A Brutal Interrogation!

The basement was as dark as night.

Thick walls and floors surrounded it, solid and strong.

Earth Release Ninjutsu could turn chakra into earth, but that kind of earth didn't last. It would eventually break down into chakra again.

However, real earth, made solid by Earth Release, stayed that way.

This place was clearly a secret room, built underground on purpose.

And, judging by the rough walls, someone had trained very hard here, practicing their fighting skills.

That person was Sarutobi Ryo, Sarutobi Hiruzen's son.

"Heh..."

The beautiful ninja, tied up tight, smiled slightly.

"Looks like I lost this time... I didn't expect..."

Smack!

Before she could finish, Sarutobi Ryo slapped her hard across the face.

She was stunned.

"From now on, I talk, you answer."

Sarutobi Ryo used Earth Release without effort. The ground shook, and a square block of earth rose up, becoming a table.

He opened the scroll Nonou had given him. The dim light showed rows of shiny surgical tools.

They looked sharp and dangerous.

"Heh... you know what I've done, so you won't let me go. Do you think I'll tell you what you want to know?"

"Hmph," Sarutobi Ryo said calmly. "I've seen people who'd rather die than talk, but they all end up telling me everything..."

He picked up a surgical knife, looking at it closely.

It wasn't an act. He felt... nostalgic.

"It's been so long since I've done this."

"Young Master, what's been so long?"

Yamanaka Hui, who had followed him down, walked over, interested.

She was clearly excited about the interrogation.

"People eat chickens, chickens eat worms, ninjas eat everything... the food chain... how interesting~."

Yamanaka Hui stood next to Sarutobi Ryo, smiling cheerfully.

Sarutobi Ryo seemed cold, but Yamanaka Hui, with her blonde ponytail, felt terrifyingly evil.

She didn't care about life or death, like killing was as normal as eating or drinking.

It was like a child, happily burning ants one by one.

"Believe me, if I interrogate you, you'll die a little easier."

Sarutobi Ryo looked at her, lowering the knife slowly.

"Because I'll remind you: her cousin is Yamanaka Inoichi, the head of Konoha's intelligence division."

"!"

Hearing the name "Yamanaka Inoichi," she finally lost her cool.

The ninja world was full of geniuses.

Just like Namikaze Minato's quick rise, Yamanaka Inoichi, only a bit older, had become the head of Konoha's intelligence division at a young age.

Everyone knew him for his amazing skills and how well he could gather information.

Fighting the Golden Flash might mean death or capture.

But falling into Yamanaka Inoichi's hands meant having your brain ripped apart.

Sometimes, your brain would be so damaged you'd become an idiot.

As Yamanaka Inoichi's cousin, Yamanaka Hui had the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques, but she was even more cruel.

For Yamanaka Inoichi, getting information was just a job.

But Yamanaka Hui enjoyed torturing enemies' minds, using it as entertainment.

"Are you sure I won't just kill myself?" Her face changed, losing its arrogance.

"You won't."

Sarutobi Ryo held the knife to her neck.

Even though she was a mess, her fancy clothes were still noticeable.

"From a normal ninja to someone who loves expensive things... getting lots of money, becoming rich, losing your fear of death, and wanting to live..."

Basically, when you have money, you think your life is worth more.

"How could someone like that want to die?"

Sarutobi Ryo looked at her mockingly.

He didn't think she'd have poison hidden in her teeth or anything like that.

She started to tremble.

Was she embarrassed? Did she feel trapped? Maybe, but that wasn't the point anymore.

"Then, first question... your gender? What do you do?"

Her: "..."

----

Hours later.

Sarutobi Ryo had asked almost everything.

From where she came from, how she grew up, and what she'd done, to what she was doing now, even her skills.

He had even gotten her training secrets for Shadow Clone and Fire Chakra Flow.

This was like getting all the skills and knowledge of a Jonin for free.

And when Sarutobi Ryo asked a simple question, her answer surprised him.

It even made Sarutobi Ryo's eyes change for the first time.

Question: Do you have any other skills?

And her answer was...

"I also tried to train in Steel Release."

"!"

Sarutobi Ryo stared at her, his eyes shining.

Yamanaka Hui turned her head. "Young Master?"

"You said..."

Sarutobi Ryo took a deep breath, returning to his cold expression.

"You... have trained in Steel Release?"

Steel Release was a type of Kekkei Genkai.

There were two main types: mutated body parts, like the Hyuga and Uchiha clans' eyes, and the fusion of two types of chakra to make a new type.

Steel Release was the second type.

It made the body's surface stronger.

And here's something interesting: even if Kekkei Genkai names are the same, they can work very differently.

For example, there's Lava Release. Roshi covers himself in lava, Kurotsuchi spits out cement, and others spit out rubber... three different ways it works.

The different amounts of chakra types used, and individual differences, change how the Kekkei Genkai works.

Now, Sarutobi Ryo realized something.

He had attacked with all his strength, using dozens of hits, before finally stopping her.

Sarutobi Ryo thought she was just really strong, because she was a Jonin.

But actually...

Whoosh!

Sarutobi Ryo rolled up her sleeve, showing a smooth, pale arm.

Sarutobi Ryo stared at her skin, like he was some kind of pervert.

But soon, Sarutobi Ryo found the secret: "Your skin..."

"Heh... that's right, I use Steel Release to harden my skin..."

She muttered.

Her skin was hard, but her insides and most of her muscles weren't protected by Steel Release.

So, Sarutobi Ryo's hard hits still shook her up and made her throw up blood.

It was like hitting a knight in armor with a hammer.

Even if the armor could stop swords, the hammer would still kill him.

"Tell me how to train in Steel Release."

Sarutobi Ryo's voice was cold, almost urgent.

This method of using your own Kekkei Genkai was just too valuable!