Chapter 14: Interrogation

I woke to the sound of violent knocking at the door, accompanied by hushed whispers and low murmurs outside.

I opened my eyes with difficulty, having not slept enough, but I reluctantly got up as the knocking persisted.

I quickly washed my face, then opened the door to find two ANBU standing to one side and three security guards on the other, while curious neighbors watched from behind.

I stared at them in confusion, and before I could inquire about what was happening, one of the ANBU spoke in an official tone:

"Uchiha Hiugen, come with us. The Hokage demands your presence."

My face showed no expression, but inwardly, I frowned. There's a difference between a routine investigation that's reported later and being escorted by two ANBU early in the morning as if I were a criminal.

"What's going on? What's happening here?"

As I was thinking, I heard a familiar voice. I turned to see the leader of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku, approaching.

One of the security guards stepped forward angrily and said, "Sir, these ANBU want to take Uchiha Hiugen to the Hokage's office."

Fugaku gave me a strange look, then shifted his gaze to the ANBU and said calmly:

"Very well, he'll come, but he just woke up. He needs to wash his face properly and eat something. You don't want to bring him to the Hokage in this state, do you?"

He gestured to my disheveled hair and wrinkled clothes.

The ANBU hesitated for a moment, then one of them said, "Fine, but he has only half an hour."

Fugaku nodded, then motioned for the security guards to disperse the crowd. After that, he stepped toward me, gently pushed me inside, and entered my home without permission, under my bewildered gaze.

I closed the door as Fugaku sat on the mat across from me, his expression serious and grave.

I swallowed my tension and sat before him, wondering, "What's going on? Is something wrong?"

Fugaku smiled sarcastically and said, "Don't you know? Don't you know the identity of your dead teammate?"

A question mark formed on my face as I recalled my memories and said hesitantly, "Wasn't she from the Shimura clan? What's the big deal?"

Fugaku looked at me seriously and said:

"It seems you don't know… If she were just a random member of the Shimura clan, it wouldn't matter. But Ayami wasn't just any Shimura… She was Shimura Ayami, Danzo's niece."

My expression froze at the mention of the name, while Fugaku continued in a quiet but meaningful voice:

"If you didn't know, Danzo is the Hokage's advisor and the leader of Root, an intelligence agency under the ANBU. Now, do you understand the scale of the problem?"

I cursed my luck silently… Of all people in Konoha, my teammate had to be connected to the biggest Sharingan fanatic in the village!

As I was thinking, Fugaku cut through my thoughts, saying:

"Although I know you didn't do anything wrong, Danzo seems intent on seeking revenge against you… Perhaps because you survived while she died, or for some other reason."

I nodded in understanding as he continued:

"As the clan leader, I can't leave you unsupported… So, I'll go with you."

I felt genuine gratitude this time and said, "Thank you, sir."

I hadn't expected this level of support from him, and my negative assessment of him rose a few notches.

"Good, but go now and change your clothes, wash up, and eat something quickly."

I nodded, then went to prepare.

---

Fifteen minutes later… in front of the Hokage's building

One of the Jonin standing near Fugaku and me said in a low, hesitant voice, "But the Hokage didn't request your presence, Lord Fugaku."

Fugaku replied calmly, "Don't worry, I don't think the Hokage will mind."

A moment later, an ANBU appeared and asked us to enter.

I followed Fugaku inside, while the ANBU remained outside. It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous.

After knocking, we opened the door and entered the Hokage's office. We saw the Fourth Hokage standing, with a group of seats occupied by the Third Hokage, Danzo, and a short distance away, Yuhi Shinko sat with his head lowered.

When my eyes met Danzo's steady gaze, I understood that this wouldn't end easily.

Fugaku greeted them and said, "I heard you requested Hiugen. What's the matter?"

Minato smiled kindly and said, "Hello, Fugaku. How are you? Are you well?"

"Yes, I'm in good health."

Before Minato could continue, Danzo coldly interrupted, "Enough with the greetings. Tell me, what are you doing here, Fugaku? Didn't we summon only Uchiha Hiugen?"

Fugaku replied firmly, "But Hiugen is a member of my clan, and as the clan leader, I must attend such an event."

Danzo looked displeased, but he fell silent when the Third Hokage intervened, saying, "Enough, Danzo. He's a clan leader, and it's natural for him to care for his clan members."

Minato's expression turned serious, and he said:

"Very well, Hiugen… We summoned you today regarding the previous mission. We learned of your teammates' deaths, but Danzo suspects foul play… He believes you killed them, so he requested an investigation."

I wasn't too surprised, but I glanced at Shinko and noticed his tension and anxiety. There were no signs of guilt or avoidance, which made me relieved that he hadn't betrayed me.

"What?!"

Of course, I feigned exaggerated shock.

When Minato was about to speak, Danzo raised his hand to interrupt, and Minato nodded to let him continue.

Danzo looked at me and said calmly:

"I heard your relationship with them wasn't good, and you have a history of assaulting your classmates… How do you defend yourself?"

I replied calmly:

"As you said… My relationship with them was normal, and that's no reason to kill them. As for fighting with my classmates, I was a child back then, and they started it. The instructor arrived and saw the fight himself, so you can't accuse me without evidence."

Hearing this, Shinko interjected, "I apologize for interrupting, Lord Hokage, but he's right. I was there, and there was a Jonin against them and some Genin."

Seeing my calm and composed response, both Minato and Fugaku nodded, and I internally praised my own maturity.

Danzo, however, didn't expect a child to respond so easily, but he showed no signs of backing down. Instead, he was prepared with another move, anticipating Fugaku's presence and my lack of panic.

He said in a quiet tone, laced with a new trap:

"Oh, it seems you're right. But who can prove you didn't kill them before Shinko arrived? According to the report, Shinko arrived after your teammate's death, while Ayami was dying. So, who's to say you didn't kill them earlier or deliberately created a gap for them to die?"

Everyone was shocked by this, and sweat began to drip from Fugaku's brow, as if he realized what Danzo was trying to achieve.

Minato, trying to probe Danzo's intentions, said:

"It seems you're hinting at something here, Danzo. Tell us what you mean exactly?"

Danzo explained in a heavy tone:

"It's clear. Perhaps he tried to kill his teammates to awaken the Sharingan. I heard he hasn't awakened it yet, so he seized the opportunity to become stronger and defeat the Jonin alone."

Silence filled the room, and everyone began to ponder his words.

As for me, I was momentarily stunned, but I quickly gathered myself and replied before the idea could take root in their minds:

"But you have no proof. Will you accuse me of killing my teammates based on mere speculation? Besides, when the instructor arrived, he didn't see that I had awakened the Sharingan. If I had, he would've noticed."

I replied quickly, thanks to my past memories. Without them, I wouldn't have known how to defend myself and might have even doubted my own motives.

(This man… Danzo is a genius at bullying and manipulating children's emotions.) I thought with annoyance.

But fortunately, my argument was logical. And as Danzo was about to respond, the Third Hokage, who had remained silent until now, spoke in a quiet but decisive tone:

"Since things have come to this, we have no choice but to make a sacrifice."

Everyone looked at him in confusion, unable to understand what he meant.

Minato asked respectfully:

"Lord Third, what do you mean by sacrifice?"

The Third explained coldly:

"We can use the Yamanaka clan's memory-reading technique on Renji's corpse to find out the truth."

A heavy silence filled the room.

If Renji were an enemy, no one would hesitate, but using this technique on a Konoha shinobi is an insult.

As for Ayami, she wasn't mentioned in the proposal, as her relationship with Danzo was clear, and Sarutobi Hiruzen was well aware of it. So, the easier choice was Renji, a mere civilian.

I smiled inwardly at the Third Hokage's reasoning and thought to myself:

(Renji, do you see? The Hokage you loved more than anyone else… is sacrificing you so easily. Though you might not see it as a sacrifice, but as a service to the Will of Fire.)

Shinko, who couldn't bear the thought of desecrating his student's corpse, said angrily:

"Lord Hokage, you can't do this! He died fighting for Konoha. We can't defile his body."

At that point, I realized it was natural for me to defend him as well, or else it would seem suspicious.

I said firmly:

"Yes, sir, you can't do this to Renji!"

Silence filled the room, and even Danzo said nothing. It wasn't out of conscience, but perhaps because he knew I hadn't done anything.

"I apologize, Yuhi Shinko and Hiugen. I know you're innocent, but I can't convince Danzo, and this solution will settle all doubts," he said with a sad, helpless look.

Then the Third Hokage glanced at Minato, who understood his message and stopped his initial refusal, saying after a brief thought:

"Very well, if this is the only solution, I'll agree."

He gave a sad look, then continued:

"You may leave now. I'll inform you of the investigation results later. And Hiugen, during this period, you'll remain at home under ANBU surveillance until the investigation is concluded."

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Fugaku didn't object.

After that, the Third Hokage left quietly, followed by Danzo, who gave me a cold look before disappearing.

Instructor Shinko also left, and afterward, the Fourth Hokage turned to me and said apologetically:

"I apologize, Hiugen. I know you're innocent, but you'll have to endure the accusations. Tell me, is there anything you want as compensation?"

I felt a faint happiness. I thought of requesting the Flying Thunder God Technique, but I quickly shook my head. That technique is forbidden, and it's impossible for them to allow it to fall into the hands of an Uchiha.

So, I chose the next best option and said:

"Well, sir, I heard your wife is from the Uzumaki clan. I'd like to be her student and learn sealing techniques from her."

Hearing this, Fugaku and Minato were shocked, as they hadn't expected this request.

Minato thought for a moment, then said apologetically:

"I'm sorry, but I can't agree to that. Can you ask for something else?"

(Cheapskate…) I thought to myself, but I understood his refusal. Agreeing would mean obligations and complications not worth taking on for mere compensation.

So, I changed my request to the third-best option:

"Very well, sir, I heard you developed a seal-less ninjutsu called the Rasengan. I want to learn it and understand your thoughts on how to develop it."

Minato hesitated for a moment, but he finally nodded and said:

"Very well, no problem. I'll send you a scroll later with a detailed explanation and my thoughts on how to develop it."

I thanked him gratefully, then left with Fugaku, who didn't speak much. When we reached the Uchiha district, Fugaku suddenly stopped and said seriously:

"Listen to me carefully. Don't leave during this period. You're under surveillance, and any suspicious movement will raise doubts. Even after the investigation ends, don't wander too much, and never think about leaving the village. Danzo might try to kill you."

I nodded seriously, then said sincerely:

"Thank you so much for your help today, sir."

"I didn't do much," he said quietly, then turned and left.

Despite his words, I knew his presence had been the greatest help. Without him, the course of the interrogation would have been entirely different, and Minato wouldn't have given me compensation.

As for my request for the Rasengan, it was a calculated move. I wanted to be able to display it reasonably, and more importantly, to gain Minato's insights on how to develop it.

According to my past memories, it took Naruto a long time to develop the Rasengan, even with the use of dozens of clones. As for me, I can't create that many clones, so it would take me even longer.

But with the original creator's thoughts on this ninjutsu… it wouldn't take too long.