Torture Escalates

Ran walked up to Li Yao, crouched down, pried open his right hand, and took away the sharp shard from the large bowl. He did not overlook the fragments scattered across the floor either, taking them all away along with the chopsticks.

After the Third Hokage left, Ran remained in the interrogation room.

His task was to ensure that Li Yao had no chance to commit suicide.

Only after cleaning everything up and confirming that Li Yao had no way to kill himself quickly did Ran undo the Immobilization Jutsu on him.

Once he could move again, Li Yao did not attempt suicide.

With Ran here, whether he tried biting his tongue or smashing his head against the wall, he would not succeed. He knew that very well.

Li Yao continued sitting on the floor, his eyes fixed on the torture bed that terrified him.

Heh heh!

Heh heh!

After sitting there blankly for a while, Li Yao suddenly began to chuckle. Yet there was no laughter in his voice; it sounded more like the cry of despair.

Slap!

Slap!

As he laughed, Li Yao slapped himself, once on the left and once on the right, over and over again.

"For being a coward!"

"For having no courage!"

"Trash!"

"You're nothing but worthless trash!"

As he slapped himself, he cursed himself viciously in his heart. Li Yao regretted not killing himself yesterday. If he had died yesterday, he would not have had to endure such painful torment today or in the future.

Slap!

Slap!

Ran remained invisible in a corner, watching Li Yao slap himself again and again without stopping him.

Li Yao did not know that even if he had truly cut through the artery in his wrist yesterday, he would not have died.

An injury of that degree would only take Ran a few minutes to deal with.

The Third Hokage valued Li Yao so highly—how could he possibly give him a chance to commit suicide?

He was destined to continue sinking into the Third Hokage's bloody hell.

Over the following week, Li Yao's screams continued without end in the interrogation room.

After all ten of his fingernail beds had been pierced, the gaps between all ten of his toes were not spared either. Every one of them was pierced through.

However, the agonizing pain no longer felt as intense as it had at the beginning.

Li Yao's screams grew weaker by the day.

Clearly, Li Yao's body was rapidly adapting to this excruciating pain.

Or perhaps his mind was gradually collapsing.

This was no longer the kind of collapse that ended in unconsciousness. It was a true collapse—the kind that could kill him.

It was another morning.

Li Yao sat on the floor, eating the noodles in his bowl. His eyes were still hollow, but deep within them flashed a trace of disbelief.

I actually endured it?

Under that kind of pain, Li Yao had actually endured it.

It had truly hurt, hurt so much that he wished he were dead.

But Li Yao had really withstood it. At the very least, he no longer thought about suicide.

Maybe... I can save myself?

That's right. I can save myself!

The moment the thought of saving himself arose, Li Yao could no longer stop himself from thinking wildly.

He wanted to get out!

He wanted to get out alive!

He wanted to kill the Third Hokage!

He wanted to kill everyone who belonged to Konoha!

He wanted to destroy the world!

Li Yao lowered his head. At that moment, his eyes were bloodshot, and his world was blood-red as well.

That was right!

He could not just die like this.

He had to live.

He would repay the Third Hokage, Konoha, and this world a hundredfold, a thousandfold, ten thousandfold, a millionfold for all the pain they had inflicted on him.

He hated this world!

He hated this world that spoke the language of the Little Days!

He would destroy this world.

The thoughts in his mind gradually solidified. Li Yao wanted to live, and he wanted to save himself.

How could he save himself?

How could he possibly save himself?

To get out of here, he either needed overwhelming power or the ability to escape silently, evading everyone's senses and pursuit.

Clearly, he did not possess overwhelming power.

It would be impossible for him to gain enough power to break out of Konoha within only a few years.

Then... all that remained was the ability to leave Konoha without making a sound.

What ability could evade the perception and investigation of Anbu ninja and allow him to escape this secret chamber silently?

"Perfect Transformation Jutsu!"

In an instant, Li Yao thought of the ninjutsu his previous body's father, Kimura Takuya, had wanted to create but had ultimately given up on in despair.

As long as he could create the Perfect Transformation Jutsu, he would have a sliver of a chance to escape.

Kimura Takuya's Perfect Transformation Jutsu had actually been developed to its final step.

Other than being unable to conceal Chakra, the Shadow Clone was essentially perfect.

Hashirama's Wood Clone was already realistic enough, but Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan could still discern a slight difference.

Yet even Kaguya Otsutsuki, with both the Byakugan and Tomoe Rinnegan, could not see through a Shadow Clone.

As long as he could conceal Chakra, then replace the Shadow Clone with the Transformation Jutsu, he could turn into a bird with no Chakra fluctuations.

As long as he could get out, the ninja would definitely not sense him.

The only problem now was how to conceal or eliminate Chakra.

"How can I conceal or eliminate Chakra?"

Li Yao pondered it until nightfall, but he still had no clue.

But there was no need to rush. He first needed to increase his Chakra reserves.

No matter how he researched it, Chakra was the foundation.

Without a sufficient amount of Chakra, he could not cast any ninjutsu, nor could he maintain it for long.

He needed Chakra.

He needed to live.

Li Yao's eyes were firmer than ever before. He could endure the Third Hokage's painful torment. As long as he was given time, he would definitely leave alive.

That night.

The determined look in Li Yao's eyes as he resolved to live wavered again when the Third Hokage took out a sharp, faintly gleaming needle and pulled down his pants.

"Y-you... what are you doing?"

The Third Hokage ignored him. He grabbed Li Yao's penis and positioned it, then turned back to glance at the terrified, struggling Li Yao and smiled. "Don't worry. There are many kinds of pain the human body can feel, and you still have plenty left to experience."

"Kill me!"

"Please, kill me!"

Li Yao already knew how the Third Hokage intended to torture him next. He was afraid. He was terrified.

He had originally thought that needles driven beneath his fingernails were the greatest pain a person could possibly feel.

And after enduring that agony, there would no longer be any pain capable of breaking him.

But the moment the Third Hokage pulled down his pants, Li Yao realized he had been naive. He had overestimated his own mental endurance.

Needles beneath the fingernails had only been an appetizer. Now came the main course, one that would tear both body and soul apart.

Before the Third Hokage had even truly begun, Li Yao could no longer bear the fear in his heart.

Just today, he had firmly declared that he would save himself and live.

Now, Li Yao only wanted to die.

"Please, kill me!"

Li Yao begged the Third Hokage to kill him once more.

The Third Hokage remained unmoved. One had to use every possible method against an enemy. Besides, to be honest, this little method would not stir even a trace of pity in his heart. His heart was far colder than others imagined.

"Aahh—ugh..."

A piercing scream, as though it could shatter the entire building, burst from Li Yao's mouth. There was no way to describe the pain Li Yao was enduring at that moment.