“…You senile old bastard, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?” Kosaka Otoko froze for a moment before bursting into laughter.
With dried blood smeared across his face, his grin looked even more grotesque.
He was clearly trying to intimidate the old man standing before him.
Yet while laughing, his eyes secretly darted around the room, taking in both its layout and the various torture instruments.
A barbed whip.
Flesh hooks.
Branding irons.
A charcoal brazier.
“Hah…” Seeing them, Kosaka Otoko actually relaxed.
He fixed Meiyu with a cold stare.
“That brat actually thinks you and these antique torture tools are enough to make me talk?” The anti-interrogation training undergone by Kirigakure’s ANBU was notoriously brutal.
He had already endured every one of those common torture devices countless times.
With enough determination, he could withstand them for ten days or even half a month without breaking.
However…
Besides those familiar tools, there was also a bronze bull nearly the size of a real ox and a life-sized iron coffin shaped like a human body.
Kosaka Otoko couldn’t figure out what either of them was for.
At least on the surface, they didn’t look intimidating.
Even so, Meiyu ignored his question.
He calmly opened the ninja tool pouch on the wooden table and began sorting through Kosaka Otoko’s belongings.
Kunai.
Shuriken.
Soldier Pills.
Various small tools.
And two bottles of medicine.
Meiyu uncorked one bottle and took a careful sniff.
He immediately recognized several herbs with anesthetic properties.
Many of the remaining ingredients, however, were unfamiliar.
It was obviously a specially formulated anesthetic used by Kirigakure’s ANBU.
He picked up the second bottle and inhaled again.
This one contained coca leaves.
A medicinal herb used to stimulate the central nervous system, suppress appetite, and relieve fatigue.
“So these are specially prepared medicines for external and internal injuries?” Meiyu turned toward Kosaka Otoko with a bright smile, looking at him as though he had just discovered priceless treasure.
“It seems you’re quite an important shinobi in Kirigakure.” The corner of Kosaka Otoko’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
“Who exactly are you people?” “And that brat…” “Why couldn’t I sense his chakra?” Meiyu had been quietly observing him the entire time.
Noticing that tiny involuntary twitch, he nodded inwardly.
That subtle reaction proved Kosaka Otoko genuinely feared Lord Unkawa.
Not only fear…
There was also fear of the unknown.
As long as someone could still feel fear…
They could be broken.
The truly troublesome prisoners were those who feared neither death nor pain, remaining silent even after being tortured into madness.
With that thought, Meiyu walked over and stood before him.
“I’m just an old man with only a few years left to live.” “A man who never had the talent to become a shinobi.” “Before I die, I simply want to burn away the last of my life.” “As for why you couldn’t sense Lord Unkawa’s chakra…” He paused.
Then smiled.
“Because he’s just like us.” “One of those people you call…” “…someone with absolutely no talent for being a shinobi.” No talent…
For being a shinobi?
Kosaka Otoko froze.
He slowly tried to understand what those words meant.
Then…
His blood-caked eyes widened.
Everything before him seemed dyed crimson.
At last…
He understood.
He finally understood why his Hidden Mist Technique had failed to detect that boy from beginning to end.
The answer was so unbelievable…
Yet now that he thought about it…
It was the only possible explanation.
“That brat…” “He’s not a shinobi at all?!” “He doesn’t know a single ninjutsu?!” That’s right!
The Hidden Mist Technique didn’t detect enemies by sensing their physical bodies.
It located them through fluctuations in foreign chakra within the mist.
But Unkawa had never used ninjutsu.
He hadn’t even refined chakra.
From beginning to end…
There had never been the slightest chakra fluctuation.
Combined with his speed, which rivaled—or perhaps even surpassed—the Body Flicker Technique…
His complete absence of presence…
And that bizarre assassination technique…
If Kosaka Otoko hadn’t relied on the Hidden Mist Technique…
He might have been able to fight back using other ninjutsu.
Instead…
He had foolishly chosen the one technique that created the perfect environment for Unkawa’s assassination.
“Damn it!
Damn it!!” “I actually lost…” “…to some brat who can’t even use ninjutsu!” Kosaka Otoko roared in fury.
Yet beneath that anger…
Was genuine terror.
So…
It was actually possible…
To become that strong without relying on ninjutsu?
How…
Unbelievable.
“Hard to believe, isn’t it?” Meiyu nodded and laughed heartily.
“Good.” “Because I find it unbelievable too.” Capturing a powerful shinobi alive…
Without learning a single ninjutsu.
How incredible was that?
But…
That was exactly the kind of miracle Lord Unkawa created.
“Tch.” Seeing Meiyu’s triumphant expression, Kosaka Otoko’s face darkened.
Then…
A mocking smile slowly spread across his lips.
“Hahaha…” “You think you’ve already won?” He sneered.
“Those outdated torture tools won’t work on me.” “I know,” Meiyu replied with a smile.
“You’ll never get any intelligence out of me.” “If you’ve got the guts, kill me.” “I know.” Meiyu continued smiling.
“What exactly do you know?!” Veins bulged across Kosaka Otoko’s forehead.
“You don’t know anything!” “There’s no need to shout.” Meiyu shook his head.
“This interrogation room is specially designed.” “No matter how loudly you scream…” “No one outside will hear you.” He laughed again.
“I told you before.” “Compared to shinobi like you…” “I’m just an ordinary man with no talent.” “Before I met Lord Unkawa, I made my living gathering medicinal herbs and treating the sick.” “I witnessed far too much suffering.” “I nearly ended up being executed by Amegakure shinobi as a suspected spy.” “So…” “In order to become useful to Lord Unkawa…” “I studied the methods of ordinary people.” As he spoke…
The honest, simple expression on his face gradually changed.
His eyes shone brighter and brighter.
Almost…
Fanatically.
“When people suspect you’re a spy…” “You’d better actually be one.” “So I chose the paths of medicine…” “…and intelligence.” “As for death by a thousand cuts…” “I only learned it recently from Lord Unkawa.” He picked up a scalpel from the nearby table.
While carefully sterilizing it over the flame, he lowered his head and explained, “I’ve heard the highest level of death by a thousand cuts involves a thousand slices.” “But I’m not very talented.” “So I can only manage one hundred and twenty-four.” He narrowed one eye and slowly pointed the scalpel at Kosaka Otoko.
“First, the eyebrows.” “Second, the shoulders.” “Third, the chest.” “Fourth, the upper arms.” “Fifth, the elbows.” “Sixth, the thighs.” “Seventh, the calves.” “Eighth…” Watching the old man calmly tracing imaginary cuts across his body…
Kosaka Otoko felt fear rising uncontrollably inside him.
From the eyebrows…
To the shoulders.
The chest.
The arms.
The elbows.
The legs.
And finally…
“The hands.” Meiyu suddenly paused.
The scalpel hovered where Kosaka Otoko’s hands should have been.
“Oh…” “My apologies.” “I forgot.” “You don’t have hands anymore.” “What a shame.” “I won’t be able to break my personal record.” Listening to Meiyu’s increasingly quiet voice, almost like someone talking to himself…
Kosaka Otoko finally began to crack.
“Y-You…” “You’re just an ordinary man…” “A pathetic weakling…” His face twitched uncontrollably.
His entire body trembled.
His expression shifted constantly between rage and overwhelming terror.
“You’re bluffing…” “You just want information…” “That’s all…” “It has to be…” “Hahaha.” “You don’t believe me?” “That’s perfectly fine.” Meiyu laughed loudly before his smile slowly disappeared.
His eyes narrowed.
“As Lord Unkawa once said…” “Prejudice is like a mountain.” “No matter how hard you try…” “You’ll never move it.” “Don’t worry.” “You thoughtfully brought medicine that will keep you from passing out.” Picking up one of the medicine bottles, he smiled warmly.
“So…” “To thank you…” “I have plenty of time.” “We can take this nice…” “…and slow.” “…” “AAAAAAAHHHHH!!” Heart-rending screams echoed endlessly through the room.
Even the candlelight flickered as though trembling in fear.
Meanwhile…
In the guest room next door…
“…And that’s why this story teaches us that the only things preventing us from discovering and creating new possibilities are the barriers in our own hearts and the stubborn stones in our minds.” Unkawa lay quietly on the bed.
His gentle voice resembled a lullaby.
Looking down, he gazed at the sleeping Little Shigure nestled in his arms.
As if hearing something in the distance…
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“Sweet dreams.” With that…
He slowly closed his eyes.
Before long…
He, too, drifted off to sleep.