "Saint" complex.
The mystery was solved. It was Danzo. Everything made sense now.