Crossing the border between the Land of Iron and the Land of Fire.
Using Shadow Flash to return to Konoha.
Torture Department · Deputy Division, the deepest Interrogation Room underground.
Hyuga Sho spent some time talking with Sasori.
He extracted the secrets of the S-Rank Puppet Core.
"You don't actually want to turn yourself into a puppet. You want to break free from the Main Family's restraints on the Branch Family, hm... Am I wrong?"
The corners of Sasori's mouth lifted.
In this Interrogation Room, whose surroundings were covered in steel plates.
There was absolutely no way he could escape.
Because the Puppet Core alone had no combat power.
It could only release Chakra.
That Chakra was insufficient for Sasori to produce an attack capable of piercing the steel plates.
Only with a puppet could he break through the underground and leave.
Rather than remain imprisoned here, unable to depart.
To imprison Sasori.
Years ago, when Hyuga Sho had built the Deputy Division, he had specifically arranged a private underground prison for Sasori.
Apart from the steel plates covering the walls, floor, and ceiling, there was nothing here.
There was nothing Sasori could use to escape.
"So what if I do?"
Hyuga Sho made no attempt to conceal his ambition.
Obtaining the Puppet Core and transforming himself.
That would let him transfer his weaknesses elsewhere, so he would no longer fear the activation of the Caged Bird Seal.
Besides that.
Hyuga Sho had also interrogated other things Sasori knew out of him.
Including the Puppet Threads of a Puppet Master, knowledge of medicinal herbs, knowledge of poisons, methods for transforming someone into a Human Puppet, and so on.
"You're not a Puppet Master. Why do you want to learn all this?" Sasori was puzzled.
"Know yourself and know your enemy,